THE NEXT RIDICULOUSLY FUN AND DELIGHTFULLY ROMANTIC BOOK FROM FELICITY GEORGE.'A gorgeous, captivating Regency romance' SOPHIE IRWIN, on A Courtesan's WorthTwo sworn enemies. One inconvenient truce. What could possibly go wrong?When the beloved Duke of Severn passes away under suspicious circumstances, rumours are alight that it was because of his young, rebellious, and outspoken wife, Henrietta. Especially once she goes on the run...But she's not alone.Theodore Hawke, a ruthless journalist and her sworn enemy, shortly follows behind - determined to be the first to get the scoop.With no other option, Henrietta presents a if he helps her uncover the true identity of her late husband's killer, he can publish whatever he likes.So when their inconvenient truce begins to cause inconvenient feelings, it's not just Henrietta's reputation at stake - but her heart too...YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS LOVE FELICITY 'Irresistibly sexy ... I adored every scintillating page' Jessica Bull'A dark and seductively dangerous Regency world - think Bridgerton meets Moulin Rouge - where everything, especially love, has a high price' Emma Orchard'A smart story, compelling writing and a big smile on any reader's face when they finish' Jodi Ellen Malpas
Felicity George is a writer and teacher from Toronto, where she lives with her husband, her two teenage children, a large cat, and a tiny dog. A lifelong devotee of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, Felicity adores a happily-ever-after.
I've been low-key grousing lately about "cozy" books without enough plot. Well, A Lady's Guide to Murder has plenty of plot to go along with the romance, and I had a ton of fun reading it! Henrietta is a young duchess in a marriage of convenience with an older, progressive duke. Well, he may be in a marriage of convenience, but she's actually in love with him and agreed to a sexless marriage in the hopes of eventually changing his mind. (When a man says he's not that into you, you should take him at his word, Henrietta.) Theo is a muckraking gossip journalist who catches Henrietta in an indiscretion that nearly ends in scandal. He's especially disappointed because he both admires the duke for his political leanings and idolized Henrietta from afar. Five years later, Henrietta's husband is murdered (it's not a spoiler; please read the title of this book!) and she's framed for the crime. She and Theo join forces to investigate and find the real culprit and clear her name. And along the way, they fall in looooove! This book is nonstop action (seriously, it starts with Theo discovering Henrietta in a torrid embrace with a man who is not her husband) and I was glued to the page. Does it get a little OTT with the coincidences by the end? Sure! But to me, that's honestly part of the charm of a sexy romp like this one. I will 100% go (and have gone) on the record of saying I'd rather have a little bit of bonkers than too much of nothing. And yeah, I said it was a sexy romp - this is the sexiest Felicity George I've read yet, and I was into it.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
I'm sure this book is fine if you read historical romance, but I feel the marketing did it a disservice. I picked up this book knowing nothing about it, and due to a combination of factors (the cover, the title, the blurb, where it was shelved in the book shop) thought it was a cosy mystery with a romance subplot, or at least that the mystery would play a much larger part than it did. I quickly realised that this was not the case, but attempted to persevere despite not being a romance reader. If anyone is considering picking up this book under the impression that it is a mystery, as I did, be warned: this is not a mystery at all, it is a steamy romance wherein a murder serves as background set dressing and a narrative device to drive the protagonist and her love interest together. If that appeals to you, go forth and enjoy but do not make the same mistake that I did.
Have you ever seen the move The Fugitive? But make it Regency Romance, it doesn't sound like it will work does it? But it really did!
When our dear Lady Henrietta loses her husband and suspicion is cast on her, she resolves to solve the murder herself with the help of a truth hunting journalist that has been her sworn enemy for years!
I really enjoyed Theo and Henrietta, I loved their banter and the way they opened each other's eyes to the world. Not everything you see is at it seems.
The only thing that didn't work that well for me was the spice in this, it felt a bit awkward and didn't flow right for me. But it did not take away from my love of the story asthe story held it's own and the spice was a minor cog.
There’s been a lot of mystery added to historical romance lately, and I have to say I’m here for it!
