I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

A Rogue of One's Own was exquisite! Evie Dunmore made a Historical Romance reader out of me with Bringing Down the Duke, and now I feel super invested in the lives of women who lived long ago. I definitely would have been a suffragist, but I don't know how Lucie kept her wits about her in a world where men felt like they owned the women in their lives. I really loved how Dunmore touched on realistic aspects from the time period (Poets like Oscar Wilde, suffragists like Millicent Fawcett, and what it was like for women and girls in general), and made them relevant to the here and now.

Women still struggle to be seen as equals in the eyes of men, and it's thanks to people like Lucie that we have a right to vote at all. Can you imagine marrying a man only to give up your own identity in the process? Everything you own - - everything that you've claimed for yourself - - suddenly becomes the property of your husband. That includes the woman entering the marriage. She essentially loses the rights to her very self. What's crazy is that all of this was commonplace not that long ago, and I think we take the sacrifices of those women lightly today, if we think about them at all.

It's clear Dunmore has done her research, even if she admits to embellishing a little bit with the dates. I thought A Rogue of One's Own was wonderfully written and beautifully captured the era the author was trying to depict. I enjoyed looking up the unfamiliar words and phrases to see how they translated, and it gave me an appreciation for a language that has been lost to time. Proper words we no longer use today; flashes of lifestyles no longer lived.

Lucie is astonishingly calm in the face of adversity, and I'm not sure I would have had the same amount of patience and tolerance. She was constantly belittled for her beliefs and attacked for her attempts to help better the lives of women. She had a few close friends, and the other suffragists were allies, but the rest of the world saw her as less. A spinster, boyish, the Tedbury Termagant. She shouldered it all with her held held high, and then she put her pen to paper. She's a nonstop machine that doesn't realize there's more to life until Tristan reappears to cause a little mischief. She's too busy and too stubborn for men, and I loved her all the more for it. We see her vulnerabilities, the cracks in her armor, but it just made her more realistic and likable.

Tristan is complicated and downright delightful. Yes, he's a rake. Yes, he gets away with more than most because of his station. Yes, he's a devious bastard. However, he's also fundamentally good. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, and he constantly puts others before himself. I disliked that the main conflict was withheld information, but he had very good reasons. Although, being upfront and honest with Lucie would have saved them both a lot of heartache, and likely kept what happened from happening, but I thought the author handled it well. Tristan was trying to protect someone he loved, and I can't really fault him for that.

Evie Dunmore is an incredible writer, so if you haven't read Bringing Down the Duke, I highly recommend starting with it and continuing with A Rogue of One's Own. You don't need to read them in order, but you'll have a better experience if you do, since a lot of the characters from the first book are also in this one. Even if you don't normally read Historical Fiction, read her books anyways! They are full of heart and delicious heat, so get ready for tender moments and sexy seduction. This author knows how to write a romance, that's for sure! (★★★★⋆ )

So, I really liked the first book in this series, Bringing Down the Duke, and I had no reason to think that this one wouldn’t be as enjoyable as the last. It started off so great, Lucie and Tristan are well-drawn and interesting characters. And while the romance and banter between these two, as well as the female friendships on display, were well done I cannot in good conscience rate this book based on that enjoyment.

There were some moments in the book that felt off to me in regards to the depiction and usage of Hindu deities and Indian cultural symbols. When I went to Goodreads, I found OwnVoices reviewers expressing their concerns much more eloquently than I ever could. You can find the reviews here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3299721565?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3455276768?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

I really wish that Evie Dunmore and her publisher had been more careful in creating this story, especially considering the history of England’s colonization of India. While it is a historical novel, there was no real reason for these elements to be depicted the way they were. It’s especially disappointing as these books depict the suffragette movement, which is a really fascinating time in history to explore. The novel did a good job of depicting the constraints a woman in that time would be facing, while allowing the characters to be true to themselves. But that doesn’t erase the really strange and othering depictions of Southeast Asian cultural symbols. It’s obvious that Evie Dunmore has talent and I’m not asking for her to be canceled, but I can’t recommend this book with the way it’s presented. Hopefully in the future there is a bit more sensitivity in her work.

