BOOK REVIEW: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore / not exactly what I expected

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

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I don’t read historical romances as much anymore. But there were years when I read nothing else than this genre. Spunky heroines, banter between hero and heroine, and women not afraid of going head to head with a duke was what made me come back again and again.

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….

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

MY THOUGHTS & REVIEW

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

The author kept the information about that particular time well balanced. And I applaud her for writing about a not so overly covered period of time.

Although not everything resonated with me the way I hoped it would. Nevertheless I really enjoyed the way the author portrayed that specific epoch of time.

I think what was crucial for me was that even though I love modern and trail-blazing heroines, I didn’t feel that Annabelle was extraordinary for her time, not like the series promised.  Moreover if it boils down to her fears, they were pretty much the same as any other woman in historical times, scandal, getting pregnant out of wedlock, being shunned, having to marry without love, and ending up as a mistress.

Overall I expected something different.

I’m not saying it wasn’t a good novel. I just wasn’t wowed by it. Nevertheless, the writing was great. The story flowed and it easily engaged, I just didn’t love it.

I received a copy of this book from Berkley for free.
My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

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Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore