This was a fresh, modern take on historical romance, which is (usually) decidedly not my thing. But I knew the author’s voice going in, having read and loved In Which Winnie Halifax is UtterlyRuined , and I think the tone the author brings to her writing may draw in readers who normally don’t read historical romance.

What I Loved

Peter Kent
I’ll always be Team Antihero and not Team Cinnamon Roll. I gotta say, though, that Peter Kent is such a delicious cinnamon roll that I just wanted to take a bite out of him. A truly nice guy, earnest and supportive and open with his feelings but still so very, very sexy. And oh, did he have it baaad for Selina.

She laughed and squirmed, and he meant to let her go, but when he looked at her face, she was staring at him. Her eyes were bright as morning.

“You have this way of looking,” she said softly, “as though you cannot see enough of me.”

“I cannot.” He lifted the rumpled sheet, smoothed it over her bare shoulders, then slid his hands down slowly, caressing the sides of her breasts, her rib cage, the curve of her waist through the thin linen. A flush bloomed on her cheeks again.

“I can’t touch enough of you either. I’d thought to spend the morning on it. Touching you. Tasting you. But mere morning won’t suffice.”

The Ravenscroft Family
So nice to read about a loving, supportive family rather than a cruel, toxic one!
I want more of this family.

The Humor
Oh, the scene when Selina introduces Peter to potential brides was priceless. Especially Georgiana! I just knew there was more to her than meets the eye. I found myself smiling often while reading and even though the main plot could have been insanely angsty, it wasn’t. It was just angsty enough without becoming dark.

The Chemistry
Chemistry between the MCs is always my jam and this book did not disappoint. It was so intense and swoony. The sexytimes were hot (especially their first time together), but greedy me wanted a few more scenes.

I could see this book being the start of a series. I need more books that take place in the Ravenscroft family world and I would absolutely love to read Will’s story (pretty please). And OMG Georgiana, too. What an intriguing character! The author’s notes mention that she will be writing Georgiana’s story… maybe she will be paired with Will? One can only hope!

This regency romance had the perfect balance of humor, romance, societal commentary, and family dynamics. Not many of this genre get it right! Alexandra Vasti is a new author to me, but one I will absolutely be looking out for.

In the end, this was really a 3.5 star book, but I'm rounding up, as the characters are lovely and the writing is good.  It just feels like this would have been better as a novella like her others.

To start, the h and H are both lovely people who are open and caring of others. It’s especially refreshing to see a H who is free with his affection and openly says he is on board with marriage, despite his messed up father and upbringing. I also liked that the h was knowledgeable and educated about sex - and recognized that all women deserved to be, as well - but also wasn’t some temptress character.  She was also highly rational (mostly), and I love a rational, thoughtful heroine. I loved that what Peter most likes and notices about Selina is that she’s clever. He thinks about her mind more than her face or body. And the writing is so so good (even if I don't like the word “sweet” as much as Vasti apparently does based on this novel and the novellas).  And I loved their relationship once they did get together - the open communication and obvious affection for the other is so nice.  

I just wish the book hadn't started with them basically already (secretly) in love with the other, with the falling in love having happened off page 2 years before. I would have liked to have seen them develop their intense feelings for each other, rather just be told they had them and then just watch them deepen. The book really skipped over core relationship development, so I didn’t entirely feel their connection. We’re told all these memories and stories of them getting to each other over the past couple years, but I’d like to have read them in real time.   

I realize many romance books start with the protagonists already into each other, but here there’s just no real tension (I don’t mean that in an angsty way). Aside from the build up over actually saying "I love you," they essentially get their HEA by halfway through the book.  He proposes and declares his feelings to her <spoiler> 30% in. They are engaged by 45%. Happily married at 52%.</spoiler> And then it's like there's a Part II where they have to solve the mystery of who is trying to out Selina's family re: the naughty library and how they are going to resolve getting the custody of the kids.

It almost felt like the book was actually the second in a series that started with Faiza and Clermont, especially considering how much they’re mentioned, yet never appear.  It kind of seemed like she didn't know how to write a romance for an entire novel, which is weird because it would have been fine if she'd included their history on page.

But the writing and characters are so pleasant and witty and clever and lovely, I can't bear to give less than 4 stars. And there are a couple decent spicy scenes (though Matilda's novella is still the best of the bunch).

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to Net Galley and SMP for this advanced copy.

