4.25⭐️ | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jennyreadsalot">TikTok</a> |

This was a lot of fun! I enjoy historical romance on occasion but I need it to have a little “more” or something just a bit “different” and this hits the mark!

The FMC is basically a clandestine badass on a secret (very feminist) mission! The MMC is basically a gangster with a heart of gold!

This is my first Mimi Mathews book but definitely won’t be my last! I’m so curious to see where the next book takes us.

What’s to love…
- feminist themes and badass FMCs
- morally gray MCs
- grand gesture
- rivals
- no spice
- witty banter
- furry companion (dog)
- well researched and includes source material and additional information! I love when books do this!

What I didn’t love, but you might…
- I love dual POV but occasionally with dual POV we get too much information, this was one of the times where I wish we didn’t have all the facts up front. A little mystery makes it more fun!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Mimi Matthews new Crinoline Academy season starts with a strong, but unusual book. Fans of Mimi Matthews--like me; I've read them all--will certainly like this book, because Matthews is as talented a writer and researcher as ever. That said, this book has very little in common with other Matthews series. It concerns Euphemia Flite, a woman more or less coerced into seeking revenge for the founder of the orphanage where she grew up. The result is that this reads a bit more like a romantic historical spy novel than a historical romance. It has, perhaps, a bit more in common with historical mysteries I've read. I liked the evocation of the high and low sides of London. I even liked the mystery. But I did not feel that slow-burn longing that Matthews excels at. Overall, I think this will be a very enjoyable series, just perhaps not top tier for me. I do plan to recommend it to others.

The writing was great, the mystery is top notch and I love the cover. I didn't like that it was marketed as/or the description read as a historical romance in the vein of Evie Dunmore or even Sarah MacLean, but the romantic scenes were very "tame". I'm sure a lot of folks will enjoy the book a lot, but I think people who go in looking for a hot romance are going to be disappointed.

HELLO new 1900s series!!!!! this is my favorite era in the whole entire world to read about, and matthews has not only done it justice but knocked it out of the park with this stunning first book to a new series! i ate this up from the visceral reading experience and atmosphere to the dark academia-esque hijinks they get up to at the academy (with a side of romance to hold me over). i need the next book asap rocky

A breathtaking beginning to a series that promises to be audaciously feminist and indelibly romantic. An engrossing narrative culminates in a gratifying climax where romance soars, a poodle flies, and evil hangs his head in shame. You know that euphoric feeling when you discover a book you absolutely loved and are confident it’ll be a life-long companion? Yes, Rules for Ruin is that book for me.

“Know my surroundings. Know my opponent. Know myself.”

When Miss Euphemia Flite is summoned from Paris by the indomitable proprietress of “Miss Corvus’s Benevolent Academy For The Betterment of Young Ladies” and offered an opportunity to not only be absolved of a debt but also gain her independence, Effie could hardly refuse. After all, she had longed to discover her past, settle her debt to the charity school proprietress, and retire far away with Franc, her beloved poodle. Effie’s foolproof plans, however, overlooked a strikingly seductive rogue-–a Rookery king, Gabriel Royce.

“I see you now.”

This is a riveting tale from the first page. The vibes and atmosphere are reminiscent of one of my favorite Mimi Matthews novels, A Gentleman Jim. Effie is a breath of fresh air. She is as intrepid as she is efficient. Her only vulnerability is her crippling fear of heights. This is where Gabriel comes in. He is her perfect match. Gabriel is protective, supportive, and attentive. Together, Effie and Gabriel risk it all to combat injustice. Their chemistry crackles as they attempt to outmaneuver each other.

Kittens purr, flowers dance, and my heart sings whenever a Mimi Matthews hero goes into rescue mode.

In Rules for Ruin, Mimi Matthews demonstrates her writing prowess as she ingeniously weaves a plot that brims with action, drama, and romance. Her attention to detail and historical research is impeccable. Through her characters, readers can vicariously experience historical events, Victorian life and fashion. Crinolines aren’t merely a fashion statement, but they can also be used to derail patriarchy.

Mimi unfailingly writes books that leave me not only emotionally nourished, but also craving for more. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Content note: closed door, acrophobia, sexist language, violence.

My heartfelt thanks to Mimi, Berkley, NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Matthews’ best book yet! Part game of cat and mouse and part search for belonging, plus great historical details! Excellent.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that romance element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. The characters had that element that I was looking for and thought everything worked together. Mimi Matthews has a strong writing style and had enjoyed previous books by the same author. The concept worked well and was glad I got to read this.

I love Mimi Matthews. Her writing is so beautiful and emotive. She really elevates the historical romance genre, and I am always excited to read her latest. I really enjoyed watching Effie and Gabriel fall in love, and I'm excited to see what the other girls of the Crinoline Academy get up to in the next installments.

A reviewer below compared Gabriel to Tommy Selby, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who immediately read Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders as Gabriel.

I like to thank the author again for being that amazing gem in getting Berkley to approve my requests for her arcs.

Rules for Ruin was something new for Mimi in terms of the idea of a group of women whose aim is to take down piece of shit men in society. And, her new male lead: Gabriel Royce.

Gabriel Royce and how we meet him is absolutely one of my favorite meet-cutes of any of her men. Our female lead is snooping around in a library, in the dark, and there waiting in the darkness is him. He makes himself known with a mere sentence and a light of his match, smoking a cigar. What an entrance! I got absolute devil of the unsavory bits of London from him indeed! It throws her off balance and makes her wonder if she should fold. That's how much it rattled her! He is absolutely commanding and rough, and man, I wanted her to give me more men like this. Give me men who society either turned their back on or they turned their back on society. They were my Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne ala Batman Returns. Split, right down the middle, like calls to like, etc. etc.

Our female lead was a orphan, taken in by the headmistress of the academy in which she groomed her girls to be extensions of her thoughts and feelings about men and how to take down those who stood against them in society. Feminist, take no for an answer, getting dirty, looking pretty while being tough - in crinolines! She also has a little dog named Luc who knows how to twist a man up by its leash - on command! My heart broke at times for the two of them, relying on one another to get their freedom.

The reason I rated it down a star is that I guess I wanted more 'action' or more use of the way the girls were trained to be like Victorian spies. We saw a hint of it with lock picking, Effie hiding things under her skirt via ties, and her taking down a man in the finale of the book. I wanted more of that! I want to see the ladies use knives, their fists, their lethal ways with equipment. Mimi already showed me she could do this and I wanted it so badly. She hooked me in with this need to see her write a story with a Victorian woman who is a femme fatale.

This book opened up other avenues of the ladies, and the tease we got for the next one at the end of the book was absolutely hilariously good. I'm crossing my fingers for a Lois Lane of Victorian times.

Overall, Mimi is my girl when it comes to books. I'm so glad I found her, and I am so glad she gave me the opportunity of reading this early. I can't wait to see what this series brings.

This story is a dazzling blend of sharp wit, simmering chemistry, and bold feminist themes, all wrapped up in a richly atmospheric historical setting. Euphemia is a fierce, complex heroine, and her battle of wits with the enigmatic Gabriel is nothing short of intoxicating. The tension between duty and desire crackles on every page, with stakes that feel as high emotionally as they are politically. The writing is vibrant and clever, sweeping you from gritty backstreets to glittering ballrooms with ease. It’s thrilling, romantic, and had my heart racing and my mind spinning long after the final page. I absolutely loved reading it and would highly be recommending it.

Loved Mimi Matthews new book! Gabriel gives big Tommy Shelby vibes and Effie is a such a strong character! Love, love, love and now waiting for the second in the series!