This story is set in 1812 in London. It's not a mystery, though it might qualify as a suspense if you happened to care for the characters. It just exasperated me as it was self-inflicted danger caused by lack of planning. Augusta was arrogant and self-righteous. She didn't really plan things out but trusted to luck, her quick thinking (which wasn't always the best thinking), and Evan to get her out of the trouble she constantly rushed into. She thinks she's so smart, but she's not. At about halfway through, she needed to find one girl in a brothel, knew that there were several girls that could be brought to her, and didn't even bother to get a description of the girl. Seriously?! She's also a hypocrite: her brother surprised her with something so she couldn't argue or say no and she was extremely angry, but then she did the same thing to her sister and felt justified. The other characters (even her sister and Evan) weren't really developed enough for me to care about them, one way or another. And she's massively infatuated with Evan, declaring her love for him after just a few hours total around him.

The author exhaustively researched the time period (wonderful!) but felt the need to put in so much detail that it slowed the action. And she often chose details I didn't want, like a long description of agonizingly popping a dislocated shoulder back into place or the graphic details of a woman who had her breast surgically removed. Augusta didn't believe in God (mostly, it seemed, because she felt she could do a better job than God). Okay, but the author made a point of giving her the current politically correct attitudes. For example, she's friends with a mature man whom everyone knew was attracted to male youths.

The cases: paying a blackmailer for the return of a friend's indiscrete love letters and helping an abused woman escape her husband. The next one could have been handled by the legal process as it involved a kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl from an orphanage. But Augusta wanted save the girl herself even if it meant cutting her hair, dressing as a man, and going unarmed into a brothel that offered every sort of sexual abuse. The last case involved rescuing a woman from an insane asylum.

The only real mystery was what happened at Evan's duel (still not solved) and why he returned (which rumor said had something to do with his sister running off with another woman). He won't tell her anything and warned her not to snoop, but she did anyway. There were no sex scenes (though plenty of mentions of people's sexual preferences). There was a fair amount of bad language.

First in the series of Ill-Mannered Ladies, this Regency romance introduces readers to twin sisters Lady Augusta and Lady Julia Colbrook. Filled with Lords, letters, and the unspoken language of twins with midlife attitudes, the narrative is divided into three unique “cases.” Determined to be “useful, defiant, occasionally ill-mannered, and completely indomitable,” the sisters get involved with Lord Evan Belford, a gentleman-pirate, policies of coverture, and prisons for the insane. Even with a thread off dread featuring early nineteenth century gruesome surgery methods, readers are treated to delightful analogies and sarcastic, clever dialogue in some very stressful and intriguing antics- “every nerve ablaze!” This is an exhilarating read chocked with a divisive wedding, impending murders, and eyebrow raising masquerades. The letters and madness continue, leaving readers awaiting the next case involving The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies.

A thoroughly delightful historical mystery set in Regency England with the author throwing in many historical details, which makes it even better!

Two spinsters, Lady Gus and her twin Julia are on the path to aid young women from getting into situations with men, all with a feminist twist.

Setting out to help a friend's goddaughter from a brutal husband, the set off to her country estate. Of course they run into a highway man and shoot the brute only finding out he is Lord Evan, recently returned from prison.

A delightful journey full of wit, adventure and proving Lord Evan had been imprisoned falsely, bring this story full circle, leaving you with only wanting more!

I don't read much historical fiction, but I plan on hand selling this book a lot this summer! I felt completely immersed in Regency England because the prose was so detailed. I had innumerable joys looking up the different fashion pieces and historical items mentioned. What these "ill-mannered" women were up against was stomach churning, but I couldn't stop reading. I learned so much by reading the author's note at the end. I was cheering for our heroines through all three dangerous rescue missions. I would say that this is for fans of the Veronica Speedwell series and Enola Holmes. Come for the mystery, and stay for the romance.

Review coming 6/5/2023 on Austenprose.

Thanks to the author, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.

I approach every new author with trepidation: as I’ve said before, I’m a cautious reader who likes the tried and true…I tend, with apologies to the readers of this blog, not to review too many new-to-me authors. The fact is, duds outweigh the stars, but I have two new-to-me stars added to the auto-buy list: James Kestrel from my previous review and Alison Goodman.

