This debut historical romance romp is my read of the summer.

I first discovered Alexandra Vasti on Instagram. An author recommended her and she had a free novella trilogy to download on her website. Reader, I devoured them. The Halifax Hellions stole my heart and I became obsessed with Alexandra’s writing. Ne’er Duke Well is her first full-length published novel, and with it she has now become an autobuy for me. If you, like me are missing the release of a Sarah MacLean novel this summer then you need to pick up Ne’er Duke Well.

Alexandra’s writing is sharp, swoony and crystal clear. She’s a strong writer who balances the historical with the modern and builds a fascinating plot with engaging and delightful characters. It should be no surprise that Alexandra has a PhD in British Literature. If you follow her on social media she’ll often share interesting insight behind the history of words, romance stories and how we ended up with some interesting words to describe…. Body parts.

Peter and Selina are a delightful power couple. I loved watching them learn to be vulnerable with each other. Both are used to being in charge and both have their own traumas. Together they explode (in so many ways, smirk smirk) and are stronger from their pairing. He falls first, which I absolutely love. Peter is patient with waiting for Selina to open up to him and wants nothing more than to see her bloom. Selina is a smart, savvy and vulnerable woman. She’s used to fixing everyone else’s problems, and is darn good at it. She’s not used to having people help her. She’s really a classic eldest daughter. When trouble finds her, however, she is shown just how much everyone cares for her and that they don’t just look for her to fix their problems. There were a couple of scenes that really made my heart melt. Alexandra builds the most delightful cast of characters who are funny, kind, devious and flawed. I loved spending time with the characters and thought about them and what they’d be up to long after I finished the book. These are characters I can see myself revisiting again and again.

This is the first in a series, and I already can’t wait for the next one, which focuses on Selina’s delightful BFF Lydia.

A fun, fresh voice....

I rather liked Peter Kent, the new duke of Stanhope. His half siblings are awful, hideous beasts, yet for some reason, he wants to be granted guardianship of those brats (and brats, Lu and Freddie are, especially Lu). He's an American, relatively new to England (a couple of years) and newer still to the title of duke. He's in over his head, but since he's a people pleaser, he keeps trying.

Selina is proper, not so proper (she runs an erotic circulating library on the DL). She gossips, is vain, gossips, and plans to find Peter the "right" bride to smooth his rough edges with good society.
Not her, though. Nope. Its her.

I thought it was fun, way too much of the kids, and fresh.
Recommend.

Ne'er Duke Well is a modern take on a historical romance. Peter Kent, an American, is a charismatic southerner in the land of the Ton. He's simply a nice guy, supportive and wildly sexy is his admiration of Selina. Slowly, these two fall in love even though she's been tasks with finding him a wife. Peter and Selina's swoon worthy interactions build tension and chemistry. Oh boy, these two together bring the steam!

Here's hoping we see more the Ravenscroft family!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

This is hands down the funniest, sexiest, well-written book I've read in a long while. With a cast of colorful characters and a plot filled with adventurous laugh out loud escapades of the Hero, Peter the Duke of Stanhope and the heroine, Lady Selina Ravenscroft and their families. Peter, the newly minted Duke has a bad reputation amongst the Ton and Selina a proper debutante with a scandalous secret is trying to help him clean up his act so that he can become the guardian of his brother and sister. She tries setting him up with ladies of sterling character to fix his problem. Of course things go awry. Selina realizes that shes's the best thing for him. This is a deliciously sensual and hilarious story with a wonderful and surprising storyline and side characters with their own stories to tell, that tie this book together. The children are hilarious and add a spirit of adventure to this novel. This is my first time reading Alexandra Vasti but it won't be the last! I look forward to the next one. I loved this book and will be placing it in my top 5. I know you will love it too.

TG

I received an ARC of this book and I am Leaving this review voluntarily.

