Evie Dunmore is a very skilled historical romance author and I’ve been greatly enjoying her first couple of books over the last two years. I was thrilled to be offered an advanced reader copy of Portrait, and thanks to the publisher for doing so. So I started this around 11pm snd stayed up till 7:30am to finish it. The birds are chirping outside my window now. As with the first two books in this series, Portrait too features complex and fully realized characters, dual POV, and historically accurate and historically sensitive world building snd plotting. All of which I adore! I love historical romance but as I mature I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to enjoy as a genre because of the tendency for everyone to be white, straight, rich, etc. Also the appeal of never ending alpha males and the “you’re mine” and the “men are experienced but women must be virgins” and the issues of ignored consent that are so common to the genre make it harder and harder for me to enjoy. So I greatly GREATLY appreciate the emergence of more authors who approach the genre with a more feminist lens, and with more acknowledgement of the traumatic reality of this time in history for women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people without wealth. Evie Dunmore is an excellent addition to my collection and desire for books that are “historical romance but feminist”. Courtney Milan snd Scarlet Peckham are two more if you’re looking for more such authors.

I enjoyed Portrait, though slightly less than I enjoyed the previous two. It was still well written and conceptualized, but felt slightly less original than the previous two. Or perhaps I just didn’t like Hattie as much as I liked the other heroines. I did like Lucien very much. I think my main disappointment was that Hattie felt unfinished or unfocused. She is billed as an artist but after she is married she seems to feel no real urge to create art for most of the book. Her interests and purpose seems very tied to her husbands and her feminist beliefs seem to disappear and re-emerge rather randomly. The separation at the end was perfunctory and had no emotion. I believe the author needed to have the separation occur earlier in the book and last more than two pages. And we needed to be shown what the two characters did during the separation so we could see joe they grew and came to teens w their love for each other. Instead the separate and then a page later they are back together. To say it was rushed is an understatement and it felt like the author just added that at the end because she felt like she had to have Hattie make a feminist I can be independent statement. I wish it had felt more crafted, intentional, and necessary to the outcome. I wish I had seen Hattie grow during the separation. I wish I had seen Lucien struggle to understand why she had to leave, seen him read the books snd get insight and start taking action to help fight for women’s rights a f then go to woo her. I wish I’d gotten to see the wooing.

So the book was very good but the romance was a bit oddly paced. We needed slightly less time having sex in Scotland and a bit more time dealing with their anger & frustration w each other and actually growing to understand and accept each other

And the weird “oh my god he might kill her” ploy that was hammered in at the end was completely unnecessary. A waste of pages. It added nothing to the story and made no sense jammed in at the end.

Finding Evie Dunmore’s books has, for me, been an absolute bright-point of these strange Corona times. Feisty, ridiculously romantic and oh so sexy, I loved Portrait of a Scotsman. That’s not to say it’s a light book. Dunmore paints a clear raw picture of the less dainty side of life in this era, not just for women as in the first two books, but also the working classes. I particularly enjoy the depth of her characters. Their hurts and motivations are so deeply and intelligently mined and played out. It is rare now that I restart a book as soon as I’ve finished it, but I did with Portrait of a Scotsman as I simply wasn’t ready to let Harriet and Lucian go.

Of the three books in this series, this one was my least favorite, but it was still very enjoyable. It felt very rushed toward the end. I loved the chemistry between Hattie and Lucian, but there were just so many side plots that felt rushed or unnecessary. .

I had been excited for Portrait of a Sotsman since reading the excerpt at the end of A Rogue of One's Own. Sadly, as is always the way with my high expectations, I was let down by Hattie's story. The story lacked the frisson of the first chapter excerpt and the plot points seemed out of order. For example, Lucie organizes an escape for Hattie, but she doesn't pull the rip cord until way too close to the end - my preference would've been for an immediate runaway bride situation followed by a wooing, at the point that it occurs it just feels like oh, we're doing things to do them. We're also missing interaction with the League here, and I think Hattie needs a mentor more than our past two heroines did.
That said, the Scottish setting where we learn all about mining conditions and Lucien's moves to increase and enshrine worker's rights (and his backstory that causes that drive, my god) was great. Hattie's plotline with her art installation of photos of the workers, did a lot less for me - it's a great idea for the time period, but she seemed to dip in and out a lot which made her interest in and dedication to the project seem suspect.
This book was very readable, I read it in a few hours the day I was approved for the arc, and I love that Dunmore has focused on more than just fancy parties and upper crust intrigue in her series. However, the high standard Dunmore has set causes me to critique a bit more sternly. I would still recommend Portrait of a Scotsman, it just is a bit lesser than A Rogue of One's Own.
Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an arc for review

Both characters are loveable and I found myself rooting for both of them. There are some scenes that depict PTSD and could be triggering for burn victims. Overall my favorite book in the series so far.

