Lady Augusta Colebrook and her twin sister, Lady Julia, are 42 years old (Lady Augusta is the elder, by 15 minutes). Julia has lost her beloved fiance, Robert, in a hunting accident and she still mourns him. She also have breast cancer, which is, of course, a death sentence in 1815 London. While on their way to visit a friend, they are accosted by a highwayman that Augusta shoots. Augusta and Julia quickly learn the wounded man in Lord Evan Belford, who was convicted of murder 20 years ago and transported to Australia. Augusta becomes convinced that Lord Evan was wrongly convicted and she decides to investigate what happened. Meanwhile, she and her sister have decided to assist women who are in untenable situations rather than sit by the fire and embroider as other spinsters might do. Lord Evan becomes Augusta's reluctant co-conspirator. But then Evan and Augusta must rescue Evan's younger sister from a madhouse. A fun read, recommended.

This is a fun regency story. I’m used to reading regency romance but this regency mystery was a fun change. This is book one in a new series and I’m excited to continue. At the age of 42 Augusta is considered a spinster. I’m nearing the age of 42 in a few months and this poor thing is straight up considered an old lady in these times. Her twin sister Julia is grieving the death of her betrothed and these two need something to take their minds off their circumstances.
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They are on a mission to rescue their friend’s goddaughter from a violent husband. I don’t ever like to give too much away in a mystery but this is a great old fashioned mystery!
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I’m excited for book 2!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Lady Augusta and her twin sister Julia, find themselves helping their acquaintance out of a sticky situation which leads to more requests for help. At 42, the sisters are considered old maids, which they use to their advantage to help women and girls. The book is split into three main cases, ranging from saving a women from being killed by her husband, to rescuing girls who had been trafficked to a brothel, to freeing women who had been committed to a madhouse. The running theme throughout the book is also about the sister's autonomy and their precarious relationship with their brother. Overall, a well-written Regency mystery featuring two sisters of means who are dealing with the issues of the times and navigating them to the best of their ability to help other women.

This book was very different from the normal Regency mystery or romance. The characters, in their 40s, are considered old and unimportant. This is certainly a true assessment of the times. Issues such as women's illnesses and the plight of women at the hand's of men make this a very different tale. The main characters are twin sisters who, though financially independent are subject to the will and whims of their brother who, in my opinion, is a man of his times and not very nice. The sisters launch into a series of rescues helping friends and those less fortunate then themselves. Along the way they enlist the help of a fugitive member of the nobility who himself, needs their assistance. This is the first of a new series and I look forward to more installments.

Absolutely delightful. It’s a relief to encounter characters that can relate to, even if I know some of their opinions may be anachronistic. But then again, there must have been forward thinking people back then, just like now. Anyway, I’m very excited to continue the series as it develops!

What a great book! Regency era with elements of romance but not a typical romance. Elements of mystery but not a mystery! A fun Read with plenty of adventure. Twin sisters that help out a friend and discovery they have a knack for getting in and out of trouble. Oh, and they are 42! Main characters are never over 30!

This is such a detour for Alison Goodman, and I'm so glad it's here. This tells the tale of the two spinster sisters of wealth and standing who decide to start helping women who can't help themselves. While they end up in dangerous situations, they have to use thier wits, bravery, and society upbringing to get them out of trouble. There's a fabulous love interest, and the Regancy setting is always a delight. I'm so happy there will be a sequel. Highly recommended.

Don’t let the cute cover fool you, this Regency mystery delves into some pretty dark underbellies of English history. Imagine an Anne Perry mystery with a darling cover and you have an apt comparison. Through the eyes of Lady Augusta Colebrook or “Gus” as her loved ones call her, some of the worst degradations against women are revealed. She and her twin sister are called upon to solve three different mysteries with the help of Lord Evan Belford who is currently on the run after being charged with murder and exiled.

The first mystery involves a lady who’s being blackmailed. The blackmailer was once her lover, but now threatens to expose her through the letters she’s written to him unless she pays him off. Augusta and Julia attempt to retrieve the letters and stop the blackmailer.

The second mystery is perhaps the most heinous and involves child trafficking. “Gus” enlists the help of Lord Belford to break into a brothel and rescue a little girl who’s been kidnapped. While there, they notice other young girls and attempt to rescue them risking their lives.

In the third mystery, Augusta accepts a desperate plea from Lord Belford to help him rescue his sister who’s been wrongly imprisoned in an asylum. The two pose undercover and go to work in the asylum as husband and wife. What they discover is enough to turn the strongest stomach. However, Evan has a Bow Street runner after him as well as a bounty hunter. Though Gus believes him innocent, she fears for his safety. It’s a fast-paced, nail-biting conclusion as they try to extract Evan’s sister and evade capture.

“Gus” is a complicated character. She’s very much a feminist, extremely sarcastic, and strong willed. Circumstances involving her father, twin, and spoiled younger brother have made her somewhat bitter and agnostic. When she meets Lord Evan, she immediately falls for the dashing man who understands and respects her. Her twin Julia is the calm to Gus’ storm who goes from being peaceable and unruffled to a force to be reckoned with.

I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. She has the perfect voice for this book and really brings out the personalities of each character. I liked the way she voiced both male and female characters.

Despite the dark and depressing circumstances of the book, there are some humorous moments and a hint of romance. However, for the most part, it deals with some intense, tawdry subjects some readers might find difficult to read about. There are mentions of cancer including descriptions of surgery, incidences of violence, some profanity, and innuendo. I’d probably rate this PG-13. If you are a fan of historical mysteries and don’t mind delving into darker subjects, you might enjoy this. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher but also purchased the audiobook. All opinions are my own and freely given. 3 1/2 stars

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is immersive feminist historical fiction set in Regency London that revolves around two unmarried twin sisters in their forties who gets involved in a series of rescue adventures that saves women and children from a dangerous and life-threatening situations.

I absolutely love this book and I already want to read the next books in the series. Writing is engaging, emotive, fast-paced and thrilling with enough tension and drama. The story is told from Augusta’s perspective. I loved the format of the book dividing the story into three parts for three different cases and adventures in order starting in June 1812 along with the base storyline of Augusta and her twin sister Julia’s life.

Augusta is my most favorite character. She sure will be on my favorite kick-ass heroines list. She is fiery, strong, brave, and independent woman with adventurous spirit who refused to conform to society’s norms and ideas of how unmarried women of her age should do and should behave. She is logical, and compassionate, with abundance of self-respect and has no patience or tolerance for nonsense. I was amazed by her quick thinking and courageous nature. She improvised a lot in all cases and I’m surprised how all her plans worked out in each case.

It was great to know more about her relationship with her dead father. Her love for Julia and fear of losing her to cancer like their mother and grandmother is touching.

Julia is the polar opposite of Augusta. She always sees a better and brighter side, is quick to forgive, and rarely gets enraged, and follows Augusta wherever she goes and whatever she does. Their sisterly and twin bond was amazing and nothing could break it. They face everything together. It was sad to see Julia suffering from early-stage of breast cancer. I admired her for supporting Augusta and following her in all the cases even with her poor physical health.

Lord Evan was my second favorite. He is smart and charming highwayman. He appears dishonorable but we soon can see he still is honorable gentleman that he was before he was convicted for murder and was stripped of his to-be-title of marquess. I was curious to know more about him, it was clear he wasn’t the person who would murder anyone but that mystery remains unsolved in this book (I can’t wait to read that in next book). However, we get into the mystery of why he absconded in the third case.

Reading situations of all women in this era makes me think, how they could even live or how they lived was really living, how men could sleep and wander in society after such horrible acts. It makes me grateful for being born in today’s world and admire all strong female historical figures even more who could achieve and do more with their limited options or I should say with no options.

There are many themes and layers that included – women’s position in this era, how little law and religion supported women, patriarchal society, social casts, superstitions, child trafficking, horrible conditions in asylums, women’s maltreatment in the madhouse, misogyny, and many other things. Early 1800s movements, asylum reforms, politics, laws, and medical treatments are also included. It was interesting to read in the author’s note what real historical figures and situations appears in the novel.

