✨💐 ARC Review! 🛶✨

This was a fun and entertaining romp through the regency era! My husband and I are from two very different worlds, so I loved the aspect of an English lady and the unsuspecting new Duke from Louisiana (my husband is also from LA…love me a southern gentleman!)

I also LOVED the aspect of adoption in this story- as you may know by now that’s close to my heart. The main premise is finding The Duke a wife so he’ll be more favored to get guardianship of his two young siblings. As a foster mama, I appreciated the struggle of having your loved one’s future in the hands of others and ultimately what one will do to protect vulnerable children 🩷 with the that, I loved that although this is a love story, it’s not only a romance (although yes it is that!!), but it’s also highlighting a great familial love.

4⭐️/5 for me! Definitely add this to your TBR if you like regency stories and get ready for its release July 23!! Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

NE’ER DUKE WELL is full of pining that fills my tender heart. Once the pining turns into mutual affection— I swooned! The palm kiss?! This was a great read that felt different from a lot of the regency romances I’ve read. Thank you for the arc NetGalley!

Sweet and beautiful story from start to finish. I LOVED both leads. It was a story filled with passion and love on every page.

I absolutely enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book! The MCs, Peter and Selina, were a delight. The banter was so good- not only between the MCs, but amongst all the characters. I laughed out loud multiple times - looking at you Georgiana!😂

I loved ALL the relationships in thjs book. Selina’s relationship with her family was wonderful. The fact her brothers supported her at a time when other women were stifled was amazing. I loved her friendship with Lydia, and that in the end, she had friendships form
with Georgiana and Iris. The way her family and friends rallied to her side in her time of need was heartwarming. (All these women- Lydia, Georgiana, and Iris need books. Just sayin’)

Peter. PETER- I loved him. Not just for his witty, laugh out loud banter. But for his deep desire to DO RIGHT- by his siblings, but also with his voice in Parliament. The way he came to love Selina was a joy to read, and the way he loved Lu and Freddie, his half siblings was beautiful. I’m glad he has a family now. One that is going to be better than the way his own father treated him.

The threat of his not getting guardianship of Lu and Freddie being the tension driver in this story, and the way the “scandal” of Selina running a lending library (that also secretly provides books for the erotic education of females) unfolds and resolves kept me turning pages to see how Peter would get to keep his family.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I will absolutely spend my own cash money on the book when it releases.

Alexandra Vasti's debut novel, "Ne'er Duke Well," is a delightful and witty Regency romance that takes readers on a whirlwind adventure through the drawing rooms and ballrooms of high society. Peter Kent, the newly inherited Duke of Stanhope, is a man with a scandalous reputation and a heart of gold. Determined to become a respectable guardian to his half-siblings, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft, for help. Selina is the epitome of propriety, but she harbors a secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her assistance, she proposes a marriage of convenience to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. However, fate has other plans, and matchmaking takes a hilarious and unexpected turn, leaving Peter and Selina entangled in a web of deceit, passion, and laughter. Vasti's writing is sharp and witty, her characters are unforgettable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep readers entertained until the very last page. "Ne'er Duke Well" is a charming and romantic tale that celebrates the power of love to conquer all obstacles, even the most scandalous of reputations.

This was a good 19th century romance. Unlike so many of the genre it addressed slavery and the impact of colonialism, it wasn't central to the story but it was referenced (and of course, the main character was an abolitionist -- I could get into the history of abolition here but I won't because that's not the point of this review).

I did at times think this was a sequel but as far as I can tell it's the first in a coming series. It read fine there were just some references to off-page characters that felt like call-backs to earlier books (if I'm wrong about this -- someone tell me!).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, the plot, and the pacing -- and there wasn't a third act breakup!

This was such a fun read. A balance of political intrigue, savvy regency social interactions, romance, and the power of clever women. I love Selina as a character and how she was so authentically herself in a time not built to support strong women. It is refreshing to see women of the regency era portrayed as real, intelligent, well-rounded individuals and the strength of the political movements and social standings of the time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was first introduced to Alexandra’s work when I read her Halifax Hellions trilogy. I absolutely loved it so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one! I’m thrilled to say that I absolutely ADORED this book and I would give it a million stars if I could!

