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Bringing Down the Duke

(A League of Extraordinary Women #1)

Evie Dunmore (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 7,481 ratings · 1,319 reviews

A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford Rebels, in which a fiercely independent vicar's daughter takes on a duke in a fiery love story that threatens to upend the British social order.

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 ...more

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Paperback, 356 pages

Published September 3rd 2019 by Berkley

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Lists with This Book

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Jun 14, 2019 Hollis rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-reads, arc, all-the-feels, ebook, not-a-bunch-of-twenty-somethings, swoony-crush-worthy-boys, smart-ladies, a-smattering-of-lols, alphamales-i-want, finished-in-june-2019

And another debut author smashes it out of the park in 2019!

"It is becoming clear to be me why a fair girl like you has been left on the shelf. You are not only bookish but a radical political activist. All highly impractical in a wife."

BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE was just.. pure fun? Deliciously swoony? Just the right amount of angst?

There came a time in a duke's life when he rarely encountered an honest opinion, where he could be on his way to hell in a handcart and everyone would politely step ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Paromjit rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, women-s-fiction, historical-fiction, netgalley

Evie Dunmore writes a smart historical romance set in the Victorian era that takes place amidst the suffragette campaign for women's rights by getting parliament to amend the married women's property act. There is implacable opposition to this from all corners, not just from men alone but other women too, and including the Tory party and Queen Victoria. It is 1879, and the over educated, beautiful but destitute 25 year old Annabelle, inveigles her way to study amongst the first group of women at Evie Dunmore writes a smart historical romance set in the Victorian era that takes place amidst the suffragette campaign for women's rights by getting parliament to amend the married women's property act. There is implacable opposition to this from all corners, not just from men alone but other women too, and including the Tory party and Queen Victoria. It is 1879, and the over educated, beautiful but destitute 25 year old Annabelle, inveigles her way to study amongst the first group of women at Oxford University after gaining a modest scholarship, for which she must support the radical political suffragettes led by Lady Lucie Tedbury, and their campaign to recruit powerful men of influence to champion their cause. Annabelle has the task of recruiting one of the most powerful men in the land, the Duke of Montgomery, Sebastian Devereux, a cold hard man whose home Annabelle, and her two fellow bluestockings, Hattie and Catriona, manage to infiltrate.

Things do not go to plan as Annabelle becomes ill and a surprisingly strong attraction between the two of them grows . However, after an affair gone wrong in the past, Annabelle is distinctly wary, determined not to repeat her errors of judgement. Montgomery himself is taken aback by his feelings for Annabelle but he has his future mapped out with the possibility of finally attaining what he has always wanted. Additionally, his hands are full with a troublesome brother, Peregrin, a meddling Queen, and organising a political campaign to ensure the Tories win the next election. This is a time where the upper classes in England used marriage as a tool to secure alliances that enriched them further in the acquisition of more land, money and power. Marriage to Annabelle, a country girl of no consequence would cause a scandal of earth shattering proportions that Montgomery cannot afford. Other possible arrangements for their love are stymied by an Annabelle unwilling to ruin her life, her reputation, or lose her self respect.

Dunmore writes a fun and highly entertaining historical novel that takes account of some serious issues of the day regarding the fight for women's rights, outlining just how much it cost women to fight the ruthless forces arraigned against them, many finding themselves imprisoned, their reputations in tatters, not to mention having their educational opportunities taken away. The characterisation is done well with the smart charismatic Annabelle and Sebastian's character development shifting him fundamentally from the person he was at the beginning to who he becomes by the end. This a a novel that I enjoyed reading far more than I expected to, and would recommend to others. It's the first of a series, and I look forward to the next one. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC. ...more

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Aug 27, 2019 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it really liked it

Somehow this cover brought to mind a rom com, but that is not what unfolds within these pages. Instead, it’s a clever historical romance, one like nothing I’ve read before, though I admit I am not a frequent historical romance reader.

In late 19th century England, Annabelle Archer is the daughter of a country vicar, now penniless. Annabelle has joined the first class of female students at the University of Oxford. Her scholarship has a price, though, and a worthy one: she must advocate for women’ ...more

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Nov 05, 2019 Melanie A. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, 2019-favorites, 5plus, audio, library

***A 2019 Top Pick***

5+ STARS!!!

