I really enjoyed the premise of this book as it went beyond the traditional confines of the historical romance genre and explored more about women's (wealthy white women that is) lives at the times. It was honestly creepy and sad to think about the treatment of women and the hysteria diagnosis.

I didn't like the end of the book as I felt it made no sense.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally is a Regency-era mystery series I can get down on!

This is exactly how a cozy mystery should be. And add the Regency time era!
What’s not to love! It was an amazing time.
Perfect writing skills, perfect character development, and a perfectly fun and exciting plot. I loved the atmosphere of this as well as the characters.
Celeste Connally blends this all together masterfully giving us a charming cozy to devour. I hope to see more because this was a super fun cozy mystery!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is an engaging first in the Lady Petra Inquires series by Celeste Connally. This book is a gem with many facets! I enjoyed this historical cozy mystery set against the unique backdrop of the Regency era. The author seamlessly weaves together many different elements making it an irresistible read for fans of the historical cozy genre.
I especially loved the courageous and intelligent main character, Lady Petra Forsyth, who finds herself entangled in a web of mystery surrounding the supposed death of a friend. As she navigates society’s social circles Petra discovers a sinister plot brought about by formidable villains. One being a “doctor” and the other her own uncle!
The author paints a vivid picture of the Regency era and Ms. Connally’s attention to detail creates an enjoyable experience for the reader. Along with a bit of romance, the unraveling of this well-planned mystery kept me guessing until the very. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am anxious to read the next in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for a ebook copy of this to review!

Unfortunately, this book suffered in both pace and plot for me. I was interested in the mystery but the irrelevant information dumps about every character and every place was overwhelming and unnecessary. I was always confused about who was who and why they were part of the story. But the real disappointment was the background of the villian. It was the most predictable and stereotypical reveal and I was really hoping it wouldn't go there earlier in the book. There were just a lot of issues that came together than made this book not enjoyable for me. .

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, Celeste Connally
Mystery/Suspense, Romance

The second in a series, Connally’s work challenges her readers to challenge social restrictions and step outside their comfort zones. The book is understandable without having read the first, but I do plan to. Again, I’m initially drawn to this book because it is set in the time of Austen. Austenites are always looking for the adjacent read. While this book is significantly from Austen on the surface, I’m thinking Petra and Elizabeth Bennett Darcy would likely be friends. Petra is recovering from the loss of her husband and still reeling from the loss of her friendship with Duncan. After declaring her intent to remain a spinster, she has drawn the wrath of her Uncle Tobias who doubts her ability to make such a decision, she is working to maintain her place in society. At a ball she learns of the death of her acquaintance Lady Milford and the involvement of Drysdale and his asylum for “hysterical” women. Young Martin, who has useful information, is brutally murdered before he can share it. Petra is determined to find out what is happening. Against all common sense she finds herself deeper involved and more in danger every day.
Petra has a mind of her own and like Elizabeth Bennett will remain true to herself when others might find her crazy. I mostly admired her except when I wanted to urge her to calm down. I guess if she had, countless women would have continued to suffer in the fraudulent asylum. She is intelligent, resourceful, daring, and a bit stubborn. She has help from her best friend, young Teddy from the street, and I look forward to seeing him develop as the series grows. Because of my not reading the first books, I am not fully sure that I understood Duncan completely, but I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Petra. The ending clearly hints that we will see more of them together, or not.
I would absolutely recommend this to my Austen reading friends, my mystery loving friends, and my friends who prefer a gentle romance. It is a good reminder of how far women have come. I love that Petra is true to herself as she navigates her independent future, and I love the challenge to the reader to get to know herself (or himself, of course) and to live accordingly. The book also served, for me, as an uncomfortable reminder of how much we still need to progress with regard to how we deal with mental health. I was scared at the lack of power the women in this book had and the treatment they received. While I know we know more and are doing better at taking care of all people, I feel we still fail more than we should in areas of mental illness and health. I like that this book provokes this kind of thinking in the reader.

This was a difficult book for me to finish. The beginning was extremely slow with too much gossip between and about many people who are not part of the story line. This makes it very difficult to keep track of who is who. The story could have been improved condensing and eliminating much of the beginning. There is basically no mystery in the first third, and the author teases with one in the middle third. The ending is predictable and did not leave me interested in future books in the series.
On the plus side, I enjoyed her interpretation of what life might be like in the 1800’s and her scenery descriptions were right on. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

The description is right, this book is Bridgerton meets Agatha Christy!! 10/10 would recommend for those into mystery and regency ear works. It is a little predictable, but the story and plot really held my attention!

The author writes from a perspective that is observant of the environment as is to leave foreshadowing throughout the book.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a thrilling regency era mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and the plot is intricately woven, making it a truly enjoyable read.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the unexpected twist at the end. The last sentence set up a sequel in a way that was both surprising and intriguing. I can't wait to see where the story goes next!

