A Lady for a Duke
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-03 09:51:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alexis Hall
- ISBN：1538753758
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A lush， sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton， Evie Dunmore， and Manda Collins！
When Viola Caroll 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。
When Viola Caroll 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。
Reviews
Jess
，
Usually I love Alexis Hall。 But I didn’t love this。 It was much too long and unbelievably slow。 I can barely recall what happens， except for at the very end。What motivated me to finish was receiving my copy of HUSBAND MATERIAL
slashyrogue
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I laughed。I cried。I swooned。 I ached。 I’ve never read a book that had me so much in its thrall a this one， and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves to read about people falling in love。
Baleasun
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This was long af but ultimately quite lovely， even though I don't believe for a second that you wouldn't recognise your childhood best friend the second they step into the room This was long af but ultimately quite lovely， even though I don't believe for a second that you wouldn't recognise your childhood best friend the second they step into the room 。。。more
Elise
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Bridgerton vibes w/ Transgender representation 🏳️⚧️✨
Sonja ✧･ﾟ｡★･ﾟ☾
，
buddyreading this with lara 💛 buddyreading this with lara 💛 。。。more
h o l l i s
，
I want to round up on this so hard because a transgender character finding love， and being accepted， is deserving of it -- especially in a historical setting （but really， in all settings）。 And the fact that we got some on-page love scenes that gave us heat and tension and steam？ Chefs kiss。But， as many people have indicated， this is a bit pacey， a bit （a lot） long， and for me the sudden shift from Viola resisting her Duke and then blink and you miss it shifting gears to stop resisting is， unfort I want to round up on this so hard because a transgender character finding love， and being accepted， is deserving of it -- especially in a historical setting （but really， in all settings）。 And the fact that we got some on-page love scenes that gave us heat and tension and steam？ Chefs kiss。But， as many people have indicated， this is a bit pacey， a bit （a lot） long， and for me the sudden shift from Viola resisting her Duke and then blink and you miss it shifting gears to stop resisting is， unfortunately （and unnecessarily， considering the length）， abrupt。 I don't think we were in her head at the time it happens but we had many chapters beforehand where she wasn't willing to compromise， to take the risk， despite how she felt about Gracewood。 Either this should've been dragged out a little longer or we should've seen her being worn down and reflecting on her crumbling defences。 But that's just my opinion。I'm glad we didn't get flashbacks in this story， and that a relationship and history existed off-page and before the start of this book， because it was angsty enough as it was。 While， at the same time， it wasn't angsty where I expected it to be; Gracewood barely stumbles over the mental shift of his best friend now living her true self and， even better， how much he wants her。 I loved that。 Ultimately， we end up agonizing more over the usual historical bits; the complication of a woman of low status being the object of a Duke's affection。 And， of course， maybe a few more complicated bits coming from the realities of being trans （oh that epilogue， my heart）。 Despite my love of that barely-there-stumble， though， the feelings are on the table very early。 And because of that we do shift focus to some side-plots and side-characters who take centre stage for a while。 I'm a bit mixed about this， too （notably the whole conflict with the other Duke I wasn't really into）。 I didn't want this dragged out just for the sake of it， nor was I super over the moon about the shift in focus， so this kind of goes back to wishing it wasn't as long as it was -- which might've also saved some the pacing。 But at the same time it was nice to see added queer elements to flesh out the world。 So， yes， mixed。There was also some important non-trans rep here， too。 Gracewood not only has an injury that just occasionally twinges or tweaks but hurts all the time， prevents him from the physicality he had before the war， and to compound matters also suffers from some significant emotional scars。 Hall did such a great job crafting these characters。 So yes， I want so badly to round up。 I love that this exists。 But some bits are definitely stronger than others。 Despite this though？ Read。 This。 Book。 It's worth it。3。5 stars 。。。more
Hollis
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（Originally posted to StoryGraph） 5。0 Brilliant wonderful incredible showstopping……。genuinely though I absolutely loved reading this and it will absolutely take up space among my shelf of favorites。 I thought the dialogue was funny， I loved the core set of characters， ESPECIALLY Miranda holy shit she’s incredible， and overall it was just really sweet and good！ Gracewood and Viola’s love is just so nice to read and I love how everyone just accepted viola with no pushback。 Just “oh shit okay why d （Originally posted to StoryGraph） 5。0 Brilliant wonderful incredible showstopping……。genuinely though I absolutely loved reading this and it will absolutely take up space among my shelf of favorites。 I thought the dialogue was funny， I loved the core set of characters， ESPECIALLY Miranda holy shit she’s incredible， and overall it was just really sweet and good！ Gracewood and Viola’s love is just so nice to read and I love how everyone just accepted viola with no pushback。 Just “oh shit okay why didn’t you tell us”。 It was so refreshing to read。 This books was just an absolute delight and I definitely recommend 。。。more
