Reviews tagging 'Outing'

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

7 reviews

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.

Content Warnings

erika_winters's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

I think this is the first time I’ve ever read a historical romance (as far as my memory is concerned), and I loved reading a story centered around a transgender woman named Viola (love the Twelfth Night reference here). Alexis Hall skillfully crafted this book where being trans was not a main source of conflict, but something celebrated and loved. I appreciated all the characters close to Viola, like her sister-in-law Louise, for example, care for Viola and never question her identity. The romance between Viola and Gracewood is beautiful and so well-written; the friends to lovers motif really created a layer of understanding and affection between the two as they grappled with their identities, PTSD, and for Gracewood, a disability that he has to come to come to terms with in a society that he feels will judge him. Viola is not the only character coming to terms with her gendered society; Gracewood is too in all of his personal struggles with drug and alcohol addiction from PTSD from Waterloo, and the harsh upbringing with a callous father who taught him a suffocating model of masculinity that he feels stuffed into. Overall, it is through each other that they find their strengths and discuss their weaknesses, which made this an effective romance, in my opinion! AND all the queer representation really made my heart happy; so, come for the regency romance, stay for the queer joy!

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mobymaize's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad 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

5.0

It was really nice to read a regency era romance novel, a genre I don’t typically consume, with a trans woman protagonist, a person just like me :)

ALSO HOLY FUCK THERE IS SOMETHING INCREDIBLE & HOT ABOUT FALLING IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHERS WORDS. also HOLY SHIT THE SEX SCENE!!!!!!!!!! absolutely magnificent.

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lignjahal's review against another edition

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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? No

4.0

4.0/5

It’s a cute little queer historical romance that will keep you engaged with solid writing and good characters.
My only cons are the length being just a bit too long and the writing sometimes being a bit too modern for the period, but these are only minor complaints.

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kato_goldacker's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Friends to lovers slow-burn with good Trans Representation.

Recommend for Bridgerton Fans
(go to end for conclusion)

Loved it. When I found this one I knew I had to read it simply because it is exactly what I wanted.
Alexis Hall has some really beautiful writing and ways of describing things, as well as the ability to spark inspiration or thought with the way he puts things. This had a lot of inspiring, beautiful lines and romantic, soft, yearning moments that I really enjoyed, I marked a lot of parts in this book. Hall did a great job with writing a relatable trans character, too.

I did feel that, overall in its execution it’s not a masterpiece of a book, as I still felt like some things were perhaps missing or too simple. I also wasn’t always entirely sure about the pace of the book, I would call it a slow-burn romance, which I liked, but it did change pace a bit later. I don’t think it’s extraordinary story-writing or anything -generally I felt like there were things missing for me to make it a GREAT book, but I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was. Depth, the feeling of a more detailedly thought-through plot / story, most likely.

Still, I loved it, and I’m so happy there’s a book with this story.
The characters were lovely and the playful, intimate and teasing interactions and the yearning and pining between Gracewood and Viola were really fun to read.
I’m also really happy we got a bit of spicy/intimate scenes, which I think is great seeing trans characters nicely represented in.

I don’t think you always need an absolutely great story with a unique plot that wasn’t ever written before. Popular tropes can still be enjoyable, and I don’t think it’s necessary to have an entirely period-accurate representation in every LGBTQIA+ novel, especially since -some people argue- it can be nice for us to have something simple, cheesy and stereotypical for once too, just like there’s tons of (non-LGBTQIA+) straight fiction like that.

Conclusion
So I’d say, if you’re not looking for a terribly original storyline but for a happy, hopelessly romantic, historical friends to lovers slow-burn, featuring good and positive trans representation, you will really like this.

About Triggers
I put all from this list I think are (briefly) in the book,
Of course it is for yourself to know but I just need to say I didn’t find this much triggering, even though I am quite sensitive to a lot of those. If drug use is really triggering for you it might be a different thing, for me it is mainly violence related as well as any sexual abuse or transphobia related ones, but I was mostly fine reading this and, despite containing all of those listed triggers, I found this was book that still felt light.

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novella42's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

This book was a delight and a joy, easily one of my top reads of 2022. As a queer cis person with PTSD and a disability, married to a genderfluid partner, I have often wondered what our lives might have been like in a different time. This story was a refreshing alternative to many of the "gritty" interpretations of queer history. The truth is that we don't know a lot about the queer or trans experience prior to the Twentieth Century—because it was hidden from view—and because we don't know, there is also space to speculate for happiness and acceptance just as there is for the usual tropes that assume all will encounter darkness and hate.

I felt such a connection to the characters. The struggle with internalized ableism was believable and handled with more nuance than I expected. And just... The identity work in this book, not just about gender but on so many levels. It felt wonderful to witness. To see them work through their fears, their demons, to navigate all the uncertainties (without language for their identities or traumas), and all the ways they connected to heal. I was crying with pure joy at multiple points throughout the book!

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quirkykayleetam's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.75

This is a swoon-worthy period romance that happens to have a transgender heroine. And, wow, does this book do her justice! Viola Carrol was presumed dead at the battle of Waterloo. This allowed her to reinvent herself and live as the women she always knew she was, giving up her wealth, title, and inheritance to live as a lady's companion to her sister-in-law. Then she discovers her old best friend in dire straights; after being crippled at Waterloo, the Duke of Gracewood is suffering from PTSD, mourning her loss, and scaring all those in his life. Viola goes to help him, but is too scared to tell him the truth of her survival and change in identity, and determined not to stay in his life. To her shock, she finds them growing more themselves as man and woman than ever before a sudden outing and his grief drives her away. Now it is his turn to prove himself a man worthy of her.

This book is far funnier than it has any right to be, with side characters that Jane Austen would be proud of. It taught me to curse in Latin which has brought me no end of joy. It touches on the smallest concerns of being trans and passing in period society, like Viola always being careful to wear a choker that covers her adam's apple and gloves that conceal her war-torn hands. The single sex scene it contains is beautiful in the way that it addresses both characters fears and insecurities, assuring them both that they deserve love and pleasure without judgement or expectation. More importantly, the book is about breaking down all gendered stereotypes and expectations. The characters fight against internal and external forces to be true to themselves in a complicated world. Through sword fights, kidnapping plots, and masquerade balls, each of the characters must learn to rescue themselves while finding that it is through loving, trusting relationships of all kinds that they can become the best versions of themselves.

0.25 stars taken away for a bit of dithering and slow pacing at the beginning. If Viola had explained her legitimate concerns more clearly early on, this would have been a full 5 star book. Highly recommend!

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