An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire is the second installment in the A Lady's Guide series. The synopsis claims it's a historical rom-com, but I found it lacking in the romantic comedy area. The mystery element was too slow for my liking with nothing interesting happening until the end. I'm a little disappointed. I really enjoyed A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem and was excited to get Caro's story but it missed the mark for me. All that said, I've been in a pretty serious reading slump lately, so don't take my word for it. There are a lot of other great reviews for this book, go read those first.

First, I want to say thank you to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for letting me receive this in exchange for an honest review!

A little backstory: We met our heroine, Miss Caroline Hardcastle who has a pretty scandalous reputation and currently works for the newspaper. But when her friend gets kidnapped, she becomes reluctant allies with her (secret) ex-boyfriend, Lord Valentine Thorn, as his cousin was abducted as well.

I'm usually hesitant with sequels because I'm afraid they won't live up to the prequel, but my goodness did this book deliver. I am obsessed with second chance romance, and their love story was so angsty, and their mystery was so fun and easy to self-insert in. The only thing I wanted was for them to be enemies for a few chapters longer but that's just the toxic part in me talking.

This book was such a fun and easy read, especially if you are in a reading slump. It has the perfect balance between romance and mystery, and I cannot recommend it enough. So excited for the third book!!!!!

I think Manda Collins just has a fun way to incorporate a mystery into the story. Just like the first book of this series, it was really fun to see another set of main characters that I truly loved in the first book in this one.
A dear friend of Caro has been kidnapped and of course, her other friend and her detective husband go ahead and help to solve this mystery with Caro. The romance in this book was slow-burning and just lovely to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book!
This was one of my most hotly anticipated reads of 2021 after the first book became one of my top reads of 2020.
It did not disappoint.
The mystery was really well executed and kept me guessing the entire time.
I loved seeing Kate and Andrew again

And Caro and Val! I love Val

If I have 1 complaint it’s that they went from enemies to lovers a bit too quickly for my tastes. It made it seem like their past conflict was all nothing and dealt with in 1 conversation they could’ve had along the way.

Other than that this was a fantastic read.

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations. I would definitely recommend to others.

Amateur sleuthing in Victorian England...

Caroline is a wealthy heiress of tinned food, an author of cookbooks and now a crime writer for a paper.
She was engaged, albeit very briefly four years ago to Valentine.
Valentine, now the ducal heir, is a writer of biographies and former sports writer (every one is a writer in this circle of friends).

Valentine and Caroline are reunited to find Effie, the fiancée of Valentine's cousin and an actress,
There is a lot more sleuthing in this book. Though it is balanced with Caroline jilting Valentine over his family obligations. His ducal parents did not approve of her, as she is inappropriate. He's caught between being the dutiful heir who needs to marry in haste and the person who he would actually like to marry (a love match).

I did like that since its set in 1867, that they write, they work, trade is more accepted (as is tinned foods).

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It combined historical romance with a mystery. The book was clever, held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. It can be read as a standalone story, though it is the second in a series. I enjoyed this book and would read more books by this author.

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins is the second book in A Lady’s Guide series and is a a fun, second chance Regency romance involving a mystery.

We met Miss Caroline “Caro” Hardcastle, a manufacturer’s daughter, and Lord Valentine "Val" Thorn, the heir to a dukedom in ‘A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem’. Caro, having ended a secret betrothal to Val because she realized he was as snobbish as the rest of his family. Caro’s middle-class upbringing made her unsuitable in the eyes of Val’s father and his brother, and Caro eventually broke off the engagement. The estranged couple team up again when her dear friend and Val’s cousin Frank’s fiancée, Miss Effie Warrington, disappears and Frank falls under suspicion.

This book was a lot of fun, the dialogue and the banter between Caro and Val. Val still has feelings for Caro but she is still wary of him. They are immediately at each other throats from the first time they are in a room together to help Thorn and to find Effie. Caro has been harboring negative feelings toward Val ever since, and matters become more complicated when working on the case leads to being discovered in a compromising situation, and a marriage of convenience the only solution.

I also enjoyed the mystery. I figured out who abducted Effie and how Lady Katherine and her husband Eversham were once again involved in the mystery. I enjoyed reading about the women who are sleuths and are willing to take on a case that the local police aren’t interested in.

