<i>”Alas, our diabolical scheme of word domination via extorting naked dukes has been exposed! Whatever is this villains to do?”

“World domination?”

“They are cats, Your Grace.”</i>

First things first, I <b>love</b> 10 Things I Hate About You, so hearing a romance is “inspired” by the movie (and as such, <i>Taming of the Shrew</i>) had me equal parts excited and nervous. As did my previous success rate with the author, Amalie Howard.

However, from Page 1, I was SOLD.

Lady Evangeline, our shrew, would rather spend time in her animal shelter than amongst those titled or from the ton. But, due to her friends social calendars and her sister’s want of a season, solitude and charity work isn’t where Evangeline gets to spend her time.

The Duke of Vale, Gage, is above all else - I need you to know this - a Scottish ginger. Yeah, he’s indebted due to the previous duke’s gambling and his estate is falling to pieces around him. But he’s Scottish. And coerced into a deal to get Lady Evangeline to London for six weeks - if he can succeed, his last large debt will be forgiven.

While <i>The Worst Duke in London</i> follows the basic plot of its two inspirations, I felt like the plot stood on its own and the main characters were unique and not carbon copies of previous iterations. There’s an added plot of friends with benefits for the two mains which was so believable with their instant chemistry and fire banter from their first interaction.

This was just so good, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I still was UPSET when the deal Gage had made to get Evangeline to London was revealed. (And I think this ending was handled better than a guitar in a car as an apology present.) The HEA felt so well earned and deserved that I finished this book with a massive smile on my face.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC copy. All opinions are my own.

This absolutely helped cure my bridgerton hangover! And Ten things I hate you vibes were VIBING! I loved this one

4⭐️ 2🌶️

10 Things I Hate About You, but make it regency era, he’s a Duke, and add rescue animals.

This was a quick, cute, unexpectedly spicy, historical romance with a modern feel.

My first Amalie Howard book and it won’t be my last!

What I loved…
- banter was bantering
- strong female leads who didn’t take crap from anyone
- MMC that is a massive, copper-haired, green-eyed, bare knuckle boxing, scottish man - yes please.
- non-romantic plot with a bit of mystery
- I want a kitty named Beastly
- Briar & Lushing - please say that was a set up for their own book?!


What kept it from being a 5⭐️
- characters felted flat - which is typically fine for a romance but I’ve come to appreciate a bit more depth and trauma in characters even in romances.
- the writing/prose could have been a bit more succinct - it felt a little repetitive at times.
- the glove scene has to be the most ridiculous and unrealistic orgasm I’ve ever read 🙄


Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This truly is bridgerton meets 10 things I hate about you! While waiting for more episodes of Bridgerton this is something I would recommend to give you those vibes still!
This is a bit spicy but it’s very well done and tasteful. Not over jarring or crazy in my opinion at all. Which is great for any adult reader wanting to read!
This can be read as a standalone book, but if you are able to read her other works in the series I would just to get more connections. But it’s not necessary so don’t make this a reason it holds you back from reading.
The characters are hilarious and lovable. Even all the friends are great and it makes you want them all to succeed.

I looooved this!!! 10 Things I Hate About You, but make it a regency romance.

It’s dual POV, it’s slow burn, it’s funny. I love the movie, and this really did it justice. It was so fun being in this type of story again. 4.5 stars!!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was a very fun read. It's my first Amalie Howard novel, and despite it being the third in the series, was thoroughly enjoyable and easy to follow. I can easily see myself picking up the first two in the series, along with whatever might come next. This was a light read that felt like watching your favorite rom-com if your favorite rom-com was rather spicy. I loved that Evangeline ran an animal shelter. It was a really interesting plot point that I'm not used to seeing in historical romance. The authors note at the end was also great, because I love learning more about the historical context for these novels.
Overall, a really solid romance that I happily devoured.

Thank you to Forever publishing and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

I love Lady Evangeline! She is a woman who knows what she wants - and aims to get it despite it being socially unacceptable. As with all the books in this series, I raced through the story enjoying a chuckle now and then. If you love the fake relationship trope, then this one is for you!

Another winner for Amalie Howard, I love these Hellfire Kitties books so much!

The Worst Duke in London is the story of Evangeline and the Duke of Vale in this 10 Things I hate About You reimagining. I loved this movie as a teenager so I just knew this would be up my alley. Evangeline or Effie as her friends call her is an animal lover through and through. She started her own rescue center and is always on the look out for animals in need. She's was ousted from the ton by a horrible man that gave her the name Lady Ghastly and since then she refuses to conform to society norms. She's smart, head strong and has a huge heart for her family and friends. The Duke of Vale has just inherited the title after his brother passed away in a tragic accident. The dukedom is in financial distress and Vale is determined to pay off all the debts. He gets roped into a scheme to get Effie and her sister to London for the season to clear some debts but ends up falling for her in the process.

