A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford Rebels in which a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter takes on a powerful duke in a 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. … 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….
more
A fun read for a rainy day. I enjoyed the feistiness of the main character, but don’t know if she and the Duke really would have jumped into bed so fast in the early 1900’s. It was still a good book, even though a little like a Cinderella story.
Terrific book. Rather than being a typical Regency romance set among the aristocracy, this one takes a different road. The story takes place near the end of Victorian times, at the beginning of the suffragist movement, as they try to get the Women’s Property Act amended. Most men are adamantly opposed to the idea, and even the Queen opposes it.
The heroine of the story, Annabelle Archer, is the daughter of a vicar. Upon his death, she is left destitute and reduced to being an unpaid servant for her cousin. Thanks to a friend of her father’s, the brilliant Annabelle earned a scholarship to the first class of women at Oxford. As part of that scholarship, she must support the suffrage movement by recruiting powerful men to their cause. For her first attempt, she confronts Sebastian, Duke of Montgomery, the most powerful duke in England.
Sebastian became the duke at the age of nineteen when his father drowned in a puddle while drunk. He was left with a dukedom near bankruptcy thanks to his father’s gambling and mismanagement. Now thirty-five, Sebastian is well-known for his cold and aloof bearing, and his ability to intimidate with just a look. He’s taken aback by Annabelle’s actions but tries to put her out of his mind.
The development of the relationship between Annabelle and Sebastian was not an easy one. It gets off to a rough start when Sebastian misunderstands her presence at a house party given by his younger brother. Once that is straightened out, Sebastian and Annabelle have a chance to get to know each other. The spark of attraction that they felt at their first meeting is still there, and their interactions only make them stronger. I loved their banter, as Anabelle’s intelligence and wit intrigue Sebastian. Both of them are well aware of the gulf between them. I was disappointed in Sebastian when he proposed an “arrangement” with Annabelle and loved her response to him. It made me happy to see that her self-respect was as important to her as Sebastian’s family name was to him.
Though self-preservation made Sebastian and Annabelle try to avoid each other, fate had something else in mind. Each time they encountered each other, the battle between head and heart became more intense. The obstacles between them seem insurmountable, as they yearn for something they can’t have. I ached for both of them when Sebastian finally listens to his heart only to have Annabelle deny hers to protect him. I loved how Sebastian went about fighting for her and their future. The ending was fantastic.
The secondary characters were just as wonderful. Annabelle’s friends and fellow suffragists were equally intriguing. I liked the picture painted of each and how the movement treats each of them differently. I appreciated the way that they supported each other, both in the movement and in their personal lives. Another interesting character was Sebastian’s younger brother, Peregrin. His reaction to the prospect of being Sebastian’s heir and having to live up to his brother’s expectations and reputation was not too surprising. I ached for him and his belief that Sebastian didn’t care about him. I loved how Annabelle set him straight and how Peregrin repaid her. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I have been wanting to read this book forever and finally got to read it this month I loved it so much!
Annabelle is a force to be reckoned with and she’s definitely met her match with the Duke of Montgomery. This was such a fun read in the realm of historical fiction. I will say that Annabelle about made me crazy when she would JUST NOT GIVE IN, man she’s hard-headed-which I think is why I only gave it 4 stars!!!
Can’t wait time pick up the next A Rogue of One’s Own
This book was fast-paced and kept me up way too long after my bedtime.
Perfection!
Surprisingly deep for chick-lit. Women’s rights were front and center – along with the sex.
This a Victorian era historical romance was more than I expected. Yes, there was a love story, but it was almost secondary to the power of women of the time. These women were fighting for higher education, independence, and a voice in government. The main character, Annabelle, was a “commoner” who was smart and found ways to challenge the societal norms and prejudices of her day. The Duke (Sebastian) was a powerful man who also turned a sympathetic ear to the plight of women. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next in the series!
Evie Dunmore This book dares to be classified as Historical Romance. Just look at the cover. It has the word “Duke” in it, but there isn’t a ripped bodice in sight.
Bringing Down the Duke has all the elements of a Victorian-era romance…the handsome Duke, the lovely damsel, the meddling friends, but what it lacks are the cliches of the genre.
PLOT summary:
Anabelle is presented with the opportunity to further her education at Oxford. In order to pursue her dreams, Annabelle must join the women’s suffragette movement. While she is working for the cause of women’s rights, she meets the handsome and intimidating Duke of Montgomery. He is known for being a cold-hearted strategist who is unsympathetic to the cause, but Annabelle may be the one woman who can change his mind.
PROS:
great characters: Annabelle and Montgomery sing off the page
world-building: get ready to be whisked back to the 1800s London
romance: the sex scenes are almost vague, but they are still hot
book boyfriend: Montgomery is a true swoon-worthy hero
writing: Dunmore has a captivating style that is poetic and page-turning
CONS:
predictability: it was pretty obvious that Montgomery was going to rescue Annabelle time after time (after time)
TSTL: at times Annabelle was too stupid to live. How many times will she go out into the cold without a coat? And punching a police officer is never a good idea.
IN SUMMARY:
You need to read this book, even if it is to see what all the hype is about. It lives up to it, by the way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. A quick read that will have you laughing and truly appreciating the greatness of a talented writer.
Sexy scenes set in 19th Century England! Oh those Suffragettes!
I would have liked the author to share how much was based on a true story.
It’s not bad writing, but the lack of historical realism was grating; neither protagonist made choices that would have been remotely likely at the time. Or, perhaps, there’s not enough of a sense of an intimate and deep emotional connection to sell the idea that both of them would make disastrous choices for the sake of their passion for each other. I wish that romance writers wouldn’t use other time periods – along with very different social constraints and perspectives – as a kind of surface level veneer over 21st century perspectives.
Learned a lot about the period – thank you.
A Suffragette and a Duke.
Annabelle Archer is the daughter of a country Vicar on her own with no money. The leader of the National Society for Women’s Suffrage is paying for her tuition . In return, part of her work is to recruit men of influence in Parliament for their cause to pass the Married Women’s Property Act and give women the right to vote. Sebastian Devereux, Duke of Montgomery, is very powerful in Britain’s politics and under command of Queen Victoria. The Duke is the man that Annabelle must convince to support their cause. She’s a brilliant match against the Duke and his contemporaries. She’s just what the Duke needs to shake up his world. A very intense, passionate love story. It’s a keeper!
Annabelle Archer is tired, so very tired of taking care of her cousin’s household and his children. When she is given the opportunity to study at Oxford, she wishes nothing more than to have some independence. To study at Oxford Annabelle has accepted a scholarship, but she must support the woman’s suffrage movement and so she agrees.
Her first order is to recruit powerful men to champion on their behalf. This is how she quite literally runs into Sebastian the Duke of Montgomery. The Duke has quite the reputation. He is known to be cold, ruthless and the advisor to the Queen. When Annabelle – a commoner, bluestocking, and suffragist – shows up at his house he’s not quite sure what to make of her.
This is where Annabelle and Sebastian get to know one another. Stripped of their power – they are simply a man and a woman who are attracted to one another. But could they ever be together? Society has put limitations on how they must interact with each other – a nobleman could not and would not ever marry a commoner. And there is that other pressing matter that Annabelle is a suffragist and the Duke – well he surely cannot support that movement and be advisor to the Queen.
I absolutely loved the chemistry between Sebastian and Annabelle. Right from the beginning you could tell that these two were so drawn to one another. For me what I enjoyed the most about the relationship between Annabelle and Sebastian was how real it felt to me. There was no easy solution to their affair and feelings were going to be hurt. Annabelle is fighting for a cause and she doesn’t lose sight of it. Sebastian is conflicted – he wants to spend time with Annabelle and love her like she deserves, but what would society think if he were to do that? Already a divorcee – this would be another scandal that he would could not live down.
The friendship between the suffragists was so great! I loved when Hattie, Catriona, Lucie and Annabelle would be on the page together. These ladies were so much fun together and were truly each others friend. It didn’t matter to them that Annabelle was not a noble woman – they still wanted to get to know her and befriend her.
It is so important – today more than ever – to understand that women like Annabelle and other suffragists fought so hard for the rights of women.. We matter, our voice matters. Years and years of oppression and still we are not considered equals in many situations. What a wonderful and refreshing historical romance. I cannot wait to read more from Evie Dunmore.
4.5/5 stars.
Great characters and storyline
It’s a marvelous debut. I’m aware others have quarrels to pick with the book’s research and ending, but the quality of storytelling and prose are outstanding. Reminds me of a Kinsale or Chase in terms of the emotionality and stakes. If you enjoy historicals, give it a try. I have already pre-ordered Dunmore’s next book.
I loved everything about this sexy feminist historical romance, set in 1879 England. Annabelle, a vicar’s daughter, is faced with the choice of living with her cousin essentially cleaning and babysitting, or pursuing her dream of something more as a student at Oxford. She figures out a way to make studying happen, taking on extra work, and joining a suffragist group. In the course of her suffrage work, she meets Sebastian, a duke, and very quickly, despite flying in the face of every social rule between their classes, sparks fly between them. What I especially liked is how strong-willed Annabelle was in standing up for herself, against her cousin, against Sebastian when she thought he was wrong, and refusing to take the easy path that’s offered to her as his mistress. She is a keen observer of the inequities going on around her, related to suffrage, marriage, property and class, as well as matters of the heart. She’s been wronged by a man from her past who told he’d marry her, then bedded her, despite having no intention of following through.
Sebastian is such a wonderful hero because he too has been thrust into a role that doesn’t always suit him, having to salvage the wreck his father made of their properties, trying to serve the Queen and take care of his brother, while still haunted by his divorce after his wife fell in love with another man. He plans to marry not for love, but for economic and political convenience, saving passion for outside a future marriage.
The way that Dunmore weaves their desire, each wanting to take care of the other and protect them from harm, while also pursuing their personal dreams, was delightful. The passion and tension between them, whether it’s early on while riding together on a horse, or kisses and almost kisses, to the actual sex, is written masterfully. All the longing and emotion are brought to the fore, and in every intimate scene, it’s clear how much they’ve each been affected by the other, despite the seeming impossible odds of them getting their happy ending. That he recognizes her as an equal in terms of intelligence, and wants her because of her brain and her bravery and outspokenness, even toward him, is what truly made me root for them. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series.
4.5 stars! Bringing Down the Duke was a unique and refreshing story and I enjoyed it all! It was a witty, entertaining, and engaging read that was incredibly well told.
Fun, quick paced romance about an intelligent heroine!
Unique blending of disparate elements. Great characters.
Fun read, hooked from the beginning. I was unable to put it down, read it in one sitting. Great characters and story.