In Emily Sullivan’s forthcoming Duchess Material we have Phoebe Atkinson and Will Margrave, childhood friends on the verge of confessing their mutual feelings as teenagers when Will inherits a dukedom out of the blue and has to leave Phoebe (to her bitter regret) and life as he knows it behind. Eight years later they barely see each other despite Will’s close friendship with her older sister, and are on two widely different paths. Will has become a bit of a stuffed shirt as he tries to prove to the ton that he is worthy of the title he was never meant to have, while Phoebe has taken up work educating girls from poor (or no) families, to her wealthy businessman father’s dismay. When she encounters trouble investigating the disappearance of one of her students, she calls on Will in a fit of desperation. Suddenly they are back in each other’s orbit and realizing that there was more to the childhood crushes than they dared to believe.

What a terrific book and what I assume/hope is the start of a series focusing on Atkinson sisters! I am a sucker for a childhood friends to strangers to lovers romance and this was an extremely satisfying version of the trope. I liked the somewhat unconventional set up here—two people from successful families largely outside the aristocracy until Will is forced to join its ranks. It creates artificial class differences between the two main characters, both of whom are still extraordinarily privileged, and juxtaposes that against the challenges facing the poor and true working class. I really liked that even Phoebe who has, in some ways, walked away from her wealthy family to work as a school teacher is reminded of her privilege and how much she has to learn about what is truly beneficial to her students and their families. It was interesting, too, to see that even in Phoebe’s unconventional family where both she and her older sister are able to work, there are limits to what is viewed as acceptable; her father dismisses Phoebe’s work as a teacher (though he would have supported her working for the family business) and questions whether her sister, as an unmarried woman, can be taken seriously as the eventual head of the company even when it is clear how much she contributes to its success (one has to believe this latter point will be a critical part of Alex’s story which I am very excited to read—Freddie’s too!). I will admit that I was not sure of Will as a character at first—he really drank the ducal kool aid and I was as frustrated as Phoebe in how he’d seemingly forgotten his roots; but it was easier to empathize as the plot progressed. Still, I wish that they had talked things out just a bit more on page.

Finally I have to applaud the various allusions to Pride and Prejudice (both the book and the 1990s mini series featuring Colin Firth) throughout the book—most specifically with Will’s terrible proposal and the pond swim that resulted in Phoebe stumbling upon Will in a damp shirt scene. A+, no notes.

This amazing book is out November 19th; thanks to Netgalley and Forever publishing for the e-ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

A breath of fresh air!

This book is set in 1890s England. What a nice change to see a historical fiction book set in the Victorian era! It's a sign of the times that the main character, Phoebe, and her sister, Alex, are both working. Their jobs create a little conflict with their upper class family, but they are still accepted members of society.

Phoebe is in love with Will, who grew up on a neighboring property. Phoebe and her siblings played with Will and his brother and Phoebe started pining for Will in her teens. They lost touch when Will became the heir to a Duke and he left to live with that man. They are reunited when Phoebe gets in some trouble while her father and sister are in New York and she drops his new name in attempts to be let go.

The reunion doesn't go well, as they've both changed a lot since their teen years, but they are attracted to each other and we get to see a beautiful and funny friends-to-lovers story unfold.

The secondary characters, especially the siblings, are wonderful additions to this story and they had me hoping that this is the start of a series. I would love to see these characters again! There's a mystery subplot that deals with working class women and organized crime the could be further explored!

The pace is fast and there are some delightful references to Pride and Prejudice!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

This was a load of fun in a historical romance - and honestly, more of a classic regency romance than I would've expected from the cover. Phoebe is the middle sister, broken free from the confines of her upper society birth by becoming a teacher to girls who cannot afford it. Her family runs a successful business, and she has the classic spirit of the do-gooder judging her family's capitalistic tendencies. Our MMC was once of the same upper echelon class, but somehow ended up inheriting a title and is continually trying to do right by his title and his place in the House of Lords. This has an element of second-chance romance and the=one-that-got-away, with an underlying element of mystery as Phoebe is searching for one of her students. I would say the mystery aspect wasn't necessarily driving the plot; what was really standout at the center of this whole novel was the relationship between the sisters; I found myself intrigued to learn more about each other disparate personalities and am excited to read their individual books as well.