This is a spicy regency romance that was poignant, emotional, and downright hilarious. I laughed out loud multiple times, immediately fell in love with every single character, and could not put it down. Think Bridgerton, but better.

I highly recommend this one if you love regency romance, spice and found family. This is a must read!

Lately I started reading many books and then at some point I kind of forgot about them and never continued. But that didn't happen with this one. It took me three days and I loved it. At this point I just know that Alexandra Vasti won’t let me down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The main two were super cute together and by themselves. I loved the whole cast and the (several) plots, except the biggest plot is the custody situation and Peter's two siblings play a very small role in this book. There are a few chapters at the beginning where the readers/Selina get to know them, but the children mostly disappear for the rest of the book.

Because most of the book hinges on them, I would have liked more of Peter and Selina connecting with each kid. Peter starts trying to win his sister over but that part of the plotline vanishes quickly, and his brother is there just for comedy, I think. It would have really upped the stakes of the custody situation had we had more of a connection and bond between the characters. (I also wanted to see Selina's twin??? And his letters are meant to be received all at once but as the story progresses it seems like she's getting a letter about the current situation as we see it, instead of a postmarked letter about a past situation. Idk, if Vasti was going to include the letters I would have also liked to see Will at least once.)

It's also mentioned Peter and Selina met three or so years ago, but there's no follow-up. No mention that they know each other, besides a throwaway thought, no remembrance of something the other character once did or said, just nothing. It felt like they didn't know each other at all prior to the events in this book, and honestly, Vasti could have just scrapped that idea entirely without affecting anything.

Other than that, I enjoyed the main characters and the plotline. Sure, there were quite a few plots, but they all tied in quite nicely. And Peter was such a cinnamon roll.

thank you Netgalley for the free arc

Ne’er Duke Well is a terrific full length debut from Alexandra Vasti! It tells the story of Peter Kent—New Orleans raised and newly named Duke of Stanhope—and Lady Selina Ravenscroft in their quest to make him respectable enough to become guardian for his much younger half-brother and half-sister. Selina’s suggestion is to find Peter a wife to help elevate his standing in Society and, given her secret ownership of a scandalous lending library, Selina is convinced that can never be her. But neither she nor Peter count on their undeniable chemistry—or on their ability to get into trouble together.

I loved the unusual set up of pairing a scandalous American-raised duke with the politically savvy FMC who is trying to find him a wife in order to get custody of his half-siblings. Vasti excels with all of the little/supporting details. There were so many amazing side characters and I particularly loved Lu and Lady Georgina (and was thrilled to hear Lady G will be getting her own story at some point. I hope the same can be said for Will—I would love to see his/Selena’s sibling dynamic on page and for him to get a happy ending after such a tragic past!) I was tickled by the little things – a throwaway line about Selina’s nephew showing up to a family meeting holding a cup but not wearing any trousers was fun and funny and made the world that much brighter. My one quibble—it felt at times like I was coming in to the story halfway through or that I missed a previous book in the series that set some of the events up a bit more. For example, I think the story might have been richer with a prologue showing Peter and Selina’s first meet disaster. And I didn’t really understand what Belvoir’s was or it’s significance to Selina’s backstory until about halfway through the book. I think getting the inciting incident for her earlier would have been more effective. Overall, a great great book. I can’t wait to read what Vasti writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC; all opinions are my own.

Its not iften that a romance is both educational and steamy, but the Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti does both.

Set in the 1800s, the book gives a strong sense of the abolitionist movement and the struggles of peers to create laws to end slavery.

That said, this book is also funny and engaging. Peter, is in over his head with his rambunctious and hilarious siblings. They run him ragged. Enter Lady Selina. She seems perfect for as a chaperone and substitute mother for the hooligans except she has a secret. She runs an exotic romance library for ladies and writes steamy Gothic romance, and she suggests he find someone more acceptable.

However, Peter is undeterred, and he and Selina form alliances and find love despite the prejudice and bigotry that surrounds them.

