This series is an utter delight. Manda Collins always manages to make me laugh, gasp, and cheer. Her characters are flawed and oh so loveable. Especially Caro and Val, who are their own worst enemies. Lots of miscommunication. But, it has more to do with power imbalance, past hurts, mistrust, and low self confidence. Caro is so formidable when it comes to feminism and other women's influence and power, but she fails to see her own worth and courage. Val sees all of Caro and is determined to show her how amazing she is, if only she would let him back into her heart. The chemistry and heat between them sizzles off the page, and their rapport helps to crack open the entire investigation. They also reflect on the horrible way in which women, more specifically the lower classes, are treated or what they must endure in order to survive. They speak specifically about the positions that society has placed them in, then judged them harshly for as though the women and not society are to be blamed. Love that these two make each other view things from different angles, increasing their otherwise myopic worldview. The mystery was intriguing, if a little predictable, but I did love the comeuppance. I also thought the pacing was well done and each occurrence made send in propelling the plot and romance forward. I liked this book more than the first in the series and like the setup for the third installment. Also, Caro has a cat that has a distinct disdain for Val and their interactions are hilarious, really adding an element of humour to a book that deals with the dark subject matter of a woman who has been kidnapped for who knows what reason. This book plays with gender roles and has Caro and her group of female friends attacking the perceptions of what women are capable of. Both Caro and Kate are formidable and smart. Their column is lauded far and wide and often it comes up in both polite society and with the lower classes. Their aim is to give voice to the otherwise silent population, making men more aware of the importance of women. They want to force men to see the role they play in subjugating their wives, daughters, sisters, friends, and other women. Caro and Kate also have a program for empowering more women, offering them to come to meetings to challenge their roles, educate themselves and protect themselves. If you enjoyed A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem, both characters from that novel have side roles of importance in this novel (Lady Katherine and Andrew Eversham). Their parts were similar to the roles that Caro and Val played in the first book. It was nice to see how their relationship had progressed.
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