Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril! All opinions in this review are my own.

I am such a fan of Manda Collins' Ladies Most Scandalous series and I was so excited to read Jane's story in A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril! Part mystery and part historical romance, Collins is able to create some of the most lovable characters I have ever read! Although it is hard to decide, I think this mystery was my favorite out of the series!

Hello Fellow Readers,

First, let me say that I did not know that this was part of a series when I read it, but I quickly realized that you don't have to read the first three to read this one. Yes, there are some recurring characters that I probably would have recognized had I read the others, but in terms of story and plot, it is irrelevant. While there is a murder mystery that needs to be solved I would say this had more romance than mystery, which I wasn't too happy about, since the main characters didn't have much chemistry and Adrian was just very bland. I did enjoy Jane and preferred her chapter POVs over Adrian's. The Mystery itself was fun even if I did guess who the murderer was.

Overall, a fun cozy mystery.

So happy to read another installment from this series!
This one does focus a bit more on the mystery element and I think the romance plot does suffer because of it. It's not a bad thing at all, I'm just a big lover of romance!

It's always a delight to see our friends from previous novels make appearances! Fingers crossed, we still more from Manda Collins!

This book was fun. You can always expect a good time with @mandacollinsauthor. I always enjoy a little mystery with my romance and this one delivers! I love that she can give her female main characters power, while still keeping it somewhat believable to the time period. I loved this one!

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. It was historical fiction, some romance, and a mystery. It's the l4th in the series but was fine as a standalone. Jane Holliwell is working as a governess after her father committed suicide. She's reunited with Lord Adrian, an old friend and colleague of her late father. When there are more deaths the two of them get involved in investigating them.

I'm a big fan of Jane Austen and this story gave me those vibes, along with a murder mystery and some romance. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in these series.

Thanks to @foreverpublishing, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC

This historical romance was lighthearted, touching, and so fun! I adored Collins's characters and their banter. I typically only read contemporary or period piece romances, and this one takes the cake.

A second chance romance! With the background of solving a murder? Sign me up for this one. I found this book to be witty and entertaining. Wasn’t the best thing I’ve read but I enjoyed reading it! Jane and Adrian’s banter had me giggling out loud sometimes.

This is the fourth installment in Manda Collins’s Ladies Most Scandalous historical romantic suspense (mystery + romance) series. Much like the others, I loved it!! A murder to solve, romantic intrigue, female friendships and women defying the expectations and limits of society = fantastic! It’s a delightful read.

Firstly, I'd like to thank Netgalley and publishers for allowing me a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I begin? This book takes place from two POV's, and switches back and fourth between them to provide context throughout the story. While often times I find multiple POVs confusing, I found this story very easy to follow. The setting is established quite clearly, and the characterization are done well so we can slide into the story without much difficulty. I also somehow didn't realize there was a mystery element to this book, and was expecting it to be a regency romance so when the inciting incidence happened I was quite shocked!

However, as the story went on, I found my mind drifting. I was enjoying it, as it's quite a fast paced book, however I think where it lacked for me was that it didn't quite lean into any of its themes enough. Was it a romance? Yes, but I would've liked a longer story or more interactions to believe the romance. Was it a historical setting? Yes, but aside from a slight shift in dialogue, and the events taking place I didn't quite believe the depth of the historical elements. Something about it was lacking for me, like it was too simple. And was it a mystery? Of course! However I'd argue that there's a pivotal moment that gives away the culprit, and without a plot twist (or at least one that actually tricks the reader) I wasn't excited to get to the end to find out who was responsible. And of course because of that, the reveal lacked any sort of impact.

Over all I enjoyed reading this! I'd recommend it as a quick read when you're travelling or need a break from heavier or denser books, but I don't know that this story will be particularly memorable or a standout favourite for me.

This intriguing mystery and romance was enjoyable. Jane's father's death completely changed her life. She took a post as a governess to retain a respectable place, but she was shunned by all she thought she could trust. When her charge's father gets murdered, it brings to light many questions, including questions about the circumstances of her father's death. While working towards uncovering the trust, she also deals with a former flame who helps her uncover the trust.

I wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it felt too similar to the others in the series. I still love Manda's writing and ability to storycraft, so I look forward to what she writes next.

Thank you to Forever for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Jane and Adrian re-meet through terrible circumstances, and are forced to muddle through years of misunderstandings and tragedy to solve a murder and save the day! Very enjoyable story and entry in the series.

This is the fourth installment of Ladies Most Scandalous series. Jane is forced to forge a life on her own by becoming a governess after her father passes and she loses her dowry. She makes a good life for herself, but then during a house party her employer is murdered. She then becomes embroiled in a murder mystery with her long ago crush, Adrian who works at the Foreign Office. Adrian always considered Jane a friend and didn't see her the same way she saw him back then. But then that all changes when they work as a team to try and puzzle together the pieces of the murder.
A lovely romance, kind of second chance, but not really as they never really had a romance before. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect and enjoyed seeing the couple work together and grow closer. I was pulled into the story from the start and intrigued and engaged till the end. Great characters and a great romance intertwined with mystery!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Jane has has to leave her genteel upbringing to work as a governess after her father gambled away the family fortune and took his own life. She considered herself lucky when Lord Gilford, one of her father's closest friends and colleagues at the Foreign Office, offered her the position. One day, as she's trying to teach her young charge something of the world, dignitaries converge to her employer's estate, along with her childhood friend and unrequited crush, Adrian. When Lord Gilford is murdered, Jane is suddenly tasked with playing the role of lady of the house and assist Adrian in a murder investigation most dangerous.

This is first and foremost a murder mystery. It's fine but you should very much pick this one with that in mind. I enjoyed the investigation but I was a bit taken aback - the love story really takes a backseat here. I did enjoy both Adrian and Jane but I wish this had been lighter and less fraught with tension. The sunny cover made me expect something else, I think. We do see the other heroines in the series make an appearance, that was lovely but I'm not sure I'm going to read the rest of the series.

My endless thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this ARC!

A wonderful continuation of Manda Collin's series! I enjoyed that you are invested in both the character's romantic relationship as well as solving the mystery!

This book was mysterious and twisty in all the right ways. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good murder mystery or a cozy-mystery type of book.

As always, Manda Collins wrote a funny, lighthearted, and adventurous historical romance with a big murder mystery right in the center. I loved that Jane and Adrian worked so well together to solve the mystery, and that they equally were trying to keep each other from harm. It was also great seeing characters from the other books in this series. I really love historical romance that doesn't take itself too seriously, has strong female characters, and has a little bit of spice... and Manda Collins always checks those boxes for me.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the ARC!

I tend to be fond of hybrid genre books that contain mysteries. Especially when combined with fantasy or romance. There is something about love blossoming alongside a murder investigation that draws me in every time.

Manda Collins' loves a regency romance mixed with murder, and I typically enjoy her books. This one fell flat for me. I was disappointed by both the romance and the mystery. I never found myself caring about the couple, and the mystery was unfortunately not well-plotted. I found the murderer to be easily identifiable.

Despite this one not working for me, as a whole, I recommend the series.

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

This books was highly enjoyable. It had the right level of mystery, romance, and British politics to entice all readers. It wasn't my favorite of the series but it was still great and look forward to the next installment. Manda Collins has a great writing style that captures the time period without appearing to stiff or unapproachable. Her female characters are strong women who always exceed expectations. Collins depicts her male characters as men who respect and admire everything about the women, not just their looks. Their minds work together to solve problems and they are friends as well as love interests.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

Although this book is part of a series, it stands alone just fine. I haven't read ny prior books and it did not prevent me for loving this. The story is well written and the characters fun.