A Lady for a Duke is a beautiful love story with a lot of depth to the characters.

What you can expect:
🧐 Class difference
🏯 Recluse hero that suffers from PTSD after war and trans heroine that had to fake her own death
💗 Hero and heroine grew up as best friends and now find each other again

My reason for removing stars from the rating is related to the pacing (after halfway it was off) and the external conflicts at the end were a bit much.

This was such a good historical romance that had a trans main character and a sort of second chance romance. I loved seeing the main characters reconnect and find their happiness in one another.

This is a long novel with a nice resolution at the 50% point, so that's where I stopped reading. The story was a little slow for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book has everything I want in a queer historical romance: brooding and pining on the Northern seaside cliffs, the fizzy melodramedy of a London season, and, most importantly, the genre's promise that queer characters get happy endings, even in petticoats.

When our heroine, Viola, is wounded in battle, she finds herself presented with an opportunity to fake her death and start a new life as her true, authentic self. However, this choice does not come without consequences: she must set aside her name, wealth, title, and her dearest friend, the Duke of Gracewood.

Our story begins two years after that choice, with Viola learning how to build her new life as a woman. Circumstances bring her back into the world of the Duke of Gracewood, who remains haunted by his wartime experience. What follows is a deeply touching story in which our protagonists learn to build a life of joy and healing in a world that does not conceptualize either Viola's transgender identity or Gracewood's trauma. In a an homage to the story of her Shakespearean namesake, Viola seeks to help her friend through his trauma and grief while also deciding how to reveal herself as his childhood companion, whom he did not always know as a woman and has believed dead. What follows is a moving friends-to-lovers romance as their friendship blossoms into something more.

I loved that this novel did not center Viola's transgender identity as the central conflict, rather focusing on how she learns to navigate her new role in a society with strict gendered and class hierarchies. Instead, we get to revel in the aching joy of two friends finding their way back to each other, and witnessing their friendship bloom into something more. To counterbalance this emotional journey, we are also treated to a madcap debutante season in London society with a delightful cast of supporting characters, culminating in a revelation of the freedom Viola and Gracewood find to build a life for themselves beyond the limitations of the world they've known. This novel is one of laughter, swooning, and most importantly, joy.

DNF at 21%.

This book is close to 500 pages long. I made it to chapter 10 (put of 42) and nothing has really happened so far. I wanted to like this book so much, but the writing is boring and I don’t care about any of the characters.

Maybe I’ll come back at some point, but for now, I’m shelving it.

I really enjoyed this book! I pretty much always enjoy Alexis Hall's voice and style and this was no exception. Hall has a knack for writing both witty but also meaningful dialogue and characters, who, in a lesser author's hand would be all quirk and no substance, but here, like in all his books, are genuine and real and both lovable and deeply flawed and so ease to adore and connect to.

Viola and Gracewood were childhood friends/lordlings, who grew up doing everything, and eventually went off to war together. They most certainly loved each other as friends their whole lives but it was a sort of incomplete love as neither really was living as their full self nor understood what that meant. During the war, in France, they were in a battle and after being gravely wounded and believed dead, Viola decided to let her old self and name die (giving up quite a bit of privilege white Anglican male privilege, including a full-on title) and live as the woman she truly is.

In doing so, she let a lot of people, including Gracewood believe she was dead. She went back to her fun and supportive family, namely her slightly dim but incredibly sweet younger brother who now holds the title of viscount, to act as her bossy but endearing sister-in-law, Lou's companion and dote on her little nephew (another one of the strengths of this book is how realistically both messy, but loyal loving the primary families are).

However, her sister-in-law can see that Viola's life is more limited than it could be and knows she wants and deserves more. Especially after she hears from Gracewood's sister how poorly he is doing (he has severe PTSD and is struggling with addiction post war) and how their relationship also needs mending. Lou suggests they go , for the sister, Miranda's sake, so they can make sure she has as full a life as she wants, and help her brother, the duke. Viola is initially reluctant to go because Gracewood thinks she's dead and she lied to him by omission.

