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greatexpectations77's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Initially, I was very into this book, and I will likely read this author again. However, I was not impressed with how judgemental the reading was about sex work. The character doing the sex work was specifically described as disliking the work and doing it only as a last resort, but there was still a LOT of judgment that was really unnecessary. I understand that not everyone recognizes that sex work is work, and I also understand that in this historical period, Lila would probably not be supportive of this work, but it still felt ultra-judgy. Also, Lila getting totally dickmatized by Ivor and letting the lascar get arrested was so irresponsible , and I was really ticked off about it. And THEN Ivor 1000000% victim-blamed Lila for that young guy assaulting her because she was nice to him twice, and then she just forgives him and gets over it?? How many times does he have to show her who he is before she believes it??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Pregnancy, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Death, Racism, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Fatphobia
sanawrites's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Release Date: 30th May 2023
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️
Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray will always have a special place in my heart no matter what for two reasons:
1) It is the first ARC I was approved for
2) Lila Marleigh is a brilliant Indian HR heroine!
This novel follows our heroine, Lila Marleigh, a gambling den hostess who is the eldest daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress. The book starts with Lila being visited by a blast from her past, Maisie whose partner, Sunil, had been wrongly accused of attacking a lady. The lady in question is the hero, Ivor Tristram’s cousin Tiffany. Lila and Ivor cross paths throughout the novel to uncover the true identity of the attacker and his motivations behind it.
First off, I’d like to commend Amita for her characterisation of Lila. She's just about the coolest character I've read about thus far. Just from the way she carries herself, runs her salon and how there are little nods of her homeland in her life. The inclusion of Indian details in this is so seamless and made me feel very seen as a fellow Indian girl. I also found it unique that due to the way the sisters had grown up, Lila doesn’t read as the usual type of Eldest Daughter. She is very much her own person.
Another aspect I loved was how Amita has set up Lila and her sisters’ past. I absolutely adored the way it was written - very compelling and well done. The Marleigh sisters were shipped off to England as children after their parents' passing. When they showed up at their stepmother Lady Sarah's doorstep, Lila and her sisters bore the punishment of their Father's sins. They would do so until each one escaped that terrible household. The language used whenever their past was touched upon was beautiful. It hit right where it's supposed to hurt. It also illustrates why and how Lila became the way she is.
What little we get of the sisters and their descriptions leaves you wanting. Anya and Mira are definitely heroine material. I am hoping this would all pay off well in the subsequent Marleigh Sisters books.
For a debut HR novel, I think it's well written and unique in the sense of historical accuracy. Amita dug into several real issues such as racism, sexism, class privilege and assault through the lens of the Regency era. She used Lila's father, Lord Marleigh, to demonstrate how white lords often had second lives and families with their foreign mistresses continents away from their first family. Maisie and Sunil were examples of Caribbean and Indian descent people respectively who worked for high society peers. Their lives were shown to be the harsh realities of the lower class at the time, and what they had to do to survive. Even Tiffany’s attack was written with such care and highlighted the complexities of assault and its aftermath. Each of these topics were written realistically without being overwrought. Amita certainly did not shy away from the truths that still echo through modern times now.
The book tickled my fancy with Lila's brilliant character, the main mystery/conflict, a brilliant Act 3 that had me gasping every other page and a great host of characters in Maisie, Sunil and Lila's staff & friends. However, my main critique of the book is the chemistry between the leads was lacking at times.
Ivor doesn't quite feel like the right fit for Lila. This can be attributed to the fact that he could have been a lot more fleshed out. Oftentimes he felt like an afterthought. The romance took a backseat to serve the mystery plot and topics mentioned above that Amita wanted to bring across. Lila's feelings on her childhood trauma was also given priority which hinted at what's to come with the other sisters' backstories. (Not a bad thing, just could have been balanced more with her romance with Ivor).
Despite Ivor not being on par with Lila, characterisation wise, I did enjoy their steamy scenes together. It built up steadily across each Act and got hotter each time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was great seeing an Indian heroine like myself in a genre I love so much. The secondary cast were so delightful to read about as well. They were all written with so much care and consideration. While this is my first Amita Murray book, I can see how she's transitioning from historical mystery novels to romance. She definitely played to her strengths in this novel. The historical research held up and the mystery took me for a shocking ride. Definitely recommending this for people wanting diverse characters in the HR genre who also love mysteries and plot twists.
Amita Murray can only go up from here with this genre. I am certainly excited to see this journey over the course of the next few books in the Marleigh Sisters series.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️
Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray will always have a special place in my heart no matter what for two reasons:
1) It is the first ARC I was approved for
2) Lila Marleigh is a brilliant Indian HR heroine!
This novel follows our heroine, Lila Marleigh, a gambling den hostess who is the eldest daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress. The book starts with Lila being visited by a blast from her past, Maisie whose partner, Sunil, had been wrongly accused of attacking a lady. The lady in question is the hero, Ivor Tristram’s cousin Tiffany. Lila and Ivor cross paths throughout the novel to uncover the true identity of the attacker and his motivations behind it.
First off, I’d like to commend Amita for her characterisation of Lila. She's just about the coolest character I've read about thus far. Just from the way she carries herself, runs her salon and how there are little nods of her homeland in her life. The inclusion of Indian details in this is so seamless and made me feel very seen as a fellow Indian girl. I also found it unique that due to the way the sisters had grown up, Lila doesn’t read as the usual type of Eldest Daughter. She is very much her own person.
Another aspect I loved was how Amita has set up Lila and her sisters’ past. I absolutely adored the way it was written - very compelling and well done. The Marleigh sisters were shipped off to England as children after their parents' passing. When they showed up at their stepmother Lady Sarah's doorstep, Lila and her sisters bore the punishment of their Father's sins. They would do so until each one escaped that terrible household. The language used whenever their past was touched upon was beautiful. It hit right where it's supposed to hurt. It also illustrates why and how Lila became the way she is.
What little we get of the sisters and their descriptions leaves you wanting. Anya and Mira are definitely heroine material. I am hoping this would all pay off well in the subsequent Marleigh Sisters books.
For a debut HR novel, I think it's well written and unique in the sense of historical accuracy. Amita dug into several real issues such as racism, sexism, class privilege and assault through the lens of the Regency era. She used Lila's father, Lord Marleigh, to demonstrate how white lords often had second lives and families with their foreign mistresses continents away from their first family. Maisie and Sunil were examples of Caribbean and Indian descent people respectively who worked for high society peers. Their lives were shown to be the harsh realities of the lower class at the time, and what they had to do to survive. Even Tiffany’s attack was written with such care and highlighted the complexities of assault and its aftermath. Each of these topics were written realistically without being overwrought. Amita certainly did not shy away from the truths that still echo through modern times now.
The book tickled my fancy with Lila's brilliant character, the main mystery/conflict, a brilliant Act 3 that had me gasping every other page and a great host of characters in Maisie, Sunil and Lila's staff & friends. However, my main critique of the book is the chemistry between the leads was lacking at times.
Ivor doesn't quite feel like the right fit for Lila. This can be attributed to the fact that he could have been a lot more fleshed out. Oftentimes he felt like an afterthought. The romance took a backseat to serve the mystery plot and topics mentioned above that Amita wanted to bring across. Lila's feelings on her childhood trauma was also given priority which hinted at what's to come with the other sisters' backstories. (Not a bad thing, just could have been balanced more with her romance with Ivor).
Despite Ivor not being on par with Lila, characterisation wise, I did enjoy their steamy scenes together. It built up steadily across each Act and got hotter each time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was great seeing an Indian heroine like myself in a genre I love so much. The secondary cast were so delightful to read about as well. They were all written with so much care and consideration. While this is my first Amita Murray book, I can see how she's transitioning from historical mystery novels to romance. She definitely played to her strengths in this novel. The historical research held up and the mystery took me for a shocking ride. Definitely recommending this for people wanting diverse characters in the HR genre who also love mysteries and plot twists.
