Evie Dunmore's second book in The League of Extraordinary Women is great fun as well as being informative about the way these young trail blazing women of the 1880s lived. She's taken as her setting the first women accepted into Oxford University, young women with a natural inclination for seeing women's rights advanced. Mix that with romance and you have a potent situation for conflict and passion...
Lady Lucie is disowned by her family because of her political activities, which they consider a disgrace to the aristocratic name. Tristan, Lord Ballentine, is a contemporary son of family friends who's been a thorn in her side since childhood. When she discovers he's her new partner in a magazine she's intent on buying and turning into a vehicle for "the cause" the stage is set for a showdown, because Tristan intends to look after his investment. He doesn't want the readership decimated by radical politics.
Evie handles the balance of personal ambition, romantic attraction, and idealogical values beautifully, never letting the history overwhelm the fun, but integrating a lot of fascinating fact into the story along the way.
It's a great follow up to the first in the series. Bringing Down The Duke, Evie talks about what drew her to the suffragist period for her romance in the book Joys of Binge Reading podcast. A Rogue of One's Own is excellent entertainment, as well as being highly informative. Five stars!!!

Second in a series by Evie Dunmore and is set in 1880s Victorian England. The covers are eye catching and not the typical ripped corset pose. The series centers on friends who are actively involved in the suffragists movement and specifically fighting for the Married Women's Property Act. (Not wanting women to lose their property and become property of the men they marry.)

Lady Lucie has used her influence to gather funds to purchase part ownership of a publishing house for women's publications to help the suffragists cause. Unbeknownst to her Lord Ballentine a childhood friend/enemy has purchased the other half for his own reasons. Tristine has always had a yen for Lucie and makes her an offer to give her controlling shares. Along the way he and the reader get a lot of education on the state of the laws at the time and reasons for change. Since this week was the 100th anniversary of the Right to Vote for Women in the US it was a timely read. It reminded me that others fought decades for rights I enjoy. Remember to vote!

Dunmore creates full characters. I liked each of the Lucie's friends and what I know of their stories. Lord Ballentine also had a full back story and sub-plots that for the most part add to the book. (I wasn't as thrilled with Arthur's storyline but it is minimal.) It is told from both lead POVs so you get each of their thoughts. I also appreciated that the steamy scenes were less descriptive. I will look for the first book in the series and wait patiently for the next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a ARC e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Lucie is interested in purchasing a publishing house to help further the suffragette cause when her childhood nemesis becomes the other partial owner Tristan Ballentine.

He’s awful, but he’s also so handsome even as he threatens the suffragette movement. He’s got some pressures of his own from his horrible father and ill mother, as he is forced into marriage in the next 3 months. Lucie needs him to give her the reigns of the publishing house, and he agrees to I’m exchange for her spending one night in his bed.

This enemies to lovers romance has such a great premise especially because I loved the first one so much, but Tristan is so unlikeable I honestly struggled to finish the book. The fact that Lucie spends any time with him at all or can forgive what he’s said and done is hard to believe given how stubborn she is, and I hate the trope of sleeping with someone to get power.

The book is so well researched in the historical aspect and I love these books bringing to light the suffragettes who dedicated their lives to bringing equality to women, it just really bothered me that Lucie and Tristan became a thing. It made all the steam and romance feel a bit overdone because he’s just not a good person.

If you liked the first one, I still recommend this one, it just might be for you, you never know!

My six word review:
Votes for women, not for Tristan

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for sharing an eARC via NetGalley for review!

Lady Lucie Tedbury is a woman ahead of her time. She passionately leads a group of Oxford suffragists, dedicating all of her time and energy to The Cause. When these extraordinary ladies decide to purchase a publishing house to harness the power of print to make their voices heard in Parliament, Lucie is dismayed to find that the only thing standing in her way is her childhood tormentor and notorious rake, Lord Ballentine.

While the first book in this series focused on women and education, the thread that runs through A Rogue of One’s Own is coverture—the legal notion that a married woman’s rights are subsumed by her husband, including her rights to property, inheritance, and overall individual legal identity. Lucie is notorious for her status as a suffragist spinster, an identity that grants her more autonomy than a married woman would have, and has dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights. Tristan is a scandalous thorn in her side, impeding her grand plans but willing to back off in exchange for one night together.