Oh, what a delight. I have a soft spot for feminist historical romances, and this checked all my boxes. Selina is whipsmart, strong, and brave. Peter is so kind, funny, and just head over heels for her. The supporting cast are so full and well-rounded, and they all serve a purpose in the larger narrative of this story.

This is the first Vasti book I've read, but I'm running straight to see where I can read the rest of her work, and I eagerly await news about Georgie's book. A win all around.

So cute and well thought out! I actually really loved this regency era novel. It was funny, spicy and had a great plot.

This is the most fun I’ve ever had reading a regency novel! I haven’t read any regency romances in a while, and Ne’er Duke Well was a great way to get back into the genre. I loved getting to know Peter, the do-right Duke with a penchant for mischief, and Lady Selina, the hard-working sister of a duke who runs an erotic circulating library. These two seemingly different characters working together to help Peter become the legal guardian of his half-siblings is cute and funny and made me not want to put the book down.
One of the things I love about reading regency romances is the way the characters always have their happily ever after, falling in love and getting married. But the thing I loved best about this book is that it doesn’t follow the typical setup of one of those romance novels, the reader is actually brought with them through their friendship, to marriage, and into the realities of what it means to be a newlywed couple and the difficulties that come with combining the lives of two different people. We get to see the best and the worst of these two and how they navigate that within their relationship.
There’s also the good old slow burn that takes place, which means lots of longing and staring and breathlessness that always keeps me on my toes. The spice level was perfect! It never felt like too much but it didn’t leave me wanting more either. Vasti does a fabulous job of writing the perfect romantic story and I can’t believe it’s a debut novel! I absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves a good regency romp, general romance, or someone just looking for a bit of fun in their next read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced readers copy.

This was such a fun read! It gives off Bridgerton vibes (regency, the ton, scandal, etc.), especially with that cover, but the matchmaking also made me think of Emma. There are some fresh spins on standard tropes. For example, single parents switch to older brothers taking care of younger siblings. It's also progressive for a novel that takes place in the regency era. Not only are women making their own way in the world/not immediately marrying if they choose not to, the MMC is respectful of the FMC.

I was a bit surprised by how quickly into the story the couple gets together - and for a friends to lover story, I wish we had gotten more regarding how they initially met - but by doing so, it allows the story to focus on the other conflicts (getting custody of the children, dealing with a villain) and even include some spicy scenes.

This was a great debut novel and I could see this becoming a series, either focusing on Selina's friends or the children when they are presented to society.

Also, as a history nerd, I appreciated that at the end of the story, the author included historical facts.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy of this novel!]

For fans of a sexy Bridgerton- this historical fiction book was amazing.

Selina and Peter are friends and Peter enlists Selina in helping gain custody of his younger brother and sister. Selina comes up with a grand plan to get Peter married so he is more well liked and seen as a stable, father figure for the children. She produces short list (that doesn’t have her on it but definitely should) and the courting ensues. through a series of mishaps and secret trysts, Peter and Selina end up married and have some spicy scenes together.

I loved this book. Selina was a strong female character that only made the man better and didn’t have any sort of “woe is me” issues. I love that there was no “break up” towards the end as there is in traditional rom coms and that the characters communicated fairly well with each other of what they wanted and needed from each other. The side characters were also well developed and funny (and had their own fun secrets to add to the plot!) The children added to the story without overpowering the main relationship between Selina and Peter, and I absolutely adored Lu!

I really hope there are more of these because I loved it 😍

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Published in July 2024.

I was not expecting to love this book so much! I haven’t read a ‘regency’ type book before. But this did not let me down!

Peter was a sweet, genuine MMC and had his flirty moments that I truly enjoyed. He was honestly such a fun character to read and his desire to have his siblings around? ADORABLE.
Selina was ‘not like other girls’ in this book, but not in the obnoxious way. She was able to connect with Peter’s siblings and truly felt real, compared to some of the other FMCs I’ve read.

I loved the lack of a third act breakup, and I truly felt immersed in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cute quick read and I enjoyed it lots. If you are looking for a quick easy going read!

Also - the cover is super cute and who can resist an amazing cover!

Oh how I loved this book! I love, love, love historical romances and this book definitely didn't disappoint me. A complete breath of fresh air it was, apart from being enjoyable, funny, and heartwarming.

This solid debut romance features Peter(MMC), who inherits a dukedom despite growing up in Louisiana, and Selina(FMC), who secretly runs an erotic lending library. Selina's solution involves finding Peter a respectable wife to show stability, but she wants to be his perfect match. However, her lending library scandal may cause more issues than it resolves. Then, we see Peter asking Selina for help in obtaining custody of his younger siblings, to whom he is not the automatic guardian.

