Skip to main content

A Lady for a Duke

A Lady for a Duke

by Alexis Hall

🎧Narrated by Kay Eluvian


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5


This epic queer historical romance blew me away. From lost friends reuniting, the finding of soulmates to the breaking free of personal and societal chains, this story had it all. 


Viola Carroll has never felt like herself. She has put forth a facade of the happy-go-lucky aristocrat, but that person was not her. When a battle at Waterloo leaves her on the brink of death and she is rehabilitated by locals, she takes this opportunity as her chrysalis moment to emerge as Viola Carroll, her true self.


Now a new person she has given up her title to her brother and everything else from her former life, even her best friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. But unrest in the ducal household requires Viola’s sister-in-law Lady Marleigh, whom she is now companion to in her new life, to travel to the Gracewood seat. Viola must accompany her and face her past and the friend she left behind.


Gracewood lost the best part of himself when his best fried perished at Waterloo. Now he hides from the world in a haze of laudanum and alcohol… That is until Lady Marleigh barges into his home with her intriguing companion who seems to be his missing half!


This take on a friends to lovers story featuring a trans woman heroine was beautifully done. The angst experienced by Viola and her refusal to live for others and her acceptance of the consequences of her choices was detailed in a way that you as thew reader went through her struggles and successes in tandem. Also on the other side the dual narration provided insight into Gracewood train of thought and process of coming to terms with his wants and needs and the reality of Viola as a partner. I think the friends to lovers trope consists of a side finally seeing the other person as their tru self and that was a perfect fit for Viola and Gracewood story.


These two were the best of friends and the chemistry between them sparked off the page. I loved how Alexis Hall has set up these characters background actions/ history and their situation to provide the perfect set-up where Gracewood and Viola can come together and experience their love for each other as they see fit.


🎧I was fortunate to get to listen to the audiobook for this book. I started listening when I was already halfway through the book, with can be problematic if the narrator doesn’t fit the vibe of the book. This was not the case with Kay Eluvian’s narration. She delivered voice work that exactly fit what this book already sounded like in my head. You could hear in her work that she was connected to the characters and story and truly brought them to life. Her addition of extra sounds that normally are just spoken of, like the sigh or a cough made this reading come to life. I could not have been happier with Kay Eluvian’s work on this audio and the way it enhanced an already superb story.


As a fan of historical Romance and a reader of Alexis Hall’s contemporary work, I could not be happier about this book. This is a must read for fans of HR. This is new standard for the genre.



A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall is scheduled to release May 24th, 2022.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley and the audiobook from Hachette Audio. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.



 

 

#ALadyforaDuke #AlexisHall #KayEluvian #Audiobook #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Taxidermy

by    Sharon Kernot I didn’t know what I was getting when I picked out this book. When I first opened this book and started to read, I was pleasantly surprised. The author, has written this novel in verse and the flow of the writing really goes with and helps tell the story. The Art of Taxidermy tells a gripping and emotional story about love of family and great loss. The themes are woven through the coming of age of young Lottie, along with her immigrant family in Australia after the second world war. I was taken in by this book from the first page and was made to feel deeply for Lottie and this family. Sharon Kernot has written a beautiful book and I can not highly recommend it enough. This is a must read. The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernot is due to release August 23rd, 2019. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Text Publishing Company through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 #TheArtOfTaxidermy #sharonkern...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Outlaw's Daughter

The Outlaw’s Daughter Haywire Bride Series #3 by Margaret Brownley ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 A year old stage robbery has brought Texas Ranger, Matt Taggert to the small town of Haywire. While investigating his lead he he discovers that his prime suspect died just days after the stage coach robbery and is the tow’s local hero… not only that, he has left behind a beautiful widow and 2 children. Ellie-May is no stranger to public scorn, as the daughter of an outlaw , she knows what the Rangers accusations against her deceased husband will do to her family and children. For the sake of her family, she will do anything to protect them and that includes keeping secrets and resisting the Rangers charms!  This was fun story. I loved how the romance also included the children because as a mother myself (happily married) I could never imagine being able to separate my love life from that of my family life. A new partner would definitely need to win over the kids along with me!  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Here to Stay

Here to Stay by Adriana Herrara ⭐⭐⭐ /5 Adrianna Herraara has a remarkable way of capturing the personality and spirit of her New Yorker characters… even when they aren’t in their native New York! The friendships created and the corresponding camaraderie are what stood out to me the most in this book. It was fun to watch these ex-pat New Yorkers come together in their new home and bond. As for the romance, I found it a bit forced. Julia is on a dating sabbatical and not looking for a man… Rocco is only in Dallas working fro the men trying to cut funding and close Julia’s charitable foundation that she works for. These two should be enemies, but they are friends… the tension between them is pretty high, but they both know they are on opposite sides… I found it unsatisfying… size they were workplace enemies, their friendship muddied the waters. I found it hard to get behind their romance. On another side, I really enjoyed the representation of the charitabl...
Post a Comment
Read more