Thank you Netgalley, author Amita Murray, and publisher Avon for providing a copy of Unladylike Lessons in Love in exchange for a review! All opinions are my own.
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For me, this was a firm three stars. I enjoyed it, and finished it in about a week, which is about my normal reading pace for a book this length. I liked the diverse cast, I liked the representation, and I really liked a lady defying social norms and expectations with little to no consequences (that is very fantastical, given the era).

However, I felt like the first half of this book was spent ramping up, slowly, bit by bit, and I felt a bit impatient with it. Like, come on, can we get to the good stuff? And then, it was over all too soon and I was left feeling unfulfilled. The romance was slow to build, which I appreciated and felt appropriate given it was an enemies-to-lovers, but once it built, it exploded into a sudden fiery passion, but was rife with misunderstandings and squabbles until the very end. I wish we had either had a proper slow burn, only coming to fruition in the last third or quarter of the book, or that we had stayed passionate and not had the squabbling and miscommunications.

I didn't especially love how the culprit, who was otherwise a satisfying mustache-twirling type of villain, completely irredeemable and wormy and nasty (his home is so derelict, it has mushrooms growing indoors. EW!) got off with basically no consequences. I guess I understand "Oh he's an earl so he's basically exempt from the law", but if we can suspend historical reality to allow for POC and queer characters to exist happily without prejudice in the 1800s, and if we can allow women to hold property and not need men to survive, surely we can throw a violent and abusive earl in jail to rot forever. It feels like an awfully strange place to draw a line in the sand.

With that all in mind, this makes for a fine beach read. I might pick up the others in the series when they release because I do enjoy a reimagined regency era a la Bridgerton. I suspect that this being the first in the series means it had to do some heavy lifting with world building, and future books may not share that burden.

DNF. I struggled to power through this book. The characters were hard to connect with. It didn't even have the feel of a historical romance.

**thanks NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review**

The first chapters of this book started off very interesting. I liked that there were diverse characters included for the time period and location. The plot on the other hand, was all over the place. The actions of the characters at times did not really fit the time period. Overall, the story had plenty of elements that interested me as a reader but it did not come together in a believable or cohesive way.

This was not my favorite story because I thought it could have been told better.
This review may contain spoilers.
This story is about a lady who was the daughter of an earl. Her mother was his second wife and so her and her sisters are his second family. His first family do not recognize them as legitimate family members, but her father's first wife did raise her and her two sisters. We find at the very end of the book that there were 6 sisters and the youngers ones were split up and adopted out to different families. There is no mention at any time that the heroine has more sisters. With all.thw angst and stress caused by her horrible upbringing, I find it disingenuous that she did not remember them or that they never crossed her mind until she spoke to her sisters that she is estranged from. There was a scene in the book when she is in the house that she was raised in and is having flashbacks to some of the punishments she received and she never thought of her younger sisters.
And this is the problem I have with the book. The heroine is one of 3 (6) daughters born to an English earl and an Indian woman. They live India until her father dies and they are sent to England to be raised by her father's wife. The heroine's mother has passed at some point. The heroine's half brother turned the sisters against each other to the point that they do not talk. She meets with them to invite them to her wedding and they do not seem to care. Each one has had to find their own way of supporting themselves. The heroine is a hostess of salons, so I am assuming she charges a fee for the people who come to her home for libations and entertainment. I do not fully understand how the whole hostess thing worked; for example, how did she get the home she lives in? She says she rents it, but where did she get the money to rent a house in a good neighborhood?
And the author keeps alluding to different things and sending the story spinning in different directions The heroine saw the half brother with his hand on her middle sister's thigh, so is she saying that incest was going on? And the story revolves around a maid's daughter. The young girl played with the heroine and her mother was also a maid and found with a jewelry box and hung and her daughter was thrown out of the house. This happened when the heroine was a young girl herself, but she was able to get a carriage to watch the hanging.
The main problem with the story is that the author wanted to write about India natives in Regency England and how bigotry was. But then the author diverts into all of these unfulfilled story lines about other kinds of bigotry and drama, and who framed the maid and why was the young girl, who is now 17 years old and pregnant, and the drama filled plots keep coming with no resolution.
I think if the story stayed on the main path and did not go in so many confusing and contrived directions, it would have been a better story. As it is now, I give 2 stars and so not recommend reading

I was so excited to see a historical romance featuring a part-Indian MC who owned a gambling den because this is the fresh take this genre deserves, but I unfortunately found the plot both too fast and too slow at the same time. The main conflict took forever to develop, but at the same time there were too many characters and small things happening to easily get sucked into the story. I'm very curious to see how Amita's writing develops in the future.

