Up until about 30% reading this book felt a bit like a chore.I’m glad I stuck with it because I left smiling and wanting more!
Nève is a strong woman from the first time we meet her! I loved her! Her wit and moral compass was very admirable!
Lysander took a little longer to warm up too. He is a troubled man but he is also very driven. His ending did feel a little rushed.
My favorite part of the whole book would have to be the Hellfire Kitties aka Queens Club. Laila, Effie, Briar, and Vesper made my heart so warm. I love every single one of them! I cannot wait to read their books!
Overall it was a very pleasant read!

The description of Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons captured my interest right away! After binge-watching season 2 of Bridgerton in two days I needed something to help me move on with my life!

The Duke of Montcroix needs a fiance to impress a sentimental landowner. Genevieve Valery needs a job immediately to help care for her ailing sister. After a chance meeting, the two of them agree to an arrangement that will benefit both of them. The problem with pretending to be in love with someone is that real feelings start to develop, and what if the other person doesn't feel the same way?

This is the first book from Amalie Howard that I've read. While historical fiction is not usually on my TBR list. I love how the woman in these books shy from what is proper and take charge! I could not put this book down! (ask my kids) I recommend this to all romance readers, especially the Bridgerton loving ones.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 for Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard

I loved that it was so cute! The whole story, though tragic, was feel good.

The romantic tension was just MWAH.

I want to have a connection like the ML and FL have.

I read the description of the book; it said "Pretty Woman." I hit the request faster than anything. I was sold on that alone, and the book did not let me down. I liked the story overall, following Neve and the Duke around. It's fun because of how they meet and how their relationship progresses through arguments and bickering. My favorite thing is how Neve kept it real with herself.

Why only four stars, you ask? TBH, I think this book would've been better if it was a slow burn and the last conflict had more work.

However, this book is fun and a nice read for when you just want to sit down and have some fun reading a book. 

The publisher kindly provided an eARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

review will be posted on goodreads and amazon closer to the expected publication date July 12th 2022.

This was a really lovely read. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this ahead of its release— it has made me want to dive into all books by Amalie Howard!

Within this tale you'll find wonderful romance, led by complex characters that felt both real and relatable. Something I quite liked was the author’s writing style, there were so many beautiful lines that caught my eye throughout the entire book. You can tell a lot of care was poured into the narrative and its cast of characters. I adored Nève in particular. I appreciated her strong will and conviction. Never straying from her own truths and beliefs. I also so enjoyed the friendships she formed with other women, they had instant chemistry with one another and it comforted me to see Nève make such wonderful allies.

I did have some trouble initially immersing myself within the romance. The hot-and-cold nature of their early relationship didn’t feel quite earned, instead it felt uneven. I wasn’t immediately convinced with their chemistry and romance, but the more I read, the more I did. By the end of the book I was wholeheartedly rooting for them. I especially loved the second half of the book— I think it’s where the plot and romance truly shined.

All in all— this book has terrific writing, well rounded leads, and a very lovely romance.

I have easily become a fan of Howard’s work!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Neve and Lysander meet while running away from thieves in Covenant Garden. She is down on her luck in finding a position as a ballerina. After negotiations, He hires her to pretend to be his fiancée. They are very attracted to each other. The terms they agreed to are tested. At the end of weeks he doesn’t want her to go but she wants him to change. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Let me start by saying this book is a TOP TIER HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVEL.

Let’s get into the characters. You have Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix is the emotionless, stern Duke that everyone will love. Then Genevieve Valery, a once up-and-coming ballerina who is down on her luck and trying to get back on her feet after she was thrown out for not becoming someone’s mistress. (Girl, I don’t blame you.) The two run into each other and he makes an offer, to act as his fake fiancee in exchange for a fortune that will help her start over.

The chemistry between the two is addicting to read. I love the group of friends she ends up meeting. It’s just a beautiful, funny, and steamy romance novel that any romance novel enthusiast will enjoy.

