A review by snipinfool
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Viola Carroll was working as a companion to her sister-in-law, Lady Marleigh. It was not what she how she envisioned spending her life, but it was a life where she was much more happy. When Lady Marleigh received a letter from an old family friend, she became concerned. Miranda wrote that her brother, the Duke of Gracewood still suffered greatly since returning home from Waterloo two years previous. He was taking large doses of laudanum and drinking heavily. Miranda tried to care for her brother as best she could but feared she was losing the battle to save his health and mind. Lady Marleigh felt she and Viola needed to travel to Gracewood's estate to see if they could offer some support for them. Viola was very hesitant. Justin had been her best friend. Her oldest friend. They went to war together. Justin returned wounded. Viola was also wounded, but was thought to have died. Viola was now living life as her true self and had no plans to let anyone outside of her family know she survived the war. 

Gracewood grieved for his losses. His leg was severely wounded and at times, it could not support him. He also relived the war in his dreams, so sleep was limited. His greatest pain was the loss of his best friend, Marleigh. Gracewood looked all over the battlefield in hopes of finding him alive. The medics took him away to see about his wounds before he had a chance to find his friend. When Lady Marleigh and her companion, Viola, arrived, they could see Gracewood was struggling. Viola did not intend to reveal who she was to Gracewood, but she had to do something to help her old friend. Slowly, she found ways to get him to talk. Justin began to enjoy these talks and started to open up about what he was going through. As they talked more, both of them started to develop deeper feelings. Viola wondered if there was a possibility for more. 

I enjoyed how Alexis Hall slowly revealed the characters' stories in the novel. Viola was finally able to live as her authentic self. She gave up much to live that life, but she had no regrets. Justin was distraught over the loss of his closest friend. A friend he thought to always have in his life. When he met Viola, he saw something in her that let him know she was a person who would want the best for him. They both looked beyond what was visible to what each was inside. I loved the ending. It was perfect. 
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