This delicious Regency romcom is as light as a feather, fluffy and comedic. There’s a steely edge rolling through about slavery and the sexual hypocrisy of the aristocracy, but it’s very well covered in the fluff.

Peter Kent grew up in New Orleans in Louisiana and now finds himself as the Duke of Stanhope (as you do). He’s navigating both his responsibilities and the ton, but what he really wants is custody/guardianship of his (natural) brother and sister. While in London he has created a bit of a shocking reputation, and crossed paths with Lady Selina who has her own secrets. Selina is particularly appealing, she’s both capable and vulnerable.

Unfortunately Peter has alienated the judge who will decide his guardianship case. Selina has a soft spot for Peter but can’t step up as his bride because of her naughty secrets. This sets up the shenanigans, some poignant moments and a comedy of manners. There’s some hilarity (watch out for Lady Georgina and the hats 😉), and some real pining and tenderness. Peter is a Regency golden retriever, and well matched with Selina. I love the combination of steamy imaginings, lots of pining and a slow burn - they get there though and it’s steamy 🌶️ 🌶️ and so tender.

Mhairi Morrison has her hands full with the audio. There's a large number of characters, including Peter’s Southern drawl. She’s narrated other books for Alexandra Vasti and she put me straight back in the Halifax universe. Mhairi’s voice is charmingly British and immersive and it all gallops along…

This romcom works with a little heartbreak, humour and the charm of the characters, not for historical accuracy. Such fun though!

Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Vasti and St Martin’s Press for the audiobook. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and to the author for this audiobook!! I absolutely adored it.

This swoony book!!! It was sweet, and yet so fiery and passionate. There’s found family, so much selflessness, and such an abundance of love!! It has all of the scandal that you love in Bridgerton, but with a heaping extra dose of strong, amazing female characters, and a lovely male main character truly worth falling for. The narrator did a phenomenal job with this audiobook as well!!

A fun, romantic comedy that is perfect for fans of bridgerton or any historical romance. This seems like more of a light-hearted rom-com on the surface, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. There’s vulnerability, women empowerment, custody hearings, and abusive relationships that are big topics in this story. There’s also a wet rescue mission for a dog, a sex library educating women on… sex, and some (failed) plans to set up Peter on a path to find his wife.

Peter Kent, otherwise known as the American Duke, has taken on the role of the duke quite suddenly. His new title doesn’t change his reckless behaviour and the favours it isn’t doing for his reputation. His younger brother and sister are all he’s focused on. He wants custody of them, but natural children are not looked at the same by law. To gain guardianship of them, he will need to convince Lord Eldon and the Chancellor that him and his reputation are able to handle it. Enter Lady Selina, a cunning woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. She declares that his reputation will uphold better with a duchess by his side and devises her plan. Peter agrees but doesn’t realize that his attraction to Selina would be what’s getting in the way. He’s a man that isn’t afraid to go after what he wants, and what he wants is her. What’s stopping her?

This was a delight to read! I haven’t read a historical romance in quite a while and I forgot how much I loved them. This one in particular, I really loved the deeper topics and the focus on women feeling shamed for doing exactly what men do. The characters were all so charming and unique in their own ways, including the side characters. Georgiana, Lydia, Lu, Freddie, Thomasin, Lady Judith… they all played a role in the story and brought their own personalities and love for each other. Selina was so selfless and badass. I loved her as an FMC! Her caring nature didn’t dull her kindred spirit or the reason she created the Venus Catalog. Peter was a man who had a whole lot of love to give. His traumatic past and vulnerable side added to his depth as a character and he always was so supportive of Selina. Peter and Selina were one of my favourite couples, and the SPICE??? a whole different level🥵

The ending was my favourite part! Lots of character development and some found family action happening. The pacing of this book was good, although I found it a little slow in the middle. It still kept my attention and engaged in the story. I loved that there was no 3rd act breakup and lots of honest and open communication, we love to see that!! I also listened to this on audio while reading the physical book and the narrator was fantastic!

