I read an ARC for this book and LOVED it- I genuinely laughed out loud on multiple occasions. The characters are the main stars- radical, rebellious, feminist, loving, and hilarious each in their own ways. There was a bit too much internal conflict on Selina's part, and not giving others the credit they deserve- but even this aspect of the novel WAS very relatable (if you're a highly anxious woman in particular). Overall, a wonderful, sweet read. If you want a cozy historical romance where women take matters into their own hands while being supported by the men in their lives (as best as can be done in this time), this is for you.

I love that this is a steamy romance that also discusses steamy romances of the time- nothing beats a main character with a love for books.

I was intrigued first by the cover of this book, and then by the premise. It sounded so cute, and it did not disappoint.

Things I liked:
- Excellent cast of characters that are interesting and drive the story forward.
- Easy to read writing style that keeps things moving along at a good pace.
- Swoon worthy male main character who says all the right things at the right times.
- Strong female characters determined to break with the then social norms/inequities of their society.
- A good amount of steamy/spicy scenes.
- An amazingly clever and fun overall premise that is unique and hasn’t been overdone in the genre.

Things I didn’t like as much:
- I wish there had been more scenes with the two love interests before they became “official.” It felt like things went from 0 to 100 between them so fast. I wish there had been a little more tension/build up between them and watch their fondness for one another grow and develop.

Overall, a very fun and pleasant read that I would recommend for lovers of romance/historical fiction. I haven’t posted my review to social media yet, but will see if I can update with links when I do!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. I will update it I can with the link to my review when I share it on Instagram later today.

In order to become respectable, a newly appointed Duke and American transplant must find a reputable bride. He receives assistance in his search from the very knowledgeable and cultured Lady Selina. Selina spends her days anonymously running an erotic circulating library while trying to keep her respectable image intact. She’s happy to impart her wisdom on Peter until it becomes apparent that she’s perhaps his best match.

I’m a huge fan of Vasti’s novellas. They are a perfect blend of short, spicy and packed full of romance. Matilda Halifax’s book still lives rent free in my head. Transitioning her writing to a full-length novel only made sense and I welcomed this development.

As of now, I still prefer her novellas. There were a lot of moments in Ne’er Duke Well that I felt like I knew the destination but the characters were just standing in the same place and not getting anywhere. The custody plot felt endless and unsatisfying. The relative dies and they just take the kids out for the day. NBD. No further thought to the fact the person raising them was dead?

The book sets out to tackle a number of side plots in addition to the romance of the main couple and the details that felt distracting and unnecessary. Not to say this wasn’t without some charming moments. There were certain scenes involving potential candidates that had me snickering. Ultimately, I just wanted the swooning moments between Peter and Selina. Their romance was cute and sweet but lacked Matilda and Christian’s spice. Perhaps it is more preference of main character energy over the actual quality in writing?

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Oooh I just love it when the MCs are drawn together in a plot to get one of them a partner. This is one of my favorite tropes ever! If you enjoyed Bridgerton s1 you'll enjoy this for sure! It had lots of scheming together and heartfelt conversations. It also included a "let's practice your flirting" scene which is always so fun. Besides the inclusion of old favorite tropes this book also was incredibly unique! This genre can feel a bit repetitive sometimes but I did not feel that way about this book at all. It's not every day that you read about a FMC who runs a sex education library or a MMC who fell into dukedom after growing up in America and actually feels very out of place. I wouldn’t have thought to ask for these aspects but dang I so enjoyed them! This book does have kids so YMMWV with that. For me, I really enjoyed watching Peter fight for guardianship of his half-siblings. It was really compelling how much he cared about building this family. Honestly I felt for both of them because it was clear that they both had so much love to give that I was very invested. I will say the ending wasn't the most realistic thing in the world to me but I love books that are low stakes (that's why I come to this genre) so it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book by any means.

