I really like the way their relationship was developed, especially since they knew each other before and there were already some feelings between them. I also feel like the author did a good job balancing the little bit of mystery that we get and it didn't feel like a separate entity from the plot. I really liked Phoebe as a main character. She was so smart and independent and I love that she stood up for what she believed in. You can also definitely see the chemistry between her and Will and the author did their slow burn SO well.

EXCUSE ME. THIS BOOK THOUGH.
The way that I devoured this is unreal!!
The childhood friends to not to more?! The mystery, the contrast between our two main characters, the romance: UGH
I'm obsessed and I need to read more by Emily Sullivan ASAP.

Thank you so much for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!

4/5

3.5 stars. Super cute romance with a decent amount of spice. I love how strong the MFC is. There Were some loose ends that were not tied up at the end of the book with the sisters. Could lead to additional books in the series but that is not clear at this time.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the DRC of Duchess Material! All opinions in this review are my own.

While I am a newer Emily Sullivan, Duchess Material once again proves why I fell in love with her books in the first place! I love the romance between Phoebe and William, especially since they have a history prior to the book starting. I hope this becomes a series because there are a few side characters that deserve their own romances as well!

I finally found a modern regency romance that gave me the feels of Jane Austen. I loved the banter between Phoebe and William. William reminded me a bit of Mr. Darcy and Phoebe had Elizabeth's spunk. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a very fun book!

This was a delight of a book -- it reminded me of eating a tea cake or some other little scrumptious desert. I'm a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, especially when she's a bluestocking, and Sullivan proved that there is always a new way to interpret an old trope/narrative. Wonderful, sexy, feminist.

Spicy! This book was surprising to me, as I did not know anything about it this author, but I have to say it was funny, fast paced, and kept my attention. It Is story of when you don't go looking for love, but it finds you, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. This story was fun adventure, I loved it so much I am looking forward to what is next for this author.

Phoebe is happy with her life as a schoolteacher, she doesn't need husband and is proud of her independence. This until one of her best pupils go missing and she has no choice but turn to childhood friend for help. Forget the fact that he is handsome but also duke, but she removes old feelings to find her student. William Margrave never wanted to become a duke but here he is and now he must find the perfect duchess. So when Phoebe comes to him for help, he puts his duchess search on hold to help her. But the more time they spend together, things start to heat up and maybe he can't ignore that childhood crush after all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Paperback for copy of this book for my honest review.

Emily Sullivan is one of my absolute favorite historical romance authors. Duchess Material is a delightfully swoony romance with just a dash of mystery, set in the late 1890s and featuring a spunky school teacher and her childhood friend turned duke. I’m a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers trope, and the relationship between Phoebe and Will had me giggling and kicking my feet. I love that Phoebe was so passionate about carving out a spot for herself in a society that would rather have kept her boxed in. I love that she cared so much for her students. I love that Will was both her savior and her enabler in her capers. I just loved Duchess Material, period.

Definitely recommend picking up Duchess Material as well as her entire League of Scoundrels series!

This one was lackluster for me. The premise sounded promising enough — an unconventional woman, childhood friends separated by an unexpected peerage sounded interesting, second chance, etc. However, these elements and the overall execution never really came together and bordered on boring at times. The story also felt very modern, yanking me out of the narrative a few times to regain my bearings.

Phoebe seemed to martyr herself and quickly became one of the least interesting characters. The Duke came off as flat and a milksop who hesitated to assert his own opinions or thoughts. Instead, it seems like Phoebe will ultimately be responsible for acting as both their spines.
Several plot lines (e.g., the Annie mystery) were resolved unceremoniously in ways that didn't fit the build-up. Others were disappointing, such as Will's repeated insistence that Phoebe isn't fit to be a duchess, just to be resolved by her apology.

Overall, Duchess Material was fine, with a passable happy ending. While I didn't love this one, I would read a follow-up centered on one of Phoebe's sisters.

✨2.5 — rounded to 3 for review purposes

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Forever, for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

My two favorite genres are mysteries and romance, so I adored that this book mixed a bit of the two! A new to me author, Emily Sullivan's writing kept me wanting to read more. I always appreciate a clever bluestocking protagonist, so this worked fantastically for me.

