It’s funny when you look on Goodreads for a book and see that other people were not huge fans, and you’re just like WHATEVA WHATEVA IT’S GREAT. Ready Set Rogue delighted me from beginning to end; it’s a silly, sexy, tropetastic romp, and I’m really into this series’ concept.


The premise hits the same sweet spot as Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove, and basically that means it’s awesome. The late Lady Celeste Beauchamp had an extraordinary and unusual will: she’s leaving her estate (left out of the family inheritance down the male line) to one of four scholarly young ladies. The ladies will all live on the estate for a year, while working on their area of excellence, and one will receive the estate at the end of that year. It’s sort of like a historical romance reality show with nerdy bluestockings reigning supreme, only they’re all here to make friends and have fun. A+.

Collins goes to town on tropes in Ready Set Rogue, and they’re basically all my favorite tropes, so I can’t say I minded a single bit (actually, I loved it a lot). The heroine of the first book in the series is Miss Ivy Wareham, a classics scholar and translator, who, on the way to the estate, bumps into Lady Celeste’s nephew, coming to try to put a stop to this nonsense. She and Quill (poor guy is named Torquill Beauchamp, and he’s making the best of it) hate each other right off the bat, because he’s concerned his aunt was duped by these bluestockings, and she thinks he’s a typical male (aka a total sexist douchebag). Ship! It’s not the best ship in the whole world, but it’s pretty damn cute.

And, oh yeah, the tropes are not done yet. Ivy arrives in her room at the estate to find a letter from Lady Celeste, pre-death obvs, asking Ivy to investigate her murder. See, Lady Celeste was pretty sure she was being poisoned and wasn’t going to survive to meet the girls she’d chosen, and, sadly, she was right. Darling that she is, Celeste advises Ivy to work with her nephew on the investigation. Admittedly, the murder mystery part goes a bit over the top and is what dropped the rating to a 3.5 rather than a 4.5, but I still think it’s worth it for the joy of the moment when I discovered the book was ALSO a murder mystery with the detectives sniping and falling in love with each other along the way. Like, this was made for me, my god. And, Quill and Ivy get trapped in a cabin alone during a rainstorm during the investigation, so honestly it’s great.

Ready Set Rogue was my first Manda Collins, and I need to read them all. I love the start of this series, and I absolutely cannot wait for more!

I love this author and the mystery was great. Here is the problem the romance felt rushed And, lets just leave aside the lack of chemistry between Kerr and Ivy, but they did the deed in the rain, in a cottage, that was abandoned no less, on a walk back from the village, after knowing each other for only a day and a half? ITHe book would have been great without the romance

enjoy everything that Manda Collins writes, and this new start to a historical romance series was a good one. I liked the premise, really enjoyed the two main characters, and thought the romance between them was great. The storyline kept my interest and I'm looking forward to more.

The Marquess of Kerr Quill was having a very bad day. An axle had broken on his ancient family traveling carriage on the most deserted part of the drive from London.Also his favorite horse is back with the carriage with his baggage and valet. Quill had instructed his outriders to wait for help while he started out on foot for the coaching inn some three miles away. Then it started to pour. Finally the Marquess reached the inn The Fox and Peasant. Then Quill was finally noticed for who he was and passengers deferred to him but an auburn haired lady had blatant disregard for him and ended up dropping her her heavy trunk on her foot. One thing Quill couldn’t stand was a man who laid hands on a woman. A man had grabbed the woman and her trunk. Quill grabbed the woman away and then told the man that in the civilized world men treat women with decency and respect. The woman said she didn’t know how to thank him. Then Quill asked why she was still at the inn when the mail carriage had already left and she said the mail carriage had taken on more travelers and didn’t have room for her trunks. She also said the trunks were necessary for her studies. She said she was an independent scholar and said her name was Miss Aphrodite Wareham. Ivy to her friends. Then Quill said he might have known they would meet on the road to Beauchamp House. The family estate that her and her cohorts wish to steal out from under Quill’s family’s nose. Quill also said his family would not stand for this scheme they had concocted. Ivy admitted she had never met Lady Celeste but but she would have liked to so she could thank her for her generous bequest. Ivy had spent most of her life caring for her siblings. Her father had been the son of the Duke of Ware, his unsupported marriage had cut off any financial assistance he would have expected. Ivy was more than ready to to strike out on her own scholarly path- and to establish herself in her own right. There are four ladies who have inherited Lady Celeste’s estate. Then Quill finds out Lady Celeste’s death is not quite as straightforward as it had seemed and Quill needed Ivy’s help to solve the mystery behind her death. Then Ivy finds a letter from Lady Celeste that she believed she was being poisoned and wanted Ivy and Quill to solve the mystery. Then Quill and Ivy kiss and more and Quill can’t believe he did that when he had known Ivy less than twenty four hours.
I had mixed feelings on this story there was things I liked and things I didn’t like. There was no heavy drama and was an easy read and I liked that. I didn’t really believe Quill and Ivy as a couple and in love I just didn’t connect with that. Also this was fairly predictable at times at least for me. This is fast paced and I did like the characters. So as you can see there was things I liked and then things I didn’t.