Delightful, funny, entertaining, could not put down, fabulous characters, this book has it all.
I loved Evie Dunmore's Bringing Down the Duke and this book continues with her The League of Extraordinary Women series with the story of Lucie and Tristan. As much as I loved book one I liked this one even more.
I loved that Lucie is not content with societal norms placed on women at that time and constantly pushes the boundaries. That is until she meets Tristan who completely knocks her off kilter. This book is a delightful escape.

Lady Lucie, a suffragist living in Oxford, has finally figured out a way to reach more women living in England and spread the word about what the Married Women’s Property Act could do for wives firmly under the thumb of abusive husbands: disperse information through her own publishing house! After finally raising enough money to purchase half-ownership in an existing house, she is astonished to discover that her childhood nemesis Tristan, Lord Ballentine, is the owner of the other majority of the shares… meaning she has to run all major decisions through him before she is able to do anything.

Tristan has had a thing for Lucie since they were kids, although most people just see him as a war hero lothario. He finally sees a chance to have Lucie for at least one night – in exchange for the majority share of the publishing house, for which he has his own plans. They go from enemies to lovers with much underhandedness in business—and their families.
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I really enjoyed A Rogue of One’s Own and was sad to see it end! I’m coming to love the enemies-to-lovers trope more and more, especially after seeing some of the history between Lucie and Tristan. The secondary plot with Tristan’s mother was also really interesting to follow and tied in really well with importance of the Married Women’s Property Act. It was hinted that Tristan might be bisexual, and I wish that had been fleshed out a bit more; while it added a bit of nuance to his character and some motivation to the conflict, there really wasn’t enough to really make a difference. I had a few of moments of wishing there was more—more background between Lucie and Tristan as kids, more into the estrangement between Lucie and her family members, more about Tristan. Seeing the page count as 448 seems like a lot when I still want more background! But overall, I really liked this one and am looking forward to the next two in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Rogue of One’s Own was a wonderful and witty story! It was poignant and real with exceptional characters full of depth. I loved the emotion, drama, and the animosity between Lucie and Tristan. It was an exciting and fresh read!

The author has an excellent way of telling a story. There were great building details that completely pulled me in. I liked the foreshadowing happening as we learn about the characters, their histories, and what they're going through. I loved all the details about Tristan and Lucie and this tense history they have filled with animosity. I liked that verbal sparring and the underlying attraction between them. I felt for both of them and what they were going through. Tristan was a man of many secrets and talents and I loved discovering those. Lucie was a force of nature, fighting for change in a time where everything was against her. I enjoyed them coming together and that fight between them. I really enjoyed their moments of understanding and when they start to soften and feelings start to emerge.

There's a nice cast of characters involved. I really liked the relationship that the women have together. I also liked the introduction of Blacksmith and where all that could go, he seems incredibly intriguing. There were several important and relevant subjects that were touched upon and I felt they added a lot to the story.

This was a well thought out, entertaining, and engrossing story. I found it exciting to read and I liked the personal conflicts Tristan and Lucie were facing and the ups and downs they had to go through to get to their HEA. I look forward to more in the series. Great read!

So, I did read an early copy of Evie Dunmore’s A Rogue of One’s Own which came out yesterday. And due to wider conversation about this book and things in it that are actively harmful, I find it difficult to review it in any substantive way.

I have to admit that I did enjoy this book overall. Lucie is a wonderful character and her devotion to women’s rights and the suffrage movement are fantastic. I wanted to fist-bump Lucie several times throughout this book.

The romance worked well for me as well. It has an enemies-to-lovers feel to it, although Tristan has nursed a tendre for Lucie for many years. These two bicker and fight and have to find a way to work together. And this leads to a delightful romantic tension.

But (and this isa a BIG BUT) Tristan spent years hiding from his father (who is awful) in India. And to commemorate his time there, he got a blue-skinned, four-armed figure tattooed on his chest that is inspired by Lord Shiva.

And when I first read this book, I thought to myself “Why?” But I definitely didn’t pay enough attention to it and what it would mean to those of South Asian descent. Despite the fact that this comes up repeatedly in romance.

This tattoo plays a critical part later in the book when someone accuses Tristan of ruining her, but cannot describe the tattoo accurately - because why would a tattoo of a person ever have more than 2 arms?

I also had some other issues with this dramatic reveal because Lucie seems to have no qualms about ruining her cousin by calling her a liar. I am not saying that the cousin didn’t deserve to have her false claims denied, but the entire plot point seemed problematic on several layers.

I don’t think the tattoo nor the way that the aforementioned situation was resolved were particularly necessary. This story had a strong foundation and didn’t need either of these things. In fact, it would’ve been stronger without them.

Ultimately, we have got to start doing better with issues of race, cultural appropriation, etc. When people tell you that something hurts them, we need to listen and accept what they are telling us. And do better moving forward.

I loved Evie Dunmore's first book, and I loved most of this second book. Dunmore is such a great writer (prose) and storyteller. I look forward to her third book.

While I had hoped to review this book for Frolic Media, which is where I review all my books, I will not be doing so for this book. This is because of the cultural appropriation and Orientalism that I found in the book.

It all centers around the goddess tattoo on the hero's chest. It is offensive to Indians and Indian Americans for white people of the British nobility to sport these tattoos on their chests. This is due to the history of the English nobility's complicity in the British Raj (Empire) and the brutal subjugation of the Indian people. The Orientalism has to do with the othering of the Indian people: cherry-picking details of the culture.

i was so excited for this book after loving the first in the series. unfortunately, it fell flat for me and i was very disappointed. i didn't really feel it from romance standpoint - didn't click with either character or understand where the heroine's hatred of the hero came from. but on top of that, it has a few problematic things that i won't go into, other reviews have said it better. just left a really bad taste and not sure i want to read another book by this author.

"Why does one love?" "Why, one just loves, Lucie."

Just like in Bringing Down the Duke, my favorite part of this story has to be the strong women. These women were making changes and standing up for causes that were actually put them at risk during the time. I love a hate to love romance and theirs was pretty off the charts! Tristan, was a dreamy, swoonworthy rake! Lucie was smart and determined. Loved the steam level here! Where this one lost me a bit was the details, it seemed to drag on a bit, particularly in the first half. I would have preferred about 100 pages less and found myself skimming at times. But, I absolutely LOVED how the end played out. Romance wins without forgetting the importance of the cause!

Suffragist heroine wanting to take down the patriarchy, check. Unrequited love, check. Enemies to lovers, check. Angry sex… you had me at angry sex.

This book. I’m still unpacking my feelings over this book, but I can say with ease the auburn-haired, Victoria Cross winner, face of angels, Tristan Ballentine has climbed up the ranks of book boyfriend. He hasn’t replaced my ultimate favorite, but it’s damn close. He’s definitely sitting in the second spot.

Why dear reader? Because he does the devil may care act so well, but I know the truth. He’s a romantic.

Let’s rewind for a second. The first book in Evie Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series received a top pick from me, but I held out from the five because it was a slow starter. This book didn’t start out slow, in fact, it came with a bang. Within the first chapter, I had to know what would happen. Dunmore hooked effectively and I had this bone deep urge to watch as Lady Lucinda, the Tedbury Termagant, fighter of women’s rights, fell for our war-time hero Tristan.

There’s this underlying subplot where Lucie, is purchasing half of a printing house and determined to post a suffragist report that could very well tank the house and aggravate half of England. But, to fight the Married Women’s Property Act, she’d do about anything.

Queue the entrance of our hero, Tristan of course already owns a share of this publishing house, bought long before he went to serve in the Queen’s Army. Upon return to England he seeks control of the house for his own books and to work at gaining independence from his father, among other reasons. His father is true snake and honestly, I wished for more punishment upon the man, but we can’t always have what we want. Back to the source of main conflict, when Lucie finds out Tristan is her co-owner in the publishing house, all her plans are ruined… or maybe, they aren’t.

Tristan has always wanted Lucie and he bates her with an offer because he’s a man and thinking with his little head. Lucie of course refuses. She won’t debase herself in such a way, too much risk to her cause, to her standing. She was once a lady, now a spinster disowned secretly by her family. Lucie is… everything. She’s the deepest parts of me, wanting to fight and rally, but also wanting to be seen and loved. It’s a warring duality of want and frustration that pulls her closer to Tristan and encourages her to try and hold back.

I love seeing her fall. I love even more the hero’s little acts of goodness towards Lucie, conducted in secret of course. I don’t want to give any more details because it feels like I’m giving away the adventure of this book. Let me add that the dialogue is biting. Take this exchange:

“I supposed where the chase is the aim, names are but tedious details.”

“I would not know.” He sounded bemused. “I never chase.”

“What a worrying degree of self-delusion.”

He tutted. “Have you not read your Darwin? The male flaunts himself, the female chooses, it has ever been thus. Beware the determinedly chasing male— he is hoping you won’t notice his plumage is subpar.”

“Whereas yours is of course superiorly large and iridescent.”

“I assure you it is not iridescent,” he said in a bland voice.

Annoyance crept hotly up her neck. “The ladies do not seem to mind.”

“My dear,” he murmured. “Do I detect jealousy?”

Now that I think on it more, Tristan is some sort of English Rhett Butler. Swoon. That heavy-handed cockiness with a secret dose of caring is worth spent on someone like Lucie compared to Scarlett. The dialogue and interactions between these two are constantly like this and back and forth that makes you think it will either end in the bedroom or eventually come to blows.

If you love Courtney Milan, Carolyn Jewel, or Miranda Neville I highly recommend you pick up this book.

~ Landra

At a time when so many are still fighting to have their voices heard, any story that reminds us that it was not so long ago that women were fighting for equality couldn’t be more timely or needed. Just like its marvellous predecessor in the series, Bringing Down the Duke, this novel is set against an important historical backdrop of political activism and change in Britain—the women’s suffrage movement—and it offers a compelling perspective on what it truly means to be equal partners in life, both in and out of the bedchamber. The true beauty of this story, to me, however, lies in the fact that besides its fiercely feminist subplot, it’s really about a woman who learns that, despite what the world has told her all her life, being opinionated and outspoken does not make her any less worthy of being loved and treasured by a good man. Like her heroine, Evie Dunmore blends the passion, spirit, and progressive idealism of the time with a love story that is hopeful and grounded, delivering another unputdownable romance that leaves us wanting more.

Read full review » https://natashaisabookjunkie.com/2020/09/01/review-a-rogue-of-ones-own-by-evie-dunmore/

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the follow-up. This is Lucie’s story and she is paired with her childhood nemesis. A man who grew up spending quite a bit of time in her household due to the relationship between their mothers.

I liked both of these characters. Lucie is tough and single-minded and determined to see women not only get the right to vote but gain independence over their lives in all ways. She is cut off from her family due to her role in the suffrage movement but has a great group of friends to rely on. Lord Ballentine is a roguish, wicked player recently home from the war and trying to avoid his duties as the newly minted heir to his father’s estate after the untimely death of this brother. He and Lucie are polar opposites, but they work.

Their relationship takes what felt like forever to develop, but I didn’t mind because I would have never believed Lucie falling into bed and into love with Tristan too quickly. I enjoyed their romance.

A couple of things I didn’t like:

- The conflict that brings about a main confrontation and then ultimately brings this couple together is caused by a jealous cousin making an untrue statement about a tattoo ( we will get to that in a minute) and a villainous gay want-to-be love interest. And I can honestly tell you that I am sick of the evil gay villain stereotype in historical romance. It makes me angry every single time and I find it hard to enjoy reading after I get angry. So there’s that.

- The way the Hindu religion and Colonial India were talked about and discussed caused me to be taken aback, and I wonder how an own voices reviewer or reader will feel while reading. I was especially uneasy with how Tristan and his valet spoke to each other and with the explanations and descriptions of Tristan’s tattoo.

These two things dimmed my enjoyment toward the end, but I do like this author’s voice and look forward to the next book in the series.

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore is one of the most entertaining historical romance novels I have read this summer. Inside, awaits a stubborn high society lady who never plans to marry. Marrying means giving up one's own freedom especially, if they're a woman. Lucie wants her freedom and rights for women. That was her plan until one particular rogue keeps stalking her. Not stalking so much as keeps appearing when she least wants him to appear. Surprises and plot twists are plenty in this novel. I was entertained from the start. This was one rollercoaster ride, I didn't want to end. The rogue was just as fascinating as the heroine. I love strong characters, but I really enjoyed how the woman kept pushing the man out of her life only to fall for him. The whole enemies to lovers trope was done well. Although, the rogue never considered the lady as his enemy. Overall, this was one splendid historical romance novel. I cannot wait to read the next book!

