I love regency era mysteries, but struggled with the pacing of this one. I really liked the main character Petra taking a stand against marrying after the loss of her love. The talk of balls and all the different characters in society that Petra interacted with but the mystery took quite a while.

I'm a sucker for a Regency romance. I'm a sucker for a mystery. So a Regency-era romantic mystery should be right up my alley. And mostly, this one was. The one thing that gave me pause when reading the description, and with current historical romances in general, is when 21st century sensibilities crop up in a 19th century setting. It's a fine line for me - I don't need a documentary, but I also don't want to feel like characters have time-traveled from 2023 to 1815. Lady Petra came dangerously close to becoming that type character for me here, but didn't quite cross the line.
I often say that the first book in a series is rarely the best of the series - a lot of time is spent setting up the characters, the background, basically the world-building for the series is happening in that first book. And again, there was a lot of time spent on that in the early chapters of this book. Perhaps too many characters were mentioned early on, at times when they were mentioned again later I had trouble remembering why they'd been mentioned previously. But at some point the world-building faded to the background and the mystery and romance moved to the forefront and the book became much more engaging. The mystery, which is very much rooted in some horrific practices from the 18th and 19th century (and frankly, also the 20th) - wasn't too much of a surprise to me as a reader, but still it was compelling. The romance takes a while to heat up, but it does show up near the end (though the attraction is there all along). And then we have quite the cliffhanger at the end. I'll definitely give book two a go - hoping that things will get going more quickly now that the world-building aspect has been established. I'll add that I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration by Eilidh Beaton was delightful. She was a new-to-me narrator, but I'd absolutely listen to more books with her narration.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. At some points I felt as if there was a previous book I didn't read. The main character has spunk and gets herself into trouble with some of what she says. I like how the story incorporates friendships and a bit of romance. The narrator was very good. I would recommend this book.

I gave this funny romp 4 stars and I reserve 5 stars for books that would change my life, so I think 4 stars is a pretty good rating! This book made me laugh, and most of all grabbed and held onto my attention. It was well written and had enough plot turns to keep me guessing, while still having some of the tropes of a romance novel or a mystery novel that I've always enjoyed. Plus I wanted to cheer for the heroine and her "spinsterhood"! Definitely worth reading, and if there's another mystery with these characters coming, I'll be keeping my eyes out for it.

The rage I felt for the women in this book was unreal. The way Petra was spoken to, how women were treated when the men in their family were done or embarrassed by them... this was all at the end of the book, but AHHHH.

The mystery was slow to build with lots of little pieces to then explode into a good kind of mess.

Anyways... I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see more of Petra and the trouble the self-declared spinster comes across, especially with the little cliffhanger of information at the end.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley for my advanced copies.

Audio narrator did a great job, too!

This book really ended up not being what I expected (having read a fair number of historical mysteries led by female characters living outside the social norm). I think I expected a more romance forward story, and one where the MC was actively investigating a murder. But the main thing our heroine is investigating here is the strange death and/or disappearance of her friend Gwen, whose funeral was held two weeks before, but whose former loyal footman swears he saw her the day before.

I also definitely expected this to be more of a romp, but it really wasn't. This book takes on (spoilers for what happened to her friend) <spoiler>the disgusting practice of locking women up in institutions in order to control them, or simply to get rid of them</spoiler> and it treats the consequences of that with respect and doesn't shy away from the nasty reality of it. The villain perpetrating all of this (help from the patriarchy, of course) was a bit moustache-twirly for my tastes, but I hated him suitably and he made a good foil for Petra, who I read in an interview the author (Stephanie Perkins using a penname) named Petra because it means "rock" in Greek.

I was thinking this book would be a fun way to pass the time, but I'm actually really into it. Especially since it seems Petra is dedicated to her "spinsterhood", even though she is now regularly getting the good old what for from <spoiler>her childhood friend Duncan</spoiler>.

Happily recommend this one!

(The audiobook narrator, Eilidh Beaton, was also lovely and did a great job. If I see her narrating another book, it will make me want to pick it up more.)

