This book was my first time reading a historical romance, and I absolutely loved it!

Ne'er Duke Well is a regency-era romance that tells the story of Peter Kent, an American transplant who has inherited his father's title of the Duke of Stanhope, and his quest to gain guardianship of his two younger half-siblings. Peter Kent is a bit of a mess though - he is loud and outspoken, and hasn't yet grasped the way the British Aristocracy behaves, and this is proving to be his biggest obstacle. Enter Lady Selina, who has decided that Peter needs to get married in order to turn his reputation around, and has volunteered to play matchmaker for Peter. We all know how this goes....

This book feels like a Bridgerton rom-com, and I loved every bit of it. Can't wait for the sequel to come out!

When you read a lot of historical romance, you get sick of the same storyline. That’s why this book was such a refreshing story. You don’t normally get to read about a circulating Library, strictly for women during the Regency era to educate them about their bodies, wedding night, and their sexual nature.
Peter Kent is a newly appointed Duke and Society doesn’t necessarily except him since he grew up in America. He doesn’t care what the ton think as long as he can get custody of his younger brother and sister that he recently found out about. That where our heroine, Lady Selina, steps in. There’s an undeniable attraction and history between the two, but Selena is determined to ignore that in order to help Peter secure the petition to adopt his siblings. So she Decides that the Best way for Peter to appear scandal free is to marry. Of course things don’t go as planned and craziness with the kids, potential brides and more create such a fun story.
I came for the romance and independent heroine, but fell for Peter’s siblings. My first By Alexandra Vasti, but definitely not my last as I run to check out her backlist. I highly recommend this historical romance as a fun and easy beach read.

Included as a top pick in weekly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I didn’t realize this was a debut novel until the end of the book. I thought for sure there was a whole set of books in this universe, because of how filled out the side characters were. I was thinking I’d be going back to read the books about other couples now that I finished this one- instead I’m hoping for more on some of Selina’s friends!

I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot in this. Marriage of convenience turning into real love (well, was on the way real love before the marriage), Selina’s work! Omg I just loved her. Peter’s love of his siblings! Perfect. The two of them together? Loved it so much.

When Peter arrived in England from America after unexpectedly becoming a Duke, he discovers he has a half-brother and sister. He wants guardianship but there are obstacles. He must appear before the Chancellor of the High Court to get his approval. Too bad the Chancellor despises him because he's American and a radical. And, oh yes, that little incident with bootleg alcohol! He seeks Selena's help. He knows her to be capable of managing any situation. She decides he would stand a better chance of getting custody if he were married to a perfectly English, scandal-free wife. She puts up a few of her friends as candidates. Despite their attraction, Selena knows she can't be his wife. She's the secret owner and manager of a salacious circulating library for women. If word got out it would ruin his chances of gaining custody. I enjoyed how Peter comes up with a resolution, the rallying of family and friends, and the comical climax at court.

Peter Kent, newly minted Duke of Stanhope was hoping to become the guardian to his half sister and brother, Lu and Freddie. In order to increase his chances he asked for assistance from the Duke of Rowland and his sister Selina. Selina takes it upon herself to assist Peter by introducing him to several women of good standing in society who would make him a good Duchess and also help him try to win over Lord Eldon, who would be deciding if he would be awarded guardianship over the children. Peter tried to court each of the women Selina introduced him to but he could not gain traction with any of them because he was attracted to Selina and she was attracted to him as well. Although the story started off slowly while the author was setting up the plot, it was intriguing and after the main characters realized their mutual attraction the storyline sped up and their interactions were red hot and intense. I have been waiting to read this story as soon as I saw the first blurbs from the author and I was not disappointed in reading it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was a delightful book. Peter Kent, Duke of Stanhope, wants to become the guardian of his half siblings. To be able to do this he needs all the help he can get. The help comes in the form of Lady Selina Ravenscroft. Lady Selina is convinced that if Duke Stanhope marries the right woman, his problems will be solved. She does everything she can to find this woman.
Needless to say, things do not go according to Lady Ravenscroft’s plans.

The book was a great debut novel from Alexandra Vasti. It is funny with its fair share of steam. Parts are laugh out loud. I loved every moment of this book and look forward to more from Ms Vasti.

Beautiful book, gorgeously written, with vivid characters. Selina and Peter are perfect of each other and their banter is witty and hilarious. The side characters also are so intriguing that I’d like to know all their stories in detail, and not only Selina’s friends who will have their own books (and I can’t wait to read them!). The only thing that I found a little strange is that the book lacks a little world-building. I just felt I was thrown in the middle of a story that had already started somewhere in the past… There’s just a fleeting mention of Selina and Peter’s first meeting, but when the book starts there’s already this mutual attraction that seems to come from nowhere. But the steamy and emotional lovemaking scene more than compensate for this little flaw. Five well-earned stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Libro.fm for an advance copy.

I loved his lazy New Orleans accent set next to this bright English accent in the narration. He’s trying to get custody of his two half siblings and needs to scheme to get his custody agreement approved.

