Ahh, I loved this one!! I didn't realize it was the third in the series when I requested it, but it became obvious early on and I now MUST go read the first two!

This one was very similar to Evie Dunmore's A League of Extraordinary Women series - not in plot, but in style. Specifically, having strong female characters that buck society's oppressive rules for women, are outspoken, have a supportive female friend group, etc. I absolutely adored the A League of Extraordinary Women series, so it was no surprise that I loved The Worst Duke in London as well.

There were a few moments that seemed a bit confusing - for example, she has two cats who make an appearance in the bedroom and then are referenced later on, but apparently she can't keep Beasty Buttercup because her sister is allergic? But...she already has two cats? Additionally, who did adopt Beasty?? It seemed like Vale had, but then he says "I thought Lucky would like a friend when she comes to visit us?"

...is Lucky not Evangeline's dog? Wouldn't she be...with them?

There are also some moments where it's not clear exactly who's around. For example, when Huntington confronts Vale and let's the whole scheme slip, is he still there watching it all go down? He's not mentioned again. And though she whispers that Vale slept with her, that would be a pretty damning admission to make with an audience, even if they're relatively assured the audience can't hear them. I was surprised she wasn't ruined by that admission in the next chapter.

Lastly, I truly didn't need any of the trigger warnings, however I DID need one for how bitchy and manipulative the little sister was at first. Yes, she matured and eventually ended up being a character I didn't hate, but my god at the beginning of the book? I actually had to stop reading and come back to it several days later. I probably wouldn't have picked it up again if it hadn't been an ARC.

I can not say enough things about this book. I had previously read a different series by the author, but was unfamiliar with this series.
Fans of feminist historical fiction will love it. Based on Ten Things I Hate About You, the female MC and make ‘MC have intense chemistry. The spice is well done. This book is a masterclass in feminism, romance, and adaptation. I have already purchased the previous titles in this series.

This is an entertaining read. Gave and Evangeline are interesting, intriguing, complex, strong, entertaining characters. I enjoyed them as individuals and a couple. Their romance and the path to their HEA is entertaining. Parts of the story dragged for me, but over all I enjoyed the story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the books of Amalie Howard, although this series has been a bit uneven for me. I have received ARCs of each title, and I am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy and provide my own opinion. There were lots of parts that I completely enjoyed in this story, and some frustrating elements that seem to be in keeping with recent sensibilities as to what makes a historical romance more appealing for a wider audience.

If you like Howard's books, if you like this series, definitely pick up this book!

I'm a sucker for a good retelling and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the banter between Gage and Effie as well as Effie being a women who knew what she wanted. Can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

The Worst Duke in London by Amalie Howard is not your typical Victorian novel.

Lady Evangeline Raine is intelligent, well read, and outspoken. She calls them the way she sees them. Struggling with the double standard of the day, she shuns Society as much as she can without jeopardizing her family's standing.

Gage Croft, Duke of Vale is a second son who inherits the title and debts left by his father and older brother. As he tries to restore the ancestral lands, he is drawn in to a scheme to clear his late brother's debt. He is asked to use his good looks and charm to convince Lady Evangeline into going to London and staying there for six weeks of the Season.

To the surprise of both of them, the sharp-tongued Lady Evangeline and the honorable Duke find that sparks really ignite between them.

There are some blunt and graphic hot and heavy passages. Definitely not for the faint of heart or a prudish miss.

I love a Scottish duke. They seem to have more grit to them then all the rest. Gage is the duke that agrees to get Lady Evangaline to London for the season. Sparks fly between these two. I took off a few stars because some of the story felt more 21st century than 19th century.

This was a super-cute, enjoyable read—a Victorian-era tale inspired by 10 Things I Hate About You/Taming of the Shrew. I believe this is the third in a series but I have not read the previous books and this was great as a stand-alone. Some topics covered are female agency in the Victorian period, animal welfare, friends-with-benefits arrangements, and two people allowing themselves to be vulnerable enough to admit they are in love with each other despite their failings. I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between the leads and thought the side characters were hilarious. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

This historical romance was delightful and charming. I always appreciate Amalie Howard's books for their strong-willed heroines and appealing heroes, and this one was no exception. The heroine, a wallflower shunned by society after a mishap in her debut season. The hero, a Scottish duke facing financial troubles after his brother's death, is compelled by a promise to seduce her and bring her to London with her sister.
The chemistry between the leads was fantastic, with their witty exchanges highlighting the heroine's determination. This story draws inspiration from "10 Things I Hate About You" and is perfect for historical romances fans

This is a fun twist on the film 10 Things I Hate About You, which is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. The story follows a wallflower who is not liked by the ton and a Scottish Duke who is struggling financially after the death of his brother.

Effie’s a great fmc, though she isn’t as shrewish as I expected. She’s so nice! She dedicates much of her time and energy into her animal shelter, which I totally loved! And Gage is fabulous too. He’s stuck in a terrible situation and has so much responsibility weighing on him. His determination to do better than his brother and father drives him, and he proves to be a great match for Effie.

Of course, my favorite part of the story is the romance. Some of their conversations are hysterical, and there are several great laugh-out-loud moments between the pair. Their banter is fantastic and their chemistry sizzles off the page. Both characters are virgins, which I haven’t seen much in historical romances. I did wish Gage revealed the scheme a bit earlier than he did, but I tend to feel that way when secrets like these are introduced in a love story.

