The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin is the second Ill Mannered ladies book and we left Lady Augusta Colebook separated from her outlaw love Lord Evan but saddled with his invalid sister and her girlfriend who are in hiding from their other brother who wants Hester put back in the asylum that will kill her. All this while still trying to clear Lord Evans name as they search for answers about the murder Evan is suppposed to have committed in his youth. It leads them to a gentleman’s club where girls go in but they don’t come out. This book is definitely better that the first one, the first book was fairly episodic and was clearly influenced but the historical research the author had done in to various aspects of regency history. This second book and a far tighter and over arching plot. The plot concerning the club did get a little lost in the second half of the book as the plight of Hester was taken up (Hester and Miss Grant were deeply annoying) but it did sort of get a conclusion and will probably be picked up again in the next book. I liked the tension between Gus and her sister I thought that was handled very well as they begin to find their paths diverging, Goodman does this particularly well. Looking forward already to the next installment.

I'm very grateful to be given the opportunity to read this, unfortunately this one wasn't quite for me. The transfer to kindle led to some difficult formatting which interrupted the flow of the book, and I couldn't connect with the characters. I do think this book is a fun premise and will be fantastic for some, but sadly for me this one was a DNF. Thank you again however for the opportunity to review this.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies was one of my favourite books the year it came out, although I was a bit miffed to discover at the end that it was to be continued. I've been eagerly awaiting the sequel ever since but sadly I don't think the overarching mystery can sustain a trilogy. What was fresh and exciting in book one just feels like more of the same this time round. Good luck to the Society in their adventure on the continent, but I don't think I'll be joining them there for book three!

What a fab read. Following directly on from the first book, the story of Gus and Evan continues. Great fun.

I have been waiting to read The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin for two years, since I finished reading the first book, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. The adventures of Lady Augusta “Gus” and her twin sister Julia, as they help those in need, kept me completely engrossed and this new book is even better.

Following the events of the first book, Gus is determined to prove the innocence of the man she loves, Lord Evan Belford, accused of murder twenty years earlier. Also, Gus and Julia are hiding his sister, Lady Hester, and her lover, Miss Grant, from their brother who wants to keep her in an asylum. And with Bow Street Runners, ruthless bounty hunters, and insufferable brothers watching their every move, the two sisters are quite busy.

Set in Regency England, the main protagonist of this engaging novel is a witty, strong, and independent 42-year-old woman who, according to society and her own brother, should stay quiet and do what is told. Luckily, Gus has her own mind and she is determined to protect those in need and to find justice for them. She is outspoken and interfering, so that sometimes people, including her own twin, find her controlling, but I liked how she would stop at nothing to get to the truth and protect everyone. On the other hand, Julia is calm and more sensible, always ready to keep peace. They are involved in quite a few adventures, some dangerous and some more exciting, and the sisters both find time for a bit of romance.

Entertaining, intriguing, and well-written, The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin will appeal to those who love Regency mysteries with some romance and humour and great characters. With a compelling ending and teasing of more adventures, I can’t wait to read the next book!

I really enjoyed this smart, daring second instalment in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series! After loving book one, I had high hopes and thankfully it didn’t disappoint.

We’re back with the fearless Lady Augusta and her twin sister Lady Julia as they navigate Regency England, fighting injustice and sidestepping societal expectations. This time, the mission is personal: protecting Lady Hester Belford from her cruel brother who committed her to an asylum. With Lord Evan Belford still on the run and danger mounting from both the law and a deadly new enemy, the sisters find themselves in even deeper peril.

What I love most is how Goodman blends rich period detail with dark, high-stakes drama. Augusta remains a fierce heroine, and Julia’s transformation into a woman of confidence and conviction is beautiful to watch. The slow-burn romances are still very much alive (yes, Evan and Augusta still have me swooning), and Mr. Kent and Julia’s blossoming relationship adds even more warmth.

This series is such a perfect mix of Regency flair, adventure, social commentary, and just the right dash of romance. Bring on book three!

The first book in this series was a huge hit with me, I loved the feminist take on a regency romance, so I was both excited and a little apprehensive to get my hands on the sequel: what if it didn’t live up to expectations? But I needn’t have worried and this was a fun read I galloped through quickly.

Lady Augusta Colebrook (Gus), and her twin sister, Julia, are unmarried spinsters in regency London, considered doddery old maids at the age of 42. While somewhat protected by their position in society and their wealth, their brother Lord Duffy considers them an embarrassment he would like to tuck away in the country - and with little rights themselves, he potentially has the power to do this.

Gus is a memorable heroine - unconventional and adventurous, and unafraid of speaking her mind. Following the events of the first book, she and her sister are hiding Lady Hester and her partner Miss Grant in their home. Hester’s brother is searching the country for her with the aim of once again imprisoning her in an insane asylum for loving a woman, and as her legal guardian he has every right to do so.

The cat and mouse game of the sisters trying to hide their charge from her domineering brother, while hiding their activities from their own brother, all while Gus tries to prove the innocence of Hester’s brother Lord Evan so he can take over her guardianship, takes up much of the book. Evan comes back from exile to help the efforts (and continue his romance with Gus).

Sequels are always tricky, especially to much-loved first books, but this one pulls it off. Some of the outstanding questions from the first book are answered, and the world opens up in new and interesting ways ahead of the next book. There’s nothing worse than a series continuing just for the sake of continuing and gradually running out of steam, but that doesn’t happen here. Gus is as irrepressible as ever and I’m looking forward to the next book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.