After being presumed dead at Waterloo, Viola Caroll seized the opportunity to live the life she’d always wanted, rather than the one she was born to. But this new freedom came at the cost of relinquishing her title, wealth, and, most unbearable of all, her lifelong friend Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.

When their family friendship is rekindled through her sister-in-law, Viola learns just how greatly her loss affected Gracewood. He’s spiraled into the depths of grief, pained by a war injury and struggling with a laudanum addiction, so much so that Viola barely recognizes her old friend. She decides she must help him but the closeness that necessitates makes it difficult for her to hide her true feelings. They were impossible then and even more so now, but she can’t seem to help herself all the same.

Having never read this author nor read anything like this book, I had no idea what to expect. I’m happy to say I was pleasantly surprised, and I found the narrative to be quite comforting. This was definitely an excruciatingly slow burn at times but given how character driven the story was I think that fit, even if it did slow the pace considerably. Viola did get frustrating sometimes just because of the frequent occurrence of the same inner monologues, though her fears were well-founded. On the other hand, sometimes I think she was too quick to be angry with Justin and didn’t give him enough grace to understand that there were times that he just needed a moment to process what he was learning. I loved the fact that Justin saw what was needed for his happiness and seized it, determined to use the power of his lofty status to smooth any wrinkles this incurred. Sure, this may strain plausibility a bit in places, but I think that’s what made this book so charming. It also must be noted that the cast of side characters in this novel is just delightful on the whole. I listened to this on audio, and I think it was well worth the time.

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

4 stars — This one will be hard to review. There were so many parts that had me smiling away and feeling delighted. There were other parts that got to my heart and had me hurting with Viola and Gracewood. And there were yet other parts where things felt…confusing. But that could have been just me. In the end, I think of all of those it was the delight and the heart that stood out the most.

One of the things that didn’t work for me as well, is that a lot of the characters had the same stuttery way of talking. Obviously some more than others, but I was surprised to see it present in so many of the characters. It made sense for Viola, as she was often unsure of herself and what she wanted to say.

I really loved reading the book club section at the back. a) because it was hilarious at times. And b) because it really made me think about the way in which I enjoy historical romance, and how it fit with this book…and how there are others who are more sticklers for “realistic”. Obviously, I don’t want it to be wildly unrealistic, but I’m okay with a modern touch to explore interesting ideas in another time.

I kind of loved that while Viola being trans was wholeheartedly a big part of the story, it wasn’t as big in the ways I was expecting. I didn’t have to see her deal with struggle and hate based on that, from the outside world. If we saw her struggles, it was internal, or in her relationship with Gracewood. At times it felt almost too easy, but you know what? I don’t even care. It was kind of nice to just have that love story…where there are missteps and foibles along the way, but it’s all predicated on love.

I will admit that, while I wholeheartedly want to learn and grow and do the right things, I am 100% the kind of person that is eminently curious about what life is like for someone experiencing gender identity issues. I would constantly be stopping myself from asking inappropriate questions. I would stop myself, but there would be a part of me that truly just wanted to know. I’m working on it. Even reading this book I couldn’t help but have questions in my mind, but it was still enough for me to learn without the story feeling like a lesson for the poor cis girl. You know, like learning just from observation.

I appreciated that Gracewood has his own set of challenges to overcome, and if I’m being honest, it felt like his journey was larger than Viola’s. I loved seeing the author explore PTSD back then, when there was no such understanding. And it wasn’t just the war that had scarred Gracewood, it was his childhood as well.

I found that I both loved and was frustrated by our MCs. They could both be so stubborn and stuck on things, but they would do so much for each other.

I spent the first large chunk of the book on tenterhooks waiting for the shoe to drop. I have no idea how I feel about all that, but I guess it worked out in the end. 😛

There were some interesting side characters. On occasion I wanted more from them…more resolution between Justin and Miranda especially. I know there is the possibility of future books from some of these side characters, but I still think I would have liked a bit more in *this* book.

