Manda Collins

An intrepid female reporter matches wits with a serious, sexy detective in award-winning author Manda Collin's fun and flirty historical rom-com, perfect for readers of Evie Dunmore, Julia Quinn, and Tessa Dare! 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.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

"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"--

Annie Beth

Petaco

Truthfully, not an enjoyable book. The pacing was off and I could not get into the characters. This is not a romance. It's a historical mystery which I normally do not care for and guess what? Apparently I still don't. There is no romance. The characters just are together. No wooing, no banter. I almost quit but decided to stick it through. It wasn't worth it.

Faith Kitowski

CUTE CUTE CUTE. andrew is down bad for kate. i was trying so hard not to squeal, literally adorable.

Alexa M

Entertaining enough but didn’t do anything for me.

Lacey Feigl

Lady Katherine Bascomb inherited a newspaper publishing company when her husband died. As a woman in power in 1865, she walks the line of impropriety when she decides to publish and column with her best friend titled ”A Lady’s Guide To Mischief and Mayhem” about the recent serial killer named the commandments killer. By publishing the column she unintentionally gets lead Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham kicked off the case. When she visits an old friend out of town she comes in contact with a possible victim of the commandments killer. Detective Inspector Eversham is called to the scene and sparks fly between him and Katherine. Now, not only must they fight a murderer, but they must also fight the feelings they have for one another.

A Lady’s Guide is 336 pages long and took me 7 days to read.

I’m not normally a romance reader but I quite enjoyed this book! I’m giving it a 4 out of 5! I’m really looking forward to the next in this series!

Thank you, Forever Publishing, for sending me this copy!

Here’s to the adventure of finding a novel novel!

Lacey

Jenni Clements

I love this book so much!!! I could read just 1,000 more days of life with the whole crew. Kate is the strong woman we all aspire to be, Andrew is the cautious knight in shining armor we all want, Caro is the best friend that keeps you sane, and Val is for sure the big brother we all need. I want to solve a million more mysteries as long as they are all involved! Can’t wait for book 2 coming in the fall!

I really wanted to love this book - a historical murder mystery enemies to lovers rom com?? The perfect combo. Instead I just liked it. Don’t get me wrong it’s still entertaining, very cute, and I love a feminist MC, but something about it just wasn’t quite there. The murder plot could have used a little more though and the switch from enemies to lovers seemed pretty sudden. It’s still a fun read but just didn’t live up to my very high expectations.

'Witty, intelligent, and hard to put down, you'll love A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem' Rachel Van Dyken An intrepid female reporter matches wits with a serious, sexy detective in award-winning author Manda Collins' fun and flirty historical romcom, perfect for readers of Evie Dunmore, Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare and Netflix's Enola Holmes! Of all the crime scenes in all the world, she walks into his. Twice. England, 1865: Notorious newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb is determined to educate the ladies of London on the nefarious criminals who are praying on the fairer sex. But when her reporting leads to the arrest of an infamous killer, Katherine flees to a country house party to escape her doubts about the case - only to become witness to a murder herself! 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 career, and he blames Katherine. 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 . . . Praise for Manda Collins 'Manda Collins heats up the ballroom and writes romance to melt even the frostiest duke's heart' Tessa Dare, New York Times bestselling author 'Utterly charming' Popsugar 'Manda Collins is a delight! I read A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem waaay past my bedtime, absorbed by its spot-on period detail, the well-crafted characters, and, of course, the intriguing mystery. Brava!' Elizabeth Hoyt, New York Times bestselling author 'Mystery, romance, and an indomitable heroine make for a brisk, compelling read' Madeline Hunter, New York Times bestselling author 'Manda Collins writes sexy and smart historical romance, with a big dash of fun' Vanessa Kelly, USA Today bestselling author 'Sexy, thrilling, romantic . . . Manda Collins makes her Regency world a place any reader would want to dwell' Kieran Kramer, USA Today bestselling author

a fun and flirty historical romcom, perfect for fans of Enola Holmes!

Cerys

*2.5
This was a quick enjoyable read, however, I had too many pet peeves surrounding this book to give it anything more than a 2.5. The characters of Eversham and Bascomb were enjoyable however this was less of an enemies to lovers than the synopsis made it out to be, and the relationship between the pair wasn't as troubled as I expected or wanted. I did enjoy the murder mystery element however because even though this was a romance the author didn't take away from the fact that murders had occurred. Yet, I do have one massive pet peeve with this novel, I do not enjoy when American authors place their novel in a British setting then refuse to use English vernacular and use stereotypical phrases that are not common in Britain now nor within the era, she is writing in.

