4.5 ⭐️’s

I throughly enjoyed this book! While I rarely read historical romance, this book was such a breath of fresh air. I was in a bit of a slump before picking up this book but I sped through this with so much joy! I haven’t read a book by Emily Sullivan, however, after this one, I immediately went and picked up one of her other historical romances. I can tell from the story that there will be more books following the other characters within the story, and I wish I could get my hands on those as well.

This story follows Will and Emmy who are childhood friends. It is refreshing take on women’s historic repression and what a woman can do to achieve what they want from life. It shows through Emmy and her sisters how to expand the limits that society puts on women to conform. I adore this book, and even after a few months of finishing it, I still think about it.

📖: Duchess Material-read as a standalone

✍️ By: Emily Sullivan-new to me author

📃 Page Count: 332 eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 11-19-24 | Read 11-15-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Emily Sullivan for this ARC🩷! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: London, England 1896

Genre: Historical Romance, Mystery, Women's Fic

Tropes: sister's BFF, damsel in distress, forced proximity, friends with benefits, opposites attract, wealthy, family drama

☝🏾POV: single, 3rd person

⚠️TW: virgin h, prostitution, threat of SA

💭Summary: Phoebe is on a mission to find her most promising student Alice who has disappeared. When Phoebe gets arrested breaking and entering, the only powerful man (besides her father) she can think of is her childhood crush, now Duke of Ellis-William Margrave. He already has an idea of what he wants in a duchess and Phoebe doesn't fit the bill, nor does she want to. He agrees to help her look for Alice, but the more time they spend together, the more their feelings push them closer.

🚺 Heroine: Phoebe Atkinson-a schoolteacher @ Langham Place School. She lives on her own- not at her family's mansion and supports herself. She has no desire to marry.

🚹 Hero: Duke of Ellis/William "Will" Margrave-29, his father was a barrister, but he inherited a dukedom from his father's cousin and takes the title seriously.

🎭Side cast:

• Alexandra "Alex" Atkinson-the oldest sister. In business with their father @ Atkinson Enterprises accounting and investment firm.

• Winifred "Freddie" Atkinson-the middle sister. A big flirt who all men like but won't marry.

• Cal-Will's younger brother, an artist

• Alice Clarke-15, Phoebe's student who disappears

• Maude Clarke-a madam at a brothel (Fleur) who Phoebe and Will come across on their quest. Lord Fairbanks' mistress

• Lord Fairbanks- His daughter Gwendolyn was Will's intended. He serves in Parliament with Will & blackmails him into supporting his bill to close all brothels, send the women to a workhouse, or jail.

• Inspector Holland-Detective assigned in Phoebe's arrest. He helps them with Alice's disappearance.


🤔My Thoughts: I loved both protagonists Phoebe and Will. Phoebe was a feminist who championed women's education and fulfilled her need to contribute to society. Will pulled rank when Phoebe was threatened, telling her he would marry her to keep her from ruin. Phoebe quickly shut that down and refused to marry him. I liked the brief interactions between Alex and Will as BFFs, Alex and Phoebe, and Freddie and Phoebe. The reconciliation between Phoebe and her father was so sweet too. I can't wait for the other sisters' books!

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 4/5-open door a few scenes
😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 5/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

Phoebe comes from a wealthy family but chooses to teach at a school for underprivileged girls, sharing a room with another teacher, avoiding wealthy society. This makes her an outcast, definitely not Duchess material. When she's taken into custody for trespassing, she sends a note to the most powerful person she knows, her childhood friend Will, who unexpectedly became a Duke at the age of 18. Meeting again kindles their childhood crush and thing get steamy while they investigate the disappearance of one of her students. Will believes he needs the perfect society wife for his Duchess. A woman who knows her place and will help in his political asperations. Not an independent woman like Phoebe. They agree to a fling without commitment but is that what they really want? Intrigue, blackmail, passion. It's all here. I enjoyed Phoebe's family dynamics with her sisters. Realistic hard feelings and jealousies between them but full support for each other when it's needed.

I knew when I read the synopsis I was going to love this book. I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed a forward thinking FMC and the believable plot of her living on her own and teaching. I loved the ideas and the ability for everyone to grow and see opposite sides of the coin. I loved the interactions, I loved the side characters (who I hope we see in the future, looking at you Atkinson sisters!), overall there was nothing I didn't enjoy about this book. I can see myself recommending this for a great little vacation/beach read! Enough sweet and fluffy to have one kicking their feet but enough mystery to keep you invested too!