All in all, I was very entertained. There was just something preventing it from being higher rated for me…and of course I can’t quite pin it down.

A trans heroine. A grieving Duke. I am so glad this story exists. This story was a rollercoaster in the best way. I cried, I laughed, I grieved with these characters. This is Alexis Hall's best book yet. The side characters are lovely, the story is beautiful, these characters have my heart.

3.5 rounded up to 4!

Is not a secret that I love Alexis Halls writing.. like truly LOVE his books. So this one I was expecting to be a solid 5 star read.. and it almost was!

I’ll start off by saying I adored this story and it’s characters so much! A Trans heroine in a historical romance? Yes, please! There were moments that truly made my heart ache in the best way! I cried, I laughed, I learned into the love and the romance so hard!

Viola and Gracewood are both grieving in different ways. Viola chose to leave her old life behind so she could be and live who she truly was. Gracewood, grieving his friend and confidante, found comfort in alcohol and opiates. The chemistry, love, longing, and intimacy of these two characters was so palpable it jumps off the page! Their wit, their banter, their big feelings, and the process of sobering up and moving past hurts was real, vulnerable, and beautiful in its messy reality! I loved every second of it, truly!

For me this fell short in the way it was written. It’s long.. almost too long. In true historical fashion this book is filled to brim with rich details, internal musings, and flowery language. I feel like if I had the audio version I would have sped through this aspect and it might not have bothered me as much. Unfortunately, I was physically reading it and I found myself getting bogged down and skimming sections looking for dialogue. If you’re already a fan of the flowery flowing language in historical fiction you’ll likely love this aspect, for me personally it just was a bit too much!

With that being said though, the characters (both Main and side), the love (always so much beautiful love), and the representation (LGBTQ+ as well as disability rep!) saved this story over and over again for me! 💕

Absolutely amazing! Loved love loved it. I have already posted on my Instagram about it and really have nothing bad to say. This was the perfect amount of heartbreak, love, grief, and forgiveness for the long weekend.

"That I did not know how to see you," he told her, "is not your lie."

It is impossible to put into words how wonderful this book is. Any fan of historical romance will love this one. Gracewood is not just a duke, but a war hero. He was severely injured in a war that took his best friend's life and has hidden himself away at his country estate to medicate his pain with alcohol and drugs. Viola Carroll believed she would never see Gracewood again since making a difficult choice that changed her life forever. Gracewood only knew Viola as his very best friend, Lord Marleigh. The emotional ride that follows is a beautiful story of two friends reconnecting and re-learning how to love themselves and the people they have become.

The representation in this book is stunning. Hall never ceases to hold back from challenging circumstances and the reader is the better for it. I loved how accepting the characters were of Viola as well as how confident she is in the choices she made. The care with which Hall handles PTSD and the aftermath of war is particularly well done. While the book felt a bit on the long side, I enjoyed the different settings and additional characters throughout. I laughed and cried and loved right along with Gracewood and Viola. I read this book both in ebook and audio and thoroughly enjoyed both. The audio rendition was really well done. Kay Eluvian did a great job with both the tone and emotions of all the characters. I am a massive fan of Hall's work and continue to look forward to reading anything he writes in the future.

A true love story.

What does it mean to love yourself, your real self? What does it mean to love your best friend? What does it mean to love your family? What does it mean to love your partner?

All of these versions of love are beautifully and carefully explored in A Lady For a Duke. Viola made the boldest choice imaginable, to give up everything to be herself and to be truly happy. Unfortunately, that means she had to leave Gracewood behind. But now they have a second chance if they’re willing to risk it all for love.

The representation and expression of love and intimacy is so wonderfully explored and diverse.

