A Lady's Guide to Ruin

Birch Hall Romance #1

by Kathleen Kimmel

A romantic debut starring a reluctant earl and the beautiful thief who has put them both in danger—and stolen his heart...

Joan Price is a wanted woman. A thief and a fugitive from the mental hospital where she was falsely committed, she’s now on the run from her former partners in crime. But luck must be on her side—just when it seems all is doomed, she runs straight into the arms of Martin Hargrove, Earl of Fenbrook, who mistakes her for his distant cousin, Daphne.

Lord Fenbrook has no intention of marrying, and certainly doesn't consider his notoriously scatterbrained cousin a prospect. But her flighty persona seems to hide something far more intriguing—a secret self she trusts with no one. And Martin is determined to earn that trust…

When Martin’s sister discovers Joan’s charade, they strike a bargain: Joan can remain within the safe walls of Birch Hall, as long as she doesn’t allow Martin to fall in love with her—for their flirtation would surely ruin them both. She’s convinced she poses no threat to his heart, but she’s beginning to realize that her heart may be the one in danger. Especially as he seems very set on seducing her...

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Adult

286 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[jenny✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to BOOK FIVE in my quest to fill the void left by Netflix’s Bridgerton! I am so, SO happy to say that I have finally found a story that’s captured the essence of those feels Simon and Daphne inspired in me.

Kathleen Kimmel is the pseudonym for (or perhaps it’s the other way around) one of my favourite authors, Kate Alice Marshall, who writes EXCELLENT supernatural YA/middle-grade horror (see: Rules for Vanishing). For this reason, I was incredibly excited to read A Lady’s Guide to Ruin.

After all, how often can you say that your fave horror author has also published a regency romance or two? The woman’s got range, y’all!

And, heck, did she deliver. A Lady’s Guide to Ruin isn't perfect, but I'm not asking for perfection. With its feminist overtones and precise prose, this novel was romantic and clever and poignant, and I absolutely devoured this.

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Here’s something you should know about me: I’m a die-hard romantic.

I live for angst. I love any variation on the star-crossed lovers trope. I am addicted to the feeling of butterflies in my stomach when two people have the sort of chemistry that feels palpable, electrified, like its own entity.

But I am very particular about the stories that I like. Too often, angst devolves into outright problematic tropes and stereotypes. At their worst, romance novels can be misogynistic, violent, and slut-shaming. At their most cringe, they can be so focused on the hotness of their characters that all hope of anything resembling a story is lost. And at their most mediocre, romance novels figure they can get away with (the dreaded) instalove between its characters.

I think this is why I’m so often disappointed when I read romance novels, even (especially) as a die-hard romantic. They don’t always meet what I’m looking for, what I’m craving. Either the writing isn’t on par with the story, or the story is infuriatingly problematic, or both.

It is with great delight that I report A Lady’s Guide to Ruin was NONE of those things.

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There is such precision to Kimmel's prose—clever turns of phrase, quick banter, the judicious insertion of perfectly pithy words, and descriptions whose vividness do not feel even remotely purple.

And the romance; the romance is STEAMY imo without being over-the-top. It doesn’t feel trite, either, because there’s just something so novel about the way Kimmel describes things. Like this one scene when Martin asks for Joan/Daphne’s consent; Kimmel captures this key moment without cliché. Joan pleads with Martin not to speak any words, lest it break the tentative intimacy they’ve carved out; he is still unaware that she is not who she claims to be. It goes like:

“No words, remember?”
“One,” he said. “I need one word.” He looked at her. Framed her face between his hands and forced himself to touch no other part of her.
Her lips parted. “Yes,” she whispered.”

All of this is so understated. And yet Kimmel’s mastery of her writing is evident in every chapter and every scene.

Martin was a love interest I could actually get behind. His affection for his brilliant sister Elinor, for example, humanized him more than a dozen synonyms for “tall dark chiseled hot” ever could. (If that doesn't get you, wait until he gifts Joan with the most adorable little puppy.)

Meanwhile, Joan was such a refreshing protagonist. I haven’t read many, if any, historical romances where the woman is a petty criminal, a fact that allows Kimmel to introduce themes of classism throughout the book. I appreciated also her complicated feelings toward her brother, once a figure of solace and protective love, and now someone wholly unrecognizable. This ambivalence lends itself to many other characters in the story, including Martin, and it makes them feel believable: no one is perfect. No one is immune to pettiness, hurt, anger, betrayal.

Then, in a sex scene between the two protagonists, we see acknowledgement—albeit brief—of the fact that men don’t always know how to make women feel good. In fact, most don’t; which you’d never think was the case, from the (unrealistic) number of HIGHLY (unrealistically) skilled womanizers in hetero romance novels.

Lastly, the side characters in this book were entertaining in their own right. Elinor, in particular, has several tart-tongued yet still eloquent monologues; I highlighted every single one. Here’s my favourite (even if I heartily disagree with what she's saying):

I can see how the two of you look at each other. How you spoke, when you let Daphne slip away. If life were just, you would not be a thief, and he would not be an earl. But these things are true. And until the day they are not, you cannot have each other. You will only break against one another, and part less than you were. It is better to risk losing your heart than to cage it, but a flirtation with Martin does not risk loss. It guarantees it. And a caged heart is better than that.