With all the elements of a traditional historical romance, PORTRAIT OF A SCOTSMAN reads like a historical fiction novel, replete with fascinating facts and a captivating story. Hattie is deeply involved in the British Women’s Suffrage movement, which provides a deeply complex backdrop for the romance which follows., with Hattie kicking and screaming all the way to happiness, which is where a proper romance novel should end. Dunsmore’s characters in this delightful,romance are multi dimensional, well developed. Her descriptions of life during the Victorian era -men, women and children i- much more realistic than what is depicted in many historical,romances. It adds a depth to this novel that I was not anticipating, but which I appreciated immensely., A romance in the traditional sense, yes, but one which was strikingly believable and which kept me turning the pages furiously into the night.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this new addition to the League of Extraordinary Women series!!! It had a different feel from the other two, as this one was about working women and children in the 1800s and the disparity between classes and communities.

Let's talk main characters. Hattie is so sweet and determined. I loved her growth as she experiences the mining community and interacts with the women who work in the mines and in the homes. I appreciated that she learned a new side of what the suffragist movement could be. She no longer agrees with the "natural order of things" and is working to reconcile those differences within the movement. I also really loved seeing her struggles and achievements with dyslexia. I loved seeing her rise above expectations and come into her own as an artist.

On the surface, Lucian is your typical bad boy. He's risen to power and status by raking in money - a true self-made man. He is cold, gruff, and determined. He also has a lot of elite men under his thumb by buying their debts. As he and Hattie spend time in Scotland, we see a different side of him. He cares for the mining community and genuinely wants to improve their lives. Lucien is my favorite man in this series so far. I love his adoration of Hattie and how they both grew as character together and apart.

This book had a lot of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, marriage of convenience, bad boy redemption - and it delivered on all of them!! Definitely recommend.

In the third installment of the series, one of the big historical themes is the class war between new money, old money, and everyone else left behind. The discourse about how to correct systemic class injustices, among other social issues, raises thoughtful ideas as it's still a relevant topic today. Nicely interwoven with this theme is a clear Hades/Persephone vibe (their surnames, for one example).

Hattie is the friend we've all loved. She's sweetly dorky and kind but indignant and fierce when pushed. The way her family reduces her because of her dyslexia, looks, and whimsical personality is both sad and inspiring; it serves as the catalyst for her coming of age journey. It's deeply satisfying to see Hattie rise above expectation, not for the sake of others, but for herself.

Lucian is the quiet anti-hero. There is cruel honesty in his rough-around-the-edges social bearing, but his secret adoration of Hattie runs deep from the minute he sees her. Of the three current Dunmore leading men, I would say Lucian is now my Number One--as anyone who consults the Victorian flower language dictionary would be.

What I admire overall about this series is that the romantic tropes never quite follow cliche. There are common tropes, certainly. But it's the pragmatic presentation of them that make all the difference. When backed by careful historical detail as these novels are, emotionally, the story hits more accurately.

In other words, the smarter the writing, the hotter the romance.

This is the third book of the League of Extraordinary Women series and it is completely different from the others. Still, I love it!


It is much more about work, working women, children, condition of work and hard life outside London than it was shown in the previous books. Of course, the suffragist movement is still present, but from the perspective that would surprise many.

And this love story... I adore it from the very beginning. I loved the bad boy vibes, the wicked character, and the love full of untamed emotions. Lucian is not a gentleman and he behaves in a way that some would find controversial but for me, he's perfect. Definitely a guy worth noticing.

Hattie is sweet. So innocent, naive sometimes. Her family treats her badly, so she focused on her studies and art. She does not expect to get married soon. For sure, not to Lucien.

From hate to love, from the lack of respect to understanding and relations based on deepest friendship and mutual interest. The description of how they get to know each other, how they cope with hard situations is so inspiring and heartwarming. Especially, when we take into account that they still stayed themselves.

The details about the work and how life looked like in the 19th century are so full of information and gives a glimpse to feel the atmosphere of Scotland. I truly appreciate it.

I would recommend this series. Each of these books is special and I enjoyed spending days with these heroines. Perfect to spend some time with ;)some time with ;)

I didn't think it was possible for Evie Dunmore to top Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One's Own but she may have done just that with Portrait of a Scotsman. This novel brings the heat of a slow burn romance while also continuing to explore gender and power dynamics, social structures, and classism during the regency era. Dunmore has the magical ability of bringing together a steamy romance with thought provoking learning opportunities about women's history that are all too familiar with current times.

