Ruined by Rumor

May 03, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance-european

Be careful what you wish for. Roxana Langley lives the quiet life of a well-bred young lady in rural Derbyshire. Yearning for more than her comfortable yet predictable life, gossip and local scandals will have to do instead when real excitement is lacking. But now that her fiancé of five years, Major George Wyatt is at last returning from the Peninsular War, Roxana's life is about to change for the better. Goodbye boring.

Alex Winslow, Earl of Ayersley and her brother’s best friend, has loved Ro...more
Be careful what you wish for. Roxana Langley lives the quiet life of a well-bred young lady in rural Derbyshire. Yearning for more than her comfortable yet predictable life, gossip and local scandals will have to do instead when real excitement is lacking. But now that her fiancé of five years, Major George Wyatt is at last returning from the Peninsular War, Roxana's life is about to change for the better. Goodbye boring.

Alex Winslow, Earl of Ayersley and her brother’s best friend, has loved Roxana from afar for years. Her sweet, bubbly nature is the opposite of his bland and composed disposition. But when her fiancé breaks the engagement and she and Ayersley are seen in a compromising situation, Roxana knows how it feels to be at the receiving end of scandal. There's only one way to scotch the rumour and avoid ruin. She and Ayersley must marry.

This beautifully written story with its deep characterisations is another absolutely wonderful read from talented new author Alyssa Everett. Her main characters, Ayersley and Roxana are the driving force behind this story.

Ayersley's uninspiring demeanour, the responsible character he presents to the world, is all that Roxana sees initially. Yet as she gets to know him and his layers are peeled away, she begins to see a man who is at his core, a true hero of substance and passion. Roxana who starts out as a superficial character with a frivolous personality overlaying a likable but shallow centre, matures into a layered individual with depth.

Even though I loved this, I enjoyed Ms Everett’s debut novel (if it ever gets released) just a little bit more. Perhaps it was the first person pov’s from both the hero and the heroine, that made A Tryst with Trouble such a stand-out. Nevertheless, Ruined by Rumor proves that she is not a one-hit wonder, but a very bright star in the historical romance genre.

Subtle, clever humour, beautiful prose and a character-rich romance make Ruined by Rumor another impressive read from this new author.

Steam: 2.5

ARC courtesy of Carina Press via NetGalley

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Jun 25, 2012 Stella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, for-review, historical, romance, dfrat

As you can see from the blurb Ruined by Rumor is a marriage of convenience/forced marriage Regency historical romance, which is my favourite trope so I was excited to read it, and I’m happy to report that Ruined by Rumor is a delightful read. The more days pass since I finished it the more I appreciate its romantic charm and wittiness and wish to re-read Ruined by Rumor.

Roxana our heroine is a lively, smiling blonde, who takes nothing too seriously and has a generally sunny disposition (I would...more

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May 30, 2012 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review was originally posted on The Historical Romance Critic.

The heroine to the hero, on their wedding night: "I have a crystal-clear memory of Tom’s dog, behaving with complete abandon whenever a particularly tempting leg caught his fancy. It’s essentially the same thing, is it not?”

It was only yesterday that I was reading about yet another rake reformed by the touch of a beautiful, innocent miss. I found myself asking why the hero couldn't be a nice guy on occasion, someone who isn't rem...more This review was originally posted on The Historical Romance Critic.

The heroine to the hero, on their wedding night: "I have a crystal-clear memory of Tom’s dog, behaving with complete abandon whenever a particularly tempting leg caught his fancy. It’s essentially the same thing, is it not?”

It was only yesterday that I was reading about yet another rake reformed by the touch of a beautiful, innocent miss. I found myself asking why the hero couldn't be a nice guy on occasion, someone who isn't remotely like a rake but still gets the girl. I chalked up the idea as hopeless, being familiar with romance authors' fascination of alpha heroes. So imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon Alyssa Everett's Ruined by Rumor, a historical that played out my very idea - only with much more success than I could have imagined. Everett is actually a familiar name, as I reviewed her debut novel A Tryst with Trouble. However, I never would have made the connection on my own. While I remember A Tryst with Trouble as being a good read, Ruined by Rumor is quite simply spectacular. For one thing, the burgeoning romance between the protagonists is intensely sweet without sacrificing authenticity. The relationship misunderstandings are also reasonable yet heartbreaking, and the clever comic relief had me bursting out laughing. I'm no Regency scholar, but Ruined by Rumor certainly had the feel of historical accuracy with an almost traditional writing style. Throw in a thoroughly engaging storyline, and the result is one of the best historical romances I've ever read.