Amita Murray can only go up from here with this genre. I am certainly excited to see this journey over the course of the next few books in the Marleigh Sisters series.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Racism
The main plot involves a sexual assault with the wrong man being accused due to racism. These two triggers covered during the main plot points may be triggering to some audiencessanawrites's review
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Release Date: 30th May 2023
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️
Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray will always have a special place in my heart no matter what for two reasons:
1) It is the first ARC I was approved for
2) Lila Marleigh is a brilliant Indian HR heroine!
This novel follows our heroine, Lila Marleigh, a gambling den hostess who is the eldest daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress. The book starts with Lila being visited by a blast from her past, Maisie whose partner, Sunil, had been wrongly accused of attacking a lady. The lady in question is the hero, Ivor Tristram’s cousin Tiffany. Lila and Ivor cross paths throughout the novel to uncover the true identity of the attacker and his motivations behind it.
First off, I’d like to commend Amita for her characterisation of Lila. She's just about the coolest character I've read about thus far. Just from the way she carries herself, runs her salon and how there are little nods of her homeland in her life. The inclusion of Indian details in this is so seamless and made me feel very seen as a fellow Indian girl. I also found it unique that due to the way the sisters had grown up, Lila doesn’t read as the usual type of Eldest Daughter. She is very much her own person.
Another aspect I loved was how Amita has set up Lila and her sisters’ past. I absolutely adored the way it was written - very compelling and well done. The Marleigh sisters were shipped off to England as children after their parents' passing. When they showed up at their stepmother Lady Sarah's doorstep, Lila and her sisters bore the punishment of their Father's sins. They would do so until each one escaped that terrible household. The language used whenever their past was touched upon was beautiful. It hit right where it's supposed to hurt. It also illustrates why and how Lila became the way she is.
What little we get of the sisters and their descriptions leaves you wanting. Anya and Mira are definitely heroine material. I am hoping this would all pay off well in the subsequent Marleigh Sisters books.
For a debut HR novel, I think it's well written and unique in the sense of historical accuracy. Amita dug into several real issues such as racism, sexism, class privilege and assault through the lens of the Regency era. She used Lila's father, Lord Marleigh, to demonstrate how white lords often had second lives and families with their foreign mistresses continents away from their first family. Maisie and Sunil were examples of Caribbean and Indian descent people respectively who worked for high society peers. Their lives were shown to be the harsh realities of the lower class at the time, and what they had to do to survive. Even Tiffany’s attack was written with such care and highlighted the complexities of assault and its aftermath. Each of these topics were written realistically without being overwrought. Amita certainly did not shy away from the truths that still echo through modern times now.
The book tickled my fancy with Lila's brilliant character, the main mystery/conflict, a brilliant Act 3 that had me gasping every other page and a great host of characters in Maisie, Sunil and Lila's staff & friends. However, my main critique of the book is the chemistry between the leads was lacking at times.
Ivor doesn't quite feel like the right fit for Lila. This can be attributed to the fact that he could have been a lot more fleshed out. Oftentimes he felt like an afterthought. The romance took a backseat to serve the mystery plot and topics mentioned above that Amita wanted to bring across. Lila's feelings on her childhood trauma was also given priority which hinted at what's to come with the other sisters' backstories. (Not a bad thing, just could have been balanced more with her romance with Ivor).
Despite Ivor not being on par with Lila, characterisation wise, I did enjoy their steamy scenes together. It built up steadily across each Act and got hotter each time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was great seeing an Indian heroine like myself in a genre I love so much. The secondary cast were so delightful to read about as well. They were all written with so much care and consideration. While this is my first Amita Murray book, I can see how she's transitioning from historical mystery novels to romance. She definitely played to her strengths in this novel. The historical research held up and the mystery took me for a shocking ride. Definitely recommending this for people wanting diverse characters in the HR genre who also love mysteries and plot twists.