This book sounded so good. However, the actual execution was uneven. The story felt rushed but not fully thought out.

We follow Lila, a charming and witty salon hostess, as she tries to help a childhood friend who has shown up on her doorstep in several kinds of trouble. This novel deals with the intersection of race and class in England through a romantic adventure. The characters were somewhat simple caricatures but were ultimately likable and the plot was interesting enough to be serviceable. However, there were several serious construction issues that detracted from enjoyment of the story. The pacing was inconsistent, the epilogue was not a post script but the first chapter of a second novel, and the sheer number of sentence fragments in this edition was overwhelming. It reads like a first draft and needs editing. Underneath all of that probably lies a fun novel.

I enjoyed this a lot and am looking forward to the other installments. I appreciated the thoughtfulness and reality based story of folks of color in period

This Regency Romance is so good. I love the mystery and suspense mingled in with the Romance. As a Regency Romance lover since I was a teen, this checks all the boxes for me and I will be purchasing this to put on my keep shelf. Great Job! A must read for regency romance lovers.
I just reviewed Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray. #UnladylikeLessonsinLove #NetGalley
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As much as I enjoyed reading it, it was kind of… all over the place. One a line level, I found the prose choppy and dominated by short sentences. There were points that would get repeated in consecutive paragraphs (although this may be sorted for the final book, I was reading an eARC) but I also found various elements repetitive at the story level as well. There was also extraneous/mistimed details that would pop up in odd places, for example descriptions inserted several pages after a character was introduced, and in the middle of a paragraph that had nothing to do with that they looked like. Nonetheless I was always tempted to pick it up again, any time I put it down, and it wasn’t a chore to finish.

I enjoyed the opening chapter. I felt like I was in the ballroom together with the characters with the way the author described the scene.

The encounter between Lila and Ivor was hilarious. This book has all the tropes -enemies to lovers, miscommunication and even some mystery in the plot.

I love how fearless Lila is and also how vulnerable. I love her sense of duty to Maisie and the easy candor between her and her workers.

I must confess that I did not see the climax coming and the connections between the characters.

Beyond the relationship between the main characters, the books sheds light on the cruel justice system at that time, racism and even child abuse and manipulation.

However, there are a bit of confusion I couldn’t get my head around. Ivor initially alerted the Runners about the attack-why not call them off when Lila first asked.

Why did Sara Marleigh bring the girls in from India when she couldn’t stand them? Also, why did it take the epilogue to let readers know about the triplets.

If you love interracial historical romance with a bit of enemy to lover trope, then you will love this.

I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and the review is entirely mine.

This is the first novel I have read by Amita Murray and I found it to be interesting, well written and a really lovely introduction to Murray's work. Murray's writing feels knowledgable, well researched and plotted. Her characters were interesting and unique. This novel is very plot drive and there are lots of characters the move the story forward. There is a central romance which I did find enjoyable, but a lot of the driving force is the novel is really around the Heroine and her family dynamics. If you are looking for an interesting and more unique feeling plotted novel that has the underlying of a romance, than this novel is definitely worth you check out.

I really enjoyed our heroine, she is strong, bold and independent and a take no "sh*t" person. I love that she is so wholly herself and confident in who she is in this world. Murray also approaches this novel in a much more realistic light than other historical romances. Race and social economic issues of British Society are highlighted with understanding, bluntness and clarity in a way that can be more traditionally glossed over. This novel has a lightness to the steam which feels appropriate to the overall establishment to the romance which has a bit less focus than I tend to like. Overall, I found that the plot details were very interesting and kept be curious throughout, that I did not really fully reflect of the way the romance was not the main focus.

I really enjoyed Amita Murray's writing, and I would recommend this novel, especially if you enjoy a heavily plot driven romance. I am very interested in seeing where this series will grow and will definitely be reading the next installment.

