Bringing Down the Duke

Not as careful about historical detail as I want in the best books, but a satisfying cast of not-too-stereotyped characters and a plot that didn't just pace through the expected beats. Better than the run-of-the-mill for the genre of Victorian romance. I found myself highlighting anachronisms, which took me out of the reading experience, rather. A well-paced story.

This book was such a fun read! It was our bookclub read, and well, i wil be reading the next volumes of the series to make the month go by <3

As a historical fiction set within the suffragette movement, you know you're going to be dealing with a lot of sexism, true for the times. However, this is delicately portrayed. Anabelle and Sebastian are a very lovable couple.

Parts of it feel like hanging out with friends, and parts of it are a gut punch when you think of all the advances that have been made in women's rights and how much there is more to do.

“Perhaps you can explain it to me, then,” she said, “how is it fair that my utterly inept cousin is in command of me, for no reason other than that he's a man and I'm a woman? How is it fair that I master Latin and Greek as well as any man at Oxford, yet I am taught over a baker's shop? How is it fair that a man can tell me my brain was wired wrong, when his main achievement in life seems to be his birth into a life of privilege? And why do I have to beg a man to please make it his interest that I, too, may vote on the laws that govern my life every day?” This part resonated with me.

Girl this book is wild!

While this book was really enjoyable I did find it to have fizzled out towards the end so I would say it deserves 3.5 stars.

Other than that I will probably take a small break and come back to the following books.

Until next time!

I enjoyed this one, but sadly not as much as I thought I would.
A solid 3/5 stars read.

3,5⭐️

Now I've read the entire three-book series and I can't choose a favorite. It's probably a tie between book #3, [b:Portrait of a Scotsman 55053187 Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women, #3) Evie Dunmore https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607447624l/55053187.SY75.jpg 85846250] and book #1 [b:Bringing Down the Duke 43521785 Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women, #1) Evie Dunmore https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554743971l/43521785.SX50.jpg 67688634], but book #2, [b:A Rogue of One's Own 49202118 A Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2) Evie Dunmore https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578931679l/49202118.SX50.jpg 73028567] is a close second. I'm glad there's a fourth coming in March 2023, [b:The Gentleman's Gambit 55053196 The Gentleman's Gambit (A League of Extraordinary Women, #4) Evie Dunmore https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 85846264], because I love the convergence of politics and sex that [a:Evie Dunmore 18775709 Evie Dunmore https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1548783382p2/18775709.jpg] has in all of her books. I'm addicted to her League of Extraordinary Women. It's perfect that each book adds a detailed backstory behind women's rights and what it was like before women could vote or own property. It's amazing how much a woman lost just by getting married. In [b:Bringing Down the Duke 43521785 Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women, #1) Evie Dunmore https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554743971l/43521785.SX50.jpg 67688634], the main character, Annabelle Archer, a commoner, and Sebastion Devereux, the 19th Duke of Montgomery, have an instant attraction even if he is opposed to Annabelle's cause of amending the Married Women's Property Act.Unfortunately, the times dictate that their relationship be on the quiet or preferably not at all. This in a society where a single woman must have a protectorate with her at all times when she is out of her home. Annabelle would actually have a better life if she agreed to be his mistress, but the question would be “better compared to what?” Like her sisters in the The Cause, she's hoping for the day when Parliament will consider voting in their favor and change the laws that keep women from being free. And so begins the massively unsuccessful avoidance between the Duke and Annabelle. It doesn't help that she's appointed by the head of The Cause to create a detailed profile of him with hopes it will help them get his vote in the House of Lords. She sets out to find his weaknesses without exposing her attraction to him and fails miserably on both counts. He seems to have no weakness and she's hopelessly overwhelmed by her emotions for him. And it's mutual. Beyond the politics, the sexual tension between the characters grows, magnified by the society's taboo on them having a relationship. With the passage of any women's rights act appearing years (decades?) away, it seems pointless to wait until they are allowed equal footing to express their true feelings.The author not only does a credible job of keeping them apart, with a stolen kiss here or there, but lots of self-examination and commitments to not let it go any further by both. But the writer also does an excellent job of detailing what happens next, which I won't reveal, but for readers who believe that love can conquer all—you won't be disappointed.Love this book!

lady, have a little SELF-RESPECT!! i understand this novel is pretty strictly basing its story and characters in its time period and setting and there are many readers who like reading this kind of relationship (powerful, stoic duke and a pwetty lil gorl

From the description, I had really high hopes for this book, and unfortunately I was let down. The description and cover made the book out to be a fun rivals-to-lovers romance, however to me, the story and main characters just didn't do anything particularly interesting for me. While the writing was good, it felt like a very standard steamy historical romance with a class-difference couple, with the suffrage plot feeling more like an afterthought.

