Really loved this book. Alexis Hall did it again! I’m not a large historical fiction fan but I loved this! It had everything you could want. This book had great representation and interesting characters while still be hilarious.

I really enjoyed this sweet but substantive historical romance! Viola is a completely compelling leading lady with wit, heart, and courage that has you rooting for her the entire time. Her love story with Gracewood has so much depth, while also being punctuated with joy, humor, and heat. Hall found the perfect balance and it’s totally satisfying to read.

A huge highlight of the book is the dialogue. The banter is smart, fun, and feels totally original and rings out not only between Viola and Gracewood, but amongst all the characters. Everyone gets their zingers in, which makes this romp even more delicious!

My only qualm with the book is the loss of momentum in the middle of the story. When the action moves to London, I distinctly felt a lull, as if the story was getting its feet underneath itself before moving forward. The romantic tension and tender moments between Viola and Gracewood kept the story going, though, and ultimately led to a very satisfying end.

Swoon worthy and chalk full of heart, I recommend A Lady for a Duke.

I debated between a 4 and 4.5 stars rating but finally decided to go with 4 star because of how long it took me to finish this book. At first, the emotional feels were too much and I needed to space out reading it. After the first 40% of the book, the feels died down a little and I was able to read it faster but it did take me a little longer to connect to the storyline. Unlike my usual feelings about books and wanting more, I actually think A Lady for A Duke would have benefited from being a bit shorter. There was a bit that felt receptive that could have been cut to make the story flow.

A Lady for a Duke follows the reunite of Gracewood and his friend who is now Viola. Guilt is a major plot point in this book and both Gracewood and Viola struggle with it. Gracewood feels that his friend’s death is his fault while Viola suffers guilt over needing cause Gracewood hurt to be able to live her life as a woman. There is so much emotional healing that is needed for both of them and that makes for a bit of slow going in the beginning. Once Gracewood learns that Viola is his decreased friend, the plot of the book picks up. There are absolutely adorable moments between Gracewood and Viola, such as their dance, that really show the connection between the two of them. As their relationship moves to the physical, the role of communication and trust is really highlighted and it provides a good contrast to see how far they’ve come. There are some plot points I questioned towards to end of the book but they didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. This story was an emotional roller coaster but also beautifully written.

Though it was the war that tore them apart, Viola Caroll and Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, have been fighting for their lives since long before Waterloo. Born into a body and societal expectations that were destroying her with every breath, Viola seizes a new life from the battlefield in a sacrifice more costly than she could have imagined. Despite the power and wealth his name has granted him, the only light Gracewood has ever known came from his dearest friend—and the ghosts that remain are slowly killing him. Still, if the dead can breathe, the damned can love. And he’s not about to see it lost a second time.

In many ways, A Lady for a Duke was very difficult to read. Not only has Viola lived through the blood and death of war, she has spent her entire life struggling to be herself. She fears that, if any of the lie she was forced to live for so long touches the truth she’s fighting for now, everything will be taken away from her—a restraint of other people’s making stretched too far, snatching her back into a darkness she knows she won’t survive. Likewise, Gracewood suffers from a leg injury he received in battle, as well as PTSD (though there is no vocabulary for it within the novel’s setting), and is well aware that, if the stigma of the former makes him barely tolerable among the ton, the latter would see him ostracized and ridiculed beyond bearing.

Happily, if unsurprisingly, I found most of the secondary characters in A Lady for a Duke to be wonderful in their own right. Lady Marleigh for her often-irritating, yet well-meaning (and infuriatingly accurate) instigation of much of the narrative. Miranda for her worry and anger, and her curiosity and forgiveness. Pretty, somewhat vacuous Badger for being…Badger. Of all of them, however, my absolute favorite was Lady Lillimere. As a widow of considerable status and means, she has satisfied her duty to both family and husband, and is free to say and do what other women are not. Which makes her kind of perfect.

Not everything in A Lady for a Duke is dark and serious. When it is funny it is snort-your-tea funny, thanks largely to the above mentioned Lady Lillimere. Her observations on the hypocrisy of the aristocracy, the value of husbands as commodities, not to mention her accurate, if delightfully brutal, estimation of Miranda’s fiercest rival, etc. were both fun and appreciated. Also…Lord. Wankerbunk. Additionally, Viola’s interactions with Little Bartholomew (her nephew), were welcome, sweet diversions that I enjoyed a great deal.

In the end, I found Alexis Hall’s A Lady for a Duke to be complicated, necessarily affecting, often charming, optimistically loving story. The obstacles Viola and Gracewood must overcome, both singly and together, are significant, and the author addresses the gravity of the greater struggles they represent extraordinary well. And still, with just enough teasing moments of joy and well-placed levity throughout the narrative to provide needed balance, this truly was an exceptional read.

This was such a sweet romance and I loved every second of it! I really hope Alexis Hall writes more historical romances because I would read every one.

Representation: Trans woman MC. Other MC is a former solider disabled by war, has chronic pain, PTSD, and drug dependency.

Viola Caroll came back from the war more true to herself, but to achieve that, she had to let herself be presumed dead. In doing so, she lost her wealth, title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. She keeps her distance after the war, thinking it’s the best for everyone. However, Gracewood has taken the loss very hard. He’s retreated into his own grief, drinking and taking drugs for his pain but also to dull the loss of Viola. On a visit to the Gracewood estate, Viola sees this and barely recognizes the man before her. She decides she has to try and bring Gracewood back to himself, perhaps at risk of discovery and everything she’s built, but perhaps giving rise to something new and impossible.

Rating: 5/5 I want to be clear, Viola is a trans woman. She was raised with Gracewood, and took the opportunity to transition and reimagine herself as her true self once she found out she was presumed dead. I really, really enjoyed this Regency-era historical romance. Viola’s transness does impact the story, but it nearly never becomes the main focus. The fact that she’s a woman and has to live by all of society’s rules takes precedence, especially when she’s around Gracewood and there’s a whole new dynamic that they have to navigate. There is so much queer longing in this, Gracewood for his old friend, and for Viola. It goes the other way as well, with Viola realizing that her feelings for Gracewood have evolved into something that she didn’t have a name for before. Gracewood did have an initial struggle upon learning who Viola was, but quickly accepted her as who she was. The few other characters that know about Viola’s transness have their own relationship to it, but they all accept and support her. Viola is definitely haunted by her past, coming face to face with all of the things she used to do that she can’t now that she’s a “proper” lady, learning how to navigate society as a lady’s companion. Alexis Hall is a fantastic author, and I think he did a great job with all the banter. I didn’t connect it until later, but he’s also the author of Boyfriend Material, which I also enjoyed very much! If you enjoy historical fiction, especially one set in Regency-era society, I would absolutely recommend this.

Hall is the author behind so many of my other favorite romances, like Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake—so I was entirely delighted when I learned that he was not only writing another historical romance, but one that would be primed to personally devastate me in the best possible sense of the word. Hall is already a name to follow in romance, but with A Lady for a Duke, he cements himself even further as a writer who pushes the genre beyond its previous borders and helps to reestablish a new definition altogether.

There are the trademark trappings of a Regency romance, of course, in all their most entertaining incarnations, but ultimately our heroine, Viola Carroll, has previously been living a lie—not just to herself in her past, which finally led to her embracing her true identity as a woman, but also to her oldest and dearest friend in her present, who believes her life had been lost on the battlefield at Waterloo years ago. Understandably, the story deals in many heavy subjects, and readers will be taken on a journey of many emotions, but the end result is a book that delivers on both its angst-laced premise and the reassurance of happiness by its conclusion.

Alexis Hall really is a wonder - "Boyfriend Material" was such a delight and a comfort read to me, so I went into this book hopeful but not sure how the hilarious banter of a contemporary story would translate to a historical setting. I really needn't have worried. I was so sucked into this story that I could not put it down. I was constantly sneaking peeks at the story while in the middle of all the other tasks I needed to be doing, because I couldn't bear to leave the story. I loved following along with Viola's journey of making the choice to be herself but dealing with all the things she had to give up, particularly with the constraints on women in the 19th century. I fell in love with the entire cast of characters, and could happily hop back into this world to see what any of them were up to. It was a joy to read from the very first page, and had all the humor and delightful banter that is Alexis Hall's hallmark. Viola's and Justin's journey back to one another was so beautifully spooled out, and you could really feel all the emotional beats of them trying to figure out to communicate with each other. I think that this is likely to be a book I return to again and again.

Alexis Hall writes romance like no one else. So unique, so inclusive, so sweet. The plot kept me on my toes and the characters made my heart melt. This is no miss author for me. So glad I was able to listen to and read this wonderful story. Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to get this arc.

I’m OBSESSED with Gracewood and Viola, I would read so many books about them. I was in from the first page - the setup, a trans woman meeting again her friend who believed she died in the war, and who had blamed himself for her fate, was perfect for creating drama, emotion, ALL THE FEELS. This book quite literally made me laugh and cry. I wanted them both to be happy and oh em gee the journey was worth it for where they end up together. I also adored Lady Marleigh, every time she was around I ended up laughing, but she was also a truly great friend to Viola.
If you like romance novels and/or historical fiction, this one is a must read.

My feelings on this book are a bit mixed, but ultimately a transwoman getting her unequivocal HEA in a well-written historical romance book deserves to be celebrated.

I started off absolutely loving this book. I mean. THE EMOTIONS. I was near tears and thought I would give this story 5-stars for sure. I'm not usually a fan of stories where there is an off-page, prior to the story emotional connection between the MCs, but I really understood it here. The grief and the depth of the emotions between the MCs was absolutely overwhelming. However, my enthusiasm started petering out in the middle portion of the story.

I think my only issue, significant as it was, with this story is that the pacing fell way off the map in the middle of the book. The whole plot felt drawn out and muddled, and I missed the feelings I had in the beginning of the book. I feel like the initial plotline only stretched so far, and then side plots were brought in to flesh it out and then things felt watered down, if that makes sense. I wanted that emotional intensity back.

