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gaelstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book started off strong for me and I loved it immediately! However I really didn't care at all about the last 20% of the book and the secondary plot that unfolded, which is why this book gets 4 instead of 5 stars.
Before reading this book I read this interview that Alexis Hall did about it. I thought they had some interesting things to say about writing a queer regency romance! There aren't any spoilers in the interview (other than some basic plot that you get from the book's blurb).
https://www.bookpage.com/features/alexis-hall-interview-lady-for-duke/
A quote I really liked from the interview, that gives you a little sense for what kind of "historical romance" this book will be:
"My general take comes back to what I said about keeping in mind that I’m writing for a modern audience. It’s ultimately more important to me that my queer stories resonate with modern queer readers than it is for them to portray what I think a person at the time might actually have perceived their identity to be. Not least because that’s unknowable."
❤️ What kind of romance can I expect in this book?
(no major plot spoilers but still hidden if you don't wanna know)
Genders: f/m
POV: 3rd person, dual POV (switches every few chapters)
Themes & Tropes: Regency Period, Childhood Best Friends, *LGBT+ (trans female main character)
Sex Scenes? Yes
Explicit Rating: PG13/R
How Much: One full sex scene, a few mentions of others
*Anti-Trigger Warning Info:
- This story deals with some heavy and serious topics, but at it's core, it is a fun romance! This is a safe book to read about trans romance and not about trans suffering and violence.
- We meet our trans female main character already transitioned and very sure of herself being a woman. While of course we get to hear about her past, this isn't a story about her discovering that about herself.
- She has fears of being rejected or cast out from society if/when people find out she is trans, but there is NO transphobia or homophobia in the plot. There is no violence or even threat of violence done towards her due to her being trans.
- Other people talk about her with male pronouns when they think they are talking about someone else from their past, as they don't know who she is, but she is always referred to by her previous last name, and in fact as the reader we never even know her previous first name. When she does come out as trans to a select few, her name and pronouns are respected.
Before reading this book I read this interview that Alexis Hall did about it. I thought they had some interesting things to say about writing a queer regency romance! There aren't any spoilers in the interview (other than some basic plot that you get from the book's blurb).
https://www.bookpage.com/features/alexis-hall-interview-lady-for-duke/
A quote I really liked from the interview, that gives you a little sense for what kind of "historical romance" this book will be:
"My general take comes back to what I said about keeping in mind that I’m writing for a modern audience. It’s ultimately more important to me that my queer stories resonate with modern queer readers than it is for them to portray what I think a person at the time might actually have perceived their identity to be. Not least because that’s unknowable."
❤️ What kind of romance can I expect in this book?
(no major plot spoilers but still hidden if you don't wanna know)
Genders: f/m
POV: 3rd person, dual POV (switches every few chapters)
Themes & Tropes: Regency Period, Childhood Best Friends, *LGBT+ (trans female main character)
Sex Scenes? Yes
Explicit Rating: PG13/R
How Much: One full sex scene, a few mentions of others
*Anti-Trigger Warning Info:
- This story deals with some heavy and serious topics, but at it's core, it is a fun romance! This is a safe book to read about trans romance and not about trans suffering and violence.
- We meet our trans female main character already transitioned and very sure of herself being a woman. While of course we get to hear about her past, this isn't a story about her discovering that about herself.
- She has fears of being rejected or cast out from society if/when people find out she is trans, but there is NO transphobia or homophobia in the plot. There is no violence or even threat of violence done towards her due to her being trans.
- Other people talk about her with male pronouns when they think they are talking about someone else from their past, as they don't know who she is, but she is always referred to by her previous last name, and in fact as the reader we never even know her previous first name. When she does come out as trans to a select few, her name and pronouns are respected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
megj23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping, War, and Sexual content
Minor: Cursing, Alcoholism, Transphobia, and Child abuse
c_marie226's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Truly, such a fabulous couple and a great story. Alexis Hall does it again and I love their take on historical fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Deadnaming
eed8's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Kidnapping and War
Minor: Transphobia
lira_the_recluse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Great characters and not too many anachronisms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
jei_reads_sometimes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Grief, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Kidnapping, Ableism, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
lilac_rose's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book made me happy and I'm not going to expand on that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Ableism
Moderate: Transphobia and Deadnaming
Minor: Sexual assault
readingqueerly's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The yearning, Y'ALL THE YEARNING. This was all the push and pull of a Jane Austen Novel, but make it diverse and especially queer as hell with a main character who is a trans woman, multiple side characters expressing queer interest, a male lead with a disability and an old friends to renewed friends to lovers. When I tell you I was screaming at some points because it made me feel all of the emotions. But especially the yearning. Alexis hall managed to put down banger after banger of line that made me swoon and melt.
When I saw this book was ~450 pages, I truly believed I would get bored or that it would be too long. Few romance books need to be that long. But this was so incredibly enjoyable and engaging. With a good background plot as well to carry the romance through and a male lead that one can only find in books like this
When I saw this book was ~450 pages, I truly believed I would get bored or that it would be too long. Few romance books need to be that long. But this was so incredibly enjoyable and engaging. With a good background plot as well to carry the romance through and a male lead that one can only find in books like this
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
lonecayt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: War
mobymaize's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It was really nice to read a regency era romance novel, a genre I don’t typically consume, with a trans woman protagonist, a person just like me :)
ALSO HOLY FUCK THERE IS SOMETHING INCREDIBLE & HOT ABOUT FALLING IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHERS WORDS. also HOLY SHIT THE SEX SCENE!!!!!!!!!! absolutely magnificent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, War, Classism, Death of parent, Outing, Sexual content, Deadnaming, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Ableism, Body shaming, Alcohol, Addiction, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Gun violence