A very fun read though I was very shocked and absolutely gutted with the ending as I thought this was a stand alone and there were issues unresolved! I will be keeping an eye out for the sequel.

In Regency England, unmarried women over the age of 40 have one task - to be invisible. Lady Augusta Colebrook, however, despite being over 40, is a strong, intelligent, educated woman who is determined NOT to minimise herself.

The story opens as Lady Augusta (or "Gus" ) and her twin sister Lady Julia are confronting a gentleman for the return of a friend's letters. When things turn ugly, Gus turns resourceful. After the successful return of the letters (and a banishment of the scoundrel), Gus is asked to aid another lady in distress.

And so begins the epic, rollicking, daring adventures of Lady Augusta and Lady Julia. Along the way the fall in with a disgraced, convicted Lord of their former acquaintance (who has absconded from the penal colonies) and unearth the shameful side of the upper crust.

While this book is a fun romp through Regency adventures, it does highlight a great number of social injustices and problems that are glossed over both now and in period literature. There is domestic violence, abuse, child abuse, mental health abuse, and some passages were confronting to read. There is racism. There is the mistreatment of same-sex couples. There is also reference to breast cancer and a harrowing account of a mastectomy (taken from the letters of a real woman, Fanny Burney)

But despite all of that, this is a fun book. There are three primary cases that Gus and Julia take on, and woven through them is the story of Julia's health, the filial challenges with their younger brother, and Gus' potential romance.

The writing style is true to the Regency period, and this would easily sit alongside the works of Jane Austen without looking out of place. Unusually for this period, the main characters are older women (40+) rather than swooning heroines - Gus and Julia are their own heroes.

I can't wait to read the next instalment of their adventures!

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

4★
“’I see you found your mark, my lady. I think he is dead.’”

Oh no, had I really killed the man? I sat up. ‘It was not intentional.’ I placed the spent pistol back in the box and slid across the seat. ‘Quick, let me see.’”

Typical Gus, Lady Augusta Colebrook. Shoot first and ask questions later. She’s the opposite of her twin, Lady Julia, who is a gentler soul. Julia is in mourning for her fiancé, Robert, who died in an accident two years ago. Both have an independent streak. When their father died, they did what needed to be done.

“He had been a good father and a better man. Yet in the eyes of society, his sordid death atop a rookery whore five years ago had become the sum of him.

It had nearly tainted my sister and me too, for I had recklessly gone to the hovel to retrieve my father—I could not bear to think of his body gawped at by the masses, or a source of their sport. As fate would have it, I was seen at the brothel. An unmarried woman of breeding should not even know about such places, let alone debase herself by entering one and speaking to the inhabitants. I became the latest on-dit and it was only the staunch support of our most influential friends that silenced the scandalmongers and returned us to the invitation lists.”

This is Regency England, the early 1800s, when men were men and women were their property. Their brother Lord Duffield, Duffy, has inherited the family estate after their father’s death, plans to marry and move his bride into the home the sisters have lived in all their lives, letting them ‘have’ his smaller, darker house.

Meanwhile, they discover a friend who has not been able to fall pregnant in her five years of marriage is being brutalised by her husband, who doubtless intends to murder her so he can remarry. Not on their watch! Julia is unwell but determined to save Caroline.

This is Case 1 “Till Death Us Do Part”
They decide to rescue her – somehow – but on the way there they are set upon by highwaymen, which leads to the gunshot episode in the opening quotation. It’s a delightful (and dangerous) adventure, although as with most cosy mysteries, we’re pretty sure they will survive.

“Sir Reginald Thorne emerged from the gloom of his house. Just the physicality of the man made my hackles rise. He was all bullythreat: chest thrust out, meaty shoulders held back, and a thick corded neck that gave the impression of rammish intransigency.”

The twins are forty-two years old, not the winsome, helpless young ladies usually featured in these stories. Augusta reckons they got away with their plan “because Sir Reginald marked us as ape-leaders. Old maids with no juice left.”

I had never heard the term “ape-leader” before, and I doubt I’ll hear it again. I had a quick google. “An old maid's punishment after death, for neglecting to increase and multiply, was said to be the leading of apes in Hell.”