A Duke in need of a wife but the only one he wants is the very same Lady who is trying to set him up with other women. Peter Kent is the newly appointed Duke of Stanhope and he has a problem: he wants guardianship over his half siblings but he'll have to receive a Lord's approval and he hasn't been able to get it yet. Cue, Lady Selina Ravenscroft, a beautiful and clever lady who is hiding her own secrets and loves fixing things. Selina is the sister of a duke and runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help she offers him a plan: marriage to a lady with a respectable reputation to help convince the Lord that he'd make a great guardian for his half siblings, yet the only problem is that Peter only wants to marry Selina. Despite being set up with various ladies, Peter has his eyes only on Selina... but she's afraid of telling him her secret and involving him in her scandal. If she does marry Peter and the secret gets out, it could completely destroy Peter's reputation as well as the reputation of his half siblings. Yet Peter is determined to prove to Selina that none of that matters when all he cares about is winning her heart and getting to be a family with his half siblings. This was a really sweet historical romance read. I loved Peter so much, he's such a sweet heart who adores Selina and his siblings, he'd do anything to make them happy and to support them. It's a cute read and I loved the happy ending for them all. The spice was really great too and honestly, it's definitely such a fun book.

Release Date: July 23,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I said this in a preliminary review when I was about halfway through this book, but now that I've finished it, I can say it again with full confidence - in a world full of historical romance media pieces that are being torn down by experts for their inaccurate portrayal of the past, Alexandra Vasti and her PhD are a breath of fresh air. I am reticent to say that anyone is above reproach, but one of the most fascinating aspects of Ne'er Duke Well (to me) is the Author's Note in which Vasti outlines the plot points of the novel that are based in actual events. Although Vasti writes in Regency-era England, she manages to imbue her characters with struggles that are enduring, universal human experiences: feeling out-of-place in society, trying to shield your family from the harms of the world, wanting to make a difference in someone's life, and more. Throw in lots of 1800s British slang and an affable, dynamic supporting cast and you've got a winner. Ne'er Duke Well and Alexandra Vasti truly shine...one might even compare them to a Diamond.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a lighthearted Regency romp with two delightful MCs and a strong found family theme.

Peter Kent the newly minted Duke of Stanhope, was born and raised in New Orleans with no thought of ever inheriting the title. Lady Selina Ravenscourt, is the sister of a duke who is one of Peter's political allies as he tries to convince the House of Lords to abolish slavery.

The plot is driven by Peter's desperate desire to obtain custody of his 12 and 10 YO illegitimate siblings, who were ignored and not acknowledged by their wastrel father, and are currently in the care of an elderly aunt. Because they are unacknowledged, Peter is not considered a relative and needs a strong case. Unfortunately, he's American, has a tendency to get into scrapes, and is politically radical, so it's been tough going with the stodgy, conservative Lord who will hear the case.

Selina is known for her ability to manage people, for matchmaking, and for her generous and kind heart, so when Peter asks for her help, she immediately comes up with a scheme to have him woo and wed an eligible debutante in the 6 weeks before the custody hearing to make him appear more stable and sympathetic as a father.

This delightful scheme has one fatal flaw, Selina and Peter are already falling for each other, and really aren't interested in marrying anyone else. However, standing in the way of that is Selina's big secret, she owns and manages a circulating library that not only contains regular books, but also erotic books only loaned out to women, to educate them about sex. In her own eyes, this makes her absolutely unsuitable to be Peter's bride, no matter how very attracted they are to each other.

The found family scenes were lovely, Lu, the 12 year old is fierce and protective of Freddie, her younger, sensitive brother. Peter loves them both as soon as he meets them and wants nothing more than to provide them with the love and stability they've never had. Selina also falls hard for them when she meets them, and much of the plot is driven by their shared desire to do the right thing for the kids. As well, Selina's family was lovely, kind, and ready to welcome the children into their fold. There was plenty of humor and the plot raced along. Also, no third act breakup! All in all, a charming historical romance read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I absolutely love everything I've read from Alexandra Vasti so far and this book is no exception.

Peter is a duke who is trying to get custody of his two step-siblings. He has known Selina for a while and goes to her and her family for help. She suggests that he get married to have a stronger case for custody. She helps him by giving him a list of potential matches while also wishing she could marry him. However, she runs a bookshop that sells explicit books and doesn't want that to ruin Peter's chances if it gets out.

I loved the pining in this book. It was funny, sweet, and spicy. I also really enjoyed seeing the other ladies who I'm hoping get books in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

What a fun read. I know those who enjoy traditional Regency romances might quibble with the attitude, dialogue and other things but this this is one that made me smile. The adventures of Peter and Selina make for a delightful read that doesn't take itself seriously. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good one.

Ne'er Duke Well- a standalone

By Alexander Vasti- new to me author

Publication 7-23-24, Read 7-20-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Dreamscape Media for the e-ARC & ALC💙 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Historical Romance, Rom-Com, Women's Fic

Tropes: marriage, contains children, erotica, matchmaker

⚠️TW: death of sibling, slavery mentioned, child illness, h is a virgin, wealthy H/h

🏃🏾‍♀️Run Time: 12:03

🗣️Narration: Mhairi Morrison reads all the characters. The narrator's voice fit the characters with standouts from Peter and Selina. Peter had a southern, Louisiana accent while Selina had a British accent. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story that was over too quickly. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

Summary: Lady Selina Ravenscroft plays the matchmaker for the ton and corresponds with her twin brother William in the army. In the shadows Selina runs Belvoir- a circulating library with erotic novels for women. Duke of Stanhope Peter Kent left New Orleans two years ago for England to take his new position. He discovers he has two half siblings Freddie and Lu, and he wants to become their guardian. He's already been labeled scandalous because of his abolitionist beliefs, so he needs a wife to make him respectable. Selina agrees to help him find someone, but they fall for each other.

🤔My Thoughts: This was a great Regency matchmaker romance where Selina helped Peter court potential wives Lydia, Georgina, and Iris. Peter already knew he wanted Selina but when she refused him, he needed to know why. Selina's secret life was to educate women about sex and help them enjoy themselves. It was necessary as women were told nothing about being a wife and having children. I thought about The Bridgertons series where Daphne, Eloise, and Penelope weren't told anything about marital relations. I loved Peter and Selina's interactions with the children. Lu was the MVP!

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendation: I loved the audiobook and would recommend it because you can adjust the speed and skip (when desired).

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope never expected to be a duke, his father was a younger son who married and then abandoned Peter and his mother in Louisiana when he returned to England, never to be heard from again. Years later, the Earl of Clermont tracked him down and brought him to England to assume his role of heir presumptive to the duke. Now the duke, Peter wants two things, one to use his position in the House of Lords to abolish slavery and to gain custody of his father’s two young (illegitimate), half-siblings he never knew about until he arrived in London two years ago. He is unsure how to proceed, but lucky for him one of the first people he met in England was Lady Selina Ravenscroft who knows exactly what needs to be done – he must marry and marry well! And while she is everything he could want; she has made it clear that she is not for him.

Lady Selina Ravenscroft is the sister of Nicholas Ravenscroft, the Duke of Rowland, matchmaker extraordinaire, and owner of a Lending Library with a scandalous secret, which is why she is sure she could not be a candidate for Peter’s duchess. But she knows plenty of ladies who would be perfect for him, all of whom he is not interested in. Truth be told, she wants him as much as he wants her, but some things just can’t be, right?

I was super excited for this new-to-me author and while I liked her writing style and smiled quite a bit while reading this story, this book dragged a bit and felt incomplete, as it is clear that these two have a past that readers of the book are never privy to – I think I read in a review that the author shared that backstory in her newsletter, but since I had never heard of her prior to getting this ARC, I knew nothing about it and had I purchased this book, would have felt ripped off – ANYWAY – I felt like I had missed something major between them, only to realize the author never actually disclosed their backstory on page. Other than that, it is a cute story, with a bit of an unbelievable plot (regarding his desire to gain custody of his father’s illegitimate, orphaned children – he is a DUKE – so that makes a bit hard to believe) and the author does take some creative liberties with 19th century strictures and etiquette, especially concerning women, but such is the world of Historical Romance these days – everything has to have some 21st century moral/social issue included, so of course some lines will have to be crossed or this case blurred. And while I don’t think I would read this book again; I would definitely read another book by this author.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

3, maybe 3.5 stars

🌶️🌶️🌶️RED HOT REGENCY!

Alexandra Vasti has combined several of the most popular Regency romance tropes with a lot of spice to create this delightfully wicked novel. Peter Kent became a Duke after the death of his estranged father. When he moved from America to England he discovered that he had two half siblings who are now in foster care. When his friend Sarena suggests that he might have a better chance of winning his plea for guardianship if he finds a respectable English lady to marry, she starts to play matchmaker. True to genre formula, she is already attracted to him herself. But she has a secret that could lead to scandle, and he is in need of respectability. Mix together the plots of two or three Bridgerton novels and add in a lot of SPICE, and you have a red hot regency sure to entertain.