This was an absolute delight to read! Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Vasti, and the publisher for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Such a fun read! In my opinion, this book is basically an alternate universe version of how the most recent season of Bridgerton should have gone. This book is a cute twist on the friends to lovers regency romance featuring an unconventional “American Duke” from New Orleans and a Lady in no need of a husband. I loved the entire cast of characters Vasti brings to life in this story (especially Lu!!!). The only thing I didn’t love was that at times I felt like I had missed something because the story feels like it’s picking up in the middle but I couldn’t find anything to confirm how this might be tied to the author’s earlier works. You can find me adding the rest of Alexandra Vasti’s books to my TBR.

Would recommend it to those who enjoyed Evie Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series or Bridgerton.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Ne’er Duke Well is a romance novel about the power of books. 

I wasn’t sure I could love it more than when I first read the e-ARC—and then the NetGalley gods blessed me with advanced audiobook too. 

Regency romances just hit different on audio, don’t they? I loved everything about the production and Mhairi Morrison’s performance. 

As expected, the audiobook showcases Selena’s pluckiness and charm - even better than I imagined in my head while reading. What I didn’t anticipate was how it would capture her bravery even amidst the dread of a long-carried secret (one long-carried alone), and her vulnerability - even while armed with more information than women of the time typically had access to.  

For regency romance readers, it doesn’t get better than this. The writing is so well done and the character work is incredible (I’ve said it before - Peter Kent is IT, in a world of reading fictional men I’d probably run from in real life - Peter is the guy I’d actually fall for). 

Even without reading her bio, a reader will be able to tell Vasti is a scholar of this historical period and expert in this genre—more than that, she is kind and engaged with readers like me on social media.

All that to say, I CAN’T WAIT for this book to be out in the world so you all can read—and listen to!— it on June 23. 

After reading this debut, Vasti’s on my auto-buy list.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape and Alexandra Vasti for the ALC of this historical stunner.

I’ve been a big fan of Alexandra Vasti's after devouring her Halifax Hellions novellas and was so excited to get my hands on this one. My heart was needing a lower angst romance and Ne’er Duke Well delivered.

Read this one if you like:
- a smart and sexy historical romance
- "let me find you a wife, but it definitely can't ever be me" matchmaking
- an amazing and hilarious found family
- an intelligent, strong, and fiercely loyal heroine
- an all in hero who stands by his lady love & siblings no matter what
- scorching hot chemistry and sizzling sexy times
- “touch yourself/watch me” 👀
- friends to lovers
- no third act break up

I know some readers may want a bit more angst and drama in their romances, but I really appreciated that after some hiccups at the start, the final conflict was external to our main couple. The epilogue was very sweet and funny and I'm hoping we'll see a book about Selina's brother Will in the future.

I mainly listened to this one on audio and Mhairi Morrison was wonderful as always. She captured the different characters so well (especially Selina) and switched accents with ease. I had no trouble distinguishing between characters and enjoyed this audio so much!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4-4.5 stars

CW: death of parents (past), grief, custody battle, mentions of death of spouse and child (secondary character, past), dog rescue, parental abandonment (past), death of sibling (past), mentions/discussion of slavery, child with life threatening illness (on page)

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope who hails from—gasp!—New Orleans, Louisiana, needs to rapidly improve his reputation. He wants custody of his half-siblings, Freddie and Lu, and let’s just say that between his American roots and his political stance, among other things, he is not the most approved of member of the ton. When he turns to Lady Selina Ravenscroft for help, she decides the fastest way to improve his standing is to secure him a proper wife.

Selina is beloved by the ton, but her reputation would be dashed if her cohorts discovered that she is behind the circulating library that has—ahem—made some more enlightening reads available to women.

Here’s the rub, though: despite her multiple attempts at matchmaking Peter to the ladies of the ton, none of those relationships seem to take. As unfortunate as it seems, Selina discovers that she, in fact, may be Peter’s perfect match. Oh bother.

He needs his status bolstered, but allying with her, and her potentially destructive secret, may cause an even greater downfall.

I adore Alexandra Vasti’s writing; I found myself wearing an irrepressible grin while reading this one; and I just love Peter’s half-siblings, Freddie and Lu.

Peter and Selina’s banter is delicious and their chemistry is fantastic. The stories surrounding the other ladies of the ton whom Selina attempts to matchmake with Peter only enhance the humor of the story.

