Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally is an historical fiction story set in the early 1800’s in England. It is both informative and entertaining to read about Lady Petra Forsyth and her views on a woman’s lot in life in that time period. The death of Lady Forsyth’s fiancé’ shortly before their wedding gives her the opportunity to renounce any expectations that she would marry in the future. But her childhood friend Duncan continues to pursue her with hilarious results. As a member of the upper class and with the financial means to take care of her needs, Lady Petra Forsyth finds herself in a unique position.to live life on her own terms. It is quite amusing how she handles herself in a variety of situations as she thinks like a Lord. However, an element of mystery also enters her life when she notices the sudden absence of a female married friend. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sense of humor, but also to readers who like a good mystery. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this highly engaging book.

Great new cozy mystery. Wonderful read doe when you need a pick-me-up or on a rainy/snowy day. If you love books set in regency England with plucky leads this is your book.

When I saw this touted as "Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie", of course I was intrigued! And I do think the description apt, though more Bridgerton in terms of the Netflix adaptations than the book series, because this book brings some some modern sensibilities (especially in terms of the main character's feminism and general attitude, including mention of acceptance of LGBTQ identities) to go along with the opulent Regency England setting - along with pulling back the curtain (ahem) on the various trysts and affairs and match-scheming of the British nobles. It is a bit of a romance, a solid friends-to-lovers trope, which I like, but it's just as much an amateur sleuthing story, when Lady Petra, a well-connected 20-something who has her own inheritance and therefore has decided not to marry but forge her own path - learns of the death of a friend that seems a bit suspicious. What she eventually uncovers, regarding a pseudo doctor and a sanatorium, brings in some interesting themes to a Regency romp, dealing with the idea of female "hysteria" and misogyny. This part of the story was maybe a bit slow to take off, but once it got rolling I was very intrigued - I can see why there's an Agatha Christie comparison in terms of amateur sleuthing, but I would say it has more pace and a bit more of a glimpse of an "underbelly" of society feel to it than a real "cozy" mystery. A plus, in my book. If you like any/all of the above, this was a fun read - and actually had me on the edge of my seat toward the end - but warning that the first chapter was actually a bit of a slog, with the mentioning of so many different society names in conversation between Petra and her lady's made. Hard to keep track of since you're not actually meeting any of those characters yet (and so many nobles have 2 names - "Lord whatever" in addition to their regular name), but worth pushing through! The publisher's blurb also mentions this as the start of a new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin, and I'm here for more of it.

This was a fun, cozy Victorian mystery. Just the right thing for a very hot day. I read it in one day and look forward to the next in the series.

Lady Petra has a mind of her own and sometimes flouts the rules of Society, especially since the death of her fiance and her declaration that she would remain single. She has been in the country helping run her father's stable since he broke his leg, but runs back to London for the Duchess' ball when her detested uncle visits. There, she finds that her friend was sent to a "rest" home in the country and died. There are several ladies of her acquaintance who have recently gone missing, and their husbands and fathers don't seem to care. Petra is determined to find out what happened. He quest for information leads to the stabbing death of a footman before he can tell what he knows. Everything leads to a secretive doctor the men are consulting to have their wives and daughters "treated" for "nerves" and "unfeminine conduct".
Petra ends up at Fairwind, the secluded "treatment" facility, courtesy of her hated uncle. (All gothic heroines ALWAYS trustingly drink the drugged wine poured by the villain.) Petra escapes,with damning documents about the doctor and the men he was blackmailing, aided by the sympathetic housekeeper and her own efforts. Outside is her childhood friend, Duncan, who has brought her maid, and her father.
Once the documents are turned over to the Duchess, who has the ear of the Queen, the "doctor" is executed and the men are exposed for their misdeeds.
A good expose' of the involuntary commitment of women for the "crimes" of not wanting to marry, not birthing an heir or "just don't like this wife but want to keep her money and want a new one".

Regency-Era is my absolute favorite! I immediately knew this book was going to be for me as soon as I read the description. I think “Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie” is an excellent way to market this but it also has the banter and strong female lead that reminded me of Jane Austen. I absolutely flew through the second half of this book, the book really took off for me around chapter 14. Petra was so easy to root for throughout the entire book. The ending really got me! I cannot wait for the sequel. Overall, I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a regency-era setting, a strong female lead, and a mystery!

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is okay, but definitely not great.

Oh, sure, it's clever, the characters are fun, and the villain is truly despicable, but overall, I probably wouldn't have finished this one if it wasn't an ARC.

So what was the issue?

The biggest issue was the pacing. The first 50-60% of the story is very slow and bogged down by an abundance of names--not actual characters, because most of these people we don't ever meet or only meet in passing. These people are various lords and ladies who are mentioned in relation to their servants, who are mentioned in relation to their meeting/gossiping with someone else, who may or may not be someone we actually meet...There are just too many unimportant people brought up, but you don't know that they're unimportant to start, so you're trying to keep track of everyone's title and familiar name and servants, and it's all a mess. On top of that, the plot for the first bit is just Lady Petra, our heroine, attending balls and being sassy with rakish lords who are too drunk or mean to keep their opinions to themselves. It's a bit repetitive, and Petra is never in the wrong.

Which brings me to issue two: Lady Petra herself. Petra is fine, but she's a bit too perfect. She's beautiful, intelligent, and an amazing horsewoman, although she insists on riding astride--gasp! She has her own monies, so she doesn't need to marry, and in fact, she's declared she'll remain a spinster since her fiancé tragically died shortly before their wedding. However, she's not opposed to taking lovers and doesn't judge anyone for doing the same. Her incredible kindness allows her to easily befriend everyone she wishes, but she's clever enough to cut down her "enemies" with wit and charm. She's the goddaughter of Her Grace and associated with all the proper nobility, who, of course, help her achieve her anonymous good deeds for the downtrodden. It's all just too good to be true, and it makes Petra feel unrealistic and unrelatable, which is not what you want in a female lead.

So what did this book do right? The villain. The mystery plot isn't original, but the villain himself is very well written. He's charming, manipulative, smart, and downright evil, and he would certainly be a match for Petra if not for her loyal band of followers who help her out of every sticky situation. Nonetheless, the build up of the villain, his introduction, and his methods are worth the slow beginning, and once his plans are put into action, the pace of the story really picks up.

The ending is an abrupt cliffhanger which challenges the abrupt romantic relationship that has popped up between Petra and the main male lead, who isn't actually in the story all that much. I know it's meant to be shocking, but I really just don't care enough to read the next book and see how things play out.

I'm sure this book will appeal to many, but it's awkward pacing and perfect heroine kept me from truly loving it. Three stars.

This book was fun and easy to read. If you like Bridgerton or Jane Austen, or the general vibe of stories set in a Regency period you'll enjoy this book. It was a fast read but didn't necessarily lure me in until about Half way through. The first half is a little slow, but by the second half I couldn't put it down. If you are okay with a slow start in order to get to the rewarding end, definitely give this story a try.

i ADORE this i'm such a mystery gal and i could not put this down ! love the setting and the characters, hope the next books in this series are a tad less predictable (but i've also just read a lot of mystery so what seems predictable to me may not seem so for other readers). overall such a cute and fun read and delightfully complex relationships and writing for a cozy mystery <3

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.