Bottom line: Trust in your favourite authors. It doesn't matter if she's writing YA horror, middle-grade spec-fic, or swoony regency romances—I will read ANYTHING Kathleen Kimmel/Kate Alice Marshall puts out. She works magic with each and every one of her characters.

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Read while blasting my Bridgerton playlist on endless loop!!

[Angie Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to PENGUIN and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I think the best way to describe A Lady’s Guide to Ruin would be eccentric. The characters weren’t necessarily eccentric, but the story was. Eccentric and awkward in an interesting kind of way. We’re introduced to our heroine, Joan, after she’s escaped from bedlam – pilfered diamonds in hand – and not quite sure what her next move is. Miraculously, a case of mistaken identity falls into her lap, and away we go!

After a life of scheming, Joan finally botches one and in an effort to save her (and himself) from the gallows, her brother, Moses claims she’s insane. She’s promptly deposited into bedlam, leaving Moses in the clear. Joan has had a hard go of it, and it’s clear she has a hard time trusting or accepting that anyone can care about her. But she is feisty and innovative, and Joan doesn’t leave anyone to fend for themselves. Martin wasn’t your typical historical romance hero. He wasn’t incredibly experienced when it came to women, and he wasn’t tied to his fortune or title. He was incredibly kind and attentive to his sister, if a bit smothering. He was a very caring man, and that carried over to Joan while she was in his care under the mistaken identity of his cousin Daphne.

Joan and Martin’s sister, Elinor, found themselves in enough scrapes to keep this story entertaining, and Joan’s brother and accomplice pursuing her added a light element of suspense to the story, but I did have a few issues. The falling in love part happened rather quickly, and to be honest, it felt like it came out of nowhere. There was no build up here. I was also a bit thrown as to why Martin wasn’t more curious when Joan seemed to be experienced in the foreplay department during their first intimate encounter. I actually liked that twist, that she was the more experienced one; I just wish Martin had asked more questions as to why. The ending felt rushed to me, leaving some emotional issues between the characters unresolved. I liked parts of it, particularly when Daphne and Joan finally come face to face. But there was too much of a time lapse from when Martin and Joan went their separate ways to their reconciliation. Now having said all that, I think the good outweighed the bad with this one. I liked it enough that I was able to sweep the ‘too fast falling in love factor’ under the rug and go from there. Joan and Martin weren’t easy characters to connect with, but it worked with this sort of story. Joan was very stand-offish, and I think the author did a good job of keeping her stand-offish even when we were seeing things through her point of view. Kudos for that, because that’s a really hard thing to do! And the same with Martin; he was very closed off, and I think the author was able to maintain an aura of mystery even while revealing his character to the reader.

I found A Lady’s Guide to Ruin to be unique and intriguing with some surprises along the way. It was a nice debut, and I’m excited to read more from this author!


This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.

[Caz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've given this a C- at AAR, so that's 2.5 stars

I’ve had a pretty good run of books this year; a good proportion of A and B grade reads and not too many low Cs and Ds. And among those I’ve been fortunate enough to read two or three début authors whose books I’ve rated above average, so I picked up Kathleen Kimmel’s A Lady’s Guide to Ruin in hopes of finding another one. Unfortunately, however, that proved not to be the case, as the book I read felt as though it was only half finished.

Oh, the story reaches a conclusion and there is an HEA for the hero and heroine, but as for what goes on between the opening scene of the heroine just having escaped from Bedlam (and I’m still speculating on how on earth she managed that because it is never elaborated upon) and the ending… well, there’s a plot and some characters but nothing is fully developed, there is far too much telling and not enough showing, and I came away from it feeling as though I’d read the bare bones of a story that was badly in need of fleshing out.

Joan Price, the aforementioned Bedlam escapee, is on the run from her brother, Moses, and his nasty crony, having stolen some valuable diamonds from them in revenge for their having put her into the asylum in the first place. Just as she is worried they are catching up with her, she is mistaken for someone else, a lady of quality who is going to stay with her distant cousin, Lord Fenbrook, in order to act as his invalid twin-sister’s companion.

In the guise of dippy cousin Daphne, Joan is whisked away to the earl’s townhouse, determined to lie low for a couple of days and then move on. She can’t deny that the prospect of a full belly and a comfortable bed is a very attractive one, or that the handsome young earl is similarly enticing, but she can’t afford to become used to such luxury and needs to get away, fence the diamonds and disappear.

Martin Hargrove, Earl of Fenbrook has inherited a title he doesn’t want because his older brother, Charles, vanished some years previously and has recently been declared officially dead. Martin is an outwardly calm, rather sweet young man but inside, he’s a mass of seething anxiety and anger, and in fact, is so undesirous of being an earl that he is determined to find Charles, whom he does not really believe is dead.

