Overall, this is an enjoyable read. However it had a serious case of "historical setting, modern person". There were so many times that I thought "no, a historical person would not have done that" that I ended up not finishing this book because I couldn't take it anymore. Otherwise the writing is fun, and the characters are well written. If the "modern person" trope doesn't bother you (Outlander fans?) then this book is recommended.

This was a highly-anticipated read for me that, unfortunately, missed its mark. Despite its description as Bridgerton-meets-Agatha Christie, this mystery was not complicated. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, and there's very few twists and surprises. As for pacing, the first 60% is slow and filled with backstory, while the rest is unexpectedly action-packed. I wished it were more evenly-paced.

The right reader for this will A) really, really love the Regency era and all the names, titles, and social conventions that come with it, and B) won't really care about a strong mystery.

What I did enjoy: the heroine, Petra, and her close circle of friends; the clever writing and period-appropriate dialogue; the horses and dogs (cute!).

Thank you to Minotaur Books & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not a frequent historical fiction reader, but this book intrigued me. It started off a bit slow, but ended up being an interesting story with compelling characters.

An easy read, with a somewhat feminist spin on the historical romance. Predictable for its type, like marshmallows: sweetened historical characters, with a plot that is neither dense nor complicated.

Here is a book that starts off at a snail's pace. The excessive detail in describing everything and everyone can be quite frustrating. The first half is bogged down with an abundance of minutiae and inner monologues. However, the second half does show some improvement in pacing, becoming somewhat exciting. It's worth noting that the subject matter tackled in this book is quite sensitive, reminiscent of works like "Snake Pit" and "Ten Days in a Mad-House," although it's set in a more modern context than the era the author was originally writing about.

This book follows the typical mystery novel formula, with a heroine who constantly finds herself in perilous situations, often relying on others to extricate her from her predicaments. Considering the time period (1815), the protagonist is portrayed as an independent woman, albeit with some allowances made for the societal norms of her era.

The ending of the book leaves much to be desired, as it remains somewhat vague and unsatisfying, at least in my opinion. While there isn't a strong emphasis on romance, there are subtle hints of a potential future romance. The book also touches upon discussions of Sapphic and homosexual themes, though it doesn't delve into explicit details.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord releases November 14, 2023

At the age of 24, shortly after the death of her fiancé, Lady Petra Forsyth declares that she will live life unmarried, as a spinster.
Since she was left a generous inheritance by her late mother, this allows her the freedom to explore such possibilities that would otherwise be uncommon in the early 1800’s.

As someone who isn’t always over enthusiastic for the regency subgenre of historical fiction, I really need the opening scenes to be somewhat fast-paced and hooking, which I found to be lacking here.
The middle of the book picks up with the murder mystery aspect which I enjoyed more, but starts to taper off again. As a whole I’m 50/50.

Honestly, the main character felt like a side character — like she was a vehicle used just to get the town “gossip”, except the gossip wasn’t even juicy.

Lady Petra hears from the women of the town that her longtime friend, Gwen, suddenly died, yet Petra is told from a footman that Gwen was seen alive just two days prior.
Since she has so much time on her hands, she then finds it in herself to further investigate what really happened to Gwen.

I didn’t really like the direction this went in with the asylum for women.

This is apparently the first installment in a new series, but it just wasn’t concrete enough for me to care or want to continue on in this world with these characters.

The last line, I suppose, was meant to come across as shocking but it wasn’t at all since there was already prior discussion in relation to Duncan and how he deliberately inserted someone to keep watch over Petra’s misgivings during her engagement period.

Lady Petra, a self-proclaimed spinster, hears of the death of a longtime friend while in the care of a suspicious physician and vows to find the truth. But after uncovering a private asylum where men lock away difficult women, Petra’s own freedom is at risk…

Society gossip, romance, and intrigue hooked me into this mystery. Petra was a confident, intelligent woman with a support network of other strong women. And her conflict with (and affection for) Duncan was believable and enjoyable.

Unfortunately, around the 75% mark, once Petra was in serious peril, I lost interest a little due to villain monologuing, drawn out threats, and brief abuse. I wanted to skip forward to a rescue/escape, but even when that began to unfold, Petra stopped to observe the women in the asylum and read some of their records despite a time crunch. It felt deliberate, so the reader would know how atrocious this place was, but I was already convinced and ready to move on.

It concluded satisfactorily for me until the last line’s twist, leaving me with some mixed feelings.

Overall, it was an enjoyable historical mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

"Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, a dazzling first entry in a captivating new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin from Celeste Connally.

London, 1815. Lady Petra Forsyth, daughter of the Earl of Holbrook, has made a shocking proclamation. After losing her beloved fiancé in an accident three years earlier, she announces in front of London's loosest lips that she will never marry. A woman of independent means - and rather independent ways - Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life is gone. Instead, she plans to continue enjoying the best of society without any expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of a fit due to her "melancholia" while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper - uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Petra has reason to believe her friend is alive, a shocking murder proves more danger is afoot than she thought. And the more determined Lady Petra becomes in uncovering the truth, the more her own headstrong actions and desire for independence are used against her, putting her own freedom - and possibly her life - in jeopardy."

I love the Regency Era and I love mysteries, therefore I love this book.

