I read a lot of cozy mysteries and was really intrigued to see a premise I hadn't come across before. I really like that the main character is an English professor specializing in Austen and I also really loved the reality show angle. Unfortunately, this one just didn't quite work for me.

I had two main issues with this mystery. The first one was the number of characters. We have Phaedra, her coworkers and friends and family as well as all the people associated with the reality show both as contestents and in production. It's a lot of people to be introduced to and since this is the first book in the series I felt a bit like I was scrambling to figure out who was who and where they fit in. I think this made it hard for me to connect with any of the characters which made me struggle to get invested in the story.

My second issue was the pacing. This isn't an uncommon problem with first books in the series as there's so much world building that has to be done. Unfortunately, this combined with the first issue kept me from being able to be pulled in to the mystery and really enjoying the story. I also found it hard to believe that Phaedra was an established professor as her actions frequently came across immature and naive.

I think this series has some potential. There are some interesting side characters and I enjoy the fact that the main character specializes in Austen on an academic level. Unfortunately, at this point this isn't a series I plan on continuing with.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

Genre: Cozy Mystery/Women's Fiction
Pub Date: December 7, 2021
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fun start to a new series, and I enjoyed the book a lot. I thought the main character, Phaedra, enjoyable and easy to love. I thought her determinedness and single-mindedness were two things I could greatly relate to as an individual, and I couldn't help but wonder who her Mr. Darcy would be in the book! I particularly liked that her knowledge of Jane Austen put her in the middle of a murder to solve and that she was a professor. I'm a finance professor, but I always say if I could be any other kind of professor, it would be English!

Overall, I thought this story kicked off the series well. I will definitely read more about Phaedra, and I'm looking forward to future books!

Pride, Prejudice and Peril was a cute cozy mystery with lots of references to Jane Austen's novels, which I love. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story and the regency talk tremendously. I went back and forth with who I thought Phaedra's Mr. Darcy could be, but I was hoping for one over the other. I love the broody protective ones.
I enjoyed a lot about this one, but I also found it hard to follow at times. This was a fun start to a new series.
Thank you to Katie Oliver, Netgalley and Berkley for an early copy.

Mini Review: I quite enjoyed this book, which is the first in the new Jane Austen Tea Society Mysteries series. It was a unique premise, Phaedra was a good main character, and I liked the supporting characters, too! Overall, this was a good beginning to a new cozy series, and I will definitely be checking out the next book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Pride and Prejudice and Peril, the first book in The Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series, is an entertaining Austen infused cozy mystery.

The story is set in the small university town of Laurel Springs Virginia, where Jane Austen professor/ Regency historical consultant Phaedra Brighton discovers a murder during the filming of a Pride and Prejudice inspired reality dating show.

As a Jane Austen fan, I enjoyed identifying the numerous references to Jane Austen’s books and adaptations as well as discovering some interesting Regency trivia. Author Katie Oliver is clearly an Austen fan and she weaves together an entertaining Jane Austen inspired cozy mystery with a loose Pride and Prejudice retelling. Phaedra, the Elizabeth Bennet of the series, cleverly uses her knowledge of and love for Jane Austen and Regency paraphernalia to investigate the crime. Though her sledgehammer interrogation technique is at times cringey, it will hopefully become more refined as the series progresses and she investigates future crimes.

The mystery is, of course, satisfyingly solved by the end of the book. However, the retelling is merely set up; there are two potential Mr. Darcy’s and the Jane and Mr. Bingley characters have only been briefly introduced. I expect the retelling will be the overarching story of the series and I look forward to discovering it.

Pride and Prejudice and Peril should satisfy cozy mystery readers and Jane Austen fans alike and is a good book to curl up with over the Christmas holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early copy of Pride, Prejudice and Peril in return for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Katie Oliver for this early copy of Pride, Prejudice and Peril in return for my honest review.

I adored this book. What a fun story, mixing classic literature with modern day living. The characters were witty and charming, and it was the perfect who-done-it, that kept you guessing the whole time. I am excited to see that this book is the first of a series and that the author is already planning on the second book set to release next year.I can’t wait to continue reading the stories of Phaedra and the Jane Austin tea society.

This book was like a mashup of Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and The Bachelor

An Austen scholar is hired as a consultant on a new dating reality show, Who Wants to Marry Mr Darcy. During shooting a man, the owner of The Marling, is found dead and she investigates to find the assailant.

I liked the premise of this book but overall this was just ok for me.

Pride, Prejudice, and Peril by Katie Oliver was merely okay. Based on the premise, I thought I would enjoy it more. But it was an okay read.

Can you imagine an incarnated Victorian lady finds herself at present time named as Phaedra Brighton ( her mother inspired of Greek mythology but she’s definitely a British soul trapped in an American woman’s body),a professor specialized on Jane Austen literature, teased by her friends and mother for not being able to find her own Darcy!

Dear Phaedra’s great knowledge about regency era helps her land on a job as a consultant at reality show named “who wants to marry Mr. Darcy?” ( who doesn’t if Colin Firth plays him!!!!)

The show’s concept can be summarized as Bachelor meets Pride and Prejudice: 8 bachelorettes will compete for dreamy bachelor Mr. Darcy in hopes of receiving a marriage proposal by the end of the season including camera off whining, backstabbing, gossiping, betrayals etc.

She already deals with organization of Jane Austen literary festival after school council slashed their budget, welcoming their new mysterious, observant, strikingly intimidating professor Mark who recently transferred from Oxford ( might be a great candidate as Mr. Darcy even though she thinks him as Mr. Rochester)

But now she adds another profession to her highly thick resume : she becomes a murder investigator after she finds a death body during the shooting of the reality show: the guy who murdered is William Collier , CEO of Longbourn Pharmaceuticals who is also her childhood friend Charlene’s husband, owner of the Marling the grandiose and historical location the production team used as their shooting location for the show!

The poor guy was electrocuted which was strange because there was a power shortcut at the place which resulted with a valuable family jewelry’s stealing: the choker.

Who hated enough that pretentious, new multimillionaire to kill him?

There are lots of candidates but he had serious quarrels in front of witnesses at the very same murder day. Dorothy Fortune should have inherited the Marling after her husbands death but her husband thought otherwise and left the place to his nephew William which created a vendetta between she and him.

And of course William’s screaming at his wife Charlene to blame on her for choker’s disappearance in front the filming crew before the minutes of turning into smoking beef ( okay this was even harsh for him but the character was douchebag enough to push your buttons)

Charlene was just a waitress who was taking care of her disabled and diabetic mother but marriage with William dramatically changed her financial situation. She has enough motive to get rid of verbally abusive husband. At least the brooding but also charismatic detective Morelli thinks she may have involved into the murder.

Phaedra finds herself conduct her own investigation to help her own friend, acting like young Miss Marple, connecting the dots with her sharp wits.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery which is great mash up Austen novels meet Agatha Christie mysteries.

Phaedra was likable, quirky, sharp witted, determined character. I don’t say no to read more adventures of her in near future.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

This is the ultimate cozy mystery for the many readers who love both Jane Austen and Agatha Christie! A college professor who is a renowned Jane Austen scholar is hired to work as a consultant on a sleazy-ish reality show (Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy). Surrounded by mayhem, she solves a complicated murder. I look forward to recommending this title!

This has the questionable distinction of being one of the few books I refuse to review publicly (a kindness on my part, I assure you). There were a good half-dozen Austen errors, some medical jargon ripped straight out of one of those crime dramas where they spend more time in wardrobe than fact-checking, and the climactic reveal scene was so laughably bad I was having honest to god Twilight flashbacks.