The storyline of Ruined by Rumor stays fairly close to the book's description. The heroine starts out every inch a county debutante - she's beautiful, innocent, and naive. At the age of eighteen, the heroine fell for the shallowly romantic gestures of a rakish officer. Her father allows them to become engaged, but asks her to wait five years before marrying. The book opens at the end of this agreed time period, with the officer coming back from the war and the heroine eager to move on with her life. She develops a few reservations about upcoming marriage, as she finds it hard to kiss her fiance and again when she finds out about his affairs abroad. He sweet talks her into going along with it, though, and she reasons that it's really too late to back out now. The heroine has grown up knowing the hero as one of her brother's friends, but believes him to be stuffy and proper - a misconception the fiance is all too happy to embellish. The hero, on the other hand, has grown up completely in love with the beautiful heroine. He's tried to approach her in the past, but his reserved personality causes her to think he dislikes her. Then, once she became engaged there's nothing much he could do. A few weeks before the wedding, the fiance tells her he can't marry her without telling her why. The hero goes to comfort her, and a spontaneous kiss occurs. The kiss is witnessed, and the hero proposes a marriage of convenience to fix the scandal. The hero is painfully aware of the fact that the heroine believes herself in love with the officer, but vows to make the relationship work as best as he can. The heroine, meanwhile, believes that the hero is being his ever dutiful self. I don't want to give too much away, but the marriage of convenience storyline that follows is very engaging and I found myself loving the characters. In particular, I enjoyed both the hero's and heroine's commitment to making the marriage work... even while I anxiously hoped for the misunderstandings to be resolved. I usually hate it when the hero falsely accuses the heroine and then storms off, but I made an exception here. As I said before, the final misunderstanding is agonizing... but at the same time, very understandable. The resolution was quite satisfying as well.

I absolutely loved reading Alyssa Everett's Ruined by Rumor. Not only was it exactly my kind of storyline, but every aspect of the novel seems to be well-written: characters, conflict, humor... you name it. The romance and historical detail were particularly enchanting, and I have to say that Everett has found in me a newly devoted fan.(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book because I was completely in LOVE this author's first book which I also read as an ebook ARC from NetGalley. The publisher of that book, however, seems to have gone under and the book (A Tryst with Trouble) will now, I assume, be forever unattainable by the masses. :(

That being said, I knew going into this second book that it was published by a different publisher who requested that the author write it in 3rd person instead of 1st. That was sad news, because Alyssa Everett is se...more

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May 22, 2012 The Year of Reading Scandalously rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Darn near perfect Regency. Finely drawn characters I cared about. Sweet resolution. Not too high on manufactured drama. No underlying suspense plot; just a focus on the relationship. Not scalding hot but more than insinuations. Just a good old-fashioned romance. Going immediately to buy her debut novel. What?! Nooooooo. No eBook of her debut. Delayed gratification. :(

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Nov 10, 2012 My Book Addiction and More MBA rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-england, carina-press, historical-romance

RUINED BY RUMOR by Alyssa Everett is a wonderful Regency historical romance. It is a fast paced adventure of misunderstandings,slyness,love,scandal,lost,and romance. With a tongue-tied,Alex Winslow, the Earl of Ayersley and the beautiful, vivacious,Roxana Langley you can only find a disaster in the waiting or maybe love in the making. Roxana's former fiancee has jilted her,so the responsible Alex,whose brother jilted Roxana, does the only reputable thing and agrees to marry Roxana. "Ruined By Ru...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Tanya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, historical-romance

First of all, I know historical romances are known for ridiculous titles, but this was a little over the top. This book had great potential, but there were just too many misunderstandings to make this couple enjoyable. Yes, Alex was sweet, but I think only because we got in his head. His outward actions towards Roxana didn't show any real affection. I know he was guarded because he was shy, but we never actually saw him be nice to Roxana. Oh, Ms. Everett mentions it towards the middle of the boo...more

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Jun 10, 2012 cupcake rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those books in which I cared a LOT more about the hero than the heroine. In fact, I kind of wanted the heroine to be miserable, lonely and left shriveled like a heap of wet towels. The only reason I cared one toenail about her happiness was if it made the hero happy. And since it did, I had to give a fiddler's fart about her scrawny ass.

