The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

First, my only niggle -- where is the apostrophe in the title of this book? It seems to have been shaken loose and lost in the tumult of events. But that quibble aside, it was an absolute delight to rejoin the company of adventurous Regency sisters, Augusta and Julia, and their rogue love interests, Lord Evan (sometime highwayman) and Mr Kent (proto-police officer). The sisters are sheltering the noble lady they rescued from a madhouse in the first book, but her brother is hot on her trail, and they are also desperate to get to the bottom of the duel that cost Lord Evan his freedom and his reputation.

The pace of The Ladies['] Guide to Utter Ruin never slackens for an instant as Augusta dons disguises, penetrates a hellish private gentleman's club, tears about on horseback and in racing carriages, tells outrageous lies and begs favours from Beau Brummell, no less. There are sobering reminders of just how much power men hold over women at this time (hint: it's total), but also a cute moment where Gus finds time to read a recent novel starring another pair of sisters (one with sense and one with sensibility).

Thrillingly, Utter Ruin ends with Augusta and companions about to embark on their most challenging quest yet, some kind of Scarlet Pimpernel-ish rescue mission into revolutionary France. I can hardly wait.