Duke with Benefits was a fantastic read with an intriguing mystery and a romance I couldn’t help but root for!

Daphne Forsyth, a brilliant mathematician, has come to Beauchamp House to find and decode the Cameron Cipher which is said to lead to great riches. Lady Celeste has left Daphne the cipher, hidden somewhere in the library at Beauchamp House and she need only find it. As Daphne begins her search for the cipher, she is quickly waylaid by the distraction that is Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland. Soon the two are caught up in the search for the cipher while trying to deal with the growing attraction between them. However the search quickly turns perilous when they discover someone else is looking for the cipher and they’re willing to kill to find it.

Daphne was my favorite character in the first book, Ready Set Rogue, so I was very excited to read her book. She has no filter and says exactly what she’s thinking which has a tendency to get her in trouble. She doesn’t understand most social conventions and will usually choose to avoid people if possible. Dalton is a man of honor and believes in doing the right thing. After witnessing his father’s terrible treatment of women, he vowed never to do the same. He has a wonderful relationship with the rest of his family and has a generally positive outlook on life.

Daphne and Dalton work very well together both in their quest to find the Cameron Cipher and as a couple. While Daphne can be awkward, Dalton is quite charming and deals well with people. Daphne is definitely the brains behind their operation and Dalton is more than willing to defer to her expertise. He’s fascinated by Daphne and thinks it’s amazing the way her mind works. Their chemistry is off the charts and their relationship develops wonderfully throughout the book.

The mystery of the Cameron Cipher and the treasure was a lot of fun. I love anything dealing with treasure hunts and setting one in the Regency period was like pure gold for me. I loved how none of the clues were straightforward and how Daphne was the only one able to figure them out. I also really enjoyed how the author set up who else was searching for the cipher. She does a good job at keeping you guessing and while my guess at the suspect was correct, it was still a lot of fun watching everything unfold.

Overall, I enjoyed Duke with Benefits much more than the first book in the series, Ready Set Rogue, and will definitely be continuing on with the series.

I must admit, the sequel here is much better than the first book. While Ready Set Rogue, the first book in this series, had a lot of time lapse issues, this novel flowed well throughout its entirety. I appreciated that this one was not a whirlwind romance as the couple had known and interacted with one another four months prior to the beginning of this book. It was refreshing not to have insta-love.

As for characters, Maitland is an adorably sweet hero who any girl would swoon for, whereas Daphne takes a bit more to get used to her. I enjoyed the growth of Daphne’s character from beginning to end. She ends up being a lovely character who needs a little more of a filter.

Overall this was a pretty good romance novel that I recommend to fans of the genre.

I was excited to read this book! Manda Collins has great storylines and creates unique, intriguing characters. The main problem I had with this book was the heroine - she just was way over-the-top in her lack of understanding basic social skills. I get that she was extremely isolated growing up and didn't have much interaction with women or polite society. But she can't even understand basic phrases, such as "plain as the nose on your face" and ideas being "palatable". It got really annoying, and I found her less and less attractive as a heroine. But couldn't connect with her on a personal level, so it held me back from enjoying the book. I did try many times to take a break and come back to it, but it didn't make a difference. This book just didn't do it for me.

Duke With Benefits had me completely enthralled from page one. Mentally, I did an excited little happy dance after reading the first few pages as I realised that this was going to be a gem of a story.
I love historical mysteries and this one didn't disappoint. Secret rooms, a hidden cipher, a lost treasure, not to mention a murderer on the loose made this a great romantic adventure not to be missed.

Daphne and Maitland make a lovely couple. They don't have any silly misunderstandings or huge squabbles because they actually talk to each other. Daphne speaks her mind very matter of factly and Maitland is always at hand to support, help and protect Daphne from any threats that come their way during their investigations.
The supporting cast were equally as likeable and entertaining. I am particularly intrigued with Maitland's sister as she had quite a troubled back story and so I am itching to see what happens next.

Its easy to like the Duke of Maitland. He is a natural charmer, and good with people. Daphne Forsyth on the other hand is a natural with numbers, and good at solving puzzles. This unlikely pair find that they are a natural match as they work together to uncover a long hidden treasure, and thwart the villains who are competing with them in the chase.

