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danielle_isreading's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely phenomenal. Evie Dunmore is unmatched.
This book is everything I had hoped The Duke and I would be—it doesn’t just say “women are inexperienced and kept naive!,” it delves deeper and begins to challenge it.
Hattie is immensely likable and is the person we all want to root for. Lucian has so much depth and honestly I found him really likable in a different way. He’s a PERFECT broody and unwitting hero.
I wish we’d gotten a little more of Hattie’s friends, and the journey at the end seemed a bit abrupt, but it worked overall so I can’t complain.
All the stars. Auto-buy author for sure.
This book is everything I had hoped The Duke and I would be—it doesn’t just say “women are inexperienced and kept naive!,” it delves deeper and begins to challenge it.
Hattie is immensely likable and is the person we all want to root for. Lucian has so much depth and honestly I found him really likable in a different way. He’s a PERFECT broody and unwitting hero.
I wish we’d gotten a little more of Hattie’s friends, and the journey at the end seemed a bit abrupt, but it worked overall so I can’t complain.
All the stars. Auto-buy author for sure.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
amobrien's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Death, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief
saeruh's review against another edition
emotional
- Strong character development? Yes
4.75
This book was very close to being perfect. I felt like all of the characters were so complex and it was lovely to see them develop. The suffrage part that was so prevalent in the first two books took a bit of a backseat (although it was still a major function of the book!), instead what was focused more on as the political history of this one was poor worker’s rights in the late 1800s and specifically the poor working and living conditions of Scottish coal miners. It was interesting to me to read this take on that sad part of history since Dunmore seemed to really breathe live into the coal miners’ community.
The love story within this had amazing chemistry and was filled with tropes (forced proximity, strangers to enemies to lovers, love at first sight, grumpy/sunshine, probably more im forgetting) but also was such an original story. It was also both quite steamy and spicy which was a great bonus. I do think this is the best book and romance in the series (although I guess I’ll see how the fourth one coming out next year will change that). I loved the representation of living with a learning/comprehension disability in the 1800s that came with Hattie’s character. I thought it was incredibly well done. I also just loved Hattie in general, I have since the beginning of this series, she’s such a sweetheart and the sad way that she’s treated by her family that affects her own self esteem broke my heart. I also loved Lucian! He was so complex but so besotted with Hattie. There was an accurate portrayal of PTSD within his character as well. They were so great together even when they sort of hated each other. Lucian went through the Darcy-character-development and by the end of the story, he was changing his ways that Hattie had previously told him were his faults (aka actually listening to her concerns and actively changing his ways to make a lasting difference).
I quite liked the side characters, I thought they were all interesting and had enough time in the story for me to actually care about them/their futures. I wished we saw more of the friend group and all of them being together like in the previous books. I didn’t like beginning or the last few chapters before the epilogue. The former because I felt like Dunmore did not ease the reader into the story at all (i mean the first kiss is in the freaking first chapter) and instead just kind of threw you into the midst. The latter becausewhile I understood why Hattie wanted to leave/separate from Lucian due to the beginning of their relationship, i also majorly felt like it erased a lot of their emotional development. I mean like hell they just admitted to each other that they loved one another and suddenly they’re separating?? It was hard to read and that last 5% took me much longer to read that the rest because I was so disappointed .
Anyways I do recommend this book, it was quite a bit of fun and informative, it had spice that made me blush quite hard, and I listened to the full audiobook in two days 😋👍
The love story within this had amazing chemistry and was filled with tropes (forced proximity, strangers to enemies to lovers, love at first sight, grumpy/sunshine, probably more im forgetting) but also was such an original story. It was also both quite steamy and spicy which was a great bonus. I do think this is the best book and romance in the series (although I guess I’ll see how the fourth one coming out next year will change that). I loved the representation of living with a learning/comprehension disability in the 1800s that came with Hattie’s character. I thought it was incredibly well done. I also just loved Hattie in general, I have since the beginning of this series, she’s such a sweetheart and the sad way that she’s treated by her family that affects her own self esteem broke my heart. I also loved Lucian! He was so complex but so besotted with Hattie. There was an accurate portrayal of PTSD within his character as well. They were so great together even when they sort of hated each other. Lucian went through the Darcy-character-development and by the end of the story, he was changing his ways that Hattie had previously told him were his faults (aka actually listening to her concerns and actively changing his ways to make a lasting difference).
