Review: A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (Ladies Most Scandalous #1) by Manda Collins

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

(Ladies Most Scandalous #1)

by Manda Collins

November 10, 2020
352 pages

Goodreads Summary:

An intrepid female reporter matches wits with a serious, sexy detective in award-winning author Manda Collins' fun and flirty historical rom-com!

England, 1865 : As one of England's most notorious newspaper columnists, Lady Katherine Bascomb believes knowledge is power. And she's determined to inform and educate the ladies of London on the nefarious-and deadly-criminals who are praying on the fairer sex. When her reporting leads to the arrest of a notorious killer, however, Katherine flees to a country house party to escape her newfound notoriety-only to witness a murder on her very first night. And when the lead detective accuses Katherine of inflaming-rather than informing-the public with her column, she vows to prove him wrong.

Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham's refusal to compromise his investigations nearly cost him his own career, and he blames Katherine. To avoid bad publicity, his superiors are pressuring him to solve cases quickly rather than correctly. When he discovers she's the key witness in a new crime, he's determined to prevent the beautiful widow from once again wreaking havoc on his case. Yet as Katherine proves surprisingly insightful and Andrew impresses Katherine with his lethal competency, both are forced to admit the fire between them is more flirtatious than furious. But to explore the passion between them, they'll need to catch a killer.

Review

Manda Collins is no stranger to historical romances, however, A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem is my first book from her. It was delightful though I feel like the synopsis revealed too much of the plot.

Fast-paced and super easy to read, A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem, features strong female characters, a competent but stern love interest, adorable friendships and a predictable but no less provocative romance. I quite enjoyed myself reading this book. What I wasn't too impressed with was the trying-to-be-complex yet quickly resolved mystery. I wanted to be shocked by the twist but alas that did not happen.

I confess I was a tad more interested in the side characters when I realized they would most likely be(come) a pair. They had some interactions and from those moments it was obvious they had history. And not a pleasant one. I want their full story!

My historical romance-loving heart is so excited that we discovered Manda Collins. A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem was an entertaining read. I'm more than ready for the next book! I'm sure I'll enjoy what toils and trouble the new couple will bring ;)

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.