The heroine had fled her old life to escape a forced betrothal and began a new life as a secretary with a new name. However, when the heroine learned that her sister is accused of murder, she returns to her old life to help her sibling. Along the way she meets the hero, who asked for a favor in return to helping her. With a fake betrothal between the hero and the heroine, the couple learn more about each other and began to fall in love. With this burgeoning romantic relationship, the couple also deals with the accused sister's case, which brings with it trouble that may or may not a detriment to their happy ending.

This is the third book in the A LADY'S GUIDE series. It features a vicar's daughter and a duke that are both in need of each other in one way and another. Along with the mystery of the accused sibling's case, there are also some ladies who are in need of husbands, which the hero is using the fake betrothal with the heroine to guard against. I enjoyed the strong friendship circle that supported the main couple. I also enjoyed the sibling relationships that the main couple have in their lives. I even enjoyed the cameo appearances of a rapscallion canine companion that is the lovable pet of a senior character. I would have liked more details in certain areas of the story, in both the mystery and the romance. Overall, the nice flow and great story vibe of this Manda Collins book provided a wonderful reading experience.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

If you’re looking for an enemies to friends to lovers with a fake engagement thrown in and a bit of a murder mystery, you’re gonna like this one!

I really enjoyed reading this one! Poppy is so smart, quick witted, and feisty. She was not putting up with any of Langham’s nonsense. And he was so kind to her that I was the one that was swooning.

If you have read the first two in this series, you will love this one. Or if you want to try out a historical romance that has some mystery to it, then give this a go!

Thanks to Forever Publishing for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins is book Three in the A Lady's Guide Series. This is the story of Poppy Delamare and Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham. Poppy ran off to escape her Step-father which has lead her to living as Flora Deaver, secretary to Lady Katherine Eversham. But now she has to return home to help her sister who needs her. Poppy's sister Violet has been accused of murder. While working her way to return to Little Kidding, she is robbed. But she runs into Joshua who offers her help in exchange for being his pretend betrothed. This starts their story. Enjoyed.

My thanks to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a stand alone romance/murder mystery following Poppy, a young woman estranged from her family, in a quest to clear her sister of murder charges. Her white knight is the Duke of Langham, Joshua, an acquaintance turned fake fiancee and fellow amateur crime solver.

This is the third in a series, and I did read the first, but have honestly no memory of plot or characters. My notes on the first book (bc I am reading log nerd 🤓) say it was a fun story but the pacing/story needed some edits. What do I know about editing a book? Literally nothing. But two years ago me was quite confident in this.

Poppy and Joshua face off against a house party contrived to get him married (hence the need for a fake fiancee) and various people hiding or lying about the murder of Poppy's ne'er-do-well bro in law. Hoo boy, there also a satanic sex cult, a cipher only the heroine can solve and caves. There's a character in 2 places at once 🙃 but maybe the final copy won't include this small blooper?

The book is pretty white and heteronormative, but there are some (one) *minor* characters who hales from the nebulous "West Indies" and anyone who is rude to servant is a bad guy/gal. I don't typically enjoy when characters are all good or all bad, but this is a pretty common feature in a lot of writing. While the book is a historical romance, it's not particularly heavy on the "history" part, although there is a secret society based on historical events. Most characters are quite modern in speech and behavior which makes it super accessible for folks trying out hist-rom.

The cover art is pretty and the story ends with an HEA for the good guys and consequences for the bad ones. A quick, easy dessert read.

#ASpinstersGuidetoDangerandDukes #NetGalley

Poppy Delamare is living and working in London under an alias. She does not want anyone to figure out who she is and why she is hiding. When she receives notice that her sister back home is being accused of murder, she has no choice but to run to her aid. At the train station, Poppy is robbed and then rescued by the one man she cannot stand, Joshua Fielding, The Duke of Langham. When the Duke suggests that maybe they could help each other, Poppy is backed into a corner. Could she really pull off being the Duke’s fiancé to gain his help with her sisters' case? There is only one way to find out, and that's to go along with his plan. What ensues next is a fabulous adventure for both Poppy and the Duke.

Manda Collins has opened up a whole new world for me with these witty historical romances. I was not a fan of historical romances, but thanks to Ms. Manda, I cannot get enough. I love the banter and the strong female characters. It was fun to read Poppy’s story as she has made some appearances in the first two books in the series. I also enjoyed the history part of the novel and how things were done back in the 1800’s. My thanks to Manda Collins and Forever Publishing for my copy, which I read and reviewed voluntarily. This is one series I would recommend picking up friends, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher Read Forever and author Manda Collins for the gifted copy.  All opinions expressed are mine alone.

💭 𝘔𝘠 𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘎𝘏𝘛𝘚
First, I want to start by saying that I don't like commitment. There is plenty of fish in the sea and I want to taste every single one. By the way, I'm referring to books, get your mind out of the gutter. This story is part of a series but can be read as a standalone novel. This is great news for those of us that do not like to be committed to reading an entire series.

Secondly, I had so much fun reading this book and I devoured it quickly. It has love and mystery, and it is set in the Victorian era. Think fake relationship meets Bridgerton, secret societies, and solving a murder mystery. Sounds good, doesn't it?

