I really wanted to love this read since people kept comparing it to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. However, the story just didn’t stick out to me. There were many well-made points on love and learning to heal from our scars in order to be open with others. While these points were great, I didn’t feel any particular connection to the characters or plot. I can see how this read will appeal to others, but for me, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I DNFed this book about halfway through. The art style just wasn't for me, and I felt it was awkward looking. I also couldn't connect with the characters are grow to care about them. I think fleshing out the characters more and giving more would help. They seemed cookie-cutter and carbon copies of other characters I've read in this genre.

3.5

This one is for the regency-era lovers and Bridgerton fans.

This was sweet and cute marriage of convince graphic novel. I loved how it not only followed the two protagonist but other characters and their lives as well. even though this isn’t my favourite art style I did really enjoy the designs and the colour palette as well.

I think this book help me fully emerge from my graphic novels slump I was in since April


thank you NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

This is my second graphic novel after reading the Heartstopper series earlier this month! I really liked the Bridgerton vibes I got in this book and appreciated the artstyle! Really hope we get a second book where we get to follow Gemma, she deserves a book of her own. Also appreciate the queer rep and the varied rep of people of colour, different body types etc. Marriage of convience is a favourite of mine, the slowburn and refusal to fall in love. Good job!

Imgur link goes to Instagram Graphic Scheduled for November 21st
Blog link goes live November 21st
Youtube Review will likely be featured in next Arc Reviews video on approximately August 15th

I think this might be my first Regency Romance Graphic Novel? However, if this team does another in this series I am so going to pick it up. Ruined is a beautifully done romance that features a wide variety of characters, body shapes, and orientations but does so in a well knitted way that it's hard not to just fall through it.

The title could apply to both Catherine and Andrew, our main characters. Catherine's honor has been 'ruined' and Andrew's family has been 'ruined' at the hands of his deceased father and brother. The two come together in a marriage of connivence to help them both and in the process begin to fall in love again. We're also seeing a relationship blossom between Catherine's sister and another woman, the rise of Catherine's lady maid to fashion designer, and Andrew's sister who is battling agoraphobia. I've seen some complaints that the side stories take over the story of Catherine and Andrew, but I think they merely help flesh out what might have been a dry story for me. Catherine and Andrew, while interesting, have a story that's been done. But adding the other two plots spiced the pacing up a bit, and while long, made everything feel worth reading through.

I'll add as well that I was pleasantly shocked by the nudity in this. Andrew and Catherine have moments of nearly full frontal nudity. I'm not going to lie, I was reading and turned the page and said out loud "That's a penis!" I was so surprised.

The story was sweet, and engrossing and if you've a mind for a Historical Romance as a graphic novel I greatly enjoyed this. I may even seek this out in physical for my romance shelves. I hope to see more from this team as well!

4 out of 5 beautifully embroidered gowns

I bought a graphic novel from the charity shop, Fresh Romance, with a brilliant first chapter of a Regency Romance. No matter how hard I looked online I couldn't find the second volume to continue the story. Then, quite by chance, I saw the title and author on Netgalley as I was scrolling and was thrilled to be able to complete the story.
Ruined is about a young Regency woman who has to endure a marriage of convenience to an impoverished Lord after finding herself compromised and therefore "ruined" in the eyes of society. This Lord uses her dowry and the funds she brings to pay off his family's debts and rebuild his family home. Slowly they begin to fall for each other despite both being terrified of letting their guards down.
It was a slow, gentle tale but beautifully illustrated and brought to life through the illustrations. The colour palette was smooth and gentle without harsh blocks of colour and really helped with the Edwardian feel of the time with its pale hues and darker textures.
I really liked the way the illustrator bought across complex emotions through body language and facial expressions in a single panel which might have taken pages to describe. I was also appreciative of the delicate yet realistic way that the more intimate details were drawn, nothing was overly graphic but tastefully done. I really enjoyed this graphic novel.

Ruined is a historical fiction graphic novel set in Regency Era England. This book definitely has Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice vibes, so fans of those books will enjoy this.
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What to expect:
💐graphic novel
💐marriage of convenience
💐slow burn
💐open door
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This graphic novel does put quite a bit of emphasis on its diverse side characters. I love graphic novels and when they can be geared toward romance genres, I’m sold!
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Thank you to Netgalley and Second First for the opportunity to read this book!

This was an enjoyable story. A bit of Bridgerton/ Pride and Prejudice vibes, but with a slightly darker undertone. Catherine is ruined and therefore agrees to an arranged marriage to Andrew. Andrew needs to fix his finances and repair his holdings and to do that he must marry Catherine in order to receive her large dowery. The two start off on shakey grounds but slowly grow comfortable with one another, but can a man who doesn't believe in love and a woman who craves romantic affections truly strive in a marriage together?

Ruined was an overall enjoyable and quick graphic novel to read. Great for fans of regency Era stories.

Ruined by Sarah Vaughn is the graphic novel historical romance readers didn't know they needed. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Ruined tells the story of Catherine and Andrew, two strangers who marry for convenience. Her reputation is in tatters; his family coffers are running low. Her dowry will save his estate; his reputation will erase her ruination. Although it started as a business arrangement, passion slowly blooms between them--something neither one of them was prepared for. Tender and gentle, Ruined was absolutely beautiful.

This is definitely an adult graphic novel, complete with nudity and sex scenes on page. Sara Winifred Searle and Niki Smith together have created a lush, lavish depiction of Regency romance.

This was truly a wonderful reading experience. 10 out of 10; would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second books for my advance reading copy.

This graphic novel features a regency romance with diverse side characters (POC and LGBTQ) and interesting side plots.

Catherine and Andrew marry as there are rumors about Catherine that could have her ruined, and Andrew requires a rich bride to make the necessary repairs to his estate after he unexpectedly inherited. They go into this with no illusions of love and look to be partners in repairing the estate.

I liked how involved Catherine was in managing the household and finances, which is often something you more hear about brides being trained for in historicals, but never actually see.

Steadily, Catherine and Andrew fall in love and support each other. They have a quiet romance so it takes them a while to realize that what they feel *is* love, and they are allowed to feel that.

While not my favorite art style, it was still solid and fit the story and world. For readers not used to illustrated stories like this, there is much less internal narration than a usual historical romance and readers must see to interpret their thoughts, which some readers may not be used to.

Overall, a quicky and enjoyable read. A classic regency romance story brought to life through a graphic novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Feat: marriage of convenience, non-virgin FMC, "shit, I've fallen in love with my spouse", non-aristocracy historical romance (more Jane Austen than Bridgerton), older heroine (27), spice (yes, in pictures)

3 stars
1.5 spice

I don't know, the story was really cute - but I think i would have enjoyed it more as a regular novel. I was not a fan of the art, particularly of the mmc. It took me out of a few scenes that I feel I would have loved otherwise.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this graphic novel. I haven't read many graphic novels, and have never been super interested in it, but as this was a period piece which I am a sucker for. I loved the arranged marriage, them falling for each other anyways, and family bonds that were shown. I LOVED the LGBTQ+ representation in the book which. often can be very lacking in day and age the book is set in.

It was a very easy 90 min or so read, and it was a good break from my longer books. I would definitely read another book from this series if there ever was one!

If this is the next step in romance, count us in! The artwork in this graphic novel reflects so many of the emotions one feels while reading a historical romance novel. We could see the blushes and the crooked smirks and the awkwardness of learning to be around another person in the stilted courtship roles. I love that there were no punches pulled - romance is mature and should remain so! I am excited to see this one in print and can't wait to see it packaged in an adult gift box!

A fun quick read featuring a broody MMC and a FMC looking to move on after a scandal. I adored this story and the illustrations. Slow burn, interesting sub plots, and plenty of swoony, tender moments.

