Don't mind me, just floating about the town pretending I'm promenading to eavesdrop on these characters. This novel was better than season 3 of Bridgerton!!

This was my first time reading a historical romance! It sort of had a hard time understanding what was going on in the beginning, but I got a better understanding of the premise the longer I read this. The characters were okay—I liked how calm Peter Kent was. Lady Selina wanted to be selfless and risk her own happiness to find Peter the perfect wife. I wish I got to read more of Peter and Selina. They got together fast, but their chemistry wasn’t really convincing. I felt like there were a lot of things happening in this story, where I sometimes thought Selina and Peter were side characters.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Tropes: MFC tries matchmaking for MMC, forced marriage, Big Secret
Steam level: 3-4
First in a series

This is a debut novel by an author whose novellas, based on the Halifax sisters' exploits, I've really liked. The humor here is what really stood out to me the most, along with fun secondary characters (I'm glad Georgiana will be getting her own book). The plot starts off with a bang, and at first I thought Selina and Peter would maintain "enemies to lovers" sparks, but their bond mellows long before their forced marriage. Peter is definitely a cinnamon roll hero, and Selina is smart and direct without being strident (although I wasn't sure about her reaction to the dog in the Serpentine). If anything, I felt they were almost too perfect; the pacing is slightly slow due to lack of any big conflict or angst (the most effecting scene, I thought, came later in the book involving one of Peter's younger siblings). Selina's and Peter's fears and anxieties smooth over fairly quickly. Nothing too heavy or to really be taken seriously in the proceedings.

Bottom line: sweet and sexy, if rather lightweight.

This was super cute! A highly anticipated book release for 2024 that I think is going to do very well when it comes out in July!

I liked the characters, especially Peter. There is such fun chemistry between Peter and Selina. Good steam level and kept my interest!

Lady Selina is determined to help the Duke of Stanhope find the perfect wife - but she realizes it just might be her!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Vasti and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing representation of everything I love about a historical romance!! It’s a charming regency love story that captures the spirit of the era. With extraordinary writing, impeccable descriptions, and sizzling romance, I found myself unable to put the book down! I was smiling, giggling, and even swinging my feet in delight. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and it deserves all the stars!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

First off, let me just say that if Alexandra Vastri doesn’t give us Lydia, Georgiana, and Iris’s stories, I will be very sad.

Peter Kent never expected to become a duke. But after he inherits the title (and earns a bit of a scandalous reputation) the new ninth Duke of Stanhope ends up in a legal fight for his two half-siblings. He turns to clever, beautiful Selina Ravenscroft for help. She has a suggestion: win the favor of the conservative lord high chancellor – who happens to have a romantic soft spot – by making a whirlwind love marriage before the custody hearing. Selina attempts to set Peter up with several respectable ladies of her acquaintance, despite growing feelings for her old friend. After all, Selina has a secret that, if revealed, could destroy her reputation and that of anyone connected to her: She runs a lending library that provides erotic literature for women of the ton.

It’s stories like these that make me so glad not to be a noble from a certain era – the “scandals” that could destroy reputations and lives seem so inconsequential. But both Peter and Selina find ways to brush off the restrictive society they live in. They are separately delightful and have fantastic chemistry together. The way they work together, rather than failing to communicate in the name of protecting one another, is a breath of fresh air (see, romance authors, you don’t HAVE to make your leads act out of character and force them into a third-act breakup to generate tension and excitement in your plot!!)

Come for the feminist FMC and her extremely supportive MMC, stay for the fun side cast: cute kids (a 12-year-old Regency girl who wants – and gets a fencing sword!, blue stockings super into antiquities, wonderful surrogate parents).

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 4.5 stars rounded down

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Death of a sibling; childhood illness; death of a parent; grief; references to death in childbirth; slavery; and domestic violence

I have put off reading Alexandra Vasti’s debut novel for as long as possible because I wanted to savor it and knew I would only get to read it for the first time once. But I also know her stories are ones I will return to, and that’s undoubtedly true for Ne’er Duke Well. A refreshingly modern historical romance, Vasti’s debut shines thanks to her unique voice, which seamlessly blends fun and a bit of whimsy with soaring romantic feelings and richly nuanced characters. I laughed. I cried. I swooned. This book had everything I wanted from a historical romance and left me feeling so giddy at the end.