But even with such darker themes and topics there are many uplifting and lovely moments. I enjoyed banter between the characters. It feels good to see both Augusta and Julia, who were in their spinsterhood in the beginning, found love at the end who admired them for who they are.

Overall, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is fast-paced, immersive, emotive, and adventurous feminist historical fiction. This is absolute perfection. I hope the author writes the next books in the series fast and I get to read them.

This was such a happy read, even though it dealt with some serious injustices of the past (and present).

Lady Augusta (Gussie or Gus to her friends and family) is an old maid by Regency standards. However, this does not bother her at all. She and her twin, Lady Julia, live together in a family home. Julia was engaged to be married, but her fiance perished in a freak hunting accident two years ago. The two have their own income, and a standing in society that keeps them busy.

To help Julia get over her melancholy at the anniversary of her fiance's death, Gus convinces Julia to help a friend who is being blackmailed by a former lover. They meet this man on the Dark Walk at Vauxhall Gardens, where he aims a gun at them. Gus is prepared, with a heavy stone in her reticule, and hits him in his nether regions, then takes his gun and taps him hard in the temple. They escape with the letters (and the necklace they were supposed to exchange for them).

Gus realizes she really enjoys solving problems for women, and she's very good at it. And her sister, while much more concerned about the danger they're putting themselves in, also relishes the challenge of saving women and girls from those who would hurt them. In their travails, they meet (or re-meet), Lord Evan Belford. Lord Belford was convicted of killing a man 20 years ago in a duel, and was sent to New South Wales Penal Colony. However, Belford currently is acting as a highwayman, and Gus shoots him when he tries to rob their carriage. They decide to use his injury to gain admittance into a house where a woman is being held prisoner by her husband (and to get him proper medical care, because even if he was trying to rob them, he was once someone they socialized with). Gus finds herself attracted to Evan, even though he is supposedly a criminal.

Gus and Evan's relationship is a slow burner, as is Julia's new love interest, a Bow Street runner who is trying to find Evan to bring him to justice. The women solve three cases and save numerous lives, all while dealing with their little brother and his new fiancee's machinations to make them into quiet, solitary spinsters.

While romance was present throughout this book, the focus is more on the strength of Gus and Julia, and the social mores that tried to keep women powerless during this time period (and all of history). I loved the romance (rated G), but I loved the sisters' relationship more. I love that romances can also be feminist power novels and illustrate how far we've come, and how far we still have to go to make the world truly a place of equality!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an ‘old maid’ to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

Lady Augusta Colebrook, “Gus,” is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need—society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.
Amazon.com

Alison Goodman has created main characters who are progressive and easily championed. The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is, I hope, the first book in a series in which the ill-mannered ladies take on the wickedness of their time, 1812. It is set in England. They take on three “cases.” Unfortunately, blackmail, murder, slavery, and human trafficking seem to be never-ending injustices. Gus and non-identical twin sister, Julia, are very different people, but they have complementary skills and seek justice in their society.

Please welcome Alison Goodman to WWK. E. B. Davis

You write in a variety of genres. Why historical mystery?
As you say, I have written in a number of genres, namely science fiction, contemporary crime, high fantasy, historical fantasy and now historical mystery/adventure. I go where the story and the characters take me and where I find a challenge, whether it be in the way a story is structured, the style, the way I use the genre conventions or the research required. This time, with The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, I have challenged myself in the way the novel is structured – three novellas that are linked with an overarching storyline—and the mystery and adventure genre conventions which have been great fun to play with and twist around for maximum delight.

Are you a historian? You must have done a lot of research. The language you use is almost foreign.
I am not trained as a historian, but I have just received my doctorate in Creative Writing and Historical Fiction Research, so in a way I do have some expertise. I would probably describe myself more as an enthusiastic history nerd. I initially spent eight months researching the Regency era for my novels, and I am still researching it as I write. Frankly I love the early 1800’s and could talk about the Regency non-stop. My husband has now restricted me to only three Regency facts a day for his own sanity.

