A Rogue of One's Own

May 25, 2020
All the elements that made Bringing Down the Duke such a delight are present in Dunmore’s smart, sexy second League of Extraordinary Women romance, but an unwieldy plot puts a slight damper on the fun. After all the reputable newspapers of Victorian England refuse to publish a report on the horrors wrought by the Married Women’s Property Act, firebrand Lady Lucie Tedbury buys shares in a publishing house of her own. Unfortunately, her fellow shareholder reveals himself to be Lord Tristan Ballentine, Lucie’s childhood nemesis, now a war hero, celebrated poet, and notorious rake. Tristan needs the income of the publishing house to free himself from his abusive father’s financial control, so he’s not about to let Lucie sink the business with radical reportage. The war left Tristan hardened, but not so much so that Lucie, his childhood infatuation, doesn’t stir him. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is electric and steers the book through a pileup of romance tropes, half-baked mysteries, and underdeveloped secondary characters (notably including Tristan’s Indian manservant and a spurned gay villain). Still, Dunmore’s prose sparkles, the sex scenes sizzle, the heroine stands tall, and historical details and literary allusions (including a cute cameo from Oscar Wilde) add charm. It’s a bumpy ride, but there are moments of brilliance. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.

July 15, 2020
A suffragist and a rogue move from unwilling business partners to lovers in Victorian England. Lady Lucie Tedbury has an ulterior motive for buying half the shares of London Print, a publishing house known for wholesome magazines for women. She and her fellow Oxford suffragist friends are fighting against the Married Women's Property Act. Their plan to publish a report is thwarted when Lucie finds out that Lord Tristan Ballentine, "scoundrel, seducer, bane of her youth," has bought the remaining shares. Tristan cannot let Lucie bring down the publishing house; he needs to make a profitable income so he can free himself and his mother from his horrid father. Although their differing goals for the publisher put Lucie and Tristan at odds, their physical attraction is undeniable. Tristan offers control of the business in exchange for one night in bed together. At first Lucie thinks he's asking too much, but she soon believes it's too little. Like its predecessor, Bringing Down the Duke (2019), this second installment in the A League of Extraordinary Women series delivers a smart, capable heroine finding glorious love in a rich historical setting with plenty of wit and swoons along the way. Convoluted plotting and clich�d side characters make parts of the story drag, but Lucie's consistent characterization pushes through. Her passion and dedication to the cause feel authentic and drive her conflict with the notion of romance. She refuses to lose herself and become a possession, yet she feels the freedom that comes with being loved. A splendid, if uneven, addition to the series.

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