The characters were the heart and soul of this book for me. I adored every single one – from our main characters, Selina and Peter, to those who don’t physically make an appearance, like Selina’s twin brother Will. But my favorite character is Lu, Peter’s 12-year-old half-sister, who knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. She has so much spunk and personality that it’s bursting off the page. I absolutely love her. Hands down, she’s my favorite, and she stole every scene she was in. All of Vasti’s characters are so bursting with life and energy that you cannot help but be captivated by them. I loved all the layers and complexities Vasti instills within her characters, and I cannot wait to see how she explores some of these characters in future books in the series.

Selina felt like a more modern historical romance female main character, and I mean that in the best way. I love how sure she is of herself – she gives off confidence and seems to always be fixing others’ problems. She also runs a highly successful Belvoir library, which has a specially curated collection of saucy (and scandalous) books for women in the Venus collection. However, there is also a sense of sadness and loneliness to her as she’s always putting other people’s needs above her own and has been keeping Belvoir a secret from everyone in life except her twin brother Will. She’s so worried about everyone else and wants to help them, she’s not great at prioritizing herself. I can totally relate to that, even if it also ended up being the same thing that frustrated me a bit with her. She’s so selfless when it comes to her plans around Belvoir and Peter, as she cares so much for those she loves, and she doesn’t want them to feel hurt. She would rather prioritize their feelings over her own.

Peter is not your typical Duke. First, he was raised in New Orleans and is a bit of a walking scandal. He’s also a fierce abolitionist, which pisses off some members of the Ton. But I absolutely loved Peter because he had so much heart. He’s SO devoted to his half-siblings Lu and Freddie and will do whatever it takes to secure their guardianship – including becoming part of a matchmaking marriage scheme arranged by Selina. His relationship with them was my favorite, and I truly loved seeing all their interactions, as there is so much love there. He’ll fight tooth and nail to become the guardian of his younger half-siblings, and I was so invested in the custody battle, even if I knew it would end well since this is a romance, after all. I also loved how supportive and enraptured Peter was by Selina – he always acts the complete opposite way Selina expects. They’re a perfect match, and you can see that they bring out the best in each other.

The romance in this was PERFECTION. The chemistry between Peter and Selina was killing me! I love a good matchmaker setup, as that always leads to all the feelings as they come to realize the person they want to be with is the one they’re trying to marry off to someone else. Sprinkle in a little history of antagonism, and it’s absolutely perfect. All I wanted was for Peter and Selina to get together, which does happen quickly, but Vasti does such a great job with the development of their romantic relationship. She hit all the right beats at the right times, dragging out the sexual tension perfectly that left me swooning and feeling all the things! It’s so obvious how much Peter and Selina love each other, and I loved watching them demonstrate their love in different ways before they actually say the words. Watching their relationship progress throughout the book was funny, romantic, emotional, and heartful – and also very sexy. I swear, Alexandra Vasti can write some of the sexiest sex scenes out there, and this book is no exception!

Vasti’s writing continues to shine. After loving her novellas, I’m not at all shocked by that. She can make familiar tropes feel new and is one of the few people who can make me go from crying to laughing within the span of the page. But she is also so good at conveying emotions, and I find myself getting so wrapped up in the story and the feelings.

Ne’er Duke Well is an exceptional, charming debut historical romance novel from Alexandra Vasti. Perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Julia Quinn, or even those new to the genre, readers will delight in this story that offers a refreshingly modern take on Regency England filled with a swoon-worthy romance, characters that jump off the page, and an engaging story centered around family and love. I’m already anxiously counting down the days until her second novel, Earl Crush, hits shelves in January 2025!

Thank you to the publisher/Netgalley for the ARC! All thoughts, ideas, and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve been a big fan of Alexandra Vasti's after devouring her Halifax Hellions novellas and was so excited to get my hands on this one. My heart was needing a lower angst romance and Ne’er Duke Well delivered.

Read this one if you like:
- a smart and sexy historical romance
- "let me find you a wife, but it definitely can't ever be me" matchmaking
- an amazing and hilarious found family
- an intelligent, strong, and fiercely loyal heroine
- an all in hero who stands by his lady love & siblings no matter what
- scorching hot chemistry and sizzling sexy times
- “touch yourself/watch me” 👀
- friends to lovers
- no third act break up

I know some readers may want a bit more angst and drama in their romances, but I really appreciated that after some hiccups at the start, the final conflict was external to our main couple. The epilogue was very sweet and funny and I'm hoping we'll see a book about Selina's brother Will in the future.