I love them. She wants to marry him off and he just wants her. The chemistry they have is delightful. They blessedly get together fairly early in the book and the plot shifts to how they’re going to get these children into their home.

They lost me a little bit toward the end because everyone has like three names and I got lost.

The narration by Mhairi Morrison was spectacular as ever. She’s done all of Alexandra Vasti’s books so far I believe and they are such a soothing listen.

I loved Vasti's novellas so I knew I would love her novel debut, and I wasn't disappointed! She is so good at crafting characters and including the juiciest historical details, like Selina's erotic library for women—all the books mentioned are real! Highly recommend if you want a fun (and very steamy!) historical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was so sweet! I don't read very many period romances and this was definitely a great one for me to jump in with. I loved both of the main characters and how they were fully their own people while also being incredibly great together. The family dynamic was *chef's kiss* and the side characters were well-developed.

There was perhaps a little too much fit into the book? But that's really my only quibble. 4.5/5.

I loved this fresh historical romance, where the women are feminists even within the framework of the time. Vasti creates nuanced and layered characters--even supporting characters. Peter and Selina are fabulous and reading Selina's failed attempts to matchmake Peter was a delight.

Audio specific🎧: I had the ALC and the narrator did a really great job! I sometimes have a hard time with single narration, but Mhairi Morrison nearly made me forget it wasn’t dual narration with her voice work for New Orleans Duke Peter Kent. I’ll definitely look for more audiobooks with her as the narrator!

Review📖: I haven’t read many historicals and this was a breath of fresh air. I loved the highjinks Selina and Peter got into on their journey to marry Peter off. Both of them were people with great intentions and yet things went awry so often. Peter won me over with how he responded to the conflicts they came across, and that he didn’t really care what society thought of him, aside from it effecting his attempt to gain custody of his siblings. Selina was never afraid to risk her reputation to educate the women around her with her secret venture, until she knew it could put Peter at risk too. This was a spicy read and you could definitely feel the chemistry between Selina and Peter. The side characters we met were charming and I quite enjoyed their personalities and dialogue.

This opened the historical romance genre up for me and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future!

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media and Alexandra Vasti for the advanced copy to review! All opinions are my own*

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti is Vasti’s debut novel which is a historical romance about a woman playing matchmaker for her friend who is in need of an improved reputation.

Peter Kent is the new Duke of Stanhope who spent his life in Louisiana. He has returned to England to take his place as duke and found out he has two half-siblings, who seem less than pleased about him. He wishes to take custody of them, but because of his reputation, he would most likely lose the case. Peter enlists the help of Lady Selina Ravenscroft, a friend who recommends he find a wife who will smooth over his reputation. Selina would not consider herself though, as she secretly runs an erotic circulating library. Sparks fly between them as they find a way for Peter to gain custody of the children.

This was such a fun read! It was funny, sweet, and a page turner! It reminded me of Emma very much except Peter is nicer and better humored than Mr. Knightley. I loved the chemistry between Selina and Peter. I also thought it was hilarious that everyone else could see their sparks flying except themselves. Selina’s secretive publishing was also fun to read about, especially with how careful she had to be to make sure no one found out about her identity. I can’t wait for the next one, which is about Selina’s best friend, Lydia.

If you like historical romance, friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, or forced marriage, then this book is for you! Thank you Alexandra Vasti and NetGalley for the ARC!

I wanted to love this, and while it was fine, it felt a bit lacking in the romance department. The focus seemed to be too much on the side plots involving the heroine’s business ventures and the hero’s trying to obtain guardianship of his half siblings. While I understand both were important facets of the story, in that they were a big part in why they got married, it just seemed to be too much. The balance should’ve been a bit more on the romance. Otherwise, what was the point really in this being a romance?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Peter Kent is new to London. He inherited his late father’s home and title, and now he’s the Duke of Stanhope and needing to become a respected member of society. Born and raised in New Orleans, he doesn’t stand on propriety much. But he has a younger half-brother and half-sister, and he is hoping to become their legal guardian. He needs the family court in England to allow him to take the kids in, so he can keep them safe and raise them with love and good humor.

Lady Selina Ravenscroft has a soft spot for the new duke. She thinks highly of how he’s passionately against slavery and willing to speak up about that, and she likes that he wants to take in his siblings and raise them himself. She understands it would easier for him to get custody if he had a wife. And while she is find of him, she cannot be the one to marry him. Because Lady Selina has a secret that could ruin them all if she were.

Selina puts together a short list of distinguished women who would all help ease Peter’s way into London society. He meets with them all, and after not only getting to know them all but heling to rescue a small dog that was stuck in the water, he has made his choice. The Duke of Stanhope wishes to marry . . . Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

She refuses because she has been running a library of scandalous books geared towards women. Lady Selina knew of a woman who had gotten pregnant without knowing how it had happened, and she realized that women were woefully unprepared for relationships and wanted to do something about that. Her patrons are discreet about the books they borrow from the library, but no secret is safe forever. Selina knows that at some point, some of the more self-righteous in society could come after her for her library, and she will be forced to leave London in shame. She has a contingency plan already in place.

