Divinely romantic, deliciously queer—a high-stakes, haunted magical rescue
This second book in Sarah Glenn Marsh’s Rogue Devotions series is a magical adventure about found family and the swoonworthy love interests they meet along the way.
“A lot can happen in three days. The whole world can change in less time than that. It has before.”
In three days, Alys may be fully possessed by the ghost haunting her dreams (and her body). In three days, she may learn that one of her mothers, Wynnie—a skilled, violent killer who went out on “an errand of revenge” and never came back—is dead. In three days, Alys and her closest friends may be dead themselves, since the woman who raised them has gone missing in a very dangerous place: the ruined city, “a place known for its seedy brutality.” There’s no guarantee any of them will make it out alive.
Equal parts endearing and chaotic, the crew must conceal their identities and the truth of their mission, as the risk to their lives escalate. There’s an irresistible charm to our band of misfits. But there’s also an army powered with dark magic charging against them.
Each of their love interests shows promise as (and proclaims to be) brave, loyal companions to our determined crew. They must decide to trust them, knowing it may be lust-driven recklessness, but hoping it’s something more like finding a soulmate.
“Something wasn’t adding up, but Alys wasn’t sure where to begin to untangle the threads. All she knew was that she couldn’t fully trust Riya, not after learning this, but there was also a part of her that wanted to draw her sword and stand between this woman and all that threatened her.”
A Rogue’s Ruin is filled with richly imagined drama, genuine humor, open-hearted confessions, and character building. I felt all hot ‘n bothered reading the frequent scenes of flirtatious seduction, my heart glowing with pride as each of these characters chooses love. And I genuinely worried for their safety! Readers are treated to a bouquet of emotions on this high-stakes journey, but the novel’s radiant romance shines brighter than anything.
“You make me want to live again, in ways I never have, and I don’t know what to do with that. Only, when I think of you, I wish to sing, and everything around me looks more beautiful somehow.”
The sensual and sentimental connections between lovers shine far beyond attraction, reflecting in the kindness and exceptional consideration they show each other. Sarah Glenn Marsh writes these passionate, vulnerable, generous, insightful characters with heart, humanity, and unforgettable tenderness.
It’s not just Wynnie’s disappearance that’s causing our group trouble; they’ve all begun to suspect Alys is being possessed. Something dark and greedy is taking over more of her body each day: her eye color, her dreams, her artistic talents, and her sense of attraction. When she meets a woman who completely rocks her world sexually, her friends remind her that “it might just be you, not the ghost, who’s got a thing for Riya.” Alys decides to revel in the unexpected pleasure because she’s got too much going on to consider this a real problem. For example, “we were told the only way to get the ghost out is to make her believe Alys’s body is dying,” which presents multiple risks, including successfully (and safely!) pulling it off, and (if this even is a viable solution) ensuring the ghost can’t return to her body if Alys survives near-death.
In addition to Alys’s literal haunting, A Rogue’s Ruin’s cast of complex characters are haunted by their pasts, the consequences of their loved ones’ actions, and the weight of their deepest desires pressing up against their reality. Marsh writes stunning, sexy, breathtaking intimacy that will have your heart racing, eyes welling up with emotion, and a laugh bubbling from your lips all in one scene. A Rogue’s Ruin is an instant favorite—an immediate add to my collection of impeccable, five-star comfort reads.
Mal has recently become hard of hearing. His boyfriend (“Griff, who hadn’t stopped signing to make sure Mal wasn’t left out of conversations, who made him feel like kissing in public for the first time in his life.”) is a tremendous support in helping Mal move through the world. The role his hearing loss plays in their relationship is written so authentically—the most realistic to my hard-of-hearing experience that I’ve ever read—and so incredibly romantic! It’s like they have their own private world to express their love to each other whenever they want.
Mal and Griff’s glorious romance is an all-time offering of love and hope to disabled readers, a display of the triumphant romance we deserve, their gorgeously accommodating acts of love inextricable from their protective instincts and their shared joy in dizzyingly delicious kinky sex.
Liam (who “reads bedtime stories to his dog and knows how to put bandages on squirrels.”) has a messy past with Mal and Griff and complicated feelings about seeing them so in love, but they’re all trying to make it work. When he meets his match in cheerful banter, passion for the performing arts, and hot playful sex, Liam can’t stay away from the handsome puppeteer/actor who has brightened his life. He introduces himself as “Liam Blackthorn. I own my own place, I have a really good dog, and I can play almost any instrument you hand me,” and the rest is history. The actor brings calm and joy into even the most painfully complex moments of Liam’s life, making him feel “glad he had let someone into the maelstrom of his world who only brought softness and ease.”
A Rogue’s Ruin is a dream read for this bi, disabled, genderqueer reader who is fueled by romance, hard of hearing, and uses a walking cane. Tumultuous exes turn fierce allies here. Alys goes through an unexpected, intoxicating “Am I haunted or is this a sapphic awakening” lifechanging sexual experience. And on top of that, illustrated scenes enhance Sarah Glenn Marsh’s written magic. What more could I ask for? Only more of this! Thankfully, a third book in the series is already on the way.
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