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!

Wow. Just wow. I knew I would like this book, but I didn't expect to love it so much. The beautiful writing, the yearning, the humor, the amazing trans rep... This is definitely a new favorite, and I highly recommend it to anyone who even remotely likes historical romance.

A Lady for a Duke is a queer historical romance by Alexis Hall. The ebook version is ~480 pages. We follow our two main characters with a third person, omniscient point-of-view.

Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo. She decided to take that to her advantage and transition in order to live her most authentic life. However, that also meant leaving behind her wealth and title, along with her best friend, Justinian de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Years after the war, their worlds collide again and Viola is saddened to see just how lonely and brooding her closest companion has become.

As a whole, this book was delightful! The author did a great job with creating a nuanced transgender character and also with how the other characters around her regarded her. I am very happy to note that the conflicts in this book were not based around Viola being transgender. I really felt the chemistry between our two lead characters, and both of their growth arcs throughout the book were marvelous.

I really appreciated that this book started out with some content guidance, with the author explaining the context behind some dead-naming and ableist language used in the book. This is very important and I am so glad they included this, and especially so at the beginning of the book instead of in the back in the author's acknowledgements. The back of the book does contain the most delightful Questions for Discussion I have ever seen in a historical romance. This is the first book I've read by this author, however thanks to their sensitivity I absolutely plan to read more of their back catalogue.

Tropes in this book include: transgender heroine, disabled hero, secret identity, friends to lovers

CW: dead-naming, misgendering, ableist language, drug abuse, PTSD

Special thanks to Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

We have a presumed dead, best friend romance here with a trans woman who left her previous name and title away after being declared dead in the war. She's now living as a lady's companion to her sister-in-law and visiting her previous best friend, who has been grief-stricken since he believes his friend died. They reconnect with new understanding of each other and their identities but still have to deal with the societal expectations of him being a duke. This was a very sweet story about finding joy and love with the person you've been connected with your entire life.

An amazing and diverse read full of amazing plot and heart. This book proves that any period genre can be made more inclusive.

Alexis Hall graces us with another great read in A Lady for a Duke. This story makes a slight but wonderfully amazing change to the run-of-the-mill regency romance.

Two friends left for the war, only one returned. Duke Gracewood grieved for his lost friend, returning from the war alone and disabled. In the last two years, he has become isolated in his despair. When Lady Marleigh arrives to Morgencald with her companion, Viola. After a rocky introduction, Viola befriends the Duke, helping to ease him from his laudanum stupor and laugh for the first time in a while. The relationship, unexpected as it is, that develops between the Duke and Viola forms with an ease of those who have been previously acquainted. But when secrets come out, how will their friendship fare?

This story packs a combo of friends to lovers, a trans heroine, regency fiction with a twist, while exploring the complexities that bring people together. The Epilogue is just *chef’s kiss*.

A highly recommended read and one of my most anticipated, and favorite, reads of the year!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Forever for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is everything I've been looking for in the future of historical romance novels. Exquisitely written, deeply emotional, at times laugh out loud funny, and swoony in all the best possible ways. I can't wait to read more historical romance from Alexis.

A Lady for A Duke scooped my heart out. This is a must read for queer adult historical fiction romance fans. The war and her supposed death allowed Viola to come into her own. But it left Gracewood deeply mourning his best friend and lead him into isolation and drug abuse after his injury. So when Viola's sister-in-law endeavors to save Gracewood's sister, Viola begrudgingly attends, scared to see Gracewood again. All of their interactions warmed my heart.

To see Viola so torn apart at witnessing her best friend in such pain. But also to see the ways their souls speak to each other. The ways in which she always knows what to say, is able to illicit laughter, and then love. In many ways, A Lady for a Duke feels like friends to lovers and second chance romance all wrapped into one. Being dual POV allows us to see how conflicted Viola is, while also seeing Gracewood fall in love.

Viola and the Duke of Gracewood have been living their lives separately and reunite after the war. Viola has been living her life as a trans woman. I absolutely loved this book and I would love if every trans woman could get their hands on this book. It was a beautiful story. I felt almost every emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc to review.

Thank you so, so much to Forever and Netgalley for providing me an e-arc of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Wow Alexis Hall never ceases to blow me away with their writing. I've read quite a few of their books at this point and I swear they just keep getting better.

This will definitely go down as an all-time favorite historical romance.

If you're new to the genre, this is a super beginner friendly book with a more contemporary style/language.

