This was such a delightful historical romance! The storyline of getting custody of the children especially tugged at my heartstrings. I loved both Selina and Stanhope so much, and am looking forward to more in this world from Vasti!

THANK YOU to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
And ohhh, how I absolutely adored this! This book seriously has it all: wit, charm, swoon-worthy chemistry, interesting side characters, and... a CAT! !

The plot flowed so well, in my opinion. Nothing felt jumbled, too drawn out or pointless; Selina deals with many anxieties throughout, from managing the bookshop, to wanting to be with Peter, and then wanting to STAY with Peter... it was great to see those anxieties die at her feet! Because at every point she thought she couldn't do itᅳPeter was there for her to lean on.
Those two have SUCH great connection, and I think Peter is one of the best romance heroes I've read in a long while! The way he refuses to let Selina give up, and instead wants to face their problems together, shows so much love and commitment that we don't see NEARLY enough in romance novelsᅳno miscommunication trope to be seen here! !

If you love a good historical romance with passionate, relatable characters, this book is a must-read!

This was surprisingly my first Regency era novel and I’m glad it was! It was delightful.

Despite being labeled a romance, I felt that the romance aspect wasn’t the main focus of the story. I wish we spent more time building the tension, but I still enjoyed Peter, MMC, and Selina, FMC, working towards being strong partners for one another, figuring out how to go about Selina’s “scandal”, and securing custody of Peter’s half siblings.

I did get a bit bored near the end, though. Hence the 4 stars. But I’m really looking forward to Lydia’s book!

The matchmaker falling for the client is a fave subtrope of mine. This is a friends to lovers romp and I love these characters. Both Selina and Peter had depth as well as humor. She’s feisty and wants to help other women and he’s a big golden retriever and they’re perfect together. The author’s voice is great.

So why 3 stars?

We hear about Peter’s antics but I wish we had seen one or two from his POV to understand him better. I wished we saw more of Peter’s attraction to Selina because it almost comes across as instalust. I needed more of seeing them connect because their entire relationship is a backstory. Apparently, you get that if you subscribe to the author’s newsletter.

The basis of the custody plot isn’t close to how guardianship looked back then, so it pulled me out of the story—although I know that won’t strike most readers. (Like Harriet Wilson’s memoir not being published yet). I struggled believing the backlogged Court of Chancery would care about two natural children without money or property, especially if a duke wanted them when literally no one else did.

But even suspending disbelief, the resolution to the library and the custody plots was anticlimactic. Zero tension, all romping children.

I liked the author’s voice and the how the side characters were set up, so I’ll be back to see what happens to them.

"Ne'er Duke Well" will be available on July 23, 2024. I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley.

3 stars

"Ne'er Duke Well" is a historical romance that is a quick and easy read. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Selina and Peter and the slow burn that builds from their relationship.

Peter is an American who relocates to England from New Orleans to claim his title as Duke and finds himself in a custody battle for his two younger half-siblings. His friend, Selina Ravenscroft, who has never encountered a problem she cannot fix, offers to help him find a wife to win the custody battle.

No surprise whatsoever that Peter and Selina fall in love – what else would you expect from a romance novel???

LOVED the *female empowerment* and *women ahead of their time* themes. Overall, it was cute, and I would read future novels from this author.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790787-ne-er-duke-well

This book was so fun! I'm not generally a fan of historical setting romances, but this kept me engaged. The chemistry of the MCs was giving bridgerton and the FMC was very relatable. I cant wait to re-read when this comes out !

It's hard to be a historical romance reader and not have heard the buzz about Alexandra Vasti. So many fellow readers told me that Ne'er Duke Well was one of their most anticipated books of the year, so I went in with high expectations. Those expectations were met and then some. This book brings heart, humor, and heat, delivered with a unique voice that sets it apart in the landscape of historical romance. Peter and Selina are earnest, and good, and while there's plenty of drama, none of it has to do with the main characters being terrible to each other. This is a historical romance with modern sensibilities, including plenty of taking on the patriarchy, and the (sometimes surprisingly) bold women side characters hold their own against the main romantic plot. And the romance is truly swoon-worthy. A five-star read and beyond. I can't wait to see what's next from this author!

Since we are deep in the Bridgerton show midseason lull here I decided it was time to break out this ACR of this steamy Regency era rom com. Lady Selina has made it her new mission to find the American Peter Kent aka the new Duke of Stanhope a wife to give him a better chance of gaining custody of his younger half siblings. The more she get to know Peter the more comparable she thinks they might be together. However the Lady Selina take herself out of the running due to her secretly running of a library with a women’s only section called the Venus library to help educate the ladies of the Ton of things that are not discussed in polite society. I throughly enjoyed reading this book and got totally sucked into the sorry and the characters. I found both Peter and Selina extremely dynamic people and I loved the sprinkling in of their back stories. I would love to read more stories from these characters!