I mainly listened to this one on audio and Mhairi Morrison was wonderful as always. She captured the different characters so well (especially Selina) and switched accents with ease. I had no trouble distinguishing between characters and enjoyed this audio so much!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4-4.5 stars

CW: death of parents (past), grief, custody battle, mentions of death of spouse and child (secondary character, past), dog rescue, parental abandonment (past), death of sibling (past), mentions/discussion of slavery, child with life threatening illness (on page)

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

Loved this! Vasti has a gift to render characters to life, and she really makes every moment count. Tender, sexy, funny as hell, one of my favorite historical romances I’ve read in a long time.

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti is a funny, heartwarming, and spicy regency romance. With a strong FMC, a good MMC, and great amazing supporting characters, this story is almost a perfect historical romance. Set in an era where women didn't have a lot of freedom, the author has written several women characters who are just amazing.

I loved this book. Selina's character gave me Emma's vibe, and I loved her. But Lu would be my favorite character. She was endearing, and her relationship with Freddie was heartwarming.

I did have some issues here and there, especially with Selina's and Peter's backstory. It was never explained how they knew each other, so it was confusing a bit. However, this was a good book, and I enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for this book.

A thoroughly enjoyable romp of a historical romance! I loved how Selina is a planner, a fixer, an acts of service kind of person, and the golden chaos retriever Peter literally crashes into her life. The push pull between these two is so delicious. Peter is so gone for her and "I want this one" from the beginning. Lu is so fierce and Freddie precious they were such great characters not just plot points. I loved Belvoir’s and the Venus catalog so much, I wish they were real. Vasti has had my adoration since the Halifax Hellions and I’m so excited to see what she brings us next!

Thanks to @stmartinspress for an advance copy of Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti!

After reading and loving the Halifax Hellions novellas last year, Vasti’s debut novel has been on my radar. Ne’er Duke Well follows Peter, who has returned to London to fight for guardianship of his half siblings; he enlists Selina, his childhood friend and the most capable person he knows, to help. It has one of my favorite tropes in a historical, which is when a character helps another character find a partner, and lovers of Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston will find a lot to love in this book (at least, I did!) One of my favorite things is that even before anything romantic happens between Peter and Selina, he has such respect and admiration for her. This story is simultaneously smart and funny and sexy and sweet — Vasti writes truly special characters that you can’t help but want to love and protect.

Ne’er Duke Well comes out July 23rd, and if you’re a historical romance reader, you should absolutely pick it up.

This was, unfortunately, a dnf.. that too at 75%. I just could not read any of it anymore, I had no interest in any of the characters or what would happen to them.
This story does have some great parts, but just not enough to keep me going. The main characters were blah. The side characters were more interesting, case in point:
- Lu (the Duke's half-sister) was certainly the highlight of this story. I was charmed within the two first chapters. I love how she was the more frank one between her and her brother Freddie. Freddie was the more cautious one.
- Georgiana (Selina's friend and one of the Duke's potential bride) was such an interesting character. A future lead perhaps?

Lots of telling vs showing in this story, which got me bored pretty quickly. Also, where was the romance? I did not see them fall in love at all. The romance was overshadowed by subplot.s. so I was skimming a lot.

I wanted to love this (proof: I made it to 75%). This author has written some of the most loved novellas, and I was curious to see how a full-length novel of hers would be. Regrettably, her stories are just not for me.

2 stars bc I actually liked the writing.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

4.5 rounded up. Thank you so much to Alexandra Vasti, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the hell out of Halifax Hellions series and *knew* I had to download the ARC of Ne’er Duke Well as soon as it appeared on NG. This was such a fun book, featuring the hallmark of a Vasti historical romance - a strong and independent woman living in Regency England but isn’t letting social constructs stop her from being a badass.

Selina is not only a businesswoman, but also circulated erotic literature for women in society, providing much needed sex education for the members of the ton. And Peter, like Vasti’s other MMCs, is a delight of support and lack of toxic masculinity that makes him think he should have control over Selina’s actions and choices. As a history girlie, I love how Vasti writes historical romance with a strong eye for the history and standards of the time while also adding a feminist spin for all her heroines.

This book was a blast, and I’m excited to recommend it when it comes out on July 23!

POV: dual third person

You can expect: marriage of convenience, spicy library, businesswoman FMC, societal sex education, scheming, defending reputation (his and hers), family and found family, he falls first, an American turned British Lord.

Rep: anxiety, queer side characters.

Spice: 2/5

CW: ill child, death of a sibling, mentions of slavery, domestic violence (implied, not described in detail)

I wanted to love this one so much. I adore historical romance, but this was one was a miss for me. I never really got hooked by the story. I struggled with the pacing. A few aspects of the characters and conflict grated.

