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!

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: 3 stars.

SYNOPSIS:
Peter, an American, has just become the new Duke of Stanhope. He asks Selina for help gaining custody of his two younger half-siblings as his reputation is not up to the ton's expectations. Selina's solution? Get him married to a respectable woman, of course. The catch? Selina is his perfect match, and they both know it. The problem? Selina owns and operates a library with a secret line of books exclusively for female educational purposes (*ahem* erotic novels). And if her secret is revealed, it would destory any chances of Peter gaining custody of his siblings.

REVIEW:
Peter and Selina were some of the best romance heros/heroines I've read in awhile. Peter was absolutely adorable and oh so awkward. He had such a knack for getting himself into scandalous situations without even trying. I love how smitten he was with Selina from the very second he saw her. And Selina was a superior mfc. Girly pop decides to run a whole ass erotica library in the 1800s? We love to see it.

The actual book is a five star read for me, but the audibook gets three stars. This one definitely needed dual narration. I did not like the way the narrator voiced Peter, but that was it! The other character voices were great. I did give up on the audiobook about 65% in, and just continued reading the e-book.

TROPES:
Single Guardian
American MMC
English MFC
Historical Fiction (Bridgerton vibes!)

Audiobook/Ebook tandem read
Story: 5⭐️
Narration: 4⭐️

Peter’s title might be ‘Duke’, but let’s be real, the man is actually a prince. This might be my new favorite historical romance. It was so much fun to read while also having a lot of emotional depth. The chemistry between Peter and Selina was excellent. There were times I laughed out loud over some of the situations they found themselves in, both together and with others involved as Selina tried to find Peter a bride who was not her.

I loved Selina’s covert library operation and admired her drive to educate and care for people, specifically women, in ways that were desperately needed and most often denied.

Peter was the most standup of men. His love for his siblings and earnest effort to do whatever was needed to bring them into his home permanently. His support of Selina was swoonworthy. He also knew how to take care of her in ALL aspects. The steam was STEAMY in this one.

Mhairi Morrison narrated all parts of this book. Overall, I enjoyed the narration. There were times it felt stilted in some of the dialogue, but there was never any part of the performance that took me out of the story being told in the novel.

This whole book was a delight. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Dreamscape Media for the eARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review.

📖 𝙉𝙚'𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙪𝙠𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙖 𝙑𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞
🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣

“𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦-𝘰𝘩, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦, 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺.“

This is actually my second time around getting to read this story and it was such a delight to get to experience the story through audio! The narrator, 𝙈𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣, did such a fantastic job bringing this story to life! She’s one of my favorite narrators for historical romances.

Lady Selina Ravenscroft is a well respected member of the ton. As the sister to a Duke, she grew up protected. When she realizes there were so many things about sexual relations and society not taught to woman, she takes it upon herself to create a circulating library to help educate women. When the newly appointed Duke of Stanhope, Peter Kent, asks for her help, she quickly agrees.

Known as the “American Duke”, Peter is unfamiliar with the new high society he is thrown into. His one goal is to make a better life for his half siblings and makeup for the failings of their father. Unfortunately, in order to get custody of them, he must become an upstanding Duke. He enlists the help of Selina. She believes if he gets married he’ll get custody. As she tries to find him the perfect bride, she slowly starts to realize it might just be her.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Peter and Selina were perfect for each other from the very beginning. Selina is a serious badass FMC. Her reasonings for creating the Venus Catalog were so pure. She single handily educated the woman of the ton. She was selfless and caring, and just the perfect lead. Peter was a walking heart and I loved him so much. His past trauma and his vulnerabilities just added to the depth of his character. I really appreciated the lack of a 3rd act breakup. Just when I thought it was going to happen, Peter refused to let it. The side characters in this story were so well done, and added so much to the story. I can’t wait for more books set in this world!

Overall Rating: 4.5⭐️

Tropes:
🫖 Regency Romp
🔥 Spicy Historical Fiction
💞 Dual POV
🫠 He’s Completely Mad for Her
🌻 No 3rd Act Breakup
🥵 Spicy Romance (2🌶️)

I HIGHLY recommend this story to all lovers of a great steamy regency romp! 𝙉𝙚'𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙪𝙠𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡 will be available on July 23rd in both digital, paperback & audiobook! This audiobook is an absolute treasure and I 100% recommend downloading it for this story! 💛

3.5 Stars Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti is a fun Regency romp with plenty of hilarious antics and spice!

