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rightthatsathing's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and War
moonflower7's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol
Minor: Deadnaming, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jkneebone's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
Sometimes I struggle to get into romance books, but when they're good, they're good. And A Lady for a Duke was GOOD. I borrowed this from the library because I saw someone describe the premise and was immediately intrigued, and it did not disappoint.
Our heroine, Viola Carroll, is a trans women in 1810s England. Previously known as the Viscount Marleigh, after being presumed dead in battle, Viola transitioned and now lives with her brother and sister-in-law (the new Viscount and Lady Marleigh), serving as her sister-in-law's lady's companion. Although hesitant to venture out into society beyond her family estate, Viola has no regrets about having given up her title, fortune, and privilege to live her truth - the only thing she regrets is the loss of her friendship with the Duke of Gracewood, who still believes his best friend died in the war.
Gracewood has spent the last two and a half years wracked with guilt over Marleigh's death. It was his idea for them to go to war, and they were separated before Marleigh "died" - he was never even able to find his friend's body. To compound the issue, Gracewood's leg was badly injured in the war, and he's become dependent on opium to relieve the pain. Ashamed of how the war affected him, embarrassed by his injury, and heavily grieving his friend, he's been ensconced at his estate with only his younger sister Miranda for company.
When Miranda sends Lady Marleigh a concerning letter, Louise (because she is a hilariously headstrong know-it-all and possibly my favorite character in this book) declares that she and Viola must travel to Gracewood's estate with the goal of convincing him to let seventeen-year-old Miranda have a London season. The only problem, of course, is that Gracewood doesn't know that Viola is really his former best friend, and Viola has no desire to tell him. When they arrive at the estate, Viola and Gracewood are immediately drawn to each other, and with her help he's able to start pulling himself out of the hole he's fallen into. Will the truth of Viola's past help their burgeoning new relationship, or harm it?
Listen. I DEVOURED this book in three days, making some questionable bedtime choices in the process, and I have no regrets. I love a Regency romance, but too often they play into the inherent sexism of the era, which makes it completely unenjoyable. I loved this queer lens on Regency England. I loved how the author handled Viola being trans - for me it was the perfect combo of realistic concerns/problems she faces, and hand-waving anything truly horrible or damaging. (E.g. her being careful to never leave her room without putting on a choker and some make-up, and feeling some type of way about no longer being recognized as Badger and Louise's family adds realism but nothing too stressful. But all of her family accepts her,she and Gracewood are able to get married, and he is totally comfortable having sex with her, so you don't have to worry about anything *really* bad happening.)
I also loved that the conflict between Viola and Gracewood wasn't about her being trans, it was about neither of them feeling worthy of the other. In Viola's case, it was a little bit about her being trans in that she couldn't bear children, but also about her lacking a title, etc. Meanwhile Gracewood was concerned that his injury and personal struggles meant he wasn't man enough for Viola. Alternating POV where each character loves and respects the other so much that they assume they could never be worthy of them?? I will eat that up with a SPOON, I tell you!!
The whole arc of Viola and Gracewood's relationship was pretty much perfect for me - I loved that Lady Marleigh could clearly see what was going on, how their relationship enabled both of them to expand their understanding of themselves and grow,how they integrated their history into their romantic relationship. What I didn't like as much was the third-act side-plot about Miranda - it felt like too much right at the end. I like that the author did something different with the climax of the story instead of the typical romance novel break-up, and I liked that Miranda got a moment to shine, but the actual situation was too intense/dragged on too long for my taste. (Why did Gracewood and Viola have to go see so many different people just to figure out where Miranda was?? The whole part with Amberglass seemed completely superfluous, even if it was fun to see Viola fence. I guess the author was thinking about writing a sequel about Amberglass, but that whole segment left me very confused as to what I'm supposed to think about him, and my final conclusion was not very positive.) 10/10 for the impulse/idea, 5/10 for the execution.
My other issue was with the timeline/ages of the characters - and I recognize this is mostly a me issue because other people don't notice these things as much. I found the combination of very specific historical events, exact ages for some characters, and unclear ages for others to be confusing. About 3/4 of the way through the book, we finally find out that Gracewood is 12 years older than Miranda, which would make him (and Viola, presumably the same age) 29. But Badger (and presumably Louise) are younger than them and already have a seven-year-old? Gracewood was 17 when his father died and he became Duke, which was a big deal since he was so young; but Viola can't have been that much older when she inherited her former title, since it happened before they went to war? Lady Lillimere is explicitly said to be in her 30s but is already widowed? I don't know if the problem is me trying to apply a modern conception of ages to a historical era in which marriage, not age, was the main marker of social maturity, or if the author should have sat down and mapped out the ages a bit more thoughtfully (and maybe made Viola and Gracewood be in their early 30s instead).