Duchess Material...

I really enjoyed Phoebe and William "Will."
Phoebe and Will were friends and neighbors until he became a duke and she became a school teacher.
She lives in poverty and he lives like a duke. He's very intent on being a good duke and marrying well, ie, not Phoebe.
There's a healthy does of mystery as they search for her missing student.
Phoebe and William clearly like and enjoy each other but there is a social divide and they are older now.
Recommend.

Duchess Material is the story of Phoebe and Will. Growing up together, Phoebe dreamed of Will returning her feelings for him. Then he is unexpectedly thrust into dukedom. Not only does class now divide them, but Phoebe is against everything Will stands for in his new position. Years later, Phoebe is now a teacher and Will remains a duke. When Phoebe is forced to ask Will for help, can they reconnect and see past their assumptions?

Duchess Material is a fast-paced and enjoyable romance. Phoebe has a lot of agency, strong opinions, and a loving family (even though she doesn’t always appreciate their meddling!). Will is very concerned with what it means to be a duke, even when the people in his life care less than he might think. I enjoyed how Will and Phoebe slowly fall for each other as they race to uncover where Phoebe’s student might have gone. Will and Phoebe have some swoon-worthy moments as they unravel the series of clues. Phoebe’s sisters were my favorite side characters and I enjoyed her interactions with her family. Duchess Material is a light-hearted romance perfect for fans of Bridgerton. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you to Emily Sullivan, Forever, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Author Emily Sullivan for the E-ARC!

I was NOT prepared for this wonderful historical romance! I am actually obsessed. I love historical romances and this book was feeding my soul.

Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan was so fantastic to read. I loved the characters, the story, the banter, and the possibility for more 👀👀

Our FMC, Phoebe Atkinson, is smart, strong, and not one to be trifled with! I loved that she was a teacher for girls and just not your typical female. As this book is set in 1890s, I love that we are starting to see this revolution for women as they start getting more independent and pushing for the equality and Phoebe is right down that alley!

I loved that there was a bit of an ode to Mr. Darcy at the beginning of the book, with Will talking about him. It felt appropriate considering how things play out a little bit later for him! But I also think Will was the opposite of a Mr. Darcy with his love and devotion, his upbringing and not being born into the title. Will Margrave has this sense of duty as a duke but I love seeing his growth in this book. I mean I quite literally highlighted a portion towards the end of the book and though, “woah there Mr Darcy!” But I love how his really isn’t like him while still being the handsome upper class artistocrat.

This book really had me just scarfing down the story. I was dying to know what was going to happen. I loved the bad guy in the book and their search for Alice Clarke and just watching this friends become lovers. The spice was good without being overdone and it was just a great romance 🥰

I love loved loved it. And will definitely be rereading in the future! I also look forward to maybe some other Atkinson sister stories … 👀 please and thank you?

He is the Duke and she is clearly not “Duchess Material.” Will and Phoebe grew up as family friends among the same class, until Will unexpectedly inherited a Duchy from a distant relative. Now belonging to separate classes, their lives never intersect as Phoebe pursues her dream of being a schoolteacher. The story beings to pull the two back together through mischief and mystery, and long buried feelings begin to resurface. I really enjoy this plot! There was mystery and other dynamics at play beyond just a romance.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book reminds me why I love Historical Romance so much! I couldn’t put it down! Unexpected new Duke needs to find a suitable wife and his childhood crush, who is now a blue stocking teacher, is thrust back into her life. We all know what NEEDS to happen! The story is all just SO GOOD! A little mystery. A little politics. Little bit of family feuding and misunderstandings. I enjoyed all of it!! I loved the sisters in this as well! I am REALLY hoping their will be an Alex and Freddie story next!

Childhood friends separate when Will inherits a dukedom. When they get together to solve a mystery, things start to redevelop between them. Both sides of the family help them to realize that they really do belong together.

I love historical romance more than anything else, especially when the female MC is a bluestocking, so Duchess Material was so up my alley! Thanks to NetGalley and Read Forever for the advanced copy!

