Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

October 1, 2019

We all have plans, lot's of plans!
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After months and months of looking for a good new book to come along, Evie Dunmore appeared on the scene, and gave me one. Well, she didn’t actually give me a book; I did open up my purse and make her a tad bit richer. I proclaim right up front, this is a good one, and I recommend it! By the way, my little Petunia’s, don’t let the cover throw you. Contrary to the artwork, which appears on the front cover, Bringing Down the Duke is a historical romance, not a young adult, teen or chick lit book.

This is the first story in A League of Extraordinary Women series, and it is set in 1879. The plot line revolves around a group of hopeful, emancipated women. Our heroine, Annabelle Archer, is one of them. Don’t get tooo distressed about the word emancipated. The author does not beat you over the head with her political views. While one does become aware of injustices handed out to women of the era, at no time did I feel that the narrative was heavy-handed. I think the author did a nice job of making a statement without pontificating. In fact, I loved the way Annabelle’s thought process worked, and how all of her beliefs were quietly presented to us. Her understated approach won many arguments. 

The mean cousin. Annabelle comes equipped with a horrible, women-are-stupid-you-are-my-free-labor cousin, Gilbert. Annabelle is a really, really smart woman, and she wants to go to Oxford. She is excited because Oxford has just opened its doors to women. Annabelle is a intellectual sponge. She wants very much to learn; she has a brain that’s thirsting for knowledge. After a bit of maneuvering, she talks Gilbert into letting her go…for a short time.

Time moves onward, and Annabelle is in London studying; and has become involved with a group of women who are trying to change the Married Women’s Property Act. During this time, women did not have the authority needed to change any law; their options were to make a lot of noise, or influence powerful men to change legislation. All they need to do is find a powerful man and have him help change the law. Sounds simple to me. Annabelle finds such a man. Enter Sebastian Devereux, the Duke of Montgomery. Their plan progresses. Thank goodness, the author does not go down the path of turning her novel into historical fiction. These women are not super-women who can bend the will of men in a single glance.

Sebastian is a cold-fish, stiffed-neck, everything in its proper place, kind of guy. He is not a rakish hero, but a pretty stable, upper-crust man. There are no gray areas in his life; everything is black and white.  His desire is to save his family seat. His father, on the other hand, was a bit of a loose-screw, and lost the family castle in a card game. Enter Queen Victoria.  Victoria’s portrayal in this book is as a rather small minded, conservative woman. She is not at all in agreement with emancipation for women. I think that is probably an accurate characterization of Victoria. Anyway, she has a plan. If Sebastian becomes the chief strategic advisor for the Tory party, she will return his castle to him. Guess what one of the conditions is for being an advisor to the Queen. Victoria’s advisor will not support women’s suffrage.

Annabelle is a gutsy heroine. Of all the women in her group, she is the one who approaches a well-dressed man and pushes a suffragist pamphlet under his nose. This is Sebastian and Annabelle’s first meeting, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Annabelle had some wonderful inner-thought narratives going on. She continually pushes herself beyond her comfort zone. When Annabelle’s friends become aware of Sebastian’s identity, they elect Annabelle as the official Trojan horse. She must infiltrate a house party in an attempt to turn Sebastian to their side.

The house party. Of course, Annabelle and Sebastian end up at a house party together. Their relationship blossoms. The dialog between our couple is a thing of magic. When Annabelle and Sebastian’s scenes were on the page, the book became alive. These two characters were fully developed, intelligent, and believable. They were two mature people trying to make a future for themselves. They were aware of their differences, of how society would view them. And, here is where I had an issue. I loved Annabelle. I loved her strong character. I just wish that she hadn’t gone on so long about how she was unworthy. 

Secondary characters. Start rubbing your hands together with glee: there are tons of luscious supporting characters in this book. I especially liked Professor Jenkins. I thought he was the cat’s meow. I hope we see him again. As for the “extraordinary women,” Ms. Dunmore gives us just enough to make us want more.

Bringing Down the Duke was a splendid debut novel by Evie Dunmore. While the plot may have been something we have seen before, for me it felt fresh and exciting. The book is full of fully developed characters, and there is a strong sense of the 19th century floating throughout this story. The women in this book are not a bunch of 21st century women in long dresses spouting 21st century rhetoric. I felt Ms. Dunmore did a great job of bringing women of the 19th century alive. They seemed real. This was a well-constructed, intelligent love story, and Evie Dunmore has given me hope that there are still some talented authors out there.   

Time/Place: 1879 England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot