My favorite of the series so far! When you do a retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew," you need biting, witty banter, loveably flawed characters and an expert build of sexual tension. Howard DELIVERS! Spicy and sensual - this was a page-turner I forced myself to savor slowly.

Evangeline "Effie" Raine has problems. Her little sister Viola has a heinous suitor, her animal shelter is running out of support, and she's been shunned by the ton for being an outspoken GIRL BAWSE! Gage, the Duke of Vale, has problems too. He's just inherited his brother's title and used all his savings paying off his family's enormous debts. When Viola's evil suitor offers to waive his debt if Gage can get Evangeline to accompany her for a London season, Gage has no choice. He must woo the intriguing Evangeline.

Plot twist - BOTH leads are virgins in this book! After several cute interactions, they become friends, and Effie suggests they explore their sexuality together by having a fling during the London Season. There are many spicy, open-door encounters. Did I mention he's a hot Scot?! I loved these characters so much I'd read another book about them, but there's one couple left to go in the series. It's going to be very hard to beat Effie & Gage's chemistry. Lushing & Briar ... You're Move!

As soon as I saw that this was a 10 Things I Hate About You retelling, I knew I had to read this. I didn’t need to know anything else about the book, that alone was enough. I’m so happy to say this book lives up to that standard. I love that Effie doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She’s over the ton and is content to support her heart’s passion, her animal shelter. This love of animals leads to several great moments between Effie and Gage especially with a certain Beastie Buttercup. Meanwhile Gage is in dire straights to wipe out his family’s remaining debt, so when faced with a proposition he can’t refuse, he’s placed firmly in Effie’s path. The two have amazing chemistry together and aside from a certain bribe, I love how their relationship develops. I especially love how the traits that have set Effie apart from the ton are the exact ones that Gage loves. I also love that Effie takes control of her own body and desires regardless of societal expectations. Overall, I found this to be a great regency twist on the beloved movie, and I would recommend checking it out.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and the summary of this one sounded interesting but I really didn’t enjoy this one . All the vulgar / sexual talk was to my liking - I do like some spice in my books but this one was just … well all about it and it felt like anything else was secondary at best

My rating 2.5 ⭐️

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Gage Croft is the “Destitute Duke” when he receives an offer to convince spinster Effie Raine to come to London for the season in exchange for his brother’s debts being forgiveness…but their arrangement soon becomes more than either of them expect.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this entire series, and this installment might be my favorite yet! I LOVED Effie and Gage—something about a Scottish hero just hits different, and he was a delight and a thoroughly exceptional book boyfriend throughout. One of my favorite hyper-specific microtropes is when the FMC goes by a nickname but the MMC is the only one who calls her by her full name because he loves the way it sounds, so suffice to say this one was a hit from the very beginning. This is also super spicy and sex positive, and I think all fans of historical romance will enjoy it!

As always, I also loved the feminism and sisterhood and friendship of this book, and seeing glimpses of the past couples is always fun. I am also absolutely feral for Briar and Lushing and I desperately need their book immediately please and thank you.

CW: Mild violence/physical abuse; sexual harassment; some animal peril/cruelty; mentions of death of a loved one

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amalie Howard for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Worst Duke in London coming out September 24, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read another book in this series. I enjoy this author’s books because they feature diversity, but this book was a little too modern in mindset for the time. I love a strong, intelligent heroine, but I felt like Evangeline was a little too modern for my liking. I love historical fiction for the escape into the past and how things were or might’ve been during that time. I wanted more of that. Gage was a good character. I liked the book, but wanted a little more substance.

Heavily inspired by ‘Ten Thing I Hate About You’ and its inspiration, ‘Taming of the Shrew’, this was such a fun read.

Lady Effie (Evangeline) Raine just wants to remain single and be left alone to run her animal rescue shelter. Her younger sister Viola is eager to make her London season debut. Much to their horror, their father agrees Viola can go but only if Effie goes with her. Determined to court the Viola for her money, the odious Lord Huntington (or Cuntington as Effie calls him) strikes a secret deal with the impoverished Duke of Vale, Gage Croft to wipe his late brother’s debts if he woos Effie to London so he can court Viola. Except what Gage doesn’t count on is Effie wanting him to be her friend with benefits.

