Wowza. Can I just saw a hugh Wow! I read the first book by this author and that it was amazing and then read this one. What I love it the different storylines from typical and this one really had me intrigued.
Evangeline Jones is a spiritualist which I know I have read about was big in Victorian times. She had grown up very poor but had begun being regarded favourably for her ability to speak to spirits or at least regarded that she could. Unfortunately she came to the attention of Alex, the Duke of Hardcastle who made it his mission to prove spiritualist were frauds and had exposed many.
The two made a wager of between that that if Alex could prove she was a fraud, she would announce it publicly and disappear. What was wonderful to see is these two people, from such different upbringings develop a respect and feelings for each other.
Mystery, secrets, a plot that becomes know and a connection that leads to a satisfying ending. I will be reading this author again and look forward to her next book!

4⭐️
This historical romance was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the writing and will definitely read another from this author.
The entire story is focused on seances and one mans obsession to defraud them. I like the h and H together and the chemistry really worked for me. If you love historical romance then I think you’ll enjoy this. It’s a stand-alone and it’s not a clean romance. 😊
This was a ARC from the publisher and I’m so grateful and all opinions are my own. I’ve given an honest review.

While this ended up being a great read for me, I did not immediately connect with our characters. Chapter One is from Alex’s point of view. He is cold and calculated. In Chapter Two, we see Evie’s point of view, and while I immediately empathized with her, she too is distant and mercenary. Alex is a nobleman, and he is interested in the spiritualism movement. In particular, he wants to defame fake mediums. Evie is just what – a fake medium. But she has a reason for what she does and has no drive to cause harm to others. These two are rough around the edges – the quiet, mysterious types. But they are drawn to one another, and when the two of them get together, sparks really fly.

The plot of this one has so many twists and turns, and while it’s romantic with a guaranteed HEA, it has that creepy, gothic feel to it. The settings are run down theaters and creepy manor houses and apartments in the slums of London. The book starts with Alex making a wager with Evie, one she will benefit from whether she wins or loses: He uncovers her fraud and gives her 500 pounds to walk away with, or he is unable to and she keeps on working as a medium. But while working so closely, Evie and Alex realize a mutual connection is rolling out a rather sinister plot.

This was Book Two in the series, but functioned well as a standalone. I haven’t read Book One, The Madness of Miss Grey, but oh boy, now I want to! The characters from Book One have supporting roles in Book Two, and I would love to read more about them.

I wouldn’t say The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is an outright feminist novel, but there are some quietly feminist moments that really stuck out to me. Evie is self-sufficient. Her roommate (and also bedmate, because that’s how things were back then) is a lesbian, and it’s not made out to be a big deal. Evie has never had sex, but she grew up in a brothel and knows a lot about it. She often takes charge in sexual encounters with Alex, namely in their first sexy scene – she commands him to masturbate in front of her! And when Evie and Alex finally seal the deal, she never tells him she’s a virgin and he never finds out for sure. A creepy mutual acquaintance alludes to her “purity”, and Alex is intrigued by the possibility of someone so knowledgeable about sex remaining “untouched”, but he realizes it doesn’t matter because this is the woman he loves and wants.

There’s a lot separating our couple from a HEA, but they get there nonetheless – perhaps through cons and schemes, and maybe through insurance fraud… But hey, look at who we are talking about. I enjoyed this one immensely – it was a 5 star read for me! Thank you to Julia Bennet, Entangled Publishing, NetGalley, and HF Virtual Book Tours for hooking me up!