I greatly enjoyed that Alexis Hall gave us on page sex (YES!!!). On page sex in books with trans characters is so important to me because I love when authors treat these books with the same heat and sexual tension as any other pairing. I thought Alexis did an amazing job here with that aspect of the story. I also adored the HEA and epilogue. *dreamy sigh*

Best part of the story is the fact that we had a happy transwoman living her best life in historical romance because, realistically, there WERE transwomen doing just that in all eras of existence, whether people knew it or not. I really enjoyed the side characters as well (Alexis always gets those right). Of course, I could have used more humor but I think I just love Alexis Hall when he does funny so much that I craved it here also.

Overall, I celebrate every aspect of this story, even if I wanted slightly more from parts of it. Thank you, Alexis Hall, for delivering such a successful book.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

This is a departure from Hall's usual chatty style to a more serious tone, and I really enjoyed it. This just proves that Hall can write anything. Viola is a truly lovely protagonist, a woman living in a difficult time to be trans but who has done her best to carve out a happy life. Her Duke is a man tormented by ghosts and the scars of war, Their romance is complicated but real, and I loved reading it. As usual, top notch supporting characters and divine dialogue. No notes.

I loved it! Alexis Hall is incredible. I wasn’t sure how a historical romance about a trans character would work but was hopeful that it could be done and done well. Alexis Hall crafted such a beautiful story about choosing to be your authentic self even when it’s hard or scary. I also loved the way that as characters who had known Carol before they transitioned didn’t dead name her once they knew who she was. They would stop themselves or catch themselves and self correct. It’s such a small piece of the story but I’m glad it was included. I’ll be recommending this to literally everyone!

I’m a marketing and publicity intern at Forever Publishing, so I am reading this for work. May post full review later.

Alexis Hall can be a hit-or-miss author for me, but I really enjoyed A LADY FOR A DUKE and would love to see more historical romance with trans characters represented like this.

Review (#giftedbook): A Lady For A Duke

Author: Alexis Hall

Rating: 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!

First--Alexis Hall is a story magician. THE RANGE PEOPLE. Okay.

A Lady For A Duke was so sweet and lovely. Viola and Gracewood are so completely swoon-worthy, but also deep and beautiful and endearing. This felt like a slow-burn for me and oh my...the ANGST. It is all worth it though. I do think the story ran a little long, but that is my only complaint, because this romance is so fulfilling and wonderful that really, who cares if it feels a little long. Also, the end is SO exciting and yes, I punched the air multiple times with joy.

I love Viola's journey through this book--as a trans woman in Regency (I'm assuming Regency) society, she doesn't believe she can have the life she might want or be with the one she loves. Her journey to acceptance--not acceptance of who she knows she is, but of the life she could have--is heartwarming.

🔥Open door sexy scenes

CW: PTSD from battle

This had so much to love. I love the "i thought you were dead" trope and also the friends-to-lovers trope and I thought they were very well done in relation to this story. I loved all the pining and yearning between Gracewood and Viola and I thought they worked so well as a couple. Both of these characters were so gorgeous and I was rooting for them the whole time. The same goes for the ensemble. Hall just has a knack for creating lovable side characters.

My issue (like with many of Hall's books) is the pacing. It definitely drags in the middle and there is a weird end plot that I feel like it wouldn't have felt as abrupt if it was foreshadowed earlier on. Also, the most despicable character in this book is the protag for the next book and I am EXTREMELY curious to see how Hall pulls it off bc damn that guy was douche. But I have faith in Hall so I am excited about the follow-up!

This book!!!!! I honestly wasn't ready for this... I feel like most of what I've read from Alexis Hall is lighter and funnier, and while this wasn't that, it was amazing in so many other ways. This book definitely packs a bit of heartbreak, and there's so much angst. You just want these two to figure it out and get their HEA. It's so difficult for them to figure it out because of the time and their circumstances but you just really want them to find a way, and oh my gosh do they. That epilogue?? It absolutely killed me how happy that epilogue made me. I just adored everything about this book. Every single thing.

This book was life-changing. I am always impressed with Hall's writing style and his ability to weave banter so hysterical and so natural that I find myself hating him a little bit for his talent, but this book was truly something else. It was an emotionally traumatizing read from which I shall never recover from in the best way. The tactful way he introduced Viola, her history, and her present was absolutely beautiful. Some people wrote that they didn't enjoy that there was a lack of transphobia in the book, but I don't think any authors owes us that sort of "realism" in their writing. They don't owe us that sort of trauma and hate towards the main character. Hall set out to write a story of love and acceptance (both of others and of oneself) and I think he nailed that. I keep wanting to refer to this as a second chance romance, but that's not at all what it is. It's a first love, a first friendship, a first everything being shared by two people meeting again for the very first time.

Wow. This may be one of the most beautifully written historical romances I’ve ever read. Yes, this is a long winded book, but the pacing was very well done IMO and I truly think we needed all of that page time to tell Viola and Justin’s story. I adored all of the side characters as well.

I could feel the emotional/soul deep connection between Viola and Justin from the first few pages, and the way it developed/evolved throughout the book was simply stunning. Also the very end was everything 🥺🥺🥺

*thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*