A well-bred young woman uncovers a mystery in Regency England.

Her widower father may be an Earl, but that doesn’t mean that Lady Petra Forsyth’s life has been all roses and no thorns. She is fortunate to have been raised by a man who values her intelligence and adventurous spirit, and has allowed her more freedoms than most young women of her class. Her mother died when she was young, but left her a sizable inheritance free of strictures and that remains hers even when she marries. Lady Petra has been unlucky in love, however, losing her beloved fiancé in a tragic fall shortly before they were to be wed. At the same time, her lifelong best friend Duncan (who had introduced her to her fiancé) announced he was leaving England for Europe, and Lady Petra felt betrayed. They exchanged angry words, and have been estranged ever since. Now, several years later, Lady Petra has returned to society, though very much on her own terms. She has announced that she will never marry, having lost her true love, and there are many in the ton who are scandalized, including her prissy uncle. Duncan is now back in England, and Lady Petra isn’t ready to forgive him. But when she discovers that a friend, Gwen, has apparently died yet a former servant swears he has seen her recently, Petra starts to look into the contradiction. An attempt is made on her life, the servant turns up dead, and it will take all of Lady Petra’s intellect and spirit to find out what is happening to women in her social circle whose husbands or families may find troublesome. With the help of her lady’s maid, a clever street urchin, and other confidantes (maybe even Duncan?), can Lady Petra find out the truth about what happened to Gwen without herself becoming victim to the same fate?
In this novel, perhaps the first in a series, I found a headstrong young woman who bridles at the constraints that society puts on women, especially those of her social standing. She prefers riding horses in her brother’s old breeches than in the more proper (and far more uncomfortable) lady’s costume. She tends to speak her mind, and in general gets away with behaving in ways that most of her peers cannot. There are those in society, and indeed her own family, that do not approve of her, and that may prove her undoing in this story. She has an ally in several of the more senior women in her circle, including Duncan’s very influential grandmother, but has earned enemies amongst the men (particularly some whose attentions she refused). Fans of historical mysteries like Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen series, as well as series like Bridgerton and Downton Abbey, will like the setting and the society intrigue. The mystery of what happened to Gwen, and whether it was a singular event or one in a series, plays out at a good pace. The exchanges between Lady Petra and Duncan are a lot of fun, and I enjoyed learning their backstory. All in all, it was a fun read, and I see potential for a series. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy.

I enjoyed this book! The beginning is mostly character and world building with Regency details galore. Then, Her Grace’s ball happens, and the plot moves forward quickly from there. A little too quickly for me, swept along nice and neat, but still. It’s interesting to read, and I gobbled down the last part because I wanted to know how I knew what would happen would happen. The book is predictable but not in a bad way. It’s entertaining! The characters are great, well-defined if not deeply layered, and there is humor but also social commentary. Parts of the book made me feel deeply upset because I know the treatment of women isn’t overplayed.
Overall, I liked this book. A decent cliffhanger, and I might read a second book starring Petra, hinted at in the novel, if I need a quick read between other books or on the beach!

3.5 rounded up. A fun regency novel with mystery, suspense, and a dash of romance. Might not be the best book for someone who wants super historically correct works of fiction but u found it super fun to read!

If you love Christie, if you adore Bridgerton, then you will swoon over this splendid feminist Regency mystery, first in a new series. I loved it and look happily forward to more by the talented author.

I have not been reading as much romance and historical romance as I have in the past, but so thankful to netgalley for approving this read as I loved it so much. It had such heartache, yet hope, fear, friendship, sweet and tender moments and love. The setting was great and a little sprinkle of mystery. Can't go wrong

What a wonderful start to what I hope is a long series of Regency-era mysteries featuring Lady Petra Forsyth. Celeste Connally drew me in from the start when Lady Petra's just announced her plans to never marry following the death of her fiancé just weeks prior to their marriage. While the story focuses on the mystery of women disappearing for being troublesome or no longer wanted by their husbands, it also explores the theme of women's rights during the Regency era.

The storyline was a bit crowded with characters, referencing prior events and meetings with minor characters making me think there may have been prequels in short stories penned by Ms. Connally. I'd like to read them! But it's set up perfectly for more episodes that I look forward to reading.

Thanks to NetGally and Minotaur Books for the advance reader copy. I hope you will be as delighted to meet Lady Petra as I was.

Decent book. I love historical mysteries and a spunky protagonist who challenges the social norms and chooses to go on a different path. Pacing was decent although it did take me a few tries to get into the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I was excited to read this Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie mystery, but almost ended up DNFing it. The pacing felt off, with the first half dragging and taking a long time to reach much excitement. For me it’s difficult to compare this book to Bridgerton, as I feel it sets a certain expectation for the romance of the book. I felt mostly meh about Petra and Duncan’s relationship and felt they didn’t quite have the depth of connection I was expecting. I enjoyed the second half more than the first, and I felt once you got past 15 or so chapters, which is a big ask, it went by quickly.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lady Petra is one of the funnest characters I have read about recently. This regency era mystery gave me Bridgerton with a dash of mystery vibes. I do have to say the first 13-ish chapters are a bit slower and took me a bit longer than I care to admit to get through as there was a lot of world building to get us to understand who everyone is, and what part they play in our mystery but once chapter 14 hits, I was sucked into the story and just wanted to know who was doing it? The tension between Duncan and Lady Petra made for a fun addition of romance to the story. The side characters were loveable and a perfect addition to Lady Petras world. I have to say the story wrapped up nicely with answers to all the questions that I have throughout the book. I cannot wait to see if there’s a sequel. Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @celesteconnallyauthor for the opportunity to read an arc of this book. Don’t miss it when it releases November 14th!!

