A regency romance following a trans woman and her companion filled with humor and excellent disability representation. This book took me through my full range of emotions. This is the type of romance we need today, with wonderful trans & ptsd rep. I will be recommending this to all my historical romance lovers!

This book was so good. I adored every second I spent reading it. Beautiful, emotional, and angsty, A LADY FOR A DUKE gave me all the emotions and I didn't want it to end.

THE PINING. THE TENSION. THE SLOW BURN. Dear God, I know what it is to be a string pulled taught, and I would snap willingly and gloriously, knowing that Alexis Hall holds the ends.

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I adored every bit of this book. Alexis has an uncanny ability to make me so miserably happy that my heart melts into a glittery pink puddle of goo. That is the only visual my strange mind will provide, and I'm sticking with it.

The moments between Viola and Gracewood are so heartbreakingly tender, I got a physical ache in my chest. There's just so much love in every line! Love for each other as well as the love for themselves that they come to find on their respective paths. And that's the true triumph here, I think. Because as incandescent as they are together, they are just as magnificent on their own! What stunning specimens of how beautiful people can be, inside and out.

At its core, this is a story of acceptance - accepting others and, more importantly, accepting yourself. My heart is so full after reading it, and I'm confident that I'll be coming back to it again and again when I need a heavy dose of serotonin and smiles.

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever Publishing, for the ARC!

Link to Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4468209597

This book was a phenomenal depiction of a gothic era romance focusing on queer voices. By allowing a trans heroine the moment to be in the spotlight and get a happy ending in a historical context is so important. I'm usually turned away from historical novels due to the fact that I usually cannot relate to the characters, but I loved the characters and loved all their interactions.

The only criticism I have is that the writing style felt very slow and difficult to follow at times. It took me a very long time to get invested in. That being said, it is hardly a strong criticism because I still strongly enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend A Lady for a Duke if you want to see happy endings for queer identities in a historical context.

Midway through A Lady for a Duke, I started to panic.

I was so in love with this historical romance and I worried that something would come along and ruin it. So I sighed with relief at the end of the last page. This book is pretty damn close to perfection, bitches. It works on so many levels. This is an exceptionally satisfying friends to lovers story, a queer fairy tale filled with longing and Big Feelings, and a book about two people who learn to stop caring about the expectations of others.

The pace of this story was perfect for me because there were plenty of subplots to keep me absorbed, but the love story felt luxuriously unrushed. Viola and Gracewood both start the book feeling unlovable, and watching them find their way back to one another was incredibly satisfying. Many of the book’s themes are around friendship–loving a friend but hiding parts of yourself, learning to connect with other women, and the perils of competitive friendships. I loved A Lady for a Duke, it’s a must-read for historical romance fans looking for a new take on Regency friends-to-lovers.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for sending me an advanced copy of "A Lady for A Duke" by Alexis Hall!

In a world filled with queer stories fueled by trauma and pain, it is incredibly refreshing to be offered a tale featuring a trans heroine that IS NOT about transphobia. Alexis Hall's "A Lady for A Duke" features Viola, our heroine, who used her disappearance at the Battle of Waterloo to start a new life as her true self. When she hears that her dearest friend from her old life, Gracewood, has fallen to a deep depression, Viola goes to his side and cares for him, falling in love with him and struggling to keep her past life a secret. Most of the actual conflict from this book comes from that of Viola and Gracewood's growing attraction to each other, as any "straight" romance would have. At the same time, "A Lady for A Duke" is so essentially queer on each page, through its' characterization of Viola, Lady Lilliput, Mira and others, to its' discussion of feminism and queerness in relationships. If you want a queer historical romance that will keep you waiting with bated breath for a much overdue first kiss (and more!), then you need to place a hold/order your copy of Alexis Hall's "A Lady for A Duke" as soon as possible.

This was a lovely book that I had a hard time putting down to do things like sleep. It follows the story of Viola Caroll, who was once best friends with the Duke of Gracewood in their youth. They even went to war together. When Viola was presumed dead in that war, she took the opportunity to finally live as herself. A few years later she is a paid lady's companion for her sister in law. When her sister in law hears from the Duke's sister that Gracewood is retreating into laudanum and alcohol more and more, she brings her family around for a visit, and when Viola and the Duke reconnect... well. Shenanigans and sparks fly, shall we say. 

As I said, this one was hard to put down. It was an easy read, in that the prose just flowed off the page and I could sit down with a nice cup of tea and put some music on and read it for hours. I really liked Viola as a character, and Gracewood was also easy to cheer for, so the romance between them was something that I was rooting for the whole time. 

My only complaint is that it is just a little too long. It never got boring exactly, but I did have this feeling like it dragged on a little past where it could have. Not a dealbreaker by any means, just something I noticed. I'm planning on giving this one to my wife and making her read it because I'd love to see a trans woman's point of view on it. I thought it was rather adorable. I do hope she agrees.

All told, I'd recommend this one to fans of histrom, especially queer histrom. I had 4/5 stars of fun with A Lady for a Duke. I can't wait to see what Alexis Hall has for us next!

Alexis Hall is truly a one-of-a-kind writer. Every book he writes leaves me laughing and swooning--A Lady for a Duke might be my favorite to date. It is exceptionally written. I found myself stopping to reread and highlight passage after passage, just to simply savor the humor or admire the beauty.

Yes, A Lady for a Duke is a queer historical romance with a transgender heroine, but it doesn’t deserve to be “labeled” into a box. In the note at the end of the novel, Alexis shared that one of his goals with this book was that Viola’s identity isn’t the main source of conflict or narrative tension. And he succeeds in that goal. The passage where Viola accepts her body was something I felt so deeply and the PTSD Gracewood experiences is heartbreakingly universal. I also just loved the over-the-top characters that Alexis brings to life—Lady Marleigh and Miranda were absolute delights to read!

This would make a great book club choice as it offers something for everyone and there is just so much you will want to discuss after you finish reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an advanced copy and the opportunity to provide my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved A Lady for a Duke. Between Hall's nuanced writing, the fantastic (and fantastically understanding) characters, and the perfect blending of historical fiction and LGBTQ+ romance, this book will for sure have a place on my favorite reads for some time.

It was hard not to quickly fall in love with Viola. She was such a brave and caring soul, even when she didn't necessarily recognize those traits in herself. What immediately stood out to me about Viola was her focus on her present. Hall didn't have Viola lamenting on her past or think too much about her life before her transition; as far as Viola was concerned, this was always who she was. I think, too much of the time, traditionally-published LGBTQ+ romance - particularly romance featuring trans characters - has to cater to a wider, cis audience and that leads to over-explaining what it's like to be a trans man or trans woman. I was pleasantly surprised to not see that happening in A Lady for a Duke. Outside of Viola occasionally informing people from her former life that she is a woman, Viola was just herself with everyone. Since straight, cis romance characters don't have to constantly validate their genders, I'm really glad to see a trans woman being treated with the same dignity, especially from a larger publisher.

I loved Viola, but Gracewood was the true standout character to me. He definitely went through the full gamut of emotion: he had the worst kind of relationship with his pain medication after the war; he had to look after his younger sister in ways he wasn't truly prepared for; and, he spent years mourning the death of his best friend only to discover that his best friend was the love of his life. Once Gracewood realized who Viola was to him, he quickly adapted to everything she told him and loved her to the best of his ability. Given the time period the book is set in, I was actually quite surprised at how easily everyone accepted Viola, especially Gracewood. Two hundred years later, and many struggle to find this level of acceptance; Viola and Gracewood's story is fiction for a reason.

There are definitely a few steamy scenes between Gracewood and Viola, but Hall created the spice without getting too detailed, allowing for the reader's imagination to fill in the blanks without forcing Hall to violate Viola's autonomy. I loved how Hall wrote these scenes; I thought they were tastefully done while still acknowledging the situation that Gracewood and Viola were in.

I loved these characters in A Lady for a Duke; even the secondary/support characters were entertaining on the page. Without spoiling what happens in the plot, I will say I was pleasantly surprised that Viola wasn't the main source of plot conflict like I anticipated her story being. Viola was just Viola; her gender was respected but otherwise not a big deal to the other characters so it was definitely not a point of contention worthy of the plot's main conflict. I'm so glad Hall took this approach, as other romances featuring a trans character have not.

Overall, I found A Lady for a Duke to be a fantastic blend of historical and LGBTQ+ romance. I don't see these two combined very often from big, traditional publishers, so it is exciting to see this story getting the attention I think it deserves. I highly recommend this title for those who love LGBTQ+ romances as well as those who love a good historical romance. A Lady for a Duke is definitely a top read for the month and will likely remain a top read for the year.

“They will face no punishment … because they are rich, and they are powerful, and the rich and powerful may do as they like.”

If that isn’t a line that hits in the 1800s and works for 2022.

While this line jumped out to me, the overall tone of A Lady for a Duke is hopeful. When Viola is presumed dead at Waterloo, she takes the opportunity to live as her true self. Her friend, Justin, Duke of Gracewood, is shattered by grief. Viola works to bring Gracewood back to himself but as feelings arise between them will Viola be able to have it all.

What I liked: This is a mainly happy story for Viola’s character. And while Gracewood and his sister, Mira have some struggles, it was refreshing that Viola didn’t really play into that. I loved the overall representation of LGBTQ+ characters that you don’t usually see in historical romances.

