Review: The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennet

Synopsis

Alex Stanton just inherited a dukedom, but his true passion is uncovering charlatans and frauds wherever he finds them. Spiritualist and medium Evangeline "Evie" Jones is the biggest fake of all, and he's determined to expose her lies for all of London to see. Her prim manner and ladylike airs don't fool him. He sees the hunger beneath and recognizes a worthy opponent. He can't deny the dark undercurrents of lust between them.

Evie worked her way up from the gutter, and she's not about to abandon the life she's built for fear of this aristocratic dilettante. She knows his type. She sees the attraction simmering beneath his animosity, and she knows how to use it to keep him off balance. They strike a bargain. He has one week to prove she's a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she'll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.

Neither expects to find anything in common, not to mention anything to love, in the other. Both are blindsided by the affinity and blossoming tenderness between them. But even if it were possible for a lowly charlatan to live happily ever after with a duke, more is going on than either suspect. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own.

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Review

This book is a page-turner, one of the best historical romance I have read this year. I enjoyed that the main character has such an interesting job. She is a medium and very good at deceiving people. Unfortunately, she is about to find out that not everyone can be deceived.

Alex hates these people, so-called mediums who deceive the innocent by using their dead loved ones. He enjoys exposing them. So far he has exposed quite a few of these charlatans and he is about to expose one more. But then somehow Evangeline gets to her. Now, he is more determined than ever to reveal her deception.

I enjoyed reading it and loved the chemistry between the main characters. Other characters are good too. Overall, this is a very well-written, intriguing, and romantic story that all readers would enjoy.