This was such a lovely read. Both hero and heroine are complex and lovable characters. It's so hard for me to find an hero in an historical romance that is sweet, uncompromisingly kind and I've never doubted his love, for the heroine as well as his siblings.
Both of them have their own mission in this book, for him getting custody of his younger siblings, and hers it's revolutionalize the education of debutantes circulating forbidden text on sex and erotic novels.
They come together with a plan to make him seems more respectable in the eyes of the lord who'll decide the kids future.
I've devoured this book in a couple of days, and my only complain is that I would've loved seeing their first encounter, while instead we are thrown into a already 2-years old history between the two.

A very cute romp of a fish out of water American Duke trying to build a family with his neglected half-siblings and his love interest who moonlights as the owner of an erotic library!
This gave major Lady Whistledown vibes, and is a perfect amuse bouche for those coming off of a Bridgerton high.
I do agree with some other reviewers that the pacing was a little confusing, especially in the first half of the book. I felt like we rushed through a lot of the build up.

No question, this book is one of my favorites of the year! And possibly my most favorite historical romance!

This had everything: I can’t stand you but also I can’t stand to be away from you, let me find you a wife so that you can get guardianship, oops we kissed and now we have to get married, I’m pretending this is for the kids but actually I love you…oh my gosh it was so incredibly good!

Peter is THE SWOONIEST man and I could not love him more. He was so down bad for Selina and even though she was down just as bad, she was so determined to help him get guardianship of his siblings that she tried to push him away and he was NOT HAVING IT. These two ended up being quite the power couple and I adored every second!

This book was laugh-out-loud funny, so swoony, so spicy…a perfect mix of it all. Absolutely 5 stars, no question. And a new favorite for me!

I've heard so many positive things about this author for a long time now, so it's about time I am finally moving one of her books from my TBR to my Read pile! This book had me smiling throughout the story, with delightful moments leading to practically the entire book becoming one giant highlight on my e-reader. The pacing was great, albeit it did slow a bit for me in the middle, but then it picked back up with me racing to the finish line in a day. Sometimes I wish I was a slower reader, because I really wanted the story to keep going. This is one of those books that makes me want to jump in and meet all the characters. The MCs were lovable, the side characters were diverse and beautifully crafted, and the historical setting felt accurate and fascinating. Part of why I love historical romance so much is that you get the love story and the history lesson all in one enjoyable package.

Our MCs, Peter (Duke of Stanhope) and Selina (sister of a Duke) are peers of a sort, and while they have come in contact with each other since Peter first came to England two years prior, they have kept their distance from each other. Peter has been a bit busy since being pulled from his home in New Orleans to take over a dukedom and trying to get guardianship of his half siblings. His reputation to go against the way things are done doesn't make him friends in the government, which severely hinders his ability to convince the powers that be that he is what is best for his siblings, and that's where Selina comes in. Selina is a rebel like Peter, but she takes a more subtle approach and makes a difference in the shadows. She feels bad for Peter and wants to help him, so she comes up with a plan to marry him to a respectable woman to improve his image. The problem is that Peter wants Selina, and Selina's secrets make her an entirely unsuitable match. But as she tries to match-make, and hilarity ensues, it becomes super clear that the only woman Peter wants is Selina. Since this story was written with a dual POV, it enabled the reader to see each of their thoughts as the story progressed, which made the entire story so much richer. Peter was agonizing over his attraction to Selina, and Selina was in complete denial of her feelings. They were such a perfect match, so I was glad it didn't take the entire book for them to realize it. This meant that we could see their relationship develop as a couple in love, and it was charming to watch them settle in so effortlessly into each other's lives. And his siblings? Love them both. Could not get enough. Adorable.

Alexandra Vasti's writing style is just phenomenal. It's such a delight reading a book where things just flow so naturally and the humor is constant but not overdone. It was essentially a historical romcom, with the historical context of lending libraries, sexual liberation of women, and abolition, Truly, one of my favorite historical romances I've read in a while. I look forward to reading whatever she writes next, as well as diving into her backlist!

Vasti has officially become an auto buy author for me. I am obsessed with her regency era romance novels. I love that she includes characters that aren’t free from scandal and Ne’er Duke Well fits perfectly into the mix. I mean what’s not to love about a woman who has single handedly taken on the task of teaching women of the ton about sexual and reproductive natures. Selina has officially become one of my favorite female main characters ever. She is particularly efficient at completing tasks all while harboring a heart of gold. On the flip side, the male main character, Peter, has such adorable golden retriever energy. I love how he went out of his way to do what he felt was right to help someone even if it landed him in the scandal sheets. I also adored how much he loved his siblings and how he was willing to do anything to gain custody of them. Selina and Peter were so well matched and balanced that their relationship development was perfection. I also loved the banter between the two. It’s my favorite thing, and it was expertly utilized between the two MCs. I also really enjoyed the little Halifax Hellions name drop. While they weren’t featured, it was fun seeing them mentioned and then promptly discarded as a suitable match for Peter. There were so many memorable moments too that will stick with you from the dog rescue, to the book store show down, to the court room. This book will send you through a rollercoaster of emotion and leave you wanting more. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile.

