What a revelation to read a clinch cover historical romance with a trans heroine. What a thoughtful, lovely, rumination on love and identity and gender and family. Alexis Hall has this singular talent of making his worlds so effortlessly and naturally diverse and inclusive, and writing stories about diverse characters, that both give full measure to exploring their identities and what their identities mean to them without reducing those characters and stories to being about those identities alone. This is a beautifully, achingly, human story. Not exactly the cozy, fluffy vibes I’m normally drawn to when seeking out historical romance, but no less lovely and affirming for it.

After surviving a near-death experience at Waterloo, Viola Caroll has taken this second chance at life and begun living fully as herself, returning to England and working as a companion to her brother's wife. Circumstances and a small social circle mean she is soon thrust back into the presence of her oldest and best friend, the Duke of Gracewood, who has spent the last two years thinking that his best friend was dead and that it was all his fault.

As many other reviewers have said, the heroine of this novel, Viola, is a trans woman, but for what it's worth, the novel is written in such a way that I was never once concerned about it spiralling into some kind of traumatic queer romance. A HEA is a given within the genre, yes, but sometimes authors really put the reader through the wringer to get there. Alexis Hall doesn't do that in a way that plays up trauma or pain for entertainment value, which was greatly appreciated.

While the novel as a whole was a lot of fun, equally comical and sweet, the standout for me were the conversations between Viola and Gracewood. These are two people who thought they knew each other well, but come to realize perhaps they didn't know each other or themselves as much as they had believed. It's the slow process of healing and coming together once again, while gradually strengthening their fractured relationship that is where the novel really and truly shines. So many pining glances! Banter laden with longing! Yes please!

Which brings me to my one and only grievance with the book. There is so much going on, plot-wise, particularly towards the back half, that we don't get enough time with Viola and Gracewood once they actually get together. At one point its mentioned that they've been together for weeks (!!) and yet we don't get to spend any time with them in that first bloom of love. After so much pining and longing and telling themselves they can't be together no matter how much they want to be, I was hoping for a little more fluff and sweetness to offset the earlier angst.

That said, I still highly enjoyed what we got, and I would definitely recommend this one.

Special thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes

Five stars for an achingly beautiful novel. If you came to this book expecting Viola’s identity as a regency era trans woman to be the central conflict, you will be mistaken. It’s the least interesting thing about her and I adore Alexis Hall for pulling this off. This book is an emotionally charged treatise on learning to accept love from others even when we don’t love ourselves, and also how to demand the love that we deserve. It’s also a testament to the trials of PTSD and how to love through loss and oh my heart, this book will live with me for quite some time. Five stars.

Simply spectacular -- I loved everything about this book. The depth and breadth of Viola's and Gracewood's friendship, the heartbreak, the tension the twists and turns as they try to navigate their ways back to each other, the supporting characters (Miranda! Louise! Badger! Little Bartholomew! I loved them all!!!!). And that epilogue! This is one of those books that you finish and think "What if I never read anything this good again?" This is a shoo-in for a Bookish Affair pick and will unquestionably be one of my favorite books of the year, if not the decade. I can't wait to see what else Alexis Hall has in store for this little universe!

Eternal gratitude to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I don't want to be dramatic, but I don't think I want to read a romance novel if it isn't written by Alexis Hall. This is my third book by him now, and I don't even usually read romance much as a genre. But his stories are so unapologetically queer and sex positive and British that it melts my icy, non romance-loving heart. I think this is my favorite of Hall's books I've read so far, too.

This book features:
-Childhood friends to lovers w/ mutual pining
-trans f main character (violet)
-a physically disabled Duke with PTSD from war (Gracewood)
-forbidden regency romance
Cw: Drug & alcohol dependency

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an eARC of A Lady for a Duke!
***
Okay, I knew I was going to be obsessed with a historical romance WRITTEN BY ALEXIS HALL, but it exceeded my expectations in the loveliest, most heart-squeezing of ways.

