Evie Dunmore manages to bring us a fiery protagonist, a sexy Duke with a Mr. Darcy bent, and a steamy romance while highlighting important moments in women's history. A resounding yes to learning about the Victorian champions of women's rights who laid the groundwork for future feminists while enjoying a super satisfying love story.

This is a great book, first in a new series, that is easy to devour in one day. I feel like I learned quite a bit about the time period and setting, even though it was a fun, breezy read. Lovely romance, highly recommended, and I cannot wait to learn more about the other ladies!

Suffragists, grumpy hero, and a happily ever after come together in Evie Dunmore's Victorian romance, Bringing Down the Duke. Sebastian Devereaux, Duke is Montgomery, has a reputation for being a cold, even heartless, man, but when college student/wallflower spinster/suffragist Annabelle Archer barrels into his life, he doesn't know what hit him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the character progression here, even if I did want to box Sebastian around the ears at most points throughout the first 2/3 of the book! Annabelle is a strong, smart character that I loved spending time with; her friends and fellow suffragists Cartriona, Lucie, and Hattie had subplots that make me hopeful for more in this series (I see Lucie has a book devoted to her coming out - yay!). Evie Dunmore did solid research on the British suffrage movement for this book, as noted in an author's note at the end.

Likable, well-written characters, a steamy romance that takes a slow-burn turn before the big payoff, and historical accuracy? Give me more, please!

4.5 Stars ~ Top Pick

This book reminds me of early Carolyn Jewel. Think, Lord Ruin and other imperious Duke’s and then mix that with Courtney Milan’s trailblazing stories chock full of events and truths based on true history. That’s this story, in a nutshell. And it was marvelous.

There is a dual POV from both bluestocking Annabelle and the force of nature that is the Duke of Montgomery. Lord, it’s been a while since I read a book with a Duke so forbidding and alpha. Thank you, Evie Dunmore for bringing that alpha Duke bake to life again for me. A man that radiates the epitome of a capable. I’ll be honest that’s a hardcore desirable trait for me. The heroine explains it best:

“In a world where everyone was swept along in the murky circumstances, paddling frantically this way and that, his unapologetic self-assurance looked like a rock in the rapids. Here was a man who would take charge, and then not bungle it.

Out of nowhere flashed a thought: what would it be like, to be married to such a man? Free. At the side of a man who took care of things, a woman could be free.”

Such a lovely revelation and even more scary since Annabelle doesn’t believe in marriage, at least not for her. She’s lower class with her own awful story of being taken advantage by a man. At the same time she’s strong, embracing of her flaws, and accepting of her own nature. She views herself equal to men and thankfully, after a bit of a trial our dear Montgomery sees her the same way.

Oh, but Montgomery has a long way to fall off his high horse… a long way indeed. As most alpha high-handed dukes must often do. Montgomery has his own goals to reclaim family legacy and Annabelle is in direct resistance to that path. Too bad he can’t stop it and watching him fall is absolutely what kept this book a page turner.

This book is also fresh, fresh with story, plot, and a seemingly impossible but deeply wanted HEA. There is fighting and plenty of sacrifice and plenty of conflict borne from frank discussions about social rank and women’s right to vote. The fact that a woman choosing carnal relations is met with more derision, and that if she wants a man higher than her station for more than sex she is asking too much.

Also, may I just say that the Duke’s come to Jesus moment is inflicted by a pheasant, not some close friend offering words wisdom, but an animal. I can’t say more, don’t want to give things away, but I binged this book. It went from slow start to sweeping emotion. Rolling waves of emotion, that left me as breathless as Annabelle and the Duke after getting swept up in desire.

Now, the things that held me back from a 5 star rating, be prepared I’m going to be picky. The slow start for one. The first chapter or so really dragged for me. I kept going giving this story the requisite three chapter good faith test. I am glad I did. The other challenge is at times there are a few back and forth moment where a hero or heroine is having internal recollection, but differing past from present was a bit difficult. So I got I confused for a short moment.

Overall, Dunmore has pulled off a brilliant debut. I am looking forward to more in the series and hope to see multiple characters get their stories told. As I mentioned above if you enjoy Courtney Milan historical and the Alpha dukes of the Balogh and Kleypas series in years past this one is definitely for you.

