Duchess Material
by Emily Sullivan
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: November 19, 2024
Reviewed by PJ
Phoebe Atkinson is what society might call unconventional. Instead of marrying well like other women born to wealth, she chose to be a schoolteacher. Not to mention she lives in a leaky flat in an unfashionable part of town rather than stay in her parents’ mansion. But when her most promising pupil goes missing she has only one option: beg her sister’s best friend, the powerful Duke of Ellis, for help.
The last thing William Margrave ever expected was to inherit a dukedom. But now that he has it, he’s determined to act the part perfectly—and that includes marrying the perfect duchess. A bluestocking Bohemian schoolteacher is decidedly not duchess material. But he can’t resist her plea for help regarding her missing student.
As they fall further into the mystery, William discovers that he never got over his childhood crush on Phoebe, and he doesn’t really want to.
PJ's Thoughts:
Emily Sullivan is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for fresh, entertaining, hard-to-put-down, Victorian romance. Duchess Material is the newest addition to her list of books that have kept me eagerly reading late into the night, unwilling to stop until the final page is turned with a swoon-worthy HEA secured.
Let me start by saying I adore Phoebe Atkinson. She checks so many of my Victorian heroine boxes: independent, engaged, kind, inquisitive, focused; a social and educational activist determined to provide opportunities for all women and girls, regardless of financial or social standing. I enjoyed her journey, her growth, and the lessons she learned, especially pertaining to her family, society, career, and, of course, her relationship with Will.
Did I mention growth? Boy howdy, does Will ever have one doozy of a growth arc. It's understandable that he feels duty bound to the dukedom he unexpectedly inherited at the age of eighteen. It's been the totality of his life for the past decade and he's determined to do right by it, including choosing a wife who is perfect duchess material. How fun it was to watch his entire plan be knocked sideways by one request for help from his best friend's little sister, the now grown woman who had fascinated him as a teen and, unfortunately for his duchess hunt, still does.
The relationship journey Will and Phoebe embark upon is filled with steam, snappy banter, a bit of a mystery, hijinks in disguise, family dynamics, self discovery, a vibrantly depicted secondary cast of characters, and a hard-earned happy ending. I enjoyed every bit of it.
I have my fingers crossed that Sullivan has more books planned for this family. I'm thoroughly invested in the lives of Phoebe's two sisters, Alex and Freddie, who both deserve books of their own.
A friend of mine was just recommending Emily Sullivan to you. Looks like I'm destined to add yet another author and her books to my tbr pile! And I don't mind in the least!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun read. Thanks for the review and the introduction to another new to me author.
ReplyDeleteThanks, P.J. She's up-to-now an unknown author to me, as well. I'll have to check her out since your review is convincing!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it will be a good book. The Victorian era was a time women had more of an opportunity to break away from social expectations and start exploring their options. Thank you for the review and recommendation.
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