This was a cute romance! I enjoy the “brother’s friend” trope and this did it well. There were a few times when both were being stubborn and dense, which frustrated me. That said, there were lots of cute moments.

With how important Alex becomes, it’s a shame we didn’t really get to see much of her. There are some tidbits that are dropped about her past, but she was kind of an enigma throughout the story. Even though she is best friends with the Will, they didn’t feel all that close.

Emily Sullivan is just that historical romance writer. Duchess Material was just so freaking good!! I was so incredibly excited when I was offered this book by Forever (thank you so much for realizing I am in love with Sullivan's works), that I literally put everything down and then read it in one sitting. And now I've probably reread it like 3 more times.

Will and Phoebe knew each other growing up, but that changed when Will became a duke and Phoebe needed to go her own way. The two of them reconnect with Phoebe needing Will's help with one of her students. Duh duh duh. Since it's an Emily Sullivan book there is a light mystery to the book. The characters are both incredibly solid and grow to rely on each other and trust their feelings throughout the novel. Side characters--perfect. Plot -- perfect. Swoon level-- perfect. Commentary on social issues -- perfect.

All in all this is a very amazing novel that I am so happy I got to read (I bought myself a physical copy too....). HIGHLY recommend for those who enjoy historical romance. A must read!

A delightful Victorian romance featuring Will, who quite by surprise, became heir to a Dukedom; and Phoebe, a lady who became a schoolteacher, even living on her own. They were childhood friends who drifted apart after Will became the Duke. This book is part mystery where one of Phoebe’s students disappeared. Will and Phoebe end up teaming up to find her, and uncover a corrupt conspiracy. At the same time, they fall in love. I really enjoyed the world this book operates in, especially Phoebe’s sisters, Alex and Freddie. What I also liked is how the mystery will carry into subsequent books. An important part of this love story is both characters growing and becoming comfortable in their own skins. In particular, Will had to reconcile the boy he used to be and the responsibilities of being a Duke now. Phoebe had to face her own insecurities in order to accept that she would be suitable as a Duchess. This character work elevated the material considerably. I definitely will read more by this author!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks, Hachette Audio, for ALC!⁣ Thanks, Forever, for the arc!
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I love Emily Sullivan's books. I love them even more as audiobooks because they come alive so well in audio form. DUCHESS MATERIAL does just that with its narration by Zara Hampton-Brown. I was giggling and kicking my feet with glee while swooning as the story progressed. I’m not always a fan of the miscommunication trope, but when it is done well, and the adults are talking and apologizing - that trope is way more swoony than I ever expected!⁣
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I like that this took place in 1890s England, a different part of the ton, for a historical romance. It was refreshing, as were the characters, childhood friends to lovers, Phoebe Atkinson and William Margave, the Duke of Ellis, and her sister’s friend. I loved the dynamic of the Duke knowing Phoebe and her family his entire life. It made the banter fun because it wasn’t just banter between the FMC and MMC; we also had it between the sisters and then the MMC and his bestie. Lots of fantastic banter all around!⁣
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Quick thoughts on things I loved:⁣
•Phoebe is a character you will love if you are a reader, and if you love Eloise, you will love Phoebe.⁣
•The disguise. I won’t say anything more, but these scenes were exquisite, and I’m laughing and swooning as I type this.⁣
•The mystery. They are never what I expect in historical romances, and this one falls into that category, but I enjoyed Phoebe and the Duke trying to solve it.⁣
•The set up of the following books: I can’t wait for the sister’s stories, as I enjoyed them so much in this book!⁣
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Finally, the question that should seal the deal for many of you is: Do you love PRIDE AND PREJUDICE? If you do, you’ll love this. And even if P&P isn’t your thing, I still think any historical romance fan can enjoy DUCHESS MATERIAL.⁣ Reading or listening, you are in for a fantastic time!

I had a great time reading this, it was a perfect mix of mystery solving + angsty sort of second chance romance. Both MCs had intriguing and realistic character developments, and I absolutely loved the family/friend dynamics on both their sides.

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I love a romance that is also a caper / mystery and DUCHESS MATERIAL by Emily Sullivan did not disappoint. Phoebe is a schoolteacher who begrudgingly accepts help from a duke to find her missing student. Obviously they’re going to solve the mystery and fall in love!!! I ate it up. Would recommend! It’s funny and fiery

Will became a Duke without knowing that was really in the cards for him and it took his life from one where he and Phoebe might have been able to be something to one where he's courting Lady something or other because her dad is his mentor and she would make a good duchess. Meanwhile, Phoebe is trying to find her missing student and teaching at a school in the seedier part of town and constantly in conflict with her dad and older sister. The two of them wind up reconnecting when Phoebe asks Will for help locating said missing student and suddenly Will's life gets complicated all over again.

I think if you have more tolerance for Benedict's book from Bridgerton, this book is going to work better for you than it did for me. What I mean by that is, when you cut your teeth on Tessa Dare's Any Duchess Will Do, it makes it real hard to buy into the conflict of needing to have the "right" wife to become a duchess. Like, you're a Duke. Live your life. Nobody can say anything. But also, there's something about the way that Benedict's attitude towards Sophie and insisting she should just be happy to be his mistress that made me feel like Will and how he was treating Phoebe. That said, I also loved the overall plot in this one and I'm upset because as far as I can tell, we're not getting Phoebe's siblings books and I want them?? So, conflicted feelings all in all, but I had mostly a really fun time with this one.

