Act Like a Lady, Thank Like a Lord is a fantastic and unique book! It's a blend of genres, so if you enjoy mysteries, suspense, historical fiction or romance, or all of the above, this is your read! From the great title and great cover, this book does not disappoint. The snappy, humorous writing is some of the best that I've read all year!
The main character, Lady Petra, is an energetic, independent young woman with an Earl father who is supportive/pretty "chill" to what Petra wants to do with her life. What she wants to do is remain single. She lost her beloved fiancé a few years prior to a fall, and she feels like that romance was her last. She is independently wealthy, thanks to an inheritance from her late mother, and has no need to be dependent on a husband. Her maternal uncle disagrees, and tries to sway Petra's father to take a stand. There is something wrong with someone who doesn't want to marry after one's fiancé dies, he says.
Lady Petra has a very active social life. Her very best friend Donovan from childhood has come back from abroad, and he left after a huge fight with Petra. So she has that, and navigating through her busy social life to concern herself with-- not a husband! And one of her dear friends has died while getting medical treatment. But it isn't what it seems! Things don't seem right, and she starts noticing all sorts of things that don't line up. Socializing and battling her friend Donovan aside, Petra decides to figure out what is going on with the missing women of the ton.
Hijinks prevail, and Celeste Connally's snappy, clever writing and dialogue between characters is absolutely fantastic. I love the simmering chemistry between Lady Petra and Donovan, and I love the story and how the events in the book are written. It is a highly entertaining read, and I highly recommend to anyone who loves mysteries, historical fiction, or plucky character tales. I am already on tenterhooks for the next Lady Petra book!!!

Petra is different. Her father has always indulged her, and her uncle wants to get her in line. She is disgracing the family by saying she wants to be a spinster. She has unconventional friends. Her uncle has found a man who will teach her to do her duty or else. Petra finds out that her friend has died. But a footman says that he saw her just a few days before. Then the footman is found dead. Petra starts to investigate and what she finds chills her. Several women have disappeared or died recently. Petra's childhood friend has just gotten back in town. They did not part on good terms 3 years ago and she isn't sure how to act around him now. She had written to Duncan and apologized, but he never acknowledged her apology. Now he is willing to help her investigate these disappearances, but she isn't sure she can trust him. It aggravated me that she is very quick to not trust Duncan when he hasn't given her reason. She relies on the word of others. When Petra disappears, it is Duncan who looks for her. Will Petra be held prisoner and tortured like the others? Will Duncan find her?

Lovely beginning to what looks to be a diverting series!

Lady Petra is a strong woman with many talents, not the least of which is her hearty zest for living. Her nature is complex and I so enjoyed her wit and determination. Her ability to stand tall in the face of hardship and ridicule is something to behold. The nature of the injustice she chooses to right highly honorable and her means ingenious. I look forward to where her adventures lead her next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I absolutely love cozy mysteries and I appreciated this book's historical fiction twist! This was a fast read that really helped me get out of a reading slump.

Although the title is rather dreadfully boring l, the story itself is rife with mystery and adventure in 1800’s England. The characters are spirited and varied, the plot is detailed and active and Connally's writing is pleasant and engaging. Definitely a must read for period pieces with some intelligence.

Loved this book! The need for women to have some rights in the early 1800s, is the theme. Self proclaimed spinster, Lady Petra is independent, willing to take risks and is fairly self assured, until her uncle begins to question her sanity. Petra discovers several women of the ton whose husbands are having them put in an asylum to keep them in their place. Her work is to figure out how to help stop all this. A fun, affirming read for women who believe in feminism. I couldn't put it down! Get this book soon!

I normally try and give a book 20% before stopping, but I just can’t with this once so for me it is a DNF (did not finish).

Reading the synopsis it sounds right up my alley! I can get behind some bridgerton and definitely some Agatha Christie, but the language/wording/old English writing in this is just so hard to follow. Even the old sayings are hard to understand! I found myself more rereading to make sure I understood then getting the plot and the characters. Again, I made it to 10% and knew I didn’t want to waste my time, so it’s a DNF. But if you love that old writing and the bridgerton style, then this is all for you!!

Sorry I couldn’t finish this!

