Thank you Suzanna Medeiros, Victory Editing, and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange this is my honest review.

Ruined by the Baron by Suzanna Medeiros is a fun, easy, historical romance.

To escape an unwanted arranged marriage by her father Victoria rushes to her brother Rexford to find a way out. The solution? Become ruined in society, and her brother’s friend Baron Moreland is willing to take one for the team and assist.

Frankly I really enjoyed this book. The pace was perfect, the characters fun, the chemistry on point, and the plot doesn’t drag. Listen it reads a bit as a Bridgerton knock off of Daphne and Simon but I loved it regardless and frankly more than their story (and I LOVE Bridgerton). The stakes were higher for Victoria and Moreland was doing his best to not get involved with his bestie’s sister regardless of Rexford’s blessings. I love the Legends as a concept, all of the young rakes in society and that they will all have a story to tell. The different POVs were also wonderfully done as well I didn’t find any POV particularly grating or annoying.

Easily a 5/5 stars for me. I can’t wait to have more stories from the Legends! Buy or pre-order Ruined by the Baron June 24th, 2025.

Ruined by the Baron is the first book of the Legendary Lords of the Ton series by Suzanna Medeiros and my first book by this author and I have to say, I enjoyed it.

Lady Victoria Wright is facing a betrothal to a cruel man. Someone who happens to be linked to her father and she knows the only person she can go to for help out of this situation is her brother who has been estranged from their father for a while now despite still being his heir. What they determine is that the only way she will be free is that she will need to ruin herself so with her brother's help, she asks the man who caught her eye when she entered his club.

Baron Matthew Moreland is known as a rake and he's not one to be held down by one lady but the moment he sees Victoria, he can't help but be drawn to her. When he's asked to be her seducer, he gladly agrees but decides he will do everything but ruin her. The hard part will be holding onto that decision. His plan is to ruin her reputation, get her released from the engagement her father is planning for her, and then let her go but as Victoria plays the role of his mistress, these two can't help but be pulled more and more together until the inevitable happens. And now Matthew doesn't want to let her go.

I enjoyed this story. I was great to see these two stumble around each other for a bit but ultimately it was clear they couldn't stay away and when they finally decided they were going to be together, Matthew's decision to face Victoria's father, no matter what his threats was perfect. Overall, I enjoyed this first book in the series and I am interested to see what happens for the rest of the Legendary Lords that make up this group.

This was rather silly and unbelievable. There is instalust between the two of them as they look across a room at each other. The heroine needs help from her older brother as her father, an evil duke, is selling her to an elderly rich man. And the only solution they come up with is for her to pose as the real or not real mistress of one of the brother’s friends. Really? They assume the father is omnipotent and can find her wherever they try to hide her. They didn’t even think of sending her to a foreign country. Nothing much happens except for them trying or not trying to resist their attraction to each other while they worry about sell their story that she is now totally ruined.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

It has been quite a while since I read a book by Suzanna Medeiros and had forgotten how good she is,. I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to read the rest of the Legends stories. The story is fast paced and flows well . It is the story of Victoria who has been promised by her father the Duke to one of his friends who is reportedly not a nice man and it is the story of how her brother and one of his Legend friends Baron Mathew Moreland plan to save her by organising her to be ruined in the eyes of society and therefore of no value to her evil father.
I couldn't wait to finish and find out if they did

This book was an unexpected surprise and a great series starter! It is a little different from Suzanna Medeiros’s usual style. It is written in first person, though still contains same eloquent writing and plenty of tastefully done steamy scenes. The premise sounds simple, but the plot has several twists and turns that make it an easy page-turner. Victoria and Moreland are both very likable characters that are easy to root for.

Victoria has been sheltered all her life and, even with Moreland’s protection, she still finds it difficult to assert herself, yet comes out of her shell by the end. I have to say I am looking forward to seeing her again in the next books in this series. Speaking of seeing characters again, Rose and Brantford were a part of this story, which was great to see. Castlefieds were also mentioned, even if not directly present.

I also really enjoyed Moreland, who was a very honorable main hero. The only thing I wished for more of here is a more dramatic resolution to Sherbourne intrigue. But overall I enjoyed this immensely!

I received this awesome book as an ARC from NetGalley and publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

I really enjoyed Ruined by the Baron! The story jumps right in—there’s no slow build or filler, which I appreciated. The plot kicks off with the agreement to ruin Victoria happening almost immediately, and she’s positioned as Matthew Moreland’s mistress early on. The pacing is fast, making it easy to get swept up in the intrigue and romance.

The relationship begins with a classic "protector" dynamic, but the emotional depth builds nicely, giving convincing reasons for the characters to fall for each other beyond the initial setup. The tone and world are very Bridgerton-esque in the best way, and I have a strong feeling we’ll be getting stories for all the other “Legends” in the next installments—which I’m already excited for.

The balance of story to romance was perfect for me: about 80% plot and character development to 20% romantic tension and steamy moments. It was fun, fast-paced, and charming—I read it in a single day across two sittings. If you're looking for a historical romance that’s both engaging and delightfully escapist, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

When Victoria is forced to married a cruel nobleman, she concocts a plan to cause a scandal with her brother's friend. Except that they end up falling for each other.

Love the characters. Terrific chemistry. Love how the romance develops smoothly and believably. Enjoy the subtle humour.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Looking for a quick read Regency novel if you are Ruined by the Baron is the right novel for you. Our main heroine Victoria is looking for a way out of a arranged marriage set up by her father. Her estranged brother arranges to stay with one of his friends and put on a charade of being his Mistress. However over time the two begin to fall for each other and wonder if they can truly marry.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.