Amita Murray can only go up from here with this genre. I am certainly excited to see this journey over the course of the next few books in the Marleigh Sisters series.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️
Unladylike Lessons in Love by Amita Murray will always have a special place in my heart no matter what for two reasons:
1) It is the first ARC I was approved for
2) Lila Marleigh is a brilliant Indian HR heroine!
This novel follows our heroine, Lila Marleigh, a gambling den hostess who is the eldest daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress. The book starts with Lila being visited by a blast from her past, Maisie whose partner, Sunil, had been wrongly accused of attacking a lady. The lady in question is the hero, Ivor Tristram’s cousin Tiffany. Lila and Ivor cross paths throughout the novel to uncover the true identity of the attacker and his motivations behind it.
First off, I’d like to commend Amita for her characterisation of Lila. She's just about the coolest character I've read about thus far. Just from the way she carries herself, runs her salon and how there are little nods of her homeland in her life. The inclusion of Indian details in this is so seamless and made me feel very seen as a fellow Indian girl. I also found it unique that due to the way the sisters had grown up, Lila doesn’t read as the usual type of Eldest Daughter. She is very much her own person.
Another aspect I loved was how Amita has set up Lila and her sisters’ past. I absolutely adored the way it was written - very compelling and well done. The Marleigh sisters were shipped off to England as children after their parents' passing. When they showed up at their stepmother Lady Sarah's doorstep, Lila and her sisters bore the punishment of their Father's sins. They would do so until each one escaped that terrible household. The language used whenever their past was touched upon was beautiful. It hit right where it's supposed to hurt. It also illustrates why and how Lila became the way she is.
What little we get of the sisters and their descriptions leaves you wanting. Anya and Mira are definitely heroine material. I am hoping this would all pay off well in the subsequent Marleigh Sisters books.
For a debut HR novel, I think it's well written and unique in the sense of historical accuracy. Amita dug into several real issues such as racism, sexism, class privilege and assault through the lens of the Regency era. She used Lila's father, Lord Marleigh, to demonstrate how white lords often had second lives and families with their foreign mistresses continents away from their first family. Maisie and Sunil were examples of Caribbean and Indian descent people respectively who worked for high society peers. Their lives were shown to be the harsh realities of the lower class at the time, and what they had to do to survive. Even Tiffany’s attack was written with such care and highlighted the complexities of assault and its aftermath. Each of these topics were written realistically without being overwrought. Amita certainly did not shy away from the truths that still echo through modern times now.
The book tickled my fancy with Lila's brilliant character, the main mystery/conflict, a brilliant Act 3 that had me gasping every other page and a great host of characters in Maisie, Sunil and Lila's staff & friends. However, my main critique of the book is the chemistry between the leads was lacking at times.
Ivor doesn't quite feel like the right fit for Lila. This can be attributed to the fact that he could have been a lot more fleshed out. Oftentimes he felt like an afterthought. The romance took a backseat to serve the mystery plot and topics mentioned above that Amita wanted to bring across. Lila's feelings on her childhood trauma was also given priority which hinted at what's to come with the other sisters' backstories. (Not a bad thing, just could have been balanced more with her romance with Ivor).
Despite Ivor not being on par with Lila, characterisation wise, I did enjoy their steamy scenes together. It built up steadily across each Act and got hotter each time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was great seeing an Indian heroine like myself in a genre I love so much. The secondary cast were so delightful to read about as well. They were all written with so much care and consideration. While this is my first Amita Murray book, I can see how she's transitioning from historical mystery novels to romance. She definitely played to her strengths in this novel. The historical research held up and the mystery took me for a shocking ride. Definitely recommending this for people wanting diverse characters in the HR genre who also love mysteries and plot twists.
Amita Murray can only go up from here with this genre. I am certainly excited to see this journey over the course of the next few books in the Marleigh Sisters series.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Racism
The main plot involves a sexual assault and the wrong man being accused due to racism which is the main plot points can be triggering to peoplenatashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A fun, flirty and unapologetically feminist debut that explores a refreshingly diverse (and period accurate) London we don’t often see in Regency Romance.
