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.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this eARC! I thought this was an interesting take on historical romance and I loved the plot that supported the romance in this book. I loved both of the characters and how the dynamics of their relationship were balanced. I liked that they were already established in a sense that we knew that they already knew each other for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Wow. I loved this book! This is the first older sister's best friend book I think I've read. I enjoyed the MMC and FMC's interactions with one another. I also liked the way that the author weaved the past in with the present storyline. I appreciated that the book provided commentary on what was going on for women in that time period. I liked the discussion of the different social classes and that some people were willing to ignore those lines and pursue friendships and relationships anyway.

The only thing that knocked off half a star for me were the inaccuracy that I found of Will having relations with Phoebe before they were together. That, from my understanding, would've provided absolute ruin for her in society. The only other frustration I had was that the very end. I felt that the main characters story was complete but the side characters could use some more closure from me. (Unless she's writing another book then I would read that so quick.)
I absolutely loved the relationship between Phoebe and Will and thought that they communicated so well. When Phoebe or Will would say something in frustration to the other, they would go and think about what the other person said, go back and apologize for what they did and apply the truth that was in the statement. Healthy, adult communication was displayed in this book and that is so incredibly refreshing. I would love to read anything else by Emily Sullivan. I loved the writing style, plot, characters, setting, everything. It was fabulous. I would absolutely read this one again.

Closed Door Modifications: 11,15,16,17

I'm a sucker for historical friends to lovers. The author did interesting things with our beloved tropes, which made the main characters feel unique and refreshing.

Emily Sullivan returns of an all series in historical Victorian London. This series appears to be focussed around the Atkinson sisters, who are a gentle family you are not interested in all societies rules.

Duchess Material focusses on the middle sister, Phoebe, who is an activist and social justice warrior… which is how she finds herself in the county jail need the assistance and someone powerful.

Enter her old childhood friend turned Duke, William Margrave, the Duke of Ellis. Since inheriting added the blue, he’s been focussed on becoming the Duke and is currently looking for the perfect Duchess.

It’s been forever, but William drops everything when Phoebe needs him. Now at least two are linked again I said hang up to help reading in her latest mission!

This was a fun series opener, and I’m excited to see where this goes. Introduction to the other sisters, Alexandra and Winifred has me intrigued!

Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the relationship between Phoebe and William, it didn’t click for me. That being said, I love the storytelling and the adventures they go on as they unravel the mystery of her missing student.

I loved Sullivan's previous titles but this one didn't work for me, unfortunately. I put it down with an eye to picking it up again before release, but never quite got there.

A light romantic read to round out the year. This felt cozy and feminist with the right amount of romantic tension to keep me from feel bored with the rest of the plot surrounding the love story. I liked this and would read more from this author!

I had a good time with this. Phoebe and Will had a fun dynamic. I enjoyed the little bit of mystery in the plot. I was always enjoy getting two MCs work together to slice a problem. I also really enjoyed the side characters. Phoebe’s sisters make me look forward to what Sullivan has in store for the series next!

This was a good historical romance. It's a classic childhood friends to lovers and it does the trope well. I especially liked the time period which (I think) is the late 19th century -- like 1880s or 1890s.

Ok, first off Emily Sullivan is clearly a talented writer, and she's done a lot of research and she is writing about a cool time period in history, but then there are obvious weird mistakes like the protagonist getting a courtesy tittle after the heir apparent died, he is the heir presumptive and so has no rights to use a courtesy title. Like I don't understand why that would be in there, he would just be a plain mister until the title holder died.

I liked this book, but I wanted to love it, and I couldn't.. I loved that the heroine was different, lived alone, was part of the upper classes, but not the heights of society etc, I liked that she was a schoolteacher and had a social mission, the book does a lot of cool stuff, but the romance kinda disappears in that. I just found myself not as engaged as I wanted to be. I also felt it was unfortunate that there was a lot of stuff happening in the background with the sisters, in a way that made things feel unfinished. there were so many teasers for upcoming books it kinda took over and I felt frustrated that I got both too much, and not enough of the sisters, and that it ended with a cliffhanger with no preview or promise of what would happen with the sister(s)
at the end, I was left kinda unsatisfied, with no promise for more, and a great big "what happened"
This book just didn't feel as self contained as a romance should be, and though it was good, it felt lacking.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. I really enjoyed this and will be reading more from Emily Sullivan. I loved how she fleshed out these characters and the side plots showing off both of their lives and journies. The element of mystery throughout kept me captivated and I loved the tension between Phoebe and Will. I would love to see this family again, I really hope we get a book of her sister, who was my favourite character. I highly recommend this for historical romance fans.

I always say I don't like friends to lovers but I think I'm a liar. I like it when it's childhood friends who grow apart and connect later on. Will and Phoebe are just adorable together and I love how he reluctantly rescues her when she reluctantly asks for his help. They keep circling one another and Will cannot refuse Phoebe no matter how much he tries. Can't wait to see where this series goes because Sullivan definitely set some things up for us loyal readers!

Phoebe, an outspoken bluestocking and magnet for trouble, finds herself in need of an old friend, Will Margrave, or the Duke of Ellis, to get her out of a scrape. Their reintroduction begins a halting friendship/partnership, as she attempts to locate a missing student. These two have a past and as they get deeper into the mystery, their companionship grows and evolves from childhood friends.

This story was wonderful! It has shades of Scarlett and the Duke as well as Pride and Prejudice, and both Will and Phoebe are well-drawn characters. I enjoyed the layered romance and mystery - and seeing this time period from a strong woman’s perspective (she is a teacher as well as wealthy) is a welcome addition to the genre. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy a little detective-ing with their romance, as well as a little steam in their historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Phoebe Atkinson is determined to make her own way in life by teaching at a school for impoverished girls. She has no desire to get married or live within the rules of the aristocracy. That is, until she gets caught investigating the home of one of her missing students and Will Margrave, the Duke of Ellis, must rescue her.

Will has spent the past decade or more running an estate he did not even know he was in line for after the death of a distant relative. After he learned he would inherit, he lost Phoebe— his childhood friend and someone he had only realized could be more to him. So when she calls for him to help, he finds himself back in her orbit, scheming with her to find her missing student.


Wow, this was such a fun book. I couldn’t put it down! I loved Will’s character growth and how he found himself again because of Phoebe and her convictions and because he wanted to be the man he was before he became a duke. And how in the end, Phoebe didn’t compromise just because her reputation might be ruined, but rather because she overcame her fears. I loved that the community came together for the school and that at the end of the day, Phoebe’s family truly did love her and support her choices. I look forward to hopefully reading about Alex and Freddie’s adventures in the future!

3 stars

I've seen Emily Sullivan's first series crop up on my social media feeds from time to time, but hadn't been particularly interested in their plots. Duchess Material, however, was giving me big Miss Scarlet and the Duke vibes, so I figured I'd pick it up and get my Victorian mystery/romance fix.

It's definitely an easy read (the audiobook is about 9 hours) with a very familiar trope set of the starchy duke and the bluestocking falling in love. However, I often felt like the author was pulling their punches while trying to set forth a compelling mystery and a swoon worthy romance at the same time. The mystery fades away for large swathes of the book and then returns to be wrapped up way more neatly than anticipated based on the stakes. The romance also relied a lot on the fact that these characters are former childhood friends and did not quite build the sexual tension and emotional stakes enough for my personal taste. That being said, I would still pick up another book from Sullivan in the future to further test out if she is an author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Delightful! A second chance romance that also introduces us to the families of Will and Phoebe. I see more stories coming for Phoebe's sisters, Alex and Freddie. Maybe even Will's brother Cal. I hope so!