Ok, so I picked this up because the description sounded feminist, but the title is problematic (why wouldn't you think like a lady?!?!?! Is thinking like a "lord" aka a man, supposed to be better? Because, gross.) and I was curious. And, unsurprisingly, it wasn't super great. For some reason, the author decided to both show and tell us everything, and to introduce us to a big, largely irrelevant cast. I know it's a planned series so there was some worldbuilding happening, but the first book has to be compelling enough for me to want to read the second, and that was not managed here. Otherwise, the mystery was pretty outlandish. The main character was pretty naïve and made terrible decisions but had a very high opinion of herself, which is like, my least favorite combination. I think there was supposed to be some romance? I mean, I guess there was some romance, but I was not invested and it was very light. There's a very predictable cliffhanger at the end. I think some folks will like this, but I wasn't one of them. I will recommend it to superfans of the genre, though (regency mysteries). 1 star - I didn't like it.

I requested this eARC because the plot sounded intriguing and I enjoy Regency era books. To be honest, I struggled with this book. The only reason I kept going was because I had asked to read the book, otherwise I would have stopped reading a quarter to a third of the way through it.

Petra - I did not care for her. I felt she did not stay true to her character. There were too many people to track. There was no romance until the end, if you can even call it romance. The story took forever to get going; I was over halfway before it started to get somewhat interesting. It ended on what was supposed to be a cliffhanger, but I saw coming from miles away.

My biggest issue was how the men were depicted. Men are evil, with the exception of a few and even these few cannot be trusted. That was the message I got. Not really what I am looking for in my Regency books.

I don’t know that I would call this book Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie. True it is written in the same period as Bridgerton, but it is missing that humorous love connection that loved in the Bridgerton series. The love connection is a good one, don’t get me wrong but it doesn’t give off the same enduring vibes. I do love the mystery involved in this book. I love how it touched on such a sore point of woman who didn’t want to follow the fold many times during this time period were deemed wrong in the head. Creating a place that I could 100% see existing to send these head strong woman, was a very smart choice. Lady Petra does a great job of upholding her beliefs and fighting to right wrongs she sees happening around her. I do enjoy that she stood by her staff and didn’t allow those around her to sway her beliefs in what was best for her and her situation.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This book was a good, cute read. It was a nice mystery that allowed me to escape for a few hours. Definitely read.

3.5 stars due to the lagging set up of the story. Petra our MC is a headstrong woman who thinks she can do as she wants even flaunting the times of women having NO rights. She has lost her fiance just weeks before her wedding, and has decided to stay a spinster. She is naive enough to belive she will have no pushback from society. Once her friend is declared dead, we start our mystery as to did she die, or stage her death to leave her husband or worse. Petra learns the upercrust men of the ton have a way to relieve themselves of their beloved wives and it doesn't take much to convince the law in their favor, then the murder of her friends footman really sets Petra on finding the truth for herself and her acquaintances to save them all. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early read.

DNF @ 18% - the idea behind this is great. Lords and Ladies, a MC that wants to be a spinster after her great love died and a suspicious death? All sounds wonderful! This is for Downton Abby and victorian england lovers but with a twist on a traditional historical romance.

What got me was the writing style. It was written like 1800s dialog and I had a hard time focusing. I kept rereading paragraphs and sentences and started skimming. The writing plus the lack of plot at the beginning did not capture my attention.

As a beginner to historical/victorian romance, this just wasnt for me. For a more seasoned reader looking for something a little bit different, you‘ll enjoy it.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin‘s press for the ARC!

I loved Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord for so many reasons. This is first of all a historical fiction mystery, with a strong female lead, Lady Petra Forsyth. It does remind me somewhat of a more modern version of a Jane Austen novel, but the theme that really pulled me in was the author, Celeste Connally's, focus on the disadvantages that women had in the early nineteenth century, compared to today.
As Lady Petra asserts herself as an independent young woman, who does not need to be married to have a fulfilling life after the untimely death of her fiance, she tries to find a missing friend and solve the mystery surrounding the rumors she is discovering about a heath asylum for women, where many of the prominent women in her society are being taken, for any reason the men in their lives deem justifiable. There are many suspenseful turns during the story.
I highly recommend this book, especially for women, to remember what we've overcome and to never forget what we don't want to give up.

A very conversational read. Regency Period, England early 1800’s. All women including high born women must follow strict rules of behavior. Basically the purpose of these women were to marry and carry on the line of their husband. Those who did not conform lived a a sad and perhaps torturous life. Lady Petra, was one such woman. Intelligence and spirited. Raised by her adoring Earl father after her mother’s death, she has many freedoms. Engaged to marry the love of her life he meets an untimely end. Devastated she announces to the Ton that she would live her life out as a spinster. That’s when the trouble begins. Men in power can not tolerate a disobedient woman. she has also rejected marriage from several men of the Ton. Apparently there are several such women whose husbands would rather do without. Opportunity arises due to serous debts etc for a evil man to offer a solution to their problems. Luckily Lady Petra has many friends including a dashing childhood friend who just returned from the Continent. . Many twists and turns, throughly enjoyable except for the woke comments (homosexuality) that where totally unnecessary to the plot. I read for enjoyment and relaxation not to be indoctrinated. I sincerely hope this isn’t a trend in literature. Since this book has not been published I suggest removal of these statements.

I was really looking forward to this one as the premise sounded interesting - a bit like Nellie Bly's findings, but with the Bridgerton twist. I feel as if the first part of the book dragged though so by the time the mystery of Petra's friend finally came up I wasn't super interested anymore. There seemed to be a lot of diverting details about other "hot topics" that were actually just distracting to the overall story. Anyway, I mostly skimmed after 25% and then decided to DNF. Interesting premise but not for me.

I thank Celeste Connally, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the chance to enjoy this novel and provide an unbiased review.

This story had its positive moments, but there were so many references to past events and people that I stopped several times to check to see if I had fallen into the trap of jumping into a series midway. I reassured myself that this is Book 1, but it was still jarring.

The wealthy beautiful almost-widow Petra is exhibiting many feminist tendencies, which her doting father has allowed, if not encouraged. She crosses class lines with alacrity, saving servants from evil designs of men in positions in power. The mystery in this story lies in the disappearance or death of women who have become annoyances to their husbands or male relatives. Petra jumps in to investigate and has adventures, some not very pleasant. She and her allies prevail in the end.

The story highlights the power differential in that era and some particular blind spots that Petra has in avoiding scandal. She forges a new relationship and is ready for happiness and perhaps more intrigue. There’s quite the cliffhanger at the end. Trouble ahead!

I rate 3 stars for light entertainment.

Regency England…where women have no rights and are expected to act within a strict code of behavior. For Lady Petra, who is lucky enough to have a monetary legacy from her deceased mother, the constraints of the times lead her to declare that she will never marry, especially after the cherished fiancé dies in an accident 3 weeks before their wedding. Naturally inquisitive and with a strong sense to help others, Petra becomes suspicious when she is told that her friend Lady Gwen has died of “a fit” only a short time after she’s visited her. A former footman of Lady Gwen suggests that something is wrong and, when he is killed, Petra is convinced something isn’t right. With the help of her great friend Lady Charlotte and her childhood friend and possible lust interest Duncan, Petra uncovers a terrible secret placed used by men with inconvenient wives, siblings, daughters.
I’ve read other Regency romances with similar plots and this one isn’t as interesting. It’s not bad but, for example, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is better.

This book gave me such boss Woman vibes. I thought about the movie Think Like A Man but it was the 1800’s version. It was soo good I couldn’t put the book down at all.

This book didn’t start our really strong for me, but after about 25% I was hooked. Petra is a strong woman who has decided to stay unmarried and choose her own path. However there is a group of nefarious men that are seeking more ways to control woman. It got a little harrowing at times! Strong themes of feminism and friendship, which I love!

Lady Petra Forsyth is a rarity in her Regency society circles. An independent woman of means, she has announced that she is happy to remain a "spinster", after the death of her beloved fiance. Her father supports her, she has a loyal staff and good friends and she is determined to figure out why her childhood best friend, newly returned to town, cut off communication with her 3 years ago. She becomes aware of a disturbing trend as a number of her female acquaintances are mysteriously disappearing and even inexplicably dying. With the assistance of her staff and friends, and a charming street urchin, Lady Petra is determined to figure out what is going on, even at great risk to her own safety.

This is the first in a series, and has some simililarities with Katherine Schellman's Lily Adler series, of which I am a big fan. Petra is more outspoken than Lily, but she is backed up with a similar crew (particularly that urchin, and the presence of the Bow Street Runners). This book starts off quite light, but the final chunk of the book gets fairly dark, which I was not expecting, and that was challenging for me. The supporting cast here is very well drawn, including Petra's dear friend Lady Caro, whose romantic situation allows for some exploration of the not uncommon dynamic where a gay man of the aristocracy marries a woman who fully understands who he is, and chooses to allow both of them to live a full romantic life, while maintaining a marriage of mutual respect and friendship. The book also deals very plainly with the overwhelming misogyny of the time period, and many readers will find that they can relate to social situations Petra has to deal with.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read, with engaging characters and a plot that tackles some serious issues along the way. 3. 75 stars rounded up to 4.