~ Landra

I haven't read a lot of historical romances since I thought that they were not my cup of tea but this one pleasantly surprised me because I ended up loving it! Annabelle, the main character, is one of the first female students at the university and she is also part of the suffrage movement.. As a part of this movement, she has to find people in power to support their cause and so this is how she first meets Sebastian, who is the Duke of Montgomery. Love at first sight? Definitely not. All the characters in this book were amazing and the chemistry between Annabelle and Sebastian were off the charts. I loved seeing them together and their interactions.

Great story with well written characters and witty banter. I couldn't stop reading once I picked it up. The romance had the perfect push and pull romantic tension with quick witted intelligent characters I also fell in love with. I really liked the time period setting of dukedoms but also seeing the rising of the women's suffrage movement. Looking forward to the authors next book in this series!

I was intrigued by the description, but this is no Jane Austen. Definitely spicier than I prefer, but even setting that aside, the story seemed contrived and overly descriptive. Must her green eyes be mentioned so often? I wanted to like this, but couldn't even finish it (though I did pass at least 100 pages before I gave up). Definitely not for Austen fans who prefer the art of subtlety and precision. Though I do have to give the author props for some fairly good bits of witty dialogue.

A wonderful introduction to feminist history in Britain with a passionate, sweet love story. I’m very excited to read the next book in the series!

A classy read!

Well what a satisfying read by debut writer Evie Dunmore.
I cheered for Annabelle Archer, intelligently gifted vicar's daughter as she struggled to make her dreams come true. An education at Oxford. It's 1879 and that august institution has just opened its doors to women. I chafed at the burdens Annabelle was forced to endure as the daughter of a deceased vicar whose livelihood now depended upon her brother. Now she was not only poor, but a cheap downtrodden worker without any recourse, for that same opined brother?
And Annabelle's involvement with the suffragettes!
(I love any stories that point out these amazing women. We stand on their shoulders with the right to vote and to hold property, and to not be property, because of their sacrifices, even unto death.)
Annabelle has been charged with targeting Sebastian Devereux, the rather frightening Duke of Montgomery to the cause. Meanwhile Sebastian has been charged by Queen Victoria to work to bring Disraeli back into power in the upcoming election.
Victoria's disgust of the suffragettes is total. (Which to our modern way of thinking is totally strange. But then Victoria saw the gulf between royalty and the commoner as something ordained by God. So not even on her radar is the discrepancy that one of the most powerful people on the planet at this time being a woman.)
Naturally Sebastian and Annabelle are on course for a resounding head on collision.
And that contact leaves both of them shaken. From this grows a story that has quite a few surprises and gigantic heart.
Well researched, grounding the novel in reality. Coupled with a depth of emotion, all the ingredients to make this a winner!

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley

Ever since Annabelle Archer’s fall from grace at the age of eighteen, she has been living in her cousin’s household, basically acting as an unpaid maid. Now twenty-five, Annabelle burns with a desire to attend Oxford, which has opened a women’s college. She’s received a stipend, but in exchange she must support the suffragette movement. One of her first actions is to attempt to hand a flyer to the Duke of Montgomery, requesting his support for changing the Married Women’s Property Act.

Sebastian Devereux, Duke of Montgomery, is a powerful man who is often called on by the queen to wield his political muscle in exchange for favors. His latest “assignment” is to become advisor to the Tory party and assure they win the next election. The carrot that Queen Victoria dangles is the duke’s family estate, which one of his predecessors gambled away. Sebastian wants this property very badly, so is resigned to fulfilling the queen’s wishes.

The next meeting between Annabelle and Sebastian goes south rapidly, as she is a guest of his younger brother. Sebastian mistakenly makes the assumption that she is his mistress and orders her out of his home. Annabelle’s pride and the duke’s arrogance cause them to butt heads until they overcome their misunderstanding. Once beyond this, the duke and the commoner seem to develop an affinity and even a genuine liking for each other.

Sebastian is a conservative, controlled, dutiful man. His entire existence appears to revolve around managing his dukedom and forwarding his political agenda. Yet, Sebastian is scandalously a divorced man, thus his current determination to maintain propriety is something he’s determined to do at all costs. His burgeoning attraction and affection for Annabelle makes him regret that she’s not of his social class, but since he can’t marry her, surely she’ll welcome becoming his mistress.

Annabelle learned a bitter lesson when her lover, who was also of the nobility, abandoned her. She’s determined to never repeat her mistake. This bright and passionate young woman knows that becoming the duke’s mistress will cause her to lose all respectability, her education, and her friends. As much as she has come to love the man, she can’t give up her whole future on what is sure to be a temporary arrangement. Annabelle has so much to offer the world, and is so limited because of being female at a time in history when she was beaten down and stifled.

The story of an upright noble and a spirited unsuitable commoner is a familiar one, but the telling of it in BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE is exquisitely done, setting it at a higher level. Sebastian comes off so unlikeable and uptight at first – then his layers start to be peeled away. We see the magnitude of responsibility that was cast upon him at a young age. The dwindling family fortunes, his reckless younger brother, his faithless wife, and his political duties all bear down on him. He works tirelessly to meet every challenge. Then he finds one thing he desires above everything else, and his own rules forbid him from grasping it.

I always greet a book by a new-to-me author with equal parts anticipation and trepidation. I so want to find a new voice that I’ll love to read, and, oh, did I find that in Evie Dunmore! BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE is beautifully written, captivating, romantic, interesting, and emotional. I was totally invested in the story, the history, and the characters and their beliefs. I particularly loved Sebastian’s journey of self discovery. He’s such a feeling and compassionate man beneath the icy veneer he showed the world. I love how he and Annabelle could be their true selves with the other, and how they both came to realize the truth of the importance of love. BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE is remarkable, and the fact that it’s a debut novel only makes it more so. I highly recommend it, and I simply can’t wait for the story of the next Extraordinary Woman.

I liked this book, it was different in several different ways. The suffragette angle, the college bound women, the Duke himself. I enjoyed the characters immensely. I didn't like the contrived situations (such as main character walking through winter snow to get to the village so many miles away only to be "rescued" by the Duke and then contracting an illness that made him have to house her for several days). But, aside from that small annoyance, the pace and settings of this book were spot on and I enjoyed the evolution of the love story.

I'm a huge fan of Judith McNaught's historical romance. Why I'm mentioning that? Because this author's debut, BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE, transports me back to a time when I was devouring the novels by McNaught. While Evie Dunmore's writing style is more modern in parts which makes this story extremely readable, I'm not complaining, mind you, because this author's words wrapped themselves around my heart. However, the story, this deliciously angst-filled plot, the yearning, the complex characters so reminded me of McNaught's. I think that's one of the biggest compliments I can give an author.

Evie Dunmore shows us how far women have come, how women fought for what we consider normal and rightfully ours. This alone makes it this book worth reading and will give you a new appreciation of the women's role in society today.
Spun around this setting is an epic love story between a commoner and a duke, both very aware of their position in society. Sebastian is right a jerk when this starts off but man, did I fall in love. I fell so hard. He is honorable, considerate, more than he let on when we first meet him, arrogant, high-handed, controlled and incredibly private and emotionally stunted. It was a thing of beauty to watch him turn from this seemingly cold-hearted bastard into a man, who felt deeper than anyone would have ever expected he was capable of. What a complex, infuriating, protective, wonderful man he was.
Something tore inside his chest, something vital, and briefly, he wondered if a man could die from it. The pain all but took his breath away. What a way to find out he did have a heart.

Annabelle is everything Sebastian needs but can't have. She was just as beautiful a character with her backbone of steel, intelligence, sophistication and unshakable loyalty. She refused to be the duke's mistress because she had a sense of self worth and knew that even though Sebastian would treat her well, society wouldn't. She knew the feeling of being a pariah, she didn't want to repeat mistakes she'd made before. While my heart hurt for them both I could understand her standpoint.
He does have a heart, you see, a restrained, honorable heart, but it bruises just like yours and mine, and I wager it is a hundred times more steadfast. He is a rare man, not because he is wealthy, or powerful, but because he says what he means and does what he says.

Their attraction was so palpable, so passionate and there were times I wanted to smoosh their faces together and tell them to get it over with. There was so much tension between them, the impossibility of their love made this story heartwrenching.
She belonged here, right here wrapped in these strong, nonjudgmental, protective arms, and she wasn’t sure where to begin again without him.

Supporting these two are equally strong women, who I suspect will get their own stories.

This is a well researched, fascinating romance with characters that make you think even after leaving them to their happily ever after. And what a HEA it was. How can I not fall back into a slump after BRINGING DOWN HE DUKE? Ugh! The story is flawless and flows without hiccups. And I can't praise the beautiful words enough. Evie Dunmore shows other authors how debuts are done. I loved every minute spent with Sebastian and Annabelle.
“Darling,” he said, “I have only just begun to love you.”

I LOVED this book! It's so good and such a wonderful historical romance, especially for someone who doesn't pick this genre up very often.

Annabelle Archer gets to finally experience life outside of Chorleywood, where she works for her cousin, thanks to her stipend that allows her to attend the first women’s college at Oxford. Annabelle is headstrong, kind, and independent. Well, as independent as she is allowed. So when she joins the growing suffragist movement as a condition of her stipend and is challenged by her group leader to persuade one of the most powerful men in the country, it is just her luck that her also happens to be a handsome, brooding and powerful man that she unknowingly accosted in the street beforehand.

The Duke of Montgomery has an an aura of icy coolness to him, but somehow it turns to heat where Miss Archer is concerned. The two have unmistakable chemistry but opposing drives and to be completely honest, it’s tragic. A Duke can’t fall for a country girl of no station, and Annabelle deserves to be someone’s everything. That doesn’t stop the two of them from continually meeting, of course, because where would be the fun in it anyways? This book is a wild and fun ride, and wooooo is it enjoyable!

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: Annabelle Archer, the destitute daughter of a vicar has earned a place among the first female students allowed in Oxford in 1879. All she has to do in return for her scholarship is support the women’s suffrage movement, by recruiting men of influence to champion their cause. Well that puts her directly in the path of Sebastian Devereux, Duke of Montgomery who manages Britain’s politics according to what the Queen dictates, basically the most influential man around. Sebastian doesn’t know what to do with the sudden appearance of a small suffragette army at his home but it’s Annabelle who poses the biggest threat to his plans of a typical cold society marriage with her wit and passionate drive.










Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? There’s a lot of potential in Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series but it needs work if it’s going to stand out. As of right now, it feels just like the rest of the historical romances I’ve read that are more interested in sounding like contemporary romances than historical ones.

Instead of the usual Regency period, Bringing Down the Duke takes place in 1879, right as women were being allowed into universities and wanting to vote. I enjoyed the idea of a different time period since it presented some unique obstacles and influenced how the characters behaved. To me it was a pretty gutsy move for the author to tackle this era when the “in” thing is to write Regency romance.

That said, Bringing Down the Duke isn’t without its problems. The biggest one being that I didn’t really connect with Annabelle OR Sebastian so that made buying into the romance very difficult. And the romance itself was underwhelming.

Let’s start with Annabelle. For starters there wasn’t anything truly remarkable about her in my opinion. She kind of got thrust into the suffragette thing and since she wanted to keep her scholarship, she went along with it for most of the book. I didn’t feel she had the conviction and drive for a woman among the first to get into Oxford. Sure she wanted to study but she wasn’t as passionate about it as I would envision a woman like her to be. She’s not a bad character, but in a story that takes place among a number of suffragettes, including Lady Lucie who gives the impression of being a steamroller, Annabelle just blends into the background.

The same goes for Sebastian. He’s supposed to be this very powerful, influential man but he just seemed so ordinary. His personality was very one dimensional and wooden.

Which is in part why I found the romance hard to believe. Sebastian and Annabelle weren’t the most scintillating characters and that reflected in the lackluster chemistry between them. Making things worse was the lack of real time that these two spent in each other’s company. A solid romance builds an emotional connection between the hero and heroine through insightful and entertaining conversation where they can learn to let their guards down and fall for each other. That didn’t happen here so by the end I was more interested in what was happening around Sebastian and Annabelle rather than in them.

And yes, this is another historical romance where there are scenes that the characters think, act, and unfortunately speak in a way more suited to a contemporary romance which takes me out of the story when it’s so obvious that a non-history student like myself can spot it. All these books are making me wonder if there are any editors out there who point this stuff out or are they told to just ignore it? Had Bringing Down the Duke paid more attention to balancing stand out characters with being historically accurate in its dialogue and conflicts it could have really stood out among all the modern romance wrapped up as Regency era romance.


Click It or Skip It? Skip It. Too many things yanked me out of the story constantly to be ignored, not to mention underwhelming lead characters. It’s a shame that the book didn’t adhere more to the time period it takes place in. That would have made it stand out more.

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore was a hit! Just another reason to devour more historical romance books #yum

The setting is England, 1879. Annabelle Archer is the destitute daughter of a country vicar. She has been accepted to be among the first female students to attend the prestigious University of Oxford but first she needs to convince her cousin to give her permission. Her scholarship requires her to support the rising of the Women's Suffrage Movement. Annabelle is charged to recruit men of influence to support the cause. She soon selects Sebastian Devereux, the Duke of Montegomery... This is when the fun begins y'all.

