A regency romance set to comics and panels, a sheer enjoyable delight.

A marriage to avoid scandal and to put debts to rights, neither of them can imagine it being any different. When love is on the line, while stubbornness win out or will love triumph over all?

A delightfully adult read, taking regency romance and throwing some gorgeous spin on every part.

This was my first graphic novel, so I didn't quite know what to expect from Ruined by Sarah Vaughn. I would say I'm in the middle with how I feel regarding the storyline. Too much focus is paid to the side characters which sacrifices the romantic buildup of the main characters. Within a few pages Catherine is head over heels for her marriage of convenience husband. We don't necessarily see what prompts her to suddenly love Andrew; what I can glean is that he protects her a ball and listens to her opinions. The bar is definitely on the floor here.

The artwork is beautiful. While not too complicated as the story is not in need of artistic spectacle, I think its subtlety and softness work really well to provide a clear plot. I thought the designs of the costumes were historically accurate,

Overall, for a short graphic novel, I would recommend it, but don't expect a swoon worthy romance here.

Catherine and Andrew agree to an arranged marriage after scandal befalls them. Andrew needs Catherine's money and Catherine needs a shelter from the gossips. As they build a life together, their marriage of convenience is suddenly more real than either of them expected it to be.

This historical fiction graphic novel makes the Regency-era come alive. The artwork is great and the characters are all interesting and well-written. I am definitely interested in reading further titles in this world.

I received a digital ARC of this graphic novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"For fans of Bridgerton comes a Regency-era romance graphic novel about the unexpected passion that blooms from a marriage of convenience.

The whole town is whispering about how Catherine Benson lost her virtue, though they can never agree on the details. Was it in the public garden? Or a moving carriage?

Only a truly desperate man would want her now - and that's exactly what Andrew Davener is. His family's estate is in disrepair, but Catherine's sizeable dowry could set it to rights.

After the two wed, Catherine finds herself inexplicably drawn to Andrew. But could falling in love with her husband tear her marriage apart? In this richly detailed Regency romance, duty and passion collide in a slow-burn tale of intertwined fates."

I don't think many people remember that romance comics used to be commonplace. Let's make that happen again, starting with the swoony Regency read!

Ahh I loved this. Firstly, the graphics where beautiful. Secondly, the overall plot was thoroughly enjoyable. I felt that it was very well structured, and detailed. The writing style was beautiful, and I found myself laughing and crying at many points throughout this. Also, the characters where very well developed. Such an enjoyable read.

Catherine and Andrew's story transports us back to the 1800s. It is a harsh world, but maybe you can have your happily-ever-after if you haven't ruined your chances. I wholeheartedly rooted for our main characters, they look so young and vulnerable and a tad bit too proud. They have a marriage of convenience but grow to like each other as they strive to save the Davener estate together. The marriage is eventually consumated. There are some explicit sex scenes that shows Catherine and Andrew are equals in bed as much as in life. But is it love?
The story touches upon some other important issues like social anxiety or the chances of happiness for homosexuals. Apart from our main heroes, other characters' fulfillment also depends on their brave decisions. I especially appreciated the fashion subplot, it is the Regency period after all.
I found the drawing style gripping. The setting is as amazing as the emotional expressions on the characters' faces.
My favourite minor character is Andrew's male friend who sees into his soul. His help is invaluable. They live in a harsh society. It's the 1800s. Love is less complicated today, or is it?


Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for sending this graphic novel for review consideration. I read a DRC. All opinions are my own.

I didn't really like this. The story wasn't for me and the drawings felt very generic. I'm sure there is an audience for this book, so I won't post a negative review, but I also don't have much productive feedback.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Imprint for this Advanced Readers Copy of Ruined by Sarah Vaughn!

his graphic novel ended up being really sweet and lovely!! I thought the drawing style was soft and calm, and definitely fit the regency era. I thought that some of the dialogue was confusing because of the layout of the text, but overall I enjoyed it. I would have loved to see a few pages at the end because they finally got back together on the literal last page, so it would have been lovely to see them together and happy for a few extra moments!! And also there was a super cute lesbian side relationship, with diverse characters that I absolutely would read a spin off of!

