A Lady's Rules for Ruin

A LADY’S RULES FOR RUIN by Jennifer Haymore is the second in her Lions and Lillies series. Frances Cherrington knows herself fairly well, and one of her great frustrations is that alas, her family seems determined not to. She knows she is considered abrasive and too forthright, not demure or pliant or at all eager to marry or pursue other supposedly feminine interests. She determines that the best way forward is to find herself ruined, and that she can weather the immediate storm for the peaceful existence she hopes to achieve after. However... The Earl of Winthrop is a seeming thorn in her side. He's far too handsome and congenial, and cannot possibly be as pleasant as all that. As Frances and Evan are thrown together and then ultimately opt to spend more time together, they have the chance to get to know each other and see the person they typically don't show the rest of the world. And they discover that they not only like but trust the other with their true selves. Ms Haymore's writing is immersive and she captures Frances's and Evan's feelings and circumstances beautifully. I loved seeing their slowly unfolding feelings for the other. I also wanted to gnash my teeth at the incredibly frustrating people and circumstances they faced at times. It is a testament to how well Ms Haymore brings these to life as well, that my emotions were fully engaged. And ultimately I couldn't stop reading as I cheered for this unconventional couple to find their way to a life where they could express their love and happiness as they desired. Well done, Ms Haymore!

Frances would rather remain a spinster than be forced into the marriage mart. She wants to marry in her own time, and for love. When Evan told her that she had two options, she suddenly thought of a third, ruination. Evan has problems of his own. He has just had disturbing news, and he has started collecting brothers. The two of them unexpectedly find a common cause and begin to spend time together. They become friends, the began to have feeling for each other. Will they be able to work through the scandal around them and find a happy future? There are some bumps along the way. The worst one is Frances’s brother. This is an interesting and an emotional story with a slow-burn romance, a scandal or two, some tough family interaction, an unreasonable brother, and three little boys who find a family. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

4 Stars! Such a cute read! This is the second book in ‘The Lions and the Lilies’ series and can be read as a standalone. The main character are Frances Cherrigton and the Earl of Winthrop, Evan Locke. I liked both main characters and I enjoyed their banter. This book is a slow burn with naive decisions, friends to lovers, historical romance with an overly controlling brother and some spicy ‘sexy times’! The only thing I wasn’t loving was how easily solved the issue could have been but how difficult they made it seem. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the first book in the series also so I’d recommend both of these books. *I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*