my millennial heart is so happy to be back in the series that brings all the best 90s romcom {movie} vibes and magically mashes them up with regency romance to make the most butterflies-in-the-stomach inducing, binge worthy books- ever! (your millennial brain may be in pain from my run-on sentence, and for that, I apologize. But do please note the Oxford comma 🤷🏻‍♀️)

If you love(d) “10 Things I Hate About You”, or even “Kiss Me Kate”, or any rendition of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, you will absolutely love this story. Gage, the Duke of Vale, may be high in title, but he’s broke, making him eligible only for rank, thus, the worst Duke in all of London for any eligible young lady to aim for. Gage is offered a deal that will save his estate, which he jumps at the chance for. He simply must entertain and distract Lady Evangeline, his neighbor, keeping her away from her younger sister, so that she may be courted. (Viola, the sister, is a really fun character too btw)

Pros:
-excellent banter
-side characters all dealt with to satisfaction
-spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️
-sex positive- LOTS of sexual innuendo, and talk which can feel modern and fresh, but also maybe out of place?
-easy to binge
-intelligent, modern FMCs

Cons:
-spicy, maybe more than romantic?! They def have chemistry, but maybe we could have had more development
-lots of sex talk, maybe overkill

Overall really enjoyable, and just plain fun to read. 4 ⭐️

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for providing this arc, in exchange for my unbiased review!

The Worst Duke in London follows Effie, who is content to never marry as long as it means she doesn’t need to compromise on her animal rescue efforts. Effie can’t stand the ballrooms of London, but will happily ruin her dresses to save animals in need. Duke Gage is almost done paying back his late brother’s debts, when he is presented with a deal he can’t refuse. All the debt will disappear, but he has to convince Effie to go to London. As Gage gets to know the strong-willed and passionate Effie, feelings between them start to become real.

Effie and Gage have a passionate and hilarious romance. Effie will never ignore an animal in need and convinces Gage to help in some truly comedic ways. While they initially are not impressed with each other, Effie soon shows Gage her ingenious designs that range from farming to animal welfare. I enjoyed that because of their experiences, neither Gage or Effie find themselves too bound by the rigid expectations of society. Both of them have been betrayed by the arbitrary rules that guide society and find solace in each other instead. I appreciate the historical research that was included and which illustrated that actual Victorian ladies sought pleasure and education.

The Worst Duke in London is the charming story of the worst spinster and the worst duke in London and what happens when they meet. It is passionate, hilarious, and filled with excellent characters. I’m looking forward to reading more romances from Amalie Howard!

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

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

Out of the historical romance authors, Amalie Howard is one of my favorites, if not my top. I also love her other genres, but that’s not the focus of this review.

This book is the perfect balance of historical setting, rules, and structure, but adds in a little more contemporary storylines along with more modernized language outside of the dialogue in the books, which I love.

This book has a mix of secrets, friends with benefits, witty banter, and so much more that you’ll be desperate to continue the book every moment while reading it! I loved Effie and Gage, they have so many sparks both physically and in their conversations that I was dying to have them together in every scene of the book, but I enjoyed the side plots a lot too.

Effie is a wonderful character who is headstrong, and willing to sacrifice love for her own happiness especially in her times. I loved how protective she was of living things, and how she stood up to anyone and everything. I also love that Gage loved every bit of her, it was a wonderful time throughout this book!

This was a fun and entertaining read by one of my favorite authors. Ms Howard writes a cute and endearing book that had me at first page and never let go. Even though this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own.
Lady Evangeline Raine prefers animals to people, but her younger sister Viola is a flirty soul who wants to have fun. The only way Effie can do as she pleases, she had to be courted so he sister can get what she wants.
Gage Croft, Duke of Vale, is debt ridden and no way to get out of the situation. When his vowels are bought by a man, he will forgive the debt, if Gage will court his true loves sister, Effie. When Effie figures out his game, she has some specifications of her own. She will go to London for the Season, but she wants him to be her lover. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive.
But one thing they didn't count on was a love and a happy ever after.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest revew.

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard
Rating: 5/5

A book inspired by a movie can sometimes go awry. The potential for that when the movie (10 Things I Hate About You) in question was itself inspired by Shakespeare (The Taming of the Shrew) goes way up. And yet, Amalie Howard has done it perfectly. I so enjoyed The Worst Duke in London!

