This was very cute but some of the modern phrases definitely took me out of the story! It’s actually a big pet peeve of mine, whether it’s historical or fantasy - wording is everything! 3.5 stars

**Vague Spoilers Below**

Tbh there weren’t asylums and blackmail in Clueless for a REASON. I was super excited for this one, and I liked a lot about it (!!!), but terrible parent is one of my least favorite tropes, especially how it was handled (or not handled????) here. The book had a very dark undercurrent and I just don’t understand why…especially because the villain did NOT get properly punished.

I was literally like, well, if the villain gets it then we can round up to four stars but NOPE. She got to save face and not go to jail when her crimes were HEINOUS, so really, what’s the point of everything Aspen did throughout the book to prove her guilt??? I just think if she’d been a man, she’d have been swinging from those gallows…and rightfully so!!! If you want to commit to a terrible villain who committed terrible crimes, please god commit to ruthless punishment. It’s all I ask.

In my opinion, Never Met a Duke Like You is more like Emma than Clueless. It’s not a perfect match for either, but Clueless has such specific vibes and I just don’t think it met them. I love Clueless so much, so comparing the two was probably a detriment to the book as well. I will say, the enemies to lovers was amplified in the book as well as the steam (obviously), and there were other change-ups from the Emma/Clueless plot that I definitely liked.

Overall, I’m quite devestated that this one didn’t work for me. If you say Clueless, I am THERE, but the blackmail and other crimes committed were just so bad that they overshadowed the rest of my enjoyment. I do feel like Howard wrote about everything with care, and the book is clearly well-researched. I also still love her writing and am incredibly excited for the next books she teased in this one. I still loved her father so much. And I do like the thought of Clueless with banging lol.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5


**Less Vague Spoilers below**

To backtrack, I’ve gotta be honest that as soon as I read the content warning about asylums, I nearly tapped out before even reading the first page 😭 I just do not like reading about them for personal reasons, but I already had the eARC. I could’ve handled it if the villain had gotten properly handled! I just really don’t think it’s that hard to throw her ass in jail or in the Thames let’s be real.

Aspen literally said she could still save face by going to the country, so to me that’s not a victory. I don’t care if she thrived off being in London, because she already had been banned by him before the book even started! So yeah, by the end he was able to prove she literally as good as murdered his father by falsely committing him to an asylum (WHICH HE ALREADY KNEW JUST DIDN’T HAVE PROOF OF) but her punishment was the same as what she’d already experienced before the book started! What’s the point of including all of that plot if she didn’t go to jail or change anything from before???


Thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc! This was such a fun and cute read. We love a good historical romance here, and this didn’t disappoint, especially with the nod to Jane Austen’s Emma and the more modern Clueless!

I’d definitely recommend this for any fans of those and/or Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, etc. This was such an easy, lovely read, and I loved the characters!

3.5 ⭐️ but the excellent banter pushes it to 4⭐️
It’s been a while since I read a historical romance and this was a fun one to get back into the genre. The banter between Vesper and Aspen (can’t say I love these names) which is heavily innuendo laced was delightfully funny, witty and fast paced- truly the best part of the book. Amelia Howard wrote GREAT banter! This enemy(ish) to lovers story seems to be a take on Clueless/ Emma given Vesper’s matchmaking schemes and is the second book in a series. I haven’t read the first and this was obviously written so it could be read as a standalone as I never felt like I was missing something like some historical series.
I thoroughly disliked the Dowager Duchess (as you’re meant to) but appreciated that that the tactics she uses to get rid of her husband and threaten her son with are not ones I’ve read in a book before. If you’ve seen Harlot’s, what she does to the previous Duke will be familiar. I also liked Vesper’s father. Oftentimes in historicals the fmc’s father is pretty uninterested in her which is not the case here. The Duke of Harwick truly only wants his daughter to be happy. I enjoyed the side characters and really hope Vesper’s brother gets a book.
While I did find a few parts overly long and the use of current phrases caused me to pause, I enjoyed the book and may go back and read the first.
I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review.

The Hellfire Kitties are back in this second installment of Amalie Howard's latest series and it was so good! This book was sweet and sexy and I loved the tension. The banter was first class and the longing between characters made me seriously swoon. I love a good friends to enemies to lovers trope and this book hit the mark! The friend group is perfection and one you wish you could be a part of. A must read!

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for my copy!

Hello reader!

Today, I’m reviewing Amalie Howard’s next novel in her Taming of the Dukes series. In this second installment (and hopefully not the last) we have feisty Lady Vesper Lyndhurst and the broody Duke of Greydon. These two used to be best of friends as kids, but as adults, they are far from the word.

Romance readers will be ensnared by the first chapter, featuring forced proximity, an almost kiss, and the intro of friends-to-enemies-to-maybe-lovers, and as the story continues to unspool into a story of yearning, banter, and spice. These two must face the very clear chemistry or succumb to the whims of the villainous Dowager Duchess who would keep them apart.

Definitely add this one to your TBR!

Happy Reading ~ Cece

so some parts of this worked for me while other fell flat. for instance, i felt like the chemistry was certainly there but it took too long for the build up to be worth it almost? also the occasional modern language came a little bit out of left field and took me out of the story

this was very well written and i would definitely check out this authors work in the future

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard is a great historical fiction and romance that is the second book in the Taming of the Dukes series.

This book is as cute, if not cuter, than its predecessor, Always Be My Duchess, and I just really got into this one.

I liked the fire and the chemistry between the main characters, Vesper and Aspen, and I also liked the sass, banter, and the flaws/“imperfections”, that the author incorporated into our “hero and heroine”. It made them relatable, real, more authentic, and gave them pizazz.

Looking forward to the next book!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 11/14/23.

I sort of assumed that by the cover, blurb, and the fact that this was a Clueless inspired story that we were going to end up with a lighthearted Regency romp where Cher and Josh, I mean, Aspen and Vesper snip and snap at each other until they admit they’re googly eyed for each other. And to some some extent that is what happens. It’s definitely more of a beat for beat retelling than the first book in the series. The nods to Clueless were SO FUN and I squealed every time I connected a movie to book scene! Had that been the way the entire book played out, this would have been a solid 5 stars.

Unfortunately I had two glaring issues that really knocked this down several notches on the fun scale. I am so not a stickler for historical accuracy to the point where I’m combing every sentence for accurate details. Modernisms here and there or an incorrect term don’t bother me because the average reader probably won’t care. I did care that we had SUPER modern phrases like “calm your tits” that felt so jarring amid balls and the ton and the Season. Even I had issues with how modern this got.

And I just don’t think this needed a villain? I mean the bad human in this one wasn’t just doing some like mild pranks that can be forgiven later.


SPOILER!!!!!

Aspen’s mom had his dad committed to an asylum where he was horrifically tortured and eventually died. And she intended to do the same to Aspen. All because she wanted to be out and about in society and Aspen’s dad was a quiet guy who loved fossils. It was so jarring and horrifying and she essentially gets away with it because Aspen has the option to prosecute her (and win) but instead banishes her to the country? Yikes.

END SPOILER

This had so much potential in the beginning and I really did have a good time with the nods to Clueless (what a classic film) but the anachronisms and random traumatizing evil Big Bad was horrifying and did not belong in what’s essentially billed as a historical romcom.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Rating: 3.5/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5

Summary:

A historical romance inspired by Clueless; Vesper Lyndhurst is a popular society lady who is known for her matchmaking skills. Aspen, Duke of Greydon was her childhood friend, until he wasn't and he went abroad for several years. Now they're reunited after Aspen returns from his latest archeological dig in order to take his rightful place in society as a duke. He asks Vesper to help find a match for his ward Judith. And although his scheming mother would prefer that Judith and Aspen marry, it's Vesper he can't help being drawn to...