Felicity George’s latest released today, A Lady’s Guide to Murder, and it’s a shift from her regular historical romances, but the murder mystery only ads to the excitement and drama of the romance!
Henrietta is the model of a respectable Duchess, and she needs to be since an indiscretion early her marriage has put her in the sites of the gossip mongers. Because of is not all she needs to worry about now with her husband, dead and her looking like the prime suspect in his murder!
Coddled by her family, she’s she strikes out on her own, determined to solve the mystery of who would want to kill the people’s Duke? Without many allies, she seeks assistance from a surprising character- her gossip writer foe, Theo Hawke!
Together they travel across the countryside, don disguises, and unravel the truth!
This was such a fun and adventurous romance, and it kept me on my toes, both for the mystery and the eventual HEA!
Felicity George is one of my must read historical romance authors, and this added mystery, only made the romance more exciting! I’m always recommending George’s books, and now I have a new one I heartily recommend!
Henrietta has been the perfect duchess for years, just as she was bred to be. Well, despite for one vulnerable moment that ended up all over the scandal sheets, thanks to the insufferable reporter Theo Hawke. The two have been disdainfully glaring at each other from a distance for years, until Henrietta's husband suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances and she is the number one suspect.
Henrietta is forced to flee to avoid prosecution and find out who really wanted her beloved husband dead. Despite their unorthodox relationship, Henrietta loved the Duke and wants to see his true killer brought to justice. And Theo loves a good story and the pursuit of the truth -- so he is hot on her heels. Their shared goals led to a reluctant truce that has them both realizing the were wrong about each other in so many ways.
Tender and engaging from start to finish -- will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author!
I found this to be an odd mixture of styles in one book. The description given suggests that it is a Regency cosy murder mystery with accompanying romance. At the start there is very little that is fun about the story when you have Henrietta locked into a marriage to an older, self absorbed man who is encouraging her to commit adultery when she went into the marriage loving him.
After his murder she becomes a suspect and develops a highly unlikely partnership, that leads to romance, with a very low born gossip columnist.
There is a brief period in the middle of the book where the interactions between the two main characters develops some humour, but for the most part the plotting is quite intense. There is an explanation given for the fairly heavy style after the story ends and while this is quite understandable I feel the overall theme would have been best avoided by the author.
What a fantastic story! I have loved all of Felicity George's books and this DOESN'T disappoint. Two sworn enemies thrown together to find out who murdered Edmund, The Duke of Severn - Henrietta's husband. When Theodore Hawke determines to solve the mystery and prove the Duchess's guilt, he doesn't expect Henrietta to put up a fight. Thrown together, the chemistry builds between them as they continue their search for Edmund's killer. We meet villains and heros and are left gasping as Henrietta and Theo's passion for one another builds to a climax. This book has everything and sizzles as you would expect from the pen of Felicity George. It's one of those wonderful books that swept me along and although I wanted to read to the end, I didn't want the story to end. I think this may her best yet!
4.5 loved this! Fast paced but took the time to really draw out the characters. Loved the political background it’s set against and the actual mystery was intriguing. At times it suffers for deus ex machina-like twists but not to the detriment of the overall story. The steam is hot and good and a delight to read. Felicity George is doing some of the best new HR out there and I’m ready for folks to talk about it!
I really wanted to enjoy this book. The premise sounded brilliant, I enjoyed the author's previous works, and my first love is historical crime fiction/thrillers. But, and I hate to say this, it was loaded with posh waffle, and I took an instant disliking to the female protagonist who admits to cheating on her husband in the first few pages! I couldn't, sadly, go on.
I was so delighted to receive this gorgeous proof of Felicity George's new romance mystery, A Lady’s Guide To Murder. I was lucky to read an early version, so I already know it’s a scorching romance combined with a very satisfying mystery. Come 2025, romance and mystery readers are in for a treat!
Oh what fun! This was a true nail-biter and such a captivating read. I loveeeeed the romance in this and the twists in the murder mystery aspect had me HOOKED. Cannot recommend this book enough! what a perfect way to start the new year!
I have never read this author before and l can honestly say she is brilliant there are enough red herrings in the book that you don’t work out who the murderer is until the very end fantastic