In the latest from show favorite Alexis Hall, we follow Viola Carroll—a Lady’s companion—and her old friend the Duke of Gracewood in A Lady for a Duke. For the reader, it’s no secret (based on the book’s description) that Viola Carroll is a trans woman. After she was injured in the war, everyone thought her dead and her recovery took so long that by the time she returned—albeit, presenting very differently—she was able to lay low, serving as a Lady’s companion to her sister-in-law.

We were highly intrigued by this concept—a historical romance about a trans woman falling in love with her male best friend. The fact that Alexis Hall wrote it sealed the deal for us and we requested an ARC. We consider it an honor that we were granted a copy. (Rae pre-ordered a special edition and she is no less excited about it.)

If anyone was going to tell this story well, it was bound to be Alexis Hall. The way he weaves words together into beautiful sentiments is frankly, breathtaking. A Lady for a Duke proves no exception and 1800s English only amplifies the effect.

When I was lost, you brought me back to myself. No one could have done that but you. There is more between us than rudiments of worldly expectation. My soul calls to yours and yours to mine, and that will never change.

This book is well written, as anyone would expect from Hall’s work, though not as funny as Boyfriend Material. Given the subject matter, you shouldn’t expect it to be, but regardless, it’s pretty wonderful.
“I’ve no idea what could possibly produce a creature like Miranda -”
“A grand and noble family?” asked Viola, earning a snort of laughter.
“More like six wild unicorns, a rose that blooms only at midnight, and three barrels of
skydust.”

At its core, this book is about living your truth. The fact that this book is set in the 1800s adds a significant layer of complication to the narrative, but otherwise (PTSD, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, the LGBTQ community not being accepted, white men abusing their power, and women being treated as objects without brains or opinion), this book could have been set in 2022. The themes and major plot points are all relevant to today’s world (for better or for worse), which was a brilliant decision by Hall, even if it’s a bit depressing.

While some people may scoff at the idea of a historical romance with trans representation, we think it’s important. Trans people have always been there—but they have not always been welcome, accepted, wanted, or even regarded as human beings.

Reading this book through the lens of U.S.A. in the year 2022, we (hopefully all) see Viola’s existence as perfectly fine. She’s happy living in a way she feels comfortable. She loves needlepoint and embroidery and dresses, and can also fence with the best of them. She’s soft and loving and kind, but she’ll also defend the people she loves to the death (she literally almost did… more than once). And on the inside, she’s strong, capable, intelligent, and fiercely loyal.

Viola Carroll is every woman we’ve ever known. Much like every other human on the planet, the anatomy she was born with has absolutely nothing to do with how she feels as a human, whether male or female or nonbinary.

Viola and Gracewood are put through the ringer. Society will be against them. Viola has to live in mostly-secret. She wears choker necklaces around her throat to hide her Adam’s Apple. She is self-conscious of her hands because they don’t look like other ladies’ hands. She is constantly aware of her body and the way she carries herself. Whereas Gracewood is a Duke and can basically do whatever he wants.

But Gracewood is suffering from horrible PTSD from the very war that nearly killed Viola. (How many wars have we been involved with in the past 20 years?) He carries an enormous amount of guilt, believing that his friend would still be alive if he hadn’t led him into battle. He’s battling alcohol and drug abuse. When Viola sees him for the first time since the war, he’s high as a kite.

Gracewood was given laudanum, which is a modern callout to the Opioid Crisis. His withdrawal and daily battle to abstain takes a physical toll, which Americans should all be aware of at this point.

While beautiful and poignant, A Lady for a Duke does have some pacing issues. The first half moves with relative slowness, while the last 20% is a whirlwind. It’s also quite lengthy—about 490 pages.

However, it’s still Alexis Hall, who writes exquisite heroes (and in this case, a beautifully complex heroine as well), so it was more than worth the read.

Wow! Alexis Hall has written one beautiful book with A Lady for a Duke. It's ingenious in its accomplishment and successful in its representation. I am a big fan of his and this book did not disappoint.

