Never Met a Duke Like You

September 4, 2023
Howard (Always Be My Duchess) pairs unconventional aristocrats in this page-turning Victorian romance. Beautiful, lively, and beloved by society, self-proclaimed matchmaker Lady Vesper Lyndhurst embodies all the virtues of the perfect duke’s daughter—except that she’s disinterested in matrimony. In her mind, no man measures up to Aspen Drake, the Duke of Greydon, her childhood friend, neighbor, and longtime crush. Seven years after he spurned her during her debutante season, Aspen finally returns to England from his study of fossils abroad. Thrown together by Aspen’s work with Vesper’s father on a bill advocating for more humane treatment of those with mental illness, Aspen taunts Vesper incessantly, though his belief that she is merely a spoiled aristocrat is dispelled when he learns of her sometimes-dangerous charitable pursuits volunteering in the seediest parts of London. As he comes to see her unexpected depths, his attraction to her grows, and the taut romantic tension eventually gives way to some truly sizzling sex scenes. Meanwhile, Howard treats the 19th-century milieu as more than just set dressing, enriching the narrative with cameos from real historical figures advocating reform. Howard’s admirable and progressive protagonists and Clueless-inspired plot are sure to have readers charmed. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

October 1, 2023
Howard follows up Always Be My Duchess (2022) with another historical rom-com. Lady Vesper Lyndhurst sees herself as a successful London matchmaker but has no intention of finding a match for herself. In the past, she imagined a future with her neighbor and childhood best friend Aspen Drake, now the Duke of Greydon, but they had a falling out years ago. Aspen has been in America digging for fossils, but now he's back home and intends to find justice for his father, who died in an asylum after he was unjustly committed by Aspen's wicked mother. When Aspen and Vesper find themselves accidentally locked in an attic together, their antagonism quickly turns into desire they try to deny. Vesper agrees to help Aspen find a match for his mother's ward, Judith, but as their lives become increasingly intertwined and complicated, their attraction becomes impossible to ignore. Veteran romance novelist Howard's latest is a very mixed bag. The inevitable conflicts between the clearly-made-for-each-other leads are overly drawn out; several plot elements are underdeveloped and add little emotional or dramatic heft; some scenes feel like unnecessary filler. However, the historical setting is rich and clearly well researched, Vesper and Aspen engage in delightfully sharp banter, and their characterizations are enriched by Vesper's ADHD (mentioned in an author's note as it would not have been diagnosed at the time) and Aspen's passion for changing the Lunacy Act. Fun but forgettable.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 15, 2023
Given her successful matchmaking track record, Vesper Lyndhurst is happy to assist Aspen Drake, the duke of Greydon, with finding a suitable husband for his family's ward, Judith Thornton. Vesper is willing to take on this project even though Aspen, her old childhood friend, broke Vesper's heart seven years ago. However, the Aspen Vesper once knew is nothing like the new version, who has recently returned from digging up dinosaur bones in America. If anything, Aspen is even more maddeningly attractive, not to mention annoyingly argumentative, than ever before. Howard (Always Be My Duchess, 2022) once again deftly brings two characters together through quippy banter a l� Jane Austen while expertly choreographing a sizzling dance of seduction between her two protagonists that would have the author of Emma searching for a fan. Combine this with a thoughtfully developed, neurodivergent heroine and an intriguing plot that offers insights into the attempts to reform the treatment of mental illness in the Victorian era, and you have a love story that is both smart and sexy.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 27, 2023

Howard continues her "Taming of the Dukes" series, after Always Be My Duchess, with a bright, charming love story of childhood friends and second chances with shades of Jane Austen and the '90s rom-com Clueless. Lady Vesper Lyndhurst is the perfectly proper daughter of a duke, at least by appearance, who has sworn off romance but found a knack for matchmaking. Aspen, Duke of Greydon, is the estranged childhood friend of Lady Vesper, back in town from America to address his estate's funds as well as rumors of his death abroad. Sparks fly between the two immediately, hindered by miscommunication and pride as well as a welcome focus on weightier issues from both: Vesper is devoted to uplifting and educating the poor while Greydon works passionately for asylum reform. This depth of character combines with snappy dialogue and simmering sexual tension, doing justice to the story as a romance and as an homage to a romantic comedy classic. VERDICT Readers who enjoy a sense of modernity in their historical romance will enjoy the witty back-and-forth between "Lady Viper" and "Lord Ass," even as the story explores the less romantic aspects of Regency society.--Meagan Day

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.