Julia is five foot, two inches tall. Augusta (Gus) is five foot, nine. Their physical differences seem to mirror their different interior landscapes, and yet, at times, Julia is bolder than Gus. What accounts for Julia’s nonconformity when she is more conventional than Gus?
You are right, Julia is more conventional than Gus and seeks a quieter life. However, if her twin sister is ever in trouble, then Julia’s other side comes out—her courage and boldness––and she will fly to the defense of her sister. Nothing can stand in her way. For Julia, family is everything.

With their father dying in a most compromising and undesirable way, their brother Duffy is head of house, although luckily, they live in different houses. Duffy pronounces that a woman’s piety equals her femininity. What do the sisters think of that pronouncement?
Gus, who is struggling with the loss of her faith, finds her brother fairly hard to take at the best of times, but particularly when he pontificates about the place of women and how she and Julia should conduct their lives. Julia is more or less the middle child—the second twin--and so is the peacemaker between Gus and their younger brother. Julia is very firm in her faith and respects her brother more than Gus does, but even she thinks Duffy’s pronouncement is a bit dubious.

And yet, Duffy isn’t dumb. He proposes marriage to a woman who will inherit a considerable fortune. Why does fiancé Harriet Woolcroft take against the sisters?
For Harriet, her impending marriage to Duffy is all about achieving rank and status. She is enjoying the fact that on her marriage she will outrank Gus and Julia. However, she is also very aware that she is the daughter of a baronet—a much lower rank than Gus and Julia, who are daughters of an Earl—and so she is seeking to quickly and firmly assert herself as the new, highest-ranked female in the family. Although the match between Duffy and Harriet is clearly not a love match, she is aware that her betrothed constantly clashes with his sister Gus, and so she takes his side and in doing so, alienates Julia too.


Julia has a lump in her breast. Did the medical community know about cancer? Were they experimenting with surgery?
Yes, the medical community did know about cancer and, in fact, one of the first mastectomy operations was performed on the famous author Fanny Burney in Paris in 1811. She wrote an extraordinary description of the procedure in a letter to her sister-in-law which still holds enormous power today. I like to incorporate real historical people into my novels and Fanny Burney makes a cameo appearance in The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies.

Was there an assassination of a Prime Minister in 1812?
Yes, the British Prime Minister Lord Spencer Perceval was assassinated in May 1812 in the lobby of the House of Commons. As Perceval entered the lobby, a man shot him fatally in the chest but did not flee the scene and so was immediately arrested. The killer was a merchant by the name of John Bellingham who believed he had been unjustly imprisoned in Russia and was entitled to compensation from the government but was aggrieved because all of his requests had been rejected. Bellingham was tried and hanged within the same month as the assassination – swift justice, indeed.

Who was Prior? Was he an early watchmaker?
Yes, George Prior was a British watch and clock maker. In the novel, Gus has one of Prior’s beautiful fob watches, a treasured gift from her father.

Although divorce wasn’t unheard of, it took an actual Act of Parliament to get a divorce and considerable social and financial losses to obtain. Really?
Yes, really. Divorce was prohibitively expensive and required an Act of Parliament, which meant it was really only available to the very wealthy or titled. It was also socially unacceptable and would drastically affect the social standing of both parties to the point of being ostracized by respectable society.

Is butler, Weatherly, black? He was abducted as a child and lived as a slave until he was freed and came to work for the sisters’ father. Although he is in their employ, does Weatherly see himself as an alpha male, even though he was a slave?
Yes, Weatherly is black and a freed man. The concept of the alpha male is very recent so I doubt Weatherly would see himself in that light. However, he does have a very solid sense of who he is and a great deal of justified confidence in his ability to deal with any situation.

Who was Equiano?
Olaudah Equiano was a writer and leading anti-slavery activist (an abolitionist) in the mid-1700’s who was enslaved as a child in Africa, sold twice and finally purchased his freedom as a young man. He wrote a famous autobiography about his experiences titled The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano which was a bestseller during his lifetime and helped secure the British Slave Trade Act.

When was the Slave Trade Act passed? How was it limited?
The Slave Trade Act was passed in 1807. It prohibited the slave trade in the British Empire but did not abolish the practice of slavery.