Phoebe Atkinson is making her own way in the world. She may not fit into society's standards, but she is happy teaching at a school for impoverished girls. William was friends with Phoebe and her sisters when they were younger, but that all changed now that he is a Duke. When Phoebe starts investigating a missing student and finds herself getting into trouble more frequently than she'd like, it's William she calls for help. With William's offered assistance, Phoebe has more freedom to safely figure out what is afoot.

I had so much fun reading this book. I loved the romance between William and Phoebe and how sweet they were together. William has spent much of his time since inheriting the Dukedom looking for the perfect wife and trying to be the perfect noble, but he drops everything as soon as Phoebe needs him. This book had plenty of funny moments throughout - Phoebe raiding the costumes truck for one of their stakeouts was hilarious.

I'd love to read more from this author in the future. Thank you to Forever for an eARC.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for my gifted copy for review. This was a fun historical romance centered around Phoebe who while of society decides to live away from her family as well as hold a job as a teacher. After a student goes missing Phoebe must ask help from an old friend who is now a powerful Duke. The two get up to some great fun while trying to find Phoebe's missing student and I thoroughly enjoyed their shenanigans. Can't wait to read what Emily puts out next.

I really like the way their relationship was developed, especially since they knew each other before and there were already some feelings between them. I also feel like the author did a good job balancing the little bit of mystery that we get and it didn't feel like a separate entity from the plot. I really liked Phoebe as a main character. She was so smart and independent and I love that she stood up for what she believed in. You can also definitely see the chemistry between her and Will and the author did their slow burn SO well.

EXCUSE ME. THIS BOOK THOUGH.
The way that I devoured this is unreal!!
The childhood friends to not to more?! The mystery, the contrast between our two main characters, the romance: UGH
I'm obsessed and I need to read more by Emily Sullivan ASAP.

Thank you so much for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!

4/5

3.5 stars. Super cute romance with a decent amount of spice. I love how strong the MFC is. There Were some loose ends that were not tied up at the end of the book with the sisters. Could lead to additional books in the series but that is not clear at this time.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the DRC of Duchess Material! All opinions in this review are my own.

While I am a newer Emily Sullivan, Duchess Material once again proves why I fell in love with her books in the first place! I love the romance between Phoebe and William, especially since they have a history prior to the book starting. I hope this becomes a series because there are a few side characters that deserve their own romances as well!

I finally found a modern regency romance that gave me the feels of Jane Austen. I loved the banter between Phoebe and William. William reminded me a bit of Mr. Darcy and Phoebe had Elizabeth's spunk. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a very fun book!

Spicy! This book was surprising to me, as I did not know anything about it this author, but I have to say it was funny, fast paced, and kept my attention. It Is story of when you don't go looking for love, but it finds you, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. This story was fun adventure, I loved it so much I am looking forward to what is next for this author.

Phoebe is happy with her life as a schoolteacher, she doesn't need husband and is proud of her independence. This until one of her best pupils go missing and she has no choice but turn to childhood friend for help. Forget the fact that he is handsome but also duke, but she removes old feelings to find her student. William Margrave never wanted to become a duke but here he is and now he must find the perfect duchess. So when Phoebe comes to him for help, he puts his duchess search on hold to help her. But the more time they spend together, things start to heat up and maybe he can't ignore that childhood crush after all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Paperback for copy of this book for my honest review.

Emily Sullivan is one of my absolute favorite historical romance authors. Duchess Material is a delightfully swoony romance with just a dash of mystery, set in the late 1890s and featuring a spunky school teacher and her childhood friend turned duke. I’m a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers trope, and the relationship between Phoebe and Will had me giggling and kicking my feet. I love that Phoebe was so passionate about carving out a spot for herself in a society that would rather have kept her boxed in. I love that she cared so much for her students. I love that Will was both her savior and her enabler in her capers. I just loved Duchess Material, period.

Definitely recommend picking up Duchess Material as well as her entire League of Scoundrels series!

This one was lackluster for me. The premise sounded promising enough — an unconventional woman, childhood friends separated by an unexpected peerage sounded interesting, second chance, etc. However, these elements and the overall execution never really came together and bordered on boring at times. The story also felt very modern, yanking me out of the narrative a few times to regain my bearings.

Phoebe seemed to martyr herself and quickly became one of the least interesting characters. The Duke came off as flat and a milksop who hesitated to assert his own opinions or thoughts. Instead, it seems like Phoebe will ultimately be responsible for acting as both their spines.
Several plot lines (e.g., the Annie mystery) were resolved unceremoniously in ways that didn't fit the build-up. Others were disappointing, such as Will's repeated insistence that Phoebe isn't fit to be a duchess, just to be resolved by her apology.

Overall, Duchess Material was fine, with a passable happy ending. While I didn't love this one, I would read a follow-up centered on one of Phoebe's sisters.

✨2.5 — rounded to 3 for review purposes

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Forever, for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

My two favorite genres are mysteries and romance, so I adored that this book mixed a bit of the two! A new to me author, Emily Sullivan's writing kept me wanting to read more. I always appreciate a clever bluestocking protagonist, so this worked fantastically for me.