There’s a lot of good in this book, especially Peter Kent. The duke was likable, sweet, brash yet caring - all good things. Selina had much depth written about her, but I didn’t feel it as much as read it on the page of that makes sense. I think the romance would have benefited from some flash backs to their initial meeting years prior or more details of the relationship. That would have added to the tension. I enjoyed the plot but there was a lot going on. If you enjoy punchy female main characters and a stand up good guy, with plenty of hijinks you may enjoy this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I loves this book! The author is very talented and there were plenty of steamy moments. I look forward to the next title!

I like to start by thanking the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book. To be completely honest, it was not my favorite book that I’ve read this year. Not bad, but not one I would highly recommend to others.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: July 23, 2024
Pages: 304

Ne’er Duke Well is a first time ready by Alexandra Vasti, new author to this reader. What I can say about this book is that is was such a wonderful historical romance novel. This was a well-written, and well-developed story and has scandal and social awareness in this delightful and steamy regency romp. I was never disappointed chapter by chapter until the very end. The characters a loveable and engaging…Peter is charming, and Selina is brazen but somehow the two clicked together. I found myself smiling throughout the story…leaving me thinking more of this being a rom-com type of read. There is tension, banter and plenty of steamy attraction that I like in my historical reads. I really enjoyed this book and recommend the read. Kudos to Ms. Vasti on a job well done.

3.5 stars rounded up
I really liked this story. I was surprised by how much substance there was to it. The author’s note at the end described how a lot of the characters were based on real people and real opinions of the time, but the author added touches of romantic whimsy that were very charming.

While this is a romance, there are several clear problems in the plot. There is a lot of pieces to this plot and they are separate from the romance. It felt like the romance was secondary, which was nice. The characters developed together and felt three dimensional because they had backstory and problems to solve before the end of the story. It was very satisfying how intertwined all the pieces were. In addition, the problems and the story is resolved well in a way that felt complete but also realistic, or at least as realistic as a historically based romance will get. This was an easy read with many elements to keep you interested.

There’s lots of scandal to keep the characters busy and to keep you guessing. The romance is sweet. It’s not insta-love, which I am not a fan of reading. The characters fell in love gradually and naturally. It’s an almost, but not quite enemies-to-lovers plot. The story was paced well too. The action starts right away but I didn’t feel like I was racing along.

There is some on page spice and some discussion of 19th century erotica. It’s light and not really central to the plot.

I highly recommend this novel. It’s kind of like the first season of the Bridgerton tv show with more substance and more of a plot; I didn’t read those novels, so I have no idea how it compares. If you like romance, mystery and easy reads, this is probably for you.

“Ne’er Duke Well” 5/5⭐️

(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book and its audiobook!)

I’ve been on a historical romance kick since I finished Bridgerton season 3 😌 Naturally, I had to read this book.

“Ne’er Duke Well” follows Selina Ravenscroft as she attempts to find the perfect wife for Peter Kent, the Duke of Stanhope. Peter is desperate to obtain guardianship of his younger siblings, so the New Orleans native must become respectable in the eyes of London society. However, Selina has secrets of her own that may prove disastrous when attraction grows between the two of them.

Let me tell you, I am OBSESSED with this book. Peter and Selina are so perfect to me. I adore female characters like Selina who are clever and subvert expectations. I also cannot get over how much Peter admires her 🥹 Their mutual respect and care for one another was to die for. Furthermore, witnessing two characters COMMUNICATE so well was a breath of fresh air. (Unnecessary miscommunication is my biggest pet peeve in romance books.)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves witty female characters and historical romances.

I believe this is the first time I read a regency steamy romance novel and let me tell you it was so entertaining!
The novel follows Lady Selina Ravenscroft, who is an accomplished clever young lady and is also always plotting something. What would be her new plot? Securing the new Duke of Stanhope the guardianship of this two half siblings. How will she do it? Getting him a wife to make him look more respectable to the society and less of a radical politician.
Of course she herself is out of the list of wife proposals, not because of lack of attraction which is evident, but because she is the secret owner of a library with a special section only for women, this in order to have a sex education and not being in the dark.
This was a well written, fast paced read and very much enjoyable, definitely would recommend.
My rating: 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first time reading this author. This book had good character development, well rounded secondary characters, loads of chemistry between the hero and heroine and scorching love scenes. Peter was not raised to become the Duke of Stanhope, but inherits the title anyway. Along the way, he discovers he has a half sister and half brother who have been orphaned and are left to the guardianship of people who don’t really care for them. Having had a tough childhood himself, Peter wants, guardianship of the children and will do anything.he needs to do to get it. Peter seeks advice from Selena on how to obtain guardianship of his siblings. Selena concocts a plan to make Peter more worthy of guardianship by marrying him to someone who is highly respected in the ton. From the beginning, Peter and Selena are attracted to each other, but Selena does not put herself in the running to marry Peter because she knows that she has a secret that she fears will destroy her reputation and if she were married to Peter, it might destroy his reputation and his chance to get guardianship of his siblings. Although Peter tries courting the women, Selena outlines as most likely to benefit his quest for guardianship, Peter only has eyes for Selena. Eventually, Peter and Selena can’t resist their attraction to one another and they end up married. After they are married, they are forced to face Selena‘s secret. Selena is prepared to leave Peter to save him and help him get custody of the children. For Peter, this is simply not acceptable. Peter does all he can to fight for Selena and for his fledgling family. The end result just might be a happily ever after!

