Evie Dunmore wrote another perfect romance book that was so hard to put down that it was read in 2 sittings. Not one, of course, I do have a job. In a quasi enemies to lovers situation Dunmore wrote a book that at first glance seems like all the romance books that came before it but in Portrait of a Scotman, Hattie Greenfeld chose herself and her life before her husband. Then ending is still picture perfect, however, and is indeed a delightful read.

I loved this book.Thank you for the ARC book. Wow! I loved this third book the her series. The characters are well developed. The research is the best, which makes it an awesome read.

I have read and enjoyed both of Evie Dunmore's previous novels and was excited to get an opportunity to read an early copy of her upcoming release, "Portrait of a Scotsman."

All of the stories in this series revolve around women's rights, in particular, the suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. Hattie, the protagonist in this novel, is a bit different than her friends. She is the daughter of a wealthy and powerful banker who has been allowed to study art at Oxford. Hattie enjoys the privilege of wealth, but her freedom and autonomy are still hindered by the simple fact of being born female. Which is how she lands in a marriage of convenience after being "compromised" by the hero in our novel, Lucian Blackstone.

Mr. Blackstone is definitely NOT the husband Hattie would have chosen for herself and for a long time she resents being trapped into marriage. I should have probably disliked Lucian more, but I honestly really liked him. I also loved that even though he was pretty ruthlessness in getting what he wanted, marriage to Hattie, he was infinitely patient with her and always asked for her consent and respected her wishes when she said no to his advances.

I very much enjoyed reading about Lucian and Hattie slowly learning to trust each other and their time spent in Scotland was my absolute favorite part of their story. I did not care for the short separation that happened so late in the novel, even though I understand why it took place and its significant, I simply did not like it. However, their reunion was truly romantic and worth the read.

Evie Dunmore always gives her heroines their happy ending without compromising their beliefs and that is just one of the reasons I love her stories and cannot wait for the next installment in her "A League of Extraordinary Women" series.

Portrait of a Scotsman is the delightful third installment amongst the Suffragist ladies and it lives up to the hype. The story does have some of the formula of the previous two books, but let's be honest, it's a formula we love. A chunk of the story takes place in Scotland where Hattie learns what voting and personal rights really mean for regular people and what it's life to live a life involving backbreaking work. All while deciding if she should let her guard down with her new husband. There is a enough spice and drama to keep the story interesting and, surprisingly, to keep the reader guessing about the resolution all the way to the end.

While not my favorite of the series, this was still fun! I’m a sucker for Scottish men (cough cough Jamie Fraser cough cough). I love how much research goes into these and how I always leave the books feeling like I learned something. Plus, it never feels like the history bogs down the story. The first half was a little slower, but then it gets better! I loved Hattie.

I judge my romance books on if I *neeed* to finish it in one sitting, and this took me a few days. Not sure why, but I wasn’t as hooked as I wanted to be! But overall still a series I’d highly recommend.

If you haven’t yet picked up Evie Dunmore’s books of League of Extraordinary Women, let me just tell you why you should. They are historical romances in London in 1880 following different women that are part of the suffragist movement trying to amend the British laws to be more inclusive of women rights. Did I love the romances and each of the women portrayed? Why yes I did. Did I learn a lot about the British Suffragist Movement with these books? Yes, a lot! And this is what makes these books so unique, because we learn and understand so much about history, and the level of detail and information in each is absolutely mind blowing. They are not your typical historical romance novels centered just on our main couple.

But regarding this third book in the series, we get to follow Hattie this time, the sweet and lovely Hattie who is everything we would have thought: gentle, kind, and much more representative of what we imagine the women were like at that time: extremely sheltered with little to no knowledge of what goes on in the bedroom and it’s a nice change of pace, compared to the previous two books.

Our male lead, Lucian, is a cold business man that has a self-made fortune and is in direct competition with her father. We hear snippets & hints of Blackstone in the previous novels and I have to say that he does not disappoint!

In terms of how steamy and nerve racking the romance was, I would say I found the previous books much more satisfying. There was something missing in this couple that made it enjoyable but not unforgettable. Nonetheless, it still gave me angst, as well as hope that they would still make it. This is a forced marriage because of scandal in a compromising position type of romance, but we also get at some point the one-bed trope too.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the character development with Hattie. Seeing her go from a frightful, scared and sometimes oblivious to the cause that she was fighting for, in this book she grows and finds realization of the injustices that women faced. Her and Lucian's development is what made this book worthwhile for me, and not necessarily the romance between the two.

Overall this continues to be an extraordinary set of historical romances that I absolutely adore and cannot wait until the next one comes out!

I am giving this one 3.5 but am rounding up to 4. I love this series and I really enjoyed most of this book! Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of Hattie's character so I was a bit nervous going in. Luckily, I really enjoyed Lucian's character and really enjoyed his and Hattie's banter and chemistry. It was a quick read and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I love this series. I love this characters. I love this author. Portrait of a Scotsman did NOT disappoint. I was worried at the start that, because I relate to Hattie the LEAST of the Extraordinary Women, I would struggle with this book. Not at all. Both Hattie and Lucian had wonderful character arcs. I loved the different angle of the political struggle these characters constantly negotiate. It was just a warm, lovely book and I can't wait for the rest of the series!

4.5 stars

Oh my heart! Portrait of a Scotsman was quite the emotional ride. It was surprisingly angsty, while also being informative and swoony. Hattie and Lucian both showed great emotional growth throughout the novel and I really enjoyed their character arcs. It’s a slow burn between them after a compromising quick start, but seeing them stumble, make mistakes, and push each other's buttons actually made me like them more. It gave them time to come into their own and really fight for what they wanted and each other. I was rooting for Hattie and Lucian from the start and couldn't be more satisfied with their story. I know some readers will take issue with how the ending unfolds (Don’t worry, it’s a HEA!), but I thought it was perfect for these characters. That reckoning between Hattie and Lucian was so powerful and I agreed and understood why they both needed that to move forward.

As much as I enjoyed learning the history about what it was like to live during that time period, hazardous mining working conditions, discussions of poverty and class, early photography, marital rights, societal expectations, etc, I did feel that it also bogged down the story at times. The topics addressed were clearly well researched, but the discussions were sometimes so detailed that I lost sight of the point and/or had difficulty understanding the language. This is probably just a “it’s me, not you” issue, but it's something to note.

Things to look forward to in Portrait of a Scotsman:
- Grumpy + sunshine
- Forced proximity
- Marriage of convenience
- Only 1 bed
- Slow burn romance, but 100% worth the wait!
- Beauty and the Beast-ish/Hades and Persephone-ish vibes

CW: classism, discussion of death of family members (drowning & hazardous working conditions related) and poverty, strained family/parental relationships, mentions of suicide (secondary character off page), guns, violence, learning disability, gambling addiction (secondary character)

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore is my favorite book in this "A League of Extraordinary Women" series. Each book gets successively better!

I adore the meticulous historical fiction woven into the steamy enemies to lovers romance. Learning about women's suffrage in Britain, as well as labor unions and mining life/rights was SO engrossing. I also thought the chemistry was spectacular, and the spin off Beauty and the Beast was delightful. The way Dunmore took the moral of that classic story into her own hands and reshaped it into the actions of a smothered feminist artist who is struggling to find her own place in her male-dominated world was *chef's kiss* delightful!

I can't WAIT for the next installment!!!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another great historical romance from Evie Dunmore! My favorite in the series is still book #1, Bringing Down the Duke, but this also proved to be a delightful romance with a feminist edge. I can't resist a good Scottish hero, and this one definitely delivered.

Hattie Greenfield, the little ray of sunshine in the suffragist girl gang, is caught in fraganti locking lips with the Lord of the Underworld Lucian Blackstone. Her father, eager to do business with the mysterious Blackstone, accepted his offer of marriage, and to avoid an even bigger scandal Hattie is quickly shackled to a virtual stranger. Marriage to the dark and broody Lucian proves to be more than the gently reared Hattie can stand. She finds out that her hasty marriage wasn’t entirely her fault so with the help of Lucie she tries to leave her husband and escape to France. But her plans are thwarted by her annoyed spouse and she finds herself on a road trip to the wilds of Scotland and cue Forced proximity and Only One Bed!


This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I adored Bringing Down the Duke and loved A Rogue of One’s Own and I wanted to love this one so badly. I liked Lucian and his dark Hades persona though I do wish he had been less passive and a tad more feral. He even kidnaps Hattie very politely 😆 He's still deliciously dark and grumpy. I loved all the delicious tropes. Added to the previously mentioned ones there's also a major Hades and Persephone, grump-sunshiney vibe. I enjoyed all the interesting history and back stories that the author so expertly weaves into her books. I was also pleasantly surprised by the heat level in this book. It is definitely her steamiest yet.

I fell in love with Hattie and her irrepressible personality in the previous books. This personality is hard to find in her own book. My sweet artistic, fashion-loving Hattie veers from judgmental shrew to sunshine to, in her own words, a “sanctimonious toad.” Self-awareness is a lovely thing, I suppose. I hate to say it but for the first half of the book, she was insufferable.

