Ugh. A friends-to-lover arc is a bit of a risk to take as a debut (traditional!) author, and this ultimately didn’t pay off for me. We’re dropped in with the understanding these two love each other, but we’re hardly shown why. Instead, the subplots really overtake the story and bring it away from the romance at the center. It’s frustrating, as I love the author’s novellas, but it just took me a month (!!!) to finish this one.

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti A proper society lady who secretly running a circulating library with a special collection of femenist novels and sex education for the naive and unedcated ladies of the ton?? Selina is my queen. I cannot imagine how frightened and woe-prepared ladies were before marriages (typically releuntant or forced) when they are taught to never even touch a man's hand ungloved. :ady Selina Ravenscroft - you desere the world....or at the very least, a supportive hot duke.

“Good Lord, Selina. How did you even have time?”
“Honestly? I dislike French, watercolors, and needlework. Once I mastered dancing, there seemed to be plenty of hours to fill.” Lydia’s eyebrows rose. And then she started to laugh. Selina stared at her in horror.

“Oh God”— Lydia pressed her palms to her eyes, half bent over her lap—“ I am so sorry. I know this isn’t funny. But only you would turn up your nose at embroidery and resolve to overturn society in its stead.”

*The Duke, Peter, is an American, out of place in England
*Lady Selina secretly runs an erotica lending library
*Matchmaking gone awry
*Charming much younger half siblings the Duke is trying to gain custody of
*No third act breakup

Full of charm and steam, I adored Ne’er Duke Well; it’s the second book I’ve read by the author and I can’t wait to read more of her work.




Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

Ne'er Do Well is a fun and sexy historical romance that took me completely by surprise in the best of ways. I've never read anything by Vasti before, and I fell in love with her writing style. It's clever and funny at just the right moments and so swoon-worthy it swept me off my feet.

The story follows friends Lady Selina Ravenscroft and Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope. Peter wants to legally adopt his half-siblings even though they were never officially acknowledged by their father. If he marries, Peter will have a better case, and he turns to his friend Selina for help. Selina is a matchmaker, and she readily agrees to find Peter a wife. But as she looks for the right woman, she starts to think she might be the perfect fit.

Though she presents herself as a respectable innocent, in secret Selina runs a library that lends out erotic and sexual literature to women. She knows if her secret is found out, it would ruin not only her reputation but the reputation of those around her. She's a woman ahead of her time, and her secret job highlights the lack of information women had access to, especially when it came to their bodies and sexual health.

Peter is fabulous too, and I especially love how determined he is to do right by his siblings and the people who depend on him. He's an honorable man who never expected to inherit the title but does everything he can to make things work, even of it means marrying a woman he doesn't know well or love. Unfortunately, Selina wants to marry for love.

Selina and Peter have such a swoon-worthy friends-to-lovers romance. I loved their banter! It's fun and witty and sexy, and the spicy times are pretty steamy! Their relationship had so much chemistry, and the pining... loved it!! They are also super supportive of each other and work together as a team. Peter is as unconventional as Selina in his views, and I loved him even more for it.

I thought this was a great read. It's sexy and romantic, and it has a lot of humor and funny moments. The dialogue and banter are done so well, the secondary characters were as fun as the protagonists, and the kids! Peter's siblings are the best! I can't wait to read more by the author, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

4/5 ⭐️
This was fun and what I wanted right now. I think it is perfect for any fan of Bridgerton. The story’s plot followed a similar pattern to the early Bridgeton books. But also I think it’s similar to Polin’s story where the female is secretly in publishing, but done potentially better. At least the characters were better and more supportive. I think this could’ve done more. Like the plot felt a little superficial and I didn’t feel like I really got to see these two characters get to know each other and fall in love. But it was fine. It was an enjoyable quick read. I would recommend it to anyone needed something like Bridgerton.
Thank you to NetGalley and St
Martin’s Publishing for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I absolutely loved Alexandra Vasti's novella series and couldn't wait to pick up her first full length novel. Ne'er Duke Well is such a fun romp with interesting characters and a great storyline. Vasti really excels in world building and I liked the casual mentions of the characters from the novellas. I wasn't sure how it would work with a Louisiana Duke but it was done well.