While the writing in this book is sometimes a touch dry in places, the humor, banter, and steam level is shine through. The characters, while ahead of their time, are engaging. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to see how love can change the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"Ne'er Duke Well" by Alexandra Vasti was a charming, funny, and heartfelt story that I really enjoyed reading. It has a great cast of characters, including our wonderful leads Selina and Peter, and a unique set of overlapping plot lines. Although the initial matchmaking set-up is silly and comedic, by the halfway point of this fast-moving story, the plot gains a lot of emotional depth. I really enjoyed this book and will likely read it again; highly recommend to any fan of the historical romance genre! 4.25/5

3.5 stars rounded up!


Peter finds himself newly a duke and seeking the custody of his half sister and brother. Thought of unfavorably by the local courts, Peter worries he will be denied guardianship and goes to his friends for ideas to help his reputation. Lady Selina decides a respectable marriage is the key to getting the guardianship. She then sets out to introduce Peter to her short list of eligible candidates.


This was a low stakes, high fun read and just really sweet. With matchmaking shenanigans and a duke with a competency kink who goes full simp for the intelligent, independent, strong willed Lady Selina. Lady Selina was a great FMC to discover. Peter is so sweet and I love how much he enjoys Selina telling him what to do. He’s just so gone on her.
I appreciated that the formula of this book was not what you typically see these days in romance novels. There’s a lot more depth to these two finding their HEA. And while ultimately it dragged a bit long for me in the second half, I did enjoy how quickly these two realized their true feelings and then worked on building a family together. It was just supremely cozy and of course Alexandra Vasti weaves another clever story.
I desperately want Lydia, Iris and Will’s story now as well as Gerogiana. There are so many stories to tell in this world!

Oh, A. V. Another slam dunk! These characters, this story, this book😍. This book revealed love in so many different forms. The Duke’s love for his brother and sister. His vulnerability in feeling helpless to get custody of them was heartbreaking but also heartwarming. He has such a tough childhood, as did they. And bless, Selina. 😊 What a doll! (She is one of my favorite FMCs.) Her love for her friends, family and her passion for her bookstore. (Also an extremely interesting topic.) It’s darling how Selina took it upon herself to make sure Peter found a suitable bride to help his custody hearing. But Peter, for the life of him, could not stay out of “scandals” way. It was quite hilarious. Selina willing to rob her own self of love and happiness for the children. Selina’s friends loving her and having her back when she needed it most. While playful at times, this book had a more serious undertone and I enjoyed seeing the different political aspects in the ton. Selina’s passion for the women and children whose lives had been wrecked and carelessly tossed aside and how she jumped in to do what she felt she must, shone so bright. Peter did humor Selina’s attempts at matchmaking but was hopeless without Selina, and not afraid to admit it. 😌 Selina’s own family was so much fun to read about. They were so loving and accepting. And finally, there is “found family” kind of love- the hea. Alexandra with the slowwww burn in this one!!

This book was so delightful! I knew it was a winner about a quarter in, when I realized I was going to be ignoring my plans for the night because I didn’t want to put it down!
Selina and Peter were great characters, well rounded and fully realized. I was worried that the matchmaking portion of the book would drag on, but I felt the pace at which Peter and Selina realized their undeniable attraction to each other was perfect. Even the children were enjoyable to read about (and I’m normally not a huge fan of kids in books—I have them in real life, and that’s enough!). Lu was an especially strong character, and the way her relationships developed with several people was lovely.
This made me want to read more historical romance, and I’ll certainly be hunting down the author’s other works!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

this was so much fun! i really liked both leads and the way that their relationship unfolded. all of the supporting characters were well developed but georgiana was a fave. definitely interested in reading more from alexandra vasti now.

If you love a book with a lot of plot, heart, and spice, this one's for you! You've got secret scandalous libraries, political intrigue, duplicitous wallflowers, women finding their voice and learning to accept support, tenacious children, and a truly hilarious river puppy rescue. Vasti packed a lot into this one!! I can't wait for the next books in the series (because there better be at least like three more)

It's a fantastic story with heart, humor, and heaps of chemistry. An absolute must-read from a writer who deserves to be on every romance reader's shelves.

Historical Romances are a hit and miss for me. But this one was super cute. I fell in love with the kids and the way they eventually became a little family. I hope this becomes a series.