Peter Kent, the Duke of Stanhope, arrived from New Orleans to take his title and discover that he has two younger siblings. He wants to raise them, but the reputation he's (mostly mistakenly) built for himself makes it an iffy thing. Enter Lady Selina Ravenscroft and her plan to see him wed to the most respectable English lady she can find. What Selina refuses to accept is that she'd like to be that English lady, but her secret job as publisher of erotic and sexually informative novels is one secret that won't last for long and she worries that it would upend everything Peter is doing to get the children.

I sat down with this one and couldn't put it down. The characters are fun and passionate so you get sucked into the story as soon as you meet them. I couldn't wait for Peter and Selina to realize that they were perfect together, even the predictability of some of the plot points wasn't enough to make them less interesting. They have to face a lot of obstacles even after they marry and I really enjoyed the supportive ways that they help each other face them. It adds a nice extra level to their relationship.

Overall, it's not the most original or innovative story, but Vasti's writing brings the characters to life and pulls you in for a highly entertaining read.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the wonderfully entertaining read!

Ah! I loved this book! NE’ER DUKE WELL by Alexandra Vasti is such a joy! This historical romance hit all the right notes.

The plot centers on Peter Kent, Duke of Stanhope, and his request for guardianship of his young half-siblings. We learn that Peter’s father was a right arse, who sired and abandoned children on two continents. Peter, an American from Louisiana, was summoned to England by his grandfather when he became the family heir. Still very new to the title and power he wields, Peter enlists the help of Lady Selina Ravenscroft to make him appear more favorable to the barrister judging his guardianship appeal.

Selina is a delight! She’s observant, smart, and cunning. She’s also the secret operator of a lending library. A lady running any business is scandalous. If the ton were to learn that she was responsible for The Venus Catalogue, a set of erotic books published for and only available to women, it would ruin her and those she loves.

Peter, the abolitionist, and Selina, the feminist, are a brilliant and supportive pair. Lou and Freddy - Peter’s spirited young siblings - and Selena’s friends and relatives round out a fun cast of characters.

Those who like their romances spicy won’t be disappointed. But the book also has plenty of heart and humor. There were many scenes that had me laughing out loud.

Im looking forward to reading more romance from Vasti!

This book was so incredibly delightful! There were so many hilarious lines and moments, I couldn't stop laughing. And the chemistry between Peter and Selina was gorgeous and palpable! This was my favorite matchmaking romcom yet, and my new favorite historical romance. I loved every second!

I am SO sorry for the delay in my feedback. I have loved everything from Alexandra Vasti. The Halifax girls are especially incredible. I really liked Ne’er Duke Well and the matchmaker trope is one of my favorites. 5 stars!

This was such a fun lighthearted read! Loved the romance between Selina & Peter! They had such a great relationship and worked well for this story! A great story that I recommend reading!

Hot, delightful, with as many tender beats as hilarious ones, NE'ER DUKE WELL secures Alexandra Vasti as one of my favorite Regency writers of today. I love a matchmaking scheme gone awry, and while the final dramatic turn felt a teensy bit over the top on the angst-scale for me, Peter and Selina had such superb chemistry that I didn't care. I have no idea if such a circulating library would be anachronistic, but--also don't care! I loved the side cast of characters involved in the endeavor so much, and can't wait for the next entry in this universe if another awaits us.

I really enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters in this book and I liked their unique qualities. They appreciated what made the other special and I liked that there was a level of trust and respect even while they were just friends. Peter's younger siblings were great and a nice addition to the story. I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done and a great way to enjoy this regency novel.

This was such a surprising read! I requested Ne’er Duke Well on NetGalley because I was drawn to the cover, and the premise sounded really cute. Peter, the newly inherited Duke of Stanhope, is trying to gain guardianship of his half-siblings and turns to Lady Selina Ravenscroft for help. She suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation but things don’t go according to plan.

I haven’t seen many reviews of this book, which is a shame because it’s a wonderful historical romance. The banter and chemistry between Selina and Peter was fantastic, and I also adored Peter’s siblings. Selina’s family was equally amazing, with their unconditional support for her. This has quickly become one of my favorite historical romances of the year, and I’m so excited to have found a new historical romance author. I have an advanced copy of the next book in the series, Earl Crush, which I won in a Goodreads giveaway, and I can't wait to read it!

I love a good contemporary romance, and the progressive political bent of this one added a bit extra. I enjoyed Peter and Selina's story so much and will look forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I started this ARC and was immediately sucked into the narrative and witty dialogue. I will be leaving my full review on the audio ARC copy I received.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was fun. A great new voice in historical romance. Excited to read more from the author in the future.

