A Lady for a Duke

If you want Victorian setting, a trans characters, childfood friends falling in love, no misundersranding nonsenss, low spice, suporting side characters, some action, a side character that imbodies feminismus... a story that will make you feel happy a week after reading just by thinking about it...well THIS is that book. The epiloge will always make me cry happy tears. Gosh I love this book so much! P.S. On the cover is a RL trans person. The author wanted to be autentic.

A Lady for a Duke is a historical romance with a trans lead, basically best-friends-to-lovers with one of the best friends assumed dead in between. Except Viola never died in battle, but she was injured and when assumed dead, finally took the chance to live openly as a woman. When she and Gracewood meet again, feelings ensue. It’s been a while since I last read anything by Alexis Hall, but I do remember it was incredibly funny and fast-paced. Maybe it’s that expectation why the first part of the book seemed to be a bit longer than necessary to me. There’s long and longer conversations between our two leads, though I guess that could appeal to slowburn fans. Or really anyone who reads historical romance more often than me. It does pick up as soon as more characters are introduced … maybe a little too much at the end. Pacing issues aside: This one is fun. And romantic, thoughtful, tender, kind. Did I mention fun? Viola and Gracewood are a couple you truly root for, both of them not only deserve but also need heaps of happiness. Hall similarly shines with his side characters, so much that I want companion novels for at least half of them. Whatever domestic shenanigans Viola‘s brother and sister-in-law have going on? Sign me up. Lady Lillimere, a widow seducing women left and right? PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY. Gracewood‘s sister coming of age, maybe with a little sapphic side action? Here for it. Afaik, more is coming? So I’ll just have to wait and see. CNs as provided by the author: misgendering (though only as long as characters don’t know if I recall correctly), ableism and ableist language, references to suicidal ideation, and drug and alcohol abuse.