Member Reviews
*Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review*
I don't even read that much historical fiction much less historical romance but Evie Dunmore has capture me with this series.
I absolutely loved Bringing Down the Duke so I was ecstatic to be approved for this arc and I was not disappointed. The tension between Tristen and Lucie was incredible and it had every trope I love: childhood pining, witty arguments, and enemies to lovers. Plus, Tristan was an absolutely dreamy male lead.
It lost a star because the beginning felt slow and a little like the plot twists were being set up like dominos but oh man, once they all started to fall in the second half of the book I was hooked. I loved the turns, twists, and obstacles that these two had to get through. And I cannot wait until the next installment of these amazing ladies.
Wonderful sequel filled with chemistry! A unique look at the politics of the time and the amount of sacrifice some are willing to give in order to support their passions. Would recommend.
I'm sorry to say, but I just didn't like this book. Even though I loved the progressive back story, I just never liked the main characters. Although, I can see why they'd be unlikable with their horrible parents. I loved the first book, but this one was just disappointing.
Homerun! This author has done what no one as could, made me fall in love with a historical romance. I thought that I loved Bringing Down the Duke but I was so, so wrong. A Rogue of One's Own built upon what I loved in that book and made it five times better. There is so much to love here, independent women, found family, diverse characters, enemies to lovers, adorable pets, fighting against The Man, etc. Just wow. One of the things that turns me off as a modern reader to historical romances is that too many times authors gloss over the burdens and consequences that independent woman in the past would have faced. I'll read a synopsis that claims the main character is an outspoken independent woman but completely fails to deliver on that promise. Evie Dunmore absolutely delivers on that promise and shows in her work the grim and dark realities that women in this era would have faced without dragging you down and making you depressed. Such a deft hand to make it realistic while still keeping your spirits high. I also absolutely adored that the happy ever after, that is requisite of all romance novels, is unique to the main character. Lucie's version of HEA is unique to her and is not the same as Annabelle's (from Bringing Down the Duke). Congrats Evie Dunmore you have made me a fan of a historical romance series. I highly recommend this work to anyone who is looking for a fresh take on historical romance, this one will not leave you disappointed. Also hats off to the cover artist, its amazingly well done.
I love Lucie.
Sorry, couldn't resist. But there's nothing I love more than the enemies to lovers trope and mixed with a super strong, bad ass, but secretly sensitive female lead. Lucie leads the women's suffrage movement in Oxford. Her group has decided to purchase a publishing house in order to get more of their materials to the public. But a few unfortunate encounters with recently returned from war, childhood antagonist, Tristan, remind her of her goal, but also of her desires. His rogue-ish ways get under her skin in more than one way.
Their chemistry is *chef's kiss* and Dunmore's ability to make characters multi-faceted is my favorite. I will read whatever she writes!
Evie Dunmore has made me a fan. While this one took a little longer to get into than Bringing Down the Duke, I felt like Lucie and Tristan became fully developed characters--with flaws and all. The ending seemed a bit rushed, but everyone got the ending they deserved. I cannot wait for the next one.
I enjoyed this sequel even more than the charming first book. Lady Lucie and her rogue, Tristan, are clever, independent, strong willed, and have steamy chemistry. The feels really picked up in the second half of the book. Recommended for fans of historical romance and this series would be a great fit for someone new to the genre.
I adored every moment I spent reading A Rogue of One's Own! Evie Dunmore crafts emotionally complex characters grappling with oppressive Victorian expectations in such a compelling, unputdownable way. A Rogue of One's Own tells the story of a banished aristocratic daughter, Lady Lucie "the Termagant" Tedbury, who has devoted her life to the suffragette movement and women's rights, and Lord Tristan Ballentine, Lucie's childhood frenemy/returned war hero rake/soft boy cinnamon roll, who needs to secure his financial situation if he's ever going to get out from under his horrible father's thumb. Sparks fly when Tristan and Lucy become joint owners of a the London Press, each wholly devoted their singular missions and goals...
A Rogue of One's features not just delightfully cozy moments with sassy kittens, friendship (Hattie, Catriona and Annabelle are all back!), chemistry-laced banter, and SERIOUS SWOON, but also many heartfelt, necessary observations on sexism and the toxic impacts of the patriarchy. I'd highly recommend this title for not just fans of romance, but also fans of wonderful stories!
Evie Dunmore has become an author I'm watching, waiting for her next book. A Rogue of One's Own is historical romance fiction at its best. The wonderful characters and brisk plot make this a story you cannot put down until you've turned the last page, and Lucie's feminist crusade ties it all together and adds depth and interest. I imagine this will turn into a four book series -- one for each main character, and I love the way she weaves the four women through the first two books. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to Catriona and Hattie.
