Justin de Vere, Duke of Gracewood, was overwrought with guilt over losing his best friend, 'the joy of his life'. Returning from war a cripple who suffers from bouts of PTSD and the overwhelming dependency of laudanum and completely ignoring his state of affairs and his sister, his life is unexpectedly turned by the graceful presence of Viola. 😢 He was charmed by her, swayed by her gentle tendencies, he fell in love with her - so utterly smitten with her and how she is able to bring out the side in him he had lost and long forgotten. And then to have the sudden realization that the one who he had held so dear was the same as the one who he wanted to have were one and the same - it made his love for her even stronger, his conviction to make her see that he loved her as she was. 🥰🥰 When Viola learns of Gracewood's distress, she and her sister-in-law, the Lady Marleigh, decide to intervene. Viola knows she's playing with fire—how long can she hide her very-much-alive presence from her oldest friend?—but the choice is a done deal. She is going to help Gracewood no matter the cost. Delightful trans historical romance, written very specifically to not centre the conflict on the heroine's transness. It starts off quite angsty anyway as the hero is deeply traumatised by his war experiences as well as his bereavement, and there's a meaty clash between Gracewood's entirely justified anger that he was let believe his only friend was dead, and Viola's equally justified reasons for restarting her life. (I really appreciate romances that face head on that sometimes there isn't a single right course of action, and that people's rights and needs sometimes come into direct conflict.) I'm going to do my best to review this book but honestly words fail me to describe how beautiful it was. It is not a light read, my heart broke for Viola and Gracewood. Viola making a difficult choice, live her life as her authentic self but leave her old life behind in a lot of ways, including Gracewood. I loved their transition from friends to lovers this story was so full of love and joy but also angst. I love you. I have, in some form, for as long as I’ve known you. You are my joy and my truth and my heart and my dreams. You are the best of me.”

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. Action taking place in settings including a cold and severe ducal estate, and an airy and modern London townhouse, and a turn about Vauxhall Gardens; The only spot of freshness in this story did not come from the main characters at all—it came from the side characters, Lady Marleigh (sister-in-law to Viola) and Lady Gracewood (Justin's younger sister). They were doing fresh things in this story, thank goodness, and Justin and Viola got to semi-react to those events throughout the novel. But that did make for awkward reading in a romance subniche that tends to rely on its main characters to provide the agency in a story. From the bestselling author of Husband Material comes a lush, sweeping queer historical romance where sparks fly between childhood friends after a life-changing separation—perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Lisa Kleypas!​ When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.

Now let's talk about the ROMANCE. God! How gorgeous the romantic relationship is! Their banter, their communication, mutual respect, understanding, love - everything were absolutely breath taking. "A Lady for A Duke" is a sweeping historical romance that is equally fluffy and emotional. From pet names to lovely monologues confessing deeply hidden feelings, Hall knows how to write an emotionally fulfilling main couple. The only word to describe it is beautiful, and yet that word is inadequate for how Viola and Gracewood’s unfolding love story will make you feel. I was really excited to read this book, I’ve never read a historical romance with a trans main character. And while the concept and the characters in the book were wonderful, the actual plot and pacing of the book was a total snoozefest. I listened to the audiobook and while I normally love reading in that format, I was choosing to listen to music on my commute instead of the book because it was so boring. I’m actually genuinely upset that you can have a premise so interesting with the friends to lovers trope and just make it uninteresting.

Quaint, happy, and filled with heart, A Lady for a Duke is a shining example of a new type of inclusive historical romance. For those who were fans of Boyfriend Material, it's worth noting that A Lady for a Duke is tonally quite different. While this does have some funny moments, it's not a comedy and is much more serious in tone. That said, I thought it was a really beautiful love story crafted with care, featuring a trans heroine and her childhood best friend who thought she had died in the war.

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I have been looking forward to A Lady for a Duke since I first read the synopsis. Alexis Hall has such a profound way of writing characters who are so authentic, so beautifully queer that it makes me wish I could dive into each and every world. Justin’s journey in understanding Viola, is just as important as Viola’s understanding of herself. My hat is off to Alexis Hall with his handling of the physical romance scenes. It’s incredibly moving to witness the depth of Justin’s care for Viola, processing his own reactions to Viola’s body, and the sensations of what they can do together. Plus, Viola’s dysphoria is incorporated into the story in a simply masterful and sensitive manner. I am completely in awe of Alexis Hall. As I concluded today with a friend, even if he writes across so many genres, he always manages to deliver brilliantly thought-out books. Viola Carroll is the heroine of this book. A trans heroine. And while this particular characteristic is so perfectly portrayed and used throughout the book, it is not the main focus of it.

This book also has disability representation as Gracewood has a leg injury from the war that affects his day to day life, but he doesn't want to be pitied or defined by his disability even if it has changed him in certain ways. This review discusses individuals who may have identified as trans given they had the language to do so, and some quotes may use language that would not be correct, but I have made best efforts to use thoughtful language. But Viola's past has not fully escaped her, and one of the people from her past haunts her still. Her childhood best friend, Justin Gracewood, needs help.

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Viola was such a wonderful and inspiring heroine. The fact that she was transgender in such a time (I believe the early 1800s) was astounding and damn courageous, and I adored her family and the support and unwavering acceptance given by every character that knew and loved her. On the subject of representation, there is so much care and nuance put into how the other characters process and hold space for Viola's transness. To be explicitly clear, that doesn't mean that everyone reacts "the right way," or that every character easily and automatically understands or accepts Viola's transness, but it *does* mean that Viola is given ample opportunity to express herself, her feelings, and her needs in a way that’s very thoughtful and direct. In many ways, both of these characters are haunted by those past versions of themselves and they’re still learning how to accept themselves for who they are *now*, even if those new versions of themselves come with obstacles or hardships. Through healing together and being with one another, they are slowly learning that the people they are now are fully capable and worthy of love. The characters in A Lady For a Duke are all beautifully drawn. Viola is an instantly sympathetic protagonist who makes for a wonderful heroine. Her reaction at finding Gracewood still devastated by her “death” years later is heartbreaking, particularly when she struggles with whether to tell him that she is the friend he lost. You root for her instantly, wanting her to find happiness and joy in a world that deprives her of it. Gracewood is, without a doubt, one of the best leading men in recent memory. He is best described as a combination of Rochester from Jane Eyre and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, but he is so unique that it almost does him a disservice to make the comparison at all. The scenes from his perspective that delve more deeply into his PTSD and the lingering effects of his war wounds were some of the strongest scenes in the whole novel. I usually dislike epilogues. They're so over the top and annoyingly perfect, but this one... This epilogue was everything. It made me so happy. I cried. A lot.

A Lady for a Duke is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful and deeply romantic M/F historical romance, featuring a transgender heroine and the emotionally damaged Duke that owns her heart. There are a lot of very serious themes in this book, and yet every heavy thing is held so kindly, with such compassion and care, that it is not a heavy story. Indeed, it is delightful, full of wit and humor. It evokes beauty at every turn: in the personal empowerment expressed in the detail of an embroidered glove or a pretty pair of shoes; in the strength and courage that it takes to be a better person than you were; in the ways that simple expressions of care can create breathtaking intimacy. What do you want to hear? That I’ve imagined it? Countless times? You beneath me, with your legs around me, wearing nothing but your pretty shoes?”

About this book

The writing is witty, and [the] chemistry is irresistible, but it’s Hall’s insights about trust and self-worth that set the story apart. This is a triumph’– Publishers Weekly on Boyfriend Material