As always, I adored this new bit of historical romance/cozy mystery mash-up by Manda Collins. This one follows Jane, the daughter of a diplomat whose status fell when her father died and she lost her fortune. Now working as a governess in the household of one of her late father's colleagues, who is hosting a diplomatic event that brings her back into the orbit of her girlhood crush, Lord Adrian. When the host turns up murdered, she and Adrian are sucked into an investigation that turns their diplomatic circle upside down.

The mystery at the core of this book didn't feel as novel as some of the others in the series, but I loved the aesthetic throughlines that tied it together.

The romance between Jane and Lord Adrian was so earnest and tender. He is protective of her from the very first, while ultimately respecting her agency and autonomy. It was a delight to see them come together.

The strongest critique I can offer is that I wish there was more! More tension, more intrigue, more everything.

Loved this book, and will definitely read any others that come out in this series. (Seems like a certain young viscount might be getting one?)

I really enjoyed Jane and Adrian's story. I loved that they worked together to solve the mystery of the murders.

I love historical romance and once I started this I quickly remembered the mystery aspect of this series and knew I was in for a treat!

We met this couple in our last book and it seemed they had a misunderstanding. Jane was not a fan of Adrian because of the past. Adrian wanted desperately to keep her safe and repair the rift between them.

On top of that, there's a murder at the house party they are all attending which has eerily similarities to her late father's suicide a couple years back. The same suicide that caused the ton to turn their backs on Jane and her mother.

This is such a fun series and I'm happy I finally say down and read this one. It's not your typical historical read and I found myself wanting to keep reading.

4/5

I love this series and I am so happy there were so many other characters we have already met in this one! Adrian and Jane have been reaquainted and her school girl crush never really went away. She is a governess now, after her father died, and they lost their station. While working, the man of the house dies and Jane is the one to find him. Adrian and Jane are working trying to figure out a scheme that looks like it has been going on for longer than they even knew about.
While Adrian and Jane are working with police, they uncover so much more than they thought they would and it looks like they are in danger too. Adrian won't let Jane out of his sight and he is seeing so much more than he ever expected in Jane and he knows he can't let her go.
I really enjoyed the two of them falling for one another and the thrill of the mystery. I think that is why I keep coming back to this series. I love the suspense and the romance all tied up in one book.
Thanks to Forever, Manda Collins and Netgalley for an early copy.

AHHHHH!!!! I still cannot believe I was accepted for an arc!! I have the first three in this series and I just adore them so much! I feel like I was screaming forEVER! Everything about this book had me stuck in it from the first page! I’m so obsessed with Manda Collins and I fear I may never recover! Can I give it 1000/5 stars?

Very cute. I enjoyed the friends to lovers story with the added twist of a murder mystery. Poor Adrian didn't know what he was getting into with this strong minded woman!

I've loved every moment of this wonderful series! Each book is such a perfect combination of mystery and romance without either one lacking. It's really my dream niche book genre as it includes everything I love about both mystery and historical romance.

The mystery in this book was intriguing, and the romance was wonderful! Jane and Adrien were fantastic together! I'm sad this series is coming to an end, but I look forward to whatever Manda Collins has in store for her readers next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Quick and Dirty
-Regency Era cozy mystery
-romance subplot
-🌶️🌶️/5 open door
-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
-fun murder mystery
-fourth in a series

Swipe for the full synopsis!

What Worked
I seem to have a bad habit of starting series out of order, which is exactly what I did with this Manda Collins novel. Yes, I own all the rest of the series but haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. That, however, did not stop me from jumping right into this novel and enjoying it immensely. Though it’s the fourth and final in the series, I never felt lost. Though romance plays a part in this fun read, it’s definitely not the primary focus. Solving the mysterious murder of her employer is Jane’s primary goal; it just so happens that she reconnects with her girlhood crush and falls in love with him while doing so. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the mystery more than the romance in this book. I was very caught up in the whodunnit drama and wanted to know more about all the possible suspects. The cast of characters made this quick read so much fun! I loved getting to know Jane, Lord Adrian, and all the other supporting roles. Lastly, the romance wasn’t too steamy, which I appreciate!

What Didn’t Work
Given that this is my first Manda Collins book, I didn’t really know what to expect. I thought I was reading a romance when, in fact, I was not. The romance was on the side and didn’t develop until much later in the (rather short) book. Sure, there were flirtations and swoon-worthy moments along the way, but not much in the action department until much later. Still, the romance was believable and quite enjoyable. Though some funny moments had much chuckling, don’t expect much hilarity or banter. This is much more of a murder mystery than anything else.

Read This If
Folks who enjoy a good whodunnit with Bridgerton-era vibes should read this!

Like the other books in the series, this is a blend of historical mystery and romance novel. I’ll admit there were a couple details that didn’t quite add up for me, but it was a fun read overall and I enjoyed the ride. It was fun to see the main characters from previous books show up in this one.

Note: This is the fourth book in a series but can easily be read as a standalone.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

As the fourth book in the Ladies Most Scandalous series, this one focuses on Adrian and Jane. Their relationship was teased in the previous book. We could sense a history, but didn't know all the facts. As we learn, he worked with her father in the Foreign Office when she was a girl. After her father's death, she was shunned by society and forced to become a governess.

I was able to guess the mystery pretty early, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. There were still sufficient surprises to keep me engaged throughout. The romance between Adrian and Jane progressed pretty rapidly. Her feelings made sense to me, as she had a childhood crush on him. And the two worked well together.

I love seeing the growing circle of smart women in this series. My favorite part of series is getting to revisit previous characters and that they often entail amazing secondary characters. And that's absolutely the case (see what I did there) for this wonderful group of romantic mysteries.

I appreciated that this one diverged from the previous by going more into diplomatic circles. And I would enjoy seeing even more in that sphere. I was quite pleased by the two notes at the beginning of the book that included both content warnings and a discussion of class and what it meant to be a governess.

Yet another installation into the Ladies Most Scandalous series that I loved. I will EAT UP every book in this series.

This time, Jane is a governess whose father died a few years ago, leaving her and her mother penniless. Lord Adrian knew her back then, and their paths cross again at her current employer's home when an event for the Foreign Office is held. When Jane's current employer is also found, obviously murdered, Jane and Adrian realize that something might be connecting both deaths, and maybe more. And of course, they realize that maybe they have a little chemistry.

I just enjoy these romance murder mysteries so much. There is humor, callbacks to past main characters, plot twists, fun new side characters, a decent amount of action, and as always, a very nice payoff at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Forever for the e-ARC!

A solid instalment of this series - I enjoy Manda Collins' writing style and characters. This book seemed to focus a bit more on the intrigue/murder mystery aspect of the plot rather than the romance (in my opinion), but I still really enjoyed it.

Jane has resorted to being a governess after her father’s death and fall from society. When the family she works for hosts a dinner for foreign dignitaries and a one of them ends up murdered Jane must work with her old flame Lord Adrian to solve the case. After learning from their past presumptions Jane and Adrian find out the murder is connected to others from the past, including Jane father’s death. Can Jane and Lord Adrian find the killer before they strike again?

This fun historical romance/mystery was like a game of Clue coming to life. All the suspects remaining in the house until the murderer is discovered. The mystery my keep you reading, but the romance makes it that more enjoyable, Manda Collins never disappoints!

I read the first book in this series, but regrettably missed the second and third installments. Having enjoyed the delightful combination of mystery and romance, I was excited about the opportunity to return to the Victorian era with Collins’ clever characters.

Heroine Jane has been through A LOT. She has made the most of the social decline following the death of her father several years prior, but is thrown back into diplomatic circles following an unexpected murder She quickly proves herself most competent and a worthy partner of Lord Adrian.

If I had to describe the balance between the two genres this book straddles, I would say that the plot favors the mystery, but the romance unfolds quite naturally, despite the murder investigation. It does help that Lord Adrian and Jane have a pre-existing relationship, so they do not begin the book as strangers. However, they have not seen each other for several years, so they must become reacquainted with each other first.

