As a book reviewer, I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher or author to facilitate this review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are always 100% my own.
Miss Euphemia Flite, just returned from five years in Paris with her beloved black poodle Franc, has been summoned to the secluded old manor on the outskirts of London known as Miss Corvus’s Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies. It’s an orphanage of sorts where she was raised, and taught not only reading, writing, and needlework, but also self defense, spy craft, and how to always, always wear a metal crinoline, for protection, as a way to take up space, and a handy device for secreting various things that might be needed.
Miss Corvus has a mission for her, and if she completes it, she’ll gain her independence and enough money to establish herself. So Euphemia sets off to infiltrate the higher classes in order to bring down Lord Compton, a politician who has not only ruined young women in the past, but is fighting against the passage of a bill that would allow a married woman control of her own property. Effie sets out to befriend his daughter, and establish herself in Mayfair circles.
Effie has, however, not reckoned on the presence of Gabriel Royce. Royce needs the politician’s protection for his own betting shop, which allows him the money to move in high society. Additionally, he has plans to renovate the slum where he works, and needs connections and money to do so, and is working to keep Lord Compton in power. The two immediately clash, yet the tension between them is palpable. With each of their stated goals opposed to the other, who will win, and what will it cost?
Rules for Ruin is a fun read. Author Mimi Matthews beautifully recreates Victorian London, with its fashions, its slums and palaces, and its rigid gender and class roles. Her characters are fleshed out and believable. Effie and Gabriel are well-matched opponents who can’t deny their attraction to one another. Effie is smart and brave, but carries her own childhood wounds. The result is a fast-paced novel that nonetheless manages to see character growth and change. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.