3.5 stars rounded up. I'm an Erica Ridley fan; usually her books are the equivalent of comfort food for me, That said, this one was a bit more on the farcical side than even her more recent books--more than I typically go for in a HR. The writing is witty, for sure, and the characters are sweet. I liked the idea of an artistically inclined MFC who seems to have synesthesia (she experiences color through a variety of senses). And the MMC is a nice guy in rogue's clothing who just wants to have a relationship with his estranged sister. But the storyline does take a while to build up steam, with humor and suspense vying for importance. Also, if you haven't read a book in this series previously, you might feel a bit lost in the opening chapters in particular, as a lot of former characters are referenced or take part in the action.

The romance on the level-two-ish steam side (slow burn, open door but not graphic)

My favorite in the series is still the first, The Duke Heist. But this is still a fun escapist read, especially if you like a lot of humor.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Opinions are my own.

I read this book a few weeks ago and forgot to take notes right after I finished it. I recall that in the moment it was an enjoyable read but if you were to ask me for any details about the plot beside one chaotic scene in the beginning of the novel, the storyline remains a bit of a foggy blur in my recollection. Ultimately, time has proven that this was not a work that remained in the forefront of my mind but it was a diverting amusement in the moment.

My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley
The Wild Wynchesters #4
Pub day is 9/12 🎉

Marjorie Wynchester is an artist and art teacher for young girls with a skill for forgery. When the Wynchester family finds out that super bad guy Snowley is counterfeiting money and targeting poor people in the community, they decide to take action. They believe Lord Adrian Webb is helping Snowley with his counterfeit money, but it isn't until Marjorie infiltrates the operation that they find out he's involuntarily involved--imprisoned and guarded 24/7! Marjorie and Adrian work together with the quirky Wynchesters to shut Snowley down. It's these emojis in a nutshell:🥷🦔💋💰

🦔 If you've read any of The Wild Wynchesters, you'll know to expect quirky characters, shenanigans, hedgehogs/other animals, hijinks, etc.
🦔 Adrian pretends to be a scoudrelly rogue, but Marjorie sees right through to his soft, kind inside.
🦔 I must admit it took me a solid 20% to get really into this one, but I loved the idea of this Wallflower doing a super reckless and genius infiltration into the bad guys lair to take down these criminals!
🦔 Majorly forced proximity! Wallflower 🤝 Rogue!
🦔 Slow burn and lower on the steam scale, but still open door. Lots of sweet moments, kisses, and quotes.

Overall, I am finding that I am not the ideal reader for this series. The ones I've read I've liked, but not loved. There's a lot of plot, chaos, and hijinks going on, but I prefer a character arc romance more than a plot-based one like this. I still definitely see what others like in it and if anything above sounds good to you, then you should give it a try!

Thanks so much Forever and Netgalley for access to this ARC!

Book 4 in the Wild Winchester rom-mystery series. MC Marjorie Wynchester, a partially deaf forger comes into her own, and during an investigation, is locked in a room with Lord Adrian Webb, another forger. Is he truly a scoundrel or possibly the best man she's ever met? Such fun!

I have not read any other book in this series and I feel like I need to now. I did not know this was a series when I picked this one up. I wish I had read the other books in this series. But I really enjoyed this one.

Oh, I'm a sucker for historical romance and this book just proved that to be true. This was so fun and enjoyable, I truly loved the main characters and the mystery throughout. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but this almost felt like a stand-alone, you don't need the others to understand this one. This was definitely a more light-hearted, mystery, romance novel that is pretty quirky. It's entertaining and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to review this.

This series is so fun. I love the Wynchesters and I love Erica Ridley’s writing. I feel like her writing is extra good in this one too. And My Rogue to Ruin was a lovely addition to the series!

I do think this series does weigh heavier on the mysteries than the relationships and I would like a bit more focus on that, but the mysteries are so fun and this one was an engaging one. They have a first meeting very early on, but then don’t actually meet until about 20%. Which to me, is a bit too late or at a minimum, later than I would like.

I liked Adrian and his struggle to deal with his past, but to be honest would’ve liked him to be a bit more developed? He didn’t stand out to me that much, but I did like his banter with Marjorie and I did like some of his internal dialogue (swoon). His past was interesting and I liked how his sister was interwoven into the plot.