I enjoyed this very much- I really like Dunmore's blend of swoonworthy romance with strong, relatable heroines and women's suffrage history in Victorian England. I liked headstrong Lucie and her dedication to pushing forth women's rights, and I liked Tristan, whose roguish exterior hides a complicated inner self.

I'm a little at odds with this book, though, on reading the perspective of a South Asian reader who found the plot device about Tristan's Indian-inspired tattoo to be disrespectful and poorly thought-out. It's disappointing that nobody caught that in the writing or editing phases. I hope the author and editorial team will hear the concerns that have been raised and will do better in the future, as there are two more books in this series to look forward to.

Otherwise an enjoyable story! A bit of a slow burn, with a satisfying ending.

Another winner from Evie Dunmore!

I adored the first book in this series and I'm thrilled to say that this love to hate romance was just as addictive. Perfect pacing with a historical setting and steamy romance with bubbly chemistry between the two characters, Tristan and Lucie. Hot, hot, hot.

Lucie is involved in the women's suffragist movement and is sassy, independent and constantly trying to stay one step ahead of Lord Ballentine who has been propositioning her with an invite to his bedroom. How dare he!, but wait..... she has her own plan and so the scheming begins.

Witty banter, characters full of heart and soul, a romance that will have you fanning yourself and hoping this rogue comes to his senses! All is fair in love in war, wouldn't you agree?


Beautiful and immersive writing that reads like a big screen movie!! Loved, loved, it and I'm already anticipating book three!

Highly Recommend!!

Wow. First of all, I’ve really come to love series in which the MC shifts. As much as I loved Annabelle and Sebastian in book one, I absolutely adore Lucie and Tristan’s story even more.

Holy steamboat. 🔥 🔥 🔥! If you’re looking for a steamy and also interesting romance, I highly recommend this one (but know that it’s the second in the series).

Romance, passion, feminism, historical fiction, and beautiful dialogue. I’m here for it!

I think Dunmore is a master of her craft, able to put together a plot that keeps you interested and wanting even more when it’s over, an intense dynamic between characters, building passion, and time period relevant political activism.

5 stars for me!

Okay, historical romance is something I never expected to enjoy as much as I do, but Evie Dunmore has changed the game!

I purchased Bringing Down the Duke on the recommendation of a bookstagrammer I follow who primarily reads romance. I wanted something light and fun, so I figured I might like Bringing Down the Duke because I enjoy historical fiction, books by women, and books about strong women. I adored the book and recommend it regularly. I was so eager to get to A Rogue of One’s Own and it did not disappoint! Both Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One’s Own are part of the League of Extraordinary Women series.

A Rogue of One’s Own follows Lady Lucie, a member of a band of Oxford suffragists who are working to get women the right to vote. As part of their plan, they will acquire one of London’s major publishing houses, which they plan to use to spread awareness for the Cause. All things seem to be in order—that is, until Lord Ballantine is revealed, at the last minute, as the majority owner of the publishing house. Lord Ballantine and Lady Lucie have known each other since childhood, and Lady Lucie is fuming that he is standing in her way. He proposes to sell her enough shares to give her majority ownership with one condition – they must spend a night together.

I adored this book. Lady Lucie is strong and determined and dedicates herself fully to the Cause. This romance novel is deeper than the love story. It discusses women’s issues, the roots of patriarchy, and the abuse many women endured by systemic removal of their rights. I am thankful for the women who came before me, who were so determined to bring women more rights under the law, and who fought and fought and risked their reputations for what was right.

Lord Ballantine was featured as a minor character in Bringing Down the Duke and he acted very inappropriately and like a bad guy. However, Lucie confides in Annabelle, the protagonist of the first novel in the series, regarding her feeling, which I appreciated because it indicated she wanted her friend to be aware of her feelings given Annabelle wasn’t a fan of the Lord. Lord Ballantine develops so much as a character, and his backstory sheds light on his behaviors and somewhat abrasive personality. He admired Lucie’s intellect, drive, and honesty. He was attracted to her, but I most appreciated their deeper conversations about Lucie’s work. He was willing to listen, actually did listen, and offered to help in ways that he could (meaning he used his position of privilege to advance a cause that didn’t directly affect him – awesome! Wow! We should all do this).

If you enjoy books about strong women, steamy scenes, love stories, and witty banter, I highly recommend it.

I adore this series. Historical romance with a slap of women's suffrage? BRING it, babe, and keep them coming.

Plot: ★★★★
Historic vibes: ★★★★ 1/2
Romance: ★★★★★
Witty dialogue: ★★★★★

A Rogue of One's Own comes out on September 1, 2020!!

This is fast becoming one of my favorite series in the niche genre of historical romances. Neck in neck with Tessa Dare's Girl Meets Duke series, this is filled to the brim with witty banter, sharp women, self aware yet powerful men, and a historical setting with a refreshingly modern sense of female independence. (Okay, that last one obviously bends the rules of "historical accuracy," but excuse me... this is a romance and I'm not complaining.)

Lucie is not happy. A woman who has given up her reputation in society and worked herself to the bone for The Cause (women's rights), Lucie is finally at the point where she and her team of Oxford suffragists have successfully landed a spot to shine the light on their cause: They've purchased 50% of the shares of a publishing house, and they mean to use them to fight the good fight and spread the word.

The only thing in Lucie's way is Lord Tristan Ballentine.

Tristan and Lucie grew up together, and Lucie cannot BELIEVE that at this moment, the most important moment of her Cause, it's Tristan standing in her way. As far back as she can remember, it was Tristan in her path. He threw pranks her way, he never left her alone, and he never disappeared from her line of sight. Of course, these days he's keeping himself in her life by flaunting his lovers and sexual escapades in the society's gossip rags.... but still.

Tristan Ballentine has bought the other 50% of shares at the publishing house.

Lucie's not about to let that stand. She's ready for battle, and as always, Tristan is there ready to spar. What could possibly make Tristan do this?

Well, if the man has been infatuated with the spitfire suffragist since she was old enough to slap him at the age of 13, that's his business. He's spent decades doing everything he possibly can to provoke a reaction from Lucie. But this time, Tristan's actions aren't necessarily about Lucie, and he's found himself on the other side of the sparring field quite by accident.

He guesses it's time to see how far this can go. Oh dear, Lucie. Get ready for a ride.

My thoughts:
LOVED this, folks. Perfectly paced hate-to-love romance, with a huge dash of mutual angst and pining because, duh, it's also historical. One of the best elements of historical romances is the strict society rules, and how our heroes decide to subvert them. This story was no exception. Their ending was perfect for their character arcs.

Tristan and Lucie's chemistry zings. Really zings. I loved their back stories, their reasonings, and even enjoyed the stereotypical elements of "reluctant historical female meets notorious rogue" that usually sets my teeth on edge. Because Lucie's character was so independent and strong, I didn't mind. She held her own and then some.

Also, it must be said that the author does a fantastic job of grounding us in the time period of women fighting for their rights in England. There's a section of notes in the back explaining where things fit into the real historic timeline, and I really appreciated it.

Thank you to Berkley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

It really saddens me to say that Evie Dunmore's sophomore book didn't live up to what the first delivered. I was so excited to read A Rogue of One's Own after being so blown away by her debut. I thought it was fresh, original, skillfully written, and filled with angsty romance. I was looking forward to reading Tristan's story because he seemed to be hiding some secret feelings for Lucie despite her strong aversion to him. When I say strong aversion, that's putting it politely. In reality it's actually more like she despises the very air he breathes. I thought there was potential here for an angsty, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. And reformed rakes often make the best husbands in fictional HEAs, so how could it go wrong? The enemies part was not addressed sufficiently which made their entire relationship feel unauthentic.

Lucie is pretty brittle and tough, but I understood why she was that way in the beginning. As the leader of the British suffragist movement, her experiences with men in power haven't been positive ones. She stopped believing in "fairy tales" about men probably at the point she discovered that her own father treated her mother like dirt. It makes sense that she's biased to think the worst of men, but when it comes to Tristan, she has blinders over her eyes. The book started going downhill rapidly for me once the two of them started to interact with each other. The way she talks to him and about him is with complete and instant contempt. The man cannot say or do ANYTHING without her imagining some sort of slight or insult. It's really grating and nothing short of shrewish, which the hero even describes her as at one point.

Her level of anger seemed VERY personal, so I withheld my judgement for a bit. I honestly thought that there would be some childhood history shown through flashbacks. We are shown the day the met, so it was natural to assume there would be more development of their history so that I could get a read on why she felt this way. If she had started to fall for him when they were younger, and there was a misunderstanding...maybe she felt betrayed? Then I could justify her attitude. Unfortunately what it all boiled down to was that she hated the man simply based on gossip. Stories about his sexual escapades and her false opinion that he's shallow and empty headed. She forms this opinion without ever actually spending ANY time with him or having a discussion about these perceptions. When I reached around the halfway point in the book and there was very little interaction between them besides brief bickering, I felt let down on the lack of solid romance building. I needed more.

I began the story liking Tristan and mentally sticking up for him, but after a certain point he lost all credibility. Not to mention consistency. In once scene, they have a huge blow out fight, and she says some vicious things that cut him to the bone. I was disgusted with her at that point for the things she said which were completely uncalled for and misguided. All of the years they knew each other, he stayed silent and let her abuse roll right off his back. Why did he feel that way about her and why didn't he defend himself? When they were twelve, he thought she looked like a fairy tale princess, and he's physically attracted to her as a man, but is that enough to make him pine for years? None of this quite adds up to me. But it was at this one moment when she hurt him the most that he decides to try to coerce her into sex. Frankly, his plan to use her and then add insult to injury by not giving her what he promised is gross. The fact that he doesn't follow through is irrelevant; even planning it crosses the line for me. He lost his high ground at that moment and I began to not like either of them or caring if they ended up together.

One minute we're being told that Tristan is misunderstood by the gossip about his sexual escapades, and he just lets them believe what he wants. The next, we're told that he took part in orgies and liked voyeurism-which is fine as long as everyone consents. But it contradicts the impression we were given in the beginning of the book. I was genuinely confused about him as a character and didn't have a clear picture of who he was because of the inconsistency. The lack of cohesion kept adding up and my ambivalence in the characters were the factors that brought me to the decision to DNF. Many others have been enjoying the story, so don't just take my word on it. For me, it was the right decision to not try to force what wasn't working.

Could Historical Romance become my new favourite genre!? I very much think so!!!

I absolutely LOVED this book so so so much.

We follow Lady Lucinda Tedbury, a notorious suffragist, and Lord Tristan Ballentine, renowned rogue, whom she has detested since their first meting as children. On the other hand, Tristan has been in love with Lucie for that long.

Although not the most adored person in high society, Lucie has an important circle of friends and acquaintances who finance her Cause. That’s how she manages to acquire half of London Print as a way to share her suffragette views with the female population of Victorian London. Her main goal throughout the book is to get The Marriage Act changed in order to give more freedom to married women.

Enter the newly war-returned devilish Lord Tristan who is adamant on publishing his writings and get a personal income as a way to free his mother of his ruthless father, Rochester. When Tristan acquires the other half of London Print, chaos and scheming ensues.

They do everything in their power to get on each other’s nerves and bicker non-stop. So when Lucie offers to buy his part of the business, he proposes something else. He will give 1% to her if she spends the night with him. Will her values and beliefs allow her to accept the deal?

The type of relationship dynamic between Lucie and Tristan was so hot and cold, it’s my my all time favourite kind so I got hooked to the story pretty fast. Also, the story behind Boudicca melted my heart!!!

The Women’s Suffrage part of the book was so engaging and informative. I loved that Lucie helped both wealthy and poor women alike without any kind of prejudice or judgement.

Lucie is so fiercely focused and strong when it comes to her beliefs and I find it so admirable and inspiring. She fights with teeth and nails so that married women can have more freedom. She also advocates for their right to vote and for women to be part of the House of Lords.

Tristan was the perfect smug rake who made it his mission to tease and prank the heroine. Yet his romantic side and tender heart made me love him even more. He is sensitive, understanding, loyal and passionate. I love how he offers his help to Lucie and reads the letters. The fact that they affected him enough to take action and join the fight for women’s right was the cherry on top.

Lucie’s group of friends and fellow suffragettes is so supporting and forward-thinking! The fact that they have each other makes me super happy.

If you can’t tell yet, I am IN LOVE with these characters and I can’t wait to read Hattie’s book!!!