This was a DNF for me about 40% in. I wanted to love this story. The premise sounded great and I liked two of three books of Emily’s from the previous series. Unfortunately, this one was boring. Way too much inner dialogue. I like lots of interacting dialogue. I loved that Phoebe was a teacher. There is also a mystery. Maybe this author is not for me. I am sure many will enjoy this story.

This book isn’t for me, though I’m sure others will enjoy it. The pacing is slow, and I’m not a fan of this trope (whatever it’s called) where people in the aristocracy complain about all the privilege they have.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC,

This was ridiculously delightful and exactly the book I needed at the moment. The characters were sharp and fun and the romance felt both familiar and fresh at the same time.

This book has it all. A strong female main character, an interesting love interest and twisting and turning mystery.

This was just okay. I wish there was more buildup, and at points I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed. I loved this author's first book so much that I've been waiting for her subsequent books to make me feel the same way, but so far they've sadly disappointed me.

When one of her students goes missing, bluestocking teacher Phoebe Atkinson doesn’t think twice about investigating alone. But when she finds herself in trouble, she turns to an old friend, William “Will” Margrave, the uppity, oh-so-perfect Duke of Ellis for help. Together they will navigate the darker side of London and along the way reconnect after years apart. But can there be anything lasting between them? Especially since Phoebe has no desire to conform to society’s rules for women and Will needs a perfect duchess.

Years ago, Will and Phoebe were good friends and shared a mutual attraction, but all that changed when Will inherited the dukedom and all the responsibilities that came with it. He lost touch with Phoebe but continued to maintain a friendship with her elder sister Alexandra “Alex”. Will has spent years learning to be the perfect duke and is now in search of the perfect duchess, and even has a candidate selected. But when Phoebe needs his help, he quickly puts his courtship on hold and runs to Phoebe’s side. He quickly realizes that his attraction to her is just as strong as it ever was, but nothing could come of it, since Phoebe will never be a proper duchess.

This was a well-written story with interesting characters, but it wasn’t the book I was hoping for. I never really connected with Phoebe or Will, and honestly didn’t feel the “romance”. I was hoping for a fun, sexy Friends-to-Lovers, Second-Chance romance, and in the strictest sense it was that just minus the “fun, sexy” part. The book dragged and I got annoyed with Phoebe’s judgmental and martyrish ways, as well as Will’s constant lamenting that Pheobe wasn’t good enough to be his duchess. Overall, it was an OK story with a happy ending and while I didn’t love this book, I did like her sisters and would probably read their stories.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

If you're a fan of Bridgerton-style romances, "Duchess Material" by Emily Sullivan should go on your TBR. Set in Victorian England, this story has spice, a high-society mystery, and plenty of witty banter.

Our heroine, Phoebe Atkinson, breaks the mold of Victorian society. Born into wealth but determined to live life on her terms, Phoebe works as a schoolteacher. But when her brightest student goes missing, Phoebe reluctantly reaches out to her childhood friend, William Margrave—who has become a duke—for help. Once childhood friends, the two are now worlds apart. Will has fully embraced his unexpected role, including plans to marry a "perfect duchess." Phoebe is, decidedly, not that. But as they search for the missing girl, they're forced to confront their past--and future.

I'll be waiting for more from this author!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was a fun read. Phoebe is a woman from a wealthy family who is living on her own terms, independently as a school teacher despite her families protests. She is loving her life, until she gets herself thrown in jail looking for a missing student, and feels compelled to call on her childhood friend, who is now a Duke, to save her. Will is a Duke who had the role thrust upon him when he was 18, despite the very different life he envisioned for himself. When his childhood friend Phoebe calls him to help her, it wakes him up and reminds him of the man he used to want to be. As the two work to solve the mystery of the missing student, they reconnect and are both forced to evaluate if the life they are currently living is what they really want. I loved the childhood friends, first crush, and unfit duchess material trope in this book, and how it was handled. I also immensely enjoyed the unconventional sisters who all had unique jobs, and social activist roles in this book. I haven’t read this author before, but will definitely be checking out their other books as I await the next book in this new series! I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Duchess Material is an engaging and endearing historical romance! In Phoebe we have a headstrong, bright, independent young woman. Will is a Duke with a good heart, trying to live up to his ducal responsibilities, swept up into Phoebe’s life, first as protector, then as confidante, and then something more! There is mystery, there is intrigue, there is romance, there is devotion, there is love. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book.