Nicole
，
I was really looking forward to this one and it ended up being just ok for me。 I really liked the story here and the characters。。。but the book just FELT really long and drawn out making it not a lot of fun to read。 Things just started to feel very repetitive as the book went on。
Gaby Pinilla
，
3。5It pains me not to give this book a higher rate because I was enjoying it a great deal from the beginning， but when I reached about 80% of the story there was a scene that threw me out of the narrative because， I consider， it was absurd and unnecessary （I’m talking about the fight scene with Duke Amberglass specifically， but the whole kidnapping plot was also unnecessary）， so it drops the book one star。 Apart from that I really liked the romance and the 2 main characters。 It was just that sce 3。5It pains me not to give this book a higher rate because I was enjoying it a great deal from the beginning， but when I reached about 80% of the story there was a scene that threw me out of the narrative because， I consider， it was absurd and unnecessary （I’m talking about the fight scene with Duke Amberglass specifically， but the whole kidnapping plot was also unnecessary）， so it drops the book one star。 Apart from that I really liked the romance and the 2 main characters。 It was just that scene that ruined it for me。 。。。more
Jessie H。
，
Y'all！ My heart！ This book was everything I could have ever wanted in a historical romance！ In fact， I would say it's probably the best regency romance I've ever read。 It was incredibly tender and unapologetically queer and so full of hope and joy。 The banter and humor was absolutely delightful and had me cackling in places！ And y'all！ The yearning and the pining was so well-written that you can't stop reading once you start。 You have to know what happens next and if they will be able to get the Y'all！ My heart！ This book was everything I could have ever wanted in a historical romance！ In fact， I would say it's probably the best regency romance I've ever read。 It was incredibly tender and unapologetically queer and so full of hope and joy。 The banter and humor was absolutely delightful and had me cackling in places！ And y'all！ The yearning and the pining was so well-written that you can't stop reading once you start。 You have to know what happens next and if they will be able to get their happily ever after。 This story made me feel all of the emotions。I'm becoming more and more convinced that Alexis Hall can write anything they want and will make it totally fabulous。 This book was no different。 The amount of heart and vulnerability in this story is both astounding and beautiful。 I was a bit worried that this would be really angsty given the premise。 But while Viola is worried about being judged for choosing to live as her most authentic self， it wasn't the whole plot of the book and I can't tell you how much I appreciated that。 There are still some heavy topics discussed in this book and some angst but it was so perfectly balanced out with sweetness and joy。 It was heartwarming that everyone who Viola came out to not only accepted her but supported her so fully in her quest to live the life she was meant to。Viola and Gracewood are war veterans and we see how that has affected them。 Gracewood was shot in the leg and has to use a cane for the rest of his life。 He also suffers quite severely from PTSD。 I am grateful that the author didn't gloss over or minimize those affects like I have seen in several of the Regency romances over the years。 Viola does not have PTSD in the same way that Gracewood does but how her actions and choices in the war haunt her is never seen as being less than his trauma。The romance between Viola and Gracewood was everything！ This book is a master class in how to write a romance novel。 I saw it described in someone's review that described this romance as a second chance at first love which is a wonderfully apt description。 The romance is full of instant attraction but manages to still be a slow burn and very intimate and tender。 Watching Viola and Gracewood discover that there is so much more to the other that they didn't know was *chef's kiss*。 They aren't perfect but they are perfect for one another。 I adored watching them fall in love so much！It was mentioned in the author's note that this could be the beginning of a new series and I really really hope it is！ I loved so many of the secondary characters！ And I cannot tell you how much I need a Mira book and a Lady Lilimere book in my life！ I can't recommend A Lady for a Duke enough！ If you want to read a truly unique and well-written queer historical romance， this is the book for you。 *ARC provide by the publisher via Netgalley。 。。。more
Rafaele
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Fazia tempo que eu não me interessava em ler um romance histórico， mas esse é tão bonito， é só isso que eu quero e espero de romances assim， que seja bonito e me faça sofrer pelas personagens （por um motivo plausível） e esse livro me deu isso até perder o rumo e se alongar demais。 O meu problema com o side plot não foi ele em si， mas como ele foi apresentado e desenvolvido， teve capítulos que só enrolava e pegou o "tempo" que podia ser usado para tentar resolver o obstáculo do casal principal， o Fazia tempo que eu não me interessava em ler um romance histórico， mas esse é tão bonito， é só isso que eu quero e espero de romances assim， que seja bonito e me faça sofrer pelas personagens （por um motivo plausível） e esse livro me deu isso até perder o rumo e se alongar demais。 O meu problema com o side plot não foi ele em si， mas como ele foi apresentado e desenvolvido， teve capítulos que só enrolava e pegou o "tempo" que podia ser usado para tentar resolver o obstáculo do casal principal， o autor apresentou um problema bem construído para eles e resolveu tudo em uma página， isso me pegou。 Mesmo com esse problema eu amei o casal principal， todas as etapas do relacionamento e das percepções deles pelo tempo。 。。。more
