This is the 4th book in the Studies in Scandal Series. The series is about 4 bluestockings inheriting Beauchamp House in order to pursue their scholarly endeavors.
Gemma, a geologist, is the only one now living in Beauchamp House. She doesn't want to marry as the other 3 girls have done. She wants to concentrate on proving herself in her field, especially to her brother in law, Cameron, who is also a geologist. But their constant bickering turns into something more. When a dead body shows up where Gemma was working, Cam becomes very protective of her.
This story flowed easily, kept you guessing and made you laugh.
Is there going to be a Serena story? I hope so. She deserves her happily ever after.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I was going to. The only other Manda Collins book I read I loved so much even though it was the third book in a trilogy and I didn't know that going in. Maybe I should read the other books in this series and give it another go around.

What another wonderful adventure for the ladies of Bauchamp House! We met our hero in the prior book and it was clear that he was Emma's match. One for the Rogue trips the reader up a bit, making it difficult to identify the villain, which added to the mystery and my enjoyment of the book. Although this is listed as the last in the series, I hope it’s not so or that there is a series that immediately follows, because I’d really love to see Lady Serena get a HEA.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

De las cuatro chicas que heredaron la casa Beauchamp, Gemma Hastings era la que más llamaba mi atención y de la que más quería conocer su historia, sobre todo cuando, en el libro anterior, conocimos a Cameron Lisle. De inmediato se notó que Cam y Gemma tendrían una relación explosiva.

Pero creo que me le faltó más explosión a One for the Rogue, sobre todo comparado con los 3 libros anteriores.

Los personajes me gustaron mucho y como siempre, es agradable volver a ver a las otras herederas así que tal vez fue la trama lo que sentí un poco floja.

Gemma es la última de las chicas que queda en la Casa Beauchamp que les heredó Lady Celeste a ella, su hermana Sophie, Ivy y a Daphne. Gemma está convencida que el matrimonio no es para ella, que prefiere perseguir sus sueños y ser una geóloga reconocida en su campo. Su tía Dahlia y Lady Celeste tampoco se casaron y gozaron de la libertad para seguir sus intereses.

Cameron Lisle, por su lado, sabe que si tiene que casarse va a ser con una joven que haga lo que él le pida y que no tenga opiniones propias como las esposas de todos sus hermanos. Pero Gemma y Cam tienen mucho en común: el amor a las rocas y al descubrimiento de fósiles. Pero es esta misma pasión la que los mete en problemas cuando un hombre aparece muerto. y se han llevado el cráneo de un animal antiguo que Gemma había descubierto. Esta chica, con o sin ayuda va a recuperar ese cráneo y nada la va a detener.

Gemma es muy testaruda, ella misma lo admite en varias ocasiones, cuando algo se le mete en la cabeza no hay forma de convencerla de cambiar de opinión y Cam, al final de cuentas, siempre hace lo que ella quiere. Creo que le faltó un poco de carácter para enfrentarse a la joven heredera. Si había química entre ellos, pero no sé... algo le faltaba a su relación. Además siento que la actitud de Gemma en cuanto al matrimonio cambiaba constantemente; un momento estaba segura de que quería permanecer soltera y al siguiente ya estaba pensando en matrimonio.

Si me gustó que fuera Gemma la que tomara las riendas de su vida amorosa y que siempre expresó lo que deseaba. Esto me recordó mucho a la forma de ser de Daphne y fue interesante ver como crecía la relación.

Pero de nuevo debo decir que la trama y lo que estaba en juego no se sintió tan apremiante, creo que en esta ocasión la autora se enfocó completamente en el desarrollo de los personajes en lugar del misterio que rodeaba el cráneo y el asesinato.

En general me gustó bastante la tetralogía pero si siento que este último libro fue el que menos me agradó. Aún así recomiendo estos libros porque la temática y las protagonistas son muy buenas.

One for the Rogue is the fourth book in Manda Collins’ Regency-era Studies in Scandal series. I have read the other three books in the series, and so I was definitely excited to read this one. Collins dropped some hints about this pairing in the last book, so it made waiting for this book very difficult!

Gemma is the last unmarried young lady living in Beauchamp House, and she is perfectly happy with that arrangement. She is not interested in finding a husband, and she would much rather devote her time to her passion- geology and fossils. She has tangled with Lord Cameron Lisle once already, so she is not particularly thrilled when he takes up residence in a neighboring manor house. But since Gemma’s sister is married to Cam’s brother, there is no reason that the two of them can’t come to some sort of understanding.

