Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard

Genre: historical romance
England, Victorian era

Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is a master matchmaker. She lays claims to four stunning matches in the ton, but won’t commit her own heart. Aspen, Duke of Greydon, walks back into Vesper’s life after years in America in order to launch his young ward Judith into society. Knowing her prowess, Aspen asks Vesper to help. Of course, Aspen’s mother believes Aspen himself would make a fine match for Judith, while it turns out Vesper has been harboring a crush on Aspen since they were children that never really disappeared. Vesper herself is also more than meets the eye of society; she may glitter in the spotlight, but that’s truly to protect her own romantic heart.

An Emma/Clueless retelling with focus on neurodiversity, this is easily my favorite book from Amalie Howard. The hot/cold of Vesper and Aspen's relationship –a signature of Howard’s style – is rarely my favorite conflict, but it works really well in the context. Vesper clings strictly to societal rules to give herself some structure to her life. As the attraction between Vesper and Aspen catches fire, Vesper pulls back because he’s not what she’s told herself she’s allowed to want and Aspen pulls back because as a traveling archeologist he doesn’t want to tie himself down. Their relationship pendulum swings through the course of the book, but every time they push away, it feels really clear why.

Howard takes inspiration for this book from real life Victorian activism, particularly the Lunacy Acts of the 19th century, which put guidelines on how individuals could be sent to an asylum, including ones that purportedly prevented wrongful incarceration, but as we find out in Never Met a Duke Like You, it could be easily faked under the right circumstances. Aspen is working with Vesper’s father in Parliament to make changes to laws like the one that allowed his own father to be sent away.

Thank you to @readforeverpub and NetGalley for an eARC for review. Never Met a Duke Like You is out 11/14!

3.5 stars

Lady Vesper Lyndhurst has a heart of gold, always ready to help a person in need, whether it be through matchmaking or the education of underprivileged children. She's all sweetness and light, adored by her doting father and the ton at large, even if she has to tamp down her raging thoughts and emotions every single day. There is one person who does NOT believe her to be the darling of the ton, and that person happens to be her childhood friend turned enemy, Aspen, the Duke of Greydon. These two believe the WORST in each other, and when they're together, the claws come out. However, the hatred the express is covering up the intense passion they feel for one another. One day, forced proximity unlocks the attraction they feel. Can these two learn to trust each other and the fire that blazes between them, or will they let it burn out?

Vesper and Aspen's chemistry is white hot. This was my first Amelie Howard novel, and I was VERY impressed by her long, emotional, and spicy love scenes. I adored watching these two fall in love. Just as fun was the ensemble cast. Vesper's friend group was endearing, and the gentlemen in the story all have me wanting to read more into the series to see everyone's well-deserved happily ever afters. This book is compared to the movie "Clueless," and I enjoyed the parallels that reminded me of the classic...which is actually based on another classic, "Emma," by Jane Austen!

Aspen's back story was quite dark. The villain was truly terrible. Heavy topics are covered such as the treatment of mental health patients during this time period. I believe that was handled well (mostly), but the added plot element of Vesper having ADHD wasn't really dealt with. I appreciated the content warnings at the beginning of the book, which explained Vesper's neurodivergence (among other things). I realize that getting a diagnosis for ADHD back then wasn't going to happen, but I would have loved to see this element of Vesper's story used as something other than an explanation as to why she felt she had to rein herself in so strongly. Many romance novels, both historical and contemporary, use a character's challenges to grow the bond between the hero and the heroine, or to provide a main character with the opportunity to flourish in life while combating whatever hardship they've faced. This wasn't done here, which was disappointing. I also found myself a bit frustrated with the lack of communication between our main characters. Their reasoning for hating one another and allowing themselves to be hated seemed rather thin, and many of the same ideas were covered over and over again.

Overall, this book's lofty goals hit the mark. We're treated to a charming ensemble cast, a glorious and passionate love between the main characters, and a very satisfying happily ever after. The darker elements of the plot weighed the story down, however, making this better than average for me, but not by much. (Hence the 3.5 stars.)