Roxana is engaged to George Whitby, who basically is a cad and a scoundrel, only she's too stupid to see it. WE see it. Boy, do we. We know that h...more This is one of those books in which I cared a LOT more about the hero than the heroine. In fact, I kind of wanted the heroine to be miserable, lonely and left shriveled like a heap of wet towels. The only reason I cared one toenail about her happiness was if it made the hero happy. And since it did, I had to give a fiddler's fart about her scrawny ass.

Roxana is engaged to George Whitby, who basically is a cad and a scoundrel, only she's too stupid to see it. WE see it. Boy, do we. We know that he will break her heart, one way or another, and by golly, he does. They have been engaged for five years, during which she waited patiently for him to return from war. A few weeks after their engagement ball, he dumps her.

We aren't too sad about this, though, because (a) Roxana feels nothing - not one tiny flutter - when he kisses her (in fact, it could be argued that she feels revulsion) and (b) George's absence means Alex Ayersley has a chance. And Alex Ayersley, people, can KISS. When he (finally) kisses Roxana, she "grew so breathless she was sure she would faint. The whole world seemed to spin and tilt around her."

Alex, you see, has loved Roxana forever. He even tells her that he loves a woman, has loved her for years, and that she is the most beautiful, desirable woman he's ever met. Dumb Roxana doesn't realize he means HER, mostly because Alex is kind of socially constipated. He doesn't know how to make small talk, and he's perfectly content to sit in silence. In fact, prior to the kiss, the only thing that seems to stir his emotions is when he discusses politics and the law, specifically the time he witnessed an execution:

Ayersley, passionate? The incongruity of the thought almost made her laugh. A more mild-mannered man had never walked the earth - the dull dog, George called him. Yet Ayersley's tightly contained outrage just now had been unmistakable.

Shortly after the aborted engagement, Roxana's virtue is questioned by some who witnessed her rousing game of tonsil hockey with Alex. He proposes a solution to her wrecked reputation: let's get hitched.

Alas, Alex cannot figure out how to tell her the truth about his feelings for her, and Roxana is so stupid that she can't suss it out on her own. She puts herself into situations that cause him pain, and even though it's innocent (for the most part), and even though she does feel a little guilty, she can't be honest with him. Until, that is, Alex decides he can't take it any more and unleashes his frustration on her. Oh, faithful readers, it is a delightful castigation, and I cheered him on most happily.

Now, about the hotness. There are some decent sexy times scenes. Alex knows how to rock the headboard. Oh, yes, he does. He may seem restrained and polite, but underneath that dutiful exterior lies a dutiful exterior, if you know what I mean. And I hope you do. He knows how to please a woman, bless him. Not that Roxana deserves it, but whatever. There are not many sex scenes, which is unfortunate, because I'd love to know the full extent of Alex's prowess, but what's there is good. Not scorching, but good. All in all, this is a predictable romance featuring a hero you can cheer for.

Read this book, for Alex's sake. He deserves to be loved.

Also published on cupcake' book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata

Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.(less)

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May 24, 2012 Muscles Mccoolguy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book changed my life. Before, I was the coolest guy in my city. After, I was the most awesome person on the planet. Unlike most books that include info-dumps and overwriting, this book manages to give me feels while holding up a thick, strong plot. One time, I fought robo-Jedis while trotting through the Cascades of Xerxlon B on the back of my Noble Steed, Sparkles. That could not hold up, in the awesomeness factor, to this fantasticular book. It made me drizzle chocolate syrup out of holes...more

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May 24, 2012 Shan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was full of humor and eventually real romance. It had me wanting to pull my hair out of my head at times, but in a good way.

We all know that most romances are full of misunderstandings, but this one was full of them. (Again in a good way) The reason I am saying in a good way is because I think that the misunderstandings were pretty unique. Yes, they would talk to one another to explain, but each person drew their own conclusions instead of asking for clarification. Alex has to be one...more

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May 24, 2012 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, net_galley, regency-victorian

I rather liked this story, provided by netgalley. It's a common enough trope - the marriage of convenience when hero and heroine are caught in a compromising position - and the style and setting is definitely Austenesque, but the writing is simple and fresh, and it was a pleasure to just read it. We also get to see some of the scenes similar to readers of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, but we get to see more and hear more than Austen ever lets us, and, of course, we are privy to...more I rather liked this story, provided by netgalley. It's a common enough trope - the marriage of convenience when hero and heroine are caught in a compromising position - and the style and setting is definitely Austenesque, but the writing is simple and fresh, and it was a pleasure to just read it. We also get to see some of the scenes similar to readers of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, but we get to see more and hear more than Austen ever lets us, and, of course, we are privy to inner dialogue.

