Overall, I enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that could’ve been improved upon to make this book really shine.

My main complaint about this book is the length. It’s nearly 500 pages and it really feels like a slog at times. Some of the issues were rehashed so many times it felt like the author was beating me over the head with it. On a related note, I felt like the storyline regarding Miranda was entirely unnecessary and really detracted from the main love story between Viola and Gracewood. While I did enjoy seeing Gracewood learn to be a better brother to Miranda, I feel this still could’ve been achieved without the convoluted side storyline about Miranda.

Where this book really shines, though, is the love story. Viola and Gracewood’s chemistry is *chef’s kiss* and the banter is incredible. Their love for each other is so believable and while I wish certain aspects of their story didn’t take as long as they did to unfold, ultimately I’m happy with their story.

This was my first regency romance, and I was definitely here for the Bridgerton vibes since I love that show (haven’t read those books yet 🙈). This is worth a read if you want to try out a new romance novel and you don’t mind the length!

This author is really wonderful! And this book was amazingly beautiful! I loved the dynamic and all the angst of this one! I think the author did a wonderful job telling a story of love, finding ourselves, and family! Viola and Gracewood were a perfect match as friends from the past and when they become lovers as well. This book had a lot of emotions, tenderness, and chemistry! I seriously can’t say enough good things about this book! Viola is our heroine who has left her old life behind and choosing to finally be who she truest is! She’s kind, strong, and smart! I really adore her! Viola also comes from a titled family who is so supportive! Gracewood, a Duke, is our hero who is disabled in his leg from the war. He’s lost and tries to find comfort in alcohol. But when Viola and her sister in law come to Gracewood’s estate worried for his sister, it’s then that Gracewood decides it’s time he does better for his sister and himself! I really loved watching them find love and friendship with each other as them real selves! I highly recommend this one!

I love Alexis Hall’s writing and this was no exception — but the angst level was off the charts and it just was a bit much for my current mood! Saving for when I need the heart ripped out of me, because this will definitely do the job.

With Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall delivered the funniest rom-com of 2020. Now his beautiful and moving new historical romance, which has just enough humor to lighten the angst, may be the sweetest book of this summer. In A Lady for a Duke, friends long thought lost are found and slowly, gingerly, become lovers. Viola Carroll, a veteran of the Napoleonic wars, was long presumed dead. Injured on the battlefield, she gave up her family, wealth and title to live as her true self. Then she returns to public life after years of absence and finds love with her grief-stricken best friend who’s still mourning her.

Also, look at that gorgeous cover. ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

Alexis Hall can do no wrong in my book and this regency romance proves it. Think Bridgerton with a trans twist and you get A LADY FOR A DUKE, a dramatic and swoonworthy story that doesn't make the character's gender the focal point. I loved Viola and Justin and this book will stick with me for a long time.

Thanks to Forever for the copy to review.

Presumed dead at Waterloo, Viola takes this opportunity to emerge as her true self, leaving behind not just a title and wealth, but best friend and companion the Duke of Gracewood. Reunited after many years, he doesn't recognize his old friend and she is distressed at his decline from war wounds, PSTD and his grief over her loss in his life. There is a LOT of angst (but not so much around gender/acceptance), a small amount of drama and above all, acceptance in a the heart wants what the heart wants and parts don't matter so much kind of way. Lush, romantic and swoon-worthy, with excellent period details, and finely drawn secondary characters.

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #ALadyForADuke from #NetGalley.

You don't often find a transgender leading lady in a historical fiction novel; but Viola Carroll is the strong, vibrant, yet hesitant main character we never knew we needed. Like the Shakespeare character of the same name, Viola had to live a lie as a man to meet the expectations of society. However. . . when she was presumed dead in the war with Napoleon, she saw her chance to be reborn as her true self. She had no qualms giving up her name, titles, and privileges. Her only regret is hiding the fact that she still lives from her beloved best friend, Justin de Vere. And now his sister-in-law is determined to save Justin's sister from becoming an old maid because she is locked away in the country taking care of her brother. . . and Viola is being dragged along for the ride.

