To preface this review, I have to confess that I started with Taming of the Dukes #3, which is a 5* book for me, and a very tough act to follow. But since I loved it so much, I was compelled to start the series from the beginning.

Always Be My Duchess is a charming and clever homage to Pretty Woman. Lysander stands in for Richard Gere's strict businessman character, while Genevieve takes on the role made famous by Julia Roberts, just without the prostitution. Lysander is an overly serious Duke who has no time or need for love or relationships after a family betrayal taught him the danger of opening his heart to anyone. Genevieve is a ballerina trying to support herself and her younger sister in a time when dancers are seen as lower class individuals, unless they're the prima on stage. When Lysander needs to act like a family man to improve his business prospects, Genevieve agrees to act as his fake fiance in exchange for financial help that will set her and her sister up for good.

I really enjoyed the way in which Amalie Howard adapted the Pretty Woman story in the regency era. Having various characters provide callbacks to important parts of the movie (like Lysander's business partner being as skeezy as Jason Alexander's character) was a smart way to use the inspiration while still maintaining the world building of regency England. I loved getting our first introduction to the Hellfire Kitties, especially since it would make perfect sense that those high society women would be in the same social circle as Lysander.

Genevieve is a fantastic FMC. She's smart, independent, and strong-willed, having dealt with difficult circumstances including the death of her father and a physical injury to her sister. I appreciated her pragmatism, her willingness to push back against expectations that were forced upon her, and her tenderness toward Lysander.

Lysander is an equally fantastic MMC. I think some of his obstinance was intentionally frustrating since any character growth was going to require him to confront his repressed feelings about his complicated family history. But his chemistry with Genevieve, combined with the respect he had toward her, made me want to root for the outcome I knew was coming, and allowed me to be satisfied when it did.

Overall, this is a very fun time, and searching for Easter eggs along the way is a very entertaining aspect of the story (

Like, e.g., Lysander playing the piano alone like Edward does in the empty hotel bar

). Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a light foray into historical romance.