Wallflower Most Wanted by Manda Collins
Series: Studies in Scandal, #3
Historical Romance
January 30, 2018
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Reviewed by Sheena
Favorite Quote: “…You’ve got some nerve to call yourself an artist. From what I’ve heard, you’re no more than a provocateur with a paintbrush and a desire to stir up trouble.”
I probably enjoyed the banter and character conflict more than the actual plot of this historical novel. While entertaining, the plot and overall storytelling was a little mundane, only really coming alive when the characters were locked in pockets of the entertaining banter that author Manda Collins infused her latest novel, Wallflower Most Wanted.
A dedicated painter, Miss Sophia Hastings is far more concerned with finding the right slant of light than in finding Mr. Right. But when an overhead conversation hints at danger for another local artist, Sophia is determined to get involved. Even it means accepting help from an impossibly good-looking vicar who insists on joining her investigation—and threatens to capture her heart…
Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle knows that Sophia is no damsel in distress…. But protecting her from harm is becoming more difficult than the vicar could have expected as he and Sophia confront their fiery mutual passion. Who could have known that the art of love would prove so irresistible?
I’ll preface things by stating for the record that I am more of a fan of strong characters. Good or bad, protagonist or antagonist, hero or anti-hero, I don’t care where on the spectrum heroes and heroines fall, I need them to have a strength of character- whatever that character is. Strength isn’t always in your face and bombastic, sometimes its quiet and stealthy, underestimated and surprising. My primary challenge with Lord Benedick, is that he felt rather weak. Liable to be steamrolled by any lass with the notion to do so. He had moments of taking the lead, but he usually had to coerce and argue his point to boring depths before having his way. His mettle was questionable from chapter one and didn’t adjust- much as the story evolved. Sophia on the other hand was his opposite, she was deceptively flighty, but in actuality quick witted, possessing a sharp mind that didn’t miss a beat. Sophia kept everyone around her on their toes and I looked forward to her scenes more than anyone.
The novel opens with a tumble, Sophia nearly breaks her ankle when she topples down a hill when engrossed in one of her paintings. The timing is impeccable because she is happened upon by Benedick (Ben) and during her rescue, they both overhear a dastardly scheme that suggests a murder plot is being hatched. Ben is apt to mind their own business and get Sophia to safety, but Sophia refuses to be witness so such evil plotting and not try to intervene and save the potential victim. She talks (and talks) Benedick into assisting her in investigating the mysterious and nefarious men they overheard and the action picks up from there. Soon the clues start pouring in and suspects are uncovered. While extremely predictable, (think Scooby-do, ah- ha! moments) I found their amateur sleuthing to be entertaining and quite comical.
Though romance eventually blossoms, in a weird twist of fate, I wouldn’t have minded if they never hooked up. (I know, I wasn’t clamoring for sexy times, feel my head, I might be feverish). Their connection as sleuthing-partners was sufficiently rewarding, even if it seemed like Sophia did most of the heavy lifting (as Benedick was too easily led around- he was definitely Beta to her Alpha). They worked quite well with one another on a platonic level and the sexual tension was a slow build, think- blink and you miss it. When things finally did heat up beyond a simmer between them, it was like a nice bonus, rather than warm, fuzzy, gotta have it HEA feels. More of an awakening of realized affection, especially for Ben who needed more umph. As eligible and desired as he was among the single ladies, he was new to returning such affections and often didn’t quite know what to do with his developing feelings for Sophia.
Ben had been telling the truth when he told Sophia he’d never felt such rage. Coming on the heels of Mrs. Debenham’s revelation…the sight of Sophia in range of {a} raised fist had filled him with a primitive desire to hurt the other man. Not to simply stop him from harming Sophia. But to lift him bodily and beat him with his bare fists. It was a new, and somewhat disturbing bit of self-discovery, and if Sophia hadn’t been there to witness the whole thing, he might not have been able to control himself. He wanted to believe his conscience would have been enough to pull him back from the edge, but the truth was that seeing Sophia in peril had flipped some sort of switch within him. And whether it was instinct or some other force, it had been as strong as any he’d ever felt.
Wallflower Most Wanted is a lighthearted (despite its subject matter) fast read. You figure out who the culprits are the first time you meet them and if you are a reader who does not like overly simplistic mysteries with your romance, this plot in particular may chafe. If you can look past the elementary suspense, there are really some good times and hearty laughs to enjoy. The highlights are definitely the character banter and dialogue. Some will find Ben boring sweet and perfectly nice, others will cheer when he finally begins to grow a pair and be bummed out when the pair he does grow- top out on the smallish end, but he is quite likable and his overly genteel nature and character weakness will be a minor annoyance in the long-run. Sophia does not change much from beginning to end, so with her, what you see is really what you get. She is brave and a champion of justice and has a beautiful heart. She has feelings toward Ben, yet her main obstacle is not wanting to appear too eager for his affections, and she regularly errs on the side of practicality when it comes to matters of the heart. Letting go and letting Ben in and Ben’s opening up and making a bold choice make all the difference for this pair. I wouldn’t mind reading more about these two, though, perhaps with a more complex mystery to solve next time. I’m also adding this author’s other works to my TBR list ASAP because if she can make the smex an afterthought for me, I want to read more! Plus I liked the lightness and feel-goodness I got when reading this book. I read it with a perpetual smile, even when things got a little trite, the smile never drooped, just wavered into a little amused smirk if you will. :-)
It also isn’t lost on me that the “Wallflower” more so applied to hummydrummy Ben as opposed to spirited Sophia. Not lost on me at all. Perhaps he should be the one lounging on the cover and pearl clutching. Ha!
Previous Manda Collins Reviews: Good Dukes Wear Black
Grade: B
Goodreads I Author’s Info I Series
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