His kisses had lifted a loneliness off her she hadn't even known she carried.

SOOOOOOOO wonderful!

After a bit of rocky start, I fell head over heels in love with Annabelle and Sebastian. Congratulations to Evie Dunmore . . .the writing was incredible, the characters had so much depth, and talk about feeling the story: this was impossible love at its best!

And I adored how the story was woven into the political fabric of Victorian England.

Audio: 4 STARS!
So ...more

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Sep 14, 2019 Christina ~ Brunette Reader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance-victorian, kindle, favourites, i-read-romance-for-books-like-this

London, 1879
Handing a leaflet. Speaking few and incisive words.

"One: identify a man of influence. Two: approach him firmly, but with a smile. Three: remember they can sense if you are afraid, but they are usually more afraid of you."

How difficult can it be? Miss Annabelle Archer thinks. Instilling the rightness of the cause into the minds and consciences of that handful of men who could truly help breaking the other half of the population’s second class citizenship status quo. Inspiring in them even just a kernel of that same passion for evolving, improving, changing that has led and sustained her during these difficult first months in Oxford. At 25, the offer of a stipend at Lady Margaret Hall, the first college recently allowing female students to attend, has been the miraculous, and last, opportunity to flee a life of frustration as an unpaid poor relation drudging her days away in her cousin’s house in Kent. Once rid of such confining environment and able to resume the literary and classical studies her father had introduced her to, joining the National Society for Women’s Suffrage has been the logical continuation in her quest for independence and a fruitful way to return her scholarship.

"No decent woman would talk to a stranger in the street, certainly not while brandishing pamphlets that boldly declared The Married Women’s Property Act makes a slave of every wife!"

Yet, here she is, in front of Westminster on a chilly October day, her first suffrage meeting, a cold mist dulling Parliament Square. And then the ideal target in sight, whoever he may be, "the kind who had his confidence bred into his bones, who oozed entitlement from the self-assured way he held himself to his perfectly straight aristo nose," and she the only activist among the ones in her group having the courage, or the foolishness, to accost him. The brief exchange has come to naught, of course, the icy façade he’s presented her has been answer enough, tough an instant sort of awareness has sparkled between them, "bright and disturbing like an electric current." And oh, he has been staring at her mouth. "No matter their position in the world, they all liked her mouth." Well, a duke no less, but he’s never going to be one of their political allies, so no use in keep glancing back in the direction his carriage has gone off...

"The woman had had the softest, most inviting lips he’d seen on this side of the channel. [...] But what was more remarkable was that she had looked him straight in the eye.

Sebastian Devereux, nineteenth Duke of Montgomery, has no time for brash suffragists. A protagonists of Britain’s politics and at only 35 one of the most powerful peers of the realm, with an unruly younger brother to manage, a scandalous divorce in his near past, the ancestral ducal seat to regain and now the Queen appointing him chief strategic advisor for the Tory party in the upcoming elections his life is already complicated as it is and, though not opposed on principle, adding support to women’s rights campaign on his agenda is out of the question. After all, it’s not as if he’s going to run into “Green Eyes” ever again...
But things are destined to change when a shift in the course of action on the suffragists’ front brings these two rivals at close quarters.

She might not exactly like him. But she very, very much wanted to make sense of him.

[...] and he didn’t even feel inclined to question why a most unsuitable woman—a commoner, a bluestocking, a suffragist—would give him so much pleasure.

Though if it is as they say that the personal is also a little bit political and vice versa, in this case a battle of wills, wits, hearts and souls is inevitable, or to put it in Annabelle’s own words:

“Perhaps this is not a question of staying out of trouble, Your Grace. Perhaps this is about deciding on which side of history you want to be.”

And a question of whether love or reason will prevail... or even better, a rare compromise between both...

Debuting Ms. Dunmore has penned a winner, written with flair and suavity, presenting a smooth and evocative prose. A deliciously romantic story firmly grounded in the late Victorian setting, but posing some timeless questions about love against duty and honour or about reputation and safety against freedom and passion, questions that transcend the historical declinations and contingencies while making the tangible inner struggles of the characters deeply resonate.

Not only it had all the "ingredients" I usually adore in a romance book, from the exquisite slow-burn tension to the accurately rendered and smoothly interwoven era bits and manners, but what impressed me the most was how skilfully balanced everything felt, to the point that if I hadn’t previously known this was the author’s first work, I would have ascribed it to a much more seasoned hand. There was humour and wit without descending into a lighter read. It was character-driven and often acutely introspective without being meandering, well-researched and slightly intellectual without being pedantic, tender and sweet without being cloying. There was a finely calibrated intensity that never lapsed into self-indulgent drama and an underlying opposites attract scenario able to go beyond the well-worn trope while renewing it through an intelligent and rounded leading couple.

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.

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.
This strongly driven and complex man, with a cold and severe poise (and how much of it is just that, poise?), starts to gradually reconsider every aspect of his life and his outlook on his role and duties, with the same thoroughness he dedicates to political battles. Thanks to this compelling and passionate woman questioning him every step of the way, who challenges and infuriates him... and who probably makes him yearn for "more" for the first time in his privileged but somehow confining and inhibited existence.
Once freed there’s no turning back, his love for her becomes vital and reverberates in his every action and word.

All the above is held together by a subtle and bittersweet undercurrent of longing... for what it is, for what it might be... expressing in all the conversations, the gestures, the sensuality, the delicate love scenes, the barely restrained emotions, the careful flirtations, and oh so fitting the mood of two completely different realities coming face-to-face, like those of commoner early-feminist Annabelle and noblesse oblige conservative Sebastian, that have to decide which direction their own private world will have to take while the outer one glares disapprovingly. Their choices, torn between need and responsibility, will accompany the story to the hard-earned happy resolution, which felt even more romantic, poignant and satisfying as it was based in the realm of true-to-life, substantial possibilities. ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 Corina rated it liked it

Shelves: strong-woman, historical-romance, debut-novel

Bringing Down the Duke is a debut novel with lots of potential. The book had some of my favorite aspects and it also played during a time, the late 1800s, which isn't often portrait in historical romance novels. Most stories are set during Regency Englandbetween 1811 and 1820. This novel plays during the time of suffragettes, when women were being allowed at college and during the time of winning voting rights for females. It was certainly an exciting time. With many strong and forward thinking ...more

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Sep 05, 2019 Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, favorite-couples, favorite-hero, favorites, favorites-2019, sept-2019, favorite-heroine

TITLE: BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE
AUTHOR: Evie Dunmore
SERIES: A League of Extraordinary Women #1
RELEASE DATE: September 3, 2019
GENRE: Historical Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Enemies to lovers, women's emancipation
RATING: ALL OF THEM!
CLIFFHANGER: No

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG

I'm a huge fan of Judith McNaught's historical romance. Why I'm mentioning that? Because this author's debut, BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE, transports me back to a time when I was devouring the novels by McNaught. While Evie ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Holly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-read, audiobook, historical-romance

What a pleasant surprise! This book has quite a lot going for it - an unlikely romance that develops in a very believable way, a focus on the suffragette movement, and strong characters. I can't believe this is the author's debut book! I *absolutely* will be reading her next book! Very much recommended!

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Aug 30, 2019 Book of the Month added it

Why I love it
by Siobhan Jones

When I started at BOTM, I was a professed literary snob—and probably flaunted that term with pride (queue eye roll). I never read romance books because I assumed they were too cheesy and poorly written to be considered worthy of my time. Years later, dozens of romance books devoured, I’m so happy to report that, on that score, I was wrong.

Set in turn-of-the-century England, this is the story of Annabelle Archer, a plucky woman with the opportunity to become one of ...more

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Aug 31, 2019 Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, own

Today I learnt: Find yo self a rich feminist with daddy issues.

But for real, I read this in one sitting and stayed up until 2:30 am to finish it. And now I'm in this place of hell where I have to wait a year for the next book. This is what happens when your pre-order comes early and you have no self control so you read it right away.

I just loved the characters and Annabelle having a background of not being like this pure virginal angel. I felt so bad for her near the end when crap just picked up ...more

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Apr 18, 2019 Christie«SHBBblogger» rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: set-in-england, historical, debut-author, unputdownable, sept2019, top-shelf-quality, berkley, part-of-a-series, advanced-copy, heroine-worship

Title: Bringing Down The Duke
Series: A League of Extraordinary Women #1
Author: Evie Dunmore
Release date: September 3, 2019
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: historical romance

Perhaps, her father should have made her read “Sleeping Beauty” instead of The Iliad—her life might have turned out quite differently.