The chemistry between the two is palpabale, and the book is genuinely funny because I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times!

Peter, I found, to be an amazing male main character, while Selina is a great female main character and I really adored the side characters as well. I was completely hooked in the get go and with these loveable characters, my heart just warmed up really fast. The romance in this book surely I found to be completely endearing. One quote that really stuck with me:
'His voice was steady, his eyes on hers. "You bring the morning with you. You're the light, sweetheart. When you walk into a room, I can't see the shadows. There is nothing in this world that could persuade me to send you away if I thought you wanted me half as much as I want you."'

Although, I wish there was more exploration of how they first met and why they initially liked each other and bonded. There was slight miscommunication issue here but it was handled beautifully so props to the author! I sighed in relief when I saw there was no third act breakup and the conflict was high stakes with a villain to deal with. Alas, all the tension was broken with sweet and funny scenes between the main characters and Peter's younger siblings.

The book is super sexy and perfect for a summer read. The most adorable part of this book was the kids! Kids, who don't overshadow the main relationship??? Another props to the author. Finally, to my dismay, this story concludes with a courtroom drama finale, which is a favorite mini-trope for me actually. I definitely recommend this book for fans of historical romance. By the way, how cute is this cover??? It definitely is a unique one in the historical romance genre and I would love to see more of these type of cover for this genre!

Also, this story has the potential to be expanded into a series, even a multi-generational one. And overall, it was a lovely read.

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

I found Ne’er Duke Well to be a delightful and entertaining read. It was the perfect book to relax and enjoy the romance, and new family tropes. I loved the character dynamics and interactions as well as how easy it was to fall into the story itself.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-arc.

In this steamy Regency romp, Lady Selina is determined to find the Duke of Stanhope the perfect wife—the only problem is she's starting to think that might be her."

I am a new member of Alexandra Vasti fan club. I adore her writing and the character she creates. In her debut (full lenght) novel Vasti gives us a fun and heartwarming -and steamy, let's not forget steamy- love story between Peter and Selina.

Peter and Selina are both so loveable. Peter is determined to get custody of his half-siblings and Selina just wants to help him. What better way to prove to the authorities that you'd be a good guardian than marry a respectable lady. Selina makes a list of ladies for Peter to court but as expected they catch feelings in the process.

I've read most of the book with a huge grin on my face.
Peter has the perfect golden retriever energy. When Selina says jump, he asks how high:) Selina is such a cool lady (She runs a secret library) who has full support of her awesome family. She has her own secrets that stops her from going all in to a relationship with Peter. But Vasti makes her characters resolve their issues without giving the readers a headache.

I had so much fun reading this book. Ne'er Duke Well is the first book of a series and I anticipate reading more feminist and swoony and steamy stories of Lady Selina's friend group.

I really enjoyed this book!

Both Peter and Selina were engaging and likable, and I genuinely rooted for them to get together.

The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because I personally prefer more angst and unlikability in my romance novels, and I feel like there just wasn't that much ~bite so to speak in this book.

That said, I really love Alexandra Vasti's writing, her novellas about the Halifax twins were impeccable, and I'm really looking forward to what she puts out next!

(Review will be posted at instagram.com/molliwrites closer to publication date.)

Alexandra Vasti is a new, exciting voice in historical fiction and I think NE'ER DUKE WELL is going to leave readers happily swooning! Peter and Selena's story was one I couldn't wait to get back to any time I had to step away from it. I was a little nervous upon seeing that Peter was from America and had recently inherited a dukedom and reluctantly assumed the title, but I shouldn't have been. Everything from pacing to the steam level to inclusivity was done so very well.

Peter needs to assume guardianship of his two illegitimate siblings and he isn't sure how to do that. He ends up working alongside Selena who is Lady Selena Ravenscroft by day and the proprietor of an illicit library by night. Not only is a woman not favorably looked upon to run a business in this time frame, but Selena's library publishes erotic romances and manuals and it would be a huge scandal if she were found out. BUT. She is determined to help the ill-fitting Peter find a wife to secure his guardianship--even if she's the LAST person she would ever consider for him, until they're caught in the middle of a tryst neither of them can resist.

