Adorable take on Lady Petra's time judging a historical version of the Great British Bake Off. I love her antics and seeing what she and her friends get up to! Lady Petra could go on 100 adventures and I would be along for the ride. The writing is well done, the mystery is complex but not confusing, and the characters are charming and loveable.

This book was amazing! I loved Bridgerton so much and I have been searching for a book that is like it and this one is the perfect one! Highly recommend!

This is the first book I have read in this series. I'm most likely missing details, but I found it to make sense on its own. This is a quick, character-led historical cozy. I recommend it and will read the other two books.

I'm 1/3 of the way through and choosing to call it quits. Unfortunately, this one isn't holding my attention at all. Very possibly a simple case of wrong book, wrong time.

Lady Petra Forsyth's cook, Mrs. Bing is invited to be in a bakery competition at Windsor Castle. Petra will be one of the judges in a blind tasting panel. Her friend Lady Caroline and a couple of their friends will also be there to participate in the other entertainments for the Queen and Prince.
Petra knows all the other judges but was surprised that her Aunt Ophelia was joining them. Everything was going smoothly until the body of Sir Rufus Pomeroy was found murdered. Colonel Wolston, of the Coldstream Guards at Windsor arrested Sir Rufus's valet, who was found at the scene. It turns out that the valet is the brother of Petra's maid and so takes on the task of finding out what really happened. Along with her special friend, Duncan Shawcross and her other close friends, they begin their investigations, all in-between the bakery competition and other functions.
An entertaining historical cozy mystery with Petra and her companions being able to sort out who the murderer is from a number of suspects, all without disturbing the festivities.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "Revenge, Served Royal".

A Regency mystery with pastries, wit, and intrigue!


Revenge, Served Royal was such a fun read—Lady Petra is clever and bold, and I just loved the patisserie contest backdrop at Windsor Castle. As a fan of both books and cooking shows, this really worked for me. A charming mix of baking, banter, and murder that kept me hooked. Lady Petra truly just has some charm to her that keeps you wanting more.

I did blunder momentarily, as I read the first in the series but did not realize I hadn't read the second upon starting the third - so it was a little confusing at first. Easy fix as the second was already waiting for me on my bookshelf! But in light of this, I would recommend starting at the beginning and going in order. Characters and events will make more sense, although if you are greatly determined I suppose this could be read as a stand-alone.

Such a great series though, perfect for fans of light, witty historical mysteries!
4🌟

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally is the third book in the Lady Petra Inquires series, a Regency-era mystery set in England. The novel takes place in and around Windsor Castle, when King George III was ill and his son served as the Prince Regent. Lady Petra has been chosen as one of the judges for Queen Charlotte’s inaugural pâtisserie contest for the best bakers employed by England’s finest houses.

I found the first chapters of the book to be totally confusing, as there were so many characters to keep track of. (Possibly because I hadn't read the first two books.) Just as I was getting ready to DNF, the murder mystery started, as well as the cooking contest, and the book became interesting to me.

Then, towards the last of the book, some of the good guys started turning out to be the bad guys, and vice versa, which was not believable to me.

If you enjoy reading about cooking contests, you will love that part of the book! It was definitely my favorite. I guess that on a whole, Revenge, Served Royal just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you, #MinotaurBooks, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Revenge, Served Royal has an expected publication date of November 11, 2025.

#RegencyEra #Mystery #Crime #StrongFemaleProtagonist #WindsorCastle

I had not read the first book in this series, though it has been on my list! I still really enjoyed this book. The characters were unique & fun, I liked the Bake-Off type event that took place, and didn't feel that I was missing key components from the first book. I'm sure reading the first would have enhanced my enjoyment, but I feel this is still a fun standalone book. I will be reading the first in the series & look forward to more!

Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally is the third book in the Lady Petra Inquires series, and it’s a fun, engaging historical mystery with a lightly fantastical twist. Lady Petra attends a week of royal celebrations, including Queen Charlotte’s patisserie contest, when a murder interrupts the festivities. She steps in to solve the case with her sharp wit and style.
I loved the first two books and Petra is a character that keeps me interested and entertained. The story mixes the world of the royals with gossip and suspense. I found the story enjoyable and loved the balance of mystery with romance. This is a great regency era mystery with a heroine and secondary characters that I really enjoy. I am looking forward to more.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Revenge Served Royal is the third book in the Lady Petra Inquires series, and it’s a delightful blend of Regency charm, culinary flair, and mystery. Although part of a series, it can be easily enjoyed as a standalone.

The story unfolds in the fall of 1815, when Petra’s loyal cook, Mrs. Bing, is invited to Windsor Castle to compete in a blind-judged cooking contest hosted by Queen Charlotte—something of a Regency-era forerunner to The Great British Baking Show. Lady Petra herself is selected as one of the judges, alongside Sir Rufus Pomeroy. Once employed by Petra’s family, Sir Rufus later rose to fame as the Royal Chef and, in retirement, became England’s first celebrity chef with a string of popular cookbooks.

When Sir Rufus is found strangled during the competition, suspicion falls on Oliver Beecham, Sir Rufus's footman and the brother of Petra’s maid. The evidence feels too convenient, and Petra suspects he’s been framed. With the contest continuing under the shadow of murder, Petra must rely on her wits and determination to uncover the true killer.

A clever mix of historical detail, suspense, and sharp characterization, this installment keeps readers entertained from start to finish. Fans of Regency mysteries with a fresh twist will savor every page. 4 plus stars

Imagine The Great British Bake Off with a Regency murder mystery + Bridgerton twist—duels, dancing, secret grudges, a bit of a modern flair, and lots of fun.

Set in 1815, Revenge, Served Royal brings readers into the opulent world of Windsor Castle, where Queen Charlotte has invited select members of the ton to participate in a week of aristocratic festivities, including an elaborate patisserie competition judged by none other than Lady Petra. With her own cook among the contenders, Petra is expecting sweet treats and high society drama, but instead, she finds herself at the center of a murder investigation when a fellow judge, Sir Rufus, is found strangled. Once a trusted family chef and now a royal culinary figure, Sir Rufus had more enemies than Petra realized. As she begins to untangle his past, aided by her confidant and romantic interest Duncan Shawcross, suspects begin to emerge. Among them, the Prince himself and Petra’s own Aunt Ophelia, both of whom had very public disputes with the victim.

Celeste Connally delivers a charming and unique setup, with a classic whodunnit wrapped in the frosting of high-society customs and royal intrigue. The premise is gold. The mystery itself is well plotted and full of great red herrings, and the dynamic between Petra and Duncan adds a nice romantic undercurrent. (one that I wanted much more of) The setting of Regency England reimagined with flair and a modern tinge makes for a playful backdrop that fans of historical cozies will likely enjoy.

My mistake? While this is it's own story, it's the third in the Lady Petra series, and I honestly found myself disoriented. Backstory and characters and relationship dynamics, such as Petra’s aversion to marriage or her history with Duncan, are referenced but not deeply explained, leaving me confused about who a lot of people where for a while, how they were connected, and their history. The novel also takes noticeable liberties with historical accuracy- not an issue for me, but if you're looking for a true historical, this one definitely is more MODERN day Bridgerton than historically accurate.

Revenge, Served Royal is less historical fiction in the traditional sense and more a fun, lightly fantastical mystery set in a version of the past that is super entertaining. A great alternate history escape, with elegant gowns, royal gossip, and muuuuuurder. Those who enjoy cozy mysteries with a dash of romance and a generous helping of mystery will find this an entertaining read. And if you're new the series, maybe start from the beginning.

Revenge, Served Royal is the latest in the Lady Petra mystery series by Celeste Connally. This is a really fun series and I enjoyed this entry very much. The characters are lots of fun and Lady Petra is a smart, witty young woman and it’s great fun to watch her solve the mystery. This mystery had lots of twists and turns and I enjoyed trying to solve it with Lady Petra. I also loved the idea of an 1800’s British Bake-Off featuring bakers from some of the best houses in Britain. It made for a great setting and a fun reason for all the characters to get together. I really enjoy this series and I hope it will continue with more mysteries for Lady Petra and Duncan to solve!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

The characters were interesting and the story was engaging. I will look for other books by this author.