Peter is a newly minted Duke who finds out he has a brother and sister that were not claimed by his father. He asks Selina for help in obtaining guardianship. She suggests finding him a wife in order to make himself more marketable to the guardianship board. Selina has a secret of her own. She is the owner of a secret library where women can get materials explaining all sort of forbidden topics all while being a society darling to the ton. Peter finds himself having a hard time focusing on the women Selina is recommending because he only has eyes for her.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I immediately added it to my TBR before this one was even finished. This was is an easy read. I would have bumped it to 5 stars if there wasn't a little annoying hiccup in the end. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Vasti, and St Martin's Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #alexandravasti #neerdukewell #stmartinspress

Ne'er Duke Well was a highly anticipated historical romance that I unfortunately struggled to get into.

A great portion of the book is spent with Selina trying to find Peter a marriage match, which is not my favorite trope.

Selina and Peter already liked each other at the beginning of the book; therefore, we didn't really get to see them fall in love and the reasons for not admitting their feelings were a bit frustrating.

I did find Peter's siblings cute, and the ending was sweet, but Ne'er Duke Well simply did not live up to my (possibly unreasonably high) expectations.

This book was high on my reading list for 2024, so I eagerly started it as soon as I got my hands on the ARC (Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley). Peter is a refreshing character who champions abolition passionately.
Selina is equally compelling outwardly a high-society figure but inwardly dedicated to feminist education. Their chemistry is palpable. When Peter seeks Selina's assistance to gain custody of his siblings, she devises a plan to find him a reputable wife, despite secretly wanting to be that person herself.
The narrative is steamy, heartwarming, and features charming children who enhance the story. The courtroom climax is particularly satisfying. This is a must-read for anyone who loves historical romance with substance.

I've been a fan of Alexandra Vasti's work since reading the Halifax Hellions novellas, so I was excited to see what she could do with a novel length story. I was not disappointed.
Ne'er Duke Well is such a joy to read. The writing is light and fun, but the story has very serious and poignant moments. The characters are complex and interesting while also being very funny and entertaining to read about. I loved the relationships between characters, particularly the friendships that Selina has. The smut is also excellent and never takes over the story despite there being quite a good amount of it.
I fell in love with the characters in Ne'er Duke Well and can't wait to read more about them in future books. And I can't wait to make my friends read this one.

I am typically not a historical romance fan. HOWEVER, this book has absolutely wormed its way into my heart and i am obsessed with it! Alexandra Vasti did such a fantastic job writing this book that I am absolutely going to be needing to read every book she has written and will come out with.
Selina and Peter was such a fun couple to get to know, and I could sense where the plot was going in a good way! I was able to enjoy it while also feeling giddy about where I thought it would end up. It was fun, easy to read, and had my attention from the start.
This was a very easy 5 star rating that left me satisfied but wanting more!

Let me start by saying that there wasn't a single second of this book that I didn't love!!

From the beginning, I was having a blast! The way the characters weee introduced worked wonders for me.

Selina was a damn GEM. Peter was wonderful. The way they stood up for their families no matter the cost. Their traumas shaped them but they made sure to better themselves in spite of it. I loved their communication, I loved their banter, the spice was SPICY. I loved their friends and their family. The resolution had me clapping and kicking my feet.

I am so exited about this debut and I cannot wait for everything else Alexandra Vasti is going to come out with next!

Thank you SMP and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new favorite historical rom-com! Ne'er Duke Well was such a delight! I was entertained from the very beginning with the fabulous cast of characters and their hijinks. Peter and Selina had such a wonderful relationship, and I really appreciated how they supported one another throughout the novel. I can't wait to read whatever Vasti comes out with next!

*Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #NeerDukeWell by Alexandra Vasti in exchange for an honest review.

