4.5 stars rounded up.

I absolutely loved the third addition to Evie Dunmore's A League of Extraordinary Women Series. Portrait of a Scotsman added more depth to the characters and was a refreshing read because of the book's unconventional story arc. It was such a treat to learn more about the historical period of 19th century England and it's evident that Dunmore conducted an extensive amount of research prior to writing the novel. I especially enjoyed learning about the elements of mining that carry with it a difficult lifestyle, and a woman's role in the mining industry. The art discussions were also fantastic! I can't wait for the next installment!

I liked the story because Hattie learned the truth early on, the dramatic fight between the couple was in the beginning of the story so it set the plot very well. The journey then became about forgiveness and reconciliation. I really liked Hattie, in her gentleness she had a strong core. A depth that no one saw in her.

Portrait of a Scotsman has it all: Oxford scholar & suffragist constrained by the rules of society and a darkly brooding, self made Scotsman who has a plan to bring down his adversaries one by one. When their paths meet resulting in a forced marriage, embers spark and this slow burn romance will have you flipping the pages as fast as you can. I adored how their love story developed. A tad unbelievable at the start, but readers can trust Evie Dunmore to deliver a story that is nuanced, well-researched (don't miss the author's note!), and puts female desire and empowerment front and center. Dunmore reminds us that we have been chipping away at the patriarchy for ages, and that we can have good and scintillating fun carrying on that work today.

Evie Dunmore absolutely outdid herself with Portrait of a Scotsman. This is hands down my favorite historical romance I've ever read. Not only is the romance stunningly swoony, but the aspects of art history, early photography, Scottish mining communities, and commentary on what women's rights and feminism means to women of different classes made this book more than a pleasure to read. I love that this whole series, and especially this book, offers more to the reader than a romance novel requires. This book is so sexy you will get goose bumps, but you'll also learn from Hattie and Lucian as they grow and understand each other. Finally, you'll likely get just as fired up as a "bluestocking" lady who was duped into a marriage of convenience. . .and fall as deeply in love too!

This book is more than meets the eye. I want every romance reader and historical romance reader to get ready for this one.

Thank you so much to Evie Dunmore, Berkley Publishing, and Netgalley for the advance e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own!

This book was so insanely good. I mean I adored Hattie & Lucian’s story, there is no way you couldn’t, It was right on par of the last two books and I still cannot recommend it enough of these characters.

I loved that we got a Beauty & the Beast vibe from this one. I mean we’ve heard mention of the elusive Mr. Blackwell as a villain but this one really gave us a different look.

It was fun seeing Hattie grow into her own, as she was the one in the group whom seemed the most reserved and sheltered from the group of women.

Regardless I cannot recommend this one enough! Thanks to Netgalley and Berkeley publishing for this earc! This ones out 9/7 so make sure to put this one on preorder!

This is the third book in the series and was just as good as the first two! I loved both of the main characters and how we got to see them grow throughout the book. I also loved that Hattie went out on her own to find herself. I can not wait for the fourth book in the series to come out!!!

This is the best book so far from The League of Extraordinary Women.
Tall, Dark, mysterious and brooding Scotsman with a Redhead who just wants some independence and freedom to continue her education and art? This won’t end with a grudge match of stubbornness at allllll.
But it’s fun to watch, and see how Hattie and Lucian go from two people who just “happened” to be matched for marriage, to two friends who wanted the other to be safe.

3.75/5⭐️

✨Thank you to NetGalley for giving me and ARC in exchange for an honest review✨

This is a fun regency book to read. IT is part of a series but you don't need to read the other books as stand alone is fine. I would highly recommend it.

In the first two books I saw Hattie as more of a background character. She didn't really stand out to me, but she takes center stage in this installment. She has more fire than I initially thought and Dunmore rounded out her character well to make her more three dimensional. Lucian has his own devils he struggles with and the two compliment each other very well. Though he orchestrates the forced marriage between the two, I don't hold that against him for long. And the ending. Letting her find her own way, giving her space to decide what she needs and wants, and then coming for her. Wonderful!

