A Splendid Ruin

by Megan Chance

A spellbinding novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

The eve of destruction. After her mother’s death, penniless May Kimble lives a lonely life until an aunt she didn’t know existed summons her to San Francisco. There she’s welcomed into the wealthy Sullivan family and their social circle.

Initially overwhelmed by the opulence of her new life, May soon senses that dark mysteries lurk in the shadows of the Sullivan mansion. Her glamorous cousin often disappears in the night. Her aunt wanders about in a laudanum fog. And a maid keeps hinting that May is in danger. Trapped by betrayal, madness, and murder, May stands to lose everything, including her freedom, at the hands of those she trusts most.

Then, on an early April morning, San Francisco comes tumbling down. Out of the smoldering ruins, May embarks on a harrowing road to reclaim what is hers. This tragic twist of fate, along with the help of an intrepid and charismatic journalist, puts vengeance within May’s reach. But will she take it?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Book Club, Romance, Mystery Thriller

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Booklist calls her writing “Provocative and haunting.” Her books have been chosen by Amazon's Book of the Month, Borders Original Voices and IndieNext. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Visit her at www.meganchance.com

Reviews

[Kristin Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Megan Chance has done it again! A Splendid Ruin is an astonishing beautiful, richly imagined historical novel about class, betrayal, revenge and the terrible choices a woman must sometimes make to survive in dangerous times. This is a spellbinding page-turner of a book, full of unexpected twists and turns, told in beautiful prose, and set against the devastating backdrop of the Great San Francisco earthquake. In it, Megan Chance gives us a profoundly intimate look at a city--and a woman--in ruins.

[Sharon Blalock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

This could have been so ooo much better. Poor woman taken by rich relatives, society balls, etc. Big yawn. The latter part REALLY failed. Revenge? Miniscule at best. Where is the "hell hath no fury" mindset ? Big letdown.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

May Kindle felt the tremors of an earthquake before the blockbuster one hit San Francisco in 1906.

May's mother, Charlotte, passed away suddenly and the shock of it sent May reeling. There was so much about her mother that she didn't know. May and Charlotte lived dollar-to-dollar in a small rundown apartment in Brooklyn. Even with money scarce and refinement even scarcer, Charlotte insisted that May learn manners, read the classics, and learn to speak French. May kept a sketchbook near her in which she fantasized designing upscale rooms to balance the barren surroundings she and Charlotte lived in.

But the one thing that May knew was that her father was a member of high society in New York City before he passed away. Charlotte always kept a flicker of hope that he would recognize May as his daughter. But there was nothing but silence over the years. Out of nowhere came a letter inviting May to come to San Francisco to live with Charlotte's well-to-do sister, Florence. May had no idea that Charlotte even had a sister. But with no other options or recourse, May boards a train and makes the long journey to San Francisco.

Megan Chance introduces us to the Sullivans. Coming from Brooklyn, their Nob Hill mansion left May in awe. Goldie, her new cousin, is a young woman trying to grab headlines in every gossip section in every paper. Her Uncle Jonny pursues more wealth at every turn. And Florence.....well, she's dipped in laudanum at every moment. May tries to gain information about her mother and father through the dulled Florence. Nothing makes sense. But why all the secrecy? What don't they want her to know?

A Splendid Ruin should be given more attention than some reviewers deign to give it. The plight of May and her transformation is quite entertaining. Chance presents a panoramic view of San Francisco's upper class while revealing the designated lower levels of society in Chinatown and the power of the Chinese tongs. She also gives us a walking tour of the devastation brought on by the earthquake in 1906. The characters are varied with some injected with poisonous personalities. We'll find May experiencing life firsthand at the receiving end of ruthless behaviors. Megan Chance certainly turns our heads to the underbelly of life in San Francisco at the turn of the last century.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Megan Chance for the opportunity.

[V Myers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glad it was free

This book reads like a historical novel written by someone who read a bunch of historical novels for research. The characters are flat and all seem like scheming liars except of course for the naive but intrepid protagonist. The historical part feels gimmicky and not very convincing. Even the set up makes no sense. There is the usual cast of characters for a Victorian family drama - philandering uncle who is a transparently awful person, scheming materialistic rich girl cousin who is clearly up to no good, and poor old aunt being regularly dosed with laudanum to keep quiet. The dialogue was as wooden as the characters making this book a splendid ruin. Better research and decent plot/character development would have been helpful. 1.5 stars.

[Christina Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess, A SPLENDID RUIN by Megan Chance checked the boxes for me. I love a heroine who is initially TSTL (too stupid to live) who learns from her experiences and by the end of the book is smarter, stronger, better, richer and triumphs over evil. https://www.christinadodd.com/book/a-...

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love revenge stories and although the basic plotline of this one is not exactly a new one, the book is still well written.

