Max Ransleigh was implicated in a political scandal; he is facing court martial, he has been indeterminately banished from his father's house for one misstep too many. Max's diplomatic career is in ruins, the woman he was planning to marry dumped him; things are not going very well. Max is staying with his cousin Alastair at Barton Abbey, where Alastair's mother is hosting a big fête in order to find husbands for marriageable young women. Miss Caroline Denby has been dragged over there by her stepmother, but Caro doesn't want to get married and she surmises that being ruined would be the ideal solution, and Max Ransleigh the perfect man for the job. However things do not turn out exactly as planned. THE RAKE TO RUIN HER is a superb spin on the spinster who doesn't wish to marry, mainly because Caro's reasons are perfectly logical and reasonable: if she marries, she will lose her independence and her stables, which she has been managing since her father's death. She is also terrified of dying in childbirth, which she has witnessed too often amongst her family. She has taken to hide behind glasses she doesn't need, and wears atrocious dresses, which are so colourfully described by the author, that I was laughing out loud. In spite of all that, Max eventually sees that there is much more to Caro besides her pillowy bosom. Caro is a take-charge woman, she is very intelligent, rational and determined; she is a born problem-solver. Max, albeit a known rogue, is attracted to Caro who is so different from the superficial women he's acquainted with.

THE RAKE TO RUIN HER is a delightful romance for also a subtle feminist exposé, and it so wonderfully different from the usual spinster trope. Ms. Justiss, while crafting a captivating story, exposes the appalling treatment of women during the Regency era, but in a very elegant and refined manner. Max is a rake, devastatingly dashing, but not an unreasonable man; he understands Caro's situation which bears resemblance to his own and this causes him to re-evaluate his outlook on life. THE RAKE TO RUIN HER is a splendid character study; Caro and Max are very appealing, even more so as we witness their developing relationship.

Far from being a lovely piece of froth, THE RAKE TO RUIN HER is a captivating story where multiple and very clever plot twists occur and nothing happens the way we expect. The chemistry between Max and Caro is sensuality personified, and their romance is sublime. THE RAKE TO RUIN HER is extremely powerful, yet delicate as lace and smooth as silk.

THE RAKE TO RUIN HER is insightful, fast-paced, the dialogues are particularly witty, and the divine prose is simply swoon worthy! A magnificent debut to a new series!

Book Summary

Known as "Magnificent Max," diplomat Max Ransleigh was famed for his lethal charm until a political betrayal left him exiled from government and his reputation in tatters. He seems a very unlikely savior for a well–bred young lady.

Except that Miss Caroline Denby doesn't want to be saved...she wants to be ruined! To Caroline, getting married is tantamount to a death sentence, and meeting the rakish Max at a house party seems the answer to her prayers... Surely this rogue won't hesitate to put his bad reputation to good use?

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