One of the lines that killed me was very Bridgertonesque. Which I appreciated a lot. “She reared back, lust-bright eyes searching his. “I burn hot.” “Then burn us both” I threw my phone because it was PERFECT. I DIED while reading it.

If you like the following books, you’ll love this: Bridgerton Series, The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels.

All in all, a five-star rating from me. I can’t wait to own a physical copy so I can reread this until my heart is content. I would love to see a second one focusing on her friend Briar. I think that would be interesting. I'm not quite ready to leave this group and world behind just yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amalie Howard for the ARC! :)

I have one question for Amalie Howard after reading Always Be My Duchess-- where is the next book?! Will it be Vesper? Briar? This story was so sweet, and I never wanted to put it down. Neve and Lysander really were perfect for each other, Neve's kindness bringing that out in Lysander, and Lysander's assertiveness and support of women giving Neve the chance to achieve beyond the norm for women at the time. It was feminist, it was a perfect slow-burn romance, and I want more in this series. Amalie Howard writes an amazing Regency romance that's both appropriate for the time and works for modern readers. Bring on the next books, please! Howard has set them up perfectly.

Pretty Woman-inspired regency romance?? Could not get my hands on this one fast enough.

Amalie Howard is quickly becoming a favorite! Her writing is sharp, witty, and so fun from beginning to end. I loved the subtle similarities to the Pretty Woman but this story was still original and unique! I cannot wait to read more installments from the rest of the Queens Club.

Thank you NetGalley + the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! This is a must-read for Summer 2022.

I really liked this book. It had a fun rom com vibe and I liked that both the characters were given good backstories. The characters had great chemistry and I liked that the book didn’t draw out getting them together. It was a good book and I really enjoyed the supporting characters as well.

Reading this book was a delightful treat! Neve is the perfect combination of strength and sweetness, with a dash of sass to keep Lysander on his toes. Lysander's character was so well written and there was a marvelously cheeky cast of friends. The witty writing had me laughing one minute and swooning the next. This historical romance is a definite keeper!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for access to this arc.

I LOVED this book 😍

This book is perfect for fans of Bridgerton. Lysander and Nève have the passion and bicker like Kate and Anthony, the class differences like Benedict and Sophie, and enter into an agreement like Daphne and Simon—and yet the story is uniquely its own.

Lysander (known also as the Duke of Montcroix) is unwilling to entertain emotions that might make him weak after his father’s constant attempts to make him feel small and powerless. Nève is a ballerina who became disgraced after refusing the attentions of a theatre patron. From the beginning their chemistry is undeniable; their bickering is enjoyable to read and their quips never fall flat.

The story is fast-paced and manages to make every scene integral to the plot. I was hooked right from the start!

3.75/5⭐️

As someone who loves historical fiction and romances, I was very excited to read this book. I really enjoyed the premise of the book- being described as Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton, and I would say the author does a good job of mixing the two.

Things I liked: Content warnings at the beginning of the book! I was surprised to see them just because it’s not something I see often but I think is very important. I also loved how strong and fiercely independent the female main character is. She is driven by her family and her passion which I can definitely relate to. This book also has some of my favorite troupes- fake dating, grump/sunshine, and forced proximity.

Things I didn’t like: For a historical romance, a lot of the dialogue and character’s actions don’t align with the time period which kind of caught me off guard more than a few times. Often times the dialogue felt more contemporary than the time the story is set in. There were also multiple characters that seemed like they should’ve been more developed and/or had a bigger role.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend if you want a quick historical romance read!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Great read with intriguing characters!! I absolutely enjoyed this book and the chemistry both main characters have. It’s my first read by this author and definitely not the last.

Having never seen the movie this book was based off of didn’t hinder my reading experience one bit! I really enjoyed this a lot and let me tell you.. when he ‘played’ her like an instrument.. I died! Such a fun enemies to lovers historical!

