Book Review: The Perks of Being a Beauty (Ugly Ducklings #3.5) by Manda Collins

The Perks of Being a Beauty (Ugly Ducklings #3.5)
By Manda Collins
Release Date: June 18th, 2013
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
The beautiful Miss Amelia Snow is not accustomed to being snubbed by the gentlemen of the ton. But when her mother dies unexpectedly, forcing Amelia to take employment as companion to a wealthy cit’s daughter, she quickly learns to play down her looks or risk losing her position. When her employers, the Smithsons, decide to throw a country house party, she is determined to fade into the background. But how can she when the Smithson’s guest of honor is Lord Quentin Fortescue, the childhood friend who stole her heart?


Younger son, Lord Quentin Fortescue, is far more interested in his host’s cotton mills in the north than he is in courting the man’s dim-witted daughter. But it’s the girl’s companion who makes him look twice. Years ago, Miss Amelia Snowe rejected his proposal without a backward glance. Quentin has molded himself into just the sort of man she’d have wanted back then, but is Amelia still the smug beauty who broke his heart? And can either of them risk their newfound positions to indulge the fiery attraction that burns between them?

My Review:
Amelia has been a thorn in my butt in the series, the bully who gets off on preying on others. In this novella, Amelia turns over a new leaf and I actually enjoyed reading about her.

It wasn't annoying at all and it was so heartwarming to see her genuinely caring for her charge. Readers are told of her backstory and why she behaved like she did before.


Nevertheless, I was happy for Amelia finally getting her very own HEA and at the same time am very sad to see this lovable series coming to an end.

Book Review: How to Romance a Rake (Ugly Ducklings #2) by Manda Collins

How to Romance a Rake (Ugly Ducklings #2)  
By Manda Collins
Release Date: July 31st, 2012
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

You can lead a wallflower to the ball, but you can’t make her bloom—unless one daring young bachelor turns up the heat…

DANCING WITH DANGER

What’s a nice girl like Miss Juliet Shelby doing at a place like Lord Deveril’s ballroom? With her shy demeanor, she’s a total stranger to the dance floor and a source of mockery for the ton. So imagine her surprise when Deveril gallantly comes to her defense—and offers to teach her to dance! Juliet can hardly believe the most handsome bachelor in London would notice her, until he takes her in his arms and sets her heart ablaze…


PLAYING WITH FIRE

Lord Alec Deveril has never felt such a spark of attraction for an unmarried lady before. Unlike the “fashionable” ladies he’s accustomed to, Juliet possesses a generous spirit, a fiery intelligence—and an explosive secret. Deep in the London underworld, a dear friend has vanished, and Juliet fears the worst. Deveril insists on helping, escorting her through the darkest alleys in town. But he too is hiding a shocking secret—and the only way he can defeat the devil in his past is to seduce the angel in his arms…

My Review:

It is just soooooo good and I'm so sad to have finished it in one seating. I was really impatient for the release of How to Romance a Rake and pre-ordered it in Amazon Kindle. Doesn't matter that it's priced the same as a paperback because by the time the paperback arrives, I think I've already wilted from the waiting.

How to Romance a Rake was a really sweet, cute and romantic read. I always have a penchant bluestocking heroines and Juliet was one along with her other two cousins. What more that she was crippled in one leg - which is a huge defect in the eyes of the ton - and made her more appealing in my eyes. Juliet was a wonderful heroine who was known to be the most animate among her three cousins before the fateful accident.

Alec was in no way rakish at all. He just gave off that illusion to people. He was a real gentleman, sweet, kind and thoughtful. I enjoyed Alec's and Juliet's scenes together. The romance between Alec and Juliet was so sweet and romantic. *Sighs dreamily* The mysteries were really good, the missing women, Lady Shelby's push to get Juliet married to Lord Turlington and the secret of Juliet's Vienna accident. They kept me guessing and I had several theories all at once.

I enjoyed How to Romance a Rake immensely and as usual, the secondary characters were wonderfully fleshed out. It was so cute to see her cousins playing matchmaker to Juliet and Alec.

Thank you Manda for this amazing story and series. I think I may love you. *grins impishly* I really look forward to How to Entice an Earl.

Book Review: How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings #1) by Manda Collins

How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings #1) 
By Manda Collins
Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

What’s a wallflower to do when she’s suddenly in need of a husband? Use all the pluck and moxie she can muster to get what she wants…

Miss Cecily Hurston would much rather explore the antiquities of Egypt than the uncharted territory of marriage. But the rules of her father’s exclusive academic society forbid her entrance unless she weds one of its members. To clear her ailing father’s name of a scandalous rumor, Cecily needs to gain admission into the Egyptian Club—and is willing to marry any old dullard to do it.

Lucas Dalton, Duke of Winterson, is anything but dull. He’s a dashing and decorated war hero determined to help Cecily—even if that means looking the other way when she claims the dance card of Amelia Snow, this season’s most sought-after beauty. But Lucas has a reason for wanting Cecily to join the Egyptian Club: His brother went missing during one of Lord Hurston’s expeditions to Egypt. An alliance with the explorer’s bluestocking daughter could bring Lucas closer to the truth about what happened…or it could lead him to a more dangerous love than either he or Cecily could have imagined….

My Review:

Oh, my. I'm feeling all dreamy and swoony. How to Dance with a Duke was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every moment of it and couldn't help giggling like a silly school girl throughout the book. It was so funny and romantic.

I truly adored Cecily, Juliet and Maddie aka The Ugly Ducklings. They were absolutely delightful to read about. Not forgetting Lucas too. Swoon. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well including the obnoxious Amelia and Felicia.

How to Dance with a Duke was an amazing historical romance spiced up with a dash of suspense and mystery. I'm dying for the day How to Romance a Rake releases as I will definitely be hounding Amazon Kindle.

Manda Collins has become my new favourite author. Weeeeeee!!

P/S: I LOVED the epilogue. I was really holding on to hope that it would happen...and it did. I have a weakness for such epilogues.