There is a bit of a change in tone once Peter and Selina do get together. Things become more serious as the decision regarding Freddie and Lu’s guardianship grows closer.

It all works out in the end, though, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I loved Mhairi Morrison's narration of The Halifax Hellions audiobooks, so I was excited to see that she narrates this one as well. I am happy to report that her narration of Ne'er Duke Well is just as delightful as her narration of those novellas. She uses a proper British accent for Selina and a slow, Southern drawl for Peter.

4.75⭐️

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

My favorite book to date from this author! The plot and story line was well developed and flowed in a natural way. The slow burn romance was sizzling by the end of this one. The language was appropriate to the time period the book is set, but clear enough to understand meaning even though some words are uncommon to our language now. If you’re a fan of the Bridgerton series, you’ll love this one!

Sweet and spicy this was a fun fast paced, regency romance.
It gave me Hello Dolly 🤝 Bridgerton vibes and I had the best time.

Synopsis: Peter, from New Orleans Louisiana is the new Duke of Stanhope, and Lady Selina is determined to find him a wife so he can adopt his siblings. The only problem is this matchmaker secretly runs a lending library filled with erotica, and she might be falling for him herself...

I hadn't read about an American-English Duke before, and it was a blast watching him fall in love with our scandalous matchmaker. They have a lot of fun moments together and I really appreciated how well they communicated. It was a refreshing take on the way they handled the big conflict compared to others with similar tropes in the genre. I loved seeing them work together on their problems like couples should. All in all this was really sweet, fast and fun romance. Perfect to read between heavier books or on holiday!

Audiobook Narration: The American and English accents really helped the story come to life and made it easy to determine who was speaking. I enjoyed her performance a lot. The default pacing of the reading was rather slow but that is what the speeds are for. For me it was perfect at 1.75 speed.

This book is great for fans of:
- Faced Paced Romance
- Single Dad Vibes
- Cinnamon Roll MMC's
- Steamy Regency Reads like Evie Dunmore or Julia Quinn

Spice Level: 3/5 Peppers

Content Notes:
- Graphic Sexual Content (3-4 scenes)
- Strong Language

I received an ALC for review. This is my opinion.

I think my biggest takeaway from this book is that it's like if Lady Whistledown ran a spicy library rather than a gossip column. Georgiana is what Cressida Cowper should've been. I think my favorite part of this book was the family dynamics.

Thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape, and Alexandra Vasti for the ALC!

As the name implies, Ne’er Duke Well is a fun regency room with a strong independent heroine, a principled and kind hero, and a marriage of convenience.

I really loved the low conflict in this book, which made for a relaxing and lighthearted listen. While historical accuracy is somewhat left at the door, the progressive values thread through the story (such as women’s sexual health and wellbeing) were refreshing and engaging. The central romance was delightful, and I really enjoyed the way Selena and Peter helped each other through hardship.

The narration was charming, bubbly snd the author did a wonderful job of bringing the full (and very varied) cast of characters to life! I’d highly recommend to fans of Bridgerton and regency romance with a twist.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

The new Duke of Stanhope is a walking scandal. Firstly, he is American. Secondly, he spouts radical opinions in the House of Lords. He is petitioning for custody of his half siblings, but the judge is a very staid, conservative man. He seeks help from his friends, the Ravenscrofts. Selena, sister of the Duke of Ravenscroft, comes up with a plan to get Peter married. She comes up with a list and Peter attempts to court the ladies. But Peter wants Selena, and Selena turns him down. She operates a scandalous lending library. If her secret were to become public, she would hinder Peter's case, not help it. But their attraction proves to be too much.

I really enjoyed this. Some Regency romances are very staid and stuffy. This was very light and fun. I suppose that makes it less historically accurate, but I was reading for enjoyment, not a lesson in 19th Century London.

My biggest complaint is probably that there wasn't more Lou and her rapier.

I enjoyed the author's Halifax series, but didn't like that they were all short novellas. I was so pleased that this was a full length book. While the Halifax twins did not appear, they were mentioned a few times. I am eagerly waiting for Lydia's book!

