Ruined by Rumor – Review

Category: Adult Regency/Historical Romance
Keywords: Romance, regency, historical, rumors, scandal
Format: eBook
Source: e-ARC received from NetGalley

Thuy’s synopsis:

Ruined by Rumor is the story of Roxana Langley, a young, well bred lady who has been betrothed to her fiancee, George Wyatt, for five years. George finally returns home and plans are made for their upcoming wedding. But Roxana’s plans for the future take an unexpected turn when George calls off the wedding. Distraught, Roxana finds familiar comfort in the arms of her brother’s best friend, Alex Winslow, the Earl of Ayersley. Ayersley has loved Roxana for years but his quiet and shy nature make Roxana believe that he doesn’t like her at all. Caught in a compromising position with Ayersley, the two are forced to marry to save Roxana’s reputation.

Thuy’s Review:

Ruined by Rumor is the second Regency romance from Alyssa Everett. I am a huge fan of her first book, A Tryst with Trouble*, and was excited to hear that she had another release coming so soon. Roxana was a nice change from the wallflowers and spinsters that I often read about in period romances. She’s pretty and friendly with an air of playfulness about her. And Ayersley was definitely a different kind of hero. Quiet and intense, he is a far departure from the rakish libertine often found in romance novels. He is refreshingly shy and fumbles quite a bit in the romance department.

While I liked Roxana and Ayersley separately as characters, together they fell flat. Roxana, light hearted and fun should have been the perfect complement to the serious and bookish Ayersley. But once they were married, the fun Roxana went away and in her place was a much more serious and somewhat boring Roxana. Each of them was so afraid of offending the other and their interactions were polite and guarded. I don’t want to read about a polite, considerate romance. I want passion and joy and lust! Each of them constantly felt like they were disappointing the other with neither of them saying what was on their mind, which resulted in somewhat bland conversations. The witty dialogue that I know Everett is great at was nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t until near the very end that I started to really feel something between the pair. That’s when they both shed their proper demeanors and let their true feelings show. They finally get mad at each other and the sparks start flying. If this fire and passion had been present earlier, I think it would have been a very different and more exciting book.

While I was disappointed in Ruined by Rumor, there were some nice moments between Roxana and Ayersley.  I enjoyed elements of the book but felt like the chemistry between Ayersley and Roxana was lacking, and I wasn’t as invested in their relationship as I should have been.  I know that Everett can write an amazing story but this one missed the mark for me.

*Unfortunately, A Tryst with Trouble still has not been released due to the financial troubles of its publisher, Dorchester Publishing.

Visit the author online at www.alyssaeverett.com and follow her on Twitter @Alyssa_Everett.