Unladylike Lessons in Love is the first book in The Marleigh Sisters series by Amita Murray. This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be the last! If you like steamy historical mystery romance stories with quirky characters, this will be right up your alley.

In 19th century London, Lila Marleigh is familiar with being an outcast in society. She is the oldest daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress. When their parents died, the sisters were taken from their home in India and sent to live with the earl's wife and son, who quite obviously detested them. Now an adult, Lila has set herself up as the hostess of an exclusive gaming salon to support herself. Society flocks to the salon, but in the light of day she is shunned and looked down upon by these same people. One night Ivor Tristram, a wealthy gentleman, storms into the salon, accusing Lila of being his father's mistress; he doesn't believe her protestations. However, Lila and Ivor have an interest in solving a mystery that concerns both of them, so she convinces him to accompany her to London's pleasure gardens and rat pits to solve a crime. There is intense passion between the two of them. Will Lila and Ivor find their villain without Lila losing her safely guarded heart?

This was a fun and exciting romance, with the perfect amount of mystery to make it even more enjoyable. Lila and Ivor were both great leads; I adored them even though I wanted to smack them both at times for being so stubborn and foolish. Lila could be a bit of a nut, but that endeared her to me. She had a difficult life, being sent from India to England as a child into a cold and cruel family. At one time she was close to her sisters, but now they barely speak. She works hard at being an excellent hostess, but it's difficult work being "on" all the time and having drunk men staring into her cleavage. When she meets Ivor, her life suddenly changes. Ivor worked hard all his life trying to build back the family estate that his drunk and cheating father ran into the ground. He's furious his father is having an alleged affair with Lila as his mother is horribly sick. He doesn't believe Lila's denial of the affair, and she uses that to her advantage in searching for a culprit who committed an assault against Ivor's cousin. I loved Ivor when he wasn't being a stubborn mule! The chemistry between our hero and heroine was quite explosive, and sexy scenes were definitely not behind closed doors! They both feared losing their hearts to one another and made some stupid relationship mistakes. But I couldn't help but love them. Supporting characters were quite interesting and entertaining, especially Maisie (someone from Lila's pass who has quite the attitude and temper), Sunil (Maisie's man, who is even tempered and her total opposite), Kenneth (Lila's best friend who's looking for a man of his own and encourages Lila's bad behavior), and Hector (Ivor's employee). The mystery was fun if implausible at times. I actually learned something new, too: what a rat pit is. Yes, it's as bad as it sounds! I enjoyed the multicultural aspect of the story; it was a nice change of pace. I'm looking forward to the next books in the series; I hope Lila's sisters are as likable as she is!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I thought the description for this book sounded intriguing but I was left oddly disappointed by this book. The characters felt flat to me and lacked depth. The plot meandered and the pacing was off. It's too bad because I really did think the book had promise, the premise sounded interesting but the execution just wasn't there. I would love to read histroms featuring South Asian characters but I need the characters to be more fleshed out and developed.

This was an entertaining book. It combined mystery with romance and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Genre: historical romance
London

Lila Marleigh is the bastard daughter of an Earl and his Indian mistress. When her father and mother died, Lila and her sisters were sent to live with the Earl's wife and their half brother. She runs a salon frequented by members of society who may not have places elsewhere. She makes them feel welcome and cared for and earns herself some money in the process. But something has haunted her for years - her nanny was hanged for stealing some of Lila's stepmother jewelry, leaving her daughter to fend for herself. Now that daughter, Maisie, is in trouble…trouble that's linked to an accusation brought against Maisie's fiancé by a gentleman who has taken an interest in Lila. Lila works to persuade Ivor Tristram of Maisie's fiancé's innocence, but that may not be enough to save Sunil from the noose as well.

Unladylike Lessons in Love is Amita Murray's first foray into historical romance, writing primarily mysteries prior. You get the sense that Murray loves to build suspense and atmosphere, reveling in reveals large and small, looking to keep her readers on their toes. It's an interesting tone to take for a historical romance, and while I found it clever at times and with components I really enjoyed, it didn't pan out overall for me. The balance between romance and mystery wavers, with portions of the book feeling more like a mystery and others feeling more like romance, and not always blending well for me.

