ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)

Ughhh I have been dying to get my paws on this book after reading the Halifax novellas. I don’t know what exactly it was about book but I was so bored. Firstly, I felt like I was plopped in the middle of a series the way little bits of character info was dropped. The whole first half of the book Selina is trying to set up Peter with one of her friends to marry. It was such a ridiculous scheme for Peter to get custody of his half siblings from what seemed to be a foster mother? He’s a Duke, like if he wants custody of his siblings (or some hobo kid) can’t he just idk have it?! Everyone is like well, duh Selina why don’t you just marry him? She doesn’t tell anyone but she can’t because she secretly runs an erotic library and doesn’t want to bring shame on his name before his custody hearing.
First half of book basically doesn’t matter because they get caught makin’ out and have to marry. She tells him about sexy library and he don’t gaf. She gets caught being owner of sexy library and since half the town is a member no one really cares? Peter gets custody of kids. Selina just kept harping on about how she’s going to leave Peter and buy a house somewhere so she doesn’t ruin his reputation and he’s just so chill about the situation, the stakes seemed so low. Selina’s twin brother Will is mentioned a million times in book but he never shows, I’d read his book tho his story seems super sad.

I've read Alexandra Vasti's "Halifax Hellions" novellas and enjoyed them, so I jumped at the opportunity to read this novel. This was an enjoyable Georgian romance novel full of fiesty characters with giant hearts.

Selena is outwardly a model young lady of good breeding, daughter and sister of a Duke, and in her 4th season with no intention of marrying. She is very good at managing things and people to their benefit and she secretly owns and runs a lending library with salacious books. Peter is half British and half French, was raised in New Orleans, and has recently inherited his grandfather's Dukedom. He doesn't fit into British society and commits minor scandals frequently. This wouldn't be a problem except that he is trying to gain custody of his orphaned illegitimate half-siblings and he has unintentionally irritated the judge. Peter has admired Selena for the two years he had known her and she has tried to ignore her fascinating for him. When Selena learns of Peter's earnest desire to unite what's left if his family -- and meets and adores his rambunctious siblings -- she decides the only thing to do is to get him married to a respectable woman who will fix his image problems. Of course this backfires amusingly because these two really are perfect for each other.

The villains and conflicts in this story were a little staged, but at least there was decent communication between our lovers. This book definitely felt like the setup for a series with the introduction of many single friends and siblings who could find their own romance in future stories. This book had multiple hot scenes which were well-written. I really enjoyed seeing Selina and Peter grow individually and as a couple; and their live and support for each other throughout was lovely.. If there are more novels coming, I look forward to reading them. I received this novel as a free ARC.

Ever since I read the Vasti's Halifax Hellion novellas I have been waiting for one of her full length novels to grace our shelves. I knew she could do some impressive work with a shorter page count so I was eager to see what she could do at the standard romance novel length. Unsurprisingly, I was not disappointed. Something about her prose is just so easy to read and it's easy to get lost in her world and characters.

Peter and Selina were extremely loveable and I loved watching them come together and face their troubles as a united front. The build up for their relationship was great and the book was delightfully steamy. As for the secondary characters, I was invested in pretty much every single side character. I would love to read stories for Lydia, Georgiana, and Will! If she's taking requests... I wouldn't be mad if she went back a bit to tell Nicholas and Daphne or Judith and Thomasin's stories. The possibilities seem endless and I for one, can't wait to see what she does with them.

I already know that Alexandra Vasti is going to be an instant buy author every time. I can't wait to pick up a physical copy on release day to reread this one again! I think any historical romance fan will enjoy this story. Reminds me a bit of Lisa Kleypas with Tessa Dare's humor.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

The chemistry between Peter and Selina was simply chef’s kiss. I loved reading their banter, and every time both characters were in the same room, sparks were flying off the page. I loved it.

Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Sir Malcolm's List, this is a steamy Regency romance with a lot of heart. The story follows the POVs of Peter, a newly titled duke with a knack for accidentally embroiling himself in minor scandals, and Selina, a seemingly prim and proper debutante who is secretly the mastermind behind a popular library with a handpicked collection of erotic books only allowed to be borrowed by the female patrons. Selina is a clever and compassionate FMC, who started the library so that no woman of the ton would have to go into a marriage ignorant of sex. Peter has a big heart with a particular soft spot for his younger half siblings, Freddie and Lucinda (who goes by Lu), the illegitimate children of his father who have been bounced from distant relative to distant relative after the death of their mother.

The story begins with Peter's less than successful attempts to win over his siblings as he petitions the court to grant him their guardianship. The petition has been complicated by their father's lack of acknowledgement of the children, leaving no legally traceable ties to Peter, and Peter's inadvertent antagonism of the chancellor who will be overseeing their case. While on an outing with the children, he runs into Selina and asks for her help in improving his reputation and winning over the stern chancellor. Selina's suggestion? A whirlwind courtship and marriage to a young lady with a sterling reputation. She quickly assembles a list of suitable candidates from the ladies of her acquaintance, ruling herself out despite her simmering chemistry with Peter. She is certain that if her connection with the library ever gets out, a massive scandal is sure to follow. With Peter, however, nothing quite seems to be going according to plan, rumors swirl, and that sizzling chemistry proves harder and harder to ignore.

I had so much fun reading this book. I felt there was a good balance of spicy scenes to the rest of the plot and overall, the pacing was good. At times, some of the inner monologues did feel a bit repetitive, but it wasn't to the point of distracting me or taking me out of the story. All of the characters felt fully fleshed out, and I would definitely enjoy reading future stories about some of the side characters we were introduced to.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ne’er Duke Well is such a wonderful read! It has scandalously radical and forward thinking main characters, kids that are an absolute handful (in the best ways), strong friendships, a close and loving family dynamic, humor, romance, and spice.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the side characters to get their own stories!

Ne’er Duke Well is my introduction to author Alexandra Vasti. The book is quite funny, and I especially enjoyed Lu’s spitfire humor and the humorous situations Peter and Selina found themselves in. There are a couple of serious moments in the book, particularly when Peter’s brother is sick. Overall, it is a light-hearted, fun book. Selina, the lead female character, is the fixer in the family and a great problem-solver. She is a strong, independent character. Peter, the lead male character, recently inherited the name of Duke of Stanhope. Peter is fairly easy-going but not to be fooled, as he will not be walked over in items that matter, such as his family or political beliefs.

I hope the author will continue on with other characters introduced in this book. Selina’s twin brother, Will, or her friends Lydia, Iris, or Georgiana have the potential to make great lead characters in future books.

Summary:
Selina, the female lead, wants to help family friend Peter Kent, new Duke of Stanhope, secure the custody (guardianship) of his two younger half-siblings. Peter doesn’t have the best reputation, as he keeps finding himself in the gossip papers due to unfortunate situations. Selina decides Peter will have a better chance at custody if he is married, so she sets out to find Peter a not-so perfect match. Peter finds himself unable to purpose marriage to any of the potential matches (and the matches weren’t necessarily keen on the idea, either), as he is too taken and distracted by Selina. After an intense make-out session between Selina and Peter, in which they are caught by the judge who will decide the fate of the custody arrangement, Selina surprises everyone by introducing Peter as her future husband. The problem, you may ask? Selina secretly runs a risqué library (Venus), which allows women to read and learn about taboo topics, such as adultery, male/female anatomy, and erotic stories/poetry. She worries this will ruin Peter’s political ambitions, if ever discovered. Peter puts her mind at ease once he learns of the truth. Just days after the wedding, the siblings’ current guardian passes away and they move in with Selina and Peter. The judge’s decision on guardianship is pushed back, while the discovery of ownership of the Venus library inches closer. Selina and Peter decide to take control of the situation by telling others Selina runs the library. In the end, Selina and Peter gain guardianship of Peter’s siblings, and they are one big happy family.

A wonderful debut! I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and the honesty and humor between them throughout the book. It was refreshing to read an MMC that was upfront about his feelings and faults, and wasn’t afraid to do what was needed to protect his newly found siblings (including keeping a sassy kitten). As someone who feels the need to fix things and plan, I felt akin to Selina and loved how she was characterized and took charge of helping herself and others. The steamy scenes were well done and not closed door or tame. Also enjoyed the supporting characters and hope to dive more into their lives in subsequent books (if it is to be a series). One critique I have is that for some reason the doctor was referred to by his full name multiple times even though he’s a family friend - minor, but a little jarring. It also felt that there were two distinct halves to the book, which I didn’t mind, but also didn’t quite know if one of the storylines/conflicts was truly needed.

One of my favorite tropes in romance is “one character needs a spouse and the other character will help them but oh no oops they fall in love” trope. I don’t think I’ve ever read one with heroine helping the hero and I really liked it here! I also really loved the kids which can sometimes be hit or miss in romances depending on how they’re written and it really works here. The romance between the two leads is sexy and exactly what I’m looking for in a romance. Highly recommend!

I'm obsessed with this book! Alexandra Vasti is clearly so smart and educated, and that shines through in her writing. She understands the tropes and trends of historical romance but has updated them so brilliantly. Her writing had me laughing out loud multiple times, her sex scenes are swoony, and her characters are so lovable. I'll be recommending this to every histrom lover I know!

Sadly this one just wasn’t for me, I got maybe 15% of the way through and I couldn’t get into it, there was a lot of character dumping in the first few chapters and my poor wee brain just didn’t know who anyone was

these characters were likable and fun, and the spice was spicing!!! this was sexy, sweet and funny. a great historical comfort read. this was a really good debut book. I cant wait to see what this author writes next!

Alexandra Vasti is a shining new star in Historical Romance. I wanted to both savour and devour this book, I adore the characters Vasti creates and the story she weaves. Her writing flows so well and I was immersed and engaged the whole time.

MMC Peter can’t seem to help but get caught up in the middle of the most ridiculous situations. While FMC Selina needs to fix everyone’s life. Of course her trying to fix Peter’s life winds up with them married, the matchmaker becoming the match is one of my favourite tropes!

There are underage half-siblings, Dukes left right and center, one water-logged doggo, and an erotic (but educational!) book collection. Peter and Selina’s story was entertaining and engaging, and at times quite sad, but in the end so loving and caring. The Ravenscrofts were an absolute delight and I hope we get to see more of these characters in future books.

Alexandra Vasti has a way with words that makes her writing imminent readable and with this book she’s on my auto-buy author list.

This book is the best of historic romance. It is clever, witty, swoony, romantic, sexy, and just all around *enjoyable* to read. Selina and Peter are both delightfully vulnerable and earnest characters that are trying their best to be good people in challenging circumstances. Their stumbling courtship in the first half reminded me of Georgette Heyer's best witticisms and situational antics, while the second half brings them together to confront external conflict as a team. They communicate in all the best ways (ahem), and it's a delight to read them grow together as a couple, and be shored up by supportive family to boot! On top of this, you get historically accurate erotic terms and literary allusions throughout, which are treated with the good humor they deserve. Just a wonderful book start to finish and I am already planning my reread!

It's a very cute, comedic feel-good romance novel and I definitely would recommend it as light or fluff reading! Parts of it made me laugh out loud. There were a couple of scenes that seemed to lack depth or were a little odd such as when background information was added mid to late storyline, thus why I only rated it as 4 stars. Overall, a cute funny read and one I'll recommend to anyone looking for a bit of light-hearted historical romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This historical romance was so much fun! Excellent side characters, great chemistry with the main couple, and a funny little plot detail with the erotic library,

My favorite part was that the little brothers reminded me of the little brother in a Georgette Heyer novel I love, Frederica. The highest of compliments to be compared to Ms. Heyer!

This book was so excellent I finished it in a day. The build up to Peter and Selina being together has the just the right amount of angst. When they get together it is steamy and perfect. Their love felt genuine and I appreciated that there was no third act “break up”.

Freddie and Lou bring such fun to the story. In fact all of the secondary characters are well written and I’d read a book based around any of them. I would particularly love to read a novel based around Lydia Hope-Wallace, perhaps that will be next?

It's no surprise I enjoyed Alexandra Vasti's first full length novel after falling in love with her Halifax Hellions series.
Peter and Selina are a great couple and the children, Lu and Freddie are adorable. And there's even Peter, the cat. Selina tries to be match maker for Peter - you know that's doomed to fail! Georgiana is one of the best supporting characters and I look forward to reading her story!

The new Duke of Stanhope need to marry a respectable woman to save his reputation. Selina is supposedly the most debutatne except that she secretly runs an erotic circulating library for women. He asks for her help to find a proper bride....

I love Peter's siblings. They are so cute and funny. They really stole all the scenes they are in. Peter and Selina are funny together. I enjoy them a lot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I was lucky enough to hear an excerpt from Ne're Duke Well at an event Alexandra Vasti did months before I was able to read it. Since then I have been incredibly excited to get my hands on this book and it didn't disappoint!

I loved Selina and Peter as a couple. He is so incredibly good at getting himself into scandalous situations and Selena is very talented at getting him out of them. While this could be a burden for Selena, instead she gets to enjoy the freedom of Peter's impulsivity and help him manage the consequences. They both make each other better and happier. They also share a determination to help people regardless of the cost. I think shared values of that sort are truly what makes a relationship work long-term.

One thing that was beautifully well done about this book, was that it is a historical romance that deals with the politics and rules of a completely different society, and yet it is still relatable to modern readers. When Selina talks about the consequences that women face from living in a society with unequal rules for women and men, I thought about ways I have seen women hurt by the inequality of our society. I loved that Selina took this pain and did something with it to make her world better.

On top of these qualities, Ne're Duke Well is sexy and incredibly funny. It is also beautifully written. Alexandra Vasti has a real gift for creating lovable characters and getting into their different head spaces to understand how they see the world and react to different situations. I cannot wait to read what she has in store next!

🌶️🌶️🌶️- Ne're Duke Well has several open-door steamy scenes as well as a heroine who runs an erotic library. Things she has learned from the library are mentioned.