Trigger warnings: mental health issues, insane asylums, abuse, stress related to ADHD

I'd like to thank Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Be prepared to laugh your butt off. Comparing this book to the movie Clueless meets the TV series Bridgerton is quite accurate, and it's absolute perfection. I genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere built by Amalie Howard and the characters that parade through this ton.

Title: Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes, Book #2)

Release date: 11/14/23, read 11/12/23

Author: Amalie Howard-1st time read author for me

Publisher: Forever

Format: e-ARC

Page Count: 384

POV: h Vesper

Setting: London, England

Genre: Historical Romance

Tropes: opposites attract, frenemies to lovers, matchmaking, next door neighbor

Rating: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Source: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC🩷! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

Quick summary: Vesper is good at matchmaking. She has gotten 4 couples together by meddling and telling some little white lies. Aspen has just returned from America, needing her help. His ward Judith has been introduced to society and needs to find a husband. Vesper and Aspen were childhood friends, but when he slighted her, they became enemies. Can they work together to help his ward or will their passion for each other take over?

Content warnings/triggers: H father in an insane asylum, h is a virgin, grief, blackmail.


Characters: Main and Minor

Lady Vesper Lyndhurst- 23, duke's daughter who has given up on love, but puts together other couples. Aspen was her childhood friend, but once she came out in society, he shunned her.

The Duke of Greydon/Aspen-25, a paleontologist who has been gone for 6 years to America. He mourns his father who was betrayed and left in a mental hospital by his own mother.

Laila, Neve, Effie, Briar-Vesper's bffs the Hellfire Kitties

Earl of Lushing/Jasper- Vesper's brother

Duke of Montcroix- married to Neve.

Judith- Aspen's ward. Doesn't want to marry either. She wants to be like Aspen and travel the world as an archaeologist.

The Dowager-Aspen's mother. Deep in high society, conniving and manipulative. She wants Aspen and Judith to marry.

The Duke of Hardwick-Vesper's father, Aspen's mentor who works at the House of Commons.

Lord Eldridge-Vesper's main suitor

Review: I enjoyed the banter between Vesper and Aspen. They have a lot of animosity towards each other but are attracted to each other. I loved that both worked hard to help other people. Aspen is working for Hardwick to write a bill for proper care for the mentally ill. He doesn't want anyone else to be treated like his father had been. Vesper is raising money for the Ragged School Union to fund the education of poor children. It took a while, but they manage a HEA with a cat!

FYI: I didn't read Book #1 Always Be My Duchess which featured Montcroix and Neve (Genevieve), but I was still able to follow along.

Never Met a Duke Like You was a bit slow to start and the language seems a bit too modern for a historical romance yet it was a fun and easy read overall.

Vesper and Aspen shared some pretty intense banter and a complicated history that saw them go from childhood friends to enemies to lovers. They frustrated me at times with their stubbornness and miscommunication, but I thought their happy ending was very sweet and satisfying.

I look forward to reading more from Amalie Howard and I am especially excited for Briar's story with (hopefully) Vesper's brother as her hero.

As much as I enjoyed Always Be My Duchess, I think I liked Never Met a Duke Like You even more! Lady Vesper shined in the first book, and it’s fun to spend more time with her here. She’s a woman with many layers. She can come across as so put together, and yet she’s fiercely opinionated and free-spirited. She shies away from romantic love in her own life, yet she enjoys nothing more than helping others find their own soul mates. Then there’s Aspen, a new character in the series. He’s stubborn and has many old prejudices, mostly against Vesper, but he cares deeply about those close to him and subjects that are personal to him. Aspen and Vesper are always at each other’s throats, but there’s clear chemistry between them from the start.

Like the previous book, this one highlights a neurodivergent character. Vesper has ADHD (not that she would get such a diagnosis in the 1860s!), and we can see her struggle with her strong emotions and impulses. I love how the author writes neurodivergent characters with such care and nuance, never falling into unnecessary exaggerations of their characteristics. Vesper feels completely real, and her ADHD makes sense for her character.

