Member Reviews

The year is 1867. Miss Caroline Hardcastle (Caro) is very independent for a young woman of her time period. She is the author of several popular cookbooks. She (along with her friend, Lady Katherine Eversham) writes a crime column, “A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem,” which is published in The London Gazette. The friends also host regular literary meetings aimed not only at discussing current books, but also at discussing dangers for women and how they can protect themselves. So when their dear friend, actress Effie Warringtom is kidnapped, Caro and Lady Katherine determine to find Effie at once.

When Effie’s fiancé also disappears, Caro is forced to join forces with the fiancé’s devastatingly handsome cousin, Lord Valentine Thorn. Caro and Lord Thorn have a past. They were once betrothed but Caro broke it off because she didn’t feel Val would stand against the rules of the aristocracy to truly welcome her family. After all, he is the son of a Duke and Caro’s father is a commoner!

The dialogue is quite witty and the attraction is still strong as Caro and Val question various members of the ton and begin to piece together startling discoveries. Can they work through their differences to make a lasting match? Can they find Effie and her fiancé?

My thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this regency romance rom-com! The situations Caro and Val found themselves in were quite humorous at times and I enjoyed reading how they navigated the rules of society to work their way through each situation! The attraction was strong and the romance was beautifully and tastefully described. What I also really loved, was that in addition to a great romance, the mystery was intriguing as well!

Though this book is the second in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel, (The first book is A Lady’s Guide to Murder and Mayhem.) I am definitely going to read the first book! I am also excited to read the third book when it comes out in 2022!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for my copy. My thoughts are my own.

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‘England, 1867 : As half of the writing duo behind England's most infamous crime column, Miss Caroline Hardcastle has quite the scandalous reputation. It may have cost her a fiancé, but she would much rather bring attention to crimes against those ignored by society than worry about what the ton thinks of her.

After Caro's dear friend is kidnapped, however, she has no choice but to work with Lord Valentine Thorn, the same man who broke her heart. Worse, when her actions put her father's business at risk, a marriage of convenience may be her only solution . . . but can she trust Val to stand by her? Or will their past repeat itself?

Val--the new Viscount Wrackham--is in an untenable position: His father is demanding he find a respectable bride to secure the succession. Yet the only woman he's ever loved, Miss Caroline Hardcastle, is notorious for behaving improperly. And she's never forgiven him for his youthful transgressions, missteps made in the name of familial duty, but ones he still regrets to this day.

As they grow closer to unmasking the culprit, Val sees an opportunity to show Caro he's a changed man. But can he convince her to give their love a second chance--before death does them part?’
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An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire is the second book in Mirand Collins’ A Lady’s Guide series and is a historical mystery and romance.

I did not read the previous book in the series and this is the first book by this author that I have read. I do think that my reading was impacted by not having read the first book in the series and so I recommend reading A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem prior to starting this book. Val and Caro were previously involved in a secret engagement which ended on less than amicable terms during the first book and this is a source of great tension between them when they meet again for this investigation. We are given an overview of how things went wrong between them, but much of the substance of their relationship is tied up in their early connection. I think had I been more familiar with their earlier relationship, the resolution between them may have felt more satisfying, but based on just this book things felt rushed over to me.

The mystery of missing individuals (and I’ll be vague so as to not give anything away here) was intended to be the most central plot point, but that thread seems to be dropped a bit on more than one occasion. I’m afraid I would not feel the least comforted to know these characters were searching for me if I were missing. Things do get back on course with the mystery though and there is a satisfactory amount of danger here, which will always be my favorite aspect of any mystery. I thought the last quarter of the book was where the story was really able to shine and was the part of the story I enjoyed most.

Overall, I found Val and Caro to be cute and I think it was sweet that they got a second chance together. They mystery had a dramatic introduction, which was followed by a bit of meandering, but everything came together in the end and I enjoyed the resolution.

I would possibly read more in this series, but I think only after going back to read the first book of the series as I want to ensure I would have all the necessary background information before starting the next book.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Forever(Grand Central Publishing) for sharing an eARC of An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire with me. This is my honest review.

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This is the second installment in Manda Collins' "A Lady's Guide" historical romance-mystery series and sadly, I found it more boring than the first. It was hard for me to care about the central mystery involving characters who were not known to me and seemed unsavory. I was in this book for the Val & Caro romance storyline and whenever it went back to the mystery, I lost interest.

The mystery revolves around a kidnapped actress and Val's cousin. Every time Val and Caro stopped flirting to interview another suspect I yawned. Now, if Kate had been the one kidnapped by an enemy of Eversham's and Val, Caro and Eversham had teamed up to save her, I'd have been glued to the pages.

The cover is once again, a stunner. I'm not sure I will continue with the series. It was just an okay 3 star read for me because it a bit hard for me to get through, but I want to be supportive of my fellow Gulf Coast dweller Ms Collins.