Manda Collins tells the tale with humor and heat. A fun read!

Mystery, intrigue, danger and romance keep the reader enthralled in this story. This is the second title in the studies in scandal series and although I had not read the first story in this series it did not hinder my enjoyment of this story.
There is so much mystery and intrigue as well as romance right from the get go that I was immediately pulled into the drama. I wanted to know all about Lady Daphne Forsthy's past and her attraction to the Duke of Maitland. Would their instant spark of attraction between them that was unlike anything she'd ever felt before be true love or would it be like so many other relationships she had witnessed in her life, and he would try to manipulate her gifts in mathematics and deciphering puzzles for his own gain. I thought Daphne and Dalton had great chemistry together and there were a few hot sex scenes throughout the book.
A lot happens in a short period of time. Their attraction, him wanting to help her and his protectiveness as well as murder and drama as they search for the Cameron Cipher. There are a few sub characters that are involved and there is lots of mystery surrounding them, who they are and how exactly they play into everything. I was completely intrigued but always wanting more information.
With twists and turns along the way that keep you guessing, you will find yourself captivated until the end.
What will become of Lady Daphne and Duke of Maitland's attraction? Will Lady Daphne decipher the Cameron cipher? You will have to read to find out.

Received a copy through the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

This is one of the best suspense filled regency romance series I have ever had the pleasure to read. I loved the first book in the series and was eager to read the subsequent books so grabbed the opportunity to read this, via NetGalley, with absolute delight. The background is that four bluestocking, very talented young ladies have been brought together by being the heirs to Lady Celeste who they had also never previously met. The condition for them to receive their share of their inheritance is they must live together in Beauchamp House for a year and Lady Celeste has left letters for all of them. In her letter to Lady Daphne Forsyth she challenges her to find and solve the notorious Cameron Cipher and suggests that her nephew, Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, could assist her in this quest. However, they aren't the only ones seeking to discover the treasure in this brilliant, action packed novel!

The characters are complex but brought to life by this talented author. Lady Daphne is one of the foremost mathematicians of her age but she struggles with social conventions - often causing offence with her honest opinions and straightforward manner. This, however, endears her to the Duke of Maitland and the attraction between them rapidly grows. However, there are distractions from their endeavours as victims of their unknown competitor include someone being murdered, another seriously injured and there's even a kidnapping. The story has plenty of twists and turns, a real page turner that had me enthralled from the very beginning. I am so impressed with this author's skill at bringing her story to life in the imagination of the reader and, although this mystery is solved, I can't wait to read future novels in this series!

Whilst you await it becoming available, I recommend reading the first novel in this series, Ready Set Rogue  before this one!

An interesting book about the eccentric ladies who are brought together as they inherit an estate. This is the second book in the installment and Daphne with her amazing analytical mind is the focus. She is terrible at all personal interactions and has been terribly misused by her Father. You will find yourself easily engaged. Do yourself a favor and also pick up the first book in the series.

~ARC given by the publisher via NetGalley.~

The Second book of the series.

In book one, all of the four ladies were introduced. Along with the rest of the characters in the book. The thing is, from book one, the Duke of Maitland, Dalton have already set his sights on Lady Daphne Forsyth.

I must say, I really enjoyed how this book started and how it ended.

As a woman with an exceptional mathematical mind, Daphne always had a hard time coping with the people around her. She is unable to curb her thoughts so to speak. Hence, people tend to stay away from her due to her bluntness. Dalton on the other hand may not posses a great mind, but his social skills is really good.

Each book seemed to have pattern pf sorts. Ivy and Quill had to look for a killer, while Daphne is treasure hunting. Though honestly, the series is a form of extreme matchmaking. Yup. and that made the series interesting.

What would the next book like? Will there be another rainy encounter? I really like that. Who will be the next Scholar to fall in love?

I gave this book 4 stars. It was a good book but took awhile for me to read it. Had good characters and I like that it's in a series but I felt like it was a bit drawn out.