What a surprise! This is my first read of author Celeste Connally, but it will not be my last. "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Lord" is a historical mystery with mild romance, but also a story with a feminist bent. It was all done in a most entertaining way, rather than bludgeoning the reader with 'I am woman, hear me roar' throughout the story.
As for the mystery, it was okay; what was more fun was reading the punishment inflicted. Trust me when I say you will definitely get a kick out of it! What intrigued me at the end...the cliffhanger. I look forward to seeing how that plays out.
I started this, and it didn't grab me right off. I set it aside, and when I came back to it, it still a little bit to get into it. But once I did....boy, I finished it in 2 days. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't...I had to see how it ended. It was worth it that I hung in and read it. I ended up loving it!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

I'm really glad that I was reading Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord for review. The book started off incredibly slowly for me, where it seemed like ladies of the ton gossiping and jostling for position. Thankfully I was reading for an obligation to finish the book, because it did pick up and get interesting, as Lady Petra is told a friend of hers unexpectedly passed away only to hear contradicting evidence from one of the lady's dismissed staff members. As a self-avowed spinster, Petra decides to follow-up, only to have the man she needs information from murdered. With a disgruntled suitor and a greedy uncle on her hands, Petra begins to see a threat to the women around her and how little power they have in their lives and wonder if the women are really suffering from hysteria or if there is a more sinister plot at hand. Causing her further concern is the possibility that her old friend Duncan might not only be inhibiting her investigation, but putting her safety in danger. In concept, the story is mostly a cozy mystery, but it is also truly terrifying reading the book as a woman and being reminded that the authority women had over their minds, money, property and bodies was less than it is today - not a comforting thought. The proper habits of the ton get a little bit boring, the true gem of the story is the exploration of the dangers women were in from men in their lives that benefitted from disposing of them as they saw fit. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Regency era romance books automatically go on my TBR list. Throw in the thriller & mystery elements? I couldn't put it down. Looks like it will be the beginning of a series and I can't WAIT to see what Lady Petra uncovers next.

My thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur for allowing me to review this arc copy.

Unfortunately really struggled with this book and dnf. It said Agatha Christie and Bridgerton, but I stopped this at 44%. Very slow build up to the actual murderer. I got more Bridgerton then Agatha. Not a heavy mystery. Dialog very slow. Not a page turner but did like Petra . Very strong feminist character.

A great fun read - thank you to #NetGalley for a chance to read the ARC!
This was a solid Regency mystery with a romantic side plot. Lady Petra is a feminist-ideal character in Regency era England. She learns a friend of hers has died, but then shortly after one of the servants claims to have seen her. As Petra investigates the possibility she discovers a surprising number of women of her acquaintance have either 'died' or went away to travel. Petra discovers their fate as she finds herself in the same trap.

Overall, a good start to a new series. I look forward to the next one.

A fun first entry into a new period cozy mystery series. I love that it balances both a sense of time and place in Regency England with a firm stance on those on the fringes of high society - namely that society needs to get its shit together and include them. They mystery itself is more of setting the stage than an actual mystery this time around - we're meeting people who make up Petra's circle, rather than truly trying to figure out where these women are disappearing to or who has been silencing those who talked - but the cast of characters assembled are all lovely and a breath of air. At times it can feel a little like the narrative is over-explaining for the sake of the reader; there are sidebars about the state of women's rights, gay rights, musings on a character's nationality or religion and how most of society thinks about all of the above concepts, but its heart is in the right place and serves as a good introduction to the state of society at the time.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a captivating period adventure that exudes flawless banter. This novel is a breath of fresh air, thanks to its intricately developed main characters, and is sure to resonate with fans of the beloved series, Bridgerton.

This had a painfully slow start. I couldn’t care about the gossip, backstory, side characters, and world building in the beginning. And a lot of telling was used to set things up. And once we got through that, the epilogue ultimately ruined things for me. I hate mysteries and romances that end in a cliffhanger/twist, so reader beware. This is too bad because I did like the author’s voice.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Lord! I'm always excited for a Austen-esque heroine!

Petra, the main character, inspires all the feelings! I was outraged at the way men treated her, especially men close to her. I feel like Petra's story and the mystery were woven together very well, and at times it was difficult to tell where one began and the other ended, which I really liked! I'm not sure if this will be a series, but I think Petra's character is definitely leading lady material!

That being said, the ending left me disappointed. I wanted a banger of an ending to cap off the mystery, and the book kind of fizzles out instead. The ending resolution in a mystery is just as important to me as a romance, and this one left me hanging. I do like the author's writing style, though, so I would be interested to pick up another book if this does become a series.

Overall, I think this was a worthy mystery with just a bit of a rushed/shallow ending. This author can WRITE, though, so you need to check out this book!

Rating: 3⭐️

Let me start out by saying this is not my normal genre, however I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! If you like Regency era stories and mysteries, this book is for you. The main character, Petra, is extremely likeable and relatable, and I hope we get to read more about her future adventures! The end was genius!

This was such a cute but fun, Regency era mystery that included a mild romantic component. I was hoping for a little bit more on the romance end, but I though the mystery aspect was really done and kept me intrigued through out. I will definitely give this author another go and look forward to the resolution to the cliffhanger!!

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally

304 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Release Date: November 14, 2023

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Suspense

Lady Petra Forsyth has declared she will never marry after her fiancé dies from a fall down a set of steps. She can do this since her mother left her an inheritance and does not need to depend on her father or a husband for support. She hears her dear friend, Gwen, has died and she was not invited to the funeral. She cannot believe this has happened and confronts Gwen’s husband. Now it seems husbands are talking about sending their wives to a resting hospital for their nerves. Petra does not believe this is happening and begins investigating. When she starts asking too many questions, she finds herself in someone’s crosshair. She has no idea who could be after her because there are too many to choose from.

The book is fast paced, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I like the strength of character the author gave to Petra in a time when women held very little power. It certainly is a book with suspense built in. If you like historical fiction, you will probably enjoy reading this book.