So, what did I like?

- The hero. I loved his shyness, his awkwardness, his confidence in his abilities to handle business affairs, and complete lack of confidence in his abilities to handle love affairs. He was like the beloved Mr. Darcy but without any sheen of pride. I did think that he changed rather unconvincingly towards the end, but there's nothing that says that introverts can't have tempers that could flay you alive. He drove the story for me.

- The writing. The author really painted a wonderful picture of Regency country life ruled by daily routine, seeing the same people at church on Sunday, the gossip, the novelty of new arrivals, and also described in nice fluid, simple language, that made it a really pleasant, enjoyable light read. It also made me realize how carefully constructed the scenes were. You know that the Major is going to be a pain, and you know the hero and heroine are going to get their HEA, and you even pretty well know how it's all going to turn out, but the scenes are so thoroughly put together that it doesn't irritate (except maybe at the climax, where I really can't imagine the hero behaving that way in public, introverts generally just can't physically bring themselves to share that side of themselves in front of others). I also thought that the book handled the wedding night and wedding nerves incredibly well, without making the heroine seem like a complete idiot.

What didn't I like so much?

- I would have preferred the heroine to have had more hidden depths. Now, don't get me wrong, I did actually really like her, but I would have preferred to have been a bit more mature. She's twenty-three, but she behaves a bit too naively sometimes.

- The plot is predictable. Now, this didn't drive me nuts, like it can sometimes do. The book is too well written to annoy me, but I would like to have seen something a little bit different.

So, 3 stars, I liked it, and I honestly think this one makes an absolutely excellent summer vacation read.
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May 02, 2012 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review written for www.books-n-kisses.com

So this book could go either way for me. It was nicely written and a good story. The problem is it is a lot like other historicals I have read. The difference is Ayersley is shy and intelligent and not the rogue or rake that is used in most historicals. Typical of historicals though Roxana is compromised by a kiss so she and Ayersley have to be married. And of course Roxana thinks Ayersley is marrying her to be proper and he thinks she is still in love wi...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Judy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ruined by Rumor by Alyssa Everett
Alex Winslow, Earl of Ayersley, had a secret love. He was never able to ask her to dance or have much conversation as he was shy and stumbled over his words. Due to what seemed to be his lack of interest, Roxana Langley thought he disliked her. When she became engaged to George Wyatt, Alex chose to stay in London and rarely came to his country estates that were a mere two miles from Roxana's home. After his mother hurt herself he had no choice. And the events tha...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, galley

It would have gotten another star if I'd been able to see more of Alex's struggle near the end, before the big blow-up. As it is, the ending felt rushed, but overall, the story was cute, yet frustrating since they kept mistaking each other's thoughts and intentions at every turn. *sigh*

I always like the books and stories that have the male lead pining for the female one, but she's completely oblivious. Alex was a great leading character, one we don't see often as the lead in historical romance....more

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May 02, 2012 rameau rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley, historical, romance, read-in-2012, vapid-insipid-divas-and-ingenues, too-stupid-to-live

Alyssa Everett has certainly read her Jane Austen, but Roxana Langley is no Lizzie Bennet.

Then again, I wouldn't be saying that hadn't I thought it for the first fifth of the book. In the beginning Roxana is a lively young though perhaps too thin girl who doesn't hold back her laughter. Then she turns into a sobbing blushing mess, and finally when the plot calls for it she's witless Lady who doesn't know her own mind let alone how to speak it.

~~Darcy~~ Ayersley is a shy, but decent and reliable Ea...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Caz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-stars, audiobook, favourites, mount-tbr-2013, romance-regency

I was tempted to give this one 5 stars, but in the end decided on 4.5 stars because of one or two minor niggles.

This is another of the books that’s been languishing on my TBR mountain for a while that I decided to listen to rather than leaving it buried on the pile for much longer.