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Conally, narrated by Eilidh Beaton, is a delightful cozy mystery that transports listeners to the heart of London society in 1815. Lady Petra Forsyth, the daughter of the Earl of Holbrook, takes center stage as a spirited and unconventional protagonist who defies societal norms by declaring herself a spinster.
The narrative weaves a captivating tale as Lady Petra stumbles upon a clandestine private asylum, unveiling a sinister plot where men pay to have their wives and daughters unjustly confined. Conally's storytelling is both engaging and atmospheric, capturing the essence of Regency-era London with its rich historical details and vivid characterizations.
Eilidh Beaton's narration adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the audio book, skillfully bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and an authentic period-appropriate tone. Beaton's performance enhances the immersive experience, making it easy for listeners to get lost in the mystery unfolding in the bygone streets of London.
"Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord" is a perfect blend of mystery, historical ambiance, and a touch of humor, making it a thoroughly enjoyable listen for fans of cozy mysteries. (I received an advance reader copy of this audio book and all opinions are my own.) Celeste Conally and Eilidh Beaton create a winning combination, delivering a charming and engaging audio book that will leave listeners eagerly anticipating Lady Petra's next adventure.

3.5 stars
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is a historical, romantic mystery. Admittedly, I didn't love this book's writing style. At times the feminist and romantic themes felt a little blunt and heavy handed. However, at the end of the day I enjoyed the themes and messaging itself so it didn't bother me too much. My only real issue with this book is that the ending was much darker than the rest of the story, and caught me a little off guard. Overall though, I'd recommend this to any historical fiction readers. It's a quick and exciting period piece!

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally
Narrator Eilidh Beaton
I usually enjoy a Regency novel but this one left something to be desired for me. It wasn’t really a romance or a mystery either one. There was a lot of lecturing and info dumping on the subject of women’s rights during that period of time. It got a little tedious after a while. And if I never hear the word spinster again it will be fine. I got the point, over and over again.
The romance was sorely lacking, if you even want to call it a romance. I wouldn’t.
The evil culprit was so stereotypically evil that I expected him to twirl his mustaches like Snidely Whiplash.
The narrator was excellent as always.
I don’t really intend to read another book in this series, sorry to say.

I first encountered this book as an ebook and found it satisfactory but having now read/heard this book as an audiobook, I am enthralled. It calls to mind Bridgerton, with its discussion of "the ton." I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators were superb and the story was both engaging and compelling. I 100% recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys a good thriller, romance or historical fiction book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Women and their freedoms... be allowed to keep their own money...be able to divorce a man they do not love...these are tedious ridiculous arguments that have no merit; for if women had these rights then what rights would men have? How would be considered the better, stronger sex?"

Well if Lady Petra Forsyth has her way men will realize in the historical fiction mystery Act Like Lady, Think Like A Lord by mystery author Celeste Connally that women are indeed the better sex.

In this start to a new mystery series, Lady Petra Inquiries #1, taking place in London 1815, a mash up of Bridgerton and Agatha Christie, independently wealthy Petra declares after the death of her fiance that she will remain single, or as the gossiping lords and ladies put it, be a spinster.

As she travels and lives an independent life she hears a dear friend has passed away from "melancholia" in a private asylum. Finding this rather shocking she investigates and finds a dubious doctor making money from men willing to pay for their "hysterical" wives and daughters to be put away and be quiet. They never saw Lady Petra and her Sherlock Holmes detective abilities coming for them.

Reading and listening to this story was a contrasting experience. The cover made me expect a cozy mystery, the first part read a bit slowly as a feminist story of a woman testing her independence but the audiobook narrator Eilidh Beaton brought home the writer's unsettling truths of women treated as property.

A light mystery with a powerful theme; there's a slow burn friends to lovers sub plot, a wise Duchess, and some cute dogs to even out the story. No need to think like a Lord with a woman like Lady Petra in charge.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was an exciting start to a new historical mystery series. It was fun reading about Petra and her fellow Society eccentrics. I particularly liked the dogs. Personally, I really not a fan of asylums or gaslighting and those parts were difficult for me. Overall though, I enjoyed this book.