I read most of this one via audiobook as I found some of the internal monologues to be reparative while reading but when listening the emotions and inflections of the narration changed the feeling for me.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

For Viola Caroll, being presumed dead at Waterloo was the lifeline she needed to live her true life. She gave up so much to be herself, but the most costly was the loss of her friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Years later, when her sister in law asks for her help in reconnecting with Gracewood, and bringing him back from the brink, if not for himself, but at least for his young sister, Miranda. But meeting Gracewood again, and seeing just how hard he suffered in the loss of his best friend, is hard for Viola, and she yearns to tell him the truth, but is afraid. Afraid of what he would think, and afraid of the blossoming feelings developing between them.

When I first heard about this book, I knew I needed to read it. I haven't read any of Alexis' other books, but this one was too good to give up. Immediately after starting A Lady for a Duke, I was hooked. Viola was the perfect character, and seeing how she coped with her struggles of identity, and finally took the plunge to be Viola, and be the person she was born to be, was amazing. Though she was now herself, the guilt of allowing her best friend to mourn her, and seeing the grief, and the PTSD he was suffering with was difficult, for me, but doubly so for Viola. I adored how her transition, and the truth was dealt with by Gracewood. Clearly, he was upset, and a little angry, but once the initial shock wore off, he was the best friend, and partner, anyone could ask for. There are multiple scenes where Viola is deadnamed, which may be triggering for some people, but I felt as if it was dealt with well, and right for Viola's story. I needed to read on and on, and couldn't put this book down except for work or sleep, and now I'm desperate for Alexis' next book! A perfect LGBT+ historical romance!

Love Regency Era books and it was great to experience it in a new way with Trans and LGBTQIA+ representation! I am also a huge Alexis Hall fan so I was extremely excited to read this one! I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! It was beautifully written, included one of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers, it was endearing and heartfelt, and overall just so much fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this advanced readers copy!

4.5 stars

Screaming, crying, throwing up, etc.

OK so anyways. I loved this book so much!!!! I cannot tell you how far and wide I search for romance novels with trans main characters, but this is the third one I've been able to find, & I adored it. And what was better, the other lead character was disabled! (Tho why could you cast a trans woman as a cover model & not have the other cover model be visibly disabled, hmm??? anyways.) The two lead characters were wonderfully complex, and the secondary characters were all wonderfully fleshed out people as well. I thoroughly enjoyed every second I was reading this, and I definitely plan to buy a copy myself.

Thank you to Forever/Grand Central and NetGalley for this digital review copy; all opinions are my own.

When I heard Alexis was writing historical romance, I was thrilled. We need to see more queer romances in traditional publishing, especially queer historical romances, and especially those foregrounding the beauty, nuance, and worthiness of transgender love.

The premise for A LADY FOR A DUKE had me hooked before I began: estranged childhood friends who reunite in the wake of war. Viola is liberated by her presumed death at Waterloo; Gracewood is imprisoned by his trauma, his addiction to laudanum to cope with chronic pain from his injuries as well as to quiet the ghosts that torment his sleep, and most of all by his grief for the loss of his oldest, dearest friend, Marleigh, who is presumed dead at Waterloo, where they fought together and last saw each other. Watching these two reunite yet also see each other for the first time in very vital, healing ways for both of them, was deeply emotional and powerful while also tenderly safe and affirming and gentle. The beauty of the ways they recognize each other and also learn each other anew, the ways in which their other relationships with their family and friends echo this too, was such a beautiful expression of what it means to love intimately and enduringly.

On top of a truly touching plot, Hall's prose is sumptuous and vivid, lush and lyrical, painting for its reader a richly detailed picture of Viola and Gracewood's world.

Finally, the epilogue, the joy of seeing how Gracewood and Viola have built their life together and made a family, the ways in which each of them have affirmed their children and their place in their lives and love and belonging, made my heart so full.

4.5 stars. Hello hi Alexis Hall just made me fall in love with two heteros and I have no regrets!

As children, Viola Carroll and Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood were the best of friends. And by adulthood, they were the most important people in each other’s lives. But when they went off to war, everything changed. Gracewood saw enough horrors to last him a lifetime and was left grieving the loss of Viola. Viola, though, saw her brush with death as an opportunity to shed her old life and finally start living as her true self. Two years later, when Viola hears Gracewood has been having a difficult time and is given the opportunity to see him again, she can’t resist being there for him in his time of need.

Ahhhhh! Viola and Gracewood are one of the loveliest pairings I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about! I just love their childhood-friends-to-lovers story and how all the *feelings* that have been brewing for years make the romance feel that much more complete. :,) There’s a moderate amount of angst related to the protagonists’ personal struggles and their separation from each other, but never so much that it takes away from the feel-good nature of the story. Personality-wise, they fit together so well, and the sweet words they say to each other had me weak in the knees!

This book features commentary on the societal and gender-related expectations of the Regency era. Not only is Viola learning to navigate the expectations of womanhood, but Gracewood becomes more conscious of his status as a man and a duke, learning to use his power for good and to reject toxic masculinity. Thankfully, there’s no transphobia in this book and Viola’s friends and family are all loving and supportive. I also appreciate how sensitively Gracewood’s addiction and PTSD were handled.

This is a very expansive story featuring lots of wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful) side characters. Viola’s nephew Little Bartholomew was so cute, her sister-in-law Louise was funny and ridiculous. I grew to especially adore Gracewood’s sister Miranda, and I think she’d make a wonderful protagonist for a sequel!

My main complaint with this book is that it dragged in places. Hall uses very descriptive language that at times worked for me and at times didn’t. There are also a few scenes in Viola’s POV where a long, drawn-out dialogue is going on between other characters, and during these scenes I lost sense of Viola’s POV and was left confused when entering her mind again.

I’m so happy with my first Alexis Hall read, and I’ll definitely be reading more from him!

Content warnings are provided by the author at the beginning of the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Forever Press am voluntarily leaving a review.

I was gross. I was expecting this book to be about Viola's becoming a woman and rather, it's a story about two people deeply in love who struggle with that love in the eyes of Regency society. Hall was very clear in their author's notes the conflict was indeed not about Viola or her struggles and when I looked upon it with through that lens, a lot of Hall's work made a lot more sense than the train of thought I was going down. I'm sorry for being so gross.

Now on to the book: I've summed the book as a tale of two people who have been deeply in love for years but could not have the words to express it or the understanding to. LGTBQIA definitely existed in Regency era (and before that going back to Romans if not even farther) but how it is accepted changes. Viola stands her ground she would rather be alone than with Justin as his side piece or knowing she can't give him the life he is supposed to live or want. He's the last surviving son of a dukedom. No heir means the line either ends or goes to a distant cousin. Justin doesn't care and in the end, true love triumphs. They can't live openly because she is a paid companion with no family. They certainly cannot marry.

The beginning of the book is slow and I nearly stopped a few times as I couldn't get into the story. Even when VIola is with Justin, when he does not know her, it felt a bit overwrought. I've heard nothing but praise for Hall and I was determined to finish and I'm glad I did. The pay off and execution of the ending was a nice wrap up of the struggles Viola and Justin went through. I loved Justin's explanation to Viola to not care what society thinks because society wants to be them and not the other way around. The purpose of the ton is to marry up your station and you cannot get any higher than a duke. If you're already a duke, next up is the royal family which is near impossible. So, they have everything society wants so who cares what they think?

I love the epilogue and the final paragraphs of the book. It summed up what Viola had been struggling with her life and her choice to take charge of her life rather than live as someone she most certainly is not.

Highly recommend. Don't give up! The payoff is worth it.

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

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall follows the story of Viola and the Duke of Gracewood. They were from childhood until young adulthood, until Viola was thought to have died at Waterloo, but really just took the opportunity to live as herself. She learns that the Duke is grieving his friend and eventually he learns she is still alive.

I really enjoyed this book, although I have to admit the first part was a little slow to get through. Also, I felt like the reader was kind of dropped into the story without any real introduction to the characters. I kept thinking I had missed some sort of explanation of who some of the supporting characters were and how they were related. Overall though, I loved the characters of Viola and Gracewood, as well as the supporting cast. It was well set up for a sequel, which I’ll definitely read.

I loved this book so much!

I’ll pretty much read anything that Alexis Hall writes!

Thank you so much NetGalley and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is beautiful, sweet, romantic and charming. Well drawn characters who feel so real I want to have them over for tea.

This is an emotionally lovely historical romance featuring a trans woman and her childhood best friend and so much pining!

Two years after the war, things are not going well for either Viola or Gracewood. Viola used it as an opportunity to change her future, but while she's happy as a lady's companion to her sister-in-law Lady Marleigh, she's still wary of moving about in greater society. Gracewood has taken the death of his best friend particularly hard, and once word reaches Lady Marleigh of his state, she decides the only thing to be done is to visit in person - with Viola in tow, of course. Viola wants to see him again - wants to help him - but doesn't know if she can do that without hurting herself or him. Once they arrive, Gracewood is strangely taken with the woman and can't help but feel eased by her company. But when hurt and recriminations come boiling over, Viola and Gracewood may lose each other again.

“She had as good as forbidden herself to think of Gracewood for the past two years—for he belonged with the past she had surrendered to the only future she could bear.”


Viola is simply wonderful. While she regrets some things (namely letting Gracewood believe she's dead), being able to finally be true to herself was something she could not refuse. She's settled in to life with her brother and his family, telling herself she's content to be the doting spinster aunt while imagining Gracewood with a loving family of his own. But when it's clear that's not true, she puts aside her own fears and goes to his rescue. Even after being drunkenly shot at by him, she can't help but confront and comfort him. Her strength, her bravery, her vulnerability... I love her!

While it was easy to love Viola, Gracewood, well, he took a little longer. In his defense, at the beginning of the book he's buckling under an enormous amount of trauma from both the war and his childhood, but his reaction to discovering Viola's identity is, well, awful. But it doesn't take him long to realize exactly how badly he screwed up, and both characters are thrown into a new angst spiral. Viola is wrestling with the knowledge that if she'd been born the way she should've, she probably never would've met Gracewood, and she certainly wouldn't have developed such a close friendship with him. Meanwhile, Gracewood has to face the uncomfortable truth that despite considering her his closest, dearest friend, he never truly knew her. But when circumstances (or sister-in-law machinations) bring them back together, he realizes that she's the one for him, and to heck with the consequences. Viola's well aware of the sacrifices she made for her new life, and losing Gracewood was possibly the worst. The thought of having him back is tempting, but with society being what it is, she's certain that it's only a matter of time before she has to give him up again.

“Men and women are permitted to interact in three ways: marriage, ruination, and polite indifference.”
For a moment, Lady Marleigh was silent.
“Well?”
“Give me a minute. I’m just trying to think of counter-examples.”
Viola gave her a minute.
“Oh dear,” said Lady Marleigh finally, “that’s a bit dreary, isn’t it?”


This is an Alexis Hall novel, so of course there's a lot of humor to offset all that angst. Much of it's in the form of Badger and his wife Louise (the aforementioned Lady Marleigh), who are an unconventional but deeply in love couple. Gracewood's sister Miranda is also a constant source of comedic material, though I felt her character was a bit too much of a caricature for me. There's also a completely unexpected (to me at least) and OTT action-adventure bit at the end of the novel which toed the zaniness line, but watching Viola and Gracewood work as a team was worth it. But the best part is the banter between the two of them. Some of it's angsty, some sharp, and some unbelievably sweet and romantic. The chemistry between Viola and Gracewood was off the charts, but at the same time, so many of their interactions (shaving his face!) were unbelievably tender.

“Damn the world. The world told you that you had to live the life it shaped for you, and you defied it. The world told me that I had to be as my father was, and I defied it, or am trying to. We can make our own world, Viola, with our own rules.”


Please note that I'm speaking as a cis woman here, but one of the nice parts of this book is how transphobia isn't the be-all end-all of the plot. Obviously, Viola still lives in a hostile world, but her family is absolutely loving and supportive of her, as is Gracewood's around his PTSD. That doesn't stop Viola from believing that she can't have her dream of a husband and children, nor does it stop Gracewood from thinking himself weak, because hello gender constructs. It's their love for each other that shows them how they've been limiting themselves, and it's what frees them to live their lives with joy and love. And that epilogue? Simply everything.

Overall, easily 4.5 stars, and definitely a book I'll be revisiting when I need a dose of joy.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Lady for a Duke
By Alexis Hall

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Hall was one of my fave authors in the past for how they writing brings the feel of something new in their stories! And I see that hasn’t changed at all!

A Lady for a Duke follows Viola, paid companion to Lady Marleigh, new to the mysterious art of female accomplishments and trying her hand at needlepoint, as she frees herself from the constraints of the time and rediscovers and deepens her relationship with her first and bestest friend.

The first 35% featuring the renewal of/ growing relationship between Viola and Gracewood was pure magic. Seeing Gracewood go from a tortured, PTSD suffering, grief-striken shell of himself to a flirtatious, conscious, happy person under the loving care of Viola was a bit of a dream. Of course the misery of discovery was never far from my head and you were almost waiting on bated breath full of tension for the anvil to fall.

The dialogue, the yearning and the guiltttt! Wrapped up in Alexis Hall typical humor laced prose and the secondary characters! All so preciously done! You were rooting for the two of them from the beginning to the end! And what an end it was! My heart, my heart! Is definitely soft mush after this near unbearable fluff!

The only thing is that I’m not entirely sure that it needed to be 480 pages? With certain events seeming a bit out of place?

But I adored the beginning, their re-discovery of each other and I wept at the end, their well deserved HEA!

Fans of historical romance will definitely enjoy this angsty tale of best friends finally seeing and opening their hearts to each other!

I can’t speak to the validity and inoffensiveness of the rep, but I’m happy that this was a story of trans joy and that Voila was met with such understanding from those nearest to her.

This book is absolutely everything a historical romance should be in my opinion.
It doesn’t concern itself with abiding by the laws of the past, but instead imagines a world where, within those laws, queer people can be happy.
I have read this book twice now, and I know it will always have a special place in my heart.
Viola is a wonderful character who has my heart from the very beginning, and Alexis Hall’s romance writing is unmatched. An absolute pleasure.

4 1/2 stars

Wow! Alexis Hall penned a book that was so easy to fall in love with. A Lady for a Duke was beautifully written
and emotionally engaging. I'm a huge historical romance fan so when I saw this was coming out, I was eager to read it.

The storyline for this book was executed perfectly. Viola and her long time friend, Gracewood are the perfect couple to pull for. As a friends to lovers plot goes, this is one of the better ones I've read recently. It was simply a beautiful story of courage and second chances. It's not always an easy read because there are some intense and serious topics touched on in this story. Even so, I thought these topics were handled in a sensitive and conscientious manner.


An injury in the war gives Viola a way to let society presume she's dead. This enables her to live freely the way she really wants to. Needing this opportunity desperately so she could stop living as someone she wasn't, Viola couldn't take time to think about how it would impact others. Several years later, she accompanies her sister-in-law to visit a family friend's estate to check on his sister. It's her best friend, Gracewood and she is stunned to see the level of grief he is still living in over her death. He doesn't recognize her until later in the book and when he does, it's so well done. The emotions between the two of them are charged and intense. Their romance is wonderful. It takes a good portion of the book for them to truly find their way back to one another and when they do, it's well worth the wait.

There were a few areas in the book where it felt like it drug a bit but overall, I really loved this book. The characters were well developed and the author did an outstanding job with the time period and scenery. It was easy to become immersed in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.