I recommend this book because its a fun read, with a romance, a mystery and with a bit of steam.
I am ready for the third book with Miss Flora Deaver and the Duke of Langham because they were highly entertaining when they bickered.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

London 1867

Caroline Hardcastle fell in (and out) of love with Valentine Thorn four years ago. After he broke her heart, she moved on (mostly). She got a cat, a job writing a newspaper column about crime, and a new best friend. Naturally, Lady Katherine has been lifelong friends with one Valentine Thorn. Despite their mutual friends, Caro has mostly been able to avoid Val.
Meanwhile, Val has his own problems. The unexpected death of his older brother the previous year means that Valentine Thorn is now Viscount Wrackham, heir to the Duke of Thornfield. With that comes expectations: martial expectations. Unfortunately, the only woman he’s ever seen a future with is the one who left him four years ago.
When popular actress Miss Effie Warrington is kidnapped, Caro and Val find themselves thrown together in their efforts to find her before it’s too late. As they delve into the mystery of Effie’s disappearance, it isn’t long before old sparks begin to reignite.

This is a cozy mystery romance book set in Victorian England. Basically, imagine a Victorian equivalent of the podcast My Favorite Murder with a police connection and love interests. Oh, and also a very spoiled cat. Caro and Val have a tempestuous but affectionate relationship. I liked the parallel between Val with his father and Caro and her mother. I also appreciated the glimpse into what stage life was like for an actress at that time.

This is the second book in the Lady’s Guide series but can be read as a standalone. A third, untitled, book has been announced without a set publication date. I’m excited to read about Flora and a certain peer who makes an appearance in Heiress’s Guide!

Miss Caroline (Caro) Hardcastle is not only the author of several cookbooks, but she also helps her dear friend Kate write a crim column for the local newspaper. Caro’s parents are determined that she should wed but Caro is bound and determined to choose her own husband. When her dear friend Effie is kidnapped, Caro will stop at nothing to find her, even if that means working with the man who broke her heart, Vicount Wrakham, Valention Thorn. When Caro and Val are caught in what people believe was a compromising position, will Caro risk her families reputation, or will she find herself once again engaged to the man who betrayed her?
Lord Valentine (Val) Thorn is the new Viscount Wrackham, and his family is urging him to find a bride to carry on the family name. He is bound and determined to choose his own wife after he chose his family a few years ago over the one woman he ever truly loved. When fate throws Val and Caro together, will he finally stand up to his father and choose love or will he choose family duty?

I absolutely adored this novel by Manda Collins. Her witty, charming, sassy strong female characters are so well written that you become enthralled with them right from start. With being introduced to Caro and Val in the first novel of the series, I was excited to read their story in this one. I am not usually one for historical romances, but I was hooked on Ms. Collins writing style and really enjoyed learning about life back in the 1800’s. Now I will say I am a historical romance fan and can not wait to read the next novel in the series. Thank you so much Forever ( Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

This books is the sequel to An Heiress' Guide to Mischief and Mayhem, but can be read as a stand-alone book. Miss Caroline Hardcastle (Caro)--half of the writing duo introduced in the previous book--is an independent thinker who doesn't care much what society thinks. Unfortunately, as her mother is from the nobility but her father became wealthy "in trade," a good match is important to her parents. But marriage could take away her freedom to write and bring attention to social injustice against the most vulnerable of society. But when Caro's actress friend is kidnapped, she is thrown back together with her one-time fiancé, Vicount Wrackham (Val) who failed to stand up for her when it counted. But will working together on this mystery help them reconnect and help her trust again?

The book is told from the perspective of both Caro and Val and takes a look at different elements of the social order of the day (gender, wealth, nobility). It focuses on what both of them think and feel about each other as they pursue the solution to the mystery...and each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous installment but I found it harder to engage with this one--it seemed more forced and that there was less character development. But the mystery is entertaining and the book is cute overall. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Ladies Guide series. This book follows Caroline Hardcastle and Valentine Thorn on the quest to find her kidnapped friend. These books are touted as romances, but in my opinion are more in line with the mystery genre. A romance mystery? It's clever, but runs a little long and draggy at times.

Super funny and fun!
This was such a fun romantic adventure story; just like book one.
If you like mystery stories but everything you read needs to have a romance this is the perfect book for you. The mystery was interesting and I enjoyed the banter between the two characters.
This has second chance romance, forced proximity and enemies to lovers.
I don’t think you need to read book one to enjoy this. It can be read as a standalone.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

The second book in this series did not disappoint! Val and Caro were such staple characters in A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem.

Both Caro and Val are so likable and have a very sweet push and pull to their relationship. I’m not usually a fan of second chance tropes, but this was done so seamlessly.

What I love most about Manda Collins’ series is that yes, it is first and foremost a romance, but that isn’t the only storyline. There is depth.

In an Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire, we of course get Val and Caro’s story, but we also get mystery, we get crime investigation, a strong leading lady, and we get all the typical drama of the ton. Thoroughly enjoyed this!

Journalist Caroline is forced to work with ex-fiancé Lord Valentine to find a kidnapped friend. When Caro and Val are caught in a compromising position, is marriage the only solution?