This was a quick enjoyable read, however, I had too many pet peeves surrounding this book to give it anything more than a 2.5. The characters of Eversham and Bascomb were enjoyable however this was less of an enemies to lovers than the synopsis made it out to be, and the relationship between the pair wasn't as troubled as I expected or wanted. I did enjoy the murder mystery element however because even though this was a romance the author didn't take away from the fact that murders had occurred. Yet, I do have one massive pet peeve with this novel, I do not enjoy when American authors place their novel in a British setting then refuse to use English vernacular and use stereotypical phrases that are not common in Britain now nor within the era, she is writing in.

Kayla 

Oh I loved this one! Lady Katherine Bascomb is the owner of her late husbands newspaper. She aims to inform the young women of London about a nefarious killer who is targeting ‘sinners’.
⁣
Kate and her friend, Lady Catherine Hardcastle (Caro), conduct their own investigation on the killer and publish their findings in their column ‘A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem’. Their results lead to the arrest of a man.
⁣
Kate isn’t sure that the man is the correct perpetrator and she also doesn’t know she may have ruined the career of Detective Andrew Eversham who is now off the case.
⁣
Kate and Andrew find themselves at a party in the country where another murder happens just like the ones in London. Kate demands they team up to find the killer together.
⁣
Part romance part murder mystery! This book was so fun! I loved the characters so much and their witty banter while solving the case had me laughing out loud.
⁣
I’m so excited for the next book because it’s sure to bring about a hate-love/second chance romance.
⁣
Manda Collins sets her novel in 1865 where women are not allowed to hear certain words (our poor minds just couldn’t take it). She writes strong characters who push the boundaries.
⁣
Thank you so much @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub for sending this my way!

Linda Quintanilla

It's so great whenever a woman defies society norms. But they need to be cautious about their safety because not everyone appreciates women interfering in the man world.
Lady Katherine has inherited a newspaper company which she decides to write a column to inform other ladies about horrible crimes throughout the cities. But she needs to be careful because she leads to the wrong arrest and the killer is still out there. And it does not help that the main investigator, Andrew, is still stinging from their last encounter.
Detective Inspector Andrew is still wondering why Lady Katherine bug him so much but he really does not have the time to wonder since the killer is still loose. Things are not adding up but he definitely gets the help from  Lady Katherine unwilling but it’s the best. 
The Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem is a cute romance story but it does  start off slow.

Renee Delcourt

I think this is more of a 3.5 stars than a 3. I liked the mystery, I liked the romance, and I like the historical aspect. What I didn't like was how implausible some of the story was. It was very convenient and the resolution of finding the killer just didn't sit well with me. It wasn't satisfying at all. Otherwise it was fun and silly and enjoyable.

Heather Harrington

*I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

*2.5 

As the head of one of London's most well-known newspapers, Lady Katherine "Kate" Bascomb is always on the hunt for the truth, no matter how messy. She's determined to educate the women of England on how to protect themselves against those who prey on the weaker sex, and her latest article leads to an arrest of a notorious killer. When her popularity skyrockets, Kate flees to the countryside where she stumbles upon another murder that is eerily similar to the killer she just helped catch. When the surly Scotland Yard inspector Andrew Eversham comes to investigate, the last thing he wants is Kate mucking about his crime scene. The pair strike a deal to work together, and soon it's not just feelings that start to grow. When yet another body is found, Kate and Eversham are on a race to catch a killer before Kate is next.

This had all the elements that I look for in a historical mystery, so I had high hopes going in that I would love this, but it was just okay. I thought the mystery itself was good. It wasn't the most exciting thing I've ever read, but it wasn't super dull either. My main issue with this was the characters not being developed enough. You don't really get a sense of who they are, so it makes it hard to get invested into what happens to them. Also, there was absolutely zero chemistry between Kate and Eversham so I didn't care one bit for the romance. I did like Kate's friends, Caro and Val, and I wouldn't mind a second book that focused on them. I'm also not sure if I fully clicked with the writing style because some parts just didn't feel as smooth as others. Despite really wanting to love this, it just didn't click for me.

Lucy

A lovely book to start 2021 off with. I loved the head strong character of Kate, her friendship with Caro and flirtation with Eversham. A light fluffy romance with a surprising good background of murder.

Emily

This was a bit of a dud for me. The mystery was just alright and the romance itself left a little bit to be desired. I didn't feel like enough time was spent establishing why either Eversham or Katherine were attracted to the other, let alone enough to be in love with the other. I also think Collins' writing was a little too obvious & lacked some of the subtlety that makes mystery & romance books good. Katherine's character also got pretty annoying halfway through - if this book is supposed to be about how women should be able to do/write/talk about whatever they want, why are all the other female characters made out to be these vapid, silly, and naive women? It felt very much like Katherine was a little too much of a pick-me.