Viola KNOWS who she is, who she was meant to be, authentically. She's made many sacrifices to get where she is, including losing her title and her best friend. I love that the duke accepts Viola for who she was and who she is now and loves both versions of her. Viola has always loved the duke, even though he doesn't feel deserving. There's so much pining, slow burn goodness in this book.

It's not a Historical Romance about a transgender heroine. It's a Historical Romance with a heroine who happens to be transgender. There are a few twists here and there and I enjoyed every one of them. I loved that the plot focused a lot on the duke's sister. At the heart of it, it's a book about accepting each other fully, whole-heartedly, for who we are.

This book gave me all the feels and I love how witty it was. Overall, I loved it. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book.

First, let me start by saying how happy I am to have just finished a Regency Romance with so much LGTBQ representation!

My heart is bursting with happiness for Viola and Justin in so many ways.

This book is as much about accepting ourselves as it is a romance, and I wouldn’t even say it is a regency romance in the traditional sense. The regency setting is there and I adore it, but the topics discussed are serious, while also having quite a bit of humor placed throughout.

I loved this story, and I loved watching Viola accept herself and overcome the doubts that plagued her,

I am not trans, so I cannot speak to the feelings or problems faced in Viola’s story from her perspective, but as an ally they rang true and there were moments I wanted to cheer for her.

The first half of the book focus pretty heavily on Viola and Justin, and I loved it! The second half of the book changes a bit and the focus, while still being on Viola and Justin primarily, also focuses on other characters which dragged to me.

Was I interested in the other characters? Sure. But I honestly wanted more conflict in the Viola Justin department.

Ultimately though I loved this book and I love that it exists. I love Justin and Viola and I’m just so happy to have them in our little world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

When Viola Caroll was presumed dead at Waterloo, she fled and took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But as she gained her freedom, she lost her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. When their families reconnect years after the war, Viola comes to know how deep that loss truly was - Gracewood, shattered without her, has retreated so far into his grief he is barely recognizable to his old friend. As she strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, Viola recognizes old desires bubbling to the surface, lending way to new feelings that would have been impossible once, and may be impossible still, but which she can't deny.

*the author has provided content guidance for this book on his website, if you would like to see the full list please do so before picking this book up*

I'll start off by saying that I found this to be incredibly accessible to those who may not typically read historical romance. People and roles and places were introduced and while there may be a larger cast of characters than usual, it was easy to keep track of those who play significant roles. Something I worried about was that Viola's identity would be kept a secret for the majority of the book, ultimately causing a third act conflict when Gracewood found out, but that wasn't the case. He is kept in the dark for a while, but I thought, given how much work he needed to do for his healing, it might have been detrimental to him if Viola had mentioned it when she first arrived at his residence. I also really loved the representation of grief in both main characters. Viola took the chance at Waterloo to live her life as her true self, and while she is much happier living authentically she acknowledges all she had to leave behind. Gracewood believes his best friend to be dead, assumes the fault to be his own and becomes a recluse relying on alcohol and opium to ease his pain. They both had to find each other and work through their grief together, because they know each other better than anyone else in the world. I really felt for Viola throughout the book because while she acknowledges her feelings fo Gracewood, she feels as if she doesn't deserve him, and conversely that he deserves better - someone who he can start a family with, to give him an heir for the family line to continue. But what I loved about Gracewood is he knows who he is - he isn't ashamed to live unconventionally, as long as he is happy, and is willing to forgo tradition if it means being able to be with who he wants.

One other thing I'd really like to mention is the representation of PTSD. Both Viola and Gracewood fought at war, even sustained injuries that will be around their entire lives. At several points, when Gracewood hears loud noises (specifically fireworks) he has flashbacks of being at the front line, and thinks he is being attacked by gunfire. Viola comes to assist him, and he wonders why he was so affected by the sound and she was not, when she had also been at war. PTSD can affect people in various ways, even if they'd been present for the same traumatic event, but that doesn't mean he is weaking for reacting this way, and I really liked that discussion. If I had to mention a critique, it's that the book is long, and there are times when you will feel that it's long. It doesn't mean that what you're reading at the time isn't important, there is just a lot going on. A lot of the side characters who added comedic relief can certainly be expected to have their stories expanded, and I would love to see further installments discussing their lives in the future.

In conclusion, I may not be a historical romance reader on the regular, but this is one I can say I truly enjoyed. Alexis Hall did a fantastic job at making me care about his characters, and their story, even when it pained me to see them making a choice they thought they had to but would only bring them further heartbreak. In the end, the story worked out in our main characters' favor, and Viola and Gracewood truly deserve a life where they can be happy together, with their past behind them and the future just over the horizon. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Thank you #netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall was quite a lovely read. Every scene with the couple had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next and when the tension would break.

While I absolutely loved this book, I do have to say there were some issues. For one, the passage of time was not quite clear to me so when things happened and characters would mention it was weeks ago, I was always surprised.

The second, and bigger issue, is that the A plot of Viola and Justin’s was very enthralling but the B plot of Justin’s sister’s first season in London is nowhere near as entertaining. And we spend quite a bit of time with the B plot. The villains of the B plot, the Duke and the Viscount, are just not threatening at all? Even when the Duke is physically fighting Justin and Viola, they are just more annoyed than anything?

Finally, this was quite long for a romance at almost 500 pages. I normally prefer romances in the 300 page range and this definitely felt as though it was stretched out without too much benefit.

Even with the issues listed, I enjoyed this read and cannot wait to check out more of Alexis Hall’s books! I loved the representation (both of LGBTQIA+ characters and disabled characters) and hope more authors include that in historical romances.

Every time a new Alexis Hall book comes out, I find myself declaring that it is the best book he's ever written. And then he releases another and makes a liar out of me. Such is the case with his new Regency romance, A Lady for a Duke.

This is the story of Viola Carroll, who used her presumed death on the battlefield at Waterloo to be reborn as the woman she was always meant to be. She left behind everything she had for the opportunity to have that freedom of identity. She abandoned her title, her estate, her wealth, her standing in society, and most painful of all, she gave up her best friend, Justin de Vere, Duke of Gracewood, who believes her to be dead. As the story opens two years later, Viola is living with her brother and his wife, the only people who know that she is alive.

Viola's sister-in-law, the hilarious Lady Marleigh, convinces Viola to accompany her to visit Gracewood's estate. What Violet finds there is not the hale and hearty young man that she last saw in the war. Instead, Gracewood has become a shadow of his former self. The severely injured leg that he carries from the war is not nearly as worrisome as the duke's addiction to alcohol and laudanum. He is a shell of his former self, haunted by the ghosts of his past and drowning in the depths of his grief over the loss of his cherished friend.

The primary thing that struck me about A Lady for a Duke is something that the author addresses in his notes at the end of the book. It is extraordinary to me that Hall has crafted a love story with a trans heroine in which the fact that the heroine is trans is not a source of conflict. At all. There is a beautiful acceptance of Viola by all of the other characters. It is something I would love to not be surprised by; something that was so commonplace in our modern world as to be completely unremarkable. Let us hope that our children and grandchildren will do better than we have in that regard.

One of the things that I can always count on in an Alexis Hall novel is prose that is so lush and quotable that I become a maniac with my highlighter. For perspective, I would say that in an average-length novel by any other author I might have as many as forty or so highlights. In A Lady for a Duke, I have ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO highlights. Some of these were things that made me laugh, some were passages that made me cry, while others were quotes that just made me think. And then there were little bits of sentences, a stray word or two that just jumped off the page at me, sparkling with brilliance. Hall is one of those writers who does not just deliver a story, but makes reading an experience.