Very fun premise for a historical mystery! A great British bake off style cooking competition featuring murder and royalty.

I think I made a mistake picking up the third book in this series without having read the previous books. There were so many characters introduced in the first few chapters, and so many who had clearly implied back stories, that it made it hard to keep track of the plot. Things picked up once we got to the murder!

This romantic mystery set in 1815 was a fun read - the third book in the Regency-era Lady Petra Enquires series. Since I hadn't read the earlier books, I felt a bit lost at times with references to past events and relationships. But Lady Petra herself really carried the story. She's got this sharp wit and unconventional approach that kept me turning pages. Even when I didn't catch all the backstory, her character made the book engaging and easy to get through. A quick, entertaining read overall. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

In REVENGE, SERVED ROYAL by Celeste Connally, Lady Petra Forsyth, the daughter of the fifth Earl of Holbrook, is the protagonist of this Regency Era mystery. Her cook, Mrs. Bing, is invited to Windsor Castle to participate in a patisserie competition as part of the Queen’s fifty-fourth wedding anniversary celebration. Lady Petra will be one of the contest judges. I want to know what happens at the patisserie competition and read on.

I enjoy returning to the Regency Era setting. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but each one is described well. While it may take a while for the plot to get going, it eventually progresses to a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading future books in the Lady Petra Inquires series and find out more about the Petra and Duncan relationship. Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review and advance reader copy of REVENGE, SERVED ROYAL.

Lady Petra is always a delight. I loved the setting of Windsor for this mystery as well as the incorporation of a baking contest (VERY Great British Bake-off)!

When a famous chef is found murdered (supposedly by a valet), Petra suspects that something is not right and begins to investigate while time is ticking. I loved that there was a lot going on in this mystery - between revenge, a suspicious prince, concerns and protection of family, and, of course, a charming baking competition.

The inclusion of Windsor and the royal family was fun, and the book was fast-paced. Can’t wait to see what Petra gets up to next!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Stmartinspress and #MinotaurPress as well as the author for an ARC.

A Regency-era bake off!

Fall, 1815: It’s a week of Royal Celebrations! And as part of it, there is a bake off between some of the best home cooks in the land. Lady Petra is invited to be a judge, and her cook is invited to be a contestant. Also featured as a judge is Sir Rufus Pomeroy, the Forsyth family cook (when Petra was a toddler) now turned famous cookbook author. He requests to meet with Petra early the morning of the first day of competition; unfortunately, when Petra enters the library to talk to Sir Rufus, she sees his valet bent over him, appearing to strangle him with a piece of lace. As the valet is the ne’er-do-well brother of Petra’s maid Annie, she gets involved.

I was a little disappointed in this book. On paper, it is the type of book I love - historical with a touch of Christie. I feel like there were a couple of reasons that I was dissatisfied with this book. One was that I hadn’t read any previous books, so felt a bit lost with some of the characters. For example, why is Petra so against marrying and why is her family okay with it? Maybe it was in a previous book, but I would expect there to be a bunch of push back for her. I also was lost in some of the relationships between characters; for example, it wasn’t clear at first that Petra’s paramour was Duncan. I was also disappointed at some factual issues - one character made a fortune ‘milling self-rising flour’ which would be fine, except self-rising flour is just flour with added baking soda and possibly salt; there’s no milling involved. It was also first patented 30 years after the events of the book. Yes, the author mentions taking some liberties with historical facts, but this seems to be just not doing any research. Again, I think this is probably more of a personal pet peeve that most people won’t notice. The characters themselves were likable, and the plot was nice and twisty; I just got caught up in the details and liberties the author took.

Recommended for those who have read previous books in the series. I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review

This book reminds me of a Downton Abbey "who dunnit". A lot of French food terminology since the setting is a bake off, so if you know your pastries you'll understand completely. . A little slow paced for me but overall a cute premise and enjoyable read. If you are a historical fiction reader you will definitely enjoy the historical references in the book. . I was invited to read an advanced reader copy. and under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Great third instalment in the Lady Petra Inquiries series! A fun read about a young female investigator dealing with a murder, a baking contest and all the interesting characters you may encounter in Windsor Castle, in 1815 England. Great standalone, but time to read book one and two! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC.