I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Lady Katherine Bascomb knows what it is like to be vulnerable in the world. As a widow, she has more freedom than some, and so when a series of murders start to occur in Victorian London, she, and best friend Miss Caroline Hardcastle, use Kate's paper to create a new column, entitled 'A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem'. Writing about the murders soon find the two aggravating the Metropolitan Police, and resulting in the removal of Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham from the Commandment Killer case. Andrew is not happy to say the least, and wants Kate to stay out of the case, but when she visits friends in the Cumbrian countryside, and stumbles across a body that is seemingly linked, Andrew needs to work with Kate to discover the truth about the murders, and why they seemed to be tied so much to the estate of the late poet, Sebastian Philbrick.

As soon as I saw this book spoken about online, I knew it was one I needed to read, so when I received the email saying I was approved, I was ecstatic. A Victorian murder mystery, full of intrigue and romance, A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem was fantastic. Kate, as the main character, was a joy to read. Being the daughter of an impoverished Earl, she was forced to marry a man 20 years her senior, who was cruel, and now widowed, and in charge of her own newspaper, she is recovering. She knows that the world is a cruel place, but as a woman, she is often excluded from the nitty gritty, which does more harm than good. With Caro at her side, they work on a column that is to help all of the country, but especially the women, to understand the truth about crime and the dangers out there. When they interview a witness in the Commandment Killer case, which embarrasses the Met, they only think of helping, but for Andrew, they've cost him his position on the case, to someone who is less thorough. There's an animosity between Kate and Andrew from the get go, because of this, but there's an attraction which allows for an easy sort of partnership, that soon develops into more.

The mystery surrounding the Commandment Killer was enjoyable, though there were some times I guessed at what was happening next, and the identity of the killer. However, it was interesting to see the development, and the murders which occur later on were surprising, as were the links which tied the whole case together. I found myself devouring the second half of the book in mere hours, and was hooked from the moment we arrived at Thornfield Hall, and the action really ramped up.

What was the best part of the story, though, were the friendships and relationship which develop in the book. We see Kate and Caro meet for the first time, and grow into such a budding friendship it's as if they've known each other from childhood. They have a witty banter, and an easiness which was refreshing. Kate also has a best friend in Lord Valentine Thorn, the younger son of a nobleman, who's estate is where the majority of the action occurs. Andrew is jealous of their relationship, but they're more like brother and sister in how close they are. The funny thing, though, is that Caro and Val seem to despise each other, and there's a backstory to them that we're not too sure of, but the sequel is supposedly all about them, and I can't wait! Andrew and Kate are perfect for each other, and their intelligence and partnership makes it so much more than just lust and sexual tension. I do hope we see more of them in book 2, and can't wait to get my hands on it!

British period-piece murder mystery reminiscent of Masterpiece Mystery with a romance shoe-horned in.

Lady Katherine Bascomb and Inspector Andrew Eversham are set up to be enemies-to-lovers (she owns a newspaper and co-writes a crime column; he's a cop), and he's initially investigating the Commandments Killer case. But even as the story takes these two from London, out to a house party in the country, I never really bought the supposed chemistry between them, despite both characters commenting on the attraction.

It has strong feminist themes and a solid mystery that unfolds like a game of Clue. A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem will likely be a better fit for mystery/cozy mystery readers than romance.

I’m not gonna lie. I’m completely stepping out of my comfort zone with this book. I’m a huge romance lover but usually I tend to stick to contemporary romances. Once in a blue moon I will read a thriller/mystery if I’m not too scared of it and history books and I do not get along. So I went into this with a bit of hesitation whether it would be a book that I would be interested in.

I did have a hard time getting to the story. For me the writing was dry and uneventful at the beginning. I had a hard time connecting with the characters bc of the dated language. But I did feel the author did have great descriptive narrative which made it easy to visually see each scene. As I read I could see each part play out in my head like a movie.

The mystery aspect of the story was a lot of fun. It kept the book face paced and interesting. I was captivated by that aspect of the story trying to solve the mystery along with Kate and Andrew. They had good banter and fun scenes but at times I thought the mystery would overshadow the romance.

Even though this book wasn’t for me, I feel that people who enjoy these genres would enjoy this book. Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for this ARC

Disclaimer: I got this as an ARC from NetGalley.

I think it's perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and The Ex Talk. This is about a female reporter and a detective.