I also love how Never Met a Duke Like You deals with mental illness and the (mis)treatment of people with mental illness. Aspen’s father was wrongfully committed to an insane asylum, and due to gross mistreatment while a patient there, his father died far too soon. Now an adult, Aspen is dedicating his efforts to improving treatment of those with mental illness and the process for people being admitted to an asylum (with particular focus on preventing wrongful diagnoses). The author did research into the laws in place in the 1860s and the kinds of changes Aspen would have been able to make in the House of Lords. While working towards this, I also like how both Aspen and Vesper work towards helping poor children and their access to quality education.

Like Jane Austen’s Emma, Vesper fancies herself a matchmaker, but can’t foresee love for herself. This book takes some clear inspiration from Clueless (itself a modernized retelling of Emma), keeping the narrative generally upbeat and fun. In particular, I love the dialogue between Vesper and Aspen – I often laughed out loud! Their mean names for each other! Vesper focuses some of her time on creating love matches, though some of her pairings may be misguided. But even when she does misstep, I like seeing how her friends are always there for her. Their friendship is a great constant within this series. And as a cat lover, I’m always delighted to see feline companions in the books I read. Here, Vesper’s friend Effie gifts her a white kitten, whom Vesper creatively names Cat. This little kitten is full of energy and knows where her loyalties lie! Vesper may be a reluctant cat owner, but I like that she finally comes around.

Speaking of Effie: It seems that Vesper has turned her matchmaking eyes to her next and that Effie may be the star of book #3. Though whom she’ll be paired with is still a mystery! As excited as I am for Briar and Lushing’s love story, I fear that we’ll have to wait until the final book of the series for that.

Never Met a Duke Like You is a wonderful romance that’s as fun and witty as it is thoughtful and profound. It addresses bigger issues so well, from mental illness and neurodivergence to helping needy children and opening up to love. Aspen and Vesper have great chemistry and are a delight to see on page together. The Taming of the Dukes series has been a great joy so far, and I can’t wait to read the remaining characters’ love stories.

I adore Amalie Howard and her books - she is an incredibly talented writer! Never Met a Duke Like You is just another example of how awesome she is and how much research goes into each book. I just read Queen Bee last week and now this one (they’re not connected but this is second in a series I did read book one of last year), and you can really see the similarities and depth of detail of the aristocracy and the BIPOC community that she’s incorporated into it, because it’s her background.

I loved this one and coming back to characters from the first book - I wish I had time to re-read it again first - how they have continued on in their relationships and how the men are razzing Greyson when he returns home and realizes his neighbor, Lady Vesper, is all grown up and a woman now… who is quite attractive but not interested in the idea of marrying. How his terrible mother is in his business (and hers) and while Vesper is assisting his cousin with her coming out season, there are other plans in mind…

Another brilliant story with so many things happening, and all of you need to read this book! You can definitely read it as a standalone, because even though the previous characters appeared, they didn’t affect the storyline.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest feedback.

Lady Viper and Lord Ass compete in tongue tyranny.
If that’s not enough to entice you to read this book, pray continue.
These two were too cute together. Oh and the cat offered comic relief.
I loved the sparring between Vesper and Aspen.
Although there is a lot of heavy topics covered, the sexual tension cuts through all of it.
I did wonder if Vesper would ever take Aspen at his word and I was ready to muscle her out of the way.
Every damsel deserves a delicious duke.
A cute read.

3.5 stars rounded up

When books inspire movies which inspire books. Amalie Howard's 'Never Met a Duke Like You' is best described as a Victorian-era Clueless.

Sparks fly when childhood friends, ton IT-girl Vesper Lyndhurst and Aspen, Duke of Greydon are reunited after seven years. The two were were insperable until Aspen publicly snubbed her at her debut. Since then Vesper's been nursing a grudge while Aspen has been travelling the world as a palentologist.

It's obvious to their everyone they're in love with each other but in denial as they trade barbs with each other ('Lady Viper' was my fave). Both are holding hurts and misinterpretations of the other's character.

I appreciated the author tackling neurodivergence, mental health and the horrific nature of asylums with characters that have a progressive view towards. With the help of Vesper's father, Aspen is determined to reform the Lunacy Act and to investigate his mother's involvement in his late father's imprisonment an asylum. Vesper is neurodivergent (ADHD) and knows she need to mask herself or she'd end up insitutionalised herself if it weren't for her loving and supportive father and brother. Like Aspen, she's equally progressive in her views and volunteering to educate poor children.

