Sophie Reads YA: Amalie Howard

Amalie Howard

Waiting On Wednesday: Any Duke in a Storm (Daring Dukes #4) by Amalie Howard

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Amalie Howard

Waiting On Wednesday: Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes #2) by Amalie Howard

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Amalie Howard

Waiting On Wednesday: Queen Bee by Amalie Howard

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2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Duke in Question (Daring Dukes #3) by Amalie Howard

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The Duke in Question
Series: Daring Dukes #3
Author: Amalie Howard
Published November 8th 2022 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Goodreads Synopsis
James Bond meets Bridgerton in this steamy enemies-to-lovers Regency romance by bestselling author Amalie Howard

Lady Bronwyn Chase is far from the paragon of society that her mother expects her to be. Which is why she's on her brother's passenger liner bound for America with a secret packet of letters that could get her into trouble. Serious trouble. The kind sisters to dukes shouldn't be in. But she doesn't care, because for the first time in her life, she feels alive.

When Lord Valentine Medford, the Duke of Thornbury—retired agent of the Crown and spymaster—is tasked with finding the tyrant who's stolen correspondence from the British Home Office, he thinks it should be business as usual—track down the spy and turn him in. Valentine Medford has never lost a target. But when he discovers that the devious spy known as Kestral is really Lady Brownyn, his world is turned upside down. Soon he'll have to decide what means more to him: the beautiful and mysterious woman who calls to him, or his allegiance to the crown.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After being expected to be the perfect lady, Lady Bronwyn Chase longs for adventure. She has seen her brother and sister in law take what they want, and be happy, so why can't she? Soon, she finds herself on a liner bound for America, transporting secret documents to the American war effort. If she was discovered to be the mysterious Kestral, she would be in a world of danger, so discovering that her brother's friend, Valentine Medford, the Duke of Thornbury, is also on board the SS Valor has thrown a spanner in the works. Valentine may be a duke, but he's also a retired crown agent, and his last mission is to find, and stop, the spy known as the Kestral. This Kestral has state secret's which may bring down the government, and prove disastrous to all, and so Valentine will do whatever it takes to stop him - though discovering Bronwyn and needing to protect her proves difficult, especially when the truth is revealed.

I wanted to learn more about Bronwyn after seeing what she had to put up with with her wicked mother in the previous book, and her story was even better than I could expect! She had lived a sheltered, and privileged life, but wanted to help others in any way she could, and when she learnt about the opportunity to transport letters to help, Bronwyn jumped at the chance. Yes, it is dangerous, but being the 'Kestral' was fun, and seemed helpful, so Bronwyn was willing to risk it. However, she could never have expected it to get as bad as it did, and though she wasn't happy to see Valentine originally, she would have been lost without him, and his help. Valentine was a hard nut to crack, but his history as an agent had hardened him, and he wasn't new to espionage, like Bronwyn, so didn't have any rose tinted glasses on when it came to what she was doing. I liked the dynamic between the couple, and though they were very different people, they brought out the best in each other, and changed for the better. The mystery aspect to the story wasn't that difficult to crack, but enjoyable nonetheless, and I couldn't put the book down once I started it. Another great book from Amalie, and I look forward to her next one!

Dates Read:
June 5, 2022

Rating
4 Stars

2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Rules for Heiresses (Daring Dukes #2) by Amalie Howard

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Rules for Heiresses
Series: Daring Dukes #2

Author: Amalie Howard
Published October 26th 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Goodreads Synopsis
Amalie Howard whisks you away with a historical romance full of drama, true love, and the perfect happily ever after.

Sometimes, finding love means flouting the rules...

Born to a life of privilege, Lady Ravenna Huntley rues the day that she must marry. She's refused dozens of suitors and cried off multiple betrothals, but running away--even if brash and foolhardy--is the only option left to secure her independence.

Lord Courtland Chase, grandson of the Duke of Ashton, was driven from England at the behest of his cruel stepmother. Scorned and shunned, he swore never to return to the land of his birth. But when a twist of bad luck throws a rebellious heiress into his arms, at the very moment he finds out he's the new Duke, marriage is the only alternative to massive scandal.