Augusta has found her calling!

“For myself, I no longer believed that this world was mere preparation for the next. This was all the life I would have, and I had to do as much with it as possible.

‘Then it is settled. 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.’”

The handsome highwayman becomes an interesting character, as do the butler and other staff. There is no magical realism, but the twins do share the ability to convey feelings to each other with the lift of the chin or a small movement of an eyebrow. As it is narrated by Augusta, anything she indicates, or thinks Julia is indicating, is written in italics.

When they receive the letter asking them to help their friend, this is their ‘conversation’. The book uses italics in for what Augusta imagines them saying, but I will have to mark their unspoken dialogue with parentheses.

“ ‘Lady Augusta, I have nowhere else to turn and I fear time is running out.’ Millicent shook the letter, the paper crackling with urgency. ‘This was sent a week ago.’

I looked across at Julia: (We must say no; it is impossible.)

She lifted her brows: (But the poor girl in that house—can we really refuse?)

I frowned: (It is quite illegal. Besides, your health.)

She tilted her chin: (I am well enough. Could we live with ourselves if Caroline ends up dead?)

I ducked my head: (Of course not. It would be too awful.)

Julia nodded: (I think we must try.)

I released a long breath: (I suppose so.)"

It’s the same kind of code couples use at parties, especially when one needs rescuing.

This is a most entertaining romp, which I think could be trimmed a bit without losing any of its charm. You will have to suspend some disbelief at the speed with which they perform their tasks, but I didn’t mind.

I enjoyed the author’s note at the end, too, where she explained how she came to create this. I think she has left herself the option of continuing more ill-mannered adventures, but if she doesn’t, the ending is satisfying as it is.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the copy for review.

I was instantly drawn in from the first page of this modern classic. The mystery and the sisters gained my attention and I laughed at their antics which felt joyous.

I'm not sure what it was that drew me to request this ARC, but I am so glad I did. This unassuming Regency romp with a pretty cover is going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. Where to begin? Was it the forty-something heroine and her brave and supportive twin? Was it the fallen Lord with a noble streak he can't quite suppress? Was it the breathless awakening of feelings between the two, initiated by that most golden of tropes, Only One Horse? I can say it was all these wonderful things and more!

We are introduced to Lady Augusta (Gus to her family) and Lady Julia as they are attending Vauxhall Gardens to meet their friends' ex-lover and blackmailer. After a confrontation in which Gus knocks the rogue out with her weighted reticule, they reclaim the lover's letters and at that point your humble reader immediately knew this was going to be a cracker of a book. What followed was a most enjoyable roller-coaster of dashing adventures as the sisters puts their position and money to good use in assisting women less fortunate than they. First there's a daring rescue of a woman that has been locked up and slowly poisoned by her evil husband - during which they meet (and accidentally shoot) my new book boyfriend, Lord Evan. He's an ex-convict who was previously transported and is back in England; currently terrorizing the roads as a highwayman. He ends up helping them and subsequently joining them on their next "case" - the rescue of some young girls from a brothel. Then he asks for Gus' help in rescuing his sister from a mental asylum. All the while the growing attraction between them cannot be denied and I was swooning at their loaded glances, brief hand touches and spirited banter. I eat this stuff up and Goodman does very well with building the romance and using the story to make their small breaches of protocol and polite etiquette believable. The historical setting was impeccable too, clearly the author has done her research.

There are a few scenes that are very hard to read in this book - firstly the mad snatching of really young girls from a brothel - the horrific and brutal underworld sex trade that isn't normally part of Regency fiction. Secondly the state of the women in the private mental asylum where Gus and Evan go undercover to rescue his sister (she's been locked up by his brother for being a lesbian). Goodman says in the author's notes she based these incarceration scenes on real accounts from the age, which is enough to make you want to throw up and then travel back in time and unalive some people. Lastly, there's a description once again lifted from history of a woman's experience of mastectomy without anesthetic. I skipped most of that one.