American Peter Kent, the scandalous newly inherited Duke of Stanhope, must become respectable in order to be granted legal guardianship of his two younger half-siblings. Peter seeks the help of Lady Selina Ravenscroft, society's most clever and respectable debutante except for one small secret: Selina runs a circulating library of erotic literature for women. In order to win guardianship, Selina recommends that Peter court and marry a woman with an unimpeachable reputation, i.e. not Selina. Unfortunately, Selina's matchmaking doesn't go to plan and the more time they spend scheming together, the more Selina and Peter feel for one another.

Ne'er Duke Well is an enjoyable read and I loved Mhairi Morrison's narration! There was a lot of action packed into this one and the plot moved along at the perfect pace, which isn't always the case for Regency romances. In my opinion, the stars of this one were Peter's half-siblings, Lucinda "Lou" and Freddie. The two were hilarious and adorable, especially Lou and her rapier.

Thank you SMP, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the ALC 💗 Ne'er Duke Well releases on July 23rd!

Peter Kent - the newly inherited Duke of Stanhope - can't seem to avoid scandal, no matter what he does. Desperate to bolster his reputation in order to gain guardianship of his younger siblings, Peter enlists the help of society's most proper debutante, Lady Selina Ravenscroft. Selina is determined to find Peter the perfect English wife, but neither seem to be able to resist the attraction between them.

This was a fun regency romp, with a great premise.

I enjoyed both Peter and Selina as characters, and was interested to see where their story will lead. I was glad that this book didn't get over-the-top dramatic (as many regency romances tend to do), and was interested to see an American male lead in this type of story. I also enjoyed Selina's goal of empowering and educating women through her business.

The romance in this moved a lot quicker than expected, choosing to focus of the greater issue of the children's custody. I do wish the author had spent more time showing the leads bond with Peter's siblings. I wanted it to give more found-family vibes.

Overall, I did enjoy this and read it rather quickly. I'm also curious to read the companion novels that the author seems to have planned.

Delightful!
Peter is a Duke desperately trying to get custody of his two younger siblings and Selina is just the women to do it. She will find him a wife of a socially exactable standing and he will get his brother and sister back or so is the plan!
Funny and charming it was a lovely read. Sometimes I found the dialogue to drag a little longer than I would have liked but overall thoroughly enjoyable.
Excellent narration.

I've loved Vasti's novellas so much, so I was excited to see what she did with a full length novel. It was just as funny, as spicy, and as endearing.
However, some personal preferences of mine led me to not enjoy it QUITE as much, but I think others will love the book a ton.
I learned I have a personal ick for Southern accents in audiobooks. (I'm so sorry, I'm from Alabama and I just have a hard time listening to the accent). I also don't LOVE books with children/guardianship as a plot point. I know tons of people love that, and again, it's just a personal thing.

Definitely 4+ stars and I think this will be super popular and well-loved.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Peter wants custody of his half-siblings, and in order to do it, he must become respectable. Selena thinks she can solve his problem, by getting him hitched! What follows is a fun, flirty, and ultimately VERY steamy story as Selena attempts to attach Peter to various women before succumbing to them herself!

This story was witty, fast-paced, and packed with steam. I thought it was really inventive that the hero was from Louisiana, which isn't something you often see in a story like this! The southern accent was done really well by the narrator, and was a fresh breeze in an otherwise "typical" sounding British historical romance. It made this fish out of water tale that much more compelling.

I had some difficulty connecting to the story. Perhaps this author and I just don't fit, because there wasn't anything I could identify per se about the writing, but I labored to care and pay attention to the story. I found it to be a bit dialogue heavy, as well. Additionally, I would have loved more of the plot to be focused on the romance and less on the children/custody.

