The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore is a beautifully written historical romance with a strong emphasis on historical. Dunmore sets the story of English women’s struggle against incomprehensibly written laws and the restrictive social mores of the Victorian era in scholarly Oxford where women were blocked from obtaining an education. The story is sensitive and most enjoyable.

I love all of Evie Dunmore's books, and have been waiting for so long to read the final instalment. It didn't disappoint. It's one of the best historical romance series I've read, because the research, the discussion of issues that were facing the characters – and society – at the time, are so well and thoughtfully explored, I always feel like I learn a lot as well as getting swept up in a beautiful romance.

Catriona and Elias were a wonderful heroine and hero, and from that first, shocking meeting, through to an ending that I hadn't predicted at all but showed Catriona's determination and defiance, I was gripped by their love story; the chess games, her uncertainty and his clashing priorities. There are so many pressures on Catriona that, while probably more extreme then, felt so relevant to today too, and I added so many sticky notes on my Kindle to passages that really resonated with me.

Evie's romance are always quite complex, which I LOVE, because the happy ever after is earned, and feels so realistic. It was clever and thoughtful and poignant, sweet and sexy and so romantic, and felt thoroughly uplifted at the end – while also being devastated and shedding a tear that such a fantastic series is over. I am going to miss these characters so much, and already feel a reread coming on.

This was such a perfect conclusion to one of my all time favorite series. I loved that the voices of each character felt so distinct and unique - and seeing inside Catriona’s mind and learning her history was such a pleasure. The introduction of a new character in Elias was done so well, and the truth of his life and story were valuable lessons and the perfect parallel to Catriona. The fact that Dunmore so beautifully balances thorough research, diverse and deep characters, enthralling storytelling, humor AND spice will never cease to amaze me. Can’t wait to buy this one in December and reread the series again with this newest addition.

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for the ARC.

Although this book completely stands alone, it is part of a series in which each book spotlights one of four women who meet at Oxford College in the Regency era and become great friends. In this book, we finally hear Catriona's story. Catriona is from an ancient family in the Scottish Highlands whose estate is quickly crumbling and is in need of some cash. Elias Khoury arrives, pretending to want to study some ancient artifacts, but in reality, he wants to make sure these stolen artifacts are rightfully returned to his homeland in the Middle East. Steamy, slow-burning romance, great friendships among the women, and lots of historical information provided in a very interesting way, particularly about the fight for women's suffrage. Great book, and I look forward to recommending it.

This book made me love this series again and was a great end. I didn't know what to expect as our main character Catriona has been in the background of the other books and not much was known about her personality (this book acknowledges how quiet she is). I think some of the struggles she goes through are the most relatable/timeless, for example, worrying about how to balance being a wife, mother, and having personal interests and goals. She also has a lot of neurodivergent tendencies which I definitely love to see more of in books especially historical fiction and romances.

This book had a good balance of letting Catriona be the main story while also giving a satisfying ending to the past characters/suffragettes.

The romance in this book is beautiful and Elias is a very well developed character that's easy to love. She cares so much about making sure Catriona is comfortable especially since she has a hard time putting herself first. Elias' story is also very relevant, as now we are having more conversations about how museums are just reminders of how much has been stolen from other cultures like the Middle East/Asia especially by the British empire.

While I did have fun reading this and thought there were many enjoyable aspects, I can't end up recommending it because I didn't vibe with the portrayal of the suffragist movement. While I know this is a historical romance, I found it odd that the author was willing to approach the concept of artefact theft but not the classist and racist issues of the British suffrage movement? I truly did enjoy most everything else about the book, but I'm not going to recommend a happy little romance book that's just a little too white feminisit-y for me to feel like I'd be recommending in good faith.

This was a little slow to get started but once I was into it I really enjoyed it! A story involving suffragists and the ownership of ancient artifacts. I think the author did a good job balancing the historical events and the romance.

This story was a bit of a slow burn, it still kept my attention from the beginning until the end. I felt like so much was condensed into this story, a long book to read. This story had a great balance of slow burn, spice, chemistry, politics, and family/society expectations.

I appreciated the thoughtful and complex character development, with clear motives and consistent actions and words. The plot was engaging and fast-paced, with unexpected twists and a witty writing style by Evie Dunmore.

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC. all opinions are my own.

I've always enjoyed the League of Extraordinary Women series, but it's definitely gone through some ups and downs for me. The Gentleman's Gambit feels like a very satisfying way to wrap up the series, and I think Elias might be my favorite hero yet. How can you not love a deeply moral scholar with a passion for justice?! Catriona, too, has grown into such a wonderful character: this brilliant, logical, neurodivergent-coded woman in a time where all of those traits were heavily frowned upon for women. They're such a great match, with wonderful chemistry from the start.

I genuinely enjoyed how the plot of the book also called out some of the uglier parts of the British empire era, with a plot hinging on repatriation of looted artifacts. While I'm still deciding how I feel about how that particular plot point was resolved, and who got to have a more active vs passive role in it, I appreciate that this issue - which is still very, very relevant today - was included and examined. Overall, a strong conclusion to the series!

This entire series was incredible. I've read a lot of historical romance, but very few actually follow actual history as close as these. I'm a sucker for any story involving suffragists and I think Evie Dunmore did a wonderful job balancing the history and the romance.

The author did a great job at making all 4 women distinctly different. The quietness of Catriona really spoke to me. I felt like I had so much in common with her about her views on being a woman, leader, thinker, wife, mother, etc.

I highly recommend this series to everyone who wants not only a fun romance, but also a real history lesson. Evie Dunmore is a instant buy author for me.


**Note to publishers** I do intend to do a Tiktok post about the entire series closer to release date.

4.5

all of dunmore’s books are extremely rich & detailed; catriona’s story is no exception! it’s obvious that a TON of research went into writing this book. there’s just so much going, plot- AND character-wise. the spicier moments were very effective—dunmore is excellent at building that regency-era tension!

there was a good balance between the girls from the previous books and catriona herself. you could definitely read catriona’s story without reading the others, but starting at the beginning will make this more satisfying for sure. there were chapters throughout that focused solely on the prior books’ couples, giving you a glimpse into their current lives/relationships.

catriona i really related to; she is probably the heroine most like me in personality. we really get a glimpse inside her head. i think dunmore articulated her thoughts and feelings really well.

“it’s her… or no one,” be still my beating heart!

elias is QUITE the hero. he is perhaps the most swoony, aside from MAYBE ballentine.

#netgalley

Four stars. I really adore this series, and though I thought this entry meandered a bit in the beginning I loved the story of Catriona and Elias. The way the author summed up everyone's story at the very end was satisfying as a reader of the series.

The final book in Evie Dunmore's A League of Extraordinary Women series, this was another fun romance to read. Maybe not the best in the series, but fans will still enjoy it.

My thanks to Evie Dunmore and Berkley for access to an advanced reader's copy in return for an honest review.

The Gentleman's Gambit is the long-awaited 4th installment of Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women series. Catriona is stuck escorting her professor father's colleague around Oxford University when she'd much rather be focusing on her own research and writing her next book. Elias -- an antiquities scholar from the Levant has come to Oxford to study artifacts -- or has he? The chemistry between Elias and Catriona was sizzling and believable as they both attempted to ignore it and focus on their respective projects and obligations. The book touches on social issues around the looting of cultural artifacts, racism, and women's rights -- doing so, IMHO, without being preachy or bogging down the romance or plot. Past characters and couples make appearances and some even get chapters from their POV. The epilogue featured a time jump that was a lovely coda to the series. Aside from a couple of anachronisms (Catriona has sunglasses on her head in one scene) that perhaps will be caught in the final editing, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the series!

I think the plot got bogged down by all the myriad suffrage conversations. The pacing was glacial.

Or maybe it's just that a second important historical plotline -- the British/French 'claiming' of Middle Eastern antiquities -- was also introduced, and it felt like too much with the suffrage stuff still happening.

Basically, as a history nerd, I enjoyed the suffrage and antiquities conversations, but the actual characters were not very interesting, because they were so busy spouting out historical info dumps.

The Gentleman's Gambit is the much anticipated next installment of Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women series- and it doesn't disappoint! Her writing blends swoonworthy romance, detailed history, and engaging plot. It's evident the research and care she puts into crafting these stories. Lady Catriona and Elia's love story is part enemies to lovers, part forced proximity, part grumpy sunshine and all the swoon! I loved the instant chemistry between these characters and their smart banter. Of course, I also enjoyed the cameos from the other characters in the series and the epilogue had me tearing up! Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for my copy.

Like all of evie dunmores books, this was slow to start, really slow. I just didn’t vibe with catriona, she was the least fleshed out of the quartet of heroines and just seemed stuffy and unyielding. The most enjoyable parts were the glimpses into the other heroines stories and the epilogue at the end. The chess angle should have been good but just didn’t work.

The Gentleman’s Gambit is quite possibly my favorite yet of Evie Dunmore’s books. This book perfectly wraps up the series with intermittent chapters from each of the four leading ladies, all the while doing Catriona’s story justice. The concept for this book was by far the most intriguing, and it truly made me reflect on what constitutes ownership of artifacts, even in this modern era. The one joke about the British Museum rang incredibly true.

I loved the romance of this book. Catriona, as a gifted individual, was incredibly thoughtful in her dealings with her friends and Elias, even if she couldn’t always articulate her feelings. The relationship between her and Elias had me swooning, and I really loved how Dunmore incorporated his Lebanese heritage. It’s clear that she put a lot of research into it, and it really gave the book more depth for how it connected to the plot.

I didn’t finish this. It was boring and filled with modern phrases. The leads were thinly drawn, and the characters in general had concerns that would not have been of apace with the time. My main complaint though was that it was boring.

I will read whatever Evie Dunmore writes. I've fallen in love with her League of Extraordinary Women, Annabelle, Lucinda, Hattie, and Catriona. Wildly smart, perfectly paced, and mostly realistic characters and situations--I can't get enough.

The Gentleman’s Gambit
If you like books featuring…
Suffragettes
Oxford Bluestockings
Heists

Great for fans of…
Sarah Maclean
Bridgerton
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin