I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one as well. I enjoyed the history between Lucie and Tristan's characters and I love the side characters too. I also appreciated that Tristan was bisexual, I feel like I don't see that much in the heroes of romance novels. I can't wait for next book in this series!

DNF at 15%.
Just couldn't do it. I didnt like the writing style, didn't see any sort of plot, and could not follow what was happening at all..

I couldn't wait to read this sequel to “Bringing Down the Duke.” In the first book, I was very interested in Lucie and knew that I would enjoy what her story would bring and I wasn't wrong. As someone who has been called headstrong myself and has their own complicated relationship with the idea of marriage and expectations of females in relationships, I really related to Lucie and her struggles trying to balance not only working on the suffragette movement, but also the age old problem that most women have, which is being told that they need to be “likeable” to get their message across.

I read this 300+page book in one sitting! I could not put it down. I loved the little nods to Victorian customs, particularly the “Vinegar Valentines”

Despite the fact that this novel never once uses the word “feminist” (since I do not imagine it existed at the time), it is very much a feminist novel!

There is a scene between Lucie and Annabelle (the previous novels main character) which is a scene I rarely see in novels: it culminates in a fight that many women today face. Namely, can you be married and still be an independent feminist? Today the “argument” is more about choosing to be a “stay at home wife,” however in the novels context, Lucie worries that Annabelle is losing her academic drive. I was refreshing to see it addressed in the sensitive way that it was.

While it is not overtly or clearly stated if Tristan is a bisexual or not, I loved that this novel included LGBTQ+ characters in a Victorian setting. Oscar Wilde showing up for a cameo made me laugh, and as a lover of the Romantics and Tennyson, I loved all the call outs to the poets and their works.

My one little issue with this book, however, is that none of the characters seem to have any relationship with their siblings. They interact with their families quite a bit in this novel, and I expected there to be some tension or memories in regards to them seeing their brothers, but the sibling relationships play little to no role in this novel. Likewise, the characters relationships with their parents don't get a lot of closure. And I am not entirely certain what happens to one of their mothers (no spoilers).

I really enjoyed the ending to this: I found the resolution and compromise to the two characters relationship satisfying.

This book made me want to read Courtney Milan's The Suffragette Scandal again. This is not a negative (hey, spoiler alert - the five star review). It's because it is worthy to sit next to it on my shelf of favorites.

Complex, layered, emotional, and very, very (unfortunately) relevant to current events, this is a terrific follow-up to Evie Dunmore's awesome debut.

Yeah. I devoured it in a day.

I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

BRINGING DOWN THE DUKE was one of my favorite books from last year, and hands down the best historical romance I've ever read. As you can imagine, Evie Dunmore's second novel was high on my anticipated reads of 2020. After reading it, however, I wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. There were some things I really liked, and some that I didn't. I loved reading about the suffragist movement (Dunmore truly nails this aspect of a "feminist historical romance"), and the hero and heroine also had great chemistry. But I'm not a huge fan of the "virginal maiden falls for the womanizer" trope, which this book inherently falls into. I will say, Dunmore doesn't spend too much time focusing on this aspect, so I did appreciate that, but the hero proved mostly unlikeable until the end (at least in my opinion). Nonetheless, as far as historical romances go, this was still a fun and interesting read, if only for the history of the suffragettes. I know Dunmore is capable of writing some serious magic, so I will definitely continue reading all her future books, even if this one wasn't a particular favorite.

Another solid romance in the A League of Extraordinary Women Women series. Lucie makes for a fierce and appropriately complex heroine, and her back and forth with the equally human Tristan grabs you. It's a shame that her circle of friends and co-conspirators felt relegated to the background as plot devices in this addition to the series, but I hope to hear more about them. A slow and tense build to the dramatic conflict with plenty of villains, which is resolved surprisingly quickly, but overall the pair is so well-matched that you can overlook these things.

This was an easy read, and compared to the first in this "series", I did feel it was a little boring. I wanted it to be more flirty, more underlying in its hotness and romance. Still a good book but I was left wanting more.

