I love a good spicy historical romance novel. That’s how my love for romance first started, with historical romance novels and this book did not disappoint. Peter finds out his dad was a duke, he passed and passed down his title, money and also he had to leave New Orleans and start his new life. With this new life comes his half siblings that he knew nothing about and who he is now trying to get custody of, but in order to do that he has to appear as a serious man, so pretty much he needs to marry, and Selina is willing to help in any way possible. When her plan backfires and she ends up being the one to marry Peter, she has a little secret that she fears will ruin his chances of getting custody of his siblings. She runs this little library where she houses particular reading material, but for women only, and this is AWESOME. To be a woman of those times with not only your own business, but something so SCANDALOUS????????!!!!!! I was HERE FOR ALL OF IT.

The spicy and the connection between these two is obvious in the beginning, and it was such a quick read, I love supportive characters and how the family and friends came together to support Selina in her time of need and Peter was so sweet. And I will end this to say that Peter is literally the sweetest man ever, total fictional boyfriend/husband material.

I think I just don’t like regency. I’ve tried a few times and each time it just wasn’t for me so I think it’s safe to say that I’m done trying. I’m still rating this 4 stars because it was a me problem and everyone else still seems to love the book and I do not want to mess with the rating based on my tastes.

Adored this fun regency romp! I love a good historical romance with a feminist twist and the author nailed it. The chemistry and banter was outstanding here! Peter & Selina were an absolute delight together. Could this book have been any cuter?

My only gripe was towards the end of the book the plot was a bit all over the place. It dragged a bit and then boom, we had the impending scandal being exposed, a sick sibling, the library, and multiple characters having secrets being exposed. It was slow and then rushed.

Still loved the book and I'm eagerly looking forward to the rest of the series. I think this was a stellar debut novel and this author is a great addition to the historical romance genre. Can't wait to see how the next couples and how she grows as a writer.

Love that this romance is set so far in the past, but doesn’t feel old or stale at all!

This was a fun matching making romance turned on its head with a little bit of intrigue. Overall a very entertaining read.

Lady Selina Ravenscroft prides herself not only on the running of her bookshop Belvoir’s, but of being a fixer. When Peter Kent the Duke of Stanhope comes to Selina for help in order to gain custody of his half-siblings. Selina suggests marriage to the new Duke in order to improve his image and security of this siblings. But when the three ladies Selina suggests for Peter all fall flat Peter becomes discouraged, especially since the only prominent lady he seems to have feelings for is Selina. After a hasty marriage, Selina and Peter focus on building their new family. When word of her secret library catalog spreads through the ton Selina must once again try and fix things to keep Peter and his siblings together.

With wit, humor and historical issues such as abolition discussed this romance has something for everyone!

Sweet historical romance about love, family and courage. Cute and spicy and full of regency drama, a real treat. I think you’ll love the found family vibes, the fulfilling friends to lovers feel, and the scandalous repartee.

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley as the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I loved this novel. I loved the two main characters, Selina and Peter. They are two charming main characters. They have such beautiful chemistry together. I liked the book's feminist ideas and its blend of romance and humour. This book features wonderful friendships and family interactions in addition to a lovely romance. The book’s plot is charming, lighthearted, and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely ADORED this book. A secret librarian empowering the women in her world who are historically kept in the dark about pleasure and their own bodies??? A duke who feels he bumbles things but is absolutely the sweetest who want nothing but the best for those he loves??? YES, PLEASE. I have found a new auto-buy author in Alexandra Vasti!!

DNF at 30%

I'm withholding my review of Ne'er Duke Well in solidarity with the #SpeakUpSMP boycott. Please visit https://r4acollective.org/about/ for more information.

Peter Kent is from New Orleans and recently inherited the Duke of Stanhope title meaning he has to become a respectable member of British society which is rather daunting when he more known for his radical political views. In addition to the title, he is now the guardian of his half siblings, so he asks a proper acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft, the sister of a duke, for help in adjusting to society. Selina may have the proper debutante look down pat, but she is hiding a big secret - she runs a circulating library for women of erotica! Her advice to Peter is that he finds a lady of perfect breeding and reputation to marry - it will make him more respectable and give him a partner in guiding his half siblings. Peter asks for Selina's help in selecting a bride, so she introduces him to other society women and it's safe to say the introductions never quite go to plan. Neither of them plan on their growing attraction to each other or his half siblings causing mayhem. I loved the family dynamic in this one! So nice to see a family getting along and rooting for their sibling. I loved Selina and her circulating library. I hope there are more books in a series from this family, as I would love to see where the siblings go.

Ne’er Duke Well is one of the best historical romance books I’ve read in quite a while. I read Vasti’s Halifax Hellions series and was so excited to start this one. It did not disappoint! I was giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. Vasti strikes the perfect balance between humor, emotion, and spice. I can see myself reaching for this story to reread for years to come. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was my first time reading a historical romance, and I absolutely loved it!

