This book was a bit slow to get going, but soon found its footing. The 2 main characters are adorable. Hope Celeste writes more.

All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally is a fast-paced and witty novel that will captivate fans of headstrong female sleuths. This delightful period adventure is filled with pitch-perfect banter and effervescent charm. I was immediately drawn in from the beginning and left eagerly wanting more.

Another great installment of this delightful historical mystery. Lady Petra is a capable detective, so much that Queen Charlotte entrusts her with a matter of national security. The mystery was satisfying, and the national security issues were interesting.

All's Fair in Love and Treachery is a Regency-Era mystery with a delightfully determined female main character, Lady Petra Forsyth. Tasked by the Queen to find the truth about a death of the matron at the Asylum for Female Orphans, Petra's investigation soon uncovers deep connections radicals and her frequent companion Duncan. I found this story to be a very entertaining mystery filled with unexpected twists and a complex plot line. Petra's determination to pull out the truth is aided by a nice group of friends and companions. She is a likeable lead and I enjoyed seeing her work through the mysteries logically. There is a lovely romance as a backdrop, and as a couple Petra and Duncan are easy to route for. I especially enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the frequent action that moved the plot forward. This is the second book in a series with Petra as our investigator. I am looking forward to reading more of this series and see what the group investigates next.

This is book two in a series and it did not disappoint. This book was full of regency moments I live for (think Bridgerton) and mystery! The combination of romance, mystery and society standards was so well done. I was kept guessing the entire time. I am not someone who usually guesses the endings in mysteries, and I loved how this one kept me guessing the entire time! It was twisty and mysterious and I loved Petra and her tenacity. She was witty and determined and a fantastic detective.

If you like regency romances along with a who done it, you will love this one! It was so fun and I had the best time with it!

What a great follow to the first book! It was a great balance of mystery and love story. Once i got to around 15% I couldn't put it down!

I honestly just could not get into this book. The introduction is very jarring and confuses the reader, who naturally is trying to figure out the lay of the land. It's a bit awkward to bring up the main love interest so soon and talk about a back story, before we've even gotten to know the setting and the main heroine.

clandestine, extortion, suspicion, suspense, affaire, murders, romantic, witty, missing-persons, political-unrest, threats, royalty, unpleasant-suspect, situational-humor****

In the midst of some political underhandedness Lady Petra is instructed by the Queen to investigate the murder of the matron at an orphanage where illegitimate children of the wealthy are trained to go into service. Besides that, she has reason to suspect that her current lover had a hand in the murder of her fiancé. Good thing she has a cadre of trustworthy inventive friends to "help" with it all. Dandy book to read in bits and parts.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books Avail Nov 12, 2024 #LadyPetraInquiresBk2

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC.

Lady Petra and her friends are back for another exciting mystery and murder to solve. Goodness I love these characters! This series has some of my favorite main characters and side characters. I love the relationship with Lady Petra and Duncan, but what I love even more is that it isn't the #1 focus of the series. It really is about a strong female lead and her friendships and the mystery with some romance added in for good measure! I really hope that there is a 3rd book in the series. I want more mysteries to solve!

The description of "Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie" is so very accurate. If you enjoy the Veronica Speedwell series or even the A League of Extraordinary Women series then you'll love this one!

Another okay book in this series. While the supporting cast is good, Lady Petra can have a do over with her know it all attitude. Pacing can be improved with a strong edit on repetition of ideas and dialogues / monologues / internal debates.

Lady Petra sets out to solve 2 problems, one personal (involving her dead fiancee and current lover), one charged by the Queen. The mysteries merge together to be resolved in the end.

#netgalley #allsfairinloveandtreachery

Oh my goodness, I was so excited when a notification popped up in my NetGalley account that I was chosen to recieve this ARC. Thank you so, SO much from the bottom of my heart to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for picking me ❤️

Now onto the review!

For those of you who don’t know, this is the second book in a series about the main character, Lady Petra. The first book was excellent and it was an Aardvark Book Club selection last year. If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend it.

The second book begins with Lady Petra discovering that her lover has disappeared, and on top of that, may have had to do with her fiance’s death, and may also be involved with a group of revolutionaries threatening to overthrow the monarchy. In addition, she is called to meet with the Queen, in hopes that she will be able to investigate the untimely death of the matron of the girl’s orphanage, where the illegitimate daughters of soldiers or the gentry are sent.

The novel actually comprises of two mysteries expertly weaved together by Connally: who killed the matron of the orphanage, and where exactly do her lover’s beliefs lie?

The conclusion is one that is brought about by extremely clever detective work done by Lady Petra, and is helped along by a colorful cast of side characters (some familiar from the first book). There are plenty of twists in this book, and just as you think you may know what direction things are headed in, a new surprise is around the corner.

Petra is a very clever heroine and the dialogue is witty and fun. I also enjoyed the historical context of the novel and how author blended this in to the story to create opportunities for the mystery to unfold.

I will also say I absolutely loved the ending of this book. The last several chapters are incredibly well done and brought the book to a wonderful close.

Fans of Bridgerton, London, smart heroines, dogs, and a good mystery—this book is for you.

All’s Fair in Love and Treachery releases November 12, 2024.

LOVE! This story was excellent. Kind of two different storylines going on for our FMC but both were done well and everything blended beautifully. I was hooked from the beginning with the mystery of what happened to her husband-that’s all I’ll say without spoiling it! A very fun, cozy mystery.

All’s Fair in Love & Treachery by Celeste Connally had so many elements I love- friendship, romance, mystery, and enough suspense to keep me guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book & I think you will too.


Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press|Minotaur Books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Those who try to solve the mystery before the characters will be thoroughly stymied by this one. Good luck! This was a delightfully complex mystery and a worthy second book in the Lady Petra series by Celeste Connally.

The first book ended with a cliffhanger and this second installment picks up exactly where things left off. The first two chapters are pretty stunning as Petra processes what she has learned about her late fiancé’s death and her childhood friend/current lover’s involvement. She doesn’t get much time, as she’s called to meet the Queen about an investigation…

There are actually two investigations in this book. First, Queen Charlotte asks Petra to investigate the murder of the matron at an orphanage where illegitimate children of the wealthy are trained to go into service. The suspects are the under-matron, an orphan who believes her father left her an inheritance, or outsiders. At the same time, Duncan seems to be involved with a group of reformists who are resorting to violence to overthrow the monarchy. For a time, Petra is unsure about Duncan’s beliefs - is he working with the revolutionaries or trying to undermine them?

I loved the deeper insight into Petra’s late fiancé, Emerson and his family. The secondary characters still shine, as do the dogs. There was a great hint at a future storyline involving Petra’s best friend. I can’t wait for that!

Though I read an early version via NetGalley, I’ll be rereading when my physical copy arrives in November!

All’s Fair in Love and Treachery is a romp of a novel that has all the elements of a regency romance including a detective element that readers will enjoy. I do think All’s Fair in Love and Treachery could have been edited down a bit, starting the novel with Lady Petra in full swing of the investigation. There's a little too much exposition in the opening chapters, where the pacing is stagnant instead of pressing and urgent as Lady Petra is summoned by the Queen to receive a lengthy explanation of the case she wants Petra to investigate.

It wasn’t until further into the novel, where Petra was in full swing of trying to find the killer, that I felt completely immersed in the novel. Where every chapter brought us closer to identifying the killer and if Lady Petra and the handsome Mr. Shawcross make it out alive, and more importantly, together and happy.

If you enjoy a cozy mystery set in the regency-era with a splash of romance, make sure to add All’s Fair in Love and Treachery to your reading list.

Celeste Connally's All's Fair in Love and Treachery is a historical novel and worthy successor to the first in the series. In fact, I was delighted to find that I liked this book even more.

We are back in London in 1815, where the beautiful and wealthy Lady Petra has just learned that her friend since childhood, the dashing Duncan Shawcross, may have been responsible for the death of her beloved fiancé three years earlier. Petra and Duncan have been carrying on a romantic liaison, and she can't bear to think Duncan might have betrayed her. At the same time and at the behest of the royal family, Petra is investigating the death of the matron at an orphanage, where one orphan is complaining that the inheritance she expected when she reached age 15 is nowhere to be found.

But there is a much more deadly plot that may affect Petra, Duncan, and others in her life. A cadre of those who believe the monarchy and Parliament are running the country into the ground and taking away the rights of citizens has turned dangerous, believing that only by violence will anything change. They have something planned in the aftermath of Napoleon's defeat that promises to be devastating and is so intricately planned that Petra and her cohorts are racing to figure it all out before tragedy strikes.

The book really picks up steam later in the book, with clever plot twists and an increase in exciting scenes of action and intrigue. I found Lady Petra to be a more relatable character in this series entry. I also enjoyed supporting characters such as a street urchin who has proven to be so much more, Petra's close female friends--including a dog trainer, an extraordinary archer, and an apothecary--and Duncan himself and his previously estranged half-brother. I look forward to the next book in the series.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Usually I love historical romance with a modern twist but for some reason this story felt disconnected and I felt like I was missing something.
A very mundane read for me.

Friendship, love, dogs, cryptic messages, clues, murder & mystery in Regency era London!

I loved the first book - it was so FUN! This book is more serious, following Petra as she's tasked with solving a murder. There's another murder in her not so distant past, that of her finace, which she doesnt know the whole truth about.

Her new love, Duncan, is dreamy yet mysterious and he's an integral part of this book.

Had me guessing until the last chapter when everything was pulled together.

I so badly wanted to like this book. I really enjoyed the first one and the cover is fantastic! Unfortunately, it was really not for me.

The first 30% dragged so badly that I had to tell myself I couldn't do anything until I read at least one chapter a day. Finally, it picked up a little bit, so I thought everything would be fine. It was not.

I really hate to say this, but the only parts that held my attention were the parts with Duncan. I like Petra and her friends, but it was just kind of drawn out and boring when Duncan wasn't around. How many different ways can I read about Petra going to have tea with a friend while trying to solve a mystery?

Because I was so uninterested, it took me longer than usual to read the book. I don't know if it's because I don't have the best memory or if it's because my brain really didn't care, but I couldn't remember who the characters were. The conclusion to the mystery was kind of lost on me because I couldn't remember who was who.

I really liked the first book in this series, but this one just didn't work for me.

The 2nd in a newer series starts just where the first ended with Petra being confronted with the possibility of her former fiancee’s death being a murder! And worse her new love, Duncan, was involved somehow. Before she can confront him, he disappears into the night leaving behind a cryptic message. Petra is then called upon by the Queen and her godmother to look into the death of a Matron at a local orphanage. Her investigation brings her to suspect friends, question motives, and track down the man she loves but doesn’t trust. Every clue she turns up only leads to more questions and danger is lurking in the form of republicans bent on violence who are connected to her former fiance and Duncan. Bringing some levity to the story are Petra’s assortment of friends with varying unique skills including archery and flower bombs. The mysteries and crimes weave together and are not completely undone until the last few pages of the story.