I enjoyed this 4th and final book in the League of Extraordinary Women series and the last chapter of the book wrapped the series up very nicely. I love all the historical research the author puts into her books and I enjoyed the main characters and their romance. The only criticism is that she might have tried to tackle a few too many topics in this book but it was still a great regency romance and great addition to the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own. 3.5 rounded up

I have loved The League of Extraordinary Women’s series by Evie Dunmore and I was excited to start Catriona’s story. Thank you @berkleyromance for the review copy!

I thought the chemistry between Catriona and Elias was the best part of the book. Their scenes were filled with the best kind of tension.

I loved how the story wrapped up and gave us further insight into all of their fights for a woman’s right to vote. This was so inspiring and has been throughout the books, these women represent real life ones who fought against a rising tide of hate to secure our right to vote and be seen as equal, it’s incredible.

The biggest criticism I had was I felt like I was falling out of the story because there was a lot of description and it just felt long. The scenes of Catriona and Elias were so great and I loved them but it felt like a lot of filler in between that didn’t add a lot to the story.

This is a great series and would highly recommend to any historical fiction and romance fan!

I really am attached to this series. I do love the romance in these books but even more so I love the independence of the women in these books in a time when independence was not a thing. It’s a unique take on regency romance and one I have really enjoyed!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been enjoying the characters and romances of the League of Extraordinary Women series. The Gentleman’s Gambit is the fourth and final in the series.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the other books in the series. It felt too long and dense with both suffragette and artifact details plus flashbacks to previous relationships. I think a "less is more" approach à la Coco Channel might have improved my enjoyment of the book.

I did like the epilogue and how the series wrapped up.

I am a big fan of this historical romance series, featuring Hattie, Annabelle, Lucie and Catriona. All four women exist in the Victorian era, where women were supposed to be mothers and subservient to their husbands. These four were educated, intelligent women, fighting for women’s rights. This is Catriona’s story, as she is a quiet woman living with her father, a linguist writing a book. When Elias Khoury comes on the scene, initially to repatriate artifacts stolen from Lebanon, and in a private collection, Catriona’s life is turned upside down. There are many very hot scenes between the two as they negotiate towards a relationship that seems highly unlikely. The book was a great distraction to today’s woes, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Book four in A League of Extraordinary Women series, The Gentleman’s Gambit follows Catriona Campbell and Elias Khoury. Catriona works with her father at Oxford in ancient artifacts and linguistics, and works with her friends in the fight for women’s rights. Elias is a visiting scholar to Oxford under false pretenses from his home in the Middle East - to return priceless artifacts to their rightful home. Over a game of chess, their trust for each other starts to grow as they learn they have similar worldviews. Can they be successful in their missions without losing each other?

I adored this final installment to Evie Dunmore’s aeries. It has heart, politics, friendship, supportive family, spice, all while weaving in historical significance. I highly recommend it to fans of historical romance and those who strongly support women’s rights and the fight needed to get where we are today. I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

Castle Applecross, Scotland - 1882

Lady Catriona, 25, is the daughter of Alastair Campbell, Earl of Wester Ross. After taking a swim in the nude in the loch and exiting the water, she is shocked to find herself being observed by a strange man. Scolding him for peeking at her, he leaves. Back at the castle, her maid, MacKenzie, informs her that her father’s academic guest has arrived early and she worries that he may be the same man caught watching her.

Father and daughter are both academics with her focus on women’s rights. They tend to ignore the need for money for upkeep of the castle. It turns out that their guest is Mr. Elias Khoury, and her observer. When her father has to take care of some local problems, he tasks Catriona to accompany Elias to Cambridge to observe some artifacts.

As I carried on with the boring reading of this book, I realized it is not something for me. It’s way too long and the characters as well as the storyline are unappealing. Sorry.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥

Quick Breakdown

Historical Romance
Forced Proximity
Great Meet Cute
Slow Burn
Dual POV
Open Door - Mild Details

Fun fact: this series was my first taste at historical romances. I was new to booksta & found a buddy reads for the first three books celebrating the release of Portrait of a Scotsman. I loved the opportunity to read this one early.

