A Lady For a Duke: a swoonworthy historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material

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There are times when he cannot be as strong as he would like, and even times when Viola has to support him and even fight for him. Note: As the author has done so, I have used a character’s ‘deadname’ (or pre-transition name) in this review.

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. The earnest, tentative way each part of the couple approached each other hoping for acceptance and love for who they are in this moment and seeing them not only accepted, but adored, was so beautiful it moved me to tears.If you want to feel something deep in the dredges of your heart, you have to get yourself to a copy of this book by any means necessary as soon as humanly possible. Viola Carroll was a wonderful heroine - there was so much compassion in her heart, so much hope to be accepted - to be seen as she was - a transgender in a time that it was not widely accepted or acknowledged. It really bothered me that when Viola personally witnesses Gracewood’s laudanum addiction and suicidality, she responds by starting to sneak out of the house because staying will increase the risk of Gracewood recognizing her.

Gracewood, on the other hand, is not only coming to terms with the fact that he was grieving someone who was never actually lost, but he’s also grieving the past version of himself that was stronger, more independent, and more able-bodied—because that's how he's been taught to define his masculinity and because the world has conditioned him to place value in those things. The way the individual characters develop and deal with the various challenges facing them was entirely believable. From the same article cited previously: “In May 1772, a French secretary in the service of the Secret allegedly came to London to investigate the claim that d’Eon was a woman; he left in June, fully convinced that d’Eon was indeed female because that’s what d’Eon told him”. His interactions with his aunt add so much depth to her character, it was beautiful to witness those intimate moments. That seems to prevent Hall from fully committing to his villainy, yet making him problematic enough that I’m not comfortable rooting for him in the future.Since it’s left up to us, I entertained various versions of Viola’s experience as she dragged herself from the battlefield, and all the steps she must have taken to become who she is at the start of A Lady for a Duke; putting her past behind her, and crafting an existence for herself in nineteenth century England. I think my only issue, significant as it was, with this story is that the pacing fell way off the map in the middle of the book.

I only wish there could have been more, but Alexis Hall made it up with so many lines of such utter devotion and absolute love that they had- I was inwardly crying at how heartfelt and endearing every sentiment was between the two of them. My only point of criticism would be that there were a few instances where I wasn't sure about the dialogue. With a mix of queer and playful characters, Hall really creates a wholesome cast of supporting characters for the novel. I hope we’ll see much more from this world, and that some of the supporting characters from A Lady for a Duke might get their own novels. Reacquainting myself with Alexis Hall's writing paid off in flying colors - maybe, it's time I reconsider my hesitation to finally read Husband Material, as well.In the article this is attributed to d’Eon’s discussion of this transition, as a “conversion from bad boy to good girl”. On the subject of representation, there is so much care and nuance put into how the other characters process and hold space for Viola's transness.