Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

15 reviews

bibookworm's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, War, Panic attacks/disorders, and Drug abuse

fuzzyfairy's review

challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Classism, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Transphobia, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, War, and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Murder, Mental illness, and Blood

quirkykayleetam's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.75

This is a swoon-worthy period romance that happens to have a transgender heroine.  And, wow, does this book do her justice!  Viola Carrol was presumed dead at the battle of Waterloo.  This allowed her to reinvent herself and live as the women she always knew she was, giving up her wealth, title, and inheritance to live as a lady's companion to her sister-in-law.  Then she discovers her old best friend in dire straights; after being crippled at Waterloo, the Duke of Gracewood is suffering from PTSD, mourning her loss, and scaring all those in his life.  Viola goes to help him, but is too scared to tell him the truth of her survival and change in identity, and determined not to stay in his life.  To her shock, she finds them growing more themselves as man and woman than ever before a sudden outing and his grief drives her away.  Now it is his turn to prove himself a man worthy of her.

This book is far funnier than it has any right to be, with side characters that Jane Austen would be proud of.  It taught me to curse in Latin which has brought me no end of joy.  It touches on the smallest concerns of being trans and passing in period society, like Viola always being careful to wear a choker that covers her adam's apple and gloves that conceal her war-torn hands.  The single sex scene it contains is beautiful in the way that it addresses both characters fears and insecurities, assuring them both that they deserve love and pleasure without judgement or expectation.  More importantly, the book is about breaking down all gendered stereotypes and expectations.  The characters fight against internal and external forces to be true to themselves in a complicated world.  Through sword fights, kidnapping plots, and masquerade balls, each of the characters must learn to rescue themselves while finding that it is through loving, trusting relationships of all kinds that they can become the best versions of themselves.

0.25 stars taken away for a bit of dithering and slow pacing at the beginning.  If Viola had explained her legitimate concerns more clearly early on, this would have been a full 5 star book.  Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Ableism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War

hngisreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, War, Drug use, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Violence, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt

marvelmerlin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, War, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Deadnaming, Sexual content, Suicide, and Transphobia