Phoebe, an outspoken bluestocking and magnet for trouble, finds herself in need of an old friend, Will Margrave, or the Duke of Ellis, to get her out of a scrape. Their reintroduction begins a halting friendship/partnership, as she attempts to locate a missing student. These two have a past and as they get deeper into the mystery, their companionship grows and evolves from childhood friends.

This story was wonderful! It has shades of Scarlett and the Duke as well as Pride and Prejudice, and both Will and Phoebe are well-drawn characters. I enjoyed the layered romance and mystery - and seeing this time period from a strong woman’s perspective (she is a teacher as well as wealthy) is a welcome addition to the genre. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy a little detective-ing with their romance, as well as a little steam in their historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Phoebe Atkinson is determined to make her own way in life by teaching at a school for impoverished girls. She has no desire to get married or live within the rules of the aristocracy. That is, until she gets caught investigating the home of one of her missing students and Will Margrave, the Duke of Ellis, must rescue her.

Will has spent the past decade or more running an estate he did not even know he was in line for after the death of a distant relative. After he learned he would inherit, he lost Phoebe— his childhood friend and someone he had only realized could be more to him. So when she calls for him to help, he finds himself back in her orbit, scheming with her to find her missing student.


Wow, this was such a fun book. I couldn’t put it down! I loved Will’s character growth and how he found himself again because of Phoebe and her convictions and because he wanted to be the man he was before he became a duke. And how in the end, Phoebe didn’t compromise just because her reputation might be ruined, but rather because she overcame her fears. I loved that the community came together for the school and that at the end of the day, Phoebe’s family truly did love her and support her choices. I look forward to hopefully reading about Alex and Freddie’s adventures in the future!

3 stars

I've seen Emily Sullivan's first series crop up on my social media feeds from time to time, but hadn't been particularly interested in their plots. Duchess Material, however, was giving me big Miss Scarlet and the Duke vibes, so I figured I'd pick it up and get my Victorian mystery/romance fix.

It's definitely an easy read (the audiobook is about 9 hours) with a very familiar trope set of the starchy duke and the bluestocking falling in love. However, I often felt like the author was pulling their punches while trying to set forth a compelling mystery and a swoon worthy romance at the same time. The mystery fades away for large swathes of the book and then returns to be wrapped up way more neatly than anticipated based on the stakes. The romance also relied a lot on the fact that these characters are former childhood friends and did not quite build the sexual tension and emotional stakes enough for my personal taste. That being said, I would still pick up another book from Sullivan in the future to further test out if she is an author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Delightful! A second chance romance that also introduces us to the families of Will and Phoebe. I see more stories coming for Phoebe's sisters, Alex and Freddie. Maybe even Will's brother Cal. I hope so!

I love Emily Sullivan's books. I especially loved this one - with a duke who is trying to be starchy and is getting no where. I loved the tension and the slow burn. Will our Duke find his equal? Yes! It was a phenomenal read!

I love a good friends to lovers trope. This was a childhood friends to lovers and it was well done! I think there was a lot going on in this story and struggled at point to really get into it. On top of it being romance driven there is also a bit of mystery and family meddling. I enjoyed this story overall but it wasn’t a favorite.

I thought the book was very authentic and the portrayal of the characters was true to the time. Phoebe is a bit of a radical blue stocking striking out on her own. Will fills the role of the reluctant aristocrat perfectly. I loved the use of childhood friends to lovers. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book.

Historical romance is hit or miss for me, so I was very pleased Duchess Material was a hit. The comparisons to Evie Dunmore and Martha Water, two historical romance authors I really enjoy was spot on.

Phoebe and Will had a really great childhood friends to lovers story. I appreciated that Sullivan packed a lot into Duchess Material - mystery, social commentary, romance - without the story feeling overwhelming.

I'm unsure if this is expected to be a series, but I would love to read more about Alex, Freddie, and Cal.

I struggled with this one and I don't really know why. It took me weeks to care enough to finish it. I struggled connecting with the characters and truly wasn't that invested in the story (there was a brief time when my kindle and my phone were not synced with where I was at in the book and it took me 4 chapters to realize I had already read those chapters. I liked the previous books I've read from Emily but this one just didn't work for me. Also I just really really hate cartoon covers on historical romances.

This was a great book. Characters were great. This book was easy to get into as I am also a teacher. I loved watching Phoebe and Will’s adventures and seeing how human they were with the mistakes they made.

Emily Sullivan does it again! I absolutely LOVED this childhood friends x second chance romance x mystery subplot. The dynamic between Phoebe and Will is so well honed. We really get a sense of why they have avoided each other so long and what is holding them back even now. It also sets up the Atkinson sisters for follow up books and I really, really, really want to see that happen. Ugh, I could read 45 books just like this. One of my favorites of the year!

Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan
Historical romance.
Phoebe Atkinson was arrested for trying to find out how and where her missing student went. The manager of the building where the student lived was less than helpful and then called the police when she wouldn’t leave! Phoebe’s “phone call” went to William Margrave, the Duke of Ellis since he was still good friends with one of her sisters, and he’d have the power to get her released. Will shows up and promises the police that Phoebe wouldn’t interfere any further but Phoebe isn’t willing to just let her student be forgotten. Who knows what might have happened to the girl on her own with no supporting relatives.
Phoebe convinces Will to help her and both are reminded of their past friendship until he unexpectedly received the Dukedom.
Will needs to marry and because of the title, he needs a proper wife. The more time he spends with Phoebe, the more he wishes that she would make a good Duchess, but she’s a school teacher for the working class. It’s not a match that would be acceptable. Would it?

