Member Reviews
Gut wrenching highs and lows. Two complex characters with faults and fears struggle to overcome difficult childhoods and society expectations. Lady Lucie is cast out of her family ten years ago by her domineering father for her suffragist beliefs. Tristan, Lord Ballantine, was brutally beaten and emotionally tortured by his father. Lucie is now now a leader of the British suffragist movement and buys half shares of a major publishing house with the backing of other suffragists. They plan to publish their research on the suffering and unfairness many women experience by giving up all of their rights and property to their husband upon getting married. Tristan on the other hand, needs the publishing house to be profitable. He is being blackmailed by his father who will put Tristan’s mother in a private asylum unless Tristan marries and sires an heir. Tristan has three months to get back into the good graces of society. Tristan’s adult past is a little murky. War hero, secret poet, with mention of robbery, blackmail, extortion, and bone breaking. He needs money to disappear with his ailing mother. Secrets are exposed as they learn about each other, making for an emotional and satisfying read.
Lucie controls one London's publishing houses which she intends to further the Oxford Suffragist's movement to fight against the law that states that once a woman gets married anything that belongs to her now belongs to her husband and she is basically erased. However, her old nemesis, Tristan, also owns part of the company. In order to gain complete control Tristan offers her a a trade, One night with him in exchange for his portion of the company. He obviously doesn't believe she will actually do it, yet, he has underestimated how much she believes in this movement and he ends up getting more than he bargained for. I think Tristan was likeable and an easy character to love, While Lucie was easy to love and admire. She's headstrong and rebels against roles women have been subject to for so long. She stands firm in her beliefs and encourages other women to do the same I enjoyed this book but I'm not overly fond of it, It might be all of the hype that came with the release of Bringing down the duke. I felt like it was over hyped and while people were talking about it and encouraging people to read it, they really talked down about historical romance as a genre. With that being one of my favorite genres that was a little annoying. I think this series gets the credit of being at the helm of doing something completely new in the romance genre. Making the stories feminist as if that is uncommon. There are a lot of authors who have done this in the past and will continue to. Overall I liked Lucie her character pops off the page which I can't say the same for Annabelle from Bringing down the duke. I am interested to see what this author does next. I would give this book about 3.5 star rating but I am going to round up.
There is sophomore slump here! In fact, A Rogue of One’s Own is even better than Evie Dunmore’s first novel, Bringing Down the Duke. The characters are more complex, the stakes are higher, and the dialog is livelier. Feminism and historical romance are two topics that are difficult to combine, however Dunmore is able seamlessly marry them.
Speaking of marriage, Lucie Tedbury has spent her whole life avoiding it and with good reason. Lucie has sacrificed everything to be a financially independent Victorian woman. Due to the Married Women's Property Act, however, once a woman says “I do” all her money and property will belong to her husband. As a leader of the British suffragist movement Lucie has dedicated every waking moment to campaigning for its amendment. When the story opens, she and her allies have secured a huge victory by purchasing half of London Print whose women’s magazines reach thousands of readers. It is their best chance to change hearts and minds and publish the research they’ve spent years diligently collecting.
Of course, it’s not that simple. Someone else has purchased the other half. Tristan Ballentine: Future Earl of Rochester, infamous rake, and Lucie’s childhood adversary. Like her, Tristan is also keen for financial independence and does not want to see Lucie, his childhood crush, run his best source of income into the ground. So, he makes her an offer he knows she won’t accept: His share of the company in exchange for one night with her. But Tristan has clearly overlooked the greatness of Lucie’s loneliness as well as the reemergence of his own attraction to her.
Too often in romance the authors break the cardinal rule of female character development: Show, don’t tell. They simply have a character proclaim our heroine is strong and smart and fierce and loyal without ever having her display those qualities. Dunmore never falls into this trap. We know Lucie is all these things because we them in action. She goes toe-to-toe with Tristan multiple times and soundly wins the argument. And Tristan’s ability to not only admit defeat but also consider her point makes him more attractive to both the reader and Lucie.
It’s not just the leads who get the added dimensions. Every character is multilayered so that there are no real villains in the end. They are all trapped by the society they live in. Lucie’s mother lashes out at her daughter’s independence, but we see how isolated her marriage has made her. A gay student spurned by Tristan seeks revenge by trying to trap him in a loveless marriage. However, he also rightfully calls Tristan out for cruelly leading him on and understandably resents the bisexual rake’s ability to pass in a heteronormative society.
It is reassuring to know a book will not disappoint you and that’s how I felt reading A Rogue of One’s Own. There are believable stakes and consequences to our characters’ happy endings, but that doesn’t make them any less satisfying. I truly cannot wait the next instalment of The League of Extraordinary Women.
