If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would! (Secretly rates 100/5 sassy spinsters)!

Last year I read the first book in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series after I saw a Good Reads friend review it. It ended up being my top read of 2024.

Fast forward to March of 2025, I’m on NetGalley looking for a new ARC to request and I spy this sequel! I have never been more excited in my life!
Once I was accepted I realised it was only available for me to read via the app on my phone and I was seriously disheartened, I struggle immensely reading on my phone!

But I should never have doubted the power of Goodman’s prose, phone be damned! Instantly the reader is whisked away on another adventure with Gus, Julia, Evan, Weatherly and Mr Kent, in addition to the cavalcade hilarious and nefarious secondary characters.
There will be sneaking into dens of iniquity, dastardly disguises, rumbles with the world’s worst brothers (both Evan’s and Gus’) and of course much needed banter and flirting between our leads and their loves!

Regency England is bought to life through Goodman’s skill of cleverly weaving historical research with masterful narrative. It’s easy to imagine yourself wandering through the stately homes of society one minute and visiting a morgue in the depths of St Bartholomew’s the next.

While I loved every second with this book I don’t know how I’ll ever stand waiting until Goodman writes the next!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (I’d give more if I could!)

A fiercely feminist, utterly swoony, Regency romp that I adored from start to finish.

This second instalment in Alison Goodman’s Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies series is everything I wanted and more. It picks up where the first left off, with the twin sisters, Lady Augusta (Gus) and Lady Julia, once again flouting society’s rules—and their insufferably obtuse brother Duffy’s attempts to control them.

Their latest adventure sees them hiding Hester—Lord Evan’s sister and the woman Gus and Julia saved in the last book —from her dangerously deluded brother, Lord Deele, who is obsessed with societal norms and determined to force Hester back into the asylum that has already damaged her so deeply. All Hester wants is to live her life in peace with her lover Miss Grant, but safety doesn’t come easy when men like Lord Deele hold power over the entirety of women's lives and care more about reputation than family.

At the same time, Gus and Julia are fighting to clear Lord Evan’s name. Gus’s love for him is unwavering, but their happiness is impossible while he remains a wanted man. Someone powerful wants him dead and they need to discover who it is before it's too late. Thankfully, this time they’re joined by Mr Kent—Julia’s paramour and Bow Street Runner—who, having previously been at odds with the sisters, is now firmly on their side. His dry sense of humour and devotion to Julia is so beautiful to read. And of course, we get more of the wonderfully loyal Weatherly and Tully, who always add a little 'found family factor'.

Rich, Romantic, and Relentlessly Relevant

What I love most about this series is that it’s so much more than dashing rescues and dangerous escapades (though it has plenty of that too). Goodman delves into real, weighty topics—women’s autonomy, the policing of women’s bodies and choices, how society dismisses older women, and the deep bonds of sisterhood.

Julia’s struggle with her health is very real and at the heart of it all is the evolving relationship between Gus and Julia. Gus must confront the fine line one must walk with her sister in order not to smother her with protectiveness and good intentions.

The Verdict: More, Please!

The Lady’s Road Guide to Utter Ruin is smart, swoony, daring, and deeply heartfelt. The ending teases yet another adventure, and I honestly cannot wait to see where these indomitable sisters go next.

ARC provided by NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.