Source: NetGalley – Thank you to the publisher!
TL;DR: A delightful Regency romance with a lovely inclusive art style and queer normative society
Plot: A simple one, but well executed. Ruined Heroine and a Hero with an estate and family wealth in ruins. Romance ensues.
Characters: I loved the cast here, it didn’t focus entirely on Andrew and Catherine and I would read more graphic novels set in this world with these characters.
Setting: It’s Regency England but with an abundance of PoC and LGBTQ+ characters, absolutely lovely.
Romance: Very sweet and understated. It very much reminded me of the feeling of Sense & Sensibility romance, think the 1995 movie.
Thoughts:
I think this might be my first Regency Romance Graphic Novel? However, if this team does another in this series I am so going to pick it up. Ruined is a beautifully done romance that features a wide variety of characters, body shapes, and orientations but does so in a well knitted way that it’s hard not to just fall through it.
The title could apply to both Catherine and Andrew, our main characters. Catherine’s honor has been ‘ruined’ and Andrew’s family has been ‘ruined’ at the hands of his deceased father and brother. The two come together in a marriage of connivence to help them both and in the process begin to fall in love again. We’re also seeing a relationship blossom between Catherine’s sister and another woman, the rise of Catherine’s lady maid to fashion designer, and Andrew’s sister who is battling agoraphobia. I’ve seen some complaints that the side stories take over the story of Catherine and Andrew, but I think they merely help flesh out what might have been a dry story for me. Catherine and Andrew, while interesting, have a story that’s been done. But adding the other two plots spiced the pacing up a bit, and while long, made everything feel worth reading through.
I’ll add as well that I was pleasantly shocked by the nudity in this. Andrew and Catherine have moments of nearly full frontal nudity. I’m not going to lie, I was reading and turned the page and said out loud “That’s a penis!” I was so surprised.
The story was sweet, and engrossing and if you’ve a mind for a Historical Romance as a graphic novel I greatly enjoyed this. I may even seek this out in physical for my romance shelves. I hope to see more from this team as well!
4 out of 5 beautifully embroidered gowns
Sarah Evermotion's Book Thoughts 
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