4.5 Stars

Evie Dunmore has become a must-read for me. Her League series has remained smart and sexy all the way through. And Portrait of a Scotsman has slotted nicely into her oeuvre while bringing a new perspective to her collection of blue-stocking characters. Hattie is more of a burgeoning feminist, one who still wants the romantic storybook romance, but is discovering how to balance that with the suffragette agenda and other human and labor rights (which also get great moments in the plot).

As always, it’s thoughtful and entertaining along with brilliant social commentary mixed in but in Scotsman I feel that the romance took a more central role. Hattie and Lucian fall together in one of the classic tropes of Historical Romance and thus the romance takes center stage, in all the right ways. And even though Lucian has a complex backstory, I think it’s Hattie’s experience and discovery that really drives the plot and anchors everything.

Again, Dummore gives us strong characters with well-developed backstories and perfect visuals surrounding their lives. They feel individual from her previous characters, continuing to give us unique and new adventures while maintaining all the charm and heat that we hope to get.

I had a few minor quibbles, which knocked it down to 4.5 Stars, but really, it’s just splitting hairs. It’s brilliant and I definitely recommend Portrait of a Scotsman, as well as the entire series if you haven’t already read it.

I found Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore to be very enjoyable, very readable, although I think there are some pacing problems brought on by trying to do too much and it ends up detracting from the central love story--women's rights, mine safety, oligarchy, PTSD, dyslexia--there's just a LOT going on. That said, the sexual tension between Lucian and Harriet is very well-done, if a bit on the slow burn side for me (see: pacing).

SPOILER ALERT:
I have a couple of plot problems with the story, however, that really make things break down for me. I haven't read A Rogue of One's Own, the Lucie and Ballentine story preceding this one, but Lucie gives Harriet directions and passage to a safe house (this is early in the book, it's really not too much of a spoiler). Harriet is thwarted when Ballentine gives Lucian a heads' up. Is this not a HUGE betrayal of the relationship in the previous book? Are we to believe that in a series that is pinned on female empowerment that one of the heroes is so dismissive of his wife's work and beliefs that he would go behind her back like this, take the man's side over the woman he (presumably) spent the PREVIOUS 300+ pages becoming worthy for? The ending has a similar problem (fyi: a safe house isn't safe if the guy can find it, even if it takes a few months).

It can be the best book in the world, but if your world- and character-building isn't solid, then you're going to have problems.

ARC generously provided by #NetGalley; opinions my own.

This is a steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling, and for fans of historical romances, this is worth adding to your TBR lists! I didn't find this quite as engaging and fun as Dunmore's Bringing Down the Duke, but it's a good, swoony read all the same, perfect for the summer. Not purchasing for our HS collection but happy to recommend to staff and adults alike!

I told myself to wait to read this. "You have other ARCs," I said. "There is plenty of time to read this later."

I couldn't wait. Evie Dunmore's Bringing Down the Duke was my introduction to historical romances and I have been chasing the high of that book ever since. Portrait of a Scotsman was what I was waiting for. Our delightful Hattie has been forced to pair off with a brooding, dark, pirate-y, wealthy, bastard-born Scotsman. So, obviously, they butt heads in ways that had me cackling. And their chemistry is just absolutely off the charts.

But I think, more than the spiciness, and more than the will they/won't they of it all, is the fact that Dunmore clearly loves history. It's woven so smoothly into the plot, and the contextual notes at the back of the book really show how much she cares. Anyone can write about a generic castle in a generic moor with a fake Lord and call it a day, but the author of this book has taken the next step, and it allows you to connect on a deeper level with the characters because of it. Hattie goes on a real journey in this book--her struggles with her perception of society, both as a woman, and as a wealthy member of the ton were the added bit of detail that made this more than just a clever romance.

I was slightly confused by the route Hattie took at the end of the book-- I felt as blind-sided as our man Lucian did. However, not enough that this title needs to be anything less than 5 stars. Definitely a recommended read for any romance fans (especially if you enjoyed Dunmore's first two titles in this series).

Dragged a lot, and in the end I skimmed the last five chapters. Too much time spent on politics. While som of it was important and necessary, the story became bogged down. The side characters as usual in this series are superfluous. I also had trouble fully grasping these characters. Blackstone was ruthless but it never really turned up on the page. And Hattie was never all that interesting.

