I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing!

What if the world of Bridgerton collided with a feisty supernatural heroine like Buffy, but also it was Buffy’s mom? This book would be that love child, and I am here for as many of these as the author wants to crank out. So much fun-bring on book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

I enjoyed this slightly spooky historical romp! I don't think I fully grasped the finer details of the magical elements of this Regency society but I that's because despite this being the first in a series, it relates to another one of Oaks' series, so perhaps there was the assumption that the reader would be superficially familiar with the world.

I liked Judith and Dacian's relationship, although I do always hate the trope of the intoxicated woman being mad that a man wouldn't sleep with her while intoxicated. I was willing to move past this though, as I did genuinely enjoy the plot and characters. The mystery wasn't amazingly intricate but it was cozy and there were a a couple of turns done well.

The chapter quotes are written from a guide which is seemingly by Judith but she obviously hasn't written yet, and isn't mentioned at all in the book, which I did find slightly confusing and distracting. Additionally, I did find the ending quite frustrating and a bit anticlimactic.

Overall though, I would recommend this if you're looking for a cozy Regency magical mystery. I'm also very intrigued to read about Elinor's exploits!

3 stars.

What a delight! This fantasy is fast paced, with a unique and interesting story. I loved all the characters especially the comedic relief from the mini vampires.

Cute historical mystery. The characters were entertaining and the mystery was intriguing. Mysterious illusions, murder, more.

This book is the start of a new mystery series. It's a cozy Regency mystery with some magic thrown in. I wasn't really very invested in the mystery, and the reveal was just okay. I think it's possible that because it's the first book and the author was setting up the fantasy and magical elements that the mystery might have been overshadowed a bit. However, I did enjoy the magic and the world building. I also liked the will they or won't they romantic relationship and the characters were likable.

So, even though I had a hard time getting into this one, I'm still interested in continuing with the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book is a delightful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, set in England where the aristocracy possesses supernatural abilities. The story follows the female protagonist as she embarks on a journey to her hometown, encountering a haunted house, a murder mystery, and a slow-burn romance with a past love interest. Despite a large cast of characters, each personality is distinct, and the inclusion of quirky tiny vampires adds humor. It's my first introduction to Rosalie Oaks' world, and I'm excited to explore her previous works.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy for my honest review.

I’m so glad I read this! A magical, cosy fantasy with major slow burn! A must read for any fantasy lovers.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

2.75 🌟
Although I typically enjoy historical fantasies, this unfortunately fell short for me. I never felt a very strong connection to our main character, which led me to feel overall unsatisfied with the conclusion of this novel.
There were definitely aspects of this novel that I did enjoy. For example, the mystery did keep me the most engaged. There were interesting aspects of this storyline that truly did keep me reading which I am thankful for.

Unfortunately, this just wasn’t the right story for me, but if you enjoy mystery and historical aspects, I recommend this to you!

While I usually enjoy a cozy mystery and a regency romances but this one was so slow that I got bored. I didn't love or hate the FMC and I gave up on the story, sorry. Maybe I should have powered on through and I would have ended up liking it but I have many other books to move on to. Maybe I'll come back some other day.

A wonderful historical fantasy with a mystery that kept me guessing up until the end!

I really enjoyed this story of Lady Avely, a widow in her 40’s, trying to solve the a mysterious murder while also exploring the chance at love with an old flame. There are lots of interesting characters and at one point I suspected everyone. The final reveal was surprising but wrapped up all the little details throughout the story. I can’t wait for the next one! There is also another series focused on Lady Avely's daughter, which you don’t need to have read first to understand and enjoy this book!

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I was so disappointed to turn the last page and I immediately wanted more. I can’t wait to see what's next from this author.

Set in regency England, Judith Avely is a middle aged widow with a magical gift of being able to discern the truth. She has traveled to the Sargenet estate where she unexpectedly encounters the Duke recently back from exile. The story combines a delightful mix of intrigue, secrets, past romances, ghostly apparitions, the paranormal, deceit and loyalty with a continuous theme of magical powers and characters.

The characters are well developed and there is plenty of humour and romance in this well written and engaging story. The historical context is great and the plot is engaging from page one through to the conclusion which nicely proves the setting for the next adventure for Judith and the Duke. Highly recommended.

I quite enjoyed this one, but I think it was a little bit awkwardly paced and the magic wasn't as well utilized as I hoped.

What I liked;

1) The Magic/paranormal makes regency fiction actually enjoyable for me! - I personally tend to find regency pieces quite pedantic and dry. This one is extremely vibrant due to the magic. I enjoyed how Avely never relies too much on her magic to solve problems and Oak doesn't use magic as a quick solution to her issues.

2) The romance is well developed and believable. - I enjoyed how Oaks gave time to allow us to understand precisely where the love came from and how it blossomed. You can tell this lady reads romance, because it's solid gold.

What I didn't like;

1) It took a long time to get going. - I'll be forgiving, given this is the first book in a fresh series (I've not read anything else by her, so I might be wrong here) , and it can be expected that a author might feel the need to spend the first 1/5 setting up the world in a lot of detail. It wasn't enough to make me stop reading, but it definitely contributed for how long it took me to finish this book.

2) The mystery didn't matter as much as I would have hoped. - I went into this book expecting a mystery first, romance second. I got the opposite. It was a good romance though so I'll let her off haha.

