This book was a really good mashup of mystery and regency era woes. I really liked the commentary on woman rights and liberation. It was a nice spin on the usual regency tale. I will give a trigger warning that at the end of the book restraints and kidnapping become an issue. So I would keep that in mind if you're considering picking this one up. I am always a fan of a headstrong young woman choosing to live life in a time and place where women were supposed to be more of an accessory than a main character. Petra certainly is the main character and she is tenacious. She is bound and determined to figure out what happened to her friend Gwen who mysteriously died, There are rumors of a mysterious place the ladies of the ton who have a few too many opinions have been disappearing to. The book was twisty turny from the outset and you will absolutely be unprepared for the bomb that is dropped on the very last page. Can't wait to read the next one!

This book was written well enough, but I found the premise overall kind of grating. The ideals for what “ladies” and “lord” should be were really off putting and generally petty, and it ended up making most of the cast really unlikeable

First in what will be an intriguing mystery series. The Regency wasn't big on feminism, but Lady Petra is having none of that nonsense.
Her friend dies from melancholia, and she investigates only to uncover some sheer absurdity of men allowed to institutionalize their wives. Not going to fly with Lady Petra, an avowed spinster.

Keep them coming, Celeste Connally!

Due to St. Martins Press refusal to address the remarks made by their employee regarding Palestine, I will not be reviewing this book.

This in no way has anything to do with the author. But I refuse to support anything from SMP because of their refusal to address a major issue at hand.

I enjoyed the wit and humour as well as the mystery angle. I found it a bit too descriptive and the story slow to start. The ending was my favorite part. The cast of character is interesting and this was a fun first instalment in a series.

I really enjoyed this book both as mystery and some romance. I look forward to the upcoming books in the series.

I love this genre of fiction (I call it historical cozy-ish mystery) and this is a great start to a new series. I fully agree with the description “Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie” and would also compare it to the Lady Georgie series by Rhys Bowen. I loved the extra feminist twist here with Lady Petra declaring herself a spinster. The mystery here was very sad but probably time-appropriate in the way the men treated their wives and daughters as disposable. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for sending me a physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

I do enjoy a well written historical, regency time period romance, especially since I read the first two books in the Bridgerton series and I have also enjoyed other books of the regency romance genre including those written by Evie Dunmore which I have read all but the newest two books in the series.

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Lord features the elements I have come to enjoy in a regency romance historical novel including strong female main character (s), historical detail, connections between the characters, and detailed descriptions of the setting which allows me to visualize the setting when I am reading the book. I always appreciate a novel which can easily transport me and make me feel like I am right there with the character.

This book is very focused on the mystery part of this novel and is less focused on the romance compared to other books of the regency romance genre I have been reading and I was pleasantly surprised by this fact and I didn't feel that the fact that the book was a slow burn romance affected my level of enjoyment at all. In fact, I found it to be a refreshing palate cleanser of a read with a main character who was courageous, self reliant, and intelligent. I do enjoy a "swoony" romance novel from time to time, but I also enjoy female characters who are also well-read and independent and I was in the mood for something different in a regency romance genre book and this book was just what I needed to read.

I enjoyed the England setting, the time period and the feminist angle and also the friends of Lady Petra who aided her in her mystery solving adventure. Oh wow, that ending certainly left me wanting more and on such a cliffhanger. I hope there will be a next book and that I don't have to wait too long to read more of these characters.

Lady Petra turns society on it’s head when her beloved fiancé dies and she vows to remain unmarried. Everyone is scandalized except for a few dear friends. Suddenly everyone is giving her their opinion on the matter. Especially her misogynistic uncle who will do anything to “help“ his niece “learn her place.”

I really enjoyed this romance/mystery. Lady Petra lost her beloved fiance and vowed to never marry. As a strong woman with a supportive father, she enjoys life and is very aware of the strictures put on women upon their marriage. Meanwhile, Petra notices some acquaintances have died or been sent away for their health.

I don't know if this was a mystery in the sense of "who is bad/good", but it was a mystery to Petra, and I enjoyed that as part of the plot. There is also a nice romance that does not overshadow everything. I especially liked Petra's friendships with her maid, her apothecary, and a dog trainer. This was a fun book, and I'd recommend it.

“𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒕.”

I’m always up for a new mystery series, and this one caught up attention right away with its historical setting, described as “Bridgerton meets Sherlock Holmes.”

I absolutely adored Lady Petra, who is a headstrong independent female willing to go against society’s expectations - whether declaring herself a spinster since she believes she will never find another love like her recently deceased fiancé, pushing for women to have similar rights to men, or believing in the right for people to love who they choose (early LGBTQ rep in Juddy!). She reminds me a lot of Phryne Fisher from Ms. Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. The side characters are wonderful: Petra’s maid Annie and her best friend Caroline are fantastic companions who support Petra; I adore Teddy, Juddy, Rupert and Lottie as allies too. Duncan is a classic friend turned enemy turned possible lover, and he passes along a lot of his knowledge to help Petra as she investigates what may have happened to her friend. The treatment of women in the period, and the way men try to control women, is highlighted well - I found myself angered by how often the females in the story were not trusted. It did take a while to get into the story - the first 30% is a lot of gossip and dialogue, with the “Regency speak” taking some getting used to. However, the last 50% really amped up, especially since the mystery took some dark turns.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a story of worthiness, taking a different path than expected from society, helping others, strength, control and freedoms. It makes for a very interesting start to a new historical mystery series. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Cozy mystery with a very likable heroine. Fast read and fun. I do wish some of the names where not as similiar as it got a little confusing at times.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a Regency romance/mystery hybrid. I appreciated the intent of the mystery story but found the pacing erratic - it took quite a while to get going at the beginning due to many introductions, lots of gossip etc, then there was a lot of action towards the end, and a cliffhanger ending that is presumably intended to set up the next book but felt jarringly different from the conventional happy ending for a Regency romance. Thank you to St Martin’s, Minotaur and Net Galley for the advance copy.

If you’re looking for a Regency era mystery, there’s a new one out this month: “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord: A Mystery” by Celeste Connally.

Pub Info — It came out November 14 from @minotaur_books. It currently has a 3.7 average & 630 ratings on Goodreads. It’s been nominated for Best Books of the Year 2023 by Amazon Books editors.

Categories — Historical Fiction, Mystery, Regency, Feminist, Romance, Cozy Mystery, England, 1800s

It’s marketed as a “Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie,” which is a very big ask in my opinion! This will also be a start to a series by the author. Reviewers such as Jessica Fellowes (of Mitford & Downton Abbey fame) describe it as “witty” and “delightful” — however, it does grapple with serious elements. It reminds me a bit of “The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies” which also came out this year.

About the Plot (No Spoilers) ⤵️

☕️ After losing her fiancé in an accident three years earlier, Lady Petra Forsyth (a wealthy woman and daughter of an Earl) shockingly announces she will never marry.

👒 Her plans to sit back and enjoy high society are changed when she learns a friend has passed away while under the care of a questionable physician.

🫖 The story told is that her friend had a fit of melancholia — Petra thinks otherwise and decides to investigate. She discovers a secret institution that allows men to pay for women to be locked away under the guise of medical treatment.

☕️ Thus, the story follows Petra’s attempts to uncover the secrets and find what happened to her friend & other women held in similar circumstances

Who’s It Good For? — Regency and Jane Austen fans, mystery & cozy mystery readers, historical fiction readers, people who like authors such as Deanna Raybourn and Kerry Greenwood

Petra and her former childhood friend Duncan join forces in this novel to investigate the strange disappearances of some of Petra's friends in this Regency send up. Since Petra's fiance, and Duncan's best friend, passed away unexpectedly right before the wedding, she has declared her intention to remain single, yet her uncle seems intent upon matching her up with potential husbands. Schemes abound as her own family members turn to scurrilous persons and pursuits to convince Petra to abandon her single-mindedness and her sleuthing, which can land her in deep trouble.

