This book was so excellent I finished it in a day. The build up to Peter and Selina being together has the just the right amount of angst. When they get together it is steamy and perfect. Their love felt genuine and I appreciated that there was no third act “break up”.

Freddie and Lou bring such fun to the story. In fact all of the secondary characters are well written and I’d read a book based around any of them. I would particularly love to read a novel based around Lydia Hope-Wallace, perhaps that will be next?

It's no surprise I enjoyed Alexandra Vasti's first full length novel after falling in love with her Halifax Hellions series.
Peter and Selina are a great couple and the children, Lu and Freddie are adorable. And there's even Peter, the cat. Selina tries to be match maker for Peter - you know that's doomed to fail! Georgiana is one of the best supporting characters and I look forward to reading her story!

The new Duke of Stanhope need to marry a respectable woman to save his reputation. Selina is supposedly the most debutatne except that she secretly runs an erotic circulating library for women. He asks for her help to find a proper bride....

I love Peter's siblings. They are so cute and funny. They really stole all the scenes they are in. Peter and Selina are funny together. I enjoy them a lot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I was lucky enough to hear an excerpt from Ne're Duke Well at an event Alexandra Vasti did months before I was able to read it. Since then I have been incredibly excited to get my hands on this book and it didn't disappoint!

I loved Selina and Peter as a couple. He is so incredibly good at getting himself into scandalous situations and Selena is very talented at getting him out of them. While this could be a burden for Selena, instead she gets to enjoy the freedom of Peter's impulsivity and help him manage the consequences. They both make each other better and happier. They also share a determination to help people regardless of the cost. I think shared values of that sort are truly what makes a relationship work long-term.

One thing that was beautifully well done about this book, was that it is a historical romance that deals with the politics and rules of a completely different society, and yet it is still relatable to modern readers. When Selina talks about the consequences that women face from living in a society with unequal rules for women and men, I thought about ways I have seen women hurt by the inequality of our society. I loved that Selina took this pain and did something with it to make her world better.

On top of these qualities, Ne're Duke Well is sexy and incredibly funny. It is also beautifully written. Alexandra Vasti has a real gift for creating lovable characters and getting into their different head spaces to understand how they see the world and react to different situations. I cannot wait to read what she has in store next!

🌶️🌶️🌶️- Ne're Duke Well has several open-door steamy scenes as well as a heroine who runs an erotic library. Things she has learned from the library are mentioned.

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti is top tier historical romance!! I had read her novellas and found her through some other authors recommendations and she never gets it wrong. This book was everything you would want from a historical romance, the characters were well developed and I loved the community Vasti created. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it will be a definite reread.

I've been following Alexandra Vasti's writing since her Halifax Hellions trilogy and her first full-length novel lived up to expectations. Anyone going into any Vasti novel needs to be prepared for scorching hot intimate scenes. No closed-door romance is to be found here. One thing that I appreciate about Alexandra's writing is her female characters are always strong and out of the norm for their period, but the idiosyncrasies, weaknesses, and fears that make up a well-rounded character are always there.

The romance between Peter and Selina was swoon-worthy. Beyond the bedroom scenes, their connection and ability to provide each other with the emotional support they need make this a must-read romance. I can't help but hope that we might eventually get a book with a grown Lu as the heroine. Now, there's a heroine that would flip the Ton on its head!

3.75 ⭐️ It’s a very well written book but my eyes started skimming halfway through, it just wasn’t for me. The plot was getting a little too fluffy for me but I appreciate the quality of the debut.

I received my ARC from Net Galley through author’s newsletter - thank you!

This book was a delight. I love a historical romance and when theyre done right its so fun! I loved the male MC and how supportive he was. I loved the slow burn and how they worked together the figure out the conflict. this book was really enjoyable for historical romance lovers!

This was my first time reading a historical romance as well as a book by Alexandra Vasti, and I was very happy with it. I mean, it was confusing at first, maybe because I'm just not used to this style of books, but it quickly got addicting. These characters!! So funny, and the relationship they have throughout this book is 10/10 even though it felt fast. In possibly 70% of the book, there is a lot of spice. I'm not one to enjoy much in a book, but if you are, I'm sure you’ll have no issues enjoying all this book has to offer.

A great historical fiction romance. Great pacing and a twist I didnt see coming. Definitely open door, but it’s fancy British so it reads more proper.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Advance copy- this book was a delight. I loved the main characters, their relationship and the story of the love of a family.

This is an incredible debut romance. From page one, the characters pop and feel incredibly real. Historical romance readers will delight; it doesn't sacrifice the realities of the time period while maintaining a modern sensibility. The romance is full of perfectly captured longing; the impediments to the relationship make sense and are not forced. The entire cast of characters--even butlers, ladies maids, and bumbling valets--feel delightfully well-rounded and lovely; I want to read a book about every single one of the Ravenscrofts and all of Selina's friends. This is hopefully the start of a long and storied career for Alexandra Vasti. For fans of the Halifax Hellions, they earn a mention, and the skill Vasti exhibited in the novellas is demonstrated at full force in this full length book. A must buy, a must read, a must re-read!!!

This book. Ah, this book, it lived up to everyone one of my expectations and then exceeded them.

My first introduction to Alexandra Vasti was her Halifax Hellions series, which I loved. So to say I was excited for Ne’Er Duke Well (side note: this is an excellent title, it would’ve drawn my interest even I didn’t already know about the author) would be an understatement.
So when this ARC was made available, I was over the moon. I downloaded it, sat down, and read it one sitting. As soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to read it again. Cannot wait for more Alexandra Vasti books!

First, the chemistry between Selina and Peter is off the charts. This was one of those books that made me want to skip ahead and read the end to make sure they end up together. I didn’t skip ahead, but it was so hard not to.

This couple is beautifully written, reading about them falling in love was so much fun. The general premise—historical romance where the woman is trying to matchmake for the male character but they fall in love with each other instead—is one I’ve encountered once or twice before and felt rather meh about. But this one was so well done. If you’re into steam in your historical romances, this one has you covered (that tub scene….phew!)

Something I found very original in this one was the idea of an essentially American Duke. I hadn’t encountered this before in any of the historical romances I’ve read and I thought it was a clever detail.

In addition to the love story, which was compelling enough to keep me reading, I also thoroughly enjoyed the aspects of the story about Selina’s career and Peter’s developing relationship with, and love for, his young siblings.

This book is a definite 5/5 for me!

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never thought I would read and actually enjoy a HistRom, but if anyone could do it for me, it's Alexandra Vasti. This book was such a joy and I finished it within a day! AV writes characters that read modern. They have modern sensibilities and their personalities aren't dreary or stuffy. Her characters stand on their own but her plot is just as good. And her dialogue - my GOD. She's absolutely hilarious. I have so much of this book highlighted because the characters (especially the side characters) had me in absolute stitches.

This book releases in July but I highly encourage everyone to pick it up. If you're new to HistRom like me, this is a great book to start with and it will definitely get you in the mood to read more!

Alexandra Vasti is such a special author, and I absolutely adored her Halifax Hellions series, so I was so excited to read the ARC of her first full length novel. That’s why I was so disappointed to see that this draft didn’t live up to the high expectations I had for this novel. Right off in the story, we have a problem: the characters are extremely flat. I like the idea of Peter being an abolitionist as well as the duke, and I liked the idea of Selina trying to find him a wife just to find out that he actually loves her. However there’s basically no chemistry between them throughout the entire first half of the book. Then suddenly, he decides he wants to propose to her. Even after she says no, they randomly decide to start getting semi steamy with each other, then boom they get caught, he realizes he has to marry her to save from scandal, and so on. The second half is even worse: just sex and more sex. I must say the most interesting part in the entire book is when Freddie gets sick (I loved Freddie and Lu, so adorable). The other thing that bothers me is the frequent use of “er” while someone’s talking. I don’t know if that’s just me, but I found that to be a massive pet peeve. In short, I think this book has so much potential, just needs more depth in the characters and the romance.

I’ve made no secret of my adoration for the incredibly talented Alexandra Vasti, whose Halifax Hellions series is literally the most delightful series of historical novellas I have ever read in my life, EVER. Ne'er Duke Well is all the delight and even more pages. Truly, this is the delicious madcap Regency adventure we all deserve.

If anyone knew Lady Selina Ravenscroft was the woman behind the green-covered books of London’s most subversive secret circulating library, the gossip would destroy her reputation. She’s hardly wife material for the new Duke of Stanhope, who needs an unimpeachable lady to counteract his Louisiana upbringing and his regrettable series of social scrapes since arriving in London. However, she’s the perfect matchmaker to scout candidates for the job of Duchess…if she can keep from falling in love with him herself.

Vasti is growing a reputation as one of the most dazzling new voices in historical romance, and for good reason. Her characters absolutely burst to life, their feelings and foibles beautifully drawn with tiniest brushstrokes of internal monologue. If you’ve read her novellas, you know she has a genius for picking hooky, addictive premises paved with wild twists and turns, and her debut novel absolutely lives up to the hype. Sensual, thrilling, emotional and hilarious; sure to be one of your favorite reads of 2024.

This is a new to me author and can I just say I am going to have to go find all of her old books to read. I simply adored this book. It was fun, with well-developed characters, steamy scenes, and snappy dialog. My only quibble was at the beginning I felt like I was supposed to know everyone and didn't, but that could be just because I had not read a book from this author before. It was short lived and I was soon engrossed in the story. Although this book is historical in setting it felt very contemporary, but not in a way that took away from the historical background. Peter and Selina were perfect for one another, with great communication (the snappy dialog) and their chemistry was off the charts. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I enjoyed most of this but by 60 percent I lost interest because things just kind of fizzled out and it seemed all about sex from there on. I was really interested in these two and how they would create a relationships but it was all lust and the characters and story line took a back seat to the sex scenes.

Really enjoyed this book and long awaited a full novel from this author. I’ve read all her novellas and this didn’t disappoint. She truly excels at developing lovable and unique characters and unexpected historical romance plots. I will definitely read the next in the series, I can’t pick which character I want next. Probably Will. Or the backstory of Nicholas and his wife. I wish there was more of the children - maybe a sequel for Lu? She was great. All in all great read, plot and perfect pace.

Absolutely delightful. What an incredible debut! Alexandra Vasti is part of the future of historical romance. One full of characters who embrace women’s rights and consent. Ne’er Duke Well was sexy, sweet, and funny. It's a perfect comfort read.