Amalie Howard doesn't dissapoint. Childhood friends, turned enemies, and irresistably drawn to each other. The heroine is complex and the hero is a paleontologist. Both campaign for social justice. I can't wait to read the next one!

I've been on the hunt for a good historical romance, so I was excited to receive this e-ARC. A steamy romcom-ish set in the latter half of the 19th century what could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately for me, everything. I truly wanted to enjoy it, and honestly the first few chapters convincingly reeled me in. We're introduced to Vesper and Aspen, childhood friends who'd grown apart in the aftermath of a supposed snub. They fit the friends to enemies to lovers trope I've been searching for to a tee. But it wasn't enough to redeem the rest of the book for me.
A fun romp slowly settled into a story I struggled to take seriously. The spicy scenes themselves were the hardest to get through without a few giggles here and there. I almost DNF'ed on a few occasions, but I wanted to press on in the hopes I would enjoy the ending as much as I did the beginning.

I really did appreciate the author's handling of mental health, particularly how enmeshed it is with the plot and our villain. Domineering mothers aren't exactly uncommon, but its nice to see an exaggerated version of the trope. Her decisions and motivations stand in stark contrast to the complicated, yet kinder-hearted nature of the main couple. Our leads aren't one dimensional, perfect human beings either. Time and time again, we see them make mistakes, act on impulse, make bad (or at least problematic) choices. In a word, they're interesting, especially Vesper. But the characters weren't able to fully reengage my interest in the story.

While this wasn't my cup of tea, it might work out for those who would love an updated Emma mixed with Bridgerton.

Utterly charming with a heroine Jane Austen’s EMMA would love! Fans of the childhood enemies to lovers trope will devour the witty wordplay between Lady Vesper and Aspen, the Duke of Greydon. The tension between them sizzles from the start and boils over to some steamy scenes.

The story also has plenty of substance as Aspen struggles to change lunatic laws (his own father was incarcerated). Vesper raises money for ragged schools, helps the poor, and match-makes on the side. A duchess makes an excellent villain and worthy foe.

Amalie Howard delivers another delightful romp!

I didn't know that this was meant to be loosely based on the movie, Clueless until I was reading it. There was a scene that was very similar to a scene in the movie and then when I thought about what I had read so far, there were a lot of elements similar to the movie. That was an aha! moment for me. The first book in this series was based on Pretty Woman and this one is based on Clueless - two of my favorite movies!

The book started off strong for me, but then it slid into becoming an okay book. I liked it, but I didn't love it. It's hard to describe why I didn't love it. It was a bit basic and although I enjoyed it, it wasn't a book that I was excited to pick up.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥

Once again Amalie Howard delivers! I thoroughly enjoyed book one and I think Aspen and Vesper took this series to the next level. The tension between these two was palpable and intriguing! I love a good frienemies to lovers romance and this one did not disappoint. Amalie’s writing draws me into her characters and keeps me coming back for more! I can’t wait for book three!

I love a good regency romance. This book has everything a regency romance should have! This is the second book of Amalie Howard that I have read and I have loved every word of both! I will definitely keep reading her regency romance books. Perfection!
I just reviewed Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Never Met a Duke Like You was an honestly fun read. Yes, there were moments of seriousness and hardship--the discussion of mental health and its treatment in Victorian England as well as the portrayal of what it feels like to be neurodivergent, in particular were written deftly and compassionately (as a woman with ADHD as well, I thought Howard's writing of Vesper was true-to-life and very well expressed). These "heavier" topics provided a really good counterbalance to the snark and banter between Vesper and Aspen. I found their conversations genuinely entertaining and witty, and really appreciated the "sparky-ness" of their relationship. While the constant longing for each other did grate a tad before they actually came together, the payoff was worth it. I did think the climax was a tad drawn out, but nothing that put me off. I haven't read anything by Amelie Howard before, but I would, now, like to go back to her previous books and take a look.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I didn't love this one--other people probably will. I do love Amalie Howard's books for their pacing and sexiness. This was just didn't do it for me. The plot moved slowly. The connection to the Lunacy Act was great, and I wish more was done with it. Same with plot points like the heroine's work with kids. A scene showing kindness us her working will kids instead of telling us that she was more than the hero thought because she worked with kids. Repeatedly telling us things instead of showing us makes the book drag. I'll give Howard's next book a chance. I hope that this one was just a one off.

