Book Details
All’s Fair in Love and Treachery
21 June, 1815. London may be cheering the news of Napoleon’s surrender at Waterloo, but Lady Petra Forsyth has little to celebrate after discovering that the death of her viscount fiancé three years earlier was no accident. Instead, it was murder, and the man responsible is her handsome, half-Scottish secret paramour Duncan Shawcross—yet the scoundrel has disappeared, leaving only a confusing riddle about long-forgotten memories in his wake.
So what’s a lady to do when she can’t hunt down her traitorous lover? She concentrates on a royal assignment instead. Queen Charlotte has tasked Petra with attending an event at the Asylum for Female Orphans and making inquiries surrounding the death of the orphanage’s matron. What’s more, there may be a link between the matron’s death and a group of radicals with ties to the aristocracy, as evidenced by an intercepted letter.
Then, Petra overhears a nefarious conversation with two other men about a plot to topple the monarchy, set to take place during three days of celebrations currently gripping London.
As the clock counts down and London’s streets teem with revelers, Petra’s nerves are fraying as her past and present collide. Yet while all’s fair in love and war, she can never surrender, especially when more orphaned girls may be in trouble. And to save their lives, the monarchy itself, and even her own heart, Lady Petra must face her fears with the strength of an army of soldiers and fight with the heart of a queen.
Hello Book friends!
Today I’m reviewing All’s Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally. In this historical romance mystery, we follow Lady Petra Forsyth, who has been tasked to discover who murdered a local orphanage matron by the queen. Before starting the case she finds that her lover might be responsible of the death of her finance, and that a friend and patron of the orphanage in question, may be the person responsible for the matrons demise.
Review of All’s Fair in Love and Treachery
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.
Happy Reading ~ Cece
RATING: 
– Satisfyingly Inked
About the Author
CELESTE CONNALLY is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor. A lifelong devotee of historical novels and adaptations fueled by her passion for history—plus weekly doses of PBS Masterpiece—Celeste loves reading and writing about women from the past who didn’t always do as they were told.
publication details
| Pub Date | ISBN | Page Count | Publisher | Age Group | Source & Format | Review Posted Online |
| 12-Nov-24 | 978-1250867605 | 320 | Minotaur Books | Adult | NetGalley, Digital ARC | July 23, 2024 |
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Welcome Reader!
I’m Cecelia and I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find honest reviews, book recommendations, along with other bookish essentials. So happy you stopped by!
– C
ABOUT THE CREATOR
CECE BECKMAN
Cece holds a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach. She lives in California with her husband and children. When she’s not reading or writing reviews she can be found wandering book aisles at local bookshops, drinking iced cold lattes with cold cream foam, or passing the time with her cats.
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