Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard is the first Taming of the Dukes book. Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, has plans to increase his already considerable fortune. He keeps his emotions to himself after a life full of betrayals. His heartless reputation soon jeopardizes his newest business deal, so Lysander finds himself needing someone to play his fake fiancée. Miss Geneviève Valery was once an up-and-coming ballerina. When Nève saves the life of a duke one night, she is surprised when he makes her an offer she can’t refuse. With the promise of a fortune to start over with her sister in Paris, Nève can’t believe her luck. But soon very real feelings grow between Lysander and Nève.

I really liked the mixture of historical romance and rom-com in this story. I loved the complexity of Lysander. He was much different from any romance hero I’ve read before, and I’d love to read more like him. Nève was so fierce and likeable and the perfect match for him.

I adored this book! It is definitely one of my top romances of the year. This is the perfect enemies to lovers and slow burn story!

Nève is a dancer who is feisty, funny, and strong. She will do whatever it takes to protect her sister. Lysander "The Duke" is a cold, harsh, and stubborn businessman who will do anything to close his next deal. These opposites don't make any sense, but my oh my the chemistry between them is unstoppable! Howard does an amazing job of making us fall for these two and their banter is *chef's kiss*.

I loved how different they were, but how they made such efforts to learn how to understand each other. Their growth individually and as a unit was wonderful.

I also really enjoyed Nève and her friend group. They were so funny and I loved how they were all about the girl power.

If you're looking for a steamy romance with some depth definitely grab this one!

Amazon review pending approval.

Review:
it may be a little-known fact, but historical romance is my jam, bread, and butter. i'm pretty sure if you go back a few years that you'll find a goodreads reading challenge of mine that is almost entirely filled up with historical romance. lisa kleypas is my ride or die, tessa dare is her second in command. i worship at the altar of the wallflowers; may summer, fall, winter, and spring live forever and ever, amen.

needless to say, i was an ideal audience for this arc and i loved it. i loved every single moment of reading this book, so much so that i finished the book and then immediately began typing up a list of every single thing i loved the most:
1) funny banter, like really witty and clever
2) the emphasis on consent
3) strong fmc
4) one of the side characters writes smutty fanfiction about another side character!! is this going to be a novella? because i need it
5) the phantom of the opera reference to music of the night
6) a skilled archery moment that gave me fox-y robin hood vibes *sweats, drools*
7) male shirtless cello playing
8) the pinnacle of a man being written by a woman

if you enjoy romantic comedies, or historical romances, or funny, touching, steamy stories about dukes and ballerinas then you are going to love this book. i swear on my wallflower saints.

the author does include some content guidance at the beginning of the book. however, it does fail to mention infertility (due to amenorrhea) that results in pregnancy.

I really wanted to love this, but I found it was just okay overall. The characters individually and interacting together I did not particularly like, and the storyline I found was a bit predictable. The spice (especially early on) surprised me, but I was a fan.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fun and spicy. I loved the side characters and can't wait to see what Howard does with future books in this series. If Neve is truly passionate about dance, I doubt she would be that eager to give up dancing
I found it difficult to determine the time period this book took place.

This book was adorable and I loved every minute of it. A regency "Pretty Woman?" Yes, please. Also, hands down this book had the best meet cute I've read all year. I'll definitely be reading more of Amalie Howard.

I am addicted to historical romances. Just give me a Duke and make him fall in love with someone and I will eat it up. This book was no exception. I loved the writing, I loved the characters. The plot was so much fun. It was a solid historical romance.

Welp. I’ll be needing book 2 ASAP please and thank you. I already know this is going to be a new favorite series and author for me.

Honestly have mixed feelings about this one. The immediate (extreme) attraction between the two leads for me felt like way too much, and the almost modern-ish quality of the writing really put me off when combined with the setting/time period

If you prefer your historical romance more rom-com than angst-ridden, then allow me to direct your attention to ALWAYS BE MY DUCHESS by Amalie Howard. Loosely inspired by “Pretty Woman,” the book follows the unlikely romance between a duke (who as sworn off love, naturally) and the down-on-her-luck ballerina he hires to pose as his fake fiancé for the sake of closing a business deal. A love a good fake relationship story, and this one was most excellent. I’m super picky about historical romances, but this one ticked all my boxes and I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. It’s also clearly setting up companion/sequels, and I am definitely here for them.