This was an interesting story, focussing on the interest in the spiritual through a medium. Alex, Duke of Hardcastle, has made it his work to uncover the frauds in this sphere. This brings him into contact with Evangeline Jones. Both Alex and Evie has troubled backgrounds. They are both engaging characters, who care deeply for those they love, be they family or friends. There is much more to this story than at first appears. There are a number of surprises that are revealed and a most surprising ending. An epilogue would have rounded the story off nicely, though. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! Superb writing, a great storyline, great cover art, some mystery and definitely some scenes I never saw coming. This book sucked me right into Victorian England and a side of life that many romantic novels dont cover. I enjoyed it immensely. But that's where my enjoyment ended.
The characters were nicely done although both the main leads needed a bit more. I actually wanted to like Evie but something didnt ring right for me when she got sexually explicit. I get that she was 'playing' a role and has a past in which she had seen many eye opening things but it didnt sit well to have her character act the way she did when alone with Alex. Alex's character I thought needed a little work on as well.
There are sex scenes although I must say they left me wanting more, they had a great build up to it but then were just over, it was a let down, they fell flat.
Some of the dialogue was hard to follow when it was line after line of characters talking but no he said or she said so I didnt know who was saying what. And there was some dialogue that seemed like filler and not really needed which caused my attention to the story to wane a bit.
This was my first book by Julia Bennet and I am interested to read more. I would recommend this book for the intriguing storyline alone.
My thank you to Entangled publishing for an advanced copy

This one gives you the opportunity to go back in time when things went alot on wit and whim but also what class you were. This one will have Alex and Evie take you on their personal battle of wits that will entertain you in the fashion of the times. The chemistry also will spark with you seeing it slowly eat them up also. But you also are given a dose of suspense that livens up this romance. Following it until you get all the answers and see who wins the battle.

Buy This Book
In her biography, Julia Bennet says she writes historical romance with passion, intrigue, dark humor and the occasional animal sidekick. She does! The Ruin of Evangeline Jones has passion and intrigue in spades. Not so much the humor, but we do get a memorable cat. I like all of these things, and I hoped to love them in this book. Unfortunately, what starts out as a compelling thriller-esque historical romance with dark undercurrents, gives way to one too many plot conveniences and characters behaving contrary to their early characterizations. I kept hoping the author would rediscover the tension and foreboding that marked the terrific first half, but alas, she didn’t. The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is sexy and suspenseful and entertaining. But a disappointing second half left this reader wishing for more.

Alex Stanton, Duke of Harcastle, is what one would call a disinterested duke. Six months earlier, he inherited the dukedom from a father who put his half-sister in an insane asylum to keep her a secret (The Madness of Miss Grey), and treated him like he was little better than a piece of rubbish. After spending several years drinking away his misery, Alex has recovered from his addiction and has turned his passion for drink towards a new pursuit: exposing charlatans and frauds who prey on innocent victims. He’s handed the task of sorting out the Harcastle estate to the much more capable Jude Ellis, his cousin many times removed. They tolerate each other – one could even call them friends – but essentially they’re strangers.

When the story begins, Jude has made Alex aware that the estate is deeply in debt, and although he has suggested several possible ways to turn things around, Alex can barely focus on the problem or its possible solutions – he’s too fixated on spiritualist and medium Evangeline Jones. After a recent experience with Ms. Jones left him shaken to his core, he’s determined to figure out her tricks. His early investigations into her origins turn up a photo of a scantily clad woman named Sally Harper, a dead ringer for Evangeline, and since then he’s struggled to keep his mind on anything but her. He keeps the photo on him at all times, and the image is never far from his thoughts.

Evie prides herself on her skill as a spiritualist and medium. After she was ‘rescued,’ from a brothel as a young girl (shortly before she would have had to begin whoring), she spent the intervening years honing and learning her craft, mastering her role as the fastidious and talented mesmerist Evangeline Jones. She owes everything to the Captain, the man who plucked her out of the brothel and gave her a chance at something better, and although she chafes under his control, she’s grateful to him, too. And while her circumstances may be a source of derision to the haughty and condescending Duke of Harcastle, she’s not about to lose everything because he has nothing better to do than ruin her life. He might have fled in fear from her séance, but she knows he’ll be back.

She’s right. Before long, Alex surprises Evie at home – but his visit doesn’t go the way either of them expect. After an intense confrontation – he accusing her of being a fraud who dupes innocent victims; Evie accusing him of being out of touch with the struggles of those outside his wealthy, aristocratic bubble – they come to an agreement.

He has one week to prove she’s a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she’ll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.