The audiobook is narrated by Eilidh Beaton. I enjoyed her performance. She did a great job bringing Petra and her adventures to life.

In a Nutshell: Would have worked much better had the ladies in the story didn’t assume “act like a lady” meant “gossip all day long” and “think like a lord” stood for “judge everyone else for what they look like and what they wear and what they do…” This had great potential but the characters sullied my experience.

Story Synopsis:
Suffolk, 1815. After Lady Petra’s beloved fiancé dies just a few weeks before their upcoming nuptials, she is left heartbroken. Even now, three years later, she isn’t interested in marrying anyone else. So she declares, before the elite of London, that she intends to stay unmarried because, as a woman of independent means, she has no need of a husband to support her lifestyle.
During a ball, she discovers that a close friend has passed away two weeks back under mysterious circumstances. But just some minutes later, another person tells her that the friend was spotted just a few days ago. Lady Petra realises that one advantage of being an elite spinster is that she can poke her nose into the mystery and dig out the truth. So that’s exactly what she does.
The story comes to us in Petra’s third person perspective.


Imagine you, an introvert, have entered a party where you know no one. You join the nearest group of friendly-looking ladies, hoping to join in their animated conversation. But you simply don’t get a chance to do so, because the ladies just don’t shut up. On and on and on they talk, remarking on other people’s appearances and relationships and scandals and businesses, until your head starts spinning trying to make sense of the who’s and what’s of the conversation, and wondering what the heck you are doing there.

That was my experience for most of the first half of the book, with me being in the introvert’s shoes. The initial 30-35% is nothing but an extended gossip session with tons of names being dropped and no sign of a concrete plot. The story then incorporates a bit of action, but the gossip doesn’t stop. Rather, the tittle-tattle is present all the way till the end; it only dips and rises in quantum.

Lady Petra is the expected star of the show. This means that she is the best at whatever she sets out to do, no matter how poor her decision-making and how annoying her habit of jumping to conclusions. She acts as opinionated and adamant as she wants to, but no other character can do so without being subject to whispers and rumours. The most irritating aspect of her personality, to me, was her condescending attitude towards those “inferior” to her social station. This might have been accurate to the era, but the way it was written didn’t endear Petra to me, all the more as she didn’t even realise how patronising she sounded. Her second annoying trait was her habit of judging every character by their physical appearance and anatomical attributes, or lack thereof.

Most of the other wealthy women characters have fixed roles to play – either victim or blabbermouth or privileged snoot. The poorer women are stuck as stereotypical maids and housekeepers. The book does the greatest disservice to its male characters, most of whom have only to drink and interact with Petra and talk about women “spreading their legs”. Almost every character is flat, and the ones with a little depth are mostly unlikeable. There is a ‘romance” but it is barely there, which would have made me happy in normal circumstances had the romantic interest not been sketched in such a lacklustre manner.

Gauging such a book on its historical accuracy is not fair as these kind of historical mysteries provide a partially feminist twist to reality. This, I’ll accept as a good writing choice. However, when a character is shown as conservative, the inaccuracies stand out. For instance, if a lady has discovered a dead body and is quite shocked, and her childhood friend suddenly arrives at the scene, the first thing he would do as a gentleman is to steer her away from the body and allay her fears, not stand there and discuss the various stab wounds and figure out who could be behind the attack. It is a challenge not to roll the eyes at such scenes.

What I did like about the book is the theme. Or maybe I should say ‘themes’, because it does attempt to fit in a lot - gender discrimination, women’s rights, queer rights, domestic abuse, racial discrimination, class discrimination, wealth bias,... (Debut novel, so yes, again we have the infamous ‘kitchen sink syndrome’.) Let’s just say, the intent was good.

I also liked the ‘mystery”, though its on-page execution was silly towards the end. It is impossible for me to accept that a potential villain would just stand in front of his next victim and give an extended infodump of his modus operandi and his plans. At the same time, the final resolution seems quite rushed.

Lastly, I wish the person who wrote the blurb had some self-control. Most of the plot is revealed there, including a major chunk of the mystery. What’s the point of reading a mystery novel if the reveal is in the blurb itself?

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 11 hrs 15 min, is narrated by Eilidh Beaton. If ever a narrator could save this book, it is her! I have no doubt that my review would have been even more scathing had I actually read the book instead of having heard it. Beaton imbues the characters with a voice suitable to their personalities. Her performance helped me complete the book.


The series is titled “Lady Petra Inquires”, but practically, Lady Petra gossips, judges, accuses, and still comes out on top of everything. Officially, this is supposed to be a “Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie…, a dazzling first entry in a terrific new Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.” Mentioning Agatha Christie here has to be a joke of the highest order. And simply having a historical setting doesn’t make a book “Bridgerton”! How is a romcom series being compared to a mystery?

This is the first of a planned series. Most of the plot threads come to a conclusion without cliffhangers. What little is left untied is too trivial to be worrisome. Of course, it goes without saying that my journey with this series end right at the starting point. If you are a more forgiving soul or is someone who enjoys salacious gossip-mongering in fiction (or reality), kindly do give this a try.

2.5 stars, rounding down because the grace marks are only for the narrator.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

In theory, I should have loved this audiobook. I did a mix of reading and listening for this novel, and I admit I enjoyed reading the physical book better. I am unsure if it was the narrator or this writing style, spoken out loud, but I couldn't get into the story through audio. The plot as a whole was enjoyable, and I think anyone who likes their leading ladies to be similar to Jane Austen's Emma will enjoy the story. It was decent and kept my attention. I give it 3.5/5 stars

Upon reading the synopsis, I was all for the idea of a feminist focused novel set within a typically unsupportive time like Regency England. The premise had a lot of promise; however, I do not like the title. Isn’t it possible to act like a lady and think like one successfully? I understand the period setting and yet this falls flat for me.

Lady Petra Forsyth has shocked the ton with her announcement of continuing her life as a single unattached female of means. Her announcement is one that many bachelors, indeed in the same circumstance, find disgraceful and repugnant. As she comports herself with dignity and continues public appearances, she discovers that a few high standing women are turning up missing due to “health issues”. These women have allegedly been sent to the countryside to receive treatment and yet no one can give Petra the exact location. She takes it upon herself to sleuth out what is occurring after the unexpected death of a close personal friend. What she finds out will link very elite men to a scheme of forcefully admitting their wives/daughters to an asylum under the care of a madman.

The good: Lady Petra is an independent woman of means and a feminist in a time when there were incredibly few. She has spunk and attitude that presumably serve her well in most cases. Her references to changing vocabulary that attribute to a double standard such as spinster vs. bachelor were applaudable.

The bad: Lady Petra may be a feminist and yet this feels very one dimensional. There was no attempt to bring in an intersectional viewpoint or at the very least a self-realization of the privilege that allows her conduct her life as she chooses. Petra also annoyingly and repeatedly jumps to ridiculous conclusions, which reverses the feminist nuance and brings in the atypical archetype for a Regency female.

Overall, this read was just ok for me. I found some of it worthy of my attention and a good portion of it infuriating. The audio production was very well done. The narrator did a fantastic job switching gender roles and changed inflection for different women.

