ARC Review: Good Dukes Wear Black by Manda Collins

Ophelia is a writer for a Ladies' Gazette, and when a close friend/cowriter is taken to an asylum without cause, Ophelia will do anything she can to help her friend. Ophelia is a little impatient and quick to judge. She turns to a friend of a friend, the Duke of Trent, for help but at the same time feels suspicious of his possible involvement.

Piers (the Duke of Trent) is the recently established president of the Lords of Anarchy. He is trying to give the club a new reputation, and when he hears of the clubs' potential involvement with the asylum, he decides to help Ophelia investigate. Soon his main reasons for continuing the search change as he grows attracted to Ophelia.

The duke is one to think before he acts or speaks, and impatient Ophelia jumps to conclusions about him frequently. I found their conversations to play out similarly to mine and my husbands'! I loved that this story made that connection for me. However, while the initial interactions had great potential for a swoon worthy romance, I felt it didn't meet my first expectations.

The mystery was done very well. I am proud that I was highly suspicious of the correct suspect from the beginning, but I'm not sure if that's a compliment to my detective skills or to it being rather obvious. This part of the plot really kept me turning the pages. It was almost nice in a way how the pulling force of the book alternated between the romance and the mystery.

Some very small things didn't work for me in this book. While the overall plot was exciting, the individual situations were boring at times. The flow of the story wasn't the best either. At times I just felt like the main characters needed to get back to saving Ophelia's friend, not going to balls. My last little peeve is the oddness of the title. It doesn't properly represent this book. I remember feeling similarly when reading it's predecessor, Good Earl Gone Bad.

Good Dukes Wear Black was a good read. It is a historical romance as well as a mystery. I found the romance to be relate-able and sweet. The mystery was interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat for the most part.Overall it was a likable book, and I enjoyed reading it. I will most likely pick up future books by Manda Collins.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: Good Earl Gone Bad by Manda Collins

Hermione Upperton is a strong willed, independent woman who unfortunately lives in a time where she has little to no rights. She loves to race curricles, and she finally joined a driving club, The Lords of Anarchy. She is the only woman to have done so. Unfortunately, her gambling addicted father loses her horses the night before her first race.

Jasper, the Earl of Mainwaring, initially thought that Hermione's pursuits of race driving were a bad thing. His attitude changes though as he comes to know her. He watched helplessly as her father lost the horses at the gambling tables, and wished there was something he could do to help his friend.

The two end up getting tangled in a plot of horse thievery, gambling, and murder. No one seems safe throughout most of the book. I didn't realize this book was going to be part mystery, and I think too much of the meat of the story centered around that instead of around the growing relationship between Hermione and Jasper.

I did like the characters. We are given a little of Hermione's and Jasper's backstory, and their personalities stay strong and true through most of the book. The sense of danger did spice it up a little as well. Reading about the side characters has now gotten me interested in reading the other books in the series.

One pet peeve that this book poked at me with was the confusion with the title. It doesn't fit the book at all. I don't remember anything to give reason to the thought that Jasper went bad in any way. It's a catchy title but misleading. This is a small issue to have though with a book. I still recommend to anyone who loves historicals about strong independent women and mystery. Also, I would suggest reading the first book in the series prior to reading this one. The very beginning of how couple meets happens there, and so I missed out on that bit.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Sealed With a Kiss Event with Manda Collins

Manda Collins is the author of six novels and two novellas of historical romantic suspense set during the Regency Era, including How to Dance with a Duke, The Perks of Being a Beauty, and Why Dukes Say I Do. Her upcoming release A Good Rake is Hard to Find (March 31, 2015) has been called “a fresh and promising start to the Lords of Anarchy series.”

Find Manda at:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Guest Post with Author Manda Collins and Giveaway

Please give a warm welcome to one of my most favorite people, author Manda Collins. Manda is celebrating the recent release of her newest book, Why Dukes Say I Do and has stopped by to chat.

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with three cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Places to find Manda:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

My Favorite Book Boyfriend with Manda Collins and Giveaway

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with three cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Places to find Manda:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Crashing a Ball...with Manda Collins and Giveaway

Crashing a Ball on Christmas Eve - Manda Collins

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with three cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Places to find Manda:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.