It took me several chapters to invest in Lucie and Tristan. I had no idea how the lecherous and shallow Lord Ballentine from the first book could fit with the fiercely determined Lucie. But Dunmore weaves depth and passion into his poet’s heart from the first page through to the last in a way that fully convinced me that the two of them could never work with anyone else.

There are many things to love about this book: the tension between Lucie and Tristan that can be cut with a knife; miscommunications handled with maturity and resolved in ways that demonstrate character growth, adding layers of complexity to well-developed characters and relationships; Tristan helping Lucie break from her workaholic tendencies even as she inspires him to leverage his privilege to amplify women’s voices; Lucie’s thoughtfulness as she helps individual women in challenging situations and attempts to forge systemic change in society; the rich historical detail that made me want to learn more; and several moments reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice along with other literary references that my bookish heart couldn’t resist.

I did wish for a bit more time with Lucie’s friends. Lucie and Annabelle’s friendship was delightful to revisit, and I wanted to feel more of that connection with the other suffragists-particularly with Hattie as her story will be the next installment in the series.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to be swept away in a slow-burn, feminist, enemies-to-lovers historical romance!

Quite honestly, I love this series and where it takes place. It's not a standard setting for historical romance, which I find refreshing. There is care taken in making sure that there is a balance between the suffragette movement and the romance at play. My only complaint is trope related, but even the story doesn't focus heavily on it.

Overall, if you were a fan of Dunmore's first book in this series this is a worthwhile addition.

The second book in Evie Dunmore's A League of Extraordinary Women series didn't disappoint! Another great historical romance, this book had many similar themes to the first one, but a totally different story. This book follows Lucie and Tristan, who already have a history together when they're forced to work together as adults.

Lucie and Tristan have known each other for years, but that history brings more grief than joy for Lucie. Busy dealing with the suffragist movement and helping out women in Oxford in other ways, she doesn't have time for Tristan. But when a business deal forces her to work more closely with him, sparks fly!

In Bringing Down the Duke from Evie Dunmore, the romance was a very slow burn. In this one, the tension began much sooner, but the romance came later. The romantic scenes in this book weren't quite as steamy as those in the first, but the relationship between Lucie and Tristan was quite different than that of Annabelle and Sebastian (from book 1). This book focused a lot on Lucie's day to day life, giving me a lot of insight into the work of the suffragists in 1880.

There were two big twists at the end of the novel that I wasn't expecting! And the ending wasn't exactly what I predicted, which surprised and delighted me! Dunmore did a great job leading me to believe one thing, then turning the tables at the end. I loved it!

I can't wait to read Hattie's story in Book 3, out next year!

I've never been that into historical romance, but this series is changing my mind with its fascinating pieces of history (set against the women's suffrage movement in England) amid great romance stories. This one features Lucie, a woman who has been living on her own thanks to a small trust, as she finds herself foiled in her plans to purchase a share in a publishing house when she finds out her new coowner is her longtime nemesis and notable rogue Lord Ballentine. Witty and charming, as well as an excellent romance.

2020 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo: ‪Suffragette

CW: [PTSD, grief over dead brother, MC’s mother suffering from illness, threats to send secondary character into an asylum (hide spoiler)]

It pains me to rate this so low because I enjoyed most of this book. I love prickly Lucie and rakish Tristan together; I love Dunmore’s writing; I love the core female friendship that grounds the series (usual caveat: like 95% of traditionally-published historical romance, the book centers white characters. Specifically white women involved in the suffrage movement, even though women of color also lived in England and participated in radical activities during this time).

I do not love that the hero has a tattoo of a four-armed, blue-skinned, and naked South Asian dancer on his chest.

***

In the light, the inking covering his right pectoral stood out in vivid detail. An intricately patterned circle the size of a saucer in different shades of blue, and at its center, a long-haired female dancer, waving . . . multiple arms? Studying it gave her some time to think, what to say, what to feel, as they sat closely together, smelling warmly of sleep and debauchery.

The tattoo was remarkable: the dancer’s expression was serene, her body caught mid-motion in a graceful turn. She was naked, but to her surprise, strands of her hair fully covered her modesty.

“It’s charming, I suppose,” she said.

“Charming? It’s Pierre Charmaine’s finest handiwork.”

She raised her eyes to his. “Who is he?”

“Monsieur Pierre was a former officer of the French Foreign Legion. For reasons he never disclosed, he found himself in London a few years ago and now charges outrageous prices in a secret tattoo parlor in Mulberry Walk. I suspect a woman was behind his fall from grace.”