What a gem of a romance-adventure-mystery these intrepid Ill-Mannered Ladies are. I admit to the superficiality of being attracted by the fabulous cover, but it’s as good on the page. To launch us into what makes this hybrid romance-intrigue-morality-tale, the blurbish details, which don’t do it justice:

Lady Augusta Colebrook, “Gus,” is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need—society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.

Goodman comes to us via Austen-Heyer with a dash of what I dub “feminist melodrama”. If you look to other reviews, Goodman’s Ill-Mannered Ladies is lauded as “feminist”, which is not a dirty word I hope (you never know these days) but there’s nothing subversive in her tale. Rather, her heroines are “subversive” for their time and place. To that Goodman brings Heyer’s high spirits and Austen’s caustic wit; the pathos and depth, all her own. I am thoroughly in love with her feral spinsters, Gus and Julia; her hero, Lord Evan, rivals Biller’s Eli (Hotel of Secrets) for my adorable, loving, PERFECT hero of the year (it’s going to be a tough year-end post); and her ethos brings the best of romance, hisfic, and adventure together. Truth be told, I knew I would love Goodman’s novel from the “dedication”: “This book is dedicated to all the women out there who no longer have the patience or desire to put up with any nonsense.” (OMG)

At 42, twins Gus and Julia truly are spinsters, which Goodman treats with great sensitivity, in keeping with the times, and portrays how trapped they are in roles Regency England delegates to unmarried women of a “certain age,” what Gus calls the “horror of our long spinsterhood.” Goodman writes in the spirit of romance, that is, where women break out of social constraints to forge a life of their choosing. As for the love interests, they are pure, delicious fantasy: handsome, respectful, admiring, equals in body, mind, and spirit, the best romance can serve up.

I also want to talk about a theme rare in romance, especially of the duke-filled Regency kind: religious faith. Goodman has taken the religious mores and tensions of the time and encompassed them in Gus and Julia. Julia is a woman of deep faith and Gus recently lost hers. Gus’s struggle and then Julia’s when she finds out how Gus has been thinking is vividly and believably rendered. Julia and Gus are twins, friends, supporters and confidantes: this doesn’t tear them apart (hey, HEA in all ways). Witness Gus’s thoughts: “From birth, we had walked together through our lives, hand in hand. Now it was possible she was forging ahead, her faith promising her everlasting life. That promise, however, was no longer mine. If I eschewed God and everlasting life, I also eschewed heaven. There was no place for us to reunite beyond the grave…I had conceived that brutal separation — without God and the hope of heaven — over and over again, always amazed to find myself still standing, still breathing. when the thoughts receded. Doubt, I think, took as much courage as belief.” The “separation” continues to the novel’s end: Julia doesn’t come to see Gus’s loss of faith as anything but tragic, but remains her stalwart companion, loving sister, and friend. Julia’s faith, in turn, does not cause Gus to turn away, or feel alienated. They remain loving sisters and confidantes…

and the best part? Companions-in-arms, resolved to look and be beyond the narrow definition of their spinster lives in a world that doesn’t respect, or value them. (Mind you, they have the privilege of wealth, but use their gifts, natural and of birth and wealth, for good.) The scene where the “ill-mannered” ladies are born is my favourite (well, equal to the “one bed” possibilities with Lord Evan and the marvellous few instances of epistolary amour…this book has it all!): ” ‘…frankly I do not wish to go back to sewing and taking tea and shopping my life away. What do you say?’ ‘What are you asking me? To help save Lord Evan?’ ‘Not only him. Anyone who needs our help…I doubt anyone would ever believe two old maids could even take on such a venture.’ ‘Old maids. I really do hate that expression,’ Julia said. ‘Then let us be something else.’ ‘Useful,’ Julia said. ‘I would like to have some purpose…’ ‘We shall be useful. But just as importantly we shall be defiant, occasionally ill-mannered, and completely indomitable.’ ‘Surely not ill-mannered,’ Julia said. I smiled. ‘That, dear sister, remains to be seen.’ ” Finally, someone given Miss Bates independent wealth, a fine mind, a pilgrim soul, a thirst for justice, and mad rescue skills.

