I loved it. Such a great romance, great tension, superb plot. I love the characters, especially Sabastian and Annabelle. I can't wait for the rest of the series!

Feels like a 3.5-star read to me.

Now that aside, reading about fictional, historical women ahead of their time should well resonate with those living in this century, as far removed as we are from them, simply because the issue of equality among the sexes is still a highly contested one despite the leaps we’ve made.

Despite the levity of the cover, Evie Dunmore’s debut historical is rather compelling, with all the peaks and troughs of the historical romances that I turn to from time to time. There’s some sensitivity to the social and cultural constraints of the time and Dunmore shows that awareness in her prose and her protagonists’ behaviour—where they should step or not—while piling on the rising heat between a vicar’s daughter studying at Oxford and a blue-blooded, pedigreed duke who has the ear of the Queen.

Anchoring her story straight in the middle of a time where bluestockinged women were petitioning for their right to vote—a fundamental right so many take for granted these days—in Victorian England is sly and smart, as Dunmore weaves the politics of the day quite deftly with ideas of social standing, fidelity and the transactional nature of marriage in two protagonists who lie on the opposite ends of the ladder.

The slow burn between Annabelle Archer and Sebastian Montgomery is a believable one, more so because Dunmore writes Annabelle as a character who’s easily empathised with: as one who wants more, who yearns to bridge the chasm that gapes between her and her duke, but can’t. My only let-down was her own hand-wringing, her lack of conviction and her dismally cowardly behaviour towards the end in a supposedly self-sacrificing cruel move—cruel to be kind so to speak, and a stupid action—where it was left all to Sebastian to do the hard work and climb the mountain while she did nothing to fight for what she really wanted. Ironic, considering the passion she had for the suffragist movement.

If I thought Sebastian impenetrable and difficult to grasp, Dunmore’s rushed stripping away of his defences towards the end of the book made him a different romantic protagonist I wanted to get behind—one who almost deserved better than what Annabelle did to him.

These grumbles aside, Dunmore’s rather impressive debut is making me sit up and take note. It's well-written, well thought-out and engaging. For someone with hands and feet firmly in contemporary romance, this is quite a feat.

I really enjoyed Dunmore's debut! The two leads are well drawn and their repartee sparks. I did feel that there were just one or two unnecessary repetitions of hurdles to the HEA beats toward the end, but otherwise it was well-paced. Overall, an entertaining depiction of this time in the Victorian era, with enough heart for both the romance plot and some of the surrounding social context. I'll definitely be looking out for more titles from this author.

***Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

By far one of the most enjoyable Regency Romances I've read in a while! Evie Dunmore manages to make this more than just another bodice-ripping romance. I learned a lot about the Suffragist movement as well as the party system of the time.

A fabulous debut novel. I loved the setting of late Victorian England and the suffrage movement. Fabulous!!!

This book was AMAZING. I gobbled it up. Seriously great writing and awesome Heroine and Hero combo, just enough angst for the plot to move along, but not too much where it felt overwrought and awful. I read this on a whim and could not have been happier!!!

Adorable Historical romance. I loved the time period and the Oxford location- it added to the history and femininity of the time. Annabelle and Sebastian were perfectly suited and I cannot say no to a book with a duke😉!
Delightful read !!

This was a wonderful, rollicking debut! As a longtime historical fan, this perfectly hit the spot! I loved the main characters and the cover is insanely beautiful!!!

*Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy of BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE in exchange for an honest review*

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.

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 England between 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 women.

I really enjoyed the different era. 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. I expected something different.

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

But above all else I love seeing debut authors write about an era that is not as overly used as Regency England is. A new and different voice to a popular genre is always welcome. And I can see this author going far.

Bringing Down the Duke is a book I didn’t even know I needed. I decided to read a few chapters and get a feel for it. Next thing you know, I’m flying through the pages. More like flying high—a romance high. Annabelle and Sebastian were a match made in yummy heaven! The way they met to the way the Duke look at Annabelle... *sighs dreamily* It was everything I wanted and more.

Even better than the romance was all the goodness that’s feminism and the ladies who fought to bring justice to all womankind. Let’s face it, as ladies we still face so much scrutiny and misogyny even now in 2019. To think it was so much worse for women back then. Annabelle was fighting the great fight and I back her 100 percent!

