Rules for Ruin

No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful lord’s systematic attack on women’s rights in Parliament, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.

• Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews
• Series: The Crinoline Academy – Book #1
• Published by: Berkley on May 20, 2025
• Genre: Historical fiction/romance
• Pages: 364
• Dates/Time Read: 6.9.25 – 6.14.25 (6 days); 11 hours
• Format: paperback, physical copy
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• Purchase on Amazon
• ⭐⭐⭐½
• 🌶

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Phew!! What a rough 2 weeks work-wise. I typically work my 3 shifts in a row, then I’m off for 4 days in a row. But last week, to help out because we were short-staffed, I moved my days around. I ended up working every other day, then 3 days in a row. So I basically worked 6 shifts in 9 days. I am definitely no spring chicken anymore!! Y’all!!! I can’t do that shit! What was I thinking?! I know what I was thinking…I was thinking that I wanted to be a role model and a good leader. Ugh! I am so exhausted I can’t even tell you. I know a lot of people will think, “I work 5 days in a row, what’s the big deal?” There’s just something about working 13-hour night shifts that you can’t compare to a regular 9-5. IYKYK. Anyway, you guys don’t care about my whining, I know! Haha The only reason I even bring it up is because of it, my review isn’t going to be all that great. My brain is mush, ok?

Rules for Ruin was the May book selection for the Once Upon a Book Club subscription box. It took me a little bit of time to get really interested in or invested in this story. Some of that may have been the above-mentioned issue with how tired and exhausted I was during most of the reading of this book. Up until about the halfway point, I had a hard time staying focused and concentrating on what was going on. I do think that in the beginning, it was a little overwhelming. There are a few different little mystery plots with multiple characters happening right off the bat, and I struggled with keeping some of them straight. I do think that the author did a great job of finally bringing it all together, so you had a better understanding of how they all intertwined with the main plot and romance between the FMC and MMC.

The less the world knew what a lady was thinking, the more dangerous she became.

I found this book interesting once I got into it more. The whole idea that there is a secret society of orphaned girls being brought up to be independent, tools of power, in a time of history when women had little to no rights. It is a historical fiction story about the patriarchy that women have had to fight, but also with a huge focus on the romance that grows between the two main characters. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, so for those that enjoy that trope, it will not disappoint. The FMC is quite strong, and her history is just one of the little mysterious subplots that this book has. Despite my initial struggle with the book, I actually found it quite enjoyable by the end and I will probably pick up book 2 in the series when it comes out later this year. It does have a HEA ending, and all romance is closed-door. Possible triggers: poverty, patriarchy, women’s lack of rights, abandonment of a child, child abuse, sexual harassment, and accidental death (but not graphic).

The gifts included in this box were: a leather-bound money-saving journal, dragonfly hair pins, very nice-smelling hand lotion, and a wooden hand fan.