I didn't like this one as much as the first book in the series, Always Be My Duchess, but it was still very enjoyable. I will continue to read this author.

This one I was interested to get into, I love both Emma and Clueless and enjoy the author’s writing so I was looking forward to trying this one. Sadly, this one just didn’t work very well for me.

I liked the start of this one and the setup of the childhood friends turned enemies turned lovers, they end up trapped in an attic together where their banter and chemistry finally heats up. The heroine likes to play matchmaker and gets invested in the romantic lives of her friends and family. I thought the hero and heroine’s relationship was dragged out too long with them not admitting their love for one another until a lot later in the story. I also hated the fact that the villain didn’t suffer more than they should have for all they’d done and planned to do. That really irked me.

While this series hasn’t really worked for me from this author, I have enjoyed many of her other books in the past!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I think this series by Amalie Howard, regency retellings of 90s romcoms is so much fun! Never Met a Duke Like You is a retelling of Clueless (which is a retelling of Emma...but don't think too hard about it.) Vesper and Aspen are childhood rivals turned enemies turn...well you know how this goes.

I loved the banter between Vesper and Aspen, and the return of characters we met in book one. Add in an evil stepmother and a side of blackmail, and you have a fun, historical romance!

“I’ve always believed we women need to lift each other up.”

Vesper loves to play matchmaker but isn’t looking for love. She plays the perfect socialite in public but behind the scenes devotes her time to helping educate the poor (which apparently would have been frowned on then). Aspen is her childhood friend/nemesis who has been out of the country for years pursuing dinosaur fossils. He’s returned to help his mother’s ward find a match.

What I liked: Bring me allllll the Emma and Clueless themed novels, I am officially a sucker for these and love seeing the different nods to scenes.

The author’s note about her inspiration was really interesting - I liked learning more about the real life men and women who worked to change the lives of those in asylums and provide education to the poor.

There are some really good scenes - Vesper and Aspen locked in the attic (not spicy) and Vesper and Aspen at the dinosaur exhibit (spicy).

What didn’t work for me: A little picky but I hated their names. I kept thinking Aspen was the female MC and Vesper was the male MC.

I wish Vesper had talked to Aspen about his mother earlier. I also wanted a little more of a punishment for his mom.

Who should read it: this is book two of a series but could be read as a stand-alone. If you’re a fan of spicy historical romance with a cute rom-com plot pick this up. This one also appears to be setting up two more books and I can’t wait.

I’m not going to lie I picked this one up for the description of Clueless meets Brigderton and I was not disappointed. I couldn’t put this one down.

I love this book so much. Amalie Howard's world building is impeccable and she is doing such a good job of bringing the movies to life. I cannot wait to read this again as an audiobook.

This is my second Amalie Howard book, and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first. I loved the main characters Vesper and Greydon and their chemistry together as well as the book having more depth than just their relationship together.

Not to give away any of the plot, Howard delves into how the mentally ill were treated in the 18th century in asylums. While I know some reviews of this book thought this was too dark for a romance, I thought it was an okay addition. I did hope for their to be a stronger punishment for the villian of this story, but all in all, I was okay with it.

I'm looking forward to the next in this Taming of the Dukes series.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I think any issues or struggles I had reading it were my own and had little to do with the book. It wasn't until I was reading the note that I even picked up on our FMC having ADHD so I feel a bit more work could have been done to represent this aspect of her character. That said, I related to her--so maybe that says more about how my brain works. I found their pining and banter to be of the best kind and would recommend this book--and the previous one--to friends. I am looking forward to the next book very much as I enjoy this friend group quite a bit.

The book Never Met A Duke Like You was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Amalie Howard. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

👋 Hey, Hey, Hey - Mini Reviews 👋

Hey! Zoe and I are still here, but it’s taking longer than anticipated for me to get back to regular posting. 😜 Having kids out of school makes unpacking harder and I knew we had a ton of stuff, but phew! 🫣 It’s ridiculous even with the excessive purging. 📦📦📦

Here are the books I’ve read since I’ve been absent/moving…I’m still reading! OK, so audiobooks mostly, but I’m getting them checked off! ✅✅✅

Never Met A Duke Like You - Clueless and Emma both retelling. Loved it. Amalie Howard is awesome. That is all. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love this one!!! I always enjoy when the couple has history, especially when they grew up together and were friends. The banter and insults kept it light and humorous and I just love how devoted they were to each other before they even admitted they liked each other. Just put this on my favorite books of 2023 list.

I absolutely LOVED this one! It was like Clueless meets Bridgerton, and absolutely loaded with witty banter which was my favorite aspect. Plus the added element of friends to enemies to lovers. I find that any use of “enemies” makes the banter just immaculate. The book did have a serious undertone, in regards to the marriages, parental death, and a couple other things, but still managed to remain rather lighthearted. Some of the scenes towards the end, I need adapted to a screen so I can cry all over again while watching. Also there was a good villain in this story— good in that I HATED her, she was so heinous. I personally think she got let off too easy but I don’t know what was custom for that time. There was also some unexpected spice! Or at least I wasn’t expecting it, given the time period and the importance of a “lady’s virtue”.

I flew through this book and recommend it as a read, especially if you enjoy Clueless and Bridgerton! Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the early copy for review!

This book was great, one thing I noticed while reading was that one storyline wasn't acknowledged near the end. It wasn't part of the main storyline but I would've liked to know how that ended.

I’d like to thank Forever for approving me an eARC of Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley!

What a sparkly delight of a book this was! While I primarily read contemporary romance rather than historical these days, I do love when shenanigans ensue in a 19th century ballroom. Amalie Howard definitely had a light touch with the story while still staying true to the period. I also give bonus points for setting it in Victorian England; I love a good Regency but there are also other eras for historical hijinks too 😊

This book is the second in a series, but I didn’t feel lost without having read the first book (which I will!) The MCs Vesper and Aspen really did have the 19th century equivalent of Cher and Josh’s dynamic from the movie Clueless, which I didn’t realize I needed in book form. While both characters get in their own way with some bad decisions during the story, I was rooting for their love story. And oh my, their love scenes were so steamy 🥵

I do have to go back and read Montcroix and Genevieve’s book, but I can’t wait for the series’ next installment! This book was such an unexpected delight in my life, I give it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

Vesper Lyndhurst has never met a match she couldn’t make. But when her childhood friend returns to town, is the next match to be made hers?

I liked this book!

Amalie Howard remains one of my fave romance authors! Loved her Clueless and Emma take. Vesper and Aspen had great chemistry and as always, I appreciate her meticulous research that is the backbone of every one of her books - I always learn something new. Her careful attention to the lunacy laws placed the characters in the moment and made for an interesting and suspenseful subplot.

And as always 10 points for the inclusion of a cute cat.

Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is a popular, clever and beautiful. As a duke's daughter, Vesper fills her days with her friends, intrigues and her self-proclaimed matchmaking skills. Although she's sworn off love for herself, she believes she can help others find love. The Duke of Greydon has returned to London to revive his family's fortunes. After years spent away, he's annoyed to find that nothing has changed, including his former best friend and next door neighbor Lady Vesper. But when this friend-turned-enemies are unexpectedly trapped in an attic together, it sets off a series of events. Will these total opposites be able to ignore the growing attraction between them? Or can they get out of their own way and realize that they are made for one another?

This Clueless meet Bridgerton retelling is the second book in the series. But you can be read as a stand-alone. It's funny, charming and steamy! The chemistry and tension between Vesper and Greydon literally jumps off the page in all their interactions. And while these two fight their attraction, Vesper does go about trying to do some matchmaking. And like Clueless, Vesper has her bumps along the way.

While the book is fun, there are some heavier topics discussed -- specifically dealing with mental health/asylums. I think Amalie did a great job balancing the heavier aspect of the book and the rest of the story. I was happy with the resolution, although I think the villain in the story deserved a harsher punishment.

But all in all, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I can't wait to read the next one in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Not my favorite by this author, but it could be yours!

Amalie Howard writes an amazing book. Her characters have depth, there’s always some fun, I enjoy her books. However personally, this series is not my favorite by her. I really strongly prefer her Daring Dukes and Regency Rogues series. The take on a rom-com just isn’t as captivating to me, personally, and especially this book just never really hooked me.
The plot of this book is a rollercoaster! It goes very dark at some points even though it’s a Clueless riff. And I was so frustrated with the villain and the ending of that plot line!
However, if you don’t get triggered by abuse/parental toxicity, if you like matchmaking and a lot of fun outings, this really might be a hit for you. It’s well-written and has a lot of plot to sink your teeth into!


Star Rating: 2.5/5
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, nuerodiverse heroine, childhood friends
CW: Toxic relationship, abuse, asylum, blackmail

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This series gives you everything you want in a historical romance. Cheek, steam and an adorable love story. While Howard's first in this series replicated Pretty Woman, I could see where bits of the movie Clueless popped into this one. I really hope the next one is about Briar & Jasper as their chemistry is so compelling.

Read this for a quick and light hearted read! Thank you NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.
I rated this a solid 3 stars and look forward to the next!

Excellent enemies to lovers banter - it really made the whole book. Definitely recommend if you like historical romances. This isn't quite second chance, but both main characters were interested in each other, but nothing came of it. When the hero comes back after being away for several years, all the pining and feelings start up.