This was such a fun read! I’d categorize it as more of a light read, but it still had a lot of depth, some heavy subjects, beautiful writing, and great characters. Some scenes had me laughing out loud! My favorite thing about it is that even though it’s set in a time when women had little to no rights, there are many female characters (especially the heroine, Selina) working to change the status quo and supporting other women. It was very empowering! The hero, Peter, was progressive for his time too. The chemistry between Peter and Selina was great, but their courtship felt rushed to me, and it was a bit too spicy for me personally. However, it was easy to skip those parts without taking away from the main storyline. The main focus was Selina helping Peter get custody of his half-siblings, which was such a sweet story. All in all, it’s a beautiful story of both family love and romantic love. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

When I first started to read this book I didn't believe it would fully keep my attention. I was wrong! The book is well written and had me laughing.

I really enjoyed this regency romance! It features two very well developed leads in this friends to lovers romantic comedy.. Peter who is a duke out of his depth as he was not even raised in England to be a peer of the realm, but was instead raised in America in Louisiana in impoverished circumstances and Selina, a sister of a duke who has a scandalous secret. As the American Duke Peter finds it hard to navigate the social and political waters of the ton. But once arriving in England and stepping into his role he also learns he has two young half-siblings who because they were not recognized by his and their father, could be placed with anyone as their guardian or worse become foundlings. Peter learns in order to keep this from happening, he will have to petition for guardianship with one of his political enemies. But Peter is desperate to adopt them as his wards, wanting to love and protect them even if he feels underqualified to raise them. Enter Selina Ravenscroft, a young woman of means who is an expert at solving problems. When she learns what Peter is facing, she offers to help by concocting a plan to make him more respectable by finding him a wife who is above reproach. The only problem is Selina secretly longs for Peter for herself and the more she tries to wed him off to another that harder it becomes for either of them to find Peter the perfect match among the worthiest candidates.

Some of the things I especially loved about this book were the rom-com moments that Peter's impetuous and too forthright nature create as he is wooing the women Selina recommends. I also loved Selina as a forward thinking woman. She has been secretly running a private library for women of the ton. One that carries some quite salacious reading material. This comes about after finding out how undereducated most young women are in terms of sexual education, and Selina vows to rectify this with her library catalog. But this comes into direct conflict with her ability to provide Peter the respectability he needs to win custody of his half-siblings if she marries him. I love that the conflict is the secret education of women!

Because Peter and Selina are unable to resist one another they do ultimately wind up together. Along the way though, we meet some very charming secondary characters such as Selina's aunt and her long-term companion Thomasin, Peter's two young siblings of course, Lu and Freddie, and some of Selina's close friends who she attempts to match with Peter, Lydia and Iris. We also meet another young woman who becomes a friend to Peter and Selina, Georgiana. The elements of found family for Peter and Selina are lovely. Other tropes that Vasti handles in a refreshing way are the vulnerabilities of both characters and their fears of admitting to the other their true feelings. In the end though they learn to lean on each other and realize they are stronger for it, which is a refreshing change of pace from most romances where the hero and heroine usually end up split apart after a misunderstanding before they can win their happily-ever-after.

I can easily give this book, which I was privileged to read as an ARC five out of five stars. I also hope that Vasti will write other books for some of the secondary characters we meet in this one. I would love to see a novel for Will, Georgiana, Lydia, Iris, and even eventually Lu and Freddie. So, many possibilities abound for making this a series! I would love to read more.

This is my first read of this author and loved it. A wonderful historical romance depicting an independent smart woman who’s met her match. Loved Selina and Peter’s chemistry and how he supports her endeavors and lets her shine. Definitely recommend.

Wow! This was an amazing read and such a fun historical. It had some surprising twists and a different take on "Let's find you a wife." Loved the banter, the side characters and the families. There were some great laugh out loud moments, perfect amount of sexual tension and some great bombshell bits. This book had some great surprises! I can't wait to see what Vasti brings us next as we continue in the world with these characters.

I received Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley. A fun romance with the perfect balance of steam and laughs.

Peter Kent is an American who happens to inherit the dukedom of Stanhope. He hopes to also become the guardian of his two half-siblings, but his respectability and the law are not on his side. Enter Lady Selina Ravenscroft. She is exactly the proper lady to help solve Peter’s problem.

I loved the children, Lu and Freddie. This book was a wonderful read that really brightened my day..

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Vasti sets us in Regency England with a charming American-raised duke and a woman determined to educate the women of the ton in all matters intimate. Vasti is a delightful storyteller, capturing the rollicking emotions of falling in love. While I loved Vasti’s novellas, the full-length novel lacked the same emotional punch I experienced with those works. Regardless, I would definitely recommend!

I'd like to start off this review by paying my regards to the cover artist. Absolutely stellar cover. The combination of blue and green is unique and fresh, I'm in love. Also, thank you for inviting me to review this ARC. I had previously read a novella by Alexandra Vasti and adored it. She excels at writing dialogue and banter which is a main pillar of historical romance and the aspect I most look forward to. Ne'er Duke Well was delightful in that regard and had all the makings of a fun, quick romance read. I admit the premise did not call my interest but I may have changed my mind about the matchmaking trope. The realization and angst it accounts for is stupendous.

This historic romance has a fun setup, amazing characters, and a simply perfect love interest. There's a lot of plot to go through, and I was excited by how the main characters fought through their individual conflicts together, rather than apart. Instead of breaking them up in the third act, Vasti had them come together and help each other solve their own problems, which was really refreshing, especially for a historical. I loved all of the contemporary sensibilities around women's and human rights, and the kids in this were cute, not gratingly simple and sugar-sweet like usual. This is definitely a great read in the likes of the League of Extraordinary Women by Evie Dunmore. If you like any of those, this book will be right up your alley!

I will definitely read more Alexandra Vasti in the future! There were small issues here and there, but this was so enjoyable and funny and heartwarming.

What a fun and unique take on a historical romance! Peter and Selina are a delight, as are the secondary characters. They are both intelligent, funny and caring. And throw in a private lending library with a secret catalog for women! I couldn't put it down! Thank you to St. Martin Griffin and NetGalley for the advance copy. I would love to see more of these characters, or perhaps featuring some of their friends!

4.25 stars. The characters were really fun in this book. The two MCs had a lot of love and respect for each other, which was really sweet. And there were lots of silly moments between the two of them (especially the one depicted on the cover). I loved how supportive Peter was of Selina when her secret was in danger of ruining their reputations, and how he immediately came up with a plan to save both of them when she thought all hope was lost.

What an adorable (and spicy) book! I love historical romances that not only have feminist ideas, but ones that have the characters actually doing something. Selina is a firecracker and Peter is wonderfully silly and dashing at the same time. When it first started with her trying to get him married (to someone else) I thought uhoh it’s going to be that book (long drawn out angst that could be solved with a conversation). But it isn’t that! There is high jinks and steam, but most importantly, the characters have hard conversations with each other! Selina perhaps has to learn to trust other people and stop thinking she has to fix things alone, but there is no “I am going to disappear without telling anyone”. Yea! It is a feel good book and I really recommend it! (I received an ARC)

If your looking for a uniquely different historical romance, NE'ER DUKE WELL, is just the book! It stars a lovely lady, Selina Ravenscroft, who is a high ranking member of society. Only she has a secret and it's a whole library of erotic books for women. She receives a request from Peter Kent, Duke of Stanhope, for help managing his half-siblings, so he can become respectable. She offers to find him a presentable wife to help with children. Will she find someone?

The newly inherited Duke of Stanhope, Peter Kent, must become reputable after his radical stance on politics and other issues earned him scandalous notoriety in parliament and the ton. He wants to become guardian to his half-siblings, since they have no place to go. Selina is the one woman with many talents that he knows. Between matchmaking, the kids bumbling antics, and their scorching chemistry, the flame has been lit, so their desire for one another is impossible to resist. Will they discover what's best for all involved, including their own hearts?

Wow, what an unpredictable, scandalous story! NE'ER DUKE WELL delivers on many levels. The story is fast-paced, daring, steamy, funny, witty and more! Ms. Vasti excels at vastly original plots with charismatic characters and this story wholeheartedly delivers. I was mesmerized from beginning to end! Selina is such an independent woman with many facets. It was fun to see Peter and Selina struggle with their feelings for each other, especially since the whole purpose is to find him someone to help with the children. A ferociously, funny sexy read!

Mazey Eddings recommended this book and I trust her implicitly. I am so glad she pointed me in this author’s direction- I will be sure to check out their other work!!!

thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

i love a good regency book, but this one was just all spice and that’s not what i care about in regency books!

the plot was more fascinating to me; even though it was slightly all over the place… i’m not quite sure how certain people knew each other? But all the same!! I liked the idea of a secret library for women

Last year, I read around twenty romance novels, and they shared a commonality– the couple committed to one another by the end of the story. While I long for a literary happy ending, sometimes I wonder what occurs after their moment of coupling. Yes, epilogues are occasionally provided, but I consider them to be a post-story highlight reel rather than a glimpse into a relationship with its natural ebbs and flows. A notable aspect of Ne’er a Duke by Alexandra Vasti is the continuation of the plot beyond the couple’s (Peter and Selina) unification.