Overall, I highly recommend Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord to anyone who loves historical fiction, mysteries, or just a good story. It's a four-star read that's sure to keep you engaged and entertained.

After Lady Petra Forsyth's fiancé died and she felt betrayed by her childhood friend, Duncan Shawcross, along with the inheritance from her mother, she decides not to marry . Going from her home at Buckfields to begin a season of parties with her friends, she encounters Duncan who is polite but cold.
She also learns that a dear friend, Gwen, Lady Milford, had died but Gwen's fired servant said he just saw her alive. When the servant is murdered she starts to hear about more deaths and illnesses that are tied to a certain doctor and his sanitarium. Now Petra needs the help of her friends, especially Duncan, to get to the bottom of this mystery, but in doing so she may be putting herself in danger.
An enjoyable and interesting historical romantic mystery with a fierce heroine who has friends that believe in her.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-galley of "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord".

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord introduces us to Lady Petra Forsyth - independent Regency woman, and self-declared spinster. When women of the ton start disappearing and/or suddenly dying, and their husbands don't seem to care, Petra investigates a shady doctor, and his asylum in the English countryside. Celeste Connally has written a charming, fast-paced, historical cozy (with a little bit of romance thrown in!), and I really enjoyed it! The ending features a teaser for a second book in the series, and I am very much looking forward to reading it as well! 5 stars!!!

Hmm, I wanted to like this more than I did. I mean, it seems so fun and out of the ordinary for this genre. A mashup of regency and mystery? Sign me up!

But then, actually reading it wasn't as exciting as I'd anticipated. It's a bit heavy-handed on the expositioning. There's not enough going on early in the story to make it interesting right off the bat. There's just wordiness and setting the scene, as well as no real focus on where the book is going. It seems like a series of random conversations with new characters at every turn.

Now, I'm all for setting the scene and introducing characters, but when it takes a large percentage of the book to get the ball rolling, that's a bit much. It's hard for me to get invested in and care about the story or characters when it takes so long for things to happen. It seemed like it took until the 50-60% mark (or probably around chapter 21 or 22) for any action and problem-solving to occur. At that point, it's too little, too late for me.

Then, when we finally get to the mystery, it's quite disturbing. What I'm about to say next is a major spoiler, so do not read the next sentence if you don't want anything spoiled. Go to the next paragraph. [ I doubt that rich and well-known families in the regency era would be so quick to send off their women to an insane asylum to be abused and experimented on. That seemed way off base to me, so I couldn't get over that. I'm not saying that those didn't exist, I just don't believe it was something so commonly used in society at that time. But who knows? Maybe I'm wrong? (hide spoiler)]

Despite that part of the story, the author does create a vivid world within the regency era. It may not be historically accurate at every turn, but any anachronisms (other than what I wrote in the spoiler above) seem to fit right in with the overall tone of the writing and plot. In that regard, I wasn't overly concerned with the modernized actions and words of Petra and her colleagues. I did find the feminist overtones a bit overdone, though. I'm all for women's rights and women choosing what they want, but I don't like it coming from the perspective that men are bad or even evil unless they allow women to be wild and unruly and have nonexistent morals. There's nothing wrong with being married (and there's nothing wrong with not being married). But why must seemingly all feminist-leaning books (that I've encountered) promote the message that a woman is only empowered when she has extramarital affairs and bows to no one's wishes but her own? I personally think that message is selfish and hedonistic (whether you're a woman or a man). There is so much more to life than pleasing and only caring about oneself.

Also, I don't think this should be promoted as romance. There was little to no actual romance at all. The main focus was entirely on Petra and her solving the mystery.

Anyway, as others have mentioned, this does end on a cliffhanger. Due to my experience reading, I probably won't pick it up. That said, I do believe there will be a niche of readers who will adore and devour every word of this (and any subsequent novels) written by this author. Just because it wasn't exactly my cup of tea doesn't mean that it's a bad or poorly written book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC and for the opportunity to review this book.

Content
Infrequent and mild swearing. Extramarital affairs, though none of it is detailed or "on screen." Some disturbing imagery aasociated with the mystery. Some danger and peril. Gaslighting.

Overall I enjoyed this novel, but at times the pacing felt a little off. It was definitely slower in parts and I would find myself skimming. It read a little less mysteriously than I was expecting, but I appreciated the confidence of the MC. My romantic soul was also hoping for a little more build up in the romance department.

Thank you to @Celeste Connally and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was a refreshing take on historical fiction. I enjoyed that while there was romance, it was not the main storyline of the book, and while men helped save the day, it was the women of this story who did most of the dirty work!

This will be a favourite for anyone who enjoys historical mysteries with a touch of romance & danger.

I enjoy historical mysteries and I was drawn to this one because it is a debut and has a cute cover, to be honest. From my perspective, this one had a stronger feminist spin and a more predictable storyline and mystery. I didn’t feel as much connection or enjoyment in the side characters (as I’m used to feeling with these types of books) and the romance aspect was missing.
All that being said, I will likely pick up the next book to see how the series progresses!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Lady Petra Forsyth is a feminist in a man's age. Taking place in 1815, this novel highlights the oppressive times that a woman had to face. She chooses to rebel in some minor and, in some cases, major protests.

