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A review by luluwoohoo
The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore
☀️☀️☀️☀️
A complex historical romance that lays emphasis on the history, paving a rich and beautiful path for a cross-cultural romance.
Full disclosure: I've not read the earlier books in this series, so I can't compare this to them. I did, however, discover a great appreciation for now Dunmore treats the historical elements, providing excellent commentary on colonialism, suffragettes, and late century politics in and around the blossoming romance.
Catriona is a remarkably detailed main character whose neurodivergence was a breath of fresh air in historical pieces. Her complicated feelings regarding womanhood and romance/love were wonderful foils to her relationship with Elias. His background was refreshingly spared of harsh stereotypes while still honouring his heritage. Their chemistry was well handled, though the miscommunication towards the end felt too manufactured given their joint intellect.
I was a bit let down by the heist and legal pipeline storylines losing steam so quickly and the resolution of their miscommunication, which didn't feel grandiose enough on scale, but overall I thought this was a really solid book that shifted the focus onto history with much success.
☀️☀️☀️☀️
A complex historical romance that lays emphasis on the history, paving a rich and beautiful path for a cross-cultural romance.
Full disclosure: I've not read the earlier books in this series, so I can't compare this to them. I did, however, discover a great appreciation for now Dunmore treats the historical elements, providing excellent commentary on colonialism, suffragettes, and late century politics in and around the blossoming romance.
Catriona is a remarkably detailed main character whose neurodivergence was a breath of fresh air in historical pieces. Her complicated feelings regarding womanhood and romance/love were wonderful foils to her relationship with Elias. His background was refreshingly spared of harsh stereotypes while still honouring his heritage. Their chemistry was well handled, though the miscommunication towards the end felt too manufactured given their joint intellect.
I was a bit let down by the heist and legal pipeline storylines losing steam so quickly and the resolution of their miscommunication, which didn't feel grandiose enough on scale, but overall I thought this was a really solid book that shifted the focus onto history with much success.
"Do you know how a tree changes shape to grow around an obstruction?" she asked, her voice hollow. "How it develops an unnatural bend, or ugly bulges? [...] I'm wondering how misshapen I am," she whispered. "I wonder how bent out of shape I am from these attempts to exist around some fear, instead of just growing, straight and up, as I should have."