Historical mystery is absolutely my jam...so I was excited to get into this. And I liked it but that's pretty much it. It was okay. It starts off strong for me but it kind of levels off a bit and never really picked up again for me. The FMC is a meh type of character. I don't hate her but I don't really love or care about her really. The book isn't bad. Not at all. It simply didn't grab me all that much.

I agree with others who say this one is Sherlockian and I would say it to great effect. The story has a keen sense of time and place which puts you in the middle of 1815, England. I found the writing to be reflective of the time period as well the dialogue. Lady Petra is a wonderful head strong character with a penchant to do what's right, even if a lady isn't supposed to do it.

I found this one to be very entertaining and evenly paced. This is the start of a series I believe and I for one, can't wait to see what's in store for our heroine in future additions.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an early copy to read, review and enjoy.

This is a very interesting story. Lady Petra is a force of nature. She is one of many interesting characters in the story that readers will come to know. The plot is is a mixture of drama and romance as Lady Petra digs into the disappearance of some ladies in the ton. Her life is put in danger as she gets closer to the truth. There are also moments of humor and fun that readers will find entertaining. It is a wonderful start to the series.

Witty, dark and disturbing

Lady Petra Forsyth is a lively, secure woman whose fiancée, Emerson, Viscount Ingersoll, died just before they were to be married. Petra and Duncan Shawcross, who’d introduced her to Emerson, had been friends from an early age. After Emerson’s death they’d not spoken. Ever since, Petra’s gone about in society, secure in the knowledge that she’s loved by her father, has access to her own monies, and will remain a spinster.
Back home she rides astride, helping to care for her father’s string of hunters. Her father, the Earl of Holbrook breeds horses, and whilst he’s recovering from a broken ankle Petra has been assisting more than usual.
Petra returns to London for her godmother’s annual ball to find her childhood friend, turned enemy, Duncan has returned from Continent where he’d been for three years securing and improving the Duke of Hillmorton’s lands.
Duncan had been the one to rescue her after Emerson’s death where they’d been trysting together. Petra had written him letters whilst he was away but he never answered. Their relationship has been cut off.
When Petra is given the news of a close friend’s sudden death and is burial she’s shocked. She’s even more dismayed when her friend’s footman Martin tells her he’s seen his supposedly dead mistress in London. Then when Martin’s found dead and Petra herself comes under attack, the ghastly truth about women being sent to an asylum because they’re husbands or family desiring them to be out of the way for various and nefarious reasons, she’s shocked. During Regency times, such happenings were frequent. When Petra and her father come under attack from her dreadful Uncle Tobias, and Petra is incarcerated who will save her? Who will help these women.?
Petra is far too independent for the time and that is both the source of her joy and her sorrow.
A page turner and sleep depriver, I really enjoyed the characters met within the pages, even as I loathed and detested some.
The ending, poised on a troubling knife’s edge means there’s more to come but what, I can’t imagine.

A Minotaur ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

A regency historical mystery with a bit of romance made Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord an enjoyable read. Women are disappearing or dying across the ton, with husbands who stand to benefit from their loss. The mystery begins as our heroine uncovers what's happening to these women!

Lady Forsyth, a widower has vowed to never remarry. She's decisioned to enjoy freedoms afforded her even if being mocked for being a "spinster." Slowly, she sees women in her circle of acquaintances begin disappearing and she vows to uncover the truth as it doesn't feel right. What she uncovers is a sinister plan destroying the very ground women walk in the ton.

The first half of the book is a bit slow, but then picks-up once the evil is unveiled. Petra's determination makes her the perfect heroine to save women from the harsh treatment in the early 1800's, all the while opening her heart to her childhood friend, Duncan.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally is the first book in a series called Lady Petra Inquires. The novel focuses on Lady Petra Forsyth, her group of friends and some nefarious characters. After the death of her fiance Lady Petra Forsyth has determined that she is not going to marry. Luckily, she was given an inheritance that helps her keep that vow.
The story opens after Petra has spent a marvelous time in the country riding her father’s horses and spending time outside. Once her uncle shows up, she heads to London. Back in the glittering world of the tonne, Petra discovers the death of a friend and starts asking questions. This is when the story takes a more sinister aspect with some interesting twists and turns. Add in a love interest with Duncan and the story moves right along.
I like how Petra has such strong opinions about women. I think it makes her a more interesting character. The nefarious characters and their attitudes about women allowed the reader to understand the tenuous treatment of women during the 1800s. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally was a good opening to a new series. I found the cliffhanger left at the end has made me quite curious about the next book and what Petra finds next.