"[Manda] Collins is a delight" (Elizabeth Hoyt) in this fun and flirty historical rom-com, where an intrepid female reporter matches wits with a serious, sexy detective -- perfect for fans of Tessa Dare, Julia Quinn, and Netflix's Enola Holmes! England, 1865: Newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb finds herself the subject of speculation when her latest article leads to an arrest in the murders plaguing London. The English believe women ought not to write about such vulgar things as crime, and a particularly attractive detective inspector is incensed that she's interfered with his investigation. To escape her sudden notoriety, Katherine heads to the country-only to witness a murder upon her arrival. Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham is appalled when Lady Katherine entangles herself in one of his cases-again. Her sensationalist reporting already nearly got him kicked off the police force, and he'll be damned if he permits her to meddle a second time. Yet, her questions are awfully insightful, and he can't deny his attraction to both her beauty and brains. As the clues point to a dangerous criminal, the two soon realize their best option is working together. But with their focus on the killer lurking in the shadows, neither is prepared for the other risk the case poses-to their hearts.

Taylor McNeely

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem is the perfect book that involves murder, romance, and secrets. I loved how the main characters kept getting involved with each other and how they hated it but secretly loved it. Eversham was an amazing detective who solved cases to catch the bad guys and not to wrongly convict someone, no matter how long it took to solve the case. 
.
.

Katherine was an amazing person who owned a newspaper company and wanted to use her newspaper for good and to help other women in a male dominated world. I loved their interactions and how as time went on, they slowly started to understand each other and why they do the things they do. I have to say the ending didn’t involve as much action and tension as I wanted, but it was still a good ending.
*Thank you to @netgalley for my advanced copy.*

Amanda 

Sarah Williams

As a rom-com hoe and a lover of historical romance, I am always down for a historical rom-coms. I love how period-specific gender roles, expectations, and tensions can really add to the banter and dynamic between the romantic leads. I felt like this started strong and was primed to deliver just that, but it ultimately fell flat for me at the end.⁣
⁣
I was excited for a mystery and a romance but there wasn’t enough of either to really satisfy. I enjoyed both Kate and Andrew and enjoyed them as both romantic leads and investigators, but I could’ve used either more romance or more mystery—by trying too hard to be both, it felt like it sacrificed something.⁣
⁣
Still, I enjoyed the characters and the slow burn. While this wasn’t a huge hit for me, I enjoyed the first half of the book and would be open to reading more by this author in the future!⁣

Cally Minner

*4.5 The ending was pretty rushed but other than that I loved this book!

Kaylee Z

3.5*

I had such a fun time reading this one. It’s kind of a Clue-style murder mystery with romance and a dash of women’s rights commentary. Honestly, such a successful mix!

It was a little odd to me to have a prologue that was only one week prior to the start of the story and I didn’t find it necessary but I was still along for this journey right from the get-go. I loved Katherine’s tenacity and self-reliance and her friendship with Caroline was a wonderful part of the story. Eversham’s character was also one that I absolutely adored and he is a smart, capable, cinnamon roll of a man.

In a similar vein to Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke series, Manda Collins was able to do a great job of integrating women’s rights into the story. It wove into the narrative in such a natural way that had me even more invested in these characters. Because of this, and others, the plotting was layered and I never felt it to be a one-note idea. 

There was also a great introduction to Caroline’s character and what will come in the next book of this series that I absolutely cannot wait for. Yes, this was Katherine and Eversham’s story, but Collins integrated side characters backstories in a way that left me wanting more. Also, there’s a male-female relationship in here that isn’t strained with sexual tension! Genuine friendship between the sexes and it is SO nice to see.

Obviously going into this story, you know that there is going to be romance and there was a solid base to the relationship of Katherine and Eversham. They were familiar to each other to the point of general knowledge but it was enough to give us a solid enemies to lovers transition with a hint of misunderstandings. Albeit, the transition was quick and jarring but it was still believable enough for me to get over relatively quickly.

The murder mystery that kept the plot moving forward was also very well done as it could have easily turned into a side plot that was pretty basic. It was actually a great mystery! I felt like there were twists and turns and I never really knew what the outcome would be until the pieces started to fall together.

Overall it was a lovely blend of historical fiction, romance, mystery and commentary. I already want to re-read this book and cannot wait for Caro’s story in book 2!

For more from me, check out my blog:
https://kzruna.wixsite.com/theenchant...

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

Reviews

Highlights