A cute regency romance full of witty barbs as the former friends battle each other even while joining forces to find the best match for Aspen's ward. I liked how Vesper attempted to hide her heart of gold from the ton, but was willing to let it show if it benefited her charity.

I love regency romance and this didn’t disappoint me. I recommend it and it’s a wonderful book very entertaining-

Love it!

The steamy is HOT in this book. It's everything you love in a historical filled with loveable characters.

Something always gets me when they are willing to give up their own happiness to keep the other safe. It's the perfect way to show that their relationship is going to stand the test of time.

I would say this is a must-read for historical romance lovers who like it steamy.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a chance to review this book.

A fun cute time but wasn’t a perfect read for me. Childhood friends turned enemies turned lovers! I liked the premise but it was a bit longer than necessary.
Loved that book club discussion questions were included at the end!

“I’ve always been here, waiting for you”

“Never Met a Duke Like You” is the second ‘Taming of the Dukes’ novel by Amalie Howard after “Always Be My Duchess.”

First, I love Amalie Howard and have been reading her books for years. I did not like “Always Be My Duchess” and I find this second novel to be similar in many ways.

I know it is petty, but I dislike the new cartoon covers for historical romance novels. I also really dislike the character’s names: Vesper and Aspen.

Like the first book in the series, I found the novel too short, too disconnected, and lacking in the lyrical development of character psychology and romantic entanglement that Howard usually excels at. I feel as though the publisher wants to create historical romance for the masses for people who don’t read the genre and don’t know this is a poor example of the usually complex, beautiful works so many authors produce (include previous Amalie Howard titles).

I also think to call this a Clueless / Emma inspired novel is completely wrong as I am not sure what part of Howard’s book is similar to either movie or novel beyond Vesper’s alleged gift of matchmaking (which does not cause the major conflict or self-reflection for Vesper, nor does it permeate the plot in any meaningful way). Vesper is not home alone with a hypochondriac father, Aspen is not her brother-in-law, Aspen’s evil mother and deceased father is not in Emma (or Clueless), and I think book summaries do this book a disservice by references that don’t exist.

Instead, you have Vesper Lyndhurst whose name evokes the James Bond movie character Vesper Lynd. Vesper is gifted a kitten who she names “Cat” like Holly Golightly, complete with a scene in which the romantic couple searches for the missing animal in the rain just like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” I found this all eye-rolling and unnecessary, but maybe another reader would like it.

I also find there are new types of historical romance novels being produced that use the trappings of historical settings for a modern story – complete with people swearing, demanding orgasms, and behaving in all types of present-day ways. I don’t need stuffy romance, and romance/sex are nothing new, but my enjoyment of historical romance comes from the rules, the clothes, the social mores, the subtle ways of feminine resistance, that I did not find present here.

There is meant to be “banter” that I found came across as overly antagonistic in many instances. A paraphrased group conversation: ‘I liked your publication on fossils Aspen’ is met with Vesper’s rude ‘no one cares about fossils because they are so boring and dumb.’

The instances of romance seem to come out of the blue as a result, and the pacing is uneven as a result.
I think dropping any kind of false enemies-to-lovers in favour of a true second-chance romance would have been much better for these characters.

There were some great elements to this book, but those were lost in these silly pop culture references, a muddled plot, and a love story that could have been amazing. I hope this series manages to find better direction and focuses less on commercialism than good historical romance writing I know Howard can produce.

The first book in this series was one of my favorite reads last year and I pushed it on everyone I could. To say I had high hopes for this one was an understatement.

Unfortunately this one fell a bit flat. I just was expecting something a bit different I think.

Thank you for the chance to read this early.

Never Met A Duke Like You is the latest installment in the Taming of the Dukes series. While they were best friends in childhood, Vesper and Aspen have become estranged in adulthood. One night, Lady Vesper gets caught in a rainstorm near Aspen’s estate. She seeks shelter and becomes reacquainted with the Duke of Greydon in a rather unconventional manner. They strike a deal- Vesper will help Aspen as he tries to hold onto his family fortunes. When Vesper and Aspen start to fall for each other, will they follow their passion or society’s rigid rules?

Never Met A Duke Like You was a delightful romance! Amalie Howard uses some of my favorite tropes, including: forced proximity, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, and witty banter. I enjoyed book one in the series, but loved this sequel even more! Aspen and Vesper know exactly how to push each other’s buttons and their dynamic is hilarious. They have serious chemistry and Howard expertly draws out the tension between them. I definitely caught themes from Emma and enjoyed seeing Vesper as a matchmaker.

