This book has an intriguing premise and a well-crafted world, but it doesn't fully deliver on its promise. The main character, Evangeline, is interesting, though some of the supporting characters feel underdeveloped.

The pacing is inconsistent; some parts move slowly while key events happen too quickly. While there are moments of tension and excitement, a few plot twists felt predictable. Overall, it's a decent read with potential, but it could use more polish and depth. Fans of the genre might enjoy it, but it didn’t quite resonate with me as much as I hoped.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Julia Bennet for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Ruin of Evangeline Jones coming out September 24, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read a couple books by this author and I’m really starting to love her writing. This one is probably my favorite so far! It has the gothic, spooky vibes. I loved the plot. I loved the banter between Alex and Evie. They had a really dynamic, strong relationship. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall, I loved it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys gothic romance!

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is book two of the Harcastle Inheritance series by Julia Bennet and if you haven't read book one, that's ok. You could read this as a standalone without missing a beat. That said, I think you should read the first book as I thought it was enjoyable and I think it leads nicely into this one as we are introduce to Alex in that book and his sister (who is mentioned in this book) is the main character of that one.

All that said, Alex Stanton is our mmc in this book and he has just inherited a dukedom but he's not really that interested in the title. His interest lies in uncovering frauds and he's determined to expose Evangeline "Evie" Jones for the fake that he knows she is. Despite the fact that he knows she's a fake and a liar, Alex can't help but be drawn to her but no matter - he will still prove to all of London that she shouldn't be trusted.

Evie has worked her way up from the gutter and she's not about to let some aristocrat destroy everything for her. She can tell that he's attracted to her and she will use that to her advantage so she makes a deal. Alex has one week to prove she is a fake and if he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she will retire and make a public statement telling everyone her tricks. She didn't expect that during that week she would also fall for him and even potentially come to an understanding.

I loved how Bennet brought these two characters together. It's a class difference trope and you can easily see that there is no possible way for them to be together but somehow Bennet gets it all to come together in such wonderful way. There is the twist around why Evie and her partner/mentor(?) have targeted Alex and then how it all takes a turn. But ultimately what that means for Evie and Alex...you'll have to pick up the book to find out.

If you're looking for well written historical romance with developed characters and a good story, consider picking this one up. I'll be checking out more by Bennet in the future as I've enjoyed the books I've read by her so far.

4.5/5 The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is the second book in the Harcastle Inheritance series. I was able to read this as a standalone and it was also a new to me author.

This was such an entertaining and interesting read and I really liked it. The story was woven together well and kept me guessing through the end. I enjoyed the starchiness of the Duke and the underlying tenderness he developed for the heroine. As well as, the prim outer shell the heroine was adept at wearing.

Overall it was a unique storyline to me and captivating in how the story unfolded.

It seemed there might be a story for the cousin that could be interesting and would be fun to see where it would go.

At times, I wondered if I missed out on more of the hero’s backstory from not reading the first story but the character was developed enough that it didn’t alter my perception of him. The ending was a bit hasty but overall worked for me with how it all tied in.

There are four encounters. One occurs somewhat early on and the others are in the latter half. Being a gothic romance, they were a bit rougher than a regular HR but still enjoyed the level of steam.

I received an advance ecopy of this book by via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

One of the strongest openings I’ve read, no doubt. The chemistry and tension in the beginning chapters were too good. Unfortunately it didn’t keep that same pace for the entirety of the book, but I was in no way disappointed. All of the seance scenes in particular were really fun and perfect for this time of year. 3.75 stars.

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I say this book was unnecessarily hard for me to read, I’m not exaggerating. It was like pulling teeth the whole time.
The writing was fine, as was the romance. The premise seems promising. So why did I have such a hard time? I don’t know.
Would I still recommend this book? Probably.

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones had a very interesting premise, which is why I picked it up in the first place. A cankerous Duke determined to unveil all mediums as frauds sets his sights on the titular MC, and the two of them engage in a battle of will and wit. Excellent. Great. Sign me up.

Unfortunately, like most books in the modern romance genre, this didn't do very much with that interesting set-up. Sure, the wager remained a pivotal plot point right up until the 70% mark, but while it should have been furthering Alex and Evangeline's romance arc it instead felt like the wager was just happening in the background of their romance. Which, if I'm being honest, is FAR less interesting and doesn't make for a romance I particularly care about.

Overall I feel like this book was alright, at best. The writing was extremely competent, but I couldn't really buy Evangeline and Alex as a couple. Their attraction to each other had little to no foundation, and the narrative didn't lean into the medium elements hard enough to make an impact on me.

I really enjoyed this book. Both MCs are very no nonsense, and so their cat-and-mouse was highly entertaining. They simply couldn’t keep away from each other. A quick read for me, as I couldn’t put it down!

I have to be honest, im not sure how to rate and review this book. I enjoyed reading it, for sure, but it didnt fully grab my attention. I liked the characters and their stories, i also liked the spice, but did the plot catch my attention? Not really. It might be that it just was not the right time for me to be reading this book however (am very stressed for example, my mind may wander a bit more). I do think the plot was quite unique, and i do not have anything specific to mention that i did not like? So i do recommend!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

I really liked the setting of this book as I've always been fascinated by the spiritualist movement and love a good gothic romance. Although I enjoyed the romance element, it did feel a bit rushed/forced at times. Still would highly recommend for any 'spooky' romance fan!

