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.

I really loved this book! It had all the steam and the spice, the perfect witty banter and charm. As described, it was Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton. Nève, a French ballerina dancer, was such a beautifully written, strong heroine. She was passionate in the things she loved and her beliefs. Lysander, the Duke of Montcroix, is one of my favorite male love interests I’ve ever read. Being neurodivergent, he sees things differently than neurotypical individuals. What he sees is very cut and dry, black and white, while Nève sees all the in betweens and hidden meanings. I loved that this was his character and there was no forcing of him to act a certain. Both Nève and Lysander learned how to navigate each other in ways that worked for them and allowed their relationship to blossom. At times, I couldn’t help but be frustrated with Lysander’s choice of words and actions, but I understood them. It was what felt right for him, and given his difficult upbringing with his father and how he treated his way of thinking, it was to keep Lysander safe and all he knew how to do. The ending was phenomenal, it gave the closure I needed. I needed to know their feelings and how things ended up, I couldn’t be happier!

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.

WELL WELL WELL WASN'T THIS AN ABSOLUTE TREAT!!!! DELICIOUS 5 out of 5 stars <3

As a historical romance reader who swears by the mass market paperbacks to deliver on delicious steam AND plot, I was nervous that Always Be My Duchess, an illustrated cover, would be fluffy and do some poetic thing with the steam instead of making the steam itself lovely and as a result, sexy ass poetry. That doesn't make sense but it's fine --- BASICALLY, this book FELT like a was reading a mass market and then I was ADDITIONALLY rewarded with such a charming and sweet cover for my bookshelf!

There isn't anything I love more than a steamy scene where our heroine just gets it given to her so hard that she's literally putty in his hands and wow. The chemistry was wonderful. The steam was perfection. My wish of 22 years to be a ballerina (even though I cannot dance or move my feet or potato self to save my life) has heightened.

I will definitely be reading more Amalie Howard books now! Cannot wait for the next book in this series and to hopefully melt again at the glorious steam.

✨This book murdered my peace.✨

I had the best possible experience with this book I’m so unhinged. The man! The woman! He’s so proficient! She’s so proficient! The opposites did attract! The banter! The fake engagement! The pining! The sex! The beginning! The middle! The end! I have no critiques! Who is she???? The hold Amalie’s writing has on me I SWEAR. She’s so talented at crafting such emotionally complex stories filled with humor, love, and heat.

✨

The man played her like a cello. How am I supposed to go about my life with this knowledge? It was bad enough when he had to so much pent up sexual energy, the man whipped out a piano instead of beating the shit out of a person. NOW you’re telling me he can play the CELLO? And speak French? And fuck from behind on a desk? And PLAY her like a cello? How can I live laugh love in these conditions? I’m supposed to be okay with this man not being REAL? This is unacceptable. Distraught, destroyed, damsel in distress.

Lysander is the epitome of ice burns HOT. He is the traditional straight-laced, no nonsense, sees the world very black and white type of hero. His life got absolutely upended by Geneviève and I loved his progression throughout the book. He’s a neurodivergent hero and I was so invested in his journey of self acceptance and accepting love from others. He was nothing like anything I’ve read before and he has my heart, my good eyebrow, any part of me he wants.

✨

Don’t even get me started on Geneviève! My queen! She was such a boss ass ballerina I have so much respect. This may be the first book where the heroine gets to beat the shit out of a villain and the hero is just like “yup she slapped your ass into next Tuesday I have nothing left to add.” IT WAS SO HOT.

Seriously I love this woman. I adored how she spoke her mind and didn’t shy away from a fight. Especially with bad characters. She never got choked up with “words she should’ve said but never did.” She said what she wanted, when she wanted, and she meant every word. But she was also the sunshine to his grumpy and melted his ice and I just think that’s so lovely.

✨

Together, the two just worked so well. I go crazy thinking about how opposite they are and how perfectly executed it was. The thought of him playing the cello and her dancing to it has my legs divorcing. They just want to separate! My kingdom for a buttoned-up hero to be totally wrecked, ruined, ravished.

I'm a very big slut for scent memory kinks apparently? To me, scent memory kink is when a main character is just so obsessed with the other's scent that it's like an aphrodisiac and consistently brought up. In Elizabeth Everett's A Perfect Equation, Grey can't stop craving cake (after years of clean, plain eating) because Letty smells like vanilla. In Tessa Dare's Any Duchess Will Do, Pauline’s favorite scent was the smell of books, but by the end they were second place because Griff was her favorite smell. Here, Lysander uses familiar scent to calm himself when he's anxious and overwhelmed. His mother's scent was his comfort for so much of his life, but now it's Geneviève's that soothes him. I love when the scent is woven throughout the entire story in bits and pieces. It's always just such a reward when you pay attention to those little things.

✨

This is definitely a Pretty Woman adjacent story and if you don’t read it big mistake. huge. Like the movie, our hero hires her for a night that turns into many nights. Lysander needs to appear like he’s settling down with a wife in order to buy a property, but he simply does not want to settle down with a wife. Thus, he finds Geneviève and hires her to be his fake fiancé. Would it have been fun if she’d been a courtesan? Absolutely. But she was a ballerina and it was FABULOUS.

These are cursed words to me, buuuuuut if you’re looking for something to satisfy your Bridgerton Season 2 cravings, look no further. Their chemistry sparkled, the banter was sharp and clever, and the angst was purposeful. It’s slow burn with maximum sexual tension and maximum payoff. (Yes, there is hot hot sex thank you very much.) Basically, if you want the show sans love triangle, senseless drama, and lack of heat, this is for you! It felt like what I wanted from the show.