The marriage-of-convenience is one of my favourite plots in romance novels, so I came to this one with fairly high hopes of enjoyment, and I wasn’t disappointed. The story is well-told and the writing and characterisat...more

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May 23, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Roxana has been waiting five years for her fiance George to return from the war so they could be married. But his homecoming is nothing like she expected and he calls off the wedding just weeks before it's scheduled to take place. What is only supposed to be a moment of comfort from her brother's friend Alex, turns into a scorching kiss -- which puts her reputation in jeopardy. Alex steps up and offers to marry her right away to save her from the scandal.

Roxana has no idea that Alex has been in...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Mrsinserra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-s, ebooks

Overall, I really enjoyed Ruined by Rumor. I greatly enjoy a good romance novel every once in a while. This book combined many of my favorite things, regency period and a bodice ripping romance novel. It had all the elements of a great romance, a woman hurt (damsel in distress), ruined by the strict regency codes, and a man who was much stronger and better for her than she ever imagined he would be. Yummy!

I fell in love with Ayersley right from that start, though I had to re-read the beginning t...more Overall, I really enjoyed Ruined by Rumor. I greatly enjoy a good romance novel every once in a while. This book combined many of my favorite things, regency period and a bodice ripping romance novel. It had all the elements of a great romance, a woman hurt (damsel in distress), ruined by the strict regency codes, and a man who was much stronger and better for her than she ever imagined he would be. Yummy!

I fell in love with Ayersley right from that start, though I had to re-read the beginning twice to remember who he was and how he connected to Roxana. I kept thinking- why is her brother into her, eww gross, so I went back and figured out who was who and put their names into my mental database and I was no longer confused! Leave it to me to only ¾ pay attention when I am reading, can I just blame it on the fact that I was reading it in a busy airport?

Like most romances, especially good ones, the marriage was not what Roxana wanted. She misjudged Ayersley and was actually not all that kind to him in the beginning, not really mean, but indifferent, before they were married. After marriage, it didn’t take long for them to connect, and in the typical romance style that we all love, Ayersley turned into the jerk, sort of... I am not telling you anymore, you will just have to pick this one up and read it yourself, you will not be disappointed.

I had a hard time putting this book down, I was totally hooked. Though this is true, Ruined by Rumor had one very small fault. There were times in the novel where it felt like something was skipped or left out, that time just jumped ahead without a solid connection. This was most apparent at the end, though this is not something that should deter the average romance novel reader.

In case you wanted to know, there is sex, not extremely graphic, but it is described, not just alluded to. Because of this, I would give Ruined by Rumor the label of adults only. This is not a bad thing, adults need their great romance novels as much as kids need great clean YA books! As many times as I have read romance novels and they almost all follow a similar plot outline, I am still entertained each time! I cannot say enough good things about this book!

I received this book as an ARC. I do not get paid to review books; I do so in order to assist you in recognizing books that you might enjoy.

Please read more of my reviews on my blog: sarahereads(dot)wordpress(dot)com
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May 06, 2012 Fani rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley-to-review, romance-historical, mystery-subplot, emotional, marriage-forced-or-convenience, secrets-and-misunderstandings, unrequited-love, belle-of-the-ball, hero-is-good-man, hero-is-shy-or-vulnerable, heroine-miss-perfect, 3-half-stars, friends-to-lovers, feel-good-romance, childhood-infatuation

This was an unexpectedly easy and nice to read historical romance, considering the dark and angsty premises that always surround a forced marriage, a heroine who's supposedly still in love with her ex-fiance and a hero who's been in love with her for years but has had to hide it as she was engaged.

The story starts a bit slow, showing us a bit too many scenes of the heroine's life in the country, her meetings with her friends, the vicar and occasionaly, her fiance and the hero, who happens to be...more This was an unexpectedly easy and nice to read historical romance, considering the dark and angsty premises that always surround a forced marriage, a heroine who's supposedly still in love with her ex-fiance and a hero who's been in love with her for years but has had to hide it as she was engaged.

The story starts a bit slow, showing us a bit too many scenes of the heroine's life in the country, her meetings with her friends, the vicar and occasionaly, her fiance and the hero, who happens to be a neighboor and her brother's best friend. It's obvious from early on though, that the fiance is a cad and the only one who's oblivious to his true nature is the heroine, who's otherwise described as intelligent and witty.