The initial banter between Poppy and Langham is on point. Poppy is witty, strong-willed, and an independent heroine. You would assume Langham would be a high society snob but he was sweet, protective, and caring towards Poppy.

𝘖𝘝𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓𝘓...
This mixed-genre story was a light and enjoyable read with a few spicy scenes.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲
🕯️Victorian era settings
🕯️Grumpy/Sunshine
🕯️Fake relationship
🕯️Banter
🕯️Family Drama
🕯️Secret Society

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 4.5/5 (CAWPILE 8.86/10)

Poppy’s sister has been accused of murder and Poppy is determined to prove her innocence. She runs into the Duke of Langham during her travels home. Turns out, he needs a fake fiancé. While insufferable, they also are good together. Hopefully they can solve both of their missions.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but it was so fun! So many elements I love: whodunit, banter, whit, fake fiancé and tension!!

I thought I had guessed a few times who the murderer was but I was wrong. There were plenty of surprises and genuine moments.

Overall, just a purely enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading other books in the series soon!

Thanks to @netgalley @grandcentralpub and @readforeverpub for allowing me to read an early copy. The review expresses my own opinions.

I *love* a Victorian era romantic suspense AND fake dating?! Say no more!!! I swear, this series has gotten better with each book. That said, this one could definitely stand alone. Join Poppy & Langham as they hop a train, make a pact, solve multiple crimes, and unwittingly fall in love. Their relationship and everything about each of them was *chef’s kiss* perfection.

This is the third book in a series that I adore. The basic set up is that Poppy is pretending to be a secretary, named Flora, in order to escape a horrible the turtle. Unfortunately, her beloved sister is accused of murder. After interesting first meeting with Joshua Fielding, who is the duke of Langham, poppy, and Joshua agree to a fake patrol, though in order to help each other out. Joshua wishes to avoid all of the misses trying to marry him, whereas Poppy wants to solve the murder for her sister.

It is delightfully written, and both characters have you rooting for them throughout the book. The chemistry between both pops off the pages from the very beginning. With the mystery that is involved, the book gives off a feeling of a cozy mystery. It’s a very comforting read, and that it has two of my favorite things historical romance, combined with a cozy mystery. The plot makes sense and the book flows well. I am thinking forward to the next book written by Manda Collins.

This is such a fun series! Although this is book three in the Ladies Most Scandalous series, it can easily be read as standalone. I loved the first two books and this follow-up didn't disappoint.

Poppy and Langham met in a previous book with less than favorable first impressions. They are reacquainted here when they join forces to stop Poppy's sister from being convicted of murder while posing as a betrothed couple to help Langham out of a bind with his family.

This is a Victorian era historical romance with a strong mystery element involving a secret society and murder. I liked the country setting as it's something different from the usual London. It was a fast-paced read with banter plus fake engagement and enemies/friends to lovers tropes. Poppy was smart and independent. Langham was caring and supportive, with Poppy bringing out his protective side. I enjoyed their chemistry together and seeing their relationship deepen while working together to solve the murder. Hope to see more books in this series.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of this book.

This was an entertaining, well-written historical romance. It was fun, steamy and kept me reading. I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Whoa - how have I not read Manda Collins before? This book is spectacular! I’ve seen the other titles from the series posted about on Bookstagram and pop up in various other places, but they didn’t really capture my attention (I’m not sure if it’s because it was regency romance or the combo of historical and mystery, but I enjoy both)? I totally loved this! Combining my favorite genres of romance with cozy mystery was perfection!

I definitely recommend this to everyone who enjoys romance, regency or otherwise (I only read the sun-genre occasionally), and especially those who enjoy cozy mystery, because the combo of the two, Manda Collins’ brilliant storytelling, and all the great character development and the solving of the crime while they fell in love? This is just brilliant! I adored Poppy and Lord Langham’s story and wish it was longer (and now I have to go back to read the rest of the series). They were a no-nonsense couple from page one and straight through all the struggles and discrimination and the mystery.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest feedback.

Thanks to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for gifting me an early copy of this book to review!

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Ladies Most Scandalous series. I believe that each book can be read individually but they are best read in order. I adored this book! I have been waiting to read Langham and Poppy’s story since I first heard that they’d get their own book! If you read the previous two books, you have already met Poppy and Langham. I loved their dynamic, the banter was amazing! Langham as a hero was great and he intrigued me a lot in the previous books. I absolutely adored Poppy! I think she has a heroine was very relatable and a breath of fresh air! The writing of course was great too, I expect that anytime I pick up a book by Manda Collins. I especially loved the mystery aspect of this book! I think that lovers of historical romance and mystery will love this book!

I received an ARC from Forever Grand Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Historical Romance, Romantic Mystery, Historical Thriller
Spice Level: High (On page spice—which I skipped because I don't enjoy it.)
Tropes: Sassy Woman, Rich/Poor, Fake Engagement

I find so much delightful about this book and series.

Good:
— The characters—we have former favorites & some new ones. Strong-headed women & men who appreciate them. There are also women who support women instead of cutting each other down.
— The voice is so much fun! The tone always makes me smile.
— Interesting mystery. How would the investigators solve a crime and approach forensic evidence?
—Lighthearted banter. I absolutely love how they all talk to one another.

