My Rogue to Ruin

July 3, 2023
Bestseller Ridley hits a rare false note in her fourth Wild Wynchesters Regency (after Nobody’s Princess). Marjorie Wynchester, a hard-of-hearing artist whose synesthesia is her secret joy, is generally happy as a wallflower, despite a certain wistfulness around her more extroverted vigilante siblings. When impoverished widow Mrs. Lachlan comes to the Wynchester family for help with a swindling pawnbroker passing counterfeit coins, however, it’s Marjorie’s time to shine. A skilled forger, she is the Wynchester most capable of righting this wrong. Venturing disguised into the criminal lair, she finds a scenery-chewing villain—and Adrian Webb, a disgraced lord, apparent co-conspirator to the pawnbroker, and embodied Adonis. Will he be obstacle, ally, both, or more? Ridley delivers her trademark shenanigans and feels, but the plot’s urgency hinges on the widow’s increasing desperation as her rent comes due, putting a clock on Marjorie’s investigation. Though the wealthy Wynchesters could simply float Mrs. Lachlan the money in the meantime, that’s an idea they raise and promptly, illogically dismiss, making the high stakes ring hollow. This nagging plot hole hobbles the usual joyous escapism of a Wynchester outing. Readers will hope for a return to form in future installments. Agent: Lauren Abramo, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

July 15, 2023
Two artists find love as they become embroiled in a dangerous counterfeiting scheme in Regency London. The Wynchesters--an eccentric crew of six adopted siblings--are known for using their unique talents to help people in need, taking on even seemingly impossible cases. Marjorie's artistic prowess means her contributions typically occur from the safety of the Planning Parlor within the Wynchester residence, but when the family is alerted that a notorious moneylender called Snowley is pawning off forged coins on the destitute in exchange for their few valuables, Marjorie wants to prove herself by taking the lead and going out in the field to take him and the operation down. Meanwhile, Lord Adrian Webb has returned to London from Rome, where his family had banished him seven years earlier, hoping to repair his relationship with his younger sister. When he visits Snowley, to whom he had been furnishing antiquities to sell, with the intention of ending their arrangement, he learns that Snowley knew the artworks were actually forgeries Adrian had created himself. Now Snowley is blackmailing Adrian into counterfeiting money. When Marjorie shows up under the guise of wanting to work for Snowley, she and Adrian initially antagonize each other, despite their mutual attraction, but they connect as truths are revealed. This is the fourth installment in the Wild Wynchesters series and will most appeal to those already in love with this eccentric bunch. It's exciting to watch Marjorie, who has partial deafness and is cued as a synesthete with eidetic memory, grow in confidence. Adrian's character arc is less authentic since, despite being referred to as a rake and a scoundrel, his actions are always based on honorable ideals. There's kissing and pining throughout, but mostly the intimacy takes a back seat to the entertaining hijinks. Not as compelling as earlier installments but still an enjoyable read featuring a distinct family.

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June 1, 2023

Marjorie, one of the talented, can-do Wynchester siblings, finally gets her own story in this romp of a caper. Following some hearing loss after surviving smallpox, Marjorie lip-reads better than any of her siblings, and her artistic eye for detail and ability to craft undetectable forgeries make her the perfect choice for a tricky undercover operation--infiltrate the lair of a London crime boss and stop his counterfeit operation. The Wynchesters suspect that Lord Adrian Webb is in on the crime, and at first Marjorie casts him as the villain, until she discovers he is much more than his reputation allows. Adrian needs to learn that too, and who better to help him see a wider world than the Wynchesters. The entire family is on hand to help, along with homing hedgehogs and multiple meetings in the planning parlor. Indeed, all of the ingredients that have made readers love this delightful series abound. Add to that solid plotting, a lively pace, and a feel-good atmosphere, and Ridley (Nobody's Princess) has another winner on her hands. VERDICT One of the best Regency series going; this latest entry will delight fans and earn new readers.--Neal Wyatt

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