Celeste Connally's "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord" is a captivating Regency-era mystery that combines elements of Bridgerton with Agatha Christie, all while adding a feminist touch. While I occasionally put the book down due to the stress induced by the imminent peril, the overall experience was delightful.
The antagonist in the story is genuinely evil. Connally skillfully weaves a tale of suspense with many implied abuses (thankfully not “on screen”), creating a chilling and engrossing atmosphere. The protagonist, Lady Petra Forsyth, is a strong and independent woman who, despite making some frustratingly dumb choices, manages to captivate readers with her resilience. The feminist undertones and Sherlock vibes add an intriguing layer to the narrative.
The book's strength lies in its portrayal of relationships, particularly among the women in the story. The challenges they face in navigating the dance of social niceties and misogyny in 1815 are depicted with authenticity and sensitivity. The dynamics between the characters, especially Lady Petra, contribute significantly to the richness of the plot.
The cliffhanger ending leaves readers eager for more, and I plan to continue reading the series. Despite my occasional disconnect with the Victorian-era setting, the compelling characters and the well-crafted mystery kept me engaged. "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord" successfully combines historical fiction, mystery, and feminist themes, making it a worthy addition to the Regency-era genre.

This book starts out very slow. You're kind of thrown into the middle of something and it leaves you wondering, was there another book before this that I missed? It does get better once you get into the meat of the story and the mystery was pretty well done. It was a very messed up premise, but something that probably happened, although not on such a large scale, then again who knows. One thing that I liked is that it was written more like the old style Regency books, but yet it didn't follow rules exactly. I mean Petra is all over the place without a chaperone, so it was kind of contradictory, which bothers me some, but it seems all Regency books are like that now. The biggest problem I had with this book is info dumps! Lots of info dumps. Sometimes they had no point to the story and should have been deleted during edits. I like the two main characters a great deal and despised the villains, but there were too many characters in this story. The author balanced them pretty well, but it was distracting trying to keep track of everyone, so I hope next time there aren't as many. I would give this author one more shot and read the second book, but if the info dumps aren't dealt with, that will be it for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for sending an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Step into Regency England beyond the balls and fancy dresses. An upper class lead doesn't care much about following social rules. Even less so when she hears about a friend's death under unusual circumstances. It leads her on an adventure during which she pulls in a street kid, her fellow ladies, and a childhood maybe-more-than-friend.

When I initially dove into this, I thought it would be a light rom-com-type novel, but it was so much more. It explores the idea of a time when men could commit their wives to an asylum without any cause other than their inconvenience. It was something a friend just told me about after reading about an asylum not too far from my hometown in the middle of the US that did the same thing. It is a frightening historical fact that is handled with the seriousness it deserves while having a redeeming ending to bring the mood back up just before a shocking twist...that may or may not be true. Highly recommended!

While I did struggle a bit with this one at the beginning, I was was invested enough to continue to the end. The first couple of chapters were such an info dump of characters and backstories that it was almost impossible to keep everyone straight. I kept plugging along thinking this one would be a solid three stars for me (in which I neither love nor hate it) until I got to the end. Um... excuse me?? WHAT!? An extra star earned for the giant gasp and expletive I uttered. I will definitely read a sequel because I have to see how this plays out!

I really enjoyed this one. Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie is the perfect way to describe this. I would definitely read the rest of this becomes a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur books for the copy and a chance to review!

Billed as a cross between Bridgerton and Agatha Christie, this is the first installment in an eventual series it seems.

After Lady Petra’s fiancé dies just before their wedding, she makes the shocking proclamation never to marry. Although she carries her own title and independent means, the men of her society are quick to voice their disapproval. As it turns out, she’s not the only one the men have decided to put in their place. Rumors start swirling around a questionable physician and a secret asylum for women, and Petra takes it upon herself to uncover the truth.

I was instantly grabbed by the title and the cover. However, there were quite a few characters to keep track of with different titles (and often referenced by those various names and titles), which I found a bit confusing and unnecessary. It was a cute story but it felt wrapped up a little too quickly after so much build, and it was clear at the end that there was a set up for a sequel but that felt a little unwieldy and weird to me. I think fans of the aforementioned comparisons will enjoy this though!

I did not enjoy my time with this novel. I disliked pretty much every aspect of it, from the characters to the plot, the pacing to the description on the back of the book. Nothing worked for me.

