Manda Collins does such a good job writing historical romance mixed with mystery. Here we start with a new set of Michief and Mayhem ladies, continuing the traditions of intelligence and independence set out by their predecessors in Collins' "Ladies Most Scandalous" series. FMC Lucy is an heiress who is able to navigate the ton with aplomb while avoiding fortune hunters and enjoying books and learnings with her friends. MMC Will is a Viscount who has recently learned that his estate is destitute. So he makes plans to marry an heiress. But after meeting and spending time with Lucy, he realizes he doesn't want her to think he wants to marry her because she is an heiress - he wants to marry her because she is her.

Lucy and Will begin spending time together after they witness the apparent kidnapping of one of Lucy's good friends and decide to investigate the crime themselves when it seems authorities might not be doing enough. They are thrown into scandalous situation after scandalous situation but come a step closer to solving the mystery every time. Collins mixes the romance and mystery plots quite well, leaving the reader satisfied with both. There are some twists to the mystery, and while by the time the culprit is ultimately unveiled their identity is not that surprising, the mystery remains intriguing throughout. The romance is lovely - Will adjusting to allow Lucy to be who she is, and she being able to see the best in him.

4 stars. I will certainly continue with this series. Thank you to Forever and to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

I'm gonna read whatever Manda Collins writes. Her historical romance/mysteries are always so entertaining and fun, with great leading ladies and men that can't help but pine.

Lucy is a wallflower who is perfectly fine not dancing with the fortune hunters that seek her out. Viscount Gilford lowkey is trying to be a fortune hunter (and is forthcoming about that, which I appreciated) but when asking Lucy if she knows of any good matches for him, they both end up witnessing one of Lucy's friends getting kidnapped. So, of course, the two begin to work on solving the crime and just keep getting thrust deeper and deeper into more intense situations!

I enjoyed that this is a new series, but set in the same world as the Ladies Most Scandalous series, so we got to see old characters around. This will be a fun series as it continues, of course. I honestly could have used 50 or so more pages to build up some more rapport and chemistry between the two leads. It was there, but not as much as I would have liked to see!

In conclusion, really liked!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the e-ARC!

The beginning of a new historical fiction mystery/romance series from Manda Collins. Lucy Penhallow prefers to be the wallflower and not deal with suitors after her fortune. Viscount William Gilford is her best friend's older brother. He is grumpy to her sunshine. When they witness another friend being kidnapped Lucy wants to put her amateur sleuthing skills to work. Being together can cause a scandal so a fake engagement is suggested. William truly needs to marry someone wealthy to help his family finances. Of course there is nothing fake about their attraction.

This reads lighter like the cover suggests even though there is murder and mayhem. Lucy and William are sweet together. And I liked his sister Meg as well. There is some spice with an open door scene but it is not overly descriptive. Collin’s books seem slightly more focused on the mystery side. There are some clues and red herrings.

I enjoyed this mystery/romance story. I have read the author’s Ladies Most Scandalous series. This seems to be a standalone novel, beginning a new series, and in the same world as the previous series. The main characters in the other series make appearances, which added to my enjoyment.

3.5 rounded to four stars. This was my first time reading a book by Manda Collins, and I definitely enjoyed it. The romance was cute, with appealing characters. I also loved the book club ladies! I do wish the various events of the plot had been spaced out over several weeks instead of a few days; it would have made the romance far more believable and convincing. I also think the motives of the villain could have been more convincingly explained. As it is, the explanation just seems to be “villains gonna villain,” which isn’t all that convincing.

Thanks to the publisher for proving an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A cozy historical romance with a twist of mystery and a heap of charm.
Lucy is the kind of heroine I adore: clever, independent, and just a little bit stuck in the societal rules she wishes she could outrun. And Will? Oh, Will. Will might not have set out to fall in love, but he grows into it beautifully. He listens, adjusts, and (bless him) tries very hard to do right by Lucy.
Bonus points for the Partners of the Clever Ladies League — the secret “book” (read: drinking) club for the heroes. A group of dude friends brought together because they are fully supportive of their leading ladies is among my favorite tropes.

The mystery that threads through the love story has enough red herrings and twists to keep you flipping pages. I had some suspicions but loved letting it unfold without trying to solve it too fast. Sometimes it’s about the journey, not the gotcha.

This one leans low-spice, but don’t let that fool you — the romance is sweet, sincere, and packed with swoony kisses (and yes, I am absolutely here for great kissing scenes). There's one open-door moment that's more "go girl" than graphic, and it fits the tone perfectly.

There’s nothing like falling in love while solving a mystery. Lucy and Will are out there sleuthing and swooning in equal measure.

Tip: You will probably want to have read the Ladies Most Scandalous series first — there’s overlap in characters and backstory that will give you useful context. (If you haven’t, consider this your formal invitation.)

What a fun romp! It wasn’t my favorite of Manda Collins works, but still worth a read. There is Will who needs to marry and heiress to save the family estate and what do you know Lucy is an heiress. But their falling in love is almost a b story line. The main plot centers on the two investigating Lucy’s friend’s abduction. The whole thing is a rom com mystery but in an historical setting. As I said this isn’t my favorite Manda Collins novel. But I love her work, I was thrilled to read an early copy. And I recommend it for a bit of fluff.

This book was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. It was nice to have a mystery aspect in addition to the typical historical romance tropes. I must admit that I was surprised by the plot twist! The book has also nicely set up a new couple and I am interested to see how their relationship will develop.

Will and Lucy are thrown together when they witness a crime in progress. The pair decide to dig into the intrigue and as they work closer together they realize that the feeling they have might be more than crime solving partners. Can they unravel this mystery before they become the next victims?
I love the relationship between the two and seeing them each become slowly aware of the other person and grow closer as friends and maybe something more. I also really like that while Will is adamant about keeping Lucy save there is also a sense that he knows her and that she won't back down from a bit of danger and he can either join her or she is going at it alone, there is no stopping her.
I am very excited to see the world continue to grow and explore the other characters' stories. (especially Meg and Ben)

This was a very cute little historical romance with a healthy dash of suspense, but it didn’t quite do it for me. Lucy is part of a ladies’ book club, and she’d prefer to be a wallflower than entertain a bunch of fortune hunters (fair.) But she seems to have zero hesitations about fortune hunter Will Gifford, who is her friend’s brother (so maybe that makes it different?) When Lucy and Will witness her friend Vera’s abduction from a ball, they decide to team up to solve the mystery and find her, hunting down suspects and interviewing anyone who might be related to the case, but the body count keeps racking up as Will and Lucy’s relationship becomes more romantic, too.

I felt like the character motivations were kind of hazy — the couple had some insta-love things going on, which isn’t my favorite, and the villain’s desires were also kind of unclear (they mastermind this whole scheme and then in the climax seem to abandon it without blinking.) The writing also felt a little simplistic to me — I kept thinking it was YA and the characters were teens, and then having to remind myself that Lucy is meant to be a spinster in her mid-20s. That said, it was a fun, fast-paced little story, and less angsty romance readers might enjoy this more than I did!

After reading (and lamenting the end of) the Ladies Most Scandalous series, I was only too excited to try this newest series from Amanda Collins.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that rather than a new series / world, the A Wallflowers Guide series is instead a spin off of the LMS series set in the same world and features numerous cameos and references to the former.

Though it can be read as a standalone series, given the references I’d definitely recommend starting with the Ladies Most Scandalous book series to fully appreciate all the characters and what is happening.

As I came to expect from her other books, this newest offering once again was a charming combination of cozy mystery and historical romance. It was a fun, quick and easy read that finally led me out of a prolonged reading slump. I really love that once again we’ve got hints of pairings to come — and of course the promise of more mysteries afoot. I look forward to hopefully seeing Meg and Woodward’s story soon.

This was my first Manda Collins book and I certainly enjoyed it.
The love story was cute, if a little instantaneously, and the mystery was intriguing. However, I would have liked a different ending to the investigation as the culprit's motives were not really convincing to me.
That being said, I would definitely read upcoming installments in the series.

This was as charming and delightful as I’ve come to expect from Manda Collins—truly just a pleasure to read, with some twists in the mystery that I didn’t see coming and a really sweet romance at the heart of the story. Although this is billed technically as the start of a new series, readers should know that it leans heavily on the series just before this one with many of the same characters and references to plots. I would advise considering it as a spin off series rather than its own thing. Still, such a fun read—looking forward to the rest of the Ems finding their partners!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Manda Collins for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Wallflower’s Guide to Viscounts and Vice coming out April 22, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoy this author! I love historical romance. I really love historical mysteries. So I was thinking that it would be a really fun combo. The characters didn’t really work for me, unfortunately. I think things moved a little too fast paced when it came to the romance. I was slightly confused by the different characters. It was a little difficult to keep them separated. I think they felt very similar in personalities. I just wasn’t really into the plot. I would read other books by this author!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Bridgerton meets Nancy Drew in this mystery and romance set among the upper crust society of the ton.

✨ Book Review: A WALLFLOWER’S GUIDE TO VISCOUNTS AND VICE by Manda Collins ✨

Viscount William Gilford must return home to settle his mismanaged estates and keep his family from ruin. He determines the best and most expedient way to keep the creditors at bay is to marry an heiress. His sister’s best friend Lucy Penhallow is a wealthy member of London society but prefers her wallflower old maid status to giving up her independence. When Will and Lucy witness a crime together they form an alliance to solve the mystery of their abducted friend. Through their alliance they become more acquainted, feelings emerge, and chemistry sizzles. Now, if they can just get to the bottom of the crime.

