Member Reviews

I took a short break from historical romances and this was the perfect reintroduction. A loose re-telling of Clueless, our matchmaking heroine, Vesper, finds herself in a battle of wits with her longtime neighbor and one time crush, Aspen. I loved the first book in this series and this one doesn’t disappoint either!

Enemies to lovers ✅
Matchmaking chaos ✅
A cute cat ✅
Mental health awareness ✅
Evil villain ✅
🌶️ ✅

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BOOK REVIEW: Never Met A Duke Like you by @Amalie Howard

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Im obsessed with this book it was so good, I can’t wait to read more by this author!

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I loved it. It was perfect. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I definitely recommend this book and author.

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There were a lot of things about this book that I adored. It had some great tropes that I don’t usually read including childhood friends as well as friends to lovers. The chemistry between the characters was evident and I really enjoyed the dialogue. However…Aspen would often say that he knew Vesper completely, but in the next second would accuse her of being shallow and vain. It happened enough that I was annoyed. Additionally, the blackmail trope is not my favorite. I won’t elaborate further on that other than to say people in love should communicate. Finally—and probably the worst thing—this book, and by extension the series, has too many similarities to Tessa Dare’s Girl Meets Duke series. It’s about a friend group that have similar characteristics (the pet lover, the seamstress, etc.), and some of the relationships seem like a complete knockoff. Not really sure if I should recommend this series as a result.

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The tagline "Clueless meets Bridgerton" gave me a sense that this would be a fun colorful romp through the regency period (it is not regency, it is Victorian, but that really just changed the way I perceived the clothes).

While it was not a colorful romp, it hits almost every point of Clueless flawlessly and without backing down. Obviously with Clueless' being based on Jane Austen's Emma, the story felt like something I'd read before.

It's downfall for me, and this was a problem I had with the series in general, is that all the mothers are dead or villains. It screamed of internalized misogyny to me and it made it hard for me to get through. I get that not all mom's are saints, but they don't all need to be evil either.

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I received an E-Arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review! Thank you!

I literally could not put this book down! If you like friends to enemies then back to friends with a touch of romance then you need to read this book. I couldn't stop laughing, smirking and rooting for Lady Vesper and the Duke of Greydon. I was pulled into their story and just had to know what was going to happen. Would they get their happy ending or will their hearts be broke?

The sparks between Lady Vesper and Duke Greydon just kept on going and going! I loved it. First they ran cold then hot, whoo! Even their longing, banter and chemistry builds up so passionately, you know what could happen. (Psst...Think of Bridgerton!) If you are a fan of Bridgerton, then you will be a fan of this book. I definitely am!

Vesper has a way with words which I loved! Hehehehe. I also enjoyed that she wants to be her own person and that she can be stubborn at times as well. Even her father knows this and tells Greydon of this in his own way. You'll get a chuckle out of that moment. I know I did!

Greydon..what can I say? He is a man with a kind heart who eventually takes his time in getting what he wants. He also has his own way with words. He's awesome. That's all I can say. Let me know what you think of him!

Go get it when it comes out in the Fall. You won't regret it.

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Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard was a delight! Make sure to read the first book in the series for backstory and because it's a great read! I love seeing a grumpy Duke swoon for the heart of gold, doesn't backdown main character!

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NEVER MET A DUKE LIKE YOU is a light and cute love story. Will Vesper the matchmaker ever find her own true love? What happens when the mother of the man Vesper is starting to have feelings for wants her to set him up with another gal? Overall great combination of banter and swoon which makes for a great read in this historical romance.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the digital advanced copy in exchange for my review.

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I have been looking forward to this book since the instant I finished Always Be My Duchess (maybe even before that).

It broke my heart that Vesper thought she wasn’t going to have companionship because of something she couldn’t control. The book offers an interesting discussion on mental health. While this is done in the context of historical fiction, it is easy to see how relevant these discussions still are today.

There were times when Aspen (our MMC) drove me up the wall. His consistent dismissal of all that Vesper (FMC) showed him was frustrating. However, it was impossible for him not to come around given how incredibly witty and cheeky Vesper was.

I love that this series brings such strong feminist ideals to an era where we are not accustomed to seeing them. I’m forever living for these strong female characters!

As a side note, I loved seeing the reference to Mary Anning. I had just read a book about her with my children where we learned about her paleontological discoveries and the little credit she received because she was a woman.

Recommend this one if you enjoyed the first book!

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Fun, easy to read, amazing, gorgeous✨💗🤍💕



Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

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This was a super cute book! I loved Always Be My Duchess and was so excited for this one. It lived up to every expectation and more! Vesper was hilarious and stubborn and it was so refreshing to see a historical romance heroine be so independent and passionate. I couldn’t get enough of Aspen and the tension between the two. This was very fun to binge read and I can’t wait to see what else Howard blesses us with.

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After reading Always Be My Duchess last year, I couldn't wait to see what came next in the Taming of the Dukes series - and Never Met a Duke Like You did not disappoint! If the first novel was Pretty WomanThis romance was a little bit Jane Austen's Emma mixed with Clueless and a dash of Bridgerton (but, let's be honest, there's a lot of historical romance that aims for Bridgerton vibes these days).

This book has great banter, an excellent friend group (please tell me that Vesper's brother and Briar are getting the next book because I need it), and important neurodivergent rep.

The ending felt a little bit rushed, in my opinion, and Vesper's character development left something to be desired, but all in all I really enjoyed this novel! I'd recommend this book for people who like romcoms, like historical romance, and like steam...but maybe aren't invested in their HR being totally accurate. (To go from being the belle of the ton to some of these steamy scenes seems...unlikely?)

Read if you like:
- Books with neurodivergent MCs
- Open door romance
- Friends-to-Lovers
- Bridgerton or Other Historical Romance

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Childhood best friends turned enemies Lady Vesper and The Duke of Greydon haven’t seen each other in years and are now reunited and trapped in an attic together right off the bat so you know it’s going to be good! Despite their animosity there is an underlying sexual tension that can’t be denied and Vesper and Aspen are forced back into each others lives. Lady Vesper is kind, generous and has a heart as big as the ocean but Greydon can’t get past her facade that suggests she is just a spoiled debutante obsessed with propriety, appearances and meddling in other peoples affairs. Vesper can’t get over the way Greydon gave her the cut direct at her debut and thinks he is a pompous ass who is better than everybody else, but Greydon needs her help launching his ward Judith into society and no one is more popular than Vesper! After much forced proximity, steamy kisses and talking out their issues, Vesper and Greydon figure out they have been madly in love this whole time and their chemistry is explosive!

Pick up a copy if you are looking for a witty historical romance with fresh dialogue and colorful characters. It has some Clueless/Emma vibes, enemies to lovers, an evil Mother’s blackmail attempt, forced proximity a steamy garden folly scene and of course a HEA! 💗📚💗

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This was an interesting read. It was definitely an original story with some really awesome characters, and I enjoyed getting to know them. I loved all the quips and the hate to love romance in this story.

Aspen (the duke) and Vesper were so fun and adorable together. The book starts pretty much with a former friendship, and they now hate each other and then they finally find a friendship again and that turns to love again.

In this story we also have a very evil mother of the duke who wants the duke to marry her ward because she really wants to control her son. This part of the story and this storyline while I thought was very original it was not my favorite part of this story.

All in all, I really ended up enjoying this story and I loved the two main characters.

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Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard was a fabulous read.
I had no idea this was book two in Taming of the Dukes series. Now I need to read Always Be My Duchess. Because I adored her newest title.
Clever and whimsical and a joy to read! Howard’s writing, simply put, makes me incredibly happy.
I swooned when I read this charming, wonderfully executed histfic romance.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing ebook!

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This story was a delight! When I saw that this was written with inspiration from Clueless and Bridgerton, I knew it was a must read. The romance was dreamy and the side characters were fun. And of course the matchmaking is always a part of the enjoyment.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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Delightful play on Emma and Clueless

Vesper is a dedicated matchmaker, regardless of whether her efforts are appreciated by the targets. However, she can't seem to sort out her own love life, especially when the man she wants is the last man she wants.