Like in the previous books, The Gentleman’s Gambit is heavy with history & feminism, but as the occasional history nerd, I didn’t mind. It was a nice companion to the romance, which was more soft & swoony than I was anticipating. A lot of this has to do with my love for the MCs.

I really enjoyed Catriona - she written with traits that leads the reader to believe she would be diagnosed on spectrum in today’s world. She’s introverted & intelligent & can struggle in social situations. After an intimate meet cute, the slow burn build (saddled with all the hot tension) felt tailor made for her. Elias felt like the perfect patient match for her & I loved the art heist-like drama he added to the storyline.

One of the best parts of the book was getting to interact with characters of the past. With this being the final book in the series, the epilogue was so fitting. I found myself getting more emotional 🥹 than I expected at the beautifully written ending.

3.5 stars

I have enjoyed all the books in A League of Extraordinary Women series, with the first book, Bringing Down the Duke, being my favorite. I was excited to pick up The Gentleman's Gambit. And I enjoyed it but not as much as other books. I thought The Gentleman's Gambit was too long (over 400 pages), with too many competing elements that took away from the romance. As this book is a historical romance, I wanted more romance and less discussion on various political issues. The Gentleman's Gambit read more like historical fiction to me. I love historical fiction, but I expected something else from this book. The Gentleman's Gambit is best enjoyed after reading prior books in the series.

vie Dunmore is my favorite writer of historical romances. This is the fourth (and sadly, the final) book in her League of Extraordinary Women series, which i about four friends at Oxford in the 1880s working on women’s suffrage.


Dunmore writes in great detail about the political and legislative road to women’s suffrage in Britain. It’s not just about the vote; key to attaining some equality is the proposed Married Women’s Property Act. Under the existing laws, women lose all rights to their money and property the minute they marry. And of course they aren’t expected to do anything but get married.

Catriona Campbell has watched three of her friends fall in love, despite everything they know about the gender inequality of the system. Catriona is fortunate to have a father who supports her love of research and writing, and who puts no pressure on her to marry. When her father asks her to help a colleague, Elias Khoury, with some ancient artifacts, she’s surprised to meet someone who seems to understand her. Still, she doesn’t trust her growing feelings for him, having been burned in the past.

One thing I really appreciate in a romance is when the characters don’t keep secrets from each other. Dunmore creates significant reasons for these characters to mistrust and mislead each other; but that never lasts for long. The honesty between her characters is refreshing and it’s nice to see the miscommunication trope done away with. Instead, Dunmore creates challenges for each of her couples that transcend simple misunderstandings and get at complicated economic, racial and societal issues. This book relies a bit more on tropes than the previous three (like Elias’ just happening to see Catriona naked), but the tropes are small parts of the larger plot.

I struggled with the third book (Portrait of a Scotsman) a little bit, because Hattie was the least relatable of the four protagonists. I liked this book better because I really liked Elias and I identified quite a bit with Catriona. She’s awkward, smart, direct, introverted, and anxious – all things I could relate to. I also really liked that this book had a Middle Eastern hero, though I felt we didn’t get to know him as well as the other heroes because he’s not in his home country. I also really appreciated the storyline about the theft of ancient artifacts by colonizing countries and wealthy travelers, and how they should be returned to their countries of origin.

There’s a side storyline where Catriona is trying to overturn a law that prevents women from leaving their husbands – this felt like an unnecessary add-on, maybe because the author needed to keep Catriona engaged in the suffrage effort, and it didn’t make a lot of sense. Otherwise, I love all the historical detail, but would have preferred just to focus on the Property Act.

In addition to Dunmore’s historical detail about politics, advocacy and the legislative process (which I love but some readers find a bit much), her writing is very steamy. I think she excels at building up sexual tension, and I also love how her heroines, because they are feminists, see sexual pleasure as something they have a right to, whether married or not.

