This week we are discussing Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, Ch. 14-22.
Content Warning!!! This book contains situations and subjects related to: sexism, imprisonment, and sexual assault.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends and welcome to our second discussion of Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore. The sexual tension really ramped up in this section! I knew that it wouldn’t be like contemporary romances, where they could publicly show their affections and walk off into the sunset together…. But somehow, the way Montgomery addressed the nature of their relationship really upset me. I have to imagine that at some point, they are able to have their happily ever after, but I can’t really guess how they’ll manage that.
Michaela: We really went from a level two spicy sexual tension to level 7 spicy actions (for this time period) really quickly in this section! I think Montgomery is approaching this relationship in the only way he thinks is possible which I understand but it still bothers me. Social/royal rules are absolutely ridiculous, them not being able to be together because she’s “low born”....puh-lease. I’m really not sure how this will all pan out. I could see her becoming his mistress for the security of it as well as to be with him obviously, and I wouldn’t blame her, I’d consider it myself. If not that then Montgomery is going to have to leave his status behind. But also this is a romance novel so really anything could happen, someone like the Queen could just up and change the rules by the end of this book, who knows.
We started off this section with the New Year’s Eve multi-day festivities. This is where we started getting spicy even with just Annabelle’s magenta designer dress. Hattie is the most unhelpful helpful best friend a girl could have, you gotta love her. Gets her friend a dress but then gets convinced into a different color than agreed upon but then that dress ends up being show stopping. I’m really glad that Annabelle got that moment to see just how desirable she is despite where we came from.
Jacilyn: Hattie is so sweet. I think in some ways she envies the supposed freedom she thinks Annabelle has, and I can’t really blame her for that. I think Montgomery feels similarly suppressed by the social norms and expectations of the society and class that he and Hattie reside in. I wouldn’t blame Annabelle if she decided to be his mistress either, honestly. I agree with you - I might have done the same in her shoes. I am guessing that, at some point, Montgomery will help the suffragist’s cause - but I don’t know if he’ll do it in the background or more up front.
It’s unfortunate that Annabelle was subject to so much negative attention at the ball. Lord Ballentine is fucking disgusting, and I was unimpressed with Montgomery for not thinking Annabelle was clever enough to understand what kind of man the lord is. And honestly screw Lady Lingham for bringing him around Annabelle. I feel like she might have done it on purpose, and that she is jealous.
Michaela: I feel like Montgomery will be in the background of the suffragist movement for at least a little while. Him bailing Annabelle out of jail, if that is what is happening at the end of this section, is going to get out there as gossip at some point. But he’s starting to see who the men in his political party really are and he does not like it, he’s really only on the conservative side because that’s where his family has always been and not because that’s what he believes.
I appreciate that Annabelle got the chance to be all made up but along with that came disgusting men unfortunately. Ballentine is so gross, just awful truly, so predatory. While Montgomery likes that Annabelle is a very intelligent woman, he’s still stuck in the time period mindset that women need to be “protected from what they don’t understand” kind of bullshit. To be fair it does seem like this is kind of what Ballentine does and he’s probably pretty good at it and corners a lot of women before they realize who he really is. Then him hanging around with Lady Lingham, who by the way was jealous that Ballentine was moving his attention to Annabelle, like ma’am…you have issues. I really think she’s going to become a problem out of jealousy at some point. They’ve clearly been sleeping together for a very long time and she does not seem the type to like to share or give up on something she enjoys.
I’m curious to learn more about Annabelle’s past. When in the alcove with Montgomery, she both did and did not want to be there with him, and it seemed to be from flashbacks rather than disliking Montgomery. She’s obviously incredibly attracted to him. At first I had thought that her relationship when she was younger was from like a teenage love kind of situation but now she’s starting to describe it with different language that I feel she may have been manipulated into a sexual relationship when she was a teenager. Whatever happened she really does not trust men alone with her, besides Montgomery after their first kiss and getting to know him over the last few weeks.