Joan’s plans for a quick getaway are thwarted when she discovers that Elinor Hargrove is about to depart London for Birch Hall, the Fenbrook country estate, for the summer. When Moses arrives suddenly, furious and looking for her, Joan decides it would be a good idea to leave London with the Hargroves and make her escape from the hall instead.

Elinor is a sharp-tongued, quick witted young woman, and she and Joan/Daphne soon strike up a friendship of sorts. But it doesn’t take long for Elinor to realise that Joan isn’t who she says she is, and she worms the truth out of her at the same time as she tells her not to allow her brother to fall in love with her as she doesn’t want his heart broken.

Here’s the first point (of several) at which I had to stop reading and flick back through the book to see if I’d missed something because, other than the odd brief mention of how Martin was intrigued by what he was seeing as the two different sides of “Daphne” (the dippy one and the quick-witted one) and Joan thinking that he’s a bit of alright, there has been nothing to suggest a deeper connection or interest between the pair. And here is also an example (of several) of the telling and not showing I mentioned, as Elinor then proceeds to tell Joan that Martin’s thoughts and feelings “rarely communicate. Logic will occasionally call on passion, but even when both are present at once they cannot come to agreement. Martin thinks and overthinks and then acts according to his heart.” That wasn’t the impression of his character I received at all, because in fact, his character is so bland as to be practically non-existent. Basically, everything we know about Martin is told to us by someone else – usually Elinor, and because she’s his twin, we’re expected to buy that she knows everything about him. This knowledge does not, however, work the other way.

The different threads of the story – the romance, Joan’s nefarious past catching up with her, what became of the real Daphne, and Martin’s search for Charles – are all present at various points in the book, but there is no sense of cohesiveness or integration. There is no exploration of the huge class difference between Martin and Joan; and the characters are barely two-dimensional, with the possible exception of Elinor, who will, I believe, be the heroine of the next book. In fact, we learn more about her backstory than about that of the two principals, between whom there is no romantic spark whatsoever.

Needless to say, Martin eventually discovers the truth about Joan and feels very hurt and betrayed. She leaves and they spend six months (or a year, it’s not clear) apart. This period is covered in about three pages. Then she and Martin meet again and all is quickly forgiven – the end.

To say that A Lady’s Guide to Ruin is an unsatisfying read is an understatement. Its one saving grace is in the sample chapter of the next book at the end, which looks as though it might be worth picking up. I might do that, although I doubt I’ll be anywhere near the front of the queue.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

This book took a unique approach to the Regency period and made the character seem far more real and modern than the normal book of this period. Don't expect ballrooms, and flirtations in the study in this story: it is a much darker look at the time period, almost but not quite Dickensian in nature.

Joan is a lifelong con woman, raised by her father to asses the mark and figure out the best way to take their money or valuables. But when her brother clapped her in Bedlam, the slang name for Bethlehem Hospital for the insane, he crossed a line. She has no compunction about stealing from him and running away. She is in dire straits when she encounters Martin, Lord Fenbrook, and is mistaken for his cousin, Daphne. She willingly accepts the con, but begins developing feelings for Martin and his family. For his part, Martin is captivated by his cousin. Can this very unlikely duo move past betrayal and deception, to say nothing of the difference in class to form a real relationship?

Joan was an intriguing character. She did what she had to do in order to survive, but she also feels compassion and attraction to the people she is conning. And when the chips are really down, she takes action to make sure the family is safe and whole.

Martin is less defined as a character and is harder to read, but seems to be an upstanding young man, who tries to do the right thing.

In summary, this was an intriguing read with a unique look at a fascinating time period.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at p. 139

I grabbed up this book because of the exciting and curious blurb- a woman thief pretending to be someone else while hiding out as an escapee from Bedlam. Yes, it really did sound just the thing.

However, after reading nearly half this story and pushing myself to finish it, I've decided to stop. I couldn't engage with the story, I couldn't like the heroine or her choices, and I wasn't even interested to see where the story was going. I had a liking for the hero and his quest to find his brother, but it wasn't enough.

I won't say the story is awful, but it is most definitely not for me.

My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Lady’s Guide to Ruin by Kathleen Kimmel
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...

The most interesting part of this book, for me, was the main character playing a part all the time, having a dual nature of upper class mannerisms after being brought up in the lower classes..

It’s a bit of a popular trope these days: a non-gentry lass living a life of crime taking on the persona of an upper class person. Since this is the third or fourth I read in 2015 alone I can’t say it interests me much more. The other thing is, another theme in popular use: the common girl being inherently good (despite the life of crime she was forced to lead) and the upperclass guy being a villain.

Otherwise, I really found the plot and relationships hard to believe. I wasn’t sure about the legalities of declaring one’s eldest son dead when he leaves England after a fight with the father and putting the inherited title onto the second son. They never discuss the reason for the argument. And, a little suggestion of an attraction between two women had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story; it felt arbitrary.

The male character is a slightly less absurd Regency Bertie Wooster type, but without Jeeves. Joan’s behaviors and attitude don’t fit her character. If she were as noble as she is made out to be then she would have found a way out of her life earlier.

There is one villainous character who is the opposite of Joan’s character – a member of the upper classes who is as inherently nasty as she is good. The climax hinged on his entry into the story around two-thirds of the way through.
He lacked all but the villainous waxed mustachio.

All in all, I pushed my way through the book, but I don;t think I am interested in the sequel.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, and The Unread:

I’m a sucker for mistaken identity capers, although they often rely on a suspension of disbelief: either early on when the reader is expected to go along with the idea that none of the main characters know the difference between the imposter and the person they’re pretending to be, or towards the end of the story when we discover there’s a secret reason why these two apparently unrelated characters look so similar. In the case of this book, I was particularly intrigued by the imposter having escaped from Bedlam, so I took my chances with a brand new author.

Joan is an accomplished con artist, who claims that she rarely has to steal, when her marks will eventually give her what she wants willingly; however, her brother and his new accomplice don’t like waiting to receive their ill-gotten gains, when they can carry out less sophisticated acts of thievery. When a job goes wrong, the two men avoid arrest by placing the blame entirely on Joan and claiming she acted out of insanity. Joan is incarcerated in Bedlam, and her claims not to be mad are taken as further evidence of her condition.

Always resourceful, Joan manages to escape from Bedlam, acquires new clothes and pockets the diamonds her brother has left lying around following his most recent crime. While she’s figuring out how to sell the jewels, she is accosted by a young woman who thrusts a letter into her hands with instructions as to where it should be delivered before disappearing in a coach. Thoroughly confused, Joan then encounters the prospective recipient of the letter – Martin, the Earl of Fenbrook – who assumes she is his anticipated visitor – now actually en route to Gretna Green.

Joan intends to tell Martin and his sister who she really is – as soon as she’s had a chance to eat and rest, but her brother comes looking for her. Believing the ruffian to be a danger to them all, Martin sends the ladies to his country estate, promising to join them once he’s finished his business in London.

Martin is a very reluctant Earl. The second son, his elder brother ran away some years before their father died, and is believed by many to be dead, but Martin is determined to find him and then relinquish the title and estates so he can get on with his previous life. He finds himself attracted to the woman he believes to be his cousin – when she’s not pretending to be a simpering fool – but can’t take any action until he knows what his position is in relation to the earldom. Meanwhile, his sister has been a semi-invalid since the death of her fiancé, but may be ready to rejoin society with a little encouragement from Joan.

I really enjoyed the way all the characters fitted together – not just the main cast, but all the supporting ones too. I’m a little unsure of how Martin can give up his title once he’s claimed it – there are provisions in place for such eventualities as vanishing heirs, as well as historic examples of long and complex lawsuits when a title is supposed to have been wrongfully claimed – but maybe we’ll see more about that in later books.

Joan is very good at playing roles, although slightly flummoxed to be doing so without having had a chance to learn about the family she’s deceiving beforehand, and we also meet several dastardly villains whom our protagonists have to outwit. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Rachel C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book. There were, of course, some things that didn't really make sense, but it was a lot of fun to read regardless. Joan and Martin are definitely an amusing couple, if a little melodramatic.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There seemed to be a lot of storylines going on and it could have seemed messy, but somehow it all worked. I really almost felt like this was more plot focused than romance— at least for the first half of the book. While I appreciate gradually building up a romance between the two lead characters, it was a little too slow of a build. It felt like there wasn’t much in the way of romance until much later. Once the ball got rolling, I actually thought that Joan and Martin were pretty cute. It’s just too bad that their relationship hadn’t been given more time to be further developed. A good chunk of the book was wasted opportunity of them staring at each other when their interactions could have been pushed along faster. That said, even if the romance seemed a bit late, I basically loved every other part of the book. I liked the whole premise of Joan being this escaped thief trying to stay one step ahead of the cohorts that threw her under the bus to save their own skin. It was different than the stereotypical naïve heroines that have been in the last few historical romances I’ve read. Joan’s backstory in general really drew me in. I probably would have read a book that was focused solely on Joan on the run without any romance added— that’s how interesting I found that part to be.

There was one thing that truly bothered me for a huge chunk of the book. To be completely honest, the relationship between Joan and Martin started out weird for me. I just thought it was a bit gross that he was lusting over someone who he thought was his cousin. Like, I guess people did that back then, but it was this creepy aspect of their romance that sort of loomed over the story and kept me from getting fully immersed in them together. However, I did feel better once it was laid out that Daphne was only related to them by some ridiculously convoluted lineage because I had been under the assumption that they were first cousins or something. After that, I was perfectly fine with the entire situation. I just wish that it had been revealed before the book was already halfway over.

Overall, indifferent for certain parts, but it all came together for me in the end. I really liked the final showdown where the characters from the different chapters showed up and the plotlines converged together. Those few chapters of the cabin in the woods were my favorites and the action had me on the edge of my seat. I did feel a little put off by the timing of Joan and Martin getting back together. The pacing was kind of awkward and rushed. I got to the final few pages and I honestly had no idea how there was going to be time to give Joan and Martin their happily ever after. The wrap-up of all the misunderstandings was literally no more than two pages. It was just slightly disappointing because I thought the whole situation could have been executed better. I was on the fence if I would read the next book because Colin didn’t really catch my attention, but I loved that excerpt! That scene where Colin babbled on and basically word vomited the worst possible thing he could say was hilarious and definitely won me over.

