Review: The Worst Duke in London (Taming of the Dukes #3) by Amalie Howard

                                                     

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Forever, Grand Central Publishing (September 24, 2024)

From Goodreads.com: Lady Evangeline Raine prefers animals to people and has no interest in marriage­--much to the dismay of her flirty younger sister, Viola. Because their father has one rule: Viola may be courted, only if Effie has a suitor as well.

Saddled with debt, Gage Croft, Duke of Vale, is determined to rebuild his estates. When the owner of his vowels offers him a fortune to charm the impervious Lady Evangeline for the season so Lady Viola can be courted, the game is on, even if it means pretending to seduce an unconventional wallflower.

But Gage gets much more than he bargains for in an adversary who wants to make her own scandalous arrangement. Effie will go to London for the season, but only if Gage agrees to be her lover. Yet when their fake courtship leads to passionate feelings, will their indecent proposal end with the season or be the start of something real?

  

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

This book was..... something. Even though it is the third book in a series, it was a complete stand alone that I was easily able to follow. I liked the chemistry between Gage and Evangeline and how easily the banter flowed between them, there were even moments I found myself giggling at some of their antics. 

Sadly those things were by far overshadowed with other things that were wholly un-necessary to the story. Whether it be plot-lines that did nothing but add to the word count (seriously what was the point of having a hedgehog and her two babies come into the breakfast room causing Viola to screech, and Evangeline to scoop them up to have them returned to the kitchen before going to wash her hands? We already know she has a soft spot for animals and rescues all kinds, it just wasn't needed). Or it was the consistent sexual innuendos and play between these two. Now listen, I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, I just want more than smut with little fillers of conversation and movement thrown in here and there. I'm also still trying to figure out how Evangeline managed to catch a hackney to Gage's house whilst wearing only her shoes, gloves, and a cloak. There is no way she was able to keep covered enough that the driver and Gage's butler didn't know she wore nothing underneath. And can we talk about that stupid glove removing scene? 

Another thing that bothered me about this one was that I really could have done without the repeated lectures on how women were looked at back then, and how they have their own minds and thoughts and blah blah blah. For a book that was supposedly set during regency (I think) times, this one felt entirely more modern. From some of the language,  to the way some of the characters acted (in what world would a peer of the realm, Evangeline's titled father none the less, exclaim "Down with the Patriarchy!" even if only to his daughter)? Things like that just weren't done.

Overall, this book missed the mark for me, but I can see it being favorable to those who enjoy her other works.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.