However I felt we were told more than shown a lot. The book laid on thick how Vesper is 'handsome and clever', and I felt her neurodivergence was more told than shown (disclaimer: I am neurotypical so maybe I missed the subtleties?). There were some anti-climactic build ups with Vesper's latest matchmaking scheme and also the resolution to Aspen's mother.

Overall, this book was a solid and fun romp grounded in some uncomfortable truths about mental health and neurodivergence. If you like your love interests trading barbs and sexual innuendo, with sex positivity and progressive politics in your historical romance, this is one to read.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

What a delightful book!! I really enjoyed Amalie Howard's second book in the Taming of the Duke series.
This book can definitely be read as a stand-alone, so for those who haven't read the first, don't feel like you need to go read it in order to enjoy this one! (but do go read it because it is excellent!)

This childhood friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, second chance, Neurodivergent rep is wonderful, not only in the love story and the HEA, but also in the social issues that are touched on in the book that give light to Regency life being far more than balls and teas and soirees.
I love that Vesper defies social norms to go and support those in need. I love how Greydon is determined to undermine his mother in light of what she did to her husband and Greydon's father.

Howard continues to write fantastic books with humour, fill it with love and also emphasize the importance of friendships.

Love this book and will continue to read more by her!

Out Tuesday (11/14)! [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC to review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Lady Vesper is a matchmaker who has sworn off love for herself, but the return of her first love turned nemesis may just have her rethinking everything.

I adored ALWAYS BE MY DUCHESS last year, so this one was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It was super cute and such a fun historical romance with great elements of feminism, found family, and mental health/neurodivergence rep!

This is also a loose retelling of Clueless (which is a loose retelling of Emma)—I’m not overly familiar with either but fans will probably spot a lot of parallels!

Also, if you needed a bit more convincing, there’s a kitten named Cat. You don’t want to miss that, right? Right.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: friends to enemies to lovers; historical feminism; rom com retellings

CW: Mental health; commitment to psychiatric facility; death of parent; sexism; insecurities relating to neurodivergence

The story told in this book was wonderful. I found that the author wrote a great story that was fun and an easy read. I would recommend this book to others.

What an absolutely enjoyable read. I loved this book for its great main characters with wonderful banter, the tension, and not only that, but this makes a comment about the treatment of mental health at the time and women’s place in society during this time. I really enjoyed this book, but also left knowing more about this time period in terms of mental health treatment, which the author speaks about more in the author’s note at the end. This book felt like a quick, fun, romantic read to me. And can I just say again, the banter between the two main characters was great! What a classic enemies to lovers with their bickering that was going on and I loved how that added to the tension they had.

Format - EARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶

Series- Taming of the Dukes #2

Troupes- Childhood Friends to enemies to lovers, Opposites attract, forced proximity, brothers best friend

Representation- ADHD

CW- off page death a parent, threats of institutionalization.

This is my first book by Amelie Howard but it defiantly will not be my last! This series has the potential to be so interesting, impactful and so much fun!

Vesper is a heiress with a neurodivergent brain, undiagnosed in her time she is forced to learn very quickly how to mask her differences and hide them behind a socially acceptable facade in order to fit in. She’s a philanthropic matchmaker with a life long crush on her childhood neighbor and brothers best friend Aspen.

Aspen is a reluctant duke with a love of paleontology, much like Ross from “Friends” it is his whole personality, and while he’s been away his mother has been scheming to have him committed and his best friends little sister is all grown up and seemingly untouchable.

When this two get locked in an addict forced to amuse each other until rescue, all their old long buried feelings come up, and with them lots of hilarious and witty banter!

I love a historical romance with a neurodivergent character! I love the shared history and animosity of old friends who have been pinning for each other, and I love a nerdy hero who is unashamed of his nerdy pursuits! If any of that speaks to you then this book is for you!

