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

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Additionally, that aspect of Gracewood unknowingly grieving with the very same person who unintentionally caused that grief in the first place is a romantic dynamic that I never knew I needed in my life. I'll pick a book now and then from different time periods, but regency romance has never been something I would normally choose to read. The plot elegantly balances period details and classic tropes to create a queer love story with a pitch-perfect blend of reality and hope.

And yes, I did feel that the story regarding Gracewood's sister and her coming out into society took more of a precedent to the actual romance of the story. When she gets word that her closest friend, the Duke of Gracewood, has retreated into grief years after the death of his best friend. 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.

There's a lot of emphasis on gender roles and what men and women are meant to be doing in those times. Much of the conflict in this book stems from the tension of Gracewood absolutely wanting everything with Viola, but not feeling good enough for her due to his struggles with his physical disability, PTSD, and drug dependency. 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.

It is during this stunning scene, through the sincerity of their exchange, that Justin finally recognizes his old friend. While Viola and Gracewood are extremely compelling voices, and unmistakably the stars of this story, I found so much joy in the secondary characters. But the cost is heavy: her childhood friend, with whom she was as close as family, thinks she is lost. As cliché as it may be to say, this is one of those stories that will make you believe in love and give you a reason to hope. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny.I read this book in December, but I never got around to fleshing out my thoughts, so here is my belated review of A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. After being presumed dead at Waterloo, Lady Viola Caroll decided to let the world go on thinking that and begin to live for herself. I loved the voices she did for some of the older women, they were pretty amusing but felt right, and she had a good balance with all the characters’ voices.