It was very sweet, and loosely followed the <i>Pretty Woman</i> storyline (Neve is the daughter of a impoverished viscount, which took a bit away from the obstacle of what was keeping them apart, and her overall "ineligibility" to be duchess). I did like her as a character, though it took me a while to warm up to the romantic interest. I didn't find him particularly memorable, and I just kind of went along with it. It was...fine. The highlight here is probably the group of friends and the inevitable storylines that we're going to see from this series.

A decent start to a new series, though I am already waiting on the enemies to lovers book we'll be getting from Briar and whatever his face is.

<i>Thanks NetGalley for an ARC of this, in exchange for an honest review. </i>

This historical romance is the beginning of a new series and features a rich, powerful Duke who is also a businessman and a ballerina who cannot find work after refusing to become a patron's mistress and is considered equal to a courtesan. Lysander offers Neve a huge amount of money to enter into a fake engagement, but what happens when they begin to realize their feelings are becoming real? Recommended.

A fun, quick read! I really liked that this book centers around a ballerina (who recently lost a job) as we don't usually see working class women in historical romance novels. The duke is also written as autistic, which made his relationship with his father strained but set him up to be a very successful businessman. A spicy, historical romance for Bridgerton lovers.

I’m a sucker for a historical romance and this one didn’t let me down. I look forward to future books from this author.

I really liked this one! The characters were amazing, and the plot was so much fun. Plus, the sexual tension was Off the Charts. I'm not sure if I've ever shipped a couple as hard as I shipped these two. Also, I loved both of our characters being artists of some sort. The descriptions of Neve's ballet and Lysander's music were beautiful, and really touching. I fell in love with this one, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this author!

Thanks to Forever for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

A grump aristocrat mixed with a Pretty woman style story. I was in! And I had a nice time! There isn’t too much to say besides it’s a good, fun read and I would recommend!

I really enjoyed this fun historical about a starchy duke and a savvy ballerina! I ADORE a duke who is uptight and needs to unwind and Néve is just the woman to rattle the Duke of Montclair. From their first meeting, their physical connection is electric and singes the page; for readers who love steam and yearning, Always Be My Duchess is for you.

Néve is a great heroine—she is in England trying to find dancing work to support her ailing sister and really has her back up against the wall. She has an interesting mixed-status background; she is a viscount’s daughter but not completely of the high society world because of her mother’s scandalous origins and her own career as a dancer. Lysander, Duke of Montclair, pushes her back into her father’s world and makes her confront her family’s past. This twist made the tension between their different statuses extra rich.

Overall, I recommend this historical to those who love deals struck between the main characters, great sexual tension, and cross-class romances.

Calling all Pretty Woman and Center Stage fans, this beautiful historical romance is filled with excellent banter. I am a sucker for Regency romance and this one delivered every note I look for -- chemistry, steam without being gratuitous, tension, and intellect. There were some aspects that felt a bit modern given the era, but those aspects didn't detract from the overall story.

I loved the ballet throughout this story. It reminded me of a grown-up, historical version of the ballet in Kisses & Croissants. Highly recommend this one for historical romance readers.

Tropes: Fake dating/fake engagement

This was a great historical romance and introduction to the author! I will be going back to read more of her works for sure.

Always Be My Duchess is a fun and lighter historical romance, in what I would consider more of a rom com style. I definitely got Bridgerton vibes, between the banter and snark and the steamy scenes. So if you're looking for something to hold you over between seasons, this one would be great!

I would rate this one about 3/5 🌶 on the spiciness scale, which I define as 2-3 explicit scenes with some other steam mixed in. The steamy scenes were all written in a way that felt very true to historical context, while still maintaining the steam factor. So I guess I'm saying it was very tastefully done.

Tropes and representation: fake dating/engagement; neurodivergent Hero

Pretty Woman, but make it regency. It was fun and the main characters had great chemistry. I also loved that the supporting ladies were very strong and not the usual docile little ladies.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, however the review and opinions are my own.