I really loved Effie, she was so smart and didn't take anyone's crap! She was open with her sexuality and had such confidence about her, no wonder Vale fell so hard for her. Their chemistry was smokin' and I loved that they were technically each other's firsts. Although Vale deceived her I'm glad he admitted his feelings before everything fell apart and they were able to work it out. They are simply perfect for one another! Honestly can not wait for the last one, it will be bittersweet but I've been waiting for this couple for a long time!

The way Amalie Howard can weave interesting and real historical facts through her romance stories is so wonderful. I learn something every single time as well as get my HEA. Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for gifting me an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightfully lusty, hilarious take on the 10 Things I Hate About You, and Amalie Howard somehow made it BETTER by adding in a no-strings affair that our heroine instigates.

Y'all know the premise of 10 Things; Here, younger sister Viola isn't allowed to have a suitor until her socially outcast older sister and heroine Effie lands one, so Viola's douchey beau offers to forgive the hero Gage's debt if he pretends to be Effie's suitor for six weeks. Except a few things become apparent right off the bat: Effie is a tall, wacky animal lover and suffragette who has no filter and makes jokes about cats being dickmatized (sorry, "prick-merized")... and Gage is SUPER into all of that. And the feeling is mutual, leading to a deviation from the original plot: Effie asks Gage to be her lover so she can explore her sexuality because she has no plans to marry (I do think her rationale for this became flimsier as time went on and Gage proved himself to be a good person, despite his initial motives).

I LOVE a romance where both the hero and heroine are unabashed about their desire for one another, especially when the heroine is just as vocal as the hero, and this book does not disappoint. Gage is BIIIIIG and SCOTTISH and a BOXER— and a genuinely nice guy without being a Nice Guy— and Effie isn't shy about letting him know she wants to climb him like a tree (or alternatively, like her cat who does so within seconds of meeting the man). We also get classic romcom girl-gang shenanigans with Effie's friends, the Hellfire Kitties, who aren't shy about egging Effie and Gage on either.

The sex:

This book genuinely has the most well-done mutual virginity-loss scene I've ever read. Effie and Gage are perfect combination of naturally carnal and a little insecure as they sort of roll with the punches (and by punches I mean That Thing a virgin hero is perhaps more liable to do than an experienced one.....). Also, I really appreciate the inclusion of condoms and lube— The latter especially is something we don't see enough in romances, in my opinion, and based on Effie limping around TWO DAYS after being devirginized, the lube feels quite necessary here lol.

And not only are sex toys involved (something else I rarely see in historicals even they absolutely existed then) in a very hot mutual masturbation moment, but there's also a carriage scene!

Overall:

Amalie Howard once again knocked it out of the park with this book: not only does it have that classic romcom feel that had me giggling and kicking my feet, it also brings the heat in a way that's humorous and sex-positive. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a light-hearted historical romp, and I'm looking forward to the inevitable enemies-to-lovers excellence that will be Briar and Lushing's book.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5
Heat Level: 3.75/5
Publication Date: September 24th

I adore this series by Amalie Howard, and The Worst Duke in London may well be my favorite yet! She took a story I dreaded reading in school (The Taming of the Shrew), flipped it on its head, and gave us a delightful and steamy love story for all the hard headed daughters out there. Simply loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this arc. This book was a lot of fun. Witty banter, a strong FMC, supportive besties. I love the Taming of the Shrew/10 Things I Hate About You retelling. I read this book without reading the previous 2 books in the series. I was still able to follow however I would recommend reading the other 2 previous books first. I think it would have given me a greater understanding of the other characters. Overall, this book was very enjoyable with some more modern language for a historical romance. It interested me enough to goo back and read the previous 2 books in the series.

4.5

another series i’ve just randomly jumped into, but i’m glad i did! i really liked this book. a fun little regency romp with more spice than i expected (NOT COMPLAINING).

i liked how “simple” their falling in love seemed, especially for two people who seemed so against it at the start of the story. it was just something that happened! also i think less conflict than normal, which i did appreciate, although there were some like kind of high-stakes moments. DEFINITELY will be picking up book 4!

#netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!!! i love Amalie Howard and this is easily my favorite of this particular series. I loved the regency take off on ten things I hate about you and the two main characters. A good the duke is a virgin story is always a rare delight and I really appreciated the heroine who basically wanted to have sex and that was it. It was so refreshing. The friend group and extended universe is a delight and so was the B romance. This is more a 4.5 then a a 4!

