Reviews tagging 'Grief'

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

90 reviews

kfmcf's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I want to preface this review with one thing that really holds it back for me personally - I *struggle* with historical romance. It's hard for me to get into and hard for me to stick with. I read this for a book club and I'm glad I didn't but the setting is just not for me.
I do appreciate what this book does and I think it's successful in many ways. It tells a story that is rarely if ever told and I can very much appreciate it.
I do think there are quite a few flaws. I don't think the characters really had time to be fleshed out enough for the sake of flowery regency writing. Well, it might just the Hall's writing as what I've read from him is all just a lot of "telling not showing" in a lot of ways and I get bogged down. 
I did get taken out of the book a bit for some historical inaccuracies but my main issue was the overly dramatic crux of the book. Yes, I know this is common in historical romances but I just don't do well with overblown drama 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Ableism

Moderate: Deadnaming, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: War

ashlikes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Violence, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Death, Infertility, Transphobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

jneverland's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Transphobia, War, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Gun violence, Sexual content, War, Drug abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Blood, Abandonment, Bullying, Homophobia, Vomit, and Kidnapping

emmehooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

3.75

This book is a slow burn that abruptly turns into a massive wildfire (in the best ways). The first half of the book felt so slow and drawn out that I nearly gave up but the second half flew by so fast with so much excitement. Viola’s transness was not the entire focus and the affirmations of love, sexuality, and disability for people of all genders and bodies were wonderfully interwoven.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Drug use, Addiction, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Transphobia, Kidnapping, Violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, and Death of parent

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

Alexis Hall set out to write a historical romance with a trans heroine and have her gender not be the key point of conflict in the novel. Not only did he succeed on this point, he also managed to build a novel around lies of omission and half truths that I totally believed in and felt good reading. Often when characters in romance novels hide the truth from one another I get angry about it and extremely stressed. 

With Viola, her reasons for not sharing her entire history with Gracewood are completely sympathetic. I was as twisted up about whether she should reveal who she was to him as she was. I also loved the fantasy world that Hall built in which Viola is accepted as who she is almost immediately by everyone she encounters. Conflicts happen but they have nothing to do with her trans-ness, and everything to do with the characters trying to navigate their love for each other in a world that isn’t built for them or a relationship like theirs.

Gracewood is one of the softest, sweetest MMCs I have read for a long time, and he’s also got an extremely dark history. He is injured from the war and uses a cane. He is also battling an opium addiction. He is also a wealthy and powerful duke. Him growing into his power and understand and falling in love with Viola was one of the swooniest things I have read in a lonnnnng time.

I feel the need to mention the superb open door sex scene in this. It felt so necessary and tender, and to be able to see Viola experience the care and joy inherent in physical pleasure as well as Gracewood’s beautiful open-mindedness was a privilege. They both deserved to experience the joy of their bodies, just as they are. It’s just a sex scene but it goes a long way towards normalizing all kinds of physical pleasure for all kinds of bodies and I am so glad it is there.

So, we have a high angst novel dealing with strict gender norms, addiction, PTSD and disability…and yet I laughed out loud almost every chapter? What magic is this? 

The only gripe I have is the last plot point in this long book felt a little tacked on. I would have been satisfied with more focus on Viola and Gracewood. Nonetheless, a wonder of a book.

👍🏻RECOMMENDED. I could write and write and write about this book but ultimately you should read it. If you’re interested in historical romance but worried about strict gender norms, heteronormativity, misogyny and oppressive social structures? This is the book for you. If you’ve read a ton of Hissy RoNos and you’re looking for an angsty, emotional, hilarious, soft love story? This is the book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Gun violence, War, Death, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Grief, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

littlewishling'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? No

5.0

What a beautiful romance! Hall does a beautiful job of tackling trans issues, disability and trauma. I loved every moment of this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug abuse, and Kidnapping

Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

samchase112's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

3.75

RTC! Five stars for the absolutely stellar premise and characters, three stars for the long-winded, unnecessarily extensive descriptions. And two stars for all the typos?? (please hire me as your copy editor, thanks !!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, War, Vomit, Violence, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Addiction

Moderate: Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Grief

jennazim's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Transphobia, Grief, and Kidnapping

sunrae_booknook's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I’m not the biggest romance reader, I usually am surprised when I enjoy one… but I knew going in that I was going to laugh and cry and love this book for the all the humanity it brought with it. Viola's journey is so much more than just about her being transgender in a time where that term didn’t exist. It’s about love and hope and learning to accept yourself and the flaws of others. It’s about PTSD. It’s about a nefarious Duke trying to ruin a young girls reputation and the brother running to save her. It’s about family. Honestly one of the most beautifully written historical fictions and I’m still teary eyed from the ending. I loved all of it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Deadnaming, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Classism, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Ableism, Addiction, and Transphobia