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A review by emilyredwood
Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
4.5-4.75⭐ - MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
I loved Vasti's novellas and this was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint! Selina and Peter are such a delightful couple and I love that their story is never really burdened by miscommunication or internal issues. My one gripe is that this feels like two different books between the first and second halves, with the second half being much more interesting to me plot-wise (which might be an unpopular opinion). I love family-oriented stories, so I was much more invested in that than the lead up to them getting together, which is the focus of the first half. It was also odd to see references to how the two met years previously but not have that in the actual story (although it is bonus content available to the author's newsletter subscribers to my understanding). I can't help but feel the overall story would be stronger with at least a prologue that includes one of their earlier meetings to give context. That aside, I was really delighted by this, particularly in the last half for several plot reasons. I would love to read more about the surrounding cast as there were a lot of interesting side characters. Overall, really fun and sweet.
I loved Vasti's novellas and this was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint! Selina and Peter are such a delightful couple and I love that their story is never really burdened by miscommunication or internal issues. My one gripe is that this feels like two different books between the first and second halves, with the second half being much more interesting to me plot-wise (which might be an unpopular opinion). I love family-oriented stories, so I was much more invested in that than the lead up to them getting together, which is the focus of the first half. It was also odd to see references to how the two met years previously but not have that in the actual story (although it is bonus content available to the author's newsletter subscribers to my understanding). I can't help but feel the overall story would be stronger with at least a prologue that includes one of their earlier meetings to give context. That aside, I was really delighted by this, particularly in the last half for several plot reasons. I would love to read more about the surrounding cast as there were a lot of interesting side characters. Overall, really fun and sweet.