Effie is the sort of person you'd want to be friends with. She's determind, super smart and she tells it like it is, which unfortunately makes her an outcast. Yet Gage finds it refreshing and views Effie as his equal. I loved their banter and chemistry which made me laugh so many times. They were so good together from the first time they meet. They both supported and just got each other, I also loved how sex positive and progressive the characters were. As evidenced by her author’s note, Amalie Howard did a lot of research on progressive women and men of that era.

Overall, this book was a solid and fun feminist romp with charming characters and one of the best grovels I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait for the next book, which I assume will be Briar and Lushing. Bring it on!

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

The Worst Duke in London is book three in Amalie Howard’s Taming of the Dukes series.

Although this is book three in the series it is easily read as a standalone.

Lady Evangeline (Effie) Raine was made a social pariah after an encounter with a Lord Huntington in her first season. Since then she has cultivated a small circle of friends, and has put all of her energy into the animal rescue she set up in the village near her home.

Gage Croft, the Duke of Vale, inherited the dukedom after the untimely death of his brother. Gage is determined to restore the dukedom to its former glory after his father, and older brother gambled away the family fortune. Lord Huntington gives him the opportunity to get out from under the debts, but he must deceive Evangeline to do so.

I really looked forward to reading this book, I thought the premise sounded great, but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.

I love a historical romance with an independent, forward thinking heroine, but Evangeline was really over the top for an unwed young woman. No unmarried young woman would have the freedom she had to traipse all over London without a maid, much less take a hansom cab to a duke's home, while wearing only a cloak!

And then there was the dialogue, which while it was witty at times, was also full of sexual innuendo to the point that it felt like I was reading the dialogue of a teenage boy, not a regency or Victorian era (I'm still not sure which) young woman. Evangeline's speech, especially, was over the top, including her calling Lord Huntington, Lord Cuntington several times, and while it was admittedly not announced loudly, it was in public where people nearby could have overheard. It just felt like her speech and actions were meant to show us how much ahead of her time she was, but it felt forced and unnatural.

And speaking of sex, there was a lot of it in this book. I'm not a prude, and I love a spicy romance. I read everything from sweet to erotic romance, so reading sex scenes doesn't bother me. I think either I just wasn't in the mood to read all the spicy scenes, or maybe it was Evangeline's attitude towards sex which was much more modern than would have been expected from the period.

I think anyone who loves spicy, more modern historical romances, and who doesn't care about whether or not the story reflects the societal norms of the time will probably enjoy The Worst Duke in London. If you're more of a stickler for the "rules" and prefer a more traditional historical romance, then this may not be the book for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Worst Duke in London is the third book in The Taming of the Dukes series by Amalie Howard and if you haven't read the first two, you don't necessarily have to but I would recommend that you do as the other characters do play a part in this book. Of course, they aren't the main characters so it isn't necessary.

In this book, our fmc is Lady Evangeline Raine. She prefers animals to people and definitely has no interest in marriage...unfortunately for her younger sister Viola. Because Viola wants to spend the season being courted in London and in order to do that, according to her father, Effie needs to agree.

Enter Gage Croft, Duke of Vale. He is determined to rebuild his estates and when the owner of the last remaining debts his brother had offers to write them off if he wins over Lady Evangeline and gets her to go to London and stay there so Lady Viola can be courted by him, he decides to take the offer. What he didn't count on was that he would actually like Effie and despise everything the gentleman he made the deal with stands for.

This was a great story and the way these two characters come together was wonderfully done. Effie at first not interested in Gage but he eventually captures her attention and when she proposes that she will go to London but only if he agrees to be her lover (she sees this as her chance to experience passion), she throws him for a loop. Eventually all those feelings turn into something more but with all the lies, Effie has to wonder if Gage was just doing it for the money. And nevermind that it was for the worst man of the Ton.

I have to admit, I didn't love Viola at first. I know that was probably intentional but the way she treated Effie wasn't my favorite and the fact that she even wanted to be around the man who treated her sister the way Huntington did, didn't make me like her any more. That said, of course I loved that Vesper, Briar, Neve were here support system throughout.

If you're looking for a historical romance retelling of 10 Things I Hate About You, this does a decent job of it. I enjoyed the story and I have to admit, I hoping for Briar's story next so fingers crossed that one is coming up soon. Consider picking this one up if you're looking for something new in the historical romance genre that is a quick and easy read.

Wonderful enemies-to-lovers Regency romance. Fake courtship and indecent proposals, two wily characters Gage and Effie have undeniable chemistry. Great writing and story that kept me engaged all the way to happily ever after.

