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A review by breakdownbooks
Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ne'er Duke Well is a story of family, grief, and strong women. Peter, Duke of Stanhope, is uninterested in the specific trappings of the ton. What he is interested in is getting custody of his two half siblings. Enlisting herself to help is Lady Selina Ravenscroft, and her brilliant solution to making Peter more respectable is to get him married to a respectable woman. Due to her own secrets the woman cannot be Selina, but she will introduce him to all of her most respectable friends in hopes of making a match. Unfortunately, as she gets to know the Duke and his rowdy siblings, one thing becomes perfectly clear: she is the only woman for the job. Will she find a way to have the man and her dreams?
I have been reading Regency romance for as long as I can remember. I have very specific memories being young and hiding a bodice ripper in a cupboard so my mom wouldn't find out I'd been reading her stash. It has been probably a decade since I found a regency author I truly love.
This is the first book of Alexandra's that I've read but I will definitely be going back and reading her full catalog, and also obsessively follow her new releases. This book manages to be heartbreaking, heartwarming, and funny all in the same package. The characters are dynamic and charming, beautiful in how imperfect they are. The cast of characters is fairly large for this type of book - we have our main couple and the aforementioned half siblings but there are also three other strong female characters that serve as Selina's troupe of misfit friends (presumably we will be getting books for all? I sure as hell hope so), Selina's grandmother figures (not outright stated as lesbians, but... they're lesbians and it's adorable), and many others.
The characterization of our FMC and MMC are of particular note - we have a grumpy/sunshine duo where Peter is our sunshine, and I can't quite describe him much further than he is sunshine personified. Selina is a strong, independent woman with good intentions who reminds me some of Jane Austen's Emma in that she is a "fixer" and wants to solve peoples problems (via matchmaking in this specific case, but she also goes about life managing and fixing other peoples problems). Their chemistry and interactions are some of the most entertaining content. Peter does something goofy. Selina side eyes him for doing the wrong thing. Selina admits that she runs an erotic library. Peter immediately just tells her that he's so proud of her, that she's amazing and a goddess, and of course she does. Both characters have trauma and grief they are experiencing and they support each other in a really beautiful way.
If you love regency romance and want something that tilts towards modern sensibility without leaning too far, give this book a try. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this one and look forward to reading more from this author.
I have been reading Regency romance for as long as I can remember. I have very specific memories being young and hiding a bodice ripper in a cupboard so my mom wouldn't find out I'd been reading her stash. It has been probably a decade since I found a regency author I truly love.
This is the first book of Alexandra's that I've read but I will definitely be going back and reading her full catalog, and also obsessively follow her new releases. This book manages to be heartbreaking, heartwarming, and funny all in the same package. The characters are dynamic and charming, beautiful in how imperfect they are. The cast of characters is fairly large for this type of book - we have our main couple and the aforementioned half siblings but there are also three other strong female characters that serve as Selina's troupe of misfit friends (presumably we will be getting books for all? I sure as hell hope so), Selina's grandmother figures (not outright stated as lesbians, but... they're lesbians and it's adorable), and many others.
The characterization of our FMC and MMC are of particular note - we have a grumpy/sunshine duo where Peter is our sunshine, and I can't quite describe him much further than he is sunshine personified. Selina is a strong, independent woman with good intentions who reminds me some of Jane Austen's Emma in that she is a "fixer" and wants to solve peoples problems (via matchmaking in this specific case, but she also goes about life managing and fixing other peoples problems). Their chemistry and interactions are some of the most entertaining content. Peter does something goofy. Selina side eyes him for doing the wrong thing. Selina admits that she runs an erotic library. Peter immediately just tells her that he's so proud of her, that she's amazing and a goddess, and of course she does. Both characters have trauma and grief they are experiencing and they support each other in a really beautiful way.
If you love regency romance and want something that tilts towards modern sensibility without leaning too far, give this book a try. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this one and look forward to reading more from this author.