Therein lies my one quibble with Goodman’s wonderful Gus and Julia, the novel’s structure: in three disparate parts, each one comprising the rescue of women and children trapped by the injustices of Regency society, unfair laws, inequality, prejudices, misogyny, sexism; you name it, Goodman has tossed it into her novel-salad. On a literary level, her novel is episodic, without a smooth, unified narrative arc. My litcrit mind wagged a finger, but my heart was happy to spend more time with Gus and Julia, Lord Evan, the butler Weatherly, even the mysterious Bow Street Runner Kent, on their redressing of wrongs, rescuing of waifs, and championing of the wrongly accused. (Be warned, there are some difficult scenes to be read, but outcomes will see you cheering.) I hope we get more Gus, Julia, et. al. Given the cliff-hanger ending, I’m optimistic. Miss Austen would be happy to join me in praising Goodman’s benevolent, ill-mannered ladies as possessing “no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.

Alison Goodman’s The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is published by Berkley, releases today, and arrives highly recommended by yours truly. Please note I received an e-ARC from Berkley, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review. This did not impede the free expression of my opinion.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is a delightful journey through Regency England. This novel is not only entertaining, but also insightful, feminist, heart-wrenching, and humorous. The unexpected twists and turns blend historical romance with adventure and crime-solving, all while maintaining a bold feminist undertone.

3.5 rounded to 4

A pair of middle-aged sisters solve crimes, mostly against women.

The research is solid--only one thing pinged me (unfortunately, given the violence in the novel, it cropped up often) which was the use of the word "gun" for pistol, in a time when guns were specifically artillery pieces, that is, cannon. Other than that, wow, a deep dive into the underbelly of Regency-era life and crimes.

My problem with it lies not at all with the book, or the story Goodman wanted to tell. She did an admirable job not only with the research, but in crafting Gus, our narrator, in particular, who reminds me a great deal of Mary Wollstonecraft. My problem is that the covert art, and the title, as well as the ad language, caused me to expect a comedy of manners.

Nope. Murder, breast cancer, slavery, human trafficking, etc etc are vital subjects, but not ones I want to read fiction about. I read enough real history about the dark side of human nature, and of course there is the news and daily life to provide plenty of misery and anxiety, which is why I want my fiction to make me smile. I lauded the sisters' good work, but I didn't smile much while reading this, which is a fault with me as a reader, and not with the writer.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman is a thrilling Regency-era story about Lady Augusta Colebrook (Gus) and her twin sister Julia. They are well past the traditional marrying age; instead, they live together in one of their family's homes and try to right the wrongs done to women at that time.

My Reading Experience:
I adored this book. I would give it more than 5 stars because it has everything I love in a story and much more. The ending left room for a follow-up book, and I hope that happens.

I loved how thrilling this story is. Gus and Julia bravely take on abusive husbands, brothels, and mismanaged insane asylums with their schemes to get people (females) out of bad situations that ultimately go wrong and plop them right in danger's way. The story does not whitewash over the violence, instead uses that to increase the stakes and enhance the thrills.

The intelligent and creative ways Gus and Julia concoct to save these women and girls are fun and dangerous. Their missions reminded me a bit of Sherlock Holmes, as they use disguises when necessary, and it's usually essential. Luckily, they also inspire loyalty from people – their inner circle – and these relationships help them through the dangers more than once.

The romance between Gus and Lord Evan will positively cause Regency-era romance readers to swoon. The minor story thread is so heartwarming. Julia was betrothed once, but her fiancé died in a freak accident before they could marry. Gus has never been engaged because her father allowed her to make her own decisions, and she has never found a man who could live up to her high standards. Until Lord Evan, that is. He respects her and helps her when absolutely needed. They save each other, they respect each other, and they share the same wit and intelligence.

