A Lady for a Duke Review

A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Manda Collins!

When Viola Caroll 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.

Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.

As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.

General Impressions

I would have wanted to read "A Lady for a Duke" for a multitude of reasons, the absolute biggest of which being that it's written by Alexis Hall (For Real is one of my favourite books and I hope he writes more books in the Spires universe soon) but the moment I saw that this was a regency romance with a trans heroine, my queer heart simply exploded in glitter and confetti.

The easiest way of encapsulating this book for me is to picture Jane Austen's heartfelt dialogue and dense prose with Bridgerton's levels of steaminess. This book reminded me of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie in a lot of the themes it approached, but Alexis Hall focused less on creating drama and more on his characters identifying their trauma and finding healing.

I loved the two main characters in this book, both Gracewood and his struggles with the way he was raised, ideas of masculinity, PTSD and learning to live with his disability and Viola still struggling with what as a woman, is now available or forbidden to her, her guilt over abandoning Gracewood and her dysmorphia and insecurity over her body. The secondary characters were also really fun, their unhingedness and comedic value being vintage Hall.

Reading about these two characters finding their way to peace and each other was so lovely, but when you add to that, a trans woman, free to be herself and at peace with indulging in the activities she enjoys, also falling in love and having intimate scenes with the person she loves? Reader, those scenes were HOOOOOOT and so lovely and consensual and devoid of pretence: these people were being intimate and it felt real, not cinematic, there were pauses, conversations, corrections of course...this was such a breath of fresh air.

I am so glad this book exists. I am so thankful I got the chance to read it.

Thank you to Piatkus and Little Brown Books for sending me a copy.

Rating: 4.5/5