Alex Stanton just inherited a dukedom but his true passion is uncovering charlatans and frauds wherever he finds them. Spiritualist and medium Evangeline “Evie” Jones is the biggest fake of all and he’s determined to expose her lies for all of London to see. Her prim manner and ladylike airs don’t fool him. He sees the hunger beneath and recognizes a worthy opponent. He can’t deny the dark undercurrents of lust between them.
Evie worked her way up from the gutter and she’s not about to abandon the life she’s built for fear of this aristocratic dilettante. She knows his type. She sees the attraction simmering beneath his animosity, and she knows how to use it to keep him off balance. They strike a bargain. He has one week to prove she’s a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she’ll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.
Neither expects to find anything in common, not to mention anything to love, in the other. Both are blindsided by the affinity and blossoming tenderness between them. But even if it were possible for a lowly charlatan to live happily ever after with a duke, more is going on than either suspects. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own.
"Sexy, smart, and almost unbearably intimate, The Ruin of Evangeline is the best historical romance I've read in years. Julia Bennet is an author to watch!" --Elizabeth, Goodreads
"This is one of the best books I have read so far this year. I found myself completely immersed in the story, which is not your typical English historical romance." --SH, Goodreads
"I don't even know where to begin. I absolutely loved this book!" --Alycia, Goodreads
"This was everything I had been searching for. Easily the best romance book I have read in a long time, perhaps even ever." --Esmerralda, Goodreads
The Ruin of Evangeline Jones is a revelation. Sexy, smart, and almost unbearably intimate, The Ruin of Evangeline is the best historical romance I've read in years. Julia Bennet is an author to watch! ...more
This semi-gothic, quietly feminist, erotic romance exceeded my expectations. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HF Virtual Book Tours for hooking me up with such a lovely read. I can’t wait to go back and read Book 1 (though this book functioned well as a “stand alone”) and I look forward to a ...more
I gave The Ruin of Evangeline Jones a B at All About Romance.
In her biography, Julia Bennet says she writes historical romance with passion, intrigue, dark humor and the occasional animal sidekick. She does! The Ruin of Evangeline Jones has passion and intrigue in spades. Not so much the humor, but ...more
I am so so happy I was allowed to read this book on netgalley. It seriously blew me away and I have a new author I am keeping a close eye on. When I finished this, I immediately bought the first book of the series and will be following her for other releases.
Alex, our hero, is a new duke. While his ...more
Historical romance is one of my favorite genres and I love finding stories that are a little bit different. Granted this one had the main character being a duke. Lord, there just aren't that many dukes out there, but I understand in romance fantasy land all handsome main male characters are dukes, j ...more
THE RUIN OF EVANGELINE JONES by Julia Bennet is book 2 in the Harcastle Inheritance Series. This is the story of Evangeline 'Evie' Jones and Alex Stanton. I have read the previous book but felt it can be a standalone book if you wish to do so. Alex although a Duke, he prefers to stop fraudsters. Thi ...more
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Madness of Miss Grey, was such an enjoyable book, that when the opportunity to read the next book in series I jumped at it.
The Ruin of Eva ...more
The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennett
Harcastle Inheritance #2
Love can sneak up on a couple before they know it and seemingly when neither has any reason to fall for the other. And since all Alex, the duke of Harcastle, really wants to do is prove that Miss Evangeline Jones is a fake spiritua ...more
4⭐️
This historical romance was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the writing and will definitely read another from this author.
The entire story is focused on seances and one mans obsession to defraud them. I like the h and H together and the chemistry really worked for me. If you love historical roman ...more
Wowza. Can I just saw a hugh Wow! I read the first book by this author and that it was amazing and then read this one. What I love it the different storylines from typical and this one really had me intrigued.
Evangeline Jones is a spiritualist which I know I have read about was big in Victorian time ...more
This was an interesting story, focussing on the interest in the spiritual through a medium. Alex, Duke of Hardcastle, has made it his work to uncover the frauds in this sphere. This brings him into contact with Evangeline Jones. Both Alex and Evie has troubled backgrounds. They are both engaging cha ...more
I liked this book, it was a nice quick read with some cool historical backstory about the spiritualist movement. It made for a delightful afternoon of reading, and if that isn't the real point of books, what is?
You can see the quality research behind the story. Without spoiling anything, the book pr ...more
Loved, loved loved this one, and I am so happy that I’ve discovered this author. She writes unusual and angsty HR’s with a hint of darkness, I loved her first book, about Alex’s sister which I also got to review, and this one was deliciously satisfying and equally enjoyable.
Alex is a duke who should ...more
I was provided an ARC for this book through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoyed this book! It was definitely different from the other novels I've read from this genre. It was intriguing and learning about the spiritual movement of that time was especially fun. I also think ...more
I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Although not a perfect book, I rated this 5 stars based on my enjoyment and the fact that I didn't want to put it down after struggling with several other good books that I just couldn't get into. The Ruin of Evangeline Jones i ...more
This is one of the best books I have read so far this year. I found myself completely immersed in the story, which is not your typical English historical romance. Whilst this is the second book in the series, it is a standalone book. I must admit that this story is even better than the first book in ...more
Wow! Superb writing, a great storyline, great cover art, some mystery and definitely some scenes I never saw coming. This book sucked me right into Victorian England and a side of life that many romantic novels dont cover. I enjoyed it immensely. But that's where my enjoyment ended.
The characters w ...more
Alex and Evangeline are not your usual historical romance couple. Evangeline is a women who spent part of her youth in a brothel. She then was taken in by a charletaine when she was twelve. She's a virgin but between living part of her life in a brothel and living in very rough places she has a lot ...more
I really enjoyed this book and the story sucked me in from the very first chapter. Alex Harcastle, who recently became a Duke after his father passed away, has a hobby - to uncover spiritualists and mediums for the frauds that they are. His newest "case" is Evangeline Jones, whose photograph haunts ...more
The ending was brilliant! But you will have to find out what is is yourself. For now, just let me tell you that this was a sound story line. The normal fake medium gets exposed by aristocrat. And then it makes a left turn into romance, sensousness, soul searing emotion, danger and action. One of the ...more
This book introduced me to Julia Bennet and wow did it blow me away. There is mystery around the characters and I like how they unfold slowly versus giving me all their backstory at once. Alex newly inherited a dukedom. His estate is failing and he must marry an heiress. He knows this but can't get ...more
i always forget how much i love victorian era set stories. especially those that delve into the victorian fascination with spiritualism and the occult. there's just something so entrancing about this moment of time, and i enjoyed the ruin of evangeline jones quite a bit because of it.
that said, i wi ...more
I don't even know where to begin. I absolutely loved this book!
Alex Duke of Harcastle has made it his sole mission to defraud all spiritualist scams. And now his sights are set on Evangeline Jones, sitting in on a seance in order to debunk her tactics. His plans are also fueled by his attraction to ...more
This was a bit of fresh air in the world of historical romance for me. Nothing totally groundbreaking, but something about the writing style and the small twists and turns in the plot were different enough to keep me interested.
It was a little slow, so I can understand why some don't like it as muc ...more
Wow! What an incredible book! I was hook from the first word and could not put it down. This is the story of Evangeline Jones, a spiritualist and medium, and Alex Stanton, the Duke of Harcastle, who is trying to expose her for a fraud. Along the way, Alex and "Evie" begin to develop feelings for eac ...more