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graciesbooknook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4.5/5⭐️
3/5🌶️
2024 so far has been the year of Regency Era romances for me, and I am loving it! Ne’er Duke Well is unlike any other period romance that I’ve read before. It had an emphasis on women being involved in things that would have been considered scandalous at the time, and I think that the topic was handled really well.
Throughout this book, I loved the different relationships between characters, especially between Peter and Selina / Selina and Peter’s siblings. On this note, I do wish that there had been a bit more information given as to how Peter and Selina had met/how their very initial relationship started. With characters in mind, I also felt as though some of the side characters were two-dimensional and lacked memorable qualities.
I read this book quickly; it only took me about five days from start to finish. It had a fast moving plot that kept me interested, and the spicy scenes were tastefully done. I’m excited for this book to release and to own a physical copy for my personal library. I will definitely recommend this novel for both Regency Era lovers and those wanting to try a new subgenre within romance.
My favorite quote from this book was in the dedication: “To librarians, to booksellers, and to every reader who’s ever handed someone else a boon and said, ‘Try this- I think you’ll love it.’ You change lives.”
My favorite quote apart from the dedication was: “You bring the morning with you. You’re the light, sweetheart. When you walk into a room, I can’t see the shadows. There is nothing in this world that could persuade me to send you away if I thought you wanted me half as much as I want you.”
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to enjoy this advanced reader copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny
downtown_kb's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Peter finds himself newly a duke and seeking the custody of his half sister and brother. Thought of unfavorably by the local courts, Peter worries he will be denied guardianship and goes to his friends for ideas to help his reputation. Lady Selina decides a respectable marriage is the key to getting the guardianship. She then sets out to introduce Peter to her short list of eligible candidates.
This was a low stakes, high fun read and just really sweet. With matchmaking shenanigans and a duke with a competency kink who goes full simp for the intelligent, independent, strong willed Lady Selina. Lady Selina was a great FMC to discover. Peter is so sweet and I love how much he enjoys Selina telling him what to do. He’s just so gone on her.
I appreciated that the formula of this book was not what you typically see these days in romance novels. There’s a lot more depth to these two finding their HEA. And while ultimately it dragged a bit long for me in the second half, I did enjoy how quickly these two realized their true feelings and then worked on building a family together. It was just supremely cozy and of course Alexandra Vasti weaves another clever story.
I desperately want Lydia, Iris and Will’s story now as well as Georgiana. There are so many stories to tell in this world!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!
This was a low stakes, high fun read and just really sweet. With matchmaking shenanigans and a duke with a competency kink who goes full simp for the intelligent, independent, strong willed Lady Selina. Lady Selina was a great FMC to discover. Peter is so sweet and I love how much he enjoys Selina telling him what to do. He’s just so gone on her.
I appreciated that the formula of this book was not what you typically see these days in romance novels. There’s a lot more depth to these two finding their HEA. And while ultimately it dragged a bit long for me in the second half, I did enjoy how quickly these two realized their true feelings and then worked on building a family together. It was just supremely cozy and of course Alexandra Vasti weaves another clever story.
I desperately want Lydia, Iris and Will’s story now as well as Georgiana. There are so many stories to tell in this world!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment and Grief
Minor: Slavery
carolineann's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief and Child death
Minor: Medical content, Death, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Domestic abuse
I absolutely loved this book. I have only a handful of historical romance authors that are on my I-will-read-anything-they-write list, but Vasti has been on it since I read her Halifax Hellions novellas, and I was so lucky to win an ARC of this book in a giveaway. I purposely waited to read this book until I had a free evening, because I knew that once I started reading I would not want to put it down. It did not disappoint, and I read it in one sitting. Although this book dealt with themes of grief and healing, I loved what a hopeful and uplifting book it was. Peter, Selena, and so many of the other characters were so desperately trying to do what they felt was best for others, even at their own detriment, and made me think about how I want to live in a world where people are, at there core, good. I loved the found family aspects of the story, and I am a sucker for the inclusion of some animals— this book has a dog and a cat.
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