Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is book 2 in The Crinoline Academy series featuring the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies, a school that trains orphan girls to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women.

When newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions Nell is tasked with meeting with him to shut his story down, and afterwards check on a young girl that was supposed to arrive at the school but never showed up. Sparks immediately fly between the two, but an unfortunate incident occurs that puts both of their reputations in danger. As if that isn’t bad enough, Miles discovers one of his reporters has been murdered.

Nell concludes her initial investigation into the young girl and returns to the school with follow-up plans, trying to dismiss her predicament and ignore the consequences. Miles tracks her down and convinces her that only by marrying can they save the school and his newspaper from scandal. Nell figures she can ride out their predicament and then return to her job as deputy headmistress at the school. I mean, the marriage is in name only, right?

I love Nell’s ingenuity and willingness to do what must be done to achieve her purpose. She confidently strides into dangerous situations to Miles’ despair, and while she can definitely handle herself, she is still a small woman dealing with unscrupulous people. Miles is steady, competent, and observant, much to Nell’s dismay. He is charmed and impressed with Nell, and respects her intelligence and capabilities. He also can’t ignore her beauty and from the moment their lives are entwined, feels an intense sense of responsibility and protection toward her. As the couple investigate the young girl’s disappearance and the murder of the journalist it’s clear the cases are related. As their sleuthing heats up, they get to know and trust each other. Soon after feelings start to form.

The mystery forces the couple to deal with people from all walks of life – poor criminals and nobleman alike. It winds through a plethora of people, each one giving a small tidbit that leads Miles and Nell closer to solving the mystery. There are predictable and unpredictable twists in the book and I enjoyed trying to figure the puzzle out.

This is a cozy historical fiction romance mystery that is an easy and entertaining read. While you should definitely read the first book in the series because it’s really good, it’s not necessary to enjoy this book as it can be read as a stand alone.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.