This was a good companion follow up, but I don't think it had the same spark as the first one. It still had a suffragette main character so I enjoyed seeing more of in their fight to dismantle the property act and change the public's mind on women's equality. Lucie is even more bond to their cause and refuses to ever marry so she won't become anyone's property. Tristan has admired Lucie since childhood but took the path his father set for him to fight in the war and then enjoy his return as a notorious rake. The book was still enjoyable to read, but it seemed to never quite get the right balance between politics and romance. The chemistry between the characters sometimes fell flat on the page and I found myself skimming pages that felt repetitive. A good follow up for readers who enjoyed the first, but not a true standout.
Give me all The League of Extraordinary Women books!
I finished "A Rogue of One's Own yesterday and was so sad when it was over. I believe Evie Dunmore managed to bring us an even better book than the first in the series which was a five star historical romance for me too. My favorite thing about this book is that it manages to be steamy (I mean STEAMY) with all the classic romance elements, while also being an excellent work of historical fiction. Not every period-based romance novel pulls this off.
Lucie and Tristan are so wonderful, I love them both and would happily read even more books about them. I loved the poetry that ran throughout the story and that both Tristan and Lucie were radicals in their own ways.
The continued storyline from the first book revolving around Women's Suffrage and the Property Act was again one of my favorite things about this series. I love that Dunmore gives us an independent woman fighting for a right to equality and discovering along the way that love doesn't not have to stand in opposition to their core beliefs.
I want to give this book all the stars! Do yourself a favor and preorder now if you haven't already, you will not regret it. Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC in return for a fair and honest review.
This book is breath of fresh air in the genre of historical romance. It was such an empowering read which not only kept me intrigued but also very much in the midst of the story. The descriptions and dialogue were so well set to the era that I couldn't help but feel like a part of the story. It was truly one of the best romance books I have read this year.
I finished A ROGUE OF ONE’S OWN last night, the second book in Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series and it was amazing! 5 Stars, I couldn’t put it down.
QUICK THOUGHTS:
🍓 How Dunmore manages to successfully combine a feminist manifesto and a bodice ripper into one cohesive story is beyond me, but she did it and it is brilliant.
🍓 “Rogue” is everything I didn’t know I ever needed in a Historical Romance. Thoughtful, entertaining, romantic, scorching, all while maintaining a social commentary of the times that still feels relevant.
🍓 Strong main characters with heart, quirks, and endless personality. I could read these two over and over again. New stories could be added to their lives and I would never get bored. Definitely wishing for a follow-up book for Lucie and Tristan.
🍓 Loved every last word. Even better than book 1. I can’t recommend it enough. Honestly, it’s just smart as hell (⬅️ even if that sentence is not 😂).
I liked both of the characters. I didn't find it as strong of a book as the first one in the series, but still worth the read, especially if you like an unrequited love/loathing to loving storyline.
Yay! So happy to finally be able to get my hands on book two in this wonderful series!
I loved it!
In this book you have Lucie and Tristan who knew each other as adolescence. Flash forward some 10 years and Lucie is a suffragette and Tristan is a retired soldier&rake. They find themselves in business together and things develop from there. This is a great enemies to lovers.
I found the pacing in the first half of this story to be a bit slow, but once I reached the midpoint it really picked up. Loved the characters of Lucie and Tristan - they had wonderful chemistry and I really felt it between them. I really appreciated the conversation this book weaved throughout about women's rights, which I often find missing in historical romances.
OVERALL: Not a new favourite HR, but overall a very solid read - can't wait for Hattie's story!!
I absolutely loved this second book from Evie Dunmore! She has secured a spot on my auto buy list! Thank you for the early copy and I can’t wait to get this on my shelves at release
Love at first sight! At least that is the case for Tristan, Lord Ballentine, when he first lays eyes on Lucie, Lady Lucinda Wycliffe.
Their story kicks off proper some ten years later, when Lucie, leader of the local Suffragette chapter embarks on a plan to further the Cause by purchasing a publishing house. But things are not as straightforward when she is confronted by Tristan, who proves to test and challenge her ideas and beliefs both as a woman and a Suffragette.
Against the backdrop of the Suffragette movement, we learn how Lucie and Tristan have been treated in "a man's world", and their relationships with their own families and Society at large.
The second half of the story is where things heat up between our two main characters. Prepare to be swept along with Lucie and Tristan as they discover the truth about themselves and each other!
This was the first book I read by Evie Dunmore and it did not disappoint on the romance, as well as women's history front.
Lucie's and Tristan's story is as relevant today as it was in the period written.
Can't wait to read the next book in this series.
Thank you to Evie Dunmore, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the eARC and for an important reminder, in my opinion, of women's history.
Love, love, LOVED this book!!!
