Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I was excited for this title but did not finish based on content and language. Love a good friends to lovers story but this one wasn't for me.

Never Met a Duke Like You was cute and definitely gave Clueless vibes. I enjoyed the back and forth between Vesper and Aspen, although eventually it felt a little never-ending. Also, the plot point with Aspen’s mother felt like an afterthought most of the time. But overall this was an easy historical romcom read.

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.”
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥. 𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬” 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲. 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝. 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
“𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝?” 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.
𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐩. “𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”
“𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐰?” 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝.
“𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐨. 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡.”
𝐇𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝. “𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.”

_____________________

Vesper Lyndhurst is what she allows everyone to perceive her as—a matchmaker amongst friends, a proper lady with poise and decorum to the ton, and a menace to her childhood best friend turned enemy Aspen, the new Duke of Greydon. But when her matchmaking prowess draws the eye of Aspen’s mother, she is soon drawn into far more than she bargained for…and far closer to Aspen than she would have liked.

Aspen, newly returned to London, is an archeologist who begrudgingly accepts his place as the new Duke upon learning his mother planned to steal the title out from under him in his absence. With a focus and a passion for correcting the wrongs that marred his childhood—that he still carries the scars for as an adult—he sets out to set the record straight. The only complication is the man to help him also happens to be the father of the woman he spurned during her first season. The same woman he still has feelings for.

These two were a fantastic blend of childhood friends to crushes to enemies to rivals to lovers and I was here for it every step of the way!! Vesper was a strong female lead, but also kind and passionate about far more than herself. I did love, though, how she took her own wants and her own future by the horns and
despite what was “right” made her own choices for herself. It was bold and it was stunning to watch.

I did not expect Aspen’s story to be so heart-wrenching but my goodness it was!! Learning about his past, his parent’s relationship, and ultimately all of the things that forced him to remain detached made his true nature shine and I loved seeing how both he and Vesper set aside their “ideal”
roles as adults and embraced the wild freedom they were denied in their younger years.

The spice was not to be denied, the banter was TOP tier, and I loved getting to see more of the characters we came to know and love in Always Be My Duchess. And the real star of the show Cat!!! Seriously, this book was so fun, heartbreaking, heartwarming, a hair suspenseful, and a heaping amount of entertainment and I could not put it down. 10/10 recommend for anyone who loves Bridgerton, Jane Austen’s Emma, and of course for all of us STEM nerds out there!!

Aspen and Vesper had been glued together in their childhood. They had strong feelings they hid from each other. Reunited as adults those old feelings are even stronger. The banter between them doesn’t hide it. Soon they figure each other out and love wins out! Cute and entertaining story.

This book was a real delight. If you like historical romances, and old friends to lovers/enemies to lovers, you'll enjoy this one. The best thing about it was the banter between Aspen and Vesper. They clearly understand how to get under each other's skin, and that's what makes it so fun. Vesper is also a complicated and clever heroine. No damsel in distress there. Though she put son a facade of society girl, there is a lot more to her below the surface, and it takes Aspen a little bit to figure that out. The two of them are always there for each other, though, and I love the way Aspen becomes close to Vesper's father. The book also has a very interesting discussion of the terrible practices against people with mental health issues. Overall, this was an engaging read and a great example of its genre.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

eARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

"I see you, Viper," he said softly, "The real you underneath all those rules and regulations."
Her breath snagged. "What do you see, Lord Ass?"
"A firebrand hiding behind layers of expensive silk. A woman who lives on the surface because she's afraid of what's deeper .. She shouldn't have to apologize at all for who she is."

Wooh the Hellfire Kitties are back in this swoony and hilarious new edition to Amalie Howard's Taming of the Dukes series. I truly loved Always Be My Duchess, but I was particularly excited for Vespa's story because she was always so put together and wonderful in the first book, I was so curious to peer inside her life. Add to that the childhood friends to enemies to lovers trope and I was sold.

