A brooding duke in a lonely, windswept castle—at first glance, the Duke of Gracewood appears to be your typical Gothic Romance hero. But Viola Carroll already knows the good-hearted and sensitive man that lies beneath this gruff exterior. If only he could see Viola for who she truly was…. A Lady for a Duke is a queer Regency romance that came out last year and is my first experience with the work of the prolific and versatile Alexis Hall, though I’ve long been aware of his stature in the genre. If you love romance novels that pull at your heartstrings and seeing trans characters represented in historical contexts, don’t miss this one!
When Viola Carroll was counted among the dead at the Battle of Waterloo, she took the opportunity to start her life over as the woman she knew she was meant to be. Having given up her wealth and title, Viola returned home to take on the role of lady’s companion to her supportive sister-in-law, Lady Marleigh. A letter arrives from the younger sister of Viola’s closest childhood friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, intimating that the duke is in a precarious mental state, and Viola can’t quell the desire to rush to his side despite her fears that he will recognize her as who she once was and refuse to accept her new identity. Yet, when she and Lady Marleigh arrive at the dreary estate of Morgencald, Gracewood doesn’t recognize Viola at all. He’s worse off than they thought—addicted to laudanum, drowning in grief for his lost friend, and reeling from the horrors of war. Yet, gentle sympathy and witty banter from the beautiful Viola help to bring him back to his senses. As Viola and the duke grow closer, she struggles with the fact that she is the cause of the grief he now suffers from and wonders whether revealing the truth would only bring further betrayal. Even if Gracewood could love and accept Viola for who she is, could there be a future for the two of them?
There are so many elements of this book that merit deeper discussion, but perhaps most relevant to this blog is the way that it takes a distinctly Gothic setting and explores it through a romance lens. Gracewood’s home, Castle Morgencald, is an ancient keep on the English coast that has resisted capture and been ruled over by the de Vere family for centuries. The structure is foreboding, and Lady Marleigh even makes a reference to the Castle of Otranto as she approaches it for the first time. The castle’s cold, gray bleakness reflects the stoicism and gravitas that the de Vere men are taught to embody. Yet, seeing through Viola’s eyes helps to humanize the duke and his castle alike. Viola sees how Gracewood struggles under the weight of his family’s legacy, torn between a strong sense of duty and an unwillingness to become like his cruel and arrogant father. In their youth, Viola’s presence helped Gracewood to see his home in a new light, transforming the imposing tower from a burdensome reminder of his duty to a place of fun and adventure. Upon her return to the castle, she once again brightens its halls with her smiles, and in doing so helps Gracewood to leave behind the Gothic role of mad, misanthropic tyrant to become the kind of person who confronts his fears and feels the full range of human emotions.
While the first half of the novel centers the angst and pining between Viola and Gracewood, the second half ratchets up the stakes with a sensational abduction and rescue that reminded me of Georgette Heyer’s The Black Moth. Though both reluctant, for their own reasons, to navigate the vagaries of London high society, Gracewood and Viola agree that his younger sister Miranda ought to go into town for a Season and make her debut. Her wealth and beauty assure Miranda a warm welcome, but her naivete and isolated upbringing leave her vulnerable to the machinations of those who would use her for their own gain. When Miranda goes missing at a masquerade ball, Gracewood and Viola embark on a rescue mission that takes them from the brothels of the London underworld to the countryside estates of ignoble nobles. As in The Black Moth, there are devilish dukes, desperate horse races along dark country roads, and delicate resolutions that prioritize reputations over justice. Along the way, Gracewood and Viola must confront how their experiences in the war have changed their relationship to violence, revise their understandings of traditional masculinity and femininity, and reevaluate what’s truly important to them.
As a romance novel that expertly tackles both big feelings and big issues—everything from identity and societal gender roles to trauma, disability, and substance abuse—A Lady for a Duke is already a top contender for one of my favorite books of the year, and it’s only January! You can find a copy for yourself on shelves now at your favorite local retailer, or buy one online and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link. If you’ve already read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!