Mhairi Morrison narrates the audiobook. Peter's Louisiana accent had me pausing at first, but I got used to it. A Duke in London born in Louisiana to a French mother and English father is sure to have an interesting accent anyway, lol.

Best historical romance audiobook this year!

Mhairi Morrison reading Alexandra Vasti is the most perfect combination. As an avid audio listener, I am always a little anxious about who will be chosen for my favorite authors. But I can rest easy for this one! Any time I rec this book, I'll know the reader will have the best experience whether they use their eyes or ears to read this! I hope this narrator continues with Alexandra Vasti and it would be soooo amazing if she did my other historical romance favorites!!

Review of the book:
These loveable characters, this gorgeous book! We've got Selina, who is everyone's manager/coordinator/matchmaker and just wants to be truly needed by someone. In comes fish-out-of-water American duke: Peter! This cinnamon roll might be the most delicious, breakfast pastry to ever be GONE for the heroine! So much swoon. But in order for Peter to gain custody of his half-siblings, he needs a bride with a flawless reputation and Selina has a secret that makes her a scandal waiting to happen--she runs an erotic circulating library for women 🤭

• I love that Selina's passion is sexual health/education!
• I die at: wait, is she proposing to me right now, better just say yes to whatever she says just in case! (She was not, but Peter is very much politely down bad for this woman at all times)
• Selina and her efficient scandal management. She's amazing.
• I love the letters and quotes at the start of each chapter! Will, her brother 🥺🥰 I hope he gets his own book!
• Peter's half siblings are so precocious and loveable and add plenty of humor without being over the top. Lu and her rapier, demanding satisfaction from the world--you'll love them even if kiddos in romance novels aren't always your thing!
• Peter's like, Sorry everyone, but there will be no third act conflict between Selina and I. I simply refuse! (👏👏👏)
• The whole cast of characters are fantastic and I cannot wait CANNOTWAIT for the next book!

Thanks so much Netgalley and dreamscape!!!

I have read Alexandra Vasti's novellas before, and have absolutely loved them, so I was so excited to read her first full length novel. And it did not disappoint! This book is hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times while reading. The banter and wit the characters have is top tier. I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Peter and Selina 's romance was everything. I absolutely loved the way they love and support each other, in all things. The way Peter wouldn't give up on Selina was especially swoonworthy! The children in this book were also fantastic. I adored Lu, especially. Her fierce heart was my favorite. I also adored all the side characters in the book. I cannot wait to read their stories in the future!

The audio narration is great as well! The different voices and accents the narrator uses are so distinct it feels like multiple people are reading the book.

This is my first full-length novel from Alexandra Vasti and it completely blew me away!
While I adored the first Halifax Hellions novella, it was far too short and left me desperate for more.
Ne'er Duke Well, however, is absolute perfection in length and every other aspect.

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanope, with his southern gentleman smooth-talking, "radical" political views, and endless love and care for his family captured my heart the instant he appeared. And he's the perfect match for the bluestocking proprietor of a circulating library with a secret women's-only salacious Venus Catalog, Selena. This dynamic took the incredible steamy scenes to a whole other level, where the virgin trope is turned on its head as this well read woman tells her man he's doing it wrong because that's not what it's like in the books, indicating she still has much to learn and he's more than happy to teach her. The spicy encounter in the library office is one I won't soon forget!

Some other tropes included that I love/hate were:
-can't be together because I'll ruin your reputation,
-we get caught in a compromising position and have to marry,
-we have to marry but I would still choose you every time, and
-can't say I love you because then you'd never leave me.

While we all love the spice in a romance, the plot of Ne'er Duke Well does not fall to the side. It is a beautiful and heartwarming exploration of what makes a family. I could feel my heart in my throat while waiting to learn the fates of Peter's two adorable child siblings and got all the warm fuzzies at the happy conclusion.

The narration! Mhairi Morrison is the queen of accents. We got all variations of the Queen's English with those from the top of the ton, plus a smooth southern gentleman-turned-duke and two sweet children. I could immediately tell which character was speaking without having to wait for the dialog markers. She also sounds great at any speed, which I think is essential for a good audiobook listening experience. I'll be keeping my ear out for more Mhairi Morrison narrations.