There's been a lot of early hype for this book, and I'm here to say that every bit of it has been earned. I've read a lot of historical romances with strong heroines who overcome the obstacles and ...more

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Sep 13, 2019 Toni rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, romance

Set in England, 1879, Bringing Down the Duke is an unusual historical romance. The main character, Annabelle Archer is a daughter of an impoverished country clergyman, but she is also among the first group of female students at Oxford University and is a political activist of the suffragette movement. Her task is to recruit men of power and influence to their cause and this is how she meets Sebastian Devereaux, the Duke of Montgomery, her political opposite. There is a strong attraction between ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 Katie B rated it really liked it

Shelves: england, 1800s, read-in-2019, fiction, romance

3.5 stars

I rarely read historical romances so it was nice to switch things up for a change. I did love how the author incorporated the women's suffrage movement in England into the storyline. I also thought the two lead characters had good chemistry together which is my main requirement in a romance novel.

The year is 1879 and Annabelle Archer has just been accepted into the University of Oxford. A pretty big deal considering she will be among the first group of female students ever to attend ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 WhiskeyintheJar/Kyraryker rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, series

3.7 stars

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In 1870s Victorian England, Annabelle didn't have a lot options when her father dies and is forced to live with her cousin who treats her like help he doesn't have to pay. When a former friend of her father and professor from Oxford who she has been corresponding with offers a scholarship to their women's college, she works out a plan to attend. There ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 ♥Rachel♥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical

4.5 Stars

Bringing Down the Duke was sooo good! There was a delicious push and pull between Annabelle and Sebastian. They started out as enemies with opposing political views, and Sebastian was quite arrogant at first. It was a meeting of minds with intelligent conversation, and an undercurrent of intense attraction! For as much as they were at odds at times, Sebastian was quite the knight-in-shining-armor often coming to the rescue even when it put him at risk. I fell hard for him!

Annabelle was ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 Amy Imogene Reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2019, historical-fiction, romance

What a fun, fast-paced, and surprisingly modern take on a historical romance! It definitely maintained the best guilty pleasures of the old-school Harlequin tropes, but with a modern mindset that I appreciated. If you're not a historical fiction fan, don't let this novel's premise turn you off—this is one good story.

Romance:
Logic:
Enjoyment: all the stars

Set in England in the late 1800s, Bringing Down the Duke follows the two perspectives of Annabelle Archer, a 25-year-old Oxford student trying ...more

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Jul 22, 2019 *The Angry Reader* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, 2019, historicals, best-of-2019

*ARC received for an honest review*

I think this is my best ARC this year. Best historical romance. Best new author. And I didn’t expect any of it.

First off, the cover is silly and the book is not. What the book is, however, is that rarest of jewels - emotional and passionate whilst remaining sweet and delicious.

You’ve read this story a thousand times - uptight dude meets unconventional chick. Strong personalities clash. Aggravation turns to want turns to love. But Dunmore does it with panache. ...more

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Aug 04, 2019 Caz rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, aar, romance-1850-1900s

I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars.

Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke is the first book in the A League of Extraordinary Women series, and is a very strong début from someone who promises to add a much-needed fresh voice to historical romance. The writing is sharp and clear, and displays a really good sense of time and place; the characters feel true for the time period, and I was particularly impressed by the heroine, who is forward-thinking and progressive without being one ...more

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Sep 04, 2019 OLT rated it really liked it

This is the best debut historical romance I've read since Mia Vincy's A Wicked Kind of Husband in 2018. I can't think of any recent HRs better than these two, by debut or established authors. Dunmore's HR is not without flaws but it is very well written, has a nicely slow-burning romance, and intelligent, clever dialogue. Yes, getting these two main characters of very disparate social classes to an HEA does feel like a bit of a fairy tale, but I really didn't mind.

It's 1879 in Victorian England. This is the best debut historical romance I've read since Mia Vincy's A Wicked Kind of Husband in 2018. I can't think of any recent HRs better than these two, by debut or established authors. Dunmore's HR is not without flaws but it is very well written, has a nicely slow-burning romance, and intelligent, clever dialogue. Yes, getting these two main characters of very disparate social classes to an HEA does feel like a bit of a fairy tale, but I really didn't mind.

