Lady Evangeline “Effie” Raine has no interest in marriage or the ton’s rivalries. She prefers animals more than people except for her friends in the Hellfire Kitties. Effie encounters Gage at the shelter she dedicates to abandoned and wounded animals. She does not trust the man’s attention or his compliments. However, Effie cannot ignore her attraction to the brawny duke’s body. She proposes a licentious yet limited arrangement. Will Effie’s trust be misplaced with Gage? Or will the season end in another disaster?

Gage Croft is known amongst his peers as the half-Scottish Destitute Duke. He intends to repair his crumbling estates and to settle his late brother’s debts. When the man his brother owes money to offers to forgive the debt for a favor, Gage agrees. The lady he is supposed to distract proves to be more interesting than Gage expected. Then she surprises him by offering a proposal he cannot ignore. Will Gage’s deceit come to light? And will it end his relationship with Effie?

I understand (and empathize with) Evangeline’s reasons for disliking London and aristocratic festivities. Effie being ostracized by her peers reminds me of high school and the power cliches have. However, she refused to allow their belittling to defeat her. I admire that about her! What I love the most about Effie is her care for wounded and abandoned animals. She treated all animals, even annoying rodents, with the same care. Effie allowed them to have a second chance at finding a forever home.

Gage surprised me! I never could resist a tall and brawny Scot (even if he is only half). But a virgin one. That threw me for a loop but in a good way. It was a nice change-of-pace than an overly experienced one. I like that Gage wanted to find honesty ways to rebuild his estates and improve his tenants’ lives. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty and do the work himself. What I admire most about Gage is his determination not to follow in his late father and late brother’s footsteps. He learned second-hand the destruction that alcohol and gambling can bring.

THE WORST DUKE IN LONDON is the third book in Amalie Howard’s historical romance series, TAMING OF THE DUKES. This fun story can stand alone. I do recommend reading the prior novels to fully enjoy the closeness and camaraderie of the ladies in the Hellfire Kitties. The couples from the prior books do play parts throughout the story, especially Vesper. It is nice to see how each of their happy-ever-afters continues.

I have a feeling that Briar and Jasper will be next. Or that they will eventually have a book. I cannot wait and see if my hunch is correct.

Lady Evangeline (Effie) does not want to marry. The Duke of Gage wants to court her sister, but her father forbids it unless Effie is courted by an eligible suitor too. When Gage and Effie engage in a fake romance ... you guessed it ... it evolves into something more. A spicy fun tale.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “The Worst Duke In London” by Amalie Howard

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

After being mocked by the ruthless Lord Huntington in front of the ton a few seasons ago, Lady Evangeline Raine would rather spend her time tending to stray animals than be courted by a potential suitor. Gage Croft is a Duke trying to rebuild his estate in Scotland, but is burdened by debt. When Evangeline is told that she is to be courted before her sister, Viola, can have the chance to do so and Gage is given a proposition by his debt collector to court Evangeline so he can court her sister, the two cross paths and sparks begin to fly! Can this duo fulfill their obligations through their unlikely chemistry or will the tension be more than what they bargained for? Things are about to get “fur-isky”!

From the author that brought you “Always Be My Duchess” and “Never Met A Duke Like You”, Amelie Howard delivers another exciting installment in the “Taming of the Duke” series! Like the previous installments before it, “The Worst Duke in London” effectively incorporates representation in a Regency setting that provides an ethnographic background on the perception and navigation of disability and the expression of intimacy and sexuality during the mid 1800’s compared to the knowledge of said topics in today’s current climate! The chemistry between Evangeline and Gage was also quite the page-turning read! The two characters perfectly balance each other as their gradual connection comes from how in-sync and supportive they are of each other’s passions, especially when Gage supports Evangeline’s passion for animal rescue and exploring independent and intimate hobbies that goes against the outdated, conformist standards placed onto women by the ton! If you’re looking for a “purr-fect” Regency Romance that pays homage to “Bridgerton” and the classic 90’s Rom-Com “10 Things I Hate About You”, then don’t miss out on this book when it hits online and in-store shelves on September 24, 2024!

Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Meter: 4/5 🌶🌶🌶🌶

-Tropes to Expect: Enemies-to-Lovers, Friends-With-Benefits-to-Lovers, Fake Courtship, Regency Romance, Animal Rescue Narrative, Slow Burn Romance, He Falls First, Dual POV, Self-Discovery Narrative, Luxurious Balls, Neurodiverse Representation, and Retelling.

-Trigger Warnings: Discussions of Sexism and Intimacy Shaming, Depictions of Bullying, Discussions of Toxic Masculinity, Miscommunication, Relationship Anxiety, and Toxic Courting (Supporting Characters).

