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.

An Austen based retelling of Emma, but the heroine Vesper is just a brat. The vibe of this book is too .modern for the period. The hero and heroine were just downright mean to each other. Not sexy banter.

DNF after chapter 4.

This was a fun, quick read. At times I felt the inner thoughts and language were too modern, but it in no way took away from my enjoyment of this fluffy romp.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Duke of Greydon has returned and he has Vesper protesting that there is anything between them. Vesper likes to be a matchmaker like Emma & Cher from Clueless. I really enjoyed this book. It had me laughing out loud numerous times. I loved the banter between Vesper & Aspen. The author does a fantastic job teaching us about the lunacy act and Mary Anning the paleontologist. I loved rooting for the characters.

I couldn't really remember what happened in Always Be My Duchess so it isn't necessary to have read it to read this book. That being said, it often felt at times that I was supposed to know the whole cast of characters much better than I did. It read more like a fourth or fifth book in a series, with lots of in depth and niche references, not a second.

That didn't stop me from enjoying the book, the banter, the fighting, it was all quite good.

While I enjoyed this book as a whole, I found the plot with the former Duke and Duchess of Greydon a little annoying. I understand why it had to be written that way but it diminished the very real reality that women were deemed insane by their husbands and fathers and died in horrible conditions in asylums not because of one evil person but because of societal expectations and the patriarchy.

Synopsis: Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is beautiful, clever, and popular. The perfect example of what a high society lady should be......on the outside. She may have sworn off love for herself, but she is rather excellent at arranging it. The Duke of Greydon has no choice but to return to England in a final attempt to revive his family’s fortunes. He’s been gone for years, happy to escape his mother and the petty circles of the ton. To his dismay, not much has changed, including the beautiful and vexing heiress next door.....
My Thoughts: I loved this. Everything I want in a historical romance. Witty banter, societal pressure, a side of blackmail and murder by asylum 👀, and a second change romance between two childhood friends. The constant pull of will-they-or-won't-they never manages to get old. Their chemistry could set a ballroom on fire. And the side characters are intriguing and compelling in their own right. A fun, easy read.

Never Met A Duke Like You is an epically-good-brain-candy-regency romance with a strong heroine who uses her politesse as a sword and wealth as a shield for the lowly!

Truly loved every second of Amelie Howard's second novel in the Taming of The Dukes series. Our lovely Lady Vesper tries to deny her attraction to her way-too-attractive-for-his-own-good childhood playmate: the Duke of Greydon. Having just returned home from his archeological digs, Greydon wants nothing more than to return to his adventures after setting the family estates to rights. Little did he expect that his sweet neighbor next door from childhood would be waiting around the corner to tempt him at every turn.

NOTES:
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 - Some seriously fun spice! I found Lady Vesper and Lord Greydon's trysts to be not only believable but devoid of any awkwardness in reading. (If you read a lot of romance - you know how truly rare that is!)
- The villain in Never Met A Duke Like You was also believable but also kept you invested.
- Howard's latest was absolutely the perfect distraction after a few more series reads! I read it while my husband was out of town and hardly noticed he was gone!! lo; ;)

**Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Thanks to @readforeverpub for an advance copy of Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard, out November 14th!

After reading Always Be My Duchess last year, I was so excited to see Vesper tied up in knots and I absolutely got my wish.

Vesper and Aspen’s story is Clueless (and therefore Emma) inspired — two of my favorite things!!! Even the book cover is a shoutout to the movie!

What to know:
-Childhood friends to enemies to lovers
-Neurodivergent FMC
-Ravished and A Week to Be Wicked vibes (a character with a passion for paleontology!)

While Never Met a Duke Like You felt a bit long and I was a bit frustrated that the villain does not get what’s coming to them, I definitely enjoyed this book more than the first and I’m looking forward to what’s to come in this series!

I'm a huge Amalie Howard fan, so any ARC is a must request for me. I particularly enjoyed the first book in this series, Always be my Duchess, which was a funny and charming Pretty Woman retelling set in Regency England. This sequel followed the same pattern but was a Clueless retelling (which was, of course, an Emma retelling) set soon after the events of the first novel in the series. Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is a beautiful, wealthy daughter of a duke who has turned down multiple offers of marriage before deciding that marriage isn't for her at all, focusing instead on playing matchmaker to people in her social circle. When her childhood best friend/adult nemesis the Duke of Greydon returns to society to help his family's young ward find a husband, he asks Vesper for her help and she reluctantly agrees (because they're locked in an attic together and she could be ruined if word got out). The problem is that these two have had the hots for each other for years but Greydon insulted Vesper at her coming out and they've been at odds ever since. As they spend more time together, it becomes harder for them to ignore their attraction, and increasingly challenging for Vesper to mask her true self, a woman whose thoughts are always racing and who secretly engages in a lot of hands-on charity work that would be frowned on by the ton. Vesper is introduced in an author's note as a neurodiverse heroine, specifically one with what would now be recognized as ADHD (I mean, ideally - it still seems like woman with ADHD are regularly misdiagnosed). This was funny and engaging but still had some emotional depth, especially where it concerned the Duke of Greydon's father, who was committed against his will to an insane asylum where he died. Another great book from Amalie Howard, and I can't wait for the next one.

You know how in baseball it’s three strikes and you’re out? This is my third Amalie Howard book and I’m done. 😅

I keep getting enchanted by the premise on netgalley and then absolutely hating the execution. This could have been an interesting friends to enemies to lovers, but instead of cute banter I got a love interest who could not stop berating Vesper and comparing her (unfavorably) to his mother.

Similar to Always Be My Duchess, this book forgot it had an actual plot under about halfway through and then half heartedly tried to give the characters believable motives.

I want to be a historical romance girly, but these men are miles and miles below Mr Darcy. Where Darcy gives Elizabeth proclaimations of love and space when she needs it, these domineering men that are so prevalent in historical romances make me uncomfortable.

Maybe I'm a little oversaturated on Austen reimaginings, but I couldn't really get into this one. It just did not feel as authentic to the period as many other historical romances. Names like Vesper, Briar, and Aspen instead of Jane, Mary, and John? The modern dialogue and Americanisms took me out of it too. And more dukes and earls than seems statistically possible. But beyond those quibbles, the matchmaking plotline didn't quite make sense to me. But the love scenes were hot, so there's that.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Okay. I've never met a Clueless reimaging that I didn't like (no, I don't mean Emma, I mean Clueless). I was hella biased going into this book. And honestly, I loved the majority of it. A childhood friends to enemies to lovers with antagonistic nicknames and lots of yearning and banter? Yes, please. I eat that up. A scheming duchess and a foul plot to steal funds? Tell me more. Did I mention the yearning?! It was on another level. I will say that I think you have to be willing to go along with the bit to fully enjoy this second book. Like, our hero is out here willfully ignoring everything in front of his face to stick to his pre-conceived notions, and you sort of just have to nod your head sympathetically at him, knowing that he'll get there eventually. Because that sort of thing makes me giggle, I was in it to win it. Would I recommend this to someone who doesn't love Clueless? I don't know, I like to think that kind of person doesn't exist.