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This is the second book in Manda Collins’ Studies in Scandal series, a series based on the premise that an eccentric bluestocking left her home to four young ladies, each the best in her field. And to each woman, a riddle or mystery. In this book, the heroine is given a cipher to find that supposedly leads to a lost treasure.

Lady Daphne’s specialty is mathematics. She may also be autistic or have Asperger’s Syndrome, I’m not familiar enough with either to tell you for certain. But she is absolutely brilliant with numbers, however, social niceties? not so much. Eye contact is near impossible, she speaks her mind, doesn’t catch hyperbole or innuendo, and even though she’s the daughter of an earl, she’s not anyone’s idea of a prize guest.

She’s socially awkward, especially in the sense that she has no filter. She’s very truthful and blunt, because to her that’s what makes sense. She understands that there are social queues, but she’s doesn’t catch them. She’s also very aware that she doesn’t understand why social niceties matter. She misses those queues quite often. Meanwhile, her father, a cash-poor earl, is a terrible man who uses her talent for numbers to win at the tables. Her upbringing was different than other ladies.

The Duke of Maitland is well, nice. He’s a nice person, just all around good guy. His father wasn’t, so he’s done his best to be the polar opposite of him. He’s succeeded to the point that when Daphne propositions him, his maidenly sensibilities are offended. He doesn’t handle it well, so the two of them spend the next few months being polite to each other and trying to avoid the crazy sexual attraction between them.

But the mystery waits for no one, and it turns out someone else is looking for the cipher as well. Someone from Daphne’s past. Add into that her father has come by because he’s blown through the tens of thousands of pounds she gave him in just 3 months. He wants to marry her off to one of his acquaintances. Maitland nips that in the bud by announcing their plans to marry. Daphne goes with it, but is frustrated as she fearing her loss of independence, had no plans to marry. Ever.

The mystery and the fake engagement allow for a lot of time to be alone, and it gave them a better chance to get to know each other. One thing I liked was that she was at first embarrassed about not knowing certain things, but gradually realized that it was okay for her to not know everything, or to not have all the answers. Maitland was really good at reading her, and understanding what drives her. This helped her to relax around him enough to allow him to see her, to really see her.

The mystery Lady Celeste left behind is very National Treasure in its clue/scavenger hunt style. I love that movie, and I love the idea of Lady Celeste being a bit eccentric and wanting everyone else to have an adventure of their own. It was a fun and cute way to go about solving the cipher.

This book was easy and enjoyable, and I want to see what other mysteries Lady Celeste has left for the last 2 ladies.

***ARC courtesy of St. Martin’s Press

Ok, so this didn't really do it for me. I hadn't read the first book in the series and I felt like I was missing a lot of backstory to the set up at the house and the ladies who live there. I also felt like the focus was a bit confused and that the balance between the romance and the mystery wasn't always quite right.

I have had mixed experiences with Manda Collins's books - some of the earlier ones I really enjoyed but the recent ones I've read not so much. There always seems to be something that just doesn't quite work for me. Perhaps I'm just not the right person for her books.

I really loved this book! A strong, intelligent heroine and a hero that will do anything for her - it was perfection. The chemistry between them was amazing. This is the first book I have read by this author but I can't wait to read more!

I think I'm coming to the unfortunate conclusion that Manda Collins might not be for me; I've read at least four of her books now and I didn't give any of them higher than a 3.5-star rating. I'm disappointed, because she's written quite a bit and the crazy thing is that I usually really love her premises / book summaries and get very excited about them! They're the type of romance stories that are some of my favs, and sometimes they're unusual but not in an over-the-top way (Studies in Scandal series premise is admittedly out there, but I loved in Good Earl Gone Bad that the heroine is a talented curricle driver who wants to join a driving club as its first female member).

Unfortunately, the way that Collins ends up delivering these stories is just really not for me and the characters often end up getting on my nerves, because they come off as caricatures and over-the-top. There is no real complexity or depth—to the good characters, the bad characters, or the stories. And it's not for lack of trying—Collins will add family issues or challenges (Daphne has some form of Asperger's/autism and normally can't look people in the eyes), but they fall flat. With Daphne's, for example, it's not really mentioned much in either the first or second book, except for in scenes where Dalton wants her to look him in the eyes or something; most of the time I would forget that she even had this problem, until it would be randomly mentioned again. Not only does she have this socially awkward aspect of her, but she's also a very blunt, abrasive heroine—how often do we get that?? Answer: basically never! Again, something that could have been really awesome and made for a nice change from most other HR books, but Collins can never bring it all the way home (for me).

The best way for me to explain it is that it's similar to the reason I don't like Keira Knightley (and was therefore so pissed off when I discovered she was going to be Elizabeth in the P&P remake, but moving on). She's gorgeous, seems like a lovely and charming person, but I have never liked her as an actor because to me, she always comes off as if she's acting—I never believe she is whatever role she's playing, because it feels like acting to me; instead of being Elizabeth Bennett, she's an actor playing Elizabeth Bennett as she think Elizabeth should be depicted. I'm never able to make that last leap and forget that she's Keira Knightley the actress.

Collins has good structures, she has interesting backgrounds and potential with her characters, but it never gets off the ground for me. It's like Julia Quinn gone-wrong. I turn to Julia Quinn's books when I'm looking for something really light with good wit and humor, and I know that's what I'm getting with her books—there's an amazing lack of angst, there's not as much seriousness or complexity to the character or situations as Mary Balogh, there's not the heat and sensuality of Kleypas, and that's fine—she does what she does and she does it super well! Humor is not easy to write and she almost never fails with that; her characters' banter is fantastic. For Manda Collins, I can't tell if she is trying to fit into that style, and mistakenly wanders into other territories, or if she's trying to be something else, when this is actually more her natural style. Either way, I think I'm calling it quits on her. :-(

This ended up being more of a review of Manda Collins as an author than Duke With Benefits the book, but as can be surmised, the things I didn't like about this book are the things that keep on occurring for me with Collins's books and are described above. As always there was promise—such promise!—which made my disappointment all the keener.

Oh and one last thing: the guys fall in love quick and hard; I hate super ansty books or needless emotional obstacles thrown in, but with both this book and the first in the series, Ready Set Rogue , it was too quick and easy, making the love between the couples seem that much more lacking in depth and hard to believe.

*This review is of an ARC provided by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

This wasn't an awful book, in fact, it had some really strong points. I loved that Daphne was so, so intelligent. I loved that Daphne had no barriers as far as her speech. But, that's about all I've got. The writing was...so...typical of an historical novel. Which I know is a stupid comment, but they all have the same buzz words and the same phrasing. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to read this and someone else will find it enjoyable.

DUKE WITH BENEFITS - Mandy Collins

ROMANCE WITH INTRIGUE - 3.5 stars

#2 in the Studies in Scandal series

Plot - 3.5 stars - Lady Daphne is one of the recipients of Lady Celeste's will, which apparently stipulates that they all must live in Beauchamp House for one year together. The Duke of Maitland is also visiting since he's the nephew of the deceased woman as well as cousin to Lord Kerr, MC of the previous book in the series. Besides the quickly budding romance between Maitland and Daphne, there is a mystery surrounding them. A missing cipher leading to a treasure has been intriguing the whole country for years. Celeste suggests to Daphne in a letter that the cipher can be found at the Hall, and Daphne is in search of it, using her superior mathematical skills. When a man is killed in the search, she and Maitland must also search for the killer, who may also be ready to kill them.

Writing - 4 stars - The story moved forward quickly and smoothly. I was able to figure things out even though I haven't read the first in the series. I'll admit that there was some confusion from time to time, but usually things were explained satisfactorily within a few pages.

Characters - 3.5 stars - This is where the story faltered a bit for me. Maitland is not quite the typical duke, although he definitely understands his own consequence and is used to getting his own way. But he's amiable and craves excitement and finds that Lady Daphne keeps his life interesting. Daphne is supposedly a kind of absent-minded-professor type of character. She has lived her life lonely, with no siblings and a deceased mother. Her father is a gambler, using Daphne's number skills at the gaming table and forcing her to provide him with her winnings. So she has developed a very forthright character, speaking her mind, often without following the rules of society. But I found this somewhat unbelievable since she has obviously been attending society events for years, playing cards at her father's behest, but still socializing. It seems she would have more polish than she obviously does. Plus she often seems "puzzled" about people's words. For example, someone said, "I'd love to hear you say that to her face." Daphne thought, where else would I say it to? It just seemed a little too dumb.

Title - 2.5 stars - The title was misleading. Yes, Daphne and Maitland have a sexual encounter before their wedding, but that was hardly the focus of the story, which was (in my opinion), the legacy and the mystery of the cipher. The title was probably meant to be provocative, but it made it seem more scandalous and lurid than it was.

Cover - 3.5 stars - Fairly typical Regency romance cover, showing a lovely woman in a beautiful dress of the period, but with the addition of a half-naked man cuddling her.

Overview - 3.5 stars - This was a pleasant read, and I liked that the mystery was an integral part of the story, rather than just the romance. The characters were also not the typical of the genre but were a little more complex.

Lady Daphne Forsyth is brilliant. With Math’s and puzzles. However, she has always had trouble with other people, the combination of blunt speaking and difficulty with recognising social cues has never made her very popular. However, none of that seems to bother the charming and handsome Duke of Maitland. And when they must work together to solve a mysterious cipher and with try and solve a murder at the same time, things start to heat up.

I normally love a super intelligent yet socially awkward/incompetent heroine, it makes such a nice difference to the beautiful debutantes you find scattered around historical romance. I was especially intrigued by this heroine as she seemed not just to be shy and awkward but I believe that Collins was describing someone with Asperger’s. And, although this can pop in heroes within the romance genre, I haven’t seen many books where this is something the heroine suffers from. However, Duke with Benefits just didn’t hook me in.

I tried to immerse myself in to the book, but I just wasn’t that interested in Daphne and even less so in Maitland. As for the cipher mystery, it was all a bit anticlimactic. Everything was very…nice. The romance was nice. The friendships were nice. The cipher hunt plodded slowly onwards. Where was the excitement? Where was the intrigue? I don’t think it was helped by the way it seemed to read as a list of events they did that day…in the morning they were in the library talking about the cipher and then the afternoon over dinner they did this and then in the evening they all spoke about that. I just didn’t draw me in.

Although I have enjoyed Collin’s books in the past, Duke with Benefits just didn’t hit the right spot with me.

I don’t read a whole lot of historical romance as of late but Duke with Benefits was getting some twitter buzz from readers I trust and I decided to dive in and request it. I am really glad I did! Manda Collins is a totally new to me author but I am super glad I gave her a try.

Lady Daphne is determined to never marry. She is a brilliant mathematician and feels she will lose her goals in life if she is forced to marry. But that does not mean she wouldn’t mind a little dalliance with the Duke of Maitland, Dalton. He is scandalized, to put it lightly, that she would propose a tryst when he is interested in much more. Daphne intrigues Dalton and he would like to get to know her better. He is especially intrigued with her mind, quite different from most of the women he knows.

Daphne is mortified when Dalton turns her down and it only reinforces in her mind that she needs to focus on math. In particular, she is determined to find the Cameron Cipher which could potentially uncover great riches for her and her friends. Of course, it’s not as easy as it seems.

This is a super sweet romance. It features one of my favorite types of historical heroines, the brilliant bluestocking. This dates back to my love of Amanda Quick historicals. I can definitely see a hint of Amanda Quick in Manda Collins which made me enjoy it all the more.

I also really liked the rather unconventional path Dalton and Daphne had in falling in love. I loved how Daphne took the lead and told Dalton how she felt attracted to him even if it didn’t go the way she planned. That is a brave act for any woman! And I really liked that her bravery wasn’t a turn-off for Dalton. He was definitely still quite intrigued! There is just a really great sweetness to their romance and it plays well against the mystery back drop. Dalton wants to be a hero to Daphne but it turns out what she needs is a partner and I liked how that worked out through the course of the story.

Duke with Benefits is the second book in the Studies in Scandal series. I have not read book one but this book stands very well on its own. And for a Manda Collins newbie, I think it was a great introduction to her writing.

This is a book (and most likely a series!) worth taking a look at.

Dalton and Daphne were perfect for each other - their personalities and strengths/weaknesses really balanced each other.

I am really enjoying the overarching series plot of the maidens "forced" to stay in the house and use the wonderful library and grounds to help solve a giant mystery, all while one by one succumbing to cupid's arrows.

This was so cute! I loved Daphne's character and related to her so much.

I enjoyed this story greatly. The adventures and puzzle solving were fun. Having such academically inclined heroines makes this series a good read. Daphne is learning how to consider the feelings of others while solving a puzzle given specifically to her. Dalton is drawn to her because of her intelligence and wants to protect her, even when she does not want that protection. This was a fun, romantic read, and I recommend this book. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

I salute Manda Collins for having a female mathematician as protagonist. I absolutely love Daphne's intelligence and how straight forward, she when she is speaking her mind. Dalton is a persistent duke that is perfect for Daphne.

I enjoyed the mystery and the adventure of these two lovely couple. I can't wait for the Wallflower Most Wanted!

The Skinny

Lady Daphne Forsyth is a mathematical genius of her time. She is incredibly intelligent but suffers severely in social situations. She and three other young women were named heirs of Lady Celeste, a woman known in her own right for own scholarly accomplishments. She wanted to leave her extensive library and Beauchamp House to female scholars who would put them to good use. Each lady is intelligent and independent and has their own subject of study. Combined, they are an incredible powerhouse of knowledge. Lady Celest left instructions for the women to reside at Beauchamp House for a year. She also left a letter for each woman.

Daphne's letter contained a riddle she must work out. Puzzles and codes are one of the things Daphne is the best at. Lady Celest left Daphne to find the notorious Cameron Cipher, which Daphne believes is housed somewhere in the Beauchamp House library. Not only does she need to find the cipher, Daphne needs to solve it. The Cameron Cipher leads to gold the Cameron clan hid after the uprising.

Lady Celeste also encouraged Daphne to use the assistance of her nephew, Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland, who is enamored of Daphne upon meeting her. Since Daphne has secrets of her own, she keeps her letter and challenge to herself. When Nigel Sommersby, her childhood tutor's son, pops up nearby and makes mention of the Cameron Cipher, she must reveal the secret in Lady Celeste's letter. Everyone at Beauchamp House is willing to help her, but Daphne wants to go it alone...until Sommersby is found dead in the library and someone takes a shot at Daphne there in the dark. Under the suspicion of murder, the Beauchamp House residents are all on the hunt for the murderer and the Cipher.



The Players

Lady Daphne Forsyth

Miss Sophia Hastings - one of the heiresses

Miss Gemma Hastings - one of the heiresses

Miss Ivy Wareham - one of the heiresses; affianced to Lord Kerr

Lady Serena - the chaperone for the ladies; she is Dalton's sister

Dalton Beauchamp - the Duke of Maitland and Lady Celeste's nephew

Lord Kerr - the Marquess of Kerr and Ivy's fiance



The Quote

"As it was the first time I'd seen a dead body, sir," she said with her usual forthrightness, "it was indeed most disturbing. I do not recommend it."



The Highs and Lows

Beauchamp House. Lady Celest, a strong-willed female scholar, is determined to have her heirs follow her wishes. She has selected four young female scholars and left a letter for each of them. For Lady Daphne, hers included the challenge to find and solve the Cameron Cipher. All of the ladies are residing at Beauchamp House, which is rumored to house the cipher. The Cameron Cipher is not only known to Daphne. While she is on the hunt for it, so are others. That is when things begin to go drastically wrong and people from her past start popping up.

Daphne's Background. Daphne is a highly intelligent woman, specifically with numbers and codes. Growing up her father used her abilities for his own gain to cheat at cards in the clubs and at other social events attended by the ton. Her father could not survive without her, so as a young teen, she uses that to her advantage to blackmail him for a tutor. She wanted to learn, she wanted to use her talents to their fullest extent. Given the time period, this was highly unusual for a female. In order to preserve his lifestyle and livelihood by exploiting his daughter, her lowlife father agrees to hire a tutor who can truly teach her and help her further her studies. The tutor brought his son with him.

Daphne's Struggle. Always Daphne has been extremely smart but highly ineffective and awkward in social settings. The niceties and conventions of society are beyond comprehension to Daphne. She doesn't know why you'd waste time talking about the weather just to be polite. She is never comfortable in social settings and will try to hedge or avoid them if possible. She is very forthright and forthcoming in conversation. Based on what Daphne shares with the other ladies and with Dalton, it is fairly obvious she suffers greatly from anxiety and seems like a classic case of the most high-functioning end of the Asperger's spectrum. That's why she propositions Dalton.

Dalton. He is an honorable man who has a strong ethical compass. He believes in what is right. Witnessing his father's treatment of women throughout his life, Dalton chooses to live his life differently. He suddenly becomes protective of Daphne and wants to see her through the events unfolding. He understood and accepted Daphne just as she was, gaining Daphne's trust. He respected Daphne as a woman, as an intelligent being, and with the anxiety and ineptitude she harbored for social settings.

Daphne's Secret. When Sommersby's body is found, leading to an investigation, Daphne reveals the secrets contained in her letter from Lady Celeste, but there are more secrets that she has been keeping for years. Ever since Sommersby and his father resided in her home. While the other ladies of the household don't wish to push Daphne to fully reveal the extent of her shame. She does later reveal it to Dalton. Before the rest of the story comes out, it is just more kindling for the fire of Daphne being investigated for the murder. When Daphne's wretched father makes a sudden appearance, demanding she return home with him, Dalton steps in and announces their engagement. Even though she is shocked by Dalton's claim, it has the power to protect her. Never would her father make these ridiculous demands if she were to marry a duke.

The ladies of Beachump House have growing relationships and are darling. They are true friends and supporters, just as Lord Kerr and Dalton are. Together they all help Daphne realize her full potential as an individual and help her grow and learn more about herself. They care for her, trust her, and keep her safe. Daphne has a rich and unique history and as a result, she is a very flawed character. Her anxiety (and Asperger's IMO) helps explain the consequence of her father's treatment of her and her fear of people in general. I was fascinated with the treasure hunt for the Cameron Cipher (and the actual treasure, of course), but the death of Sommersby is what ratcheted the plot to a different level with more intensity.

Much better than the first book in this series. Still not as good as some of her other books. I still look forward to reading more from this series.

MATHEMATICIAN + DUKE
Academic librarian and author Manda Collins returns readers to Beauchamp House, England and the Studies in Scandal series in Duke With Benefits. Lady Daphne Forsyth is a brilliant mathematician and particularly adept at solving puzzles. She’s one of four uniquely talented young women who have inherited the estate of an independent woman who valued their intelligence. Daphne was instructed by the late owner to solve a puzzle and find the legendary Cameron Cypher, which is rumored to lead the finder to great riches. She’s continually distracted, however, by handsome Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland. Dalton is entranced by the intelligent, blunt and outspoken Daphne, whose beauty is only exceeded by her amazing intellect. Daphne is equally attracted to Dalton, but her experience with her callous, dissipated father has her convinced that marriage is not for her. She wants to seduce the duke—he wants to marry her.

The couple appears at an impasse, but when a man is murdered in the library, Dalton is determined to solve the case, keep Daphne safe and help her find the Cameron Cypher. Neither anticipate just how difficult it will be to unravel the tangled web of deception and intrigue that threatens their very lives. Unmasking a killer and surviving will take all their combined wit and wisdom.

The Regency setting of the novel comes alive with historical detail, and Collins enhances the mystery plot with interesting twists. The hero and heroine seem an unlikely pair on the surface but in truth are a perfect match. Daphne has a genius IQ but lacks people skills, and Dalton is a model of gracious extroversion. And while intelligent, he is not a prodigy like Daphne. The genuine affection between the two is tender, and the sexual tension is smoldering. Duke with Benefits has all the elements romance readers love.



Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.

Love a story with a bluestocking and this does not disappoint. It also has just a little mystery, not too much to detract from a lovely romance between an outspoken bluestocking and a protective hero.
I received an ARC copy of this book from netgalley.

The whole idea behind the serie is great. I find it quite refreshing and intriguing.
That said, I generally also love heroine with a sharp tongue, however, I have to be honest, Daphne sometimes jumps over the edge...I do appreciate sarcasm, cinism and so on, but here, vitriolic is more the thing.

That said, I liked all the rest. It's an enjoyable story, with interesting characters; plus we all love dukes. I cannot really say that this is my favourite book of the year, but I'm certainly going to read the next novel in the series, which says it all.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Daphne Forsyth, daughter of the Earl of Forsyth, and Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland. Daphne is one of the recent inheritors of the Duke's aunt's estate, left to a group of four woman scholars. Daphne's scholarly focus is  mathematics, which is why Lady Celeste left Daphne with a specific task. Lady Celeste knew of a clue to a hidden treasure, a cipher dating back hundreds of years. Knowing of Daphne's skills with ciphers, Lady Celeste left it to Daphne to unravel the clue and find the treasure. But not before trying to play matchmaker once again in asking her nephew (Maitland) to help Daphne find the clues to the hidden cipher. Lady Celeste had been similarly stealthy in Book 1 (Ready Set Rogue) in getting Ivy and Kerr together. But when someone else finds out about the cipher, someone who is willing to do anything to obtain it including murder, Daphne must solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt. And along the way, Maitland discovers that beneath Daphne's brusque exterior, there is a heart of gold.
Overall I liked this book. It was a quick and easy read, but was full of romance and danger and mathematical challenges. I love this series overall because the heroines are all so strong and intelligent. I loved that Maitland's character understood Daphne's need for independence and respected it, acting more as a support for her than a driver. Some heroes in historical romances can get a little heavy-handed, so it was refreshing to see this change of pace. And Daphne's character as well was slightly unusual for a historical romance, I think she might be diagnosed with something similar to Asperger's in today's day and age based on her inability to look people in the eye, her dislike at being touched, and her difficulties with understanding social interactions. Altogether made for a pretty interesting read. I liked this book and I look forward to reading more in the series. I would recommend!

There were many times while I was reading this book by Ms. Manda Collins that I wanted to just stop reading it. Even though the new author Ms. Collins well at least for me, synopsis, cover and title of the book is what drew me to read it in the first place but as I got more into the story I couldn’t stop reading it. Yes the prologue really set the tone of the book and I was excited to read a regency murder mystery romance because it is something I haven’t read yet. I have read a lot of regencies but this was a little different then what made me want to stop well after the prologue the story in the beginning almost dragged a little and the heroine was less than nice to the hero but I’ll get back to that in a moment. I am glad I stuck with the book because the plot really did pick up making me love the twists and turns in the story, the quirky charming characters and Ms. Collins unique writing style all her own. I know that despite me wanting to quit reading it I still couldn’t help but get pulled into the story and would definitely read another book from Ms. Collins.
Lady Daphne Forsyth loves mathematics and puzzles after inheriting part of Beauchamp House with four other ladies of scholarly pursuits Daphne is tasked with by the late Lady Celeste to find the Cameron cipher. Daphne also enlists the help of finding the cipher from the Duke of Maitland Dalton Beauchamp. To say that Daphne and Dalton know each other is putting it mildly since both of them shared a kiss before plus Daphne did suggest once to Dalton that they have an affair which was not received kindly by Dalton since he also harbored feelings that he couldn’t exactly tell her about. Still Daphne and Dalton let feelings aside enough to figure out the mystery of the cipher or do they?
As I mentioned before that Daphne did have her moments where she did seem a little less than nice to Dalton especially when he asked her to marry him and she refused him many times I mean eventually he wore her down but I felt like Daphne was kind of leading him on obviously she liked him or she wouldn’t kiss him back or would refuse his advances. I did like Daphne’s intelligence with mathematics and puzzles she was feisty yet headstrong plus a beautiful woman to keep you ever guessing who she really is, which is a lot of fun even a headache at times. Of course all Dalton attempts to get Daphne to even agree to marry him I couldn’t help but like him and fall for him too. Okay so he was a Duke of course he was easy to like but he was handsome and charming that sometimes I wanted to shake Daphne and reason with her that Dalton does love you or he wouldn’t agree to help you with things especially with your father or with Mr. Foster, Nigel or even Daphne’s father. I am curious to read Sophia and Gemma stories if they have a story and Ivy’s story too. I definitely can recommend this book especially for the regency lovers that like a little different regency with some murder mystery thrown in.

Duke with Benefits is the second book in the Studies in Scandal series, and I strongly recommend starting this series from the beginning with Ready Set Rogue. Manda Collins is an excellent author and story teller, but I really felt that I was missing out on shared history, character nuance, and inside jokes. There were constant references to events in the first book and it would be extremely beneficial to have read it first. It does not work well as a standalone book. That being said, I found this book on Netgalley and have been wanting to read something by Manda Collins for a while, so I pounced on this book without realizing it was part of a series. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

And, it was ok. But, I’ve been sitting on this review because I couldn’t decide if I didn’t like it because of my own issues, or because of problems with the book. Say what? Let me explain…I think I would have liked this book more if (a) I had read the series in order and knew the back history or (b) I didn’t have qualms about people on the spectrum being in romance novels, I would have enjoyed it far more. And, yes, I firmly believe Daphne is on the Autism Spectrum. Which, while is great to see in literature, hits me far too close to home and kept me from being able to enjoy and relax into this book. Every time she stepped on toes, or pointed out her own issues, I cringed. I am an Autism parent and I read to escape. So, much like instant pregnancy bugging me due to my own infertility issues, having a character on the Spectrum is difficult for me to read and enjoy.

That being said, I also think if I (a) had read the series in order and (b) Daphne wasn’t on the spectrum, I still don’t know if I would have liked this book more. From what I can infer, having a mystery to solve, a romance develop, a compromised bride and rushed wedding, and a kidnapping seems to be a formula between the first two books. And, that would have bugged me. Likewise, even if Daphne was neurotypical, Maitland was such a bland, happy-go-lucky, nice guy. His tepid and restrained approach to romance would have bugged me anyway.

So, in general, I feel very conflicted about this book and, for better or worse, can only recommend it if you read the series in order, are okay with a formulaic mystery, and are perfectly fine with a beyond awkward and ASD heroine.