I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher but the opinions in this review are entirely my own. I can honestly say that if you like spicy historical romance, you will love this new novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. I really enjoyed this. Full disclosure, I know the author and that may have made me look on it more favourably, but it's a great read. How can you go wrong with a secret erotic library? This is a historical rom com, and I don't often like rom coms because I don't enjoy over the top humor or anything that gives me second hand embarrassment but this was the sort of humor I enjoy. Peter's mishaps were so silly you couldn't help but laugh and he too would make fun of himself. I really liked the moment when they both went wait why are we doing this the hard way and laughed at themselves for not thinking of getting a row boat form the get go.

I also really enjoyed all of the side characters. Georgiana's arc was a particular favourite of mine, I was hoping there as more to it and was very happy when that proved to be the case.

This was smuttier than I thought it would be, which I am definitely not complaining about. And I loved that she had no pain losing her virginity and thought about how weird it is that it's always described as so painful.

All in all this was a perfect for me historical romance and I'm really excited to read the novellas.

📖ARC Review📖

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first book by this author and I’m a sucker for a good historical romance. I think my only issue is I am constantly comparing all of the historical romances to my absolute favourite ones of that genre by Evie Dunmore. Sadly, none have come close yet but that doesn’t mean I haven’t read some good ones.

This was a good one! I liked the concept of the new Duke with his not so good reputation and the proper debutante with her secret banning together to try and improve his image so he can gain guardianship of his half siblings.

The beginning took me a while to get into, it was a little difficult for me at the start. Not sure what it was, nothing wrong with the writing but maybe it was the backstory and the length of time it takes to move past it. On any case one I was past it, I did enjoy it!

Banter, matchmaking, secrets and facades, all good elements in a historical romance.

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti releases on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

📚 Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ~ 3.5 stars (4 on Goodreads)

Lady Selina Ravenscroft appears to be one of society’s proper debutante, but she had a secret. Peter Kent, the newly inherited Duke of Stanhope, must become respectable in order to become guardian to his half siblings. Selina offers help, but her matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan and the two are caught in a compromising position.

This is the debut full-length novel for Alexandra Vasti. This book and I did not start on the right footing, unfortunately. I had to read the first few chapters a few times because they just didn't catch my attention and I had a very hard time caring about the characters or what was happening. Perhaps this was a mood-issue, as the book *did* improve and there were some great moments (clueless Georgiana was the highlight, IMO). The story was more of a rom-com and I would recommend it to fans of Virginia Heath or Courtney McCaskill. I wish that more time had been given to the matchmaking and the main couple developing their love story, rather than so much of the focus going to the precocious siblings. However, I really liked Peter and Selina's relationship in the second half of the book and the plot surrounding the circulating library. 3.5 stars

Tropes: Unexpected Inheritance, Matchmaking, Compromised, Secret Job, Children as a Plot Point

Steam: 4

* I received an ACR and this is my honest review.

Ne’er Duke Well

Oh my gosh WHAT A DELIGHT! Such a fun historical romance adventure. I absolutely adored this one.

Peter Kent is the recently appointed Duke of Stanhope, who just moved from New Orleans to take over the dukedom and earn guardianship of his half brother and sister. Unfortunately, he needs help improving his reputation prior to the guardianship hearing. Selina decides the best way to accomplish to the task is to find Peter a duchess. Though as she tries to help him court, she cannot deny that she seems to be best fitted for the job. A role she tries to resist as the library she runs in secret could bring even more scandal to Peter’s reputation.

I adored this! The banter and chemistry was top notch. I could not stop giggling the antics of Peter’s siblings, Freddie and Lu. This one is delightful, heartwarming and a hug of a (spicy) book that emphasizes what we can accomplish when we support those we love.

I highly recommend this one! Thank you to Griffin and Netgalley for this ARC!

Ne’er Duke Well is on shelves July 23rd! My opinions are my own.

This was a wonderful historical romance that was so enjoyable throughout. It had such a great story and was nice and steamy. The plot was so well done I now want to read all of this author’s backlist.

