There were so many things in this book that I was looking forward to. A Scotsman? A Self Made Man? A Heiress? Compromising Position? YES PLEASE.

Harriet was such an interesting character to read. She is an introvert that finds herself in a compromising position with Lord Blackstone. Lucian is a big brooding Scotsman who sees an opportunity and takes it.

While I enjoyed the romance between the character there were just something that were a miss for me. The beginning of the book was really slow and I was bored at times, but the last half was entertaining. I loved the steam in the last half of the book.

I did enjoy the political aspect in this book. Its something that I always enjoy when an author can mix historical political points with a romance. While I did enjoy it, I felt a bit of disconnect with it and the romance.

Overall it was a solid 4 star read.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set against the backdrop of the British suffragette movement, Dunmore's series mixes together a number of major interests of mine: law, women’s rights and the history of women’s rights. All blended in with my number one passion: ROMANCE.

What is more exciting than books which celebrate the power of love, women AND the passionate fight for women’s rights? I’ll wait.

This series / book is like Pride and Prejudice on crack for me.

The third book in the series, PORTRAIT OF A SCOTSMAN, focuses on the intersectionality of gender, race and class. I loved how Evie Dunmore has the female protagonist (who is white and upper class) contemplating her privileged position within the women’s rights movement.

As much as I loved all the themes explored in this book, including the right of a woman to a legal divorce, ultimately I am here for the SWOON and this book didn’t really deliver that for me. I never really recovered from Hattie and Lucian's first meeting in the first chapter which put the hero in the eternal dog house for me. This isn't my favourite book in the series but that’s ok, I still feel Evie Dunmore is the future of historical romance. Bring on book 4!

Dunmore did it again with Portrait of a Scotsman. A thoroughly engaging plot with interesting characters that are very different from the series’s predecessors.

I loved the slow burn romance of Lucian and Hattie. The absolute loathing between the two characters kept me throughly immersed. They had great chemistry from the start that continued to progress throughout the story.

The novel also provided interesting insights into mining and women and children’s labor laws during this time.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. The separation seemed like pointless conflict for their relationship by that point in the story. I could have done without the last few chapters.

Dunmore consistently writes compelling stories that always manage to inform me of real world struggles people of this era endured. This series has become an auto-buy for me. I definitely recommend.

An excellent addition to The League of Extraordinary Women series by Evie Dunmore, a romance series to fill the Bridgerton void until its next season.

I wasn't as enamored of this book as the previous ones in the trilogy (even with the acknowledged problems with book two), but I still enjoyed it a lot overall, and Evie Dunmore is still one of the strongest new voices in historical romance right now. All of which is to say, I'll definitely be reading and buying her next novel for our romance collection!

Despite being a fan of historical romance, I like my protagonists with more than a little bit of backbone. "Portrait of a Scotsman" delivers on that front, with a strong protagonist that (eventually) chooses to decide her own destiny. To be fair, this reads as more fantasy than historical realism (the level of support she able to muster, even for a woman with her social standing, is a bit much for that time period), but it does lead an exceedingly satisfying happily ever after that wraps up all loose ends in a tidy bow. And when it comes to romance, a great HPE goes a long way. Recommended purchase for library collections, especially those that have the other titles in Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women series.

Hattie and Lucien take us on an emotional roller coaster in Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore, book three in her League of Extraordinary Women series. This Beauty and the Beast based story brings together Harriet, Hattie, an introvert, quirky, talented artist who finds herself compromised to Lord Blackstone, a cold, business oriented, intelligent man, who is also a business rival of her father. Although this story is filled with angst, while also being informative and swoon-worthy; Hattie and Lucian both showed a huge emotional growth. Seeing them trip up, make mistakes, and push each other's buttons made them more relatable and likeable. It also allowed them the time to come into their own; ready to fight for what they wanted as well as for each other. 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.