Because it’s the fourth book, we see a bit more of the friends and their partners than in the previous books, and it’s a nice way to wrap up the series (but sad as well to have it end). The ending of Catriona’s story felt a bit rushed in order to do this wrap up. But when I really enjoy a book, I always leave wanting more, and that was certainly the case here.

Note: I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley/Penguin Random House. This book was published December 5, 2023.

I just adore this series! I love the suffragette struggle and the romance. The brilliance of these women in a time when being educated was dangerous. They found partners that supported them and didn't stifle them or diminish their shine. I love historical romance and especially when there is a little steam.

I love this series and these characters! I also have gifted these books to my mom and she still talks about them and that was 3 years ago. I need to get this one for her for Christmas so she can continue.

Catriona and Elias are great slow burn with mutual attraction! There is also some steam and interestingly enough a piercing.

Loved the research and artifacts that they discussed and studied. Her unconventional roles at Oxford at a time when females could'nt get degrees.

I always love how progressive and active in legislation these women are.

Thank you berkleyromance for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I adored Elias and Catriona's story!! I just loved watching these two fall in love!! This was the perfect ending for this series!!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Let's Talk Books for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I can't believe this is the final book of the League of Extraordinary Women series. I have loved this series so much, and it's my number one recommendation for folks who want to give historical romances a try.

This final book focuses on Catriona and begins in her home of Scotland. Her meet-cute with Elias is a shocking and memorable one for both of them. At her father's behest, she agrees to help introduce Elias around at Oxford and consult on his museum project.

There was a lot that I loved about this book including the unceasing fight for women's rights and suffrage, the discussion of artifact theft, the acknowledgement of other cultures, the gifted neurodivergent representation, and a queer main character.

But I felt this book was trying to do too much. It was overly long and dragged a bit in the middle. I love reading series because I enjoy getting to see the ongoing development of previous characters. But this book actually showed whole sections from the earlier couples' perspective. In doing so, I felt it strayed too far from the primary storyline. I would have been pleased with just an overall epilogue for the whole group.

Additionally, I didn't find the audiobook as engaging as the ebook version. Elizabeth Jasicki narrated, and her voice for Elias seemed particularly passionless. While I appreciated Catriona's voice and the many accents, I was still left wishing for a more interesting male main character.

I still love and adore this series but was sad that this book didn't quite live up to my expectations after the previous three.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this book!!! A perfect finale to this quartet. The chemistry, the angst, and all of it well done with intention, particularly the subject matter. Truly another win from Evie!

I adore Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women series, so I was ecstatic to receive an early copy of The Gentleman’s Gambit. For those new to the series, it follows a group of friends brought together by their work for women’s rights in 1800s England. I recommend reading the other books in the series before reading this one, as Dunmore gifts us with vignettes of the other couples in this series finale.

I have a soft spot for introverted Catriona. She’s exceedingly intelligent. She has hopes and desires of her own, but even within the liberties afforded her by her father’s position (and his indulgence), she is still confined by the societal rules of her time, other’s expectations, and her inability to say, “No.” She can’t say, “No,” to her friends’ requests for assistance with their efforts for women’s rights; she can’t say, “No,” to what her father chooses to do to support their family estate; and she can’t say, “No,” when he sends her off to Oxford as the host of his visiting, young colleague, Elias Khoury.

Elias has come to Oxford under the guise of cataloging artifacts, but his true goal is to return them to his homeland. And he pictures using Catriona as part of his plan.

Both Catriona and Elias have been burned by feelings in the past and intend to move through life letting rational thought be their guide. As these things go, though, both learn that when it comes to love, they can’t really use their heads to control their hearts.

I adored the portrayal of Catriona as a neurodivergent heroine. She has to work through and consider things, and Elias is there for her. We love a supportive love interest. I adored how strong of a heroine Catriona is. Dunmore shows that strength comes in many forms. And I appreciated the bisexual representation in the book.