I have mostly been reading romance novels these past few years, but this book caught my eye. I truly enjoyed the story, even if there were some predictable parts. Lady Petra was such an exciting and inspiring main character. Listening to this on audiobook was great and challenging at the same time. It was great because the narrator made unique voices and was very engaging to listen to. It was hard because there were so many names in this book, plus you had to know the first and last names of many characters, so if you don’t have a copy of the book to, flip back to be reminded who that person was and how you knew them. But I have this issue with most books I listen to only, but this book had many more characters. I loved the epilogue and the sneak peek at the next book. I’m so very excited to read that one, too. This book also makes me want to look into reading more mysteries.
I received an ARC of this audiobook via NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun one! Lady Petra Forsyth is ahead of her time when she makes the declaration that she will never marry after her fiancé dies. She has her own fortune which gives her the great freedom to live on her own terms. As she moves in social circles, she hears that one of her friends in the country has died of melancholia and that her widower held a small private funeral. Just a few days later, a footman claims to have seen her friend in London, two weeks after her reported death. As Petra puzzles over the strange circumstances reported around her friend's death, she starts to notice that other women are disappearing from society and they seem to all have a connection to one man, Mr. Drysdale. Petra's childhood friend, Duncan Shawcross has returned from the continent after being away for a couple years. He was also the best friend to Petra's fiancé and played matchmaker, but after their shared loss, Petra and Duncan argued and split as friends. Now with women disappearing to asylums, Petra finds Duncan might be the only man she can trust to help uncover what's really going on.

Lady Petra is sharp, sassy, and not one to back down from men who need to be put in their place. She has a loyal circle of friends in her best friend Lady Caroline, her maid Annie, and new friend, Miss Reed. The novel moves along at an engaging, page-turning pace. Duncan and Petra have chemistry that simmers along, complimenting the plot but not overpowering it. I really was not ready for this one to end and was happy to see Goodreads indicate this is the start of a series. The narrator is fantastic. She gives Lady Petra the perfect voice, and her voice inflection for all the different characters is spot on.
This was just the distraction I needed right now!

ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD by Celeste Connally and narrated by Eilidh Beaton is a mash up of Regency era cozy mystery.

This story introduces Petra Forsythia 1815 London as a singular woman who has chosen a path far outside the common expectations. Rejecting the term "spinster" for its negative connotations, Petra has nonetheless embraced the status and declared her intention not to marry. She is drawn into a mystery of the death of a friend and uncovers much more than she bargained for, but not without putting her own freedom at risk.

I was really excited to read what was billed as "Brigerton meets Agatha Christie." I also read the synopsis, which told the first 2/3rds of the story (not the synopsis I just gave). I was unfortunately disappointed in my expectations and the spoiler synopsis. If I had simply seen it as a Regency mystery, I would have been better situated to enjoy this one. AG is a major comparison, and it is hard to match. This was not a twisty whodunit at all. It was a social critique about feminism in the early 1800's with a serial killer in a cozy format.

The audio was done well. I think she did a good job with the various characters and I was easily able to keep everyone separate.

I really think this story could have hit me better without the synopsis. As it was with what I had, my experience with this story was a ⭐⭐⭐. I think if you don't read the given synopsis and go into it with less of a whodunit expectation, it could be better. I did have both the digital and audio, which is usually a win for me, but unfortunately, I kept waiting for something different.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio & @minotaur_books for this book in both formats and for letting me share my thoughts. This was published on November 14th, so if it sounds like it would be a win for you, please go check it out!

Thank you to Minotaur books for my complimentary arc and to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Lord is part mystery and part social commentary of 1800’s London. It was an interesting foray into the horrid things men of the Ton would do to the women in their lives who didn’t fit into societal norms. I was outraged and downright scared for all the women characters while reading this one.
I am so glad I did not live during this time period as I would have been hauled off to the asylum until I was “fixed”.
Petra is very smart and I applaud her detective skills. I am glad she had such good friends by her side to help her unravel this mysteries of Fairwinds.

I am hoping for additional books as I see this is listed as Book 1, especially after reading that final paragraph. I must admit to having the same thoughts.

The audiobook narrator did a great job with the voices. Anytime I heard Drysdale’s voice I would get
the chills.

There’s a whole lot of world building in the first half of the book and it can get quite tedious. I almost gave up a few times because of how often it’s pointed out that Petra is not like the others (unmarried, outspoken, LGBTQ+ supporter); I get it – she’s a rebel. It finally started to pick up and the story got better but it took forever. The ending was satisfying but the last line definitely made me think about picking up the next in the series (I was undecided at first).