"A Rogue of One's Own" by Evie Dunmore is about Lucie journey to help with the women's suffrage movement in England in 1880. As the leader of the Oxford chapter, Lucie's goal is to buy majority stake one of London's most popular printing houses in order to spread the ideas of the movement across the England. Just as she has scraped together enough money to buy out the majority share holder, someone buys the other two out. Making them 50/50 partners. Oh and that person who is now her partner. Well, that would be Lord Ballentine. Notorious rake and also her lifelong nemesis.
When Tristan discovers what Lucie's plan are for the printing house, he decides he will do everything in his power to block her from implementing her plan. He desperately needs his newly bought printing house to succeed in order to further separate himself financially from his controlling father and help his mother. It also doesn't hurt that annoying Lucie and blocking her every move means that Tristan gets to spend a considerable amount of time with Lucie. She has fascinated him since he was a boy, and is currently the one women who seems to be immune to his charms.
One of Tristan and Lucie's arguments get Tristan especially fired up enough to suggest that he will sell Lucie one percent of his shares...... on the condition that she will sleep just one time. And she has till the end of the summer to take him up on his offer.
Lucie originally dismissed Tristan's offer. Even though he is the most gorgeous man she has ever met. And he consistently has her on her toes in the most infuriatingly charming way possible. But no , she hates him and will not give in. As Lucie gets hit with obstacle after obstacle, and Tristan becomes more and more charming and attractive to her, she decides his offer doesn't sound all that bad anymore. It shouldn't be that big of a deal anyways, since she doesn't want to ever fall in love and get married. And Tristan clearly doesn't want anything more than the ego boost that comes with bedding the one woman who doesn't seem interested with him. It's not like either of them will develop feelings for each other. Right?
I absolutely loved the journey this book took me on with each of the characters and how much they changed through out the book. Plus i'm a sucker for a good historical romance that has a strong independent women at the center of it. Adding in a glimpse of real historical figures just made it even better! I could not recommend this book more if I tried. Can't wait for the next book in this series!!!
Evie Dunmore has hit another home run. A Rogue of One’s Own is full of our indominable suffragettes and another swoon worthy romance *fans self*. I thoroughly enjoyed Lucie and Lord Ballentine’s interactions together maybe even more so than the first books couple Annabelle and Sebastian. We get more banter and more charm. Overall, it means more to love.
Evie Dunmore has done it again with a swoony, brainy romance that won my heart in a few pages—and made it impossible for me to put down the book until I had finished. I love the Oxford of Dunmore's world and the vivid way she brings it to life along with her characters. Just like Bringing Down the Duke, A Rogue of One's Own twists romance tropes while breathing new life into others, creating a new breed of historical romance that is utterly charming.
I’m not going to lie, I adored the first book in the series Bringing Down The Duke.
So when I saw this next one up for request on NetGalley, I had to ask! I had to!
OMG.
This is Lady Lucie’s story. Lucie, who is fierce and smart and very much needing to further the movement. Enter her childhood nemesis Tristan whose had a crush on her forever, and who has different priorities. Sparks fly.
I really enjoyed Lucie and Tristan’s banter as they negotiate the terms of working together at their publishing company. I thought this added a nice layer to their relationship where they were able to test each other as well as an extra bit of tension. It was nice to see how they obtained mutual respect and even friendship.
I especially enjoyed getting inside Lucie’s head. She seemed more human to me, with faults and vulnerabilities. In the first book, Lucie was more of a force. In this one, we dive deeper into this character and I really liked getting to know her as a strong figure championing a cause. I also liked getting to know Tristan who had lots more layers than Lucie thought.
Lucie and Tristan’s backstory played a good part too as both grew up feeling different types of neglect. It was easy to see how they both turned into the adults they became, and how they at first really opposed traditional romance. That said, I didn’t really believe the chemistry between them. There were a couple of steamy scenes but I didn’t feel like there was a true romantic connection between them.
Overall, I think this was a good sequel and it was fun to see some favorite characters back in action, especially the Duke and Annabelle. I’m looking forward to the next boo
WOW!!! I just love this author and her unique brand of historical fiction. There is something so magical about this version of regency. High interest, high drama, lots of romance. Can't wait for more.
I loved this so much! The characters are so delightful and passionate about women's rights. They deal with real issues of the time and of current issues. I'm excited to read the next book in the series!
I really loved the first book in this series, but this one was a disappointment. I couldn't get interested in the main characters. I will still want to read the next book in the series because I loved the first one so much. I love these covers.
I'm not totally sold on this series; this is the second installment, and I liked the first okay, but I wasn't one of my favorites. It took me a while to get into this one, and I thought about giving up a few times. It just didn't capture my attention as well as other period romances with bold heroines. I was unclear on the connection between the two protagonists; their relationship and attraction weren't really sufficiently explained, and their relationship seemed forced. They went from enemies to lovers very quickly, and I didn't buy the sudden change. This just didn't work for me, and I think I'll skip future books in the series.
Love it! What a fun sequel in a deeply charming series. I look forward to more and will keep in mind for future coverage.