<blockquote><i>"I think you are a gifted detective but have little understanding of what life is like for the female population. You aren't the first man to suffer from this failing and you won't be the last. I simply ask that you consider my words the next time you think to dismiss some act by a lady as improper. Consider how much of what we've designated as proper and improper is less about manners and more about keeping ladies in their place. Where they won't get in the way of the men."</i></blockquote>

This book had so many aspects within it that made me think I would enjoy it. Kate is a widow and owner of a newspaper; she's outspoken and confident; she takes lovers; she has a strong female friendship with another writer. But a lot of about this book just didn't click for me.

<b>SUMMARY</b>

Kate and her new friend Caro decide to write a column for the newspaper Kate owns called A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem because of the lack of information on a new serial killer. In the first article they interview a barmaid who provides a clue the police didn't catch, and after publishing it Andrew Evesham (the detective on the serial killer case) is removed and replaced.

After Kate retreats to a country house party, she stumbles on a dead body... and Evesham is called to help investigate.

Sparks fly as the two pair to solve the mystery.

<B>THOUGHTS</b>

Like I said, there were certain things about this book that just didn't work for me. For one, I didn't buy the romance at all. I think it could have been interesting had they been hooking up throughout the book or before the book... a sort of antagonistic relationship where he's the "crime solver" and she's the "crime reporter" and the two are constantly at odds. But how it was, it was this weird sort of instant attraction but I didn't buy into the chemistry at all. And the leap to love was just too far for me.

I don't feel that I knew either character. We learn about Kate's past mainly through other people, like her friend Val recounting the marriage her parents arranged with a controlling man twenty years her senior. She never talks about it or even really thinks about it, or her past - except for I think one passage where she notes that even as the daughter of a marquess she was never raised wealthy. Andrew, on the other hand, we know is the grandson of a baronet (though he cut off Andrew's father), and his father is a vicar. But his past? His personality? Lost to me.

Finally, the mystery. I don't love romance mysteries, so they have to be well done or entertaining. This one missed the mark for me. I wasn't invested or interested in it, and the "reveal" was done in a spewing monologue immediately before everything is righted. And then the story wraps up - truly - two pages later.

—

<i>I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.</i> I know the ARC is an uncorrected proof but I hope they change the formatting of speech because it was distracting. Ex:

"This is one character talking," character said. "They are still talking."
"Ok the same character from above is still talking. They should have left the end quotation mark off after 'talking' above to imply the next line was the same character."

I wanted to like this book so much, but it just didn't work for me. It took so long to get into the story that I didn't feel connected to the characters. I didn't care about the mystery or about the relationship between the MC's because it just took so long to grab my attention. The cover is adorable. I am sure that others will love it, but I prefer a faster paced romance and plot.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem is a cozy little mystery-cum-romance. Kate (that's Lady Katherine Bascomb to you!) owns and writes for her own newspaper. When she engages in a little investigative journalism, she inadvertently stunts the career of Andrew Eversham, Detective Investigator with Scotland Yard and implicates an innocent man as a serial killer. When there's another murder that fits the profile of the others, our MCs are thrown together - Kate discovers the body, and Andrew is sent to investigate.

We felt that this was slightly more mystery than romance, making it a perfect fall read. It also follows the lead of some recent historical romance releases in that is has a decidedly feminist slant. Kate's newspaper publishes articles for all classes of society, but her columns - written for women - focus on those subjects that are considered too crass for women's eyes.

We also enjoy reading romances where both the hero and heroine have to bend a little for each other. Kate has to face the fact that her impetuous journalism, while factual, had negative consequences for at least two men, and that her preconceived notions about Andrew were incorrect. Andrew, for his part, has to deal with his realization that not only is his employer not as impartial as it appears, but also that his whole concept of society needs to be reassessed. (We are suckers for the man-of-law on the straight-and-narrow who has a hard time grasping that other people are not as honorable as he is.)

And for anyone wondering, yes, the book is steamy - but not too steamy!