Both Vesper and Aspen are involved in interesting endeavors- Vesper is very passionate about raising money for charity and Aspen is invested in preventing a grievous wrong from being committed again. I did not know about the Lunacy Acts and was extremely glad to see Aspen working to get an amendment passed to prevent them. Howard weaves in serious themes of mental health and privilege, while creating a captivating romance.

Readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, witty banter, and forced proximity will love this romance! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you so much to Amalie Howard, Forever, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

After loving the first book in this series so much I was very very excited to continue with Vesper’s romance. Childhood friends to enemies is a trope I usually like but I admit I don’t quite understand where their friendship went bad. I feel like some flashbacks would have helped with the buildup. Aside from this, I also struggled to see the development in their romance. I saw the attraction because it was super obvious how much they liked each other, but I didn’t see the key points that usually make you say “these two are falling in love”, if that makes sense. Whenever something romantic happened, it felt to appear out of nowhere for me. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace and everything is a me problem! What I’m sure it not a just me thing is how terrible Aspen’s mother was. She deserved way worse than what she got. I also would’ve loved to see Vesper doing everything she does for the orphans instead of just mentions of it.

Amalie’s writing was as great as always. I enjoyed reading this book, especially the friendship moments between the girls, but the romance didn’t resonate with me.

Rating: 3.5/5
Steam level: Open door, 2-3 scenes, medium level of detail

ARC provided by Forever and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

This was the Emma movie with Anya Taylor Joy just a modern retelling of the original book. I enjoyed it and I loved the characters. I would love a spin off where Vesper is matching other couples. It could be a cute Bridgerton type series.

A wildly sexy childhood friends to enemies to lovers romance inspired by Clueless! Vesper and Aspen have CHEMISTRY, y'all, and this was a rare "will they, won't they" that I enjoyed the tension and suspense of instead of screaming at my book for them to get their shit together. My only criticism is that the tone of this book is a bit confusing: like its inspiration, much of this book is fluffy and frothy and fun, and that's when the book succeeds. But Aspen's backstory of his mother's conspiracy to have his father institutionalized so that she can have full control of his estate is very serious and grim, and while it is handled sensitively, it's a incongruous with Vesper's whole energy. The tonal disparity there threw me off, especially when his mother gets off very light at the end of the book. I'm a fan of Amalie Howard's and I wouldn't let this review stop you from reading if you enjoy her work! But if you're looking for a purely silly Clueless romance, go in expecting some darker notes.

Never Met a Duke Like You is a historical retelling of Clueless that follows two childhood friends turned enemies. Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is an image of beauty, grace, and intelligence in the ton with unparalleled matchmaking skills. She has success pairing others together but has yet to find a suitable match for herself. While the Duke of Greydon, Aspen Drake, doesn’t quite share the same interests as Vesper and the ton. But after being accidentally locked in an attic together, it’s hard for them to ignore the sparks that fly.

Even though this was an interesting read with great characters, I wasn’t really captivated by this book. I found myself struggling to get through the first couple of chapters. Although, it did get more entertaining as the book progressed. Vesper and Aspen had PALPABLE chemistry and great banter. I loved it when Aspen called Vesper “Viper”. I ate it up every time honestly.

Mental health is also a huge aspect of this book for both our main characters. And its great that the author included this, highlighting undiagnosed mental health disorders during this era and how society also weaponized mental illness.

If you like Bridgerton, Clueless, and Emma, this book might be for you! 3 ⭐️

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for this eARC.

I've been looking forward to reading Vesper's book since I love the notion of her being a matchmaker and having some rivalry with her childhood friend Aspen, who has returned after 7 years of being away. I loved how the book opened and you see their chemistry after all these years. It was a promising start but it became really frustrating to see them keep coming together and pulling back, especially Aspen.... I've seen this in other books I have read recently too but for some reason it really irked me when he did it. Maybe it was his rationale for pulling back? I'm not totally sure but I felt really bad for Vesper and the fact she felt the need to hide who she was and the good work she was doing. Maybe in the light of some of the other women and the fact that they were supposedly Hellfire Kitties, it seemed odd that she felt the need to hide her charity work. It felt a bit contrived for some reason. I did love the little scenes that were very similar to the movie Clueless, and I also love Vesper's relationship with her father and brother. It's so nice to see that sort of relationship with a father and daughter. In any case, I am still looking forward to the next book and continue to be a HUGE fan of Amalie Howard.

I received an advance copy of this book but the opinions are my own.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️