🌈 Queer rep: lesbian side characters/relationship

Thank you to netgalley for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick regency era read. This is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice. I wish the story could have been developed a little more and I did not feel super attached to the characters. There are some spicy scenes that I should have known were there but was surprised at for a graphic novel. I really wanted to like it more than I did but it just fell a little flat to me. The illustration was okay but did not impress me. Overall, I would still recommend this title.

Gorgeous art and a beautiful, sweet story. I would love more in this world and wish these characters. A lovely and romantic regency graphic novel.

This was a nice read. Nothing that will stand out to me past this month, but I didn't hate it.

To be clear (because I definitely didn't know going in), this is an adult graphic novel. Emphasis on the GRAPHIC part. Maybe I should have known since Bridgerton is a comp, but anyway. Now you know.

I love that this was a slow-burn romance. Those are my faves and it fit the context of this book really well.

There were a few side plots, but they didn't really grab me. Honestly, I found myself skimming them so I could get back to the main couple, Andrew and Catherine. I loved the diversity they featured and the extra happily ever afters we got along the way, but I didn't care all that much about them.

It was a bit too short to really get into the nitty-gritty of the relationship. I feel like a few more pages, a few more chapters and we could have seen them develop better as individuals and as a couple. Their love wasn't completely abrupt, but I still wanted more from Catherine and Andrew in order to completely believe their love story.

Overall, 3.5 stars for this graphic novel. A little longer and more fleshed out and I think I could have loved it.

A marriage of convenience with some stunning and spicy art? Yes please! This steamy graphic novel is perfect for lovers of Bridgerton. The transitions from scene to scene was disjointed at times but overall I loved the chemistry between the characters.

DNF this one. I didn’t enjoy the dialogue between the characters and the plot felt very disjointed. There were moments where I felt like I’d missed a page or two because of how quickly (and randomly) it switched.

I loved the Bridgerton-eque love story between Andrew and Catherine, but I was also incredibly touched by the emotional growth/healing of everyone in Davener House after all the tragedy they’ve faced. The unexpected queer representation was also such an exciting bonus!!! I honestly had so much fun reading this.

As an avid reader of historical romance, I was super excited to see a graphic novel in this genre, as I had never read one before. I though this was a really cute and sweet (yet slightly steamy!) read. I liked the romance between the two main characters, although I do wish the backstory was a bit more fleshed out. I would have also liked to know more about some of the main side characters. Still, the art style was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a really fun read!

Ruined is a graphic novel of a Regency-era romance between a woman who has fallen from society's grace and a man whose reputation and social standing have fallen. Catherine and Andrew marry so they can save themselves, but as the story goes, there might be more to them than meets the eye. Might there even be love between them?

What follows is a little formulaic, and if you like Regency-era stories, you can probably see where the book is going. This is a cozy read though and something you can easily get through in one sitting. I will say this book is not for young readers; there is nudity and sex depicted. While the sex isn't super graphic, it is drawn just as a heads-up.

Thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This graphic novel was awesome.

The love story was great.
The characters were well written.
The artwork was absolutely beautiful.

Will be looking up the author and illustrator for their other works!!!!

Ruined opens at the wedding of Catherine, a 'ruined' 27-year-old who has sworn off love, and Andrew, just desperate enough for Catherine's sizable dowry to overlook the rumors of her social demise. As such, it explores how two people fall in love after they're already married. I enjoyed the various side plots with Catherine's sister and maid as well as the slow reveal of both Catherine's and Andrew's backstories, but I really loved how the colors and backgrounds contributed to a longing atmosphere. I keep trying to imagine the story in prose and it just doesn't work as well. Each panel held both exactly as little and as much information as it needed to get the point across, how we could see the conflicting emotions play out as the story progressed. While the Brigerton parallels are apt for season one's marriage of convenience, I think the comparison holds true for season two as well—there is just something so delicious about a longing, lustful gaze across a richly tapestried drawing room...

The pacing of this novel is a little weird. The story starts in the middle. The sprinkle of random characters stories didn’t really need to be mentioned. It was confusing trying to grasp what was going on. The ending felt abrupt. Other than that. It’s a decent quick read if you like a bridgerton & pride and pred style with some spice.