Review by Kayleigh
Series Name: The Crionline Academy #1
This is the first in Mimi’s new series and I’m already feral to get to book two.
Favourite Quote:
No one could easily get close to a girl wearing a wire crinoline, not without thoroughly disarranging her. Its sheer circumference provided a modicum of protection. But its daunting size had another purpose. A crinoline made even the smallest female an intimidating creature. She took up space for herself – demanded space – in a world where ladies were too often diminished and ignored.
Book Synopsis:
On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful politician’s systematic attack on women’s rights, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.
But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.
From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.
Review:
Ok, I am a slut for Mimi Matthews. I adore her books, her romances, her witty writing and her attention to historical detail. Rules for Ruin is party mystery, part romance and part a revisit of Dicken’s Great Expectations. I loved this start to a new series and these new characters.
We meet Euphemia (Effie) who has an unknown past, and has spent time at a mysterious academy on the outskirts of London. Effie is desperate for her freedom and the head of the Academy is promising her it, if she just finishes a task. The Academy is not what it seems, rather it is a training ground for young, victimized, girls to learn to get around the rules of society that are working to keep them down. Effie has been the star pupil. The head of the Academy asks her to take down a Viscount who’s threatening to stop the approval of a bill that would assist in women’s rights and that puts Effie on the path to cross with the mysterious Gabriel.
Gabriel also comes from nothing, and has made his living by having wealthy and important men owe him. Effie and Gabriel find themselves at opposing sides: if one of them succeeds in their goal with the Viscount, the other loses. Of course, neither of them wants to lose. And they can’t stop thinking about each other. Gabriel is a fabulous Mimi hero: he’s troubled, not always good, and pines for Effie. I don’t blame Gabriel. Effie may be the most fantastic heroine that Mimi has written: she’s fierce, smart, loyal and kind. She scares me a little in a good way. I loved watching Gabriel and Effie learn to let down their very high walls around their hearts and be vulnerable with each other. They both have so much to lose, but also are aware of how precious and fragile life is. There is a delicious tension every time they are on the page together.
This is a fast-paced book with an engaging plot and a strong cast of secondary characters whom I can’t wait to see more of. I loved figuring out the twists of the Viscount, Gabriel and Effie’s history, and learning more about what is actually happening at the Academy and why it’s so secretive. With her strong expertise in historical facts, Rules for Ruin is a dive into women’s rights during a tumultuous time. This book reads a bit darker than her past series: there’s a female rage that powers the book that complements the characters in the best way.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