But when there is yet another shocking murder in the district directly related to Gemma’s work, it is clear that she is in great danger. Gemma and Cam must work together, but they must both move beyond their first impressions of each other.

This book was an absolute delight! I love the fake engagement trope, and I loved the way that their animosity faded slowly as they became better acquainted with each other. I also love that like the previous books in this series, there is a mystery element in addition to the romance. Once again, Collins provides a merry chase, and the big reveal was quite thrilling. Overall, there’s a nice balance of comedy and action, and once again, Gemma’s friend Daphne manages to steal the show with her complete lack of candor!

I would absolutely recommend One for the Rogue. This book functions reasonably well as a standalone, although characters from the previous books do make an appearance, although Ivy and Daphne appear mostly in the background. I would suggest reading Wallflower Most Wanted- the third book in the series- before this one. Wallflower features Gemma’s sister Sophia and Cam’s brother Ben, and the disastrous first meeting between Gemma and Cam. Collins has now paired up the four heiresses who arrived at Beauchamp House a year, so it looks like the end of the series. Without giving too much away, I will say that there is a glimmer of hope that this is not the last we will see of Beauchamp House and its residents. Whether this comes to fruition or not, I am certainly excited to read whatever Collins comes up with next!

Smart, sexy historical romance with sides of murder and science

Amanda Collins' One for the Rogue was a wonderful addition to the Studies in Scandal series.
I liked watching the dynamic between Gemma and Cameron evolve. I think they were a great fit. The background story about fossils was interesting as was the murder subplot.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

It took me ages o really get into this book and then when I did, I found it actually wasn’t as interesting as I’d initially hoped. The blurb is good but the characters are wooden, the storyline unrealistic and the connection between the h & H was flimsy at best. I’d love to give this author another chance in the future as I feel I may have enjoyed this more had I read previous books in this series.
1 star.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I've been following this series from the beginning and I've really enjoyed the series overall. The premise behind the four connected stories was great, and I love that each story involved such a strong minded woman. And in each story, the heroine ended up trying to solve a mystery and the female-driven sleuthing made it feel almost like a historical romance Nancy Drew. With this fourth book in the series, there was great tension developed between the two main characters, Gemma and Cam. I thought their relationship was very dynamic and the development from adversaries to husband and wife was well done. The plot line in this book was alright, I don't think it was my favorite of the series but I still enjoyed it. I would love to see the series continue with whatever happens to Lady Serena and also possibly with romances of future students in the school. I have enjoyed this series and don't want to see it end!

I always feel a sense of loss at the end of a series. Especially a series where I grow to love the characters and feel a sense of camaraderie with them. Ever since reading the first book, I have loved the four bluestocking heiresses and their quirky ways. It’s so refreshing to see heroines who are not only smart but are proud of it and not afraid to show it.

This fourth and last book of the series is about the geologist of the group, Gemma Hastings. Those of you who have been following the series have probably already guessed who the hero will be. It is no other than Lord Cameron Lisle who not only happens to be a famed geologist and fossil hunter himself, but also the brother of the previous book’s hero, Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle. Though the circumstances in which Gemma and Cameron meet are less than desirable, anyone who has ever read a romance will see the sparks flying a mile away ;)

Gemma has been trying to prove her knowledge and place in her field of geology for ages. A field which has been largely dominated by men. Being the last heiress left and having no clues left to her by Lady Celeste Beauchamp, she is frustrated. Not to mention the fact that there is a gathering of geologists close by. A gathering that she has not been invited to due to her sex. But it seems that there is something that her fellow geologists want from her and that is access to the famed Beauchamp fossil.

Lord Cameron Lisle has no idea that the scholar he rejected to publish in his review was a stunning woman - not to mention highly infuriating. The more he gets to know her, the more he is attracted to not only her beauty but also her knowledge and intelligence. And when a remarkable discovery puts Gemma in the path of danger, he is more than willing not only to protect her but also to help her prove herself to her fellow scholars.

Another exciting and riveting addition to this beautiful series. So sorry to say goodbye to these remarkable women. Can’t wait to see what Manda Collins has in store for us next!!!

One for the Rogue is a bit difficult for me to review. There are some things I liked about this book. Gemma’s passion for geology and the struggles she faces to be taken seriously are what drew me into the book at the start. And I also really enjoyed the fact that Cam shared her passion and respected her intelligence. At the start of the story, it seemed like this might be an enemies-to-lovers book, but it really isn’t. Yes, Cam and Gemma are at loggerheads in the beginning over something that could have been resolved if Cam had communicated a bit better and Gemma had been a bit more willing to listen. However, a potentially huge fossil find and the threat of a bitter, sexist rival throws our bickering hero and heroine together. Add in some sexual tension and it’s clear that Gemma and Cam are going to be headed down the aisle soon. I liked Gemma and Cam together and it’s clear they fit, but still I thought their romance fell a bit flat. Part of this is due to the lack of character growth; Gemma and Cam begin and end pretty much the same and we don’t really delve deep into their characters. If this were a novella, I might have liked it more because the perceived obstacles to Gemma and Cam’s eventual happily ever after seemed orchestrated to draw out the story rather than organic problems they had to overcome.

Woven through the romance in One for the Rogue is a mystery involving a fossil Gemma discovers. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the fun, but I thought this plotline was the stronger one. Not only does Gemma have to face a jerk of a rival, there’s mystery, murder, and a tiny bit of mayhem. This is where author Manda Collins brings life to the story and keeps the pages moving.

One for the Rogue isn’t a bad book, but for me it was just an OK read. I realized after finishing this book that I had the same issues with it as I did with a previous Manda Collins book I read: the characters were likeable and the story had potential, but it dragged in places and was littered with tropes that didn’t have a fresh spin on them. I think Ms. Collins’s writing style simply isn’t for me, so others might find this story more engaging than I did.

One for the Rogue by Manda Collins is book Four in the Studies in Scandal series. This is the story of Gemma Hastings and Lord Cameron Lisle. Gemma and Cam did first meet in the previous book. Also there is the underline story of four ladies (one being Gemma) living in Lady Celeste Beauchamp house and solving a puzzle that she left each lady in her will with the stipulation if of who would get the estate if it was solved, if the ladies married or stayed single. These are just a few reason why you might want to read the previous books but with those things said, you can easily make this a standalone book. This author is great in catching you up with the current timeline.
Grace and Cam don't get along at all when they first meet and it stays that way for a while until they settle into solving the mystery that is plaguing who is after Gemma and her work.
Their bickering / snips were fun to read for sure and I enjoyed them working to find out what was really going on.
This has been a great series and I hope that the little tease in the Epilogue would entail another book along the way in the future.
Overall Loved this book and series!

I love Regency romances and was really happy to be approved for this one.
As I never read any of the previous books in this series I didn't know what type of romance it could be.
This book exceeded my expectations and I was hooked since the beginning. It was an enjoyable and interesting read.
I loved the proto-feminist intellectual heroine, so different from the standard Regency romance female character, and I loved the main male characters.
I found the plot fascinating and was enthralled by the historical references to the first palaeontologists (I'm fan of dinosaurs). The well researched historical background was a pleasant bonus
The romance was ok, pleasant and not too sentimental.
The style of writing is really pleasant and witty.
I highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC

I like it when historical romances take a different spin. I love reading Regency Era romance but sometimes they follow the same plot. So when I come across one that does something different, I have to read it. One for the Rogue does that.

Gemma is a geologist with an interest in fossils. Her interest in rocks, sand, and fossils are not a passing fancy. She is an expert in her area and in any other era would have been considered a genius. But, this is the Regency Era. Upper-class women were only valued for their dowries and bloodlines. Any woman who was interested in anything scholarly was labeled as a bluestocking and shunned by Polite Society. So, it was interesting to see the direct opposite of that happening in this book.

Gemma and 3 other gifted young women were invited to stay at a well-known woman scholar’s house for a year. During that time, they will be able to pursue their area of interest. If they manage to stay in the house for the year, they inherit everything that is in it. Out of the 4 girls, Gemma is the last one left and she is the most determined to finish her year. But, she needs to decipher the clue left behind by her benefactress. The only thing is that the clue is half-finished, with her benefactress dying before it could be complete. What she wasn’t counting on was a rival being murdered the same night she finds the artifact left for her. She also wasn’t counting on developing romantic feelings for her brother-in-law. She needs to push aside those feelings, find her fossil and the killer before the killer finds her.

Gemma was a breath of fresh air. She didn’t care what society thought of her. She wanted to be left alone, with her fossils and rocks. She wanted to be taken seriously by her male contemporaries. She wanted nothing to do with love. She had no time for it. I loved it. I loved how she decided that she was going to solve Sir Everard’s murder. Forget the constables, she was going to solve it herself. I also liked how she roped Cameron into helping her. I also liked how direct she was. She told Cameron that she didn’t want to marry him (after being caught kissing) but she would have him for a lover. LOVED it!!!

I did like Cameron but he rubbed me the wrong way. Until Sir Everard’s murder, he went back and forth on what he thought of Gemma. It wasn’t until Sir Everard’s murder that he started taking her seriously. I also thought his view on marriage was very skewed. He took something that he saw as a teenager and let it dictate what he thought about marriage. Listen, if I found out what he did, I would have thought the same thing. But, I wouldn’t let it affect me years down the road. I did think that he let himself be caught kissing Gemma. I believe that he wanted to be caught. Just the vibe I got from that. I liked that he was with Gemma every step of the way during her “investigation“.

I liked that the author didn’t have to dedicate much time to build up a relationship between Gemma and Cameron. They already had a relationship from the earlier book. That left time for the author to build up the romance. It also left time for the author to develop their relationship from not liking each other to falling in love.

There is sex in One for the Rogue. I know that most people like reading “clean” historical romances. Not this chick, I like sex in these types of books. It flushes the book out. What was surprising to me was how in charge Gemma was. She was a virgin but she knew what she wanted out of her relationship with Cameron. She wasn’t afraid to tell him. She didn’t want to marry him. I found it silly that Cameron was being forced to marry Gemma. After being caught kissing <eye roll>. If I had to marry every guy that I kissed, well, let’s say that I would have a lot of husbands…lol.

I did find it frustrating that Gemma jumped to the conclusion about things after hearing only half a conversation. Like my grandmother used to say “Don’t do no good listening in on other people talking. You only hear half of what is said and assume the other half.”

I loved the mystery part of One for the Rogue. It kept me on my toes and left me surprised when the mystery was solved. I was not expecting the murderer to be who it was.

The end of One for the Rogue was typical. All the storylines were wrapped up in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I do hope that there is a book that gives the chaperone her own love story. She deserves one!!!

What I liked about One for the Rogue:

A) Gemma. She was ahead of her time in this book.

B) Zero relationship build up for Gemma and Cameron.

C) The mystery angle. Kept me on my toes

What I disliked about One for the Rogue:

A) How smart women were treated in the Regency Era

B) Cameron and his issue with marriage

C) Gemma jumping to conclusions. Drove me crazy

I would give One for the Rogue an Adult Rating. There is explicit sex. There is mild violence. There is no language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings in One for the Rogue.

I would reread One for the Rogue. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

Manda always writes books with likable characters and great stories. I love to put her books on my keeper shelf

Gemma Hastings has decided she will never marry, as she wants to devote all her energies to proving her worth in the field of geology and fossil hunting. She is trying to discover the whereabouts of a legendary fossil skull, which is may make or break her career, unfortunately she is not alone in her interest. Lord Cameron Lisle is an exceedingly irritating fossil hunter who doesn’t appear to believe women can make it in his field. As things become more sinister their interactions begin to change. Enjoyable historical romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is the final book in the “Studies in Scandal” series by Manda Collins. If you’ve read the other 3 novels then you basically have read this one just substitute one Duke for another. The book is decent and the plot follows the typical Historical Romance formula. You don’t necessarily need to read the other books to pick this one up so that’s kind of nice but if you’ve read the other ones then this book might be a bit tiresome. I still enjoyed the book and Collins has proven she can turn out a proper book which is why I rated it 3 Stars.

I received this ARC with the promise of a fair and honest review. I have been hooked on the Beauchamp heiresses since the first book. Manda Collins has truly found her place with this series. What characters! What storylines! What a WONDERFUL series. I have to admit that I am sorry to see the stories of the original 4 heiresses but I have full faith that the series will find a way to continue on. Great writing!!

Summary:

Gemma, chosen by the late Lady Celeste to be one of her heiresses due to her knowledge of Geology, has it all figured out. She wants to make a name for herself as a lady scientist and has no interest in marriage. She wants to make her aunt and Lady Celeste proud! Even the annoying Cameron Lisle won’t get in her way! A Geologist himself, and head of a scientific paper, they find themselves butting heads a lot.

When danger comes knocking on Gemma’s door, though, it is Cameron that will stand by her side and protect both her and her findings. The more time Cameron spends with Gemma, the more he respects her for her mind and admires her beauty. He knows a marriage between them would be amazing, and she is the one he wants. Can he convince her that taking him on won’t mean loosing herself and her studies though?

My thoughts:

I requested this book without realizing that it was far into a series and I have actually only read one other book: Ready, Set, Rogue, Manda Collins . I do this a lot with the historical romances because I don’t always see them when they first come out, or on the ARC sites; and also because historical romances aren’t my go-to genre. I love them, but will often only read them sporadically, preferring cozy mysteries, contemporary fiction and thriller/ suspense. That said, when I grab one, I love them.

The characters here were interesting and well developed. Even though I had missed two previous books it was easy to pick up. I like that about these books- you have a better understanding of characters and some back story if you read them in order, but it isn’t necessary in order to get a good picture of the current novel. The premise was good, and the problems between Gemma and Cameron were believable as was the attraction.

I will admit that I wasn’t thrilled with some of the side characters. Everard seemed very one dimensional, nearly cliche. He was the typical horses ass and had no redeeming qualities. I would have liked to find something interesting in him. Paley as well, wasn’t fleshed out as much as I would like. We spent more time on the girls and their partners, which is understandable because the author had a whole other novel to flesh each one out.

The talk of the collections was interesting, as well as Gemma trying to find her inheritance. I loved how the women supported one another. The idea of a house full of scholarly pursuits being given to four ladies of different interests for a year was interesting. I feel like Lady Celeste’s motives were brought out well. It was a quick, fun read with some great characters and dialogue. My issue was that, for me, there was nothing that grabbed me, making this different from the hundreds of other historical romances. For me, this is a three star book.

On the adult content scale, there’s some language and violence, along with several in depth sexual encounters. Definitely for adults there. I give it an eight.
I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

Geologist Gemma Hastings has no interest in pursuing romance and no patience for Lord Cameron Lisle, an esteemed fossil hunter who has a way of always honing in on her territory. But when a shocking attack puts Gemma in very real danger, she may have to accept Lisle’s offers of protection. Cam was once amused by Gemma’s dedication to her work. But when he sees her coiffured & in a stunning dress he realises there's so much more to her.
This is the fourth book in the series & whilst it could be read by itself the whole series is very good & to fully appreciate this book I'd recommend reading the three earlier ones. Gemma & Cam have always been at loggerheads but there’s also been a spark between them, so it was entertaining & enjoyable to see the spark flare into a fire. The characters are well developed & the story flows extremely well, I’d been looking forward to Gemma’s story & I wasn't disappointed, I was immediately drawn into the book & was engrossed all of the way through, a fitting finale to the series.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

3.5 stars

This was the final book in the Studies in Scandal series, and like the books before it, you got a nice mystery interwoven in the romance. Unlike the books before it, I felt the mystery kind of overtook the romance. Not that that is a bad thing, it's just a little heads up ;)

I liked Gemma and Cam well enough. They had a little animosity going on at first due to the nature of their first meeting and the fact that they were "rivals" in the field of geology and fossil collecting. Neither had any intention of getting married so them getting caught in a scandalous situation and having to become betrothed was not really what either wanted. However, the more time they spent together, the more they realized they really liked each other.

My main problem with this was Cam's sudden turn around in his thoughts about not getting married. See, he was disillusioned because he caught his dad, who he thought was happily married to his mom, with a mistress. Well, ok. I get that. Your dad was really a cheating jerk instead of a fully loving and supportive husband. What killed me was that when Cam and his brother Ben were discussing it, Ben explained that their dad loved their mom so much that he got a mistress. So, Cam thought about it and realized he was wrong about happily ever afters and decided marriage wouldn't be so bad. UM, WHAT????? YOUR DAD HAD A MISTRESS WHILE YOUR MOM WAS RECOVERING FROM A MISCARRIAGE THAT NEARLY KILLED HER. He was still a cheating jerk. He wasn't some hero who was sparing his wife's life by not sleeping with her and knocking her up again. I nearly quit reading at that point.

It was great seeing all the Beauchamp heiresses again. I loved what they decided to do with the house at the end. Overall, this was a fun and entertaining series to read :)