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tammyhai 's review for:
A Lady for a Duke
by Alexis Hall
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was displayed in my local library's Valentine's Day selections and I grabbed it thinking it was just another regency romance. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was a trans love story 😠I loved that so much!
Just to make it abundantly clear: Trans people have ALWAYS existed. Gay people have ALWAYS existed. Queer people have ALWAYS existed. What hasn't always existed is the vocabulary, the societal acceptance, and the discussion of gender and sexual identities.
Alexis Hall does such a great job navigating the relationship, presenting Viola as the woman that she is without making her identity a problem.
My only wish was that Gracewood wasn't a "broken" man. It feels as though it was purposeful, making Gracewood a war-torn cripple who despite his title and wealth, is not appealing to the marriage market. Because he's less desirable, he's more willing to engage with another societal outcast (though she doesn't present herself as such). But perhaps this was just a literary vehicle to establish the childhood friendship and the close bond between the two friends.
The romance was sweet, the characters all pretty likeable, and the love scenes handled delicately.
This was a solid 4 star read.
Just to make it abundantly clear: Trans people have ALWAYS existed. Gay people have ALWAYS existed. Queer people have ALWAYS existed. What hasn't always existed is the vocabulary, the societal acceptance, and the discussion of gender and sexual identities.
Alexis Hall does such a great job navigating the relationship, presenting Viola as the woman that she is without making her identity a problem.
My only wish was that Gracewood wasn't a "broken" man. It feels as though it was purposeful, making Gracewood a war-torn cripple who despite his title and wealth, is not appealing to the marriage market. Because he's less desirable, he's more willing to engage with another societal outcast (though she doesn't present herself as such). But perhaps this was just a literary vehicle to establish the childhood friendship and the close bond between the two friends.
The romance was sweet, the characters all pretty likeable, and the love scenes handled delicately.
This was a solid 4 star read.