But what she doesn’t have a plan for is how to deal with the fact that she is falling quite hard for the Duke of Stanhope. Peter is turning out to be intelligent, funny, charming, and very attractive. Selina finds herself jealous of the women she tried to set him up with. Although she needn’t be. The Duke only has eyes for her.

How will they resolve their feelings for each other, while trying to make the duke more respectable and keeping Lady Selina from being the center of a huge scandal, all while keeping the duke’s half-siblings safe? Is there a world where a London Lady and an American Duke can find love, or will everything collapse around them?

Ne’er Duke Well is a steamy Regency romance where love and logic compete. Both Peter and Selina are strong characters and devoted to their purpose in life, but those purposes seem to keep them apart. As their attraction grows, so does the heat, and the scenes in this book could put any of those titles in Selina’s secret library to shame. But there is also a lot of heart and humor as these lovers try to make the world a better place.

I listened to the audio book of Ne’er Duke Well, and I thought narrator Mhairi Morrison added a lot of texture to these character’s insights. She brought the voices of Peter and Selina to life through their arguments and bed sports, and made this a very enjoyable listen. I did think that her narration was a touch slow, which fits with the duke’s New Orleans background, but I did speed up the narration just a little so it wasn’t quite so languid to listen to. But I think that’s a personal choice, and it was lovely at normal speed also. I was really happy with Ne’er Duke Well. I thought it balanced important subjects with humor and brought the heat to this charming summer read.

A copy of the audio book for Ne’er Duke Well was provided by Dreamscape Media, and egalleys were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

What a joy of a book! I want to be adopted by the Ravenscroft family and live in the world that Vasti created. I absolutely loved the sweet, chaotic mess that was Peter. And really, he isn't that messy. All he does is with the best of intentions and pure heart. He was gone for Selina from the beginning and did a very bad job hiding it--except from Selina. She was oblivious to it all--including her own feelings for Peter. She just assumed that she felt annoyance for Peter and that was why she couldn't stop thinking about him. HA! And while Selina isn't a true grump, she is definitely less of a sunshine than Peter. She also means well when trying to set him up with various ladies to help him get custody of his half siblings but is not a fan of plans going sideways. They were a perfect match.

And while it felt like the relationship between Peter and Selina was settled early on, the happy ending was still far in the distance. Vasti would wrap up a plot point and I thought, but now what? And she would show me exactly what! I loved it. Because while they were together, they still hadn't confessed their feelings for one another. And once they do that, there is still the matter of Peter's siblings. The HEA cannot be achieved until all storylines are settled. I found myself very emotional at the end and often more emotional at the scenes with Peter and his siblings because they felt so real and raw.

If you like:
Found family
Endearing sunshine and Type A, Please stay in your lane
How did this American become the duke?!?!
Matchmaking
Matchmaking gone wrong
Secret naughty bookseller
Sexy times

And yes, this is a historical romance but that is the time in which the book is set. Fans of contemporary romance and rom coms will also enjoy this book immensely. TRUST ME!

One of my favorite books of the year.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, sweet, kept me reading and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

A sweet, spicy, easy to read historical romance.

Selina is considerate and thoughtful. Peter is impulsive and passionate. Together they’re a perfect match.

They initially try to deny their attraction, each believing they’re not fit for the other. But eventually those feelings boil over and leave them little choice but to give in.

I enjoyed their chemistry and flirtations. It was definitely the highlight of the book for me. The spice was also decent.

While Peter’s siblings guardianship was the catalyst of the book but, unlike the characters, I really had no doubt he’d win his petition for custody of them. So admittedly I was just in this for the romance.

Overall, I had fun. It isn’t something I imagine myself re-reading but I have zero regrets about reading it.

Who doesn’t love the charm of a Southern gentleman? Lady Selena, that’s who! At least that’s what she tells herself that she tries to not fall in love with Peter, the exceedingly chivalrous and well-being, American Duke from Louisiana.

Peter is a need of a ducal overhaul to help him gain custody of his younger half siblings and can’t think of anyone better to help him achieve his goal than the very respectable lady Selena.

Finding herself not only smitten with the Duke, but his siblings as well. Selena makes it her mission to put this family back together. And she has a great solution- find Peter a respectable wife!

As they try out her matchmaking scheme, it starts looking more and more like Peter’s perfect match is Selena… Selena is hesitant to fall for the Duke because she has secrets of her own!

This was such a fun and delightful romance. Both of these characters were so easy to root for. I fell in love with the southern charm from peters Louisiana roots the moment he stepped onto the page! Selena’s industrious attitude, determination to fix the wrongs done to her and help others made her heroin that you could easily support and side with.

Overall, this is a historical romance that needs to be on your reading list for 2024! Why haven’t you started reading it yet?!?!