Main character Peter’s quest for guardianship of his half-siblings transpires throughout the story, reframing the romance in a unique and family-oriented manner. With the help of Selina, Peter gains guardianship, a sweet plot point. The journey of adoption also allows Peter and Selina to fall in love amid hardship, suggesting that love does not occur in a vacuum, but in conjunction with other relationships and personal difficulties. Seeking guardianship acts as a framing device for the story and allows Peter and Selina’s relationship to go beyond marriage and into family life. Because I am so accustomed to marriage as an ending, moving past their wedding hooked me, stimulating my curiosity about the additional tricks Vasti may possess.

Vasti is a bookish world-building magician. Characters Peter and Selina live in the rich historical background of nineteenth-century London. Vasti knows her stuff– I mean really knows it, given her status as a British literature professor– and covers complex topics such as historical custody laws, abolition, and social customs and expectations of the time. A significant storyline revolves around Selina's secret library enterprise, through which she loans books on sexual and reproductive health to women of the ton. While Selina is portrayed as beautiful, she and her female friends are also repeatedly described as smart and capable, an emphasis not always seen in this genre. Vasti highlights Selina’s experience as an excellent problem solver, as well as her friend Lydia’s political knowledge.

Ne’er a Duke highlights the importance of family (by choice and by blood) and community. Selina receives support for her library business amidst town scandal from her family and Peter. Despite the secrets she previously hid from them, they convey unconditional love and acceptance. Exploring themes beyond the conventional romantic portrayal serves as a refreshing reminder of the varied nature of love.

Relationships throughout the novel demonstrate the realities of a recent marriage. Peter and Selina scrutinize their own shortcomings critically, yet extend grace and understanding towards each other as they recognize and empathize with each other's perspectives. These discussions deepen their relationship and add layers of complexity and understanding to their dynamic. They navigate their nuptials by allowing each other time to adapt to their new reality while reminding one another of the value they add to the relationship.

Through Selina’s secret library business and Peter’s quest for guardianship, Vasti sheds light on pressing social issues of the time while weaving a captivating love story that resonates due to its themes of acceptance, personal growth, and community. Peter and Selina make an untraditional but unified family unit, especially with the addition of Peter’s recently adopted half-siblings. Ne’er a Duke is a sweet yet multifaceted narrative I recommend to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced read, strong female characters, realistic relationships, and a complex historical setting.

I'm predicting that this will be one of my favorite romances of the year. I also have my eye on the author's novella backlist. This was an historical romantic comedy with witty banter, slow burn, kids (excellent side characters) and it is light and lovely and was a joy to read. It reminded me of historical romances by Julie Garwood and Judith McNaught which is high praise- they both had amazing characters, stories, and banter. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute delight.

Peter Kent has inherited a dukedom from his late grandfather and found he has two younger half-siblings; his father did not claim the children and therefore, he has to fight for their guardianship. But the man who will have the final say in the children's fate is not his fan, so Peter must come up with a plan to impress him.
Selina has secrets of her own, something that only her twin brother knows. She's careful, cunning, and passionate about helping Peter secure his guardianship which leads her to find the most eligible ladies in the ton for him to court.
This book was romantic, funny, and heart-wrenching. Peter and Selina's chemistry oozes from them in every conversation and encounter. I was rooting for them from the very beginning. The children were hilarious and I loved getting to see their tentative relationship with their brother turn into more.
My favorite part was the way the marriage was settled within the first half, which led to the second half focusing on the underlying conflict to be resolved. It also opened the gates to some well-written explicit scenes that had me pausing for a breather.
The historical context was well-researched and presented, the character arcs felt realistic and natural, and the writing was beautiful, and fitting for the time period.

I read quite a bit of historical romance and I am pretty used to the themes that can be found in them. But there's a comfort in that. But there are certain themes I'm not a huge fan of.

Miscommunication (or lack of) by the main characters often frustrates me. Especially when the author makes it so something that would have been shared without thought, is deliberately left out. I know this is done on purpose to further the plot, but it is not really something I enjoy.

In this book, I thought I saw the miscommunication coming a couple of times, but then, to my surprise and enjoyment, the main characters actually communicated - had conversations and worked together. And I loved that! Seriously, the happy shock I felt each time this happened was a balm for my reader soul.

I found Ne'er Duke Well to be an extremely cute historical romance and I will definitely read more by this author!

I don't often give a historical romance a 5, and maybe this one is more of a 4.5 to me, but I'm going to round up to 5 stars!