The plot is adapted backwards 200 years in such a seamless way. I really appreciated how similar and yet unique this story was to the movie Amalie Howard was inspired by. The chemistry between Gage and Evangeline is wonderful. I found myself unable to put the book down, eagerly anticipating more interactions between the two. Gage’s longing for Evangeline really drove this story for me. I loved getting his thoughts as the relationship and dynamic between them developed. I really, really enjoyed how early into the story he was falling for her; this was such a sweet part of the story. I knew the Duke of Vale was a goner when he was jealous of Buttercup the kitten.

Much like the movie it is inspired by, this book does a really good job of not dragging out the temporary dissolution of the relationship. The problem Gage and Evangeline encountered is a fully developed piece of the story, the hurt and longing is conveyed well. But the resolution very quickly follows. No unnecessary dragging out of their misery. Loved this aspect. Some books really make the third act breakup longer than it needs to be which often ends up feeling contrived, this book does not make that mistake.

I didn’t realize before finishing the ARC of this book that it is the third in a series. I will definitely be seeking out the first two books. Highly recommend The Worst Duke in London, especially if you’re a fan of historical romances and/or 10 Things I Hate About You.

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

OMG did i love this book!!! Effie and Gage were so much fun, and i absolutely loved the chemistry and tension between these two. We have two individuals that are hellbent on not getting married and following their own ambitions, slowly and sweetly, fall for each other. One of my favorite things that the author continues with this series is the bond between the Hellfire Kitties. These are interconnected standalones but there is an aspect from each book that is perfectly intertwined. I really loved both of these main characters. I found Effie to be admirable in her ability to go against the normal and stay true to herself. She is a very strong-minded individual, so it was enjoyable to see her walls come down a bit with Gage and also those moments of her inner dialogue of like "what is going on with me?!?!" haha!! With Gage, I love a good ol Scottish man. He is a brute with a tender heart. Their story was full of laughter, swooning, goofiness, and happiness. I also found the part of Effie's passion of saving animals to be heartwarming and loved how these two came together over that.

I think it says a lot when every note I took on this book involved the characters’ sexual appetite. This book is hot in a way that two people can be with each other when they both have little experience giving and receiving pleasure beyond their own hands. Evangeline and Gage are so horny for each other and the transformation they go through from start to finish is my favorite kind of evolution from forced interaction to all-consuming desire.

If you enjoyed the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, you will adore this historical rendition. It has everything I loved; a doting father, annoyingly sweet younger sister, heart throb of a hero, and a smart heroine who “thinks she” knows what she wants. Evangeline is the best kind of heroine; she’s sharp, extremely loyal to her family and friends, possibly to a fault putting her sister’s needs before her own. She also loves wounded and homeless creatures of all kinds and runs a shelter with her own pin money that houses them before adoption. And yet to the ton and polite society Evangeline is a termagant, “Lady Ghastly” who has been on the shelf too long.

So when the Duke of Vale leaves Scotland to tie up some of his late father’s and brother’s gambling debts, a mutually beneficial arrangement between him and Lord Huntington is enacted. Huntington will forgive his brother’s debt if Gage will make sure Evangeline comes to London with her sister during the season so that he may court Lady Viola.

I love love loved the banter between Gage and Evangeline. They are each from nobility, yet on the outskirts of society (her with her opinionated tongue and him with his extremely broke dukedom). They have a few meet-disasters involving kittens and mud that create the most delicious opportunities for each of them to be at the other’s mercy. It’s from this that Gage realizes Evangeline is more than just an overbearing sister and his teasing and flirtation puts Evangeline on edge in the most spectacular way. I enjoyed every moment they were on page together because I never knew just what would come out of their mouths!

The other extremely fun part of this book is the sexual chemistry. Evangeline and Gage have it in spades and when a secondary mutually beneficial arrangement is put on the table between them, the kinks come out. This book is HOT with a capital H and more than one scene will live rent free in my head. If I could convince you to read a book based on one moment alone, Evangeline breaks (3!) fans at a ball because Gage has her so worked up physically and emotionally. The tension is palpable!