Characters:
Lady Augusta (Gus) is the main character. She is very tall and modern for the time she lives. She has such a loving connection with her fraternal twin sister but not with her brother, who is the head of the family. She nor I have any love for her brother as he personifies everything that is wrong with men during that era. He is genuinely odious – a character that you love to hate. I loved her bravery and determination to do what was right, even though it's always the more challenging choice.

Narration & Pacing:
The story is told in first-person narration through Gus. She is the perfect character to narrate this tale, as I instantly felt connected to her and was firmly in her corner as she tried to right wrongs.

First-person narration is excellent for keeping the pace fast, as it does in this story. The pacing is that of many thrillers - fast from beginning to end as the characters face serious danger with each case they take. I loved the pacing because the book is a little on the long side, but it feels short. As a matter of fact, I want more!

Setting:
The story is set in England during the Regency era, the period before the Victorian era. Women are property – nothing more, and the men in their life tended to treat them that way. Considering the cases they take on, it is the perfect time and place for them to be in.

Mood:
 Adventurous
 Mysterious
 Tense
 Emotional

Read if you like:
Unique thrillers with as many laughs as thrills
Women empowerment stories
Swoon-worthy regency romances

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman is funny, dark, and highlights some of the social issues of the Regency period in England. It features financially independent 42-year-old twin sisters Lady Augusta (Gus) Colebrook and Lady Julia Colebrook who decide to help women in need. This often requires some amateur sleuthing and some danger.

Gus is witty, independent, courageous, clever, and has an adventurous spirit. Julia sees a kinder world than Gus, isn’t as adventurous, and has amazing recall of her experiences. Their younger brother Duffy, Earl of Duffield is jealous of Gus and the relationship she had with their father while he was alive. He also doesn’t think women should have political opinions. Instead, they should be pleasant and pious. Lord Evan Belford is an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. He’s also helpful, intelligent, has a sense of humor, and appreciates Gus’s humor and imagination. The main characters and many of the supporting characters are well-developed. Gus and Julia change and grow as they respond to events.

The book is divided into three cases that Gus and Julia attempt to solve involving women needing different types of help from them. There are some exciting scenes, danger, and adventure in this well-written historical mystery novel. The cases kept me engaged and urging them to a successful conclusion. Besides the three cases, readers get insights into Gus’s and Julia’s everyday lives as well as another mystery that Gus attempts to solve throughout the story line. This added another layer of intrigue to the overall story.

The author has obviously done a lot of research on the Regency time-period and brilliantly captured the characters, fashions, lifestyles, and treatment of women during it. Some serious themes are woven into the story including blackmail, social classes, false imprisonment, grief, health issues, and death, as well as men’s attitudes towards, control of, and treatment of women.
At the end of the book is an author’s note that explains some of the real historical figures and situations that appear in the novel. There’s also a list of discussion questions that can be helpful to book clubs reading the novel.

Overall, this book was well-plotted with emotionally rich characters. This novel should delight those readers that enjoy Regency mysteries with a bit of romance that have strong female characters. This is a great start to a new series and I am looking forward to reading the next one as well as reading some of the author’s other novels.

Berkley Publishing Group and Alison Goodman provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 30, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

This book was as delightful to read as the title is amusing.
After all what is not to love about two spinster ladies pushing forward the strictures of society to help or rescue women who are less fortunate than them.
Lady Augusta called Gus by her dearest is content with her life, 41, under no man’s thumb except from time to time when her brother lectures her and her twin Julia for some actions he sees as slight because of their lofty position. Yet when a friend asks for her help in dealing with a blackmailer, she steps in, telling herself it is to elevate her sister’s spirit who has sunken into a cathartic mood since her betrothed’s demise and some disturbing news about her health.
Thus how one shot at assisting a friend in need turns into a regular basis with highwaymen, detained spouses, violences, internment and other abuses oft thrown at women with few to no means to defend themselves.

What not to love about these women who take matter in hands, they are no super heroines, just incensed at other’s less fortunate plights and smart enough to devise schemes to assist any soul in need of a helping hand.
While the story is told from Gus’s point of view in the first person, we follow her adventure with her sister as accomplice and a disowned lord turned highwayman who by a twist of fate was recruited as an unexpected buffer.