Ms. Dunmore took her readers on an emotional roller coaster as she explored a Beauty and the Beast theme in this must read. She provided a tale rich with clever banter, sizzling chemistry and endearing characters allowing for Hattie and Lucien a chance to obtain all each desires. I definitely recommend Portrait of a Scotsman to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Dunmore's writing is as beautifully complex as ever. Her ability to make complicated characters loveable for their very flaws is on center stage in this latest installment of a fantastic series. The breadth and scope of the relationship and world-building is so nuanced that you fall in love with everything about this story,,, until the last few chapters, where things get slighty derailed by an abundance of happenings-- so. much. happening. But never mond that point, we will not press it, because even with this crazy quilt of last minute mayhem & stunning obstacles, the story is so riveting that it remains a solid 4 star read.
Dunmore is an auto-buy for me and remains so after this book. I am excited to see where she takes us next. I know it will be a place where she will continue to challenge her characters AND her readers and I. Cannot. Wait.

Portrait of a Scotsman is the third installment in Evie Dunmore’s entertaining historical romance series, A League of Extraordinary Women. I’ve enjoyed this series immensely so far and this latest book is no exception.

This time around, the extraordinary woman in question is Hattie Greenfield. Hattie is a suffragist and an Oxford scholar who is studying art. Hattie’s desires in life are quite simple: 1) she wants to become a famous artist, 2) she wants to find a noble cause to fight for that she is passionate about, and 3) she eventually wants to find a suitable gentleman to marry. Hattie is also the daughter of a prominent London businessman and therefore an heiress to a pretty substantial fortune. All of this comes crashing down around her, however, when she is found in an uncompromising position with the dark and broody Scotsman, Lucian Blackstone, a business rival of Hattie’s father. Lucian has a terrible reputation, both in business and in his personal dealings, so Hattie has set herself up for quite the scandal. The only way to save her reputation is for her and Lucian to marry, a prospect neither of them is overly excited about but that they are both resigned to.

Thus begins a slow burn of a journey as Hattie and Lucian begin an awkward married life together. Hattie is alternately attracted to and repulsed by Lucian, and doesn’t know what she wants from one moment to the next, and Lucian, while he’s most definitely attracted to Hattie, finds her to be a distraction from what he is really trying to do, which is seek revenge against someone who hurt him years ago. There is a lot of sexual tension as the two of them alternate between fighting their feelings and giving in to them. A trip to Scotland, Lucian’s homeland, really takes their relationship to the next level. Hattie learns that there’s a lot more to Lucian than meets the eye and as they finally start to have honest heart-to-heart conversations with one another, she realizes that they may have a lot more in common than she ever would have dreamed of.

I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Hattie and Lucian grow and evolve. There are awkward moments as well as hilarious ones, spirited arguments, and of course plenty of steamy, sexy moments as well. There’s also a bit of politics, feminism, social commentary regarding the rich vs the poor, and a pretty solid revenge story, so basically a little something for everyone. As with the prior two novels, Portrait of a Scotsman also appears to be well-researched in terms of events and issues of the Victorian Era.

All in all, another very satisfying installment in the A League of Extraordinary Women series. Fans of the prior two books in the series should enjoy this one as well, as should fans of historical romance.

I was expecting a fluffy historical rom-com.
I was expecting some laughs and maybe some feels.
What I got was far more worthwhile than what I was expecting.
Portrait of a Scotsman is the third in Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women series and, normally, I would insist on reading them in order. I've actually had the first two on my TBR since the series began two years ago ... but then I was accepted for an advance copy via NetGalley for this one and I just couldn't resist ... or wait.
I was in the mood for fluffy historical rom-com, after all.
I got some comedy and I got more than a bit of romance ... and I got so much more.
I will be reading the others.
I have no choice at this point.
Dunmore pulled me in to the world inhabited by Hattie and her friends and I need more. I believe the series is only supposed to be these three but I'm hoping for Aofie to get a book all of her own ... well, her and Susan ... or whomever.

Still going strong on book three, but I would not expect less for a league of extraordinary women. Especially with determination as a driving point in this one.

This series has been a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I simply adored the first book in the series and loved the premise of this group of women who are fighting for suffrage and women’s rights. On the other hand, book two left me irritated and angry after getting almost to the end and running into the tried, cliche gay villain trope. Did not like at all. So I went into Portrait of a Scotsman with a hopeful attitude, but bracing myself.

I did end up liking this book, but lord have mercy it took me a bit. I saw this book somewhere described as a marriage of convenience trope, and ahhhh… not quite. This is a mash-up of the forced marriage, enemies to lovers. and forced proximity tropes. It took me several days to read it because these two really had no use for each other when they first get married. The marriage takes place because they are discovered leaning in together, almost embracing, and everyone who has ever read historical romance knows what comes next when a group of well-to-do people discovers an unwed couple in a compromising position. What Hattie doesn’t realize until after the marriage takes place is that she was tricked by her new husband and the whole thing was a set-up. She is justifiably angry.

These two were so damn mean to each other for almost the entire first half that I wanted to alternately toss both of them into a lake. She is rude and childish and he is gruff (not in a good way) and treats her like a meaningless piece of fluff, it was frustrating. I literally could not see a way for this couple to move forward into a HEA in any believable way.

But then I got to the second half where Hattie finds her purpose and that purpose meshes with Lucian’s. Their drive to make the lives of the coal town inhabitants better was lovely. The getting to know each other was wonderful. Their lustiness, which be prepared doesn’t happen until almost 75% in, was sexy. I was pumped! Maybe this HEA could really happen! YAY!

I won’t go into exactly what happens at the end, (I’ll let that be a surprise) but I did not see it coming. Although I do think it was definitely the right way to guide this couple to their forever. So in the end I was happy with this romance, even if it took me a while to get there.

This is the third book in the series, A League of Extraordinary Women, and while I have read the first book (but not the second) I thought this one worked pretty well as a stand-alone.

Hattie wants more freedom than her current life affords her, to be able to paint, and further the suffrage movement. Is that really so much to ask?

Lucian is a self-made man, which society don’t look kindly upon. He has a reputation for being dastardly, and yet Hattie finds herself drawn to him. In a bid for acceptance by polite society the bold Scotsman decides to make Hattie his wife, and all but tricks her into it.

Things don’t exactly go smoothly for either of them. Lucian is suffering from PTSD and has some pretty intense revenge plans he will need to set aside, and Hattie is just realizing what a sheltered existence she’s actually led, and trying to open her heart to do better and use her privilege for good. But can they find a way to get through their struggles together?

I liked Lucian’s character quite a lot…who doesn’t love a brooding Scotsman with a secret heart of gold…but I have to admit that Hattie irritated me quite a lot. She was childish and naive, and while I recognize that it may have been true to the times, I just found her both annoying and boring for most of the book.

It’s a shame, because I really wanted to love this book and the story premise had me intrigued. I don’t want to give anything away, but I did find that once they got out of London I enjoyed the story a little more.

I mostly read Portrait of a Scotsman in an exercise in hypothesis testing.

H0: There is no significant difference between the three male love interests of the Extraordinary Women series so far.

H1: There is a significant difference between the three male love interests of the Extraordinary Women series so far.

On the basis of this book—bearing in mind the fact I have three data points here, and one of the books I read about two years ago—I feel that Evie Dunmore has failed to provide sufficient evidence to accept the alternative hypothesis, leaving me no choice but to side with the null hypothesis.

Very scientific I’m sure you will agree.

And on the basis of this very scientific evidence, I am forced to conclude that Evie Dunmore hasn’t really got past the archetype of the alpha male misogynistic prick love interest. Sure, there were slight differences: two of them were gentry, one not; each has probably one aspect of this alpha male trope heightened (ice cold, smug and flirty, rough and sexual). But at the end of the day, they all feel the same.

It’s at this point I have to ask: straight women, what do you find attractive in men who denigrate you for your gender? Are you okay? Blink twice if you need help.