I'd like to thank Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audio-ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

There are so many of my favorite of tropes blended into this delightful novel. Peter is a new duke who grew up in America and is now seeking custody of his younger half siblings. His friend Selina, the sister of yet another duke, is helping him improve his case by finding him a suitable candidate to marry. Except these two are actually more attracted to each other than anyone else and all of Peter’s courtships are comically bad. We get to see a series of terrible courting excursions and then ultimately Selina and Peter get caught in a compromising situation themselves and need to marry. Meanwhile, Selina has her own potential for scandal by owning and running a circulating library with a secret section of elicit texts. She’s trying very hard not to get caught at this, since it’ll ruin Peter’s custody case, but he’s amazingly supportive after she tells him her secrets. There are a fun cast of characters here with Selina’s loving and supportive family, Peter’s young siblings, and even the ladies that Selina had suggested for Peter. I enjoyed this book so much; it was full of humor, steam, and a low-angst romance.

Author Alexandra Vasti and narrator Mhairi Morrison are a match made in romcom heaven! This very funny, genuinely lovely historical romance features a matchmaking trope where the duke in question and the friend who is going to marry him off so he can get custody of his siblings have a spark of chemistry from the beginning and things build beautifully from there. Mhairi Morrison’s timing is perfect and she nails the laugh lines. I was really wondering how she’d deal with Peter’s New Orleans accent which is different from what you hear in a lot of Regency romance audiobooks, and I loved that she did it not only through a light drawl immediately recognizable to modern readers, but also in the energy and cadence of his speech. Absolutely loved this audio book and can’t wait to listen to more in the series. Highly recommend!!

This was my second time reading (first on audio!) and dare I say it was even better the second time around? Mhairi Morrison’s performance was nothing short of spectacular! Every accent and attribute for each character is brimming with so much humor and heart, and it made for the most delightful reading experience.

A downright delightful, darling, and dazzling debut! I adored Vasti’s Halifax Hellions novellas and Ne’er Duke Well was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024, and it exceeded all my hopes! Before diving into the characters and story, I want to mention Vasti’s meticulous research. If you’ve read her previous work or follow her on social media, you’ll recognize her attention to detail when it comes to historical romance facts. Vasti’s passion and love for romance and kinky etymology and history is apparent in all of her work and I relished reading about her research in her author’s note.

Now to the characters! Vasti’s heroines are some of my most favorite characters to read about because they are brilliant, passionate, resourceful women with lives, love, and aspirations beyond the confines of societal expectations. They are unapologetically themselves and own their pleasure, and Selina is no exception. Selina’s character is fiercely loyal, immensely clever, and incredibly tenderhearted, though she reserves this side for those within her inner circle, and there is no problem she cannot solve. And then there’s precious Peter. This man is head over heels for and completely bewitched (body AND soul) by Selina. He has a heart of solid gold and I adored how supportive he was of Selina, in all of her endeavors… even her failed attempts at matchmaking. They complemented each other so beautifully and their love story was so soft, sweet, and damn sexy.

The entire cast was superb and it is truly a testament to Vasti’s writing how the side characters are just as endearing and memorable as the MCs. I need to know more about Lydia, Georgiana, and Thomasin ASAP. Then there’s darling Lu and Freddie who round out the cast and bring so much charm and humor (I laughed out loud so many times at Lu’s quick wit) to the story. If you’re a fan of a found family, you will adore this cast of characters.

The tension Vasti built between Selina and Peter was so damn delicious and she wasted no time delivering some spectacular spice. I loved the focus on the family and how it comes in many different forms, strong women shucking convention, and women taking ownership of their pleasure, education, and bodies. I also appreciated how the men in this story rallied around Selina, Lydia, and even little Lu when she wanted a rapier and fencing lessons. These men encouraged and supported the women and didn’t leave them to deal with the despicable titled men who sought to belittle and silence their progressive pursuits.

Genre: historical romance
England, 1815

Peter Kent, Duke of Stanhope, has recently moved to England to claim his inheritance and title. Little did he know that this also included two half siblings. Only it doesn’t quite, because Peter’s father never formally recognized them and left no provision for them in his will. But Lu and Freddie are family, and Peter will stop at nothing to gain custody rather than seeing them passed amongst poor relations. Lady Selina Ravenscroft has a brilliant idea: if Peter marries, he’ll have a stronger case for custody. But he can’t marry her. Selina carries a secret that could bring down even the most respectable of dukes: she owns a circulating library that distributes explicit books catering exclusively to ladies. That’s not to say they aren’t maddeningly attracted to each other.

