I'm a new reader of Evie Dunmore, after years of my book buddies telling me I was missing out. Turns out they were absolutely right! The writing style was different from what I'm used to, but that wasn't a bad thing at all. As other reviewers have mentioned, the romance is a bit on the light side, with a heavier focus on the historical events of the time. Not only is our heroine an advocate for the suffrage movement, but our hero is an undercover...purveyor of antiquities stolen from their homeland by the British government. This is by no means a book that is light reading, and many themes are heavy, though handled with great care. Being a big fan of history, I didn't mind the romance taking a backseat at time. And I honestly didn't feel it happened that often - our two MCs are very much infatuated with each other throughout the book, and the romance goes hand-in-hand with the quest for justice both seek when driving the plot.

Catriona Campbell considers herself firmly on the shelf, with little time to consider a future otherwise, and so it is with great confusion when life throws a wrench in her plans in the shape of handsome Mr. Elias Khoury. Particularly when said wrench was thrown in the middle of a swim she was taking in the nude, where Elias got full view of her body...including a most intriguing body piercing. Elias is there on a mission, which he is bound to hide from Catriona, as her assistance to him could make her complicit if she knew the extent of it. Seducing her isn't ideal, but when mutual attraction makes it a genuine pleasure, he can't help but act on the attraction. Catriona has no qualms about it. She hasn't been lucky in love in the past, and given her age, why shouldn't she have some enjoyment in a dalliance? But when Elias' secret comes out, Catriona's allegiances are tested. What is love without a bit of sacrifice...and subterfuge.

I really enjoyed the slow burn of this couple's courtship. Especially when their meeting was so shocking, with her in the nude and Elias standing there like a deer in the proverbial headlights. I know we have meet-cutes, but what would we call this? A meet-steam? A meet-heat? I don't know, but I think the scene where they meet is one of my new favorites for a couple's introduction to each other. And the best part was that it didn't immediately lead to the bedroom, which I personally appreciate as someone who doesn't like things moving too fast in the beginning. They let things simmer, Catriona with her devotion to keeping things professional and Elias with his competing loyalties (his heart and his family), and by the time they came together, it was magical. I absolutely loved it. Outside of their relationship, Catriona showed the very real struggle suffragettes went through to make a difference, and it was eye-opening to see how they had to balance their personal lives with their passion for justice. It took so much time, often taking precedent over family and other pursuits. Then aside from that was Elias' struggle to bring back items stolen by the British (government or private collector), which was heart-wrenching, to say the least. So many people had to break the law to make it happen, even when it was the right thing to do. The consequences of being caught were so high, and yet brave souls did it anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book so much! I like a bit of history with my romance and vice versa, and it was truly an enjoyable balance of both.

A fantastic book to conclude the League of Extraordinary Women series!

The Gentleman's Gambit is my favourite of the the series and Catriona has been a favourite from the first book. It was so great to finally read her story, and to live in her brain for awhile.

Catriona is the brilliant daughter of an Oxford professor, with whom she works so that she can continue her academic work. Alongside this, she works with her friends to advance rights for women in England.
To much of the world, Catriona presents as quiet, intelligent, reserved and perhaps a bit different. But getting to know her, readers learn that not all is at it appears and it's clear that in love, Catriona will not settle for someone who doesn't fully accept her and love her as she is.

Elias Khoury turns out to be that man, and I absolutely love the story Evie Dunmore has crafted that brings Catriona and Elias together. They challenge each other, support one another, and see each other for who they are, willing to dig deep into the layers more than anyone else in their lives have before.

I saw so much of myself in Catriona; the discomfort in social situations and not being sure what to say or saying the wrong thing; thinking through how to engage in conversation; the need for solitary retreat; difficulty tolerating noise. All of this helped me to empathize with Catriona more than any of the previous FMCs in this series and I was rooting for her to find her path to love on her terms.

I'll add, too, that the epilogue was so lovely and really concludes the whole series with satisfaction.

