This is one that I was dying to read, however it just wasn’t the book for me. There’s something about the writing that I just couldn’t get into. I do think that this will be a widely loved book, it just wasn’t the one for me, unfortunately.

Am I glad I read it? RULES FOR RUIN marks a whole new direction for Mimi Matthews yet retains her signature thoughtful, historically grounded, and deeply romantic style and penchant for women taking the reins of their own lives with a beloved animal sidekick along for the ride (not literally this time).

I always love how Matthews incorporates various aspects of history into her books. Here, she draws on the married women's property laws and (failed) efforts to reform them; the impact of rapidly increasing industrialization on London slums; and, as always, her deep knowledge of Victorian ladies' fashion. Matthews' use of this last one is quickly becoming a favorite theme of mine in her work. Here, the eponymous crinolines are practical, serving as a literal method of concealment for Effie's tools of spycraft, and also political: crinolines are armor, protecting the wearers from encroachment, and a means of asserting the right for women to take up space. To that end, the imagery of the crinoline works well thematically with the focus on married women's property laws.

I'm honestly find of feral for the opponents-to-lovers dynamic between Effie and Gabriel: a wolf in sheep's clothing meets a wolf in wolf's clothing, respectively. There's something so delicious about the tension between two competent people at odds with each other, where like recognizes (and appreciates) like. Oh, the TENSION! Those KISSES! Anyone who says that closed door romance isn't sexy hasn't ever picked up a Mimi Matthews book.

With that being said, it's clear that this kind of more plotty, adventurous historical romance is, in fact, a different direction for Matthews. In some places, the plot and world-building felt a bit underdeveloped. For example, the idea of sending coded messages in sewing samplers is tons of fun and clever, but, given that Effie is the Crinoline Academy's first operative, it was unclear why such tactics were necessary to begin with: who would be reading the mail going to/from the Academy at this point? Similarly, the third act conflict and subsequent resolution wrapped up a bit too quickly and easily for me. Additionally, I felt like Matthews pulled her punches with Gabriel a bit. He's supposed to be a Peaky Blinders-inspired character who did ~terrible~ things to claw his way to his current position as king of the Rookery, but, with the exception of a broken nose delivered to a drunkard, we're mostly told about his bad(ass)ness. Let villainous heroes be villainous on page, please!

Perhaps my biggest qualm with this story, however, is the contradiction between the kind of HEA Effie and Gabriel find together and the story's focus on how poorly the institution of marriage serves women. Despite explicitly stating her disinclination to marry, Effie expresses no hesitancy about the notion of marrying Gabriel beyond being distracted from her mission and readily accepts his proposal when it eventually does arrive. At one point. Effie reflects on Gabriel's initial offer to set her up as his mistress: "Effie’s heart had yearned to accept his offer. Never mind that it wasn’t an offer of marriage. Her heart didn’t care about legalities." The implication here is that marriage is the superior, preferred arrangement, a massive contradiction of Effie's mission and previously stated beliefs. Indeed, the book itself does not seem to seriously consider any alternative arrangement for our couple's HEA, thereby implicitly reinforcing the institution our FMC seeks to reform, and Effie as a character does not ever reckon with her desire and choice to marry Gabriel beyond ~all she wanted was to be with the man she loved~. It's a pretty major disappointment that a book that says "hey, marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be for Victorian women" has its FMC happily and readily end up in one of said marriages without any critical interrogation of that fact. Unfortunately, this really impacted my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, RULES FOR RUIN is a fun, if flawed, start to a fresh new series for Matthews, and I look forward to reading about Nell's story.

Rating: 🤷🏼‍♀️ (it was fine; 3.75 rounded up)

Thank you to the author for an advance copy of this title! All opinions expressed here are my own.

The only one who can outdo Mimi Matthews is Mimi herself!

Rules for Ruin, Mimi's first novel of her new Crinoline Academy Series, is a Victorian Era enemies-to-lovers romance you won't want to put down!

Strong-willed and independent Effie Flite is on a very determined mission, the success of which would finally grant this once orphan the chance to live out her days with the freedom she so desires (along with her toy poodle, Franc, of course). The only person standing in her way is the indomitable Gabriel Royce, the self-proclaimed ruler and protector of London's Rookery where the impoverished are slowly being snuffed out.

Effie's success would mean Gabriel's downfall, yet he can't help but be drawn in by this intriguing, captivating woman despite how far out of reach he thinks she is for him. Their battle of wills becomes a battle against the growing feelings they have for each other. Who wins and who loses? You'll just have to read it to find out. :)

Every time Effie and Gabriel are on the page together, the tension between them is palpable, as evidenced by these few snippets:

"The kiss itself may have been the first shot fired in the battle to come."