My review:

Here's what worked for me in this book: First, Vesper is a Hot Girl (in the grand tradition of Emma and Cher in Clueless; also, is there a Vesper Lynd connection in here somewhere?) which I do appreciate after reading one too many wallflower in historical romances. I also like the girl-gang vibes of her friend group the... "Hellfire Kitties". Vesper ready to matchmake anyone and everyone (sometimes to suit her own ends), which is fun.

In addition, I'm always curious to see how HR authors include politics in their romances, and I think Amalie did a pretty good job here, especially by making the amending of the Lunatic Asylums Act so personal to Aspen because of what happened to his father. There's also Vesper's pet cause, education for the poor by way of ragged schools, for which she volunteers and fundraises.

Regarding Vesper and Aspen's relationship— they had chemistry, though I felt it was a little hindered by the will-they-won't-they aspect. Like, it got to the point where they had sex and all but admitted their feelings for one another, but then two chapters later they're still denying that they're even friends. I thought it was interesting the author chose to make Aspen only two years older (rather than the 16 year difference between Emma and Mr. Knightley) and not related to Vesper in any way (unlike Josh and Cher in Clueless, who were ex-step-siblings). Instead, their childhood friendship was played up a lot; and then they became enemies (in the mildest sense) because of a childish misunderstanding compounded by teenage dramatics. So this puts Vesper and Aspen in a place where they know each other well (and her father is his mentor— a throwback to Clueless, including that scene where Josh and Cher are helping Mel with documents), but dislike one another for pretty superficial reasons. It's this, along with Aspen's mother's scheming, that keeps them apart for most of the novel.

The sex:

The most interesting thing about the sex scenes in this one were probably the locations. There's a near-sex scene at the billiards table (exhibitionist kink unlocked for Vesper lolol). The standout moment for me was probably when they have sex in the Crystal Palace (always a delight to read; Prince Albert would be so proud) literally in the corner of a dinosaur exhibition— like, I think she's gripping onto a fossil leg while he rails her from behind.

Overall:

I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for romcom vibes in their historical romances along with cute banter and a solid cast of characters who have their own compelling arcs so you know they'll be getting their own books in the future!

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

When Jane Austin's Emma inspired Clueless, I was happy. Now that Emma/Cher has inspired Amalie Howard's Vesper… well, here are my opinions.

Yes-es -
*Vesper is a wonderful romantic lead, and one that the reader is rooting for
*The catching up with some of the characters from the first title of the series
*The relationship between Vesper and her father
*Cat
*The longing between Aspen and Vesper
*Some steam

No-s -
*Beginning is very slow in parts
*A little too heavy on the enemies portion of enemies to lovers
*The name Aspen
*I thought Aspen was a dick throughout much and didn't show enough character development, to really be deserving of Vesper
*I found the dealing with of the villain anticlimactic and unsatisfying
*One side story felt forced and unnecessary

Overall I enjoyed my time reading this one and look forward to the next in this series.


The worst part about this book for me? It put the 90’s song ‘A Girl Like You’ in my head and I’ve despised that song since it came out.




Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the DRC

Lady Vesper is beautiful, rich and loves to matchmake. She is trapped with the improvished Duke of Greydon by accident. Their attraction to each other becomes undeniable even though they are totally opposites....

Love Vesper and Greydon together. So much fun banter and sassy dialogue. Love this opposites attract romance! So many romantic moments. A fun, sweet, fast-moving romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Vesper and Aspen were childhood friends until one incident made them enemies instead. Except they still are attracted to one another.
Vesper is a matchmaker even if she doesn't want to marry herself.
Aspen is a paleontologist who has returned to London to prevent his mother from declaring him dead and having his cousin take over the dukedom.
I likes Vesper independence and her desire to help people. But I really liked her relationship with Aspen. Even both antagonize each other, their banter and attraction is great.
Being a romance you know how this is going to end but the journey there was wonderful and didn't feel like it dragged out too long like some books.
The secondary characters were fun and I can't wait to see Effie and Briar's stories.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard

Amalie never disappoints, she finds the barriers between a story and romance with the definition of humor align. It reminds me a lot of Julia Quinn's Anthony's story (Bridgerton) mixed with Lisa Klepas - 's Devil in Winter. Sexy, swoon, love, humor, and just finding your true-self.

