Tag: Manda Collins

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins

On By TracyIn Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes (A Lady's Guide, #3)A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: A Lady’s Guide, #3

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Miss Poppy Delamere, formerly known to readers as Flora Deaver, secretary to Lady Katherine Eversham, is frantic. After two years of hiding from her stepfather, Poppy has no choice but to return to her family so she can save her sister Violet from being convicted of murder! To Poppy’s utter shock, she learns that when she refused to marry her stepfather’s secretary and ran away, he forced his daughter Violet to marry the man – but now he is dead and Violet has been accused of his murder, by non-other but her father! It is an injustice that Poppy cannot ignore, so without a word of why, she sets out for Little Kidding, but almost immediately her plans are in jeopardy when a pickpocket steals her money. She goes after the man but loses him when she literally runs into Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham. A man she wants nothing to do with, but now that she is without funds, she agrees to travel with him, as he too is on his way to Little Kidding. As they talk on the train, she explains why she is going and he offers to help her clear her sister’s name, and suggests that she could repay him by pretending to be his betrothed for the duration of their visit. As much as she would like to refuse, it is a perfect solution to her problem, and having a duke on her side will open more doors than she could manage alone. And so begins their partnership…

Joshua isn’t sure why he asked her to pose as his betrothed when he had just reconciled himself to considering the ladies his grandmother undoubtedly gathered for his perusal. He is surprised to learn that Poppy has been keeping secrets from everyone and admires her desire to help her half-sister, she is definitely not who he thought she was, but he likes her all the more for it! Once they arrive in Little Kidding, he is surprised to be greeted by his sister and many of the house guests from his grandmother’s house party – immediately he finds himself defending Poppy, who really doesn’t need his help. And when he introduces her to his grandmother, she proves once again that she can hold her own and he finds himself liking her even more! As they start to dig into the murder, he knows he is in trouble, because the more time he spends with Poppy, the more he wants to make their faux engagement real – can he convince her that they are perfect for each other or will she walk away with his heart once her sister is cleared?

OMG – this is without a doubt the crown jewel of this amazing series. I felt the chemistry between Poppy and Joshua from the beginning and I loved how protective he was of her, even before his feelings were engaged. Add to that a very well-plotted mystery, wonderful secondary characters, nasty baddies who get what they deserve, cameos from previous couples, a slow-burn romance, steamyish love scenes, and an edge-of-your-seat ending that leads to HEA. My only complaint was that I wish there had been an epilogue, but even without one, this story is a must-read. Loved, loved, loved it – this is the third book in the series, but you could easily read it as a standalone title, but really, do yourself a favor and read the entire series in order – it is so good! Now we wait and wonder if Joshua’s brother will get his own book because he should – but, one can only hope and drop not-so-subtle, wishful hints to the author in their review😊

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire (A Lady's Guide, #2)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: A Lady’s Guide #2
Publication Date: 11/16/21
Period: Victorian England – 1867
Number of Pages: 352

I smiled and sighed the entire way through this delightfully witty, romantic, and entertaining book. Our socially mismatched protagonists were secretly betrothed two years ago, but she called it off because she realized he was as snobbish as the rest of his family and her life would be miserable if she married him. Now, her good friend and his cousin have been kidnapped and they’ll have to work together to save them. Can they put aside their pasts and work together? Will their love be rekindled? Ooooh – you’ll just have to read it to see.

We first met Caro and Val in ‘A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem’, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting their story – and it was well worth the wait. I was instantly smitten with both characters and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them rekindle their love and work out their differences.

Miss Caroline Hardcastle is many things – a journalist, a writer of cookbooks, a fierce believer in class equality, a tiny pocket Venus, an excessively wealthy heiress, a loving (but put upon) daughter, a devotedly loyal friend, and very, very independent. When she learns one of her best friends, Effie Warrington, a very popular actress, has been kidnapped, Caro will do whatever it takes to find and rescue her. Caro knows Effie is betrothed to – and madly in love with – Francis Thorn. Caro also knows, thanks to the newspaper column she writes, the men in a woman’s life are the ones who usually cause her harm. Did Francis have something to do with Effie’s disappearance? When she arrives at Effie’s home to learn all of the details, she’s shocked at who is already there. Val is Francis’s cousin and he’s there to ‘save’ him. Caro and Val are hissing at each other from the moment Caro enters the room, so how can they begin to work together to save Effie – especially when Caro thinks Val’s only interest is protecting his cousin and the precious Thorn family name.

Valentine Thorn, newly minted Viscount Wrackham, has had a very hard time over the last two years. First, he lost the only woman he’s ever loved because he wasn’t man enough to stand up for her against his brother’s snobbish comments about her and her parents. Then, he lost his brother in a senseless accident. After a year of mourning for his beloved brother, his cousin has been attacked during the abduction of his betrothed. He knows Caro will immediately believe Francis is responsible for harming Effie – but Val knows Francis couldn’t have had anything to do with it and it is his job to protect him.

Though they are wary of each other, and Caro doesn’t trust Val, they have to find a way to work together if they are going to save Effie – and Francis. Val has learned a lot in the two years since Caro broke their betrothal and he’s learning he needs to stand up to his family – particularly his father. When their investigation causes Caro to be compromised, a marriage between them is the only way to save her reputation. Can Val stand up to his father and protect Caro from his class snobbishness? Can Caro learn to trust Val again? Can they trust each other enough to let themselves fully love each other again?

I can definitely recommend this highly entertaining and book. The romance is wonderful and there is even a lovely epilogue. You’ll love all of the characters – and – we spend some time with the protagonists in the next book – Miss Flora Deaver and the Duke of Langham. Sadly, we’ll have to wait until this time next year for their book. It will, I’m sure, be worth the wait.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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