This book is filled with secrets, a murder mystery, romance and more. Sit back and enjoy where all the turns lead you. The characters were all likeable in their good and bad ways. I hope to see more of them in the future.

Daphne, the heroine of this story, is a genius in mathematics but socially awkward and always tends to say the wrong things. She has a hard time picking up social cues and reading others emotions.

Dalton, The Duke of Maitland, is attracted to Daphne and offers to help her in her quest to find the Cameron Cipher. Dalton is socially skilled and good with people.

We were introduced to these two characters in the first book of the series. It was interesting to see things from Daphne's point of view and how she interpreted the events around her.

Dalton and Daphne balance each other out as characters. The mystery they embark on to solve shows how well they work together and complement each other.

I'm looking forward to reading the next story in this series.

I read the first book in this series and was a little disappointed, but DUKE WITH BENEFITS was a delightful read. The second story dealing with four bluestockings who inherit the Beauchamp house is much more fleshed out without the timeline problems that happened in the first book. I loved Daphne Forsythe, the brilliant, but socially awkward, mathematician. When she meets Dalton Beauchamp, Duke of Maitland, she felt safe for the first time in her life around men. Dalton is an honorable man and is shocked with Daphne propositions him with a tryst. He rejects it out of hand, but Daphne takes it as a rejection of her. In the meantime, all four ladies help Daphne find the Cameron cypher, which is reported to lead to a chest of gold, buried for hundreds of years near Beauchamp House.

Ms. Collins does a great job teasing out the relationship between Daphne and Dalton without using the instant lust I see in so many regency novels. Their romance was a slow boil and very believable. Fans of Regency romances with a intriguing mystery thrown in will definitely enjoy this book. I look forward to the next book in this series.

This is unusual, in having a believable heroine on the AS spectrum, and not "fixing" her, but having her unique talents as a math prodigy be central to resolving the treasure hunt of the plot, and having the hero treasure her for her mind.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

This series is my favorite historical romance series of 2017. The playful, moody, sexy, and smart ladies complemented by joking, protective, hunky heroes will put a smile and spring in your step. I can't wait for the next two ladies stories.

Lady Daphne, genius at Mathematics, inherits a house with three other women. They are there to work on each ones specialty. The last book Ivy met and married Lord Kerr, cousin to the Duke of Maitland. Lady Daphne, has no social skills, none, She says exactly what she is thinking, not exactly the correct behavior in polite Society! However, the Duke, finds her totally refreshing, honesty toward a Duke being minimal, if it exists at all.
She is looking for the clues that lead to a chest of gold! Enter the mystery part of the story, death, danger, love, and romance! What more could you ask of a book? I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
Carolintallahassee 👒

Manda Collins' Studies in Scandal series are entertaining historical romances.

I like this time period and liked that Daphne was a strong character. I wish there was more depth to Maitland. The reasons for him being unlike his father could have been explored and expanded. I also think that the reasons Daphne had for not marrying could have been discussed with Maitland since he was insistent upon marriage although they were swept along in the relationship anyway. Daphne was blunt but not about her feelings most times. The death of Lady Celeste was not investigated and explained as much which made it unresolved to me. What happened to the gold and couldn't it has been used to help the needy?

Duke with Benefits by Manda Collins is a brilliant historical. Manda Collins has a lot to offer readers in this exciting tale. From a strong heroine with a stunning mathematical mind to a good looking Duke. Both travel together to solve a mystery that the Duke's dead aunt left behind for them all. A cipher most wanted by all. If uncoded, can lead to a massive amount of gold that in the wrong hands can led to a war. But that's not all. A spy once for the government is after the cipher. One person has died, another struggling to live, and two are kiddnapped. The action, intrigue, and suspense are worthy for all. I couldn't stop reading this engaging romance. The heat level was enticing...I loved the Duke and his soon to be wife. But first he'll have to convince her marriage to him is what she wants and needs. Overall, Duke with Benefits is addictive. I recommend it to readers worldwide.

I am really enjoying this book. It's nice to find a Regency romance that still retains the ambiance of the period. The characters are likable and well-developed, This book are just plain enjoyable!!