What a great read.  

Set in 1896 it takes you on the story of Violets life, her mother left when she was 18 and now 10 years later she wants to find her.  She wants to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance, but it’s not suitable for a young lady. 

Easy read that will make you giggle.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I was sent a copy of No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby to read and review by NetGalley.  This is a very readable and amusing novel.  There is a clear sense of time and place, with a good insight into the expectations demanded of women at the time.  This is the author’s debut novel and I can see the characters moving forward into a series, I hope so anyway!  A great read if you fancy something quite light-hearted that makes you chuckle along the way.

This was a brilliant debut. A quirky read that I absolutely loved! I’m glad to hear this will be a series as I’m looking forward to reading a next book

This was a lot of fun to read. 

Violet isn't your usual kind of 28 year old in 1896.  She is definitely not looking for marriage. 

Her mother disappeared ten years ago and Violet wants to know what happened to her.  In doing so, she ends up with the kind of reputation that is the ruin of a young woman in the olden days. 

During her quest she hires a detective, then has to hire another who has literally just decided not to be a detective!

There is a lot of potential here.

For Bridgerton fans trying to hold themselves over, No Life for a Lady may make the wait a tiny bit easier. While regency-era romances and adventures are all the rage, this story deserves its place among the fandom. Readers are collectively living in the perfect moment for a story like this. The stakes are high enough to be thrilling but low enough to be incredibly relaxing and delightful.

Full review below.

I DNF'd this at about 20%. I just couldn't get into the story and the main character was incredibly annoying to read.

What a warm, joyful, entertaining, fun & romantic story. Just like a hot soup on a cold day or a piece of chocolate. Loved it. Thank you for this arc in exchange of an honest review (sorry for the delay, I fell a bit behind)

Fabulous, engaging and wonderful. I really enjoyed meeting Violet and seeing her finding herself in a male dominated Victorian environment. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

No Life for A Lady is a funny lady detective historical story about a lady named Violet. At the early start of her adult life she decides to take on her mother's missing person case. Fast forward ten years she is unmarried and determined as ever to doge all the suitors her father sends her way . Violet is determined to live to the beat of her own drum despite what her father and society says.

I really enjoyed this story , it was a fun and easy read with likeable characters , if you are looking for a light hearted historical read, this is the one for you.

I didn't request this book specifically from Netgalley but inestead got an email with an offer from the publisher as I had reviewed for them before. I bleive this particular publisher occasionally does this and I've often not accepted the books because I felt like I wasn't the target audience or it wouldn't appeal to me. I was curious about this one because the protagonist sounds independent and feisty. 

Yet I took a while to pick this up because it wasn't a book I had planned to read... in part I regret it, in part it was just the right time for a book that would just pick me up so effortlessly and take me on its journey. I found this was such a fun romp! Although no expert, I suspect it isn't very historically accurate or anything but it's also not the type of book where I care about these aspects very much. The main character, Violet, is feisty, independent, strong-headed, sassy, a little sheltered (I don't want to say naive as she is quick-witted and picks up on things quickly) and above all has a good heart. As I am typing this out, I realise this sounds very shallow and much like the "Not-like-other-girls" trope  but there is something about her that I just like, including the narrative voice that the author chooses. It's just very readable. I think it's also fine to have a character that fits some stereotypes because the books isn't pretending to be deep or philosophical, it's mostly fun with a little mystery - the disappearance of Violet's mother - at the heart of the story. There is witty dialogue, there are likable main characters. There is LBTQ rep. The novel is just the right length with just the right pacing, at least for me personally. I loved it! I was surprised to see it was a debut novel of the author because the book felt well crafted and not as a raw around the edges as some other debuts may feel. I really hope we will see more from Hannah Dolby and I really hope it will feature Violet as well.

This. Book was great, it kept the period theme running though, but also added few bits to chuckle at. I really like the main character- I so wanted her to become a detective, fall in love, settle down and be happy. However I also wanted her to stay strong and maintain her single, strong outlook. A very simple, but cute book.