What a great debut novel for Mrs. Vasti! This book is fun, heartwarming, and sexy - a great combination for a romance book. I enjoyed the characters and the story of Ne'er Duke Well and it sets us up for a great series of books. If you read this one and love it like I did, you should definitely check out her novellas - they are all great as well.

This was my first Alexandra Vasti book and I can’t wait to read the rest in the series (when they come out of course). In the mean time I already have her novellas on my tbr with the library 😬

Selina is a fixer. She fixes situations, circumstances and sometimes people. She is well loved by her family and the Ton. So when she meets Peter (the new Duke of Stanhope) and realizes she can help fix his guardianship situation she jumps right into planning. But her plan doesn’t go as she expected and she is about to need her own fixer for the scandal of the season.

This was really good! I truly enjoyed every minute of this story! Peter is the best kind of cinnamon roll MMC and there was no 3rd act breakup!!

This was really fun to read.

It started differently from a regency romance story. Instead of being only from her point of view, it was a dual POV. Instead of her wanting to get away from her family and marrying, she didn’t want to marry. Instead of the lady being a sunshine character, the Duke was.

The funny siblings were an added bonus.

Fun quick read. Quirky and cute and so much love!!!

What a fun summer read!
I don’t want to give too much away but I SO enjoyed this storyline. I loved Selina’s strength and the chemistry she shared with Peter. I’m a sucker for a good friends to lovers story plus the dialogue had me laughing out loud! I found the writing to be easy to read and entertaining. My only issue with the book is that there seems to be a lot going on, I would have liked more focus on their romance. That being said, I can’t wait to read what Vasti puts out next!
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. Selina and Peter were a lovely couple, and they faced a unique obstacle (being vague so as not to spoil). I really appreciated what Selina was trying to do for other women and enjoyed reading about a FMC who was smart and driven. At times I did feel the book’s pacing was a bit slow, but overall, this was a fun read. I’m excited to read the next one by this author!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was everything I wanted in a historical romance. It was sweet, with a good amount of pining, followed by a quick marriage because of a compromising situation, only to find out that you both love each other and it all works out! Honestly, this was a pleasure to read and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended for the historical romance reader.

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti is a perfect summer lighthearted read. The romance was perfection. The characters are well thought out and so much fun. You can tell that Vasti is a fan of the romance genre because she puts such care into creating this swoony romance read. The writing draws you in and keeps you hooked. I loved it and I know a lot of romance readers will love it, too!

Peter Kent has recently moved from New Orleans to England after unexpectedly inheriting a dukedom from his estranged father. Without trying, Peter's radical way of thinking and easygoing nature have garnered him quite a scandalous reputation amongst the ton. Peter wouldn't mind people gossiping about him behind his back, but all the talk is hindering him from his goal of gaining guardianship over his two half-siblings. So, Peter turns to his good friend, Lady Selina Ravenscroft, to help make him respectable.

To the eyes of the beau monde, Selina is the picture of what a respectable genteel woman should be, but she harbors a salacious secret of her own: she owns and runs a popular erotic lending library for women. When Peter comes to her for help, she tells him he must marry a lady of impeccable breeding. But Selina's matchmaking doesn't go as planned, and the more time Selina and Peter spend together, the more they fall for one another. Selina knows her secret would ruin Peter if it got out, but what's love without a little scandal?

I've only recently gotten into Vasti's work, but I'm having a great time. Her writing is witty, well-researched, and has the perfect balance of sweetness and steaminess. I love how she writes about headstrong women who aren't afraid to shirk conventions and live a life of their own. Selina is loyal and cares deeply for those around her. She'll stop at nothing to help them achieve their goals and is clever enough to make it happen. Watching her and Peter's relationship blossom was such a treat. Peter was such a stand-up guy. Not only would he do anything for his siblings (who are such a delight, especially Lu), but how he stood by Selina's side and encouraged and supported her endeavors proved what a class act he was, and how completely smitten he was from the start. If you're a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, I can't recommend this one enough.