I adored Elias’s passion. He’s passionate about his cause. He’s passionate about his homeland. He’s passionate about Catriona.

I loved their initial meeting. It was unexpected, and I loved how in awe of her he was.

I enjoyed how chess is used in the book.

I liked getting to see their past experiences with love but felt like some of the portrayals ran a bit long.

I was glad to see glimpses into the other series couple’s lives but felt like some of those moments took me out of the main storyline of this book.

And finally, I wish more of the artifact repatriation process—a heist in this case—had played out on page.

Overall, I really enjoyed it; it just took me a bit longer to read than expected.

I received an advance copy from Berkley and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

SOMEONE INJECT THIS INTO MY VEINS EVIE I BOW DOWN TO YOUR POWER AHHHHH!!!!!!!

So yeah I loved this book if you couldn't tell. And I'm OBSESSED with Catriona and Elias - they are the standard from now on and if I can't have this kind of love then I. DON'T. WANT. IT. I am Catriona and she is me and I've never connected with a character as I did with her so this is obviously now one of my favorite books of the year and maybe ever. This entire series is amazing not only because of the romances but the research Evie puts into these books is absolutley amazing and this one takes the cake. It is perfectly balanced between being a romance book and a historical fiction book so I was never bored or felt that the pace was off.

My only qualm is that while I LOVED the epilogue, it didn't feel like it meshed with this book specifically. Catriona finally gets her own book and is seen and not on the sidelines anymore but the epilogue didn't really feel like hers and she was put on the side again. I get what this epilogue signified and what Evie was doing with it but I wish we got one specifically dedicated to Catriona and Elias. I felt kinda the same way about the cameo chapters throughout this book - I wanted this to be Catriona's time and it was but sometimes I felt like even in her own book, the focus wasn't on her.

BUT EVEN WITH THAT I LOVE THIS BOOK AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT NOW!!!!


Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

While this book is already officially out in the world, I want to thank Berkley, Evie Dunmore, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review The Gentleman’s Gambit ahead of its publication, in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sentimental and hopeful conclusion to my favorite historical romance series! Dunmore is an expert at creating compelling and loveable characters with just causes that will have you rooting for them until the end. Scottish heroine Catriona and her Lebanese love interest, Elias, are no different. They are definitely the most unique characters I have read in historical romance to date, which made for an interesting read. Catriona is an introverted academic who struggles with having a big heart but feeling there isn’t a space for her as a woman in her society. Elias is a world traveler who struggles to balance his identities and the lives he’s led in several countries. They’re both hopeless romantics who have faced unrequited love and are led to face their biggest fears when they meet. Their chemistry is palpable and I love how accepting they are of one another. They strive to understand each other’s identities and needs in an emotional (and physical!) relationship which doesn’t always happen, even in contemporary romances. While their intimate scenes weren’t my favorite, I still appreciated that they were unique and felt truthful to their characters. I also loved that Dunmore took the time to explore their past love interests. It built a very truthful image of who these characters were and it made me connect with them alot. The only thing I felt was lacking in their dynamic was just a bit more fun! It felt very angsty, which, I love a bit of angst. But I also wanted to see them getting to just have those indulgent moments that the other couples in the series get to have.

The plot was solid. Just like the rest of the series, it is somewhat slow for most of the book, laying out all the characters and dynamics, then ramps up in the last 20-30%. I love how Dunmore makes use of all of the characters and it's very gratifying to see at the end. However, The Gentleman’s Gambit felt like the weakest link in the series in terms of plot. It felt like there was a lot going on, but that nothing happened at the same time. As I have a degree in Art History, I was delighted to see that the story would follow a repatriation heist. However, this became such a background plot and honestly I don’t feel like it was integral to Catriona and Elias’s story. The stakes just never really were big enough. I enjoyed their chess matches but Catriona would always cut them short. I just wanted more shenanigans!

