4.5 Stars! First time author Alexandra Vasti did a fantastic job on this book! My only criticism is it could’ve used a prologue. I felt a bit lost at times and would’ve loved a little more back story. That being said, this was really entertaining and kept my interest. The main characters, Selina and Peter/Duke of Stanhope, were easy to love and root for. I loved the HEA ending and wish the book was even longer! I’d love a book about some of the secondary characters next! Georgina was freakin hilarious!
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

A fast-paced romp with tons of emotion and an amazing found family.

Peter Kent, an American pulled from New Orleans (Vasti lives there now) to England to take on his newly inherited title, Duke of Stanhope. He is outspoken and radical both in Parliament and in the rest of his life, which unfortunately inhibits his petition for custody of half-siblings (born out of wedlock). This new take on the single parent trope leads his friends to suggest he marry to show stability.

Lady Selina Ravenscroft can handle anything it seems. She is the epitome of organization and planning. But after she offers several candidates for him to marry (all of whom are super unique and will hopefully get their own stories, as well as helping out in this one), he wants only her. She has a secret passion of her own—helping ladies of the Ton learn what they need to know about intimacy and even pleasure. If her secret comes out, she won’t help Peter show stability.

But when he compromises her, they are forced to marry. Selina works to help Peter win the children’s affection and the court’s approval, making plans to distance herself for his sake should the truth about her ladies’ library come out.

The ensuing shenanigans are both hilarious and heart-rending. Peter’s support for both Selina and his siblings is amazing, and Selina’s inability to manage her emotions after managing everything else around her is provocative. And the over-the-top resolution with all of their found family’s support is theatrical and lovely.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this work for my honest review.

So far, every single one of Alexandra Vasti's four published novellas (the three Halifax Hellions novellas and the recently published novella The Chemistry of Familiar Objects) have been fantastic, and I'm so pleased that her first full-length novel, Ne'er Duke Well, is just as good!

Peter and Selina were such a breath of fresh air in the Regency romance space; they maturely communicated their concerns and worries to each other, were appropriately aware of how their actions would affect others that they care about around them, and generally worked so well together as a pair. Peter's concerns for his much-younger half-siblings and Selina's secret proprietorship of a female-focused erotic circulating library were all dealt with sensitively - in particular, I loved that at their relationship outset, Selina was immediately concerned about how, when her Belvoir's secret inevitably came out, it would negatively impact Peter's guardianship petition. There were absolutely no expectations on Selina's part that this kind of inflammatory secret could be maintained in the face of actual scrutiny from society, and as a reader it was so refreshing not to be expected to suspend my disbelief in that regard and to see the characters tackle the issue head-on. As with all Vasti books, the characters surrounding Peter and Selina were well-rounded and entertaining, and I felt like they were actual people operating in the background of this story - people who had their own motivations and concerns beyond those of our main characters' concerns - which made the world of Ne'er Duke Well feel wonderfully lived in.

Alexandra Vasti is now firmly established as one of my favourite historical romance authors, and I so look forward to future works by her!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration (I still can't believe that I got to read Ne'er Duke Well several month before my preorder becomes available!); all opinions above are my own.

I am a huge Alexandra Vasti fan, so I came to this book after having read all of the Halifax Hellions novellas, and so if you love those, you'll also love this. It's got everything you already love about Vasti's work (great spice, swoony heroes, fantastic prose, hijinks), but the length to do even more emotional work. Peter and Selina are just soooooo innnn lovveeeee and it was just gorgeous to read their love story. Kiddos Freddie and Lu provided excellent comic relief, the plot had some twists and turns I didn't see coming, and the spice, as usual, was givinggggg. Hot hot hot.

If you're a historical romance fan, Vasti is a must-read author, and even if you're not, I think she's a great gateway because the work remains fast-paced, accessible, and feminist. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a solid debut romance, featuring Peter, who grew up in Louisiana but inherits an old dukedom, and Selina, who secretly runs a lending library filled with erotica. If that sounds like a mad lib, you're not that far off, but Peter and Selina have great chemistry and the book is genuinely funny—some of the lines made me laugh out loud.