If the “cases” they have set their sights on sort of get all resolved, the affair turning around Evans’ past is still to be cleared, and will probably be part of the plot for the next book. As without his name cleared, he is still a man on the run and it is an impediment to his romance with Gus.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 kiss

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Vigilante spinsters and a slow-burn historical romance? I'm in!

Lady Augusta and Lady Julia are fraternal twin spinsters in Regency England and they are BORED. Julia is still mourning a dead fiancée when she finds out she has breast cancer. Augusta decides it's time for them to start living, stop putting up with their rude brother and start helping right the wrongs done to women. Along the way they team up and form the "Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies" with the exiled Lord Evan an old friend turned highwayman and clearly the perfect man for Augusta.

This first book contains their first three capers. The rescue of a barren wife slowly being poisoned by her husband, the rescue of little girls sold into the sex trade and the rescue of Lord Evan's own younger sister locked away in an asylum because she's gay. All serious injustices done to women back then. There's also the on-going mystery Augusta is trying to solve about how Lord Evan ended up exiled for a crime he may not have committed.

Empowering, comedic and swoony. The type of society I could read about endlessly! The type of characters you'll remember for years. I love it when the staff is like family and the characters have genuine love and respect for each other despite class. I cannot wait for the next books in this hopefully long series.

Goodman has another winner of a series on her hands. If you loved the "Dark Days Club/Lady Helen" series, you'll dig this too even without the supernatural element. It's a page-turner and abundantly entertaining on every level.

"The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies" by Alison Goodman is a delightful and enchanting historical fiction novel that transports readers to a world of intrigue, sisterhood, and the power of female resilience. With its vibrant characters, richly detailed setting, and a captivating blend of mystery and adventure, this book offers an immersive reading experience that will leave readers spellbound.

"The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies" is an enthralling and immersive historical fiction novel that will captivate readers with its compelling characters, atmospheric setting, and captivating plot. Alison Goodman's meticulous attention to detail and masterful storytelling make for an unforgettable reading experience. This book is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction, mystery, and tales of female empowerment. Prepare to be transported to a world of secrets, adventure, and the indomitable spirit of ill-mannered ladies.

In Regency London, Lady Augusta Colebrook and her twin sister Julia are asked by a friend for help. The friend’s goddaughter needs to be rescued from her abusive husband. On the way their carriage is attacked by highwaymen. And so the cases begin.

This novel is set into three parts, each a different case of a woman or women in need. I will warn readers now, this novel is historically accurate to the times. There will be moments that make readers cry, scream, but also hope. I have to agree with many other reviewers that I hated a good many people.

I felt that Lady Augusta’s family was inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, specifically the Dashwoods. Their brother Lord Duffy makes me want to smack whiney needy men. Lady Julia is the nice one that you cannot help but hate, and yet you feel instantly guilty for feeling that way. Finally, Lady Augusta is a quick tempered, bored with society, protagonist.

I hope the next novel (author Alison Goodman has already said there is another) is lighter and contains one case. It would be the most important case of Lady Augusta’s and Lady Julia’s lives.

Overall, I rate this novel 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I received a gifted galley of THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY OF ILL-MANNERED LADIES by Alison Goodman for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY OF ILL-MANNERED LADIES is a historical fiction caper set in Regency London. Lady Agusta (Gus) Colebrook is considered an old spinster, unmarried at her ‘advanced’ age of 42 and a little too opinionated and outspoken for the proper folks. She and her twin sister Julia, also single after the death of her fiancée, are approached by a friend with a request. This friend’s goddaughter Caroline is married to an abusive husband and needs help to make an escape. Bored with their day to day existence, the sisters are on board to create a plan.

I didn’t know much about this book going in, but I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I really loved Gus as our central character and her feisty attitude to the world. The book does a good job of showing how little agency women had in this time period and how Gus was shunned for being so strong as a woman.

While there is a lot of good humor in this book, it delves into some very serious topics including abuse against women and especially women branded as ‘mad’ for just speaking their mind or daring not to bow to the societal norms. Homophobia is also a serious topic of consideration. I think the author did a good job of showing this to the extent that it was at times hard to read about.