As far as steam level, there was just one sexy scene, whereas I feel there were a couple in the previous book. This is not a sweet romance though, definitely a low level steamy.

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The romance of it all gets resolved fairly quickly. I definitely would have loved more development on the relationship on page. I really love them both so I was happy to see them work it out, but I definitely would have loved more in terms of the romance.

The mystery solving aspect however, had me hooked right from the beginning. I just adore these ladies and their problem solving skills. I also loved the way Caro roped her husband into it an he just went along with it cause he knows that’s what she loves. I loved watching all four of them work to solve this one.

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Mini Review: This was another excellent book by Manda Collins! The mystery was good, and I liked the romance a lot! And I loved seeing the glimpses of the main characters from the first book. Overall, I would definitely recommend this series, and I look forward to the next book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

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Manda Collins has given us a Victorian romantic thriller with kidnapping, lost heirs, star crossed lovers and assertive ladies in An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire. 1867 is the year to resolve a star-crossed love affair and find kidnap victims. Very enjoyable romp.

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Read if you like: second chance romances.
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Caro and Val used to be engaged, but when Caro realized she would never fit into the aristocratic society so she calls it off. But years later when her friend is kidnapped, Caro and Val join forces to find her.
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Really loved how these two came together again. Both were much more mature and able to communicate better, even though they are still trying to protect themselves from heartbreak.
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CW: sexual content, kidnapping, sexism, sexual harassment, death of a loved one.

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Caro and Kate’s friend Effie has been kidnapped. She was abducted from her carriage while her fiancé, Frank, was beaten. Effie, an actress, is well-below aristocratic Frank’s social station. Caro, and Frank’s cousin, Valentine, were briefly engaged 4 years ago but broke up when Valentine didn’t defend her to his snobbish family. Caro’s family is obscenely wealthy from her father’s canned food business but her lineage was lacking to Val’s brother and father. Now, Caro and Val team up to find Effie and the soon-to-be-missing Frank. This is an engaging mystery with a little romance that lacks spark. Their relationship takes an awkward turn right in the middle of the investigation that seems out-of-place to the plot. A woman’s lack of importance is shown in the attitudes and laws of the time.

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Kind of underwhelmed to be honest. I think this book would've been fine without the conversations about class and gender. I get that they important but the ones in this book were surface level at best and that just frustrated me.

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On paper this book has everything I like: feminist main characters, a reluctant Duke, a Very Important Cat, an accidental marriage… no spoilers, but the mystery fell flat and the feminist news column felt ahistorical. As an archivist and murderino, I really did want to love this book.

I think you’ll love this if you read the first and enjoyed it, but as someone who jumped into book two, we just didn’t vibe. I finished it, and I have no major hangups, so I give this a sensible three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I'm really enjoying this series by Manda Collins! I really like Caro and enjoyed meeting her and Val in the first book. I also really enjoyed the mystery element and glad everything worked out. My one and only issue with this book is that I keep waiting for Evie Dunmore's characters to show up!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

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First off like always a big thank you to the thank you to the publisher Hachette Audio's, the author Manda Collins , well as to Nita Basu and Jasmine Normall for gifted me it. And for introducing me to not only a new series , but also a new author and narrator , and I can't wait to read and listing to more of their stores together . The story was delightfully witty, romantic, and entertaining though out , ans had me laughing at times that I had to hit the pause button, and then after a few minutes I could once again listing to more of the story. I loved how the narrator voice fit the story and how she just give it and the characters the bit more of spunk that helped the main characters play off of one of other.

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I absolutely adored this book, and cannot wait to read more Manda Collins. Every couple, from the friendships to the main romantic relationship, had fantastic chemistry. Caro and Kate were instantly likable and fierce. Each of the main characters, and side characters like Effie and Frank, had depth and nuance. I really loved everything about this book. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

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This was sweet, half detective story half romance. The detective story was really great, just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. The romance could have had a little more. It was sweet but I wasn’t fully invested in the couples transformation. Also, and perhaps I missed it, but could have done a better job explaining what had happened to Val’s brother.

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An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire is a fun romp of a book. I love an enemies to lovers situation, and this book delivers on it. Even though Caro and Valentine would rather be anywhere than in the same room since breaking off their engagement years before; they decide to help each other out by figuring out what happened to their missing friend Effie.

Effie is an actress and is seeing Val's cousin, along with maybe a few other men. So Caro and Val get pretty cozy going out to find clues, interview people, and search high and low for their friend.

While this is a fun and steamy historical romance, comparing it to the first book in the series is hard because I loved that one so much more. Caro and Val's story felt rushed at times and overly dragged out at others. I think maybe with the mystery of Effie's disappearance things were either too repetitive and I didn't feel invested in this character I had never met.