If you prefer modern historicals where the heroine has agency and is deeply respected and supported by the hero this is the book for you! This was such a sweet, soft book with some ridiculous shenanigans and adorable pining. I had a wonderful time and absolutely recommend this book for those looking for a unique historical that isn't too heavy😊

I really liked the storyline, it’s a little different than the average historical romance. I liked the banter and the characters, they’re well developed. A must read!

After delighting in the author’s Halifax Hellions novellas, I’ve been eagerly anticipating her trad pub debut, and it did not disappoint. Ne’er Duke Well is the story of Peter Kent, an unexpected Duke who returns to England from Louisiana upon inheriting. He’s seeking guardianship of his siblings, but faces opposition because—to oversimplify—they’re illegitimate and were unacknowledged. Also he has a fondness for radical politics. 😉

Selina Ravenscroft takes it upon herself to help Peter find a wife to make his candidacy more appealing. And we all know what happens next, but Vasti makes it feel fresh in so many big and small ways. The conflict centers around Selina running a secret erotic library for women—she’s worried it will become public and cause scandal for Peter. And it’s all so sexy, and sex-positive, and also hilarious at times and heartwarming at others. Oh and per the author’s note, the (many) books referenced are all real.

As was the case with the Hellions, I find the historical setting Vasti creates here to be a refreshingly inclusive and kind one. To me, she thoughtfully crafts the neurodiverse and queer characters in her books, and while this one is an M/F romance, it doesn’t strike me as heteronormative. (I ADORED grandmother and grandmama Judith and Thomasin).

If I had to quibble I’d say that Vasti excels at novellas, and there were a few points where this, her first full-length novel, dragged a tiny bit to me. But, I mean, I read it in two days, so.💜

<i> She felt vulnerable and quite thoroughly wrecked as he stared down at her. Her nose was running. He could see—oh, every messy broken part of her. All the depths of want and hope that she tried to keep hidden, the catastrophic desires that drove her. He saw it all with that clear-eyed relentless gaze, saw it all and wanted her anyway.</i>

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.
* Disclaimer: The author and I are friendly on social media.

I want to say up front that I am not normally a fan of historical romance. This book is one of the very few exceptions. I was influenced to seek this book out by someone I trust, and it was superb! Romantic, steamy, and very, very swoonworthy. The author was able to weave a tale that included just the right amount of tension, introduce a sexy element to a time in our world when it was difficult to authentically portray such a thing, and that tension was resolved in a way that was both believable and avoided some of the typical tropes one sees in the genre. Overall, this was a great representation of a historical done in an absolutely smashing fashion.

"Ne'er Duke Well" by Alexandra Vasti is an engaging regency romance that brings a fresh perspective to the genre. The American Duke, Peter, provides a twist to the traditional English setting, and Selina is a delightful match with her feminist ideals and strong will. The book's lighthearted humor and the warm dynamic of the Duke's family add to its charm. However, the story's brisk pace and the countless side plots can be overwhelming, at times overshadowing character development. While the novel is a commendable debut, those looking for a more in-depth character exploration might find it lacking. Nonetheless, Vasti shows promise, and I'm curious to see her future works.

This was without a doubt a beautiful 4-star read! I had so much fun reading about all of these characters from the haunted ninth Duke of Stanhope who knows little to nothing of the politics, given that he’s grown up in Louisiana, to the Feminist Sexual Health Educator Selina, who fights for what is right.

It was a bit too fast-paced for me, but I loved that there was no miscommunication, no third-act breakup, and such a fantastic set of side characters that made sure the book was never boring.

What a breath of fresh air in historical romance. Can’t wait to check out the rest of Alexandra Vasti’s work!

This book is such a delight. It's funny, tender, warmhearted, and sexy. I loved the tension that built even as characters made good choices and were honest with each other. Definitely recommend!

In this story we follow Peter, an American Duke who unexpectedly inherits a Dukedom back in England. He returns to discover he has two younger half-siblings and decides to get custody of them in court. Worried about his reputation amongst the ton, his friend Selina comes up with a plan to help rehab his image by marrying a nice English girl to be his Duchess and help smooth over any rough edges. (His American childhood, general awkwardness, and his abolitionist political views aren't winning him many friends.) As Selina's matchmaking scheme begins, the two friends begin to realize there might something more than just friendship between them.

