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zmurph16 's review for:
The Ruin of Evangeline Jones
by Julia Bennet
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced re-release of this title.
"The Ruin of Evangeline Jones" by Julia Bennet starts a bit sketchily, with the male protagonist, the Duke of Harcastle, having an illicit photo of the female protagonist. It's implied that if he isn't able to oust her as a fraud (she is a medium by trade), he will use the photo to ruin her reputation. Literally this is the first scene of the book. It gave me a bit of a sour tummy and if I were the author, I would have rewritten/axed this subplot in the rerelease of this novel.
All that being said, this romance did end up feeling good in my opinion. A lot of the romance, realistically, rests on the Duke's need to marry a wealthy heiress to keep the Dukedom and his dependents employed. Evie's desire to also be free of those that control here is a pertinent topic as well. There were very realistic reasons to the barriers of their romance. Of course, the Deus Ex Machina of it all solved the problems, but it seemed very fitting for the characters and measured up to the fantasy of it all regardless. This was an enjoyable read and I might pick up the first book in this series at a later date.
"The Ruin of Evangeline Jones" by Julia Bennet starts a bit sketchily, with the male protagonist, the Duke of Harcastle, having an illicit photo of the female protagonist. It's implied that if he isn't able to oust her as a fraud (she is a medium by trade), he will use the photo to ruin her reputation. Literally this is the first scene of the book. It gave me a bit of a sour tummy and if I were the author, I would have rewritten/axed this subplot in the rerelease of this novel.
All that being said, this romance did end up feeling good in my opinion. A lot of the romance, realistically, rests on the Duke's need to marry a wealthy heiress to keep the Dukedom and his dependents employed. Evie's desire to also be free of those that control here is a pertinent topic as well. There were very realistic reasons to the barriers of their romance. Of course, the Deus Ex Machina of it all solved the problems, but it seemed very fitting for the characters and measured up to the fantasy of it all regardless. This was an enjoyable read and I might pick up the first book in this series at a later date.