Vespa has sworn off love for herself, but has solidified her self-proclaimed match-maker title after success with Nève and the Duke of Moncroix. But when her childhood friend-turned-enemy returns to town after many years, she faces distraction at every turn. A twist of fate sees her locked in an attic for an evening with that man, the Duke of Greydon, The glances are long and heated, the banter is witty and cutting, and both are flustered and trying to convince themselves that they hate the other (cue audience laughter).

To add to the fun friendships, hilarious schemes, and beautiful love written in this story is the way that it addressed mental health in a time when it was not much talked about at all. In an author's note at the beginning of the book, Howard clearly states that Vesper has ADHD, though it had not name or diagnosis at the time, and her condition would have led to habits and tendencies that polite society frowns upon. In response, we see Vesper throughout the book holding herself on a tight leash, being sure to remain proper for society when expected and not truly speak her mind.

"She wasn't wed because she couldn't bear the thought of anyone knowing her secret -- that the Vesper beneath all the practices poise was, in fact, a woman who struggled to keep her thoughts corralled and refrain from speaking out of turn"

As a woman with ADHD, it was not only lovely to see this representation, but also have it be treated so well and with such care in an era where Vesper could have easily been torn apart because of it. The second element of mental health was in the storyline of the Duke of Greydon's father, who had been committed to an asylum when Aspen was a boy, where he died. We get to see Aspen working not only to right the injustice of his father's wrongful commitment, but also to reform asylum care and mental health care for the whole country. Truly, it made my heart so happy <3

All in all, such a beautiful and fun story that I loved from beginning to end. The other storylines for future books have been appropriately teased and the groundwork has been laid, so I will be anxiously awaiting book #3 and praying to the ARC + Publishing gods that I get blessed with another ARC so I don't have to wait so long.

Would recommend for fans of:
Taking Down the Duke series by Evie Dunmore
Bridgerton
any period drama honestly!

Loved reading the engaging and engrossing romance story. When Aspen, a duke, gets stuck in an attic with Lady Vesper, both keep it a secret and Vesper helps Aspen with Judith's coming out. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story!

Compared to the historical romance I read right before this one just wasn't quite up to it's standard. We follow Vesper who is very popular and gives off an Emma vibe (which is my least favorite Austen heroine). And then of course we get her grumpy neighbor who is back to fix his family fortunes. The two were one childhood friends but had a falling out and now as adults they still are not very friendly with one another. Of course this is a romance so the two are thrown together and things change. I will say that this one deals with some heavier topics including how people who may have had some mental conditions were treated during this time. Thank you Forever for my gifted copy! This one is out November 14th.

Lady Vesper has a knack for matchmaking but the last thing she’s looking for is a match of her own. When her neighbor and childhood friend, the Duke of Greydon, returns to England, she can’t help but remember how he slighted her back during her coming out. When she reluctantly agrees to help him find a match for his family friend, they find out they just might be the perfect match for each other.

This is like a cross between Clueless and Emma with the spice of Bridgerton. I really enjoyed this friends to enemies to lovers romance. Thank you Netgalley and Forever for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a delightful friends to enemies to lovers book! I loved Aspen and Vesper's banter. They really challenged each other to be better. They had a beautiful connection and a lot of passion. Vesper's connection to her father and brother were super cute and the addition of Cat was amazing. As always the female friendships were great!

I felt that Judith and Aspen's mother were kind of forgotten throughout the middle of the book until they were used for the final conflict. Also, some of the words used to describe male genitalia was very unfortunate and took me out of some scenes. At one point the main character is describing it then stops and almost laughs at loud at her own ridiculous description.

Overall, a very fun and passionate read!

This is not a bad book, but it is nothing special. Vesper and Aspen grew up together, and Aspen was Vespers first crush. The book earnestly delivers a story of a neurodivergent heroine, who has worked hard to smother her otherness and fit in with the conventional society mores, while Aspen's father was institutionalized as insane by his villain of a mother., who also threatens him with the same fate. And yet Aspen recalls Vesper as her true self as she was as a child, and pokes at her in the present to bring out that buried self. It doesn't hurt that the two of them have a raging chemistry between them, which both of them spend most of the book denying, but of course love wins in the end. The main issues I had with the story were the one-dimensional portrayal of his evil mother (not even a step-mother), the banter between Vesper and Aspen that veers uncomfortably close to meanness, and, with the exception of work that Aspen and Vesper's father do in the House of Lords to create better legislation concerning treatment of the insane, the standard nod to social reform during the Victorian era. This book may be of some interest to other readers of Victorian romances and the author's style, but it really did not work well for me. I give it 3.5 stars.

Very much enjoyed this romp from Amalie Howard! I read it while starring out at the Aegean Sea which was a total bonus, but the story was fun and I liked that the main characters challenge each other and really seem to be soul mates. A winner for sure.

This was so cute! Never Met a Duke Like You was an adorable historical romance for fans of Bridgerton as well as Emma/Clueless. Amalie Howard is an immediate go to author for me already and this was every but as fun and enjoyable as I had expected. I'm really looking forward to what this author has coming up next, and I recommend this read for anyone in the mood for some fun and enjoyable historical romance!

This book was a lot like Bridgerton in the setting and style, so if you like that then you will enjoy this one!

Vesper is a match maker but refuses marriage for herself. Her childhood friend, Aspen, moves back home and it’s an awkward situation since they are no longer friends. He refused her years ago and she is still bitter about that. They both are dealing with their own personal problems.

I felt a little lost with all the side character since I didn’t read the first book even though I think this could be a standalone. It had some good historical elements to it and was easy to read. The chemistry and banter of the characters was there. Miscommunication and enemies to lovers were the main tropes. Overall, it was pretty good.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an arc for my honest review.

This is how you do a retelling! Similar enough to the source material to feel familiar, but not the same story in a different era.
Some have pointed out the villain here didn't have a proper comeuppance, but I feel like I've come to expect that when it's a family member.

Never Met a Duke Like You is a humorous historical romance with some fun nods to the movie Clueless. I have enjoyed Amalie Howard's Daring Dukes and Everleigh Sisters series previously. This one, as you might imagine from its cover and inspiration, is somewhat more lighthearted and comical.

Aspen, the Duke of Greydon, and Lady Vesper were once childhood friends until Aspen rejected her play for being too childish. Vesper retaliated by punching him in the face (as he had taught her) and their friendship never quite recovered. Their separation became definitive when Aspen seemingly "cut" her at Vesper's come-out in society. The two have personal struggles. Aspen is dealing with the painful memories of his father's institutionalisation and later death. Vesper is trying to fit into society's mould (sort of...) by being unimpeachably proper in public. They were interesting characters to read, but Aspen seemed particularly daft regarding Vesper. I never entirely understood why he became so antagonistic toward her after he cut her and then disappeared for years. (Okay, yes, it's obviously stemming from his mother, but his antagonism seemed out of character.)

The book included spooky rambles, fossils, and hidden conspiracies. If you don't like miscommunication/lack of communication as a plot point, you may prefer another read. It was a fun read, not to be taken too seriously.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Never Met a Duke Like You” was a well written and fun story about Lady Vesper, or Viper as her childhood friend the Duke of Greyson calls her. The two friends drift apart but are forced together when they are locked in an attic and enter into a pact to help his ward, Judith, make a good match.

Asher, the Duke of Greydon, has this unnatural pull to Vesper but he fights it because he won’t be in London for long and he is not sure he can trust any woman after his mothers betrayal. But the mutual pining they have for each other starts to ignite a fire from within when they find each other in close proximity at various times throughout the London season.

I liked the book and it was easy to read. The chemistry between the two characters was fiery but the enemies to lovers trope was too long and drawn out for my liking. Overall though a good read.