Friends since childhood, Aspen spurned her years ago at her debut, and she's been smarting from the rejection ever since. Now, however, his mother is recruiting her to help match him to her young ward, Judith. Regardless, Aspen is determined to avoid marriage at all costs. Their complicated relationship alternates between friendship and enmity and I absolutely adored their witty, clever, sarcastic banter. Their nicknames for each other are my all-time favorites!

Aspen's mother is one of the worst sort of villains I've ever read, and thwarting her plans is a truly risky business. There's a lot of backstory - make sure you pay attention to the content warnings - and it's easy to see why Aspen turned out the way he did. I appreciated the care taken with Vesper's issue and how it informed her actions and decisions. It couldn't have been easy to deal with such a condition in the days when such things were largely misunderstood. I also loved the secondary storylines for Vesper's brother, Aspen's best friend, and the ladies in Vesper's circle. There's a lot going on in this book and the author brings it all together very nicely.

I was drawn out of the story a couple times by the author's use of very 21st century slang in a 19th century setting, but those were minor and I was quickly brought back by the delightful dialogue and soul-deep connection between Aspen and Vesper. Their HEA was beautiful, and I especially loved how it included an update on Judith. The author's note at the end was an important addition and demonstrated the extensive research that was behind this story.

This is a wonderful story with compelling characters and captivating complications. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical romance, especially that of the Victorian era. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

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“You’re you. An anomaly. Brave, beautiful, infuriating. Where did you come from?” “I’ve always been here, waiting for you,”

This was such a good read. It’s a nice balance of fun, romance, character development and steamy scenes. There’s great banter and chemistry, matchmaking, and a strong neurodivergent(ADHD) fmc. I especially liked the character arc/development for the heroine Vesper as she became more self aware. The ending felt like much was happening too fast but overall a really good read. If you like Bridgerton, Martha Waters and Sarah Maclean books you should definitely give this a try.

Tropes/themes:
- Neurodivergent rep
- Matchmaking
- Steamy scenes
- Clueless retelling
- Dislike to love

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I didn’t like Never Met a Duke Like You as much as I enjoyed the first book in the Taming of the Duke series. Emma is my least favorite Austen book yet I liked Vesper - but I did not like Aspen. He wants her, he hates her, he desires her, he rejects her, he admires her, he misjudges her. Too much hot and cold and vacillating back and forth with Aspen for me.
Amalie Howard did create a really great villain in this book. Aspen’s mother was so over the top evil. Learning how easily people could commit others to asylums in the past was scarily enlightening.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Friends, if you know me at all, you know that Clueless is a formative movie for me (hello Paul Rudd! Also, let’s be honest, hello Alicia Silverstone). This book is loosely based on Clueless which is loosely based on Emma, which means this book was specially meant for me. Happy 28th anniversary to Clueless, and happy book reading to me.

This book is a delight. Vesper is a self appointed matchmaker and meddler, like Cher and Emma, a fact she’s proud of until she isn’t. She’s also been jilted by her childhood best friend Aspen in the very worst of ways, a cut direct, when she was hoping for something more than friendship. Stupid, stupid Aspen.

Aspen has *severe* and rather rational mommy issues. He’s a paleontologist and a historical advocate/activist for the rights of the mentally ill (swoon), which makes him a little more like activist Josh than morality police Knightley. His mentor is Vesper’s father. He’s a bit socially awkward, unaware of how hot he is in his spectacles, and completely bowled over by how pretty and vivacious Vesper is (“you think I’m pretty?” “you know you’re beautiful”).

Vesper, meanwhile, hides her true self behind a disguise because her true self struggles with ADHD symptoms like impulsivity and thinking without speaking, and the inability to relax without something to do. Bonus for me, because this is an accurate depiction of social masking when we’re self aware enough to know we don’t quite fit but not know why.

Vesper hates Aspen but doesn’t hate him because he’s back from his travels and always in her orbit, and Aspen similarly doesn’t hate her as much as he claims to, so you know the tension is out of control.

Also there’s an interlude with a sculpture of a dinosaur, so. 😏🔥This is not a book to be missed. I am so happy I got an ARC from @amaliehoward and @netgalley because this was the perfect summer read, a cross between an enemies to lovers and second chance romance, with some hat tips to both Jane Austen and Amy Heckerling, and again, some added visual vibes from Alicia and Paul never ever hurt anybody.

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