"His touch wasn’t sweet. It was incendiary. His knuckles lingered, a scorching brand at the pulse of her throat."

"She smelled of honey and black currants. Of everything he’d ever wanted in life but never received. Never deserved."

Preorder your copy now so that you can read it as soon as it releases on May 20th!

I was lucky to receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

“A finishing school in Paris, was it?” “That’s correct.” “And were you?” “Was I what, sir?” “Finished?” “On the contrary, I’m just getting started.”

Women’s suffrage, mystery, secrets, and amazing characters had me turning pages as fast as I could.

Effie and Gabriel were magic!! Their chemistry was swoony! Those kisses 🫠Effie was on a mission for her benefactress and to find the truth of her past. She was intelligent, crafty, and determined. Gabriel only wants to change conditions in the Rookery. He was rough and cunning, but protective and tender with Effie.

A few quotes:
“After all these years, I thought I’d finally find the place I belonged.” “You have,” he assured her. “It’s here. Right here, with me.”

“I know who you are.” “You don’t.” “I’ve known since the beginning.” “But how—?” “We’re the same, I told you so the night we met.”

This ARC was provided by the author. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

Note: There is some mild swearing.

Thank you for the free book, Berkley Romance!

In this genre-bending romance, Effie and Gabriel have opposing goals but must fight their growing attraction. Effie is a pupil of the Crinoline Academy, which aims to dismantle the patriarchy from within. Gabriel is a slumlord who wants to utilize Effie’s main target as a shield for his business from the government. The two keep finding themselves drawn to each other, and can’t fight their chemistry without also compromising their goals.

This book was outside of my typical reading choices, as I don’t read much historical romance. However, the fighting the patriarchy vibes and similarities to Dickens’ Great Expectations drew me in, and it was an enjoyable read. Gabriel was a bit morally gray, protective, but still gone for Effie, which is an irresistible MMC combination. I loved the poodle as a little side character addition and the sweet moments between the characters. I still don’t care for regency-era language as much as contemporary romance, which is just a personal preference. However, the author’s notes about the time period were very interesting and added to my understanding of the book. Overall, I think readers who enjoy the genre will love this book, and even those (like me) who might not regularly read it will still enjoy it!

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Effie is on a secret mission to defend women’s rights. Gabriel is the morally grey gambling house owner in her way. It’s cat-and-mouse game to see who can come out on top.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
This was so different from Mimi’s normal books, & yet it wasn’t? While both MCs felt like something totally new from Mimi, all of the incredible hallmarks of her writing & story telling remains - & I ate.it.up!

There is no gently bred FMC or born gentleman in this one! Both of our MCs come from harsh backgrounds, both are orphans, & both are seeking to fight injustice.

Oh & their first meeting goes like this:
“𝘼 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨. 𝙃𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙠, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨. ‘𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚,’ 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙠𝙮 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙝. ‘𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙤𝙬.’”

(I don’t know how Effie held it together y’all, I would’ve been a puddle of swoon)

The plot is fun, but its also suspenseful & has an espionage type feel to it. But as with all Mimi’s books, there’s also plenty of swoony moments thanks to Gabriel & his “touch her & die” vibes - although Effie sure can hold her own!

"𝙑𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙤? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙁𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚.”
“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮? 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚.”

The chemistry between these two had me in a chokehold. There is a bit of a slow build to start, but I love Mimi’s writing so much that I don’t even mind it. Honestly I don’t know how Mimi does it, but she never ceases to amaze me with her books!

"𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨?”
𝙂𝙖𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙧. “𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚.

As much as I loved Mimi’s past series, I can already tell this one is going to be my new favorite. The grittiness, the secrets, the strength of the women & the morally grey aspect to the men…I am so ready for book two!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🐩historical romance (London 1864)
🐩Peaky Blinders meets Bridgerton
🐩secret society / hidden identity
🐩feminist themes
🐩morally grey MMC
🐩rivals to lovers
🐩scheming / spying
🐩he’s only soft for her
🐩touch her & die
🐩dog companion

Thank you so much to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Fast paced and exciting, this is a great read! The chemistry between the characters kept me coming back for more of this novel.

Who doesn't love a strong female protagonist getting things done?

Effie is a woman on a mission to right wrongs and learns a whole lot about herself along the way.

Tough Gabriel is totally gone for her from the start. I love a strong man brought low!