From the opulence and grandeur of the upper classes to the desolate and poverty stricken slums, Amita Murray doesn’t shy way from depicting the eras’ social issues (sexism, racism, class inequality and the exploitation of women), by intricately weaving them into every aspect of the plot to create an immersive and compelling read that I didn’t want to end.
We follow Lila Marleigh, a salon hostess (and the illegitimate daughter of an Earl), who has worked hard to build her business despite the ton’s views on her scandalous birth. And Ivor Tristram (the respected son of an adulterous gambler) who, upon his first meeting with Lila, gains her ire by accusing her of being his father’s mistress.
Naturally, Lila is deeply offended and wants nothing to do with the arrogant,self righteous and utterly handsome Ivor. But when an old friend shows up on her doorstep, pregnant & desperate for help, Lila has no choice but to work with Ivor to save the girl’s fiancée—a Lascar accused of a crime he didn’t commit. And whose life is at risk should the real culprit go undiscovered. But working in such close proximity is having a strange effect, as Lila and Ivor might be developing feelings for one another…
I enjoyed this soo much! The writing was beautifully descriptive and the characters were all well written and full of personality. I was actually surprised by how many characters managed to steal my heart with their antics and sass (besides Lila, that is.)
Especially Hannah (Lila’s maid) and Hector (Ivor’s Valet), whose Alfred Pennyworth levels of intuition, and easygoing bonds with Lila and Ivor made their teasing, humour-filled interactions soo entertaining. Maisie too was an interesting character to explore, her wicked sense of humour was amazing and I couldn’t help but want to hug her for all the hardships she’s endured.
Lila, our bold and clever protagonist, was definitely my favourite. A compassionate and resourceful woman, Lila has worked hard for her success and despite the naysayers who’ve looked down upon her (both for her illegitimate status and half-Indian heritage), she proud of what she’s accomplished. I loved how fearless and determined she was to help those less fortunate, especially Maisie, whose tragic past connects the two.
Ivor, on the other hand, with his Darcy-esque sense of pride definitely took a moment to warm up too. But, his sense of honour and duty definitely helped to win me over.
As did the sizzling chemistry between Lila and Ivor, which was thoroughly addictive and reminded me soo much of Kate and Antony’s steamy/ love-hate dynamics from the second season of Bridgerton.
Overall, a romantic and mystery filled romp that’s perfect for anyone who loves Bridgerton, swoon-worthy Historical Romances or headstrong, Enola Holmes-esque protagonists with depth. Can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes.
Also, a huge thank you to Amita Murry for the finished copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
hanreads__'s review against another edition
DNF’d at 55%.
My heart breaks writing this review because I had such high expectations for this book, and while I really enjoyed it at some points, I didn’t at others, and in the end, it put me into a slump.
Don’t get me wrong, Amita in an incredible writer who clearly has a talent in telling stories, especially ones like this. But her writing isn’t for me, I found the pace of the story itself too fast and the plot predictable. I was left waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never did leaving me able to guess things easily.
Despite my comments above, please note that this story is a period mystery and while I may of not finished it, someone else will, and they will love this book. There’s plenty of tension to go off from Lila and Ivor, and your heart will leap massively when that tension is acted upon,
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc, and I apologise for not being able to finish it,
Good luck, Amita!
My heart breaks writing this review because I had such high expectations for this book, and while I really enjoyed it at some points, I didn’t at others, and in the end, it put me into a slump.
Don’t get me wrong, Amita in an incredible writer who clearly has a talent in telling stories, especially ones like this. But her writing isn’t for me, I found the pace of the story itself too fast and the plot predictable. I was left waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never did leaving me able to guess things easily.
Despite my comments above, please note that this story is a period mystery and while I may of not finished it, someone else will, and they will love this book. There’s plenty of tension to go off from Lila and Ivor, and your heart will leap massively when that tension is acted upon,
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc, and I apologise for not being able to finish it,
Good luck, Amita!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual assault
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