Another thing I can always depend on from Hall? A cast of supporting characters who are fully developed and who bring depth to the story as a whole. Lady Marleigh and her husband Badger are exceptional as comic relief ("You have to be quiet when you're eavesdropping. Otherwise it's just a logistically difficult conversation."). Gracewood's younger sister, Miranda, is the perfect picture of a young woman trying to find her own path in the world, coming out in a society that she doesn't completely understand. I do hope Hall will grace us with more from Miranda, as I found myself growing very fond of the quirky girl. Even our villains are remarkable in the depths of their schemes.

The romance in A Lady for a Duke is the sweetest of slow burns, with the longing and yearning jumping off the page and wrapping itself firmly around the reader's heart. And Hall does not shy away from the bedroom once our couple comes together; he intimately shows us all of the love and affection that these lovers have for each other. Prepare to swoon.

I predict that this book will become a regular comfort read for me, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. This will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year, and I hope everyone will take the opportunity to see Alexis Hall at his finest. I'd love to give this a hundred, a thousand, a million stars, but I will settle for just the regular five.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This epic queer historical romance blew me away. From lost friends reuniting, the finding of soulmates to the breaking free of personal and societal chains, this story had it all.

Viola Carroll has never felt like herself. She has put forth a facade of the happy-go-lucky aristocrat, but that person was not her. When a battle at Waterloo leaves her on the brink of death and she is rehabilitated by locals, she takes this opportunity as her chrysalis moment to emerge as Viola Carroll, her true self.

Now a new person she has given up her title to her brother and everything else from her former life, even her best friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. But unrest in the ducal household requires Viola’s sister-in-law Lady Marleigh, whom she is now companion to in her new life, to travel to the Gracewood seat. Viola must accompany her and face her past and the friend she left behind.

Gracewood lost the best part of himself when his best fried perished at Waterloo. Now he hides from the world in a haze of laudanum and alcohol… That is until Lady Marleigh barges into his home with her intriguing companion who seems to be his missing half!

This take on a friends to lovers story featuring a trans woman heroine was beautifully done. The angst experienced by Viola and her refusal to live for others and her acceptance of the consequences of her choices was detailed in a way that you as thew reader went through her struggles and successes in tandem. Also on the other side the dual narration provided insight into Gracewood train of thought and process of coming to terms with his wants and needs and the reality of Viola as a partner. I think the friends to lovers trope consists of a side finally seeing the other person as their tru self and that was a perfect fit for Viola and Gracewood story.

These two were the best of friends and the chemistry between them sparked off the page. I loved how Alexis Hall has set up these characters background actions/ history and their situation to provide the perfect set-up where Gracewood and Viola can come together and experience their love for each other as they see fit.

As a fan of historical Romance and a reader of Alexis Hall’s contemporary work, I could not be happier about this book. This is a must read for fans of HR. This is new standard for the genre.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall is scheduled to release May 24th, 2022.


Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-lady-for-duke.html

#ALadyforaDuke #AlexisHall #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

When Viola Carroll was injured at Waterloo, she gave up everything in her life in order to start living her true, authentic self: her title, her estate - even her lifelong friendship with Justin, the Duke of Gracewood. But when Gracewood is unexpectedly brought back into her life two years later, Viola knows she can’t sit idly by while her former friend suffers both physically and mentally. Under the guise of a stranger, Viola helps both Gracewood and his younger sister find their place in society. But all that close proximity isn’t good for keeping secrets, and soon Gracewood discovers that his best friend, the person he’s been mourning since Waterloo, isn’t gone after all. But as Gracewood and Viola’s rekindled friendship evolves into something more, Viola will have to decide if she has the strength to live her true life all while loving herself and the best friend she thought she’d lost.

A Lady for a Duke was such a refreshing historical romance. I’ve adored Alexis Hall’s contemporary romances, but this is definitely my favorite novel of his yet. Between the characters and the situations they go through (and how those situations are handled), there is a lot to love in this novel.

I adored both the main and supporting characters in this story. Viola had to give up everything she knew in order to be her authentic self; Hall doesn’t just blatantly have Viola say how hard living her new life has been, but instead shows the reader through Viola’s actions and interactions with both friends from her old life as well as her new. Having read several romances featuring trans characters, I can easily say that Viola comes across as the most three dimensional trans woman that I have read in fiction. She knew who she was, and showed such bravery for it (even if she wasn’t aware just how brave she was). As a reader, there was never any doubt that Viola was the heroine of her own story.