And Marjorie was a firecracker. I loved seeing her come out of her shell and bit and become a main character. She is also partially deaf which I cannot speak on if it was a good representation it was nice to see some disability representation in a historical and it was interwoven into the plot.

Honestly my only complaint was I wanted a bit more from the relationship itself. Other than that, I liked everything about this and think it is a solid addition to the series. Also there is a hedgehog which was a cutie!!

Such a great historical romance. This book was fun, romantic and overall an enjoyable read.
I love a good mystery historical romance, it’s one of my favorite genres. I really loved Marjorie as a main character.
I didn’t read the other books in this series but it wasn’t needed to enjoy the story.

It was a blast reading Marjorie's story! Adrian and Marjorie were the perfect foil for each other. Adrian was closed off and portraying a personality he didn't have and Marjorie was putting forth the personality she wanted to be! With the Wynchester family at your back, you can accomplish anything! Thank you for the advanced copy, the story was amazing!

A delightful little romp of a story that becomes more enjoyable when you accept the cartoonish nature of the villains and let yourself, as the reader, believe in the ridiculous. There’s a wonderful emotional heart to Adrian and Marjorie’s relationship, but the hijinks and plot carried less serious weight, despite the threats endured by both characters.

I would have appreciated more emphasis on Marjorie’s Deafness as it seemed to appear mostly when it was convenient for the plot than a consistent part of her character. Her synesthesia was blended really well into the writing though!

I kept trying to get into this book, but I didn't find it interesting enough to continue reading. I didn't really connect with the characters and stopped reading at about 30%. Usually, I enjoy Miss Ridley's books, but this one was just a slog to get through.

An old story told in a new voice. What a fun and exciting read. Nothing like a modern historical romance

I think I entered this one too late into the series. I just wasn’t a fan of it and this was my second DNF of the year - I read to about 40% before I stopped.

The writing itself was a bit repetitive and I got bored and uninterested to see where this book will end. I also just couldn’t relate with the romance or the villain scenes in this one.

I still think Ridley is a very talented author! I will continue to read her books! I do think the problem for me might have been coming into this series 4 books in and I didn’t love it.

This was another excellent chapter in the Wynchester saga. While book two continues to be my favorite for so many reasons, I’ve still had a delightful time with every other book in the series, Erica Ridley is so good at swoons romantic lines and having a great sense of adventure. This series just continues to be delightful through and through.

Gorgeous book


Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thank you NetGalley for this arc, but I’m going to have to dnf it. It isn’t a bad book by any means but I’m in a terrible reading slump and can tell this won’t be higher than a 3 stars for me, so I don’t want to force myself to finish a book that I will just find mediocre.

The Wild Wynchesters return for a fourth outing, this time focusing on Marjorie, the partially deaf, artistically talented, family forger. This novel is something of a locked room romance, as Marjorie and the hero Adrian spend most of their time locked in a room by a dastardly criminal who is using their talents to counterfeit coins. With elements of both the slow burn and the enemies to lovers trope, this story is light, low stakes, and entertaining. A nice addition to the series.

This series was not on my radar at all before I saw it in NetGalley. I was first drawn to the book because of its cover and description. When I started the novel I must say it took me a while to get into it and I think it had to do with how much description was in the book and how slow the burn was between Marjorie and Adrian. This is a sweet enemies to lovers where the MMC is misunderstood for a lot of the book because of a persona he portrays and his previous difficulties as a young adult. He is trying to redeem himself but it seems he can’t turn over a new leaf despite his many efforts to be a better man for his sister. Marjorie struggles because despite having a loving and supportive family she feels overshadowed due to her disability and self consciousness. They come together to take down Adrian’s blackmailer, Snowley, and to fight for the rights of the people this man has taken advantage of. If you like books about self discovery, mystery and adventure with a good amount of romance sprinkled in, then this is the story for you. You will, however have to get through the first 10-15 chapters that drag a bit. A very well written story with lovable characters.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. Thank you for your consideration and the opportunity

The first of the Wynchester novels was interesting and exciting. The second was new and inspiring. The next ones I've read have been less memorable. I appreciated having a book focusing on a Wynchester who has prodigious talent and a disability, but her pair seemed... underwhelming.