He also offers her the promise of money and opportunity to get free of the Captain – and Evie can’t resist saying yes, even as she worries about the dangerous attraction that sparks between her and Hardcastle every time they meet.

From the opening sequence wherein Evangeline and Hardcastle are pitted as enemies fighting the strong frisson of attraction they feel everytime they’re near each other, to the moment they strike their devil’s bargain, I was wholly on board with this love/hate, enemies-to-lovers premise. He’s a lecherous, intoxicated moth to Evie’s flame; she’s an enchantress who doesn’t understand or recognize the depth of Alex’s affection for EVERYTHING about her – her toughness, resilience, intelligence, beauty. It all works. The added layer of hidden menace lurking just off page whenever Captain makes one his sinister appearances adds a nice kick of foreboding to the story. But post-bargain… the novel loses its way.

Obviously, these two can only fight their attraction for so long. I liked the pseudo-sensual haze that descends on Alex and Evie whenever they’re close to each other, and the pace of their physical relationship, in which their scrambled thoughts are analogous to their frantic, wild sexual encounters. Neither can control how they feel or the depth of their longing for each other, despite the very real obstacles to any long term relationship between them, and it’s all reflected in the compromises they make once they strike their bargain. All of this works – until Alex starts behaving like he can’t make mature decisions because of his dick, and Evie softens so much that she loses all of the hard edges and cool-headed thinking that are her trademarks. There’s pining and whining (Alex is a DUKE folks! Cue the world’s tiniest violin), borderline silly cameos from Alex’s half-sister Helen and her husband), and all sorts of plot conveniences (especially the one that involves Helen) that negate the danger and thrill of the first half. By the time we reach the ending, and the deus-ex-machina that neatly ties up all our loose ends, I’d had enough.

Despite my very real problems with all the plot contrivances, Bennet shows a deft hand for building tension, mood, and ambiance, and her early characterization of the principal pair had me wholly invested in the story. I spent a good part of this novel trying and failing to figure out how they could possibly wind up together despite all the obstacles in their path. Sure, I was disappointed in the ending – and honestly, I predicted a much different resolution – but I’m all in with the Harcastle family. I’ll definitely go back and read Helen’s horrific backstory (and Will seems like a beta dreamboat), and Bennet drops some tantalizing hints about Jude, who clearly has secrets of his own. I’ll be keeping my eye out for his book. Although the author misses out on a DIK for The Ruin of Evangeline Jones, I’m optimistic her best (Jude’s story?) is just around the corner.

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is a promising follow-up to The Madness of Miss Grey, Bennet’s début. I recommend it with reservations.

This book is a page-turner, one of the best historical romance I have read this year. I enjoyed that the main character has such an interesting job. She is a medium and very good at deceiving people. Unfortunately, she is about to find out that not everyone can be deceived. I enjoyed reading it and loved the chemistry between the main characters. Other characters are good too. Overall, this is a very well-written, intriguing, and romantic story that all readers would enjoy.

Evie worked hard to get herself out of the gutters she grew up in and doesn’t plan on letting Alex, who is a Duke ruin it for her. What will happen when sparks begin to fly between them? Fast-paced read with plenty of drama and steamy chemistry. The story really drew me and I was hooked from beginning to end on this historical read.

THE RUIN OF EVANGELINE JONES by Julia Bennet is book 2 in the Harcastle Inheritance Series. This is the story of Evangeline 'Evie' Jones and Alex Stanton. I have read the previous book but felt it can be a standalone book if you wish to do so. Alex although a Duke, he prefers to stop fraudsters. This leads him to strike a deal with Evie. If he can prove her a fraud within the week then she has to come clean to everyone but he will give her money for doing so. If she wins then he will gladly leave her alone. But what neither counted on would be that they would start to have feeling for each other. Maybe they will both end up winning. Enjoyed their story.

*3.5 stars*

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones was my first read by Julia Bennet, and though my attention wandered while reading at times, I thought it was a very promising, interesting read. Though it is the second in a series, it works perfectly well as a stand-alone.