Marriage of Convenience
LGTBQA Side Characters
Spicy

This is my first graphic novel in a while and only historical drama that I have ever read in this form. To be honest it just was t for me. The graphics were great but with the storyline I felt a little lost like I started in the middle of a story. And I felt like it skipped over a lot. That being said I did love the romance between the two main characters. The story if it continues has definitely built up a good start to the storyline. It didn’t end on a cliffhanger but it did end happily ever after. I can see the storyline developing more with the townspeople and all the other characters. This graphic novel is for adults I wouldn’t want my teen reading it due to some graphic scenes.

OMG YES!! This was... I don't have coherent words. It was a marriage of convenience turned HEA. There were all the wonderful things of regency romance and I want more! Broody hero, heroine who wants someone to choose her. There was even a hand graze for the P&P lovers. Can't wait to buy a physical copy to keep on my shelf and revisit.

This regency era, graphic, historical romance novel is beautifully sweet and sensual. This novel's story lines in the simplicity of a marriage of convenience but it blossoms through the subtle artwork that provides a layer of depth to the inner emotions and feelings of our characters that are lacking in their dialogue. This novel is elegant, subtle and an utter delight. I love historical romance and I adore storytelling in graphic novels, and I found this to be so charming and such a delightful way to read a well loved trope.

The artistry is clean and clear, providing an accessibility into the understanding of the inner working of our characters. The art clearly depicts emotions which provide a richness to the characters that embody this story. While at the center of this novel, their is a sweet romance that blossoms from a marriage of convenience, the world has a layer of secondary characters that are interesting and unique in their own ways. I think this graphic novel does a really lovely job of showing a diverse cast of characters through their sexual identification, their race and their body types. I think overall this is an easily enjoyable story. I do wonder if their are more graphic novels anticipated in this world, we do have many side characters that we get glimpses into but we don't truly get their full stories.

I think this graphic novel is a perfect slice of life story, it is a beautiful and quick read, that is sure to leave you with a smile. I would be very interested to see this world continue to open up and to get more stories for the wonderful cast of characters that we have been introduced to.

I would definitely recommend checking out this novel, it is such a lovely way to read a historical romance.

I first read a portion of this story several years back in a Fresh Romance compilation. I really enjoyed that and was excited to find out it was being expanded into this full-length graphic novel.

Perhaps it is just the nature of the medium, but the story did not feel as well-developed as I was hoping. I was a little confused at times and didn't always understand the progression of the story. The ending felt too abrupt for me. I was hoping for a bit more.

I don't read a lot of graphic novels so I am not sure how much I can critique the illustrations. Sometimes the characters looked completely different than they had been established which was somewhat odd and I didn't love that. But the colors and design overall were lovely.

I liked the characters, but I think perhaps there were just too many side-character plotlines. If the story had spent more time on the main couple, with maybe one main side storyline, I think that would have helped it feel better fleshed out.

Overal, it was fun to try something new and read a historical romance in a graphic novel form!

I was so excited about reading an HR graphic novel but I didn’t like the illustrations. This also had a lot of the focus on side characters, which I just didn’t care for. Hopefully, I’ll have more luck in the future.

Profile Image for Siobhán.
Siobhán
1,034 reviews13 followers
July 23, 2023
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free graphic novel*

Bridgerton fans might enjoy this graphic novel but it was not for me. Ruined is about an arranged marriage because our protagonist had prenuptial sex with another dude who was engaged to another. They of course fall in love and have great sex, woohoo. Because all demons of the past can be banished by love. I'm being mean, sorry.

I did not really get a feel for the characters and did not really root for them. The most interesting character was the husband's sister and I also would've liked to see more of the queer relationship (which is something I really liked seeing). Diversity-wise the graphic novel also very well done but of course the main protagonists are white rich people, ladida.

So I just didn't care for the story. No high stakes just rich people problems but then not even funny? Sorry :((((((