As a reader who loves mysteries and romance, this book intrigued me as soon as I read about it. Unfortunately, the pieces just didn’t come together throughout the story.
The main characters are Katherine, a widowed member of the aristocracy, and Andrew, a police officer who is the grandson of a Baron. They clash after Katherine’s reporting reveals that Andrew’s team missed out on a witness who saw who one of the victims left with the night of her death. Andrew is off the case, someone else is ushered in to make a quick arrest, and Katherine’s off to the country.
Unfortunately, the murders are continuing there, and Andrew has been sent to confirm if it is the same killer. Sometime after that, lust is overwhelming, and that’s the romance of the book, really. I was really interested in the romance being more predominant than in most mysteries but it was sloppy. They really didn’t get to know each other anywhere other than in bed. They never establish trust and keep trying to outdo each other in the investigation instead of working together as they agreed to.
There is a lot of repetition that hopefully gets smoothed out in the final version of the book (references to Valentine aka Val her childhood friend, Andrew’s background, etc).
The Kat and Caroline friendship was another example of a weak plot point - suddenly Caroline is her other BFF but all they’ve done is write a column together. She didn’t even offer Caro compensation for her work (Caro is rich, so maybe that’s why?) But the column name, which is the title “A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem” does not sound like it’s about the serial murders going on in the city. The book touches on how dismissive men are of women over and over and then it seems like they couldn’t bother with the basic effort of a column name that seemed to take the investigation seriously. It sounds like a matchmakers gossip column.
Ultimately, too many parts just didn’t work out. The romance was weak, the mystery was intriguing but ultimately fell apart. The mystery pacing was steady but kept getting stuck on the main characters trying to solve it on their own. I think what frustrates me the most, reading it, is that I can see the potential, and I really wanted to like this book more than I did.

Yesss, this was what I need and what I wholeheartedly enjoy! Murder mystery meets romcom might be my dreamy blend that I never get bored from! A sharp witted, smart lady columnist teams up with charming detective who blames her for nearly ending his career to catch a serial killer who murders the people violate the rules of Ten Commandments!

And guess what! After taking from the case, our charming as hell detective Andrew Eversham is assigned for the murder case in countryside village which has quite similarities with the murders of the serial killer they presumedly caught. What if they put the wrong man behind the bars, misguided by fiery columnist Lady Bascomb’s article?

And guess who is also the key witness of Eversham’s new case? Of course you know who she is! The very same Katherine Bascomb!!! Their paths are unfortunately crossed again. And Eversham has second thoughts for misjudging Lady Bascomb who is apologizing him for causing the obstruction of the justice with her article, pointing at the wrong man and putting a key witness’ life in danger.

Sudden Eversham’s change of heart, his undeniable attraction to this witty and beautiful lady could jeopardize his position as a honorable inspector but he barely holds himself for nor falling for her hard and dear lady Bascomb also has worries after being married with a controlling asshole for a long time, she wants to be with a man showing the respect she deserves, accepting equal partnership.

The identity of the serial killer (at least some part of it ) was predictable but we get our logical answers! The interrogation and investigation process at countryside were intriguing and kept my attention intact!

It was entertaining, riveting murder mystery with feminism vibes and criticizing realistic approach of class differences.

Katherine’s writing partner Caro Hardcastle and her restless cat were so adorable! I cannot wait to read her and Lord Valentine Thorn’s book! Both of them are fiery, smart characters!

Overall: another fastest reads of mine! I’m giving my mysterious, 19th century British, glamorous, enjoyable, clever and well earned four stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/ Forever for sharing this very impressive digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Q: are you a true crime fan?

Manda Collins’s A Lady’s Guide to Mischief & Mayhem has been on my radar for months because I AM TRASH for romances where the leads try to solve a crime together. Add in some enemies to lovers & a working-class hero—which I’ve waxed rhapsodically about before—& this book was a pretty scrumptious affair.

A serial killer known as the Commandments Killer is targeting people in London. Newspaper owner & widow Lady Katherine Bascomb and her plucky friend Caro think they can investigate the crimes & share their thoughts in a column written with a female audience in mind.

Their column, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief & Mayhem, reveals new info about one of the crimes, indirectly leading to the firing of honorable & capable Scotland Yard Inspector Andrew Eversham off the case & the arrest of an innocent man.

Inspector Andrew is not happy with Katherine. He wants to find the real killer. He’s especially not happy with Katherine after she attends a house party & another body turns up—is it a victim of the same serial killer?

Against his wishes Andrew & Katherine will work together to find the killer. (But only if Andrew can’t manage to sneak out for his investigations without her.)

A sage, whip-smart, & engaging romance, The Lady’s Guide has a lot to offer. Katherine is a fantastic character—she doesn’t hesitate to school Andrew repeatedly on womanhood & its restrictions, she isn’t willing to accept any less than she’s due. She *definitely* doesn’t want to be with someone (maybe kiss someone?) who only wants to coddle her.

Their disagreements are frequent & I love it because differences in thinking—like those regarding women’s place—wouldn’t be easily overcome IRL. Sometimes you have to see/hear something again & again before it finally hits you. & Andrew does eventually get it.

The mystery is intriguing, there’s some steam (though I could always use more ), & I lived over & over again for the irrepressible heroine.

4⭐️. A Lady’s Guide is out on 11/10. Thanks to Netgalley & Forever Pub & Grand Central Pub for the complimentary ARC and finished copy, respectively. All opinions provided are my own.

Lady Katherine Bascomb may be a lady in title, but she's like not your typical London woman of nobility circa 1865. Kate, as she's known to friends, is widow (a face of which she's grateful for) and owner of a newspaper. When she and her friend Caro stumble into a murder investigation, much to the ire of Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham, chaos and romance--or as some might put it, "mischief and mayhem"--ensue.

I don't read a significant amount of historicals, but with the promise of a feminist take, a cute cover, romance, and mystery, I was IN! I'm a huge mystery fan, but have been solidly on the romance train as of late and was happy to ease back into mystery with this combination tale. And this story didn't disappoint! The murder mystery was fairly simplistic and a bit rushed in the end, though there was one major twist I don't want to spoil, that I didn't see coming! I'm always impressed when the wool is pulled over my eyes. The romance was well done with great chemistry and banter between our main characters, though, once again, the ending felt rushed, it may be appropriate for the time period? Thankfully the book didn't leave Kate "with child," as I feared would happen.

Overall, this was a really cute story, and I think anyone who enjoys historical romances OR mysteries would love it, as it has just the right amount of each! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars - 8/10

I've read the Ugly Duckling series from Manda Collins and enjoyed it a lot. I was really intrigued by this book...romance, historical and mystery? Yes, Please!
I enjoyed the characters and the sleuthing. I would have liked the main characters to have a bit more depth to them. I felt they were lacking somewhat. I did like that Katherine took charge of her life, professional and personal/romantic, after she became a widow. You don't often see that with widowed characters.
Now Caro and Valentine? I really want to read their book! I adored the spunky Caro!
The mystery wasn't too hard to figure out though there were some questions to the timeline on ages of some of the people involved. It could just be me in that regard.
3.75 stars.

What a brilliant Historical Romance with a side of romantic suspense and mystery!

These two characters were so at odds with each other, but as we know with romance, there is a very fine line between enemies and lovers! I love when historical romances are able to shout out the misogyny of that time period, and have their characters rise above it.

"Consider how much of a what we've designated at proper and improper is less bout manners and more about keeping ladies in their place. Where they won't get in the way of me."

This adventurous tale had me on the edge of my seat most of the book, with strong female characters you could not help but like and cheer for. Our hero, Andrew, was extremely protective of Kate, which made him all the more swoon worthy.

"Unable to stop himself, he pulled her to him and kissed her with all the sweet intensity of a man who loves and was loved in return."

I enjoyed every moment of this delightful book, and I look forward to the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, it has been a while since I can say I've read a true page turner and A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem was that

I would recommend if you're looking for:

-enemies to lovers
-close proximity
-opposites attract
-fully realized secondary characters
-a slow burn that pays off
-a murder mystery
-a feminist historical romance
-a who dunit that was a bit of a Clue game in a book

There were so many layers to this book. It was a murder mystery, a romance, a book about the class system. This was a lowborn but the romance vein runs throughout though it doesn't really pic up until the second half of the book. I really enjoyed Kate's story as she dealt with her life as a widow, the freedom it gave her that she never had before.

Andrew wasn't a perfect hero. They clashed, he had to examine his own expectations. But the feelings and steam were definitely earned in this one. I absolutely loved Val and Caro and am so excited to see that they're getting their own book. Women's agency and their right to be informed and make decisions was wonderful to see. This is the modern wave of historical romances and I am enjoying every moment of it.

Rating: 5 stars
Steam: 2.5

Lady Kathrine Bascome is a widow who's running her deceased husband's newspaper. After a string of murders and a chance meeting with Lady Caroline Hardcastle, they team up to write articles from a woman's perspective regarding the murders and safety. When a man is wrongly accused based on their article Andrew Eversham, the lead detective is released from the case. After another murder occurs, Andrew decides to do his own investigation, but can't seem to shake Lady Kathrine.

