A Rogue of One's Own Book review

 A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

2020

Historical Romance, feminist fiction

A Rogue of One’s Own tells the story of Lucie, the British chapter leader of the women’s suffrage movement. After Lucie buys shares in a London publishing house to distribute important statistics about the wellbeing of British women, she encounters her childhood best friend Tristan. Now a retired soldier, Tristan is a heartthrob to most of London’s female society. As both grow closer, Lucie is forced to explore her values and worse... her feelings.

While I had fun reading A Rogue of One’s Own, I can’t say it quite met the love I felt for the first book of the series, Bringing Down the Duke. The novel felt like it was missing some of the fire of the first, and the characters, though interesting, did not feel as fully developed as they could have been. Furthermore, Lucie’s characterization in A Rogue of One’s Own felt completely different from the previous book, and I wish her actions and motivations were more consistent.

I really enjoyed how Dunmore explores how love is affected by laws of the Victorian era that decreed women as property once they married. Lucie, a stout feminist, is the perfect means of exploring the ways women challenged laws and legislation. I found that the concept is explored in a tasteful and thought-provoking way. I equally enjoyed the ending, which can be seen as unconventional. It worked well for the characters and made the book feel less of a romance and more of a study of nineteenth century women.

Rating 4/5: Overall, a fun historical romance read