BOOK REVIEW: Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti by Alexandra Vasti
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Synopsis:

In this steamy Regency romp, Lady Selina is determined to find the Duke of Stanhope the perfect wife―the only problem is she's starting to think that might be her.

Peter Kent―newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana―must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep―not his fault!―he’s developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft.

Selina is society’s most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women. When Peter asks for her help, she suggests courtship and marriage to a lady of unimpeachable reputation. (Which is to say, definitely not herself.)

But matchmaking doesn’t go according to plan. Peter’s siblings run rampant on Bond Street. Selina ends up in the Serpentine. And worst of all, the scorching chemistry between Peter and Selina proves impossible to resist. For the disreputable duke and his unpredictable matchmaker, falling in love just might be the ultimate scandal.

Review:

I absolutely loved Ne’er Duke Well!  The storyline was heartwarming and fun, and the characters leapt from the pages!  With a friends to lovers mixed with a trope I absolutely love but don’t want to say for spoilers, this book was so easy to love!  I found myself laughing, smiling, and even sobbing too.  If you’re looking for a historical romance novel to read, definitely let this be the one you pick up!

He wanted her, curse him for a fool. He wanted her so much he could barely stand the heat from her body at his side, the way her fingers held his arm through his jacket sleeve.

Selina was convinced that Peter Kent needed to be married, so he would be able to win custody of his half siblings.  Btw, I absolutely adored half siblings, Freddie and Lu!  They made me laugh so much!  Lu was feisty and hilarious without even trying and I just wanted to scoop Freddie into a ball and give him the biggest hug ever.  Peter having his hands full with them is an understatement lol.  With Selina overseeing Peter’s prospective options for whom to marry, I couldn’t put this book down!

She swallowed and tried to turn her mind back to his marital endeavors. That was what she needed to think on. His marriage. To someone else.

While the interactions between Peter and Selina had me laughing out loud, Peter couldn’t help but be pulled to Selina.  As he went along with her plans, I loved watching that friendship solidify.  And Peter realizing that he was slowly falling for her.  And while Selina couldn’t help but fall for his siblings, and all of their adorable antics, she couldn’t help but be charmed and fall for Peter too.

Oh God, she was going to hell, wasn’t she? She was here to explain why marrying her would ruin his life and tell him he ought to reconsider.
She was not here to lick him.

Selina was thoughtful, had the most fabulous family ever, but she had a huge secret.  One that could ruin Peter’s chances at getting custody of his siblings.  Which was why her being a viable option as his wife wasn’t feasible.  As the story alternated between the two of them, you couldn’t help but love them both so much.  Peter with his considerate, caring and good guy ways, and Selina with her heartfelt nature.  Yet they could never be, or could they….

He pressed another kiss to her palm and she squeezed her eyes closed, fighting the urge to weep again.

The story unfolded in the most entertaining and hilarious way.  The scandals kept piling up.  And with steamy kisses, scorching hot detailed scenes, and confessions, this book pulled us along in the most wonderful journey.  The side characters added so much heart.  And I loved how this book had little extras, like at the beginning of the chapter the little sentence or two from a letter added so much depth to the story.  I’ll be reading whatever this author releases next and that happily ever after was absolutely perfect!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this publisher, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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