First, this book needs some editing. There were numerous words missing, misspellings, or weird grammar.
As for the story, I loved Always Be My Duchess, so I was excited for this, but it fell flat. While Vesper and Aspen were likable enough, their verbal sparring got tiresome. Further, the book seemed to drag at the beginning, and then was too quick at the end (even rushing a plot point).

Friends, enemies and lovers!

Two childhood friends (well Lady Vesper Lyndhurst was challenging and never wanted to be lady anyway) meet some time later at her come out ball where Aspen Drake, the Duke of Greydon, gave her the cut direct! She’s mortified and resolved to always remain cool, dispassionate and unmarried.
Aspen disappears to America hunt dinosaur bones.
Years later Aspen returns to London to upend his mother’s plans to have him declared dead, to see to having his mother’s ward Judith settled, and to uncover the truth of his father being confined to a mental asylum. (Of course there’s a wicked mother figure!)
His reappearance spirals into a standoff between himself and Vesper (whom he calls Viper), a concern for his mother’s ward, and a confrontation with his despicable mother, the Dowager Duchess of Lyndhurst.
The sparks fly and the tension ratchets the two main protagonists, Vesper and Aspen, with some rather steamy moments. Vesper has a reputation as a successful match maker and Aspen persuades her, well challenges her really, to take on presenting Judith to society.
Underneath this romantic historical romp real issues are raised, including mental illness and treatments, women’s suffrage and marriage, women’s sexuality, accessible education for children and charity schools.

A Forever (Grand Central Pub) ARC invitation via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Everything you need to know about how Amalie Howard writes an Enemies to Lovers romance is in how she nicknames her characters. Aspen, our MMC is “Lord Ass” and our FMC Vesper is Lady Viper. This tongue-in-cheek you-drive-me-crazy-but-I-can’t-get-enough-of-you drama that these two knuckleheads put each other through had me laughing, groaning, and definitely sweating 🥵. I haven’t had this much fun with two characters in awhile and absolutely loved the playfulness Vesper and Aspen brought out in each other. This book has some of the best dialogue and Howard will take you from fanning yourself one minute to laughing hysterically the next at the way the MCs interact.

I will say this definitely felt like a slowburn. When you have two people who are VERY strong willed and see each other myopically, it does take a while for them to change their opinions about each other. One thing that never changes is how attracted Vesper and Aspen are to one another, and have been even after many years. The only thing that sometimes got a sigh from me was that everyone sees how much these two should be together except for themselves. I wanted to shake them a little and say, “just bang already!” (Don’t worry, they eventually do!). There’s an oh so hot scene on a billiards table that delivers the heat, and the banter after the first intimate encounter is utter perfection. I loved every minute Lord Ass and Lady Viper were forced to interact due to proximity (oh the locked attic room!) and social rules (all the balls). Amalie Howard definitely knows how to write tension. I can’t wait to see where she goes next in this series. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4.5 ⭐️

A fun and entertaining story. Vesper and Aspen are opposites and they definitely attract. Trapped in an attic, the matchmaking goes astray and their journey leads all the way to an unexpected and undeniable love.

4.5 stars

This was so good! Amalie Howard is a new to me author and I like her writing style. I had no idea what to expect with this story so I was thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.

I loved Vesper and Aspen. They reminded me so much of Kate and Anthony from Bridgerton. Vesper and Aspen are childhood friends. Aspen has been away from his family for awhile now for work and decides to come back home to oversee his responsibilities as Duke. Vesper as an heiress, she is well sought out for her matchmaking skills. I loved their funny banter, sizzling chemistry and verbal sparring. It was never a dull moment with these two. Vesper knew how to rile Aspen up so easily.

The spice was really good too. I laughed and swooned so much. Also I loved the kitten, Cat. She had some funny moments in the book. I also loved how we got a glimpse into Aspen and Vesper's future. I would have liked to see them together as a couple much longer in the story. Overall though I loved it and would recommend!

I had a lot of fun reading this one. I really enjoyed the banter and sass between Vesper and Aspen, and with every interaction, their chemistry just explodes.

I also really loved Vesper's relationship with her family and friends, they accept her for exactly who she is. They are all so supportive of everything she wants to do.

I can't wait to see which one of the friends is going to get their HEA next!