In this, we're following Violet and Gracewood who have been best friends since childhood. But Violet let everyone believe she'd died in battle in order to live life as herself. But when the two are reunited, memories of who they were compared to who they are, and can be, now sends their lives into a whirlwind.

This book is heart-wrenching, stunningly written, and full of the queer cast I long for in this genre. I fell so in love with both of these characters and their overwhelming love for each other.

Everything about this was beautiful and wonderful and will stick with me forever. Alexis Hall is a must read for any romance lover.

This is, somehow, my first Alexis Hall book, and I feel silly for keeping them in my emergency box for so long because this was so lovely that clearly I need to read all other Alexis Hall books now. ALFAD is very tender, very aching, very romantic, and just so kind and nice to read. Alexis writes that this book is an effort to write a historical romance with a trans woman where the plot is not “this woman is trans,” and I think it mostly succeeds. The book revolves much more around emotions and trust and strength than it does, like, someone shrieking “what if they find out?” and I loved that.

I would say that this book didn’t quite connect all the dots for me - Gracewood in particular felt quite insta-lovey to me, and there are some nuggets of really moving prose that just don’t feel fully integrated into the rest of the book in a way I’m having difficulty explaining, as well as two specific scenes that felt wildly out of place. The second one is the reason this is a 4 star review and not a 5: there’s a scene of violence at the end (not transphobic in origin) that just felt incredibly unnecessary in its intensity that I understand was meant to set up someone as a villain for a redemption arc but just absolutely did not work.

I loved this book, and it’s a book that will do well with the masses and be even more important to people looking for representation of themselves in historical romance. Nobody bother me for the next week, I need to binge all other Alexis Hall books.

I'm a huge fan of historical romance, which is why I was so excited to see one that focused around a trans heroine. It's something we don't see often in romance PERIOD, let alone in historical romance, and I was impressed with Hall's ability to write a story where the main conflict didn't revolve around the heroine's trans identity.

However, I do think the romance fell a little flat for me. For a nearly 450-page book, I expected a painful slow burn or lengthy relationship development, and I felt I had neither. They confessed their feelings about halfway through the story, and then spent the rest of it playing the "We-can't-be-together" game because of the heroine's reluctance (and honestly, it was at that point that I started wishing the story would end).

I was delighted by the side characters. Lady Miranda's entire arc reminded me a lot of the sister's from "A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue", and some elements of the story reminded me of a few of the "Bridgerton" stories, which are some of my favorites!

I would definitely recommend this book for the representation and the clever writing, but I think everyone should be aware that the romance itself drags on for a little while!

If you like messy people who are trying their best A Lady for a Duke is the book for you! It's old skool emotions and tropes without the old skool problems and I love it so.

The good:

- Viola's transness is never in question. A character may be baffled upon learning she's trans and take time to come to terms with it, but they don't negate the fact. There is some deadnaming but it's mentions of the past, never malicious, and in the form of Family Name +/- Title.

- Every scene between Viola and Gracewood is gold. They have quite a history and watching them work through what it means to them and how they can move forward is the interiority I've been craving lately.

- The scenery chewing is nicely balanced with the banter and comic scenes I've come to expect from Hall.

- One could make an argument that the two MCs embody the liberation and compliance spheres of thought in romance, and I'm intrigued.

- While there's conflict all over the place it's mostly outside of the relationship - Gracewood and Viola have to figure out if their relationship can work within the constraints of Regency England. That process is the source of much discontent and angst but under that is knowledge that they love and care for each other in a bone-deep way.

- If you cut your teeth on the old skool romances of the 80s and 90s A Lady for a Duke will bring back familiar feels - over the top emotions! A sudden happening in the last 10% that reinforces their love!


The it-may-not-be-for-you:

- Keeping in the spirit of old skools expect dramatic scenes and purple-ish prose. I love Hall in this mode, but your mileage my vary.


The not-so-great:

- The book could have used tightening to the tune of ~100 pages. A subplot is given too much air and takes away from the awesomeness of of Gracewood and Viola's relationship.

- While Viola's queerness is well-protected I became scared that a questioning, baby queer side character wouldn't have their sexuality validated. I didn't need that stress on top of everything else!

- I received an advance audiobook and the narrator wasn't for me. Hall's humor has a distinct feel, and if the narrator isn't exactly on beat it doesn't come across well. I also wanted more emotion in the voice, considering the emotion in the words, so I ended up sticking with the ebook.


All in all I found A Lady for a Duke to be a transporting, downright enjoyable read with all of the interiority and feels that I've been wanting. A solid four stars!


Content notes: mentions of death and war, deadnaming (in the past, as Family name +/- Title), mentions and reckoning with past abuse, internalized toxic masculinity (challenged), PTSD-esque symptoms on the page, ableist comments, mentions of suicidal ideation, exploration of substance abuse

When I tell you I LOVED every second of this book. It’s not everyday you get a regency romance with a trans main character and Alexis Hall 👏did👏that👏. And he wrote a book where the central conflict has nothing to do with the main character being trans!!! I can tell Alexis Hall put so much love into the characters in this story. I immediately fell in love with Viola and her strength and tenacity and Gracewood is truly the definition of real man. He was secure in his masculinity and his love for Viola through everything. The way Gracewood’s disability, addiction, and PTSD were depicted was also very well done. It is obvious that Alexis Hall really did his homework on this one. I was smiling and giggling through the pages of this book because the romance was just so sweet and pure. I was highlighting like crazy the entire time. I was absolutely swept away by the beautiful writing. Absolutely amazing.

A Lady for a Duke is a queer historical romance that is absolutely breathtaking. Every word spoken by Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, are like tiny, gentle kisses every time he speaks to Viola. Viola is a women who has forsaken her wealth, her title and her closet friend to be her true self. The romance and the secondary cast of characters will leave a lasting impressions on your heart.

Hall's LGBTQIA and disability representation are so beautifully written bringing depth, joy and all the feels. . This book is truly LOVE.

Thank you Forever and Hachette Audio for the complimentary copy of the e-book and audiobook.

I loved this book so much. I was so happy to get an ARC because this is one of the 2022 releases I was most excited for. We get a trans heroine reuniting with her childhood best friend who thought she had died during the war.

I loved these characters and their story. There were well written and hit all the right notes for me. The PINNING was just *chef’s kiss*. Despite dealing with some heavy topics (see book’s CW), the book never felt heavy. There was the right mix of angst, love, and joy. Viola and Gracewood truly saw each other for who they were, and their transition from friends to lovers was beautiful. Plus I loved how sweet and supportive Viola’s family was. Louise, Badger, and Miranda were hilarious; I laughed every time Louise said anything.

The book did lag a bit in the middle, but then it picked up again.

This book has everything that one could possibly want in a historical romance: witty banter, a dashing Duke suffering in isolation, longing glances, secrets that must be kept, a dash of action, and a gloriously sweet HEA. That it also has what is (to my ignorant eyes) a perfectly written trans heroine is just icing on top of a perfect romance cake.
I knew that Alexis Hall was a master of witty banter, but they have proven that they're also masters of the dramatic tension and longing. The relationship between Viola and Gracewood is full of longing and misunderstanding and the desire to have the courage to go against a society that says a Duke must marry a certain type of woman. But it's also full of witty banter and the easy comradery of a long friendship where friends know everything about each other, even when they're discovering that they didn't truly know each other as well as they thought.
And I'm not going to go into how great the side characters are because it would take way too much time, but trust me when I tell you that there is nothing to find fault within this perfectly sweet and romantic tale.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this perfect romance read!

I am a big fan of:
1) historical romances
2) queer/trans rep
and 3) Alexis Hall
so imagine my delight when I received an e-ARC for A Lady for a Duke!
This novel centers on Viola, a trans woman who is able to escape her old life and be herself after having been presumed dead at Waterloo. Her childhood best friend, Justin, a.k.a. Gracewood, is overcome with grief and guilt with the belief that she is dead and turns to destructive, reclusive behavior. When they are reunited, a romance blossoms between them that goes beyond the friendship of their youth, but circumstances make it difficult for them to be together.

I loved this novel. It is not often that I see trans characters in historical novels and it was done exceedingly well here. I loved Viola (and I just finished my senior thesis on Twelfth Night so I definitely picked up on the reference!) and I equally loved Gracewood. My heart went out to both of them as they dealt with their inner demons, outward obstacles, and their love for each other despite all of this. They made me feel so mushy inside, and their chemistry was off the charts. I also loved all of the side characters, from Viola's headstrong sister-in-law Lady Marleigh and curious nephew Bartholomew, to Gracewood's imaginative sister Miranda. I would love a sequel based on Miranda (and/or Lady Lillimere). Alexis Hall yet again lived up to my expectations! I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.