About 1/3 into the book, the hero and heroine are caught in a compromising position and the love-smitten hero sees in this the opportunity to make her his. It's where the plot finally gets off, and happily for us, doesn't slow again until the end. The descriptions of their married life, the hero's inability to overcome his shyness and lack of self esteem, the heroine's feelings of loneliness are well done but never on the angsty or melodramatic side. Perhaps it's because too many of their problems are based in misunderstandings, that it's easier to get frustrated than commiserate at their fumblings for happiness. The appearence of the ex-fiance serves to add fuel to the hero's jealousy and some extra tension between the newly married couple. I admit however, I was glad to at last see a hero who did try to see his wife's meetings with her ex-fiance in an innocent eye, instead of foaming from the mouth and yelling like a barbarian, despite his own feelings and misgivings. In fact, the thing that made me give 4 rather than 3.5 stars to this book, is that both the hero and heroine were likeable, good people and acted like ones most of the time, each one trying in their own, sometimes convoluted way, to make this marriage work.

For such an angsty and heartwrenching premise, the author was unable to stir any deep feelings in me and that's the book's biggest failing in my opinion. Still, it was a surprisingly easy and engaging read for me and since I've left about 8 books in a DNF status these past weeks, the fact that I finished this and in less than 3 days, has to be the biggest praise I can make for it's sake. It's just that I find Mrs Everett's witty/humorous efforts (A Tryst with Trouble) much more to my liking and hope she continues in that vein.

This title was an ARC provided to me by NetGalley
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May 05, 2012 Farrah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

A little conflicted on this one...
I loved the premise, I I liked some of the story, and I loved the ending...but I didn't like the romance, or, rather, lack of it.

So, the story is that Roxana was engaged to an army officer for five years only to be jilted the day before the wedding. Her brother's old friend Alex, the Earl of Ayersly, has been in love with her for years and comforts her after the jilt. After ending up...more This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

A little conflicted on this one...
I loved the premise, I I liked some of the story, and I loved the ending...but I didn't like the romance, or, rather, lack of it.

So, the story is that Roxana was engaged to an army officer for five years only to be jilted the day before the wedding. Her brother's old friend Alex, the Earl of Ayersly, has been in love with her for years and comforts her after the jilt. After ending up in a compromising position, they are set to be married.

Okay, let's start with the good. While this is a textbook plot with little variation from the norm, it is entertaining. The ending is sweet. The characters were, for the most part, interesting. That's about all I can come up with.

First off, it takes a while for the story to even start off, for Roxana's fiance to break off their engagement. It's not until over a quarter way through that if finally happens. So, while we're waiting for that to happen, nothing was keeping the interest factor going. We basically find out that Roxana doesn't like Ayersly and thinks he doesn't like her, while Ayersly is silently pining away for Roxana.

When it finally happens, things don't get much better. Roxana and Ayersly are the epitome of a communication lacking relationship. I'm being totally serious; they would just assume things about each other and react accordingly without ever actually talking about it. It's okay for that to happen once in a while, but it seemed like that was all their relationship was. There's very little actual romance. Sure, they sleep together, after all, they are married. But there isn't any...wooing for lack of better word. They don't really develop a relationship. They kind of just push each other away and, in the course of that, miraculously fall in love (or, really, Roxana falls in love since Ayersly was already in love) despite having barely spent any time together. There are a few sweet moments between them, but they are scarce.

I wanted to shake some sense into them so many times. They always assumed the worst in each other and refused to even consider that it might not be true. I'm sure they never heard the truth about assuming-it makes an ass out of u and me. And it definitely did several times over the course of the story. In truth, the worst part was Ayersly, though Roxana was plenty bad in this. You'd think he would seize the chance to make the woman he loves fall in love with him, but he didn't. He just pushed her away, acting like he was a self-sacrificing victim because he thought Roxana was in love with her ex-fiance. Roxana tried to put an effort into turning their marriage of convenience into a marriage of love, but Ayersly never complied. It was just so frustrating to watch their catastrophe of a relationship sit at a stand still for most of the book before they finally decided to see reason.

Major Wyatt, Roxana's ex-fiance, was a constant thorn in my side. He broke off their engagement, yet had the audacity to try to stop Roxana and Ayersly's marriage later and constantly pester them both. I wanted to hit him so many times and I honestly wish that one of the characters had done so.

