After the disappearance of her husband, Lady Theodosia Fortescue-Brown, needs to prove to all, that she is an accomplished lady detective. When the Queen’s necklace goes missing from the home of Theodosia’s friend, she (Teddy) teams up with William Montague, a well-known rake. Whilst Teddy knows that William, Lord Montague, must marry, she is conflicted in her feelings. Knowing that she is still married, despite her husband’s disappearance for over two year, she must work with William, if she is to solve the case of a missing girl. Teddy finds herself fighting her attraction to William, whilst still keen to uncover the necklace.
This was an enjoyable book with all the necessary elements: romance intertwined with a mystery. The chemistry between Teddy and William was a definite plus, and their witty conversation made me chuckle. The secondary characters also gave this book added depth.
A great read! I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Here we have the usual widow-in-distress who has to "work" (lord help her!) to support herself so she doesn't have to leave her home due to in-laws who are legally entitled to it. She has been doing some "potential spouse" research for members of the Ton but without much financial success, and now she is in a time crunch to get something going quickly in order to save herself. Though there is the missing-spouse-presumed-dead backstory, it really seems rather unnecessary in the long run. When a friend calls her in to do some "real" detecting, she believes this will be the saving grace to promote enough business to allow her to support herself. Of course, the condescending male is also "on the case" and their interaction in solving the mystery is the basis for the romance you know is coming. I enjoyed their byplay and was really enjoying the story until the "instant lust" came into play a little too quickly, along with the "instant love," which seemed a tad rushed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading how it all worked out (though I had figured out the "bad guy" long before our protagonists did). You didn't know up front who the villain was, as is so often the case where the story line lets you know who it is and the mystery progresses along the line of the attempts to get him "caught." But the mystery wasn't really all that difficult to determine. But I did enjoy reading the book and would recommend it with reservations. Yes, it is a well-worn trope, but this author did a good enough job of telling her characters' version of it (similar to other female "detective" books of this genre) that I look forward to more stories of the husband and wife investigatory team. #NetGalley #TheLadyDetective

Teddy is something of a grass widow, as her gay husband has disappeared without a trace. They had a fond relationship in spite of their platonic relationship and she is concerned both for his welfare and her own. It is only her marriage to him that grants her the London house she's in, as well as her independence to be a lady detective. While she is waiting to find out if he is dead and she is thereby banished to the country, she takes on 2 cases: That of a missing royal necklace and one of a young woman who has disappeared while looking for employment. She is being helped by William, Lord Montegue, a rake who has developed an interest in her - but has secrets of his own. A very enjoyable read. More romance than mystery but enough suspence to make things interesting.

This was a new author to me, and while there was a few confusing moments, overall I really enjoyed the book. I loved both the hero and heroine and their antagonistic dialogue. The conflict for Teddy was credible and the author took it just far enough for the HEA to be satisfying. The mystery of who done it was a bit confusing, but in the end I was happy with how it was all wrapped up and delivered. I am looking forward to reading more by Ms. January.

Lady Theodosia Fortescue-Brown (Teddy to her friends) is trying to keep her life in London after the disappearance of her husband. In order to keep her place in London Teddy must prove that she can make it on her own as a Lady Detective. When the Queen's necklace goes missing from Teddy's friend's home, she must team up with known rake Lord Montague. The two of them make a great team, especially when Teddy ropes poor William into helping her solve a case of a missing girl. As their attraction grows, Teddy must keep her eye on the prize of recovering the priceless necklace, but can she also heal her heart?

This book has everything that I love: an intelligent, sassy, funny heroine and a handsome, charming, rake of a hero. The chemistry between Teddy and William burns up the page. It reminded me a little of the PBS show Miss Scarlet and The Duke which is my favorite show at the moment,

I can't wait for this book to be released on March 4 so everyone else can fall in love with it!

Note: I was sent a free ARC of this book by NetGalley and Escape Publishing for my honest review.

A must read for any historical romance lover!
What a funny, entertaining and engaging read!
I thoroughly loved Theodosia♥️. What a totally intriguing character. Loved her many humorous moments and her independent nature. The relationship between her and Lord Montague is so intense, you can feel their attraction as you read. What a pair they make as they try to uncover the mystery of a missing necklace and Theodosia’s missing husband, Hugo.
Honestly,The Lady Detective is a laugh out loud, fun read that I highly recommend. I hope there is a sequel in the works... hint, hint.
I hope to read more from Ava January. I like her writing style as it flows so smoothly and entices you to keep reading on and on.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.