Going into this romance, I assumed Viola and her journey as a trans woman would be my main focal point of the story. However, Hall does such a wonderful job at making Viola’s femininity so natural that Viola’s only real hang up was herself. I absolutely loved that for her, even if that level of self-authenticity is hard to find even today, not to mention in 1817.

As wonderful as it was to see Viola being her true self, I think my favorite character ended up being the Duke of Gracewood. Gracewood went through so much both before and during this story and his evolution was definitely a highlight for me. The duke went from believing his best friend was dead for two years, to finally finding someone he could confide in, to getting to fall in love and find his happily ever after with that best friend. I expected Viola to have the biggest character arc in this story, but it was a happy surprise to find that Gracewood truly had some of the biggest changes and revelations throughout.

A Lady for a Duke could have easily used Viola for the main conflict in the story, so I applaud Hall for not going there. In fact, I was rather surprised at how little Viola actually had to do with the main conflict; Hall included a trans character in a story where being trans wasn’t an issue and didn’t contribute to any negative actions in the plot. It was refreshing to see such a character just be accepted without question or reservation, especially by her childhood friend and love of her life.
Whether you enjoy historical romances or prefer more contemporary ones, A Lady for a Duke was a breath of fresh air for LGBTQ+ romance. I loved these characters and the overall plot, but I especially loved how Viola’s gender was as naturally accepted as orientation is in M/F romances. Hall’s nuanced language was as brilliant as ever, and A Lady for a Duke will likely end up being one of my top historical romance reads of the year.

I'll admit, I was a little hesitant to read this. I've loved some of Alexis Hall's recent contemporaries, but I was like "Hey, you write contemporaries, what's up with this Regency romance, Alexis?" But then WOW, he just blew me right out of the water. And now I clearly need to go read his other recent Regency romance, Something Fabulous.

I really love the complexity of the story Alexis weaves, about a trans heroine in a time before she or society would have the words to explain her experiences. And while this story has a trans heroine, the plotline isn't focused on her trans-ness, rather the heroine just happens to be trans (and yes, that does have some bearing on other plot points, but isn't the main focus). We need more trans leads in romances (and more trans MCs in all genres, really) so I'm so glad this is such a great representation. That being said, I'm cis so while I thought the representation was well-thought-out and portrayed, it's not my lived experience so definitely listen to trans folx if they're finding things that didn't strike true or weren't so great in this book.

I'm having a hard time pinning down the tropes for this book. It's a little bit childhood sweethearts (but not), a little bit second chance romance (but not really), a little bit friends to lovers (sort of? in an almost mistaken identities way?). Whatever tropes it may or may not fulfill, A Lady for a Duke took me on a delightful (and heart-wrenching) journey. Voila and Gracewood were best friends back before she was living life as herself. When Viola was injured fighting at Waterloo and was presumed dead, she took advantage of her "death" to reinvent herself as the woman she's always seen herself as and desired to be. This means cutting off all ties with her past life - little does she know what a tailspin this would throw her childhood bestie, Gracewood, into. This is where the story picks up, about two years after Viola has returned from the war. Viola spends so much time being torn between her past and her present, her love of Gracewood and her need to protect herself. And you know I love me a tragic, mopey hero who is in the depths of despair, so Gracewood did not disappoint! Gracewood is also struggling with the repercussions of his own war injury, which left him with a limp and a lot of pain and needing to use a cane as a mobility aid.

There are so many messages of learning to love yourself as exactly the person who are, regardless of what may or may not be pleasing about your body. At 480 pages this book is rather long for a romance novel, but I didn't even care - I loved every minute and never wanted it to end!

In the discussion questions at the end, Alexis hints at the lead character for the next book and I CANNOT WAIT for him to make me not hate the ever-loving guts out of him. I love an unlikable lead, haha!