Unfortunately, there's way too much going on, and the plot is all over the place. The first half of the book is a marriage subplot where Selina tries to find Peter a bride, and then the second half is a custody battle alongside bookselling drama. I think all of this overshadowed the characters, and there were way too many extraneous details (like did it even end up mattering that Peter was American, specifically?). The other unfortunate thing is that Peter and Selina met ~3 years before this book was set, and I would have much rather read about their first meeting and why they initially liked each other. It feels like you're dropped in to a romance in progress, and I wanted the beginning of the story.

I will definitely read more Alexandra Vasti in the future! I like her characters. I just want them to have a little more room to breathe.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a perfect romance novel. It's lighthearted, sweet, and sexy. Selina reminded me of Emma (the best Austen heroine!). Peter never wavers in his support of her. He's also a feminist and an abolitionist!

I also enjoyed the side characters, particularly Georgiana. I'm looking forward to her story.

Finally, it was entertaining to learn more about explicit books that really were in circulation back then. Regency Brits were quite pervy!

I recommend this to anyone who loves romance novels.

📖 Ne'er Duke Well 📖

By Alexandra Vasti // Releasing July 23, 2024

Meet Peter, new to being a Duke, Kent who, after moving to London from New Orleans, is desperate to gain custody of his orphaned half sister & brother. He asks for the help of Lady Selina Ravenscroft, a woman he greatly admires for her determination in helping others resolve their various personal problems. Selina comes up with a brilliant plan to help, but she must make sure a secret she's been keeping from everyone doesn't harm Peter's chances of success.

I'm on some sort of romance novel binge lately. I think I'm just wanting to read some happier books. I need stories with tidy endings and charming characters 😚

I really enjoyed reading Ne'er Duke Well. Selina and Peter are witty MC's and have a great give and go. Peter's little sister Lu is a spitfire and keeps everyone on their toes. The story felt light enough to suit my mood but not too lacking in subject. I hate when adult books have good plots, but the substance is just not there. Like when a story just jumps between actions without a lot of background context. Gah! Ne're Duke Well is a perfect balance. I wanted to keep reading and found myself chuckling a few times!

I've got to mention the spice level! I'm generally ok with some spice. I know that's what I'm getting into when I pick up a romance. But this book had some dirty talk that I wasnt quite expecting 🤣 I say this, knowing there's a whole lotta folks who don't mind higher temps of spicey-spice and that's ok! I'm just giving a heads up to my more conservative followers 😘

Star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Spice rating 🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
Language rating 🤬/5 (only for some sexual references!)

3.5/5 ⭐️

I'm surprisingly conflicted about giving this book a formal "rating." I found myself going back and forth on my feelings throughout each chapter while reading, and it's incredibly hard to decide whether I should weigh the things I love or find tedious more heavily.

On the surface, the book is a fun romance with a warm heart for family -- both chosen and given by blood. In this novel, Alexandra Vasti has created an excellent cast of side characters (who sincerely I hope will be written about in the future; I'm looking right at you, Lydia & Iris!) and composed sex scenes that managed to make even this historical romance veteran reader blush.

However, I couldn't help but feel like several chapters of this novel were only intended to kill time between major story beats. Certain elements felt crammed in to remind readers of character insecurities that already felt well demonstrated, and it could make the intended emotional core of each of the leads feel a touch repetitive. I was also a bit disappointed in the informal conclusion of the novel's legal plot, though more romcom-focused readers may love it!

One component that particularly endeared this novel to me, though, is Vasti's ending notes, which contextualize some of the historical books, people & legal considerations referenced in her writing. The inclusion of these notes demonstrates a real consideration for the reader's understanding of the history that this book is inspired by, which I sincerely appreciate!

Ultimately, this book is an enjoyably imperfect read that hints at better things to come with further releases from its author. I'll be keeping an eye out for Vasti's work in the future!

What a fun read! Take a Regency Romance with downright silliness, a family comes first message with total girl boss vibes and you have Ne'er Duke Well. 👏👏to Alexandra Vasti for her debut novel. I can't wait for the next!

My first regency romance, and unfortunately, this isn't for me. I tried and got to 65% but I'm not having fun. I see reviews saying it's low spice, but for someone who prefers closed door and clean romances, this was quite a lot.