This is the first historical romance book I have ever read and I absolutely loved it! Emily Sullivan is a new must read author for me.

Phoebe is a school teacher who is living below her means to be independent from her family. William is Phoebe’s sister Alex's best friend who became a Duke at the age of 19 when he didn’t even know that was a possibility for him and had to leave his old life, and his chance at a life with Phoebe, behind. Now years have passed and he is looking for a respectable woman to be his duchess. William gets a call to pick Phoebe up from the police station after she got caught lurking around the apartment building where her missing student lives. When Phoebe makes it clear that she is going to be continuing her search for her student, William decides to join her so she doesn’t get herself into too much trouble and he ends up uncovering a scheme that will turn his life upside down. Throughout the search Phoebe and William rekindle what they had started before he left to learn how to be a Duke and try to figure out if their differing lifestyles, the expectations that everyone has for them, and their futures will work if they get together.

The way she wrote this book immediately sucked me into the world and had me reading during every free second that I had. Phoebe and William are a perfect match for each other and had me desperately begging them to figure their sh*t out so they could just be happy together! The mystery of where Phoebe's missing student went made me want to finish the book quickly and was a great plot device to make Phoebe and William get together even when they were not inclined to do so themselves because of their mutual stubbornness. Getting to know both of their families and all of the baggage that comes with them really fleshed the characters out and helped me understand more about who they are. I also really enjoyed that they had their own quests happening outside the main plot so they could grow both individually and together. I appreciated that every character is different and dimensional. They are all individuals who have their own ambitions, feelings, lifestyles, and mannerisms. They are all going through their own things in their lives that are not tied to the main characters or the main plot. It makes me really excited to read the next books so that I can see these characters grow and interact with each other more. I really enjoy the way the author highlighted the many issues women had to deal with in the Victorian era and how she championed women forging their own paths, while also not looking down upon women who did what was expected of them or doing what they needed to do to survive. So many books would have had the main characters act like they are better than the women marrying for financial security or entertaining men for money, but the author made sure to emphasize that everyone deserves respect, which should be an uncontroversial sentiment.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! It showed me what I was missing by not reading historical romance and I am excited to read more asap. I cannot wait to see which sister gets their book next! Thank you to Forever Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with this advanced reader copy. This review reflects my personal thoughts and feelings of this story.

DNF @ 30%

There is nothing wrong with this book, but I am not interested in the romance which at this point hasn't even begun to develop. While I do enjoy a slow burn, I need to care about the characters and I do not care for William as a hero. Phoebe is vastly more interesting. I also can see how the mystery of Phoebe's missing student will take over the story, and I would prefer the romance to be the focus.

I'm sure others will enjoy this book, but it sadly wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the RC!

4⭐️
"Will frowned as her eyes twinkled with devious delight entirely at his expense. And to his utter horror, he liked it. Quite a lot."

This was so much fun! I've enjoyed all of the Emily Sullivan books I've read, but I think this one really takes the cake. A fun romp through 1896 London!

Our main characters Will and Phoebe are childhood friends- they grew up on neighbouring land, and Will was and is still good friends with Phoebe's older sister, Alex. Phoebe was always the younger sister begging to tag along, until that last summer when her and Will started to grow closer. But then he unexpectedly became heir to a title, and left to learn everything he could about the dukedom. Cut to eight years later, and the two haven't spoken since. Will is still friends with Alex, but him and Phoebe don't move in the same circles.

The two unexpectedly cross paths, and Will begins to help Phoebe with finding one of her missing students. The two of them can't help but be drawn to each other- the chemistry and pull between them was so good! They just felt so comfortable with each other but on another level both so nervous to voice how they're really feeling. They know they can't be together- Will needs a wife who is 'duchess material', and Phoebe thinks marrying means giving up her career and newfound freedom.

I enjoyed that they had such a mature relationship. Both of them made mistakes, but were fully able to own up to them and apologize. They were both willing to talk things about and compromise in order to be together.

The ending felt like a setup for a followup book in this series, so I'm really hoping we get to see Alex and Freddie get their moments as well!

Thank you to Netgalley and publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved it!! This is a first time author for me, and Emily Sullivan didn't disappoint!!

I loved the progressive setting of this book- our fearless FMC, Phoebe as well as how dedicated she was to her teaching profession and to her students! I also loved the thorough character sketches of Will as well as Phoebe! The chemistry between them was off the charts! The mystery element in this book was sophisticated and sufficiently intriguing. Throughout the story, the author explores several social justice themes of that particular era. These themes are well researched and beautifully presented.

At the risk of giving away too much, my only issue with the story (and maybe I'm in the minority with this:))- I wasn't sure whether the intimacy shared by the characters jived with the times in which the book is set in...Somehow, it didn't flow logically. Added to this, the cavalier attitude of the FMC regarding her own reputation (when there's was potential risk to it, as presented in the book) was somewhat jarring. This could have been just bravado to save face (in the presence of the MMC). The book gives some such indication, yet this internal conflict is not quite explored fully, since too many things happen, IMO, in the last 20-30% of the story. This to me particularly stood out, and didn't gel with the FMC's character as portrayed in the story..

Overall, I thought this book was a perfect blend of mystery and romance! Can't wait to read more by the author! Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#DuchessMaterial #NetGalley

Emily Sullivan never misses, and with this book she's made me discover my new favorite thing in romances: heartfelt adult apologies. My new kink, if you will. When in Duchess Material Phoebe and Will sometimes said legitimate but mean things to each other (like "you're not using the power of the dukedom to champion radical political causes!") and then they both went away and thought about WHAT the other person said as well as HOW they said it and then saw each other again and apologized for the right things? I absolutely swooned.

So yeah, I loved this book. I also loved a ton of other little things about it besides the apologies, like how Phoebe is Will's best friend's sister, but Alex, said BFF, is a woman (I think this is my first "big sister's best friend" romance). Or how Sullivan sets up a big misunderstanding/miscommunication conflict but makes it both realistic and sidesteps a lot of issues I have with this type of conflict. Or how freaking sexy this book is!

If you like historical romance, you really need to read this book.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This was a light and fun read wher Bridgerton met Pride and Prejudice. I loved seeing the adventures and growing relationship of childhood friends Will and Phoebe.

I am a big fan of historical fiction romance, and this book checks all the boxes. We have an energetic main character Phoebe, and the old childhood friend turned Duke, The way the work together and bond makes for an enjoyable journey while they are on a mission to discover what has happened to a student.
Thank you netgalley for Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan

What a delightful historical romance! I loved Phoebe's character and her motivation to find her own way. She leans on her friend, the Duke, to help her in a new intriguing mystery. The heartfelt relationship between these two just rounded out the story so well.

This was a great historical romance. The main characters were wonderfully written and their banter was hilarious.

Emily Sullivan writes extremely smart, sexy, and profoundly feminist romances- this is no exception. This is a romance between two adults stumbling to make sense of their place in the world, and with each other. They make mistakes but communicate and apologize through them. They both have personal growth, in addition to falling in love. They also have really good sex. Just an absolute treat to read, I adored it start to finish and can’t wait for the next stories of Phoebe’s two sisters!

I absolutely adored Duchess Material! Phoebe and Will had great chemistry and the tension throughout the story just made it all that much better. Phoebe is just the kind of heroine that it's easy to root for: independent and outspoken, but thoroughly loo likeable. I love Sullivan's writing style and will definitely be reading more from her.

I love a character who thinks he fully supports women and that "good enough" means problem solved because it opens him up to the hard-hitting woman he's inevitably pissed off. It's very satisfying to see a character realize that he's been asking the wrong questions, from the wrong perspective, and to track his halfway mind turning fully into renewed conviction.

