A review by thedailykaily
Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

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