I'm not going to beat around the bush. This book was a helleuva good time. If Regency romcom ain't your thing, you better rethink that. Vasti brings a fresh of breath air to this genre with her talent. Her characters buck convention and its a story that delves into topics that even modern, contemporaries trip over. Really impressed by this debut author's ability. Will look for their work in the future.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Holy mackerel, what an hilarious and fun book. This is mybforat book by Ms. Vasti and I can see what she is friends with Felicity Nivens. Their writing styles are so unique, witty but serious, sensual and caring. It all comes through.

Peter, tall handsome duke from New Orleans, with a natural mop of curly hair, is just ridi only sweet and caring. He wants to adopt his illegitimate step siblings and has to jump through the marriage hoop to show that he is responsible and a family man. He asks his friend Selina for help.

Selina is so, so very nice, resourceful and smart. I want to be her friend. Heck she runs a library with erotic literature. What's not to love. She's passionate, creative and very much aware of the society around her and how to manage it.

Peter and Selina as a couple are just hot. He loves her, he's challenges her, he supports her, he admires her. She in turn is just topsy turvy in love with him, but holds herself back thinking her business would jeopardize his goal for guardianship. However when two people are in love everything has a way of working out. Cannot wait to read more from this author.

ALEXANDRA VASTI WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT
i was so excited to read this book and it’s safe to say that this book was everything i wanted and more

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun book that was also funny! I enjoyed it a lot!

4/5. Releases 7/23/24.

Vibes: human disaster of a man, girls who read Erotic a (TM), local romance hero is absolutely stepped on by his heroine

Peter Kent is a new duke, and something of a mess. Some don't trust him because of his legitimately good opinions (he's an avid opponent of slavery, for example). Some don't trust him because he does things like "fucks up a royal wedding with a flock of sheep" and "has naturally beautiful curly hair". His current issue is that he wants to take guardianship of his younger half-siblings... But in order to do that, he needs to win over a lord who does in fact hate him. Half the battle is finding a respectable wife--and he turns to the proper, clever Selina for help. Despite her perfect facade, Selina knows she can't marry Peter. She runs a secret erotic library, after all. But the harder Selina tries to find Peter a wife, the more she fears he could be the only one for her...

I fell in love with Alexandra Vasti's funny, fresh voice when I read her Halifax Hellions novellas. She keeps that tone up perfectly with her full-length debut, which is ultimately a frothy, hot romp about two people who are ultimately good and decent... just prone to some truly wacky shenanigans. It's light but not quite sugary, aware of the world in which it is set and its realities without taking itself too seriously. In short: it's smart. And yes, it does involve hooking up in the erotic library. OBVIOUSLY.

Quick Takes:

--One of Alexandra's greatest strength is just how strong her voice is. She writes in a very witty, very distinct way. Not every line is a zinger-but the way she presents them, her precise turns of phrase, are sometimes so wryly funny that they just paint this vivid image of the hapless characters involved. It reminds me of Tessa Dare, and it makes her stories that much more entertaining.

--Among the novel's most hapless characters, of course, is her hero. Peter is a good guy; but he's not a boring guy, in part because he actually FUCKS HARD but in part because the dude just doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. By no means is he stupid or silly--he's politically active and a strident abolitionist, after all. But like. The dude just can't catch a break. Picture a man who can't help but trip, all the while trying to wrangle two rather rambunctious kids (I am always hit or miss re: kids in romance, but these two were cute and realistically human; they didn't read like mini adults). God love him. I liked Peter so much.

Selina is a great contrast, because though she's kind of wilding out while running this library, she has really practical reasons for doing so, and is overall a super sensible individual. For all that Peter doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, Selina does (except for with sex; Peter for sure knows a lot more about those practicalities, for all that Selina has studied theory). It was honestly kind of a nice change of pace to see this more... not kooky, but definitely messy hero, and a heroine who wanted to put her foot down but just couldn't resist. In a lot of ways, I think this dynamic is often more confined to a femdom interplay. Which is all good and I love it, but it's not what's happening here. Peter's not an alpha, but he's not really a beta either. He's not really a golden retriever, either, but he's not dark. These two felt like they were very much on equal footing, but their dynamic wasn't toothless.

In some ways, I felt like when writing Selina, Alexandra was trying to have something of a departure from the more harebrained, batty heroines she depicted in her Halifax Hellions stories. And I do think she executed that in an interesting way. I mean, I love a batty heroine, but Selina is more of a "still waters run deep" type whose mind is telling her no but her body's telling her yes.