Speaking of the first half of the book, this is a very slow burn and nothing really happened in the first half, the pacing was off throughout but most especially in the first 50%. I also had a hard time with the lack of chemistry between Lucian and Hattie. After just finishing a re-read of Duke, I was expecting the same spark between the MC’s that almost leaped off the page. I thought Lucian and Hattie were sweet at times and they had a few moments that had me looking for the nearest fainting couch but I think the sexy and romantic scenes were often undercut by conversations about heavy topics. Yes, I love to learn about the history and how terrible the conditions were for working women in the Victorian era but in this book, there were so many different topics addressed such as poverty, working conditions in mines, the plight of married women, and early photography that it really bogged down the romance and the pace of the book. Overall, the MCs spend more time apart than with each other for about 60% and then there's nothing but romance for about 30% and then it ends.


All that being said this would have easily been a 4.5 star read for me, the way they got to know each other and some of the moments they shared were so sweet and romantic, and while I would have loved a darker more feral Lucian (he’s really a cinnamon roll masquerading as a dark lord)he was still compelling and since I'm very hero-centric I could have forgiven Hattie's bratty behavior.

But then in the last chapters, Hattie makes a decision that put my Kindle in dire peril. I won’t spoil it here but I hated it with the force of a thousand blazing suns. While I still got my HEA it was tainted with Hattie’s decisions. Someone recently told me something like, even bad pizza is still pizza. I think this definitely applies to this book and its author, even a so-so book from her is still pretty good. She has a gift with words and her research is clearly meticulous. I can’t wait for the fourth book and will re-read the first two obsessively. 


Recommended with reservations.

⭐⭐⭐💫/5
🔥🔥🔥/5

London banking heiress Harriet Greenfield is trying to balance her love of art education and suffragette sympathies with want of loving husband and traditional marriage. Self-made financier, Lucian Blackstone, has plenty of money but holds little political or societal influence. A compromising kiss sets wedding bells a ringing!

This is the third book in The League of Extraordinary Women series. While other characters and themes are mentioned, this book can stand alone.

There are parts of this story I really liked, and others that dragged. I thought Hattie and Lucian had a great early spark and seemed like they were going to compliment each other well. But even a road trip to Scotland and forced proximity didn't quite make me feel connected to this couple. I appreciated the conversations Lucian and Hattie had about classism and human nature, but I didn't like certain things she did at the end of the story.

Tropes: Class Difference, Compromised

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #PortraitOfAScotsman #NetGalley

3.5 stars rounded up.

In the 3rd book in The League of Extraordinary Women series by Evie Dunmore, we are taken on an adventure once again through Victorian England, this time quite literally to Scotland. This installment follows Miss Harriet Greenfield on her accidental journey of marriage with the scrumptious Lucien Blackstone. She wants love, art, friendship, and equality. He wants justice, fairness, and means to an end- that just so happens to include Hattie in his plans.

There were several things I loved about this book, and some things I just simply wanted more of. I'll go ahead and highlight two of them. First, Lucien Blackstone has to absolutely be my favorite of Ms. Dunmore's men. He is jaded, determined, dark, yet surprisingly thoughtful. He is a man with some serious growth mindset, and I find that dreamy/admirable. Hattie on the other hand, fripperish perhaps is the [non]word that comes to mind. They complement each other very well, to where their tale that is told makes this a strong Extraordinary Women installment, but there was just always so much more I wanted from their partnership. Especially regarding Hattie's monumental decision at the end. I am sitting here celebrating her, yet wanting more of THAT journey. Growth for women free from the expectation of romance! Of course I absolutely want happy endings, but I will just happily dream about Hattie and her badass journey wishing 20% of the book had been dedicated to that.

My second thing is absolutely loved loved loved the feature of some of miner's history in England. Reading what conditions were relevant and laws on the table was fascinating to learn about, and I absolute commend Ms. Dunmore on her thorough knowledge being included in such a tale. One of the huge appeals about this series is the relation of the suffrage movement juxtaposed with the well-loved historical romance genre. However, she goes the extra mile with the inclusion of worker's rights and it is just so well done here. And her notes at the end, yes yes yes give us the facts.

I can hardly wait for the 4th installment, where we will finally (hopefully) get Catriona's story. It has been such a marvelous joy following this series,. Evie Dunmore is single-handedly revolutionizing historical romances and it is just a thrill to be able to read these books.

This was actually very disappointing since I LOVED the first two books in this series. I liked our main character, but the male love interest was SOOOO cliche. I was so bored I could cry reading about him. He did nothing for me. Like, nothing.
I'll still read from this author in the future, but maybe I'll have more reasonable expectations going forward.

