When Annabelle Archer earns a place as one of the first women to study at Oxford in England in 1879, she encounters a group of early suffragettes and an insufferable duke who is not at all happy with his attraction to a commoner. The story revolves around their interactions, the societal expectations they face, and the development of their romance amidst the backdrop of the suffragette movement. The writing style is described as enthralling, with a good balance between serious themes of gender and class and the more lighthearted aspects of the story.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include themes of class struggle, emotional manipulation in romantic relationships, and societal pressures related to class and gender.
Has Romance?
The romance is a central element of the plot and is vividly portrayed.
From The Publisher:
"With her sterling debut, Evie Dunmore dives into a fresh new space in historical romance that hits all the right notes."-Entertainment Weekly
A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford suffragists in which a fiercely independent vicar's daughter takes on a powerful 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 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.
Sebastian is appalled to find a suffragist squad has infiltrated his ducal home, but the real threat is his impossible feelings for green-eyed beauty Annabelle. He is looking for a wife of equal standing to secure the legacy he has worked so hard to rebuild, not an outspoken commoner who could never be his duchess. But he wouldn't be the greatest strategist of the Kingdom if he couldn't claim this alluring bluestocking without the promise of a ring…or could he?
Locked in a battle with rising passion and a will matching her own, Annabelle will learn just what it takes to topple a duke….
"There is nothing quite so satisfying as seeing such a man brought to his knees by a beautiful woman with nothing to her name except an inviolable sense of her own self-worth."-NPR
Ratings (42)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (21) | |
Liked It (11) | |
It Was OK (6) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (94):
Read It (44) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (36) | |
Not Interested (13) |
3 comment(s)
Didn’t know it was a romance novel! That was very silly of me as it should have been obvious! Very fun though. Like Bridgerton and Enola Holmes had a baby.
I must confess, I didn't expect to enjoy
Bringing Down the Duke as much as I did. I'm pleasantly surprised that it lived up to the hype and turned out to be as good as some people claimed, even though certain elements weren't quite what I typically seek in a romance novel.
Part of my low expectations may have stemmed from the mixed reviews I saw online. I got the impression that this book tends to appeal more to readers who don't typically delve into romances, especially historical romances, rather than readers like myself who have read quite a few books in this subgenre. It reminded me somewhat of Tessa Dare's governess series. And so, I was genuinely taken aback by how much I enjoyed this book.
I believe the main reason for my enjoyment lies in the strong and profound connection between the main characters. Annabelle and Sebastian seem perfectly matched for each other, and their unwavering support and understanding of one another are deeply satisfying to witness.
However, I found the class difference trope, which often appears in historical romances and creates obstacles to the relationship, to be rather frustrating. I'm not entirely convinced that it was necessary in this case, considering the depth of the characters and their personalities, which could have carried the story on their own.
I had also heard beforehand that the book contains feminist themes, which isn't something I actively seek out in my historical romances. Nevertheless, I appreciated how the author incorporated this theme and how Annabelle unwittingly becomes involved in the suffragist movement. Sebastian's understanding of her situation added another layer of depth to the story and their relationship. Overall, the feminist theme was presented in a much more palatable manner than I anticipated.
Above all,
Bringing Down the Duke is a well-crafted story. This is the primary reason why I'll likely pick up more books by this author, even though the secondary characters didn't leave a lasting impression on me. It's the story itself that compels me to explore further, eager to see what Dunmore has in store next.
Original story line, and a swoon worthy MMC
What can you read after
Bringing Down the Duke?
About the Author:
Evie Dunmore is the USA Today bestselling author of Bringing Down the Duke. Her League of Extraordinary Women series is inspired by her passion for romance, women pioneers, and all things Victorian. In her civilian life, she is a consultant with a M.Sc….
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