I received an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Heat: 🪭🪭🪭🪭

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining but a bit OTT

Lady Evangeline Raine prefers animals to humans, especially the little ones she rescues and cares for in her animal shelter. Her young sister, Viola, wants nothing more than a season in London and marriage. However, the season will happen if Effie (Evangeline) is also willing to attend.
Duke of Vale, Gage Croft, was happy being a Highlander until his brother’s death made him the duke and dumped a ton load of debts on his head. He needs to settle a debt and agrees to charm Evangeline to bring her to London. However, he soon realizes that the bargain could be costly indeed!
Can Effie and Gage find what they want, or will the secrets tear them apart?
The story comes in Effie and Gage’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
The book starts with a short content warning note by the author, mentioning the possible triggers (and their intensity) in the story.
Right away, we are thrown into the drama around the main characters. Reading the previous book (Never Met a Duke Like You), made it easy to follow the FMC’s character arc. This should still work as a standalone read (the others make an appearance a few times). However, I did find all that talk a bit preachy. We know what the issues are, right? No need to repeat them so often.
The MMC is quite easy to like even if some of his decisions are bad. But that’s necessary for the plot to progress, so can’t say much.
This is a steamy romance (4.5ish), and there are a lot of sexual innuendos throughout the book. This may not suit everyone. I didn’t mind most of it. The writing style was fun (when not preaching, so it suited the tone).
There’s a teeny mystery as well, though it is never the main focus. Acts like seasoning and helps bring things together in the climax.
And yes, we have a third-act breakup. I knew it would happen very early in the plot (almost after the first chapter). Being prepared helps, folks!
We have an epilogue (yay!) that not only gives us HEA but also hints at the next book. I am waiting for that, though I suspect the spice will be all-time high, based on what we know about the characters.
Effie’s sister isn’t easy to like, but she manages to get to the right side and show decent growth. I like that there’s no drastic change, but shows a sign of improvement. I do wish to get to know William a little more. A nice guy!
The pacing dips in the middle but picks up again in the last quarter. It didn’t really drag or feel boring. However, some scenes are a bit OTT and take to liberty, given the historical setting. While I no longer expect proper historical romances, this one could have toned it down a little.
The author’s note is detailed and informative, providing a glimpse into her research, which supports her plotline and character arcs.

To summarize, The Worst Duke in London is a fun read with a high dose of spice and many contemporary sensibilities. Read it if you want something light and fluffy.
Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

10 Things I Hate About You set in a spicy historical setting?? What more could a girl want. Lady Evangeline Raine has had bad season after bad season after openly speaking out against a misogynistic lord who then gave her the name Lady Ghastly and had her snubbed by society. This is all fine to Evangeline as she'd prefer animals to people and is fine with being a spinster... the only problem is her younger sister Viola who is flirty and wants nothing more than to jump back into the London season to marry the very lord that snubbed Evangeline. Their father won't let Viola go alone and if Evangeline won't go, then Viola can't either... cue Gage Croft, Duke of Vale. Gage has been left with all his brother's huge debts and is determined to fix his estate... and if that means accepting a payout from a lord he owes a debt to in exchange for him charming Evangeline for the season while Viola is courted... who could it hurt. Gage is unprepared for the absolutely enchanting Evangeline and finds himself falling for the woman he's lying to. Evangeline finds herself attracted to Gage and makes a scandalous arrangement... but when the truth comes out will Evangeline forgive Gage or will he break her heart? THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC. I was completely blown away by just how fun and spicy this book was. Its such a fun adaptation and take on 10 Things I Hate About You and I loved this couple so much. Evangeline and Gage have such great chemistry and their romance was FANTASTIC. Seriously, pick this book up immediately, it'll have you smiling all throughout it!

Release Date: September 24,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved book one and two.
So I was excited to read book three in Taming of the Dukes series The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard.
This is such a heartwarming and utterly delightful feel-good romance, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
A fun, spicy enemies-to-lovers Regency romance with the best characters.

Triumphant “love conquers all” tale!

Lady Evangeline Raine didn’t want to go anywhere near London. During her season she ran afoul of the supercilious Lord Huntington who snidely labeled her Lady Ghastly.
Effie is a forward thinking intelligent woman who believes women should be accord the same rights as men, should be able to be heard without being denigrated. She has a small group of powerful but different friends, two are duchesses. They call themselves the Hellfire Kitties.
Effie’s mother had left her father and gone abroad. Effie has a younger sister Viola who’s lived in Paris with their aunt until now. Viola wants to go to London for the season but unless Effie goes to chaperone her it’s no deal.
Effie’s arch enemy Lord Huntington has decided to woo Viola. However without Effie’s consent he’s shot. He inveigles the impoverished Lord Gage Croft now the Duke of Vale to persuade Effie to go to London. Gage inherited the title when his brother Asher was killed in a cuticle race against Lord Huntington. The dukedom was in a bad way. Gage had done all manner of things to bring about the solvency of the estates. The last debt of his brother’s he has to pay is to Lord Huntingdon. That debt will be cleared if he agrees to Huntington’s terms. The problem is that Effie is quite happy in Chichester focusing on her true calling, saving forgotten and injured strays of all sorts.
The coming together of Gage and Effie is truly a romp with vigor, empathy and hilarity.
It seems Effie wants to sample moments of passion and maybe Gage is the man for that dalliance?
What happens when love enters the equation, and Gage’s true undertaking is exposed? Mmmm!
Savvy, witty and wonderful, with a hint of mystery.