I really enjoyed Mira trying to figure out what she wanted from her season.

The romance is pretty steamy and the dialogue is very realistic and oftentimes witty.

What didn’t work for me: I think the story could have been a little tighter. The sheer length (480 pages) may turn off some romance readers.

I wish we had a little more background on Viola’s transition, telling her family, giving up her title, etc.

It takes awhile to get to the romance, well past the 50% mark.

The end seems a little too happily ever after with no indication of how it all came about.

Who should read it: Bridgerton fans that are looking for LGBTQ representation. You like historical romances that tackle some bigger issues (addiction, anxiety, ptsd to name a few).

I am fully convinced Alexis Hall is one of the most versatile authors currently writing. The absolute audacity of him to put out two queer historical romances in one year (in addition to two other contemporary books) and make them so different from each other but remarkable journeys on their own is nothing short of astounding.

Hall truly outdid himself with A Lady for a Duke. I have read a number of Hall’s books as well as consider myself well versed in the historical romance genre but truly nothing could prepare me for the rollercoaster of emotions I would have while reading this book.

Viola and Gracewood were childhood friends, following each other into a war where Viola is able to seize upon an opportunity in order to live life as her true self. In order to do that, however, Viola must make a number of sacrifices including letting Gracewood think she has died.

Years later Viola Carroll is a ladies companion for her sister-in-law when they get drawn back into the orbit of Gracewood by virtue of his beautiful and sheltered sister who is ready for her first season.

What follows is a mediation on love, friendship, identity and what it means to be a man or a woman in this period of Georgian England. In order to be her true self, Viola has given up not only her friendship with Gracewood but her status and privilege and the book does such a fantastic job ruminating on the implications of that amidst a background of historical England. Gracewood has his own struggles in the book as he is dealing with the trauma of the war he left behind and the way he and Viola are able to help each other and lean on each other was a joy to read.

The fact that Viola is a transgender woman is separate from the main source of conflict in the book and in my opinion the friendship and romance between Viola and Gracewood is where the book really shines. Hall has always been one of my favorite authors for clever characters and whip-smart dialogue, but this was by far the most romantic book of his I’ve read.

While I loved the side characters in this book, there is an event that is ostensibly the big climax of the book that felt slightly tonally off for me especially when compared with the sweeping emotional beats from earlier in the story. That being said, the book more than sticks the ending with one of the most lovely epilogues I’ve ever read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy happy pub day to this gorgeous, swoony romance. Alexis Hall is such a fun writer, but he absolutely shines when in historical fiction. This book has so much damn heart and I enjoyed the crap out of it. The audio was delightful as well, obviously, and just added to my reading experience. I wanted to hug every single character, and I love that even the side characters have personality just bursting from them. I am extremely hopefully we’ll get a sequel here (Miranda??), but if we don’t, the epilogue left me in happy tears, and that’s enough for me.

"I believe who I am resides in some element of me that is immaterial and immortal. Not my body."
✨
Alexis Hall consistently manages to write books that are as funny as they are thought-provoking, and never has this been more true than in A LADY FOR A DUKE.

Being left for dead on the battlefields in France proved, for Viola Carroll, the opportunity to shed a life, title, and identity she never fully embodied. She now lives as the paid companion to the wife of her brother--the second Lord Marleigh--and is whole and known to the family she loves. She has not, however, re-entered the bustle of society, nor reintroduced herself to former friends. That will all change when her best boyhood friend is in need; indeed, Viola may prove the only person who can reach him in the dark place Gracewood has found himself. But to do so will mean navigating a new reality and confronting old feelings.

One thing I adore about reading romance is that the best ones drive down to the knotty core of being a flawed human in the world trying to love another flawed human. There were so many moments in this book when I was just "!!!!!" in the margins, because Hall speaks SO eloquently to what we owe other people of ourselves, the double-bind of wanting to be known in the completeness of our lived experiences but also only for what we are in this moment, and all the ways that love transcends gender, the physical body, or an essentialist notion of identity. I was floored so many times, and am grateful for the deeper understanding for the kinds of experiences and conversations that trans loved ones face given me through the story of trans-heroine Viola.

I recommend this book unreservedly, but I am also hunting down own voices reviews to share in Stories because I am cognizant that as a cis person, I don't have any authority to speak on it.

I both read and listened to this book—HUGE thank you to @readforeverpub @hachetteaudio & @librofm for the dARC ALC. The audiobook narration by Kay Eluvian is fan-friggin-tastic! A LADY FOR A DUKE hits shelves today--pick it up next time you’re in the mood for a smart, spicy, heartful read.