First of all, the book bills itself as a mystery, but the entire 'mystery' is given away in the synopsis. Literally, all you have to do is read the second paragraph of the synopsis and you now know 'whodunit'. And even if you didn't read the back of the book first, within the first third of the book the reader already knows what's going on. It's glaringly obvious. Even the MC starts asking herself if this is really what's going on before the halfway point, and guess what? That is what's happening. It isn't surprising, it isn't shocking. Everyone knows that these horrible things happened to women of this time period. So, the mystery element of the book ends around 2/3 of the way through the story and then it becomes an absolutely ridiculous thriller. Or I guess it would be characterized as a thriller, maybe it was just that the pacing went from painfully slow to 'blink and you missed it' fast. The beginning of the book is just plain boring. Dozens of names are dropped that have no bearing on the story. 20% of the book takes place at a society ball where all the characters do is gossip with each other. It was truly painful trying to push through and continue reading. But in the last 25% of the book, we have handcuffs and chains, guns going off, stabbings, fights, threats of rape, and a cringe worthy evil monologue. There was just no consistency throughout the book.

The characters were even worse than the plot or pacing. The MC is truly dislikeable. She demands to be an independent woman, free of any societal constraints and a total ally to her gay acquaintances, but those servants better not dare act above their station. Her main character traits are that she rides horses, gossips incessantly, and makes stupid decisions. There's really nothing more to her than that. All the other characters are even more one dimensional, no one is interesting or well fleshed out.

This series is going to be a one and done for me. I feel no desire to spend any more time with this MC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as it was equal parts regal era romance and mystery. I felt the book wrapped up very quickly and wanted to know more about how all the women moved forward with their lives as well as the fallout for their horrible husbands. I adored the main character Petra Forsythia and her unwillingness to conform to societal standards. Overall I found this novel to hav a slow start and abrupt finish which is thus reflected in my rating. I look forward to reading more from Celeste Connally as I believe she is truly talented.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

This book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t even get through the 3rd chapter. The writing style felt waaaay too disjointed and couldn’t keep me interested. I think this would be a good read for those who don’t mind beginnings that move at a slower pace.

I was excited to get this free e-arc after seeing social media ads for the book. Sadly, however, this book is a DNF. I read through about a third of the book, but I just could not get into it. The book moved a snail's pace, which isn't always bad, but in this case there was not enough interesting detail to keep readers engaged. At 1/3 of the way I was just getting some sort of idea what the main problem to be solved might be, and even those hints weren't enough to make me care.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the free e-arc. Sorry it wasn't the book for me.

When you’re asking yourself what do I read after binging Bridgerton books and shows…. LOOK NO FURTHER!

This is the perfect regency with feminism and wit. I literally plan to read this one again and again.

The largest compliment I can give is letting you know I got this copy for free but I am purchasing a paperback to make notes in and cherish forever.

Thank you netgalley for this free copy in exchange for my honest review

This one took me a minute to get into but, by about halfway, I was fully invested and wanted to know more. I really liked the mc, Petra. She's feisty and head-strong in a way that isn't much appreciated in society. The beginning starts with a huge cast of characters. It seemed like every other line was introducing someone else (and gossip about them) and I was worried I would never keep them all straight. Luckily, you need to know only a few of them to still flow easily with the story.

And the last line, SHOCKING! I will definitely be looking for book 2!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Lady Petra Forsyth is the daughter of an Earl living in Regency England. After tragically losing the love of her life, she has declared herself a spinster. This does not sit well with some people, such as her detestable Uncle who believes it is unnatural. She believes she does not need to give up her freedom and wealth without finding true love. One of Lady Petra’s friends dies suddenly, but her old servant is sure he saw the friend just the other day in London. This sparks Lady Petra’s curiosity, and she starts to investigate. Lady Petra soon finds out that there are other missing women amongst the ton. Where have they gone and why?

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is full of a lot of interesting characters. I liked Lady Petra’s headstrong ways and inquisitive nature. Her childhood friend, Duncan, is a perfect foil for her. I was confused about his place in society though as he was born on the wrong side of the blanket. It didn’t seem to matter as much in this Regency world as it did in the real Regency world. I loved his grandmother, the Duchess, and wish she would have been in the book more. Street urchin Teddy and her lady’s maid, Annie, were also great characters.

I was intrigued by the mystery and was dismayed when my audiobook copy from NetGalley stopped working at 27% into the book. I had to purchase it from Amazon.com as I wanted to see where the mystery went and how it would end. The mystery had a satisfying end and the overall book ended on a cliffhanger. This is the first book in the Lady Petra Inquires series. I will be reading the next book in the series.

