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aniajo's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Enjoyable, loved the characters, good plot baseline but plot could’ve been thicker with more conflict or complexity.
I felt like everything went too right too often for them that it felt unrealistic. A lot of the book was them worrying something bad would happen but then everything turned out perfectly every time. Each point of tension was resolved too quickly and easily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death, Misogyny, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual violence, Slavery, Grief, and Alcohol
camillatd's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I rounded up to 4 stars because I did genuinely really enjoy the characters! Docking points for some historical slang for body parts that gave me the ick big time, including ”bubbies” and “cunny” . Also appreciated that there wasn’t a third act breakup when there very well could have been. This didn’t totally rock my world, but it did endear me to Alexandra Vasti, and I went and picked up Earl Crush pretty immediately after finishing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death and Grief
jehansen127's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
suria21's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
i loved it! i absolutely love a found family story so i loved this book! loved Peter and Selina together and was very glad that they did not have a third act breakup of any kind!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
sierraseawitch's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The aspect of this novel I liked best was that there were actual stakes and consequences to scandal. A lot of historical fiction romances feel as though the stakes for the characters are relatively low. Here, the question of whether a court of law would deny a guardianship application was real and serious. I greatly appreciated that the characters actions and mistakes would have devastating real-world consequences for those characters. However, things resolved relatively easily at the end of the day. I wish the HEA was more hard-won.
I do not recommend the audiobook. While the narrator had a great voice, she didn't perform the book to the extent that I was constantly pulled out of the listening experience. Once I even checked to see if the narrator was a pseudonym for an AI voice program. Characters would be specifically described as "gasping" something, and this author would say those lines in a completely normal, unaffected voice. The tone often missed what was happening in the story. I wonder if I would have liked this book more if I had read it as a physical or ebook, rather than an audiobook.
I do not recommend the audiobook. While the narrator had a great voice, she didn't perform the book to the extent that I was constantly pulled out of the listening experience. Once I even checked to see if the narrator was a pseudonym for an AI voice program. Characters would be specifically described as "gasping" something, and this author would say those lines in a completely normal, unaffected voice. The tone often missed what was happening in the story. I wonder if I would have liked this book more if I had read it as a physical or ebook, rather than an audiobook.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Child death and Abandonment
spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
livingstory's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
leann0330's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Ne’er Duke Well was a spectacular read! Funny, charming, sweet, and spicy. The characters were so lovable—Lou and Freddy were precious and I loved the chemistry between Selina and Peter. A Louisiana boy with an open mind who was not bound by the rules of the ton and not intimidated by a smart, strong business woman? Sign this girl UP! I loved that Selina’s family provided Peter with the love he craved as a child and allowed him the emotional support to pursue custody of his younger half-siblings. And I loved that Selina started her business of educating women because of the situation her friend was in. I listened to the audiobook and was laughing AND crying at the end when the kids made their voices heard. This was a real treat. Can’t wait to read Earl Crush!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, and Grief
rknitss's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was cute and funny. I wouldn't call it bananas - the plot makes plenty of sense and doesn't take any truly unexpected turns - but it was a laugh.
The shenanigans were sufficiently silly, from Peter's failed attempts at courtship and chivalry to Lu, the little sister, and her rapier. I liked the pacing and the way each scene believably lead into the next.
I also liked that our main couple gets together well before the end of the book, the bigger conflict does not magically get resolved as soon as they get together. That was well done.
The side characters are so vibrant that I genuinely thought I was reading a sequel and had to check - nope, this is the first in a new series. The older brother, the absent sibling, the established friendship, all beautifully written and believable.
Would recommend to fans of modern historical romance (our MMC is an outspoken abolitionist and our FMC is a business running feminist), romantic comedies, and people who like to see a large support group for the main characters.
The shenanigans were sufficiently silly, from Peter's failed attempts at courtship and chivalry to Lu, the little sister, and her rapier. I liked the pacing and the way each scene believably lead into the next.
I also liked that our main couple gets together well before the end of the book, the bigger conflict does not magically get resolved as soon as they get together. That was well done.
The side characters are so vibrant that I genuinely thought I was reading a sequel and had to check - nope, this is the first in a new series. The older brother, the absent sibling, the established friendship, all beautifully written and believable.
Would recommend to fans of modern historical romance (our MMC is an outspoken abolitionist and our FMC is a business running feminist), romantic comedies, and people who like to see a large support group for the main characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Grief
binevolentbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“You bring the morning with you. You’re the light, sweetheart. When you walk into a room, I can’t see the shadows. There is nothing in this world that could persuade me to send you away if I thought you wanted me half as much as I want you.”
i have been a huge fan of Vasti’s historical romances ever since i stumbled across the Hallifax sisters’ novellas via her newsletter, and in her first full length regency romance, we encounter yet another delightful romance in Peter and Selina’s story - a perfectly matched pair of strong willed and charming protagonists.
while NE’ER DUKE WELL is definitely first and foremost a romance, both sweet and steamy, this is also a story of family, both found and by blood, loyalty, and standing up in the face of adversity - because it wouldn’t be a regency romance without scandal in the ton! Vasti is masterful in crafting conflict that doesn’t rely on the tired tropes of miscommunication and third act breakups, instead utilizing a larger storyline of impropriety and legal maneuverings which allows room for for the characters to grow together.
i’m eager for the second installment of the Belvoir's Library series, with Earl Crush expected January 2025!
special thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy of Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti - out now!
special thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy of Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti - out now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, Slavery, Medical content, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism