I listened to this book while also following along with a library physical copy. I found myself more apt to pick up the physical copy because I felt I needed to see with my eyeballs what was happening. The more audiobooks I listen to on NetGalley, the less I like the quality of the books I receive. This is in no way reflective of the author or the narrator.

I found this story charming, witty, and a joy to read/listen to! I had heard a lot of hype around the release of this book and was so happy to be able to experience it firsthand,

Ahhh another book that I had tried to read a couple of times since it's release (in May 2022.....) but I finally tried again for my Pride Month Reading and I was not disappointed! This was a very sweet Regency romance that has the emotional and brooding duke that is brought back to himself and society by a childhood best friend turned lover. This is my first regency romance with trans rep so it was a win for me between the story, the heart, and even the plot. This hinged more on withholding information than the miscommunication trope and I am so thankful for that. This was faster paced than other books I've read from Alexis Hall and it was all the better for it.

I'm always in the mood for a great queer love story, and I now have a new obsession with historical romances.

A LADY FOR A DUKE features Viola Caroll, who was presumed dead when she went missing during battle, allowing the opportunity to finally live freely as the person she's always felt she truly was.

The representation was done so well, and I just loved the characters so much! I had the audiobook format, and thought the narrator choice of Kay Eluvian was a perfect choice.

*many thanks to Forever and Hachette Audio/netgalley for the gifted copy for review

A few years after being presumed dead at Waterloo, Viola Carroll has remade her life the way she has always truly wanted to live. Her only regret is that her best friend, the Duke of Gracewood still believes she is dead. Now circumstances force her to reenter his life and figure out their path forward.

I loved this queer, friends to lovers romance. The slow romance between Viola and Justin really worked, and I loved all the side characters, particularly Lady Marleigh.

4.5 stars

This book has been on my radar forever. I was excited to read it while also feeling a bit hesitant; I’m familiar with some of the writer’s other books and knew they would handle the content with care, but I haven’t read much queer historical romance, and I definitely haven’t read other historical romance featuring a trans character, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect or how the writer would be able to incorporate more contemporary understandings of gender and identity into a story set in an era from the relatively-distant last. However, I should’ve had more faith; the writer did an excellent job at creating deep, well-rounded characters and an intriguing plot, all while intentionally and meaningfully including constructive discussions of gender, attraction, and identity. It was really interesting as well as satisfying and heartwarming to read. I very much enjoyed this story and wish I could’ve made time to read it sooner!

I've read Alexis Hall's other books, and am very glad I picked this one up as well. It was the first historical romance I've read with a trans protagonist, and I felt this book did a really great job addressing the main character's past while still being true to her present self. I really enjoyed the narrators, and listening to this book in audio format was delightful.

Alexis Hall does it again with this gorgeous novel. It is both full of exquisite angst and terrific humor. The characters are well realized and the setting is gloriously reveled in. I cannot stop recommending this to people!

First of all since this was an audiobook copy of a boom starring a trans woman I am glad that they got a trans woman for her part. Yes this is me praising the bare minimum but this needs to be pointed out. Kay Eluvian did a great job.

While other trans friends were praising this book I was a bit afraid of reading a trans book by a cis author. I definitely see what others see in this book and how it can feel like a breath of fresh air for some transfem readers.

However that book does seem really uninterested in how trans women lived back then in addition to a myriad of transmisogynistic comments made by Viola's friend that she doesn't seem to care about. One being even in the opening page of the book

Ok y’all, I wanted to love this one. I did. The rep here is incredible; I’ve never read a romance with trans rep before. But it was sooooooo sloooowww.
To me, there was so much repetition in each MC’s internal dialogue.
I’m also not a fan of being dropped into the opening scene. I had no idea where I was and it took awhile to learn the characters.
The romance was sweet; the grief was hard.
I loved that the audiobook was narrated by a British trans woman! The rep expands further than just the physical pages.
Overall - 3.5 stars!

There are plenty of reviewers who've gone in depth about the pros and cons of this book- yes, it's very long, but aren't all historical romances?- so if you want to read something like that, please, friends, read one of my friends' fantastic summaries.

I'll just tell you this: it's good, it's a queer Bridgerton with more angst, and it's written by the mastermind behind Tik Tok's beloved Boyfriend Material.

Did I mention the audiobook is perfect?

If any of this appeals to you, give this a read. It'll leave you yearning for your own Viola or Gracewood.

[Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]

//REVIEW IN ENGLISH SOON//

He tardado la vida en leerlo (realmente en escucharlo, que ha sido en formato audiolibro) pero más por circunstancias personales mías que por el libro en sí mismo, aunque reconozco que a ratos lo que estaba leyendo tampoco ayudaba.
Vaya por delante mi admiración total por cómo escribe Alexis Hall y porque se haya metido en el fregado de escribir este libro, ya que narrar la historia de amor entre una mujer trans y el que fue su mejor amigo en época enagüil no es para nada sencillo. Menos sencillo es que te la creas y Alexis Hall lo consigue, entiendes que estos dos amigos se querían cuando ambos eran hombres y que se quieran cuando uno de ellos por fin puede vivir la vida del modo en el que desea. Las secuencias entre ambos, sobre todo en el primer tercio del libro, son bonitas, sentimentales y llenas de la tensión que deriva de que un personaje conozca la realidad y otro, no (no quiero spoilear). Pensé que este iba a ser el motor del libro pero no lo es, acaba siendo casi una anécdota desplazada por otras cuestiones y otros personajes. Y eso me ha descolocado algo, la verdad, ya que me parece que se alarga mucho esta cuestión para no ser el centro del libro pero obviamente acaba pasándose un poco por encima de ella para que otras cosas tomen protagonismo.
El libro está muy bien escrito pero creo que Alexis Hall pierde mucha chispa y agilidad cuando escribe histórica, le noto mucho más suelto en contemporánea, ya sea esta cómica o no. Además me ha parecido excesivamente largo y muy lleno de pensamientos internos de los personajes principales (algunos bastante redundantes) pero también puede ser que al escucharlo haya sido sensación mía.
En cuanto al audiolibro, me ha encantado el narrador. Como no es mi fuerte escuchar narraciones en inglés, algunas cosas he tenido que escucharlas varias veces para entenderlas pero no me ha importado, ya que la voz del narrador me ha parecido fabulosa, muy agradable. Además, los cambios de personaje no quedan ridículos (sinceramente, a veces escuchar a un hombre afinando la voz para hacer un personaje femenino te provoca risa floja pero no ha sido este el caso).
Me ha encantado leer unas enaguas queer, tan distintas, con su punto divertido, mucha emotividad y unas secuencias hot más sentimentales que guarreriles pero muy bien narradas.

This book was so wonderful —BUT— I must admit that it started off sooooooo sloooooow that I don’t know if I would have made it through if not for the wonderful narration of the audiobook.

Once the plot moves past the early drawn-out angsty melodrama (ironic considering a reference in the opening paragraphs of the book), the story is fun and magical and charming enough that I could not stop reading!

Now that I got that out of the way, I want to scream and shout about how happy I am that this book exists. I can only hope that this is the beginning of a wonderful trend of trans representation in romance novels, especially period pieces. Everyone should have the chance to find themself represented in a fairy tale romance.

I found myself stepping into the shoes of each of the characters to put myself into time and place to ask big, deep questions and find answers I never even thought to look for before reading this novel. That is the mark of a story that NEEDS to be told because it means it hasn’t been done (or done well enough) yet to force the reader to find diverse perspectives they’ve had the privilege of never having had to consider before.

Thank you to Alexis Hall for sharing this piece of their heart with the world. Thank you to Hachette Audio and Forever/Hachette Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to read an ARC of “A Lady for a Duke” via Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This book was EXACTLY what I wanted it to be - a fun and powerful historical romance full of poignant discussions, some light steam, a sweet love story, and a queer cast I'd die for!
I have to admit, I am not the biggest historical romance reader - but as soon as I saw Alexis Hall is coming out with a couple of these, I knew I might become one. There is nothing quite like a queer historical romance written by one of my favourite authors - and with a trans MC and many queer SCs at that! I want MORE! (Maybe with Justin's sister Mira? A F/F romance in the making?!)

I also loved the mental health discussions, specifically PTSD - that is still not treated right in the media TODAY - and physical disability. Alexis managed to build on it with respect and sensitivity, even through the very ableist language of that era. Gracewood was never seen to a reader as less or as broken, despite seeing himself like that at times (his views changed as the story progressed). Viola and Gracewood are truly an example of a beautiful, respectful couple and I love them. I really do.

CW: Ableism, PTSD, grief, gun violence, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, transphobia (past)

PS. Alexis Hall slamming men and the patriarchy?! GIVE ME MORE, I was living for those at times sassy and at times hella timely and powerful remarks!

This book absolutely wrecked me. It was so so good. I liked the narrator but I did not love the narrator if that makes sense.

This will without a doubt be one of my top reads for the year. Viola and Gracewood were perfection.

