I was very much looking forward to this as my first Emily Sullivan. The cover is beautiful and I was interested in the premise/tropes including childhood crush, second chance, bluestocking x unexpected dukedom. But the romantic arc did not work for me. Will’s insistence that Phoebe isn’t good enough for him?? How is that romantic? And he leaves her, leaving HER to seek him out and she is the one to apologize? And he never verbalizes a declaration of love? No thank you. This is very disappointing. I have heard wonderful things about Sullivan’s other books though and will continue to support her within this sub genre.

DNF. I was really excited for this book because I adore estranged childhood friends to lovers, and the premise sounded fun, but the execution on this one was boring for me. Phoebe seemed like she was martyring herself, and her sisters were more interesting to me as a reader. Will was also a bit dull and complacent — “oh the former Duke was a conservative, so I guess I should be too, even if I don’t really agree with it.” I can tell that Phoebe will challenge this for him, and I don’t think it’s her responsibility to turn him into a decent person. I didn’t want to stick around and watch him flounder until he grew a backbone.

Enchanting. This was a new author read that was delightful. There is history between the hero and the heroine which I really enjoyed. the reader gets to see how they grow beyond their childhood and beyond the place where they first began :). Free ARC from NetGalley for honest review.

This one took me a few chapters to get into, but once I did I couldn’t put it down!

Content: open door
I think I skipped two, maybe three scenes. Conversations had during those scenes were referred back to later. So I did feel like I missed a little bit of the story, but not enough to have a negative impact.

I love Emily Sullivan's books because they're both the familiar histrom archetypes but with elements that make them feel so fresh, whether it be different settings or strong female characters forging their own paths. I enjoyed the light mystery element of this one as well. A great read!

Starchy reluctant duke falls apart for a blue stocking sister of his friend who used to have a crush on him. Should’ve been a home run for me but Will’s entire arc was overcoming “she’s not good enough for me”. No nuance at all. And I struggled to see that he loved her. He doesn’t even say it. But what was worse was that Phoebe always assumed she wasn’t good enough for him either.

Some long expositions and the ending draaaagged. But I’m curious about Alex and Freddie even though Will and Phoebe were lukewarm.

ARC Review: Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan
Pub Date: November 19, 2024

I have adored all of Emily's books and this one is no exception! It has a really good balance of plot and romance and I rooted for the relationship the entire way. I'm super excited to see more books in this series and more from Emily in general!

Phoebe is a teacher at a school for disadvantaged girls. When one of her most promising students goes missing, she reluctantly works alongside Will, Duke of Ellis. To Phoebe, Will is just Will - the boy that she grew up with and pined after but who is now so far out of her league.

I will say it took me about 40% of the book to really get into it but I think that was more my mood than anything else because once I got into it, I adored all of the characters. I love reading in the Victorian era and really appreciated the author's note at the end of the book. I loved how fiercely independent Phoebe is and seeing her choose her own path that is so different from the rest of her family. I think Phoebe and Will's relationship was really well rounded - they sometimes said the wrong thing but always came back and apologized. As I always say - communication is sexy!

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

This was really fun. I loved how strong the women characters were, and the timeline of the relationship between Will and Phoebe seemed realistic. I always get frustrated when a book relationship moves too quickly, and this one was perfect. I also enjoyed the mystery of Alice. I’m hoping we get another book with the sisters.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC

It was fine. An average cutsey read, was not anything new or wild. I became more interested in what her sister Alex's story might be after a while

Duchess Material was a super cute second chance romance with a sprinkle of mystery. It was sexy, adventurous, and fun! I really loved Phoebe and was rooting for her! I do agree with other readers that Will wasn’t my favorite match for her. I was definitely most interested in the finding of the student and Phoebe and her sisters in general. They were fun to read about!

I liked a lot about the set up of this story. Second chance. Childhood crush. Unexpected dukedom. Bluestocking. Liberal politics. Getting revenge on cruel hypocrites. Fun sisters.

The romance just didn’t work for me. Will’s almost book long insistence that Phoebe isn’t good enough for him being resolved by her apology was disappointing. I didn’t buy his character arc at all.

I loved Sullivan’s other books though and am looking forward to the rest of this series.

We have Phoebe, a badass schoolteacher on the hunt for her missing student, and Will, her girlhood crush turned seemingly pretentious Duke. In an unlikely circumstance, they team up to find the missing girl -- only they discover a lot more about each other and their unresolved feelings along the way.

Well-written, adventurous, sexy, and a quick read!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.)

This was, unfortunately, not for me. The "duke struggles with the burden of his title and falls in love with a woman *beneath* him" premise is one thing, but when it's clear the entire character arc will be said duke discovering a woman he supposedly admires and respects isn't actually going to ruin his life and standing, I just don't care to watch him grow. I want him to trip in a mud puddle and then forget he ever existed. This set-up is a favorite for many readers, and I respect that watching starchy people fall apart is the draw, but this MMC wasn't starchy so much as deeply impressionable and unmotivated. He did not once tell the FMC he loved her, and waited at every turn for her to apologize for having any expectations of him at all. His inner monologue was grating. I think I have some fairly ingrained biases against this style MMC and others may not find him as off-putting.