I can't wait to see what Evie writes next!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

A lovely ending to this series! I’m sad to move on from these characters, but I can’t wait to see what Evie Dunmore does next, especially if it’s more historical romance. Her writing feels so appropriate for the time period where it feels awkward and forced from other authors I’ve read.

I loved Cat and Elias both so much. We definitely got the impression in previous books that Catriona struggled with anxiety or fell somewhere on the autism spectrum so it was interesting to learn more about her and unpack her brain. Elias was so kind and patient and observant, I absolutely loved him.

While the story kind of slowed at points with a lot of foreign affairs, but knowing there was a potential major heist happening kept me interested. I also enjoyed the vignettes of each of the other women throughout, and the epilogue was incredibly sweet and satisfying.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

This was my first time reading a book by Evie Dunmore. There are aspects of this book that I enjoyed reading, and there were parts that were drawn out. I am a huge historical fiction girl, but I feel like there was too much history and repeating stories.

I ended up skimming through quite a bit because of the intense conversations on history. I felt like I was getting a lesson in school at times.

There are some LGBT storylines in the book. And spicy love scenes.

3.75 Stars

This was an incredible series and excellent ending heroine! Catriona is quiet, observant, educated beyond many women, and keeps many issues out of sight of the world. She can feel so many things so deeply she can become overwhelmed. She has quietly supported her circle of friends and the women's causes.

This is the last book in this series and it felt like the romance took a back seat to the history Ms. Dunmore was sharing. Yes, our hero comes to appreciate and support Catriona, but they get lost in the cause. I have enjoyed this seties and the cause was interesting to "see first hand," but I came for romance not a history lesson.

I will look at future books by Ms. Dunmore with a more discerning eye, ever hopeful.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a great addition to the series. The story contains a neuro-divergent character and a mixed race relationship. As expected, the novel features a strong and independent woman who is supported by her father. This novel was the perfect weekend read.

Evie Dunmore has crafted a wonderful romance world in this series. This continues with Catriona and Elias and their love story. Catriona is working to remain on her own and avoid marriage, while Elias is attempting to repatriate some artifacts stolen from his homeland. As a museum professional I adored this storyline! It felt true to the historical time of the British Museum "acquiring" whatever they can through whatever means and loopholes they can. Additionally, Elias' patience and care for Catriona was swoon worthy. Would highly recommend!

Catriona is the daughter of a Scottish professor and Elias is a visiting gentleman with a secret. When the two meet unexpectedly the tension is rife between them from the start. As Elias begins to spend more time with Catriona, he realizes how unique her disposition and intelligence are. So when the two are forced into each others company and begin to learn about one another’s aspirations and passions, they find a common ground that begins to lead them to a greater understanding and respect for one another. But with all that stands between them, how can they possibly find a way to make their happily ever after a reality?

I enjoyed this story for what it was. At times it was a bit heavily worded with historical information (although that information is evidently well researched on the author’s account). The slow burn, female driven story is about fighting for equality and following one’s passions. A bit of a look at history through modern lenses which at times feels accurate (when it pertains to stolen artistic and historical artifacts for the sake of “preservation”) and less accurate, more current trends.

Overall and interesting read and a compelling romance.

Read if you enjoy:
💙 neurodivergent leading lady
💙 Scottish/English setting
💙 foreign hero
💙 intelligent characters
💙 characters from different parts of the world, different cultures
💙 historical preservation
💙 suffragist movement

Romance: open door

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

It may be that I'm super grumpypants lately, or maybe it was this book, but I just wasn't feeling it. I didn't really like Catriona; Elias was fine, and it was nice to see a non-white person in a historical romance. I'm glad this was the last in the series because I'm kind of done with these characters.

Catriona Campbell is a bookish suffragist who had given up on romance after a bad go at it, yet she now finds herself playing host to her father's very charming and handsome young colleague who is on a mission of his own. Catriona spends most of her time working on her book and fighting for women's suffrage. She dreams of romance but has had a bad past with it that has lead her to keep her desires locked deep inside her. Yet one day while swimming in the loch... she exposes herself to her new colleague, Elias Khoury, the new guest that she will be playing host to for her father. Elias Khoury needs to get into Professor's Campbell's circle in order to steal back ancient artifacts for his homeland in the Middle East. He has to pretend to be in Oxford to classify artefacts but he actually needs Catriona's help... what started off as attempts to seduce her into helping him soon grows into it's own thing as he begins falling for the one woman that is unattainable... yet he can't keep away. Catriona and Elias are two people from different worlds, cultures, and more and yet the just might be perfect for each other... if only Elias could convince Catriona that he's the one for her. This was a fun read, it definitely leans really heavy into the history info but I enjoyed the romance between Elias and Catriona. I loved how attentive Elias was to Catriona's sensitivity and how much they both cared for each other. Their relationship was really fun to read and overall I had a good time.

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I was most excited for Catriona's book and I screamed with excitement when I saw that I got the arc. But unfortunately this one was somehow my least favourite book in the series. Catriona and Elias were amazing, their romance had all the angst I wanted but somehow I was left a little short of amazed. It could just be that my expectation were too high but nevertheless it needed something extra I am unable to articulate to make it great. I would still recommend it for fans of the series just for the glimpses of the previous couples sprinkled throughout.
Rating : 3.5 stars

I wanted to love this one, but sadly it wasn’t my favorite of the series. There was a lot going on with the artifacts and Elias’ plan to return them to their original owners and it felt like the romance between Elias and Catriona took a back seat. I loved the moments with Anabelle, Hattie, and Lucie and seeing how their relationships have developed. This picked up about halfway through for me. I loved the ending of the series and seeing the fruition of all of their work.

Another stunner from Evie Dunmore. I loved diving into Catriona's world, and woo! Elias is such a great romantic interest. I love the historical emphasis and how Dunmore treated the main conflict and the return of antiquities. Deftly told and a stunning romance.

Ahhh this series is over and I feel sad knowing their stories have all been told. 😞

However, I liked Catriona’s story and her transformation much more than Hattie’s and felt that Dunmore did us a service with the epilogue.

Plus the steam factor was piping hot and served up often - even if it didn’t start until more than halfway through the book.

These ladies were badass and were all inspired by real people and events. Remember to climb upon the shoulders of those who came before you and carry on the good fight.

I really enjoyed this fourth book in this series. I have always had a soft spot for Catriona and how she moves through her world. She is extremely intelligent and very reserved in social settings which makes her come off as awkward. But Elias sees through that and they have an instant connection and he is someone who can match intellects with Catriona. There are some sexy chess moves, a heist of archaeological collections, and some well done intimate scenes. For fans of this series, this is a great ending to a great series!

ARC Review: The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore
Pub date: December 5, 2023

I think this is primarily a case of right book wrong time for me, because unfortunately I didn't love this one quite as much as I've loved the other books in this series! I still enjoyed it but felt myself not incredibly excited to pick it up as I was reading.

There was a lot I liked and some things I was surprised by! In this book, Dunmore explores colonialism through stolen artifacts and the main plot surrounds the repatriation efforts undertaken by Elias and then Catriona. It of course continues to deal with women's suffrage, as all the books in this series have. I think Catriona is a particularly compelling character - in her author's notes, Dunmore says that Catriona likely would have been classified as "gifted" which she puts under the category of neurodiversity. I always love seeing neurodiverse representation, particularly in historical romances. I particularly love that when Catriona is trying to explain to Elias that she can't marry because she needs time to herself, Elias trusts her to know herself and never once questions her.

I think my main issues with this book were that I didn't feel particularly compelled by the romance or the plot. While I like the idea of the plot, it ended up not being a huge focal point throughout the book, and a lot of Catriona's plan ultimately happens off page so that the reader is as surprised as Elias is. It was just a bit more telling vs. showing that ultimately did not work super well for me.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @BerkleyRomance for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An incredible addition to this series! I love these strong women Dunmore writes, and the men strong enough to let them be who they are. Catriona and Elias were PERFECTION from the very first interaction at the loch.

