There is a brilliant, fiery energy in historical romance that seamlessly marries the glitz of high-society Victorian England with the gritty, real-world stakes of the early women’s suffrage movement. Evie Dunmore—a USA Today bestselling author with a master’s degree in Diplomacy from Oxford—is the undisputed modern queen of this subgenre.
Her universally acclaimed debut series follows a close-knit circle of brilliant, forward-thinking “bluestockings” who are part of Oxford’s inaugural class of women. While managing a high-stakes campaign for women’s rights, they consistently match wits with powerful, brooding, and intensely traditional men. Below is the definitive guide to reading Evie Dunmore’s books in order.
A League of Extraordinary Women Series
Every book in this series functions perfectly as a standalone romance with its own definitive “Happily Ever After.” However, reading them sequentially allows you to watch the broader historical fight for British women’s legal rights evolve across the late 19th century.
1. Bringing Down the Duke (2019)
The explosive debut that redefined modern Victorian romance. Annabelle Archer, a brilliant but impoverished vicar’s daughter, earns a coveted scholarship to Oxford’s first class for women. In exchange for her tuition, she must support the local suffrage movement by infiltrating the political circle of Sebastian Devereux, the cold, fiercely traditional Duke of Montgomery. Sebastian is appalled to find a squad of suffragists occupying his social circle—but he is even more terrified by his undeniable, forbidden attraction to Annabelle.
2. A Rogue of One’s Own (2020)
Lady Lucie Tedbury has dedicated her life and her immense determination to managing a publishing house to print suffragist literature. Her plans hit a massive roadblock when her old childhood nemesis, the devastatingly handsome Lord Tristan Ballentine, secretly buys a controlling share in her business. Tristan is willing to hand over the rights, but only at a highly scandalous price: one night with Lucie for every coup she attempts to pull off in the boardroom.
3. Portrait of a Scotsman (2021)
London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield dreams of artistic acclaim and a gentle, noble husband. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a compromising situation with Lucian Blackstone—a ruthless, self-made tycoon and brooding Scotsman who commands vast wealth but lacks aristocratic status. Forced into an unwilling marriage, Hattie is whisked away to the rugged, politically volatile coal mining country of Scotland, where she must learn to navigate her husband’s dark secrets and her own growing desires.
4. The Gentleman’s Gambit (2023)
Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell has her hands entirely full managing an ailing estate, severe academic writer’s block, and a critical turning point for England’s women’s rights campaign. The absolute last thing she needs is to play host to her father’s brilliant and distractingly attractive new colleague, Elias Khoury. Elias has wheedled his way into Oxford under completely false pretenses—he isn’t there to classify ancient artifacts, but to steal them back for his Middle Eastern homeland. Catriona becomes the ultimate pawn in his high-stakes game.
About the Author: Evie Dunmore
Evie Dunmore is a USA Today bestselling novelist whose deep love for 19th-century British history and pioneering women heavily inspires her work. Her background is remarkably academic; she graduated with a Master of Science in Diplomacy from the University of Oxford, giving her a deep, nuanced understanding of political frameworks, international historical laws, and British institutional history.
Dunmore is an active member of the British Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA). When she isn’t buried under piles of historical research or drinking massive amounts of tea, she lives in Berlin, Germany, crafting the sharp-witted heroines who refuse to let the patriarchy dictate their futures.
Why the Sequential Order Matters
While the romantic resolution of each couple is entirely self-contained, skipping around the series will dilute the incredible “found family” aspect that Dunmore builds so masterfully.
The heroines—Annabelle, Lucie, Hattie, and Catriona—form a deeply protective, fiercely loyal squad of friends. They act as each other’s confidantes, share inside jokes, and actively help orchestrate the high-stakes political schemes seen in subsequent books. Witnessing their individual transformations from struggling students and societal outcasts into powerful, influential women alongside their respective partners is half the joy of the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Evie Dunmore’s latest book?
Her most recent full-length release is The Gentleman’s Gambit, which acts as the fourth highly anticipated installment in her hallmark suffragist series.
Does she write clean romance or is there spice?
Evie Dunmore’s books sit firmly in the adult historical fiction category. They feature explicit, open-door, and beautifully written romantic scenes that are heavily grounded in the emotional intimacy, mutual respect, and intellectual friction between the main characters.
What historical era do her books take place in?
Her novels are set during the late Victorian era (specifically the 1870s and 1880s) in England and Scotland. This was a monumental, highly volatile period marked by the rise of industrial tycoons, the initial waves of the Married Women’s Property Acts, and early organized women’s suffrage marches.
What authors write similarly to Evie Dunmore?
If you have devoured her entire catalog and are craving a similar blend of sharp wit, deep historical detail, and high-stakes romance, you should immediately check out Mimi Matthews (Belles of London series), Sarah MacLean (Hell’s Belles series), and Joanna Shupe (The Gilded Age series).
Verdicts and Recommendations
The Final Verdict: To fully appreciate a series that effortlessly balances genuine historical feminism with top-tier, sizzling romantic tension, start immediately with Bringing Down the Duke (2019) and watch a powerful duke get brought completely to his knees.
This catalog is a perfect match for: Readers who love historical accuracy, academic settings, enemies-to-lovers tension, and heroines who are entirely capable of dismantling Victorian societal expectations before breakfast.
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