Review: A Lady for a Duke

2022 was the year of Alexis Hall - I read four of his books! The first was A Lady for a Duke, which was published way back in May. I’m totally blaming schoolwork for getting in the way of writing about this one! While a review has been absent from the blog until now, I haven’t shut up about it in other places though - it was such a great read!

Here’s the book’s description:

When Viola Carroll 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.

I’m still easing my way into historical romance but it’s books like this that make me see the potential of the genre and how much I have to explore. As someone who’s a huge historical fiction fan, I need the history to be accurate, otherwise I’m totally taken out of the story. But, as a romance fan, I’m also happy for that accurate history to just be a setting with the romance taking centre stage. While I’m no history expert, Hall’s novel felt accurate and I was happy with the way he portrayed life in this time period.

I read this book as a cisgender woman but the importance of having a traditionally published romance featuring a transgender heroine was not lost on me. Hall treated the subject matter with respect and with a warning at the beginning of the novel making sure readers knew the topic would be covered and dead names would be used. It’s important to the storyline in that Viola has to eventually tell her old friend that he already knows her but the book is about so much more than that.

The book is actually about a lot of things and I don't think it needed to be as long as it was. There were a few plot points that got convoluted and kept me from giving this five stars, which is a shame since the rest of it was so damn enjoyable.

While this is a romance (and I’ll get to that) there are some serious topics. Not just the fact that Viola is trans but also Gracewood’s PTSD which, of course, wouldn’t have been treated properly in that time (is it even dealt with well now?). There are scenes that will make your heart break and will be tough for most people to read (and even tougher for others) but are, in the end, worth the hurt. This book wouldn’t be nearly as good without this emotional depth.

Now, the romance! It’s pretty slow burn since Gracewood doesn’t know the truth about Viola for some time and then it takes them time to realize their friendship has shifted and there’s now something new there. But once they did realize it and gave into it? Ooh, so good! The reader knew they were meant to be together so you’re rooting for them the whole time.

In a year of Alexis Hall, A Lady for a Duke was a standout, not just of all the books of his I read last year but in general. It was a really great historical romance that had a lot of heart and depth and kept me entertained throughout.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*