In summary, I couldn't put the book down and absolutely devoured it. I am waiting impatiently for the sequel, because surely Lord Evan's name shall be cleared... ?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining but darker than expected

1812, England
Lady Augusta Colebrook (Gus) and Lady Julia, her twin, are forty-two-year-old twins living in their family home. Gus is unmarried and couldn’t care less for people who think she should be demure and drab. Lady Julia is mourning her husband but shares her twin’s opinion to an extent.
The duo takes up a task to help their beloved friend, Lady Charlotte, which leads to another rescue mission. Gus and Julia have to rescue Caroline from her violent husband. The journey puts them on a highway robber’s path, who happens to be none other than Lord Evans Belford. The man was sent to the colonies for killing a person in a duel some twenty years ago.
As life brings more changes and developments, the twins decide to help women who get little or no support from others. Of course, they also have to deal with their own issues on the way.
The story comes in Lady Augusta’s first-person POV.
Don’t rely on the Goodreads blurb.

My Thoughts:
Despite the lighthearted cover and blurb, the book deals with some heavy themes almost throughout. Some detailed descriptions of events may not suit every reader (check trigger warnings at the end).
Not many books from the Regency era have a 40+ FMC, and I was immediately intrigued by this. Of course, it’s also clear that Gus doesn’t act her age in many instances (the book wouldn’t be fun if she did).
The book has not one but three different cases divided into four sections. All cases are serious and involve great danger. Gus isn’t someone who makes a perfect plan but rather likes to wing it. This means she relies a lot on luck (and Lord Evans) to come to her rescue when things go out of control. It makes sense in a way because, despite her attitude, she is still governed by societal ideas of men and women.
Lady Julia is relatively better with caution but can be a little too annoying at times. However, she’s got a good head and knows how to use it. Together, the twins make an interesting pair. Their love for each other shines throughout the book. Other characters like Weatherly (the butler), Tilly (Gus’ lady’s maid), and Mr. Kent are impressive.
The setting and social conditions of the period were very well done. I couldn’t help but feel enraged about so many injustices that were brushed aside by men and the ton. I sure would have loved it if Duffy (the younger brother of the twins and their family head) got shot by a highwayman.
Themes like social classes, mistreatment of women, health problems & the cure (or the lack of it), religion (God) and belief, social restrictions, impositions, etc., form a major part of the book. The cases take us through ballrooms, parks, brothels, and madhouses, and Gus’ commentary on the conditions works well for the plot.
There are a few lighthearted scenes, too, which prevent the content from getting too heavy. The book is entertaining in many ways but isn’t humorous or a fluffy cozy mystery. Some of it is decidedly dark and can be uncomfortable to read. Though I see the need for them, some descriptions could have been shorter.
The author’s note is informative and gave me more insights about the book. Apparently, a couple of characters are real people. I like how she incorporated them into the plot.
The book ends on a cliffhanger (gasp!) after 464 pages. But at least the three cases are solved. The main track will continue and hopefully be solved in the next book. I should be annoyed (and I am indeed a little miffed). But I’m also glad that the sisters get a series of their own. They sure have the potential for it.

To summarize, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is darker than what the cover and blurb suggest but is a great start to a new series. It will make you laugh but also inspire strong emotions for the injustices women face.
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

***
TW: Detailed description of mastectomy without anesthesia, references to pedophilia at brothel houses, abuse at the madhouse, many mentions of pee and excreta, references to incest and sexual abuse.

***
P.S.: I would have enjoyed the book more if the ARC’s formatting was so horrible. The PDF file with so many headers and footers messed up the content big time. Argh! I had to rant about this.

very much enjoyed this book! the premise is really interesting, as this is not a type of book I would usually read so i really enjoyed the change of pace. the characters are great and the world-building is done well.

Firstly, a huge thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia for the #gifted e-arc of @alisongoodmanauthor’s new book. I am a massive fan of the Lady Helen trilogy and so I was pretty flipping excited when I saw they’d approved my request to get my fan girl eyes on this one early.

The official pitch for this one begins:

“A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an ‘old maid’ to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.”

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is part adventure, part amazingly well-researched historical fiction, with a sprinkling of romance and some truly wonderful central characters.

The book is divided into three parts - three cases - with an overarching plot threaded through. Lady Augusta takes us on adventures throughout regency England, rescuing women and standing up for what’s right all along the way.

I can’t even tell you which is my favourite part - world building, plot, or characters, because they’re all wonder
One thing I really appreciate about both Lady Helen and this new series is the blend of historical accuracy and suspend-disbelief-and-enjoy-the-ride adventure/romance plot. It’s unputdownably fun, set against a richly detailed regency backdrop. It’s regency romance, but better?

If you’re an Austen purist, you might find aspects of this approach difficult - our heroines have distinctly more exciting adventures than Lizzie Bennett, and the way the romance is written is quite 21st century. But honestly, just roll with it and I promise you will thoroughly enjoy the ride.

The first in, hopefully, and wonderful new series.

I’m usually very wary of reading stories set in Regency England. As far too many rely on either “bodice rippers” or infuse far too much of modern-day principles, beliefs, and mannerisms to make you believe it to be truly historical.

Thankfully ‘The Benevolent Society Of Ill-Mannered Ladies’ fits into neither category.

It is well paced, contains a good balance of character and location description (without causing an overload of historic clichés), and has a good mix of adventure, humour, and romance.

The book reminded me of works by the late Marion Chesney (MC Beaton), though not as sarcastic. Which us a shame, as life is better when sarcasm is used and understood. As an avid fan of Ms Chesney’s various Regency England themed books (both the romance and cosy crime ones), I felt a real connection to this book. Made me enjoy it all the more knowing I’d, hopefully, have new books of this ilk to read.

And, although I do see similarities in both author’s work, Ms Goodman’s book is not a dull carbon copy. It is enjoyable on its own merits. It stands out as being an original story by a talented author.

Please tell me there will be more books in this series, I’ll start the queue to be one of the first to get the next book!

Loved this Regency novel that didn't focus on romance but on the actual struggles of women at the time, and the desire of the main character, Augusta, to emancipate herself of those rules set on spinsters. I loved that the main character was in her 40s, that the romance was just a side story and in subtle touches, that we looked at the underbelly of London and the corruption and decadence of the noble society at the time, and how Gus has an extremely strong moral compass and tries to help while surly not being "ill-mannered"... or at least the least possible.
The book is very well-researched in terms of medical knowledge, practices, clothes, and locations... it's impressive and very immersive. Topics are dark but the general outlook is really optimistic, which might be a very Australian trait because of course, I really loved that the book was also penned by an Australian author.
The only things I didn't like is the format in which I read the book, which was some kind of static ebook that is impossible to read on a mobile phone and required me to get my tablet, and the "cliffhanger" at the end. I hadn't expected a series, but I will be waiting for the next volume impatiently!

I so enjoyed this book and found it rather humorous in parts but an overall enthralling and wonderful read.

The story of two sisters who in the Regency London are somewhat considered past their prime and unmarried, becoming a bit of amateur detectives. They throw themselves into helping and making things right when all else has failed.

Gus and Julia are not your typical women of the time and they are out to change the abuse and power held over women. The realness of the times and the research done has made this a great read. I loved the setting and characters and the story flowed well, making it such and easy and entertaining read. That is not to say id didn't hold some darkness and emotion, power and injustice.

A great read and I thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for giving me the chance to read and review this most wonderful book.

I had previously read Goodman's The Dark Days Club. I enjoyed that book but somehow never got around to finishing the trilogy, so I was happy to return to her writing with The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. This book was a delightful read from start to finish. The characters were memorable and engaging and well developed throughout, while the historical setting was well established and perfectly presented. The pacing was excellent and it was always difficult to put it down to go to sleep as I constantly wanted to know what would happen next. There was a strong feminist slant to the work, but it never felt anachronistic, and there was a good blend of humour and adventure. I am definitely keen to read on in book two. Recommended for fans of Regency romance who also like a good dose of high-paced action and wit. It gets five stars from me.

(This review will go live on my blog and on Goodreads at the links below on 29 May 2023. At that time I will also share on Twitter and Instagram.)

It took me a while to warm up to this book but once I did I absolutely adored it. The characters are great and I enjoyed their adventures and interactions immensely. The start of a mystery series based upon two "old spinsters" in regency England, this was charming and definitely has me waiting for more.