If you’ve been hanging around the LiteraryHypewoman page for a while, you might remember seeing a ‘two for Tuesday’ post about Manda Collins. I was very proud of myself for realizing I had an ARC for book two, An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire [Buy Bookshop Amazon] and reading book one, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem [Buy Bookshop Amazon] first. It doesn’t always happen that way, so yay me.

Anyways, I noted in my review of the first two books in this series that there were indications we’d get book three in Fall 2022. Here we are in spring 2023 and it’s finally happening! A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes [Buy Bookshop Amazon] is finally here and I’m so thankful to my friends at Forever for sending me an ARC to end my suspense a little earlier than expected.

Y’all. I could not put this down.

I packed this book for my trip to Emerald City Comic Con, expecting to read it here and there throughout the weekend, but nope. I read about 85-90% of it on the flight there and finished it while sitting at a bar alone, drinking water. Please enjoy this hilarious imagery of me reading a book with “spinster” in the title alone in such a place.

Anyways, about the book.

In the previous books, Flora worked as an assistant to Kate and Caro at the newspaper. But in book three, we pick up with Flora chasing someone who has stolen the money she desperately needs to buy a train ticket. As she’s chasing the thief, that Duke she doesn’t particularly like blocks her path and stops her. Langham offers to help her, but while she’s quite opposed to it, she eventually caves. During their ride in his private coach, she confesses that her name isn’t really Flora. It’s Poppy, and she’s rushing home because her sister is accused of murder.

Langham promises to help her prove her sister’s innocence, and proposes a deal of his own. Langham is headed to his grandmother’s house party, to which she has invited the most eligible ladies in the area in an attempt to bully him into getting married. He floats the idea of pretending to be engaged to Poppy which will help her with her investigation, and she accepts.

Sounds simple enough, but there are plenty of fireworks that come along with this plan. The sass! The family drama! The secret society of the past gaining traction again!

This series is perfect for readers like me who love a good historical romance as well as mysteries and thrillers. It’s such a fun blend that I just could not stop reading it. I mean, what’s not to love about enemies to lovers, fake engagement, forced proximity, strong women, murder, and maybe a cult in there too?

There isn’t a Goodreads listing for a fourth book at this time, but here’s to hoping that if it is the end of the series, Manda’s next books will keep the love and murder vibes flowing!

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