Loved this book. Just the right amount of romance and excitement for me.
The main story is about four blue-stockings who have inherited a house from a benefactress they have never met. When one of the girls reaches her room there is a message left on her pillow informing her that the lady they have inherited from was murdered.
Very well written and highly recommended.
I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

Unfortunately, this just didn't really work for me. There were several parts up to where they go to town together to hunt down clues that were fine, but then things felt like they needed to be edited better (was it the 2nd day they were acquainted, or weeks after they met?). I have no idea why everything happened after the cabin or why everyone had to know everything... And the "We need to get married" bit wasn't especially romantic or sexy.

Just a miss for me.

Manda Collins is a safe author for me. I know she won't disappoint me. I am happy to announce that this spree is still going on. This book is another winner for me. I liked all the aspects of the story. The romance was good, even if the relationship between the two main characters started on the wrong foot. I got were Quill was coming from, but I agree with his aunt. This book sets up the stories for the other three bluestockings and Daphne is next. I can't tell you how excited I am when I think of reading her story. Both Daphne and the duke teased the reader about what was going on between them, but the good thing will come when the next book releases, which hopefully will be soon. The title of their book (A Duke with Benefits) made me think that Daphne will get what she wanted.

I must admit that my favorite bluestocking is Daphne because she was no filter and she is saying exactly what she thinks. I wonder if aunt Celeste left a letter for all the bluestockings and not only one for Ivy. It will be very cool if aunt Celeste had managed to do some matchmaking from the grave.

The suspense aspect of the book was good. I was wondering who the killer might be and I didn't see it coming. A couple of twists made the story even better. The romance and the mystery were well balanced and they made a good combination in this story. The secondary characters didn't steal the spotlight from the main couple, but they added to their story. I will happily read their books. Each of them has a colorful and unique personality and together they make a great team. I wouldn't change a thing in this book. Besides the stories of the bluestockings I would also love to read Serena's.

A brilliant new series that is fresh and original with compelling characters and a wonderful plot and writing that enchants the reader.
When Lady Celeste Beauchamp leaves her house to four bluestockings whom she has never met, her nephew races with the manor to find out how they bamboozled his aunt. Along the way the nephew, Quil, meets Ivy one of the aforementioned bluestockings and translator of ancient Greek texts. They attraction and suspicion of each other is instantaneous. When they get to the estate they are surprised to discover Lady Celeste was being poisoned and she asked that Quil and Ivy find out by who and bring them to justice before someone else is hurt.
Can the two work together with falling in love? Decidedly not this is a romance after all.
I can not wait until book two in the series as Lady Daphne is delightful.

A fun historical romp. I loved the premise for this series, four bluestockings inherit a manor that brings them together, along with the owner's nephews and niece. Plenty of intrigue and passion in this book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Ivy and Quill were perfect. The woman scholars were fun to read, and the suspense was just the right amount. I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed Ready Set Rogue. The women are unusual characters in that they're each a specialist in a field of study. I found the conversation between the women interesting as their field of study influenced their perspective on things.

As far as Ivy and Kerr, the hero and heroine of the story, I found them to be likable characters. I did feel that the emotional romantic connection between them could have been more firmly established at the start of the story.

The murder mystery part of the story held my attention along with the interaction between Kerr's cousin, Maitland, and the bluestocking, Daphne. I liked how the mystery was threaded through the story and the clues brought together for the reveal at the end.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This was a quick and fun historical romance. And like Manda Collins’ other’s novels, there’s a good dose of mystery to go with the story. Ready Set Rogue features a Miss Ivy Wareham, scholar, who along with 3 other bluestockings has inherited Lady Celeste Beauchamp’s estate. Except it won’t be an easy inheritance if Quill Beauchamp, Marquess of Kerr (aka. Lady Celeste’s nephew) has a say in this.

I actually really enjoyed the mystery part of this book. Ivy discovers a note left by Lady Celeste where she informs Ivy her death may have not just been an accident but murder! So reluctantly Ivy and Quill team up to solve this mysterious case. Solving the mysterious was not as simple as Ivy and Quill had thought. And to increase the suspense, it seems someone is unhappy that they are investigating and has decided to try to take them out of the equation!

The romance was cute. I liked that Ivy and Quill kind of butted heads at first, even though there was an instant attraction. They’re both determined and a little bull-headed but they end up working great together as a team. I liked that Quill slowly win’s over Ivy’s heart with his charm and hero’s heart. And I liked that Ivy’s able to be her true self, a great scholar with all the support from Quill.

“You shouldn’t take risks like that. What if I hadn’t caught you?”

But she knew from the way his eyes twinkled that he would have sooner cut off a limb than let her fall. This man, for all his faults, ,took his role as protector quite seriously. For whatever reason, he’d decided it was his duty to protect her. And despite her innate sense of self-sufficiency, Ivy found it a little intoxicating.

“But you did,” she said with a cheeky grin."

We’re also introduced to a bunch of secondary characters including Daphne, Sophia and Gemma who are the three other bluestockings living in the house. For the most part I liked them all and though Daphne annoyed me at times, I’m intrigued by her book (which is next!). We almost meet Lady Serena and her brother the Duke of Maitland, both cousins of Quill.