What is:

On-dit: a scandal.
Belcher neckerchief: a scarf/handkerchief that Regency men, often of the lower ranks, tied around their necks instead of a cravat.
Debrett’s: a guide to the British aristocracy.
Foxed: drunk
Dimity: a cotton fabric used in ladies wear.
Abigail: a lady’s maid.
Bon ton: good society or high society.
Jean (not the same as our jeans): a hard-wearing cotton material that was often used to make half boots.

What was the window tax about?
The window tax was literally a tax on the number of windows in a house. It resulted in landlords boarding up windows to avoid the tax and therefore cutting down on ventilation and light which created health problems and aggravated epidemics.

Why were dance floors chalked?
The dance floors were chalked—often in beautiful designs––so that the surface was not too slippery for the dancers. Shoes at the time were handmade with leather soles which had no grip.

Why did the maids have men’s names?
A lady’s maid was considered a senior servant and so would be called by her surname such as Julia’s lady’s maid who is called by her surname, Leonard. The use of a surname was a mark of higher rank within the servant hierarchy. House maids and kitchen maids were of lower rank and so would be called by their first name.

What is next for Gus, Julia, Evan, and Weatherly?
The Ill-Mannered Ladies, Evan, and Weatherly are all coming back for another set of adventures. I am in the final stages of writing Book 2, and I’m having just as much fun writing it as I did The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. I can’t say too much, but be prepared for resurrectionists, Georgian sex clubs, and spies!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman is a refreshing mash-up of a Regency romance novel with a series of Holmesian mysteries.

There are many enjoyable differences than other traditional novels, however. The protagonists are "spinsters," and as such, the entire plotline is not dependent upon their quests to find suitable husbands. Additionally, the inclusion of un unexpected serious topics such as cancer, child trafficking, and the commitment of inconvenient female relatives to a local "madhouse" offered unique circumstances not often presented. The book is not completely devoid of romance, but it was not overdone or overwrought.

I look forward to potential future adventures of the Coleman sisters.

If you’re a fan of the characters in Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series or Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women, then you will love Lady Augusta Colebrook and her twin sister Lady Julia.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is the first in a new historical series from Alison Goodman. The story takes place in Regency England and focuses on two unmarried - and thus unremarkable to society - sisters in their early 40s. Typically underestimated and overlooked, the women use their lack of status to their advantage. With their intelligence, wit, and gumption, they set out to rescue those trapped and made powerless by striving men.

The opening pages drop the reader straight into the action, as Augusta and Julia conspire to meet with an unsavory gentleman who is blackmailing their friend. More heist-like missions follow, where they engage the assistance of a nobleman-turned-highwayman on the run after escaping an Australian penal colony.

Goodman does well balancing some very dark situations with the excitement of a caper and forbidden romance. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment of The Ill-Mannered Ladies, which promises further investigation into who framed Lord Evan Belford for murder.

I recommend this title for fans of gutsy, witty, female characters; gritty, well-researched historical settings; fast-paced adventure; slow-burn romance; and taking down the patriarchy.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you @berkleypub & @netgalley for the free book and @prhaudio for the audio version as well. My thoughts are my own.

I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did! Two middle-aged spinsters living in the Regency era of England navigate the societal norms of the time as they set out to help women in need.

As a favor for a friend, twins Lady Augusta and Lady Julia concoct a plan to rescue a woman who is being held captive by her husband. On their way to the estate, they are confronted by a highwayman, but Lady Augusta, not one to be intimidated, shoots him! Then, relieved that he is not dead, she ropes him into masquerading as her brother so she can gain entrance to the estate. Surprisingly, Lady Augusta recognizes the highwayman and feels a strange attraction for him.

After a successful rescue mission, Lady Augusta and her sister decide they have a certain talent and they set out to do what they can to help other women, including a kidnapped child and a woman placed in an insane asylum.

This book contains more than one mystery, which made me feel like I was reading multiple books. The author addresses current societal issues such as women’s rights.

If you love Regency Romance, forbidden attractions, strong female characters, brave male characters, and most especially, mysteries, then you will enjoy this thoroughly entertaining story!

A delightful romp through Regency England with two spinster twin sisters determined not to be “useless.”

This has a fun premise and is rich with period detail and rife with adventure, led by the lovable Augusta and Julia, two never-married sisters in their forties who seek to use their means and social status to help other women out of bad situations.

Both the protagonists and their love interest are a delight, and the secondary characters are well-rendered too. Gussie is of course the true hero of the story, but her allies are terrific too.

I could have done without the vividly described violence and abuse of women, which felt like a bit much in a book that is clearly supposed to be an adventurous romp. So, fair warning for rape, domestic violence and imprisonment, and child rape in a book whose tone suggests it would have been better served by perhaps a less intense version of these things for the victims awaiting the sisters’ rescue.

That said, the sentiment behind it is excellent, and it’s lovely to see these two bold, unconventional women absolutely refuse to be dismissed as ornamental.

I’m pleased to see this is slated to become a series. Looking forward to the next one!

This book was a fun historical mystery read. I really loved the main characters, Gus and Julia, they were such an interesting duo! The book is from the point-of-view of Gus, who is a strong, intelligent woman who pushes against social expectations. She is tired of being cast off as a spinster and decides to use her intelligence to save and protect other women. This novel is broken into three parts and each part focuses on a separate rescue that Gus pursues in the story. During her first mission, she crosses paths with Lord Evan, who is an acquaintance from the past who was arrested and exiled from community society groups. Gus and Lord Evan's interactions are tension filled and great throughout the book and I loved seeing Gus allow herself to let someone in despite his apprehensions about staining her position in society due to his past. The three rescues were unique and dangerous in their own way and shed a light on the mistreatment of women during this time. The book as a little long due to the three different missions, but I really enjoyed it! I can't wait for another book with these gutsy sisters and to see more about Lord Evan and Gus's romance! If you are a fan of the Ladies Most Scandalous series from Manda Collins, you will enjoy this new series!

Thank you so much Berkley Pub for the free copy of this novel and PRH audio for access to the audiobook version to enjoy. #berklypub #berkleypartner #prhaudio

Cozy mysteries are def not for me. Which is unfortunate because I love regency era books, but I couldn't really get into this or the characters. My library did purchase it though for our mystery collection and I think it will be a hit with our patrons.

Wow , just wow! This book checked all of the boxes for me and it wasn’t even on my radar until I saw a few posts about it last week when it was published on 5/30. Did I run to netgalley to see if I could find it right away? You bet I did! ( And I have ordered a personal copy - I have to own it!)

From the cover you can guess it’s a Regency fiction that mixes romance with mystery. However, our protagonists are unmarried twins in their early 40s! They are old enough to get away with more and not care, but still women in the regency time under class driven patriarchy. They embark on a series of adventures in helping other women who are seriously suffering.

Though lighthearted and funny in places, the book takes on the darker side of the times for women. While our heroines must deal with their younger brother taking their home and a selling a horse without asking, (problems indeed but nothing too dire) they quickly find themselves coming to the aid of a woman imprisoned by an abusive husband, children kidnapped into prostitution, and women exiled to vile madhouses. This requires a difficult balance the I believe Goodman handled perfectly. There is suspense and heartbreaking drama along with humor and a bit of romance to keep things even more interesting. I love dynamic between the sisters and the fact that they are 40 something is 💯 chef’s kiss perfection!

Read this if you like regency fiction, suspense mysteries, romance, with bad ass FMCs. Think Amina Al-Sirafi meets the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels 😍

I loved it!

Thanks to @NetGalley and @berkleypub for access to an e ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Lady Augusta Colebrook and her twin sister Lady Julia are in their forties, unmarried and thus considered to be of negligible worth by vast swathes of their Regency English society. Fortunately, they have both financial security and a supportive circle of friends, one of whom has asked them to assist her in a delicate matter. Lady Charlotte Davenport seeks to recover several indiscreet letters she once wrote to a paramour. She asks the Colebrook sisters to meet with her blackmailer and exchange some jewelry for the incriminating missives.

The rendezvous doesn’t go exactly as planned but the sisters emerge both triumphant and with a newly whetted taste for adventure. So when Charlotte asks for their help once again, they’re more than willing to listen.