This is my first book by this author and I'm looking forward to checking out more! I thought the characters were very likable and sweet, and I thought the family dynamics were incredibly warm and sweet. I really loved the ideas about family presented in this book. The Ravenscrofts were adorable and I enjoyed seeing their loyalty and acceptance of one another.

I really loved Peter and felt like we got a really great understanding of his difficult childhood and how that helped shape him to be the man he's become. He was a dreamy romantic hero!

The book contains a lot of themes about equality and feminism and that was handled well and certainly refreshing to see in an historical romance.

While the book was sweet, I do wonder if there was a little bit too much packed into it. I found some of the side characters a little tricky to keep track of. It also felt like characters were introduced without serving a huge impact on the story (ie Faizah and Will). I kept expecting Will to show up, for example, and he didn't aside from a letter at the beginning of one of the chapters. I actually checked Goodreads to confirm this was either a standalone or the first in a series as I felt like I got dropped into the middle of something and I was missing information that was previously revealed.

I also wish there was more about Belvoir in the first part of the book. I felt like Selina's storyline (the library) got sidelined for the matchmaking, to the point where I actually forgot entirely about the library until it was reintroduced at the 50% mark and then it became the primary plot.

Having said that, it was a very sweet family and I loved the characters. If this is intended to be a series (it very much felt like it did) I would definitely check out subsequent books.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

Naturally, the second I saw this book was Read Now I abandoned my library books so I could unhinge my brain and dump Alexandra Vasti goodness into it immediately! From her Halifax Hellions (Winnie, I'm saving you for my next day off so I can read in one sitting!), I knew with my logical mind that Vasti was a talented writer. I'd been genuinely afraid to read a full length book by this woman because she's already LETHALLY ROMANTIC in novella format!

I'm here to say I was right. I'm dead now, writing this rave review as a ghost.

Selina is a Minnie Lane, Jessica Trent-style heroine and watching Peter chaos-tornado his way through her path at every step of her matchmaking journey was a sheer delight. Then things took a turn I didn't expect!!! I won't spoil it because y'all, you MUST ingest this book, but I loved it.

Liked:
😀Selina and Lydia's friendship
😀Ass man rep

Loved:
❤️GAY AUNTS!
❤️Found family and healing family and all the family 😭
❤️GEORGIANA GODDAMN CLEEVE
❤️Third act conflict that you won't want to stop reading

Lol'd:
😂Lu, immediately and throughout

#amreadingromance #bookstagram #review #romancebooks #romancelandia #romancereader #romancereads #books #bookrecommendation #arc #netgalley #2024debut #smp

I love Alexandra Vasti's novellas and was excited to read this full-length book! This was overall a good read, I think this is perfect for fans of Bridgerton or other historical romances.

I love the women empowerment theme throughout theme throughout the book. This is rom-com, but also has a lot of deeper topics throughout as well and tons of character development.

I do wish the pacing of this book was a little slower, for the first half of the book.

Overall an excellent read!

I absolutely love historical romances and this one felt like a breath of fresh air! I adored the romance aspect and wish I had a lot more of it.
Selina is a very strong heroine and Peter is a funny and charming duke. Together they make for an entertaining read. I would’ve loved to have met the MC when they first met each other instead of having the book start 3 years into their acquaintance. There also were maybe too many extraneous details… does it matter that Peter is from America?
Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to read more from Alexandra Vasti!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Peter Kent is an unexpected Duke, son of a third son, born and raised in the US, he is the outsider Duke if ever there was one. Lady Selina is the daughter of a Duke who died when she was six and she was raised by her older brother (the current Duke). Upon coming to England, Peter learns that his father had two "natural" children and Peter seeks to adopt them. However, his outsider status makes this hard even for a Duke. But Selina sees something of herself and her brother in the Duke's troubles and seeks to help him through marrying him off to a respectable lady and therefore making him respectable himself.