It's 1879 in Victorian England. Our heroine Annabelle is very intelligent, very well educated (by her late vicar/scholar father) but also very poor. She's living in Chorleywood with her stuffy vicar cousin Gilbert and his family at the beginning of the book, serving as their unpaid nanny/governess/maid, but she wants more from her life. When she is offered a place at Oxford University's new women's college, she has to manipulate Gilbert into agreeing to this, which means promising to send him two pounds a month to pay for a replacement for her and also hiding from him the fact that she is being sponsored by the National Society for Women's Suffrage.

This scholarship requires that Annabelle volunteer for the suffrage society's causes, in particular the struggle to get Parliament to abolish the Married Women's Property Act, which gives a husband control and ownership of his wife's property upon marriage, hence rendering her powerless. To work toward this, volunteers such as Annabelle must try to convince members of Parliament of the rightness and justice of their cause, handing out political pamphlets to them and trying to engage them in conversation about it.

That's how Annabelle meets Sebastian, the Duke of Montgomery, just outside Parliament. It's not a particularly successful meeting but it works well for us romance readers, as we see a bit of antagonism and attraction at the same time. Sebastian is not just stuffy. He's single minded. Before his death, Sebastian's father had managed to lose all the unentailed properties of his dukedom. Since inheriting the title, Sebastian has been on a quest to regain them all. And he's been successful, except for just one place: Montgomery Castle.

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.

That puts Annabelle and Sebastian on a political collision course but there is an undeniable attraction which must not be given in to. Only, of course, if Annabelle would agree to be his mistress. Well, we all know how HR heroines feel about being the hero's mistress. But wife is out of the question. A poor vicar's daughter, without a hint of nobility in her bloodline?

Well, there now. The plot, as you can see, isn't really new or unique. Yet it is freshly done. I really enjoyed the rather realistic inclusion of the suffragette movement and the heroine's part in it. She's not a strident feminist. Just wants to be free and equal. No subservient wife role or that of mistress for her. And she has a little bit of personal baggage from an incident in her past (which I won't get into here) which adds to her stubbornness about certain things in her relationship with Sebastian.

There are very good secondary characters here. There's Lady Lucie, leader of the National Society for Women's Suffrage; there are Annabelle's two new best friends in the society, one a rich businessman's daughter and one of the peerage; there's Sebastian's immature younger brother; there's Professor Jenkins, Annabelle's professor; there's Sebastian's former lover, Lady Lingham. All of them are well developed and with distinct personalities. I can see sequels to give Annabelle's friends Harriet and Catriona and Sebastian's brother Peregrin their own romances. They were all appealing characters and deserve their own stories.

This is not a perfect book. It has its flaws and so do the characters within it. It is better than a 4-star one, however, but I still won't give it 5. Too much extended drama about the mistress/marriage dilemma, and, for me, not enough about the politics. The romantic component was, however, the kind that appeals to me. Lots of burning attraction before the actual bedding. All in all, one of the better HRs I've read in the past few years. ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 Sam (AMNReader) rated it really liked it

Shelves: nom-nom, 2019_09_priority, read-in-2019, historical, sexy-hairpins

I ate this up. Looking forward to more from this author.

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Sep 10, 2019 Lacey (Booklovers For Life) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult, best-of-2019, tbr-2019, arc, historical-romance, slow-burn, review-copy

One of my new FAVORITES of the year. So deliciously slow burn, tension-filled and intense! I loved Montgomery and Annabelle so much.

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Jul 28, 2019 Mara rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, ebook-owned

This is an incredibly strong debut in historical romance-- I'm excited to see a new author who reminds me so much of Courtney Milan, as I would love to see more historicals with that quality of writing, thematic depth, and 21st century attitudes/lens applied to a historical milieu. I want to describe this books as plucky and charming, as well as feminist AF and quite swoony. Beyond that... read the back cover copy. If this book sounds like a trope combo you could like, I highly recommend it! ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Chanel Cleeton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance

Evie Dunmore’s debut is a marvel. Set against the backdrop of the British suffrage movement, Bringing Down the Duke is a witty, richly detailed, historically significant, and achingly romantic celebration of the power of love and the passionate fight for women’s rights. A stunning blend of history and romance that will enchant readers.