Spectacular. Give me 14 of them right now.

And I'm not kidding about that either. This book? You cannot convince me that it wasn't written specifically for me. The late Victorian era, a duke and a spitfire independent woman, childhood history—add in the chemistry, banter and romantic tension and I want to eat this book. I inhaled it in almost two sittings because I couldn't put it down. This review is so useless but I don't have any coherent thoughts other than I am obsessed and I cannot wait for the next book from this author because this was perfect.

I'm at the start of a historical romance binge right now, but I think I just want to reread this one six times instead.

Duchess Material is a sharp, witty, and spicy Victorian romp! Overall a fun read.

While I loved the premise of this book, it was just an okay read. I didn't love or hate the characters or plot.

Thank you Netgalley and Applesauce Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

An enjoyable historical romance. I find I usually love or hate the genre and this is a love. The characters are likable, the banter fun and the romance as advertised. Will be looking for more Emily Sullivan titles in the future

Overall I enjoyed this story . The banter was fun , the romance was cute , although I did find Phoebe to be kind of annoying at times in earlier chapters .The last third of the book was quite enjoyable and I look forward to reading more about Phoebes sisters in future stories

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

It's another fantastic historical romance with pining, can he have her, does she love him, and all the thrills that Duchess Material has to offer and more. It kicks off with Phoebe Atkinson in need of assistance after getting herself arrested for trespassing. After that the Duke, his name is William, helps her, they seem to constantly be in each others orbit as Phoebe is desperate to find her missing student and save her school from shuttering its doors.

I loved how our heroine was unwilling to sacrifice her ideals and independence for societies rigid and unfair social norms set for women during this time period. Phoebe is resilient in every way and tries her best to be optimistic in a world that would see her value and worth tied to the man she needs to marry. Plus William just after a short period of time, it's really only a handful of chapters, realizes just how right Phoebe is to be his partner as well as the Duchess he needs.

Friends to rivals(ish) to friends to lovers, he falls first, and all he wants to do is make her his duchess, but keeps going back and forth on if he should, there’s a little bit for everyone in this historical romance!

Make sure to grab a copy of this one!

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing); all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Again, I'm coming back after a long review hiatus, so it's been quite some time since I read this book. That said, I feel like it was a solid historical romance for those in the market for such things. Enjoyable characters and banter!

I do not remember any content warnings, unfortunately, but would definitely easily bet on historical classism and sexism for sure, and probably sexual scenes.

Sometimes I feel like regency books drag on forever before getting to any real romance, but *Duchess Material* completely broke that mold for me. The tension and longing between Phoebe and Will were palpable right from the start, and it made this book SO much more enjoyable than other regency novels I’ve read.

I also loved the little homage to other regency classics and movies—especially the use of "most ardently" (cue the squeals). It was such a nice touch! And can we talk about the spice? It was absolutely spicing in the best way possible.

What really stood out to me was how unconventional Will’s path to becoming a Duke was. It added another layer of sincerity to his character and to their romance. It felt so genuine and refreshing compared to the typical regency storylines.

And of course, Phoebe was a standout. She wasn’t just a woman on the hunt for a suitor or looking for love. She stayed true to herself and her beliefs throughout the book, and I loved that love found her naturally along the way. Will’s respect for her independence sealed the deal for me. He never tried to change her, and he was willing to sacrifice being with her rather than force her into a life she didn’t want.

If you love regency romance with strong, well-rounded characters, tension-filled longing, and a bit of spice, this is a must-read!

As I look back on reading this book to write a review, I honestly can't remember that much of it. It wasn't a book that stuck with me, or stood out in my memory. I did enjoy the writing style and found it funny and smart. But for me, the romance and plot weren't especially engaging or memorable. I wasn't immediately drawn into the characters' lives and their stakes, and so it wasn't ultimately a satisfactory reading experience.

A good pick for historical romance readers, but just kind of...meh for me.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. DUCHESS MATERIAL is out now.

I devoured this book, and I need more. This was so fun, and I loved every second. Please tell me more books are coming, because I need more from this family.