“Aren’t we always,” she said dryly. “Why does the woman have four arms?”

“Because she is inspired by Lord Shiva.”

“Right. And who would he be?”

The arms quivered when Tristan chuckled. “Shiva is one of the three principle deities of Hinduism, also called Mahadeva. He is the Lord of Divine Energy, creator of the universe, the God of transformation and destruction. He holds more roles and names, depending on which sect of Hinduism you study. It is complex. He is often depicted with blue skin, four arms, and a snake around his neck.”

“A god of destruction.” She was bewildered. “But naturally, you then go and ink a woman onto your skin.”

He gave her a grave look. “I have you know that when I stayed in General Foster’s house, I had conversations with the Pujari, the temple priest, after which I considered it wise not to tattoo all powerful deities onto my throughly debauched English body.”

***

Yeah. So no. I hate this and I hate that it becomes a crucial plot point later on. I have little desire to rant and explain all the ways this pissed me off. Obviously I’m very sensitive when it comes to reminders of colonialism in historical romance (and yet I love the subgenre. Trust me, I am aware of my contradictions and hypocrisy), but this was a step too far for me.

I am never going to love a story in which a white viscount has a four-armed, blue-skinned, and naked South Asian dancer (inspired by Shiva, no less. Shiva is my family’s main deity of worship) tattooed on his chest. It's later said that the blue tinge is actually scar tissue and not ink (he got the tattoo over scarred tissue), but I'm a bit confused by the description. Maybe some of it is ink? Not sure, but regardless it gives the overall image of a blue deity. I was tempted to downgrade my rating further but felt it unfair considering I was enjoying the book up to this point.

To be honest, there are a couple other things that make me cringe in retrospect, but it’s 3 AM and I don’t really have the energy to type it out. Sorry. This is definitely the worst aspect though.

I have to ask how this (and the crucial plot point that I have not spoiled in this review! The mind boggles. I cannot believe what happened at the end of this book) went unnoticed by the author, agent, editor, beta readers, and other early reviewers. I scoured Goodreads and I am the first person to mention this. In my opinion, this is as offensive/racist/careless/clueless (+ a million other adjectives) as Lisa Kleypas's Kama Sutra nonsense in HELLO, STRANGER (and that backlash led to Kleypas apologizing and the publisher changing the content of the book). It's 2020 and I am exhausted.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked our first in this series more (the flawed gruff hero was perfection), but this was still a solidly delightful historical feminist romance! Lucie was described as tiny so many times that I pictured her as a fairy. Felt like overkill.

This sequel to Bringing Down the Duke has much improved upon the author's premise for the series - in which tenacious suffragists "reform" or change reluctant but nevertheless infatuated male suitors. Lucie is locked in a professional battle of wills with her childhood nemesis Tristan in more ways than one in this well-trod tale of reluctant allies who later grow to care for one another. While Lucie has long found Tristan attractive but insufferable, Tristan meanwhile has always carried a torch of some kind for her since day one. While he does not set out to win her heart when he suggests they begin a liaison (at least not that he will admit to himself), things of course progress as time goes on, and they grow to like each other. The story was quick-paced and seemed fairly well-researched, which I did not feel to be the case with the book's predecessor. These characters were also much more complex and likeable than the protagonists in the first volume. I would say the occasional scenes between Lucie and her friends were tedious, but they lasted no more than a few pages at most, so it was easy to advance to the meatier scenes between the leads. I simply did not find Lucie's friends to be of much use or depth in terms of advancing the plot. However, I enjoyed this on the whole. The comedic tone never veered into absurdity, and the ending was sentimental without being terribly maudlin.

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore
• historical romance

Rating: 5 stars

Lady Lucinda and her army of suffragists are waging war on parliament in this second book in the League of Extraordinary Women series.

She finally gets enough money to buy the publishing house to put in motion their plans for a coup, when an old nemesis of hers from childhood, Lord Ballantine, shows up as the other owner.

A tug of war between Lucie and Tristan ensues with plenty of angst, tension, banter, and some very scandalous moments.

Lucie is headstrong- her feminist movement, rights for women, and her constant feline companion are her life. Tristan is a charming, infamous ladies man, returning home from war with a less than stellar reputation that he may or may not live up to.