Viola eventually tells him/he figures it out and he initially handles it poorly, not because of who she now is, but he's angry that she let him believe she was dead because he missed her so much. He does come around and understand how hard it is for her, and her help, his love for his sister (even though he struggles to navigate it), help him want to get better, or at least forge a path where he can figure out a life and be happy. A life that includes Viola.

Viola is nervous about the latter part due to the constraints of society and the dictates of Gracewood's title. However, she does love him and the two work their way through Gracewood's issues and navigate things with a little inspiration from their joint guidance over Miranda during her first season, where she is figuring out who and what she wants. And what possibilities there are in her life.

There is some fun intrigue and excitement where Gracewood and Viola get to help an endangered (but still very capable) Miranda as a team and with the support and encouragement of their families (plus some dukely privilege--after all, if your characters are going to have titles, they should be able to get to use them for as much good as is realistic and acknowledge how much it truly is "good to be the duke," and how in a fair world everyone would have the same access to said rights and privileges), get a very lovely, and well deserved HEA.

The chemistry was fabulous, the angst was exquisite but balanced nicely by cleverness and humor. The characters' full realism helped make the zaniness but but not too much and it was just extremely well done. Thank you so much to Forever (who, fully disclosure is publishing a book of mine next year) and NetGalley for allowing me to read early in exchange for an honest review.

Presumed dead at Waterloo, Viola Carroll takes the opportunity to let the person she’s been pretending to be all her life die, and finally live as her true self. Two years later, she reunites with her former best friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, who has become a shadow of himself, disabled in the war and mired in grief.

This book is gorgeous and so romantic! Alexis Hall writes the best banter! Viola is trans, and Gracewood is disabled and has PTSD, and it was so interesting to read about these topics in an historical setting where the characters don’t have the vocabulary to describe what they are going through. I thought that aspect of it was so well done. Viola and Gracewood are so compassionate and empathetic with each other, it was beautiful. I totally fell in love with them! In fact, I loved all the characters. Viola’s brother and sister-in-law are the only ones who know her secret and they are both lovely. I really enjoyed the other queer characters and am hoping for a spin-off! There wasn’t really any heavy homophobia or transphobia in the book which made it such a comforting read.

I’ve read a fair amount of historical romances, both queer and hetero, but this is the first time I’ve read one with MF and queer, which was so enjoyable! It took so many regency romance conventions and turned them on their heads. The romance was so swoony it was almost over the top, but I just ate it up! I also loved the way the steamy parts were written, just perfect!!! Absolutely loved this book and recommend it to anyone who loves queer romance, or fans of Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn’s regency romances.

(I have one small critique and I will write about it below because it’s a teensy bit spoilery. Scroll down at your own risk.)

Rep: Transfemme MC, physically disabled MC with PTSD, sapphic side characters
CW: PTSD, addiction, ableism

Slightly spoilery complainy section:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I had a hard time buying that Gracewood wouldn’t immediately recognise Viola. Would hair, makeup, and dress change her so much that a lifelong best friend wouldn’t recognize her? I’m just not sure about that. This is something that didn’t bother me enough to remove a star from my rating though.

This book was so unique, unlike any historical romance I’ve read before. On terms of where it lies on the Alexis Hall scale, I’d say it’s in between Boyfriend Material and Something Fabulous. Definitely be prepared for angst though!

The author does provide CW at the beginning of the book. Please take care to read through them if you need to.

This book is absolutely enlightening, romantic, and even a bit suspenseful! Viola and Gracewood have this connection that cannot be denied. The acceptance and care put into these characters and how they treat each other was so well done. The epilogue cemented that this book will stick with me for a very long time.

“…fuck the world. I will change it for you if I have to.”

I’m a bit speechless in the face of what Hall has accomplished with this queer historical romance novel. A LADY FOR A DUKE is one of the most compelling love stories I’ve ever read, about two childhood best friends who thought they were irrevocably lost from each other, only to find one another again, both changed and the same, and fall in love - or perhaps, to finally name the love that has always existed between them.

