I received access to all of these ARCs via NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest reviews, so without further ado here they are…
Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard
Publication Date: July 12th
General Info: historical m/f, fake relationship, opposites attract, insta-love, neurodiverse rep
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Review: Always Be My Duchess is marketed as a Pretty Women meets Bridgerton style historical rom-com that follows Lysander, the Duke of Montcroix, who hires out-of-work ballet dancer, Néve Valery to pose as his fiance for the season in order to sway people into believing that he is not the cold ruthless businessman he appears to be. While the setup to the story does follow the Pretty Woman plot, I wouldn't characterize this book as rom-com or Bridgerton-esque, in fact, that description in my opinion is a bit misleading and I think its downfall. This book is much more similar to Evie Dunmore's Bringing Down the Duke, but because it aims for that lighthearted rom-com appeal it lacks the depth and analysis of the socio-economic issue that lies at the heart of Lysander and Néve's business deal relationship. Howard tries to dig at this a bit, but given her characterization of Néve I wanted it to be explored much more in-depth -- not just through individual characters' conversations but in getting at broader society. I will admit that this is partially my personal preference, and partially due to the fact that recent authors like Dunmore and Alexis Hall do such a good job at this, that for these types of stories where money and class are central to the plot, I expect it to be fully examined. It's not a bad book per se, I think it's just stuck between trying to be a rom-com and trying to explore the dynamics of gender and class in 1860s Britain-- you either go full hijinks screwball or you go more serious, and this book struggles to do either. Overall, Always Be My Duchess is a fun take on the Pretty Woman fake relationship trope that has interesting characters at the heart of the story (I will acknowledge here that Lysander is a neurodiverse hero, which was nice to see!) and sets up future stories to be told within this world.
From Fake to Forever by Laila Rafi
Publication Date: June 12th
General Info: contemporary m/f, fake relationship, diverse rep
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️
Review: From Fake to Forever follows Ibrahim and Jiya who enter into a fake relationship to avoid their families' plans to push them both into arranged marriages and then end up having to navigate the emergence of real feelings for one another. For the most part, the story is lighthearted and hits the typical fake relationship narrative beats. I did find some of the writing to be confusing at times, at moments it was unclear whose perspective you were in and I also found Ibrahim's actions to be really terrible, in a way that made me not want to root for him to end up with Jiya because it felt like she deserved much better!! I will note that I found the arc of Jiya's relationship with her mother and Ibrahim's arc with his sister-in-law Reshma to be really interesting side narratives that added depth to the overall story. I am intrigued to see if the author's next book is focused on Reshma and Zafar as it's set up quite nicely here and would make for a really interesting read.
Overall, From Fake to Forever definitely reads like a first book which could use some tidying up with the plot and some editing with the writing. I think it's a good start for the author, that could potentially lead to some interesting future stories within the universe.
Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
Publication Date: September 5th
General Info: contemporary m/f, unexpected pregnancy, insta-lust, forced proximity, opposites attract, ADHD rep
Rating:⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Review: Oof (in a good way!) where to start with this one...ok... Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake follows the titular Lizzie and her two-night stand Australian hunk Rake as an unexpected pregnancy pushes them both to overcome their struggles with emotional intimacy, vulnerability, relationships, and love, as caused by personal traumas both have experienced. I will start by saying that this book and its plot hinge around a lot of things happening for romance reasons (insta-lust, Rake being a dual citizen and being able to easily move from Australia to Philadelphia, etc) rather than being overly realistic, which I can see people not necessarily jiving with or believing and/or being a point of critique, but for me doesn't ultimately matter. My one minor point of criticism of the story is that I found Rake's emotional narrative arc to be much less significant than Lizzie's. Again I don't think this ruined the story in any way, but I definitely found myself noticing that there was a lack of balance between the two characters. Ok, now for the gushing time. I will begin by acknowledging that as someone who has ADHD this book means a lot to me. I have never had the chance to read a book with an ADHD heroine (ADHD heroes, yes), and while I have inattentive ADHD and Lizzie reads as being hyperactive (or at the very least combined), there are so many moments in this book that gutted me in the way that they brought the ADHD experience to the page in both big and small ways. Examples: when Lizzie explains to Rake what RSD is and how it impacts her relationships and communication, the depictions of brain traps and ADHD paralysis as well as the complicated relationship ADHD people have with their brains, and when Lizzie's mom shushes her at the dinner table. These are just a few of so many, and I cannot adequately explain how accurate they each represent the scale of what it's like to live with ADHD. I'm so thankful that people will read this book and gain a bit of understanding. Having people like Mazey Eddings write these stories illustrates so clearly why own voices in writing matters. With all of that said, I will also note that this is a deeply funny book that has great friend banter and lush writing, which balances out the more heavy parts of the plot. Overall, Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake is a fun read that provides a fantastic portrayal of ADHD, but is also a tropey-romancey story of two people overcoming their fear of love and intimacy and living happily ever after. What else could you ask for?!