Immediate Reaction: As a self-proclaimed Pretty Woman retelling it does a good job at sticking with the theme while still being historical.
The spoiler-free summary: Lord Lysander Blackstone needs a distraction for the mamas of the ton and Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work when the duke makes her an offer she cannot refuse, act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over.

All the things I loved:
This book starts with content warnings and it is amazing! I love that in 2022 authors are recognizing that they are important. This book had me hooked from the beginning, the leads had a lot of chemistry. It was inspired by Pretty Woman but it wasn't a carbon copy of it which I appreciated. Neve is lovely and strong and reacts to all of the Duke's aggressions in a way I always responded with yasss girl. She truly respected herself and I loved that.

The things I didn't love:
This book is not as light-hearted as Pretty Woman. It does cover a lot of different themes and I am not sure they did them all justice. From his hang-ups to hers you throw in a scheming and underdeveloped evil stepmother (side note If I had a nickel for the times I read about a woman who married the MMC’s father while engaged to him this month I would have 2 nickles but it's weird that it happened twice right? lol) and some potential sexual assault. Some other plot points as well it's just a lot. I also didn't love Lysander, why is it that in a lot of romances a man will feel like he's falling in love so he has to throw a grenade at the object of his affections?

Final Thoughts: Buy it, listen to it, or borrow it from your library! It's a pretty enjoyable read.

This book was a Netgalley ARC read

I liked this book, but it didn't quite reach the heights of some of Amalie Howard's other novels for me. While I enjoyed that the heroine was working class, this was somewhat undercut by the fact that she was high born and bred, which meant that there was no real conflict when it came to issues between the hero and heroine. Instead, most of their issues seem to have the blame placed solely on the hero's shoulders which didn't feel either balanced or entirely fair. This might not have posed such a problem if the entire climax and resolution does not depend on a conflict over land that doesn't seem important at all for Neve, the heroine. On top of this, we never see Lysander actually grapple with his emotions about the land. To him it is very straightforward and yet we never see him change his mind or why he ultimately does.

Overall, it just felt very by the numbers and very much like a set up for other books in a series, which I can't say that I'm super looking forward to after reading this one. I didn't find her friends to be captivating enough, and the idea that there is this group of utterly eclectic women who can be boiled down to just one characteristic just left me feeling lukewarm.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was 100% not what I was expecting. I enjoyed it so much and am glad I was able to read it. I normally read lots of fantasy so I was worried it’d be too different.

This book made me feel like I was reading a Cinderella story and I absolutely loved that part. It’s definitely way more grown up than that. They were truly the perfect match. I loved how realistic Neve was and how she stands up for herself and isn’t afraid to point out when something isn’t right or wrong. She is a fantastic character and I loved her story.
The only reason I give this 4/5 stars is because I felt like it wasn’t something that truly had me obsessed and will think about forever. However it was a great book and introduction to this genre!

As a fan of Eloisa James and Julia Quinn, I was excited to give this book a try. Amalie Howard was a new author for me, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The characters had depth and the writing was very solid. The supporting characters were fun to read, and I'm sure we will be hearing more from them in future books. I appreciated that the author avoided some of the predictable pitfalls that can drag a romance down (such as dark, brooding characters with no redeeming qualities). While Lysander is somewhat of a dark and out of touch character, he grows and changes as the relationship develops. If you enjoy historical romance with a touch of humor, you will definitely want to try this one. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

*Received copy for review.*
I love reading about someone who loves to dance. I have loved dance since I was a child.
Neve has a lot in her plate when she comes to London. She needs a principal role in a dance company T support herself BBC and her sister. She also needs to get away from an unscrupulous Man she spurned and who injured her sister
Lysander needs to show potential business partners that he can settle down. He dies not show his feelings easily and is often described as cold. Not to mention the need to avoid his former fiancée who is also his widowed stepmother.
These two are oil & water. Neve is full of passion that bubbles into everything she does. Lysander feels deeply but keeps everything under the surface. He doesn’t need feelings to complicate his life.
I love a fake relationship that evolves into a sex deal along with forced proximity, class difference, and a public declaration.