Viola Caroll, presumed dead when she went missing during battle, takes the opportunity to free herself from the strictures of the identity assigned to her at birth and finally live as herself. But the cost is heavy: her childhood friend, with whom she was as close as family, thinks she is lost. Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, has not been the same since returning from the war: his injuries are physically limiting and cause him chronic pain, he’s tortured by memories of battle, and he has come to lean on alcohol and laudanum to cope. He’s also never stopped grieving the loss of his greatest friend. When Viola and Gracewood are reunited by their families, they are faced with rediscovering each other, figuring out how they fit together after so much has shifted within and between them, and overcoming the barriers that would seek to part them once more.

Almost every single page of this novel set my heart racing, aching for Viola and Gracewood as individuals and as a couple. Hall has crafted a story that centers Viola as a trans woman in the most beautiful, affirming, and empowering way. There are heavier aspects - the looming possibility of social rejection, the difficulties of gender dysphoria that Viola carries - and Viola always has family and friends on her side throughout. While part of the plot initially involves keeping her identity a secret from Gracewood, he quickly loves her as she truly is and always has been, and fiercely supports the actions she needed to take to be herself. I love how Hall navigates their shared past when Viola could not live as herself, carrying the affection and positive memories from that time and integrating it into their romance. Gracewood’s development as a character is incredibly powerful: healing from his father’s harsh parenting, changing his relationship to the lineage of power he descends from, and relearning how to be a man outside of the strict gender roles he was taught. As a couple they have both scorching chemistry and beautiful intimacy; I loved their banter, as Viola’s fierce will collided with Gracewood’s stubborn determination. The side characters are an absolute delight, and the ending is everything I could have wished for Viola and Gracewood as a couple.

This story is going to stay with me for a long time, and I want many more books like this, with fearless trans protagonists getting the happily ever afters they so deserve. Thanks Forever Books for the review copy! This book is out 5/24 and I can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with Viola, Gracewood, and their epic romance.

Content warnings: chronic pain, nightmares and other trauma responses, substance dependence, gender dysphoria, some dead-naming/misgendering, kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, fighting/violence

CW: grief, PTSD, injury related to war, discussion of death and war, suicidal ideation, drug and alcohol abuse, kidnapping, guns, abusive parent/toxic relationship (past), use of dead name

A Lady for a Duke was such a beautiful novel. It was honest and raw and I fell in love with Gracewood and Viola. This childhood best friends to lovers historical romance had some of the very best pining I've read. All of the longing and yearning broke my heart at times, but the story also put it back together so spectacularly. Many times while reading, I wanted to reach into the book and give Gracewood and Viola a huge hug. Their journey isn't an easy one, but I loved how they truly saw and supported each other. The intimate moments between them were beautifully sensual and wonderfully tender. This isn't a lighthearted read (please see CW's), but I appreciated how much thought and care went into addressing the various topics. The secondary characters brought some wonderful comic relief to the story and I just loved Louise and Badger. I did feel that the subplot and drama with Miranda was a bit much though and it made the book unnecessarily long. The epilogue was the glimpse of the future I needed though and my heart was so full when I finished.

I both read and listened to A Lady for a Duke and loved the narration by Kay Eluvian. The variety of voices and accents used was amazing and so much emotion was conveyed in the performance. Definitely recommend enjoying this novel via audiobook if possible.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

"Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an eARC to read for review!

A Lady for A Duke made me stop and clutch my chest while staring at my roof squealing all giddy, multiple times. The Trans & lgbtq+ rep in here was so beautifully done, & multiple quotes in here about trans-ness brought tears to my eyes. The slow burn yearning in this book 👀👀👀 y’all aren’t ready!!!!

My only issue with this book is that at times it felt quite long and repetitive. There was a subplot centred around the sister of the love interest that I almost wish did not occur?? I would have loved if that time was spent on the main 2 characters, or just chopped down to less because not enough character-building happened with her to make me invested in her story. However, her character did remind me a tad of Eloise from Bridgerton & a potential sequel/spin-off around her could be interesting!!"

This, like many LBGTQIA+ books, is a story of being saved from a world where you see no place for yourself, by the family you’ve chosen and made your own, and surrounded yourself with. But this book is beautifully unique in that it gives Viola -our endlessly brave, endlessly practical, endlessly kind heroine, - the praise she is due for carving out her own existence, even at the expense of all that she loves, and then rewards her for her bravery by giving it all back to her. I adore a queer book that doesn’t shy away from the things that are hard but doesn’t make EVERYTHING hard. Hall writes, with equal skill: beautifully hilarious prose, wry love interests, slyly witty conversations, and enthusiastically bizarre secondary characters. I am as obsessed with Mira and Stevie and Louise and Badger and little Bartholomew as I am with Gracewood and Viola themselves.