For all the common sense May Kimble possesses, it takes her to get duped and conned by her own relatives and sent to a mental asylum on false charges of insanity and committing murder as a result of it to finally open her eyes and listen to her intuition. May's revenge may not be a bloody one in the end but it is a satisfying one.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Lake Union Publishing and the author for the e-Arc of the book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨💫

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the seventh book I have read by Ms. Chance and, for the most part, I have liked her stories. She writes historical romances with flawed characters and a rich theme of darkness. I know from experience, she infuses atmosphere into her settings and this story was no different. In some ways, it was almost gothic-like.

The first sentence: "When I arrived at the Nob Hill mansion belonging to my aunt Florence and her husband, Jonathan Sullivan, it was still more than a year from its fate as a crumbling, smoldering ruin, and I was still naive enough to believe the welcome I found there." This sentence epitomized how I felt about the story.

Writing in the first person tense is a tricky matter and I thought the plot suffered from it. In one word, May Kimble was gullible. In fact, too gullible for a 23-year-old who had trust issues long before she arrived in 1904 San Francisco. And, if you know anything about that area in the early twentieth century, it was a hotspot for graft and prone to earthquakes, let alone a major fire.

I continued to read and I couldn't help but think of the idiom, wash-rinse-repeat. Parts of the storyline regurgitated. I wanted May to show me, not tell. I wanted her to use her background of not trusting people and to act cautiously. In other words, not take Jonny or Goldie's word at face value. Surely, what was going on with Florence would have rung bells.

I know the majority of readers thought this story earned five stars, but not me. If you are a fan of Simone St. James as I am, you might like it. But beware of that first person tense; it works both for and against the plot and characters. You are only reading what May sees and hears.

[Vonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was just so....middle of the road. It tried to be a bit historical fiction without many facts. Everything this book alights on it's not but a moment before it has gone onto another idea. May, the weak to strong leading character is shallow in personality. The writing is slow paced and the story just never scratches below the surface. If you are looking for a fluffy thoughtless read this is for you.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance did not disappoint! Every book by Megan Chance I have read has been a 5✨. Family secrets, inheritance, severe abuse and lies. Makes for a fast moving book that cannot be put down! Then the Great 1906 San Fransisco Earthquake brings May out of the ashes of run straight into vengeance and revenge.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something of a modern take on Victoria Holt, A SPLENDID RUIN is an excellent read—well-written & well-paced with a small cast of vivid, intriguing characters. The plot is classic gothic romance (stolen birthright, complete with murder & asylum) but the unusual setting makes it stand out, as does May’s personality. I love how Megan Chance’s heroines have a bit of an edge—they’re not cold or unkind, but they have a healthy sense of realism in that they’re not unaware that a woman needs money to survive in the real world, particularly without a husband, & they resent being taken advantage of by others. May is no different, & I really liked how she didn’t soften her revenge at the end with some hitherto untapped sympathy for the villains’ actions. She pays them back, & it’s delightful. :D

5 stars & a (highly coveted?) place on my keeper shelf.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about everything you could want in a story about an orphaned young girl who is welcomed by dodgy rich relatives that she didn't know she had.
Lies, deceit, betrayal, suspicion, murder, Evan an earthquake.!!

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the time period and much of the writing but the premise of the novel was too unbelievable for me.

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5
Splendid Ruin was a splendid read.

[Violet Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I liked the journey and the twists in the characters tale.

[Genni]

DNF at 50%.
The writing is excellent. The story is just not for me. Possibly the audio version is part of why I’m not a fan? I enjoy historical fiction. This one had so much promise. However I found it too slow, drawing out parts that could have been cut down to tell the story. I keep telling the narrator- ‘get on with it already!’ I tried to push through hoping it would improve but I should have stopped by my usual 30-35%. It doesn’t get more interesting.

[Kellvz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent to "meh"

The plot kept me reading because I did care enough about the characters and mystery to learn how it all played out. At one point I wanted to strangle the main character for being so stupid. That's never a good thing. I could have done with less description of the five days after the earthquake and a lot more about the lavish surroundings , dresses, and food at the social gatherings. I mean, the main character was an artist, but you don't get that from her narrative, you get that from the author telling us about her sketches. Generally I could do with a lot less "tell" and a lot about "show" and some stimulating dialog to really bring the characters to life and make me feel like I was really in the time period. The characters have a lot of potential for depth, especially the Sullivans, but the author just scratched the surface and we never learn why they are the way they are, a real missed opportunity. Even the characters in Chinatown were very two-dimensional, a foil to keep the plot going and nothing more. But the plot itself will at least keep you engaged enough if you're looking for a quick light read.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was searching for a fiction centered on a disaster when I came across A Splendid Ruin. It was light on the disaster - only three chapters or so focused on the event itself - but the storyline about revenge was pretty good.

May Kimble from Brooklyn has never known her father. Her mother always said he was a blue-blood, but never mentioned a name. When her mother suddenly passes, strange relations in San Francisco offer to take her in. The Sullivans are nouveau riche, and gaudy in their opulence. It doesn't suit May, going from a poor NYC laundress to the very heart of Nob Hill society. She couldn't have expected the underhandedness of her Uncle Jonny and cousin Goldie, nor the madness and laudanum addiction of her mother's sister Florence...