Thank you Forever Romance for ARC of the book, and I will definitely be checking out more of Manda's Books in the future.

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Oh how I loved Caro and Val's story! Readers are seeing their story from a few years after the events of the first book and get a look at Caro and Val from past and present perspectives. I am not always a fan of the second chance trope but Manda Collins did a great job with it. Caro is witty and her banter with Val was spot on. The mystery plot of this book does take up a lot of the storyline but it keeps readers captivated.

I do wish there had been a bit more of Caro and Val truly hashing out their past and reconciling because it did feel like their issues were solved very easily. Overall this book was the perfect mix of mystery and romance that historical romance readers will love.

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A feminist Victorian second chance at love romance between two former 'lovers' who enter into a marriage of convenience but find love along the way. I really enjoy the strong female characters in Manda Collins's book and the way she seamlessly blends romance and mystery during the Victorian era. Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of Evie Dunmore. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies.

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In case you haven't noticed, I am absolutely in a historical romance mood, so this was a natural choice to read next.

Several years after their broken betrothal, Caro Hardcastle and Val Thorn are brought back together in the face of a kidnapping. Caro's actress friend and Val's cousin have both been taken, and time is running out for them to be found. The mystery takes them from London theatres to Brighton, in between their marriage of convenience that neither quite wants to admit is what they want.

I seem to have a knack for starting these romance series in the middle, but that's okay, since they can each stand alone. This one does seem to have a large amount of background for the two main characters that was shaped in the first book, but it did not leave me in the dark about anything. I was not expecting a mystery to be at the core of this. It was a pleasant surprise, to be honest, even if the kidnapping did feel to hog more of the book's attention rather than the romance I was looking forward to. It wasn't predictable, which I really appreciated. There are several suspects, but not once did I have a concrete guess until the characters themselves did.

The book alternates between Caroline's and Valentine's POVs. I enjoyed Val's chapters, but in a shocking twist I was not as much a fan of Caro as I expected to be. What I love about the historical romances written today is that most of them have strong feminist aspects, with women taking control where they can in a society that still highly favoured men. Caro just did not work for me with this lens. I found her to be a bit annoying with her demands to attend meetings and she didn't feel empowering as a character, as I'm sure was not the intent. Likewise with her friend, Kate. They didn't seem to fit.

The steam was a little disappointing. It tried to stay more true to the era, which, fair, but also phrases like "the bud of her pleasure" does not do it for me. I didn't quite get the chemistry between the pair of them either. There were moments, for sure, but it didn't really make me swoon like others have. I think that's part of what kept this book from really working for me: there wasn't much of a spark to it. The beginning felt quite distant, and it took a while for it to really get going in terms of story and romance.

I don't know that I want to hunt for a copy of the first book in this series, but I am interested in the third one because I definitely picked up on something between those two characters. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

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I loved book one in this series ( Ladies Most Scandalous) and could not wait for book two to be available to read. It did not disappoint.
"England, 1867: As half of the writing duo behind England’s most infamous crime column, Miss Caroline Hardcastle has quite the scandalous reputation. It may have cost her a fiancé, but she would much rather bring attention to crimes against those ignored by society than worry about what the ton thinks of her"
When Caro's friend is kidnapped, she is forced to work with her former fiance, Lord Valentine, the man that broke her heart. Both must put their feelings aside to and try to find her friend and her betrothed, who happens to be Lord Valentine's cousin.
Great characters, witty dialogue and the London location kept me reading page after page wanting to know will Caro and Val get their happy after and will the mystery be solved.

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3.5 stars

This was an entertaining marriage of convenience and second chance romance, with a healthy dose of mystery. Second chance is a tough trope to pull off sometimes, but the circumstances surrounding Caroline (Caro) and Valentine’s (Val) separation really worked. It allowed both characters the time necessary to grow and mature. I did feel that the mystery plot took center stage in the book and I would have preferred more of the focus be on Caro and Val’s romance. As much as I liked Val and Caro as a couple, I needed more page time showing them reconnecting and getting to know each other for their romance to truly work. Unfortunately, after a strong start, the pacing slowed and the story lost momentum, which made the book feel overly long.

I really loved the strong female characters and friendships in the book. I appreciated that Caro and Kate relied on their intellect and ingenuity to get out of sticky situations, instead of waiting to be rescued. I also enjoyed seeing the sparks fly between Flora and the Duke of Langham and am interested to see how their story unfolds in the next book.

Audiobook Review
Overall 3.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Overall 3-3.5 stars

Mary Jane Wells is my favorite historical romance narrator. I am always impressed by her ability to perform a wide variety of accents and characters in a clear and unique way. It’s always a wonderful listening experience when she narrates.

* I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book *

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