Thoughts:

Boy did I absolutely adore this book! Couldn’t put it down and finished it in 3 sittings. There definitely some very steamy scenes so don’t let the cute cartoon cover fool you. I cannot wait for the next book. Tristan had me proper swooning!

These are separate stories in a series, but read them in order because there are spoilers for the previous book, as those characters make an appearance. I made that mistake, but I’m still going to go back and read the first book.


Interest: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Heat: 4/5
Happy Ending: Yes
Cliff Hanger: No
Would I recommend: Yes


*** I was given an UNCORRECTED PROOF copy of this book for an honest review by the publisher through Net Galley ***

This is such a great girl power read! A Rogue of One’s Own is book two in the A League of Extraordinary Women series. I really loved the first book, Bringing Down the Duke, and this follow up novel complimented the first extremely well.

I love a great enemies to lovers story and this one had all the chemistry I crave. It is such a fun historical fiction romance. I highly recommend this for romance lovers.

I adored reading about strong women with minds of their own during the Victorian era. This time period is notorious for having poor women’s rights, but the ladies in this story fight for what they deserve. It’s feminism at its finest and gave me lots of feels. I loved the characters so much!

A fiery suffragist versus a red-headed rogue leads to a battle of wits for the ages... and unexpected passion.

Lady Lucie, proud suffragist, is not amused when a major victory--taking control of a printing house as part of furthering the suffragist agenda--suddenly becomes her worst nightmare when she learns who the other new co-owner is: Tristan, Lord Ballentine, a notorious rogue, known prankster, and the bane of her existence.

Tristan's status as a charming rogue has been greatly exaggerated and he likes it that way. It helps him hide in plain sight in society and provides a form of rebellion against his domineering, abusive father. A poet, Tristan is now the co-owner of London Print, which published his book of poetry anonymously. And Tristan needs the money; his father is blackmailing Tristan into a marriage he does not want, and while Tristan would be fine with being cut off from his funds, it is the threat of having Tristan's depressed mother committed to an asylum that presses him to act fast. And if that happens to put him directly into Lucie's life, so be it.

Lucie, desperate and furious, demands that Tristan sell her his shares of the publishing house resulting in an offer that is dangerous for the both of them: Tristan will give her the shares if she spends a night with him. Dangerous, because one night turns into more. Dangerous, because they cannot deny the passion they feel for each other. Dangerous, because they fear not only losing sight of their individual missions, but their hearts.

In this fantastic follow-up to Dunmore's debut, "A Rogue of One's Own" is just as feisty, swoony, and patriarchy smashing as "Bringing Down the Duke", full of drama and passion, and makes history come to life (Let's just say, I squealed with delight when Oscar Wilde made a cameo). Growing up American, I know a fair amount of the American Suffragist movement--especially as we just passed the 100th year anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the right for women to vote (of course, not all women... only white women. Because of course.)--so learning more about the British Suffragists, British laws, and overall British history through this fictional narrative was greatly enjoyable as well as educational.

And then we get on to our main characters: Lucie and Tristan. So much snark and sass and anger in these two, always at each other's throats. But, slowly, they learn to communicate without insults, with Tristan learning more about his privilege as a titled male and how to undo years of toxic masculinity at the hands of his father. Meanwhile, Lucie--always on the go, always doing something for the cause, dedicating her every moment to the cause--eventually realizes that she is struggling under the mental load that presents. She's been alone so long, and angry, and she channels those feelings into leadership, something she does well but also starts to weigh her down. Slowly, she learns that asking for help is not a weakness, nor is falling in love or wanting to be married and have children. It helps that Tristan does truly respect Lucie--though admittedly buried under his outward persona of being a jerk--and wants to help her, wants to see her succeed, wants to fight in her corner, wants to learn more about why she is so passionate about the Vote. This was definitely one of the most antagonistic start of an "enemies-to-lovers" relationship I've seen, which initially made me wary (especially with the offer Tristan made), but it all came from a place of hurt caused by others and a need to talk and heal and find someone to understand. And that's exactly what happened. Were there bumps in the road? Of course there are. But that makes this relationship all the more real, the flaws that it has and obstacles they overcome and how they both make efforts to understand the other better to make a relationship actually work beyond the bedroom.

(Also, can we talk about how Tristan looks like a red-haired David Tennant as the Doctor on the cover? Because that is exactly what he reminds me of.)

This is my second historical romance novel and I have to say I am starting to really enjoy the genre! I adored this hate to love romance a ton! Lucie was a character you just loved and rooted for because of what she fought for and Tristan is the lovable 'bad guy' you know has a heart of gold.
So excited to read the last book in the series because I am hooked!

Evie Dunmore does it again! I loved the first installment in her A League of Extraordinary Women series and this was a great addition. Loved the history as much as the romance, this was a great read for the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage.

This book was a delight from start to finish! I devoured it in a day and a half, and went through the whole spectrum of emotions. Good characters, solid plot, excellent feminist history and representation. A delight to read!

A Rogue of One’s Own By: Evie Dunmore

Rating - 5 / 5 Stars

Publication Date - 9/1/2020

** Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley, and of course, Evie Dunmore, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another amazing delivery from Evie Dunmore! Why am I even surprised?? I absolutely adored this book! Dunmore did an incredible job of weaving history and romance and I can sense the research she did in order to do so. Picking up a year after the ending of Bringing Down The Duke, we follow Lucie Tedbury and Tristan Ballentine as the perfect enemy-to-lover storyline comes together! I cannot express how much I loved this couple. As much as I loved Annabelle and Sebastian, I knew for a fact from the moment we read of interactions between these two, that I would LOVE their story. Tristan gave me all of the feelings, and while I was sadly disappointed with the character development of Sebastian (the reason I gave it 4.5 out of 5 instead of the 5), Evie perfectly encompassed both Tristan and Lucie.

I could rave about this book for ages, I have all pros and no cons!

On top of the amazing writing this book hold, Evie provides a sample of another story...ONE I CANNOT WAIT TO READ!!!! FALL 2021 COULDN’T COME QUICKER!

Amazing Work, Evie!

Picking up a little while after "Bringing Down the Duke" we have our Oxford Suffragists doing their best to buy up the majority ownership in a publishing house so that they can surreptitiously change the tone to a little less how-big-should-my-bustle-be and a little more we-should-stop-domestic-abuse.

Here we follow Lady Lucie in her saga to obtain the publishing house only to be halfway thwarted by her childhood nemesis and one of England's most scandalous rogues, Lord Ballentine, who buys up the other of the house. Lucie, determined to get her way, asks him to name his price for the 1% controlling interest. Ballentine responds with a salacious offer in true historical romance roguish fashion.

Enemies-to-lovers is tried and true in the romance genre so there were any surprises there but there are some added layers of depth. And of course they set up the couple for the next book along the way.

3.75 stars

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Pub Date - 9/1/20.

I'm still relatively new to the historical romance genre and I thought Bringing Down the Duke was just okay so I was hesitant about this one. It is a long one - at almost 450 pages I think it's a bit much for a romance novel. It did take about 50% before the story picked up but once it did, I couldn't put it down! I loved the passion Lucie felt towards the suffrage movement - gotta love a girl who will do whatever it takes to fight the patriarchy. And even after falling in love, she stays true to her value. I absolutely adored Tristan. I'm a sucker for a guy who has been secretly in love with the woman for half his life.

It's not my favorite historical romance but overall I still enjoyed it so give it a try!

I absolutely loved Bringing Down the Duke and after finishing A Rogue of One's Own, I can with confidence say I will read anything (and love) Evie Dunmore writes. I didn't want this book to end and just wan to fast forward to next fall so I can read the next installment. This second book continues the stories of these smart, intriguing suffragettes we met in this first installment of the series. I love getting to know everyone in this world and look forward to Hattie & Catriona's stories (and maybe if their circle of friends could expand by like 5 or 6 people so this series could never end, that would be great too). For those who love romance & enemies to lovers storylines, you will definitely be obsessed with this book but for those who like their romance with a side of women's rights and political justice, you will be enamored. Evie Dunmore manages to find the perfect balance of developing Lucie & Tristan's story while exploring Lucie's work for women's rights and really painting a picture of just how marginalized women were (and sadly, sometimes still continue to be). This book had me cheering for the good guys, wanting to strangle the bad guys (and girl!) and on the edge of my seat as the story unfurled. This was one of those books that I was desperate to finish, yet as I neared the end I wanted to slow down time so the book would never end. We are living in weird times and I"m finding that the best way to calm my fears and stress with what's going on in the world is to escape into a great book and for that purpose, this book was a dream come true. So many thanks to Evie Dunmore & Berkley for this ARC.