Which is all just to say that I loved Phoebe and Will's slowburn chemistry.

This is not a mystery. It's not even what I'd call a mystery romance alá a Veronica Speedwell novel, which is completely fine. I just wanted to forewarn in case you were thinking that the missing person case is an actual mystery when it primarily serves as a backdrop.

I'm hoping this is going to be a series because Freddie is a dear and Alex is a badass, and I can't decide which Atkinson sister I want to read about next!

Summary:
Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan is a charming, adventure-filled love story that had me hooked right from the start. It’s only a slight deviation from my usual reads, mainly because of the mystery element and the Victorian setting, but I found myself completely absorbed in the story of Phoebe Atkinson and William Margrave, the Duke of Ellis. This book strikes a great balance between romance and adventure, with characters you can’t help but root for.

Characters:
Phoebe Atkinson: Phoebe is an outspoken bluestocking with a heart of gold. I loved how dedicated she is to her students and how she refuses to conform to society’s expectations. She’s strong, independent, and brings a refreshing energy to the story that really stood out.
William Margrave, Duke of Ellis: Will’s a complex character, shaped by the pressures of his title. Watching him reconnect with his old ideals as he and Phoebe grow closer was really satisfying. His transformation felt authentic and well-earned.

Writing Style:
Emily Sullivan’s writing is engaging and easy to get lost in. The pacing is just right, perfectly balancing the romance with the adventure. The chemistry between Phoebe and Will is well-developed, making their relationship feel genuine and heartfelt.

Romantic Elements:
The romance between Phoebe and Will is sweet and believable. Their dynamic is full of tension and growth, and I loved seeing their old feelings evolve into something deeper. The backdrop of their search across London adds an exciting element to their love story.

Overall Thoughts:
Duchess Material is a fun, engaging read that fans of historical romance will enjoy. The characters are well-developed, the plot is exciting, and the romance is a satisfying blend of sweetness and depth. I was lucky to get an ARC of this book, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a promising start to what looks like an excellent series. I’m already looking forward to the next book!

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

**The review is also posted on GoodReads**

Phoebe is determined to make her own path and move out of her parents' mansion and become a teacher. One of her pupils goes missing and she relies on her sister's powerful friend, Duke of Ellis for help. He wants to be the perfect duke and marries the perfect duchess that fits into society's expectation... Yet he never got over Phoebe...

Love how swoony the story is . I like how independent Phoebe is and how she is her own person. William is complicated and tries to do the right thing all the time. It's terrific that they work things out when they are older and wiser. A very romantic book... Love it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This is delightful! Phoebe and Will were once friends, until Will suddenly became the Duke of Ellis. Eight years later, Phoebe’s and Will’s paths cross again and they both find themselves increasingly intrigued by one another. However, Phoebe might just be the only woman in England uninterested in becoming the next Duchess of Ellis. Which is totally fine by Will, since he knows Phoebe isn’t the right choice for the role. If only his pesky feelings would comply with his thoughts!

I enjoyed this very much - there is a compelling romance and an equally intriguing mystery plot. Phoebe is easy to root for and has wonderful chemistry with Will. Phoebe’s sisters and Will’s brother are all charming as well and I was just as invested in their stories. I look forward to reading more by the author (and hope her next novel features another Atkinson sister).

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This book swept me off my feet with its enchanting mix of romance and intrigue! Phoebe Atkinson’s fiercely independent spirit and her unexpected plea for help from the Duke of Ellis create an irresistible tension that had me hooked. The dynamic between Phoebe and William Margrave is filled with emotional depth and crackling chemistry; watching their relationship evolve from strained to deeply passionate is a joy. The blend of mystery surrounding the missing pupil and the genuine, heartfelt moments between them make this story both thrilling and deeply satisfying. I will definitely be reading and recommending more from this author.

Duchess Material is an incredibly swoony, achingly heartfelt and deeply memorable. I love everything Emily writes!!