I've read a few books where the MC is a medium or spiritualist charlatan and the love interest is the person trying to figure out if they are a fraud, my favorite of which is An Unnatural Vice, so this book had big shoes to fill. I was pleased by the grim, darker tone of the story and tense feeling of the writing. I thought that the author delivered in a lot of ways with the overall atmosphere of the story. The couple was also interesting together, though I struggled with the attraction from the female MC.

However, I feel like something was a bit off with the pacing. The story felt very long, and it took me five days to finish, which is a long time for me. I also didn't quite buy that Evie was into Alex. I felt like she was a very vulnerable character, and her attraction came out of nowhere. I was more fearful for her, and I don't think romance would have been at the forefront of her mind.

I was intrigued by the side characters, and I will be very interested in reading book 3, which will probably feature Alex's cousin. I think the author did a lot right with this story, and I could see myself falling in love with her writing in the future.

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennet
Harcastle Inheritance #2

Love can sneak up on a couple before they know it and seemingly when neither has any reason to fall for the other. And since all Alex, the duke of Harcastle, really wants to do is prove that Miss Evangeline Jones is a fake spiritualist what COULD they have in common? One thing is chemistry and the other is the ability to care for others and then we should not forget that neither had an easy childhood. I wasn’t sure what to expect but did find a very enjoyable story and now wonder how I missed the first book in this series!

What I liked:
* The plot, story and writing
* The real feel of the story
* The interactions between the main characters
* Evangeline: raised to be someone she really did not want to be
* Mags: Evangeline’s friend
* Alex: he grew on me...and finally saw the light
* Ellis: Alex’s cousin who may have gotten more than he bargained on by the end of the book
* Alex’s sister and her husband: I believe their story was told in the first book of the series. I hope they will show up in future books to find out how they are doing
* Reading a new-to-me author that I want to read more books by

What I did not like:
* The Captain: a malicious user with a long game revenge plan
* Being reminded of how difficult it was to make ends meet when one was not wealthy in 1888 England
* Not knowing if one of the characters survived or not

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book! It was definitely different from the other novels I've read from this genre. It was intriguing and learning about the spiritual movement of that time was especially fun. I also think it took away from the usual "aristocratic" air that these novels seems to have, which was refreshing. As much as I enjoy this genre, reading about the same old gently bred women and the notorious reformed rake gets a bit dull. Alex and Evangeline don't fall under those typical categories.

I liked that both characters were equally strong and intelligent, despite their stark class divide. The story itself was intriguing. I like a good wager storyline, and seeing these two headstrong individuals clash was fun. It was also nice to learn about the struggles of the "lowborns" at this time, especially the women. It's interesting to see how women struggled to find a place for themselves in a world that left them with such few options. I really sympathized with Evangeline, and enjoyed reading about her journey.

Alex isn't your typical duke either. He's more interested in chasing down charlatans than managing his properties. He loves a good puzzle and respects something that can challenge him. He had a trouble past, and I was afraid his 'daddy issues' would read like they do any typical hero in this genre...but he continued to surprise me in his behaviour.

There was just the right amount of intrigue, romance, action and drama to capture the reader. I wish Alex had been kept in the dark a little bit longer, but it made sense for the story's progression to go the way it did.

I'd definitely like to read more by this author!

Alex is a man on a mission. His target is Evie, who desperately wants to stay off his radar. What they realize too late is that they are only pawns in a bigger game at play. They join forces to take down their enemy which leads to some complications. I love that the story continues to tell Alex’s story from when he rescued his sister. I was delighted to see her and her husband happily moving on. It will be interesting to see where he ends up with Evie and what Ellis’ life turns out to be like. Alex’s character has done a great transformation to show his lovable side and it’s all because of the remarkable woman he has found to love.