Phenomenal historical romance! I love the way Evie Dunmore writes her romance novels. The activism and love story are woven together so beautifully. I definitely adore the way she writes her brooding heroes. I think this romance was hot and exciting. I do think the details of suffrage have bogged down the plot a little bit. That said, I loved Hattie and Lucien together. I wished there was a sequel to find out more about them. I like how the women stand up for each other and support their friends. Also, how each heroine is unique and not text book perfect. Thanks to NetGalley for this incredible romantic preview. I am an Evie Dunmore fan!!

This book is in top 5 most anticipated romances of the year for me. I reread Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One's Own to get back to their universe right before starting this one. There was a lot of Hattie in the previous books that I couldn't wait to get to know more about her!

Hattie Greenfield was a daughter of a banking tycoon, but enrolled at Oxford University as an art history student where she met her fellow suffragist friends. What I love most about Hattie's character development here is her transition from being a spoiled and privileged heiress, joining suffrage movement just so she had a purpose, to recognizing the harsh realities of the working class and unfair treatments towards women, and then wholeheartedly putting her efforts and talents into the Cause. And all of this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for her husband Lucian Blackstone!

Lucian from book 2 was a dark and mysterious businessman. With his low background, he needed to gain access to high society, and from a chance encounter with Hattie, he decided to set his cap on her. Lucian was ruthless, he got what he wanted, regardless of the means. But when it came to his stubborn wife, it wasn't so easy, and I appreciate that he had to work for their marriage.

The first half of the book was quite slow and I didn't feel the romantic spark between Hattie and Lucian as much as I had expected. Their marriage of convenience started off very rocky as the two could-not-be-more-different individuals came together through manipulation. But the second half was much better when they went off to Scotland for Lucian's mining business trip and there was only one bed! This is where Hattie's character grew stronger. As with previous books from this author, there are lots of historical events giving us glimpses into the past, this time not of the aristocracy, but of the brutality and danger of the coal mining industry in Scotland. There are many serious conversations between Hattie and Lucian about their social views and philosophy, how each yearns to improve the unfairness in their own way...

Overall, this book is very well researched and written. Even though sexy times appear late in the book, they're very steamy! I only wish there were more sexual tension and chemistry in the beginning. The ending was quite unexpected, but I think it's important for Hattie's character to fully grow and for their relationship to be solid going forward (don't worry, there's still HEA!) I'd highly recommend this series if you love well written characters and rich history in your historical romance!

*Special thanks to Berkley Romance and the author for granting me access to the ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

I used to think I wasn't a big historical fiction person and definitely didn't see myself loving historical romance. Then, I was introduced to Evie Dunmore. Her books are so much fun and will have you smiling, swooning, and and even learning all at the same time! Portrait of a Scotsman had Beauty and the Beast vibes in all the best ways. I loved the heroine and couldn't get enough of this sweet story. Four stars from me! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I spent an entire Saturday making my way through Portrait of a Scotsman. Totally worth it. Hattie is so sweet and human with her learning issues and love for art. Lucien embodies one of my favorite historical tropes—super brooding bad boy who desperately wants somebody to love him to the point where he makes some bonehead moves to try to force an unsuspecting woman to do so. I’ve been wracking my brain to try to remember who Lucien reminds me of—he’s not quite a Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, but for some reason I want to say a Sarah MacLean hero? Whomever it is, I loooved him. I loved his dedication to the Scottish miners, I loved his bumbling ways of trying to figure out his bride, I wanted to hug him for all of the things he went through in his childhood. Sigh.

I have to say that I had to take some time to process the ending because it didn’t end where historical romances generally end—after the hero/heroine is saved from the bad guy. It kept going!! And I was thrown off!! At first I was like NOOOO HATTIE…… but of course things turned out well for Hattie and Lucien in the end. So, not only did I love the characters, the developing relationship between Hattie and Lucien, the relationship between the four friends, but I also got a gut punch and some food for thought about my historical romance. 5/5!

Thanks to Jove and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my opinions! I’ve already preordered my own print copy!

Evie Dunmore does it again! I love this series so much and this title did not disappoint!

This third book in the "A League of Extraordinary Women" series follows Hattie Greenfield, the privileged daughter of a successful businessman who is basically used as a bargaining chip by her family. She is seen kissing Mr. Blackstone, a notorious figure in London society, in a gallery full of one-way mirrors and is then forced to marry him in exchange for rights to a railroad. Hattie often comes across as a spoiled brat (Mr. Blackstone even calls her that!), but as the book moves through the trials of marriage and family secrets we see her grow as a person. This is very much her coming of age and independence in the 1880s where women's rights were few. I love how Evie Dunmore incorporates historical fiction into the love stories of her books and I leave every single one learning something new!