Peter Kent may have just become a Duke, but that doesn’t mean he is guaranteed to get custody of his younger half siblings, especially when the judge making that decision dislikes him for his radical abolitionist position. He decides to ask the smartest person he knows for help, but since she is the unmarried sister of an earl, he gets the earl and his wife involved as well. It becomes a whole family project. Selina Ravenscroft, the smartest person Peter Kent knows, decides he must marry before the hearing date. Initially, Peter is very excited, because he thinks Selina means that he should marry her. He likes that idea a lot. But no, she has three other women in mind for him to court. It becomes quickly apparent that Peter isn’t going to be proposing to any of the three women she selects for him. They don’t want to marry him, and he really is in love with her.

Selina has her reasons for feeling like marriage is not an option. She is the owner of a lending library, and publisher of a series of books that through memoir and fiction, teach women about sex. She is sure that someday she will be discovered and doesn’t want to deal with a husband’s embarrassment. As readers, we know that Peter, a being of sweetness and chaos, is never going to be embarrassed by some sex education, especially not if Selina is the one doing the education.

There is a lot going on, plot-wise and character-wise. I really enjoyed Peter, Selina, their friends and families. I also wished the middle had been tightened up a bit, but my quibbles there are pretty minor. I have but still haven’t read the Halifax Hellions books, and now I really want to find time to get to them.

I received this as an advance reader copy from St. Martin’s and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

4.25 stars

Oh did this grab hold from the very beginning and refuse to let go! I love a good historical romance but this one is fantastic.

Selina and Peter are wonderful characters. Their flaws and insecurities are front and center. So much of the conflict is driven by them. It's lovely to see them work through them individually and together. They make a great team.

This story tackles some heavier topics in a beautiful way. It leaves you feeling hopeful and charmed. And the spicy scenes are SPICY for a historical fiction. They're not usually so reckless and inventive; I loved them. It's giving Bridgerton vibes on that front.

I want Lu to have her own story. I can only image all the shenanigans she could get up to!

I definitely recommend this book. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vastie is about an American Duke Peter Kent who comes to London to try and gain custody of his half siblings Lucinda and Freddie. They are on an outing to buy Lucinda who goes by Lou a sword so she can learn how to fence when they run in to lady Selena Raven Croft and she remembers the American Duke only too well because the last time they met he stole her horse and abandoned her in a mud puddle. She at first wants to flee but after speaking to him she is amazed that he not only claims his half siblings but wants to care for them. It isn’t long before she is helping him find a spouse to better help him gain custody of his half siblings The only issue is it seems every time he goes out in public he cannot make it home without causing some type of scandal. Things only get worse when she finds herself thinking about him when he’s not around and little does she know he is falling for her as well. Them getting together however is just the beginning of a great book it is mainly about learning to forgive yourself but OMG there’s so much more to the story just be warned they have a sick child talk of slavery another child who is deceased and how love can overcome or at the very least soften the hard blows of life. Oh I love this book this was such a sweet endearing romance but not only about a man and woman who fall in love with each other but about a family that falls in love and becomes just that a family this is such a great book I’ve never read a book by Alexandra Vastey before but I will not pass up another one. I don’t know if it was her writing style the wonderful characters the great story but whatever magic this author has produced and turned into this book I feel so privileged I got to read it did I mention I absolutely love this book! With historical accuracy a great romance laugh out loud moments and a wonderful story it comes together to make a book any regency fan should want to read. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.#SaintMartin’sPress, #NetGalley, #AlexandraVastey, #NeerDukeWell,

A five-star, extra spicy historical page-turner and a scintillating series starter! You'll be adding the rest of Vasti's books to your TBR before you're halfway through.

If you like marriage of convenience tropes, feminist heroines, comical situations and lots of spicy open-door scenes - Vasti's new "Belvoir Library series" will check all your boxes. Fun and compelling romance mixed with scandal and characters who support each other abound in this book.

Selina is the sister of a duke and Peter is the new American heir to a dukedom. Peter finds out he has two illegitimate siblings and wants to adopt them, but his bachelor status may hinder his chances. (This is where I was like, "Really? He's a Duke and their only living relative. How is he NOT getting these kids?" but I digress...) In steps his friend Selina with a solution. Marry him off to one of her wallflower friends!

I'm so glad it didn't take too long for these two to realize they loved each other and there wasn't excessive drama involved. They were a team - a VERY passionate one that had me turning pages well into the night. #relationshipgoals

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the chance to review with an ARC. Can't wait for Lydia's book in January!

This review is in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley. I loved the story line and the extra 🌶️. The main characters were a delight and I can’t wait to read more by Alexandra Vasti.