The story also has a great cast of secondary characters, some of whom I loved and others I loved to hate. Effie’s sister Viola is probably my least favorite of them all. She is so selfish and superficial. She preys on Effie's guilt to get her way, and her crying temper tantrums more resemble a petulant child than a woman ready for marriage. I hate how manipulative she is with everyone. She definitely contrasts Effie well. But as much as I disliked her sister, I loved Effie’s father. He is kind and supportive, and his unconventional views and unconditional love for his children are endearing.

I’m really enjoying this series, though that’s no surprise. I’ve liked every historical romance I’ve read by Amalie Howard. Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

“The Worst Duke in London” is a fun take on “Bridgerton” meets “10 Things I Hate About You.” It was great that this story kept the parallels with the two sisters’ love stories. Similarly to the classic Rom-Com - Viola longs to go to London and come out in society, but is un-allowed to do so unless her reclusive sister, Evangeline, decides to accompany her. I enjoyed the added elements of romance between societal outcasts and the friends-with benefits romance. And this heroine loves animals and runs an animal shelter!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was such a fun and surprisingly spicy spin on 10 Things I Hate About You & Taming of the Shrew! The impoverished Duke of Vale agrees to court Lady Evangeline Raines so that the self-absorbed Lord Huntington, to whom Vale owes a significant sum of money, can court Evangeline’s younger sister. But Evangeline offers Vale an indecent proposal that he finds impossible to refuse.
I liked the modern twist and forward-thinking heroine who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. Vale was a very sweet MMC. Effie and her friends are a riot.
You’ll enjoy this one if you like:
- Feisty FMCs
- Cute animal antics
- Virgin MMCs
- Indecent proposals
- Retellings
Thank you NetGalley, Amalie Howard and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest review.

I love Amalie Howard and I love 90s rom coms, so I was pretty much destined to enjoy this. This is a Regency reimagining of the film 10 Things I Hate About You, which was a late 1990s teen adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew and I really enjoyed reading Howard's unique twist on these characters. Lady Evangeline Raine is a devoted animal lover - she even has her own animal rescue in Chichester - but she's not really all that fond of people. Her younger sister Viola is the opposite, and she is absolutely determined to get to London for the season so that she can be courted by a pretty terrible dude who wants to stake his claim. The catch is that (like the the source material), their father won't let Viola go to London for the season if Evangeline won't go. So her terrible suitor hires Gage, Lord Vane, who is a bit of a Scottish rouge who unexpectedly inherited a dukedom (and a ton of debt) from his older brother, and who is in dire financial straits, to woo Evangeline and convince her to go to London. While I always enjoy Amalie Howard's work, this was (weirdly) not my favorite. I love both sources (Shakespearean and Stilesean), so I may have just been having an off week when I was reading this. I definitely liked it but it took me a lot longer than a Regency romance usually would - especially one by Howard, whose books I typically just devour. I still loved the character development, the humor, and the delightful nods to the source material, it just wasn't my favorite of the series or of Howard's.

This was a delightful romance inspired by 10 Things I Hate About You! As a fan of historical romance, I loved how it blended classic elements with a modern twist. It was a quick, spicy read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I Enjoyed this 10 Things I Hate About You inspired historical romance.
A cute, but spicy, quick historical read that I couldn’t put down.
Great banter and tension between the main characters. (Very slow burn romance)
I do, however, feel like the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more individually.
The plot and writing were just okay, but I did enjoy the animal shelter aspect.
Overall, a good book for you if you feel like reading a historical romance with more of a modern twist.

One of the best books I’ve read all year. Loved the Ten Things I Hate About You/Taming of the Shrew retelling. Gage and Evangeline are great characters whose chemistry comes off the pages. I love Amalie Howard’s writing and banter between characters and this book delivered.

A really fun steamy read! The plot is obviously predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable!

Thank you to Netgalley/Forever for the advance reader's copy!

i absolutely loved this book. i've thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series so far, but something about Effie and Gage really hit for me.

i'm a big fan of a taming of the shrew/10 things i hate about you adaptation, and this did not fail me. Effie was perfectly prickly, and i loved that we immediately also got to see her soft spot due to her rescue animals as well. her meet-cute with gage was delightful (and i would die for Buttercup). Gage truly was immediately obsessed with her, and i loved that too. they were both down SO bad for each other but trying to resist it, which is one of my favourite tropes.

this was also spicier than i was expecting (much to my delight) and i thought that the sex scenes were excellently written (sex toys/mutual masturbation in a historical romance!!!! a carriage scene!!! mutual virginity-loss!!!!). i love a woman who goes after what she wants, and she was not at all shy about wanting Gage.

overall i found myself giggling and kicking my feet all the way through this, and it was an excellent romp. i'm so excited for Briar/Lushing's book next.

I loved the fast pace of the romance that Gage took Effie on. The romance was just another love story that this reader really needed to enjoy her evening with. The romance was definitely a story that was fun to read with the number of different characters who brought their own quirks to this gem of a story. I do wish however in the future that the FMC could be older than one and twenty perhaps? There are certain mature and grown adults things that I feel a woman with more mature experience should be written about.

I really wanted to love this! I LOVE a retelling, but Howard's romantic pacing had shades of insta-love, which I'm not (personally) drawn to. I think what works about the romantic tension in "10 Things" is that we don't see Julia Stiles' character even acknowledge that she finds Heath Ledger's character attractive at first, even to herself––she's a hardened shell that then slowly begins to crack/soften. I think this book would have benefited from a similar kind of character work and pacing. I'll have to try this author again!