🫖 My Take: What a fun adventure! There are twists and turns through Lucy and Will’s investigation that’ll definitely keep you guessing. I thought I had something figured out, then everything twisted again! Their romance is a similar delight as Lucy often defies societal convention, even while operating somewhat within its confines, and Will finds he’s smitten beyond society’s expectations.

Read A WALLFLOWER’S GUIDE TO VISCOUNTS AND VICE for
🧐 Cozy mystery
🌪️ Twists and turns
💕 Sibling’s best friend
💅🏼 Female independence
📚 Book club besties
🤫 Secrets
🐎 Adventure

Thanks to @readforeverpub for the gifted @netgalley eARC. All opinions my own.

Heiress Lucy and viscount Will investigate when one of her friends is kidnapped. They’re unexpectedly drawn together amid a deadly scheme that threatens their budding romance.

This is a witty and fun mystery romance. Lucy and Will have great chemistry, and there’s no third-act breakup. I can’t wait to read more in this series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to Forever for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

While this isn't my favourite book by Manda Collins, I did really enjoy it. I love reading romances that have a mystery aspect to them, and this one really provided a lot of entertainment!

Lucy, the FMC, is a spinster and wallflower, which doesn't bother her. She has inherited quite a bit of money so has the flexibility to do things she wants, support causes she cares for, and spend time with her friends, including her book club.
Viscount Gilford, the MMC, has just returned to London from Paris after finding out his family is nearly destitute. He's the older brother of one of Lucy's closest friends, and after spending time with Lucy after being absent for many years, finds himself growing attracted to her.

When they witness one of Lucy's new friends being abducted, they decided to work together to find and rescue Vera, forcing them to spend a lot of time together and, perhaps unusually for a courtship, stumbling into crime scenes and dead bodies.

Their time together increases the attraction between them, and because it's a romance, they of course end up with their HEA. The mystery also has a satisfying conclusion, with a few twists and turns along the way to keep it interesting.

I found the romance to be a bit too insta-lovey for me, and there were some parts that felt a bit forced, but overall, I quite enjoyed the book.

The first in a new historical romance slash cozy mystery series that was good on audio narrated by Mary Jane Wells and kept me entertained but if I'm completely honest is going to be one of those books that's completely forgettable the second I put it down. Recommended for fans of authors like Violet Marsh or Virginia Heath. Many thanks to NetGalley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to LOVE this one, I did! But I struggled connecting with the characters, and honestly, became a case of "I like the FMC but meh on the MMC." I definitely see the audience for this book, and I think it was well-written. My personal score would be 3.5 stars; however, I am going to round up because there's nothing wrong with the book. I just didn't vibe with it as I hoped.

Oh! This was a delightfully charming start to this author’s new series, and I highly recommend it to my fellow historical romance and mystery readers. I loved Lucy and William (you will too), and their attraction is instant and strong. As William says, “When a man knows, he knows.” I loved the way the author showed the instant attraction, but then cemented it by building care and respect through their interactions in investigating the mystery. The author also did an excellent job of creating an intriguing mystery with plenty of villains, red herrings, and a surprising conclusion. The secondary characters are great and offer us a glimpse of pairings for upcoming books.

William, Viscount Gilford, was so grief-stricken when his father was murdered that he could hardly function. He certainly couldn’t bear living in the home that still held so much of his father in it, so he left England for years. His family had wealth and a trustworthy steward his father had put in place, so he didn’t have to be in England–until he did. That trustworthy steward wasn’t quite so trustworthy and had been systematically embezzling for years, long before William inherited. When William learns of the betrayal, he realizes he must immediately return to England and marry an heiress. He had secretly longed for a marriage built on love and respect – like his friend Adrian – but that wasn’t to be. Or, was it?

Lucy Penhallow is an heiress, but she has long known how to dissuade those fortune-hunters who trolled the ballrooms of Mayfair in search of a rich bride. She and her friends, members of the Mischief and Mayhem book club, have deliberately become wallflowers. Their mothers may trot them out each season, but they can’t make them ‘take’ with the ton. Then, Lucy and William both witness the abduction of Lucy’s friend, Vera Blackwell, from a ball and join forces to rescue her. Finding Vera isn’t as easy as it had seemed, and perhaps there is more to the kidnapping than first thought. Solving the mystery and finding Vera quickly turns very dangerous.

This book is a must-read with outstanding main characters, wonderful secondary characters, cameo visits from favorite characters from the previous series, a compelling mystery, and a heart-pattering romance.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.