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 will be published on September 24 2024.
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