As Annabelle, the heroine, was described as a “daring Oxford rebel,” I was expecting a much more passionate and driven character. I never really felt much of a connection to her, despite spending more than half of the book in her POV. I ended up caring more about the side characters, and enjoying their time on page, rather than Annabelle and her love interest Sebastian, which is not what you want when reading a romance.

I also really disliked Sebastian as a love interest. I've read (and enjoyed) a lot of romances where the hero comes off very cold and rude at the beginning, but becomes a well-developed character with a believable romance by the end, so I get exactly what “type” of character he was written as - it's been done many, many times. I just couldn't bring myself to like, or even care about Sebastian at all despite spending a significant amount of the book in his perspective. The way he treated his brother throughout the story really soured my opinion on him as well, and I never really felt like his character grew from that. When they reconciled at the end, it honestly felt very random, and like something that had to get resolved for his whole redemption arc to wrap up by the last chapter. I also noticed he had a habit of looming over Annabelle, sometimes even physically restraining her during emotional moments, which gave me the ick. I think it's supposed to be hot and ~alpha~, but...no thanks. Also, felt like a bizarre choice for what was marketed as a historical romance with feminist overtones.

I honestly never bought the romance between the two characters, it felt more like they lusted after each other and had a few interesting conversations, and jumped right into being obsessed with each other. This could just be my personal preference, but I would have preferred seeing more conversations and banter between them before building up their attraction. I feel like having so much time spent lusting over each other, even very early on in the story, resulted in a lot of time that could have been spent on developing their relationship more.

Spoiler-Free Review:

This book was so good! I don't think I've read any regency since I read Bridgerton at the beginning of last year, and this was a great way to get back into it. I love books set in this time period and the escapism that they offer. While the ideals of this time period seem outrageous in today's time, I still love the richness of the genre. This book is an adult regency romance that follows Annabelle and Sebastian. Annabelle is a lowborn woman and Sebastian is a duke and they find themselves captivated with each other. There is amazing sexual tension and the payoff is so well written! I really like when everything is written in the same “language” and its time period, and Evie Dunmore executes this very well and tastefully. The duke is perfectly grumpy and broody, and he gives off extreme protective male vibes. There are even a few “who did this to you” moments. There may be a few topics in this book that can be triggering, and although not deeply discussed, check for triggers before reading. This book is an adult romance, 18+ for sexual content.

This book was a fun romance read. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of sex in rom coms, so I didn't like those parts as much. It was cool to see the time period it was written in. The middle of the woman's suffrage movement.

Alright, so I'm going to shoot you straight: this was not great. It was actually a pretty bad book. First, it was more or less a rehash of Julia Quinn's third book in the Bridgerton series (peep my review of that last month for the scoop). I am not saying that the details were 100% the same, but the storylines were pretty similar (60%?). Also this book is wild in its descriptions. Like 50 shades crazy. And honestly its not that the content was bad its just that I expected a lot more from the author.

“I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.”

Evie, come on. I heard so much about this book from BOTM to forums, etc. and I guess I just expected more. I knew Julia Quinn's ‘An Offer from a Gentleman' was not going to have the best quality writing and yet it was somehow better than this. Yikes

There were just so many characters and so much going on I found myself searching for some plot between the large amount of intimate scenes and then I was lost because the story was all over the place. Needless to say, I probably wont be reading the sequel. 2.75 stars/5.

Oh man, this was really, really good. I'm hovering between 4 to 4.5 stars, maybe even considering a 5 star.

Reasons why I think this was a great read:

- It wasn't wholly absorbed in a self-contained love story between the two protagonists and just some random social misgivings easily overcome, but rather each of the protagonists had their own distinct motivations, backstories, and causes to fight for in life that tied in with the society around them which clashed with each other despite their mutual attraction.

- It actually showed me the world that the protagonists lived in, and the relationship interacts meaningfully (and sometimes contradicts) with that society rather than exist in a bubble within it. You know, just like how real relationships would.

- The conflicts between the protagonists felt realistic and deserved, rather than petty arguments arising because one person decided to go for some good ol' noble idiocy or because there were stupid, avoidable miscommunications. The conflicts arose chiefly because the protagonists belong to such different classes in society and were officially fighting on opposite sides of the women's rights movement. I also liked that the class differences weren't just magically swept under the carpet like in most romance novels, where it makes it seem so easy for a rich and titled man to marry an impoverished, “low-born” nobody with no thoughts about the consequences at all.

- The conflicts had actual stakes involved, and no matter what decision was made, you know it was going to cost someone dearly in a lot of ways - rather than resolutions that seemed to only involve someone getting over their ego and apologising.

- The female protagonist in particular wasn't a Mary Sue. She actively went through some shit to fight for her cause. Her backstory was fairly heavier than expected. She still felt endearing despite it all, and I found myself rooting for her in the end.