I think my only qualm with the book was that it did at times feel long. Gus goes on a couple different quests (for lack of a better term) throughout the book and while it very much does all tie together, it also felt like this maybe could have been split across more than one book.

This is the first book in a new series, so while some things are brought to a satisfying conclusion, there is an overarching plot which is set up to continue in book two. I will be looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the gifted book!

I wanted to love this one so badly! The cover, the synopsis and all the early reviews I read sounded wonderful, so this must be a me problem. I couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried and was bored most of the time.

I still think this will be a big hit and that i'll be the minority on this one!

This will be available for purchase on May 30th.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Let'sTalk Books for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

In regency England, the 42-year-old twins, Lady Augusta and Lady Julia, help other women in difficult straits. I loved that this focused on women who were more mature. Both are unmarried, and the two have quite distinct personalities and approaches to adventure.

The story is told in first person by Augusta, so we get her inner monologue. But we also get great insight into Julia through their shared looks and unspoken understanding. Both are so motivated to help people.

This book incorporates lots of intrigue, danger, heroes and villains, and just a touch of romance. I was disappointed when it ended because there were some parts deliberately left as loose ends and teasers for a future tale.

The book concludes with an amazing Author's Note about regency England. It added even more to my appreciation, and I am all the more eager for further books in the series.

Kristin Atherton did such a great job narrating the many characters. I had a sense of who each was from the moment of their first line of dialogue. The audiobook is on the longer side at just over 15 and a half hours. But as it is separated into three cases, that seemed just the right length.

CW: breast cancer, sexual assault, child trafficking

4.5 stars rounded up

We loved this really enjoyable combo of traditional Regency plus amateur private eye mystery. Lady Augusta, Gus to her intimates, is forty-one. When the book opens, she's outspoken, funny, and satisfied with her life as a well-off spinster living with her twin sister, Julia. OK - we said she was satisfied with her life, but she's also open to adventure. So when her friend Charlotte asks her to pay off a blackmailer, she returns with the purloined items instead. Since she was so successful in this endeavor, Charlotte hooks her up with another opportunity to use her adventuring skills.

The book reminded us (very slightly) of the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series in that Augusta and Julia are two middle-aged ladies with no special skills: just confidence in their own abilities and the will to use them. The book is split into three sections, each dealing with a different "case." Although Augusta does not set herself up as a consulting detective, she develops a taste for helping other women who don't have her advantages. She also falls in love with a highwayman who used to be a nobleman, which is 100% AWESOME.

The book is written in the first person from Augusta's perspective, giving this a slight "Victorian memoir" feel (yes, it's set in the Regency, we know). Although we said it's similar to a traditional Regency romance, there is no HEA. We do have high hopes for a continuation of the series!

CW: All of the women Augusta helps are oppressed in some way, and the following topics are all introduced at one point: DV, SA, medical abuse, incarceration in a "madhouse," cancer, blood, violence, starvation, and more.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the book.

For posting on 5/29/23
I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is the newest release by Alison Goodman. The title may put you in mind of a warm/fuzzy mystery/romance with the cover illustration indicating the Regency Era. All of this is correct, but insufficient to describe this page-turner of an adventure story. It’s lengthy, but a quick read. It’s a book one, so not all loose ends are tied up, but it ends on a relatively satisfying note.

Lady Augusta Colebrook and her sister Julia are the ladies in question, though Julia is usually very well mannered. It’s not quite a society yet, but they are aided, at times by Charlotte, Lady Davenport, and there is room for more help in the future.

Augusta (Gus) and Julia are twins (not identical), unmarried, and 42 years old. So in the eyes of the ton, they are inconsequential and, to some extent, invisible. They have an inheritance and so a degree of independence. Julia was almost married two years earlier but her fiancé died in an accident. Gus is a more determined spinster, but she refuses to consider herself old and useless. The fact that their younger brother, who is now an earl, has always resented Gus and is now cruelly pleased to be head of the family and able to treat her with disdain is not making her life easier. And worst of all, Julia has recently been diagnosed with a canker of the breast, a disease that has taken other female relatives, including their mother.