The title and cover drew me in, but I wasn’t as invested in this story as I usually am with similar historical “lady detective” mysteries. It took until about chapter 15 for me to really feel invested in the story, but then I was happy to see how things developed. The plot was predictable, and I wasn’t surprised by the “cliffhanger” at the end of the book. In my opinion there were too many characters introduced in the beginning of this novel that didn’t further the plot along (perhaps they were included to set up future books within the series), but hopefully next installments will trim that down a bit.

The plot follows Lady Petra Forsyth, an independent woman of means who has the luxury of declaring her “spinster”-status after the untimely death of her fiancé (note: as this is a historical fiction, mystery series – we will see how long that conviction stays). After hearing that her friend and neighbor has recently died, Petra becomes suspicious that something nefarious has occurred, and she speaks with a former servant of her friend’s household who states that he recently saw his employer. From there, we learn about several other society woman who have gone missing – woman that would be considered outsiders during that time (whether because they are single by choice, interested in females romantically, infertile or don’t want to have children, bluestockings, or “wild”) – and we are introduced to prominent society men who have been dealing with a shady new “Dr” in town.

While Lady Petra investigates, we are introduced to her supportive friends and relatives, a street urchin who Petra has regular interactions with, and a childhood friend who has returned from the Continent after a 3-year absence (cue love interest, although I didn't get the giddy energy that I usually do when they interact with one another). The romance seems rushed, but perhaps it will develop in future books. I’m not sold on it.


Overall, i'm rounding 2.5 stars up to 3.

My thanks to publisher and author for providing complimentary digital ARC via NeGalley to read in exchange for my fair, honest, and personal review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This was a very, very good book. It has a mix of feel-good Regency romances along with the intensity and darkness of a murder mystery. It was refreshing to read a romance that takes place during this time that had the added layers and urgency that comes with a mystery so closely linked to society’s ills. Many of the scenes and descriptions sound actually like they had been written in a novel of this time, owing to their level of detail and cleverness.

Lady Petra is a great blend of kindness and conviction, and I loved the childhood friends trope that was brought out through her relationship with Duncan. While I would have wished for some more interaction between the two in real-time throughout the story, it was still very beautiful and their love felt palpable and strong to read about.

P. S. The very, very end of the book made my heart stutter a little and my eyes go wide, so I certainly hope to read more about Lady Petra and this universe of characters soon! I would love to know what happens next!

It was just ok. I kinda had high hopes for this book based on the description. A little wordy and weird behaviors which I’m normally ok with but seemed out of character/story compared to the rest of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I enjoyed the characters in this book a lot and wanted to know more about them and their exploits, but found the actual mystery and events in the book somewhat predictable. I don't want to give too many spoilers, but it was clear early on who was the "bad guy" and that he was up to something sinister. I also felt like certain events were inevitable and you knew what was going to happen next when dramatic events unfolded, so I finished reading the book to see if I was right, but with little to no element of surprise which is disappointing for a mystery.

Lady Petra Forsyth is not your typically Victorian lady, she is independent, can be out spoken, and does have some outlandish behavior for a London society lady. Society is shocked and rumors abound when Lady Petra acts out, her Uncle Tobias especially is mortified at her behavior. However, is it just this behavior, along with help from her lady’s maid, Annie and her childhood friend, Duncan Shawcross that will help her get to the bottom of why some of society’s ladies are disappearing or being locked away under unusual circumstances especially her friend Lady Milford. As Lady Petra starts to unravel parts of the mystery, a murder is committed and acts against Lady Petra put her right in the middle of a dangerous plot.

I normally don’t read Victorian based novels as the stories are mainly the bosom heaving – chest baring romances, however, I found this storyline intriguing. I enjoy a good mystery and a woman who is willing to go outside the boundaries of “accepted” behavior to find out the truth is an interesting twist. The writing was enjoyable, the mystery was engaging, I liked the secondary characters (especially the street urchin – Teddy) and found myself enjoying the read. Enjoy this tale, it’s a pleasure to read!

A bit to wordy at times, but still an excellent story of women who stood strong when it was frowned upon and the lengths some men would go to attempting to control them.