This book was a fast and exhilarating read. I liked the murder mystery plot. The characters poppy and Joshua had wonderful chemistry and I truly enjoyed them together.

I was so late to this series and I think this was the first of the series that I read. I was lucky enough to receive a physical ARC of her and she’s one of the prettiest cartoon covers of a historical romance that I have!

Let’s start with the first meeting at the train station. I’m obsessed with a meet disaster, and this felt like that! As Poppy is shedding her London persona and putting her family persona back on, she suddenly has a new one to adopt- that of a future duchess in order to help the duke avoid the matchmaking mamas and grandmas. She also has a murder to investigate… for which her sister is being blamed.

The characters in A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes are vivid and full of life, even those I despise like the conman stepfather. The added element of a cult??? PALEASE!!! It’s really just an iconic historical romance and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to review it!

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes was a super cute Regency romance reminiscent of The Bridgerton series in writing style and tone but with a unique murder mystery twist. When Poppy Delamare’s sister is accused of murdering her husband, Poppy unwittingly teams up with the Duke of Langham in a fake engagement which offers her the protection of his title and gets his family off of his back when it comes to finding him a suitable wife. While this book didn’t have the most profound character development, there was enough for me to invest in their relationship and connect with them. Poppy was a delightful heroine that you couldn’t help but root for and Langham was adorably sexy. I loved the twist on a typical Regency romance by adding a murder mystery and the villains of the story were perfectly dark and scary. I didn’t see the ending coming and fully enjoyed the ride. This book is a companion novel in the Ladies Most Scandalous series. I plan on going back to read the others in the series because I was charmed by the little glimpses of the other characters from those novels. All in all, this was a very easy and enjoyable Regency romance that I recommend for anyone looking for one with a twist.

I had so much fun with A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins. This book was made for me, as it includes many things I love: a Victorian-era romance, a murder mystery, dislike to love, a snarky female lead, witty banter, a fake betrothal, a swoon-worthy male lead, and great side characters.

I fell for Poppy and Joshua on page 3. Their chemistry and banter were perfect. I loved how supportive they were of each other. I rooted for them the entire time and smiled ear to ear while reading.

I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery. Often times the mystery will suffer when a romance is involved, but not here. I thought the mystery was well thought out and expertly paced. I was intrigued from the start and generally interested to watch it unfold.

A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Duke is the third book in the Ladies Most Scandalous series by Manda Collins. When I first requested this book, I had no idea it was part of a companion series. I usually prefer to read these in order. However, not reading the previous two books did not impact my enjoyment or understanding of this one.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Ladies Most Scandalous series by Manda Collins is back with its next installment, “A Spinster’s Guide to Dukes and Danger.” This time the story follows Flora Deaver, who is actually revealed to be Poppy Delamare- a woman who ran from home to escape marriage and has been living a double life ever since. She returns home to save her wrongfully accused sister from a sentence of death for murdering her husband. On her travels she bumps into Duke Langham who is also returning to meet a gaggle of suitors brought together by his grandmother. They scheme a plan to help each other- she will play his fiance and he will use his power at the duke to help her sister.

I love love love a good fake dating trope. Cue every cute holiday romcom you’ve ever watched on tv. It’s especially fun if the two characters go from enemies to lovers. Needless to say, this plot totally won me over. I even got to feed my mystery craving. All in all, a win for me!

I loved the relationship between Poppy and the Duke. As much as they don’t want to like each other, he openly admits how smart she is and takes her side every chance he gets. In a time period where that feels unlikely, it was impossible to not like the Duke after a while (not that I ever felt like I didn’t like him, to be honest).

Overall, this book was a pretty cut and dry romance. What you see is what you get, and I was not disappointed with it in the least. In the end, it got a 4 star rating from me!

Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Poppy Delamare went to London years ago to escape the arranged marriage her stepfather insisted on. She started over as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver and was content with her life. Until a morning newspaper informed her that her sister was accused of murdering her husband, the very man Poppy had run away from. A mishap as she's trying to get a ticket home ends with her pretending to be betrothed to Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham. She gets the protection of his name and power and he gets to avoid all the misses desperate to become duchesses.
What follows is a series of revelations and interesting interactions with a wide cast of characters that make even the expected plot elements fun and original. Everything from how Langham's family reacts, to the truths about Poppy's family, and the bizarre inclusion of a bored-rich-people cult feels natural to the story and makes it stand out.
I cannot find the words to adequately express how incredibly delightful I think this book is. It has the perfect balance of slow-burn enemies to lovers and sweetly supportive friendship that comes a little bit out of nowhere but still makes perfect sense. It also deals with murder and some very serious implications and threats while keeping a very fun and light touch throughout it. It really does give readers a little bit of everything in just-right doses.
It's the third book in the series but I'm pretty sure it can be fully enjoyed without knowing what happened in the first books. You'll miss out on how Poppy and Langham initially met and some of the background on the characters that show up later in the book, but it won't affect the story at all.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the wonderfully romantic read!

I really enjoyed Poppy and Langham's story! Watching them banter in the previous story, had me hoping they would be paired. Collin's didn't disappoint!

Loved this one. The mix of mystery plot and budding love was great. I appreciated that they didn’t admit their love for each other until late in the story and that even when we were in the characters’ heads the sentiment was there but in measured, realistic ways. I appreciate the limited instalove for sure. I’m a big fan of stories that have a strong female protagonist but that the male lead still provides a shoulder for her when she needs it. The Duke did such a great job of letting Poppy flourish in her wit and strength but also recognizing at times when she needed someone to step up for her. Not because she couldn’t on her own, but because it’s nice to know that the people we care for will fight for us and with us.

With a Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes, Manda Collins is officially a new favorite historical romance author. This series is fiercely feminist, with fantastic dialogue and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. How could you expect anything else for a series called Ladies Most Scandalous?!? Manda always writes the swooniest leads, and Joshua and Poppy were no exception. I adored everything about their enemies to lovers journey.
This was a 5-star read for me, and I highly recommend it for fans of historical romance! A big thank you to Grand Central/NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this delightful story.

After reading this whole series, I have to say that book 3 was probably my favorite! Following Miss Poppy and The Duke. I love a fake engagement that helps bring characters together to fall in love, while solving family issues and mysteries. Our previous heroines show up briefly, but Poppy and Duke definitely steal the show. Poppy was more of side character compared to Caroline and Katherine so their role here is minimal. I love the witty characters, the strong female portrayals, and the spice!

I really adore this author and this series! It’s so fun to have romance mixed with a little mystery! I also like that these two characters didn’t get along much in the beginning but grew to love after they started a fake engagement! Poppy is outgoing, stubborn, works hard, and a feminist! I really like her character. Joshua, Duke of Langham, is a gentleman, who avoids marriage. When these two run into one another on a train ride, they learn of Poppy’s sister was charged for murder and Langham wants to keep the marriageable ladies at bay, they decided to fake an engagement! They will also try to solve the murder bc Poppy knows her sister didn’t do it! I really loved mystery along side the romance between Poppy and Langham! It was so fun and sweet! Looking forward to what’s next from Manda!

I didn’t enjoy the first book in the series, but I thought it had potential and so I read the second. I liked it and was genuinely excited for the tie breaker, but I thought it was pretty boring. Collins spent a lot of time describing actions and the mystery plot and not a lot of time on the characters’ internal worlds, which is the main draw of a romance for me.

I loved this so much, but I can’t decide which I love more as they’re all so good. I adore the mystery and suspense, the characters and plot are wonderful. Poppy is a strong woman, with her own strengths and mind even if society doesn’t like it and I’m so here for that. I’ll still be here for many more books too. Love them

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the third installment of the Ladies Most Scandalous series, which follows a group of friends breaking the gender norms of their name - educated, working, single - and the men they find themselves entangled with.

In this book Poppy is a woman hiding from an abusive stepfather forced to return to her childhood home to save her sister accused of murder. When her trip home starts on the wrong foot, Joshua aka Langham offers his support and power as a duke in exchange for a week of fake engagement to deter his grandmother’s matchmaking schemes.

Of the three books, this may be my favorite. Poppy and Joshua’s friendship blooms really organically, and the characters spend a lot of time together. The murder mystery element adds some thoughtful filler along the story and gives the characters an opportunity to know each other outside of attraction to one another. The couples from the first two books make a return as well as some teases of who may be coming next and I would gladly read more books in this universe. This is a nice quick read.

Thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the early digital copy!

I am obsessed with the show Ms. Scarlet and the Duke on PBS and I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for books with that same feeling. I read the first book in the A Lady's Guide series so when I saw this book, the third in the series, was available I snatched it up right away. This book was a great addition to the series and now I'm stalking the library to snatch up the second when I can.

What I Loved:
-Poppy, we learn that she runs away from home when she was going to be forced to marry a dangerous man and she had to figure out how to live in London on her own. Instead of letting that negatively impact her it made her into a strong woman who stands up for what she believes in.
-Secret Society, I'm a sucker for a secret society/cult situation cause I just find it absurd that people are so swayed to "join the club" and I liked what this one added to the story as a whole.
-Joshua, even though he is a Duke and expects to be treated a specific way he always encourages Poppy to be who she is and I just loved how he was always wanting to protect her from the people in his social circle but trusts she can take care of herself.
-Joshua's family, Poppy gets thrown to the wolves with the fake engagement but I loved how his family first thought it was a joke but then really took the time to get to know Poppy and compliment her on her strength and how she doesn't stand down to Joshua
- Non-traditional, I love that Poppy works for a living and the work she does ends up helping her save her sister from being charged with murder

As I noted above, this book really reminded me of Ms. Scarlet and the Duke in all of the best ways. I'm so happy that this series has continue to be exceptional and I really need to get the second book in the series so I can see how Poppy and Joshua meet...fingers crossed its a meet cute with Poppy putting him in his place :) Anyone out there who loves a historical romance with a bit of mystery and strong lead female character this is absolutely a must read.

I wish Bridgerton was what this book is; I would want to watch it! I enjoyed the witty banter and the fun mystery thrown into the regency time period. This book was a fun escape from the real world for a bit!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Poppy Delamare has been living a lie - she's been hiding out in London for two years after running away from home when her wicked stepfather betrothed her to his private secretary. When Poppy fled, her stepfather married Poppy's half-sister - his own daughter - to the man, Mr. Lovell. Mr. Lovell is now dead and the murder is being pinned on her sister Violet, so Poppy is returning to her family home to clear her sister's name. On the train ride there, she runs into Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, who she met before and took an instant disliking to. They happen to be headed to the same place, so Langham agrees to help her, if she'll pretend to be his fiancee to stop his grandmother's matchmaking. As the two work to clear her sister's name, Poppy realizes there may be more than meets the eye with the Duke.

I've loved every book in this series more than the last and this one was no exception. The gentle sparring and banter between Langham and Poppy was so fun and I loved watching their relationship grow. Poppy thinks Langham is arrogant at first, but deep down, he is gentle and caring, especially towards those he has affection for. And you can tell Langham sees Poppy as an equal, though he'll still go to any length to protect her and make her happy. As their emotional connection grew, so did their chemistry, and the spicy scene was HOT! The writing was fast paced and bingeable, and I absolutely devoured the book. And did I sense a little something between Governess Halliwell and Lord Adrian??? I can't wait to read more from Manda Collins!

TW: Violence, murder (off page), attempted assault, kidnapping, emotional abuse, claustrophobia

I loved the first book and this second one did not disappoint. The mystery and banter between the characters kept me interested. I can't wait for the third book!

The intrigue in the plot of this novel was so much fun to read about as it just kept getting more absurdly gothic, and the investigation was very entertaining to follow. I really liked that there was a balance between the mystery and romance elements, but with that being said I felt like there wasn't enough lead up to the romance for it to be as satisfying as it could have been. I also felt that the pacing was a bit off as a lot of the investigation breakthroughs happened really close to the end of the book and it seemed a bit rushed considering there were so many different elements involved in it. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I am definitely going to read the other two books in this series now!

A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins is book 3 of the series but can be read as a standalone. I've read the first 2 books in the series which I found more exciting than this one. This is a fake dating historical romance, with a murder mystery, and satanic ritual which turned me off. It was different for a historical romance which made it interesting but the book became predictable. It also took awhile for me to get into this book but about half way through it picked up and brought me back. Interested to see where this series will go from here.