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Simply the best writer I’ve come across in years’– Laura Kinsale, New York Times bestselling author
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.A Lady for A Duke" isn't very different from any other good historical romances out there. Lush setting, polished prose, noble society, friends, families, conspiracies, humor etc etc. But Alexis Hall adds an exceptional TWIST to the mixture. This book features a trans heroine. I didn't about it when the book first came out. So I didn't pay much attention to it. But when I found out that "A Lady for A Duke" casts a trans woman as the main character, I was absolutely mind blown. This is the first historical romance I have come across to where queer poeple are not only recognised but also are treated with utmost respect. I have read a lot of books featuring trans man. It might come as a surprise but I had never read a book with a trans woman as the main character before this one. And, I never thought I would find my perfect, desired scenario in a historical romance. I am mind blown will be a understatement to be honest. Alexis Hall is the master of fabulous secondary characters. Lady Marleigh and Viola's brother, for instance, are not only comic relief, but key players in Viola's life. Her nephew, Bartholomew is such a precocious, funny little boy. His interactions with his aunt add so much depth to her character, it was beautiful to witness those intimate moments. Lady Miranda! Ah, my favourite, I do hope she gets her own book. She's the catalyst for much of the plot and I adored every single minute of it. Amberglass, you bastard, I can't wait to read your story. The highly gendered expectations of what is appropriate or accessible for ladies and for gentlemen, and creative ways of recasting or defying those expectations; The term “slow burn” doesn’t begin to capture the agonized pining of this romance, which is absolutely suffused with yearning. Hall poignantly depicts Viola’s tangled mix of relief and sadness upon being reunited with Gracewood. Viola has nurtured a quiet hope that their connection to each other would be undeniable—that Gracewood would know and accept her without a second’s thought. But if he doesn’t, she agonizes over telling him that she’s the friend he’s long thought dead, knowing that revealing her identity could ruin the new life she’s built for herself. Some of the most emotionally fraught scenes in the novel are when Hall focuses on Gracewood’s inner turmoil, empathetically portraying a once powerful, nearly untouchable man who is overwhelmed by trauma.
Viola Caroll, presumed dead when she went missing during battle, takes the opportunity to free herself from the strictures of the identity assigned to her at birth and finally live as herself. But the cost is heavy: her childhood friend, with whom she was as close as family, thinks she is lost. Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, has not been the same since returning from the war: his injuries are physically limiting and cause him chronic pain, he’s tortured by memories of battle, and he has come to lean on alcohol and laudanum to cope. He’s also never stopped grieving the loss of his greatest friend. When Viola and Gracewood are reunited by their families, they are faced with rediscovering each other, figuring out how they fit together after so much has shifted within and between them, and overcoming the barriers that would seek to part them once more. My favorite thing about this book is that it has just taken modern manners on how to treat a trans person, and plopped it down in Regency England. No long-winded justification for respect, just RESPECT. No outing, no microaggressions, no villainous transphobic rant, just...respect. Alexis Hall is giving us a historical romance with a trans heroine??? If god hates the gays WHY DO WE KEEP WINNING Alexis Hall produces the most unique and thought provoking relationships in his novels, and he’s just completely elevated the bar with A Lady for a Duke. Way more than simply a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance, Mr. Hall delivers a profound look at gender roles, and explores how physical perception affects the relationship between these two characters.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. 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! 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.
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