✨️ A Historical Romance With A Queer Twist!✨️

  I am enthralled by Viola and Gracewood's love story! I started reading it for transgender reading month a year ago, and kept getting sidetracked, but NOT because its not an excellent book.

I would encourage you to read/listen in the platform that supports you most. Here, I learned that i could have read this in a week if i just knuckled down and ignored people, and it were on my kindle. Having it in paperback made it far too easy to set it aside, and lose track of it unfortunately. 

Once I made people leave me alone, I honestly fell into another world. A world of a historical romance, which seriously is one of my favorites, especially if we're discussing Waterloo, the honesty of the PTSD that the soldiers suffered after it, and even as Gracewood suggests the ptsd he suffers from his life with his father before the war. 

Being taught to be ALL MAN, and ignore poor Mira (his sister) his whole life, and not even being allowed to know his own mother for fear it would make him weak. It's so very sad, but such a point of the times, and the way most men were raised back then. To then see him finally come out of his shell with Viola is a beautiful thing, it just made me want to wrap my arms around him and give him even more of the comfort she is trying to give him.

Viola is spectacular! To have left the war the way she did, made the decision that she would live as Viola from then on had to be heartbreaking in some aspects, when she thought she could not be close to Gracewood. I love her family, how accepting of her they are, there are never any questions asked, its just a normal life - and makes it very CLEAR that Viola's determination to live as a woman is not the point of this story. 

The point of this story is two people falling in love, and living a normal life back when it was hard enough for everyone to live and love. Gracewood is so clear on these points.

"I would say" - he shaped the words close to her mouth, as if each of them was its own kiss, a private prayer -- "I love you as a man loves a woman, but we both know that love is not bound by such narrow terms. So instead let me simply tell you that i love you. I love you with the unfading flame of my friendship. With every drop of ardour in my blood. I love you with my soul, as some reserve their faith for their absent gods. I love you as i believe in what is right, and hope for what is good."

And there are fun, smexy times, but they are sweet, and light, and I thought did a really nice job of being super sexy and super loving at the same time.

I won't ruin when Gracewood figures out who Viola was, as i said earlier, I don't believe the point of this Romance is to hurt either character, but it is there, and it was well done. I think Alexis Hall does a fabulous job exploring multiple Queer aspects in this book.

Between Viola and Gracewood, and some very light questions that Mira has - she is an adult at this time, so questioning, again, is a normal aspect of life, and I thought it was sweetly done. I kind of felt bad for Mira, but not every aspect of questioning goes the way we'd like, and many times there are big emotions. 😳

I have to say, I'm a huge fan of Historical Romance, and have fallen in love with Alexis Hall style of writing, so much so that I'd ADORE a sequel here!! I also love those kidnapping scenes, where the Duke (Gracewood) has to explain to the villain why his sister is not available!! Let's keep on with the story please, I neeeeed more!! 

📸: Stunning Artwork provided by @vkelleyart

One-click here:

https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Who-Loved-Me-ebook/dp/B08W4ZRDRZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=3VMWVGDJZCJXZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._zJJAp5_aPfeBKPgsg4KSzRnPq_rTynEZsnGg0xGftf5OTYEqfmdyNpOf_okAsmvjPhSkkVmpi-YrQQN7wsvKpzWL1TZG8hHNUktxLFV_OcEdW_pagN_09Aei55hNILtV3a8Q0mSRamcuzc5wlTJe-3jsDe2kPkAxuiedT1qsXRJE2mEudAR7T-cl-KC8t6AENpGhQjqLM3z_zcATq4Pzw.Kz2mVkU8FpzVTeMsvRYgmC3KLG1-hMNk-8wghuJv5Do&dib_tag=se&keywords=Alexis+Hall+Lady+for+A+Duke&qid=1712013267&sprefix=alexis+hall+lady+for+a+duke%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-1