A League of Extraordinary Women has been one of my favorite series the last couple of years! Hattie always intrigued me, so I was very excited to read her story. As an Outlander fan, I also love me some Scotland adventures and main characters! 4.5 stars

Portrait of a Scotsman By Evie Dunmore
Rating 4.5/5 Stars
Published by Jove Books
Published 7 September 2021

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

Well everyone, we’ve made it to book 3 in the League of Extraordinary Women series, and this time we are following Hattie as she goes toe to toe with the elusive Scotsman named Lucian Blackstone - yes, that Blackstone!

This book ruined me. There were moments where I loved the banter of Hattie and Lucian so much I laughed at the enemies to lovers. There were moments when I skimmed paragraphs simply because I was bored of similar descriptions over and over. HOWEVER, I adore the amount of historical representation Evie puts into her books. She discusses events and periods of history often brushed over, including the Scottish Clearances and life of a miners during the industrial revolution. The steamy scenes were perfectly written for the two and their relationship as a whole made me smile from ear to ear. There were moments when I wanted to throw my kindle out the window, and moments when I wanted to cuddle it because of the cuteness.

At the time of chapter 30, I wanted to give this book a 4.25, which is the lowest of Evie’s three books. This was specifically due to the feeling of this book being all over the place. I found that both BDTD and a ROOO had their spontaneity, but they also had a coherent storyline. POS had a bit of this, but it was more loose threaded. I found the story lacked a bit in the side characters - Annabelle is rare in appearance and Lucie and Catriona only make small apperances. I found I wanted more of Aofie’s story, specifically her with Lucian and her with Susan. Matthews’ demise was a bit out of nowhere, yet at the same time, obvious. On top of that, I wanted more of the Scottish side characters. A huge chunk of the book is set in Scotland and I felt there could have been more told of their stories, some of them could have pushed Hattie further in her learning, even with her learning so much. I found myself loving Hamish and Mhairi, and what happens to little Anne?

As of finishing the book, Portrait of a Scotsman won me over. It has earned a 4.5 rating from me and ranks among one of my favourite books by Evie. Yes, it even beats Lucie and Tristan’s story. I should not have finished reading it on the tube, as I
found myself with happy tears. Perhaps, all of the emotions I felt and all of the loose spontaneity was the purpose of Evie’s storytelling here. Hattie and Lucian’s story is unconventional from the beginning of Chapter 1 and in order to continue such an arc, it needs to go through proper themes supporting such a view. What remains from the ashes of this book is a beautiful story that reflects a more modern society, one where two broken souls find their way to one another and beautifully reflect a modern and REALISTIC happily ever after.

Once again, BRAVO @evietheauthor! I cannot wait for book 4! Run to the bookshop on the 7th of September - you won’t regret it!

Loved it! I was so, so looking forward to Hattie's book, and it did not disappoint! I also loved the unique setting and historical details -- something I definitely knew nothing about.

Once again, I am swept away by Evie Dunmore’s writing. I live for a good slow burn romance, and the first half of the book was certainly that! Lucien was an interesting character to read and learn about, as he harbors his own demons. Both him and Hattie are a perfect fit, and there is a lot of unlearning from Lucien to better himself as a man and as a partner. The historical aspect that was included about the coals mines was also an interesting part of the book that I really did enjoy reading. Also, GOD DAMN WAS THIS BOOK SEXY!! The love scenes get a 1000/10 in my book, so fun, soooo delish!

Evie Dunmore's series, in my opinion, just keeps getting better and better.

Each of her feminist heroines enter their causes from vastly different perspectives. Out of all of her books, Hattie has had the most character development. The reader is witnessing someone learning what they want to make of their life and how to use their privilege. I also enjoyed the steaminess and a dark, brooding hero.