I usually strictly read contemporary romance, and this was my FIRST historical because I HAD to read this dang book, and y'all, it was so GOOD. Do not skip this book, Vasti is EXCELLENT.

Honesty, this book just lost my interest. *SPOILER AHEAD* I enjoyed the tension, but I felt like they got together too soon, and then there was so much of the book left, and I no longer felt motivated to finish. From the beginning, I felt like I was missing something. The main characters already knew each other and had a history together, which I knew nothing about. I looked into the author's other books to see if I had unknowingly jumped into the middle of a series but I couldn't find any evidence that I had. The plot is adorable, and I love feisty Selina and swoon-worthy Peter, but it just wasn't enough. Maybe I'll try to finish it at another time.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the eARC!

What a fun, lighthearted, and cute historical romance book. This is the first I've ever read by this author and I can't wait for more. I loved the banter, characters, and guardianship aspect of it. I liked the mmc and how much he loved his younger siblings and I liked the courtroom setting and the marriage of convenience plot. The mmc's had instant chemistry and I like that they got married early and we got to see them navigate some other issues. This book was also steamy and I was here for it, I loved the steamy scenes and the chemistry between the main characters. Overall a good read if you like a cinnamon roll hero and a matchmaking plot then you should read this book.

After literal months of one of your employees spewing Islamophobic nonsense toward an influencer and then DOXXING her, SMP released the weakest statement that seemed to double down on this employee’s racist stance. #SpeakUpSMP

I'm in my regency romance era and this book definitely delivered. It seemed to move at a pretty fast pace throughout. Jumping a week or two here and there. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was fleshed out a bit more. It really jumped into Selina and Peter's relationship fast without much buildup besides mentions of the past.
It gave some bridgertonish vibes with the whole woman going against her station secretly thing, with Selina running Belvoirs.

She wanted someone to look at her and see more than just the sister of a duke or the recipient of a substantial dowry. More than difficult and prickly and too opinionated and too much.

What is it about the marriage of convenience trope that has me in a chokehold when it comes to historical romance? I’m not sure I would be able to unravel that thought in a review much less therapy, but I know that when it comes to Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti, Selina and Peter’s hijinks that lead up to their nuptials were so comical and endearing that they won me over with their romance.

Ne’er Duke Well features Peter, the newly titled Duke that has the (mis)fortune of being raised in America, and now is tasked with taking the reins of a title in the peerage. What Peter is most concerned about is getting legal guardianship of his half siblings, but unfortunately the judge that will inevitably decide the fate of his half-brother and sister is less than enthused about Peter’s political opinions in Parliament.

He supposed he liked clever women. With ruthlessly efficient fingers. Eyes that danced and flashed by turns, eyes that soothed him and challenged him at once.

This is where Selina comes into play. Sister to Peter’s ally, and dare I say, friend in the ton, Selina nominates herself as coordinator in the scheme to get Peter in the judge’s good graces by way of marriage. That’s right, Peter needs a wife, but it’s definitely not Selina. Can you see where this is all going? You see, our heroine Selina has a delightfully scandalous secret. Obviously, her secret would ruin whomever she would marry, so naturally, marriage is off the table for her. It’s too bad that with every disastrous interaction with other eligible ladies of the season, Peter becomes more besotted with the forthright and witty Selina.

I do have to say that the shenanigans of Peter’s comical courting of the eligible ladies of the ton, and the inevitable realization that Selina is the one for him had my heart from the get—go. Once Peter and Selina accepted their courtship, feelings, and finally got married, their relationship took a backseat to the second half of the book which centered around the battle of guardianship of his half siblings. While equally important to the overall story, it did bring heavier tones to the plot which varied greatly from the light-heartedness of the first half.

He was good with words. He could tell her that she was extraordinary. He could tell her that when she walked into a room, all the candlelight gathered itself upon her face.

Overall, Ne’er Duke Well was such a fun read. I loved the inclusion of the different women in the ton, and I can’t wait to see if readers will get to know more of them. Alexandra Vasti always delivers on spice and this debut full-length novel is no different. I cannot wait to see what else Vasti has in store for readers in the years to come.

I am loving historical romance as of late and this is another winner. It reminded me a bit of Tessa Dare’s The Duchess Deal in terms of tone and humor. I loved the idea that the main character, Selina, runs a secret women-centric circulation library. A fun, steamy, sweet and loving Regency romp..