Bringing Down the Duke

Oh man, this was really, really good. I'm hovering between 4 to 4.5 stars, maybe even considering a 5 star.

Reasons why I think this was a great read:

- It wasn't wholly absorbed in a self-contained love story between the two protagonists and just some random social misgivings easily overcome, but rather each of the protagonists had their own distinct motivations, backstories, and causes to fight for in life that tied in with the society around them which clashed with each other despite their mutual attraction.

- It actually showed me the world that the protagonists lived in, and the relationship interacts meaningfully (and sometimes contradicts) with that society rather than exist in a bubble within it. You know, just like how real relationships would.

- The conflicts between the protagonists felt realistic and deserved, rather than petty arguments arising because one person decided to go for some good ol' noble idiocy or because there were stupid, avoidable miscommunications. The conflicts arose chiefly because the protagonists belong to such different classes in society and were officially fighting on opposite sides of the women's rights movement. I also liked that the class differences weren't just magically swept under the carpet like in most romance novels, where it makes it seem so easy for a rich and titled man to marry an impoverished, “low-born” nobody with no thoughts about the consequences at all.

- The conflicts had actual stakes involved, and no matter what decision was made, you know it was going to cost someone dearly in a lot of ways - rather than resolutions that seemed to only involve someone getting over their ego and apologising.

- The female protagonist in particular wasn't a Mary Sue. She actively went through some shit to fight for her cause. Her backstory was fairly heavier than expected. She still felt endearing despite it all, and I found myself rooting for her in the end.

If anything, I think the only scene that caught me a little off-guard was when Annabelle decided to initiate a one-night stand with Montgomery after he saved her from prison. It felt really sudden and random and almost out of character, but I didn't mind it that much because I really enjoyed the conversations they had in between having sex, lol. I liked that they weren't just being baring themselves physically to each other but emotionally as well. And the way they parted after that scene really wrenched my heart good and proper.

All in all, a fantastic romance novel and I would certainly be excited to follow this series!