Read if you like: enemies to lovers
-
Evangeline is a spinster who doesn't plan on getting married, but she is asked to supervise her little sister during the London Season. Gage is a new Duke to a broke estate who is trying to figure out how to pay his staff properly. The two butt heads but can't deny the attraction they have to each other.
-
I actually loved this book so much. I loved Evangeline and Gage and how they had to figure out what they wanted. I was a little unsure about the conflict but I like how they resolved things. Overall a fun book!

Thank you to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I cannot get enough of Amalie Howard's regency error romances. I'm not huge on historical fiction, except if Howard is writing it! Her books are fun, quirky, hilarious, and sexy! I am never disappointed with her stories and her characters. They always draw me in. As with her others, I could not put this one down!
Evangeline "Effie" Raine is one of my most favorite characters Howard has written. I love that she is unapologetically herself. That while the world around her expects her to act a certain way, she blows caution to the wind and does things her own way. It makes her extremely loveable and totally relatable to the reader. Effie is an outside the box thinker; a feminist who choses to make herself happy rather than bow to the expectations of what will make others happy. In this way, she's a perfect fit for the ostracized Duke Gage Vale. He is also not afraid to be himself and doesn't care what the people of the ton think. He just wants to be free of the debt he's incurred because of his brother and then live his life happily in his Scottish manor. Neither Effie nor Gage are looking for someone to settle down with. Effie accepting that she will forever be a spinster and Gage accepting he will forever be known for the follies of his brother and father. But what makes them different for others ends up making them perfect for each other. They support each other and do not shy away from being well and truly themselves when they are together. They are strong willed and stubborn, but oh so good together!
Amalie's side characters are also a ton of fun. She revisits the ladies from her previous books but you certainly do not have to read those books to read this one (though I suggest reading them in order or some of the relationships will be spoiled!). Again Howard dives into the support these ladies have for one another. Their small group is never far away when needed and they always rally to help each other out. This book brings the addition of Effie's sister, Viola, who ends up fitting in well with all the other Hell Kitties!
The pacing of this book was perfect. Just the right amount of angst and longing to keep you wondering what will happen next and how. Of course there is a third act "break up" to contend with but the resolution of it is really quite appealing. Plus she infuses a lot of humor into this story which had me giggling many times while reading it. The banter between her characters (even those who are just supporting) is superb.
Did I get Bridgerton vibes from this one? You bet I did. This story was reminiscent of Anthony and Kate, though without the worry of the male love interest being wrapped up in the female love interest's sister. I've heard this one is loosely based on 10 Things I Hate About You but since I have not seen that movie, I could not tell anyone if that were true!
This one sure does seem to set up a new relationship for an upcoming book, which I hope will happen as I'll happily continue to read all the stories Howard intends to write in this world!

My first by this author, I was pleased by the irreverent banter, swooned over the horny spice of it all, and got frustrated at all the right people and moments! Evangeline (Effie) is an outcast of the ton, and doesn’t care a whit. What she cares about is her shelter for animals, her Hellfire Kitties (besties) and her sister. But she isn’t opposed to discovering some carnal pleasures, and propositions the Destitute Duke to give her some lessons.

Gage, the Duke of Vale, needs one last debt to Lord Huntington to disappear, so he enters into a wager with him to get Evangeline - and more importantly, her sister Viola - to London for the season so that Huntington can court Viola. He tries to flirt with Effie to convince her to come for the season, and it works. He wasn’t prepared for Effie’s pleasurable offer, but he’ll be damned if he turns it down.

Gage and Evangeline were both SO set in their ways and what they thought they wanted, which made it even better when they got together. There is a LOT of sexual tension between them, but that’s not all there is. Admiration, laughter, and (mostly) respect are all present as well.

I was struck by the casual (and dare I say modern?!) writing.language as opposed to many historical romances. I don’t mind it necessarily, but it isn’t my favorite. I’ll be interested to see if it’s Howard’s writing always, or if it’s for these characters that are already rejecting the “proper” path of the peerage.

All in all, I really enjoyed it and look forward to more of her books!

Amalie Howard never lets me down & The Worst Duke in London may be her best book yet. It's inspired by the movie Ten Things I Hate About You . While not a direct retelling, I was delighted when I could detect the Easter eggs.

This book was wonderful from start to finish. I couldn't put this book down because I was having so much fun. I loved the characters, the animal shelter with all the adorable animals, the setting and of course the romance between Evangeline & Gage.

The romance here is perfect. The banter is top-notch, the sexual tension is palpable and these two were hot, hot, hot! She takes no prisoners and he's a stubborn Scotsman. I had so much fun reading their relationship. It was very entertaining, steamy, and romantic. Plus two virgins?! I need more of this please. The spice was so good too, but that's no surprise with Howard.

I found the plot interesting and I liked the added mystery. I felt the pacing was great and I felt the resolution was satisfying.

Read this book! It will not disappoint! Can be read as a standalone.

Oooh she is baaaack and it's 10 Things I Hate About You (RIP Heath Ledger and his band standing skills). One of the things Amalie Howard does best is write badass heroines. The stronger the heroine, the better the book. In this one, it's the animal loving Effie, and the broke AF Gage. At first glance you're thinking... Is this the Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare but remixed? Negative. Don't let the animals fool you. It is definitely Taming of the Shrew, 1990's edition. I didn't take Effie for being such a strong character in the other books but she definitely comes out strong here, rubbing weak men with inflated egos the wrong way... And she also seems to share physical traits with Effie from the Hunger Games... Or that's who I was imagining... Then in comes Gage who is half scot, brawny and beautiful. Yes, we would all like to climb him like a small feral cat. Their chemistry is electric and Effie uses this as a way for her to experience some "physical activity" (wink wink). It works well enough except that Gage sorta has a secret that seems a bit irrelevant except when it wasn't... That he is being paid by another earl.... In any case... We get to see just enough Hellfire Kitties, and Briar and Lushing to whet your appetite because I am looking forward to more!!

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️

Book #3 in the Taming of the Dukes series. This series is a parody of The Taming of the Shrew, with the book inspired by the movie - 10 Things I Hate About You.

Our heroine Lady Evangeline (referred to as Lady Ghastly by Lord Huntington) rescues animals, never wants to marry. Lord Huntington (a scoundrel!) has his sights set on her younger sister Lady Viola, and requests our Scot hero “Lord Gage Croft - the new Duke of Vale” to keep Evangeline preoccupied in London for the next six weeks.. which leads to quite a steamy affair.. their roles surprisingly flipped with Evangeline the aggressor.

What neither Lady knows is that the Lords had struck a deal involving them.

H*** hath no fury like a woman scorned. When Viola learns of the ruse and other crimes orchestrated by Huntington you’d better believe he gets his comeuppance. And as for Gage? Well this is an HEA after all ツ

Lots of spice, pining and witty banter - is open door.. and I really enjoyed the clever take on the movie, so fun! ❥ 4.5 stars — Pub. 9/24/24

I received a complimentary arc copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved the FMC but otherwise I didn't really think much of this book. It's the first by Amalie Howard that I'm reading and I don't know what I was expecting. It was fine. I'm just glad the younger sister didn't end up marrying that creep

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC. I struggled with this one. I’m picky with Historical Romance and generally am not a fan of rom coms. In retrospect, I shouldn't have picked this up. Though it was not for me I think those who like steamy historical rom coms will have a great time with this. We have a bold and unabashed MC who is not afraid to seek her pleasure and a Duke who was super into her and unable to resist her. There’s a lot here to like and also a great villain to hate. If you like over the top humor, a steamy read and a very modern FMC, I think you’ll like this one.

Two virgins who know a heckuva lot about sex without having taken the final plunge themselves. One male, one female, and a lot of experimenting. Gage, the so called worst Duke, is broke, thanks to his father and his brother. Evangeline, AKA Lady Ghastly, has scared off most of the ton because she has thoughts and expresses them. (Gasp) How these two get together is a humorous, arousing, and twisted path thanks to one villain.

Fake courtship leads to friendship leads to steam in this fun novel set in the Ton. Effie and Gage both have their reasons for the relationship (although I do wish he would have fessed up) but it turns out that those get pushed to the wayside. This has a strikingly modern feel to it for the genre (and I suspect some will quibble about that) but it's also got animal rescue. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters, snappy dialogue, and fine storytelling made this a fun read.

The good first. I loved Gage. I found him sensitive, funny and wanting to do the right thing. There are some very funny moments in this story (I will say I did skim after 50% until the last three chapter which I will get to in the bad). Now for the bad. I am all for sexual freedom but Evangeline’s freedom was just off for me. Also, the language seemed a little juvenile for these two adults. I just couldn’t take anymore after 50%. I dislike giving this type of review as I really liked the previous books in this series.