Bringing Down the Duke

A brilliant author to discover

I was not the read I had planned for today but after reading a previous of the first two chapters, i had to continue my reading.
I have seen many great reviews from earlier reviewers, I leave to them the action to convey their thoughts about the historical facts as it is not in my capacities.
I will just share how I felt and the sentiments once having turn the last page of this book.
For once, I can very much say it is my first read by Mrs Evie Dunmore, as it is also her debut novel, well her first edited one ( as I do suppose to be published, an author has to sweat over a lot of pages before catching a publisher’s eyes.
What an error it was to decide to read it, i stayed awake late at night when I had to wake up before the sun rising.
I just adored this book.
The characters are flawed but it was what made them more engaging.
Annabelle is no miss-in-distress. Sure, she is facing some dire straits and paying a harsh price for the errors of her young self.
But she uses her clever mind and wits to her profits, refusing to let others dictate her future. She might be a woman, she won’t let it stop her from reaching her goal. She has to play not always fair but it is how life is.
She is a strong willing woman and she won’t debase herself even to satisfy her passionate inner core, but she has also her doubts, as they were ingrained and tattooed in her soul, in spite of knowing she is worth than what it is expected from her, when her dreams could come true, she can’t comprehend she is deserving her happily ever after, she rejected it for fear of not being enough.
Sebastian Devereux, Duke of Montgomery is everything is expected from such a lofty titled gentleman. Icy cool and composed, never showing or expressing an emotion. Always behaving like he is expected. He inherited his title at a very young age and since he has made his mission to restaure his family name to its ancient splendor. Slowly he is regaining all his lost estates, and now that only one is left, he must obey His Queen’s orders if he want to be able to get the last one back. But his encounter with a pair of green eyes disrupts everything he had planned. He is unsettled for the first time since long, drawn to her like he is magnetized. When around her, he can’t stop saying outrageous things, acting the wrong way.
Despite their sizzling chemistry, she is too far below his station to be anymore than a kept woman. Why they spent a great amount of time avoiding the other when at the same time they can’t stand to be too far as they need another’s presence to breath freely.
So when after having told her many many time, she could never be more than his mistress, I did understood why she didn’t believed him. Proposing her after having a fright, is not the best path to reassure her of his feelings and his willingness to face the scandal which would assuredly strike.
Sure words and insults were exchanged but as their “courting” was not the usual too, he should have realize he could not come and barge in her home like a madman and profess his undying love when he told her with conviction she was no match for a duchess position.
The author gave me time to get acquainted with both main characters plus the side protagonists. She developed them in a way, I learned gradually about their pasts, pain and wounds. It rendered them more alive.
While I have read some reviews complaining about Annabelle refusing Sebastian’s proposal, despite the hurt both caused to another, I did accepted her choice even if wrong. She thinks she is protecting him from a rushed decision, albeit letting go her own happiness, maybe too to shield herself from future pain.
So with this first published novel Mrs Evie Dunmore has won a firm reader.
And autumn 2020 is so very far for the second installment.
I was granted an advance copy through Edelweiss and the publisher Penguin Publisher Group. I purchased also my own. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.