If anything, I think the only scene that caught me a little off-guard was when Annabelle decided to initiate a one-night stand with Montgomery after he saved her from prison. It felt really sudden and random and almost out of character, but I didn't mind it that much because I really enjoyed the conversations they had in between having sex, lol. I liked that they weren't just being baring themselves physically to each other but emotionally as well. And the way they parted after that scene really wrenched my heart good and proper.

All in all, a fantastic romance novel and I would certainly be excited to follow this series!

I unexpectedly loved this?! idk idk I'm usually hard on historical romances but this was so much fun to read.

The world of men is a brutal place. And yet women visit our offices, approach us in the streets, and send us petitions with tens of thousands more signatures every year to ask for more freedom. They feel their safety comes at the expense of their freedom. And, gentlemen, the trouble with freedom is it isn't just an empty phrase that serves well in a speech.

4.5.

A breath of fresh air to the historical romance genre. and increased importance to the movements of feminism in the era rather than the age-old tale of male owns the women and their utter helplessness to their without the males. this shows a tale of rebellion and strength amongst the ranks of the women

there are other carefully places literary references as well as historical references that allow the characters more dimension and make us identify more with them. it also gives much more substance and flows to the storytelling.

I feel as this is almost a satire on the victorian era as the queen the woman that is the head of state is opposing the same right that she has had by birth. it almost brings forth the issue were women born into privilege do not recognize their advantage and at the same time ridicule people that work to receive the same advantage that was not given to them based on their birth

Dit boek was niet wat ik ervan had verwacht en ik weet eigenlijk niet hoe ik mij daarbij voel.
Het was vlot en met momenten erg mooi geschreven, maar ik kan niet beslissen of de gebeurtenissen nu wel of niet feministisch zijn. Naar die tijdsgeest waarschijnlijk wel, maar het is soms moeilijk rijmen met ons huidig beeld.

De beide hoofdpersonages waren ook niet echt consequent geschreven. Het ene moment waren het echt helden, het andere moment laakbaar. Ik weet ook niet of ik echt geloof in hun liefde. Ze begeren elkaar duidelijk, maar hun mentale connectie komt te weinig naar voren om te geloven in meer dan alleen lust.

Al bij al wel ok, maar toch wat ontgoocheld in de richting en focus van het verhaal.

Read in one sitting

Plotline reminded me of an Austen novel, though the setting was nearly 60 years after Austen's books were published. The difference in writing, however, was fresh and significantly less stogy. I liked the feminist aspects of the book and that the male figure was respectful and not rapey, unlike most characters written around this time period. Overall, adorable read.

Não acredito que demorei tanto tempo para escrever sobre esse livro.
Sabendo-se que sou bem fã do meu guilty pleasure que são romances de época, esse livro em específico é um prato cheio. E não pelo romance, mas pelo cenário que se desenvolve o tema de plano de fundo escolhido pela autora.
Faculdade (Oxford), wallflowers, gente ridícula de bonita, sufragistas, diferenças sociais, problemas amorosos que se resolvem em uma conversa, mas que levam um livro todo para se solucionar.
Confesso que a narradora não foi uma das melhores opções. A escolha para a personalidade de algumas das personagens (as meninas) as deixou como personagens bem secundárias e um pouco irritantes. Por mais que de certa maneira tenha combinado com as atitudes revolucionárias das sufragistas e seu ímpeto por fazer a diferença mesmo como minoria.
Tragicamente, não me recordo do nome do resto (sei que uma é a ingênua que desenha, a exótica de óculos que foi quem mais gostei até agora, a chefe da gangue - com a personalidade mais “irritante”, e tem a que lê um bocado junto com a Annabelle?) Entenda que amei o livro demais, mas isso sumiu um pouco da minha mente. Podemos dizer que esse também segue o modelo da Lisa Kleypas com as Wallflowers, mas com um cenário mais solido e politico, abordando a luta das mulheres na sociedade de uma forma envolvente, sem encobrir (porém, não traumatizando o leitor ingênuo do século XXI) sobre atitudes dos homens, das autoridades e dos costumes da época que eram contra mudanças, fazendo as mulher comerem um dobrado, e sofressem por ir as ruas (como se tivesse mudado alguma coisa hoje... mas enfim). E esse fato foi o que ganhou meu coração.

A escrita da autora é bem fluida e deixa pontas soltas que mantém o leitor conectado aos acontecimentos. Em alguns capítulos, o sofrimento desmedido dos principais cansou um pouco, porque tudo poderia ser resolvido com uma conversa sincera, que ocorreu, é claro, pouco dramático, no final do livro, com direito a exposição pública de atos de afeto, quebra de caracter - por assim dizer - do Sebastian, e abraços molhados na chuva, em Londres, naquele frio do cão.