An absolutely enthralling regency romance from Boyfriend Material author Alexis Hall. This historical romance set in the regency era features a transgender heroine as well as the friends-to-lovers trope through a new lens. A lovely story that both addresses the lives and struggles of trans women while also connecting to an audience that may not be familiar with it. Regency romances are huge right now, so I expect this to be a big hit with a wide range of patrons.

I've been wanting to pick up something by Alexis Hall for a really long time, and I was definitely not disappointed! This had so much tension and angst! I wasn't expecting a fluffy read based on the synopsis, and I'm so glad this delivered because the setup hooked me right away. Our main character, Viola, is a trans heroine who, after getting severely wounded during the war, decided to let everyone think she was dead so she could be herself. Unfortunately, this includes her best friend, Gracewood, who sinks into despair and guilt over losing her. Having suffered a leg injury that forces him to rely on a cane, it becomes easy to dull his physical and emotional pain with laudanum and alcohol. When Viola finds out, she can't help but rush to his aid, at the risk of him discovering she has been lying about her death for two years.

Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, especially when said friends already unabashedly adore each other before there is any romantic tension, which was definitely the case here. Gracewood calls Viola his joy and his life even when he still presumed her dead, and the glimpses we get of their friendship before are beautiful. Almost all of the moments between our main characters are heavy with emotion. I spent the beginning of this book anticipating the inevitable moment when Gracewood would recognise Viola, and it fully delivered. And after that, we get the slow rebuilding of their relationship, only deeper.

I'm discovering that my favourite type of romances are the ones where the conflict has nothing to do with the romance itself. There's no third act breakup here. Instead, there's a subplot with Gracewood's sister, Miranda, and I do think it distracted from the romance a little bit in a way that wasn't necessary. I wasn't very invested in it, and I think the book would've been just fine without it. I did like Miranda as a character, though. Both she and Viola's family bring some appreciated lightheartedness to what is a pretty intense story. The pacing is a bit slow in parts, but I really enjoyed this overall.

I loved this. I loved the representation of a trans character in a Regency romance, I loved the fact that we saw all the characters talk through their feelings, hesitations, fears, and wants. And I loved that I'm seeing more diversity within this subgenre of romance, and that we're seeing queer and trans representation for this period.

It <i>is</i> a bit too long though, and Hall did seem to smash together three or four tropes, write a semi-novel about each one, then lead on to the next. It's not a long book, length-wise, but there were many points where I felt like it dragged on, and where they could have wrapped up sooner.

It's a solid regency, and I'm curious to see where these characters end up in the next few books.

<i> NetGalley gave me an ARC of this, in exchange for a review. </i>

This has to be one of the most romantic books I've read in a while. In a long long while! Maybe the fact that it's historical so there's no insta anything, but a very pleasing and incredibly sweet pining culminating in one of the loveliest love stories ever.
Alexis Hall's writing style just captivates you giving you an emotional journey you just can't stop reading. There's pain among all the emotions thrown at us, there's suffering, there's just no easy way to have the life and love they both want. The journey there is full of amazing side characters and little details that made this story one of my favourites of the year.
It's simple, steals your heart, makes you fall in love, and you end up happy. Perfect beginning, middle and ending!

Viola Carroll disappeared from her old life at Waterloo faking her death. Little did she know her best friend, the Duke of Gracewood from her old life suffers from her loss and deals with his injuries and PTSD with addiction. Two years later they meet again, but she does not reveal who she is right away. When he recognizes her, he cannot believe she never let him know of her return. Anger eventually leads to his acceptance. The more they realize how much they love each other, the more they must go against society to have a "normal" life. Viola is transgender and is happy with the life she lives, even after all she lost. An Historical Regency Romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This book was absolute perfection. I loved Viola and Gracewood and loved their absolute devotion to one another. Hall's ability to make this book about the characters as whole people and not just about Viola's trans status was wonderful. I want to give this book to everyone and make them read it.