Mimi Matthews has crafted an excellent adventure full of excitement and tenderness while also providing commentary on the plight of women in the Victorian era and the need for women to always work together.

If Mimi wrote a list of her car repairs, I would read the crap out of that.

But I digress, I was supremely honored to read an ARC of this lovely story and I'm so grateful for that! With all the chaos, unrest and distressing news going on in the world, it was SO NICE to be able to escape into a wonderful Victorian spy-romance for a little while.

This novel stars Gabriel Royce (who was briefly featured in Lily of Ludgate Hill) and Euphemia Flite--both characters had less than stellar upbringings, and were at odds with the other during most of the book, which just added to the intrigue and sparkling chemistry between the two of them.

This was a bit different than other Mimi books in the sense that it seemed heavily focused on the plot and the plan to take down a powerful lord who, for lack of a better word, is a total douche! I loved how well researched Mimi is with places and the shifting landscape of women's rights and property laws at the time which felt like I was pulled right into Victorian London.

Gabriel was the perfect foil to Effie--he was somber, powerful, a little dangerous and besotted with Effie, though he tried SO HARD to not be. This was one of my favorite insights to his feelings for Effie:

Her arms remained around his neck, her body pliant and trusting against him if only for this fleeting, precious moment. The full skirts of her black silk dress spilled about his legs in a profusion of starched petticoats and wire crinoline.
Mine. The word reverberated through Gabriel's veins, even as he counseled himself not to hold her too tightly, not to be too precipitous. It was dangerous to reveal the innermost desires of one's heart. A surefire way to guarantee those desires were left unfulfilled. And he didn't want that. He didn't want to frighten her away.
"You don't understand," she said. "After all these years, I thought I'd finally found the place I belonged."
"You have," he reassured her. "It's here. Right here with me."
So much for not being precipitous.

Mimi does an excellent job of showing strong, independent women who can still be vulnerable and still fall in love without losing who they are in the process. The banter between the two of them was so fun to read I was chuckling and swooning the entire time!

"Indeed, most fashionable people would agree that, after the intimacies you inflicted on me, a proposal of marriage would be--"
Gabriel caught her arm, cutting off her speech. "You infernal minx," he said in a low growl, bringing her around to face him in a swirl of poplin skirts. "It would serve you right if I did propose to you."
Effie's heart leapt. She was briefly startled into a genuine smile.
His cold expression softened a fraction. So did his grip on her arm. "And I inflicted a kiss on you, did I?"

If you love rivals to lovers, excellent banter, he falls first and falls HARD, espionage & crackling chemistry, Rules for Ruin is the book for you!

Huge thank you to Mimi, Rel & Berkley Romance for the ARC!

I have read (I think) 7 Mimi Matthew’s books, and this one might be my favorite! Rules for Ruin feels so much different than her previous novels, but still retains her same beloved writing style.

Effie grows up at “The Crinoline Academy,” a school for orphaned girls where they learn various life skills that best complement their own strengths. But they also receive and actual education, unlike the norms for most women at this time. And they learn - most importantly - to take down the patriarchy and become feminist queens. Effie is tasked with taking down Lord Compton, a member of Parliament who is set to kill an important bill towards married women’s equality. But she soon discovers that Gabriel Royce, the hottie-bad boy-betting shop owner, has a vested interest in keeping Lord Compton in power. The two soon find themselves at odds while simultaneously fighting their growing feelings for one another.

This book is darker than her previous novels, but similar to chiaroscuro in art, it provides more depth to the characters and story. Mimi Matthew’s previous books romanticized this era. And while this novel still paints certain aspects of this time in a (perhaps unrealistically) positive light, she also reflects on the negative aspects of the time in a more compelling and complex way than she ever has before. This book has zero spice, but the love and yearning between Effie and Gabriel is so delicious and tender.

I really loved this book, and the blurb for the second installment in the series has me SO excited. I can’t wait for the next book’s release! If you enjoy historical fiction, or romance, or both, then you will love Rules for Ruin.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!! Seriously, one of Mimi's best - filled with fantastic banter, tension, and incredible characters. I could not put this down!

*kisses only, closed door romance

A pretty standard regency romance with two non-titled characters. Effie comes to London to ruin Lord Compton. He opposes a bill that would allow women to keep their money when married. Gabe wants Compton where he is. Compton protects Gabe's gambling interests. After some confrontations and butting heads, Gabe and Effie accept that they have more in common than not and make things work for both of them. For fans of enemies to lovers.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || RULES FOR RUIN [thank you to Berkley Romance and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Rules for Ruin
Author: Mimi Matthews
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
At a secret Academy outside London, women are trained to take down the patriarchy. For sharp-tongued Euphemia Flite, that means infiltrating a powerful lord’s circle and destroying him from within. Her reward? Long-awaited freedom.