🐍🦕Never Met a Duke Like You 🦕🐍
By Amalie Howard

Second Chance Romance with a Matchmaking Twist and Fossil Obsession

Synopsis: Vesper regrets nothing, but forgiveness and trust after being snubbed her first season is not easy. The adult of Greydon returns to London after his mother attempts to classify him as dead and take his fortune. The evil mother doesn’t stop there and is determined to undermine her son for power and prestige. But will he fall for it? Or will the only woman to ever actually beat him help him on his way?

Review: This book was a steamy public affair. From punching a mean young boy, to saving a child, and being annoyed by a cat (named Cat), Vesper is a stubborn hilarious and vicious character that shows love, and allows society to mask her in ways she should never be masked. I loved the interactions between her and Lord Aspen. It was truly a fun book with great side characters and intriguing plots by so many. I would have wished it was a little less predictable. But it was a great comfy steamy read!

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a great steamy comfy historical read with low tension.

Romance Rating: Steamy Open Door
Content Rating: Mental Health Abuse

Thank you to Netgalley for a gifted ARC copy of this book.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “Never Met A Duke Like You” by Amalie Howard 

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

After being rejected by her childhood friend and crush years ago, Vesper Lyndhurst avoids marriage at all costs and would rather spend her days donating to charity, helping children in need, and acting as a matchmaker in her community. When Aspen, the Duke of Greydon and Vesper’s former childhood friend, returns to London and the two find themselves reunited in an awkward situation, Aspen seeks Vesper’s help in finding a match for his ward, Judith! Though reluctant at first, Vesper agrees to take on the task! Will she succeed in making a match for Judith, or will she end up finding a match of her own in the duke?

This book was truly a refreshing take on the Regency Romance genre! For starters, we have well written neurodiverse representation and disability commentary! Vesper Lyndhurst not only has ADHD and the way her disability is written feels normalized, but the book also gives insightful commentary on disability in the Victorian Era, and how because of the miseducation on the subject of disability, those who were disabled and undiagnosed around that time were either sent into asylum and tortured or mistreated poorly. You were even sent into asylum if you weren’t disabled and just went against the common ideologies of that time, (ie.  “unconventional” women, members of the LGBT community, etc..)! The book emphasizes the wrongfulness and inhumane harm of asylums of that time and effectively tackles this issue!

Vesper and Aspen also had well written chemistry. Vesper is an independent woman with unapologetic crassness and wit who wants to help those in need and is unafraid to take on anything and do anything a man can do! While she at first hides her true self outside of her family and close circle to try and “fit in” to the ton, or the society at large, she slowly begins to let her true self fully shine through with a little help from Aspen, her family, and friends. Aspen’s character growth was well written as he was not only persistent in fighting against his mother’s manipulations and expectations forced on him, but he learns to love Vesper for her independence while questioning societal expectations himself and learning to understand and respect Judith’s true wants and needs. This book has also been compared many times to “Bridgerton”, “Emma”, and “Clueless” by many other advertisers and reviewers, and I have to agree, it definitely shows! If you’re looking for an empowering, insightful, and banter-filled Regency Romance guilty pleasure, don’t miss out on this book when it reaches online shelves and bookstores on November 14th, 2023!

Spice Meter: 4/5🌶🌶🌶🌶
Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Tropes to Expect: Second Chance, Grumpy x Sunshine, Childhood Sweethearts, Cute Animal Sidekicks, Secret Pinning, Matchmaking, Witty Banter, Charity Balls, and Family Secrets Narrative!

 -Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Asylum, Ableism, Emotional Abuse, Manipulative/Abusive Parent, Relationship Anxiety, and Mentions of Death of a Family Member!

3 Stars If you are a fan of the classic romantic comedy Clueless and the classic Jane Austen romance Emma, you are going to love Never Met a Duke Like You! This was a delightful historical enemies to lovers romance. In addition to the swoony romance between the main characters, I loved their advocacy for the causes and charities they cared about. It was interesting to read the author's notes about the research she did into these real-life causes, such as the Lunacy Act. I love when historical romances touch on the real life social and political issues of the time.