That said, there's a lot in Unladylike Lessons to get excited about. A half-Indian woman who earns her own income with poise like Lila's is a breathtaking character on page. Used to holding her family together and putting on a facade, Lila is close to cracking when she meets Ivor. Ivor Tristram, who initially accuses Lila of being his father's mistress, falls very quickly for Lila. He's sensitive, and he believes not only Lila, but also his cousin Tiffany who was assaulted leading to the accusation against Sunil. He's a steady partner for Lila in untangling the mess that's twisted their lives together.

As a romance reader, I always want to see more of the lead couple on page together. Lila and Ivor spend a lot of time trying to solve the mystery together, but less time solving their emotions for one another. While this one wasn't a huge hit for me, I found a lot that I liked in Unladylike Lessons in Love, and I'll be excited to read more of the Marleigh Sisters series in the future!

Lila Marleigh, born of an Indian mistress always felt shunned by London Society when she and her sisters arrived. With an unhappy childhood culminating into her beloved maid being hanged, Lila has turned her back on her reputation. When a friend from the past unexpectedly shows up at her salon asking for help, Lila is determined to make good past promises. When she and Ivor Tristram realize their problems are connected they decide to work together to help Lila’s friend and figure out who is behind the attacks. When Ivor and Lila find out there are more layers to each other then they first thought they can’t deny their attraction. But will getting to the bottom of things prove to be too much for their new relationship? Will the culprit be caught?

I enjoyed this historical romance/mystery and enjoyed learning more about London Society. The settings were richly described and the characters well developed. I look forward to the next installment!

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Marleigh Sisters series. Lila is the illegitimate daughter of an earl, estranged from her sisters, and lived with her father’s first wife after her own parents passed away. She runs a somewhat successful salon in London, offering gaming and entertainments. She’s accused of being Ivor’s father’s mistress and told to stay away from the old man. She’s never been anyone’s mistress, but Ivor seems to think the worst in her. We have some added mystery to the story when a former servant comes to Lila asking for help with a man who is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and Ivor is somehow involved because it was his young cousin who was attacked. Honestly, the mystery-solving part was the most interesting. The romance seemed to come out of nowhere even though the attraction was obvious from the start and didn’t particularly feel genuine. I suppose we’ll learn more about those estranged sisters in future books, but I didn’t get the feeling this would be a tight-knit series. And while I don’t usually comment on book titles, I don’t actually see the connection between the title and the plot of the book here.

def 25%, skimmed to 30%
I really wanted to like this one. I found the plot to be intriguing but the execution was just not there. Lilah is a half-Indian independent woman of means and I think that she could have had a really interesting story. I could not stand the writing style of the book. The writing was a bizarre mix of flowery run-on sentences and short stilted phrases, often next to each other in long paragraphs. The book also had a serious issue with telling through internal monologue rather than showing. So much of the book felt so contemporary, and while I'm not a stickler for historical accuracy in my historical romances, this one was just too much. I had to laugh when the character Tiffany was introduced. I know Tiffany originates from Greek, but it still wasn't a first name until the mid-1900s (literally the wikipedia page for the name lists only one Tiffany born before 1960). It was clear after the first couple of chapters that the book failed to capture my attention, but I tried to continue before ultimately giving up because I didn't want to spend more hours of my life on a book I was not going to rate above 2 stars.

I read some of the other ARC reviews prior to starting this book and because of that, was reluctant to read it. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by "Unladylike Lessons in Love." I found the book, an interesting combo of mystery and romance, to be well-written and attention-holding. I liked FMC Lila quite a bit. She did what she needed to do to survive and made no apologies for it. I was less of a fan of MMC Ivor, who was more than a little judgmental and cold. But the two did have chemistry and I did not end up feeling like Lila sacrificed herself for Ivor. I did like that Ivor was quick to believe Lila's version of the attack on his cousin and that he was willing to put himself on the line to protect someone not of his class or race.

This book was not without flaws. The history of Lila's family is convoluted and left a large number of unanswered questions. I am not a huge fan of introducing rather important new plot points in an epilogue, as it makes me feel like the story I am reading is not a stand-alone. Here, I do feel like I will need to read the other sisters' stories to have full understanding. While I like to read series, I like to know that I am getting into a series where I will have to read more than one book to get the full story.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for a complementary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.