Overall, this was nice start to the A Studies in Scandal series! If you enjoy some suspense with your romance than this is a series you’ll want to check out!

{*Thanks to St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review. Quill and Ivy were great characters and I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. This book had everything and I went through the emotions with the characters, laughter, tears and heartbreak. If you are looking for a good weekend read, this is the book for you!

Ready Set Rogue was a unique plot for such a crowded genre. I adore historical romance, but after awhile, they tend to become redundant. This was the first tale I read that created a new home for bluestockings, that wasn't necessarily a married one. Sadly, I feel that this unique aspect was overshadowed by the murder mystery that was underfoot. I would have preferred to see less murder and more relationship development. Yet again, a common trend from the romance genre, the relationship went from just met to "I love you" extremely quickly. There definitely could have been much more build up here.

Aspects of this story I did not like were that I was often confused about the timeline of the story. It may have been because I was reading an ARC, but there were moments when I thought a significant amount of time had passed between events, but only a couple hours had occurred. I have not been able to verify this in a published copy of the novel, though.

Overall, this was a good romance that was a tad rushed. I would recommend it to historical romance lovers.

I normally love historical romances and will read through it super fast, but this one just didn't do it for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

READY SET ROGUE is book one in the Studies in Scandal series by Manda Collins. This is a wonderful book that will appeal to fans of Amanda Quick's quirky bluestocking heroines. All four main female characters who are introduced in this first book are extremely erudite and excel in their chosen field of study. In READY SET ROGUE, Manda Collins balances the introductory information that is expected in the first book of a series, with the romance and mystery that gives this book life.

Readers who enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope will definitely like watching the initial sparks between the slightly haughty yet attractive Quill Beauchamp, Marquess of Kerr and the spirited academic Ivy Wareham. Being strangers to each other, and being placed in a highly unusual situation, creates an atmosphere of doubt between the two. Thankfully the prickly quality of their relationship comes down a notch as the story progresses, but these two strong-willed characters still clash every so often. Although their occasional bickering sometimes obscures their real feelings and true character, Quill and Ivy grew on me. Quill's misplaced guilt over not protecting the women in his life is revealed as the real reason he initially gave Ivy a bit of a hard time about her strange inheritance. As they get to know each other better, the romance runs a little more smoothly and becomes more enjoyable for readers.

I love mysteries that have a poisoner on the loose, and READY SET ROGUE satisfies my craving for the lurid and the sinister. As with their romance, Quill and Ivy have an easier time as co-investigators after understanding each other more. It's not long before Ivy's fellow lady scholars and Quill's cousins join the investigation. I like the way the mystery draws all the main characters together and creates a feeling of comradery. I was perplexed until the very end trying to figure out who the villain is and the motivation for the crimes.

READY SET ROGUE has an assortment of bold, brilliant female characters and showcases the strength and resourcefulness of women. I look forward to watching the friendships between this group of ladies develop with each book. I am especially eager to read about oblivious mathematician Daphne's foray into romance.

A fantastic, romantic and full of suspense novel based on four young ladies who were given an estate by an elderly scholarly Lady, against the wishes of her family – especially the wishes of Quill. When Quill goes to reclaim his ancestral home from the young women, he is surprised not only by their wit but their strength and determination. From the moment he arrives, he learns that Lady Celeste’s death was not quite what it seemed and not only did his Aunt not trust him with the truth, she only trusted Ivy, one of the young ladies she had given her home to.

Quill needs to learn to accept and work with Ivy, which at first is difficult for him but he slowly learns to trust and respect her thoughts and ideas. Even more so they begin to slowly fall for each other, a romance that neither would have expected but can not ignore! What I loved the most about this novel was that while there was the romance between Quill and Ivy, this did not take over the novel. Instead we have the mysterious death of Lady Celeste and the journey these two go on in order to solve the mystery. The ending was incredible and far from what I expected (which I love in a novel!).

Ready, Set, Rogue is a well written suspenseful, historical romance that you will fall in love with. Ivy is a character that you can directly relate to and end up holding a tender spot for. You want her to uncover the mysterious plot and to realize she deserves love and romance. This novel was a great overall read that you will enjoy over and over again.

This is an entertaining historical read. There's a bit of intrigue and suspense and a healthy dose of romance. Ivy and Quill make great leads because they're both likeable and of good character.

While I enjoy a fair amount of descriptive language to really set the scene and establish the time period for me, I can still enjoy a story that is detail light. The story is pretty light on period references. If you love reading historicals because of all the talk about clothing, furniture, and manor details, this will leave you feeling a bit cheated. Otherwise, I think this is a solid read perfect for anafternoon on the couch.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGallery, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book! Manda Collins wrote a fantastic historical romance! It had romance, intrigue, mystery, and smart women. I liked that this wasn't a typical woman goes to numerous balls to attract a duke. The Ton wasn't involved. This book had intelligent women looking to broaden their studies rather than looking for a husband. I look forward to seeing how the other women meet their matches. This was a fun one!!! I've had a Manda Collins on my bookshelf for awhile but now I can't wait to read it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.