Ne'er Duke Well is a regency-era romance that tells the story of Peter Kent, an American transplant who has inherited his father's title of the Duke of Stanhope, and his quest to gain guardianship of his two younger half-siblings. Peter Kent is a bit of a mess though - he is loud and outspoken, and hasn't yet grasped the way the British Aristocracy behaves, and this is proving to be his biggest obstacle. Enter Lady Selina, who has decided that Peter needs to get married in order to turn his reputation around, and has volunteered to play matchmaker for Peter. We all know how this goes....

This book feels like a Bridgerton rom-com, and I loved every bit of it. Can't wait for the sequel to come out!

When you read a lot of historical romance, you get sick of the same storyline. That’s why this book was such a refreshing story. You don’t normally get to read about a circulating Library, strictly for women during the Regency era to educate them about their bodies, wedding night, and their sexual nature.
Peter Kent is a newly appointed Duke and Society doesn’t necessarily except him since he grew up in America. He doesn’t care what the ton think as long as he can get custody of his younger brother and sister that he recently found out about. That where our heroine, Lady Selina, steps in. There’s an undeniable attraction and history between the two, but Selena is determined to ignore that in order to help Peter secure the petition to adopt his siblings. So she Decides that the Best way for Peter to appear scandal free is to marry. Of course things don’t go as planned and craziness with the kids, potential brides and more create such a fun story.
I came for the romance and independent heroine, but fell for Peter’s siblings. My first By Alexandra Vasti, but definitely not my last as I run to check out her backlist. I highly recommend this historical romance as a fun and easy beach read.

Included as a top pick in weekly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I didn’t realize this was a debut novel until the end of the book. I thought for sure there was a whole set of books in this universe, because of how filled out the side characters were. I was thinking I’d be going back to read the books about other couples now that I finished this one- instead I’m hoping for more on some of Selina’s friends!

I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot in this. Marriage of convenience turning into real love (well, was on the way real love before the marriage), Selina’s work! Omg I just loved her. Peter’s love of his siblings! Perfect. The two of them together? Loved it so much.

When Peter arrived in England from America after unexpectedly becoming a Duke, he discovers he has a half-brother and sister. He wants guardianship but there are obstacles. He must appear before the Chancellor of the High Court to get his approval. Too bad the Chancellor despises him because he's American and a radical. And, oh yes, that little incident with bootleg alcohol! He seeks Selena's help. He knows her to be capable of managing any situation. She decides he would stand a better chance of getting custody if he were married to a perfectly English, scandal-free wife. She puts up a few of her friends as candidates. Despite their attraction, Selena knows she can't be his wife. She's the secret owner and manager of a salacious circulating library for women. If word got out it would ruin his chances of gaining custody. I enjoyed how Peter comes up with a resolution, the rallying of family and friends, and the comical climax at court.

Peter Kent, newly minted Duke of Stanhope was hoping to become the guardian to his half sister and brother, Lu and Freddie. In order to increase his chances he asked for assistance from the Duke of Rowland and his sister Selina. Selina takes it upon herself to assist Peter by introducing him to several women of good standing in society who would make him a good Duchess and also help him try to win over Lord Eldon, who would be deciding if he would be awarded guardianship over the children. Peter tried to court each of the women Selina introduced him to but he could not gain traction with any of them because he was attracted to Selina and she was attracted to him as well. Although the story started off slowly while the author was setting up the plot, it was intriguing and after the main characters realized their mutual attraction the storyline sped up and their interactions were red hot and intense. I have been waiting to read this story as soon as I saw the first blurbs from the author and I was not disappointed in reading it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was a delightful book. Peter Kent, Duke of Stanhope, wants to become the guardian of his half siblings. To be able to do this he needs all the help he can get. The help comes in the form of Lady Selina Ravenscroft. Lady Selina is convinced that if Duke Stanhope marries the right woman, his problems will be solved. She does everything she can to find this woman.
Needless to say, things do not go according to Lady Ravenscroft’s plans.

The book was a great debut novel from Alexandra Vasti. It is funny with its fair share of steam. Parts are laugh out loud. I loved every moment of this book and look forward to more from Ms Vasti.

Beautiful book, gorgeously written, with vivid characters. Selina and Peter are perfect of each other and their banter is witty and hilarious. The side characters also are so intriguing that I’d like to know all their stories in detail, and not only Selina’s friends who will have their own books (and I can’t wait to read them!). The only thing that I found a little strange is that the book lacks a little world-building. I just felt I was thrown in the middle of a story that had already started somewhere in the past… There’s just a fleeting mention of Selina and Peter’s first meeting, but when the book starts there’s already this mutual attraction that seems to come from nowhere. But the steamy and emotional lovemaking scene more than compensate for this little flaw. Five well-earned stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and Libro.fm for an advance copy.

I loved his lazy New Orleans accent set next to this bright English accent in the narration. He’s trying to get custody of his two half siblings and needs to scheme to get his custody agreement approved.

I love them. She wants to marry him off and he just wants her. The chemistry they have is delightful. They blessedly get together fairly early in the book and the plot shifts to how they’re going to get these children into their home.

They lost me a little bit toward the end because everyone has like three names and I got lost.

The narration by Mhairi Morrison was spectacular as ever. She’s done all of Alexandra Vasti’s books so far I believe and they are such a soothing listen.