Justin has become a recluse. Injured in both mind and body from the war and wracked with guilt that his best friends was killed while he lived on. The very night he decides to end his torment, two ladies blow into his house on the coattails of a storm. They say they are there to help his sister, but one is so familiar to him that Justin finds himself drawn to her despite himself.

I love the rich historical setting of this book. The fact that it takes a devastating war and supposed death for Viola to be able to become her authentic self shows how difficult it has been for transgender people, not only in today's society, but throughout history. The author's examination of the various effects that PTSD can have on a person's psyche is also written with compassion and understanding.

The plot was much more than a friends-to-lovers trope. Each character had to come to know and accept themselves, their new understandings, their inner demons, and how they truly feel toward each other and the world around them. It delves deftly into social injustices, using the history to help the reader see the reflections in the modern world.

TW: suicidal thoughts and prevented attempt, depression, bullying, discrimination

*I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is completely my own opinion given without compensation *

Alexis Hall strikes again, giving us a historical romance for the ages. Viola and Gracewood are lifelong friends, but a major event tore them apart over two years ago. Almost killed at Waterloo, Viola makes the difficult choice to start fresh and live freely as the woman she was meant to be. It's not difficult to choose herself and her happiness; the challenge is in leaving her best friend behind to grieve alone. They are thrown together anew when it reaches Viola's meddling sister-in-law's ears that Gracewood's deteriorated mental health from PTSD, substance abuse, and grief are dragging his younger sister down with him unintentionally. A rescue mission is launched to get Gracewood to a more stable state of existence and to reconnect his sister Miranda with society.

Something I think Hall does well is placing Gracewood's recognition of his friend (not a ghost and not a stranger as he initially assumes) in the first third of the book. Viola's identity is not diminished to a source of final act drama, and the secret between them isn't drawn out for an unbelievable length of time. Viola's transness is front and center, but it is not the focus of her story.

Both Viola and Gracewood are loveable leads, and I appreciated reading from either of their perspectives. Side characters add splashes of color, drama, and support to the narrative, and I found them all eminently likable. I have my eye on a pair that I hope inspires a sapphic sequel, but I'm not sure if that's in the cards. Even barely mentioned characters offer a lot to the story. A scene at a brothel is both humorous and matter-of-fact by turns. It's treated as a business with professional workers with no annoying moral or sensational tone that often accompanies such a locale in the genre. Lines of privilege are examined in the story, and some characters grow from confronting the limitations of their points of view.

In terms of romance, the drama comes early, followed by what I like to call a "longing period," and then we get a very sweet love story for the couple with no big interpersonal clashes. It's a bit instalove in feel except for the major detail that there is a long shared history between the characters to jumpstart their more romantic affection. For that reason and because it felt very natural on the page, it didn't bother me.

For the characters, for the romance, for a more inclusive regency story, for moments of humor and a deep dive into your feels, I recommend this excellent book. Thanks to Forever for my copy to read and review!

It took me a while to read this because I kept forgetting which book this was and assuming it was just another historical romance. Not only was it one of the better historical romances I've ever read, but also what queer representation! Alll the feels from this one. Putting this on a lot of my short lists and favorites.

I love Alexis Hall's work. But this was a complete miss for me. I feel like I may be one of the few people who didn't enjoy this. Which makes me wonder, what did I miss? I was excited to read a trans, historical romance. 

Viola Caroll, presumed dead at Waterloo, took this as her opportunity to live as she truly is. She lost her status, her friends, and most importantly, the Duke of Gracewood. 

The families reunite and Viola sees how her decision impacted her dearest friend. He's lost himself in grief, pain, and suffers from PTSD. He lives in a fog of laudanum and alcohol. His sister, who needs to be presented to society, is suffering due to this. As Viola inches further into Gracewood's life, chaperoning his sister, she becomes closer to the man who's friendship she cherished in the war so much. 

I had a few issues while reading this. The pacing was sluggish. It took me to about 50% in to actually get interested in what was happening. I was close to DNF'ing this one, but pushed myself to keep reading because of all the other reviews I've read. The chemistry between Viola and Gracewood was lacking. I didn't feel any attraction between the two of them. They just existed.