Everything about this book was FUN. From watching Peter's interactions with his siblings--who were well fleshed-out characters--to seeing his budding chemistry with Selena, to watching the Ravenscroft family's interactions, I enjoyed every moment. NE'ER DUKE WELL is a very progressive book in many ways: Selena wants the women of the ton to have sexual education, Peter speaks out in Parliament against slavery, and there are two queer-coded characters in Judith and Thomasin. I applaud Vasti for all of this and how natural it felt.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the chemistry and absolute swoon-worthy relationship between Peter and Selena. As fun as it was to watch them fight against their draw to one another, it was even better once they gave in. Despite their unorthodox beginning, I loved how dedicated they were to one another. Whether it was their steamy, intimate scenes (which were beautifully done) or them supporting one another, I was SUCH a total fan of this couple and cheered for their happily ever after.

I was so surprised to see myself loving a historical romance and I do hope we get to see more of these characters at some point.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ .5 /5
This book was so much fun to read! I have never read a Regency era romance before and this book made me fall in love with the genre! It was such a quick read and entertaining from start to finish! Alexandra Vasti does a great job using terms and language from the time to bring the story to life without making the novel hard to read! Selina and Peter have great chemistry together! Peter is so supportive of Selina and so caring for his siblings! I love how strong Selina is and her drive to help others! The supporting cast of Peter’s siblings and Selina’s family were also great additions to the story!

Selina is especially clear as an enterprising, clever, self-appointed spinster in waiting who excels at taking advantage of people's expectations so she can do what she wants. Peter is a friendly half-American accidental Duke with surprise siblings to take care of. Peter needs to look respectable to get custody of said kids, so Selina sets him up to court her smart friends even though she thinks he's hot. She has a scandalous business venture, so in this story it's the heroine worrying about being a liability to her romantic interest.

There was a little bit more telling than showing with the main characters at times, which I think dulled the emotional impact, but the low drama worked well for this story and couple; once they're together, they're very solid and there are no tedious miscommunications dragging out the story. The external conflict was pretty good too, and didn't take up too much space, but sets up lots of possibilities for the future.

This is a great one if you like close-knit families, carefully deployed children, and a quirky friend group. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about them all.

Very appreciative to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel.

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti has heart, steam, and a whole lot of hilarity. Our MMC Peter has recently become the Duke of Stanhope, but despite his new station he must petition to be granted guardianship of his precocious half siblings. Our FMC Selina believes the best way to help Peter attain this goal is to arrange his marriage, granting him the air of respectability he needs to win his case. As his courtship of other ladies progresses, Peter and Selina find themselves falling for each other, but shocking secrets may come to light and doom them all.

If this book does one thing well, it's managing a wide cast of characters. Reading it felt like watching an episode of Bridgerton, where countless families all have their own dramas, desires, and secrets. And at the heart of it all is Selina, a puppet master of the ton. Peter is a cinnamon role of a MMC, but we get a shocking amount of depth from his backstory and his ability to connect with all of the women he courts. While I generally wish some of the subplots had been better tidied up, I ~hope~ they've been left hanging for future novels!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I must admit, I am not always the biggest fan of historical romances; however, this was so much fun! I loved the playfulness of the characters and the spice. I like that there is potential for another book with these characters and I would definitely pick it up to continue their story,

I love Alexandra Vasti's novellas and was so excited to have the opportunity to get both the e-ARC and a travelling ARC to read this.
All opinions are my own. Alexandra Vasti's first full length novel is everything you'd expect from her novellas and then some. It has a slight twist on the usual plot of recent Duke who inherited and needs some Ton guidance and respectability, along with some new siblings/ wards thrown in, and a feminist twist involving a circulating library (because knowledge is power!). Selina is indeed a Paragon of society who has kept herself away from the Marriage Mart after a broken engagement but there is so much more that meets the eye. Peter Kent is from Louisiana and just inherited the Dukedom and is trying to gain custody of his half siblings who have been moved around from family member to family member, but of course it's never easy. What ensues is a tender, hilarious and sexy story involving Selina, Peter, and their families. There is a lot of witty banter between Selina and Peter and the first half flies by with her trying to find him a good match. The second half takes a slightly serious tone as the custody hearing comes closer and Selina's secret starts to impact all their lives. I can't even tell you how many times my heart squeezed when I was reading the pages, which is always a good sign of the couple's yearning and interactions. Not to be outdone, all the secondary characters are either well rounded or provide you enough mystery to warrant their own book. I greatly enjoyed Selina's relationship with her family and how they care for each other, even with a Duke for a brother. It's not often you see this kind of fondness anymore with siblings. I can't wait for the next book in the series or anything else Ms.Vasti writes.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️❤️