A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin
Series: The Debutante Files #1
Author: Sophie Jordan
Published July 29th 2014 by Avon

Goodreads Synopsis
The last woman on earth he would ever touch . . .

Declan, the Duke of Banbury, has no interest in ushering Rosalie Hughes, his stepsister, into society. Dumped on him with nowhere else to go, he's determined to rid himself of the headstrong debutante by bestowing on her an obscenely large dowry . . . making her the most sought-after heiress of the Season.

. . . is about to become the only one he wants.

But Rosalie isn't about to go along with Declan's plans. Surrounded by fortune hunters, how is she supposed to find a man who truly wants her? Taking control of her fate, Rosalie dons a disguise and sneaks into Sodom, a private club host to all manner of illicit activity—and frequented by her infuriatingly handsome stepbrother.

In a shadowed alcove, Declan can't resist the masked temptress who sets his blood afire . . . any more than Rosalie can deny her longing for a man who will send her into ruin.
Goodreads

Review
I've recently read one of Sophie's newest historical romances, The Virgin and the Rogue, and when I noticed that her Debutante Files series was available through my library, I knew that was my weekend reading planned!

A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin follows Rosalie Hughes after she is dumped on her stepbrother's door step after being abandoned at school, two years after graduating. Now twenty, she hasn't seen stepbrother Declan, the Duke of Banbury, in years, not since his father kicked him out when he was fifteen, and to say they have a good relationship would be a lie. Declan doesn't want to waste any time on Rosalie, or anyone related to his time in his youth. A consummate rake and proclaimed bachelor, he decides the best course of action is to get rid of Rosalie as soon as possible. So, he asks his aunt Peregrine and cousin, Aurelia, to move in, sets Rosalie up with a £50,000 dowry, and organises for her to be married by the end of the Season. Rosalie has always been somewhat in love with Declan, and knowing that he despises her and thinks she's just another villain like her mother, Melisande, is heartbreaking. She's not ready to accept any of the fortune hunters who are hounding her, and plots with Aurelia to sneak into the exclusive club, Sodom, in disguise, before they are married off. The person the proprietress chooses for her to have her first kiss is, is none other than Declan himself, and he can't resist her.

I loved this book, and was hooked from the first page. Rosalie was just a wonderful character, and I adored reading from her point of view. Being dumped at the school, and then forgotten about for years and having to rely on the charity of others was galling, and then being thrust at Declan's door, again having to rely on others, was hard for her to accept. She didn't seem to understand why he hated her so much, and learning more about their history was wonderful. Declan's character was so well rounded and full of layers that were pulled back as the story progressed. I really felt for him, and how his life had been once his stepmother came into his life. 

The subplot of Melisande and her plotting and conniving was a nice side to the story, and helped us to get to know Rosalie and Declan more. Melisande is a Villain with a capital V, and I was disgusted by her at most points in the book for how she treated both her own daughter, and her step son, and was only interested in number one, and didn't care who she hurt on the way.

The chemistry between Rosalie and Declan was there from very early on, but it took some time for it to turn to lust and then love, as both really got to know the other now, and not from how they remember as children. Their scenes at Sodom were swoony, and just fantastic. This mutual understanding really helped to cement their relationship, and make it real. The way it ended made me desperate for the others in the series, which luckily I could start straight away! Hopefully we'll see more of Declan and Rosalie in those instalments.

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