But underworld kingpin Gabriel Royce has his own plans—and he won’t let a rebellious debutante ruin them. As their schemes collide across smoky alleys and glittering ballrooms, a slow-burning attraction sparks.

The greatest threat to their missions might just be each other.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
If you enjoyed Matthews last series, then you are in for a treat — because she NAILS it AGAIN with this first installment in the Crinoline Academy. I absolutely loved being able to see a society where women are sent in because they’re considered innocent & meek, but that means that they’re able to go without notice and find the ton’s secrets (not unlikely Matlock in the new Paramount+ series).

But I think what MADE this book for me was Watching as Effie and Gabriel collided with combating interests and tried to thwart each other’s efforts at every turn. It was so interesting to see them go from strangers to enemies to allies/friends to two people who can’t remember when they fell in love, but here they are.

This book does a great job of mixing together a historical romance, fiction, political drama, and mystery without making you feel like you lost the point or any storylines weren’t well fleshed out. While I enjoyed the romance (because it’s me, and I am nothing if not romance’s #1 fan), I was just as invested in the stories coming from The Academy.

Historical romance fans, add this to your TBR! I can’t wait to see how the second installment plays out!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Dark London
Cat & Mouse
Dual POV
Espionage & Intrigue
Closed Door Romance
Female Vigilantes

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.37 ⭐️
# of Pages: 400
Pub Date: May 20, 2025

Go for a witty, cat and mouse adventure with Effie and Gabriel! Mimi Matthews has penned another richly layered novel with Rules for Ruin. Effie is delightful with her intelligence and Victorian era penchant for succeeding as an undercover spy. Her mission is to infiltrate society, ultimately for more reason than one. She is ready and confident of her ability until she meets Gabriel and breaks one of the three rules within the first few moments of her mission. From that moment on, the chase is on! Effie relies on her stalwart ability to remain in control of her emotions and responses. Only Franc, her delightful poodle, experiences Effie as her true self, that is until an unfortunate event casts Effie into Gabriel’s mercy. Gabriel is a self-made man who has risen from the slums and is striving to save and reform his neighborhood. The very man he needs to help make this happen is the very man Effie is charged with bringing down. Ultimately, they find their purposes are very similar and they are more alike than they realized. I do love the restrained chemistry these two experience; it makes it all the more explosive when they finally give in! Do not be mistaken, this is a clean, closed-door romance, but the interactions are indeed charged and convey the draw and passion they both experience around one another. I found the chase exciting and the barriers well crafted. One of my favorite things about Mimi’s writing is her way with words. Truly. An ordinary conversation in a library takes on a whole new experience when she adds her talented touches and “mimi-esque” way of carrying the interaction. I do enjoy how Mimi sets up her books for other characters to follow. Rules for Ruin is an excellent story that leaves you satisfied, yet excited for the more that you know is to come.
I received a complimentary copy from the author via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Rules for Ruin is another masterpiece by Mimi Matthews. She constantly amazes me with her creativity and uniqueness. This book is different from her others in that the main male character is an orphan from The Rookery and isn't a born gentleman or from the gentry. Similarly, the female main character is also an orphan. Gabriel is both a rough and gruff character that I loved because he is also very tender and loving towards Effie. Effie, with her beloved poodle, is in her own right very crafty and can handle herself in some sketchy situations. She too is very tender and loving towards Gabriel. There are sparks and romantic tension throughout the novel. The storyline is one that anyone who loves history and the women's suffrage movement will enjoy. With some mystery and swoony kisses with lovable characters, this made a book that I really enjoyed. This is a clean or closed-door romance with some mild curse words.

I am giving this a 3 (even though I'd probably rather give it a 2), because even though I really didn't like it, I can't really pinpoint a glaring reason why I didn't like it. The characters felt "meh." Their chemistry didn't feel organic or like it grew in a natural progression. The plot was predictable and unoriginal.