A Forever (Grand Central Pub.) ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Gage,The Worst Duke in London, gets his title because he has inherited an indebted duchy and is flat broke. Effie, his neighbour, runs a shelter and is resolved to never marry because of the bullying of Lord Huntington who has titled her Lady Ghastly. As fate would have it Huntington is after Effie’s hand in marriage and holds the vowels for Gage’s last debt. He makes Gage a deal, woo Effie and keep her in London so he can court the sister. Gage never counted on how smart, kind and spicy Effie can be. Things heat up quickly but Gage is playing with fire and might just get burned by love.

I loved this book, it was done in three days and I never had to force myself to pick it up. The chemistry between the two MC’s was incendiary from the beginning. The ending for me was good, the third act break up is never my favourite but it wasn’t drawn out and the way they made it back to each other was perfection. I loved that we got updates about the two previous MC’s from the first book and I found Effie’s sister, Viola, to be a really interesting character. A great read and I would highly recommend the entire series!

This was a fun one! I didn't read the plot before going into it so I was pleasantly surprised that it was 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU inspired! I like historical romances but sometimes they feel a bit modern to me; when I read something historical, I like it to feel different in language, setting, and overall environment. I think I've said this same thing about the other books in this series. There wasn't too much to set this apart from the other historical romances I've read, but I'd recommend it as a quick and enjoyable historical romance!

“Historical romance inspired by 10 Things I Hate About You”?! Yeah, I’m gonna read that!

The Worst Duke in London follows Lady Evangeline - an older, unmarried heiress who runs an animal shelter and prefers the company of her furry friends to members of the ton - and Gage Croft - the flat-broke Duke of Vale trying to keep his estate afloat. The two cross paths after an offer to Gage from the dastardly Lord Huntington, who’s set on courting Evangeline’s younger sister Viola.

This was so much fun! Super entertaining couple, lots of chemistry, and - in classic Amalie Howard fashion - the spice was spicin’! Vale being an enormous, Scottish virgin was a big selling point, not gonna lie. Effie had this poor man malfunctioning every step of the way and I loved that for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!

After reading the blurb for The Worst Duke in London I was looking forward to it, but I never became fully invested. Though this could be due in part to not reading the previous books in the series first. I suspect there may be some missing backstory. Particularly regarding the friendship of the hellfire kitties, which I found more engaging the romance between the two main characters.

I have read one other in this series and it was wonderful too. The books don’t have to be read in order. Evangeline had a horrible event at her coming out and was left with a nasty nickname. She hates London, society and all the rules that go with it. She loves living in the country where she can save and take care of unwanted animals tame and wild. To the dismay of her very flirty, social-minded sister, Viola. Their father will only let Viola have a season if Evangeline goes with her to London. Vale/Gage never thought he would be a Duke, till his brother is killed in a racing accident. He loves living in Scotland with his mother. Now he has all the debts his brother left plus a falling down manor and estates in bad shape. All of the ton knows he is broke and not duke like. He is a Hugh man use to working outdoors. When the person who his brother owes the most to make him an offer to clear the debt, he has no choice but to take it. He has no idea what he is in for. All he has to do is get Evangeline to London for six weeks. Lord Huntington wants to court Viola; he is also the person who hurt Evangeline in the past. As our couple met and enjoy witty banter, after Vale saved her twice, she makes him an offer he can’t say no to either. It’s a very unladylike offer that has Vale questing if he has lost his mind. Oh, my this two will have you laughing, needing a cold drink and almost in tears before the book is over. What a hoot it is, you don’t want to miss it but be prepared to read it straight thru as you will not be able to put it down. There are twist and turns along with secrets. I also love how Viola grows and sees what is important during the story. All the characters are great and loved all the animals of course. I received and ARC from the author and wish to thank her. This is my honest option and am freely giving it.