- I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. -

[Phoenix77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clunky dialog, backwards logic and a hero who comes across as a sad-sack rather than a romantic lead. A Lady’s Guide to Ruin had all of these amazing things going for it and yet I still couldn’t give it lower than two stars. Call me ridiculously positive but the story does have some things to recommend it to a potential reader (with a library card).

The heroine Joan is an escapee from Bedlam, so right away I was intrigued to know what exactly put her there. Considering she was a con-artist along with her lump of a brother and the brainy henchman I was hoping for maybe a little bit of “real” crazy from her. Didn’t quite get that, but instead there was commentary on the injustices women had to face as they had absolutely no rights within the patriarchal system of the time. Poor Joan! With women’s suffrage being years away what other chance did she have EXCEPT to take advantage of Martin when he thinks she’s his cousin. Makes perfect sense to me…

It didn’t help matters that I could never picture Lord Fenbrook as being the classic hero. I normally love Beta-guys, but even the most BETA hero is going to have some personal strengths and a personality. Martin had neither, which made me feel kinda sad for the guy. Then, you introduce a woman who he finds attractive and starts falling for (even though he himself admits he doesn’t know her) and I was even sadder for the guy. Everyone is taking advantage of Lord Fenbrook is some way and no one is really looking out for him (even his sister really isn’t despite what the description says).

[Krissys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Lady's Guide to Ruin (Birch Hall Romance #1) by Kathleen Kimmel

Joan Price is a wanted woman. A thief and a fugitive from the mental hospital where she was falsely committed, she’s now on the run from her former partners in crime. But luck must be on her side—just when it seems all is doomed, she runs straight into the arms of Martin Hargrove, Earl of Fenbrook, who mistakes her for his distant cousin, Daphne.
Lord Fenbrook has no intention of marrying, and certainly doesn't consider his notoriously scatterbrained cousin a prospect. But her flighty persona seems to hide something far more intriguing—a secret self she trusts with no one. And Martin is determined to earn that trust…
When Martin’s sister discovers Joan’s charade, they strike a bargain: Joan can remain within the safe walls of Birch Hall, as long as she doesn’t allow Martin to fall in love with her—for their flirtation would surely ruin them both. She’s convinced she poses no threat to his heart, but she’s beginning to realize that her heart may be the one in danger. Especially as he seems very set on seducing her.


My Review:
DNF - I could only get half way through the story before I couldn't finish it. Poor development not a poor story.


My Rating:
1 Stars


Reviewed By: Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews
http://kkmalott.booklikes.com/


Note: I received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley/NAL/Penguin

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer)]

DNF 15% I just wasn't feeling it.

[OLT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this at my local library on one of my periodic sweeps. It's a debut HR released in December of 2015 and on the front cover an endorsement by Madeline Hunter says, "Kimmel's debut adds a new star to the romance galaxy--I loved this book." Hunter may have gotten a little carried away with this praise, but I do recognize that Kimmel's writing is much more competent and grown-up than that in the majority of HRs we readers are subjected to. Her grammar's pretty good, her sentence structures and vocabulary choices are better than the average bear's and I have hopes that her next book will be one that I like more than this one.

However, this book didn't thrill me all that much for two main reasons: (1) The plot has some rather silly, "holey", implausible components that carry it along; and (2) The characters need a lot more development.

Let's start with the plot problems. The heroine, Joan Price, is a thief and a recent escapee from Bedlam mental hospital. Her brother Moses and partner Hugh had stolen a rich aristocrat's diamonds and, for reason that may make sense to someone other than me, had Joan placed in Bedlam as a madwoman to avoid her or his arrest. After months there, she has now escaped, has snuck into her brother's room, stolen the diamonds while he is sleeping with a prostitute (and natch the jewels are just right there out in the open), stolen the woman's clothing, and is now out on the streets, wondering how to maintain her freedom, both from the authorities and from her brother..

Joan is conveniently wandering the area near where hero Martin Hargrove, Earl of Fenbrook, lives (Shouldn't that be an upscale area of the city'? Why would she be there?) when a carriage stops, a young woman rushes out to her and asks her to deliver a letter to her cousin, the earl. Mind you, Joan has just escaped from months in Bedlam, is wearing an ill-fitting, tasteless outfit, is gaunt and malnourished and must be filthy dirty. Surely she hasn't bathed in all that time in the asylum, must stink, have lice and bedbug bites, but no matter.

So the young woman rushes off and then the earl comes rushing around the corner and thinks that Joan is his cousin Daphne, who was coming to live with him and his sister. Now, you remember that Joan has spent months in Bedlam and probably hasn't bathed in all that time, right? But here he is, willing to believe that she is his cousin, whom he conveniently has never seen since she was a baby. And since he seems willing to believe she's cousin Daphne, Joan hides the letter she was to deliver to him and plays along. After all, she needs a hideout before she can make her escape to freedom with the diamonds.

Well, I'll say no more about the plot. But now on to my second complaint about the book: its characters and their development. Martin Hargrove, our hero, in those first few pages, lost credibility with me and he didn't really improve all that much as the story progressed. He seemed a donut or two short of a dozen in the E.Q department and needed a great deal more fleshing out by the author. Actually, none of the characters, secondary or primary, was developed well enough for me. I do think, however, that Kimmel does have the ability to improve. Perhaps she was trying to get too many characters introduced in this first entry of her Birch Hall series and they all got short shrift because of this.

There's Elinor, Martin's sister, possibly chronically ill (possibly not) but definitely pining away a bit because of the death of her fiance a few years earlier. There's Martin's friend Farleigh, Farleigh's two sisters, a certain Captain Harken, Martin's long-lost brother Charles (mostly off-screen), all of whom will probably be back in future books. And there were other secondaries here who probably will not be seen again. So that's a lot of characters in a short (286 pages) book.

Too short a book for me to learn to like Martin, Elinor or Joan, too short for me to find the love that developed between Martin and Joan very credible. I was left feeling there was a lot missing from this story. However, as I said earlier, the writing is not half bad and if I happen to come across the next book in this series at the library, I may check it out.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn't terrible, but it strained credulity SO MUCH from page 4; Lord Fenbrook mistakes Joan for his own distant relative, Daphne. The young cousin Daphne is described as wide-eyed, breathless, wearing lavender, and flitting in & out of a carriage...yet, since Martin, Lord Fenbrook hasn't seen her since she was a child, he has no expectations about her features or body type. Great set-up, and we do hear that they are distant-enough relations that him falling in love with her isn't totally weird...

However, Joan has been in a mental institution notorious for neglect & abuse long enough to be covered in bruises, sores, bites, & scratches, to have her hair shaved off & then grown back unevenly, and she hasn't eaten well in all that time, her eyes are sunken, and she's emaciated - and wearing a worn-out, drab, cast-off article of clothing. So for Martin to assume this person - who shrinks from him as he approaches on the sidewalk - is his cousin is just not believable. If she had simply been standing up on his front stoop, about to ring the doorbell, it would have made more sense.

So, if you can get past page 4, you obviously don't need things to be logical, and you can probably enjoy this as much as any other period romance - with some consent-style sex, lady-pleasing sex, by a chivalrous member of the gentry.

[Tori Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for something fluffy and ridiculous, and that's certainly what I got! It's mostly just a silly romantic romp, a love-at-not-quite-first-sight kind of deal, rife with cultural anachronisms but nothing terribly outrageous or concrete. Sure, there was a great deal of disbelief I was expected to suspend, and I think if you look too closely at it it kind of all breaks down. But it was cute! I think the protagonist's relationships with...pretty much everyone except the romantic lead were really well handled and showed a lot of maturity. I wish the primary relationship had shown as much nuance as, say, her relationship with her brother (which was probably my favorite out of everything--that tension of having someone, especially a relative, whom you love and have needed to rely on before but has recently betrayed you and destroyed your trust and now you're not sure where you stand, and it's not all going to be neatly settled by the end of the book? Yes, please, more of that everywhere, thanks).

Anyway, 2020 is the year I'm gonna stop feeling ashamed to read romance novels, even the absurd, frothy, massively unrealistic ones.

[Lassarina Aoibhell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is kind of an interesting book: the social rules form a lot of constraints around how the characters interact, but not in the usual way (through ballroom flirtations). Instead, it's about the fiction of a reputation and class differences and building a new life for oneself, even if it's built on lies. I came away feeling like it was rather charming and light-hearted, although it's not actually--there's a lot of violence and terrible things happening, so I'm not sure why I have that impression.

The characters in this were delightful; I liked Martin's protective instincts and need to make people safe (and thought it combined interestingly with his passionate desire to not be the earl, when one could make the argument that he could use that position to accomplish what he seems well-suited for). I liked Joan's cleverness and adaptability, and I loved, loved, LOVED Maddy as accomplice and friend and all-around delight. Elinor is a treasure and Captain Harken was also great and I hope he gets his love story later.

[Natalie Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
I was let down a little by this book. The synopsis sounded great (lady thief! Escaped from an asylum where she was wrongly imprisoned because she was betrayed! Mistaken identity! Intrigue! A country estate! Archery!) and I liked the first bit and the last bit ... but everything else in between? Bland and forgettable. The characterization felt blurry, I could not get a handle on the hero so he was therefore kind of boring, and I never bought the (non existent) chemistry.

[Alden · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was enjoyable. The plot was good, the characters connected well. I think I overall enjoy a romance with a somewhat more internal conflict than this, if that makes sense?