De fato é uma liga de mulher extraordinárias e terminei este volume querendo o segundo imediatamente. Mas não tem. 

Absolutely love this one! I am glad I was not a woman born to that era. The things women had to go through in order to have a little freedom to live and have ease to move around and be heard on their own behalf. Such a great story of courageous women, with a little steamy romance built in.

Definitely a solid 4.5.

I read very few historical romances in general but this debut might just be one of my top favorites in the genre, and I'm so glad and delighted that I didn't ignore it when it came onto my radar.

This book takes place in late 19th century Britain set against the backdrop of the suffragists movement and I absolutely loved it. The way the author was able to show us the struggles of all the women who wanted to fight for freedom of women (particularly the amendment of the Married Women's Act) is just brilliant and I can't believe this is a debut. The politics of the Tory Party and the Queen herself, how powerful people want to quash the movement and how those in the aristocracy view the common folk is shown with amazing clarity and I loved that the author never pulled her punches. The beautiful locations of Oxford are also described very well but also contrasted with how the facilities for female students were completely different/ very discriminatory when compared with those of their male counterparts.

The plot was also a lot of fun and entertaining to read and I just didn't wanna put it down at all, not even to sleep. The slow burn romance is extremely passionate and the attraction between the two main characters just sizzled right from their first meeting. And what an explosive (not) meet-cute that was... just the idea is so ingenious. There is a strong push and pull between the MCs, a possibility of a scandalous romance and reputations at stake - the author manages to capture all these emotions extremely well and I could feel every moment of it. And while I was pretty worried how these two stubborn people from very different stations in life would ever agree to be together, the author brought about quite a flashy ending. While it didn't feel entirely realistic, I thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn't have been satisfied with anything else.

Annabelle is a commoner with very low prospects but high intellect, not the most admirable quality needed for a woman during those times. Her yearning to be educated at Oxford, and belief about the need for the woman's right to vote is presented wonderfully. She could be a bit impulsive but I guess her actions weren't always unwarranted. Sebastian on the other hand is the Duke of one of the largest holdings in the country, a shrewd political advisor and someone who never does anything that could be construed as inappropriate for his station. He comes across as arrogant and cold in the beginning, but behind the perfect facade is a great and passionate mind in need of a challenge.

Sparks fly between them since the very beginning and it was highly entertaining to watch their interactions play out. Even when they are arguing or flirting, the conversations range from politics and philosophy to reasoning and logic, and I particularly loved this way of developing a relationship. They also exchange witty exchanges through notes and books and I found it personally very swoony. And despite all this fun I had wondering how and when they would get together, it also made me cry when they tried to hold off on their feelings because of the forbidden nature of their relationship. The author managed to twist my heart so many times, making me all kinds of emotional and I obviously loved feeling that way.

Though this is a romance novel, the author also takes time to develop the other important side characters, and I thought it was done perfectly. Hattie, Lucie and Catriona, all women whom Annabelle meets at Oxford and who are fighting for the same cause, quickly become friends and confidants despite being from varied backgrounds and it was very endearing to read about this group. And it was actually fantastic that the author managed to give each of these ladies their own purpose and motivation in life, while also striving for a common goal. The other important character was Sebastian's brother Peregrin who is present for a very short time, but in quite a significant role. Their sibling relationship was pretty fraught but I liked that we get some sort of resolution to their issues. I'm in love with everyone here and I can't wait to see them all again.

To conclude, I just wanna say that this book was fun, sexy, witty and intelligent and I had a gala time reading it. If you love historical romances with a dash of feminism, then I promise you can't go wrong with this debut. It has equal parts passionate romance and political commentary about the plight of women, and the author strikes a perfect balance between the two. I'm very very happy that this is going to be a series and after that little snippet towards the end, I'm doubly excited to read Lady Lucie's story next.

Clever, independent Annabelle Archer is suffocating in her role as maidservant to her oppressive cousin and his large family in the country. When she learns about Oxford's brand-new college for women, she cannot let the opportunity pass her by. She pays her cousin to let her go, and receives a stipend to cover her tuition. The catch is that her stipend has come from a suffrage group, so Annabelle is obligated to participate in women's suffrage activities on top of her schoolwork. During one such activity she makes the mistake of targeting one of England's most powerful men, the frosty Duke of Montgomery. As a result she is assigned to get the duke on the women's side, and what follows is a fun tale of independence, persistence, friendship, and love.

This book was a delight. I was pulled into the story almost immediately and had a hard time putting it down. There are a lot of parallels to Pride and Prejudice, but it still feels unique. There is good character development, and the romantic intensity starts early and doesn't let up. Though lighthearted, this book also makes you think about what women have had to endure to get the rights they have today. A great read for anyone who likes romantic historical fiction.