Has the world gone mad? Or just the women in it?

Set in 1815, when troubles with the French (think Napoleon) largely kept British forces out of the United States, despite the contretemps that included burning down the White House, the story features a heroine who deliberately chooses to cross the boundaries of what polite society deems acceptable behavior for women, while clashing with her childhood best friend, just returned from France. Her own life has troubles, including disappearing friends and a dead stableman; will she survive to tell this tale?

Somewhat anachronistic, it is, nonetheless, an enjoyable story, well written, and fun to read, with its own twist on the requisite HEA.

I wanted to like this book more, but felt like the first two thirds were fluff, name dropping, and filler. Petra is introduced along with her story about the death of her betrothed, her relationship with her friend Duncan, and how she had announced her plans to be a spinster. I feel that we didn't need anything in between that and discovering about her missing friend Gwen and the unfolding of where she went.

If I were basing my opinion on the later part of the book entailing finding out the truth about what was happening to women who had some dark days, I would have given 4 or more stars. The beginning almost caused me to stop reading, but I push through it. This might have been good as a novella if the middle had been truncated, just a thought.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

The writing is fine, bringing us through a tale that is exciting and definitely of the period. This is a well done example of regency vernacular. Dialog and thoughts come across as legitimately representative; it's a lively tale and kept me reading. I would have liked a better engagement with the heroine, but that is perhaps very subjective. She can be a bit unlikeable, though comes across as very attractive. I couldn't quite make up my mind about her, but this does make her a more complex character than a simple rebel.

Some aspects of Petra's "enlightenment" come across in a heavy-handed manner - such as riding astride, mentioned several times, as if this were the most important part of emancipation for women. Mentioning just once would have done the trick. A greater emphasis on economic and social matters would have done better - and, kept me from flipping back and forth in the final pages to figure out plot reasoning.

The ending should overall, satisfy readers, so I do recommend it. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord" by Celeste Connally is the first in a new Regency Era mystery series and will be widely available November 14th, 2023.
Thank you Minotaur Books for the gifted copy and merch. All opinions expressed below are mine alone.

When a feminist spinster named Petra hears that a friend who was believed to have died of melancholia is actually alive, she decides to investigate further. That is honestly all I'm going to tell you about this story. I would recommend going into this book as blindly as you can. The synopsis is extremely revealing.

This powerful story of friendship, standing up for women's rights, and love is worthy of a five-star rating. What a great cast of characters! I fell in love with Petra right away, as we are initially introduced to an unmarried woman who has a huge love for horses and disobeying society's expectations of women. Her father has such love and support for his daughter by supporting her decision to remain unmarried. Her true friends are really just that... true. They are supportive of Petra, and you just cannot resist her. If you're a horse and dog lover, like myself, be prepared to be content with the amount of love Petra has for both horses and dogs.

As with any Regency Era mystery, there is the addition of a slow-burn romance story woven in. It's minuscule but satisfying either way.

The mystery wasn't much of a mystery to me because I made the mistake of reading the synopsis beforehand. Don't do it, trust me, and promise me that you won't.

The ending left me with two options for cliffhangers. As I know, this is a new series. However, I'm not sure which direction the next book will go. But, I'm here for the ride and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Lady Petra declares that she will never marry after her betrothed dies from a tragic accident. She is independent, strong willed, and opinionated - all of which means she is more than capable of succeeding on her own; however, also means that she stands out (and not in a positive way) for some of London’s high society members. These traits come out fully when her longtime friend is suggested to have died from disease while under the care of a questionable physician. Lady Petra, sensing something is amiss, digs deeper and uncovers a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away. But she may be digging TOO deep, putting her own safety in danger…

I won’t lie - The first 2 chapters had me hesitant as I just had finished a slower, difficult to comprehend ARC. I was nervous about not being able to grasp the language and keep track of the large number of characters. Within just a handful of pages, I realized that I couldn’t have been more wrong! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This is a cozy mystery, that turns a bit sadistic near the end. I will admit, I thought it would be mostly “cozy mystery” (and 90% of it was), but it got darker than I anticipated. I would double check trigger warnings, as although it is not too graphic nor too much in terms of quantity - it is alluded to as the story progresses and then reaches a level that could be provoking to some. Additionally, nature vs. nurture was briefly explored - which I think is a fascinating concept that was well handled.

I couldn’t get enough of the characters - specifically Petra, Caroline, Annie, Duncan, and Teddy. Petra in particular gave me Jo from “Little Women” vibes. I loved how they all interacted with each other, and this brought some comedic relief to the story. I loved the strength of all of the women during a time that was HEAVILY men-centric, and I loved how that strength looked different for every single woman character. There is no one singular way to be a strong, independent, brave, wise woman!

Overall, I would recommend to most people - but particularly if you like period pieces, cozy mysteries, and/or strong woman executing justice!

ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD is Celeste’s debut novel that reads like a breath of fresh air. It is a Regency era mystery with Lady Petra Forsyth at the helm. Lady Petra’s fiancé died a few weeks before their wedding, leaving her to make a shocking proclamation - that she never intends to marry, instead she plans to use her title to gain access to elite spaces without any expectations. Soon ballroom gossip speculates that a longtime friend has died of “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable doctor. Lady Petra decides she’d like to dig deeper to get to the truth of the matter, uncovering more secrets than she ever expected and putting her own life in jeopardy.

I thought this was such a fun and unique read! I loved every minute of it as Lady Petra dives into the nitty gritty secrets held by men in the upper crust of London society. It’s really great to have a feminist narrative in a mystery set in the Regency era, adding a new (fictional) voice and an interesting spin to this time period.

Lady Petra is a brave, strong-minded, and courageous woman, privileged by the unique mindset of her family, allowing her to follow the life she chooses for herself in a time period that wasn’t so open to this way of women existing. Her support system (close friends and family) are impeccable, supporting her in all the ways that count and truly knowing her heart.

I adored the mystery at the heart of the plot. It was intriguing and filled with all kinds of secrets that I didn’t expect. I loved seeing how Lady Petra uncovered and put together all the puzzle pieces.

The romance subplot is very minimal but it was truly well placed. I thought it was wonderful how it all comes together for Lady Petra.

I loved this tale overall and was especially satisfied with the epilogue!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

Love, LOVE, loooove this book. I got to experience it in both audio and ebook form, and I have to say both were perfect.

For the audiobook, the narrator was very good at bringing you into the story and keeping you there. It helped that she had an English accent which is fitting for the Bridgerton-esk setting and time. The storytelling was so good, that I had to stop and switch over to the ebook just so that I could give myself the choice of how fast the story was progressing. (I tend to be flighty when emotional and/or the climax of the story arrives)

As for the story itself. I loved it. It is like if Bridgerton focused more on the whodunit of Lady Whistledown and sprinkled in the finery and social aspects of the time.

Petra declaring herself a spinster automatically made me love her. Her acknowledging the fact that her privilege was what allowed her to make that decision showed how aware she is as a character. She was headstrong, kind, and did her best to put goodness out into the world. Her inquisitive nature unfortunately gets her into the mess of the mystery, but you love her for it.

The relationship she has with Duncan is full of typical romance miscommunication. It is quite silly, but since this isn't a romance focused book, it was cute. Especially since it is very obvious that Duncan loves her. I really wish they talked sooner in the story. But seeing how Petra was being pretty obstinate in not wanting to have a full private conversation with him, I can understand why this did not happen earlier. The romance aspect of the story is more of a slow burn, but I expect their relationship to be developed more come future books. Seeing how Petra has a talent for putting her nose in other people's business, pertaining situations that need it of course, I expect they will be saving each other because of her shenanigans.

I also have to mention THE PUPPIES that showed up. They were perfect, and I especially love their trick of jumping up and biting people in the arse.

This book was a very good read and listen, and I can't wait to read more from this author!