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

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I listened to an audiobook which was Narrated by Kay Eluvian. What a wonderful performance. From depression to joy and every emotion in-between, plus young children to adults, the vocalizing is clear, gripping and engulfing. I did speed this up to 1.5 for conversational comfort.

The writing is witty, and [the] chemistry is irresistible, but it’s Hall’s insights about trust and self-worth that set the story apart. This is a triumph’– Publishers Weekly on Boyfriend Material I also really appreciate how this historical romance doesn’t shy away from the fact that Viola’s womanhood inherently changes the dynamic of her friendship with Gracewood, specifically in how they carry themselves in society and have to take different rules of propriety into account. As a woman, Viola cannot occupy those same spaces that she and Gracewood used to frequent in their youth. She can’t go into gentleman’s clubs, or bars, they can’t go riding or hunting together, and it could even be taboo for them to associate in public without a chaperone. There’s all these societal rules for how they conduct themselves as people of two different genders, which is not inherently a “bad thing,” but it is new and different. This story is going to stay with me for a long time, and I want many more books like this, with fearless trans protagonists getting the happily ever afters they so deserve. Thanks Forever Books for the review copy! This book is out 5/24 and I can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with Viola, Gracewood, and their epic romance. Every once in a while you read a book that you want to SCREAM FROM ROOFTOPS about. I’m screaming, people!’– Sonali Dev, USA Today bestselling author, on Boyfriend Material Viola and Gracewood used to be best friends. But more than 2 years have passed since that dreadful day on the battlefield in Waterloo, and Viola has accepted that she will never see Gracewood again. How could she? But fate and lady Marleigh's meddling work in mysterious ways. Prompted by a letter sent by Lady Miranda (Gracewood's sister), the journey to second chances begins.

About this book

Creating an engaging romance is an art form, requiring an almost supernatural ability to tease and captivate a reader. This is especially true for period romances, which have the additional hurdle of transporting a modern reader into an unrecognizable world. What grounds a historical romance is its characters, who must draw the reader in and give them a foothold into a time gone by. With A Lady For a Duke, Alexis Hall has created a masterpiece that isn’t just good by romance standards. It is easily my favorite book of the year so far across all genres, and the central love story will linger with its audience long after it is over. Quaint, happy, and filled with heart, A Lady for a Duke is a shining example of a new type of inclusive historical romance.

For those who were fans of Boyfriend Material, it's worth noting that A Lady for a Duke is tonally quite different. While this does have some funny moments, it's not a comedy and is much more serious in tone. That said, I thought it was a really beautiful love story crafted with care, featuring a trans heroine and her childhood best friend who thought she had died in the war. A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material – perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Lisa Kleypas! A Lady for a Duke takes the best of old and new: classically crafted in scope with a progressive premise and ideology; yes, one can argue it's a little bloated plot-wise surrounding its secondary characters, but nothing can be categorized as a meaningless filler. This feels like a 'director cut' of an already epic story with all the trimmings—do not rush through it and enjoy the journey. The perfect historical romance does exist, and Alexis Hall has not only proven that but achieved that with flying colors in this truly unforgettable book.The heat level wasn't on a very spicy level, but good God, when they eventually got together, it was so incredibly romantic - so affectionate and open and kind, but still so passionate. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 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. 🥹

Overall, I celebrate every aspect of this story, even if I wanted slightly more from parts of it. Thank you, Alexis Hall, for delivering such a successful book.Alexis Hall is giving us a historical romance with a trans heroine??? If god hates the gays WHY DO WE KEEP WINNING

Now let's talk about the ROMANCE. God! How gorgeous the romantic relationship is! Their banter, their communication, mutual respect, understanding, love - everything were absolutely breath taking. "A Lady for A Duke" is a sweeping historical romance that is equally fluffy and emotional. From pet names to lovely monologues confessing deeply hidden feelings, Hall knows how to write an emotionally fulfilling main couple. The only word to describe it is beautiful, and yet that word is inadequate for how Viola and Gracewood’s unfolding love story will make you feel. A Lady for a Duke could not have come at a more perfect time for me, fresh off the historical romance binge and having just watched the latest season of Bridgerton. Looking for a romance teeming with emotion, this novel gave me everything I needed and then some. In his altogether masterful historical romance, Alexis Hall draws together a complex past between his main leads, with an evocative center of loss, memory, and intimacy driving the story forward. Our main heroine Viola is one of the more well-written queer characters in historical romance that I have read recently, giving voice to dysphoria and the trans experience in a way unforeseen previously by me in the genre. As for the other main lead, Justin De Vere, he provided quite the emotional conversation surrounding grief and the lingering trauma arising from war. Even with all of this tense subject matter, the entire story overflows with longing and an underlying comfort that disperses throughout every aspect of the novel. This is definitely not a tragic story, yes we have a trans heroine and a disabled hero living in this time period, but it doesn't bear the narrative down into tragedy like I’ve seen other period pieces do. Instead, what emerges is a tender second chance romance about two people defined by their circumstances finding love against the odds. I would also be remiss not to mention the wonderful side characters in this novel, who radiate just as much as the two main leads. With a mix of queer and playful characters, Hall really creates a wholesome cast of supporting characters for the novel. The side plots intervening in the central storyline had the most fabulous banter and made me fall even more in love with the story overall. A Lady for a Duke is honestly one of the most beautiful and exemplary historical romances I have read in quite a long time. The epilogue especially, really brought the emotion to the surface, exemplifying love found and a future once deemed unlikely.

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I love you as a man loves a woman, but we both know that love is not bound by such narrow terms. So instead let me simply tell you that I love you." When his younger sister Miranda sends a letter to Viola’s benefactor and sister-in-law Lady Marleigh hinting at Gracewood’s struggles, she decides that the younger Gracewood needs to be rescued. Lady Marleigh, knowing Viola’s history with the duke, decides she knows just the thing to help Gracewood and Miranda: she and Viola will visit. If anyone can cheer him up, it will be Viola, right? What follows is an emotional reunion as Viola sees the impact her “death” had on the man she once loved. She struggles with how much of herself to share with a shattered Gracewood as he tries to understand why he finds himself drawn to the mysterious and vaguely familiar lady’s companion.

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