Review - - A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril

A Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril

by Manda Collins

Ladies Most Scandalous - Book 4

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Reviewed by Santa 

Jane Halliwell once dreamed of a home of her own—but those dreams (and her dowry) died with her father. Now, she works as a governess, preparing her charge for a future no longer within her reach. When her employer is murdered during a house party, however, Jane is forced back into the world of the ton. But stepping in as hostess will require working with the same lord who once broke her girlish heart.

Lord Adrian Fielding was too consumed with his job at the Foreign Office to pay young Jane much heed, but he always considered her a friend. Which is why he’s confounded by her icy demeanor now. More troubling still is his desire to melt the tensions between them. But his mentor’s murder means he must first find the culprit—and ensure Jane’s safety as she manages a house full of foreign dignitaries.

Only Jane insists on joining the investigation, and Adrian, despite all his diplomatic skills, finds himself seduced by her sharp wit and sparkling eyes. But with a vicious killer circling ever closer, will it soon be too late for their chance at forever?

Santa Says:

A Governess’s Guide To Passion and Peril by Manda Collins is another solid five star story. It is the fourth in this delightful series. It had me quickly turning pages. I just had to see what the main characters Jane and Adrian were up to as they worked together to solve what turned out to be a series of murders within the Foreign Office community. 

We met Jane Halliwell and Adrian Sterling in the previous book. I was excited to see how their story would evolve and I was not disappointed. Adrian is the younger brother of the Duke of Langham who went to work at the Foreign Office. He met Lady Jane Halliwell in Rome early in his career while working with her father. Tragically, her father committed suicide because of massive gambling debts. This threw Jane and her mother into diminished circumstances. Society was unforgiving and Jane was forced to seek employment as a governess.

Jane and Adrian are reunited several years later in the home of her latest employer, Lord Gilford, who is also a respected member of the Foreign Office. A house party turns to tragedy when her employer is found dead in his study by Jane and a lock down of the home is enacted. A mysterious message is found on Lord Gilford. 

Jane remembers a similar note she found on her father. Could her father’s suicide have been a homicide? There is more than one mystery to unravel here. This brings Jane and Adrian closer together as they assist Detective Eversham who some may remember from the first book in this series. Adrian’s brother the Duke and his wife Poppy also make appearances. I am a huge fan of other characters from the world Manda Collins created coming organically into a story.

This series always delivers a delicious recipe of romance with a hearty helping of mystery, a combination that keeps readers engaged throughout the book. I highly recommend this book and, really, this series to readers. Enjoy!