Finally, a romance novel that lifts me out of my reviewing slump!

Jane and Adrian are a well balanced couple. They start as friends, and end as lovers, without the tedious "communication issues" that seem to be haunting romance novels these days. Jane is a strong woman who has been challenged by her father's apparent suicide; Adrian is a respected member of the British Foreign Office who is suspicious of his colleagues.

I loved the characters; the plot was intriguing. There are some references to previous books in the series, but this works quite well as a standalone.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the first three installments of the Ladies Most Scandalous series, so I was excited to re-enter their world. Like the others there is a murder/mystery that needs to be solved and the lady (along with the help of a man and friends) solves the case while also falling in love.

However, the main characters - Jane and Adrian - story is from a past that is not explained very well. Making their pairing and eventually romance to be a little confusing and stunted to the reader. There was seemingly no chemistry between the two and maybe the backstory would have helped.

All this to say that this book was not for me. And this was my least favorite in the Ladies Most Scandalous series.

This is the story of Jane, governess, who was forced to become a governess after it was believed her father killed himself due to gambling debts. When her current employer holds a symposium for the Foreign Office, Jane is asked to join a dinner to even the numbers and runs into Lord Adrian Fielding, young Jane's crush, with whom she has been avoiding for years. After the dinner Jane is sent to her employer's office she finds him dead and the police determined he was murdered. With Jane's past experience with foreign dignitaries she is asked to be the hostess while the police continue to investigate the murder. As hostess she has to spend more time with Lord Adrian including working on the case and her feelings for him rekindle from long ago.

What I loved:
- Jane, even with such a hard life after her father's death she continues to make the most of it and continues to thrive under hard circumstances
- Conspiracy, as the story progresses there is a underlying conspiracy that keeps everyone guessing till the end
- Lord Adrian, he is the second son of a Duke and has done his best to build his own life but as soon as he reconnects with Jane he finally finds his purpose which includes being with her
- Friends to lovers, I love the progression of Jane and Adrian's relationship they've known each other for a long time but when they reconnect Adrian refuses to let Jane push him away cause he cares to much for her
- Characters from past books, I love a good book series and even though you can read this book as a standalone as someone who has read others in the series I love seeing characters from the other books

I devoured this book cause it was just so hard to put down and enjoyable to read. If you are looking for a good historical romantic suspense with friends to lovers, underlying conspiracy and just a fun quick read then I would absolutely recommend you pick this book up.

A week long gathering of Foreign Office diplomats and their wives, are meeting under the guise of discussions of the advances in horticulture. It turns into the sudden murder of their host. Clues to this murder leads to the suspicion of murders in the past. Are any of the diplomats safe? Jane and Adrian meet again after several years and find a connection that wasn't there before. Working with Scotland Yard, they may not be safe either. A second chance romance with passionate kisses, implied sex and finding a murderer. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Little did I know that this was a series but NOW I need to go back and read the rest. A Governesses guide to Passion and Peril was a delightful mystery and romance story.

Historical romance novels with a mystery plot don’t usually work for me, but this was definitely more mystery than romance. Manda Collins changed my mind and Delivered with some heartwarming characters and intriguing plot. Our characters, Jane and Lord Adrian our put through the forced proximity trope and I could’ve been happier. This easy and fast read was a hit for me.

Looking for a Historical Romance with a lot of mystery.? Jane and Adrian’s story is for you! We got a peak at them in the previous book but this can be read as a stand alone.

This book was more mystery than romance when compared to the other books in the series. But I still enjoyed this one! I enjoyed the mystery of around Jane’s father’s death during his time in the Foreign Service. Adrian worked for Jane’s dad and when she was younger and had a crush on him. Now they have reconnected at a house party, where the host is murdered. As they investigate, they learn that ther was more to her father’s death than it first appeared.

Read this if you enjoy:
💛 Cozy mystery
💛 Historical Romance
💛 Childhood crush to friends to lovers

Thanks for Forever and Netgalley for the advance readers copy. All thoughts are my own.

After Jane Halliwell’s father died, her family lost the societal respect they once had in addition to any fortune, and she now works as a Governess for an old family friend. But when the host of a dinner party is discovered murdered, Jane must step back into the world she once belonged in as temporary hostess while the investigation proceeds. Lord Adrian Fielding is an old friend of Jane’s and a colleague of the deceased at the Foreign Office. As he and Jane track down clues and reignite their old friendship, they discover this death may be linked to a much bigger crime spree.

I’m a big fan of this cozy murder-mystery historical romance series! I love seeing old beloved characters come back as friends, and hunting down clues with the couple. This book felt more focused on the murder than the love story but I didn’t mind, and the ending leads me to believe we can expect at least one more book in the series! This is definitely a comfort genre for me, as it always feels semi-low-stakes paired with a capable heroine and often smitten and slightly overwhelmed hero!

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I've loved the rest of this series and this book was no different! these books are so much fun and i love the romance!

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Jane and Aiden are a delightful couple learning to work together to solve a mystery. Jane has loved Aiden for years, but he has only recently realized his love for her. Overall a fun and endearing romance.

This series just keeps getting better! I loved Jane's competence and how smitten Adrian was. Collins deftly manages to keep each book fresh while giving glimpses of past couples.

Such a delight! This might be my favorite one! The banter and longing between Jane and Adrian is chefs kiss!!! I can’t wait for more in this series!! I want to see where it’s going to go now! I would always be down for more of these mysterious adventures!!

A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril by Manda Collins. Pub Date: March 26, 2024. Rating: 4.5 stars. In this installment of this regency romance series, the authors takes the friends to lovers trope and develops it into a story that is unputdownable, fun, sassy and swoon worthy. Add a little bit of murder mystery and the pages just keep turning. I really enjoyed the main character, Jane, who was dealt a rough hand when her father passed away. She was a woman of prestige, until she wasn't but she made the most out of it and ultimately it worked in her favor. She reunites with a man who was in her father's work circle, but she always had a crush on. I absolutely adored this novel, felt the storyline was very well paced and I wanted to keep reading until the end! Thanks to #netgalley and #forever for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A governess’s guide to passion and peril
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really enjoyed this murder mystery/romance which is the fourth Manda Collins book that I have read. There was a lot of intrigue and a politically motivated plot but it still wasn’t a heavy read.

Jane and Lord Adrian have known one another for years, since they were together with her family in Rome. But after her father’s untimely death, Lord Adrian disappears into his job working for the foreign secretary. Jane chooses to become a governess rather than move to Scotland with her mother to escape being g shunned by the ton for the manner for her father’s death. When Jane and Adrian meet up again a murder takes place and they are bound together by circumstance and passion to solve it.

This story was a great read. The plot moved quickly and was well planned and executed. I would certainly read more books by this author in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books/Forever for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

"A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril" by Manda Collins is an exhilarating romance mystery that will sweep you off your feet and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

In this captivating tale, we meet Jane Halliwell, a governess whose dreams of a happily-ever-after were shattered along with her father's demise. Now, she navigates the complexities of society as she prepares her charge for a future she can only dream of. But when tragedy strikes during a lavish house party, Jane finds herself thrust back into the world of the ton, facing not only a murder mystery but also the resurgence of old feelings for Lord Adrian Fielding.

Lord Adrian, consumed by his duties at the Foreign Office, had once considered Jane a friend, but now he's baffled by her frosty demeanour. Yet, as they are drawn together to solve the murder and ensure Jane's safety, sparks fly, and old flames reignite. The chemistry between them sizzles, and despite lurking dangers, they cannot resist each other's charms.

The perfect blend of passion and peril makes this novel genuinely irresistible. Collins masterfully weaves a gripping mystery with a swoon-worthy romance, keeping readers guessing until the end. From the luxurious backdrop of a house party to the dangerous intrigue of a murder investigation, every page is filled with excitement and allure.

But it's not just the thrilling plot that makes this book a must-read; it's also the depth of the characters and their journey toward love and redemption. Jane is a heroine with intelligence and vulnerability, while Adrian is a dashing hero with a heart of gold. Their banter is witty, their chemistry is undeniable, and their love story is utterly captivating.

this was such a fun read!! i loved their connection and i found myself laughing out loud which i rarely do in books 😭 and this cover?? absolutely stunning! please give this one a shot if you have the chance.

I did not like this book but it was well written. In general I do not enjoy governess books but I do like Manda Collins.

This is a nice cozy mystery and I really enjoyed it. Going in I didn’t know this was book 4, but reading it I don’t feel that I missed much from previous books. I’m loved the mystery and the possible rekindling romance being that the two are working together. I would like to go back and read the first 3 though to get the history of the main characters as I can tell that it would help with how I see them now. Looking forward to the previous books!

As always, I adored this new bit of historical romance/cozy mystery mash-up by Manda Collins. This one follows Jane, the daughter of a diplomat whose status fell when her father died and she lost her fortune. Now working as a governess in the household of one of her late father's colleagues, who is hosting a diplomatic event that brings her back into the orbit of her girlhood crush, Lord Adrian. When the host turns up murdered, she and Adrian are sucked into an investigation that turns their diplomatic circle upside down.

The mystery at the core of this book didn't feel as novel as some of the others in the series, but I loved the aesthetic throughlines that tied it together.

The romance between Jane and Lord Adrian was so earnest and tender. He is protective of her from the very first, while ultimately respecting her agency and autonomy. It was a delight to see them come together.

The strongest critique I can offer is that I wish there was more! More tension, more intrigue, more everything.

Loved this book, and will definitely read any others that come out in this series. (Seems like a certain young viscount might be getting one?)

I really enjoyed Jane and Adrian's story. I loved that they worked together to solve the mystery of the murders.