Wallflower Most Wanted by Manda Collins is a good fit for those seeking a light-hearted, romantic mystery with a strong-willed heroine and a charming, intelligent hero.

This series has become one of my favorites and each book is better than the previous one! Manda Collins' writing is also amazing and I love how unique and well-developed her characters are. Sophia and Ben's relationship was very interesting to read about, especially as Ben is a vicar! Can't wait to read the next book!

Entertaining read. This is one of those series where you can appreciate how the author keeps readers informed on the characters from previous books...so you can read this, even if you have not read the first two. I liked the characters, and the mystery was fun to follow. It had interesting twists. Good read. Recommend.

This is the third story in the series about Sophia the painter and Ben the Vicar. There is a mystery surrounding art forgery and it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

I enjoyed this book, although at begging was a bit slow , still was entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley for this free copy.

I've read this author's work before and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd enjoy this book just as much. As historical/regency romances with a dash or suspense and mystery go, this is an entertaining read.

This book read so slowly, and as much as I wanted to get into it, I just couldn't. To be honest, I was bored out of my mind from start to finish. The synopsis read wonderfully, and the cover photo is pleasant, but that is about all I can really say about this book.

WALLFLOWER MOST WANTED – Manda Collins


Miss Sophia Hastings of Beauchamp House is innocently painting along the chalk cliff above the seashore. As she sweeps her brush across the canvas, she is startled by a male voice in the woods behind her and loses her footing, tumbling down towards the beach. Luckily, to Sophia’s shock, Lord Benedick Lisle, the local vicar, happens to be on the shoreline and rushes to her aid. While he assesses her injury, the two overhear a discussion above them that sounds ominous and threatening to someone unnamed. The vicar carries Sophia up to Beauchamp House where she is greeted by her chaperone, Lady Serena, and Serena’s sister-in-law, the Duchess of Maitland. Sophia’s ankle is swelling rapidly, and the doctor is sent for.

Beauchamp House is home to a group of fascinating young women, four of whom are selected by the late owner to inherit the estate. All of the women are talented in different ways, artistry, mathematics, and other gifts. But Sophia and her sister Gemma have been tasked by their aunt to keep an eye on one of the newest locals, Peter Morgan, who seems to have political aspirations. Now Sophia must also find who the mysterious men on the cliff are targeting. Luckily, she has the assistance of the terribly handsome vicar.

WALLFLOWER MOST WANTED is a combination of romance and mystery. While Sophia has never really planned on falling in love with any man, it’s very difficult to ignore the vicar. Benedick may be a man of the cloth, but he is hardly immune to the lovely heiress, even though her independent nature sometimes tries his patience. He doesn’t, however, want her to go off on her own to find the answer to the mysterious cliff-side discussion.

Manda Collins can make her characters come to life and her tales are always interesting and creative. WALLFLOWER MOST WANTED is part of the Studies in Scandal series and it’s a page turner. Don’t miss this fun story.

Jani Brooks

In the 3rd book in the Studies in Scandal series, we finally get Sophia's story. Sophia is the one that is an expert in painting and art. So, of course, we have a mystery involving forgery's that are happening in the area. To help her solve this, we meet Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle. After he "catches" Sophia falling from a cliff, they overhear a conversation where it implies that someone's life is in danger. So they begin their investigation and in doing so, they fall in love. I love all these characters so it was no surprise that I liked Sophia's story. I, also, liked Ben--especially that he was a vicar and not another Duke or Earl:) I really felt their love and could see those two together. Another wonderful romance by Manda Collins. I cannot wait to read the final book because I have a feeling that I'm going to love Gemma's story!

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

a tale about the third heiress, Sophia Hastings
I mostly enjoyed this book. I was turned off a bit by what appeared to me some perfunctory prose. I am not a fan when the storytelling appears perfunctory, as from a reader's perspective I lose my investment, immersion and belief in the storyline.

I have voluntarily posted a review consisting of my honest opinions. I received this product for free from Netgalley.