But other, more sinister things are occurring. The wives and daughters of members of the British upper class are disappearing. Lady Petra discovers that they are being sent to a sadist man who derives entirely too much joy from his reprogramming efforts. Because of her rebellious ways, her uncle decides that she needs to be reprogrammed also.

I really enjoyed this novel. Besides being very well written, it gave a wonderful view of a forgotten time and lifestyle. The characters were well-developed. The plot moved along nicely. The ending was a bit predictable but was still fun. My only complaint with the book was an unusual one. The author has a fascination with eye color. With every character, she focused on what color there eyes were...over and over. I bet eye color was mentioned over a hundred times! It got to be a bit of a joke and distracted from the overall quality of the book. But, it's a minor complaint. All in all, I loved this book.

Although this book is touted as a mystery, it has only a few mysterious elements, as the "mystery" is solved early on in the book and the remainder of the book deals with the characters' attempts to deal with the resulting problems. The regency era speech rings a bit false, as it is filled with a modern sense of humor, and although I want to appreciate the feminist twist on the prevailing attitudes of the time, it feels a bit heavy handed. There is a bit of romance that many readers will appreciate, but for me, the characters and plot let this book down.

I loved the start of this new historical fiction series. It was fresh, smart, snappy and extremely satisfying. It is 1815 and Lady Petra has recently caused a stir in society when she expressed her intention to stay single after the untimely death of her fiancé. Her father is a forward thinker who supports his daughter but her uncle is demanding that she marry. When Lady Petra's friends start disappearing to the country "for their health" and some are said to have died, Lady Petra becomes suspicious, especially after one of the footmen say that they saw their former employer, Lady Gwen, very much alive in London after her supposed death. But before Lady Petra can further question him, he is found stabbed to death. Soon Lady Petra learns more about the house in the country, run by Mr. Drysdale, where women are being sent by their husbands for "treatment." Some may truly need medical attention but most are just meddlesome to their husbands because they speak their mind or dare to seek independence. Lady Petra soon learns that her uncle plans to send her to the country but she has a secret ally to help her escape. Friends since childhood, Lady Petra and Duncan were inseparable until he was sent to oversee his families interests on the continent. He has returned to England and he is teaming up with Lady Petra, her lady's maid, Annie, and her best friend, Lady Caroline, to help save the women at Mr. Drysdale's asylum. I highly recommend and will definitely continue with the series. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After her fiance died three years ago, Lady Petra Forsyth proclaimed to society that she would live out her life as a spinster. Thanks to a supportive father and the rare gift of an inheritance from her mother, she can thankfully ignore the judgement and whispers from her peers. When she learns that one of her close female friends has mysteriously died from “melancholia”, she starts looking closer at the questionable physician her friend was seeing. What she discovers is numerous disappearances of ladies from high society, and an isolated asylum that they're all sent to. And, if her uncle has anything to say, Petra herself will soon be going there too.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord was a fun read. With a wide cast of female characters and an engaging plot, this felt almost like a Regency-period Nancy Drew, but with a touch more adult themes. An easy read with simple themes, it was exactly what I needed to read. The main character was definitely the highlight, with her friends coming close second.

The love interest wasn't very fleshed out and all the time we spent with him didn't feel like it was enough. The trope of estranged childhood best friend was interesting, but not overly so, and I think the relationship could have used some more development.

The setting felt slightly different from other Regency books I've read, possibly because Petra is a rare instance of “lady of independent means” in a society that usually doesn't allow women freedom. Her independence meant that the setting felt lighter or more modern, but the overall light tone of the book also meant that the switch to the discussions of gendered violence was swift and sometimes unexpected. This made it much more intense, which could be both a good and bad thing.

There were definitely parts of the book that could have been edited or rewritten, as some things felt underdeveloped or rushed, and the villain's were flat and washed out. But if you're looking for an easy read with a Regency girl gang and casual girlboss energy, this is definitely worth a read!

The first half of this book I was convinced I was going to DNF it. The second half I couldn’t put it down. It is very slow to start and has no sense of direction at first. Near the middle things do pick up and it becomes pretty predictable. There were a lot of names mentioned with not much background so it was hard to keep up everyone. The story finishes up pretty quickly and ends with a predictable cliff hanger.

I really wanted to love this book. I loved the idea of a regency mystery. The story was very long and wordy and convoluted, often hard to keep track of. There were so many characters to also keep track of and so much going on. It took me so long to read because I would get lost or Zoe out reading it. The asylum with the crazy evil doctor was a nice touch. But I really hated the cliffhanger at the end. This is a one off for me, I would not reread it and I’m not sure I would recommend it. I know some people loved it but it was too much for me. The only reason I would read the second book is to resolve the cliffhanger.