This book was unsettling! I honestly had to put it down because I was in turns so angry and so anxious! Well done Celeste Connally. I loved the historical details - the minute descriptions of food, drink, even song titles. The story itself moved quickly, and the character development was rich and nuanced. I look forward to reading what Lady Petra solves next!

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

As I am trying to find myself out of horror, I'm dabbling in all kinds of genres and when the publisher offered a chance to read Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, I said "why not?" I'm so glad I took a chance on this.

Act is a fun, historical-feminist-mystery thriller starring proclaimed to remain unmarried Lady Petra Forsyth. I love her. She is witty, headstrong, determined, and kind. There is something amiss when one of her lady friends is allegedly deceased but Lady P was never told. Then, a servant makes mention of seeing her friend alive and recently! A series of mysteries, actions, and a truly vile villain make up the remainder of this novel and guys, I was HOOKED.

This does start off a bit slow, but more like the fuse on dynamite. The fuse burns a ways before it BLOWS UP and this book sure does. Very few books make my heart race when the action happens, and Act gave me heart palpitations.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is out on 11/14/2023 and I will be purchasing a physical copy. There's talk of this being a new series and I'll be buying those too. Celeste Connally, you just got a new biggest fan.

I received an e-ARC from stmartinspress and minotaur_books on netgalley in exchange for my honest review and I am eternally grateful.

Four stars! Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is the first ARC (advanced reader copy) that I have been sent and oh what a good one it was!! I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one, especially as it is my first book by this author and I believe her debut novel! This story is the first installment in a Regency-era female-lead mystery series and I think it was such a good first installment. The writing was really well done and helped transport me to the setting while still keeping the language modern enough for today’s standards. I found it so easy to really love and root for the main character right from the start. I loved that she was an independent woman who didn’t care what people thought of her and fought for what she believed in. The mystery aspect was very interesting, though it didn’t involve any huge twists, but it was entertaining and kept me reading for sure! I was really rooting for Petra to uncover the truth and dismantle the misogynistic men at the center of the mystery. The end also really set everything up for the next novel, with a great little cliffhanger that left me excited for the next installment! Overall, I would recommend this one for a fun, slightly thrilling twist on a historical fiction.

Very entertaining story. I ADORED this time piece and the strong female protagonist. As well as the highlighting of positive and underestimated attributes of other female characters. When the story turned into a mystery, it was a welcome surprise! Sweet read with love woven throughout.

Lady Petra is one of those "uppity women" challenging the social norms of her era. There are certainly echoes of our issues in modern times that will feel very familiar. Pacing was engaging and gentle until about halfway through when it became a real page turner. I read late into the night to finish it. Highly recommended.

Connally drops readers straight into 1815 Regency London where 24-year-old Lady Petra Forsyth is negotiating her way through an all-night ball held by the Duchess of Hillmorton. Tucked in amongst newsy tidbits, she hears that a friend, Lady Milford, has recently died of an apoplexy, although details are vague. When she discovers that Martin, a footman from Lady Milford’s household, was let go in sudden circumstances she contrives to speak to him and discovers that he has seen his former mistress very recently. Petra sets up a meeting with him on the usual bridle path ride, but when she arrives, he is dead. Upon further investigation, she discovers that a number of ladies of distinction are being assisted through mental health issues by a mysterious Mr. Drysdale and she vows to find out more.
This is the first in a Regency period mystery series. The mystery at the story’s centre, remains solely within the ton. This gives the author leeway to invest in everything to do with the Regency upper classes, their dress, behaviour, houses, servants, and their hierarchical snobbery and tittle-tattle, plus debutantes, wealthy bachelors and grasping mothers. Connally does an excellent job with a plot that, particularly in the second half of the book, moves swiftly. She holds romance in the wings, although Petra has sworn off marriage publicly. A well-written, illuminating and insightful novel about the often-tragic fall-out when 19th-century women found themselves facing male ownership of property, including wives and children, with nowhere to turn.

Lady Petra has just lost her fiance and soulmate. She feels she will never love again and professes publicly that she will not marry. She is independently wealthy and will not have to depend om a husband. She is fiercely independent and that is not appreciated by many people. She hears that her good friend Gwen has died and then apparently the person who saw her is murdered. So Petra sets out to solve the mystery.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Petra has made a decision that many people are not happy with. She decides to govon a mission when she learns that someone has died mysteriously. Thus was an engaging read.

This was a light, fun read, with a good plot and a well-paced storyline. I enjoyed Petra and the way she engages with her world. A good mystery with solid characters. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

There isn’t a thing wrong with the romance. It is perfectly paced, the H and h perfectly paired, and the plot perfectly charming and unique.

I love when authors find clever ways to develop relationships without the constraints of the ton. And the heroine winning over the hero by beating him in a duel so that he hires her as his personal secretary was such fun.

The heroine is the type of character you would want as a friend. Smart, sweet, cunning, humorous, a tad eccentric, brave, loyal, and adventurous. The hero is an alluring alpha male who is also brilliant. They are the best.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

Wow. I finished this in less than a day and I’m already clamoring for the next installment (tell me there will be another one soon!!) This tale of the adventures of Lady Petra Forsyth, spinster, kept me riveted. Mystery, intrigue, a bit of detective work, lots of suspense. I did struggle a bit with how many of the characters were involved in the…nefarious plot, the frequency being a bit too convenient in my mind. And I struggle as well with the cliffhanger ending (setting up book 2?!) but I very much enjoyed this and can’t wait to read the next one.