Smitten by Books

The last woman on earth he would ever touch . . .

Declan, the Duke of Banbury, has no interest in ushering Rosalie Hughes, his stepsister, into society.Dumped on him with nowhere else to go, he’s determined to rid himself of the headstrong debutante by bestowing on her an obscenely large dowry . . . making her the most sought-after heiress of the Season.

. . . is about to become the only one he wants

But Rosalie isn’t about to go along with Declan’s plans. Surrounded by fortune hunters, how is she supposed to find a man who truly wants her? Taking control of her fate, Rosalie dons a disguise and sneaks into Sodom, a private club host to all manner of illicit activity—and frequented by her infuriatingly handsome stepbrother.

In a shadowed alcove, Declan can’t resist the masked temptress who sets his blood afire . . . any more than Rosalie can deny her longing for a man who will send her into ruin.

The Debutante’s Guide to Ruin featured a heroine I liked a lot. Rosalie is more a woman of her times than some of the heroines I’ve read about lately. Her reluctance to ask her stepbrother, Declan, for help and her initial deference to him feels realistic and appropriate given his station—and hers—in life. I’m tired of historical heroines who speak to those ranked considerably higher than themselves with no seeming care of what’s acceptable in society. I was happy to see Rosalie didn’t fall victim to this kind of characterization.

Declan I only liked. I didn’t fall in love with him as I hope to with the heroes in romances. In his role as the duke, he initially treats Rosalie’s arrival with the same kind of enthusiasm as one would expect, which means none at all. She’s a burden he doesn’t welcome and he doesn’t pretend to feel any other way about it. We quickly learn it’s really her mother he despises, and for good reason.

***Spoiler Alert***

The reason I couldn’t give this book a solid four stars was because, despite all the good aspects of the story—how the romance unfolds, the tension, the passion, the secondary characters—it employs two plot elements I can’t swallow. One would have you believe that the hero isn’t smart enough to recognize the woman living right under his nose when she’s in disguise. Rosalie wore a black wig and domino mask. That he doesn’t recognize her and is so willing to kiss her without at least seeing her face was too much of a stretch for me. Declan, in all other aspects of his life, is a smart man. Too smart to not have seen through Rosalie’s disguise.

***End of Spoiler Alert***

I can’t tell you the second plot element without giving away the end, but I didn’t find it believable. It’s a plot device I’ve seen way too many times in historical romances, and I wish Ms. Jordan had ended it another way.

All and all, it’s not my favorite Sophie Jordan book but it’s a decent read. I’ll definitely continue reading the rest of the series. Ms. Jordan gives the readers enough tantalizing hints of a romance between Aurelia and Max. I can’t wait to read about their romance.

Reviewed by Dawn
Heat Level: Hot

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