A SEASON OF RUIN is book two in Anna Bradley's Sutherland Scandals series. When I first got A SEASON OF RUIN, I started at the beginning and intended to flip through it in order to get a feel for the story before truly starting it. It soon became apparent that A SEASON OF RUIN is the kind of book that is completely addictive, and I was unable to stop reading until the very end. In general, stories with a rake as the hero usually have oodles of witty repartee, and A SEASON OF RUIN does not disappoint.

I love a good farce and there is something decidedly and deliciously farcical about Robyn Sutherland and Lily Somerset's relationship in A SEASON OF RUIN. Lily is newly Robyn's sister-in-law, living in the family home, being sponsored by his mother and good friends with his sisters. All of those things make her the equivalent of poison ivy in his eyes. Anna Bradley throws together these two very unlikely lovers in a very erotic encounter in the dark when Robyn mistakes Lily for another paramour. I like that Anna Bradley writes the scene twice --from both perspectives--so that readers get to experience it through both characters. The sensuality of this chance meeting will make you shiver as you read along.

The fallout from the scandalous behavior between Robyn and Lily, and how they respond to it, tells the reader a lot about who they are. Learning about Lily's mother makes me understand Lily's behavior a little better. The tailspin, that their mutual sexual frustration throws Lily and Robyn into, makes for some entertaining storytelling. I particularly love Robyn's often confused state. It's almost as if Lily is employing reverse psychology on Robyn without him knowing it. The developments toward the end involving Lily's family add an interesting complication to the story. Having a romantic rival makes Robyn a little crazy and desperate--which is very amusing--but also spurs him to be a better romantic hero. The contrast between Robyn and Lord Atherton serves to accentuate what Lily and the reader likes best about Robyn.

A SEASON OF RUIN is an enthralling romance about a rake who stumbles into love and the lady who catches him. I am no stranger to historical romances and the concept of ruination, but Anna Bradley very skillfully captures the ton as a very terrifying collective. I look forward to seeing what delights Anna Bradley has in store for her next book.