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical romance. Case of mistaken identity.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

This was really fun and cute! A lovely romance to read outside on a lovely day.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mildly steamy historical romance. It ends rather abruptly.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wont recap the storyline - that is what the blurb is for. The real strength of the story was heroine Joan. I particularly like that she doesn't wait around for other people to solve her problems (or anyone else's for that matter) but takes action. And I especially enjoyed this in her taking action of save maid Maddy from a lecherous nobleman and how she and real Daphne work out their problem when they meet-up again. Martin was nice enough but fairly bland.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/a-...


A Lady’s Guide to Ruin
Birch Hall Romance, Book #1
By Kathleen Kimmel
ISBN: 9781101986790
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una

Synopsis:

A romantic debut starring a reluctant earl and the beautiful thief who has put them both in danger—and stolen his heart…

Joan Price is a wanted woman. A thief and a fugitive from the mental hospital where she was falsely committed, she’s now on the run from her former partners in crime. But luck must be on her side—just when it seems all is doomed, she runs straight into the arms of Martin Hargrove, Earl of Fenbrook, who mistakes her for his distant cousin, Daphne.

Lord Fenbrook has no intention of marrying, and certainly doesn’t consider his notoriously scatterbrained cousin a prospect. But her flighty persona seems to hide something far more intriguing—a secret self she trusts with no one. And Martin is determined to earn that trust…

When Martin’s sister discovers Joan’s charade, they strike a bargain: Joan can remain within the safe walls of Birch Hall, as long as she doesn’t allow Martin to fall in love with her—for their flirtation would surely ruin them both. She’s convinced she poses no threat to his heart, but she’s beginning to realize that her heart may be the one in danger. Especially as he seems very set on seducing her…



Review:

I love when historical fiction gives a great period story, interesting and complex characters and a plot that keeps the reader turning pages. Kathleen Kimmel has accomplished just that in A Lady’s Guide to Ruin.

I loved the character of Joan. Joan Price has had to fight and survive all her life. When she gets mistaken for the distant cousin of the Earl of Fenbrook when on the run from her brother, luck finally seems to be going her way. Martin’s sister whom she has been charged with being a companion to, sees through her charade when Joan uses past skills to get them out of danger. Both women decide to keep the charade going with the stipend that Joan not let Martin fall in love with her. As the physical attraction is there this proves to be harder than Joan had imagined. Common sense tells her that they could never be together however her heart tells her different. When her past comes to threaten her and Martin’s family’s security, Joan must make a choice to leave, however she decides to help out the only way she knows to prove her love for Martin.

Martin knows deep inside that Daphne(Joan) is not the flighty person he remembers and he knows that she is keeping things from him. He sees Daphne change his sister from a sickly needy person into someone who wants to be a part of life again. He also knows that he cannot see a future with her since his own life is uncertain as he is not the true heir to the Earldom. Would Daphne accept him without his title? When things evolve and Daphne’s persona is revealed, Martin first of all must find the real Daphne and then see what he is to do with the impostor he knows he loves.

The story is fast moving and I enjoyed the subplot of Martin’s sister. I hope that the author’s next book will cover her story. A great read for a Sunday afternoon as the days get shorter and colder.

[Britney (BookDrunkSloth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Originally Posted at Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspo...

A Lady's Guide to Ruin is an amazing debut from new author, Kathleen Kimmel. The story is filled with action. The romance was strong, and the story was unpredictable. There were some side plots that worked into the main story intricately. I found myself glued to the book and read it relatively quickly.


Joan Price is a fugitive from a mental hospital who has escaped, and she's trying to also escape members of her old life who were basically the ones responsible for putting her in there in the first place. When she is mistaken for someone else on the street, she clings to the opportunity to get her out of the city.

Martin Hargrove, Lord Fenbrook, is playing the role of dutiful lord and taking in his distant cousin. However, he hasn't seen her since she was very little and thinks that Joan is said cousin. He finds her intriguing to say the least, because he notices glimpses of a deeper person behind the flippant facade she acts.

Though their situation is near impossible, the two can't resist falling in love. I also fell in love with Joan's character. She was so strong, and she was also so compassionate for others. She rose from a hard upbringing and still obtained some morals. She really resonated with me and became one of my favorite female leads in romance.

I had the opposite reaction to Martin. I really felt like I didn't get to know much about him. There was a little backstory provided, but it was only touched on and rarely presented itself in the main plot. Mostly, all I remember from his perspective was his confusion with Joan. I guess I did get that he can't leave puzzles unsolved.

For a debut, this book was extraordinary. I think that as Kathleen grows as a writer, all the simple things I had problems with will come together. She did extremely well with getting me excited, and at the end of the book I was freaking out that it was over. I am very excited to continue the series! So glad I tried this one out!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a chore. I think there were too many things going on.

Joan is a thief who escapes from Bedlam, where she's been committed by her brother and partner in crime. As she's figuring out her next steps, Daphne thrusts a letter into her hands and races off to Scotland in a carriage. Daphne's cousin, Martin, shows up and mistakes Joan for Daphne. Daphne plays along figuring that it will buy her some time and Martin provides a convenient escape from London.

Convoluted plot to begin with, but I can handle the mistaken identity plot. What I couldn't handle are all the other plots...

