I received this audiobook excited to check it out, but in the end - it wasn't quite what I was looking for. The mystery and characters were charming, set in London. The atmosphere was perfect, but I could not get super hooked on this one and one thing might have been the pacing. This is perfect for those looking for a cozy mystery with a historical twist. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the first in the Lady Petra series - Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. This follow up was a fun return to Lady Petra and the familiar cast of characters. I wouldn't recommend jumping in. While this is a standalone mystery, there are a lot of relational dynamics carried over from the first book.

The narration was good.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for a free copy of #All'sFairInLoveAndTreachery by Celeste Connally. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful follow-up to Lady Petra’s first adventure in Act Like A Lady, Think Like a Lord - this mystery will appeal to fans of historical mystery AND regency romance. The audiobook narrator was excellent as well.

Although this seems to be the second book of a series, for me it was the first. I read this as an audiobook and my 3 stars are for both the writing and the narration.

I am a sucker for restoration age mysteries so of course I enjoyed that aspect. Unfortunately I felt the writing tried to 'add' to the historic age with overwritten, too flowery sentences that sometimes went against clarity. The mystery story was decent, although it did not take much to put two and two together, at least partially. The final picture turned out to be a bit silly and overcomplicated and some 'where the heck has this come from?' surprises. Lady Petra went on my nerves many times - and I feel that was not the intention of Ms. Connally (the author). Also, when we hear about the plotters' reasoning for their rebellion first time, one cannot help but feel much sympathy towards those declarations and find the good guys' actions unjustified. Celeste Connally must have noticed this too, as in the second half of the novel she did everything she could to convey the cruelty of the rioters, and of course we could not (and cannot) agree with the traitors' violence. So in the end we did get a bit of a satisfaction of the bad party's getting what they'd deserved.

The narration of the audiobook was also OK; felt the narrator overacted the roles sometimes, mainly with certain (female) characters.

The blurb said that this novel is 'Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie' which I don't agree with. Bridgerton - yes. Agatha Christie - strong no.

The audiobook of All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally was a courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. Thanks so much to all for this opportunity.

The audiobook of the year! I've listened to a lot of audiobooks this year and have greatly enjoyed many of them, but this one instantly stood our from the pack. I was immediately drawn into the story, with the narrator adding greatly to the entertainment value of the novel. I was able to picture the setting and characters in my mind as the novel unfolded. The story itself was fantastic with plenty of intrigue, twist and turns along the way. A large, yet intimate cast of characters had me second-guessing everyone, making the unveiling of who did it a lot of fun. I will purchase this book in paperback to add to my collection and re-read. I highly recommend this title no matter how a reader prefers to digest it.

Oh, my goodness, what a fun listen "All's Fair in Love and Treachery" by Celeste Connally turned out to be.
The plot has so many rabbits to chase it could be confusing at times, but they come together nicely and in a satisfying way. There's all the wonderful things you can expect from a historical romp and mystery, treachery, royal plots, murder, betrayal, wrapped up in a world of high society and manners. The heroine, Petra, is practically asked to save the world, or at least the monarchy and a bunch of orphans, while solving the murder of her viscount fiance'. What a muddle!
Readers of Regency and Victorian mystery will enjoy this, as well as period romance readers who may enjoy lighter fare. The audiobook version has a good narrator (Eilidh Beaton) and I'd gladly listen to her perform other books.

This was a captivating Regency read with likeable characters, solid mysteries, and even a touch of humor that I do enjoy in my mysteries of any time frame. The depiction of the anticipation and celebration of the end of the Napoleonic Wars is both interesting and entertaining, and I do not recall a similar representation in my other books set in this period. Contrary to my general rule, I missed the first book in this series and was concerned that might inhibit my enjoyment of this book. It did not. Certainly, I still recommend starting with the first book in the series, but this book was enjoyable on its own. I like Lady Petra and Duncan as a couple, but do hope the relationship comes out of the shadows. We'll see, and I already look forward to their next adventure.