Spoiler-free mini-synopsis:
The Duke of Gracewood is mess. Returning home with visible and invisible scars after fighting at Waterloo, he secludes himself at his Northumberland estate with only laudanum and the ghosts of his past for company — the foremost ghost being his most dearest friend, be believes lost on the muddy, miserable battlefield. What he’ll soon learn, when family friend Lady Marleigh and her lady’s companion come to call, is that his friend never died at all. Miss Viola Carroll, having traded her name, title, and fortune for the priceless opportunity to lives as herself, is that very lady’s companion. She took the opportunity her perceived death at Waterloo afforded, and has returned to society — and to her dear friend Gracewood — as her true self. A Lady for a Duke is about two old friends, despite the wounds they’ve suffered, discovering what love can exist between them when they shed all pretense and commit to living and loving as they want to, together.

It’s clear that I adored this book, but I want to elaborate on what sets it apart from other historical romances that I’ve read recently. There is a GRANDNESS to this story: a sweeping, deep, unwavering romance that had me softly weeping into my tea (romantically). Don’t get me wrong, I love a frivolous, silly romance too. But sometimes you’re in the mood to positively LOSE IT over the absolute, overwhelming, encompassing passion of a capital "L" Love Story.

I loved Boyfriend Material, and holy moly - Hall has RANGE. He writes absolutely gorgeous prose that reminds one of sweeping romances of the 19th century (with his signature wit and banter of course). I’m in awe of his writing, which effortlessly flips between the flowery, philosophical, witty, heart-stoppingly romantic and the outright funny.

Viola being a transgender woman is a central part of our journey, but it is not a conflict or an obstacle to be overcome. Viola knows who she is, and she is compelling, stubborn, and daring. Viola and Gracewood each struggle with their own demons. Both are at times self conscious, feel unworthy of the other, and desperately want to be loved despite being worn down by the world, and feel that romance might be out of reach for them. Their love story, and the ways in which they find each other, help each other, and find genuine joy and happiness despite never thinking it possible is *wipes tear* beautiful.

In conclusion, we stan.

CWs: addiction, PTSD, panic attacks, ableism, suicidal ideation, deadnaming.

I was extremely delighted by the characters and their stories in A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall! I found it extremely amusing and funny from the very first chapter, with witty and unexpected dialogue that made it so much fun to read and interactions that were all purposeful. The novel follows Viola Carroll and Gracewood, a duke that she was best friends with from childhood until she disappeared off of the fields of the battle of Waterloo — soon she is thrust back into his life to help his sister Miranda, and they have to work through the things between them in order to get their happy ending. The characters are all really complex and intriguing, with depths to them that are explored as the plot unravels and different elements are brought in. There are also many important issues discussed in a tactful, honest way without them seeming overdone or exaggerated for dramatic effect; sometimes I find that historical romances only focus on one defining character trait or failing in characters and that is what the plot revolves around, but Hall did a marvellous job of making these character real and multifaceted. Also, there are many different Shakespearean and classical allusions that are subtly made throughout, which is always a win for me!
At times I found the sentence structure a bit confusing and unclear, and the novel as a whole could have been a bit shorter, but I was extremely impressed by A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. It had a perfect mix of substance and fluff, and I loved every minute that I spent reading it!

This was a wonderful historical romance! I love a reunited friends trope in a romance novel, and I adored all the characters in this. Really hoping Hall turns this into a series - I'd love to read Mira's story!

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Dana Cuadrado for the arc!

Disclaimer: Though I am queer (lesbian, questioning gender/lackof?) I am not a trans woman and cannot speak to any accuracy of Viola's portrayal.

I truly enjoyed A Lady for a Duke, which was something I both expected and was pleasantly surprised by. I'm not too much a fan of period romance during this era, and yearning has never much interested me. Alexis Hall, of course, changed my mind-- at least for this scenario! With his usual cast of extremely lovable and humorous side characters who always have their own sideplots, deep care in all the relationships, and the strong bond between the protagonists that could work in other worlds, it's as if Alexis Hall found a diary entry of mine that I don't recall writing listing out what i was looking for in romance novels.

I also very much enjoyed the book's three arcs-- Viola and Gracewood, though in love, are not the whole plot. Louise and Badger, helping Viola grow socially, Mira as a whole discovering herself and growing into herself, as well as everyone else-- is Lillimere a variant of Kate Kane? I'm in love with her!-- and I believe that A Lady for a Duke juggled all of it effortlessly, tying it all together in a ribbon beautifully embroidered by Viola.

I adored Alexis Hall’s A Lady for a Duke. The fact that it features a transgender heroine simply adds nuance to a well-spun historical tale. It is a heartfelt romance which is beautiful, wistful, and joyful, and I loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Viola was presumed dead at the battle of Waterloo; while recovering she realized she could take this chance to live as her true self. When she reconnects with her best friend, the Duke of Gracewood, she’s shocked by how consumed with grief he is over his friend’s reported death. How their relationship develops from there is the beauty of this novel.

The fact that Violet is transgender isn’t the main conflict in this book. Which is awesome. Instead, class differences, the limited roles women have access to, and PTSD all shape the friends to lovers story. Viola’s family supports her and her choice to live as her true self, and that support never wavers.

I love that Viola is so self assured about who she is and how she is living her life. She’s faced tons of obstacles, and sometimes is unsure about how to handle specific situations. But she doesn’t question who she is at her core.

All the secondary characters are amazing, especially Lady Louise Marleigh. Their quips and banter are a lighthearted backdrop to the more serious and earnest romance. I would read an entire book about any of them, and a possible Amberglass sequel sounds divine.

It’s a treat when you have an author who can so agilely navigate contemporary and historical romance with equal skill. This romance made me feel so many feelings:
happy, sad, angry, and wistful. Usually I like my books on the lighter side, like Hall’s Something Fabulous, but A Lady for a Duke is absolutely wonderful. It made me cry, but also brought me joy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a remarkable novel in that Alexis Hall succeeds fully in his goal to “write a historical romance with a transgender heroine in which the fact that the heroine is transgender is not the main source of conflict or narrative tension” (“A Letter from the Author” in the Reading Group Guide).

However, I think Hall's success in that goal is also the weakness of the novel, which is that there is far too much going on. That is, in trying to making Viola's transgender identity not the main point, Hall has to pile on all of this other conflict and challenge, and it’s just too much. I also find the dialogue a bit stilted, which is a surprise from Hall, who is normally dazzling in this respect.

Serious kudos to Hall for writing a sex scene between a cis man and a transgender woman that is respectful, erotic, and sweet and lovely.

It is telling that my favorite part of the novel is probably the Reading Group Guide, which showcases Hall's intellectual wit in a way that is, unusually, somewhat missing from this novel, unlike his other novels.

This book is sexy, sweet, and so kind to its characters. It's a bit long and moderately paced, but I was happy to spend the time with these characters as they found their way through to the end. Highly recommended as a relatively low-angst, wonderfully modern take on a historical romance.

Content Warnings: Deadnaming, substance abuse, child abuse, grief, PTSD, suicidal ideations, and anxiety.


When I first saw the synopsis for this book, on Twitter, and found out the ARCs were available on Netgalley I quickly sent in my request. I was very lucky to be approved and granted access to this amazing story before its release.


This story had me grinning, laughing, crying, and squealing with glee. I wasn’t even halfway through when I put out a Tiktok, to mutuals, demanding if they’d read the ARC to message me because I needed someone to talk to about this book.


While I was reading I was extremely nervous, as a lot of romance novels are prone to a big third act break up or conflict but was pleasantly surprised that we didn’t have one in this story. We’re able to enjoy a story of being true to oneself and finding love and acceptance both from others as well as from within.


The characters that Viola meets and interacts with, with the exception of Amberglass, are so bold and vibrant that I really hope this is the start of a series. I really just need more of this beautiful world Alexis has written us.


If you want to read a historical romance with witty characters, soulmates reconnecting, being true to oneself, and an epically beautiful love story look no further!

This historical romance is simply superb and unlike any you have read before. It features Viola Carroll, a trans heroine who was able to become her true self after having been presumed dead at Waterloo. The hero, Justin de Vere, Duke of Gracewood, is her former best friend who suffers from serious physical and mental disabilities from the same battle (today's readers will recognize PTSD, although there was no name for it at the time). Gracewood is in dire need of help, leading Viola to initially try offering assistance without revealing who she really is, although the connection between them is so strong even before he recognizes the truth. This book is emotional, heartfelt, yet also witty, in short, it truly has it all. I am definitely hoping for more from the author in this world. Highly recommended.

I honestly don't even know where to begin in reviewing this book, except to say I loved it. It made me weep on multiple occasions (but in a good way). I went into this expected something satirical and light like SOMETHING FABULOUS by Alexis Hall (a book I also loved), but the two historical queer romances couldn't be any more different. In fact, this book is different than every other Alexis Hall book I've read, but it turns out there is room in my heart for all his books. Anyway, this isn't insightful. I just recommend it.

I think there isn't a book Alexis Hall could write that I wouldn't absolutely adore with my whole heart. Every book I read of his only makes me love his writing and characters and stories even more. Reading A Lady for a Duke was such a blissful experience. The first half of the book was filled with so much pining and mutual love and pain and heartache. It was beautiful and sad but such a gorgeous show of what these characters had been through and where they were going. It felt like Hall put in care with every word that was written. Viola is easily one of my favorite characters I've ever read from Hall. Her POVs were so much fun because she's such a gorgeous character but with so much anxiety and fear surrounding who she is and it was beautiful to watch her take even more pride in who she was and be truly unapologetic for it.
There were many quotes throughout that I marked because they were just so stunning. I had to reread several moments. The love between Viola and Gracewood was tender and heartwarming and I find myself still thinking about them and probably will continue to think about them. They are the perfect example of friends-to-lovers. Both were beautifully written. Though they both hurt one another in different ways, their love always felt genuine and like we, as readers, were merely waiting for the right moment for them to fall into place. I also have to touch on the wonderful side character. Lady Louise Marleigh is definitely who I would have tried to be like if I were alive in regency times lol. She was phenomenal. Miranda was also a great character and even Little Bartholomew and Badger were perfect every time they were on page.
I don't have anything negative to say. This book was wonderful and it will easily be one of my favorites of the year.

This one had a slightly slower pace and a more somber tone then I was in the mood for at the moment, but it was a great story of friends to lovers.

Though historical romance is not typically my genre, I grabbed this book without a moment's hesitation when I saw it was an Alexis Hall title. I was not disappointed.
When Viola was injured in the war, she took the opportunity to let people think her deadname truly dead, and to return to society in her truest form. Unfortunately, that meant leaving behind her dearest friend, Gracewood. When fate brings them back together, they have a chance to rekindle their friendship, and perhaps more.
A Lady for a Duke features a trans heroine, a disabled love interest, and several queer supporting characters. It was a delightfully clever and inclusive read. And for Bridgerton fans who were turned off by that one particular plot point, it it mercifully devoid of marital rape.

HOLY ABSOLUTE FUCK this is good.

It's...how do I explain this? It's everyting that makes regency romances so eternally compelling (the external conflict of society, the analysis of class and gender, the historical details, the fashion, the mutal pining inherent in not being allowed to just say what you mean) - and knows the tropes so thoroughly well that we can take each and every one to its queerest and most emotionally satisfying conclusion.

Our heroine pulled off transitioning in this era's strict societal rules via somewhat unconventional means: she was presumed dead in the Napoleonic Wars, and returned with a new identity. There’s only one snag: she’s spent literally years avoiding her former best friend, who she was secretly in love with.

Our hero, injured in the same battle at Waterloo that he thinks killed his best friend, is holed up in an aging manor like a sadder Rochester...until he encounters a woman who feels both newly compelling and strikingly familiar, who makes him believe that he might actually have a future.

Mistaken identity shenanigans ensue: Hot mystery lady is the supposedly-dead best friend, except she can’t tell him that, because how do you date someone when you’re pretty sure you ruined his life when you literally faked your own death.

Better still: this story isn't even really about our heroine being trans - that's just one of many things that factors in to how this novel plays with regency romance tropes and has a great time doing so. And many of those tropes play even better queered.

(Like, a Mistaken Identity plot and a "Oh No, My Childhood Friend is Hot Now!" moment just work so fucking well with a trans character. Because of course she looks very different! That's kind of the point!)

Anyway, it's great. I loved it. I loved every single minute of it. This is a queer regency romance that clearly loves both regency romances and its queer characters (and readers!) in a way that just makes my whole heart glow

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

If you fancy historical fiction, Bridgerton and the genre you’ll find this one enjoyable too.