This was definitely a "I've seen this book everywhere - I need to read it too!" This book kept popping up all over Instagram and I'm so glad I snagged a copy from my local library!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bringing Down the Duke
Evie Dunmore
356 pages | Published by Berkley Set in 1879, Annabelle is among the first women to attend the University of Oxford, having received a scholarship from a women's suffrage group. Through their canvassing efforts, Annabelle meets the Duke of Montgomery, Sebastian Devereux; She is tasked to convince him to back their fight for women's voting rights, while the Queen essentially tasks him with the exact opposite mission. Over time the two grow close, learning more about each other and why their goals are so personal. But while their attraction is strong, they also can't deny that their relationship can't exist in the ways that they would like.
This book was so good it's pretty hard to believe its a debut. Stylistically, Dunmore has written this book with the language of the time, while managing to keep it light and readable, which I think is quite a feat.
I think what I really loved about this is that Annabelle was a strong female character, but her only personality trait was not "strong female," which I think is too common in a lot of other stories. I read a lot of stories these days that feature a feisty and outspoken woman - which is great, obviously, but that can't be all there is to a character. Annabelle was feisty and outspoken, but also thoughtful, insecure at times, hardworking, and genuinely kind.
The romance in this was excellent but also stayed true to the realities of the time period - there were real consequences for their actions due to Sebastian's vastly different status in society. I also appreciated Sebastian's respect for Annabelle - his character could have turned possessive and controlling, but he stayed on the side of protective and caring.
This book is listed as "A League of Extraordinary Women #1" - I'm excited to see what Dunmore writes next! The social issue at the heart of this book was women's rights and the suffrage movement, and I'll be interested to see if Dunmore stays within that line or if she tackles another cause.
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