Month: May 2025

Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy, #1)Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Crinoline Academy, #1

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Euphemia Flite “Effie” has been recalled to England by Artemisia Corvus, the founder and director of Miss Corvus’s Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies (but called the Crinoline Academy by the locals). Effie has been in Paris for the last five years working as a companion, but she owes Miss Corvus her loyalty and returns with the hope of finally repaying her debt to her and earning her freedom and pursue her dream of independence and a home of her own with her poodle Franc. She quickly learns her mission will require her to move in society, so she can collect information to ruin Viscount Compton. All she knows is that Lord Compton ruined a young lady’s life by jilting her and stealing her fortune, and while that ship has sailed, Miss Corvus is sure that he has done the same to other women and wants the proof to bury him and if Effie succeeds, she will be free of the Academy and will be given a generous stipend to start her new life. Sounds easy enough, especially since Miss Corvus has called in a favor and has a well-respect society matron to sponsor Effie. But that was before she met Gabriel Royce, a man who is bent on protecting Lord Compton. He is clearly her enemy, so why does she find him so enticing when she knows he will do nothing but destroy her chance for independence?

Gabriel Royce was not born in the Rookery, but he has lived there most of his life and has fought his way to the top. He has a successful betting shop and has made a decent fortune, but he knows that the Rookery is shrinking and without the support of parliament to revitalize it, it will soon be gone, along with his business. Lucky for him, he has a nobleman in his pocket, thanks to some incriminating letters that came into his possession. He knows what Lord Compton did to his former fiancée and has used the knowledge to force the viscount to help him by keeping the police from raiding his not quite legal betting shop, but now that is not enough, he needs to save the Rookery and will need more than Compton’s support to do it, so he once again forces Compton to help him, by introducing him to other parliament members who could support his efforts. Sounds easy enough, but that is before he met Effie Flite, a woman bent on destroying Lord Compton. She is clearly his enemy, so why can’t he get her out of his mind when he knows that she will do nothing by destroy his life?

What a great start to a new series, this was a well-written, nicely paced story with wonderful world building and likable characters. Effie and Gabriel have an instant chemistry, and it was a delight to read their story. This book has a lot going on and it is filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, heartbreak, amazing secondary characters, an adorable poodle named Franc (he is a poodle NOT a dog!), some levity, low-steam love scenes, surprising revelations, and finally a well-earned HEA complete with an epilogue. I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly looking forward to the next installment! If you are a fan of strong heroines and heroes who fall hard – this is the book for you!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Love Cursed by Leisl Leighton

On By TracyIn New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Love Cursed (Gods Cursed Series, #1)Love Cursed by Leisl Leighton

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Gods Cursed #1

Release Date: 1/17/2022

Julianna Stevens is a most unusual witch, she works in the Coven’s library, but what makes her unusual is the fact that she is allergic to magic! This makes for a very lonely existence, as she is forbidden to mingle with mortals, yet she can’t be exposed to magic, leaving her with only her grandmother Violetta, the Grand Matriarch of the Stevens family and the Melbourne Coven Leader, the voice that she constantly hears in her head and Bastien, a cursed demi-god tied to her family. After an extremely horrifying date with a warlock with waning powers, she returns home humiliated and depressed. But the next morning she finds an old journal and realizes that she has been cursed, and her inner voice is the voice of Lianna, a vestal virgin with powerful magic who fell in love and was cursed by her high priestess. Breaking the curse will finally free her, she just needs to find her soulmate and the place where the curse was cast. What could go wrong?

Bastien has been cursed for thousands of years, doomed to a lonely existence in the presence of his beloved, but unable to speak of the curse to anyone. Each day Bastien shifts into a cat for half the day and shifts back to blind human the other half. Julianna is the reincarnation of his love Lianna, but she has no idea and even thinking of her causes him unbearable pain. To break the curse, he enlists the help of a fellow cupid to give Julianna a hint to breaking the curse. In doing so, he hopes to finally break the curse and be reunited with his beloved and hopefully find their son who was stolen by the high priestess who cast the curse. It seems like simple solution, but it soon becomes clear that the curse isn’t going to as easy to break as they thought and their only chance for freedom may be lost.

This was very intriguing story by a new-to-me, I was completely sucked in this book and read it in one sitting. The book is not long, but it packs quite a punch, it is filled with magic, curses, heartache, family, soulmate love, sacrifice, low steam and a happy yet bittersweet ending with the promise for more magical mayhem. This is the first book in the series, making it the perfect place to start, especially if you prefer your romantasy written in the third person.