Final spoiler-y thoughts:I LOVED that Alexis Hall preserved the Regency trope of the woman being inexperienced/a virgin by dint of Viola never having had any interest in sex with women. Chef's kiss, great choice. The epilogue is also exactly what I want in this kind of romance novel - enough info about their future life together to leave me completely satisfied. Perfection.
If you like romance, especially Regency romance novels, I wholeheartedly recommend A Lady for a Duke!
Our heroine, Viola Carroll, is a trans women in 1810s England. Previously known as the Viscount Marleigh, after being presumed dead in battle, Viola transitioned and now lives with her brother and sister-in-law (the new Viscount and Lady Marleigh), serving as her sister-in-law's lady's companion. Although hesitant to venture out into society beyond her family estate, Viola has no regrets about having given up her title, fortune, and privilege to live her truth - the only thing she regrets is the loss of her friendship with the Duke of Gracewood, who still believes his best friend died in the war.
Gracewood has spent the last two and a half years wracked with guilt over Marleigh's death. It was his idea for them to go to war, and they were separated before Marleigh "died" - he was never even able to find his friend's body. To compound the issue, Gracewood's leg was badly injured in the war, and he's become dependent on opium to relieve the pain. Ashamed of how the war affected him, embarrassed by his injury, and heavily grieving his friend, he's been ensconced at his estate with only his younger sister Miranda for company.
When Miranda sends Lady Marleigh a concerning letter, Louise (because she is a hilariously headstrong know-it-all and possibly my favorite character in this book) declares that she and Viola must travel to Gracewood's estate with the goal of convincing him to let seventeen-year-old Miranda have a London season. The only problem, of course, is that Gracewood doesn't know that Viola is really his former best friend, and Viola has no desire to tell him. When they arrive at the estate, Viola and Gracewood are immediately drawn to each other, and with her help he's able to start pulling himself out of the hole he's fallen into. Will the truth of Viola's past help their burgeoning new relationship, or harm it?
Listen. I DEVOURED this book in three days, making some questionable bedtime choices in the process, and I have no regrets. I love a Regency romance, but too often they play into the inherent sexism of the era, which makes it completely unenjoyable. I loved this queer lens on Regency England. I loved how the author handled Viola being trans - for me it was the perfect combo of realistic concerns/problems she faces, and hand-waving anything truly horrible or damaging. (E.g. her being careful to never leave her room without putting on a choker and some make-up, and feeling some type of way about no longer being recognized as Badger and Louise's family adds realism but nothing too stressful. But all of her family accepts her,
I also loved that the conflict between Viola and Gracewood wasn't about her being trans, it was about neither of them feeling worthy of the other. In Viola's case, it was a little bit about her being trans in that she couldn't bear children, but also about her lacking a title, etc. Meanwhile Gracewood was concerned that his injury and personal struggles meant he wasn't man enough for Viola. Alternating POV where each character loves and respects the other so much that they assume they could never be worthy of them?? I will eat that up with a SPOON, I tell you!!
The whole arc of Viola and Gracewood's relationship was pretty much perfect for me - I loved that Lady Marleigh could clearly see what was going on, how their relationship enabled both of them to expand their understanding of themselves and grow,
My other issue was with the timeline/ages of the characters - and I recognize this is mostly a me issue because other people don't notice these things as much. I found the combination of very specific historical events, exact ages for some characters, and unclear ages for others to be confusing. About 3/4 of the way through the book, we finally find out that Gracewood is 12 years older than Miranda, which would make him (and Viola, presumably the same age) 29. But Badger (and presumably Louise) are younger than them and already have a seven-year-old? Gracewood was 17 when his father died and he became Duke, which was a big deal since he was so young; but Viola can't have been that much older when she inherited her former title, since it happened before they went to war? Lady Lillimere is explicitly said to be in her 30s but is already widowed? I don't know if the problem is me trying to apply a modern conception of ages to a historical era in which marriage, not age, was the main marker of social maturity, or if the author should have sat down and mapped out the ages a bit more thoughtfully (and maybe made Viola and Gracewood be in their early 30s instead).
Final spoiler-y thoughts:
If you like romance, especially Regency romance novels, I wholeheartedly recommend A Lady for a Duke!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and War
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
rheagoveas'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
ezwolf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Been non-stop thinking of “How many times must I mourn you?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Transphobia, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Deadnaming, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Sexual harassment
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
shae_purcell's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
PTSD; Misgendering; mentions of drowning, corpses