Eilidh Beaton does an excellent job of bringing these characters to life.

All’s Fair in Love and Treachery is the second book featuring Lady Petra, but I didn’t read the first. I do think I missed out a little by not reading the first. The author did a good job of catching the reader up on the relationships, but a lot of it had to do with wrapping up events from the first book. Petra has discovered her childhood best friend and current lover, Duncan, may have murdered her fiancé’s three years ago. Duncan, of course, leaves before Petra can confront him and she thinks the worst of him Why do women in cozy mysteries always do that? Assume that the man who has always been nothing but honest and caring is actually lying to her and making a fool out of her? In the meantime, Queen Charlotte has asked Petra to look into the death of the matron at the Asylum for Female Orphans. The matron was probably murdered and there may be a connection with a group of radicals who want to tear down the monarchy.

The mystery moves along at a good pace. It’s a bit convoluted but the characters make up for it, and I enjoyed the setting. The regency era is not one I visit often. Petra and her friends are lively and fun and determined. Her romance with Duncan is sweet and I like that he realizes she is not one to be left behind when there’s an adventure.

There are several twists and turns but in the end things are wrapped up nicely. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job with the pacing, accents, and distinguishing the characters. I just wish she hadn’t made Petra seem so whiny.

Such a captivating and mysterious story! I love a good sleuth tale and this one is a great read. It definitely gives Enola Holmes vibes to me. I love how women centric it is even though it is set in a time where women weren’t allowed many freedoms! I definitely need to go back and read book 1 now!

Lady Petra is tasked with investigating a death at a London orphanage, uncovering a radical plot to overthrow the monarchy. Her investigation intertwines with her search for her vanished lover, leading to a race against time to prevent disaster.

This book is the second in a series best read in order. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Sabotage, scandal, secrets, seduction. A great follow-up to the first book in the series, this second novel follows lady Petra in her new investigative role as she attempts to unravel two plots in one. Love the twists and turns. Very cute and mild while still keeping things interesting.

If you like a good historical romance mystery, this one is for you! A little spicy, but not much, and very full of wit.

The plot was very fun to follow, and I loved every single character. The antagonist and their crew were a little underdeveloped, but also you could extrapolate some from current events and fill in those blanks.

This book is great for anyone who like Tirzah Price or CJ Archer.

Thank you for the ARC!

A delightful romp of a romance mystery! I made a mistake by not reading book 1, but I enjoyed Petra’s misadventures and the entire cast! I’ll be picking up the other books as they’re available!

The second book in the Lady Petra Inquires series is a clever mystery with a hearty dollop of romance. Lady Petra has her hands full investigating a murder at a girls' orphanage and attempting to foil a treacherous plot against the Queen, while endeavoring to find out the truth about the man she loves. There are hijinks and disguises and all manner of shenanigans. Infused with plenty of historical accuracy, Connally's world building of Regency-era London is very fun indeed, with a diverse array of characters, much banter and copious witticisms. Huzzah!

I really enjoyed this second book where we follow Lady Petra as she works to uncover another mystery. I felt the plot was well developed and the twists were not at all what I was expecting, but I liked how they tied into the first novel.

Lady Petra Forsyth returns with another mystery and this time around she’s taking a more active role in her investigation!

At the dawn of Napoleon’s surrender at Waterloo, Lady Petra has been tasked by the queen to investigate the mysterious murder of the headmistress at The Asylum for Female Orphans. With a possible connection to a plot on the Queen’s life, Lady Petra makes this a top priority and jumps into the case with both feet!

This is a follow up to last year’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, and I found that it remedies all the issues I had with the first book. All's Fair in Love and Treachery is a focussed historical mystery without the extra romance and historical fiction plots muddying up the storyline. With this zeroed in focus, you really get to see Lady Petra’s investigation skills develop and improve as she actively unravels this mystery.

That being said, like any good historical mystery there’s still an element of romance and we do get to see her paramour, Duncan plenty in this story. This time around he backs up Petra and boosts her story line instead of being a distraction.

