Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

120 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.25

This was such a sweet and heartfelt read, from the constant tenderness and yearning between the two main characters (some of their moments had me kicking my feet and giggling fr), to the depictions of PTSD, to the colourful side characters (Miranda absolutely stole the show for me). Even the spicy scenes felt tender and surprisingly didn’t make me cringe. And no third act breakup!! Hooray!! I love how Hall’s writing feels like it belongs in a classic novel without it being overly dense and clunky, especially the dialogue which is quick and witty. I kind of wish we had a little more time with Amberglass before the end of the book to really set him up as the villain, but I understand the sequel will focus on him a fair amount which will give his character the chance to be explored in a lot of depth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Transphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Death

Minor: Death of parent

wanderlust_romance's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

PLOT, I HARDLY KNEW YE! And still I loved.

If it’s one thing I have truly come to adore this year, it’s character driven stories with minimal plot and all the feels. A Lady for a Duke delivered that in spades! The friends to lovers story comes together beautifully and with much care. You have well crafted main characters that are dealing with so much - grief, pain, addiction, loss. And that’s just Gracewood. Beyond his pain though, he finds solace in his new connection with Viola. When Gracewood discovers that Viola is the friend he believed to be dead, he has mixed emotions at their renewed discovery. Viola, for her part, was a strong and vocal character. She is very mindful of both her station as a lady’s companion and the societal conventions to which she has had to adapt by accepting and living her true gender identity. The emotional build up to Gracewood and Viola’s eventual relationship was so intricately layered. The love and care they have for one another, fostered through their youthful escapades and deepened in life experience and adulthood, shines so brightly on the page. And the epilogue. So sweet!! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Ableism

maximauve's review against another edition

hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Kidnapping and Dysphoria

Minor: Transphobia

shinypurplepants's review

emotional lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Lovely mix of yearning and romance 🥰 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, War, Classism, Deadnaming, Ableism, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Grief, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Transphobia

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Grief

Moderate: Kidnapping, War, and Sexual content

Minor: Cursing, Alcoholism, Transphobia, and Child abuse

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Kidnapping and War

Minor: Transphobia

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Ableism

Moderate: Transphobia and Deadnaming

Minor: Sexual assault

readingqueerly's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Violence

Minor: Transphobia

morethanmylupus's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring

• 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

3.0

I really, really wanted and expected to love this book. Hall's Boyfriend Material and Husband Material were so good and I love the concept of a historical romance featuring a trans woman.

But it just didn't work for me. Hall's bio says "genrequeer" and I'd say that's accurate. Overall, though, this one didn't work me. I went through a phase where I read a ton of historical romance. In comparison to the authors who have focused their writing careers in those eras, this one felt clunky. The historical dialogue and descriptions didn't ring quite true.

Great concept, but the execution didn't work out for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Transphobia

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.

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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