Phoebe y Will eran amigos hasta que él heredó el ducado y tuvo que irse para aprender sobre sus responsabilidades. No se vieron por años, cada uno hizo su vida, ella se convirtió en maestra y él es un exitoso duque quien está en busca de una esposa.


Me gustó como Phoebe le fue abriendo los ojos y que el fuera más consiente de su privilegio y de como sus acciones y propuestas en el parlamento podían cambiar la vida de la gente ya fuera para bien o para mal.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A TOTAL WINNER. What a delightful read from Emily Sullivan. This book has absolutely everything. I want to give this book to all of my friends and shake them until they read it!

Thank you to Forever for the eARC via NetGalley, unfortunately this book was not for me and I won't be finishing it. Phoebe has just gotten released from jail by hailing the now-Duke that she knew in childhood?! What should be a very engaging start is bogged down by unbroken full pages of info dump on what felt like a dozen side characters, between lines of MC dialogue, and I struggled to stay invested. This was my first by Emily Sullivan.

That cover tho, gorgeous!

5 🌟's

my back-to-back 5 star reads have been giving me LIFE. i went into this not having crazy expectations and the way i absolutely LOVED this? from the first chapter where the MMC has to bail the FMC from prison was just chef's kiss lol - childhood friends to lovers has never been tHIS good omg the PINING and the love and memories they both had but also the new ones they made here was just so beautiful.

the 3rd act getting back together scene healed smth in me LOL - the way these two communicated and apologized and just let it go.. it was everything to read

and ngl, the plot was GIVING. i was never bored and actually was so invested in the mystery aspect of it - it was the perfect balance to the romance and i was here for it.

honestly, such a wonderful book and i hope that it's a series?!! alex is a bad bitch and i wud LOVE to see her romance and ofc freddie's too!!!!

So swoony and perfect for any lover of a true period piece! The characters were well drawn, and I loved the twist on the romance genre with the mystery angle of Phoebe's missing student. My favorite romances are ones where not only do the couples learn about themselves as a couple, but discover their own inner strength & superpowers through their pursuit of the central romantic relationship. I'll be keeping an eye out for Ms. Sullivan's next venture!

Romance, family drama, friendship, and deep social issues are the main themes of Duchess Material. Fyi, this reader has no doubt that the FMC is a perfect duchess material. The MMC is just stupid.

This was an interesting plot, albeit a bit predictable. Phoebe was a contradiction. She viewed herself as “a boring little spinster” even though that was not the case given her visit to a den, breaking into a building, climbing through a window etc. Nevertheless, I liked her. The sisters were formidable, and I’m eager to see what mischief they get into next. There were some misunderstandings and miscommunication between the MCs that did annoy me a bit. Furthermore, there was some unpleasantness with that odious earl, which I didn’t care for. I was, however, invested in the mystery behind the student’s disappearance.

I think I would have enjoyed the romance more if Will wasn’t such a condescending, insensitive dummy. He was defending the earl’s daughter and her suitability as his duchess even at 75% of the book? Despite the Pride and Prejudice moments (botched proposal, wet shirt, most ardently) sprinkled throughout the book, Will failed to measure up to Mr. Darcy.
“Well, you seem awfully unconcerned for a girl on the verge of public ruination.” Really, buddy?

3.5 rounded up to 4.

~ ARC Review ~

*Duchess Material* by Emily Sullivan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: November 19, 2024

Publisher: Forever | Grand Central Publishing

Genre: Adult Historical Romance

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

When one of Phoebe Atkinson's students goes missing, she's determined to discover where she is and who's connected- but when she ends up in a tough situation as a result of her investigating, her get-out-of-trouble card is none other than Will Ellington- a lifelong friend of hers who became estranged when he inherited a dukedom. Readers follow the two through a winding mystery to uncover Phoebe's student's whereabouts, witnessing them encounter some side challenges along the way. Particularly: a pesky, growing romance.

This was my first ever arc on Netgalley, and I really enjoyed it! It's a quick and enjoyable read: the romance is sweet, the humor had me laughing out loud, and I loved the plot. Phoebe as a character is awesome- her feisty attitude and determination made her intriguing to read, and Will's inner monologue was hilarious. Their character growth was natural and believable, and the way they tumbled back into each other's lives, despite the incredulity of the situation, felt natural. I also enjoyed the family dynamics- they bring in some discussion of other important topics of the time period.

Fans of books with banter, historical settings, complex (but sometimes funny) dynamics between characters, and just a * hint *of danger, this one's for you!

Read if you like:

~  romantic tension & banter

~  an against-the-odds romance

~  a mystery plot with just as much presence as the romance

~ the friends-to-lovers trope

If you loved Pride and Prejudice, you'll probably love this too! I know I'll be keeping an eye out for Emily Sullivan's other books 🤭 

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing a review copy of this book through Netgalley!