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Sep 11, 2019 Sahitya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance-and-or-relationships, 2019-read

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 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. ...more

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May 24, 2019 Pavlina Read more sleep less blog❤❤ rated it really liked it

Shelves: best-cover, arc

4 STARS

Such a lovely story, I adore it, this is my first book from Evie Dunmore and I'm already impressed!I loved everything about it, the romance has the perfect amount of push and pull and I find it romantic!

description

Annabelle and Sebastian started out as enemies with different opinions and this through the story developed in to something more intense and intimidate!

"He spun her round and she was pinned flush against the door, trapped between oak wood and one incensed aristocrat. Out of the two, the ...more

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Oct 25, 2019 Siria rated it did not like it

Shelves: 21st-century, romance, german-fiction, historical-fiction

This is a book featuring suffragettes, but this is not a feminist book.

In fact, Bringing Down the Duke seems to use its thin veneer of wokeness as an excuse to revel in gender essentialism. Pretty much every encounter between the two leads mentioned "feminine warmth" and "masculine hardness", so I had strained my eyes from rolling them so hard before I was very far into the book.

The love interest—Sebastian, Duke of Montgomery—is the kind of alpha male character to whom I have an instant This is a book featuring suffragettes, but this is not a feminist book.

In fact, Bringing Down the Duke seems to use its thin veneer of wokeness as an excuse to revel in gender essentialism. Pretty much every encounter between the two leads mentioned "feminine warmth" and "masculine hardness", so I had strained my eyes from rolling them so hard before I was very far into the book.

The love interest—Sebastian, Duke of Montgomery—is the kind of alpha male character to whom I have an instant aversion. He's constantly looming over the protagonist, Annabelle, using his size against her, grabbing her by the arm to stop her from getting her away, backing her into walls. He clearly gets off on this, and spends time when he's not with her fantasising about forcing her into marriage and clapping himself on the back for having the self-control not to rape her. He is emotionally abusive towards his younger brother in a way that the narrative never recognises—and yet the narrative would have us believe that Sebastian is one of those good feudal overlords who only ever has the best interests of his tenants at heart. Please!

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.

Add to this the vague but disturbing racial undertones (Annabelle is stunningly beautiful, and this is implied to be because of distant French aristocratic or even royal descent; Sebastian looks "Nordic", which means blond and square-jawed; the description of Disraeli and another Jewish-coded character made me squirm); the dialogue which far too often sounds more 21st-century American than it does 1870s upper-class British and which uses terms like "existential angst" which would not be coined for several more decades; the vicious pantomime dame caricature of Queen Victoria (look, I'm an Irishwoman with a disdain for the system of monarchy and if I think it's an unfair caricature...); the melodramatic plot; and the complete and utter lack of any historical research or understanding (Dunmore repeatedly messes up forms of address for the aristocracy on the most basic level, has someone practicing underwater archaeology in Greece in the 1870s when the first such excavations don't take place until the 1950s or '60s, etc).

Plus on the very last page, when our happy couple have overcome what we are told is crushing societal disapproval and scandal concerning a duke's decision to marry a mere gentleman's daughter (uh huh) and are making out on a yacht in the Mediterranean (sure), the verb used in Sebastian's inner monologue to describe having sex with his wife? "Mount."

Like I said: this is a book featuring suffragettes. This is not a feminist book. ...more

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Oct 27, 2019 Heidi rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-goal, hf-romance

What a delightfully smart HF romance. Intelligent bluestocking meets cold Duke. Add in suffragettes, philosophers and a couple of tense meetings with Queen Victoria and you’ve discovered one of the best written romances I’ve read in awhile.

Considering this is a debut novel, I’m looking forward to the next installment!! Bravo Ms Dunmore!!

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Oct 06, 2019 Blackjack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-hero, 2019-favorite-books, published-2019, books-i-own, emotional

4.5 (A-). I really wish GR had half stars!!

I stopped just short of giving this 5 stars but only because of a problematic scene toward the end when the heroine, Annabelle, is unnecessarily harsh to the hero and for what felt like somewhat contrived reasons to separate them for a climatic ending. In all truth, the second half of the book is not quite as good as the first half. But wow, that first half!

