The-Ladies-Road-Guide-to-Utter-Ruin-19e7e473b10d721eec7ead57ffb20021
2026 Nominated

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

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ABOUT
THE BOOK

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta “Gus” Colebrook and her twin sister Julia are simply spinsters—unremarkable and overlooked. But beneath their genteel exterior, the Colebrook twins lead a secret life, protecting vulnerable women and children abandoned by society. When the dashing Lord Evan, an escaped convict and Gus’s love interest, seeks refuge for his sister and her forbidden lover, the twins offer sanctuary. They understand all too well the danger of a powerful, controlling brother. Yet as Lord Evan’s tangled past resurfaces, the sisters must navigate perilous secrets that could threaten everything they’ve built—and everyone they protect. To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Alison
Goodman

Alison Goodman is a Melbourne-based author of historical and fantasy fiction, most recently The Ill-Mannered Ladies series. Her other novels include the Dark Days Club trilogy, an award-winning mix of Regency adventure and dark fantasy, and Eon and Eona, a New York Times bestselling fantasy duology published in twenty countries. Alison has recently completed her PhD in creative arts, focusing on historical research and the Regency era, and can dance a mean English contra dance. She is fuelled by coffee and roast potatoes and will travel a long way for a good scone.

Alison Goodman is a Melbourne-based author of historical and fantasy fiction, most recently The Ill-Mannered Ladies series. Her other novels include the Dark Days Club trilogy, an award-winning mix of Regency adventure and dark fantasy, and Eon and Eona, a New York Times bestselling fantasy duology published in twenty countries. Alison has recently completed her PhD in creative arts, focusing on historical research and the Regency era, and can dance a mean English contra dance. She is fuelled by coffee and roast potatoes and will travel a long way for a good scone.

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NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

Victorian public library and State Library staff were asked to vote for their favourite title based on literary merit. Voters made statements of support, including “I love the Ill Mannered Ladies books, they are so meticulously researched while also being a pure romp”. (State Library Victoria)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Date published
30/04/2025
Country
Australia
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia)
Borrow this book from Libraries Ireland

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