Evie Dunmore is unequaled in her ability to make you live and breathe the characters' romantic connection . She absolutely won my heart over with this classic rendition of an enemies to lovers romance. Lucie is the fiery leader of the suffragist movement in Oxford. She certainly does not need or want a man. Enter Lord Tristan Ballentine, most attractive libertine in the realm who also happens to be a childhood nuisance to Lucie. She would have been perfectly fine with his annoying existence if he didn't find a way to insert himself into the one thing she wants to herself- a London Publishing house. But alas, he can't seem to stay out of that affair nor the affairs of her heart. Lucie and Tristan's story is absolutely captivating and with this novel, Evie cements herself as one of my favorite romance writers!
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Evie Dunmore is a new auto-buy author for me. I love the research and love for history that shines through her books, so a whole series dedicated to the Women's Suffrage movement is dreamy. That and Dunmore is a wizard at creating fleshed out characters and strong, believable, I-can't-book-this-book-down conflict. That's hard.
I enjoyed this one even more than the first of the series, so I can only imagine what's to come next.
Lucie, a seemingly fearless suffragette leader, has always been one to shout against whatever tide comes. When she encounters her childhood enemy and notorious rake Tristan, her immediate inclination to scare him off has no effect and she must imply subtler tactics. Unknown to Lucie, this is the opportunity Tristan has longed for. As the two banter and battle against a backdrop rich in historical detail, they have to face more than their personal politics to come together. Evie Dunmore's stubborn suffragettes are quickly becoming some of my favorite heroines and A Rogue of One's Own is a thoroughly entertaining delight.
In the name literature Gods: I truly deeply hardly fell in with this book! What a sizzling, tempting chemistry! I pour down cups of water several times on my Ipad during my read because Lucie and Tristan’s extremely passionate, scandalous love story and growing intimacy can put any ereaders into fire. ( I cannot imagine how I survive if I read the hardcopy. The pages may turn into ashes after several chapters later and I could give my ugliest cries not to read the rest of the story!)
So we have impeccably told historical story-line about women rights, feminism movement, class differences, rights of equality.
We have gutsy, brave, fiery, doer, risk taker, independent, smart heroine and observant, great thinker and strategist, planner, logical, flirty, seducer hero. Everybody needs to wear something fire-proof before getting them closer because from the beginning of the book: their sexy and hilarious banters, their opposites and undeniable attraction definitely makes your heart pumping harder. Turn on your AC and drink something ice cold when you read their dialogues. But I cannot make any suggestions about panties you wear because I’m so sure their killing chemistry will melt them in any second and you may find yourself surfing at Victoria Secret’s homepage to get 6 panties for $35 deal!
And we have unputdownable, exciting, heart stealing, gripping pacing! You want to read more and get lost in their world: breathing hard as if you have already finished 5K marathon, sweaty, hands clenching because some of the characters make you so furious especially a woman character starring with “C” ( small spoiler)!
And you want to start crying so hard at the ending because you want to read more about this amazing couple and you wish the author may write entire series dedicated them. (They deserve at least 2 more books)
Let’s a take a quick look to the plot: Lucie is ready to buy shares of London’s major publishing house, thanks to her financial support of Oxford suffragists group. So she may orchestrate a coup in Parliament for Women’s Property Act by using the resources of publishing company. But her long-time nemesis Tristan Ballentine has other plans. He just bought the half shares of the company which makes them reluctant partners and which puts Lucie into Daenerys Targaryen’s mental situation at the last episodes of GOT! (she turns into fuming mad dragon lady!)
Tristan bought shares with financial support of very dangerous man for using the company as a get-away plan to help himself and his mother who is threatened to be institutionalized by his father. His callous father demands him to make a proper marriage in three months and give him the heir his family needs.
But Tristan is ready to kill two birds with one stone and offers a tempting offer to Lucie, the woman he desires for nearly two decades. He offers her to give the control of publishing company shares in expanse of an indecent proposal. (At least is not married like Demi Moore’s character and Tristan is way too much hotter than Mr. Redford- at least I visualized him hotter after Mr. Wilde’s highly praising-) He wants to spend one night with her. But will one night be enough to distinguish their burning desire! Nope, I’m not so sure!
Overall: I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! So far Beach Read and this book are my favorite romance reads of the year!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this AMAZING ARC in exchange my honest review.
This series continues to surprise and delight me. The writing is beautiful and the story-telling top notch. Evie Dunmore is the new queen of historical romance. I can't wait to see what she does next.
I am not sure I'm at all okay with this strain of anti-hero hero that's popping up in romance novels.