Perhaps I could have stood this were it not for a certain sequence of events occurring about 45% of the way through (look away now if you don’t want spoilers). Let me first explain what happens: Hattie ends up caught in a compromising position with Lucian and, to save her reputation, he marries her. So far, so histrom. She goes to Lucie because she’s worried about how much control marriage means Lucian has over her (a fact that she had somewhat not considered until it happened to her). Lucie, concerned for her friend, gives her the means to escape, should she wish. In the same day, she then discovers that, actually, Lucian bargained with her father to marry her (giving him the shares that would make him outright majority shareholder in a railroad company, for half their price), and he also staged the whole act of being compromised (a fact he also sort of blamed on her when she confronted him, because she kissed him). At this point, Hattie decides she’s going to use what Lucie has given her and flee to France.

But does she? No! Because enter Tristan, Lucie’s fiance (he of the dodgy racist tattoo from the previous book), and Lucian’s somewhat friend. Tristan decides that actually he knows best, and fills Lucian in on Hattie’s plan to flee. Lucian then shows up at the train station where Hattie’s about to get on the train to France, and effectively kidnaps her, dragging her to Scotland with him instead.

It was at this point that I had to put the book down and breathe through some rage. In a book where you know Lucian and Hattie are going to be endgame, you know they’ll fall in love and put all this behind them, I think it’s so very thoughtless (the kindest word I could come up with), at the very least, if not outright sinister, to do this. How does Tristan know that Hattie isn’t in genuine danger? Even if he does know as such (or thinks he does), what right does he have to go and tell her husband about it all? In a time when Hattie as a wife has essentially no rights herself, and when, in the previous entire book, it’s all been about Lucie refusing to marry Tristan because she wouldn’t have rights. Which seems an entirely pointless disregard of 400 pages of character development on Tristan’s part at the very least. Regardless of the fact that it was enough to make me fume.

And it’s not like this is even really confronted. Certainly, Tristan’s role in it never is (I hope Lucie off-page ripped him an entire new arsehole). The thing is, you have Hattie’s POV, you should know how she feels, about the way she’s been trapped into this marriage, regardless of whether she’s growing to love Lucian. But it doesn’t get even hinted at until the final 50 pages. At which point, Lucian divorces her, waits six months, and then they get back together again, by her choice (which could, in itself, have worked. If it didn’t happen across the final two chapters of the book).

So. If I hated this part of the book with such passion, why the two-star rating and not one? Well, mostly it’s because there’s no doubt in my mind that Evie Dunmore can write and she can write romance. My issues are not with that so much as how she decides to write it. What she considers romantic (which, if the words she put in the mouths of the characters regarding Wuthering Heights are any indicator, is a bit troubling. No really. Wuthering Heights isn’t in any way, shape or form, something I would call a romance). So when the book stopped reminding me of this all, I did somewhat enjoy it. Hence, two stars.

In the end, then, having ascertained an answer to my hypothesis, I feel that this book will be the last of Evie Dunmore’s I choose to read. Yes, I did really enjoy Bringing Down the Duke (although I do think that, if I reread it, I would find just as many things a problem as I have the second and third books), but I cannot, in all honesty, say I at all had a good reading experience with either A Rogue of One’s Own or this one. The combination of the same archetype love interest, the nonchalant disregard of Hattie’s rights and any potential danger of her situation (which also seems laughable in a series that purports to focus on the women’s suffrage movement. Where, also, the entire last book had focused on their writing a paper on the abuse women suffer in marriage), meant that I’m stuck with a lot of rage over this book and not much else to show for it.

I love this series and Portrait of a Scotsman is the perfect follow-up to the first two books! Dunmore has such a talent for combining historical fiction and romance. I felt so connected with the characters and the storyline is addicting.

I adore Evie Dunmore, and what she has done for the historical romance genre is unmatched and groundbreaking. She consistently writes lead female characters who fit into the period and culture in which they are set, but somehow manages to turn them all into badass heroines, while still being believable. This book is no exception; she has officially solidified my loyalty for the rest of my book-loving life.

Dunmore does it again with the third installment in the A League of Extraordinary Women series. The third book features Hattie and may be my favorite of the three!

Hattie finds herself married to the infamous Mr. Blackwell through a series of unfortunate events. Blackwell is known for his shady business deals and bad attitude but let me tell you – this man can get it. Blackwell is hands down my favorite love interest in this series. Is he always a good man? Hahahaha ~no~. But I love him.

The back and forth between Hattie and Blackwell is immaculate. They go head to head more often than not and their matching of wits is so fun to experience. As the story unfolds and we learn more about our main characters, it’s impossible not to love these two. They both have big hearts, endless depths of passion, and similar goals. Their trip to the mines is the best part of the book. We really get to see Hattie come into herself and Blackwell’s mysterious past become clear. It’s impossible not to love these two.

As always, Dunmore uses these fierce female leads to highlight the progress being made in the women’s right movement. Hattie struggles a bit to find her place in the movement alongside her friends. I always love when these ladies come together, and we do get to spend some time with the leads from Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One’s Own. Yay!

I truly hope this series isn’t over because I cannot get enough!

This is one of my favorite romance series and I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC of Portrait of a Scotsman on netgalley! This book, like the others in the series, was so well written and had me pulled in from the first few pages. This one was a bit of a slow burn and had a lot of historical information and focus in its plot. I really enjoyed all of that but what I loved even more was the story of Harrie and Lucian's relationship. It wasn't like Hattie's friends and I enjoyed seeing how things played out for Hattie. I loved her character and her love of art and photography. I especially enjoyed the ending of this book and how everything turned out. I can't wait for the next book in the A League of Extraordinary Women series!!

3.75 stars rounded up

This book makes me feel nostalgic. More than two decades ago, when I was first started reading romance, I also tried historical romance. And I remember the plot of this book - gosh, I forgot the title nor the author, darn it - where the bride wasn't a willing one, and the husband was this broody cold man, so it took quite a while for them to fall in love. Somehow Portrait of a Scotsman, the third entry of Evie Dunmore's A League of Extraordinary Women series, reminded me of that.

When she is trying to have a "little exciting adventure", Harriett "Hattie" Greenfield finds herself in compromising position with the cold albeit attractive financier, Lucian Blackstone. Suddenly, Hattie is being married to the Scottish man, and it's not exactly how she imagines her romance and wedding to be.

Hattie feels different to me, compared to Annabelle or Lucie. Sure, she is part of the suffragist women, but at the same time, she is the more shy one. And sometimes, I feel like Hattie is a little bit ignorant about the reality - probably because she has her own ideal and dream, as well as being, well, the daughter of a rich family, so she hasn't been too exposed of the harsh life of the women from the other side of the class.

Being married to Lucian, whose murky past and involvement with miners community brings Hattie to see that. I liked that she learned, I liked that step-by-step, Hattie bloomed to be the better version of herself.

As for the romance, like I said, it made me feel nostalgic. Hattie was a virgin, and Lucian was a bit of a brute, so she made him waited before consummating their marriage. And Lucian didn't know what to do with this 'soft' woman. Lucian did feel attracted to Hattie, but they were from different part of life. I found it VERY amusing to see how Lucian fell for Hattie. Little by little, Hattie also made Lucian's wall shattered.

I wasn't really sure about the third-act breakup... just like I was a bit baffled with Hattie's way of thinking that forced the fight between her and Lucian. At the same time, it gave Lucian the chance to say that LOVELY speech that made my heart beat a little bit faster *laugh*. It also made the reunion sweet and the epilogue wonderful. Guess I shouldn't be too annoyed with it, huh?

All in all, a good one. I can't wait to read the final one with Catriona.



The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

This book series is so much fun and if you love #TheBridgerton series these books are for you. Who knew Regency Romance could be so fun?! I love Hattie. She is a new woman. She attends Oxford, has her own mind, a keen business eye and she’s not afraid to go head to head with Lucien.
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However, rules are rules and because of her strong mind she ends up in a predicament where they must marry. After a disastrous start a trip to Scotland begins to shine a new light on all.
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I’m reading this series along with @lovearctually and this series is called A League of Extraordinary Women for a reason. Each of these books focus on an extraordinary woman making big changes in a time it’s gossip worthy to leave the house without your gloves.
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This next installment is out tomorrow! Huge thank you to @BerkleyPub and @NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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