This has been my favourite story of the Beauchamp heiresses, told in the “Studies in Scandal” series. Miss Sophia Hastings is an exceptionally talented artist and not remotely interested in romance, until an overhead mysterious conversation sets her off on an investigation into forged art and murder. Her unlikely companion in this endeavour is the impossibly good-looking vicar, Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle, (Ben) the second son of a Duke. As their investigation progress they find themselves attracted to each other, if only Ben would stop trying to protect her he would realise she is not as fragile as he thinks. A well written love story with a great murder mystery to solve, what more could you ask for? I have enjoyed all the Heiresses stories so far (Ivy, Daphne and now Sophia’s). I can’t wait to read Gemma’s.

I tried to read this a couple of months ago but couldn't get into it, but thankfully I fared better this time around.

I love Sophie and Benedick together, they made a great team of detectives. I also love the rest of the Beauchamp heiresses. Looking forward to reading Gemma's story!

Sophia finds herself involved with the local vicar - initially in a case of forged paintings - but then in a more intimate way. Collins does an excellent job mixing romance, mystery and humor in her novels, and this is a delightful series for romance readers.

Like the other Studies in Scandal books, Wallflower Most Wanted is cute and funny. These are excellent reads for fans of Tessa Dare. They add to the adorable shippy premises fun little murder mysteries. This murder mystery even proved a bit more effective than the others.

Initially, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this romance, since Sophia's love interest is a Vicar, but Ben's utterly charming. He's sweet, funny, and joined the clergy out of a desire to help people rather than a desire to advance. They joke at one point about how he hopes he's no Mr Collins, but he's very much more a Henry Tilney type; I wish that reference had been made, but still it's delightful, because you don't get a lot of Tilneys, and he's my personal fave. The only thing that didn't quite work was the nickname "Wallflower" which seemed to come from nowhere, and it's explained as a serious thing when it would have worked better as an ironic nickname.

This series is such a delight, and I'm really looking forward to Gemma and Cam's romance, because that was an excellent set-up for it in this book. [Though I'd really like to see the heroine play the role of the white knight in the dramatic conclusion, rather than being kidnapped once again. (hide spoiler)]

The story of Lady Sophia and the local Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle is intriguing and interesting. A good read that is slow and builds into a mystery that is very enjoyable.

Sophia Hastings is one of four bluestockings who has been invited to reside at Beauchamp House to pursue her vocation and to possibly inherit the house itself. The deceased owner, Lady Beauchamp, selected the four talented ladies, each with an outstanding ability. Sophia is an artist. As she's painting near the shore, she is so engrossed in her work, that the sudden voices she hears startle her enough to send her tumbling over the cliff to the beach below. Thankfully, her injury isn't serious, but she lands right at the feet of the vicar.

Lord Benedick Lisle is the son of a duke, though he's not the heir. Rather than his father forcing him into a vocation, Benedick is actually quite well off, and became a vicar by his own choice. Ben is a very handsome, single man, and has become used to the young ladies pursuing him. However, Sophia is the first one to literally fall at his feet. As he begins to aid her, they hear the voices up on the cliff that so startled Sophia, and it appears that they are planning something very dastardly.

Ben and Sophia both have a strong sense of right and wrong, and they are both determined to find out who those mysterious voices belonged to before they can proceed with their criminal intent. As they spend more time together, they find a camaraderie and closeness that they couldn't have imagined. Though they were casually acquainted, they had previously dismissed each other as someone so totally opposite of themselves, that they couldn't imagine a romance. Yet, a romance does develop, and it's sweet and passionate and real.

I fell in love with both of these characters and with the story. Ben in particular has a distinct sense of honor, a genuine desire to help and serve others, yet he's a handsome and sexy man who feels all the emotions and desires any man does. Sophia is a beautiful young woman who doesn't truly recognize or care that all the young men in town seem to flock around her. She's kind, serious about her work, sometimes hasty with a remark, but always ready to apologize and forgive.