armi
，
queer historical romance ！！！！ this was so cute and so good ugh i love。 I love Viola and Gracewood and their relationship and Mira and the epilogue was everything i could ask for with love stories like these
Karie
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Took a bit to get going and understand who all the characters were。 Delightful after that
Kirabo
，
Perfect books do exist！
Allie
，
4。5 StarsThe most beautiful writing ever！！ Loved the characters， the rep and the setting so much！ The middle part was a bit too long and drawn out in my opinion; and the ending felt a bit rushed in comparison， but in general I really enjoyed it。
Kim | readmorethings
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Truly beautiful prose and SO MUCH PINING！
Bee
，
Loved this historical piece！
Sax Mahoney
，
This book is fantastic。 The historical intricacies are there， whisking you away to long ago England。 The LGBT representation is solid， real， and breathtaking。 And the description of war-time PTSD is at once both illuminating and heart-wrenching。 I believe this is my favorite book of the year。 If you have any interest in this book， read it。 You won't regret it。 This book is fantastic。 The historical intricacies are there， whisking you away to long ago England。 The LGBT representation is solid， real， and breathtaking。 And the description of war-time PTSD is at once both illuminating and heart-wrenching。 I believe this is my favorite book of the year。 If you have any interest in this book， read it。 You won't regret it。 。。。more
Nikole Mata
，
4。5⭐
Hayley Durbak
，
I really enjoyed this book。 This was the first time I ever read a book with a transgender main character， and I can’t wait until it becomes more common。 I thought Viola’s character was beautifully written and how her being a transitioned woman wasn’t the main conflict of the story， more so a contributing factor to the effects they had on the Duke of Gracewood。 The romance and love between Viola and Gracewood is absolutely stunning and I loved how they resolved their issues together。The cast of s I really enjoyed this book。 This was the first time I ever read a book with a transgender main character， and I can’t wait until it becomes more common。 I thought Viola’s character was beautifully written and how her being a transitioned woman wasn’t the main conflict of the story， more so a contributing factor to the effects they had on the Duke of Gracewood。 The romance and love between Viola and Gracewood is absolutely stunning and I loved how they resolved their issues together。The cast of side characters in this novel were amazing and I LOVED Viola’s sister-in-law， her best friend， Badger， little Bartholomew， and the Duke’s sister， And the epilogue was so cute and pure and amazing！ I loved it！ 。。。more
Erin Davidson-Kellogg
，
This book has some unexpected twists but I think it could have been 200 pagers shorter。
Raven
，
3。5/5 stars
Audrey
，
4。5this is so sweet。 absolutely slapped。 every single character was so well-developed and fun。 I hope this is like a queer bridgerton where every side character gets their own five hundred page book。
Rachel Landis
，
this was so fun！！ viola and gracewood second chance romance almost friend to lovers dynamic was just too fantastic for words。 i love how often both of them were reassuring EACH OTHER like it was such a beautiful even footed relationship。 i loved miranda and louise and badger were also an absolutely fantastic couple！！ overall so cute。SPOILERY STUFF AHEAD:i will say the third act mira getting kidnapped plotline felt deeply unnecessary and also confusing to me。 the spicy parts were iconic！！ i will this was so fun！！ viola and gracewood second chance romance almost friend to lovers dynamic was just too fantastic for words。 i love how often both of them were reassuring EACH OTHER like it was such a beautiful even footed relationship。 i loved miranda and louise and badger were also an absolutely fantastic couple！！ overall so cute。SPOILERY STUFF AHEAD:i will say the third act mira getting kidnapped plotline felt deeply unnecessary and also confusing to me。 the spicy parts were iconic！！ i will say i did not love the villiainization of kink with amberglass like i KNOW its not that simple but it did feel icky even as a non-kinky person idk？ that’s all tho def would recommend！ 。。。more
Tabitha Chandler
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Was going to be 4 stars， but the kidnapping was dumb。
anelena
，
magnificently written。
Isa
，
lmao get pegged！！！！！
Mellissa Davis
，
I loved that Alexis Hall wrote a regency romance that features a trans woman as the heroine and the fact that she is trans is not the focal point of the story and she gets her HEA。 After being presumed dead in war at Waterloo she uses the opportunity to come back to society as Viola and be the person she has kept hidden her whole life。 Upon her return she finds that her childhood friend， the Duke， has been struggling post war and what they have may be more than just a friendship。
Jane
，
Incredible。 So many layers; so much care between the characters; so much care in putting the words down on the page。 The epilogue just makes me misty。
Grace Franklyn
，
Loved the premise， the writing/the way romance was written about wasn't for me， but definitely fun！ Loved the premise， the writing/the way romance was written about wasn't for me， but definitely fun！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Lady for a Duke
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Lady for a Duke&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Lady for a Duke&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0