This was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters. I do feel like like some of the language used felt out of place for the time period and made it seem less genuine. Overall is was a good read!

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

📚✨Book Review✨📚
The Worst Duke in London
Author: Amalie Howard

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Notes: This is book 3 in the series and while it can be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend book 1 because that was also a 5 star read!

I received a copy of this book as advanced reader, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Liked:
🐶 I’m a sucker for a book with a hot Scot and this one delivered. Scottish endearments, big tall and sexy hunk,
plus he wears a kilt… I’m in!

🐶Effie is such a delight! She is strong and confident in her independence.
I LOVE that she takes control of her life and strikes the bargain with Gage.

🐶If you loved 10 Things I Hate About You then you’ll adore this!

What I Didn’t Like:
🐶 Not much! The only thing I didn’t like is ‼️SPOILER‼️ that we hear about Vesper and Lushing’s father being very sick which alludes to him being gone soon. It just made me a bit sad. I know is he has to go for Lushing to become a Duke, but it’s still tough to read.

Final Thoughts:
🐶 This series has been so much fun to
read! Every book is a delightful mix of historical romance with a focus on more feminist ideals. I’m really looking forward to the next one which I’m assuming will FINALLY be Lushing and Briar!!!!

#bookreview #reviewsneedlovetoo #readforeverpub #unpopularopinion #booktok #bookstagram #bookfriend #books #bookish #booklover #instablog #romancereader #romcom #fantasybooks

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

It's always fun to see just how much impact 10 Things I hate About You/Taming of the Shrew have had on the current crop of romance writers. While the "being paid to court/date the shrewish older sister by the youngest sister's suitor" trope has popped up more frequently in recent years, Amelie Howard's contribution is filled with the joy and wittiness I have come to expect from her books. This was a great addition to her catalog and a lovely read for any historical romance reader.

"The Worst Duke in London" by Amalie Howard is a delightful Regency romance blending enemies-to-lovers and fake courtship tropes. Lady Evangeline Raine, with a penchant for animals over society, reluctantly agrees to a fake courtship with debt-ridden Duke Gage Croft. Their arrangement sparks unexpected passion and challenges as they navigate societal expectations and their growing feelings. Howard's witty dialogue and vibrant characters create a charming tale reminiscent of Bridgerton meets 10 Things I Hate About You. Perfect for historical romance fans seeking a blend of humor, intrigue, and heartfelt romance in the glittering world of Regency London.

"The Worst Duke in London" by Amalie Howard is a delightful Regency romance that cleverly blends the charm of "Bridgerton" with the wit of "10 Things I Hate About You". This book is a fun and spicy enemies-to-lovers story set against the glittering backdrop of London's high society.

Lady Evangeline Raine, a fierce animal advocate with no interest in marriage, is coerced into participating in the London season for her sister Viola’s sake. Enter Gage Croft, the Duke of Vale, who, burdened with debt, agrees to a proposition: win over the impervious Evangeline so Viola can be courted. But Effie has her own terms—she’ll go to London if Gage agrees to be her lover. What starts as a scandalous arrangement soon evolves into genuine, passionate feelings.

"The Worst Duke in London" is a tale of love, redemption, and unexpected passion. If you’re a fan of historical romance with a modern twist, this book is a must-read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lady Evangeline has accepted her fate as a spinster and outcast of the ton, filling her days with rescue animals and her shelter. Unfortunately, her sister Viola wants nothing more than to be a part of the season in London to be courted by Lord Huntington, but her father will not let her go unless Evangeline goes too - something she loathes to do. Huntington offers Gage Croft, the Duke of Vale, release from his debts if he entices Evangeline to London for the season and the Duke grudgingly accepts. Next is a Regency-retelling of 10 Things I Hate About You (aka Taming of the Shrew) with a super spicy twist.

You know, I adored this novel except for the fact that it is all based on the audience knowing one thing and the main character knowing another - which I know is the premise of the original play/movie and it has to exist, but it still makes me uncomfortable - it’s one of my least favorite plot devices. HOWEVER, I liked this book and immediately orderedt more Amalie Howard. Gage and Evangeline had tremendous chemistry and it was way spicer than I thought it would be. It definitely scratched my Bridgerton itch! I know that it wasn’t necessarily what most people think of when they think of a Regency novel, but that was also somewhat of the appeal for me. I did not find the cover particularly enticing; the colors and the artwork were a bit phoned in. All in all, It was a quick, fun read and I enjoyed the cast of characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.