Here is an author who takes a well-worn plot and brings it to life in a way that made me feel as 4.5 (A-). I really wish GR had half stars!!

I stopped just short of giving this 5 stars but only because of a problematic scene toward the end when the heroine, Annabelle, is unnecessarily harsh to the hero and for what felt like somewhat contrived reasons to separate them for a climatic ending. In all truth, the second half of the book is not quite as good as the first half. But wow, that first half!

Here is an author who takes a well-worn plot and brings it to life in a way that made me feel as if I was just discovering the dilemma of class barriers when it comes to love. An upright, starchy aristo is entirely befuddled by an unconventional woman far below him in status (social, economic, political, gendered - just about any way you look at it). Perhaps Annabelle is a tad too forthright in her goals, but nevertheless, she doesn't allow her poverty or gender to stand in the way of obtaining her education at Oxford while devoting herself to a worthy political cause. And, she doesn't allow Sebastian to stand in her way of supporting the rising suffragist movement. Luckily for Annabelle, Sebastian is a closet liberal who understands the aristocracy is living on borrowed time and that arguments for the subservience of women are logically flawed. For a good part of the novel though he's torn between upholding his duties as a duke and the responsibilities put upon him to bolster the Tory party. In short, Sebastian is living an inauthentic life that is making him unhappy. His early role in the novel as a defender of conservative values and customs are not championed by any sympathetic figure in the book, and they are entirely at odds with the woman with whom he is falling in love. Certainly, for this romance to work, it is Sebastian who will need to change the most, and change he does. When a frustrated Sebastian asks Annabelle, "Would you have me change my place in history to prove how much I want you?", the answer is, of course, "Yes!" Dunmore's portrayal of him as a walking contradiction of buttoned up propriety and ruthlessly contained passion really worked for me.

While Sebastian is all turmoil, confusion, and repressed emotion, Annabelle is more self-assured in her moral compass. When she marches into Sebastian's office in search of his signature on her petition, she declares that she is on the right side of history. And she really never wavers, even when she mourns the loss of him in her life. My sympathies were mostly with Annabelle throughout the book because she is on the right side of history and Sebastian's various loyalties to a castle, to a party, and to the Queen, feel hollow and misplaced. Having said that, Annabelle's resolution felt a bit harsh at times, especially toward the end. I didn't disagree with her reasoning, but I did feel put off, particularly in one key scene, when her logic subsumes the emotions at stake in the moment.

The emotional intensity of Annabelle's and Sebastian's conversations will likely remain my most enduring memory of reading this book. How exciting to have a new historical romance author who understands the relevance of history and social ideas while never losing her focus on the main couple and their undeniable attraction. I'm quite in awe of the abilities of this new author and looking forward to future books. ...more

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Oct 07, 2019 Nikki (Saturday Nite Reader) rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, historical-fiction, read-2019, womens-fiction

A sassy spirited story that I enjoyed. Between an aristocrat falling for a commoner, the rich treating marriage as a business transaction, and women getting the shaft over men, it was giving me Downton Abbey vibes (which I had just started watching when I dove into this book).

I am looking forward to the author’s next novel in the A League of Extraordinary Women series.

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Sep 16, 2019 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, historical-fiction

I loved this Victorian historical romance set in the time of Suffragettes, Disraeli and Gladstone and the admittance of women to Oxford. Annabelle was an intelligent, independent woman and I found the resolution to their romance charming.

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About Evie Dunmore

Evie Dunmore

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Debut author Evie Dunmore wrote BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE inspired by the magical scenery of Oxford and her passion for romance, women pioneers, and all things Victorian.

In her civilian life, she is a strategy consultant with a M.Sc. in Diplomacy from Oxford. Scotland and the great outdoors have a special place in her heart, so she can frequently be found climbing the Highlands and hunting for ...more

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Quotes from Bringing Down the...

“Darling," he said, "I have only begun to love you.” — 5 likes

“Hattie pursed her lips. “Personally, I always found a thousand ships a little excessive. And Menelaus and Paris fought over Helen like dogs over a bone; no one asked her what she wanted. Even her obsession with Paris was compelled by a poisoned arrow—what’s romantic about that?”
“Passion,” Annabelle said, “Eros’s arrows are infused with passion.”
“Oh, passion, poison,” Hattie said, “either makes people addle-brained.” — 3 likes

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