It’ll make you laugh and it’ll make you cry and it’ll make you want to hug yourself and your best friend too. I highly recommend it. It’s absolutely beautiful. And wonderful•

I didn't know the blurb going in, and I was very pleasantly surprised to see it was a 10 Things I Hate About You (and hence Taming of the Shrew) retelling! The angst in this one was legit heart wrenching, I was feverishly binging this on my flight (and shedding a few tears too 🥲).

Also, the animals in this book and the MCs' interactions with them were sooo cute <3

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

I stopped after chapter 1 (5%). The prose solidly feels historical romance, and it feels like a good setup for a solid 3-4 stars from the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

I LOVE this series from Amalie Howard - which I can best describe as remaking awesome romcoms in the Bridgerton world. The Worst Duke in London is an excellent addition to the shelf. Gage can GET.IT.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

In her anger, she'd been magnificent, all cold fire and wintry fury.
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You can only be true to purself Anything else leads to misery.
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My favorite. My favorite Taming of the Dukes novel so far, truly. This was utter perfection. I was insanely excited for Effie’s story and Amalie absolutely knocked it out of the park. The banter. The swoon. The sexual tension. The animals! The slow burn. The stakes in so many different ways, everything was just absolutely spot on and I couldn’t put it down. This was a masterful weaving of historical romance in the way only she can, and the 10 Things I Hate About You melding made it even better. Effie truly takes a journey and stops letting her own demons win. And the Duke. THE DUKE! An English-Scottish Duke with his own vices is something I never knew I needed and now I want to read them all. Vale is utterly incredible, even in his misguided omissions, and the lengths he goes for what or who he cares about? Chef’s kiss. September cannot come soon enough because I just want to scream about this with all of you! Do you need anymore coaxing? Read the next quote from the Duke, trust me.
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I'm certain I can perform exceptionally well on my knees.

Effie and the Hellfire Kitties are back. This is a fun story, with a great MMC, a horrible, and believable villain, and Effie is a great FMC with a love of animals and a plan to be a spinster. The MMC does some wrong, and there's groveling when it counts.

"The Worst Duke in London" is the latest book in the "Taming of the Dukes" series. I really enjoy author Amalie Howard's unique ability to write regency romances using modern language and situations in a way that doesn't give me the cringe. Lady Evangeline is a homebody-- until she meets Gage. He pays attention to her interests and helps her expand them. I liked the pacing of the book a lot. I didn't enjoy the storyline of Mary Tealby, it felt very forced.

I already had high hopes for this because it's Amalie Howard and then reading the synopsis knowing it was a 10 Things I Hate About You I was fully invested. But my expectations were exceeded. I am truly obsessed with this book and I don't know when I'm going to find another book that makes me feel like I did after reading this one. I was obsessed with the characters and I loved that there was a virgin hero. What a great time.

As someone who grew up in the height of romcoms, this was a BLAST from start to finish. With memorable characters, a steller romance, and delectable dialogue, The Worst Duke in London had my attention from start to finish, and will be one I remember for a long time.

Amalie Howard has created another charming and unforgettable regency romance! A retelling of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” with dukes and kittens! Except Gage, dubbed “the worst Duke in London,” only intends to tame Effie’s heart. Not her actions, her sharp tongue, or her mind. Effie’s passion is to rescue animals, the Duke of Vale might be her biggest rescue yet! Both main leads begin as virgins but don’t remain so for long. The heat level is definitely high on this book. 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I think this is my favorite book in this series. Both because I love the movie "Ten Things I Hate About You" (and the shout-outs were spot on). But also because adding animals to any book makes it better. Also Gage was a kind hero right from the beginning.

Definitely recommend.

"The Worst Duke in London" is the third book in Amalie Howard's "Taming of the Dukes" series. In this book, Lady Evangeline loves everything about being outdoors and being surrounded by animals, much to the chagrin of society. She has no interest in the city, balls, or finding a suitor. Evangeline thinks most men are too stuffy and uptight. However, when she meets Gage Croft, Duke of Vale, sparks fly. He's a Scotsman who is intrigued by her eccentricities and her outspokenness. However, Evangeline is interested in Gage for another reason: while she doesn't want to be married, she does want to know what a physical relationship with a man will be like. As the two undergo this relationship, they begin to develop feelings for each other and have to decide if following society's expectations is worth it or not.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

vibes: 10 Things I Hate About You, weird crunchy heroines, Big virgin heroes, sex deals

Heat Index: 7/10

The rather slimy Lord Huntingdon wishes to court Viola--but Viola can't be courted until her rather odd and aloof sister, Evangeline (sometimes known as Effie) is courted as well. That's where Gage, the completely broke new Duke of Vale, comes in. Huntingdon offers him a deal: if Gage courts Evangeline, Huntingdon will settle the debts Gage's late brother left behind. It seems easy enough. What Gage didn't expect was Evangeline's prickly nature--or, that when she did warm up to him, she'd offer a deal of her own. Sexual exploration with no strings attached? It sounds great to her. But Gage might not be able to keep himself from falling...

Obviously, this is a 10 Things I Hate About You retelling. I actually don't like that movie; after a somewhat more recent rewatch, I realized that it super isn't for me. Fortunately, this book is a lot more fun, with a much more endearing heroine (who is a weirdo, yes, but not an asshole) and a hero who basically falls headlong.

This is very much a romcom--and probably the most antihistorical of this series thus far (more on that later) which isn't a bad thing. It fully embraces its roots while dialing the heat up a good bit and throwing in some rather zany hijinks that you can really only get in a historical romance.

Is it perfect? Not quite--the pacing is a bit off to me, which leads to a pretty rushed finale. There isn't ever any major reason why our hero and heroine can't be together (I mean, at least none that she's aware of). But the book is a solid romp, and it's QUITE sexy. In fact, I would say that the sex is the best part of the novel, which is a compliment. This is a refreshingly sex positive book, and while Gage and Evangeline obviously fall in love (and fall hard) there's never any sense that either of them should feel any type of way about having casual sex for the sake of it. And they're both virgins!

Quick Takes:

--To go back to that antihistorical thing... While I wouldn't say any books in this series have been accurate or cared to be, this one felt less so? That's not a critique. I sincerely don't care about historical accuracy, as long as the writing and story is good. This did push it a bit, to the point that I felt like it was trying a bit hard. But for the most part, I found it funny, and I look forward to the handwringing over everything.

--There's a rather fabulous author's note in which Howard details the history of sexual education and pleasure for women of bygone eras, especially those we typically see depicted as repressed sex haters in certain historical romance novels. I loved every bit of it, and I so appreciate the resources!

--Briar and Lushing have always been the couple I was most excited to see, and the set up we got here has me even more hyped.

--Evangeline is truly an odd girl, and Gage is absolutely about it. Her obsession with animals led to some super funny moments--Gage is covered with kittens and rescues lambs and plays with her dog, and she is so horny she could SCREAM.

--Gage claims to be English versus Scottish (because his dad is English; his mother is very much Scottish, and he loves Scotland) but from the moment we're told that he's Big as Fuck, it's clear that he's a classic Scottish historical romance hero. Evangeline is all too happy to have him in a kilt.

The Sex:

Like I said earlier--the sex scenes in this book, as well as the way sex is discussed, are really the standouts. Gage and Evangeline have great chemistry. There's a real playfulness to their dynamic fairly early on, and this doesn't let up in the bedroom. Both Gage and Evangeline are virgins, and there isn't much dithering or concern over why he's chosen to abstain (somewhat--I mean, he clearly did STUFF). It's just a thing, and it does lead to a first penetrative sex scene that's rather funny, and also rather tender.

You get some stuff we're only now started to see more of in historicals--sex toys! There's some semi-public sex. "I need you now" sex (OOOOOH I LOVED THAT SHIT). An untouched orgasm that made me read the scene twice to ensure I'd read it right. DELIGHTFUL!

If you're looking for a blithe, irreverent, and super sexy historical romcom, this is what you want. It does get a little caught up in the weeds at points, but it stays funny, and it stays hot. Which I'm certainly not mad at, personally!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was a nice read. This series is one that I enjoy because of the FMC's and this one did not disappoint, asking for what they want and taking hold of their futures. I also love when we see FMCs in regency who know what's happening and aren't clueless, I also love when we see an MMC with less experience and I felt like this was a good mix of the both.

This book did feel a tad bit rushed, I just felt like the ending came a little quick. That being said everything was resolved and there was nothing that was left hanging, I just felt like the resolution at the end was a little faster than I anticipated, maybe in part because of how the rest of the book felt.

I did enjoy it and would recommend! I also enjoyed seeing the next book set up in this one as well. I am excited to read Briar's book next.

Once again, I loved Amalie Howard’s latest book! I’m so glad I got an arc to The Worst Duke in London after reading a previous book in the series. The angst, the spice, and the base of 10 Things I Hate About You was so good and did not disappoint. As I eagerly await the next season of bridgerton, this put me in the perfect mood for it! I’m looking forward to Briar’s story hopefully in the future!

The Worst Duke in London delivers a stirring blend of romance and adventure. Effie and Gage have undeniable chemistry, fueling scenes of intense desire. Amalie Howard outdid herself fans of historical romance, this series is an absolute must-read, with this installment undoubtedly ranking as a standout favorite.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars. This was a wonderful continuation of one of my favorite Historical RomCom series. While this couple can’t compete with Vesper and Aspen in my eyes, I adored the banter in this spicy enemies-to-lovers romp. I highly recommend checking this series out. While you can definitely read it as a standalone, I think having read the other books in the series made me enjoy it a lot more. I know I will be feral when Book 4 comes out.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, fun all around. Perfect escapist fun while I wait patiently for Bridgerton Season 3!!

Plus, I love a good spicy proposal offered in historical books, which is very reminiscent of The Duchess Takes a Bride by Harper St. George.