What I liked about this book:
- I'm a sucker for the unexpected gentry trope
- I've read quite a few historoms featuring Dollar Princesses, but this is my first American Duke
- Lady Selina is proper in the streets but has a secret s3x bookshop!
- I found Peter's siblings incredibly charming, and the rest of the extended cast as well.

This is a fun book with a lot of plot points so I can imagine a lot of people will like it. However, overall, I didn't resonate much with the characters or the romantic arc in this book. The first half of the books had a lot of hijinks which just felt like too many and too forced, but then they didn't follow through with fun hijinks in the rest of the story, so then they felt out of place. In general I felt the book was more driven by the external plot than the internal growth of the characters as individuals and also as a couple, and I prefer the latter in my romance novels.

I really enjoyed the Halifax novellas by Vasti, so I will continue to read her work, I think this one was just a one off for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come after the St. Martin's Press boycott. St. Martin's Press, please do right by your readers.

ALexandra Vasti has knocked it out of the park. I wasn't too sure I would like a duke from Louisiana but I definitely fell in love with Peter. His heart is huge and he is determined not to lose his father's illegitimate siblings and views them as his true brother and sister. He is so loveable and the scraps and scandals he gets himself into are hilarious. He is true to his American roots in that he doesn't understand all the stuffiness of the Ton nor does he care about any of the things that make up the rules of those days. Selina is wonderful. She is a fixer and goes above and beyond to help others. She has a secret goal in love and I love how this is intertwined within the book. The plot is intricate and it moves along nicely. Once I started reading it, I was not able to put it down. I love how they grow together and also how they come together to help and support one another. I absolutely thought the little snippets at the beginning of each chapter were brilliant. They give you insights into how characters think and feel with pieces of letters they wrote to a variety of characters in this book. I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I discovered Vasti last year with a few novellas that she debuted with. I absolutely love her writing style, whit, and romance w/o all the stuffiness of the Ton. They are light and fun and are not your typical stories. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Synopsis: Peter Kent never expected to inherit his estranged father’s duchy, or to find two orphaned, half-siblings awaiting him in England. The “American Duke” is making a name for himself and collecting adversaries both in parliament and around the Ton, due to his progressive attitude.

Lady Selina Ravenscroft has never met a problem she couldn’t resolve. So, when the new Duke needs to secure a wife in order to obtain guardianship over his young siblings, Lady Selina sees it as her duty to help. Her own scandalous affairs make it impossible for her to step into the role of duchess, so she sets about helping the Duke to woo the eligible, and virtuous, ladies of the ton. But as so often happens, the heart soon wants what the mind knows it cannot have.

Review: Ne’er Duke We’ll is a highly enjoyable (and spicy!) regency romance. The Duke of Stanhope and Lady Selina are memorable characters and their chemistry is off the charts! The children, Lu and Freddie, are a fun addition to the story. I often do not like children in romances, but these two are entertaining!
This book has a lot of plot to offer. The Duke wants to be granted guardianship over his siblings, so there is some Emma-esque match making. Lady Selina has been keeping a secret from her family for years and now she may be found out which could lead to scandal. And a few other dramas take place to torment our characters. In the end, family and love prevail.

Thank you to St Martin's Press & Netgalley for giving me the chance to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 💕

This book was so much fun. I had the BEST time.

It was maybe the most enjoyable romance book I've read, ever. Definitely in my top three.

There are brief moments when you think the miscommunication/keeping a secret/getting found trope is about to be played out, but then there are twists to it.

Vashti does an amazing job of keeping readers rooting for Selina and Peter the entire time, but it's not just rooting for them to get together.

I'm constantly impressed by the romance books I read, the extremely developed individual lives of the characters apart from romance is what keeps you reading.

I can't gush about this book enough!

Thank you so much for giving me an Arc. I have been a fan of Vasti’s for a minute and these are always such tender and heartfelt stories. I did enjoy this one but I wish there was more of a third act break up so the ending fell flat for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Selina as a character and I’ll always adore VastiMs work but I needed that third act break up.