Bringing Down the Duke: swoony, feminist and romantic, perfect for fans of Bridgerton (A League of Extraordinary Women)

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Alas, the villains tend to be one-dimensional. Griffin is a one-note, stuffy man who is almost a parody of the type. Queen Victoria is not just mean, which to be fair she sometimes historically was, but also she is foolish. On the other hand, Sebastian’s ex-girlfriend, who he treats quite badly, does something bad but her motive is not jealousy, and she makes up for it later. Really, Sebastian’s treatment of this character lowered his estimation in my eyes so far that his book offerings to Annabelle barely made up for it. That could be okay if the sex scenes didn't feel so one-sided. Annabelle loses her identity and agency. The Duke's desires subsume her own and feels so toxic. He doesn't really seem to care about Annabelle's needs or wants or how their sexual exploits would ruin her future. Bah! I just couldn't take it anymore. I abandoned this one in disgust even more annoyed because it had so much early potential. Plus it promised, but didn't really deliver, women at Oxford and suffragettes. Arrr! I have read the future of historical romance, and it's Evie Dunmore' Eva Leigh, author of Dare to Love a Duke He does have a heart, you see, a restrained, honorable heart, but it bruises just like yours and mine, and I wager it is a hundred times more steadfast. He is a rare man, not because he is wealthy, or powerful, but because he says what he means and does what he says.

Full of witty banter, rich historical detail, and a fantastic group of female friends, the first installment in Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series starts with fireworks.” — Booklist (starred review) He wanted to frame her laughing face in his hands and kiss it, anywhere, forehead, cheeks, nose. He wanted to feel her against his mouth.’ Evie Dunmore’s debut is a marvel....A stunning blend of history and romance that will enchant readers.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women’s suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain’s politics at the Queen’s command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can’t deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for.

Success!

Bringing Down the Duke gives us the best that the romance genre has to offer: light-hearted fun, steamy sex scenes, and lots of brooding, read-between-the-lines dialogue. It also serves up a few additionally tasty accoutrements, including royals, a heroine with a feminist agenda (Suffragism! Get involved, people), and witty repartee that make for a very entertaining read. FYI, this is not a book that takes itself seriously—but I think you’ll agree the result is serious fun. Cheers! As well as Annabelle and Sebastian we get a well built, and tight-knit, cast of side characters. From Annabelle’s friends in the Women’s suffrage movement( all of whom get their own books) to members of society that Annabelle meets on her journey to happiness. These characters were all so well developed, some you will love and others you will want to punch, but they’re all brilliantly used to further the relationship between our two MC’s. Dunmore is my new find in historical romance. Her A League of Extraordinary Women series is extraordinary.”—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author And then there's Annabelle, who repeatedly acts like an idiot, but whom we're told is very smart because she's read Thucydides; whose political and moral principles seem to be based on the best interests of whomever she last spoke to; and who never once seemed like the impoverished but genteel daughter of a rural Victorian clergyman whom she purported to be. Her defining personality trait, really, is that she's Not Like the Other Girls—hence why she'll go to a ball in a skintight, fashionable gown with no undergarments on underneath! Even on a practical level this wouldn't have been possible given how gowns were constructed then, but Annabelle just draws all the men's eyes with her astounding beauty, etc.

If Annabelle is portrayed as convincingly relatable, in her strengths and fragilities, smart and dignified in her beliefs and fights, I found that this book was mainly Sebastian’s journey and watching him finally come to terms with his inner "sentimental" self was sheer joy, as far as romances go. My only quibble with Bringing Down the Duke is it wasn’t until 25% into the read, I was finally fully engaged with the story. I spent the % before that a little confused to hype and impatient for the plot to actually get to that point of investment. Annabelle and Sebastian are not the predictable pair, so common in the genre, composed by the smart-mouthed, anachronistically liberated heroine and the uppity nobleman with a hidden wild side, no, there was instead an authenticity to them which stemmed from the layered, nuanced and vibrant characterisations, so consistently immersed in the historical setting that each of their moves and skirting around also became a sort of social tableau on the customs and mores of their times. They act, think and behave like late Victorian people without becoming stale stereotypes and preserving their own unique personalities, and the realistic hurdles on the path of their relationship, when contemplating such vast class difference in those days, are not magically brushed aside but, on the contrary, cleverly turned into pivotal issues and plot-points.Have you by any chance missed that class at finishing school where they teach you to feign delightful ignorance in the presence of a man?" Things went well up until the first real meeting of the pair. The pretext for their run-in was the first hint of bad things to come because it was a badly devised supposed suffragette subplot. Now mind ye the only reason Annabelle is involved with the political movement is exchange for them paying her tuition. She doesn't actively want to be involved. Neither do any of the women in the group. The suffragette aspect is extremely minor and used poorly. This was supposed to be one of the highlights of the book. Evie Dunmore is a marvelous, fresh new voice in romance who is sure to go far.” —Anna Campbell, bestselling author of the Dashing Widows series England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women's suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain's politics at the Queen's command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can't deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for.

Now he's in reach of that goal. Queen Victoria has promised to intercede on his behalf with the present owner of the castle, if only Sebastian uses his influence to keep the Tory party in power. Well, this means no liberal leanings for Sebastian at the moment, and, of course, that means ignoring the women's struggle for the right to maintain their own properties or their right to vote. Bringing down the Duke was one of the best books I’ve ever read—absolutely adored it. Dunmore had me in tears, had me holding my breath...the emotion and passion made the book ache and sing.” —Jane Porter, New York Times bestselling authorBringing Down the Duke is the best historical romance I've read all year.. . . Evie Dunmore is a marvellous, fresh new voice in romance who is sure to go far. Don't miss her brilliant debut!' ANNA CAMPBELL, bestselling author of the Dashing Widows series With all the pent-up longing and desire, it is inevitable that they will eventually succumb, and I enjoyed seeing the role reversal of the heroine seducing the hero. While I was interested in the Duke's brother and in Annabelle's friends, I really wasn't all that fascinated by either Annabelle or Sebastian. A very clever woman once told me to think about on which side of history I want to be,” he said. “I made my choice today.”

What an error it was to decide to read it, i stayed awake late at night when I had to wake up before the sun rising.Overall, Bringing Down the Duke surprised me with its heart, and I look forward to the next in the series. And the anachronisms are awful. Going places without a chaperone, being alone with an unmarried man, wearing a skintight dress without undergarments (seriously this type of dress DID NOT exist), the use of the wrong honorifics, and language that felt too modern all appear here. The author gave me time to get acquainted with both main characters plus the side protagonists. She developed them in a way, I learned gradually about their pasts, pain and wounds. It rendered them more alive. With her smart, well-researched stories and wildly appealing characters, Evie Dunmore has a unique ability to write historical romance for the modern reader. Evie Dunmore is my favorite new historical romance author!” —Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author Sebastian was so lovely, and attentive. I love it when a character comes across as cold and aloof, but secretly they have the biggest heart hidden away! It melts me every time!