Like, the story in this is very cute and I love the heroine so much and the ending was just...le sigh of dreaminess.
But at the beginning of the book, the hero is just repulsive. There's nothing about him that's likable in any way. He treats people like shit, and while I think the author had reasons for that, I don't care. And I don't buy them. There were ways to accomplish the major plot points in this book without making the hero an absolute wanker. She could have pulled back 33% and he'd be better.
Can't give this any more than 3 stars, and further, I don't know if I want to recommend this to my romance patrons, which is frustrating, because I *adored* the first book.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC.
Ohh...this made me smile. In the second League of Extraordinary Women book, we have the same smart, passionate, politicking suffragettes that had me cheering in Bringing Down the Duke. Lucie and Tristan's story is slightly darker and more politically centered than the first book. We had more history, more political theory, and a more complex, less 'likeable' heroine (I thought). I am so proud at how far romance novels have come and I give the author so much credit for writing heroines that don't give up on their beliefs and heroes that go through such great character development. It makes me both sad and proud that the narratives and discussions we are seeing during MeToo are so applicable to that time period and such great conversations are happening on what women owe themselves.
NetGalley...You are a beautiful, beautiful thing. Thank you for the ARC.
Evie Dunmore is one of my new favorite authors. I read Bringing Down the Duke last summer and I loved it but I have to say I loved A Rogue of Ones Own more.
Lucie is such a firecracker. The leader of the Oxford chapter of the suffragist movement, surrounded by three close friends she is determined to see the marriage act amended to give women independence and is determined to live her life a spinster..
Tristan is a rogue and a war hero who has been in love with Lucie since they were children but hides his feelings behind snark and pranks after she unknowingly broke his young heart.
When they end up co owners of a London Publication House they are thrown together into an enemies to lovers situation with both their reputations on the line.
I loved Lucie and Tristan’s witty banter and how Tristan truly listened to her point of view. I love how He taught her how to have fun and let go a little and how she opened his eyes to issues he never considered. They made such a great team.
This book, my goodness. THIS BOOK WAS SO BLOODY GOOD. Better than the first one and so good, I just spent a lazy Saturday morning finishing it because I simply could not put it down. The sequel to "Bringing Down the Duke" follows the perspective of the hard-working and determined Lucie Wycliffe, who turns her nose up at Annabelle Archer's marriage to the Duke of Montogomery because it has distracted her from the Cause —the women's suffrage movement in England.
However, Lucie, who dismisses the prospect of marriage and the allure of a gentleman, quickly finds her attention taken up by Tristian Ballentine, an ex-military officer, and rogue. Having recently returned from Afghanistan, Tristian's father, the Earl of Rochester, has set his devices upon his second son, who is now the first heir after the death of his brother. His father demands that Tristian put a stop to his ways, settle down, and threatens him with a marriage proposal.
Feeling rebellious, Tristian decides to focus his attention on Lucie, who he has always carried a torch for and foils Lucie's plans for the movement by purchasing a share in a major publishing house. Furious, Lucie initiates a battle of wills with Tristian, who propositions her and offers to sell his shares in the publishing house if she spends one night with him. Lucie wrestles with the decision to take the deal and move the Cause forward while ultimately ignoring the attraction she feels towards Tristian.
There is so much that I love about Dunmore's series. For one, I like that she works within the limitations of society and considers these romances in light of how society would have viewed these illicit affairs. It isn't just a throwaway line about the scandal, but instead, Dunmore often incorporates a sense of the repercussions and what measures were in place to protect a woman's virtue, such as Lucie's neighborhood and even her maid. Sure, it does get forgotten later on, but Dunmore takes some care to infuse the story with a sense of the risks. She also pays close attention to the political nuances of a woman's place during this time and introduces historical information in wonderful and eye-opening ways.
Lucie's character development was truly the strong point of this novel. I truly marvel at how Dunmore started her off as being bitter about Annabelle's marriage to show Lucie's fears and sets up her trepidation of starting a romance with a handsome rogue. As the story progresses, Lucie opens herself up to vulnerability in a touching way and it makes her relationship seem very realistic as she wrestles with the question of being devoted to the Cause versus being happy. I was really impressed with how Dunmore resolved this story as it felt true to Lucie's character and her motives at the start of the book while also showing how she had grown to trust other people. Superb!
Returning to my favorite historical romance series. Like settling down with a warm cup of tea. If you loved bringing down the duke this is everything and more.
Evie Dunmore is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I was blown away by Bringing Down the Duke which left me wanting more from this author and world. A Rogue of One's Own did not disappoint. Lucie and Tristan have sizzling chemistry, but the story itself has such a strong plot and story. I can't recommend this book enough!