I quite liked the side characters, I thought they were all interesting and had enough time in the story for me to actually care about them/their futures. I wished we saw more of the friend group and all of them being together like in the previous books. I didn’t like beginning or the last few chapters before the epilogue. The former because I felt like Dunmore did not ease the reader into the story at all (i mean the first kiss is in the freaking first chapter) and instead just kind of threw you into the midst. The latter because
Anyways I do recommend this book, it was quite a bit of fun and informative, it had spice that made me blush quite hard, and I listened to the full audiobook in two days 😋👍
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Fatphobia, Grief, Sexual content, Body shaming, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, and Infidelity
mcmizzie's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this book and I loved even more on my second read of it; my first time through, the extended dialogue on justice, Marx, Locke, and capitalism felt forced. But now I see how Evie Dunmore’s books are just more gently paced and intellectually robust, which I think invite the reader to slow a bit. Hattie is incredibly believable for a woman of her class and I think reviews that call her spoiled are getting it right, if tonally misguided — that’s the whole point. Her transformation is believable and powerful. Lucian is so smoldering and delectable, and I loved this twist on Hades/Persephone Beauty/the Beast.
I can’t recommend the audiobook — the narrator really emphasizes Hattie’s youth and petulance in a way that I think detracts from her growth as a character. I LOVE that Lucian is the only one who calls Hattie, Harriet, because he always sees her as the full, complex adult she is even when no one else does. Ugh. So good!!
I can’t recommend the audiobook — the narrator really emphasizes Hattie’s youth and petulance in a way that I think detracts from her growth as a character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Death
izzyf16's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Gun violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child death, and Suicide
luckykosmos's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My favorite of the books so far, the most believable dynamic as well as the best interrogation of politics from either side. Both characters grew in ways that were interesting and suited where they came from and their own expectations, with Hattie wanting to be loved in a certain way and Lucian trying hard to bridge that gap while remaining distant to his own feelings. If anything, I disagree with the discussion questions likening them to Hades and Persephone, since Lucian's draw wasn't initially for her specifically but required much work from him on his own outlook - even if Hattie initially has the most stereotypically feminine wishes and comes from the most privileged place of the main women, both of their work feels more concrete and connected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Suicide, and Death of parent
carbs666's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The entire series is worthy of five stars but this one is my favourite of them all. The way Dunmore makes it possible for Hattie to grow up and become her own person while still growing into her artistic practice and learning to share herself fully with the people she loves is just chefs kiss! I love how the plot of this book gives Hattie exactly what she needs - to be challenged and independent - without withholding anything she deserves - to be loved by people who know her value.
Obviously Lucian is my absolute dream hero. The way he struggles with his own feelings of roughness and inadequacy in Hattie's presence but still wants to make sure she knows how special she is regardless of his frustrations with their relationship is a great example of how couples in a romance can have a complicated relationship and still try to treat each other with care. Also, I love to see a bit of the dom/sub dynamic coming through in this book - Dunmore does an excellent job of capturing the feeling of the submissive glow, the way one feels after fully letting themselves go with the knowledge that their partner(s) will accept and make space for their pleasure.
I would have enjoyed to see the threatened spanking on the page but even without it I found the anticipation and the actual sex to be quite good! I just think this is a really special book.
Obviously Lucian is my absolute dream hero. The way he struggles with his own feelings of roughness and inadequacy in Hattie's presence but still wants to make sure she knows how special she is regardless of his frustrations with their relationship is a great example of how couples in a romance can have a complicated relationship and still try to treat each other with care. Also, I love to see a bit of the dom/sub dynamic coming through in this book - Dunmore does an excellent job of capturing the feeling of the submissive glow, the way one feels after fully letting themselves go with the knowledge that their partner(s) will accept and make space for their pleasure.
I would have enjoyed to see the threatened spanking on the page but even without it I found the anticipation and the actual sex to be quite good! I just think this is a really special book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Death
kb33's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The first book in this series was great, but the second two weren’t nearly as good, and this one reminds me why. Hattie is immature - which is exactly how her character should be, considering she’s probably not more than 20, a virgin, and very sheltered by her rich family. I was surprised and disappointed by the direction this book took to get to the end. It felt very overdramatized, and very like Hattie didn’t feel special enough. Which, with the way her marriage started and the way her family treated her, is a fair way to feel, but this trope was tired a few decades ago, and always struck me as very childlike. To conclude, this was a decent book but it wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Sexism
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Violence
tiannakelly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
buckaroo97's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Classism, Death, and Death of parent