The Spinster Strikes Back

A Slow Burn Regency Romance (Ladies' Revenge Club, Book 1)

By: Ava Devlin

Narrated by: Naomi Rose-Mock

Dot Fletcher’s happiness turned to horror when she was abandoned at the altar, humiliated in front of the cream of London Society. One year later, when the woman she was scorned for shows up at her front door, heavily pregnant and just as scorned, the two join forces to destroy the man who betrayed them both. They’ll have to go up against the most formidable barrister in London to do it.

Silas Cain, the secret bastard brother of the rakish Earl of Bentley, will protect his badly behaved little brother at all costs, no matter how drawn he is to the fiery and determined Miss Fletcher.

The Spinster Strikes Back is an enemies-to-lovers Regency romance with a twist. It is the the first installment in the Ladies' Revenge Club series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. If you enjoy a steamy slow burn, witty banter, and a sweet happily ever after, grab your copy today!

©2023 Ava Devlin (P)2023 Ava Devlin

An absolute delight

I listen to a lot of historical romances so when one really grabs my attention I have to let everyone know. Ava Devlin has written a delightful story with characters that are fully developed, believable and likable. I am hoping there will be sequels. This is more than worth the credit.

Good God, the blather in between story goes on & on...

The prologue started out as if the story would progress, but the characters never say anything. The writer takes 3 chapters of words after the woman shows up on her doorstep before the two women have a conversation. Its like listening to a record at half speed. Every action takes 3-4 chapters afterwards for key conversations or plot story moves forward. Excruciating despite an interesting story idea.

The story idea itself is a good one. I just wish it had been executed in a tighter style that didn't waste words on flowery descriptions & internal memory monologuing. The characters & interwoven connection was somewhat similar to a melding of Chaucer's tales & Robin Hood, and it was just on the edge of really compelling.

There were, however, many missed opportunities for the heroine's cleverness to be better acknowledged as hers (more noble & heroic) rather than some kind of fatalistic convergence by everyone while she passively tolerates and manages. Same with the hero, who remained some kind of tortured self-appointed slave rather than a brilliant & heroic figure in his own story. It would've been better, too, for more sexual tension by the hero & heroine one-upping each other more clearly with their clever maneuvers. The "Rules in Five Parts" approach to laying the story out also undermined all reader feeling & kept it all intellectualized & lacking in character kismet or connection with the reader. It was so disappointing after such a strong prologue.

The focus was not tight enough to focus on the couples in their own story as if they were the primary drama & romance of it. The detached writing perspective fed the fatalistic feel to this story that undermined the romantic electricity & the reader's enjoyment of a good revenge story. The moralistic final pages about how we get changed when revenge/justice is pursued tries to explain it; but it felt unrealistically flat & kindof preachy-insulting after 11 hrs trying to feel something more passionate in the story.