1. Martin is the younger brother. The older brother had an argument with their father and left several years prior. Martin believes him to be alive and wants to find him and reconcile... and no longer be the Earl. This is a silly plot device that doesn't have enough depth to be a storyline. But it's there so it can be convenient in the end.

2. Martin's sister, Elinor, has been mourning her dead fiance for years. Martin believes it to be illness and coddles her. Joan sees that Elinor needs to shake off her grief. It's nice that when Joan tells her so, Elinor just sort of nods and does exactly that.

3. Then there's the house guests... a brother and sister, the sister's husband and the friend who's hopelessly devoted to the sister. Of course the sister's husband is abusive but has to be nice to the sister because she holds the purse strings, so he takes it out on the maids. And to stay in the sister's good graces he throws in with Joan's brother and partner in their plot to "save" Daphne and expose Joan.

4. And then there's poor Daphne. She's just an overgrown plot moppet. She, of course, is abducted with Joan for the end game. For a young, coddled aristocrat in the early 1800s who's just been jilted in Scotland, she is surprisingly resilient and just takes the whole abduction nonsense in stride.

I don't think I'll be reading Birch Hall book 2.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good almost all the way through but the ending really worked out sloppy.
Not only did he not forgive her and throw her away like she was trash but he honest to god would never have gone after her! They meet by coincidence and he takes her back!

Yes the character of Joan price is a thief that is mistaken as a high born flighty cousin who has run off to Scotland. She used this disguise to lie low and escape her brother and his crony because 1) they put her in bedlam and 2) she stole diamonds from them.

However through the whole book Joan is shown to be a very kind and genuine character. When the truth about her finally comes out and she is kidnapped the "hero" only goes after her to make sure she doesn't die. He then proceeds to throw her away like she was nothing and does not one thing to look for her.

At the end of the book he only takes her back because he feels he cannot throw her away a second time. If she hadn't seen him again by chance then they would never have been together at the end of this book.

I personally don't see this as a happily ever after. More then half the story he is concerned about her previous injuries she received from bedlam but when he finally knows how she got them and knows the whole truth all he cares about is her pretending to be his cousin. I don't understand the logic. How do you love someone for a whole book and then hate them for lying to protect themselves from pain and imprisonment?! I mean the whole book he tries to make her feel safe then he finds her (does NOT really save her) and throws her away never to lift a finger to find her again.

Horrible ending

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joan Price is anything but a lady. She’s a thief, a con artist, and now an escapee from the infamous Bethlehem Mental Hospital, known to all as Bedlam. Her brother and his partner in crime sacrificed her when their latest scheme came to light and she ended up in that hellhole. But she escaped with nowhere to go – until a flighty young lady pressed a note and a shilling into her hand imploring her to take it to her cousins as she jumped into a waiting carriage. Said cousin, Earl of Fenbrook, sees Joan and mistakenly assumes she is his Cousin Daphne. Joan spins a tale of an ill chaperone and having been set upon by thieves to explain her bruises, gaunt appearance, and confusion. Suddenly she is being fed and pampered, given new clothes and welcomed into her “family.” Lady Elinor knows something is not right with Cousin Daphne and doesn’t take long to figure it out, especially when Joan’s brute of a brother comes looking for her at their townhouse. Elinor agrees to keep Joan’s secret as they look for Daphne to salvage her reputation. As soon as Daphne is found, Joan will leave. Unfortunately, she will also leave her heart behind with Lord Fenbrook because as soon as he learns of her secret, he will disavow his passion for her and forget all about those steamy encounters. Kimmel’s debut romance is one of the best we’ve read with an atypical female central character, a not-so-alpha male protagonist, and an unusual cast of secondary characters. Don’t miss this book!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was a winner. I was sucked into it from the back blurb, I mean mistaken identity, escaped from being imprisoned in Bedlam, AND a promise not to fall in love? How is that not catnip?

And it delivered. Banter, sexual tension, secrets, protective hero who isn't an alphahole... speaking of which, I loved how the hero and heroine fit together. She was smart, and independent, but traumatized and desperately in need of someone to comfort her. in the first chapter you feel how she is desperate for someone to take care of her, and protect her. Then she falls into the lap of a somewhat overprotective man who is always trying to take care of the people he loves. their respective psychologies were made for each other, her badly hidden trauma calls out to the caretaker in him. I love that, the conflict between them never made me doubt that they needed each other, only that they would admit it.

I am charmed and will be looking forward to more books by Kathleen Kimmel.

[SaturNalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joan is a con-woman, hiding from her brother and recent escapee from Bedlam. She meets Daphne, on a street and takes her identity, while Daphne runs away to elope in Scotland. Martin is Daphne's estranged cousin and takes in Joan, thinking Joan is Daphne. Everything felt rushed and so convenient in the story. How did Joan escape Bedlam? How convenient that Daphne was on that street and Martin saw her minutes later. Joan and Martin are attracted to each other but know nothing can come of it. They move to the country after a break in at their London home. Joan continues to plan her escape from Birch Hall but she gets tangled up in the lives of the people there. Quick read, with uncomplicated characters and plenty of bad guys.