Readers who enjoy a Regency mystery might like this read, especially if they enjoy a lot of detail in plot and characters. There is a cliff hanger ending to this novel.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Lady Petra is likable (a good daughter, a kind employer, and she's good to animals), a feminist when men were ruled. Her mother died when she was young, but left her a sizable inheritance that allows her more freedoms. But she can be naive at times in her priviledged world and too trusting of her own safety. I like Duncan Shawcross, Petra's childhood playmate and confidante who is also the illegitimate son of Marquess of Langford. They make a great team and he is a good potential romantic interest since he understands her well. Her best friend Caroline is in a marriage of convenience does as she pleases which makes her a bad influence in many ways, but a good friend. Lady Petra's personal maid, Annie, is a wonderful side character and a street urchin Petra has befriended, Teddy, as well.

This book had a slow start and took many chapters for the murder to happen. But once it did the book really took off. I realize this is the debut and thus had to setup the world and Lady Petra's reality, but the slowness combined with an onslaught of characters with titles and a bunch of gossip just weighed down the beginning. I read this occasionally trying to slog through until I finally got to the murder and then it took off like a race horse and I couldn't put it down.

Sadly, this is based on actual practices historically. I know some may think the sending of unwanted wives to an asylum, as presented in the book, is an exageration, but it happened fairly often and with just a husband's say-so in far too many cases. At the time this is set, men ruled and women had no standing in and of themselves. Men of the day thought little of such practices because it was all legal strictly speaking.

Historically, Lady Petra wouldn't have been afforded so much freedom by her father and Duncan Shawcross's being illegitimate would have kept him from being so well regarded in society. I didn't mind those liberties with the storyline, but some might take exception to them.

The book is more about the journey than the mystery to solve. We follow Lady Petra and she does end up in a harrowing situation in the well done and tense climax.

Rating: Good - A fun read. Slow to start but it develops and gets really good.

"Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord" promises an intriguing blend of Regency-era mystery and a feminist perspective. The novel introduces Lady Petra Forsyth, a woman of independent means who boldly declares her intent never to marry after the devastating loss of her fiancé. Her determination to maintain her freedom and wealth in a society that expects women to yield both upon marriage sets the stage for an engaging exploration of societal norms and gender roles in the Regency era.

The narrative takes its time to set the stage, delving into Lady Petra's world and her defiance of societal expectations. While this slow buildup might aim to establish the characters and their motivations, it appears to elongate the story, testing the reader's patience. However, the book gains traction in its final sections, where the pace quickens and the plot thickens, offering a compelling resolution that ties together the earlier threads.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its thematic elements, particularly in highlighting the injustices faced by women in that era. Lady Petra's quest to uncover the truth behind a friend's suspicious death leads her to unveil a disturbing reality—an asylum where women are confined against their will. This exploration of societal issues through the lens of a historical mystery adds depth to the narrative, infusing it with relevance beyond mere entertainment.

Despite the slower parts, the last portion of the book delivers a satisfying payoff, weaving together the threads of mystery and social commentary into a compelling climax. Lady Petra's headstrong actions, while serving her investigative pursuits, also endanger her own freedom—a compelling irony that adds tension to the narrative.

I was ultimately disappointed with this novel. I wanted to like it. I tried several times to engage with it. It just does nothing to make me care. We've got all the elements of a classic lady's mystery: Era. Meddling Family. Kind Benevolent Figure. A Ton Death. Guilt to Make the Protagonist Engage. Enough Suspicion to Get Her Involved. History With an Eligible Man. But they just didn't come together cohesively for me. I love several similar series, but this just isn't drawing me in. I care about the general plight of Lady Petra. I just find it tedious every time I pick it up. I've tried the ebook and audiobook, but the story just isn't enough to keep me engaged. I forced myself to make it to 30% before DNFing. Maybe it becomes more engaging at 45% or 62%, but the reader needs to care far before then. Perhaps with more editing this could be a winner. I certainly wish the author the best in developing her craft and succeeding. But there are too many other books I'd rather be reading. I will not be posting about this novel or recommending it to anyone.

Bravo for a great title and cover though!

This one took me some time to get through I keep finding my self frustrated over a few of the characters, but overall it was decent read and a good mystery but the pace needed to be a bit quicker

Lady Petra vows to never marry after her fiancé dies. She uses her title to enjoy the best of society. When she hears a friend has died, she decides to look into the mysterious death.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is the first book in the Lady Petra Inquires series. Petra is a smart, strong protagonist. The cast of characters is interesting. and the setting is lovely. This was a great start to a new series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.