Alexandra Vasti plays with familiar tropes, tweaking them slightly for her purposes. Single parent becomes older brother with siblings he doesn’t quite know how to handle but who he loves with all his heart. (This is more forgiving for the modern reader, who wants to assume that someone who is a single dad is not as aloof as may once have been considered charming.) The American-born duke charmingly bungles English manners, but respectful of the institution he now occupies, recognizing the power he can wield in parliament. Selina is a forward woman who prefers many things over needlework, but those things include running a library of explicit literature. Vasti writes an energetic and yet sympathetic heroine well situated within the regency era. Selina is a gossip, a do-gooder, staunchly loyal, a problem solver and a delight to read.

I knew this would be a spectacular full length debut from Vasti because her writing in her novellas is a joy to read. Every moment - from laughter to tears - in this book is fun, sweet, sensitive, and caring. And more than a little bit horny. I can count on Vasti to bring the right level of heat. With a curious but nervous virgin heroine, there’s both sensitivity to her needs and creativity as she questions what she’s read on pages and what’s physically possible in the bedroom. I love seeing well-matched couples on page, and it's clear to me that Peter and Selina evolve together to have such a supportive and loving relationship.

I reread this via audio, with an ALC from Dreamscape Media. Mhairi Morrison is a favorite historical romance narrator for me, and she’s well suited for Vasti’s writing. She gives Peter a light New Orleans drawl and a gentle overall narration to prose, with the perfect intonations of urgency where appropriate ;-)

Ne'er Duke Well tells the story of Selina, a debutante with a scandalous literary secret, and Peter, a newly inherited duke with a New Orleans upbringing and a feisty reputation. This had all the makings of a book I would love, but too many things just didn't work for me. I can appreciate a modern take on Regency romance, but this book took things too far, to the point that it was beyond reason. I also didn't really care for the romance between the two main characters as their connection was really surface-level. I think this book would be well suited for readers who enjoy a Regency-set romance with a 2024-caliber boss babe female main character and feminist woke male main character. As for the audiobook qualities, the lone female narrator did a nice job portraying all the characters, but I did not care for her unnatural speech cadence.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

4.25/5

Alexandra Vasti's books are a breath of fresh air for the historical romance genre. The fun of a historical romance, at least to me, is getting to experience characters skirt and bend the rules of the time while also being aware of the consequences.

Ne'er Duke Well does it one better by spinning the consequences on its head, where the concern is not for the lady's reputation but the gentleman's. It is Peter's reputation on the line, not Selina's, and we get gems like Selina wadding through the Serpentine to rescue a dog because think of his reputation! Think of the children. Meanwhile, our lovable leads are surrounded by the most supportive friends and family who just want these two to be happy. Supportive friends and family are truly underrated in this genre, in my opinion.

Mhairi Morrison did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook. I hope she does the next installment.

I can't wait for the next installment in the Belvoir's Library series! I already read the synopsis for Earl Crush, and I am ready for it.

Oooh I just love it when the MCs are drawn together in a plot to get one of them a partner. This is one of my favorite tropes ever! If you enjoyed Bridgerton s1 you'll enjoy this for sure! It had lots of scheming together and heartfelt conversations. It also included a "let's practice your flirting" scene which is always so fun. Besides the inclusion of old favorite tropes this book also was incredibly unique! This genre can feel a bit repetitive sometimes but I did not feel that way about this book at all. It's not every day that you read about a FMC who runs a sex education library or a MMC who fell into dukedom after growing up in America and actually feels very out of place. I wouldn’t have thought to ask for these aspects but dang I so enjoyed them! This book does have kids so YMMWV with that. For me, I really enjoyed watching Peter fight for guardianship of his half-siblings. It was really compelling how much he cared about building this family. Honestly I felt for both of the main characters because it was clear that they both had so much love to give so I was very invested. I will say the ending wasn't the most realistic thing in the world to me but I love books that are low stakes (that's why I come to this genre) so it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book by any means.

If you prefer modern historicals where the heroine has agency and is deeply respected and supported by the hero this is the book for you! This was such a sweet, soft book with some ridiculous shenanigans and adorable pining. I had a wonderful time and absolutely recommend this book for those looking for a unique historical that isn't too heavy😊

Do yourself a favor and pick up the audio if you can because Alexandra Vasti's prose is already fantastically heartfelt and hysterical but Mhairi Morrison takes it to the next level! I adore her narration and I believe this is 100% the best way to experience the book 🥰