As a big fan of Bridgerton, I was super thrilled to receive an ARC of Always Be My Duchess. This was an adorable story. I enjoyed the plot, the grumpy trope, and of course the spice! I am excited this will be a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

I am behind on reviews, and unfortunately this book is not one that stuck out to me. I remember liking it, but I can’t remember what happens. It was quite steamy and pretty fun

3.5 stars — There were so many things I enjoyed, but the frustration with certain things was strong my friends!

Loved Ms. Wells’s accents, it really added to the character of Nève when she was speaking. Occasionally I’m not sure if I would have read certain passages differently, and maybe would have warmed up to Lysander more.

Lysander had one too many opportunities to show growth, even in his own head, and just didn’t take them…it was frustrating to me. I guess I just wasn’t as patient. I think particularly I didn’t understand his turnaround on a particular issue, as it wasn’t explained what made him change his mind. He was just too good at turning to stone. And while I understood what was behind that, I needed something more from him to truly connect with him and to feel like he was connecting with Nève. Or maybe it was just me, I don’t know. It’s like, I would see these moments, but then he would shut himself down, and even in his head I didn’t always understand the whys of it all.

In general I loved Nève. She was so forthright and sassy, and I appreciated how unusual that was for a lady of those times. I loved how she called Lysander out on his bullshit, how she saw beauty and joy in so many little things, how she in general tried to stay on the positive side of life despite her circumstances. She was a great foil for Lysander, because she shook him up in a multitude of ways. Occasionally she was almost too light, but that could have been choices made by the narrator, you know?

I LOVED their bantering with one another, and the subtle chemistry you could feel between them for the first half of the book. I was torn when we finally got to the steamy scenes — some parts were unbelievably hot, but I also felt less connection between them. But was that the book, or was that just me? I genuinely have no idea.

I adored Nève’s new group of friends, they were absolutely hilarious and delightful. I am always drawn to a historical series featuring misfit heroines and their love stories, so I’m definitely looking forward to more. I also loved Aunt Millicent. She took on the Barney role in many cases, and she played it well.

Loved the little Pretty Woman nods all over the place. It wasn’t a direct retelling, but you could see its influence in big details and small ones. And as a fan, I was also a fan of these touches.

This book had everything I love on paper: marriage of convenience, regency vibes, and sassy heroine.

I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I thought the dialogue was great, the ideas were great, but it didn’t offer a lot of new interpretation on this topic.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm finding that it's not regency romance that I don't like. I am finding that while there is a lot I don't like, there are author that I do like. It's the author's that write regency romances like rom coms set in the regency. I think that stems from the fact that my favorite Jane Austen is Emma. The Original Rom Com and you can't change my mind.

I enjoyed this book, it's the first I've read by this author.

I love that it's going to be a series, I can't wait for book 2!

I love that in this book opposites attract and there was a lot of sex! Not too much, still enough to entertain you.

Fake engagement, sign.me.up....

Add in historical romance, with a grumpy character, ahhhhh...

The research was spot on for this book, made me feel like I was back in those times.

I just reviewed Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard. #NetGalley

When I read historical romances I expect a certain formula but I loved that the author did something different with Always Be My Duchess. The hero and heroine are original and far from the stereotypical romantic characters. I loved, loved, loved the chemistry between Lysander and Genevieve, they were such opposites that it worked so well. The neurodivergent angle was appreciated too by me. I wasn't totally into the insta love thing that kind of happened but the rest was 5 stars. Would love to read more from the author.

I was sold at "Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton," but this blew my expectations out of the water.

I am a sucker for a man that can play instruments and speak foreign languages, but how was it even fair that this man plays the piano AND the cello? That he is your typical regency era, no nonsense male but has this hot/sexy side to him both in and out of the bedroom was just unfair to all other MMCs and my expectations.

The chemistry between the two was explosive and they were perfect together. I was expecting her to be a courtesan, but making her a ballerina was perfection. Him <i>playing the cello while she danced</i> simply murdered me. The intimacy was top notch and not at all what I had anticipated. This was hot, like put your kindle down level hot. He not only played the cello for her, but played <b>her</b> like a cello. Who is this man to walk out of my dreams onto page and not exist in real life?

One of my favorite characters always seems to be the elderly person that wants the main characters together and clearly Lysander's aunt came out as a favorite in this for me. She is simply lovely and charming and I want her to live for eternity.