This was truly wonderful. It is sweet, sad, tender, beautiful, and moving. This is the trans historical romance SO MANY people have been waiting for. I am not a trans woman so I do not want to speak to experiences that are not my own, but while I was reading I just kept thinking how important books like this are. Its so important for people who are not trans to read books with trans heroines. Its important for folks read books about JOY with people who have different experiences than we do.

Alexis Hall is a master of her craft.. I loved the characters and could feel their pain through her words. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical romance. It will not disappoint!

Happiest of release days to A Lady for a Duke ✨🏳️‍⚧️💕

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall has been one of my most highly anticipated reads for this year and it did not disappoint! As a lover of queer historical romance, this book made me swoon. It was an absolutely lovely story that had me laughing and crying and just bursting with feelings.

Go get this book!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much @readforeverpub for the eARC!

Thanks to @readforeverpub for an advance copy of A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall, out TODAY! 🍾

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I’ve been deep in a historical romance rabbit hole this year, so when I heard Alexis Hall had written one, I knew I had to read it.

Lost to pain, grief, and drugs, Gracewood is no longer the man he once was. There’s only one person who can reach him through it all - Viola - but doing so means risking everything she has built for herself.

If you love love, if you love banter, if you love friendship, if you love angst, this one is for you. Alternately heart wrenching and funny, I got swept up in this story. Viola and Gracewood are people who have known and loved each other always — and watching them recognize and find their way back to each other was so beautiful. Both of them must learn to live as they are, rather than how the world wishes them to be.

I did feel like the book was a little long, but pacing aside i think it’s obvious I enjoyed it (and it’s lack of act three breakup 🙌🏻).

Hall said in an author’s note that he wanted to write a romance about a transgender heroine where being a transgender heroine was not the central conflict of the story, and while I’m not in a position to comment on the representation in the novel, as a historical romance lover, I was SO excited to see this story (and cover!) become part of the HR world.

We love a content warning at the beginning of the book with a note from the author!
CW: drug abuse, deadnaming, PTSD, sexual content

The overall tone of this was tender, somewhat sad, big-hearted and very feelings-focused—such that I was pretty surprised when it suddenly led to a midnight chase with an action movie swordfight near the end. Surprised, but not disappointed! A sequel (about other characters) is threatened in the post-story book club Q&A, which I think could be very interesting.

This book was EVERYTHING!! I loved it so much I had to slow down to savor it. I loved reading about Viola's journey to accepting herself. Justin & Viola reconnecting was equally heartbreaking & hopeful. I love how their old friendship melded in with the new relationship they built. The story had a great balance of angst & humor. Alexis Hall is a genius.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to put into words how much I love this book, how much it means to me. Alexis Hall is one of my favorite authors and this is one of his best works. I loved it from the moment I read the epigraph, which is a quote from Twelfth Night which subtly explains why the main character of this book is named Viola. It implies a trans feminine reading of the Twelfth Night character Viola: A woman forced to live life with everyone around her thinking she is a man, including the man she loves, until at the end she is able to proclaim her true self as a woman and be with the man she loves at last. There are obvious parallels to Viola in A Lady for a Duke, the ways she was seen as a boy by her love interest Gracewood when they were childhood friends, before she transitioned.

There is such joy in this story. The unabashed desire that Gracewood feels for Viola, both soul and body, is so incredibly affirming and lovely as a trans narrative. The unabashed desire that Viola feels for Gracewood, both soul and body, is so incredibly affirming and lovely as a disability narrative. I also adored the way Viola and Gracewood's experiences of their gender paralleled one another. At times Viola fears she is not enough of a woman because she was not raised to learn the "womanly" way to do things such as serve tea or ride a horse side saddle. Gracewood also worried he is not enough of a man because he views his PTSD as a sign of cowardice. It feels very freeing to read a narrative where the trans character isn't the only one deeply examining their gender and the societal expectations placed on that gender.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I loved this book from the moment I opened it all the way to the epilogue. It has one of the best meet cutes (of Viola meeting Gracewood as herself for the first time) I've ever read. It has one of the most engaging and necessary examples of dual perspective I've ever read. (I especially enjoyed reading Gracewood's perspective in the sections before he realizes who Viola is.) Even the angsty parts of the book were so sweet and hopeful. For the love of god, just read it.

Wow – impressed is an understatement! I have to admit, this is my first Alexis Hall book & my first regency romance, I felt so lucky to be approved by NetGalley & Forever!

A Lady for a Duke definitely did NOT disappoint. I've always been interested in dipping my toes into the genre, and I feel like this was the perfect accessible introduction as a contemporary romance reader. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation in this story and I was swooning over this take on reunited friends to lovers. I felt like Hall's thoughtful writing style truly captured my emotions. I really appreciated the way the characters thought through their feelings on a complex level; Viola especially felt very developed in that way. A Lady for a Duke will definitely be on my mind in the days & weeks to come! 4.5/5 stars