I'm not usually one for period romances, but this series is the exception. Strong female characters using their power to lift up women, steamy romance, and lovely descriptions of the fashion. I'm so excited for Hattie's story!

The second book in the League of Extraordinary Women series tells the story of Lady Lucie and Tristan, who spent summers together as children. Lady Lucie, ostracized by her family as a teen due to her radical views, hatches a plan to buy a publishing house in order to further the suffragist movement. However, her plans are unexpectedly altered when Tristan acquires half of the publishing house and thus the ability to veto anything that would damage the profitability of their business. While this is going on Tristan is facing a nefarious marriage ultimatum from his father.
I enjoyed the relationship between the two characters, with Lucie completely dismissing Tristan as nothing more than a rogue and Tristan having been in love with Lucie since their childhood summers. I thought the book was slow to get started and thus hard to get into at first and a bit long. But overall an enjoyable read.

I loved having Lucie as the heroine of this next title! Her suffragette voice is one that I didn’t realize I was craving from my romance novels until I read this ARC. Definitely a thrill to be back in this world, following these characters as they fight for their rights (and for love, of course). I will say there were a few paragraphs that completely threw me from the story in a way I hadn’t experienced during the first book. Just bits that felt unrealistic to the rest of the plot. There was also a flashback scene with animal cruelty that was unexpected and more detailed than I thought it needed to be. I had to take a beat before I continued reading, so if that’s something that distresses you, be mindful. Overall, a good read. Not something I enjoyed as much as the author’s debut novel, but definitely worth a read if you enjoyed Bringing Down the Duke.

Evie Dunmore has done it again! A refreshingly written Victorian romance between suffragist Lucie and the rouge Lord Ballentine of long standing acquaintance go head to head in a battle over a publishing company. Lucie wants it to disperse an important report on the conditions of married women and Ballentine wants it to escape the constraints of his family culminating in a novel that was impossible to put down!

So delighted that this second entry in the A League of Extraordinary Women series lives up to the high bar set by the first! The period setting feels detailed and lived in. The two leads, Lucy and Tristan, are well drawn and engaging. Their story does not disappoint in the romance department while also weaving in some thought provoking historical and modern political commentary - without ever feeling weighed down. And as a bonus, when characters from the first book appear they continue to be complex and multi-faceted as opposed to flat cameos. Will definitely recommend to readers of historical romance and perhaps adventurous historical fiction readers as well.

A Rogue of One's Own tells the tale of a romance between independent suffragist Lucie and charming rogue Tristan AKA Lord Ballentine. Lucie works hard to purchase half of the shares of a printing company as a means to distribute her message of women's freedom to the larger masses - however, she finds out that Tristan himself owns the other half of the shares. When Tristan makes an indecent proposal that would result in Lucie claiming 51% ownership and ultimate decision making power over the publishing house, the consequences of this situation reach further than anyone could have guessed (except for us, the readers, of course).

This story has so elements of modernization, classic romance tropes, and even gives off some good old fashioned Austen vibes, especially toward the end of the story. Overall, a winner for fans of victorian romances with a contemporary feel. I did not read the first in the series, which isn't necessary but probably would have helped establish a deeper connection with the secondary characters in this story, which don't really get much development here.

I had only just finished Bringing Down the Duke before I went searching on Netgalley to see if POSSIBLY A Rogue of One’s Own was here, and it was!!! This book is just as good as the first, dare I say better. These books have such a special place in my heart as I’m such a sucker for period dramas. The pacing of this book was absolutely perfect, and once I hit the halfway point, the storyline was thrown into overdrive and I couldn’t help but keep reading until I finished it. The love between Lucie and Tristan is so soft and heartfelt, I swooned every time they thought about each other. This book earned its five star rating. It deserves ALL the stars. I can hardly wait for Hattie’s story!!