Evie was quite the character! I loved her tricks and Alex's knowledge of the medium/spiritualist world were a great match. Their wager provided a great backbone for the plot, and their sparks flew from the first moment. Loved this book and I will definitely want to read more in the series.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Although not a perfect book, I rated this 5 stars based on my enjoyment and the fact that I didn't want to put it down after struggling with several other good books that I just couldn't get into. The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is the second title by Julia Bennet, but you don't need to read the previous book to enjoy this one. Evangeline Jones is a spiritualist of growing regard in Victorian Britain. Growing up in poverty and without parents, she somehow made it to adulthood and is making a living convincing people she can speak to spirits. The Alex, the Duke of Harcastle, has made a name for himself proving spiritualists as frauds and has set his sights on Evangeline. Evangeline is aware of his intent but is able to prevent him exposing her during their first meeting.

The pair agree that if Alex can expose her as a fraud, she will admit to it publicly and receive 500 pounds. Evangeline sees it as a win-win; if she wins she can rid herself of the very intriguing duke, and if she loses, she gets 500 pounds that she can use to start a new life. The back and forth between the two is well done and I enjoyed getting two see how they each came to respect each other despite their very different backgrounds. The author does a good job of allowing the relationship between the pair to organically develop in a realistic way without rushing things. I also found the ending of how two such very different people are able to find a happily ever after together to be a nice twist without defying my believability.

This book sucked me in from the first chapter. I enjoyed every part of it. I plan on reading the first in the series, and I am sure there is a next book. I’m assuming it will be Ellis’ story. Sparks flew between the Duke of Harcourt Alex and Evie a charlatan that specializes in seances. An unexpected ending kept me on my toe throughout the story.

"Alex Stanton just inherited a dukedom but his true passion is uncovering charlatans and frauds wherever he finds them. Spiritualist and medium Evangeline “Evie” Jones is the biggest fake of all and he’s determined to expose her lies for all of London to see. Her prim manner and ladylike airs don’t fool him. He sees the hunger beneath and recognizes a worthy opponent. He can’t deny the dark undercurrents of lust between them.

Evie worked her way up from the gutter and she’s not about to abandon the life she’s built for fear of this aristocratic dilettante. She knows his type. She sees the attraction simmering beneath his animosity, and she knows how to use it to keep him off balance. They strike a bargain. He has one week to prove she’s a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she’ll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.

Neither expects to find anything in common, not to mention anything to love, in the other. Both are blindsided by the affinity and blossoming tenderness between them. But even if it were possible for a lowly charlatan to live happily ever after with a duke, more is going on than either suspects. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own."

What could be a better escape right now? Also Kindle, am I right? If you have a Kindle right now and are a voracious reader you are SET!

This book introduced me to Julia Bennet and wow did it blow me away. There is mystery around the characters and I like how they unfold slowly versus giving me all their backstory at once. Alex newly inherited a dukedom. His estate is failing and he must marry an heiress. He knows this but can't get Evie off his mind after buying a risky photo of her under another name. She feels trapped into working for "the captain" after he "saved" her in her childhood. She tricks people into thinking she can talk to the dead. Alex exposes frauds for fun, and strikes a deal with Evie that he will follow her for a week and if he can prove she's fraudulent then she will admit it in public and if he can't; he will never bother her again. Slowly they get to know each other and realize one week might not be enough. It is different from other books I've read, but I enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book and the story sucked me in from the very first chapter. Alex Harcastle, who recently became a Duke after his father passed away, has a hobby - to uncover spiritualists and mediums for the frauds that they are. His newest "case" is Evangeline Jones, whose photograph haunts him. Quite quickly Alex realizes that there is a lot more to Evangeline than he originally thought. They make a wager - he follows her for a week and if he can't figure out her spiritualist tricks, he will give her money and live her alone forever. But if he can, she must publicly admit that she is a fraud.
Evangeline "Evie" Jones is an orphan that was raised by "Captain" since he took her from a brother when she was 12 years old. She's had a tough childhood and she has worked hard to get where she is now. There is no way she is going to let some pompous Duke destroy her life (even she doesn't really like it that much).
Both characters were fantastic. Evie is not a shy and timid young woman, she has great comebacks for Alex and she knows how to play him and how to push his buttons. I loved watching their relationship grow.