However, Gus is indomitable. Owing Lady Charlotte a favor, she (and Julia) undertake to retrieve some incriminating letters Charlotte had written to a scoundrel of a lover who is now blackmailing her. The mission turns dangerous but succeeds. Gus is thrilled. And hooked on adventure. The fact that middle-aged, unattached ladies are underestimated gives them an edge. When the chance arises to undertake a rescue mission of a lady being imprisoned in the country by her evil husband, Gus is thrilled. She is even more thrilled when she thwarts a highwayman along the way and discovers he is actually a gentlemen who can be trusted – even if he is a convicted criminal.

A relationship blossoms between Gus and this highwayman, Lord Evan, despite Julia’s insistence (and Lord Evan’s) that any further contact is too dangerous. However, Gus is unable to refuse to help others in need and she is not above enlisting Lord Evan’s help. She is also determined to prove that he is not guilty of the crime he was convicted of.

The adventures continue. The danger mounts. And Gus and Lord Evan cannot stay apart.

This novel blends historical fact into the unlikely but thoroughly enjoyable storyline. Each of the adventures is based on ways that women and girls were abused and held powerless by the laws of the times. Readers will be aghast and indignant and root all the more for the success of the sisters and their accomplices. And this reader will eagerly anticipate the next installment.

When I first saw the cover of The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, I was instantly interested. It is so pretty, and the story and characters sounded compelling, so I was excited when asked to be part of the blog tour for it. And it didn’t disappoint! It’s an immersive and intriguing mystery, and I adored the sisters, the adventures, and the love story.

The two main characters, Augusta “Gus,” and Julia are single sisters in their 40s, and they are firmly on the shelf of spinsterhood. Treated as an afterthought and a bit of a burden by their brother, the twins live together and have created a fulfilling, if a little mundane, life for themselves. Gus and Julia use much of their free time to help women and children in precarious, and sometimes dangerous, situations.

Augusta and Julia are fantastic characters, and they complement each other well. Augusta (Gus) is the more adventurous and daring sister, and Julia is the more reserved peacemaker of the two. They have such a great relationship, and I enjoyed the little ways their deep connection was shown. It’s almost as if they can read each other’s thoughts, and I always love a little twin magic.

The book follows the sisters through three different cases they work on, all involving women and children in trouble. Each investigation leads the sisters into the dark and dangerous corners of London, and they do everything in their power to right the wrongs of the women and children affected. Gus and Julia are so brave, and they face some despicable and ruthless villains. But their investigations don’t always go as planned, and sometimes they need a little help from their friends.

Lord Evan Belford is one such friend, though initially he appears to be a dishonorable man. I loved his character. He’s super swoon-worthy, and he often puts himself at risk to help Gus and others. I can’t wait to learn more about his past, what really happened that led to his imprisonment and punishment, and how he will prove his innocence. Though the romance isn’t at the forefront of the story, it is a lovely addition to the plot, and he and Gus have great chemistry. I can’t wait to see how this slow-burning love story progresses as the series continues.

I think I hate Gus and Julia’s brother as much as I love Evan. He is so sexist and selfish, and he thinks he is better than his sisters. The way he constantly insults her and women is deeply condescending, yet his views make him a paragon of the patriarchy. I wish he saw his sisters as the fierce and intellectual champions they are and stopped pushing and pressuring them to conform for the sake of his own reputation. I found it interesting that the man who is accepted into society is a sexist snob, and the man who is vilified by society is a good and honorable man.

I thought this was a great read. It was smart and exciting, and Gus and Julia are wonderful. I love that the story highlights so many of the issues women faced, and though many of the issues presented were dark, they are balanced nicely with a slow-building love story, themes of sisterhood, and great banter. I would definitely suggest checking out the content warnings, though. There are situations that include abuse, cancer, child trafficking, maltreatment in institutions, and other darker topics.

Thanks so much to Berkley Books for providing me with a copy of the book and for having me on the tour. All thoughts are my own.