As much as this book is about a murder, the overall tone never veers into truly dark territory. There’s an element of danger, but there are no graphic depictions of violent acts. Also, the book is not all doom and gloom; there are some humorous conversations between Jane and the heroines of the previous books in the series.

I would recommend A Governess’ Guide to Passion and Peril. I don’t think readers need to read the other books in the series in order to understand/appreciate this one, but it’s important to note that there is a larger story arc at play over the course of the series. That said, I certainly plan to catch up on the book in the series that I haven’t read yet.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Forever/NetGalley

The plot revolves around Jane, who lost her societal standard after his father’s suicide along with all her wealth. She’s now a governess and is of lower standing and encounters her long ago gentlemen crush on a gathering which reminds her more of what she lost. Jane’s life as well as the lives of people around her take a sudden turn when her employer is killed where the killer leaves a page from a book and a pressed flower as tokens of the deed. The story proceeds to reveal more mysterious killings. Will Jane and her love interest be able to find who’s behind them and save others who are at peril? Will she be able to settle the matters of her heart alongside the chaos?

This is my first Manda Collins book as well as my first historical romance with a touch of mystery. I enjoyed the plot even though by the middle of the book we get certain clues as to who the killer might be. Manda does a great job with the flow so the story proceeds well alongside a touch of romance that’s sweet. If you are a historical fiction and romance fan, this would be a nice addition to your reading list!

Ps: There’s a part that mentions the cat of a side character is more intelligent than 98% of the men that made me laugh 😂. I wholeheartedly agree with that!!

Thank you Readforever for my e-arc. All opinions are of my own.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this arc. These are my honest opinions and review.

I realized I have the first book in this series in my physical TBR pile. I'll have to move it up the list.

I enjoyed this clue inspired mystery romance novel. Being the 4th book in the series I'm sure there is more character development and back story in the other books. I definitely saw the romance coming but did feel it was a little forced into the novel? It felt like the story would have been well paced and received even without the romance.

All in all I enjoyed it and will look forward to reading the first one I'm the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (Historical Romance/ Mystery)

Synopsis: Jane Halliwell is the governess for the Gilford family and is the daughter of a career diplomat who died five years ago. Lord Adrian Fielding is a young career diplomat that Jane knew as a teenager. When Lord Gilford is murdered, Jane and Adrian work together to find out how Lord Gilford died, and if Jane’s dad’s death is more complicated than originally thought. Will they fall in love while solving a murder?

My Thoughts: I really liked this one a lot! I liked the romance and the mystery of it. The one thing I was distracted by was that Jane’s last name is Halliwell, so the entire time I just kept thinking of Geri Halliwell, aka Ginger Spice. But overall, I really liked the book, it wasn’t particularly spicy, but I believed the romance. I will definitely be reading more from Manda Collins.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for providing me a copy to review in exchange for my honest review.

If you loved Bridgerton or mystery romance novels, you’ll love this.

It’s difficult to be engaged with a “murder mystery” when said murder doesn’t happen until 20% into the book and the investigation takes another 20+ pages to get underway. Dear mystery writers, get to it quickly! I fear Holly Jackson has ruined me for all mysteries in the future.

This is the fourth book I have read in the entertaining Ladies Most Scandalous series.

I’ve really enjoyed this series, but this book was not my favorite. The book started out slow with not much action. The couple lacked chemistry, so imagine my surprise when all of a sudden they are engaged and can’t live without each other; I wanted some pining/tension/yearning at least.

The mystery is interesting and it was nice to revisit some of the other couples from the previous books in the series.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ .5

I was curious about Adrian and Jane from the last book, so I was glad they got their own story! This one was a little heavier on the suspense than the romance, but I did think their relationship was cute, especially given Jane’s teenage crush on Adrian and how he was completely oblivious. It was also great to see the group of ladies back together and they provided some funny moments as they welcomed Jane into the group. This book is mostly light, and less spicy than the last book (that one had an open door scene) and is a great addition to the series!