Even if you aren't a regency era fanatic, the writing was not just easily digestible, but beautiful. I laughed, cried, and fanned myself multiple times. Amalie Howard has my attention. I need the rest of this series like I need air.

Fake dating, historical edition. A nice spin on things - don't think I've read these tropes together before.

Overall opinion - loved it! The friendships, the romance, the level of spice.

So cute! Love fun historical books like this with a modern twist. I enjoyed it so much and know so many other will!

This was a cute and fun historical romance! This is one of my favourite genres and Amalie Howard did a great job with it. I loved the writing and the characters! Look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Okay, so, first off, I have to say that historical books - be it romance, fiction, or anything - usually don't hold my interest, it's just not my cup of coffee (I don't drink much tea.). HOWEVER, I actually really enjoyed this book. It was a heart-warming, feel good romance that left me wondering if maybe I've missed out on some gems in the past by steering away from this genre. The banter was witty, the characters had great chemistry and felt well fleshed out, and the romance had me smiling - it had that swoon-worthy vibe. Maybe it was the Pretty Woman dynamic, as I am a sucker for that movie, that had me enthralled with this book. It hooked me enough that I'm excited to pick up more books from Howard.

*3.5 rounded up.*

This was such a fun book to read during the summer. It’s fast pace, witty dialogues and excellent story pacing. I love a good loosely historical rom com. The female MC is such a strong lead that definitely a delightful to read for historical romances.

In the past, I haven’t been a fan of historical romances. This started changing more recently and this book was part of the reason why I enjoy them now! It has Bridgerton/Pretty Woman vibes, has strong MC’s, and is an altogether delightful read. Try it for yourself if you enjoy fake dating, slow burn novels starring royalty that are set back in time.

Always Be My Duchess is the perfect book for fans of Bridgerton - it combines that fun Regency era we all know and love plus a dash of Pretty Woman. I liked the characters and the story, the spice level was good and the chemistry was great. The women that are part of her circle of friends are so great and i want a story for each and every one of them.

i requested this while i was still coming down from my bridgerton high. cute romance but the characters fell a bit flat from what i was expecting. it's extremely well written, but i found myself struggling to connect to the characters and see a true connection/good chemistry in their relationship.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, has only one objective and that's to increase his fortune. He wants to purchase a piece of property, but the owner refuses to sell to Lysander because of a promise to his beloved wife. A chance meeting with Genevieve Valery, a struggling ballerina, offers the solution to his problem. He will hire her to pretend to be his fiancé and convince everyone that he has had a change of heart.

I really have come to expect a lot from Amalie Howard especially since the last few of her books have all been excellent, but this missed the mark and left me wanting. No one can deny that she is a good writer, and it's possible this story will appeal to many readers, but to me it lacked real passion or any sense of deep intimacy between two leads. I felt the whole time that I didn't really possess any knowledge about either of the characters. Therefore, I cared even less about their relationship than if I was invested in each of them separately. I have always thought Amalie has done a great job at making her characters relatable and unique. Not these characters. They felt like imitations of so many other heroes and heroines that I have seen before. All of the things that make Amalie's novels different and exciting were sorely missing from this one. I know that she will come back in her next book and make me forget all about the one book of hers that I didn't love.

DNF @ 69%

I think there is definitely an audience for this book, because it is very readable, not poorly written--there are no real reasons I can give as to why I didn't connect with it, but I just didn't.

I started this book months ago, and I have been picking it up and putting it down ever since. I am personally not a fan of insta-lust, which this book has in abundance, and I just found there was nothing to draw me to the characters. There were a number of historical anachronisms, but historical romances are not always known for any true accuracy.

I am not one to accept defeat, but I think I have to in this case. It's just not for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for some lighthearted escapism? Maybe you are wanting a book to easily sink into and you liked Bridgerton? If yes, definitely give this title a look.

Readers need to suspend their disbelief as they get to know a duke with a desire for money and a reputation for not being a people person, to put it mildly. Fate puts a young woman in his path. She, Genevieve, is down on her luck when he makes her an offer. What will happen from here? It is a romance so readers can be pretty sure of the answer. The fun is in watching the story unfold.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this title. All opinions are my own.

I’m putting this one down for now. I was having a hard time connecting with the characters, and I’m not sure if it was the mood I was in or what, but I’m open to giving it another try down the road. I’m a fan of this author’s so I’m sure it was just me!