I loved every single second of this emotional, heartwrenching and hilarious historical romance novel!

I always love the grumpy x sunshine trope so mix that in with a woman determined to help her grieving best friend come back to himself amidst her fear that he’ll realize who is truly before him — it was everything and more. Viola finally had the chance to become who she truly is so she took it but now her best friend thinks she’s dead.. only she’s very much alive and standing in front of him.

I was glad when he finally realized and they got to work through everything on an even deeper level. It tore at my heart so often! But this book also had so many light hearted moments that made me smile, blush and just straight up laugh out loud. Alexis Hall’s writing is so captivating.

The trans rep in here was gorgeously done. Do check the content/trigger warnings beforehand as there are things like deadnaming etc brought up. But, in my opinion, everything was done so well. This book and Viola as a character really spoke to me and made me feel seen in ways I’ve never felt in a historical romance. I hope Alexis has opened the door to more historical romances like this one. And I will forever read anything else he comes out with!

If you love historical romance with trans rep, disability rep, the sweetest most heartwrenching and fulfilling romance mixed with mystery, crime and passion, do read this one immediately! I also recommend the audiobook as that was how I read it, it was done perfectly!

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Pros:
• the romantic love story
• the friendship love stories
• Viola and Gracewood's self-love stories
• the familial love stories
• the positive trans rep
• accurate PTSD rep

Cons:
• The only lesbian character in the book is suspected to be a nonce by everyone simply for being a lesbian and she's having to prove time and again that she is not a nonce. Feels very lesbophobic. Love that for me and other lesbians everywhere.
• As someone who is disabled and walks with a mobility aid, I often found myself wincing at how Gracewood's injury and disability were handled.
• The pacing was very strange. The story could have, and perhaps should have, been slimmed down a bit at certain parts.
• Adoption is not family planning, it is a solution to a crisis. Gracewood talking about how he could get away with anything because of his money in the conversation about adoption was.... Wow.

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5. I loved many things and then some of the moments in the second half made it go a bit downhill for me unfortunately.

This is my favorite read of the year. I absolutely loved the relationship between the two main characters. The love interest was so gentle and sweet. I've never read historical fiction with a trans fem main character, and it was done so well. I loved how their relationship rebuilt as they rediscovered how their new dynamic would work, especially navigating a man/woman friendship in that era. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley, for an advanced copy of this book (in audiobook format) in exchange for an honest review.

Bridgerton but make it consensual and with a trans main character? Count me in!

I really enjoyed this book overall! It was a slow start for me but it definitely picked up and drew me in. Also very excited to read a historical romance with transgender representation and mentions of other queer side characters.


Pros:
-Good trans rep!
-Hot sex scenes!
-I really think it’s important to note that we actually got a sex scene with a trans person that wasn’t fade to black. I think it’s fine to have fade to black but it’s really common with trans characters to not go into detail.
-Addressing the concerns of being trans and being with a cis person, in a very realistic way, without being transphobic or letting it stop the love story!

Cons:
-Slow start
-While I liked following the main romance of the story, I felt like it was missing something. There wasn’t true conflict until near the end of the book.
-I was a little confused in the beginning about who was who and what significance Viola had

I’m not sure if I would ever read this again, because it wasn’t the most memorable or a book I feel I could read twice, however, I would still recommend it to people especially due to the representation!

A beautifully articulated queer romance that's completely worthy of its length, A Lady for a Duke feels like an old-school historical romance in the best way possible, with its lyrical writing, the near-obsessed dedication to capture every single emotional nuances, and the sense of sweeping scope and place.

I don't think I've read any new HR release that devotes this much page count in decoding an evolving relationship dynamic, as well as the psychological impact on the parties involved (the only comparable one I can think of is Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale); the commitment wholeheartedly pays off as I was left wanting more after the epilogue wrapped up (which by the way was extremely joyful and poignant).

A Lady for a Duke takes the best of old and new: classically crafted in scope with a progressive premise and ideology; yes, one can argue it's a little bloated plot-wise surrounding its secondary characters, but nothing can be categorized as a meaningless filler. This feels like a 'director cut' of an already epic story with all the trimmings—do not rush through it and enjoy the journey.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m not extremely into regency, the pacing is usually slower and I tend to lose interest, but that wasn’t the case with this book at all.
All the characters were amazing, well rounded and flawed, the representation was also incredible yet credible for the time period. Alexis Hall is just amazing at creating characters that should be disliked but making you realize all their faults is what make them lovable humans.
I loved this and I hope we get a book about the sister!