Overall, Ruined by Rumor is only an okay book. While there were parts of the story that were interesting, they were greatly overshadowed by the negatives of the book. It isn't awful but it isn't amazing either. It was just good. Nothing more, nothing less. If you are okay with overlooking the parts that I just couldn't, I'm sure you'll love this book.

3/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-type-e-book, 2012, review-blog, genre-romance-historical

Prelim Review: Dear Ayersley, I love you. You are possibly my ideal man and if its not too weird sounding, please come to life and marry me. Love, Lexie

Its quite possible that Everett managed to write a hero so ideally suited to my tastes and beliefs in what a man should be like that, that's she psychic. Or been reading my teen years diaries. Which now that I think about it I don't know where those are...

Seriously however, RUINED BY RUMOR is the type of historical romance I craved and adored as...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Niki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ahhhhhh-romance-isn-t-it-sweet

this is a super cute story premise, a young girl falls in love with a dashing soldier, waits 5 years for him (essentially putting her on the spinster shelf), only to be jilted by him (he is super sleezy). her brother's friend steps in to comfort her, and things get a bit carried away, requiring a marriage. this marriage is a much better deal for our heroine, and she seems happier. however, the story has problems for the H/H. if you don't like stories where the characters need to suck it up and h...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: european-historical, netgalley-first-reads-arcs, regency-era, romance, historical, 4-stars, reviewed-on-blog, unrequited-love-heroes, ebooks, stand-alone, debut-novels

One of my favorite types of romance plots is unrequited love especially on the side of the hero. It is a fairly rare storyline that takes some effort to find in the sea of Regency spies, scandals, and balls. I'm not sure why this plot appeals to me, but there is something fun about watching how the admirer handles their feelings and how the admired party deals with the truth about their admirer. I was excited to see the book summary for Ruined By Rumor and even more pumped when I received a copy...more One of my favorite types of romance plots is unrequited love especially on the side of the hero. It is a fairly rare storyline that takes some effort to find in the sea of Regency spies, scandals, and balls. I'm not sure why this plot appeals to me, but there is something fun about watching how the admirer handles their feelings and how the admired party deals with the truth about their admirer. I was excited to see the book summary for Ruined By Rumor and even more pumped when I received a copy of it from Netgalley.

My favorite part of the book is the hero, Alex. He has loved the heroine, Roxanna, for years, but his reserved nature kept him from the telling Roxanna the truth about his feelings for her especially when she becomes engaged to another man. After the engagement falls apart and Alex's attempts at comfort result in scandal, he is forced to ask for Roxanna's hand even though he believes she is in love with her original fiance. I love that Alex is not your typical alpha Regency rake. He is a lord and takes his responsibilities very seriously. This is a refreshing change and I appreciate that Everett was able to create such a nice guy without making him into a wimp.

Roxanna took some getting used to, but I cared for her by the end. I really felt for her when her fiance ended their betrothal especially after she had waited so long for him to return from war. In the early stages of her marriage to Alex, I felt like Roxanna acted a bit like a spoiled brat though I can understand her motivations for her actions. It just was hard to read especially knowing how deeply Alex loved her.

Much of the book's plot dealt with Alex and Roxanna trying to make the best of their situation. As one would expect from such a storyline, there are quite a few misunderstandings. Most of them were solved quickly, but some continued on in order to keep the drama going. There were many romantic moments between Alex and Roxanna which I adored. Everett's writing also kept me entertained with her elegant style that was beautiful without going too far into purple prose territory.

All in all, Ruined By Rumor is a sweet, sometimes funny historical romance that I devoured in two days. It has well-written characters, a simple plot, elegant writing, and some amazingly tender moments. This is the first book I've read by Alyssa Everett, but I will definitely keep an eye out for more.

****Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.****

See more reviews on my blog.(less)

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May 13, 2012 Hsiau Wei rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

This book tell the story of Roxana, who have been waited for her fiance to come back and wed her. At the same time, unknowing to her, someone have been admiring her from afar for a long time now and that someone is her brother's best friend, Alex. When Roxana was jilted by George, and in order to prevent her reputation from being tarnished, Alex willingly proposed to her and she accepted. However, George is always emerged between both of them and have caused trouble in their marriage.

I like the...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Historical Romance fans

Shelves: historical-romance, netgalley, kindle, for-review

Grade: B- or 3.5 stars
A light historical romance with a strong start, some words left unsaid, a shy hero, and heroine with shades from Jane Austen's Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility.

Derbyshire, 1814
Roxana Langley cannot contain her excitement. Her fiancé is returning from the Peninsula after five long years. He’s dashing, handsome, and fun. Roxana’s family has reservations, but the engagement is officially announced. Not much later her handsome officer says he can’t marry her. Roxana h...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Mely rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, writer-white, characters-white, 2012-read

A charming Regency romance which includes both a marriage of convenience and a hero who has been pining for the heroine in silence for some time. Two of my very favorite things! Alex Winston has long been in love with Roxana, his best friend's sister, but too shy to express his feelings and very aware that Roxana considers him staid and boring. When Roxana's long-term, dashing, and clearly caddish fiance jilts her after a five-year engagement, Alex comforts her and she is inadvertently compromis...more

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Apr 13, 2012 thuy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc, netgalley, romance, historical, 52-books-in-52-weeks-2012, review-written

Ruined by Rumor is the second Regency romance from Alyssa Everett. I am a huge fan of her first book, A Tryst with Trouble*, and was excited to hear that she had another release coming so soon. Roxana was a nice change from the wallflowers and spinsters that I often read about in period romances. She’s pretty and friendly with an air of playfulness about her. And Ayersley was definitely a different kind of hero. Quiet and intense, he is a far departure from the rakish libertine often found in ro...more Ruined by Rumor is the second Regency romance from Alyssa Everett. I am a huge fan of her first book, A Tryst with Trouble*, and was excited to hear that she had another release coming so soon. Roxana was a nice change from the wallflowers and spinsters that I often read about in period romances. She’s pretty and friendly with an air of playfulness about her. And Ayersley was definitely a different kind of hero. Quiet and intense, he is a far departure from the rakish libertine often found in romance novels. He is refreshingly shy and fumbles quite a bit in the romance department.

While I liked Roxana and Ayersley separately as characters, together they fell flat. Roxana, light hearted and fun should have been the perfect complement to the serious and bookish Ayersley. But once they were married, the fun Roxana went away and in her place was a much more serious and somewhat boring Roxana. Each of them was so afraid of offending the other and their interactions were polite and guarded. I don’t want to read about a polite, considerate romance. I want passion and joy and lust! Each of them constantly felt like they were disappointing the other with neither of them saying what was on their mind, which resulted in somewhat bland conversations. The witty dialogue that I know Everett is great at was nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t until near the very end that I started to really feel something between the pair. That’s when they both shed their proper demeanors and let their true feelings show. They finally get mad at each other and the sparks start flying. If this fire and passion had been present earlier, I think it would have been a very different and more exciting book.

While I was disappointed in Ruined by Rumor, there were some nice moments between Roxana and Ayersley. I enjoyed elements of the book but felt like the chemistry between Ayersley and Roxana was lacking, and I wasn't as invested in their relationship as I should have been. I know that Everett can write an amazing story but this one missed the mark for me.

*Unfortunately, A Tryst with Trouble still has not been released due to the financial troubles of its publisher, Dorchester Publishing.

*An e-ARC of this book was provided free of charge by NetGalley.com. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historical-romance

This should be Alyssa's second book but because A Tryst with Trouble (Look for my comments on the book) is caught up in Dorchester's closing this is her first published book. I like the book. The story was good and the characters interesting. Because I read A Tryst with Trouble first and loved it I started Ruined by Rumor with very high expectations. It is a nice story it just is not the book that will break Alyssa out of the pack. I think the book to do that is A Tryst with Trouble.

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Jul 07, 2012 Dottiebears rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, historical-romance

This book was certainly a surprise. I'd like to give this 4.5 stars, not five, but since that's not a choice..... I started reading this for a few minutes at 2 a.m. when I couldn't get back to sleep. Before I knew it my alarm was going off and I was still reading, so it must have been good. It was a pleasure to read about a truly nice hero with no real hangups. Wish her other book was available on Kindle, I'd like to read it.

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May 29, 2012 Clivia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A delicious read! Roxana and Alex are a perfect couple - the shy beau and the reluctant belle. The beautiful, clear writing of Alyssa Everett brought these two wonderfully to life. Many times I wanted to knock their heads together until they came to their senses. The climax left me very satisfied.
I'm a novice to Regency romance. With a dozen new Regency words in my vocabulary, I will be reading more.

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