Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is beautiful, clever, and popular. Afforded every luxury as a duke’s daughter, she fills her days with friends, intrigues, and a self-professed knack for matchmaking. She may have sworn off love for herself, but she is rather excellent at arranging it. Faced with an insolvent estate, the Duke of Greydon has no choice but to return to England in a final attempt to revive his family’s fortunes. He’s been gone for years, happy to have escaped his mother and the petty circles of the ton. To his dismay, not much has changed, including the beautiful and vexing heiress next door. But when an accident of fate traps the friends-turned-enemies in an attic together, the explosive attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore and even harder to resist. They are total opposites and their lives don’t align in the slightest, but fate, the ultimate matchmaker, appears to have other plans . . .
Title: Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes #2)
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central)
Expected Publication Date: 11/14/23
Review:
I would like to thank Forever (Grand Central) Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this egalley to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Vesper Lynhurst doesn't think she'll ever love. Not after her heart was shattered by her childhood friend and crush Duke Aspen Greydon. But when Greydon appears after years away, and they reconnect. sparks begin to fly. Vesper must soon decide what is more important, her happiness, or keeping the Duke from meeting a terrible fate.
I thoroughly enjoyed this installment of Taming of the Dukes. I"m a huge fan of Howard's works and this one was no exception. I know every time I pick up a book from Amalie, I will fall into the story and love every second of it. The world she has built for this series is so much fun. I'm not a huge historical fiction reader but Howard makes being immersed with the dukes and duchess' of England a pleasure. It's obvious she has done her research and knows exactly how to write to show what she has learned.
I enjoyed the dual POV in this story. I love being able to get into each main character's head and watch their inner thoughts and turmoils. The characters in Howard's books are always so well developed. I loved Vesper and her confidence which was often overshadowed by her inability to quiet her mind. Despite this, she still manages to give herself selflessly to her causes. She's tenacious and vibrant and not afraid to lay her thoughts out for everyone to see. She's aware of her neurodivergence, even if she does not have a name for it. Aspen, on the other hand, is much more reserved. He holds back, a lot. And we see many familiar faces from Always Be My Duchess, reappear in this story: The Duke of Montcroix, Neve, and others. Plus the introduction of new characters like Cat (IFYKYK).
The pacing was easy with this book. I really didn't want to put it down, but work did call. I enjoyed the transitions from chapter to chapter. I also enjoyed how Howard pushed this book to be more modern in many of the thought processes of the characters. The FMC is definitely a feminist and often speaks of the in-equlity woman encounter. And the MMC is forging the way for humane treatment of people with mental disabilities. These were nice inclusions in the story. Plus Howard lends some nice spice to the story which was actually a little surprising with exactly how it took place, but exciting at the same time.
Overall I truly enjoyed this story and can't wait to see what characters' story Amalie tells next.
Author:
AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, most notably of The Beast of Beswick, “a smart, sexy, deliciously feminist romance,” and one of O-The Oprah Magazine’s Top 24 Best Historicals to Read. She is the co-author of the #1 bestsellers in regency romance and Scottish historical romance, My Rogue, My Ruin and What A Scot Wants, and has also penned several young adult novels, critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, School Library Journal, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Kid’s INDIE NEXT selection. Of Indo-Caribbean descent, she has written articles on multicultural fiction for The Portland Book Review and Ravishly magazine. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. Visit her at amaliehoward.com.
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