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tealxox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and War
Minor: Deadnaming
tipp_njam's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I genuinely couldn’t put the book down for the 2 and a bit days I was reading it 😭🤭 The main couple are so incredibly sweet with one another, their love and affection for one another shining through the entire novel. I can’t express how much love I have for them and how much I adore Viola’s character.
The writing, my goodness. It is so beautifully written. Alexis Hall did a wonderful job with this. I mean, i just have highlights were my only comment is “beautiful”
The writing, my goodness. It is so beautifully written. Alexis Hall did a wonderful job with this. I mean, i just have highlights were my only comment is “beautiful”
And for the first time in her life she allowed herself to look at him, truly look at him, as she had never dared before because it would have entangled her with a different set of possibilities —possibilities she had somehow always known weren’t the answer she was seeking. She looked at him now as a woman to a man, claiming all the freedom of it.
In addition to just gorgeous descriptions of feelings and characters — the author does such a lovely job with the side characters. My favourite, without a doubt is Lady Marleigh who never ceased to make me smile. Shes so funny and such a good friend. Half my comments on her highlights are just “THE WOMAN YOU AREE”
I also really appreciated all Viola’s interactions with Little Bartholemew. As well as Miranda’s character!!!
I like the complexity of Viola and Gracewood’s characters. I also appreciate that the author wanted to write a story where Viola’s trans identity was not a plot device and that they stuck to that throughout. It felt both emotional and lighthearted (to me, I know that some of this can be rather heavy for others). I just adore this book. I really do.
Given some time in between I would definitely re-read this.
If anything, I wish there was more, though I like where and when it ended.
//diversity; characters are all white, tho the main lead is a trans woman and there are two queer side characters
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Grief
Minor: Addiction
threeundertwopnw's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The pace was very slow and repetitive and the plot tended to zigzag around, but the writing was beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
himpersonal's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved that the main character was trans, especially in a time when it was illegal (this is not a spoiler - it's revealed very early on in the book). We need more books like this (especially now) where trans characters are seen as normal, even in a time when it was criminalized. They have always been part of every population, and they always will be. They also deserve to be loved like all people do.
The story unraveled at a good pace and the romance developed organically. It was perfect. So often, romances are rushed to get to the sex scenes, or they are sappy and unappealing. This one was well done. Also really liked the relationship between Justin and his sister.
Book was effective at gathering all the trauma that took place before the characters were even introduced and helping them work through their personal tragedies, bringing them to closure, and helping them move beyond the healing.
The story unraveled at a good pace and the romance developed organically. It was perfect. So often, romances are rushed to get to the sex scenes, or they are sappy and unappealing. This one was well done. Also really liked the relationship between Justin and his sister.
Book was effective at gathering all the trauma that took place before the characters were even introduced and helping them work through their personal tragedies, bringing them to closure, and helping them move beyond the healing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic
imds's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought A Lady for a Duke was a very heartfelt (and queer!) historical romance. What strikes me across all of Alexis Hall’s books is that the characters feel like real people, they have feelings, desires and flaws and you experience all of that with them. Viola and Gracewood were such interesting and dynamic characters and I really enjoyed reading them. I thought Hall did a good job of exploring how PTSD and trauma affect a person, especially in a time period where there wasn’t a term for this condition yet. I also loved how Hall explored how a trans person might live back then, that being trans was just one part of Viola’s story, and that her version of womanhood was never made out to be less than. The romance between Viola and Gracewood was sweet and moving, although I was frustrated with them in the first half of the book, I loved how their relationship progressed and the ending they chose with one another. The only things that didn’t work for me was the pacing felt a little off at times, and I thought the conflict that Viola and Gracewood were working against in the third act was kind of ridiculous but it had its place in the story at the end. (and to anyone worried it’s not a third act break-up! so bless alexis hall for that) Other than I had a great time reading this; and I look forward to more books in this universe (because I definitely saw the seeds planted!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, and Blood
nothingtosay's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, War, and Classism
sabrina118's review against another edition
It is so incredibly slow paced, the plot completely shifts about halfway through, and it’s 100 pages longer than it needs to be. I specifically stopped around the sex scene (yes, 75% into the book) The hyper dramatics and bland romance just made it impossible to continue. So disappointed, I wanted to love this and I did really enjoy Boyfriend Material by the same author. But it is so inconsistent, melodramatic, and not engaging enough to justify the length.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny and Transphobia
As a big Jane Austen fan, I was frequently confused by the the “alternate” Regency era depicted in this book cuz women’s virtue is depicted as both integral and also not important at allrheagoveas's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
fionamclary's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was fun and sweet and heartfelt and successful at being a book with a trans heroine where the main conflict is not about her being trans. But it is very much a book about gender, in which Viola learns to embody her womanhood while rejecting the gendered expectations that don't suit her, and Gracewood learns to redefine what it means to be a man in a way that integrates his past traumas without being confined or dictated by them.
I wish we'd gotten a better picture of their friendship pre-Waterloo and how that affects their present relationship. Especially after the first 150 or so pages, it often felt that little would change about the story if they were complete strangers before meeting at Morgancald post-war.
I wish we'd gotten a better picture of their friendship pre-Waterloo and how that affects their present relationship. Especially after the first 150 or so pages, it often felt that little would change about the story if they were complete strangers before meeting at Morgancald post-war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Gun violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Classism