Love this and can't wait what she has in store next. 10/10

This was a really fast and fun read, I enjoyed it a lot! It's a very signature Amalie Howard book, with plenty of banter and snark and intense emotions. It's a childhood bffs to enemies to hate-love to lovers trope, and the intensity between the MCs was off the charts. The book also addresses really important social issues around the time period the book is set in (namely, false commitment of people into asylums and the mistreatment there, and the issue of poverty and subsequent illiteracy in England and surrounding areas), and both MCs are dedicated to their respective causes - that was truly good to read!

TWs - false commitment of a parent to an asylum and the child having to watch the parent be cruelly mistreated and eventually dying, death of parent, accident being thrown off a horse, blackmail

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this as I have most of Howard'sbooks. I thought the storytelling was very compelling and enticed me all the way through.The character development was satisfying, and overall it gave me fluffy feelings. I'll definitely be reading more by Amalie Howard.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

.

Historical romance with some heat
Lady Vesper Lyndhurst campaigns and raises money to help those down on their luck, but she does it privately, giving her the appearance of a spoiled debutante, except to those in the know.
Her childhood friend Aspen, Duke of Greydon is unaware of her charity work.
He has a matter close to his heart he campaigns relentlessly for and can’t imagine that she’s the same.
They meet as each pursues their goals and come to realize their misconceptions and realize they have feelings but there is a huge obstacle in their way.
The story is well told and moves along nicely.
I requested and received a Net Galley Arc to peruse gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

Lady Vesper seems to have it all…social status, a doting father, and a steadfast group of friends. Even though she prides herself on her matchmaking abilities Vesper refuses to believe there is a man for her. Then the tall, dark and brooding Duke of Greydon appears from her past bringing their tumultuous past back to the surface. Aspen asks for Vesper’s help matchmaking his mother’s ward Judith, whom the duchess wants him to marry. After being locked in a room together, tumbling into a fountain and a horse race gone wrong Aspen and Vesper can’t seem to get out of each other’s way. As they talk through their past and learn more about their grown up selves the two give way to their feelings. The duchess unfortunately has other plans and will do anything to see them come to fruition.

Not only do I love the romance of this book, but how it acknowledges and tackles issues not just relevant in the past but today as well. The treatment of those with mental health issues and its stigma being a prominent part of Aspen’s story. As well as Vesper’s learning to show her true self to the outside aristocratic world even though it’s frightening. Other issues such as sexuality and feminism worked perfectly with the characters.

I never thought a paleontologist duke could be so soft and such a fierce and thoughtful lady could stand for so many wonderful things. This book was an absolute delight!

Amalie Howard continues to impress me with her beautiful stories and versatility. I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC of Never Met A Duke Like You form Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed the story. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Lady Vesper Lyndhurst,a Duke's daughter, believes herself to be an accomplished matchmaker. She has changed her persona ever since she was snubbed by her best friend, Aspen Drake, the Duke of Greydon, at her come out ball. He is now her enemy but every time she sees him, she gets all tingly and cannot resist baiting him into an argument, and that leads to some proximity which may or may not lead to some intense kisses. Aspen is trying to pass a law, one that will prevent people from falsely hospitalizing family members into mental asylums,and asks Vesper's father for advice and guidance. I loved this story: the electricity, the banter, the topics and the friends to enemies back to a possible friendship.....absolutely fantastic. Fantastic series, beautiful characters, unique storylines, are all part of Amalie Howard's forte. A must read!

Never Met a Duke Like You is a story of two people who were friends as children and as young adults became enemies, and meet once again following a seven year separation. If you like a lot of angst and disagreement, this book is for you. I do not enjoy this much animosity, but that's just me. Due to personal preference I give it 3-1/2 stars

I received an ARC for free, but give my honest opinion voluntarily.