The second book in the League of Extraordinary Women series. This story revolves around Lady Lucie and her old nemesis Lord Ballentine, and their love/hate relationship. Both have an agenda and both are not willing to back down. I love the passion between Lucie and Tristan and how they dealt with it. It was steamy and exciting to read, and I enjoyed it. Can't wait to read future stories in this series.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC.

Loved this one! If you were tepid on the first in the series (I was), I'd still say you might want to try this one. The romance is very swoony, and the ideas here about balancing a life and work for an all-consuming cause are very well done. Plus, there's a cat named Boudicca!

A Rogue of One's Own was a smart and delightful read. I enjoyed the sparks between Tristan and Lucie and their character development throughout the story. It was a slow burn romance that heated up after they started opening up and understanding each other. Fans of historical romances are in for a treat.

I really liked the relationship between Lucy and Tristan. Lucy endeavors to purchase the majority control of publishing house to further the agenda of the Oxford suffragists, but is thwarted by Tristan when he becomes an equal partner in the publishing house. Lucy and Tristan have a long history together, going all the way back to their childhoods where he was forever a thorn in her side. However, Tristan is not the scoundrel he was made out to be and could be perfect partner to help Lucy further the suffragist agenda.

Evie Dunmore emerged onto the historical romance scene last year with Bringing Down the Duke, a tightly written, strongly characterised story which clearly marked the appearance of a fresh voice in the genre.  So – with that runaway success under her belt, the question fans of the genre were asking was ‘can she do it again or was that a flash in the pan?’  Well, I’m here to tell you that she clearly can do it again, because in A Rogue of One’s Own, she once more tells a thoroughly entertaining story featuring compelling characters and a sensual romance that is very firmly anchored in its late Victorian setting, while also delivering a feminist message in a way that is properly entrenched within the fabric of the story and faithful to the character of the heroine.

Lady Lucie Tedbury, a leader of the British suffragist movement, was disowned by her family a decade earlier for publicly espousing her radical beliefs. She now lives in what can best be described as genteel poverty in Oxford, where she and her friends meet regularly to discuss and organise their activities on behalf of the sufrragist cause.  Their current focus is lobbying Parliament to abolish or amend the Married Woman’s Property Act, and they are on the verge of purchasing half of the shares in publishing house London Print, with a view to publishing their report attacking the Act in its periodicals.  But a few days later, Lucie is horrified to learn that the other fifty percent have just been purchased by Tristan Ballantine, heir to the Earl of Rochester, a notorious libertine who was the bane of her childhood existence.

This is a major setback. Tristan is never going to agree to publish the report, which means all the time and effort spent collecting their data will be wasted.  But Lucie has never been one to give up without a fight and asks Tristan what it will take for him to sell her another one percent of the shares to give her a controlling interest in the company.  Tristan’s price?  A night in her bed. Or his.  He’s not fussed.

Tristan, a second son, never expected to inherit his father’s title.  The Earl of Rochester is a cruel man who insisted on absolute obedience and did his best to beat anything he regarded as not masculine out of his younger son.  Tristan went into the army and served in India, where he earned the Victoria Cross, but the death of his older brother means Tristan is now heir to the Rochester earldom, and his father is determined to make Tristan do his duty to the title by getting married and begetting an heir.  Tristan has no wish to do any such thing, but the earl – who can no longer beat him into submission - has found other ways to control his wayward son over the years, and anticipating his refusal, says that if Tristan doesn’t do as he’s told, then he will arrange for the Countess – who, by the sound of it is what we’d call bi-polar - to be put into an asylum.

Tristan is no longer fully financially dependent on his father, but his plan to get his mother away to safety – perhaps to India – needs funds, which is where London Print comes in.  Years earlier, Tristan anonymously authored a collection of romantic poetry which proved very popular; he now plans to republish it with his name attached, knowing that his reputation as a war hero and London’s most notorious rogue means it will sell in large numbers and provide the money he needs.

Both Lucie and Tristan are extremely well-drawn, complex characters who have upsetting and painful circumstances in their pasts and are trying hard to do what they think is right in their presents.  They’re easy to like and root for, and although Tristan does come across as a bit of a cold bastard to start with, Ms. Dunmore does a brilliant job of showing the reader that a thoughtful, sensitive and damaged man lies beneath the outwardly heartless philanderer, and revealing why the boy who liked to read rather than shoot, and to take care of animals rather than hunt them grew a tough outer shell and cultivated a reputation as a callous womaniser and corrupter of youth.

It’s clear that Tristan has long been carrying a torch for Lucie, but typical of the emotionally-stunted male, he metaphorically pulled her pigtails (and even dyed them once!) to hide the fact that he was sweet on her when they were younger.  Lucie has no interest in giving up the little freedom she has by getting married and has dedicated herself to the suffragist cause, but her disinterest in marriage doesn’t – to her dismay – mean that she isn’t interested in men, or at least, in one man in particular.  The chemistry between the pair crackles right from the start as they embark upon a battle of wills, and things heat up even more.  Tristan knows what a woman’s desire looks like; Lucie is horrified at herself for being so strongly attracted to him, and the confusion that afflicts her is very well depicted – how can she desire a man while despising him? But she is also surprised as she starts to discover the real man beneath the veneer, a well-educated, well-read man with an artistic soul and a willingness to listen and understand.

I was impressed with the way the author incorporates the feminist message in this book.  Lucies’s thoughts and feelings are incredibly well articulated and never come across as preachy or mere lip-service,  but as essential truths:

“A man’s lack of voice is connected to his lack of property… A woman’s lack of voice is forever connected to the fact that she is a woman. “

Anyone who knows anything about the period will know that women had few (if any rights) and that the few that were eventually won took a lot of continual, hard work by many.  (And that while many things have changed in the last 150 years, there are still many that have not).  And while Lucie is outspoken and prepared to stand up for what she believes in she also recognises the need to operate within the limits of the society in which she’s living.  She may be tough and determined, but there’s a vulnerable side to her she strives never to reveal, but which readers are allowed to glimpse as she wrestles with her conscience over her ability to continue to dedicate herself to her work should she become involved with Tristan.

Electric chemistry, an intense attraction and a growing tenderness and understanding - the romance in this book works superbly on pretty much every level, although towards the end I started to feel as though Lucie was so overwhelmed by all the work she was undertaking and all the different directions she was being pulled in that she would never have time for a romantic partner in her life – and that impression, unfortunately, remained with me until the end.  It’s one of the reasons this book didn’t quite reach DIK status.  Another is that while it ends in what is probably the only way it could have ended and remained true to Lucie’s character, it’s a bit too pat and easy;  for Tristan and Lucie to do what they do is pretty risky, especially given that discovery could pose a real threat to Lucie’s ability to continue her work.

And then there’s this:

[spoiler title="Show spoiler"]

Near the end, Lucie learns something unpleasant and slaps Tristan on the face with no provocation other than a misunderstanding and her own anger.  Violence never solves anything, and a character who resorts to it for no reason other than temper immediately loses some of my respect.  It’s not acceptable, and had the situation been reversed, the book would probably never have been published.

[/spoiler]

Overall however, A Rogue of One’s Own is a terrific read, a sensual, insightful and wonderfully poignant love story featuring a well-matched central couple whose HEA is hard-won and thoroughly deserved.  The last couple of chapters left me feeling a teeny bit deflated, but not enough to give the book anything other than a strong recommendation.

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Historical Fiction has never been my go-to genre. In fact, I haven't read much of it at all, so I really took a chance with this one, especially after hearing the hype over the first book in this series.

I see why people really enjoy Evie Dunmore! A Rogue of One's Own had compelling characters, a lot of wit and banter, and swoon-worthy moments. I love morally gray/anti-heroes, and Tristan is definitely that. Lucie is very headstrong, determined and brave, which are attributes I always look for in a heroine.

It's crazy to see how much things have changed for women since the Victorian Age, and yet how many things are the same.

The beginning was a bit slow for me, but overall, this was a lovely read and I will definitely be checking out more books from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.