If you enjoy reading historical romance, this book is for you!

I had such high hopes going into this book. After reading Vasti’s original novella trilogy, I could hardly contain my excitement for her first full-length venture. However, I was underwhelmed by the end result of that venture.

Let's start with the things I did enjoy about the novel. The writing: I thoroughly enjoyed the writing in her original three novellas, and that was no different in this novel. I enjoyed Vasti’s writing and the ease I had with reading the book. I also enjoyed the spicy times. I remember how detailed Vasti’s intimate scenes were in her novella’s and how they were a specific point of enjoyment for me. I think the spicy scenes were the saving point for me because they kept me interested.

Which leads me to the things I didn’t enjoy. I am a huge lover of kids in a novel if they serve a purpose and add to the plot. There were kids in this novel, but they were hardly around in the whole book (maybe 10%?) So, I was severely disappointed in the execution of the kids and their involvement. There was ample opportunity for them to be featured and included more, but those opportunities were never taken advantage of. Another thing I didn’t enjoy was how much I DIDN’T care about the characters. I found myself stuck in a rut around 40% because I just didn’t care about what was happening. And then I realized it was the characters I didn’t care about.

I knew I was supposed to care about them but I just… didn’t. I liked them well enough, but I felt like I didn’t know them well enough to care about what happened to them. I also found myself bored for a great majority of the book. I felt there were times when the plot was stalled for Peter and Selina to have a back and forth bicker about absolutely nothing. I didn’t feel that the gravity of the third-act situation had enough tension for me to care what happened.

Overall, I just didn’t care that much. However, I did find myself enjoying myself much more in the second half and I do plan on trying out her next book in the series when it is released.

I still have high hopes for the next book. Crossing my fingers I enjoy it more than this one!

I received this as an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Ne'er Duke Well is Alexandra Vasti's new regency romance and it has been on my tbr list since I heard about it. I admit I was super excited when I got this book because I love Vasti's stories. She has the perfect mix of plot and character development and I'm here to tell you that this was another good one!

Peter Kent is the new Duke of Stanhope. Recently from New Orleans, Louisiana, he realizes quickly he has to become respectable because he has also learned that he has two half-siblings and in order to become their guardian, his current reputation won't do. With his radical politics and questionable reputation, he needs to prove he can take care of them and the only way he sees how to do that is to turn to the most clever and managing person he knows, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina Ravenscroft is one of Society's most proper debutantes and if anyone can help Peter, it is her but there is one secret she has that if anyone finds out about it, could ruin their whole plan. She runs an erotic circulating library for women because she refuses to let anyone be caught in a similar situation as she was. She supports ladies learning everything they want to about sex and relationships before getting married off despite what Society thinks but she acknowledges that she does have to keep it under wraps to save the reputations of her family.

When Peter asks Selina for help, she agrees to help and does everything she can to find suitable ladies for him. What she didn't expect was that perhaps the right lady for him would be her. I loved all the shenanigans and especially the chemistry between these two. Selina keeps trying to throw her friends in front of Peter and Peter lets it happen but he quickly sees that Selina may be the right one for him. I also loved the times when Peter was with Lu and Freddie.

If you haven't read anything by Alexandra Vasti yet, you need to correct that right away. She has other series you can pick up but this is a standalone so if you want to grab this when it comes out, you should consider doing so, I think you'll enjoy it if you enjoy Regency Romance. Vasti does a fantastic job of developing the character's stories and she also writes steam well.

Fans of the Bridgerton series do not want to miss this sizzling Regency marriage of convenience romance that sees an unexpected Duke from America needing to find a wife in order to win guardianship of his younger half siblings.

Steamy, full of heart and with strong female characters, this is the first book in a new series and its perfect for those who enjoy books by authors like Evie Dunmore, Suzanne Enoch, Erica Ridley or Julia Quinn. This was also great on audio narrated by Mhairi Morrison.

I loved Selena, the FMC in this book, who secretly runs a scandalous library for women of the ton that helps publish titles intended to both titillate and educate those ladies with little to no knowledge of sex, conception or contraception.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! I thoroughly enjoyed my first book by a new to me author and will eagerly be waiting for the next volume in the Halifax series!