This was heart breaking. Joyous. Enlightening. Two souls who were destined for either other. Viola had the opportunity to choose to be her trueself, but it was with a lot of sacrifice. Gracewood turned to opium and alcohol as he blamed himself for the death of his best friend.

The instant they meet again my heart cried out!! Such vivid characterizations and beautiful memories. The love between these two just flowed off the page.
The acceptance and support from Viola's family down to her sweet nephew!

Wonderful, Wonderful story.

Thank you Alexis Hall for writing it!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

A trans woman starring a historical romance felt like the best kind of shockwave through my system. Alexis Hall twines angst and fluff together with the utmost mastery, and creates for an experience that leaves you breathless. This book is no different.

This was one of those books that I enjoyed while I was reading it, but that dragged a bit for me, so I wasn't constantly thinking about it while it wasn't in front of me.

That said, I found the core concept very interesting - two main characters two centuries ago, both living with things that are relatively common and well-explored in London today but that very much weren't at the time. I liked the way that Viola and Gracewood were able to lean on each other for love and support as they grew to trust each other in new ways, but I found that the characters (both main and supporting) didn't have as much depth to them as I wanted.

That said, I read the last ~25% in one sitting, and once the "action" began, I became quickly more invested - I loved the way that Viola was able to reconcile her identity through having to use long-forgotten, more "masculine" skills, and the way that Gracewood responded to her. Overall, I think the book did what it set out to do and was an enjoyable read - it was just a little slow and under-developed for my tastes.

✨ Review ✨ A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (Narrated by Kay Eluvian)

Alexis Hall is one wordy bitch, but I live for it. This is a long slow burn, but so lovely! In this book, he carves out space for queer and trans representation in regency romance, and he does it so so very well!!

Viola Carroll took the opportunity to live as a woman after presumed dead at Waterloo, but with this came sacrificing wealth, status, and her best friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Viola and Gracewood reunite in this book, when Viola's sister-in-law traverses out to Gracewood's estate to check on his younger sister, Miranda. This story so delightfully allows for the thwarting of gender norms in this queer love story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.25)
Genre: trans f/m romance, regency/historical romance, disability rep too
Location: London, rural UK sites
Pub Date: May 24, 2022

This book was so full of deep emotions - pain, guilt, grief, but also joy, laughter, and love. There were points in the dialogue where I couldn't help but giggle because it was just so snarky and fun. I wasn't entirely absorbed in some of the side plot with Gracewood's sister Miranda, especially earlier on in the book, but overall, this was such a fun read.

I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook for this read and loved them both! The narrator is great and I recommend the audio if you like that!

Thanks to @readforeverbooks, @hachetteaudio, and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

More of a 3.5 stars, but I still really loved this.

I love me a good angsty romance, and A Lady for a Duke was angsty, and then some. Two chapters into this and I was already so deeply invested. This novel has such a great setup, and Hall does an excellent job at not just drawing it out--the pining!!!!--but also sticking the landing when it comes to the payoff. I loved our two main characters, Viola and Gracewood, and even more I just loved how much they cared for and took care of each other. I especially enjoyed the fact that they each got internal conflicts that felt hefty--that's not to say that this is a dark romance, per se, but that these characters' growth over the course of the novel felt really earned to me. They each have to work to grow and to make sense of who they are and what they want, and it's exactly for that reason that when they do actively decide to be together, it feels all the more rewarding.

If there's one critique that I have about A Lady for a Duke, though, it's that the characters admitted their feelings for each other a bit earlier than I would've liked. It was nice that their feelings were out in the open and they could be safe in the knowledge that the other character felt the same way about them, but I felt like having them be so honest early on--I think maybe it was around halfway through the novel?--meant that it deflated some of that tension that made the first half so enjoyable and compelling. I wouldn't have wanted them to keep everything bottled up, either, but I feel like there could've been a way to keep some of that tension going whilst also having them be honest with each other.

Overall, though, this was an excellent romance; everyone on my feed has been loving it, and I'm glad to say that I, too, loved it.

Thanks so much to Forever for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley!