Amalie Howard has been on my to-read authors list since I read her Beast of Beswick, however this was not one of her best.

This Pretty Woman-inspired story between Lysander and Neve failed to hit the mark for me. A lot of things just went wrong or very meh for me from the insta-lust which is one of my absolute least favorite romance tropes, to the complete virtue washing of Neve which robbed her of the chance to truly feel multi-dimensional, to the quite tired sismance quartet. Honestly, the last point was amongst the biggest disappointments as this woman sismance did feel very tired in their characterization.

There were some funny parts, as I did enjoy Layla and Lushing. These few bright parts however did little to enhance my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

I look forward tentatively to the next books in the series.

A huge thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC.
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This seemed like such a modern era story. I took awhile to pick up the threads when listening to the audiobook, and started from the beginning again at one point. It was also a little repetitive as the standoff between the warring/loving partners, Lysanda (Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix) and Genevieve (Miss Geneviève Valery) went on and on and on. At nearly 10 hours, it is too long.

BUT there were heartbreaking moments, especially as Lysanda was rebuffed over and over, and went through the painful process of gaining insight to the ways in which he fell short of meeting Genevieve halfway - she who was so much more open hearted, and smart about life.

As the blurb says, it is an echo of Pretty Woman, and so you know the kind of frustrations I am talking about with regard to the "can never be wrong" male protagonist, who has a lot to learn, and the sensitive, caring beauty, who won't accept less than she deserves.

This plot device really keeps you at arm's length from the HEA till the very last, and then it is "thank goodness"!!

Mary Jane Wells, the narrator, is flawless. I particularly like the voice she gives the Duke, and her French accent is gorgeous for Genevieve.

This is a 2022 audiobook release. ( )

Quite lovely. Is it anachronistic? Sure. There is all sorts of language and behavior that could not have happened. That said, romance is fantasy. I'll allow it. Lysander and Neve are lovely and the Pretty Woman references pleased me -- PW is great fanfic source material. An extra plus, Amalie Howard is a really good writer, and an extra extra plus, this is read by the incomparable Mary Jane Wells.

I was excited to read this book but was instantly disappointed with the writing. I felt that the audience should have been a young adult audience, except for the sex of course.
I could not relate to the characters and was not convinced from the beginning about the feelings of lust in the narrow alleyway. I just found the graphic depictions of how they were feeling too forced and immediate.
I know this is a well loved author so I was surprised myself at this reaction, but there it is. ( )

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard
Taming of the Dukes series #1. Historical romance. Grumpy hero troupe.
Nève and her sister turned to ballet to support themselves when the family coffers were empty. Nève rescues Lysander from cutthroats, and in return he offers her a job to pose as his fiancé for the season. Nève and Lysander grow to care for each other but will it be enough to overcome society and cultural barriers?
In the author’s words, the hero is neurodivergent; smart with a slow processing speed, binary thinking, methodical, fixed on routine, anxious, direct, and no time for anything beyond what he sees as the milestones of success.

It’s always interesting reading a historical romance where I know the author has done the applicable research. In this book we learn a bit about the nineteenth century influencer patrons of the ballet troupe. And again, since I don’t read a lot of historical, I had to use the dictionary a few times to confirm a definition.
The heroine and the friends she makes are strong personalities and amusing in their antics. I enjoyed their interactions and look forward to future stories as they find their own love match.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to keep. ( )