Both are quick to deny it, but a wedding might be the only way out for both of them. And the attraction that burns between them makes Ravenna and Courtland wonder if it'll truly only be a marriage of convenience after all...
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After seeing her brother find love, Lady Ravenna Huntley will not marry for anything less. She may be the daughter and sister of a duke, but she knows her own worth, and will do whatever she can to secure her independence, even if that means stowing away on her brother's ship, disguised as a man, and travelling to Antigua as Mr Raven Hunt. And she manages quite well, until she finds herself in the gaming hall of Lord Courtland Chase, who sees right through her. After all, they were once engaged, and were friends as children. Courtland has been in exile since his stepmother and half brother drove him from England, and he never wishes to return. But when he and Ravenna were found in a compromising position, but the very lawyer who'd arrived on the island to tell Courtland he was now the Duke of Ashton, and needed to return to London immediately to reclaim his estate - which was being claimed by his brother, Stinson. Now forced to marry, Ravenna and Courtland agree to make it worth it, even if it is only a marriage of convenience - or is it?

I simply loved this! It was such a good book, and perfect to read straight after I had finished The Princess Stakes. When we met Ravenna in that book, she was full of potential, and though her brother, Rhystan, didn't know much about her, and seemed to want to marry her off, I hoped we would see her again, and in her own story - and this story was perfect for her! We saw her independent side, and her want for adventure. Okay, she took great risks in travelling to Antigua, lying to her family saying she was in Scotland at a friend's, but by making the leap, she saw the world, and rediscovered Courtland - or Cordy as she called him - who she had thought died when they were younger and he disappeared. I love the childhood friends to lovers trope, and this book did it perfectly. Both of them had changed and grown in the time they had been apart, but they were still the people who had feelings for each other as children. Courtland's heritage as half-Creole is the reason he was pushed out of England, and his stepmother and brother treated him as a lesser citizen for it, with his two sisters sometimes going along with their mother's whims. It's only because of his position as heir to the dukedom that he was treated with any sort of respect, and even then, Stinson was going around using Courtland's title, acting as if he was dead, and Stinson was the true heir. Because of this, Courtland feels as if Ravenna has taken a step down by marrying him, even when it's made her a duchess, and is aloof and distant from her, which hurts. All she wants is for the closeness between them to grow, and for it to be a true marriage of equals, not for her to be a token duchess, to be kept as a trophy wife and hostess. The plot line with the conniving American, Mr Sommers, was ingenious, and I loved the resolution of all the plot lines. I can't wait for Amalie's next book - I'll be impatiently waiting!

Dates Read:
August 12, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Princess Stakes (Daring Dukes #1) by Amalie Howard

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The Princess Stakes
Series: Daring Dukes #1

Author: Amalie Howard
Published June 29th 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Goodreads Synopsis
Princess Sarani Rao has it all: beauty, riches, and a crown. But with her father an Indian maharajah and her late mother a British noblewoman, her mixed blood makes her a pariah and a target. When her father is murdered, her only hope of survival is to escape on the next ship out—captained by the man she once loved... and spurned.

Captain Rhystan Huntley, the reluctant Duke of Embry, has a place in the English fleet that he's loath to give up. But duty is calling him home, and this is his final voyage. Leave it to fate that the only woman he's ever loved must stow away on his ship.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

After discover her father, assassinated in his bed, Princess Sarani Rao has to flee her home in Joor, and attempt to make the crossing to England, to masquerade as an English countess, under her mother's maiden name. When she and her two friends find a ship leaving Bombay immediately, they sneak aboard, but Sarani soon discovers that the captain is none other than Rhystan Huntley, the only man she has ever loved, and who's heart she broke five years ago. Rhystan is angry to find Sarani aboard his ship, and if he didn't have to return to England immediately, to check his mother is well, and look after the ducal estates he reluctantly inherited, he would turn straight back around and dump her in Bombay. But, the longer they spend together, and when they reveal their reasons for going to England, they decide to pretend to be engaged, for Sarani's protection, and Rhystan's sanity. As they face the ton together, will they be able to keep their feelings separate from their goals, or are they destined to be together?

