This series keeps getting better. I simply adored the wild Scottish Duke and his untameable wallflower. From the very start you could see what a match these two were. He not only saw her, but appreciated her for the very things the ton disdained. She is impetuous, determined and lets nothing stand in her way. She boldly ignores the ridicule and forges a path that is true to her and no other. Evangeline is truly a force to be reckoned with. I especially loved her growing relationship with her sister. Viola at first apppeared insipid and purposeless, but with her sisters fervent efforts she became a flower of her own, blooming with the strength of character her sister imparted. Gage, the ever,icing Scot with a teasing flair. I loved their banter, their gentle teases and ribald jokes. These two are such a happy couple that together they simply light up a room. This story is fun, full of laughter and heat.

The Worst Duke in London has been sitting on my shelf for about 6 or so month now. Why? Because it is based on one of my favorite movies, 10 Things I Hate About you and I had hyped this book up in my head to the point that wasn’t able to read it. Which is so silly becuase everything I have read by Amalie Howard has not disappointed and this was no different. This book meet all my expectations!

Lady Evangeline has no interest in marriage and is happy to be with her animals. But her father has decided that in order for her sister to go to London for the season, Effie has to go too. The Duke of Vale has inherited an estate that is in debt. He makes a deal with one of the creditors - if Vale courts Effie for the season, so he can court Effie’s sister, the debt with be cleared.

I loved every moment of this book! This is the third book in the interconnected Hellfire Kitty series (all the books are based on popular 90s movies) but can be read as a stand alone. Now I just need to find out what is goin on with Briar and Lushing!

I recommend this book if you like:

💚 Enemies to lovers
💚 Secret deals and trysts
💚 90s movies
💚 Historical Romance
💚 Open Door Romance

Amalie Howard always writes fun regency romances and this was no exception. I really enjoyed the plot and watching the characters give into their feelings. I look forward to her next book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

This was pretty cute! I enjoyed the spice level (pretty spicy) and the characters. I've read the first two books in the series and while the first one was the best, I will definitely continue reading this series.

I tried to get into this story so hard but it just didn’t grab me Like I had hoped it would. This is definitely not my favorite in this series- Thank you for the opportunity to read early.

Amalie Howard is such a fun writer and this series is so entertaining! This one is a retelling of 10 Things I Hate About You and does such a good job of setting it in the Regency (or Victorian?) Era.

Evangeline, our protagonist who helps run the animal shelter, is just trying to make it through life, but her little sister has her eyes set on the jerkiest Duke possible, and is trying to convince Evangeline to go to London with her for the season. Gage is being lowkey blackmailed by said jerky Duke to help get the two women to London so Duke Jerk can makes advances toward Evangeline's sister. The plot's not a secret, which is something I honestly really enjoyed in this case. Howard puts a fresh old twist on things, and of course, sets up the next book.

In conclusion, I liked it! There was a decent amount of spice (which I'm just not in the mood for these days), so if that's up your alley and you've enjoyed the rest of this series, then I think you'll get a kick out of this one! Did I mention the love interest in Scottish?

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for the e-ARC and the ARC!

I've tried to come back a few times and finish this, but ultimately I decided this installment wasn't for me. Which makes me sad because I adored the first book. Maybe it's where I'm at in my headspace currently, so I don't want to judge it or tell someone not to read it. I'm hoping in the future, at some point, I can come back, finish, and enjoy the book.

If you enjoy spicy historical romance with a modern feel, Amalie Howard’s The Worst Duke in London may be a good book for you. It’s the third book in Howard’s Taming of the Dukes series and while it features cameos by other couples in the series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone (though I enjoyed reading them order).

Evangeline (Effie) is a woman who knows what she wants. She’s fiercely independent, well read (erotic novels, anyone?), devoted to her animal rescue efforts, and ready for a man…if not marriage. I like the way she goes after what she wants if, at times, I took issue with her attitude with Gage. Howard gives her a good growth arc though that satisfyingly develops her character as well as her relationships. I love how her friends support her, challenge her, and also hold her accountable.

Gage is a total sweetheart. He’s big, muscular, an underground boxer, and a handsome but insolvent duke with a delicious Scottish brogue. Yes, he takes a wager that involves seducing Evangeline but he does so for honorable reasons…before he meets her. I like that his plans change once he gets to know her (alas, she has her own plans) and, also, as he begins to unveil his adversary’s true character. I like that he struggles with the ethics of what he’s doing - even though the physical relationship between him and Evangeline is consensual on both parts - especially as unexpected feelings begin to develop and then deepen (he falls first and hard).

Supporting characters (including four-legged ones) add complexity and richness to the overall story. I especially appreciated the evolution of Evangeline’s sister, Viola as well as their sibling relationship. If you’re reading the series, we also get more information in this book about a couple of intriguing side characters whose stories I am eagerly anticipating. Will they - or won’t they - be a couple? And just who is running things at the Earl of Lushing’s club, Lethe? I can’t wait to find out.

4.5 stars

4 stars! I'll be honest; I've moved away from historical romance in the past few years. They all just seemed to become so formulaic and that makes me so sad because historical romance was my gateway to the romance genre. But Amalie Howard has given me hope that the genre is still alive and well and will continue for years to come! The Worst Duke is London is a cute, fun romance with a reluctant duke and an animal-loving heroine. I really enjoyed their story and can wait to read the rest of the series! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

When it comes to historical romance, I expect (and honestly want) some anachronisms, however this book was on another level. These characters talked like millennials making a TikTok. Not the book for me.

