Bringing Down the Duke: 1 (League of Extraordinary Women)

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I have read the future of historical romance, and it's Evie Dunmore.” —Eva Leigh, author of Dare to Love a Duke That was why they called it temptation—it never presented itself as something ugly, or tepid, or harmless; no, it came in the guise of glorious feelings and a sense of utter rightness, even when it was wrong. That was why one needed principles. Regrettable, that her grasp on them was so shaky when it counted.” It is important to Annabelle that she continue her education, even after she marries Sebastian. Is education important to you? Why do you think Annabelle is so determined to receive her Oxford degree? The harder he tried to keep control, to keep the thoughts and emotions firmly buried, the more anarchical it all became, as if a lifetime of leashed passion had broken free and was coming for him with vengeance, as if he had only been spared the lunacy of love before because he had been destined to be brought down by this particular woman.” So, where do my issues lie? Well, let me first say that I am not generally a reader of romance. I can count on one hand the number of romance novels I've read, and this is actually my very first historical romance novel. I know very little about the tropes of the genre, but I can guess that nothing in this book would be considered terribly egregious to the average romance reader (please correct me if I'm wrong), but personally, I struggled. How so? Let me count the ways:

Bringing Down the Duke - Free Online Novels - Novel12 Bringing Down the Duke - Free Online Novels - Novel12

Yes, yes,” Gilbert said. She knew he didn’t approve of voluntary spinsterhood, ’twas unnatural. But any concerns expressed over her virtue were at best a nod to protocol, and he probably suspected as much. Or, like everyone in Chorleywood, he suspected something. 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. The brute. She had forgotten he existed; now he sent her stumbling over her own feet, and for a horrible beat the world careened around her.STARS!!! His kisses had lifted a loneliness off her she hadn't even known she carried. SOOOOOOOO wonderful! Annabelle Archer is an English country girl on her way to the University of Oxford in 1879. She will be one of the first female students, but she is charged with supporting the women's suffrage movement in exchange for her scholarship.

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Editor of Austenprose.com, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, and director of Austenprose PR, Laurel Ann is a champion of historical books, period drama, and Jane Austen. She swallowed and found her mouth was dry. Her lips still tingled as if he’d brushed over them with a fingertip. Oxford, as is well known, is a place of vice,” Gilbert began, “a viper pit, full of drunkards and debauchery. Should you become entangled in anything improper, if there’s but a shadow of a doubt about your moral conduct, much as it pains me, you will forfeit your place in this house. A man in my position, in service of the Church of England, must stay clear of scandal.”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. Annabelle and Sebastian were wonderful, likable characters. I loved Sebastian. He's seemed so grumpy and cold, but I loved getting to see the man behind the mask as he got to know Annabelle and opened up. He was sweet, protective, and seductive. I thought Annabelle was such a great character. She was strong-willed with a very intriguing past, and I loved her tenacity and attitude. I love how hard she’s worked to b i like historical fiction and i like romance, so i have no idea why its taken me so long to get onboard the historical romance train. but i am so happy this was my first ride into the genre. Ms. Dunmore brilliantly allows you to get to know the emotional complexities of the main characters independent of each other. The reader can clearly see the “why” behind their choices made. This allows you to truly submerse yourself in the emotional pull they are feeling. As they struggle to find love, it is easy to sympathize with the struggle on both sides. 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."

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There was something to be said about debating with a learned man who had nothing to prove. It took more than an educated woman with opinions to threaten him. And that allowed for an easy, absurdly pleasing intimacy.” 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 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. She couldn’t stop staring. These eyes. There was a world of tightly leashed intensity in their depths that held her, pulled her in, until awareness sizzled between them bright and disturbing like an electric current. 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!Even a fortune forged in railroads and steel can't buy entrance into the upper echelons of Victorian high society--for that you need a marriage of convenience.