I thought this was a unique historical novel with a mystery aspect to it! Overall, I would recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Honestly I found this pretty charming. I was really deeply in love with the way that the author portrayed the heroine as resourceful and perseverant despite how much she had to go through alone and I liked the way humour was used to balance out the darker elements/topics. I thought the way that the romantic plot was developed was unintrusive in a way that felt natural to the first-person narrative and lent the story an optimistic note, especially at the end. I hope this becomes a series, and I would read more by the author!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC*

A delightful and quirky cozy mystery that is perfect for book club and easy to read and follow. The characters are unique and fabulous.

I really enjoyed this book, it was riddled with humour and wit, the protagonist was very engaging and I enjoyed the story immensely.

This story had me laughing out loud despite some instances of the author stretching credulity!  Back in the early 1900s Victoria Hamilton is determined to discover the reason for her mother’s disappearance ten years ago - though quite why she leaves this momentous decision for so long is unclear!  She hires a rather dubious detective but gets caught up in the detective business herself!  Not happy with the first detective she tries to hire another who has just retired due to a broken leg!  Victoria is a wonderful character who tends to let her tongue run away with her!  She even has trouble with alcoholic dogs at one point!  There is a lovely unexpected twist at the end!  A fun story!

This book did not work the way that I anticipated. It was a completely different tone than the cover (and the title) led me to believe. If I had paid more attention to the blurb, I would have been more accurate in my expectations.
That said, it is a fun story, even with the sorrow that our lead protagonist has to deal with. Violet had a mother who was vibrant and beautiful. She put her on her pedestal, and not even her having gone missing (with no reports of foul play) has diminished the images Violet holds dear. 
It is only when she sees an advertisement for a private detective who seems interested in taking new cases does she start to do something about her missing mother.
She takes her limited resources and the case to the detective. It is here that the tone of the narrative switches a little. Every escapade that Violet gets into after letting someone 'investigate' the disappearance of her mother is dealt with with a light touch. It is only towards the end that the seriousness of the situation sinks in and actual dangers surface. This tonal difference is probably the main reason for my final rating. 
There are two halves to the plotline. One is of Violet trying to figure out everything about relationships and how to behave as a 'lady' while not knowing the first thing about living out in the wilds of the city. The other is the odd situation with her mother and the scandalous information that keeps surfacing. The ending also weighed in on both these aspects. One was a serious reflection on the end of the mystery, and the other was of Violet's personal life and the number of misjudgements she had to make on the way.
I would recommend it to fans of the genre since this is definitely a different story than the ones I usually encounter with such titles.
I would like to try more books by the author if I get the chance.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I am not typically one for a historical romantic comedy but this one was so fun! It was funny, lighthearted, and had a unique take with the historical aspect!

No life for a lady filled the brigerton shaped hole that needed to be filled. So sharp and funny perfect escapism. Highly recommend. I can't wait to read more by Hannah Dolby.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book, but I'd heard about it on social media and figured it was time for a break from my usual diet of gruesome murder mysteries!

The story focuses on Violet Hamilton, a 28-year old woman living with her father in Hastings in 1896.  Her father has ideas about marrying her off, but Violet is much more interested in what happened to her mother who vanished from Hastings Pier ten years before.  An advert in the local paper leads her to engage the rather odd Frank Knight as private detective.  However, it isn't long before Violet becomes unhappy with Mr Knight's methods and takes matters into her own hands - with the sometimes unwilling help of Benjamin, son of a detective but who would rather have a quiet life selling furniture.

Violet was an absolute star!  I loved that she heartily resists marriage and follows her own path - I was really rooting for her to discover the truth about her mother.  I liked that revelations about her mother started to open Violet's mind to the ways of the world - she moves from naive to more knowing without losing any of her charm along the way.  

What made this book a joy to read was the humour - Violet's naivete was good source of comedy, but Dolby also has a sharp eye for situational comedy.  Violet's attempt to swap a footstall for some help from Benjamin was just lovely, as was the way that she engaged in a battle of wits with Mrs Monk.  Her revelations about the mushrooms also made me laugh so much...best read it to see!

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries - it's quite a gentle investigation with some larger-than-life characters on the way.  I wasn't totally sold on all the elements of the ending, but I was certainly glad that we seem poised to get another instalment of Violet's adventures.