The storyline was feminist and had a lot of modern thinking about the place of women in society that would not have been prevalent in Regency England. It reminded me of Enola Holmes in this sense.

ACT LIKE A LADY THINK LIKE A LORD
Celeste Connally

Give me all the Bridgerton vibes but kill someone and make it a mystery. Sounds like my kind of book and the plot for Celeste Connally’s ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD.

Petra is making her own way and proclaims on her soulmate’s deathbed that she will never marry again. She will not marry for wealth or status or anything but true love. This is quite a statement and it’s met with a range of responses.

Soon she finds herself drawn to the mystery of a close friend’s death. One that she cannot ignore. What she unravels is more than just the mystery of one person’s death. She uncovers a tradition that is far scarier than she ever thought and runs deeper than she ever imagined.

I had trouble articulating a picture that would make sense while reading. I tried to imagine the clothing and the extraordinary balls they attended, and I tried hard to imagine Petra existing within her world. At times the material was successful in creating the right atmosphere but for the most part, the incongruities got me and took a bit out of my enjoyment with the book.

The cool thing is this is fiction, and we can be whoever and whatever we want to be in the fictitious worlds that we build when we read. It doesn’t always have to make sense; it doesn’t have to exist within our current reality. It can exist within its own.

If you’re a Regency romance lover looking to explore the dynamics and parameters of a mystery, I think this is a great choice for you.

I gave ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD three stars, and thought it was ok but was maybe asking for too much from the reader.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD…⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a reader who leans more towards character driven stories over heavy plot, this was an engaging stel into more plot-driven writing. I did struggle a bit at first, as the introduction felt stilted and needed to be smoother. However, the mystery kept me intrigued, and even with the slow start, I was hooked once things got going. The institutionalization of women by their husbands was truly horrifying and shows the brutality directed towards women in patriarchal society, even if the author took some liberties.
I did have trouble grasping Lady Petra's character at first, but I liked her headstrong, independent attitude. And for the romance - I LOVE a best friends to lovers story almost as much as an enemies to lovers, and this felt like a nice blend of the two. But I would have liked more out of the romance side.

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.

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord varies throughout the book. It starts slow (which allows the author to explain backstories and build up the world), goes to medium towards the middle of the book, and then amps up to fast.

Series: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is the first book in the Lady Petra Inquires series.

Trigger/Content Warning: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Forced Institutionalization (graphic, off and on page)
Confinement (graphic, off and on page)
Emotional Abuse (moderate, on page)
Mental Illness (minor to moderate, on and off page)
Misogyny (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
Gaslighting (moderate and graphic, on and off page)
Death (moderate, off page)
Domestic Abuse (minor, off page)
Homophobia (moderate, on page)
Physical Abuse (minor, off page)
Kidnapping (moderate, on page)
Murder (minor, on page)
Sexual Content: There is sexual content in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. It is not graphic, and the author doesn’t linger on it.

Language: There is mild swearing in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. There is also offensive language used in Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. But, the offensive language is appropriate for the era. The book takes place in Regency England, where women were property and homosexual relationships were illegal.

Setting: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is set entirely in London, England.

Tropes: Sworn Off Relationships, Friends to Lovers, Love/Hate Relationship, Reunion Romance

Age Range: I recommend Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

After the death of her fiance, Lady Petra Forsyth declared to Society that she would never remarry. Five years later, she has kept her word. But, when her former best friend, Duncan, returns to London, Petra starts feeling things she hasn’t felt in years. But she doesn’t get time to explore her feelings when she finds out that a friend had passed away from melancholia a few weeks before. Not believing what she heard, Petra starts looking into her death. What she uncovers shocks her to the core. Her friends are being sent to a private asylum by their husbands and left there under the care of a cruel doctor. The more she investigates, the more she uncovers. But Petra is also in danger. Her independent actions and headstrong ways have her in the sights of the doctor. Can Petra find a way to free her friends and keep herself out of the asylum? Or will she end up locked in there?

Main Characters

Lady Petra Forsyth: I liked her. Her character was a breath of fresh air in the Regency romance genre. She didn’t even bother trying to fit into the mold that Regency women were forced to conform to. She was opinionated and headstrong. She was also scandalous because she intended to stay single. I loved it! Once she realized something nefarious was going on, she decided to see her investigation through to the end.