Great book Roasline Oaks, Great book.

Goodness, this was so much fun! How I didn't pick up this book sooner, I'll never know. It had all the elements that I love in a story: Regency era romance, a cozy mystery, a touch of magic, and witty clever banter. And so much chocolate! What an absolute delight.
To start, I absolutely LOVE that we have a heroine who is "of a certain age," as she would probably say. She's reached 40, is a widow, and now that her children are grown, has decided that she is basically ready to sit on the shelf and ready to collect dust. It's such a joy to read about characters who are my own age, yet still have so many adventures to share and stories to tell. Lady Avely's mission is to tie up some of her late husband's loose ends and settle down in her new estate in peace. But circumstances have her suddenly thrust into the presence of a long-lost love, the Duke of Sargent, and he needs her help, and her magical abilities to Discern the Truth, to solve a mysterious death at his manor.
This is the slowest of slow burns between Judith and Dacien, as this is such a tale of Regency manners and circumstances, and their romance often plays second fiddle to the mystery they must solve. They also have to contend with a large cast of supporting characters in their vampirii, Dacien's relatives, and the staff of the manor, who are all delightfully and annoyingly always in their way. Judith is a mix of independent, yet anxious, and she makes for a formidable heroine. And Dacien is swoon-worthy and mysterious as her Duke. The story is a clever mix of Regency-era romance, gothic mystery, and whimsical magic. There's a little something for everyone here, and it really is beautifully written and well-paced. I'm looking forward to reading more as the series progresses, and to not be so delinquent with keeping up with them!

Lady Avely's Guide to Truth and Magic by Rosalie Oaks is a delightful and witty historical fantasy novel that follows the adventures of Lady Judith Avely, a young woman with a unique magical gift for divining the truth. Judith's gift makes her prodigiously good at lying, which she uses to her advantage as she travels to the exiled Duke of Sargen's estate to absolve a guilty secret. However, she does not expect to run into the duke himself, who is now even more attractive than in his volatile youth. The duke has his own concerns: he has returned home to a haunted house, with skulls floating about and a footman apparently bashed by a book. Such vulgar circumstances are best avoided, but the duke needs Judith's unique talents to help uncover the culprit - even if it might put her in the sights of a killer. With the help of a tiny vampiric acquaintance and a continuous supply of drinking chocolate, Judith should be able to solve the uncanny mystery...if only the duke will stop making improper remarks about her mobcaps. Oaks' writing is sharp and witty, and she creates a wonderfully immersive world full of magic and mystery. The characters are well-developed and engaging, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Lady Avely's Guide to Truth and Magic is a highly recommended read for fans of historical fantasy and paranormal romance.

Such an incredible book I couldn’t stop reading! The story line was very intriguing and kept me captivated the whole time. I cannot wait for the second book to come out and will be reading it immediately when it is released! If you are looking for a new series to start I believe this should be on your list.

Oh Lady Avely. You threw some wild twists and turns in there. First, let me say this lovely book grew on me. It took a minute to really get wheels but when it did! It did. The second chance at love, magic, and little family secrets. It’s a slow burn but worth it. I wish there had been a little more explaining of the powers, and maybe tiny illustration of the vampiri but loved it. I’m excited for the second book, talk about a cliffhanger

Lady Avely travels to the Duke of Sargen's estate, haunted by the events of the past and determined to fix a past slight to absolve her guilty conscience. While on her way there, she learns that a footman has been murdered and strange things have been happening all over the estate. The Duke enlists her help to solve the murder and the mysterious happenings, as a Truth Diviner, she can hear falsehoods when they are spoken.

This is the first book in the Matronly Misadventures series, however, Oaks' The Lady Diviner series is set in this same universe, following Lady Avely's daughter Elinor. While I would not say that you need to read The Lady Diviner books in order to read the Matronly Misadventures, there were several times in the story where references were made that had me feeling like I had missed a prior book. I wish the magic system had been expanded upon a bit more, as I found it very interesting and unique, and at times it felt like the narrative assumed that I already had the base knowledge of how it worked. I definitely will be picking up The Lady Diviner series in the future, I want to read more of this fascinating world!

'Lady Avely's Guide to Truth and Magic' is a fun enjoyable read following Lady Avely as she gets embroiled in a murder mystery while trying to form a new friendship, and perhaps rekindle an old flame.

The story starts slowly, but picks up enough momentum after the first half for an engaging end. The slow start might just be because of the writing style where the characters muse on people and events that the readers don't know of yet (which I don't really like), and are only revealed later in flashbacks. Other than that, Rosalie Oaks' writing is easy to read with enough homour.

The world-building is just Regency England with some basic magic, though there are some hints thrown in about some rare complexities in the magic system. Again, this might just be because this is the first book by Oaks that I read and the people who enjoyed her earlier series set in the same world might appreciate this one better. We understand Judith and Dacian, the lead characters, quite well by the end of the book, but don't see any serious character arcs for them. There might be more development on these two fronts in the next installment, however!

Thanks to NetGalley, Parkerville Press and Rosalie Oaks for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The rating is 2 1/2 stars, rounded up to 3 stars as the book on the whole is a fun and light read.

[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; 1/4 star for the writing; 3/4 star for the story; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the world-building - Two and a half stars in total.]