Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a delightful beginning to the reading month of February – the month known for romance and love 😉 ❤
I’ve become a cynic when it comes to romance novels or movies in general, and usually avoid picking up an out and out romance since the last few years. But I’m glad I read this one on the glowing recommendation of reader friends, whose recommendations I’ve come to trust and bank on lately.
I used to read a lot of historic romances, mainly because they’re less steamy. I have been big fan of Julian Quinn’s Bridgerton series as well. This book, in the beginning, seemed to be going along the same lines. We know them all, feisty heroine with a mind of her own, brooding hero who looks tough on the outside but has a kind heart and who falls head over heels in love with our feisty heroine. Predictable.
But all the predictability ended at about 50% into the book, when the twists come in and a larger cause is brought into the picture. Anyone watched or read North & South? This felt similar. The protagonists are not just busy attending parties and being around each other all the time. They both have causes that theyre fighting for, that they believe in. In this case, its the setting of the beginning of the women’s suffragist movement in UK.
Even I was appalled to read about the lack of freedom women had then. I know of the movement and the years of hard work these women did, in order to bring us women where we are today. The basic right to property, the right to vote – they all seem so normal to us today. But it wasn’t normal at all in the 1800s. We have come such a long way, and I loved to see our four heroines work towards their cause in the story.
I think this is going to be a series of 4 books, since we’re introduced to 4 women in this book. And I’m really looking forward to reading the next one, which will feature the leader of their group – Lucie 🙂
A great way to start my February reads 🙂
Questions for you guys 🙂
Have you guys read this book yet? What were your thoughts?
Do you think romance novels give us a distorted picture of expectations in terms of reality?
Starry Eyed Enigma 