Reviews

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

thedailykaily's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

"I didn't marry you for that. I didn't want you because you could make me respectable or fix my cursed house or take care of my siblings." He touched the line of her lips with one finger. "I just wanted you."

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Book releases July 23, 2024

Peter Kent inherited the dukedom of Stanhope when his estranged father died 2 years ago. Since then, he has discovered he has two half-siblings, 12 year old Lucinda "Lu" and 10 year old Freddie and he is trying to obtain guardianship. The problem is, he is a bachelor, he is a bit radical as he was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and is an abolitionist, and his estate has no furniture and minimal staff. 

Selina Ravenscroft is the sister of the Duke of Rowland. Similar to Lu and Freddie, Selina and her twin brother were raised by her older brother, which makes her sensitive to her friend Peter's plight.  Selina has a huge secret. Two years prior, her twin brother purchased Belvoir Library for Selina, which she's been running. The scandalous thing is, there is a secret Venus catalogue, which educates women in matters of the sexes. If this were to be found out, Selina, would surely be ruined. This is why, when she comes up with the idea for Peter to marry before his siblings' custody hearing in order to make him more likely to obtain guardianship, she believes she couldn't possibly be on the list of potential wives, right? 

This book was everything I could want in a romance. The female protagonist is fierce and brilliant. The male protagonist is 100% supportive. Unlike most romances, although there is conflict, there is never the conflict between the love interests or areas of miscommunication, instead the couple works towards resolution of problems together. There was also quite a bit of humor throughout. Overall, the story was well told from beginning to end and I will definitely read more from this author in the future. And oh, I forgot to mention, some of the books mentioned on the Venus catalog are actual books that were published in the 1700s. 

-regency romance
-dual POV
-3rd person POV
-friends to lovers
-marriage of convenience
-steamy 4/5 

shagdalen's review

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

amshofner's review against another edition

4.0

This lighthearted historical romance will appeal to people who enjoy the “I'm going to set you up with someone else only we're falling for each other” trope. 

I liked this book a lot. It immersed me into the story quickly. I do love characters in my historicals who buck traditions and conventions. And that was both characters: Peter, the American Duke (whose father was English), and Selina, who ran a library with a special selection of books to help women learn more about the world (specifically sex).

It was pretty obvious right from the beginning that Peter and Selina were meant for each other, even as she was trying to set him up with others. (The others weren't bad! I hope they get their own HEAs!) It's just that the two obviously complemented each other. Peter helped Selina embrace her bold, confident side. He thought what she had accomplished with her library was amazing and supported it, even when she was afraid of the scandal it would cause. For Peter, Selina is instrumental in helping him get custody of this half siblings. But she also loves him through the difficult times, and makes the house a home and generally brings comfort and love and order into his world.

One note for people who like strong time period historicals: I had no sense of what time this was set in until specific years were mentioned. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy; this is my honest review.

kharlan3's review

4.25

In Ne’er Duke Well, the Duke of Stanhope, trying to gain custody of his father’s “natural” children, enlists the help of Lady Selina, who decides the solution is to find him a wife. She, of course, could not be the wife, for important secret library reasons. Selina and Peter are excellent, and I really enjoyed the plot and the secondary characters, especially the possible wives and the children. Vasti is a must-read author for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This is my honest opinion.

nicolemoon's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.75

ashnextdoor's review against another edition

5.0

4.5 ✨

My first historical romance and it gave bridgerton vibes, so I automatically loved it.

danakp's review

4.0

Ok I loved this. Most regency romance tend to be misogynistic to “historical accuracy” but baby this one said “hold my beer.” Loved all the badass women, the plot, the number and depth of characters, and of course the romance. What a fun unexpected surprise this turned out to be. Give me a whole extended universe please.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

historical_drama_queen's review

lighthearted medium-paced

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

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Misogyny

eryn_gilbert's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0