I loved this book so much I’ve read it twice! I originally read this ARC via ebook and was delighted when the audio came available to review. Thank you for the opportunity to listen early- this was a joy to reread and is incredible in audio! Mhairi Morrison’s narrative performance really brings Vasti’s fantastic characters to life . Ne’er Duke Well is a bright, romantic historical romance that is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and newer to the historical romance genre.

My original book review:

Lady Selina takes it upon herself to find a wife for Peter, newly inherited Duke. Surprise! She’s his perfect match. An incredibly charming, joyful, swoony, heartfelt romance that stole my heart.
Alexandra Vasti is one of my favorite writers and is a fresh, talented voice in historical romance. Her characters are full of life. Peter and Selina are a joy to read and their love story is charming and romantic. I cannot wait to see what Vasti writes next as her secondary characters in this novel were just as wonderful as our main characters!

I like Vasti a lot and only just discovered her. I liked this book a lot, the lead characters are great, as always and can't wait for the other books in this seies

This is my second time reading this book! I loved it so much when I read the arc, I went and requested the audio 😆

I'll go ahead and post my original review below, but I'll add that the narration was absolutely FANTASTIC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"You bring the morning with you. You're the light, sweetheart. When you walk into a room, I can't see the shadows."

Peter is the newly appointed Duke of Stanhope with a hilariously unrespectable reputation. He doesn't mind the reputation (he certainly doesn't regret his outburst regarding abolition), except that it's getting in the way of his attempt to gain custody of his young half siblings.
Selina, a duchess who is always caring about others more than herself, has made it her mission to help Peter's reputation by finding him a respectable wife. The problem is, their chemistry is starting to get in the way of her matchmaking. But as a lady who secretly runs a (for women only) catalog of salacious books, she is not the scandal free wife he needs.

This book completely charmed me! From the laugh out loud scenarios at social events to the loving and supportive family dynamics, the sweetest littles (I want to gobble up chaotic lil Lucinda), and a little bit of feminism... it was an all around good time. It was funny and spicy but also pulled at my heartstrings.

I see the makings of a series and I cannot wait to see who else's stories we're going to get!

THINGS TO LOVE:
+ regency era + matchmaking + an irreverent duke + a rebellious duchess + shenanigans of the ton + secret libraries + marriage of convenience + family cheerleaders
+ a sword wielding little lady

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Alexandra Vasti for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Regency readers- here's your next series! Jump on in-- the water's fine-- just ask Selina.. :)

Ne'er Duke Well is a low conflict (I'm looking at you anxious readers!) love story that is purely joy and attraction.

I could not love more:
-the altruistic entrepreneurship of Selina
-Peter's drive to care for his siblings
-Peter & Selina's chemistry
-Georgina- you'll love her
-The repeated instances of found family

Peter's back story makes me want to read an early 1800s historical romance in New Orleans.

I see that we get sweet Lydia's story next-- I'm totally on board!

Lady Selina Ravenscroft is the secret owner and operator of a library that has sexual education novels specifically for women. American Peter Kent just inherited a dukedom and is desperate to clean up his reputation so that he can become the legal guardian of his much younger siblings. Enter one of my favorite tropes...Selina decides to help Peter find a respectable wife to improve his reputation while fighting off her own inconvenient feelings for him.

Peter was an absolute charmer and a sweetheart, and Selina was an incredibly strong lead. We also got a well-written cast of side characters, many of which were also strong female characters. This was so refreshing to see in a historical romance! Peter's two younger siblings were hilarious and spunky and added extra charm to the story. Along with a delightful cast of characters, this book had a decent balance of plot and romance. The tension and pining that we got between Peter and Selina was perfection and there was a lot more spice than I was expecting, which was the best surprise! There is a substantial focus on the guardianship plot and the two children. It eclipsed the romance at times throughout the book and I would have liked to have seen it wrap up a bit faster so we could get more of Selina and Peter together.

The narration was well done and I will definitely be listening to more audiobooks by this narrator! I did appreciate that the narration for Peter was accurate to the story and had a Southern accent.

Overall, a fantastic historical romance read and Alexandra Vasti is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I definitely recommend this one!