Charlotte’s goddaughter Caroline made an advantageous marriage some years ago, but has since come to fear for her life after being unable to bear the heir her husband so desperately desires. Sir Reginald Thorne has made it impossible for any of Caroline’s friends or relatives to see her, and her family only knows of her predicament through a letter smuggled out by a sympathetic maidservant. Caroline’s sister, Millicent, begs for the Colebrook sisters to intervene and help her sister escape imprisonment, despite the fact that they – or indeed anyone in 1800s England – have no legal standing to do so:

QUOTE
By law, our attempt to extract Lady Thorne would be considered kidnapping or abduction and very much outside the law. However, the fact that Sir Reginald was mistreating his wife was not against the law and would not be so until she was dead by his hand or design. According to the laws of England, and indeed God, she was his chattel and he could do with her as he pleased up to the point of murder. Was it any wonder that I could not reconcile this God with my own moral sense?
END QUOTE

Julia’s kindly nature immediately prompts her to agree to help, but Augusta is spurred more by dissatisfaction with the general oppression of her sex. And if God does not exist, as she’s starting to believe, then she had better step up to help make the world a better place herself.

On the way to Sir Reginald’s estate, the sisters have a pivotal encounter with a highwayman who will turn Augusta’s world upside down. Lord Evan Belford has returned from the colonies in order to continue his life of crime, or so it would seem. Over the course of press ganging him into their scheme, the sisters are surprised to discover in him a steadfast ally. While the Colebrooks both come to appreciate his assistance, Julia is more wary of his continuing presence in their lives, largely due to the effect he has on Augusta:

QUOTE
“Still, when you are in Lord Evan’s company you are too reckless. You become another person.”

“That is unfair. I have always been reckless.”

Although perhaps she had a point; I did feel strong and smart and a great deal bolder when I was with him. All admirable qualities in a man but adding up to recklessness in a woman. Yet, I rather liked the person I was in his company.
END QUOTE

With more than one successful caper under their belts, the sisters soon find themselves the founders of the title benevolent society, dedicated to eschewing politeness and gentility in favor of saving women and girls from the most oppressive, if not outright deadly, of circumstances. In addition to Lord Evan and Lady Charlotte, they gain staunch allies in their faithful servants, John Driver and their freedman butler Weatherly, and an increasing circle of sympathetic contacts.

Of course, this also means that they have plenty of detractors, including their own younger brother Duffy. While presented as neither evil nor criminal, he certainly represents so much of what was wrong with Regency society, leading to a perhaps inevitable series of family breaks that are painful for our protagonists to bear. The deep and sensitive exploration into this and many other aspects of the period’s injustices – too many of which linger on to the modern day – are only a small part of what makes this swashbuckling romance novel equal parts thrilling and thoughtful. Whether addressing legal or medical aspects in which women and people of color were given little recourse or autonomy, this book neatly weaves each clearly well-researched topic into its engaging, lively plot.

I loved reading how the Colebrook sisters defy convention to ensure that good prevails in the world, and how naturally and convincingly the romance between Augusta and Evan blooms. By the end of the book, I was desperate to know what happens next. I can’t wait to read more of the series after this splendid start!

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. Of course, I know and have read Alison Goodman's other books (Dark Days Club is one of my favorite series) but they are sooo different from what this book is that I wasn't sure what to expect. With that said, I started this one and found myself not wanting to put it down.

This book focuses on two forty-something twin ladies living in Regency London and while they face the restrictions ladies in Society normally do, they have found a way to be who they want to be...for the most part. I loved the relationship Gus and Julia have with each other. They love and trust each other unconditionally and it was one of my favorite parts. Their brother on the other hand was a piece of work and I hated how he treated Gus...I'll be curious to see how their relationship moves forward based on how this book ended.

As Gus and Julia take on "projects" to help ladies they know, they find themselves in plenty of danger and I loved how resourceful and willing they were to do whatever it takes to make sure things are right. Along the way, Gus finds herself drawn to the man who tried to rob her (who happens to be someone with a past and a secret) and he strangely becomes a key participant in their work.

A lot happens in this book and I can't go into everything. If you take anything out of this, I hope that it's that you should read this book. If you enjoy Regency era stories, I highly recommend you pick this up. There's mystery, action, and a bit of romance that will keep you turning the pages.