Sebastian Devereux is way in over his head when he meets Annabelle Archer. For one, she’s insanely stubborn and doesn’t take too kindly to men who like to order her around. But there’s something about her that makes him...hot. This is a battle focused solely on determination and love. They just might not know it yet.

Boy, did I love watching these two come in contact with each other. I thought the pages lit up whenever they spoke to one another. Do you’re favor and read this!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For a historical romance, this was okay but I just thought that the romance was a bit too rushed and didn't flow real well.

Oh gosh, this was adorable. I seriously couldn’t put it down. I finished it in ONE sitting. It’s historical romance and I’ve read so many, but this one truly stood out for its fresh drama and perspective.

Annabelle, our heroine, is incredibly smart, determined and driven, while the hero is everything you need in a brooding, closed off love interest. He isn’t charming, but pragmatic and occasionally harsh. I loved their conversations—so cerebral, and they truly went toe to toe. The pages made me laugh, and the romance was everything I wanted—and all set with the suffragette movement coming to life in the background. All the elements together made for an entertaining read. I highly recommend!

This is an absolutely delightful debut that hits all the familiar notes of historical romance while managing to feel new and fresh at the same time. The setting -- Oxford, 1879 -- is a refreshing change from the ballrooms of Mayfair, and the focus on women's suffrage makes for fascinating reading (and a fascinating heroine!). I'm looking forward to many more wonderful books from Evie Dunmore.

Great historical romance! The characters had great chemistry and I really enjoyed the history of the women's suffrage movement in England..

I'm generally not a huge fan of historical fiction, but this one seemed too good to pass up! I was blown away. This was really fun and I'm very much looking forward to the follow up.

I liked it despite it being clunky. If a problem presented itself, it was resolved in the next scene. Some phrasings were just odd, though I don’t think it’s because I’m American and the author is British.

Just kiss your bedtime goodbye on this one because it's so hard to put it down. This debut novel from Evie Dunmore features a group of super smart feminists, including our heroine Annabelle, and the duke who finds he has to risk giving up everything for the woman who means more than all of it. Swoony, sweet, smart, and fun, this novel has it all. A fantastic treat of a book!

This book has been on my TBR for a long time and it did not disappoint. I love a good fun, swoony, romantic read that makes me happy. I can’t wait till readers get a hold of this so we can discuss it’s awesomeness.

Evie Dunmore’s debut, Bringing Down the Duke, was delightful! Set in England in 1879, when women were still considered their husbands’ property and were not entitled to vote, this book follows Annabelle Archer, impoverished country girl recently accepted into Oxford’s first program for women, and her nemesis, Sebastian, Duke of Montgomery. Annabelle is a part of a group of “radical” suffragists whose mission it is to target men in power in order to persuade them to amend The Married Women’s Property Act of 1870 in order to allow women to own property and therefore have the right to vote. Annabelle’s target is Sebastian, who is uptight, seemingly conservative, and has just been tasked with winning the Tory election campaign in order to regain one of his family’s properties. Annabelle ends up at Montgomery’s property over Christmas, and the two realize they’re not so opposed after all, and their tentative friendship quickly turns into a love affair. Their class and Montgomery’s need to appear conservative force the two to make difficult decisions about their future together when there seemingly is no future. If you liked the grand grovel by Haven in Day of the Duchess, the ending of this book will be so satisfying.

This book was refreshingly different. I loved how Annabelle is a scholar and a (reluctant) political activist, and it’s always fun when there’s specific historical events happening in the story. The writing is funny, and Dunmore does a great job of setting up real opposition to her characters’ HEA and gets them through it. There are great female friendships, and a depiction of Queen Victoria that is, from what I’ve read, very accurately awful. Dunmore is going to an author to watch, and this book looks to be the start of a great new series.

Yay! A fantastic new historical romance author ! Set in the the late 19th century, during the British suffragette movement (loved this period - there was so much going on), Evie Dunmore developed a strong but vulnerable heroine in Annabelle. Sebastian's character raises the issues of class that existed so prominently during the Victorian era. The romance seems doomed. But wait! It's really historical romance at its best. We all know there will be a happy ending, but at what cost? So happy to see intelligent, thought provoking writing that is clear, funny, tender and which adds a whole fresh dimensions to the genre that was growing a bit stale these last few years...
Bravo to Ms. Dunmore - cannot wait for the next one!