MoodReads - Romance Book Discovery
The Stacks
DiscoverMy ShelvesReading Stats
Sign upLog in
MoodReads - Romantasy Book Discovery

because goodreads doesn't
have a spice filter

Discover

  • Discover Page
  • Reading Stacks
  • Tropes
  • Moods
  • Creatures
  • Spicy Books

Get MoodReads

  • so what is it.
  • iOS App
  • Browser Extension
  • MoodReads Premium
  • Gift a Subscription
  • For Creators
  • Share MoodReads

Go Deeper

  • FAQ
  • Roadmap
  • Request a Feature
  • vs Goodreads
  • vs StoryGraph
  • Who Built This?

The Serious Stuff

  • Values
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Support

get emails when something big happens. no spam, just news.

© 2026 MoodReads. Built by a romantasy reader for romantasy readers.

rattle the stars, bitches.

Cover of Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women, #3)

Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women, #3)

by Evie Dunmore

🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate·A League of Extraordinary Women #3
3.9 on Goodreads

Rate this book

sign in to add to shelves, track reading status, and see your stats

find similar →
ReportSpoiler settings

Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

Dunmore makes you feel the full weight of what it meant to be a woman with no legal personhood - and then lets the brooding Scotsman soften without losing his edge

Synopsis

London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wants to accomplish three things: achieve acclaim as an artist, pursue a noble cause, and marry a young lord who puts the gentle in gentleman. She has no business being in a church in Edinburgh exchanging vows with the darkly attractive but ruthless financier Lucian Blackstone, whose murky past and ruthless business practices strike fear in the hearts of Britain's peerage. Unfortunately, she had been caught in a compromising position with the man and now her reputation, and that of her family, is at stake. Lucian wants in to the exclusive halls of political power currently barred to men like him. Hattie's family connections would give him the key. But even as Lucian tries to use Hattie's connections for his own ends, he finds he is not as immune to her as he thought. And the further they travel into the Scottish Highlands, the more Hattie discovers that the man she married is not the villain she had imagined.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

Hattie is a suffragette heiress who ends up married to a ruthless, self-made Scottish financier after a compromising situation - and neither of them is happy about it. Dunmore weaves real history (coverture law, coal mining unions, women's suffrage) into the romance so seamlessly it feels essential rather than decorative. Lucian's slow thaw is genuinely earned, and watching Hattie find her own power inside a marriage that stripped her of it is quietly devastating. Stay for the Scottish second half.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

3.86 ★

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

448 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2021

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Historical Romance

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

Dual POV

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (female)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Mary Jane Wells

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
forced to marrymarriage of convenienceenemies to loversforced proximityslow burnclass differencebeauty and the beastroad trip romance
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

broodingromanticdramaticatmosphericintenseangstyhistoricalswoonyyearning

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

lyricalatmosphericsharpemotionalcharacter-drivenliterarywitty

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

moderate

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

medium

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

reluctant Victorian brideScottish highlandssuffragette activismcoal mining justiceHades and PersephoneBeauty and the Beastfeminist historical

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

artist/creativereluctant heroambitious schemerinnocent / sheltered

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

brooding princedark/tortured soulmorally gray MMCsecretly softself-made man

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

enemies to loversclass differencegrumpy sunshinepower imbalancehe falls firstrivals to loversredemption romance

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
Spice Level 3

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

slow seductionpassionate / intenseemotional / vulnerable intimacyslow burn with late spicetension / anticipation focus

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

longing glancestensionanticipationeye contact intensityjaw holding / face cuppingneck kisses / neck touching

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (5)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
child abuse (referenced)sexismmisogynyforced marriageslut shaming
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

historicalregency/victorian

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

manor house / estatemountain / highlandsbig city / metropolis

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

humans only

RepresentationIdentity representation in the book. LGBTQ+, race/ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, body type, age and more.

N/A

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

book hangoverthe angst deliveredredemption arctension finally satisfiedthe swoonexpanded empathy

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

anytime

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

cozy eveningrainy weekendlazy Sundayvacationwinter night by the fire

this page is just the start

  • import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
  • tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
  • 4,000+ romantasy books searchable by 45 fields
  • book clubs, reading challenges, and a community of readers who get it
free account

Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️🌶️moderate
PagesHow long the commitment is.448
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2021
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.3.86 ★
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

A League of Extraordinary Women #3
Similar picks →

My Notes

Loading...

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Sign in to share your take.

Loading...

Book Chat

live reactions, hot takes, screaming into the void about Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women, #3)

Similar Books

Cover of Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)

Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)

The Crimson Moth, #1

Kristen Ciccarelli

🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
forbidden lovehidden identityfake dating
Cover of The Hurricane Wars (The Hurricane Wars, #1)

The Hurricane Wars (The Hurricane Wars, #1)

The Hurricane Wars, #1

Thea Guanzon

🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
arranged marriagemarriage of convenienceforced proximity
Cover of The Rose BargainKU

The Rose Bargain

The Rose Bargain, #1

Sasha Peyton Smith

🌶️🌶️🌶️·first person
fae romanceforbidden lovecompetition romance
Cover of The Knight and the Moth

The Knight and the Moth

The Stonewater Kingdom, #1

Rachel Gillig

🌶️🌶️🌶️·first person
forced proximityforbidden loveadventure romance
Cover of The Antiquarian's Object of Desire

The Antiquarian's Object of Desire

Love's Academic, #3

India Holton

🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
forbidden loveworkplace romanceadventure romance
Cover of The Bridge KingdomKU

The Bridge Kingdom

The Bridge Kingdom, #1

Danielle L. Jensen

🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV
arranged marriageenemies to loversforced proximity
Cover of A Deal with the Elf KingKU

A Deal with the Elf King

Married to Magic, #1

Elise Kova

🌶️🌶️🌶️·first person·✓
arranged marriagemarriage of convenienceforced to marry
Cover of Lord of Scoundrels

Lord of Scoundrels

Scoundrels, #3

Loretta Chase

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️·dual POV·✓
beauty and the beastmarriage of convenienceforced to marry