Joan Prince is fleeing a mental hospital when the flighty
Lady Daphne hands her letter to give to a distant cousin
before rushing off. Believing she will spend a few days
pretending to be Daphne before making her escape, Joan
travels to Birch Hall with Martin, Lord Fenbrook, and his
sister. However, Joan realizes she is falling in love with
Martin and his sister is becoming suspicious. She knows she
can't stay, but will she be able to escape before her secret
is revealed?
A LADY'S GUIDE TO RUIN is the first book in Kathleen
Kimmel's Birch Hall series. The plot is unique and I enjoyed
the secrets driving the storyline. Joan is a wonderful
heroine. Her wit and backstory will have readers rooting for
her from the very beginning. Martin is a sweet hero, and his
love for his family and Joan are just some of his many
enduring qualities. The secondary characters are charming,
and the antagonists dangerous and deceitful. Kimmel brings
the consequences, or lack thereof, of one's social class
into the story, and this blended well with the intriguing
plot. Birch Hall is a lovely setting for a romance, and
Kimmel describes the place beautifully.
A LADY'S GUIDE TO RUIN is filled with steamy romance,
secretive adventures, and well-developed characters that
will have readers anxiously awaiting the second book in the
Birch Hall series.
A romantic debut starring a reluctant earl and the
beautiful thief who has put them both in danger—and stolen
his heart...
Joan Price is a wanted woman. A thief and a fugitive from
the mental hospital where she was falsely committed, she’s
now on the run from her former partners in crime. But luck
must be on her side—just when it seems all is doomed, she
runs straight into the arms of Martin Hargrove, Earl of
Fenbrook, who mistakes her for his distant cousin, Daphne.
Lord Fenbrook has no intention of marrying, and certainly
doesn't consider his notoriously scatterbrained cousin a
prospect. But her flighty persona seems to hide something
far more intriguing—a secret self she trusts with no one.
And Martin is determined to earn that trust…
When Martin’s sister discovers Joan’s charade, they strike a
bargain: Joan can remain within the safe walls of Birch
Hall, as long as she doesn’t allow Martin to fall in love
with her—for their flirtation would surely ruin them both.
She’s convinced she poses no threat to his heart, but she’s
beginning to realize that her heart may be the one in
danger. Especially as he seems very set on seducing
her...