--There's a casual diversity to this novel, which is much appreciated. Our leads are both white, but I do hope we see more of Selina's friend Faiza... perhaps in a future book? And Selina's aunt has a life partner/wife, essentially. The world of this novel is very aware of its issues, and I really appreciate Vasti injecting these issues into what is ultimately a very fun, very light book. You can do both! You just have to try!

--The erotic library... Yes. This is the second historical I've seen recently engage with the idea of romance novels, erotic content for women, and censorship--the other being Lorraine Heath's 2023 release The Notorious Lord Knightly. And honestly? I'm loving it. There's a lot of discussion to be mined from sexual content during the Regency, and frankly, a lot of parallels to be drawn between the forced faux prudishness of the nineteenth century and the censorship of today. Which--terrifying! But nonetheless, this book goes about it in a really clever way.

Because the thing is--Selina isn't just distributing erotica. She's also helping women learn about their bodies and their pleasure. Sexual content is more than titillation (and titillation is great too, don't get me wrong). This isn't a massively political novel, but where it does use politics, it uses them well.

--I really just liked Selina sort of melting into love despite her best efforts. Like, she knows she might be screwing Peter over if they're together. She knows her secret could affect his ability to have his siblings under his care. And this is a big deal! But the heart wants what it wants, and it's making a mess of her.

The Sex:

It's hot! Alexandra Vasti writes really good sex scenes, and while these are more on the vanilla side, they're detailed and sexy and create a vivid connection between Peter and Selina. Like, these two are horny for each other. They literally can't resist.

Also--let's be clear. "Vanilla" is not "boring". These two are fucking against a wall, they're getting off in front of each other, he's punching a hole through a portrait because oh my god he's finally inside this woman. It's good shit.

I did however... feel that we could've had a bit more variety based on the erotic library. There are references to tittyfucking, but like... no tittyfucking. Let's get this show on the road!

This is a really strong, sparkly debut, and I think it's exactly what we need from a historical romcom. You can have a light book about light people while maintaining tension and action! You just have to know what you're doing. Alexandra absolutely does.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, author Alexandra Vasti, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This title will be released on July 23, 2024.

4.5 STARS

~~~ “He made her laugh. He made her burn.”

Ne’er Duke Well gives us historical romance with a modern flavor. It’s a very digestible, simplistic writing style with barely-there world-building. Also, the way the steam is written and the language used feels modern. If you like a hero who’s upfront about his feelings, then this one’s for you.

I loved both main characters. They’re both good people trying to make society better but also toward each other. I love how beautifully Alexandra Vasti writes their mutual attraction; Peter and Selina notice the small details about each other. As their relationship deepens, they share each other’s burdens. Peter acts gently and lovingly toward Selina and then later supports her in her endeavors. Selina is a liberated, strong heroine who has her own aspirations and work but is concerned about how it might affect Peter, wanting only the best for him.

I appreciated that the problems and angst come from outside the couple’s relationship. There’s no miscommunication trope! Peter trying to get guardianship of his niece and nephew is central to the plot, but the children do not hog the story. Peter and Selina aren’t just in love but building a family together!

I have LOVED Alexandra Vasti's Halifax Hellions novellas, and I LOVED Ne'er Duke Well, her first full-length novel!

Wow. I found myself laughing out loud, but there's also so much depth to these characters and this storyline. I don't want to give away too much, but wow, wow, wow. So good. The romance is heart-pounding, and the mystery is fun too.

Must read for those who enjoy steamy historical romantic comedy!

P.S. I adored the Halifax Hellions Easter eggs!

I received a complimentary advance digital copy from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

What an absolutely amazing romp, I could not put it down!! Selina and Peter are so dang wonderful and absolutely hilarious! Plus the thought and care that goes into every single scheme...truly a work of art! I hope Georgiana and Lydia get their own books, because I loved them too!!! Also, the family aspect of this book warmed my heart.

This was a cute, fun, regency read! A nice little palate cleanser between romantasy and contemporary books.

The feminism bent of this book (loved it!) felt unrealistic but I tried to let myself be immersed in the world.

If you like Evie Dunmore’s book you’ll like this one!

🌶️.5/5. 🥰🥰🥰🥰/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


Really cute and comforting read. Low spice. I really like how Vasti gave us well rounded and thought out characters. Even though they first appear one way, as you read they continue to develop.