I do think the book might be longer than some would wish. I felt that it naturally grouped itself into three sections, and each one felt like a possible good ending point. You know how some books just end and you think, “huh, I kind of wish they had told us more about this.”? Instead of doing that, this book follows through and gives you all the growth and depth and interesting nuance that I desperately wanted. I really, truly loved this.

I really enjoyed this book! I was so excited to see this kind of representation in a period romance novel and was not disappointed. Thank you for the early copy!

This was such a groundbreaking and wonderful Regency romance featuring a transwoman who lets everyone believe they died at the Battle of Waterloo in order to live their life as Viola. When Viola hears what a hard time her former best friend, Justin, the Duke of Gracewood, is having dealing with his grief and chronic pain, she can't help but go to him. At first Justin thinks he's seeing a ghost but eventually the two strike up a new friendship, with Justin not realizing that he already knows Viola. When these two do finally figure things out and come together, it's truly a beautiful thing to behold. There's also a secondary plot dealing with Justin's sister and her abduction. This book really has it all - great trans and disability/chronic pain rep, romance, adventure, humor and so much heart. I can't wait for more historical fiction books like this one. Perfect for fans of Cat Sebastian. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

Wow. Alexis Hall has some AWESOME creative range! His contemporary romances are hilarious and wonderful, but his new historical romance A Lady for a Duke is wholly original and emotionally moving.

Viola Carroll's old life ended at Waterloo, and her new life was finally able to start, a life in which she finally was free to live as herself, but the death of her old life came at a steep cost--her title, her lands, and her very best friend, the Duke of Gracewood. Two years later, hearing that Gracewood is deeply troubled, Viola returns because friendship is greater than her fear.

Hall has written a compelling, richly nuanced romance about a love the world considered impossible. Viola is a trans heroine, but her trans-ness isn't the big conflict of the narrative. It doesn't center or focus on trauma. The story, rather, offers up a beautiful vision of what trans happiness and trans love can look like. The historical aspect adds a unique perspective, as well. In a world in which Viola wasn't even supposed to exist, she finds her place and stakes her claim on a rich and fulfilling life.

Bravo, sir. Bravo.

A huge fan of Alexis Hall’s previous work, this was my first historical romance, now one of my favorite books. A Lady for a Duke transports you with its rich description, multidimensional cast of characters, and artful navigation of gender, social constructs, and disability. Viola Carrol, our transgender heroine, risks it all and fakes her death so she can live as her authentic self. Duke Gracewood, devastated and mourning the man he once was before being injured in the war along with the loss of his closest friend, gives in to addiction and starts to neglect his duties (including looking after his younger sister). After a few heartbreaking years apart, Viola and Gracewood meet again for what turns into a delightful and pining slow burn romance full of stolen moments and witty banter.

While the trials of being transgender are certainly highlighted, this book is not about trans trauma. Rather it explores society’s gender norms, and what happens when the characters dare to defy those norms. Viola and Gracewood’s relationship doesn’t blossom until they start to shed their ideas of how a man and a woman should be. There is so much joy, love, and friendship in this book, along with side queer characters I would love to read about in future work. Finally, I would give anything to see the trans joy of Viola dashing through the woods on a horse in her new dress on the big screen! I highly recommend.

After reading this book, I'll read anything Alexis Hall writes. A Lady for a Duke is a fun, sweet, slow-burn of a book! When Viola is presumed dead during at Waterloo during the war, she siezes the opportunity to finally live her true self. Meanwhile, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, grapples with the loss of his best friend. Fast forward a few years, and Viola and Gracewood reunite, but how will their relationship change?

This book is full of multi-faceted, entertaining characters, quick wit (and slow wit that is equally funny!), the sweetest romance with understanding characters, the threat of scandal (but for who?!), turns about rooms, and so much pining. One thing I loved (that Hall did intentionally) was that Viola is a transgender woman, but that fact was not the center of the conflict. There are a lot of veins that create this story, and it all meshed together so nicely by the end. I'm having a hard time coming up with the right words, so here: I enjoyed it SO MUCH!