I was more interested in the secondary storyline, involving Gracewood's sister, rather than Viola and his story. 

What I did like, was they romance was NOT fade to black. Which is what you get with so many novels featuring a trans character. It was handled delicately and read just like a romance in the regency era would read. 

The portrayal of a character suffering from PTSD in this time period was what I personally feel to be as accurate. It was a misunderstood illness and Gracewood did what he could to deal with his time in war - drug and alcohol abuse.

Overall, it took me several months to read this book. I read twelve other books between starting A Lady for a Duke and finishing it. While this was a definite miss for me, you may enjoy it according to other readers.

I think that this book was a beautiful story and I loved the trans heroine. This is definitely not something that we've seen enough of in historical romances. However, I felt that the plot dragged on and this book was at least 75 pages too long. There were plot points that I think took away from the overall beauty of this story and the relationship of the two main characters.

a luscious historical with old school vibes, the author will take you through the emotional wringer with A LADY FOR A DUKE. A great selection for book clubs with the included question guide in the back, readers will find much to chat about and swoon over together.

Alexis Hall writes banter so well but balances it with deeply romantic emotion. The author's note was much appreciated re: historical trans rep. If you love PINING then this book is for you. So much longing and pining and it's beautiful.

This was one of the most surprisingly enjoyable stories of the year for me, I need more queer bodice rippers on the market too quench some of the problematic natures of the Bridgerton books.

Alexis Hall is a fantastic writer with the ability to create such well developed characters that you don't want to let them go after the book is over. In this story we follow Viola, who after being presumed dead at Waterloo, gets to come back fully as herself. But coming back comes with a cost, her dear friend Justin devere, Duke of Gracewood, thinks her dead. After a scheming relative forces the two of them together the sparks fly and so do the emotions. A really great story that follows two amazing characters who deserve the world and some very interesting subplots as well. I also balled at the epilogue because it was so perfect. Can't wait to read more from Alexis Hall!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

While perhaps imperfect in some respects, the benefits of such a book far, far outweigh any negatives. It is wonderful to have trans representation in a genre which historically shies away from any kind of LGBTQ representation. So happy that libraries will be able to have this on shelves.

This is a fabulous, sumptuous romance novel, and while it's a bit denser (and thicker!) than I usually prefer my romance novels, this one was well worth it. The historical trans rep was such a freaking treat, too.

I was so excited to read A Lady for a Duke. Seeing trans rep in historical romance is absolutely wonderful and I want more. Overall this story deals with a lot of personal growth from both our main characters. First learning to accept themselves, and then building that trust to let others in. There are so many sweet and steamy moments too, which balances some of the slower scenes. My biggest complaint about this book is that it was very long. It felt like a lot of the conflicts were repeated over and over just to stretch out the book, rather than needing that time for extra character development. I just wanted things to move a bit faster because it's hard to live in the conflict for so long, and it ends up making it harder for me to be excited for the romance.

But like I said, I really hope we see more books like this coming out. Thanks to Forever Romance and Netgalley for a copy to review!

This is such a charming historical fiction. I personally don't mind that there are aspects for which one might need to suspend disbelief, because even if society as a whole might not have been accepting, that doesn't mean there was no one accepting. The romance and conflicts are sweet and bitter, and ultimately I very much enjoyed the ride.

Goddamn. This book is freaking amazing.

Alexis Hall is amazing and every time I read one of his books, I'm left a little bit stunned. A Lady for a Duke is just flat out beautiful. I NEVER highlight books. Sometimes I try to squirrel away a phrase or sentence I loved, but rarely do I start using my #kindle to highlight passages. But this book was so perfectly phrased that I couldn't help but want to capture them forever.

Viola was resourceful, witty and full of sharp retorts that had me smiling. Her and Justin had such perfect chemistry and while he said a couple of things to her that made me cringe. Overall, I was fully yelling "KISS KISS KISS KISS" at my eReader and crossing my fingers for a happy ending.

The book drags ever so slightly in the middle while Viola can't quite make up her mind about what she wants. But ultimately it felt plausible and I was willing to wait it out for the HEA.

This book is a masterpiece and you need to read it.