I adore historical fiction and this is a pretty solid one. It has a decent murder mystery, good characters and dialogue. I will say that I didn't feel a lot of romantic development between Kate and Andrew, I could feel some chemistry but not a ton. A few things I like: Kate is a widow with business aspirations and not a 20-year-old "spinster" who does needlepoint to calm herself, she is self-assured and smart. I also like that Andrew is not nobility, I enjoyed the perspective of him being working class. Overall this is a good, quickish read that's not too heavy despite the murder mystery aspect.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins is a great historical fiction that has it all: murder/mystery, romance, and witty prose and banter abound. All of these concepts are woven together to create a fun, entertaining start to a new Victorian mystery series.

This is the first book in the: A Lady's Guide series. Here we have widower and newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb going head to head at the same time, joining forces with Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham to help solve a string of murders shrouded in mystery. What starts as distrust and frustration, soon turns to mutual appreciation, attraction, and romance.

I enjoyed the complexity of the characters, the full character cast, the chemistry/interactions of Katherine and Eversham, and I enjoyed their team as they sleuthed through to the conclusion. Katherine is an intelligent, strong, independent, likeable, yet flawed character, which I feel makes her more realistic and all together a more well-rounded character. She seemed to compliment Eversham with his contrasting, yet similar personality. The end result gives the book a perfect fit into a historical romance/comedy.

I think that this book definitely sets up the foundation of the series in a way that there will be plenty of excellent material and characters to draw from for subsequent novels. The murder/mystery plot kept me entertained, and I loved the timeframe of London 1860s as the backdrop to the story. I am looking forward to the next book in this series that will feature Val and Caro. This will definitely be a good one just from what I have seen from these witty, sassy, and ultimately awesome characters.

4/5 stars

Thank you Forever Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, and Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, B&N and Instagram accounts upon publication on 11/10/2020.

A historical fiction with both crime, murder AND romance?!???? Yes yes and yes!!! Lady Katherine is a crime journalist who witnesses a murder in the country. Detective Andrew’s career is on the line and he needs to solve this case pronto. He does not want Katherine to mess up this case for him but soon discovers that she is actually very smart and insightful. I love how the female protagonist is not a damsel in distress but a strong and smart character.

Lady Katharine Bascomb is a force to be reckoned with. The owner and manager of her late husband's newspaper, Kate has no qualms about speaking her mind, will do anything to get the scoop, and works tirelessly to make sure every citizen is well-informed about the string of murders that have been plaguing London. But when she publishes an interview that leads to an arrest, Kate immediately knows one thing is certain: Scotland Yard has the wrong man, and she is the one to blame for putting an innocent man behind bars. Kate will do anything to make things right, which, oddly enough, starts with going to a house party in the country.... where she immediately stumbles over a dead body with the Commandments Killer's signature.

Meanwhile, Inspector Andrew Eversham is furious. Not only has the Commandments Killer case been plaguing him for nearly a year with few leads, a newspaper article published by K. Bascomb has him taken off the case an arrest made--for the wrong person. He's given a second chance by his superiors when a body has been found at a country estate, and he is quick to investigate... only to come face-to-face with the infuriating, infamous K. Bascomb--AKA Lady Katharine--herself. Begrudgingly, he allows Kate to assist him in the case, especially upon realizing that women feel more comfortable talking to her than his less-than-affable self.

When the killer strikes again, it becomes a race against time to prevent another murder. But who followed Kate from London? What does it have to do with the poet who used to own their host's house? And why oh why are Kate and Eversham so attracted to each other, despite loathing each other?

Mischief and Mayhem is abundant. Can Kate and Eversham be up to the task of putting an end to it?

Part rom-com, part-mystery, all fun, "A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem" is the perfect fix for all of your Victorian-era romances and cozy mystery needs! Mixing adventure, flirtations, shenanigans, snark, and more, Collins has crafted a novel I never wanted to end, even with it's wonderful Happily-Ever-After! Readers will rejoice when they learn that there is to be a sequel, this time focusing on Caro and Lord Valentine (an enemies to lovers extravaganza to behold!).

Add a little bit of mischief and mayhem to your life by adding "A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem" to your shelves today!

I really enjoyed reading a historical romance about a widow and not an unmarried virgin. The mystery was interesting and the hero wasn't super alpha. Not much sex and the one scene was not quite fade to black but almost.

I thought this book would grab my attention since the summary was right up my alley: romance and mystery? However the writing was just a bit lackluster and the character development wasn’t all there for me. It was an easy read, but because it was simple I felt distracted and not as absorbed into the book.