3.5 Stars ( )

Romance novels are all about wish fulfillment and this delivers. It's angsty, of course, but there are some laughs, especially from the supporting cast. Alexis Hall is great at creating groups of friends who know each other well and banter with aplomb. The trope here is friends-to-lovers in a way that is especially suited to a post-war setting and a trans woman main character.

The only criticism I have is that it felt really long. I thought a certain scene near the end of the book was unnecessary, unamusing, and overly melodramatic even for a romance novel (it takes place at a brothel with the villain just being extra extra villainous).

Does it feel like modern sensibilities are super prominent with little regard for historical accuracy? Yes, absolutely. I have no problem with that. If you like Shonda Rhimes' Bridgerton (and wish it had more LGBTQ rep) you will probably like this. ( )

After my recent reads, including one very highly rated book I noped out of about 40 pages in, I really needed something where misogyny and violence against women wasn't the bedrock the story was built on. A romance seemed like a safe bet, and this one DELIVERED.

I didn't even realize that this was the same author who wrote Boyfriend Material (which I loved) until after I already started reading this. I saw ONE SINGLE REVIEW of this book on TikTok and immediately looked up the online shop of the bookstore the rec came from and ordered a copy. And I can't even remember what they said in the video! Just that my heart said I WANT THAT, and my brain had no objections.

This is a historical romance with a transgender heroine, where the author did not want the "grandness" to be the main source of conflict or trauma. There are a fair number of gender feels included, but not just on the part of Viola (the heroine), but lots of thoughts on the performance of gender required for different classes and social situations, including some period-appropriate inclusion of queer characters and behaviors.

I did wonder how the SPICE portion would be handled, and while your mileage may certainly vary, I really loved the "I am in love with YOU and we can do whatever we want to do with these two bodies" vibe. I mean, really, when was the last time you were surprised (pleasantly) by a smut scene? I found it refreshing.

Anyway, I devoured this and stayed up way too late at night reading it and I had some small concerns in the beginning but the Happy Ever After really delivered. ( )

3.5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

She could not abandon him again.

After left for dead on the battlefield of Waterloo and then rescued by a couple, a chance is seized and Viola Carroll finally gets to live her life in truth. A freedom that comes with cost, while her immediate family of brother and sister-in-law accept and welcome her back into their home, trading Viscount for paid companion, Viola feels she must abandon her previous relationships. But when word reaches Louise (sister-in-law) and she shares with Viola how much the Duke of Gracewood, Viola's past bestfriend, is struggling with not only her loss but the emotional impacts of war, Viola can't help but want to go to him.

Wanting so terribly to be seen, and terrified of what it might mean if she was.

At over four hundred pages, A Lady for a Duke was emotionally hitting but kept out of the doldrums with it's touches of love and lightness. The beginning focused on Viola and the emotional journey she had been on since surviving Waterloo. How she knows she made the right decision but also getting hit with the costs. Louise was that romance genre meddling character that would make you want to strangle her in real life but love to see her pushing to get things done in the story. The first half had Viola and then Justin (Duke of Gracewood) a lot in their heads as they're sorting through their emotions. I don't mind some poetic turn of phrases (She would shine like a star in a room full of shadows.) but towards the end of the four hundred pages, I started to even feel there was some overwritten feels to this.

He wanted to kiss her.

As I said, the first half is more of Viola's journey, her going to Justin's to try and pull him out of his addiction to laudanum and grief, while also Louise is trying to convince Justin's sister Miranda that it's ok to go have a season in London and not feel responsible for Justin. There's some slow falling in love with Viola from Justin and then we get, probably the most emotional scene, when Viola feels like it's a lie to not reveal to Justin that she is his bestfriend and did survive the war. This is around the halfway point and then reader's get a better look at Justin as we get more into his head and how he's feeling.

There were moments when he might almost have laughed at the absurdity of it. The absurdity and the impossibility. And the simplicity. Of course she was familiar. She was---
She was his oldest friend.
Who he had never truly known.

The second half moves to London so Miranda can have her season and we get Justin eventually following and some trying to dance around the attraction from Viola and wanting to meet it head on from Justin. Each of their wants and fears felt real and with the gradual softening and learning to trust that she can have a relationship with Justin, we get some side family focusing. This kind of reminded me of a Grace Burrowes, where the central romance has focus but it's shown in concert with family and friends lives. Viola's brother's family held a lot of focus in the first half and then the second half moves to drama with Miranda and the dangers of being popular on the marriage market, a jealous debutante and bored looking to hurt Duke.

“But if you think I came here for him, you are wrong. I am here for you. I am here for Viola Carroll.”

Around seventy percent the story brought back the focus on the romance and we get an open door scene between Viola and Justin and from there Viola trusts more in how much of a relationship she can have with Justin. The ending gave, in my opinion, a not needed danger moment for Miranda that I felt could have been cut as it felt like a going through the motions third act drama.

It was the Duke of Gracewood and Viola Carroll.
And they were dancing.

This was emotional but with lightness and love, but did feel overly long and overly written with some flowery turn of phrases. It felt more of a complete in the characters' world story but while I enjoy a slow burn, I missed more of a continuous spotlight on the main couple. If you like snappy, this wouldn't be for you but if you're into delving in and slow burning (I just managed to keep my head above the last 100pgs water), this hits those emotional notes.

“What of society?”
He shrugged. “What of it? The matrons and masters of the ton have nothing we want, while the things that they want---wealth and power and influence and pedigree---I already possess in abundance. It is for them to live up to our standards. Not the contrary.” ( )

3.5
This was really really sweet and it's so eloquently written ( )