Overall, I cannot wait for the rest of the series. I felt like a god pairing up all of the potential couples and plot lines. I cannot believe I have to wait so long for the to publish, let alone for the next books. I will sell my soul for an early copy that I can hug. Catch me reading the rest of Amalie’s backlist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.25/5

Thank you to the publisher for the eArc via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own.

CWs: Loss of parent(s), parental abuse in the past, fertility issues (amenorrhea) but ends with a successful pregnancy

Lysander and Genevieve are a great couple. I love that Neve is such a strong character and that she knows what she wants. I felt bad for Lysander's hard childhood and how he seemed to not to be able to understand others. Their chemistry and banter are fun.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is another entertaining regency romance by Amalie Howard. I like how the extra characters are always quite outspoken and fun.
I feel like the separation at the end was an added drama that wasn't really needed, seeing as they were going to come together anyway, but that's just my personal opinion.
I think that because Neve was a ballerina, I'll remember this romance a bit better than some of the others. That scene where Lysander organised the theatre, the chemistry was scorching!
Looking forward to the other ladies in their circle getting their happy ever afters.

In Always Be My Duchess, Amalie Howard creates a cast of characters that promise good things to come from this new series, Taming of the Dukes.

A neurodivergent duke needs to look “settled” for a business deal to move forward. Genevieve (Neve) is a down on her luck ballerina who needs funds fast to help her ailing sister.
For the mutual benefit of each other, they create a number of agreements. Some all business, some salacious.

The duke doesn’t know what hits him since Neve may be small in stature but she is mighty in sass. Such steamy fun.

An enjoyable fake engagement historical romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d say this book is a solid addition to the historical romance genre, so long as you don’t care at all about historical accuracy. It’s very Pretty Woman - without the actual sex work. Our cold-hearted business man needs to convince someone to sell and thus needs to show that he is, in fact, capable of settling down. Instead of dealing with any potential emotions, our hero instead does what any of us would do - he hires a ballerina! Its all very “cold hero falls in love with bubbly and kind heroine” but I liked reading it! If you ask me in a year I won’t remember it at all, but I’d recommend grabbing it at your library if you want a book to curl up with after a long week. Three stars.

I've been looking forward to reading this book since Amalie Howard first shared the cover. The premise of Pretty Woman meets Bridgerton is very hard to resist, especially with that red dress! The stern and hyper-focused Duke of Montcroix, Lord Lysander Blackstone (or "Stone" as his friends call him) is only interested in increasing his fortune, and when he is saved by Miss Geneviève Valery in Covent Garden, he devises a plan that could help them both. Nève is an up-and-coming ballerina that needs to help her sister and is out of work due to refusing a wealthy patron's advances. She accepts Stone's offer to be his fake fiancee to convince a potential seller, for a sum that would allow her and her sister to live out their dreams.

I mean I have been a fan of Amalie Howard since the Beast of Beswick and her main characters always have this heady level of attraction between them, with really badass heroines. This book is no exception. Our introduction to Neve shows she is no simpering miss, full of resilience with the decency to help a woefully drunk Lysander. I am a sucker for some immediate attraction and it's steamy from the get-go, which reeled me in right away. She is true to herself, holds her own no matter the audience, and will not compromise her morals. I actually didn't really realize Lysander was a neuro-divergent hero until some point later in the book. I just thought he was emotionally stunted from a terrible father and didn't like socializing. In any case, the lengths that the man goes to for Neve is swoonworthy (hello, birthday celebrations?!) and he is so generous with those around him. Going through it, I thought it was going to be somewhat easy for them so was pleasantly surprised at the ending! Oh and the hellfire kitties - I can't wait for the rest of the series. I love a good group of girlfriends and these ladies do not disappoint! All in all, another full steam romance from Amalie Howard that I would re-read!

This book which releases in July-is where Bridgerton meets Pretty Woman. I really enjoyed it.

Ne’ve happens by chance upon Duke Lysander and helps him out of a dangerous situation. The Duke is wanting to close a business deal, but the other person wants to do business with a family man not a bachelor. Ne’ve is a ballerina looking for work, and Lysander offers her a job—To be his pretend date at a ball. What turns into a date, leads to a pretend engagement for the season. But something happens along the way-the business turns into real feelings.

This book was recommended in Eloisa James reader group (I think by Eloisa herself) so I took a shot at it.
I did enjoy it. As a regency take on "Pretty Woman" I thought it was a fun quick read, with some cute nods to the movie.
There were a couple of plot inconsistencies about who knew what that had me puzzled, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Recommended.

"Always Be My Duchess", by Amalie Howard, employs one of my favorite tropes: a spunky heroine who brings joy and laughter to the life of a hardened (but inwardly a softie) ruffian. In this book, Lord Lysander Blackstone has no interest in being married as society expects. Getting tired of all the women and mothers throwing themselves at him, he devises a plan to get rid of them: he hires a new friend to act as his fiancé. Neve Valery is a ballerina who has lost work due to turning down the advances of her former director. Desperate for money for herself and her ailing sister, she agrees to Lysander's plan in exchange for money. But along the way, sparks begin to fly and lines begin to blur.

This is the first book in Howard's "Taming of the Duke" series and I look forward to reading more! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.