A review by yourbookishbff
The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was the story Free deserved! I have been anxious for her Main Character Moment ever since she showed up in The Heiress Effect, and this exceeded my expectations. This is set ten years after the conclusion of The Countess Conspiracy and feels most closely tied to The Duchess War (seeing Robert and Minnie again made me so dang happy). Free is now operating her own press and pushing boundaries as an investigative reporter on women's suffrage and feminist issues (Milan shares in the author's note how both Nellie Bly and Josephine Butler inspired her character and experiences) and our male main character, Edward, finds himself aligned with her in an effort to upset his brother's plots against her. While his motivation, initially, has nothing to do with protecting Free, this quickly changes as the two develop deeper respect for each other. The final act was just perfect (we even get a grovel?!), and this became my favorite installment in the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Medical trauma

Notes on sexual assault/sexual violence/medical trauma as well as torture: These all occur in flashbacks/discussion of character backstory. Free previously went undercover at a women's institution where sex workers were held and routinely medically violated for the purpose of the control and monitoring of sexually transmitted infections. In the author's note, Milan quotes Josephine Butler, an activist against the practice at the time, in calling this "surgical rape," and it may be triggering for readers, as Free continues to have panic attacks/nightmares about her time there. Edward experiences torture in his backstory, and describes this in one particular scene toward the end. It is moderately graphic, but does not occur in the story's present timeline.