The heroine rushes home when she learns her sister has been charged with murdering her husband. At the train station her purse is stolen and the Duke comes to her rescue and they concoct a plan to help each other. She will pretend to be in betrothed to keep the eligible ladies that his grandmother has invited to her birthday party and he will use his influence to help her solve the murder of her brother-in-law. The more time they spend together their feeling start to grow as they discover the missing sister and learn of a weird religious cult. ( )

This was such a fun read! Poppy is such a strong character and I loved that she wasn’t going to let anyone intimidate her or tell her what to do. I felt that the book was fast paced and kept me interested from start to finish. The chemistry between Poppy and Joshua was fantastic and I fell for them and their relationship so quickly! This was definitely a read that I completed in one sitting.

I felt that the mystery was fascinating and it was very interesting, keeping me hooked the whole time. I also was not able to accurately guess who the ultimate villain was. I had many guesses throughout reading the book, but found myself wrong on the end and that was refreshing. It was nice to be surprised!

So if you’re looking for a fairly quick read that will keep you extremely entertained and interested along with keeping you guessing about the mystery involved, this one is for you. And if you’re looking for the added bonus of a swoon worthy couple and a heroine who makes you cheer for her at every turn, then I can’t recommend this book to you enough! ( )

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger & Dukes by Manda Collins
#3 of the Ladies Most Scandalous series. Historical romantic mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Poppy Delamare finds out her sister is suspected of killing her husband and heads home to help investigate. Poppy’s purse is stolen at the train station and she ends up agreeing to accompany
Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, back to his estate which is in the same area as her stepfather’s home. Faking an engagement to the Duke helps get rid of matchmakers and helps her have some authority to ask the questions on behalf of her sister. Poppy and Langham spend time together and grow close.

The mystery gets deeper as they find a secret society, a knife and the sister unavailable and accused by the stepfather. The upside is that the Duke’s family is super nice and accommodating and welcoming to Poppy.
A lot of unfamiliar wording (for me) that would have been the formal language at the time.

Excerpts for the tone and content of the story:
“Oh, do not don a hair shirt and flog yourself in remorse, I beg you,” he said blithely. “Though I must say ladies do not usually have such a strong negative reaction to the prospect of bedding me.”

“He looked into her wide blue eyes and tried to read her thoughts. But apparently sexual congress did not imbue you with omniscience.”

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. ( )

Manda Collins has created a wonderful blend of mystery and romance in this book and I stayed up waaaaayyyy too late reading it. I couldn’t help it because it grabbed me with the first words and just wouldn’t turn me loose. You’ll absolutely adore the protagonists who are well-crafted, fully developed, and very relatable – and we get wonderful cameo appearances of the characters from the first two books.

Miss Flora Deaver has made a life for herself in London over the last two years. She has a job she loves and close loving friends – except – she has been lying to them about who she is. Now, with the shocking story of her sister’s imminent arrest for murder, she must quickly abandon all and return to . . . Where will she go? She is really Miss Poppy Delamare, daughter of a vicar, and stepdaughter to the vilest man on the face of the earth. She ran away when he tried to force her to marry another vile man – his private secretary, Mr. Alistair Lovell. What she didn’t realize was that her stepfather would force her sister, Violet, to marry Lovell after she ran away. And now, Violet is accused of Lovell’s murder and Poppy must give up her London life and friends to save her. However, things go awry as soon as she reaches Padding Station. Why is it that the one man who was there to offer assistance is that odious Joshua Fielding, Duke of Langham? Can they make his plan work?

Joshua Fielding adores his meddling, match-making grandmother and is on his way to his country estate to celebrate her birthday with her – and probably a house full of young ladies who hope to become his duchess. The face Joshua presents to the world isn’t who he really is, but he learned very early in life that most people were only after what he (or more to the point, his title) could do for them. The only person who doesn’t want anything to do with him or his title is Miss Deaver – and she detests him. However, when he comes across her in Paddington Station, he can’t help but offer his assistance. Besides, maybe they can help each other – she can pretend to be his betrothed and protect him from those marriage-minded ladies (and his grandmother) and he (and his title) can help her sister Violet.

Since I was instantly smitten by both characters, I smiled and sighed as Joshua and Poppy came to know and love each other. It was such a pleasure to watch Poppy charm Joshua’s grandmother and sisters all while investigating the murder of Mr. Lovell. And then, there is chemistry! OMGoodness – the chemistry between Poppy and Joshua nearly dissolved the pages.

The mystery is excellently done and the villains – well – they’ll lead you, Joshua, and Poppy on a merry chase before they are identified and justice is delivered. There is danger and intrigue within some unique settings and situations. You’ll love it.

I can definitely recommend this clever, engaging, well-written, and romantic book. While there isn’t officially an epilogue, the final chapter provides a nice wrap-up for the book. I hope you'll love it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

The heroine had fled her old life to escape a forced betrothal and began a new life as a secretary with a new name. However, when the heroine learned that her sister is accused of murder, she returns to her old life to help her sibling. Along the way she meets the hero, who asked for a favor in return to helping her. With a fake betrothal between the hero and the heroine, the couple learn more about each other and began to fall in love. With this burgeoning romantic relationship, the couple also deals with the accused sister's case, which brings with it trouble that may or may not a detriment to their happy ending.

This is the third book in the A LADY'S GUIDE series. It features a vicar's daughter and a duke that are both in need of each other in one way and another. Along with the mystery of the accused sibling's case, there are also some ladies who are in need of husbands, which the hero is using the fake betrothal with the heroine to guard against. I enjoyed the strong friendship circle that supported the main couple. I also enjoyed the sibling relationships that the main couple have in their lives. I even enjoyed the cameo appearances of a rapscallion canine companion that is the lovable pet of a senior character. I would have liked more details in certain areas of the story, in both the mystery and the romance. Overall, the nice flow and great story vibe of this Manda Collins book provided a wonderful reading experience.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. ** ( )