Melody
The Oil Tycoon and Her Sheikh by Ros Clarke

Yadira
How To Romance a Rake by Manda Collins

Sue 
Temptation's Edge by Eve Berlin

Chelsea
Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow

Marlene
Never Trust a Scoundrel by Gayle Callen

Mary
Dangerous Love by Lilou DuPont

Kelsey
$5 Amazon Gift Card from Lilou DuPont

Wanda
Book of Choice from Hailey Edwards + $5 Amazon Gift Card

Jasmyn
Desire After Dark by Jo Carlisle

**Replacement Winner**
Leannessfl
Secret of the Wolf by Cynthia Garner + Shadow Rising by Kendra Leigh Castle courtesy of Forever Romance

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Guest Post with Author Manda Collins and Giveaway

Today I am super excited to welcome back author Manda Collins. Manda is super nice and has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Manda is celebrating the release of her newest book in her Ugly Duckling trilogy, How To Romance a Rake and has stopped by to chat. Before I give the floor over to Manda, lets get to know her a bit.

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with three cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Places to find Manda:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

ARC Review: How to Romance a Rake by Manda Collins

I really enjoyed this book. The romance between Juliet and Alec was just so sweet. I won't lie, I may have a slight crush on Alec. He was just so great. From the beginning he looked out for Juliet and was concerned for her welfare. She was in need of a knight in shining armor and I liked that he was a savior for her.

When Juliet was fifteen, she was involved in an accident that resulted in a permanent injury to her foot. She now walks with the use of a cane and has a slight limp. Because of this, she has spent the last three years a perpetual wallflower. She does what she can to blend in and not draw attention to herself.

Lord Alec Deveril has spent most of his adult life trying to right the wrongs of his father. His father was a wastrel and a brute of a man. Alec has tried to become nothing like the man he has despised for most of his life. He knows that he must marry but he definitely doesn't want to marry anyone that he feels attracted to. He just wants someone from a good background that he won't have to worry about falling for. He also knows that Juliet Shelby is definitely not that woman. He knows that she is shy and not a "fashionable miss" but he can't help but feel a spark whenever she is around. She is witty and smart and he soon finds himself doing anything he can to be near her.

When a close friend of Juliet's suddenly disappears she turns to Alec for help and advice. Together they both try to solve the mystery of her friends disappearance while at the same time both continue to fight the growing attraction they have for one another.

I loved the relationship between Alec and Juliet. I liked that they were both able to truly be themselves with one another. I also loved that Alec is continuously battling for Juliet. He sticks up for her when no one else (with the exception of her cousins) does. I loved that. I honestly don't know how Alec was able to refrain from throttling Juliet's mother. Oh my goodness that woman is horrible. I wish Juliet would have stood up for herself more when it came to her own mother. I feel like their relationship was slightly unresolved and I would have liked the closure of Juliet finally standing up to her.

I also really enjoyed the scenes with all of the secondary characters. I loved seeing Juliet interacting with her cousins and Alec interacting with his friends. There were many scenes that had me giggling out loud.

All in all this was another winner from Manda Collins. Manda is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Whether it be her historicals or her erotica shorts, they are all good! So good that I always find myself unable to put my Kindle down until I've finished the book. Then I'm ferociously checking her site for any info I can find on upcoming books. Seriously, Manda Collins is not an author to be missed.

**ARC copy provided by Author/NetGalley**

Purchase:
| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

ARC Review: Legally Yours by Manda Collins

I really enjoyed this story, I just wish it were longer. Julie and Matt had some great sexytimes together and are hella hot together. I liked that even though this was a short story it felt complete. It didn't feel rushed or as if anything was missing. It had a nice progression that felt real and true to the characters.

Julie has spent the last six years raising her younger sister and in the process has put her own personal life on hold. When Julie gets a blast from her past in the form of her old crush from law school Matt, she realizes she hasn't really done much with her personal life. With her thirtieth birthday just two weeks away she decides that it may be time to make some changes. She decides to create a bucket list of items, most of the list being sexy items that she hopes to complete before she hits thirty.

When Matt was in law school he had a huge crush on Julie. He thought she was sexy and smart but by the time he finally found the nerve to ask her out, she was gone. He never expected to see or hear from her again, especially not at the law firm he's been sent to investigate. When he spies Julie's bucket list in the office copier, he knows this is his chance to finally get closer to Julie. He offers to help Julie complete the list.

It was only supposed to be a two week fling with no attachments, no feelings. Julie would go back to living her life and Matt would go back to Washington, D.C. But when things start to get more serious between them how can they just walk away and pretend they have no feelings for one another? Neither one expected anything to come from their fling, but could a fling really turn into a relationship?

