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 suspects. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own.
Each book in the Harcastle Inheritance series is STANDALONE:
* The Madness of Miss Grey
* The Ruin of Evangeline Jones
more
Alex and Evangeline are not your usual historical romance couple. Evangeline is a women who spent part of her youth in a brothel. She then was taken in by a charletaine when she was twelve. She’s a virgin but between living part of her life in a brothel and living in very rough places she has a lot of sexual knowledge. Alex is not always likeable. He’s extremely inflexible in his beliefs. He’s not close to really anyone other than his sister and her husband. Initially he’s out to discredit Evangeline. Eventually he finds himself falling in love with her. There’s a decent bit of mystery to this story. I found the end especially to be unexpected. Although there’s tons of chemistry between Evangeline and Alex it’s very restrained because they both think their relationship won’t work out. It’s about of a slow burn story because of it. I really enjoyed this book. Considering this is the authors sophomore release it’s extremely well written. It’s not a typical Duke in love story. Some people may not like the unexpectedness of it but I personally enjoyed that. To me it’s definitely worth a try to read Julia Bennet as a new author.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
After meeting Alex in the first book I had to see what he would get in to. Alex and Evie together are electric. She brings out the best in Alex. Story is stead paced. Get a look in to the life of a medium and their tricks of the time. Also get to see Helen and Will again! Major plus to that. Loving the unique stories of this series.
Wowza. Can I just saw a hugh Wow! I read the first book by this author and that it was amazing and then read this one. What I love it the different storylines from typical and this one really had me intrigued.
Evangeline Jones is a spiritualist which I know I have read about was big in Victorian times. She had grown up very poor but had begun being regarded favourably for her ability to speak to spirits or at least regarded that she could. Unfortunately she came to the attention of Alex, the Duke of Hardcastle who made it his mission to prove spiritualist were frauds and had exposed many.
The two made a wager of between that that if Alex could prove she was a fraud, she would announce it publicly and disappear. What was wonderful to see is these two people, from such different upbringings develop a respect and feelings for each other.
Mystery, secrets, a plot that becomes know and a connection that leads to a satisfying ending. I will be reading this author again and look forward to her next book! I read this through NetGallery and the publisher
This one gives you the opportunity to go back in time when things went alot on wit and whim but also what class you were. This one will have Alex and Evie take you on their personal battle of wits that will entertain you in the fashion of the times. The chemistry also will spark with you seeing it slowly eat them up also. But you also are given a dose of suspense that livens up this romance. Following it until you get all the answers and see who wins the battle.
THE RUIN OF EVANGELINE JONES by Julia Bennet is book 2 in the Harcastle Inheritance Series. This is the story of Evangeline ‘Evie’ Jones and Alex Stanton. I have read the previous book but felt it can be a standalone book if you wish to do so. Alex although a Duke, he prefers to stop fraudsters. This leads him to strike a deal with Evie. If he can prove her a fraud within the week then she has to come clean to everyone but he will give her money for doing so. If she wins then he will gladly leave her alone. But what neither counted on would be that they would start to have feeling for each other. Maybe they will both end up winning. Enjoyed their story.
The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennett
Harcastle Inheritance #2
Love can sneak up on a couple before they know it and seemingly when neither has any reason to fall for the other. And since all Alex, the duke of Harcastle, really wants to do is prove that Miss Evangeline Jones is a fake spiritualist what COULD they have in common? One thing is chemistry and the other is the ability to care for others and then we should not forget that neither had an easy childhood. I wasn’t sure what to expect but did find a very enjoyable story and now wonder how I missed the first book in this series!
What I liked:
* The plot, story and writing
* The real feel of the story
* The interactions between the main characters
* Evangeline: raised to be someone she really did not want to be
* Mags: Evangeline’s friend
* Alex: he grew on me…and finally saw the light
* Ellis: Alex’s cousin who may have gotten more than he bargained on by the end of the book
* Alex’s sister and her husband: I believe their story was told in the first book of the series. I hope they will show up in future books to find out how they are doing
* Reading a new-to-me author that I want to read more books by
What I did not like:
* The Captain: a malicious user with a long game revenge plan
* Being reminded of how difficult it was to make ends meet when one was not wealthy in 1888 England
* Not knowing if one of the characters survived or not
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
Alex is a man on a mission. His target is Evie, who desperately wants to stay off his radar. What they realize too late is that they are only pawns in a bigger game at play. They join forces to take down their enemy which leads to some complications. I love that the story continues to tell Alex’s story from when he rescued his sister. I was delighted to see her and her husband happily moving on. It will be interesting to see where he ends up with Evie and what Ellis’ life turns out to be like. Alex’s character has done a great transformation to show his lovable side and it’s all because of the remarkable woman he has found to love.
This book introduced me to Julia Bennet and wow did it blow me away. There is mystery around the characters and I like how they unfold slowly versus giving me all their backstory at once. Alex newly inherited a dukedom. His estate is failing and he must marry an heiress. He knows this but can’t get Evie off his mind after buying a risky photo of her under another name. She feels trapped into working for “the captain” after he “saved” her in her childhood. She tricks people into thinking she can talk to the dead. Alex exposes frauds for fun, and strikes a deal with Evie that he will follow her for a week and if he can prove she’s fraudulent then she will admit it in public and if he can’t; he will never bother her again. Slowly they get to know each other and realize one week might not be enough. It is different from other books I’ve read, but I enjoyed it.
Wow! What an incredible book! I was hook from the first word and could not put it down. This is the story of Evangeline Jones, a spiritualist and medium, and Alex Stanton, the Duke of Harcastle, who is trying to expose her for a fraud. Along the way, Alex and “Evie” begin to develop feelings for each other but there are many obstacles in their way. This book draws you in with a mystery that you just can’t wait to solve, there is passion and drama. The characters are unique and each have their own stories. Together they make an incredible read. I will definitely be looking for more books by Julia Bennet.