The Gentleman’s Gambit

Since first reading Bringing Down the Duke in late 2019, Evie Dunmore has been one of my favorite authors. I’ve been loving her League of Extraordinary Women series, and now the fourth and final book has arrived: The Gentleman’s Gambit, starring Catriona Campbell and a new character, Elias Khoury. I got my copy from Book of the Month (I needed all four books to match!) and started reading it the very day it arrived. I loved it; what a wonderful way to end this amazing series.

Summary

Catriona Campbell has been hurt in love before, so instead of opening up her heart to anyone again, she’s dedicated her life to writing, studying, and supporting the suffragist cause. But when she’s tasked with managing her father’s new colleague, Elias Khoury, she may have met her match. Despite coming from different backgrounds (she’s Scottish; he’s Lebanese), they have more in common than they realized. But Elias has a particular goal in mind, one he’s not sure Catriona will get on board with. And never mind the growing attraction between them. Can they overcome all that stands between them, or will it be too much for this unlikely pair?

Review

Throughout the entire League of Extraordinary Women series, I’ve found myself wanting to get to know Catriona Campbell more. She’s a character I could identify with: introverted, shy, more comfortable with books than in crowds. In The Gentleman’s Gambit, we finally get to see more of Catriona, as well as a her love interest, a new character named Elias Khoury. (Despite some hints in the first book, Catriona is not pursuing a relationship with Peregrin!)

Catriona and Elias get off to an awkward start. She emerges from the loch on her family’s Scottish estate without a stitch of clothing on, not realizing her dad’s new colleague has not only already arrived, but is standing right there. From that point forward, the two are keen to avoid each other, but Catriona’s dad has other plans. Namely, for Catriona to help Elias with some work… and accompany him down to Oxford.

Although they come from very different backgrounds (she’s Scottish; he’s Lebanese), they actually have a lot in common, both intellectually and politically. And it’s not long before Catriona gets roped in Elias’s sneaky plans: to steal back artifacts from the British museum and return them to their rightful place in Lebanon. Not the easiest task, but one that her quick mind and resourcefulness can handle. But working together on this shared goal also means spending more time together… and breaking down her walls enough that a seed of romance can start to blossom.

The Gentleman’s Gambit offers a chance to learn about a lot of different topics: Lebanese culture, Arabic, international relations (circa 1882), women’s rights, linguistics, even chess. As with the rest of the books in this series, it’s so well researched, immersed in its time setting, and filled with fascinating information, all while balancing out romance and nuanced characters.

Another thing I appreciated here is exploring Catriona’s romantic past. Unlike so many historical romance heroines, Catriona has had other loves before, both a woman and a man. (Yes, she’s bisexual!) We get glimpses into the dynamics of those relationships and why they didn’t ultimately work out. We can see why she’s closed off now, but also how she has so much in her that’s desperate to give love another try.

Elias is a new character to the series, but he quickly comes to life on the page. I loved getting to know him and seeing how his relationship with Catriona would unfold. With their different homes, they may have a big hurdle to face, but that can’t stop them from exploring what they have in the present.

Final Thoughts

I loved The Gentleman’s Gambit, and it is a fitting end to the whole League of Extraordinary Women series. The epilogue went in an unexpected direction, but I was happy to see where all the characters from the series will eventually end up.

Evie Dunmore was my introduction to historical romances back in 2019, and I’ve been so happy to read this whole series. Her books are exactly the right blend of what I love in historical romance, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Get the Book

You can buy The Gentleman’s Gambit here – it’s available as a hardcover (BOTM), paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore
Series	A League of Extraordinary Women (#4)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	Scotland; England; Lebanon
Number of Pages	432
Format I Read	Hardcover (Book of the Month)
Original Publication Date	December 5, 2023
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

“Dunmore is my new find in historical romance. Her A League of Extraordinary Women series is extraordinary.”—Julia Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author

A BookBub Best Romance of Winter 2024!

Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign—the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.

Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head—until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.

Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing…

Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.