Annabelle is feisty, brilliant, and fearless. She fights for what she believes in. Her biggest fear is getting her heartbroken.

Sebastian comes off cold, calculating, and snobbish. He's involved in politics. Favored by the Queen, he works to get back his property that his own father lost in gambling.

The moment Sebastian sees Annabelle: Instant attraction. They fight this push and pull. Sebastian is drawn to her but he knows because of her low status he can't make her his wife. Hello angst, my old friend!

What a wonderful debut novel by Evie. Passionate, witty, and refreshing. I couldn't get enough of the writing. Being transported to Regency England was timeless. I'm looking forward to book 2 💃🏼


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This is a fun, light romance set in Victorian England. It pulled me in so fast that I stayed up too late reading the first night & whizzed through it as soon as I could read it again!

Such a lovely story, I adore it, this is my first book from Evie Dunmore and I'm already impressed!I loved everything about it, the romance has the perfect amount of push and pull and I find it romantic!


Annabelle and Sebastian started out as enemies with different opinions and this through the story developed in to something more intense and intimidate!

"He spun her round and she was pinned flush against the door, trapped between oak wood and one incensed aristocrat. Out of the two, the oak would yield more easily."

This is a refreshing historical romance!I cannot wait to read more books from this author!

Bringing Down the Duke was an amazing debut from Dunmore. Annabelle Archer is a suffragette, supporting the cause because they helped to bring her to Oxford when the university opened its does to women. Annabelle unexpectedly gets thrown into the path of the Duke of Montgomery, who does not support the vote for women or other citizens that don't own land. So, while this is definitely a romance, there was a lot a fair bit of history thrown in, and it was amazing!

The relationship between Annabelle and the Duke was absolutely beautiful (at least when it wasn't fraught with conflict), and I loved how the author created such compelling and complex characters. Annabelle is particular was a woman who had been burned in the past before, and I don't think I've ever seen it so well communicated the level of courage it takes to move forward after having your trust betrayed.

For anyone that doesn't believe that the romance genre can be feminist, Bringing Down the Duke is a must read. I have not read such a fantastic debut from an author in a long time and I can't wait to read Dunmore's next, featuring Lucie - the suffragette who is a leader in the movement.

What first sold me on Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dumore, was the series name: A League of Extraordinary Women. I wanted to know what it was all about. And when Berkley sent the synopsis? Well, like all the books that I have been reading lately? I was sold.

Bringing Down the Duke is set place in 1879 England. Annabelle is a daughter of a country vicar, who has been admitted in the first class of female students on a scholarship. In turn, she must support the woman’s suffrage moment, which has been gaining momentum. Not only does she have to recruit supporters, she has to recruit men of influence! Now you know that I had to read this, just for all of these points alone.

Annabelle is a fun heroine. I loved getting to know her very ambitious and intelligent self. Montgomery was fun! He’s such a rounded character that was enjoyable to read. And their chemistry together? Loved!

I enjoyed reading about this era, closer to the movement. It isn’t often that historical romances are set in this era, compared to the earlier years of the 1800s. My knowledge of this era is limited, but reading about a few details in this book made me want to know more.

While I loved the premise and the overall story, I felt that there were a few moments that missed the mark. While the story was engaging, it felt familiar. Given that I’ve read so much, and with similar premises, I didn’t feel so wowed by the story. But that is mostly my doing because of all the books I’ve read in this genre.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, and am very interested in reading the next book of the series!

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Bringing Down the Duke was sooo good! There was a delicious push and pull between Annabelle and Sebastian. They started out as enemies with opposing political views, and Sebastian was quite arrogant at first. It was a meeting of minds with intelligent conversation, and an undercurrent of intense attraction! For as much as they were at odds at times, Sebastian was quite the knight-in-shining-armor often coming to the rescue even when it put him at risk. I fell hard for him!

Annabelle was a breath of fresh air! The kind of woman I hope I’d be in the face of such obstacles. It really was a tough time for women back then. This was set in a time when women had few rights, really appalling when you think of it. The situation Annabelle found herself in with her cousin was infuriating, and I’m glad he had little to do with the story other than at the beginning.

I can’t believe Bringing Down the Duke was a debut novel! While it took me a little bit to sink into the story, I was solidly glued to the pages as soon as I hit the %15 mark I didn’t want to put the story down eager to find out what happened next! I love how everything turned out, and I can’t wait until Lucie’s story next, especially after reading the teaser at the end!