This book was a lot of fun. I could see the influence of 10 Things I Hate About You, but the story was still unique. Parts felt a bit anachronistic/overly dramatic, but overall the writing was solid and the characters felt real and engaging. I think this is a book that would be particularly good for romance readers who don’t usually read historical romance, because it felt very accessible.

5 ⭐️
4 🌶️

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for an ARC on The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard.

Seriously! Amalie Howard is an auto-read by author. I love how she writes her characters! They are always empowering, funny and delight to read. Even if the character is the heroine/hero or the villain of the story!

My honest opinion, it took my awhile to get into this book especially because it was talking about animals. I like animals but it was going on and on about the animal shelter. I understand, it's Effie's passion and you can definitely tell but it felt a little too much for me. And how my gosh, Gage...trying to get out of debt and then being forced to join in the ugly schemes.

This is truly a 10 Things I Hate About You version and it was amazing! It had me gushing, giggling and be in all the feels.

More like 3.75 stars.

This was a fun read, but I thought it was too modern. The phrases and mannerisms were taken word for word from present day. Too modern for me.

Also, the manner in which the heroine was striving to lose her virginity seemed out of character, that she only had two modes: saving various animals and losing her virginity. It was difficult for me to connect with the heroine because of her characteristics.

I usually enjoy Amalie Howard's books, but this book missed for me.

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 2 🔥🔥
Cover Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
- Historical Romance
- Headstrong Wallflower
- Scottish Duke in Debt
- Bargain He Can’t Refuse
- “Teach Me” Lessons
- Adorable Pets + Aniaml Rescue
- 10 Things I Hate About You Meets Bridgerton
- Enemies To Lovers
- He Falls First and Hard
- Social Outcasts
- Sworn Off Marriage
- Regency Romance

‘The Worst Duke in London’ is the third book in the ‘Taming of the Dukes’ series, but is the first book I’ve read from this series.

Mix ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘Bridgeton’ and you get ‘The Worst Duke in London’ a historical romance.

I loved this book it was so much fun, the banter was everything and the characters were so good. Loved our strong FMC and our Scottish Duke MMC. Would I read this book again? yes - do I suggest you read this book? yes.

Thank you NetGalley, publishers, and the author Amalie Howard for the advanced readers copy of this book and if you haven’t read this book yet I suggest you do.

The moment I read the first book in the “Taming of the Dukes” series, I was absolutely hooked. Every single one of the characters was so easy to fall in love with, but especially Lady Evangeline. It was so exciting to discover that the third book in the series would be about her journey and the possibility of love in her future.

Lady Evangeline did not disappoint. She was strong, capable, loving, and truly went after what she believed in. Despite her ability to stay consistent in her characterization, she still had plenty of room to grow. Her self discovery took a path that was easy to follow, but difficult to believe. Her time with the Duke consisted mostly of witty banter and immediate attraction. While their story was beautiful, there were times that it lacked depth.

There were so many characters and each one had their own storyline in relation to Lady Evangeline that there were moments when the storylines were hard to follow. Every once in a while a character would show up, advancing the plotline in a significant way, but the significance would be diminished by the fact that there was such a long moment of “who is this person?”. Many deep subjects are also addressed in the book, but none of them are given the time or depth that they deserve. This is especially unfortunate because it would really add to the characterization of the cast and provide much needed hooks into the other “forgotten” characters.

This book is wonderful for anyone looking for a quick and spicy read with amazing banter.

3/5 stars
3/5 Spice

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lady Evangeline was one of my favorite historical romance female main characters. She loves her family, knows who she is and what she wants, and lives life on her own terms. Gage was a good MMC and I liked the fake dating trope. Viola got on my nerves sometimes, but by the end I loved her as well. I also liked how Effie focused on her love of animals and didn't change who she was.

Everytime you think a book can't be beat, Amalie Howard comes out with another one.

Gage and Evangeline were truly a well made match, something about a well-educated lady being an absolute rebel paired with a Duke from the Highlands? They just fit, to put plainly. From being used as a climbing post for a kitten to solving the mystery of an untimely passing, the two of them kept up a face paced story that was worth every moment spent reading.

This was fun, even though it was WAY more spicy than I anticipated, I'm glad they felt more realistic with humorous moments interwoven. I like when we actually have a romantic comedy in this kinds of books. Especially their disastrous first meetings actually had me laugh out loud while I was walking my dog and scare some people lol. If you're in need of a fun romp mashup of 10 things I hate about you and bridgerton, this actually delivered on that front.

I really enjoyed this one! I was hesitant about reading this one after not loving the second in the series, but I thought this one was so fun! Not all of it was super realistic, but I loved how Howard was able to expertly execute the instant attraction trope without veering into insta love. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed the historical aspects especially more so after reading the explanation and research quoted at the end of the book for various things like animal rescue, female behaviors and needs, etc. I enjoyed the characters, the story was a bit weak, and even though fore warned about explicit scenes, I didn’t enjoy them and skimmed a lot of them.