Ne’er Duke Well is a delightful historical rom-com, and I loved that Vasti doesn’t shy away from the comedy part of rom-com. I found myself laughing out loud at all the hilarious antics.

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope, is a transplant from New Orleans, and he has quickly developed a reputation as a radical. He’s fighting for guardianship of his two half-siblings, and he needs to find a respectable duchess to improve his standing—and that’s where Lady Selina Ravenscroft comes in.

She offers to help him find his perfect match. She never considers herself as an option because she has a scandalous secret of her own: she owns and operates an erotic library specifically for women. What neither of the expects is the attraction that blossoms between the two of them. Will her secret jeopardize both his guardianship and their love? Or will love conquer all?

If you are obsessed with historical romance like me or even if you’ve never read a single historical and are wondering if you might like the genre—Ne’er Duke Well would be a great one to pick up!

And then once you read this one, circle back and read her trilogy of historical novellas. They, too, are perfection. Thank you to SMP Romance for my advance review copy.

This regency romance draws you in from the very beginning - I could not put it down.
Peter and Selina captured my heart almost instantly. Peter wants to be the guardian to his two half-siblings and Selina sets out to make him more respectable by seeing him married. She tries to pair him off with a few potentially good matches, but quickly she realizes they are perfect for each other even though she harbours a secret that could compromise his standing. There is a lot of humming and hah-ing on her part, but he won’t have it. The chemistry between is strong and I had a lot of fun reading their adventures - both of them have such big hearts. There were a number of rather funny moments and the side characters were equally as delightful as the main characters. The story is told from both Peter and Selina’s points of view. Our MCs end up together about mid-way through the book, so the reader does not have to suffer through a third-act break-up. The reader is rewarded with tantalizing tension for the first half of the book and with some spice in the second half. The main conflict resolves in a very satisfying manner with the humour that we’ve come to expect from the rest of the story - it did not disappoint.
I recommend this book for lovers of romance, books centred around family, and historical fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is such a nice, fresh, sweet read. It's hard to go wrong with regency romances, but I love the style of this one in particular. Alexandra Vasti raised the bar higher, in my opinion.

Lady Selina is such an admirable, clever heroine, and Peter is.. basically perfect. Of course. I loved how central their love for their families was to the story, and I just adored Lu and Freddie. I was definitely waiting for Selina and Lu to spar, but after that ending I won't complain too much.

I feel it important to include a thank you to the author for the information that she provided in her Author's Note. One of my favorite parts of delving into historical fiction is comparing then/now, what was accurate/inaccurate, and learning more about the time period.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy!

Thank you to NetGalley & St Martins Press for allowing me to be an ARC reader on this book. All opinions are my own!

If you’re a Bridgerton fan I think you’d definitely enjoy this book! Set in regency England we get all the fun things that you see in the Bridgerton series. Ladies navigating the marriage mart, scandals, gossip, and a swoony and sweet Duke with love confessions. Plus a FMC who has secrets that must not be revealed.. the scandal would be catastrophic for her and those around her.

I loved these characters and this setting! It truly felt like I was right there along side them experiencing these things with them. The characters were well developed and so often did I feel myself finding empathy for them and cheering them on! I think my favorite character was Peter. His arc was my favorite and I loved how much he both cared for his siblings and prioritized Selina and his relationship with her.

Overall I would definitely recommend this if you’re a fan of historical romance and Bridgerton!

This book was such a fun read! I was looking forward to it since reading the author’s novellas, and it was worth the wait. Selina and Peter had me smiling and laughing with their antics, their chemistry, and quick banter. While some children in stories can be irritating, Lu and Freddie are not. They have great personalities, are funny, and I loved how they supported each other. The secondary characters are worthy of their own stories, which I hope to see in the near future.

If you are looking for a new author, who writes great romantic comedy, with lovable characters look no further than Alexandra Vasti. You will be delighted to read Selina and Peter’s story; Peter will be your new book boyfriend!

Thank you to Alexandra Vasti, St. Martin’s Publishing, and Netgalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily read the book and gladly leave my unbiased opinion.

Fans of Bridgerton and Emma will enjoy this book. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but by the enjoyed I really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and Griffin for an advanced copy!

This was an absolute delight from beginning to end. Both MCs are so darned likable. The secondary characters are all so well thought out, they each deserve their own story. This is a story where everyone has the best of intentions for everyone else, so naturally everything than can go wrong, does. Author Alexandra Vasti has created absolute joy.

Ne'er Duke Well is an utterly charming regency romance! It has some of the best tropes. Peter is down bad for Selina. I love that their romance motivation starts as a quest to get custody of his illegitimate siblings. The siblings are funny and they build a little family together. There are some seriously funny scenarios too! You'll laugh and feel warm and fuzzy reading this. The library plot is also glorious. Selina is a real boss!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC!

Ne’er Duke Well is the perfect book for someone looking for a historical romcom that is a little more than just a romance. It has a lot of memorable and fun characters and family is a huge theme throughout.

Peter is the newly inherited Duke of Stanhope, just moved to London, looking to gain guardianship of his half-siblings. Except British society doesn’t accept this foreign Duke and his wild political views. His acquaintance, Selina volunteers to help and comes up with the perfect scheme to find him a respectable British wife. But he’s wondering why she left her name off the list.

Even though Selina and Peter eventually enter into a marriage of convenience, you cannot deny their chemistry (which lead to some great spicy moments) and their love born from friendship and respect for each other. We loved how much Peter wanted guardianship of Lu and Freddie and how Selina joined the fight. They were loving and loyal and eventually bonded over their love of family.

Selina has her own things to worry about as she’s trying to reunite Peter and his siblings. She has a secret life as the owner of Belvoir’s a library used to educate and empower women in the ton. We especially loved this part of the book. A little feminism during that era is always welcome.

Read if you like:
▪️Regency romance & everything that goes along with it!
▪️Friends to lovers
▪️Marriage of convenience
▪️Found Family
▪️No third act break-up!

Peter Kent, an American and the new Duke of Stanhope, who never expected to inherit, wants to gain custody of his 2 illegitimate half siblings. Selina, who is running a circular library with a secret catalog of erotica (to help educate women), agrees to help Peter find a wife. I liked the main characters, both are only trying to help people, and then each other. It is an interesting and entertaining story, and has some humor, but is not as funny as the Halifax novellas, which I really enjoyed.
I received a free copy via NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I loved this and it was so nice to read after binging Bridgerton and I needed MORE. The author gave me exactly that.
The FMC gave me Penelope x Eloise vibes and I absolutely love them so of course I loved Selena. She is independent, caring, and co-owns a library with her brother that also contains an erotic catalog? Sign me up.
There was a lot going on but it was all very entertaining and wrapped up pretty quickly at the end. I will say that at about 75% in, it felt a bit slow but then picked up after 85%. I would’ve liked to see the first meeting with the two main characters included. I’d give the spice about 2.5 🌶️. There wasn’t very many spicy scenes but you do certainly get a picture of the two MCs feelings for each other!
I do hope Vasti makes this a series, would love to see other characters and their stories continue!
Thank you to net galley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Happy pub day to this delightful debut! I’d been looking forward to Ne’er Duke Well since last year, and eagerly devoured Vasti’s Halifax Hellions Series and Chemistry of Familiar Objects in anticipation. Vasti’s novellas were a wonderful peek into her talent as a writer and her deep knowledge of the regency period. Ne’er Duke Well only built off of that talent for a wonderfully fun and heartwarming debut romance.

Peter and Selina were wonderful leads who complimented each other perfectly. Vasti balances the humor with the emotional like no one else. Her writing reminds me of the fun I had when I first discovered the Bridgerton books, but Vasti’s books are a breath of fresh air in the historical romance genre, which historically has been bogged down by misogynistic leads. Vasti’s modern take on the genre is one her top strengths as well as her depth of knowledge on British literature and history.

My only issue with the book was the pacing, particularly at the beginning. For the first couple chapters, I felt like I was scrambling to get my footing with the characters and their stories. We’re told that Peter and Selina have known each other for two years, with a vast array of wild meetings, including Peter finding her swimming at her home, Peter thinking she was bucked off her horse, and the two of them falling into the mud together. We’re left wondering about their first meetings and scrambling to understand how they’ve thought about each other since. I would have loved to linger in those feelings longer. The confusing feelings of attraction, intrigue, and lust. While this doesn’t necessarily detract from their connection and love later on in the book, it did make it hard for me to get into the story.

I cannot wait to see what Vasti does next!