Recommended if you want a Regency Romance (particularly with a trans heroine), a book full of characters that you'll want to spend more time with, and main characters that you just want to see thrive and have a happy ending. This book was such a hug.

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for the e-ARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Alexis Hall continues his foray into historical romance, this time with A Lady for a Duke. And like with his previous contribution, Something Fabulous, it’s queer positive, and set in an era where queerness was persecuted and being conscious of that without being overly concerned with preaching about the struggles of queerness. Hall walks that line of social consciousness delicately and sensitively, inviting the reader into his incarnation of the Regency world which feels much more welcoming and inclusive, yet also feels true to what many readers love about it on an aesthetic level.
The lead characters both have complex pasts that deal with trauma, recovery, and/or rebirth centered on their experiences in the Napoleonic Wars. Viola (named in homage to the heroine in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, in acknowledgment of the queer coding of the play) is compelling in her current journey, having left behind her previous life after being presumed dead at Waterloo, and in this process has kept her distance from her previous acquaintances until now. While I cannot speak to the authenticity in Hall’s depiction of the nuances of Viola’s journey, I trust Hall did the work in creating her character, especially as he’s not stranger to writing about queer identities outside his own.
Hall has frequently joked on his Twitter about how he was informed about the importance of dukes to the sales of historical romance, so it’s understandable that he’s written another for his second foray into the genre. However, he has the self-awareness to take the broody alpha caricature and make him endearing. Justin was best friends with Viola in her old life, and like her, the war changed him. He’s disabled and dealing with PTSD and grief, and has withdrawn, giving into it. That history of friendship, with their respective altered circumstances makes for a compelling dynamic to build their romance on, although they do face some impossible odds, and provide some hope that both of them can find catharsis and peace.
Plot wise, this book is long, with subplots and characters that I felt dragged the book out. Hall’s writing kept me engaged, with its balance of humor and emotion, but I found myself wondering “what was the main conflict?” in response to the first of the author-provided discussion questions at the end. The battle around the issues of gender roles and the expectations Viola and Justin face makes for a compelling aspect of the story, but the other elements distract from it, and I can’t help but feel that it could have been streamlined.
However, on that note, those discussion questions are perhaps the most charming and funny I’ve ever read, and along with his introductory letter and author bio, add to the new persona Hall has been creating since he entered the historical romance space. Remarks like how he claims to have been “dead since 1967” and the little contradictions about wanting you to form your own conclusions/Death of the Author, then providing a more concrete elaboration on a previous point, and then reaffirming his belief in the former, are funny and charming.
I enjoyed this overall, and while I can’t say I was won over by the “sequel-bait,” I’m looking forward to what Alexis Hall has to offer next in the genre. If you enjoy queer historical romance, I recommend giving this one a try.

This book was delightful! I love the honest conversations, and how they connected on every level. And the heartfelt dialogue *heart eyes*. Give me a couple who communicates and shares their feelings any day, and I'm there! I've always been an Alexis Hall fan, but this book made me fall in love with this author all over again.

Highly recommend!

After being assumed dead after the Battle of Waterloo, Viola beings to live her life again authentically as a woman. A Lady for a Duke follows Viola finding her place with her family, new relationships, and navigating old relationships. She reconnects with her best friend Gracewood and a romance begins to build from there. I'm a huge fan of period romances and was especially interested in the trans representation in this book! I have read some of Alexis Hall's other books as well and was excited to read this one.

What a lovely book!! There were so many moments that squeezed my heard and made me smile. I loved the characters, the way that Viola continued to find and define herself as a woman, and the steamy romance. It was wonderful reading a period piece featuring main character who is trans and seeing her be accepted as herself by those who love her as Viola. This gave me all of the giddy Bridgerton-eque squeal moments!!

If you've just finished Bridgerton and are looking for something else to read or just love a steamy period romance thought provoking characters, this book is absolutely for you! 4.5 stars from me rounded up to 5. Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an electronic advanced reader's copy of this book!