Discussion Questions:

1. Ne'er Duke Well incorporates a lot of traditional historical romance tropes (matchmaking! getting compromised!) but also more progressive elements (a secret erotic library for ladies!). Have you read historical romances before this one? Do you enjoy them? Why or why not?

2. Who do you relate to more: impulsive, chaotic Peter or organized, practical Selina? Why do you think this pairing (chaos vs. order) works so well in a romance novel?

3. Family is one of the key themes of Ne'er Duke Well: both Peter's determination to keep his family together and the support that Selina receives from her own unusual family structure. Why do you think family so important to these two characters?

4. This is a steamy romance, and sex and sexual knowledge is an important part of the novel's structure. Was this book steamier than you were expecting? Just steamy enough? How do you think sex helps Peter and Selina grow closer? Can sex be something that keeps the main characters in a romance apart?

5. Communication becomes a key element of Peter and Selina's relationship. Were you surprised not to see a third-act break-up here? (Author's note: I was hoping to make you think one was coming!) Do you like a third-act break-up, or hate them?

6. Were you surprised by the Georgiana reveal at the end of the novel? How does Georgiana's arc intersect with Selina's, and where do you predict Georgiana's book, Ladies in Hating, might go from here?

7. In the end, it's Peter who comes up with the plan to reveal Selina's ownership of Belvoir's. Why is this important for Peter's character arc? And for Selina's?

8. The three novels in the Belvoir's Library trilogy are devoted to three of the central female friend group in the novel: Selina, Lydia, and Georgiana. Do you enjoy reading a series of romances about a group of friends? How does female friendship influence the events of Ne'er Duke Well?

9. Selina starts the Venus Catalog because she is frustrated with how her society limits access to information, especially for women. Do you see any parallels to contemporary issues surrounding who gets to read certain books?

10. All of the books that Selina mentions by name are real 18th- and 19th-century books! Does this surprise you? Why or why not?

11. What books would you put in your version of the Venus Catalog?

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Further Reading & Fun Links:

1. An article by Alexandra Vasti about Regency-era sexual education & researching Ne'er Duke Well

2. How Selina learned about "larking" - warning, this links to the British Museum but it is NSFW!

3. Read the 1748 smash hit Fanny Hill online for free! (Definitely NSFW.)

4. A short video of Alexandra Vasti talking about the real texts in the Venus Catalog