Further, there were definitely some info dumpy moments that overshadowed the love story and the plot. I found myself zoning out. While I really appreciate that the author roots her stories in historical truth, a lot of it could have been saved for the author's note.

Overall, I thought this was a nice ending to the series. I liked that Dunmore included little second epilogues/ “where are they now” scenes for each of the previous couples. It was a nice way to see everything wrapped up. The epilogue itself made me want to give the book five stars. It was so sweet to see the characters as their families had grown and new strides were being made in Women’s rights. Unfortunately, Catriona and Elias were hardly focused on in this epilogue which left me wondering what their dynamic ended up like. Since it wasn’t perfect at the end of this book. We don’t get another book to see them interacting like we did the other characters, so that makes me a little sad.

In the end this series is about found family, fighting for freedom and happily ever after. I would recommend it to any historical romance lovers who are looking for heroines who have rich lives and relationships beyond their love interests, and adoring heroes who fight for their wives’ causes and know who really wears the pants.

I look forward to reading whatever Evie Dunmore writes next!

Catriona and Elias take us on an emotional journey in The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore, book four in her League of Extraordinary Women series. For the introverted and highly talented Lady Catriona, nothing is more important than her scientific work and the fight for women's rights. She also secretly longs for love; but only with a man who would allow her to remain herself and not try to change her. Elias Khoury, a young scientist from the Middle East, enters Oxford and Professor Campbell's circle with ulterior motives. While he tells everyone he's there to classify ancient artifacts, he really wants to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. When he's introduced to Catriona, he sees an opportunity to use her to get what he wants.

For the first time in her life, Catriona feels like someone really sees and appreciates her for who she is; little does she know that Elias is in England for completely different reasons than he claims. It doesn’t take Catriona long to discover what Elias is really up to and is determined to help him; getting her friends to help, she pulls off something no one would ever have expected of a lady scholar.

Elias didn't expect to lose himself in his feelings for her and even though he knows it can't really go anywhere, the seduction he planned actually falls to the wayside as they find themselves becoming more; forcing Catriona to choose between love and the work that means everything to her.

Ms. Dunmore took her readers on an emotional journey as she completed. She provided a tale rich with clever banter, sizzling chemistry and endearing characters allowing Catriona and Elias a chance to obtain all each desires. I definitely recommend The Gentleman's Gambit to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This series absolutely works for me. It’s a great combination of history, character building, and romance. I blew through The Gentleman’s Gambit in one day, and I am so pleased with how the series wrapped up for all its beloved characters.

Catriona just wants to write her book in peace. But between the suffrage movement and an unwanted houseguest, she cannot. She and Elias get off on the wrong foot, and they agree to put any awkwardness behind them. Surprise, surprise, they are sent off on a trip (supervised, of course) by her father and their forced proximity makes it harder to ignore the want between them.

Read this for:
- a solid series closer
- history that makes you think
- solid female friendships
- chess
- spice (literal and figurative)
- neurodivergent heroine

This was a home run for me, and I cannot wait to re-read this series in the future!

Thank you to @berkleyromance for an eARC of The Gentleman’s Gambit! All thoughts are my own.

The final installment of A League of Extraordinary Women is out with Catriona's story, 'The Gentleman's Gambit' and it's a bittersweet goodbye to these 4 incredible ladies.
I was very interested in Catroina's story as she's always been kind of set apart, mysterious in comparison to the other ladies. She's incredibly smart and kind of peculiar and what sets her apart is what Elias finds himself attracted to. I loved the build up of there relationship and how magnetic they became to each other.
While it wasn't my favorite of the series (looking at you Hattie and Blackstone) it was a satisfying end to this series and it makes me want to immediately start over from the beginning.
Because these books are so much more than romance, they are about friendship and about being a force of change in the world. They are SO worth the read.
And that epilogue
To
Thank you so much @berkleyromance for the arc!!!
4 stars
#bookreview #gentlemansgambit