What makes Dunmore's books stands out in the genre is her research. Her characters and their circumstances don't feel like twenty first century people in Victorian cosplay. They interact with their world that feels authentic to the time period. I also like that she includes research notes at the end of her books!

When Hattie is caught kissing the mysterious Mr. Blackstone, the only way to save her reputation is marriage.
Lucian Blackstone is a self made man. The illegitimate son of a lord, Lucian was raised in a coal mine, he carries a lot of grief and a desire for vengeance.
When Hattie decides to run away Lucian takes her to Scotland with him to visit a new mine he purchased. Here they get a better sense of each other and begin to fall in love.
I really enjoyed this book ECEPT for the ending. After it feels like their relationship has come to a good place. I guess is part of the theme of the series, women’s rights and all, but it felt so forced, silly, and unnecessary that it kind of ruined the end for me.

For those who have read the two companion books to this title, definitely add this to your TBR pile. For everyone else, time to get started with this wonderful author! Great romances, but tied together with characters who are passionate about women's rights and suffrage, and a host of other human rights issues in Regency-era England.

There is an extraordinary amount of depth to Evie Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women series. There is history, economics, feminism, literature, and art. All these topics and more enhance her latest book, Portrait of a Scotsman.

Hattie and Lucian’s story is mythological like Persephone and Hades and dark fairy tale like Beauty and the Beast.

Twists and turns take this Victorian romance to unexpected places. This book is an intense ride, but for these characters to grow emotionally and for their relationship to become a marriage of equals, the ride is essential.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series gives me life!! My favorite historical romance series I've ever read. Beautifully written, every book is unique in its romantic adventure, and I truly love all these characters.

Yessss! Dunmore has done it again- with her perfect mix of historical fiction and super-steamy romance with a strong dose of feminist history.

Hattie was a lot more complex than I thought she'd be. She's more traditional than the main characters from the first 2 books. Her dream is to get married even though as a women's suffragist activist, she well knows that she would lose her legal rights upon marriage.

After a small dalliance with shadowy businessman Lord Blackstone- just a kiss in public - she is forced by her family to marry Blackstone, a man she does not know, much less like. She's of course devastated, but even from the beginning she shows her bold and independent streak by talking to Lord Blackstone (Lucian) as if they were equals about what she expects from their union and then later on tries to flee to France to make it on her own.

Fortunately- because this is a romance - Lucian contains depths beyond his icy, cruel exterior. Once they get to know each other- in bed and through deep political conversations, they find that they do in fact suit each other and love each other very much.

I loved the character development of both characters-they both grew so much. I loved the inclusion of the labor movement and Dunmore's attempt to connect that struggle with the Suffragist's cause.
And as a fan of Victorian-era England I relished all the historical tidbits.

I was so happy to see Annabelle & Sebastian, and Lucie & Tristan, living their happily ever afters. I can't wait for the 4th in the series.

Also, can we please get a novel for Aoife- she seems like such an awesome side character- her back story would be amazing!

Evie Dunmore’a previous two books in this series left me with mixed feelings so when I started reading this book I wasn’t expecting much. But this book surprised me in the best way possible.
Hattie is forced into a marriage of convenience to Lucian Blackstone who has a terrible reputation. Their relationship forms the crux of the story.
Hattie’s character development throughout the story was brilliantly captured. I started the book, liking the character, then feeling sorry for her, after a while began to feel completely annoyed and then slowly starting to love her again. I loved reading about her journey and her growth.
Lucian’s character does not go through the complete transformation that Hattie goes through. It’s more of a quiet change in perspective acquired over time and I loved it as well.
The growth of the relationship and how it doesn’t quite follow the usual pattern in romance was also utterly refreshing. But the best thing about this book was how the discourse on the class differences in those times, the discrimination based on gender and class and the political scenario of that age were all so brilliantly incorporated into the story. I loved those debates and discussions between Lucian and Hattie. It is what made me love this book soo soo much.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a beauty and beast like romance where not only the beast but also the beauty is transformed by one another into a better version of themselves.