This is a classic high expectations leading to a bit of an underwhelming read situation for me. The rest of this series was really wonderful for me so I was just excited to be back in this world and somehow this just fell quite flat to me.

For those of us who read Evie Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series and waited on baited breath for Catriona Campbell to finally find a love worthy of her remarkable mind, the wait is at last over. In The Gentleman’s Gambit, the quietest of our core four Suffragettes reveals her hidden depths, falls in love on her own terms, and shows she has a spirit every bit as adventurous as her best friends.

The story kicks off when Elias Khoury, a handsome new colleague of Catriona’s father, arrives ostensibly to catalogue Middle Eastern artifacts currently in possession of British academics. Catriona is tasked with playing guide for Elias, all while ignoring the inconvenient crush she’s developing, while Elias must also squash down his budding feelings for Catriona — especially since he’s actually come to England to repatriate the artifacts in question back home to the Middle East. It’s rare to find a book that really proclaims “fuck the British Museum” so wholeheartedly and consistently, and I am here for it.

Where Dunmore’s series has always thrived — besides the agonizingly delicious slow burns — is how realistic it all feels. The plot is richly steeped in history, heightening both the personal emotional stakes, as well as the larger ones for the world around our characters, and nowhere is it clearer than in The Gentleman’s Gambit. Elias is a foreigner, a Middle Eastern man who has adopted enough of the education and graces of English society that white men have no trouble referring to him as one of the “good ones” to his face, or indeed, simply remaining ignorant of his origins. Catriona is unmarried, and an academic, with no mother to teach her social graces, or any real fortune to fall back on (advantages afforded to the rest of her friends). She is also a neurodivergent woman in a time and place that didn’t really know what to do with a woman like that (not to say things are all that much better now) making things that much harder.

None of these hurdles are brushed aside, and there is no effort by the narrative to pretend that any of them are particularly easy for Catriona and Elias to overcome. But like the best sorts of romance, they are addressed, if not overcome, when the two of them work together, in mutual understanding and support. The romance aspect of The Gentleman’s Gambit is so sweet and tender, and so unique that this is easily my favorite of the series.

It’s also refreshing that Dunmore chose to include a plot point illustrating how the backwards mentality of the time did not just affect white women, but people of color as well. My only real regret is that we never had a woman of color’s point of view in the series (though never say never for a sequel series?). The English characters in the novel make no secret of how necessary they feel their involvement in the Middle East is, and show such a profound sense of entitlement over it. I wish I could say that any of the issues in the novel were things of the past, but alas, that’s not the world we live in. The book does end on a hopeful note however, one that speaks across the decades and centuries, promising that as long as there are those willing to fight for what is fair and what is right, there’s always going to be a silver lining, bleak as things may seem.

The Gentleman’s Gambit hits shelves December 5. Special thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the advance copy for review purposes.

I just finished reading "The Gentleman's Gambit" by Evie Dunmore, and I must say, it was an absolute delight. This historical romance novel is a captivating blend of intellect, passion, and wit, set against the backdrop of the women's suffrage movement in England.
Catriona Campbell, the bookish suffragist, immediately drew me in with her strong character. Her dedication to her work at Oxford and her fight for women's rights is both admirable and relatable. I found her introverted nature endearing and her dreams of romance, kept locked away due to past heartbreak, made her a character I couldn't help but root for.
Elias Khoury, the charming and enigmatic colleague, brings a touch of intrigue to the story. His ulterior motives add depth and complexity to the plot, and his growing attraction to Catriona is both heartwarming and intense.
The chemistry between Catriona and Elias is electric, and their forced proximity at Oxford's academic halls adds a layer of tension and anticipation. As their relationship develops, a risky game of love and trust ensues, keeping me eagerly turning the pages.
Evie Dunmore has woven a tale of romance, self-discovery, and societal change that kept me enthralled from beginning to end. "The Gentleman's Gambit" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a historical romance with strong, independent characters and a compelling storyline.

Very grateful to the publisher @berkleyromance for my review copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own.
Will post this review on my blog pages closer to pub day.