Always Be My Duchess

By now I have several books by Amalie Howard on my TBR, but this summer I decided to start with Always Be My Duchess, the first in her Taming of the Dukes series. Set in 1865, it features a feisty, out-of-work ballet dancer, a neurodiverse duke, and a fake fiancée scheme that both can benefit from.

Summary

Geneviève Valery needs to financially support herself and her sister, but after refusing unwanted advances from a wealthy patron, she can’t find work in any ballet company. Nearly destitute, when she meets Lord Lysander Blackstone, Duke of Montcroix, she’s given an offer she can’t refuse. For a staggering amount of money, she only has to pose as his fiancée for a few weeks—no other strings attached. But as Nève and the seemingly cold duke spend more time together, they start to develop truer feelings. Can they overcome their differences and see a real future together?

Review

Always Be My Duchess is a cute romance with a good amount of depth. One of the first things that stands out about it is that the hero, Lysander, is neurodivergent. He wouldn’t have had a diagnosis in 1865, and is misunderstood by a lot of his peers. I like that he’s portrayed in such an authentic and nuanced way here and that Nève understands and accepts him as he is. Some of his coldness also comes from the abusive treatment he received from his father, leaving him closed off and guarded. Luckily, he has support from his aunt, friends, and Nève.

Nève is a feisty, foul-mouthed ballerina, and she’s a lot of fun. She offers wonderful contrast to Lysander, never afraid to speak her mind, even if he is a duke. However, she’s faced some difficulties herself, echoing the vulnerability of working women of the time, especially entertainers. From unwanted sexual advances to being blacklisted due to her rejecting said advances, Nève has had to endure a lot while just trying to support herself and her sister.

The book begins rather awkwardly (why did that one embarrassment have to last two chapters?!), but it smooths out in later chapters. It’s mostly lighthearted fun, with jokes and banter between our leads and a cast of secondary characters. There’s also some steam—no surprises, given those first two chapters! However, Always Be My Duchess also doesn’t shy away from the more serious topics, delving into tough discussions of trauma, abuse, emotional isolation, and autonomy.

This is the first in a series, and the supporting characters are established well here. Vesper is a fun one, and she’ll get her love story with a new character, Aspen Drake, in the next book. I also foresee a sizzling relationship between Briar and Lushing… hopefully book #3? Then Effie would round out the friend group in need of an HEA.

Final Thoughts

Always Be My Duchess is uneven but ultimately a great joy to read. It’s funny and quick, but also thoughtful with depth. I look forward to continuing the series with Never Met a Duke Like You, due this November. I would also love to read more from Amalie Howard, including her other historical romance series (The Beast of Beswick is calling to me!) and her co-written series with Angie Morgan.

Get the Book

You can buy Always Be My Duchess here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard
Series	The Taming of the Dukes (#1)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	England; France
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Paperback
Original Publication Date	July 12, 2022

Official Summary

A Cosmopolitan Best Romance of 2022

Pretty Woman meets the Bridgertons in this witty, vivacious historical take on 90s romcoms by USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard.

Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can’t break a man’s heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution . . . 

Once an up-and-coming ballerina, Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work. After refusing to become a wealthy patron’s mistress, Nève was promptly shown the door to the streets. When she accidentally saves the life of a handsome duke, she doubts the encounter will go any better than her last brush with nobility. But instead of propositioning her, Montcroix makes Nève an offer she would be a fool to refuse: act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over.

Only neither is prepared when very real feelings begin to grow between them. They both stand to win . . . but only if they’re willing to risk their hearts.