I made the mistake of starting this series with the third book, but I'm glad I picked it up! I love how real the characters feel, especially when they're in Scotland. I love the discussion of workers rights, capitalism, philosophy, etc. that really makes it feel like these two characters like to spend time together.

I'm torn between wishing I got to see Hattie interact with her family more and being glad she didn't run into them often. Her friends were very supportive of her, even when she was going against what would be socially appropriate, but they are a group filled with suffragettes.

Would definitely recommend for people who like a more modern approach to historical romance, or people who like contemporary romance, but want to step into the historical subgenre.

PS I too would like to scream at the top of my lungs way from society.

If you were on the East Coast of the US earlier this afternoon, you might have heard me screeching in delight as I tore through this. A social justice oriented romance book with a dark, anti-hero and a heroine who finds herself so beautifully by the end of this. I love that Dunmore puts so much thought, context and historical research into her books that just makes them come alive. Her books also don't take the easy way out, or pander to the easy happily ever after. Her protagonists go through these arcs of self growth and I was thrilled to see that this one was in no way different.

This particular one covers workers rights, sustainability, ethical business models, and the juxtaposition between Victorian feminine ideals and the need for working class women to work and support their families. I am so in love with this series that

Shout out to my romance enabler best friend (she knows who she is) who texted immediately when this was on Netgalley. I have them to thank for an ARC of this.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this one, and will probably end up revisiting it down the line to see if my initial reactions stay the same. I really wanted to love this one, I did, and I didn't *dislike* it. But something about it didn't land quite right for me, and I'm having trouble putting my finger on it.

Maybe it's the "Beauty and the Beast" plot, which, try as it might, has difficulty shaking off the negative connotations of that trope, even when Hattie, the heroine, literally calls it out. The plot twist that is used to do so, in the end, feels like just that: a deliberate plot twist designed to remove some of the unpleasantness from before, and only partially succeeds. Don't get me wrong - I love me a broody, damaged romance hero with a dark past and a good soul, but despite the insane chemistry between Hattie and Lucian, it was tough to get past at some points.

I did appreciate that this book brought more class consciousness into the series, which has, up til now, focused more on upper-class suffragettes and the men around them. Was it the best choice to use Hattie, arguably the most sheltered and pampered of the characters, to do this? I'm of two minds. On the one hand, the "rich lady discovers the plight of the poor" trope is overdone; on the other hand, it's compelling to watch Hattie gain a more complex understanding of the ways class intersects with the issues she cares about, and to see her actually move for change that tries to put those people's voices first. The discussions of wealth, power, and inequality may not be frothy, but they're important, and they feel significant in a good way.

This is definitely a "to reconsider" book for me. It has all the intense yearning and passion that I've learned to expect from this series, and I appreciate the element of class being introduced, but on the other hand, there's quite a bit less wit and humor (Hattie and Lucian both are more serious personalities) and the whole Beauty-and-the-Beast, tricked-into-marriage trope can't always be explained away.

Evie Dunmore is one of my favorite historical romance writers. I loved the first two books in the League of Extraordinary Women series, and so I went into Portrait of a Scotsman with high expectations. Hattie's love story is more muted than Lucie and Annabelle's, and much of it takes place in a small Scotland mining town. The plot is less memorable than the prior books, and I am not likely to reread it the way I have returned to the rest of the series. But there is still much to admire here, and it's a strong book on its own merits: Hattie's loss of innocence as she learns firsthand about the political constraints women face in 1800s England is realistic and heartbreaking, and her rage as she awakens to the world's injustice is relatable and beautifully written. Dunmore grapples with intersectional issues as Hattie explores how classism and sexism overlap in the lives of the female miners who work for her husband. Dunmore continues to push the romance genre forward into overtly political conversations, and I remain a dedicated reader and fan.

Overall enjoyable, but a bit overstuffed and suffers on account of it. Hattie is the third heroine in the League of Extraordinary Women series and each of the previous entries handled a multitude of women's rights issues, aka human rights issues, in a Victorian setting. This was done with satisfyingly modern sensibilities, yet somehow without that modern-ness taking the reader out of the story. That's one of the reasons Dunmore has become an automatic request for me! However, something about this third installment didn't click in the same way. Perhaps it's not the number of issues (workers' rights, marriage as legal erasure for women, suffragism, immoral wealth, etc. and an attempted Beauty and the Beast tie-in to boot), but rather the less than seamless interweaving of those issues into the story of the main characters' relationship. The attempt to broaden the scope of concern into something circling intersectionality is laudable, if not entirely successful.