I listen to the audiobook narrated by Eilidh Beaton and found myself easily swept away by their narration. Beaton does an excellent job creating voice distinction between a multitude of characters and all the while expressing emotion through her reading. This was an enjoyable mystery to listen to.

I’m glad I picked up the second book after being on the fence from book one. I will definitely be looking out for Lady Petra’s next adventure/mystery!

Title: All’s Fair in Love and Treachery
By: Celeste Connally
Pub. Date: November 12, 2024

Summary:
Lady Petra has been rocked by startling news: her lover has disappeared, and her husband's death may have occurred under circumstances different from what she initially believed. At the same time, Queen Charlotte has firmly instructed Lady Petra to look into the mysterious death of the matron at the local orphanage. As Lady Petra begins her investigation, she uncovers a handful of potential suspects. However, as the truth begins to unfold, she is stunned by the unexpected revelations surrounding her lover. Will she uncover the truth?

Review:
I had hoped this could be enjoyed as a standalone novel, like some books in a series, but it actually starts by picking up the cliffhanger from the first book. Since the characters were unfamiliar to me, it was challenging to piece together who was who and what was happening. I’d recommend reading the first novel—maybe even re-reading it if it’s been a while—to refresh your memory on the characters. Going into this book without prior knowledge of the first one doesn’t work well for these particular characters. I found the two separate mysteries a bit confusing. However, the ending was written in a way I personally preferred. If you enjoyed the first novel and like this author’s style, I’d say it’s worth continuing the series.

*Narration on this audiobook was well done.*

Thank you Celeste Connally, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#Allsfairinloveandtreachery
#celesteconnally
#macmillanaudio
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley

This book was cute, and I liked the characters. I was so disappointed when the murder was discovered... ( I don't want to give it away) because I really liked that character. The relationship between the FMC and MMC was adorable. Overall, I liked this book, but I was hoping for something a little more. It was cute and cozy kind of read. The audio book version was very well done. I loved the choices in the narrators.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

Thank you Netgalley, Celeste Connally and MacMillan Audio.
Typically I find it an absolute breeze to provide feedback on books from the# MacAudio2024 program because they're all so beautifully done. This one is a struggle for me though because while the production and narration was actually wonderful. The book itself though, while compared to a cross between the Bridgertons and an Agatha Christie... fell short for me. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable or compelling and the story really didn't hold my interest. This one wasn't a winner for me. I'd say 2.5 stars.

All’s Fair in Love and Treachery AUDIO by Celeste Connally is the second in a series featuring Lady Petra as a self-described sleuth who finds answers but often gets in the way of others as she does so. Queen Charlotte has asked Lady Petra to make inquiries regarding the suspicious death of an orphanage’s matron. So, Lady Petra, unable to refuse, starts asking questions and observes and gets herself tangled up in more than she can handle. Her current lover, Duncan Shawcross, is nowhere to be found but is looking more and more guilty of high crimes, including the death of her betrothed three years earlier. He tells her to trust him but she knows she will be unable to do so without proof. It all gets quite complicated.

Petra is a wonderful character: bright, clever, and beautiful. Duncan is a government agent and as we are all aware, oft times they cannot be trusted. There appears to be a plot to overthrow the monarchy. And something is going to happen during the three-day celebration following winning of the war with Napoleon. Things are hectic and many people believe they know more than they do, which does nothing but complicate things. Someone tells Petra some unpleasant things about her dead betrothed and that adds fuel to her fire. An exciting listen, full of twists and turns and red herrings. With the current popularity of the Regency time period, it is the perfect read.

Eilidh Beaton is the narrator and she makes Lady Petra sound like a valley girl, which is not entirely a bad thing. The audio version is excellent, holding the listener’s attention for many enjoyable hours. I read and listened both and believe I prefer listening, which is not always the case for me.

I was invited to read All’s Fair in Love and Treachery by St Martin’s Press and to listen by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #CelesteConnally #EilidhBeaton #AllsFairInLoveAndTreachery