My review:

I enjoyed reading Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. Mysteries and Regency romances are my two favorite genres to read. So, when I realized that this book combined the two, I was thrilled. I was hooked once I started reading this book and got a grasp of Lady Petra’s character. Lady Petra was very unconventional for the era, and as I said above, she was a breath of fresh air.

The main storyline of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord follows Petra as she investigates the “death” of a friend and, ultimately, the forced institutionalization of her friends by their husbands. The author did take some liberties with how accepting the ton was and with a few historical events surrounding Prinny. None of those bothered me, and the author did include an explanation in the author’s note. I liked how the mystery unfolded and how Petra solved it.

The romance angle was very subtle at first. Petra was very angry with Duncan for various reasons, mainly because they argued shortly after her fiance’s funeral, and he left. But the more Duncan showed up, the more Petra noticed him. As the book went on, her feelings grew, and she realized they were there all along. But the author was wise in keeping all the lovey-dovey stuff until the end of the book. That way, the focus was on Petra and what she looked into.

The mystery angle was well written. I liked that the author did lay all of her cards out at the beginning of the book. We knew who the bad guy was and about the husbands forcing their wives into asylums. But the author only connects the two in the middle of the book, and then it was a race to find the asylum, free the women, and figure out why the bad guy did what he did. I was delighted with how the author wrapped up this storyline. What happened after the paper printed the girls’ names was very fitting.

The end of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord was interesting. The author wrapped up the romance and the mystery angles in ways I enjoyed. But there was an exciting twist that raised my eyebrows. The author cleverly wrote this twist into a cliffhanger. While I was irritated with the cliffhanger, I loved the twist. It got me wanting to read book 2.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Celeste Connally for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

As much as I love a good historical mystery, this one took me a bit to get into. While I get the writer is trying to make the characters fit into a certain time period, some of the male characters were just too much for me. I'll most likely still want to read the next one as I did enjoy Lady Petra as a character and will hope that there's less misogynistic BS.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for the ARC!

Act Like A lady, Think Like A Lord by Celeste Connally is the first mystery in the Lady Petra Inquires series. I am very excited about the series! Lady Petra Forsyth’s fiancé died a few weeks before their wedding. She decides that she will never remarry which causes quite a stir. She also notices that a longtime friend has died of “melancholia” while being looked after by a questionable physician. She feels the need to dig deeper into what happened to her friend.

This was such a fascinating read! I stayed up late to find out what happened and was not disappointed. The story moves along quickly with twists and turns that lead to a fascinating ending. I enjoyed meeting such a variety interesting character such as shop keepers, a delightful street urchin, a dog trainer, members of the ton and household servants who seem to know all.

Act Like A Lady Think Like A Lord is a great story set in Regency London with a wonderful mystery, fascinating characters and an interesting plot. I recommend Act Like A Lady Think Like A Lord by Celeste Connally.

I was given a complimentary copy and not required to write a review.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=1 | 😘=3 | 🤬=2.5 | ⚔️=5 | 16/17+

summary: she’s a ✨spinster by choice✨ (unlike the other girls!!!!) and has a murder to solve

thoughts: one would not expect a cozy-looking Regnecy era mystery to be this thematically disheveled. the stakes transition from “awwww shucks i can’t ride horses like the boys ☹️” to “women are locked in asylums and forced to endure terrifying and demeaning ‘treatments’ to cure nonexistent illnesses invented by the men in the highly patriarchal nineteenth century medical field” with little to no warning. babe. one of these things is not like the other!! these are not the same!! jumping from obnoxious, borderline contrived Lessons in Chemistry -esque feminism to revealing genuinely horrific elements of history as if they belong in the same story is not a reading experience conducive to, like, enjoyment or just general non-confusion?? we went from barely a 2 in violence to a solid 5 in the last 20% of the book. it had sooooo many problems with establishing a consistent tone and ended up getting incredibly dark roughly 85% of the way through, which is fine if you initially construct a darker vibe, but this just possessed an irritatingly faux girlboss energy (i.e. “any form of structured undergarment was invented by the patriarchy to oppress women,” which is categorically false information and (in my humble opinion) was used to manipulate actual views of the period to serve an annoying early 2010s feminist perspective; that’s different from just making a mistake with historical accuracy). anyway. this had issues. in addition. it was boring.

also the title is so weird to me? like what is this trying to imply?? attempting and failing not to overanalyze it 😗

content note(s): in the last 20%: descriptions of terrible stuff done to women in nineteenth century asylums. really disturbing.