A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes (Ladies Most Scandalous, #3)
Manda Collins
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for debate—for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix's Bridgerton from the bestselling author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem! England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most unexpected—and unwelcome—collision interrupts her journey home . . . Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he’s not above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses intent on becoming his duchess. Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how false their first impressions were—and the less pretend their engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can Poppy and Langham find the real culprit—before Poppy becomes the next victim?
No posts yet
Kick off the convo with a theory, question, musing, or update
Your rating:
03.25/5. Releases 3/28/2023.
For when you're vibing with... Romance with a dash of cozy mystery, light enemies to lovers, fake engagements, and romcom vibes.
Poppy Delamare escaped an unwanted betrothal by fleeing to London and living as a secretary under an assumed name. But when her sister is accused of murder, she leaps into action--and in the process, enlists the help of the Duke of Langham. Langham would really rathe not deal with all that marriage mart bullshit, so he and Poppy enter into a fake engagement. As the engagement begins feeling more and more real, Poppy and Langham are on the brink of uncovering a dangerous plot...
This was cute--really cute. I really like Manda Collins's writing style--it's fun, and engaging, and dare I say, SPARKLING. I just think that historical romance mysteries are hard for me to follow. I think that it's one thing when murder and mayhem is happening--but it's another when the hero and heroine are like. Actively trying to solve the murder.
Quick Takes:
--All that being said, I don't want to make it sound like the mystery is hard to follow in general. I didn't find it super predictable, and I did understand what was happening. It was entertaining--the issues are largely user error for me!
--The chemistry between Langham and Poppy is great. It's very Darcy and Elizabeth, if Darcy was a bit... sluttier. Which, honestly, is a great approach for Darcy. That said, I do think I would have benefited from reading previous books first, as you come into this one with them knowing each other.
--The romance develops very naturally, and I appreciated that Collins didn't skim over the progression or, for that matter, Langham's personal biases.
The Sex Stuff:
There's one full sex scene, and it's well-done--sexy, fairly explicit, and like... respectful of Poppy's lack of experience without feeling fetishistic or weird. I could've done with more, to be honest. But again, it's a very good sex scene.
If you like cozy mysteries and historical romance, this is for you. I don't know if that particular subgenre is for me--but I do want to read more from Manda Collins.
Thanks to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are mine.
0
“Ensuring her happiness was becoming essential to his own. She was strong and proud and beautiful, and he wanted more than anything in the world to call her his wife.” —Joshua Fielding
“Her own emotions were in a turmoil, but one thing she knew now was that she would never forget this dear, dear man who had somehow managed to make her fall in love with him.” —Poppy Delamare
4.25
0
© 2024 Pagebound