The Princess Stakes was a book I was extremely excited to read when it was first announced, as The Duke's Princess Bride. I was overjoyed to be approved for an ARC, as I've loved Amalie's books in the past, but as the first lot of reviews came out, I saw people better placed than myself have a lot of well founded criticisms about the book. I immediately didn't want to read a book that was full of racist stereotypes, colourism, colonialism, or slurs, so decided to put in on the back burning, indefinitely. Then I saw that Amalie addressed these concerns, The Duke's Princess Bride was pulled, and she rewrote the book, releasing it under it's new title. The version of this book I read was the new one, so I can't comment on how it's changed from it's problematic version, but I did enjoy this one.

I loved Sarani - she was strong, and could've crumbled under the stress and grief of losing her father and having to flee her home, but she didn't. While on the Discovery she was given jobs she would never have had to do, and faced Rhystan's derision and scorn at every turn. Both had been hurt by the events of five years ago, when she was forced to become betrothed to the regent, Earl Talbot, who was old enough to be her father, and Rhystan thought she abandoned him to marry a title. As the third son of a Duke, Rhystan was forced to join the military, and soon made a name for himself in the Navy, but he was still only the third son, and his superiors treated the Indian people with disdain, and anyone who got close to them, like Rhystan did, would be punished. When he was beaten and kicked out of the navy, he joined a privateer, and decided to do everything he could to get revenge on those who'd wronged him, most especially Admiral Markham. He unexpectedly inherited the title of Duke of Embry when his father and two elder brothers died in a fire, but has somewhat ignore his responsibilities in that juncture, except from hiring a trusty steward to take care of the estates, and sell off the plantations, etc., that his father had controlled. Returning now to find the estate in disarray, due to debts of his brother, he has to stay longer than he wanted and being home, with his sister, Ravenna, and his mother, he starts to see the positives about being home - but only if he has Sarani by his side. I didn't like that Sarani had to pretend to be Lady Sara while in London, but understood the reasons behind it. The conclusion of this book was perfect, and I'm happy to realise than Amalie's next book, Rules for Heiresses, is about Ravenna - I'll be reading my copy immediately!

Dates Read:
August 11, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

Always Be My Duchess

Waiting on Wednesday: Always Be My Duchess (Taming of the Dukes #1) by Amalie Howard

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2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Rakehell of Roth (Everleigh Sisters #2) by Amalie Howard

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The Rakehell of Roth
Series: Everleigh Sisters #2
Author: Amalie Howard
Published February 9th 2021 by Entangled: Amara

Goodreads Synopsis
In this game of seduction, the rules don't apply...

As owner of the most scandalous club in London, the last thing the notorious Marquess of Roth wants is a wife. Keeping up his false reputation as a rake brings in the clients with the deepest pockets—money he needs to fund a noble cause. Even though everything inside tells him not to leave his beautiful, innocent wife behind at his country estate...he must.

But three years later, tired of her scoundrel of a husband headlining the gossip rags, Lady Isobel Vance decides enough is enough. She is no longer a fragile kitten, but as the anonymous author of a women’s sexual advice column, she’s now a roaring tigress...and she can use her claws.

Isobel decides to go to him in London, channeling her powers of seduction to make him beg to take her back. But she didn’t expect her marauding marquess to be equally hard to resist. Now the game is on to see who will give in to the other first, with both sides determined like hell to win.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When Isobel Everleigh needed to marry in order to get away from the evil Earl of Beaumont, Winter Vance, the Marquess of Roth, and heir to the Duke of Kendrick, stepped in to be her hero. Unfortunately, after wedding and bedding her, he left her in the countryside, at his father's estate, and has spent the last three years in London, continuing his rakehell ways, and not caring about Isobel, or her feelings. Well, enough is enough, and Isobel won't stand for it any longer. Arriving in London, with best friend Clarissa in tow, she sets out to make sure that Winter knows just what he's been missing, and that this kitten has developed some claws, and will not back down without a fight.

