Reviews

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

whatmadsreads's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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

5.0

No question, this book is one of my favorites of the year! And possibly my most favorite historical romance!

This had everything: I can’t stand you but also I can’t stand to be away from you, let me find you a wife so that you can get guardianship, oops we kissed and now we have to get married, I’m pretending this is for the kids but actually I love you…oh my gosh it was so incredibly good!

Peter is THE SWOONIEST man and I could not love him more. He was so down bad for Selina and even though she was down just as bad, she was so determined to help him get guardianship of his siblings that she tried to push him away and he was NOT HAVING IT. These two ended up being quite the power couple and I adored every second!

This book was laugh-out-loud funny, so swoony, so spicy…a perfect mix of it all. Absolutely 5 stars, no question. And a new favorite for me!

deekayfrey's review

Honesty, this book just lost my interest.

I enjoyed the tension, but I felt like they got together too soon, and then

there was so much of the book left, and I no longer felt motivated to finish. From the beginning, I felt like I was missing something. The main characters already knew each other and had a history together, which I knew nothing about. I looked into the author's other books to see if I had unknowingly jumped into the middle of a series but I couldn't find any evidence that I had. The plot is adorable, and I love feisty Selina and swoon-worthy Peter, but it just wasn't enough. Maybe I'll try to finish it at another time.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the eARC!

kariann_reading_journey's review against another edition

5.0

Vasti has officially become an auto buy author for me. I am obsessed with her regency era romance novels. I love that she includes characters that aren’t free from scandal and Ne’er Duke Well fits perfectly into the mix. I mean what’s not to love about a woman who has single handedly taken on the task of teaching women of the ton about sexual and reproductive natures. Selina has officially become one of my favorite female main characters ever. She is particularly efficient at completing tasks all while harboring a heart of gold. On the flip side, the male main character, Peter, has such adorable golden retriever energy. I love how he went out of his way to do what he felt was right to help someone even if it landed him in the scandal sheets. I also adored how much he loved his siblings and how he was willing to do anything to gain custody of them. Selina and Peter were so well matched and balanced that their relationship development was perfection. I also loved the banter between the two. It’s my favorite thing, and it was expertly utilized between the two MCs. I also really enjoyed the little Halifax Hellions name drop. While they weren’t featured, it was fun seeing them mentioned and then promptly discarded as a suitable match for Peter. There were so many memorable moments too that will stick with you from the dog rescue, to the book store show down, to the court room. This book will send you through a rollercoaster of emotion and leave you wanting more. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile.

✨

✨

ARC courtesy of the author

cmars's review against another edition

3.75

Ne’er Duke Well is a historical romance then deals with Peter trying to become the guardian of his brother and sister and how difficult will be for him as a single man. 

This was a fun story and even though I am child free by choice I loved the storyline with the kids. They were a great catalyst to get our two main characters together. 

I loved Selina and her unapologetic want of independence and her desire to make sure the women of the ton are well educated. I also love how Peter totally supports her. 

We all know a romance has a 3rd act dilemma but this book was so refreshing in how the couple talked it out and came to a decision together!! Loved that!! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Alexandra Vasti for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review. 

ladyalireadsalot's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

illstoptheworldandreadwithyou's review against another edition

4.75

Peter Kent, the new Duke of Stanhope who hails from—gasp!—New Orleans, Louisiana, needs to rapidly improve his reputation. He wants custody of his half-siblings, Freddie and Lu, and let’s just say that between his American roots and his political stance, among other things, he is not the most approved of member of the ton. When he turns to Lady Selina Ravenscroft for help, she decides the fastest way to improve his standing is to secure him a proper wife. 

 

Selina is beloved by the ton, but her reputation would be dashed if her cohorts discovered that she is behind the circulating library that has—ahem—made some more enlightening reads available to women. 

 

Here’s the rub, though: despite her multiple attempts at matchmaking Peter to the ladies of the ton, none of those relationships seem to take. As unfortunate as it seems, Selina discovers that she, in fact, may be Peter’s perfect match. Oh bother. 

 

He needs his status bolstered, but allying with her, and her potentially destructive secret, may cause an even greater downfall. 

 

I adore Alexandra Vasti’s writing; I found myself wearing an irrepressible grin while reading this one; and I just love Peter’s half-siblings, Freddie and Lu. 

 

Peter and Selina’s banter is delicious and their chemistry is fantastic. The stories surrounding the other ladies of the ton whom Selina attempts to matchmake with Peter only enhance the humor of the story. 

 

There is a bit of a change in tone once Peter and Selina do get together. Things become more serious as the decision regarding Freddie and Lu’s guardianship grows closer. 

 

It all works out in the end, though, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. 

 

 4.75⭐️ 

 

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own. 

dog_eared_chapters's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

stephgray317's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition

3.0

I was so eager to read because was interesting. However, I felt like the book is going so fast, I just didn’t get much invested in their romance as much I wanted to. There were many cute adorable scenes that I enjoyed tho. This might not have a lot of depth, but it was still a fun read!

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

sara_machado's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

It took one novella and one full novel to put Alexandra Vasti on my favorite Regency Romance writers list!

Ne'er Duke Well is full of wonderful characters, strong leads, amazing chemistry (and spice), all wrapped up in an interesting story that surprises by escaping the traditional conflicts in the genre.

This was an absolute delight do read! Funny, light and heartwarming, but most of all, it felt like a refreshing take in the genre. I do hope Alexandra keeps writing in this world because I NEED more of it, desperately.

If you like regency romances, please make sure you give this one a try!

I would like to thank Atlantic Books | Corvus and Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.