I loved this right from the very beginning! I adored both Selina and Peter, as well as all the side characters. I also really loved that Selina ran Belvoir's, and LOVED how she was so theoretically knowledgeable about sex but also still had some insecurities--that was so realistic. Overall Ne'er Duke Well was a lot of fun and I can't wait to read more by Alexandra Vasti!

I was a huge fan of the author’s indie works, and was so excited to read her read review. It didn’t disappoint! It’s funny, romantic, and heartfelt, everything I want in a historical romance.

This is such a fun, delightful, rompy historical! Peter, a new duke with radical politics raised in the US, needs a respectable bride for the guardianship of his younger siblings, and Lady Selina--a proper debutante running a secret erotic library--is just the person to help him find this bride. It's definitely not her (wink wink). If you're a fan of Tessa Dare, you'll love this book!

I fell in love with this author after reading the Halifax Hellions series as free reads on her website. I’ve been saving this book as kind of a “break glass in case of emergency” read, which after the last couple of months and my resulting book slump seemed to be a good plan from past me.

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope, recently arrived from Louisiana, desperately wants to gain custody of his siblings, 12-year-old Lucinda, aka Lu, and 10-year-old Frederick, aka Freddie. Their father all but abandoned them and Peter wants to earn their trust and make a home for the three of them. But in order to do that he must gain some semblance of respectability. His reputation for radical politics aside, his biggest hurdle is the whole cognac misunderstanding between him and Lord Eldon, who also happens to be the chancellor of the High Court who will decide his case.

So, he enlists the help of the most competent and brilliant woman he knows. Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina has the bright idea of finding a duchess for Peter. One that will lend him respectability, and hopefully the romance of a quick engagement will endear him to Lord Eldon and his wife, who were themselves a love match. She has a list, with only three names on it, but she is determined that one of the three will work. The only problem is that Peter doesn’t have eyes for anyone but Selina. The more time they spend together, the more Peter realizes that Selina is his perfect match. It doesn’t take long for Selina to realize she is in love with him as well. But she has secrets, and a marriage between them wouldn’t bring him respectability, but ruin.

This was such a wonderful romance, with a clever feminist FMC and a MMC who is supportive and loving and simply delighted by Selina’s boldness when he discovers that she is running a library that includes a secret section just for women. The relationship between them is both sweet and steamy, and I admired that they always seemed candid with each other. Even after getting caught in a spicy moment, which leads to their engagement and marriage, Selina is honest with him about her misgivings and why she is worried their marriage might endanger his guardianship hopes. There are plenty of fun moments with the shenanigans during the hunt for a wife and the scenes with Peter’s siblings. It kept a smile on face.

I’m looking forward to the next two books in the series, which will feature the lovely women who Peter courted before falling in love with Selina. The next book in the series, Earl Crush, releases January 21, 2025.

like other Vasti books I liked this a lot and the growing world she creates. The two leads are excellent , the younger characters even better.

Tessa Dare fans, rejoice! Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti serves as the perfect Regency romp to satisfy your craving until Dare and her perfect banter return to the publishing calendar. This was a STRONG debut with a clever plot, high stakes, and swoon worthy leads. With a spunky matchmaking heroine, this historical romance would pair well with Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard or Emma by Jane Austen. Mhairi Morrison does a fabulous job narrating the audiobook, so I highly recommend that format. Normally I’d drop some hints at plot, but let’s just go with this: secret salacious lending library for ladies + rabble-rouser duke from Louisiana + friends to lovers + supportive girlfriends = heart-warming delight.

This was a really fun regency romp featuring an American duke, oh my! If you listen on audiobook, the accents are fantastic!

Ne'er Duke Well is what I am beginning to think of as a "modern" historical romance. Meaning the setting is historical but the characters -- their personalities, speech, ideas, mannerisms, etc. -- are distinctly 21st century. This isn't a bad thing but it might be a bit disconcerting for a historical romance purist.

As a modern historical romance, Ne'er Duek Well is loads of fun. Likeable, quirky charactes and an unusual plot -- a woman owning an erotic subscribing library pairing up with a duke from Louisiana of all places -- provides lots of opportunties for laughs.

The beginning was a bit slow but this is a amusing read for fans of this genre. Just don't expect Jane Austen in tone or level of spice!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy of this novel.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Ne’er Duke Well was a charming Regency romance, perfect for anyone suffering from Bridgerton withdrawals. I wish the backstories of the characters had been fleshed out a little more, but I adored their personalities and the found family aspect of the novel.