Bad:
— Rushed ending. I really wanted more than an "I love you"—give me more emotional outpouring of feelings!!!
— The mystery took a turn to debauchery. Is this historically accurate? (My research did not find anything similar, though there are certainly unsavory practices in the time period.)

I enjoyed it overall.
I would recommend this book to lovers of this genre with spice.

This series doesn't need to be read in order to make sense.

Happy reading!

Every time I read a Manda Collins novel, I am easily transported into the 1800s and it is such a fun ride! This story focused on Poppy, aka Flora, who fled her home to avoid an unwanted betrothal and is now returning to her home after finding out her beloved sister is being accused of murdering her husband. After running into Mr. Langham at the train station, they arrange an agreement that he will assist her with proving her sister’s innocence if she pretends to be betrothed to him to avoid family pressure to wed. This leads to a wild ride of society parties, a tangled web of lies and betrayals, lots of tension, and a race to solve a murder.

I loved Poppy and Langham’s fake dating scheme in this novel, there was so much tension! They had such meaningful conversations with one another and were so accepting of who the other person was and their insecurities. The murder storyline was solid and I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout as we got closer to solving the mystery. The family relations and friendships are so great in these novels and I love that characters from the other books in the series make an appearance in this one as well. The bonds they have formed between their group are amazing. Another enjoyable read for me with this series, I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a really fun and light read. Historical romance is one of my favorite genres and this one has witty banter, strong female characters, swoony romance, and a touch of mystery.

Poppy fled to London to get out of a bad betrothal and has been living under a false identity (Flora) and working as a secretary. She enters into a fake relationship with the Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, who wants to avoid all the women clamoring to be his Dutchess. However, the fake relationship starts to feel real as time goes on. This book is very low on the spice scale, but I hardly missed it with the chemistry, plot, and banter.

A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes is the third book in the Ladies Most Scandalous series, and I have loved every single book so far. Although characters from the first two books appear, this novel does standalone.

I can’t wait to see what the author releases next!

Happy Tuesday y'all and happy release day to A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins! Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of this book. I really liked books one and two in this series, so I was the most excited to read book three!
A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for debate—for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix's Bridgerton from the bestselling author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem!
England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most unexpected—and unwelcome—collision interrupts her journey home . . .
Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he’s not above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses intent on becoming his duchess.
Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how false their first impressions were—and the less pretend their engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can Poppy and Langham find the real culprit—before Poppy becomes the next victim?
I really liked Langham and Poppy from the other books, so I was really excited to see what their book had in store for us, and man, I definitely was not disappointed! Finding out everything about Poppy's backstory and her sister being accused of murder leading into a fake engagement between Poppy and Langham was such a great way to start this book! I also really liked Langham's sisters and grandmother and how close that whole family was. And the small town that they were in was so fun- not as progressive as London, but man, so much more drama! In terms of plot and pacing, I really liked everything that was going on in the book and the way that Manda Collins had things happen. The secret society was a fun twist and the killer makes so much sense when everything is explained. I wasn't expecting the epilogue to happen so soon after the events of the story, especially with the elements of the epilogue, but it was super cute, and overall I just really enjoyed this book and think that y'all should pick it up today!

Link to be added once post goes live

This book was great and full of twists and turns. The romance aspect was so fun as well. I enjoyed the relationship between Poppy and Langham and the ups and downs they faced. You can tell that there is chemistry between the two and when they agree to a fake relationship, you know more will happen between them. I also appreciated Langham supporting and standing up for Poppy throughout the book. It was refreshing and helped them form a better bond. Besides the romance, I loved the mystery woven throughout the book. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This book was such a fun mix of romance and mystery. It is the third book in Manda Collins Ladies Most Scandalous series. I listened to the first two books on audible and truly enjoyed them. I was excited to switch up the format while reading this book and found it just as enjoyable in this format if not even a little more enjoyable. Everything felt intentional and the characters were well developed and I found myself really rooting for them throughout the whole book. It was a quick paced book that didn't lag, which made me love it even more!

This book is perfect for people who like historical fiction, strong FMCs, romance where the plot is as important as the spice, and the fake dating trope.

I honestly have no complaints about this book. It is exactly what I look for when I pick up a book and I think it was my favorite of the series.

I flew through this. I haven’t read a historical romance in ages, and to find one that has a murder mystery in it? I stumbled upon this and didn’t realize it was the third in the series, but it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of it at all. Now I just have two more books to read 😂 I didn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. Add in some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers and fake engagement. I can’t wait to dive back into this world with the first two books!

Poppy is leaving London in a rush because she saw an article that said her sister was under suspicion for murdering her husband. As she’s waiting to buy her train ticket, her purse is snatched. As she is chasing him down, none other than the insufferable Duke of Langham stops her. He buys her ticket and is heading in the same direction. On the way he has a bargain for her. He will help her clear her sister’s name if she pretends to be his betrothed so he can dodge all the women his grandmother will be trying to set him up with. And she will do anything to help her sister.