I love the title and the fun cover and the premise that she’s being a matchmaker for the new Duke of Stanhope so that he can be guardian to his much younger siblings.
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Selina is a feminist and loves to insert justice in her own way. Scandal follows behind her lurking in the shadows waiting to be let out. So when she hastily marries the Duke of Stanhope to avoid scandal - the cards are stacked against them.
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I liked how the book ended but the beginning was rough where I picked it up and stopped a lot. It seemed disjointed. And most chapters are Selina’s POV and then there’d be a random POV of Peter but there’s nothing to alert the reader of the change of view. So that would throw me for a loop too. I think the book was too long or at least cut a lot of the beginning quarter. 🤷🏻‍♀️
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The book has quite a few open door scenes and mentions of sexual education, abuse and women’s rights. A lot to cover in a debut book so props to the author for some ingenuity but needed more editing I think.
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Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the e-arc. This book released last month and is available everywhere.

Peter Kent is surprised when he inherited his estranged father's Dukedom, more so after discovering he had two half-siblings he never knew about. Despite the challenges, he is determined to gain custody of his younger siblings and provide them with a loving home. Known as the “American Duke,” his progressive views and stance against the slave trade made him unpopular among his government peers, which could jeopardize his custody petition.

Enter Lady Selina Ravenscroft, a problem-solver with a knack for finding solutions. She created a plan to help Peter to improve his reputation through marriage with a respectable young woman. Her goal is to reunite this family. As their matchmaking efforts unfolded, a strong attraction blossomed between them, and it was obvious that Selina would be the perfect match for Peter. However, Selina resisted because she harbored a secret that could jeopardize both Peter’s custody battle and tarnish her family’s reputation due to her ownership of a library dedicated to educating women about their sexuality.

This historical romance is a delightful read filled with charm. The main characters are endearing, and you cannot help but cheer for them. The supporting cast is equally impressive—strong and intelligent—and I eagerly anticipate their future stories. Selina and Peter's amusing escapades in their quest to find a bride had me chuckling. The chemistry between the leads was palpable, with several steamy moments throughout. Do not miss “Ne’er Duke Well” by Alexandra Vasti. It is a fantastic mix of romance and humor, with some spicy elements thrown in and it is an absolute must read in 2024.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the copy of the digital ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I knew this book was going to be good from the beginning. Vasti had a great hook that instantly drew readers in to the story and made them want to keep reading. The main characters were great; both flawed in their own ways but those flaws endeared them to readers. The supporting characters were well-written and added to the levity of the story. All in all, this was a great read.

This book was bursting at the seams with wit, drama and charm. The author did a wonderful job balancing the serious topics by balancing it out with humor and steam. Once the drama and steam picked up my interest in the story was solid. I did feel confused at some points because there were so many people mentioned and their names were long, but I got the gist of it when it came to the bigger characters/plot. I loved the cute lines about the cat and its name. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction/spice should know about this book!

Thanks so much for this eARC!
I loved this novel debut by Alexandra Vasti. It was super cute with lovable mains and amazing side characters.
Lady Selina is the most proper of English Ladies... except for a pretty major secret.
The Duke of Stanhope (Peter) has a bit of a reputation... but he really just wants to provide for his siblings.

I love them all and this was an excellent addition to historical regency romance. Plus- no third act breakup! What could be better??

Absolutely loved this entire book with my heart. You would think these two, Peter and Selina don’t belong together but they do. Peter was in this relationship from the beginning, Selina just needed to stop being afraid of what society would think. In the end everything worked out in their favor, the most thrilling part was the journey they took to get their HEA.

Anytime we have a heroine in historical fiction who loves books—and tawdry reads at that—I'm pretty much destined to enjoy the story! In the case of Ne'er Duke Well, there's something irresistible about a woman who loved spicy romance back in the day—mostly because I sometimes forget that this style of book has been around forever!!

As for Selina & Peter - there's something truly delectable about a relationship that starts off because one needs help from the other. It's innocent and absolutely something I could see happening! From movies like Made of Honor with Patrick Dempsey - where he realizes that he loves her only after he's about to lose her, etc - these are the stories I like to read whilst laying in a pile of chocolate wrappers, ya know? Nothing major on the line, and two utterly likable characters falling in love.

**I liked this so much that when I was majorly cleaning out my Kindle for storage purposes - I realized I had accidentally deleted it and had it sent to myself again. I'll probably end up re-reading this one!!

Ne’er Duke Well is the first book by Alexandra Vasti that I have read, but it most certainly won’t be the last. I loved reading Selina and Peter’s story so much that I didn’t want it to end. The characters were extremely well written, developed, and relatable. The chemistry leapt off the page anytime Peter and Selina interacted. I loved that Selina, her family, and friends were very different from other characters in historical romance novels that have read. I loved how they didn’t worry about whether something was popular, they just did it because they wanted to help people. I loved Selina’s very strong character and that she always helped those who were mistreated.
I loved reading this remarkable story of family, friendship, loyalty, and fighting for what is right no matter what. I loved how strong and unique the main characters and their family and friends were in this story and hope that there will be more to come like it.

** spoiler alert ** 3.5/5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

I was so excited to read this book given that historical romance is my favorite but this one let me down a little. It is a relatively fast-paced, friends-lovers, with a strong heroine book. I enjoyed Selina as a character and her "side job".

The part that let me down was that I felt that there wasn't enough depth between the two main characters and found myself asking if they really did like each other or just enjoyed their bodies (nothing wrong with that but that wasn't the vibe I thought this book was going for). Also, the story started where it felt like the major conflict would be about Peter getting custody of his brother and sister, and while it was mentioned, the conflict was sidelined and easily wrapped up in a nice bow.

What a great historical romance! It's got it all-- marriage of convenience, court room drama, secret sex library and precocious kids (I'm looking at you, Lu). Selina knew the only way to help Peter gain custody of his half-siblings was with a marriage but she never planned it to be her because of her dark secret-- she runs a smutty library for ladies. Oh yes, ladies do love reading their smut. Alexandra writes these empowered women who are amazing to read. Her stories just grab you and hold your attention. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

I love historical romance with a cute title and cover, so of course this one caught my eye! What I ended up loving the most about this book was Peter, and his sense of humor and how he wasn’t your typical Duke. The chemistry between him and Selina was instant, and I really appreciated that these two figure out how to communicate to solve their problems together.

A heartwarming story of found family with more than a few laughs, this book has some great side characters that has me really looking forward to reading their own stories in this new series!

I LOVED this book! It is one of the best historical romances I have read it a good while. I just could not have loved Selina and Peter more if I tried. Their chemistry was absolutely electric. Vasti writes top-tier spice and amazing dialogue. Will absolutely be reading more of her!

“Ne’er Duke Well” is hot, fun, and the perfect “Bridgerton” hangover cure. For those who were disappointed by Bridgerton season 3 or just Collin responding to anything in both the TV show or book Peter Kent, the Duke of Stanhope is everything that we disappointed fans needed. I loved Selina’s inability to say no to fixing things while also trying to hide her work as a distributor of women’s sex education pamphlets. I was very intrigued by the Author’s Note and encourage people to read it! It helps give insight to the parts of the story that had more creative license versus ones that were based on real people, history, and books. I’m an interested to read up on Lord Elron. I also hope more books come out based on some of the other characters from this book!

This book was spicy so for those who prefer more tame romances I would skip this one.

Well here’s a pretty mess 🤣

A regency romance with a difference. Peter Kent has been living in Louisiana. Until he’s tracked down and told he’s the next Duke of Stanhope, and by the way you have two half siblings!
Peter doesn’t want to return to England but those siblings made his heart break. If he didn’t rescue them then who would.
The children are a delightful challenge, especially Lu who seems to have set her sights on pirating as a career.
Peter has a few barriers to cross to gain guardianship of the children—but that’s not going to stop him.
He turns for help from Lady Selina Ravenscroft. They’d been playmates years before.
Selina has secretly been filling a lending library to the hilt with books about sex, erotica—anything so that debutants don’t suffer by knowing nothing about their bodies and desires. What should happen if her secret gets out?
Selina decides Peter should marry. Peter closes his eyes and marches forward. After his rousing speech in the House of Lords that offended some of the guardian decision makers he has to do something.
A cracker friends to lovers regency romp with several sturdy sub plots. Selina is a wonder.
An excellent read!

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

It feels strange to call Alexandra Vasti a debut author as she has been firmly cemented in my favourite authors list for more than a year, but this is her first written, first published story. It feels so good to finally hold a work of hers in my hands and on my treasures shelf. This story is full of all the nuance that I love in her writing. From spunky heroines to lovesick heroes. It is full of witty women pushing society’s boundaries and the men who stand beside them eagerly shining their light. Peter is full-in from the starting gate while Selina pushes her feelings so deep even she can’t see them, guiding him in a search for a respectable duchess. The problem is none of these women are good enough, because she is the only woman right for the role. Though scandal is her name, pride is her game and she will dig her way out of whatever hole society shoves her into. Alongside these two is a madcap cast of loveable side characters, not the least of which are Peter’s precocious siblings, Freddie& Lu. Freddie is the ever lovable brother who is eager to please and Lu is the wild tomboy who refuses to be held back by anyone, in anything. From the very first page I was already in love with Lu’s tenacious spirit and macabre way of thinking. She’s a little rough around the edges and I wouldn’t take her any other way. Throughout the story I found myself eagerly pairing off side characters for potential romance in what I hope is a long series. I know who’s next but I’ve got my list of guesses ready for the following sequels. If you enjoy wild, zany adventures in love, you will love Ne’er Duke Well.

This was a cute story. The chemistry between the lead and love interest was great with some fun banter. Even with the added modern twist of showing some steam, it was still a believable regency inspired setting.
I loved the friends. They were different and shown to be complex and I’m looking forward to future companion novels.
I would’ve loved it going more into the backstory of Peter’s past, instead of just dropping him into the story.

I love the Halifax Hellions. So I was anxiously awaiting my time to read ne’er Duke Well, the author’s debut full length novel.

I found the writing and tone to be different somehow from the Halifax Hellions. Softer, maybe? I’m not so great at finding the right descriptive words, but I will try.

This book surprised me in that the relationship between Peter and Selena seemed to be well on its way from the very start. It was obvious they both liked each other. Peter leaned in to the feeling, he was very self aware. Being raised outside the ton, he had incredible perspective on what it meant to be “ruined”. As in - he didn’t give a fig. He knew it wouldn’t help matters in achieving his goal of getting custody of his younger siblings if he were to flout convention. But he didn’t let the small world of the ton run his life.

I felt like the opposite was true for Selena. She was so overly concerned about what would happen if people found out her involvement in running the library. Which, I know from my modern view, seems ridiculous. She really was her own worst enemy in catastrophizing what it would mean to be discovered. Her view was so narrow that she honestly felt her solution was the best and only. I was so pleased that literally everyone she told was like …. And???? I really started to dislike Selena as she was planning to just “run away” and thought that would be the best solution to help Peter in his custody case. She was a bit delusional.

However, that all said the motivations between the couple were clear - I believed Selena believed all the nonsense.

I loved the children. There was an air of the ridiculous about them, but I truly appreciated that Selena was able to relate to Lu. And the supporting cast of characters in this book were well developed, and I am very interested in hearing more from them.

Final thoughts - while this was a lovely story and well written, it is definitely different from the Halifax Hellions. It’s not as spicy. The prose feels different. While yes this is a romance book by definition - it feels the most important story is in relation to the children and not only the relationship development of Selena and Peter.

Thank you so much to the author for allowing the privilege of receiving an advanced reader copy to provide my review.

PS. Every time Peter’s curls were mentioned I swooned.

Sweet and spicy debut historical from one of my new favorites Alexandra Vasti. It’s the story about an American who inherits a Dukedom and also finds out he has two half siblings that he wants to gain custody of. To convince the Lord Chancellor that he is suitable to have custody and he’s not just some wild American, the upstanding yet meddling Lady Selina is determined to find him a scandal free bride, and it absolutely can’t be her because she runs a scandalous erotic yet educational circulating library for women and it would be very bad if anyone ever found out. The only problem…they are burning hot for each other and when they get caught in a compromising position they marry to save reputations…as one does in a proper historical romance. It’s fun, fresh and sexy but feels like an old friend/comfort read at the same time! Loved it! Also recommend the audio version!

I was happy and grateful to receive an ARC of “Ne’er Duke Well.”

Peter Kent, Duke of Stanhope, formerly of New Orleans, Louisiana (where Vasti makes her home) is in England and trying to secure guardianship of his two young natural, half-siblings. Lady Selina Ravenscroft, nursing an unacknowledged crush, on Stanhope has determined a whirlwind love match and quick wedding will endear Kent to the courts hearing his petition. With lists and plans Selina sets out to find Peter a bride.

Selina does not put herself on this list because she has determined never to marry as her clandestine ownership of a lending library, with an even more secret Venus catalogue of salacious titles exclusively for female readers, puts her too close to scandal for any prospective spouse let alone Peter, who needs to improve his reputation rather than damage it further.

This was an entertaining book. I found it a bit slow to read because it has a plot device that I find grating; namely, the secret that will ruin everything. Secrets are common historical romance tropes, and I don't mind them as a plot device. But, I strongly dislike the “if my family and the love of my life finds out my secret, they will despise me”, when this is compounded with “I will not share this burden with anyone, let alone my potential life-partner, but create an elaborate plan to deal with the secret”, I really start to get frustrated. The self-loathing, self-flagellation is too much for me, although I give credit to Vasti for mitigating this conflict device by her plot choices.

There were a few uneven continuation moments that had me muddled, but the writing was funny and entertaining. An enjoyable read!

A friend of lovers regency era romance where we don't actually get to see the main characters become friends. we are just told they are. I wanted to love Ne'er Duke Well; it's historical fiction, it's romance, it's my favorite era but the pacing just didn't work for me. As someone who isn't the biggest slow burn fan, I also found that a couple getting together too soon in a story can also cause flow issues. With so much left in the story, it was hard to stay engaged in the side plots when I felt like the romance should have stayed center stage.

I did like the idea of the woman-owned library and the drama that presented, but in the same breath, the ending was almost too easy. I also struggled to connect with the siblings, though their story was an important part of the book, they felt like pawns not necessarily characters.

Overall I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Thank you SMP for the gifted ARC.