Seriously, this was a great read. If you are looking for something hot and sexy, then look no further. Not only do Matt and Julie has some sexy chemistry in the bedroom but they are also great outside of it. I hope Manda decides to write about more of these sexy lawyers, because she's definitely got me wanting more.

**ARC copy provided by the author**

Purchase:

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | 

Sealed With a Kiss: Manda Collins and Giveaway

Manda Collins spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. An affinity for books led to a graduate degree in English, followed by another in Librarianship. By day, she works as an academic librarian at a small liberal arts college, where she teaches college students how to navigate the tangled world of academic research. A native of coastal Alabama, Manda lives in the house her mother grew up in with three cats, sometimes a dog, sometimes her sister, and more books than strictly necessary.

Places to find Manda:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

How To Dance With a Duke Winner

Congratulations to

Chris B

On winning a copy of How To Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins

Winner has been contacted via email. Thank you to everyone that entered. 

Guest Post with Author Manda Collins and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome debut author Manda Collins. Manda's book How To Dance With a Duke is set to be released next Tuesday and let me tell you it's great. You can see my review for it here. Manda is here to today to talk about her release. So everyone please give Manda a very warm welcome.

When I was still in the planning stages of How to Dance with a Duke, I knew that presenting yet another Regency Romance to the reading masses was going to be met with a groan from some quarters.

Over the last ten years or so, it does seem as if the number of Regencies has increased as quickly as the number of any other historical setting has decreased. And I’ve seen more than one reader complain on various online forums about the glut of Regencies on the romance market. But simply because something is popular, that doesn’t mean it should be avoided all together. And, darn it, I’ve loved the Regency period since long before it became the hottest game in town. I have earned my Regency cred and I intend to use it!

So, with apologies to Julia Quinn, I give you: FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE REGENCY PERIOD.

ARC Review: How To Dance With a Duke by Manda Collins

Oh how I loved this book. I'll admit that when I first saw the cover for this book a few months ago this book was instantly added to my wish list. I mean c'mon look at that gorgeous cover! But this book was so much more than a pretty cover. Inside packs a great story of love and mystery that had me quickly turning the pages just to see how everything was going to turn out.

From the first page I instantly felt a connection with heroine Cecily Hurston. Cecily isn't some debutante that is only concerned with balls and gowns, she is clever and smart. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and I found that refreshing. When Cecily's father comes back from a trip from Egypt sick and not of a sound mind and is currently being blamed for the disappearance of Will Dalton, she knows the truth lies within her fathers journals from his trip. The only problem is that they are locked away inside the Egyptian Club and the only way she can gain entrance is by marrying one of its members. So Cecily formulates a plan to marry one of the members in order to gain admittance so she can clear her fathers name.

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson is doing everything in his power to try to find out just exactly what happened to his brother on his last expedition to Egypt. He knows that rumors are going around that Lord Hurston is responsible for his disappearance but he isn't exactly sure that that is the truth. He wants to question Lord Hurston when he stumbles across Cecily being denied entrance to the Egyptian Club. Lucas finds himself immediately attracted but knows that nothing can come from his attraction. Her father may be responsible for the disappearance of his brother and Lucas is definitely not looking for a wife. Though the two quickly spark up a deal that helps them both. Lucas will think of potential bachelors for Cecily to marry, while she helps him discover what happened to his brother.

When these two were together they seemed to only have eyes for one another and watching them both realize that their attraction was turning into more was great. There was one part when Lucas and Cecily were spying on the members of the Egyptian Club at a ball and Lucas is unconsciously rubbing Cecily's stomach while he holds her from behind that had me going crazy. It was the small things like that made me like Lucas so much more. His feelings for Cecily felt real and I loved watching him realize that she meant so much to him.

With Cecily her feelings for Lucas didn't come so easily for her. She is truly convinced that she isn't beautiful and because of a broken engagement from her past she is terrified to love again. Even though her feelings for Lucas are growing considerably, she is fighting tooth and nail to deny her love for him and she is constantly trying to keep Lucas at an arms length so her heart won't get broken. I loved watching her come to terms with both her feelings for Lucas, and the feelings he has for her.

I honestly loved these two as a couple and I found that even with the mystery going on throughout the book that their story still remained the main focus of the story. Seriously, these two sizzled. I loved the world that author Manda Collins has created and I truly look forward to reading more from her in the future. She has created a great cast of characters and I can't wait to see what's in store for the rest in future books.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

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