Jacilyn: It seems to me that Annabelle’s past relationship was one that involved a lot of steamy passion, but wasn’t so reciprocal where love was concerned. I think it was just a thing of the flesh for the man, and when it came time to stand up for her to his father when they were found out, he let it happen because he didn’t really care all that much for her in the first place. And clearly word of it got out to her family, at least, and then she was a shamed woman. She “gave up” her virginity before marriage, which was a horrible sin by that time’s standards. I think you’re right about there being manipulation involved with whoever this man was, though, because she does have a very healthy distrust of men, but particularly men of power.
You nailed it on the head in the last discussion when you said you thought that Annabelle might help Montgomery see his relationship with Peregrine in a different light. I thought the moment they had in his study, when Annabelle wrapped her arms around a very distraught and angry Montgomery, was so sweet. I am hopeful that Peregrine will be found soon, and that there’s a reconciliation there, but we’ll see. I’d like to see some more of Peregrine in the story, he seems like he might dislike the social norms of the time as well… although for him I think it’s more to do with not wanting the responsibilities. By the way, I actually really like Peregrine as a name!
Michaela: Annabelle and Montgomery have some super sweet moments and lots of spicy moments as well as some good butting heads moments. They’re really enjoyable to read so far. I hope we get some satisfying resolution with Peregrine, I just want them to be brothers for a second rather than caretaker and heir. Montgomery was put in charge of everything including raising his little brother from a relatively young age and he has to learn how not to be that way. And then Peregrine doesn’t fully appreciate what Montgomery has been through either. Communication is key! However, if all characters communicated properly then we’d never have books to read!
Also, the part of Annabelle and Montgomery’s relationship that gives me them tingles is when Montgomery sees Annabelle looking thinner, cold, in older fashion, etc. and all he wants to do is feed, cloth, and love her. Ooooo boy after my own heart. Where’s the mistress sign up sheet! He doesn’t look at her in that “I’m rich” way of why doesn’t she just dress better, why doesn’t she just eat. He understands that he has privilege that she doesn’t and he’s barred by social norms and rules from helping her. But then Annabelle does the same kind of thing just in a different way, her craving for helping Montgomery is much more emotion based. Like when she asks about his family, his interests, or childhood memories. It’s just lovely. I think it adds another dynamic to their relationship that’s more than the spiciness, which is also very enjoyable but I’m enjoying the whole of their relationship a lot so far. Maybe historical romance is where it’s at for me, the whole “we can’t be together” but then sneaking secret moments and having secret inside jokes like with the books.
Want to know what doesn’t give me them tingles? Professor Jenkins. He seems so icky to me. I don’t know if it’s appropriate at this time for a professor to want to be with a student but it grosses me out. Maybe he does just enjoy her company and wants to be legit friends. So far it doesn’t feel that way to me, he’s not being out right creepy but the vibes are off for me. Like using Annabelle’s friendship with another student as a work around to invite her to the concert. Ick. Maybe we’ll learn that it’s not an ick but I’m getting the ick.
Jacilyn: It seems like Jenkins cares about Annabelle - he obviously noted that she’s not eating like she should be, and I *think* he offered her the job because 1) she’d be a good fit and 2) she needs the money. But, he could have also offered it to her just to have her around more often, which is creepy af. I think the interest in her ranges beyond platonic, honestly….. So I’m not really sure how to feel about all of it with him.
I honestly loved how Annabelle stood up for Hattie. It was a badass moment for her, but clearly came with some fucked up consequences. It absolutely disgusts me how easily that police officer assaulted Hattie, and he wouldn’t have stopped unless Annabelle had done something. The whole scene of the march, where there were tons more women than anyone expected, gave me a bit of goosebumps to imagine. What a powerful scene! This book has made me want to learn more about women’s suffrage in England. I know a bit about the US history of women’s suffrage but honestly not much about the UK at all.
I thought it was kind of fucked up for Montgomery to have told Annabelle that he would have proposed if she were of the same class as him. I can’t imagine why that would have ever been a consoling tidbit for Annabelle to hear - for me, it would make it so so much harder to move on.
Well folks, that’s it for this discussion. Will our heroine and hero have a happily ever after? Or will it all go down in flames? Join us next week to find out! See you then.
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