The storyline and the main characters are dark and moody! It took me a while to appreciate Alex, but I did by the end because he seemed real and not just a caricature. Evangeline was the stronger of the two characters and more likable to me. The ending wasn't a surprise, but a good one. 3-1/2 stars

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

Stayed up far past my bedtime because I could not put this one down!

Alex Stanton loves unmasking con artists and charlatans. He has his eyes set on Miss Evangeline Jones as his next target -- but from the beginning something is different about her. He is fascinated by her cool demeanor and her brutal honesty - something that few people dare to give to dukes.

Evie has done well for herself despite a lonely upbringing. Her benefactor, the Captain, has invested a great deal in her to become a popular spirit medium. She cannot risk the threat that Alex poses to her future livelihood so she reluctantly agrees to his deal: he has one week of shadowing her to prove she is a fraud or he will leave her alone forever.

The problem is Alex has no plans to leave her alone and the more time he spends with her the more he realizes he wants to have her as a part of his future. But he needs to marry a wealthy heiress to save the crumbling estate he inherited from his shitty father -- and spending time in Evie's world is opening his eyes up to his own privilege.

These characters were engrossing right from the jump. Love Julia Bennet's writing and hoping desperately we are getting a book on Elias and his mysterious wife next!

Thank you Netgallery and the Author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I need to start by saying that I went into this book with somewhat high expectations. The whole idea of this duke uncovering frauds in his spare time was interesting, and even more that the love interest (Evangeline), was one he was looking into (with more than one purpose in his mind I might add). Gothic, historical romance, two great ingredients to kick off the fall season.

Yet, I sadly need to say that the story felt flat for me. Pacing was all over the place, and I had a hard time getting through the first couple of chapters. While I got to a point where I was mildly enjoying myself, I just couldn't for the life of me connect with the characters. The LONG inner monologues, the overly "horny" fmc, and the lack of tension between the characters ruined it for me. I think the major problem was that the book was very heavy on the insta-lust. I mean from the start you know our mmc has a "raunchy" photo of the fmc, so everything being fulled by that gave no space for the characters to idk actually know each other in a deeper way, and they felt force.


This was just a bit too insta-lust in my opinion no real romance or chemistry. I don't think I would recommend it.

2 ⭐️ This book just wasn’t for me and that’s ok! I think if you like regency era/bridgerton but set in a gothic setting then you would love this! I was hoping this would lean more into paranormal but the romance was more of the main plot. The concept of this book was what had me wanting to read, but I think my expectations may have been off. Overall the plot wandered a bit and the pacing wasn’t what I enjoy, but I think if you love romance and quirky characters - this is for you!

To start, I read this without knowing it was part of a series so you can definitely read this as a standalone. This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as other books I've read by Bennet in the past. The plot was interesting and there was enough chemistry between the two characters but it didn't really leave much of an impression on me.

3.5 stars

Smart and sexy, this book will be perfect for fall reading. Bennet's writing isn't flowery, but instead is beautiful in its simplicity.
"All she need do was smile and he was her slave. He prayed she never realized."

Alex is a new Duke and preoccupied with unveiling psychics; but his obsession goes beyond unveiling when it comes to Evangeline Jones. His obsession segues nicely into the feelings he eventually develops for Evie and his journey was my favorite of the book. While I found Evie to be compelling, there were times when her youth and life-experiences coupled with the insta-love she felt for Alex sometimes had be stepping back. Where I ran into issue with the book is that, while set in Victorian Boston (is that what we call it?), it is written in the 21st century. It's impossible to read without that lense and I felt that some elements of the story were straddling the line.

Bennet is a talented writer, and I think the commentary of social issues at the time is insightful, but the story drags in the middle. Solid first act, slow second, and the third comes out of nowhere and whacks you on the head with the melodrama. Every time I questioned how I was feeling about the book (is it 3 stars? is it four? I think it's 3) Bennet came out swinging with a line of dialogue or description that kept me turning the page for more.

"Don't make me emote in this unspeakable fashion." hehe.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Woof.

This book was rough. I really found the male character absolutely horny, Then., figuring out that he had that picture of her (a bordello shot) he carried around pushed it even further into disgusting territory.

I don't know. I felt there was just way too much sex. Came for the story and romance and instead felt there was more romance and the story was lackluster. And, the romance wasn't even well written.

I felt like this book could’ve done a better job at balancing out their topics. I liked the gothic vibe especially around this time of year but then everything felt watered down. I was a big fan of the FMC

This was a quick read for me, I couldn’t put it down once I passed the 20% mark. It was perfect to get into the fall mood, it’s a gothic romance with an enemies to lovers trope. The Ruin of Evangeline is great for anyone looking for a spicy historical romance with a supernatural storyline.

This book took me at least a month to get in to. I kept trying but couldn’t get passed chapter 2. Then one day, it just clicked, and I couldn’t put it. The romance and chemistry, the fun supernatural storyline, everything about this was a fun read.