A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin: The Debutante Files (Debutante Files, #1)

by Sophie Jordan

The last woman on earth he would ever touch ...Declan, the Duke of Banbury, has no interest in ushering Rosalie Hughes, his stepsister, into society.Dumped on him with nowhere else to go, he's determined to rid himself of the headstrong debutante by bestowing on her an obscenely large dowry ...making her the most sought-after heiress of the Season...is about to become the only one he wants But Rosalie isn't about to go along with Declan's plans. Surrounded by fortune hunters, how is she supposed to find a man who truly wants her? Taking control of her fate, Rosalie dons a disguise and sneaks into Sodom, a private club host to all manner of illicit activity-and frequented by her infuriatingly handsome stepbrother. In a shadowed alcove, Declan can't resist the masked temptress who sets his blood afire ...any more than Rosalie can deny her longing for a man who will send her into ruin.

• ISBN10: 0062222503
• ISBN13: 9780062222503
• Publish Date: 31 July 2014 (first published 29 July 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 6 July 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Avon Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[nitzan_schwarz]

Dropped at 62%

So, I decided to drop this one. I just read another of Jordan's books and really liked it, so it's not really a commentary on this author, but I just didn't connect to this. I cannot understand what Rosalie finds in Declan, considering all their interactions, and I don't get Declan's almost "soul-mate" like physical reaction to her when he doesn't know it's her.

[Angie]

I don't think that I can adequately express how happy A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin made me. It's Regency stepbrother romance! It's kind of forbidden, but not really. It's certainly not smiled upon by polite London society, which adds a certain something extra. Basically, Declan and Rosalie haven't seen each other in ten years. She was sent away to school and he inherited a dukedom after his father passed. Then Rosalie is dropped off at his doorstep, because two years after graduation, her mother still hasn't come for her! Declan is not pleased at having his bachelor pad invaded by his little stepsister, who isn't so little anymore.

A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin is simply amazing. There's so much tension between Rosalie and Declan! She's always had a crush on him, but knew things could never happen between them. But having her in such close proximity, Declan can't help but be by affected her. His solution? Marry her off as soon as possible! Out of sight, out of mind! Easier said than done.

What I also loved about A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin was the change in setting! We still get the typical ballroom scenes, but there's also two instances where Rosalie visits Sodom, which is basically a sex club. She goes for the simple mission of getting her first kiss, and I bet you can guess who that ends up being! He doesn't know it's her of course, because of the mask she wears. But the entire time I'm sitting here mentally screaming at her to take it off! Let him know! Be together!

A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin also has amazing side characters. Declan asks his aunt and cousin to stay with him to act as chaperones while Rosalie has her season and I just adored them! Of course, they can see feelings developing before Declan does and they do a bit of meddling. And I just loved cousin Aurelia to pieces! She's bookish and doesn't always hold her tongue, and needless to say, she's having trouble finding a husband. So I'm super excited that her book is next!

Then there's Rosalie's god awful mother. This woman is just...awful. Forget for a second that she left her daughter at school for two extra years without a word, but she also thinks Rosalie is jealous of her! I guess her mother is a MILF and knows it, but the way she talks down to Rosalie is awful. Then there's her subplot. That woman is insane! Like, she is either crazy or straight up evil. I can't even with what she does to Rosalie toward the end!

A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin is an all around great read. I was super invested in the romance, and I believed the tension between Rosalie and Declan. Even though they aren't related, step-sibling relations is still a bit taboo. But you can't help who you love! The supporting characters and subplot are just as wonderful and engaging as the main romance! I seriously do not have a single complaint!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Amanda]

3.5

[Berls]

This review first appeared at Fantasy is More Fun.

3.5 stars.
When I saw A Good Debutante’s Guide to Ruin book come up as one of the book choices for book club, I was excited to read it. I’d already read Sophie Jordan’s YA Dystopian – Uninvited - and loved it, so I was curious to see how she did with this genre.

I was pleasantly surprised. Some authors I can only read in specific genres – but it looks like Sophie Jordan won’t be one of them. I didn’t love A Good Debutante’s Guide to Ruin as much as I did Uninvited, but I did really enjoy it.

For one, Sophie did a good job with historicizing her characters. As we talked about in book club, this was a world where women couldn’t do some things without men – and you really felt this. Rosalee – the main character – doesn’t want to be married off to just any man. She wants to fall in love and pick who she’ll marry – but she can’t just throw away society’s expectations.

By playing by the rules, Sophie created a much more complex character. Rosalee is strong and resourceful, but she has to figure out how to use the structures around her to get what she wants. And along the way, she makes some risqué decisions that could get her into lots of trouble – and that make the story that much more fun for us.

A Good Debutante’s Guide to Ruin did have a potentially oogey point – Rosalee falling in love with her step-brother Declan. So, it didn’t bother me at all. Part of me thinks that Game of Thrones has just desensitized me to this taboo – but more likely its the way Sophie paints their relationship. First of all – they’re step siblings. Secondly, though they did play together as kids, they haven’t seen each other in years. This is not a close sibling relationship. So it worked.

Although the plot was somewhat predictable, there were some unexpected twists for me. Rosalee’s mom is a definite wildcard in the story – and though I wasn’t thrilled by her role (why do parents have to suck so often?) – her involvement keeps you on your toes.

I’m really looking forward to seeing this series develop, since I suspect we’ll be getting the stories of some of the other characters – one in particular I’m already predicting her story – and I’m really curious about the identity of another woman. I’ll definitely continue listening to it, as Carmen Rose did a great job with both the female and male voices. I thought the personalities really came to life the way she voiced them and I hope she’ll continue narrating.

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fun historical romance with a bit of steam and a couple twists to keep you on your toes.