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I loved The Beast of Beswick when I read it last year, and meeting Isobel and Vance in the way we did, made me desperate for their story, so when my NetGalley widget arrived for The Rakehell of Roth I dropped all the other books I was currently reading, and devoured the entire book in one afternoon. Isobel married when she was young, only 18, to escape Beaumont's clutches after he had already ruined her sister, and was naive in thinking that her husband would settle down and mend his ways for her. Winter had always been vocal that he never wanted to marry, and was considered by many to be an unsuitable heir to a dukedom, but he stepped up to help Isobel by giving her his name, and family's protection. After spending a single night with her, to consummate the marriage, he fled back to his life of debauchery in London, but it was all just a front he put on, as he could never forget his time with Isobel, thinking she'd ruined him for anyone else. However, his hatred for his father following the death's of his mother and sister have left him enraged, and he won't do anything that would please the duke, not least be back with his wife and have a family. So when Isobel arrives in London, and makes it plainly clear that she is wanting a proper marriage, and children, they come to a sort of wager, where if she hasn't managed to seduce him back into her bed by the end of a month, she'll go home, and might find another way to have children, without involving Winter at all. I loved this part of the book - it really showed both characters off to the best of their abilities, and somewhat to their worst, but the playful nature of their interactions, and seeing Isobel disguise herself as Iz to learn more from Winter was so cute.

While being sequestered in the country, Isobel hasn't been idle. Her and Clarissa - the daughter of the duke's steward - have used their cheeky and bawdy letters to each other to develop the persona of Lady Darcy, whose letters are published for all the ton to read, and enjoy. By doing this, it's helped Isobel grow, and become strong enough to fight for Winter, and help him too. The death's of his mother and sister really hurt him, and it's only by talking with Iz/Isobel that he starts to heal, and come to understand Oliver, his stuck up younger brother, and his father so much more. This secondary story line, which at times led to peril and angst, was running perfectly alongside Isobel and Winter's romance, and the way all of the questions and problems were resolved by the ending was simply wonderful. I loved the epilogue so much, and could not have wanted anything more for Isobel and Winter, as well as for their friends and families - the best ending to the entire series!

Dates Read:

January 9, 2021

Rating
5 Stars

Amalie Howard

Waiting On Wednesday: The Rakehell of Roth (Everleigh Sisters #2) by Amalie Howard

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2020 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: The Beast of Beswick (Everleigh Sisters #1) by Amalie Howard

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The Beast of Beswick
Series: Everleigh Sisters #1
Author: Amalie Howard
Published November 26th 2019 by Entangled: Amara

Goodreads Synopsis
Beauty and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew in this laugh-out-loud and heartfelt Regency romance.

Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it's hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.

But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.
Goodreads

Review
The Beast of Beswick follows Lady Astrid Everleigh as she needs to finds a way to protect herself, and her sister, Isobel, from the vindictive Earl who is out to make all the Everleigh's suffer after Astrid refused him 10 years ago. Now considered a spinster at 25, she knows that she will come into her inheritance as soon as she turns 26, but her debt ridden aunt and uncle will stop at nothing to get their hands on Isobel's dowry. Astrid knows she needs to do something extreme, and heads to Beswick, to ask Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable and disfigured Duke of Beswick, to marry her, and protect the sisters. Thane has been known as the Beast of Beswick since he returned home for Spain, injured, and angry. He doesn't want to marry, and is more than happy to spend his days in his home, acting like the beast everyone thinks he is, and not let anyone get close. They come to an agreement that Astrid and Isobel will move in, Astrid cataloguing the priceless artwork in the Abbey, while Thane ensures their safety. However, that's not enough, and soon Astrid and Thane need to marry, and quickly, to protect Isobel, and both of them are soon falling in love despite all their best intentions.

This book definitely had Beauty and the Beast feels, and also made me think of Tessa Dare's The Duchess Deal. Astrid was a strong and smart main character, who during her first Season, spurned the advances of the heir to an Earldom, and was labelled as a harlot and shunned. Since then, her parents died, and her uncle has spent all of their money, except for the ironclad protected dowries that fall to the sisters when they turn 26, or marry. The newly inherited earl wants to ruin Astrid further, and promised her uncle the dowry if he allows Isobel to marry. However, if Astrid marries first, her husband will be Isobel's protector, and Thane utterly despised the earl for abandoning his position in Thane's battalion. Thane was left with scarring, both physically and mentally, and wants to be left alone with his guilt. As soon as Astrid arrives, she worms her way into his heart, and into the affections of his disgruntled staff. With Astrid, he begins to feel himself returning to life before the war, and feeling like himself again. Their chemistry was unreal, and I shipped them from the very start. The secondary characters, especially Isobel and Roth, were fabulous too, and I can't wait to read The Rakehell of Roth. Amalie has definitely become a must read author of mine!

Dates Read:
July 4-5, 2020

Rating
4 Stars