This book is half romantic comedy, half historical mystery. The story is absorbing and the characters delightful. The chemistry between Val and Caro is strong, despite the mistakes from their past.

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

The second installment in Collins' "A Lady's Guide" series is just as good as the first. Perfectly merging romance and mystery, this book has everything you could want. It also managing to stay astoundingly feminist for a historical fiction novel, which is always a challenge in period reads where dated gender roles often make me uncomfortable. Here, that's not the case. We get ambitious, independent women, making a place for themselves in a society that wishes they remained at home.

This time around, we see Lady Katherine and Miss Caroline looking into the abduction of their friend. Unfortunately, her betrothed is a relative of Caro's ex, and it thrusts the two together once again. The two ladies manage to get themselves into all kind of trouble, and Caro and her ex get themselves into a different kind of trouble!

I love how true to the series starter this one felt. It was a totally different plot, but it was so easy to tell these books were by the same author, in the same universe. I can't wait until the third book!

Thanks to Forever for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

I loved it! I just had the pleasure of reading and reviewing A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem, so it was fun to read this one closely after. I adored Miss Caroline Hardcastle and Lord Valentine Thorn, and I think that is where my love for this one stems. They are working closely together to help Caro's friend who was kidnapped, while dealing with their own history and current relationship. These books are quick reads with good characters and a well written mystery mixed in! I would highly recommend this series if you are a fan of historical mystery with a touch of romance.

An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire is the second book in A Lady's Guide series by Manda Collins. A lighthearted romance with an interesting mystery, delightful characters, and excellent worldbuilding. I was drawn into a world of intrigue from the beginning and could not put this one down. I look forward to reading more in A Lady's Guide series.

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire is the second novel in the A Lady’s Guide series. While each can be read as a standalone, it is best to read the first before moving on to this one. The two main characters, Caro and Val are introduced in the first novel as secondary characters. Their story is introduced, so reading A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem first gives a nice foundation before beginning this story. Miss Caroline Hardcastle is a journalist/writer for a newspaper column, an heiress, and a firm believer in equality. When her best friend, an actress named Effie Warrington, is kidnapped, Caro must partake in a new mystery to solve. She begins with Effie’s fiancé, Francis Thorn, but discovers that he too is missing. Francis happens to be the cousin of Caro’s former betrothed, Valentine (Val) Thorn, now Viscount Wrackham. Caro ended the engagement, but there is lingering tension between them. The story sets on the two characters working together to save Effie and Francis while rediscovering each other.

Since I loved both of these characters in the first installment, I was very excited for them to have their own story. It did not disappoint as the tension between them was well done and I loved that the two of them discover that their initial impressions of the other may not be all they seemed. Caro is a very fun take-charge woman who does not wish to settle for society’s expectations of her. Val has never stopped loving Caro and is very sweet. The two of them have great chemistry and share entertaining banter and are a couple that you want to root for. The two of them working together to solve the mystery behind the kidnappings was a great catalyst to bring the two characters closer.

Similar to the first novel, this one sets out to balance the mystery and the romance. The mystery in this novel was fun as there are clues placed along the way for both the reader and characters to figure out the one behind it. It was fun to have Andrew and Kate from the first novel along for the ride as it was nice to catch up with them after the first novel ended. While Caro and Val have an attraction still, they need to work through many of the issues from their past. For me, I liked this process between them, and my only wish was for it to be stretched out and explored a little more. There were moments where I felt things were fixed a little too easily and would have preferred a little more exploration into the process.

Overall, this was another enemies-to-lovers story, like the first, but it was done in a different way as these characters had a shared past. Caro and Val were each enjoyable characters and they worked well together with Andrew and Kate. The story is a fun mix of mystery and romance, which makes it an ideal read for those that enjoy either genre. After enjoying this novel, I cannot wait to see what mystery is presented for the new couple Miss Flora Deaver and the Duke of Langham in the next installment.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Forever, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Quirky, adventurous, and fun!

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire is a playful, engaging tale set in London during 1867 that takes you into the life of Miss Caroline Hardcastle, a crime columnist who, after one of her closest friends goes missing, must grudgingly team up with he ex-fiancé and one man who broke her heart, the dashingly handsome, Lord Valentine Thorn in order to solve the case and rescue her dear friend, Effie as quickly as possible.

The writing is cheeky and engaging. The characters are resourceful, clever, and endearing. And the plot is a passionate, compelling tale full of family, friendship, societal expectations, deductive reasoning, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, awkward moments, secrets, attraction, desire, sleuthing, and of course, a little romance.

An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire is an amusing, lighthearted, entertaining tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the second title in the A Lady’s Guide series by Collins, that if you ask me, keeps getting better and better.