author2223's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Police brutality and Infidelity
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism
deluna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage
wilybooklover's review against another edition
1.0
Annabelle was not insufferable like the duke was, but everything we are told about her is contradicted in how she acts. We're constantly told how much smarter she is than everyone else, but she repeatedly acts like an idiot, makes stupid decisions, and gets herself into situations where she needs to be rescued by someone else. We're never actually shown her being intelligent beyond a few witty remarks. We're just supposed to believe it because she reads books and goes to Oxford. We're told that she can manipulate men for her own ends but this goes out of the window by chapter two. She tells us that she has learnt from her past mistakes of falling for a man but then immediately loses her head and falls under the lustful spell of virtually the first man she meets. Her views and morals are inconsistent and seem to be dictated purely by whatever the plot needs her to be.
And it’s not that I think that all romance novels should be explicitly feminist or even feminist at all, but given the marketing (and claims from both the publisher and author) I was expecting that this particular one would be — the title on Amazon even lists it as ‘Bringing Down the Duke: swoony, feminist and romantic.’ ...WHERE?! The heroine doesn’t even seem to care overmuch for women's suffrage — she is actually horrified when the duke makes a speech in their favour at the end because she's more concerned for his reputation than the cause — and only seems to be in it for her scholarship and her friends, so why is the feminist (a word that is used in the book but was not actually coined until around 15 years later) angle a selling point for the book? The political activism seems to have just been used merely as a plot device to keep delivering the heroine back into the arms of the duke — which is fine in a romance, just don't sell it to me as a feminist book featuring the plight of suffragists. It all felt very lacklustre and surface-level. Another reviewer has mentioned the racial implications in better detail, but I do also think it's weird that the single Jewish character (Disraeli) is derided as 'an upstart' and 'weaselling his way in' while the duke is described using the pseudoscientific/scientific racism term 'Nordic' and glorified for said 'Nordic' looks. I'm not even going to get into how the cartoon cover suggests a lighthearted, fluffy read and this is anything but because that is a whole other rant.
Graphic: Sexual content, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
Minor: Antisemitism, Infidelity, War, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Colonisation, and Death of parent
allisonmspiers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Graphic: Police brutality, Classism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Bullying
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Medical content
jpitts's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
There's a lot to potentially like here but I found myself so completely unengaged. I think there was a lot of interesting background stuff going on, but the romance itself just didn't work for me. Particularly, I couldn't bring myself to like the Duke of Montgomery. I guess I just can't get on board with most of these stoic, no-nonsense romantic heroes who <i>eventually</i> start expressing a <i>smidge</i> of emotion. And I get the duke's reasons for being that way, and the complexity of the situation, and I just...couldn't be bothered to care.
I really think this is all personal taste stuff. This is very well written and a lot of people who aren't me are sure to love it. I just personally found myself struggling to get through.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Moderate: Miscarriage
hayley_nelson915's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual harassment
bayleereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Sexism, Police brutality, and Misogyny
ecobookworm's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
joburnsreads's review against another edition
3.5
🌶️ open door, mild details
🗳 Historical Romance
🗳 Forbidden Love
🗳 Opposites Attract
🗳 Grumpy Sunshine
🗳 Age Gap
🗳 Forced Proximity
🗳 Sick Bed Trope
🗳 Mutual Pining
🗳 Slow Burn
I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. The book was very heavy on historical details in my opinion which I didn't mind - but tbh, I had a harder time understanding everything. I think this was because I listened to the audio. One thing I definitely loved about this book? The feminist/girl power aspect of the story. I am so here for badass women changing the course of history.
Historical Romances are always filled with the most delicious tension between the two MC's and I always enjoy that. The relationship between Sebastian and Annabelle was a sweet forbidden love story with lots of mutual pining and a little unrequited love. These two were opposites, but honestly perfect for one another.
I still plan to read the rest of this series since I have the next two books on my physical shelf.
Minor: Miscarriage