Evangeline Raine is adamant that she will spend her days as a spinster with only her shelter pets to care for, but now that her younger sister Viola has returned from Paris, Viola is intent on spending the season in London to look for a husband. Evangeline is tasked to be her chaperone, but after the ridicule she suffered during her first season, she's not keen on returning to society.

After his brother's death in a curricle race, Gage Vale unexpectedly inherited a dukedom and is working to pay off all the debts left behind. When Huntington comes to him and promises to forgive his debt if he can convince Evangeline to come to London for at least six weeks so Huntington may pursue Viola, Gage is hesitant to agree. But after their first meeting, their mutual attraction is obvious, and they agree to pursue it once they arrive in London.

This was a fun little Regency era romance. Gage and Evangeline were such fantastic characters. There is no doubt the author knew exactly who these characters were and she executed their arcs so well. I enjoyed watching these two idiots fall in love. The 10 Things I Hate About You aspect of it was perfect and so much fun. I liked the sub-plot with Viola, but I feel it may have needed a little more page time, but I do enjoy the way it was resolved. The plot with Huntington was actually crazy, and I'm glad that things worked out for the worst with him.
There was one scene in particular that confused me and also felt so implausible I had to take a break from reading this for a few minutes. I went back and reread it and still felt so confused. (It's the scene when they're playing cards, for those of you who have read it) It genuinely took me out of the book, but I continued through. I will say, every other intimate scene in this book was brilliant. I loved the way the intimate scenes were interspersed and spread throughout the book.
Evangeline's humor was the highlight of the book for me. She was so silly, and I love that we see that more when Gage is around. The way he values every word out of her mouth, and worships the ground she walks on is lovely.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || THE WORST DUKE IN LONDON [thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: The Worst Duke in London
Author: Amalie Howard
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Lady Evangeline Raine, more interested in animals than suitors, has no desire to marry. But her father insists her younger sister, Viola, can only be courted if Effie has a suitor as well.

Enter Gage Croft, Duke of Vale, who needs money to save his estates. He’s offered a fortune to court Effie for the season, even if it means faking romance. But when Effie proposes a scandalous deal—he pretends to court her while secretly becoming her lover—things get complicated. As their fake relationship turns into real passion, they must decide if their arrangement will last beyond the season.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
My first thought: This book is SPICY. You don’t often expect a lot of spice in historical romance, simply due to the nature of the time period, but this one knocks all of those expectations on their butt!

Other than that, this was a lot of fun! Amalie Howard always writes with a lot of banter and heart, and Effie and Gage are no different! I really enjoyed their relationship as it went from competitive, to attracted but still combative, and then just jumping each other’s bones.

But not only that, I loved seeing the characters I’ve come to know and love from Howard’s previous books in this series. It’s always interesting to see how one love story compares to the following - they’re all different, but they’re all special!

I would read this if you’re looking for an excellent Shakespeare interpretation with ample steam.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Taming of the Shrew
10 Things I Hate About You
Female Friendships
Thwarting Society Expectations
Adorable Animal Companions
Bridgerton

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.01 ⭐️
# of Pages: 384
Pub Date: September 21, 2024

I always love a good recency era romance and this story didn't disappoint. The author (at least in the Taming of the Dukes series) has made all the female heroines extremely strong and they don't fit the standards of the ton. Effie and Gage definitely had chemistry and it was delectable to read. Can't wait to read the next story in this series.


Rating 3.5 Stars
Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was originally hesitant to read this book for two reasons. First of all, I do not like illustrated covers. They do absolutely nothing for me. Secondly, I was worried that there would be an overabundance of feminism in the book. I was greatly relieved in that regard. "The patriarchy" was only mentioned a couple of times. Other than that, the book had a heroine who was able to think for herself and a hero who respected her. There is certainly nothing wrong with that! So, on with the review!
Effie's younger sister was a diamond of the first water. Any man that was interested had to get around Effie. Villainous Lord Huntington manipulated Gage into keeping Effie occupied so that Huntington would have free reign with her sister. Over time, Effie and Gage began to develop genuine feelings. Of course, the relationship would be at great risk if Huntington ever decided to reveal the truth.
I really liked this book! The relationship of Effie and Gage was quite original. There was banter and lots of funny innuendo. Effie's group of girlfriends was outrageous. Animal rescue was Effie's passion, but she did not allow it to ruin her own happiness.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.