And it's just a pet-peeve of mine, but when an author writes a book and very obviously bases characters off of other characters in movies or TV shows, just a gentle wink in the direction of the reader will do--if the reader is familiar with, for example, a certain Netflix series, the reader will immediately see who we are all supposed to picture as the character in the book. But I do not like to be hit over the head constantly with all of the glaringly obvious traits and characteristics and accents and facial features that our book character has that make him JUST LIKE a character that someone else has created. Fan fiction absolutely has it's place, but I don't like "hey everybody!! Guess who our male main character is supposed to be!! Can you tell? Have you guessed it yet? Let me describe him again, in even more detail!" But as I said, that's just a pet-peeve of mine. Other readers may think it's great to cookie cut characters from other works.

If you want an easy read to pass some time, then you might like this. I wanted more, and I did not get it with this book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)

Quick Notes:
*Orphans
*Scheming
*Rivals
*Balcony Scene
*“Sweetheart”

My Thoughts:
Well, Mimi Matthews has done it again! This time, we're given some romantic suspense with a pair of rivals who eventually realize they are quite similar. Effie grew up raised to be independent and progressive with a very diverse set of skills that must now be put to use in order to ruin one man's reputation. Unfortunately, that same man's reputation is what has kept Gabriel Royce in business. The first 30% focused mainly on Effie looking for clues to bring down her target, while Gabriel attempted to thwart her plans and uncover her secrets. After that, the romance started to kick into gear more, and the push and pull between these two was delightful. Gabriel was a bit of a villain at first, but he soon revealed his protective and romantic instincts. The private moments between Effie and him were so swoony, and the terms of endearment had me melting. Yes, I was yelling at them to just get together already, but it was just the right amount of torture. There were so many memorable moments throughout the second half, and the ending was quite satisfying. I'll be eagerly anticipating book 2 in this series!

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rules for Ruin is an absolutely brilliant book. Initially it felt like a departure for Mimi Matthews, but quite honestly Effie Flite is the very character we need right now. She is a champion for those who might feel powerless. She is (mostly) fearless in the face of a challenge. She is a wizard in both the needle and martial arts. She is a Victorian era super hero, who just wants a place for she and her sweet poodle Franc to call their own.

I loved Rules for Ruin. It kept me engaged all the way to the end. My heart soared as Effie set out to right long ago wrongs and learn of her own origins. She was as fierce of a heroine and the perfect introduction to the Crinoline Academy series.

There is so much more that I loved about Rules for Ruin. Starting with the line it draws from the Women’s Property Laws to current events here in this country. These laws made wives their husbands property upon marriage. Their money or was not their own. A woman being abused by her husband would have no recourse. That education was wasted on women and girls never mind those living in poverty. It is a reminder that we have come too far to return to a time where too few held the keys to the power. This book gave me hope, something I have been lacking for months. For that I give Mimi Matthews all the high fives.

For anyone yearning for a historical romance that is truly authentic to the time period and reminiscent of the greats of yesteryear - while still being able to enjoy a rollicking good story, look no more!! Ms. Matthew’s is this generation’s master at crafting engaging stories that stay true to the time period, yet leave a reader devouring the pages.

This book is set in the era when women’s suffrage is just becoming a flash point. Not yet a full-fledged movement, but the beginnings of which will change a society. It is frustrating yet incredibly interesting to experience it through the eyes of Euphemia (Effie), an orphan raised in a school whose headmistress secretly teaches her “girls” to stand against the oppressive rules of men. Then, to watch her use her wiles to outwit and outsmart those who viciously do the oppressing. Until, of course, she butts up against a man who has, himself, lived a life of hardship and is fighting to achieve security… in is own (and often underhanded) way.

The sparks fly and the tension grows as this couple try to outfox each other to achieve their goals (which are in direct opposition to the other). As an added plus, real life historical events are woven effortlessly into the narrative and enrich the reading immensely. There are a few situations that come close to pushing this story back into the generic “every writer does it, that’s what sells” but Ms. Matthews pulls short just before disappointment hits and is able to stay far above the rest and decidedly on top with this uniquely creative and promising series starter!

Mimi Matthews is exploring new territory in this series and I LOVE IT. This has some of the hallmarks of a Matthews story - Really Bad Families everywhere you turn, enterprising women on the run, an isolated and mysterious orphanage, well-loved animal sidekicks, and a seriously cruel villain - and yet it feels so different in tone, less isolated and introspective and more intentionally adventurous, with lying and spying on all sides and a female main character undercover. It's so FUN. Also, no one writes closed-door tension and chemistry like Matthews, and this one had me sweating over an unbuttoned collar and dented crinoline. The ending was lighter than I anticipated and buttoned up almost too neatly, but honestly, that's a really small quibble for a story that I loved reading all the way through. I cannot wait for Nell's story, next!