Rules for Ruin

Reviews

“The journey from combatants to lovers sizzles.”
—NPR 

“Matthews launches her new Victorian-set Crinoline Academy series with a perfect sense of aplomb, delivering a refreshingly sweet yet heart-meltingly romantic storyline that is graced with a cast of superbly nuanced characters and enhanced by its impeccable attention to historical detail (with bonus points given for the clever repurposing of ladies’ crinolines and embroidered samplers).”
—Booklist (starred review)

“In a brilliant reimagining of the infamously jilted Miss Havisham of Great Expectations, instead of having her simply wasting away in a mansion stuck in time, Miss Corvus trains girls to push England forward by becoming undercover activists in the service of women’s rights…Like her peers Courtney Milan and Alyssa Cole, Matthews deftly blends social history with epic love stories. As Effie and Gabriel’s attraction and conflicts bloom, readers gain a window into struggles over class and gender in late 19th-century England.
Readers who like a streak of danger and politics in their romance will thrill to this whip-smart historical.”
—Kirkus (starred review)

“This fascinating romance explores not only class prejudices but also how women of the time were repressed and how they managed to rebel…an original idea brilliantly executed.”
—BookPage (starred review)

“Mimi Matthews has become one of my favorite authors. She never disappoints.”
—Mary Balogh, New York Times bestselling author

“No one writes Victoriana like Mimi Matthews!…Sparks fly between Effie and Gabriel in a thoroughly enchanting romance that promises the start of a new series—I can’t wait for the next installment from the Crinoline Academy!”​
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

“Thrilling, poignant, and romantic, Rules for Ruin is a delight! Mimi Matthews’s evocative prose carries readers on an unforgettable adventure through London’s bustling streets and elegant drawing rooms. Euphemia and Gabriel’s romance simmers with electric chemistry, witty banter, and powerful emotion. Readers will love Rules for Ruin!”
—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author

“Rules for Ruin is the ultimate cat-and-mouse romance with witty banter, sizzling attraction, and twists of excitement – a perfect first installment to kick off Mimi Matthews’s new Crinoline Academy series. Matthews’s exemplary research brings the Victorian world to life in a visceral way that creates an immersive backdrop as Euphemia and Gabriel go tete-a-tete with one another in the most delicious way.”
—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author

“A delicious crumpet of a novel: sparkling characters, lush romantic chemistry, and a woman on a mission made me fly through the pages!”
—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author

“RULES FOR RUIN is a story full of adventure, intrigue, and what it means to find connection, and it’s so gorgeously, richly told that I never wanted to reach the end. I loved following these complicated characters through the ballrooms and betting shops of Victorian London. And the yearning! It’s absolutely delicious. If Mimi Matthews writes it, I will be first in line to read it.”
—Sarah Adler, USA Today bestselling author

“Rules for Ruin is a thrilling page-turner that has everything fans of Victorian romance could wish for: a smart, strong, yet vulnerable heroine you’ll adore, a tough as nails, self-made hero who proves to be her perfect match, swoon-worthy, sizzling romance, nonstop action, secrets to uncover, and a baddie to bring down, all wrapped up in Mimi Matthews’s rich, evocative writing and a gripping, impeccably researched plot. One of my favorite Mimi Matthews novels ever. I LOVED it and couldn’t put it down!”
—Syrie James, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire series

“A mysterious debutante, a lord of the underworld, and the most romantic proposal ever, Rules for Ruin is the first book in what promises to be a fabulous new series by one of my favorite historical authors. Mimi Matthews consistently delivers achingly tender love stories set against a rich Victorian backdrop.”
—Harper St. George, author of The Stranger I Wed

“Mimi Matthews is in a class of her own. I adored Effie and Gabriel’s romance, and I continue to be so impressed by the way Victorian London effortlessly comes alive through Matthews’s meticulous research. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the Crinoline Academy series!”
—Hester Fox, author of A Magic Deep and Drowning

“Two scrappy orphans connect when they infiltrate London’s high society in this splashy Victorian series launch…It’s refreshing to see characters from the lowest echelons of society star in a historical romance, and Matthews expertly fleshes out both leads’ Dickensian backstories to explore class, gender, and racial inequality…A moving exploration of family, identity, and personal freedom.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Tightly plotted and packed with Matthews’ characteristic crisp prose, the book doesn’t miss a beat, nor waste a detail, as it drives these vivid, well-drawn characters into each other’s arms. Readers will revel in seeing these leads get their defenses dismantled, matched as they are in determination, understanding, and wit. Though true to its historical setting, the villains are those denying women equal rights, and the champions defend the exploited and marginalized. Pure delight from start to finish.”
—Historical Novel Society

“Rules for Ruin is not just a romance—it’s a reckoning. It challenges the limitations of its genre and redefines what it means to write a love story in an age of revolution. Mimi Matthews proves that historical fiction can still surprise us—and that crinolines can conceal daggers.”
—Book Club

“Schools have many purposes, but in the Victorian era, one school on the edge of London raises talented young women to infiltrate society to bring down those who would demean and hold back any advancement for women. Rules for Ruin is a delightful blend of history, romance and cleverness with plenty of action and strong characters.”
—Denton Record-Chronicle