WALLFLOWER MOST WANTED contains murder, forgery, and mystery, but the focus is on the wonderful love developing between an unlikely couple. The other bluestockings and Ben's family add some humor as they can't help meddling. I loved watching Ben and Sophia decide that their love was more important than any differences or obstacles they would have to overcome. The passion between this couple is steamy, yet portrayed in such a way that Ben is not untrue to his beliefs. I love and recommend WALLFLOWER MOST WANTED, which I happily devoured in one sitting

I struggled to get into this book. It wasn’t bad, but it was very slow and it took a really long time before I was even remotely interested in either main character, much less a romance between them.

I picked this up because the hero was a vicar and the blurb promised that he and the heroine would “confront their fiery mutual passion.” I mistakenly thought this would be perhaps a forbidden romance, or at a minimum a gentle reserved hero who would be tempted by a passionate woman. Not so much.

This is the third book in Manda Collins’ Studies in Scandal series and I did not read the first two books. Sometimes with historical romance series, that doesn’t matter. Often, they stand alone very well and you barely notice that there may have been stories that came before. Not here. I wasn’t lost, necessarily, but there were plenty of references to the earlier books and with the struggles I already had to care about the main couple, this only made my problem worse.

Anyway, Sophia is one of four women who apparently were bequeathed a house based on skills each of them possessed. Each of the four women get their own book and have their own gifts. One is really smart. One is a math whiz. Sophia is a talented artist. As the story begins, she is painting at the top of a cliff when she is startled by male voices and falls. Obviously, she does not plummet to her death, but she does twist her ankle and lands on Ben the vicar. They overhear two men talking about possibly killing an artist and realize they have a mystery to solve.

Of course, Ben does not want to endanger a fragile lady with what could be a dangerous investigation. Especially once his brother brings word that he needs to help the crown bust a forgery ring, which he realizes is tied into what they overheard. But Sophia is stubborn and forces him to keep his word and work as a team. The story follows their effort to unravel the scheme as they end up falling in love.

I was decidedly underwhelmed. This was a superficial read. It made me feel nothing. In fact, in the first third, I was flat out bored. There was nothing overt that turned me off, I just could not muster any enthusiasm to want to keep reading. I did finish and the ending is largely as you would expect, though with one small twist in the murder mystery. But overall, I found it flat and I do not see myself revisiting the series.

PS — How could Ben keep calling Sophia a wallflower when she had a horde of suitors? Makes no sense.

Rating: C

I just didn't connect with this book for some indescribable reason. The writing is clever, the characters are likeable enough, but I was just kind of "meh" about it and kept putting it down to read something else. For whatever reason, this book and I just didn't have chemistry. It wasn't BAD by any means, just not for me.

An engaging story with a well drawn female protagonist and hero in the regency period.

As a dedicated artist, Miss Sophia Hastings could care less about finding Mr. Right then finding the correct angle of light for her paintings. However, when she overhears a conversation indicating that there was danger for local artists she had to get involved. It appeared that someone was making forgeries of famous works of art and passing them off as the originals. What she wasn’t anticipating though was having to accept the assistance of the new impossibly handsome vicar who insists on accompanying her in her quest for more information.

Reverend Lord Benedict Lisle feels that Sophia is no damsel in distress, but he is not about to let her wander off alone either. He finds Sophia’s curious, free-spirited nature extremely alluring and he is planning to save her from herself before she she gets further into a situation that is becoming more and more dangerous, and he was beginning to feel that he wasn’t about to lose the one woman who stirred more than just his heart!

*** I simply love a good mystery and romance and find it even better when the two protagonists seem so completely polar opposites. However, one thing Benedict did realize right from the start is that no one should ever keep Sophia’s art interpretation’s from being shown at the upcoming art exhibition. Sophia’s art might be a bit disturbing but it was life and not just the lovely landscapes most genteel young woman were supposed to paint.

Their relationship grew throughout the story and it was a lovely development from regard, to valued friendship, and obviously a great passion for one another either wasn’t ready to admit to. I must say that this story was great, the culprit who was actually producing the fake masterpieces was quite a twist I never saw coming. All in all, a wonderfully engaging story.

Marilyn Rondeau