"As hot as it is heartfelt, this will have historical romance fans hooked." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"Vasti deftly builds a lovely world to set her story, full of endearing characters to cheer for, born and found families, plenty of good feeling, and details of libraries, book covers, and catalogues." —Library Journal
“A historical romance with the energy of a Parks & Recreation episode. Like the iconic sitcom, the characters in this are all so darn loveable, you can almost see the twinkle in their eyes.” —NPR
"[T]he genuine humor and solid character development will keep readers turning the pages. A sparkling launch to a promising new Regency series set at a woman-run library." —Kirkus
"Ne'er Duke Well is a delightful, quicksilver romp with unforgettable characters that readers will be rooting for from start to finish." - Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of The Veronica Speedwell series
"Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti is an irresistible delight from a remarkable new talent. Every page inspires a smile, laugh, or pause in reading while one hugs the book because it's just so lovely, witty, and benevolently clever. Vasti does really interesting things with genre tropes, making the historical romance fresh and exciting. I felt so enlivened after reading, I want to run around waving it at people, saying "read this now!" Vasti has quickly earned her place on my list of favourite writers." - India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
"A witty, page-turner with two adorable leads whose funny banter and chemistry is off the charts! I didn’t want their antics to end." - Virginia Heath, author of Never Fall for Your Fiancée
"If it were socially acceptable for blurbs to be in all caps, I’d do it for Ne’er Duke Well and Alexandra Vasti. In fact, all caps doesn’t seem strong enough to convey how much I loved this book. Vasti has quickly made her way to my list of top historical romance authors with the kind of writing that makes me scream and kick my feet in public places. Outrageously hot, tender, and brimming with wit, Vasti has secured herself as an auto-buy author in my book, one that I will stay up way too late reading and be glad for the lack of sleep come morning. This opposites attract historical romance brims with delicious restraint required of our lead characters in a society they end up defying that ends up exploding in exceptionally steamy moments. Vasti’s story-telling is this season’s incomparable, a title she’ll hold for years to come with the care and craft she deftly applies to her incredible novels." - Mazey Eddings, author of The Plus One
"Utterly delicious and undeniably clever, Alexandra Vasti's Ne'er Duke Well was unputdownable. I’m absolutely certain that Regency romance fans everywhere will love this warm, wonderfully witty, and oh-so-sexy novel just as much as I did. What a spectacular debut!" - Amy Rose Bennett, author of Up All Night with a Good Duke
01/19/2024
DEBUT Orderly, proper, on-top-of-it-all Lady Selina Ravenscroft has much to do. She must organize most of the ton, there are plenty of matchmaking duties to undertake, letters to her grieving brother to write—and erotic novels to order for her clandestine, anonymous, and very popular circulating library for women. When Peter Kent, the new, and a bit bumbling, Duke of Stanhope returns to London from New Orleans, she is happy to correspond about him, but less inclined to be involved with him—until he turns to her for help. He needs aid with his young siblings—both keeping them in line (his sister in particular is heading directly to the scandal pages by way of jail), helping them feel loved, and gaining custody of them to start with. Good thing Selina knows everyone and how to solve everything—but she cannot seem to fix the problem of her own heart, which she begins to lose to the endearing duke. VERDICT Vasti deftly builds a lovely world to set her story, full of endearing characters to cheer for, born and found families, plenty of good feeling, and details of libraries, book covers, and catalogues.—Neal Wyatt
2024-05-17
An American duke tangles with an erotic bookseller disguised as a proper English lady.
Though he was born and raised in New Orleans, Peter Kent has unexpectedly become the Duke of Stanhope. He’s enjoyed getting a chance to lecture his new peers in the House of Lords about the urgent necessity of abolishing slavery in all British colonies, but he still longs for his old life. When he learns that his father had two unacknowledged illegitimate children—12-year-old Lu and 10-year-old Freddie—he sees a chance to use his new authority for something positive, but he’s told that if he wants to become their legal guardian, it would help to be married to an “impeccable” lady. Enter Lady Selina Ravenscroft—not to marry, but to be his matchmaker. She can’t possibly marry him, no matter how attractive she finds him, because her secrets would ruin his reputation even further. First, she’s the secret power behind Belvoir’s Library, “the most popular circulating library in England.” And as if a lady earning money from trade isn’t bad enough, Belvoir’s has a popular underground business putting out seditious and salacious publications, including those included in the Venus catalog, a ladies-only collection with a “combination of radical philosophy, erotic memoirs, and titillating novels.” Unfortunately, Selina’s attempts at matchmaking fail when she and Peter, their burgeoning attraction getting the better of them, are caught in an indiscreet moment. Though their hasty marriage gets off to a steamy start, Selina’s secrets are suddenly on the verge of being made public, and their coupling might need to end as quickly as it began. Using wit and a bookish, rom-com sensibility, Vasti has built a charming new Regency series around Belvoir’s Library. And spicy, too—though Selina’s a virgin when she marries Peter, she’s also an erotica fangirl, and all their intimate scenes would be right at home in Belvoir’s Venus catalog. Though the plot is uneven in places, the genuine humor and solid character development will keep readers turning the pages.
A sparkling launch to a promising new Regency series set at a woman-run library.