Although not *quite* what I was looking for, this novel still satisfied through to the end. Set in early 20th c. San Francisco leading up to the Great 1906 Earthquake, May's evolution from dependence on the kindness of wealthy strangers to self assured modern woman is a good read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cinderella story set in San Francisco for the most part - timed to coincide with the 1906 earthquake. The beginnings of the story go back to Brooklyn where a young woman grows up with a mother who maintains the secret of who the father was. I won't spoil the story for others, but this one is extreme and could be considered a "gothic" romance. I have read my share of those as advertised in the past, but this book takes one by surprise (or is it just me?).

2.5 stars from 3 for me

[J RUSSENBERGER · Rating 2 out of 5]

No

I prefer a story where characters are developed, where a story is developed. Not here, where the reader is just told this is what is. And the story line is never believable. And I'm left wondering who the targeted audience is,

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one is this stupid. The worse protagonist ever

[DiscoveringPurpleStars · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read, although I found the plot so very hard to Believe. If the mother knew she was going to die, why not tell her daughter about her identity and wealth instead of her deceiving sister. It seems to be the dumbest plot. The description of SF and Chinatown were good. The revenge itself was disappointing. The fact that the chinese man was not paid between her relatives getting her inheritance and her retribution was another loophole. An ok story to pass the time.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Megan Chance - her historical novels that deal with themes of women’s place in turn-of-century society along with exploration of the opium addiction so common then and, sometimes, the fad of spiritualism. This book, set against the backdrop of the great San Francisco earthquake involves a ruthless family attempting to take a young woman’s inheritance, the shallow emptiness at the heart of “high society”, the ease with which woman could be committed to terrible mental asylums, the way in which women’s roles were tightly defined and women trapped in them. The descriptions of the devastation the earthquake caused are daunting, as well as the portrait of life within a mental asylum at the time. The plot is complex, the characters are engaging, the writing is lovely. Splendid Ruin joins An Inconvenient Wife and The Spiritualist to form a portrait of women’s lives at that time. It is not one of her literary ghost stories (Inamorata and The Visitant).

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like Historical Fiction - you may enjoy this. If you like Cinderella stories - you may enjoy this.
I found parts of it enjoyable and parts of it repetitive.

Not a true example - but this type of
"Should I go up the stairs or not. The decision is so important - if I go up the stairs, I'll be upstairs. If I don't, I won't. how can I decide. If I go up the stairs I will now what the reader won't know until four chapters down the road."

Good grief - go up the stairs or not - I stopped caring three paragraphs ago.
Lots of foreshadowing that keeps the mystery from being a mystery at all.

[Olesya Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this gothic novel about a young woman in search of her destiny in early 1900s San Francisco, and her taking control of it during the earthquake of ‘06. Society scandal, beautiful houses haunted with dark secrets, family drama…pretty much everything I aspire to. Nice, deep character work by Megan Chance, who serves up consistently page turning historical gothics, this one not supernatural, but deliciously dark regardless!

[Heather R · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exciting first half, followed by a dull and clichéd second. I’d hoped this would be one of those historical fiction novels that actually teaches you something valuable about the time and place. That wasn’t the case. Instead, it was a romance + revenge fantasy played out before a backdrop of San Francisco around the time of the Great Earthquake of 1906. The romantic aspects didn’t particularly move me, and the revenge was not particularly sweet. Oh well. Guess they can’t all be winners!

[Krista (Mrs K Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So i was entranced by this story. I felt like i was in San Francisco in the early 1900s.

A Well written story highlighting historical truths of asylums and the 1905 Earthquake that devastated San Francisco

I would recommend this to people who are looking for a quick, interesting historical read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fort sympathique, j'ai passé un très bon moment dans le San Francisco des années 1900...

[Nanette Buccola · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ A captivating story before and after the great San Francisco earthquake An intriguing tale of survival through loss, deception and heartbreak, and learning who to trust.

[C. Morse · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars: 1 is too harsh, 5 is gushing

This won't be everyone's cup of tea. Those bothered by the prose --- I don't know. It made sense to me. The main character was raised by her mother to "take her place in society"; the first person POV and being set in 1904-1906 also lends to the "big words" being reasonable.
I found the plot creative; Miss May was a little too naive and trusting given how I think her mother would have prepared her. Often, the descriptive narration was a pleasure; other times a bit much.
It is a light read (which I liked) & I've known people of similar natures to the cast of characters (relatable).
Having not read any other works by this author, I don't know how all this compares. I liked it well enough to look for other titles to read in the future.
I didn't give 4 stars as something seems lacking and I haven't figured out What yet. (I save 5 stars for exceptional products: excellence is hard to come by)

[Dennis McClure · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yuk.