Phoebe is so caring and compassionate. I understood her reasons for her distancing herself from her family and it was so touching when she reconnected with her sisters. And of course, with Will. That relationship got steamy!
More complex than the standard regency with my favorite best friend sibling troupe mixed with a bit of second chance.
A great historical.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley, Forever Publishing, and to the author for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book had the feel of Pride and Prejudice, with mystery, scandal, and plenty of strong female leads!

My favorite quote was definitely, “”And a better man would tell you no." Her mouth slowly curved in triumph. She knew she had him. "But?" Will let out a frustrated sigh. "But it turns out I'm a bit of a bastard when it comes to you."” I’m obsessed!!

Duchess Material has everything I look for in a historical romance, from a female main character who bucks societal norms, a male main character who indulges her whims, and some family meddling. I loved that Phoebe had a job at a school for girls, supporting herself, and was entirely uninterested in romance. Will was the perfect match for her, willing to let her chase her ambitions, support her in the crazy schemes she found herself in, and love her endlessly. I also appreciated the mystery plot line and what it brought to the overall story.

Oh my, Phoebe had William on a hook and he reels him in to be genuine, kind and caring as he was before he became a duke a decade ago, setting her friendship and love aside. How she opens his eyes, she challenges him, she motivates him, she loves him. I really liked this book and Phoebe shines throughout. She is very likable.

A fabulous read

Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan was a great read! I found myself unable to put this one down as I needed to see what happened for these characters before I closed the book.

When William Margrave unexpectedly inherited a dukedom a decade ago, he has done everything he could to be the perfect aristocrat. That means connecting himself with the "right" people and now that it is time to marry, he intends to find the right duchess with the same approach he has done everything else. The only problem is that his oldest friend's younger sister keeps interrupting his carefully controlled life and what's even worse...he actually likes it.

Phoebe Atkinson is an outspoken bluestocking and while her older sister is the budding economist and her younger sister is the social butterfly, Phoebe has traded in her life in high society to spend her days teaching working class girls. But when her most promising student goes missing and Phoebe gets into a bit of trouble, she turns to the most powerful man she knows, the Duke of Ellis. While he was one the object of her affections, when he became the Duke, he left his old life behind...including her. But as she leans on him more and more over the days, she realizes, he hasn't really changed all that much and her feelings actually haven't gone away.

As I mentioned, I enjoyed this book and I thought it was really well done. The characters were well-developed, the story was written well kept me turning the pages to see how things would turn out. I'm hoping that we get books for other Atkinson sisters too as I found both to be interesting and would love to see how things turn out for them too!

I’m a historical romance lover but having the added bonus of a mystery to frame the love story was such a delight. Phoebe comes from a wealthy family but has struck out on her own, wanting a different path than her businessman father and older sister. She is a school teacher for working class girls in London and one of her promising students goes missing she is determined to get to the bottom of it. And to do that she needs to enlist the help of her childhood friend and Duke, Will.

The feel of the novel is similar to Evie Dunmore’s novels where the women have agency and are fighting against the expectations of what it means to be a woman during the time they lived. But that’s not to say the romance wasn’t the focus! The chemistry between Will and Phoebe was great and I especially loved getting inside Will’s head. The family bond between Phoebe and her sisters also grounded the story and brought out great character dynamics. I have high hopes for this mysterious nun and next novel we may have gotten a glimpse into at the end of this novel.

Will and Phoebe’s story was absolutely delightful. I loved the slow burn evolution of their relationship and the twist on the “best friend’s little sister” trope. Sullivan’s late Victorian era setting is a breath of fresh air.
One of the things I love the most about Sullivan’s stories is her realistic portrayal of complex family dynamics. She tackles those tangled, sometimes knotted, strands with grace and compassion.
Read this book of you enjoy any of the following:
- a strong-minded heroine
- meticulous research and fully developed side characters
- multi- dimensional heroes who aren’t afraid to fall first or confess their vulnerability.
Perfect for fans of Mary Balogh and Eloisa James.

This was an absolutely delightful historical romance. I'm always very fond of headstrong heroines, and Phoebe did not disappoint. I really loved her dynamic with Will - she always kept him on his toes, and wasn't afraid to challenge him (or anyone else) if she didn't agree with him or his views. They have some excellent banter between them, and the love they have for each other really shone through even before they confessed to each other.

The plot was also interesting, the little bit of mystery was a fun change from other historical romances and I liked the inclusion of political topics that were prevalent in the late 1890s. There were some really fun references to Pride and Prejudice scattered throughout, but not enough to be overbearing. The first kiss scene was one of the best I've read in a while, the anticipation built to that moment perfectly throughout the text and I loved getting to see Phoebe take what she wanted.

I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next books, I have to see what Alex and Freddie get up to!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC.

A solid historical romance. Nothing groundbreaking but very enjoyable. I particularly liked the character of Alex, too smart for her own good and has no time for the silliness of people in love but connot say it to one another.