My grateful thanks to Amita Murray for sending me a copy of Unladylike Lessons in Love in return for an honest review. It’s a pleasure to share that review today.

I previously reviewed Amita’s The Trouble With Rose in a post you’ll find here.

Published on 20th July 2023 by Harper Collins, Unladylike Lessons in Love is available for pre-order through the links here.

Unladylike Lessons in Love

Not every Regency lady is looking for a husband…

As the daughter of an English earl and his Indian mistress, impulsive Lila Marleigh has already broken the rules of society into tiny pieces.

When a face she never thought she would see again appears and begs for help, Lila must court notoriety once more and pit her wits against the annoyingly handsome aristocrat, Ivor Tristram. But does she risk opening her heart to the one person who can break it…?

My Review of Unladylike Lessons in Love

Lila Marleigh holds high society evenings.

I confess that Unladylike Lessons in Love is not my usual choice of genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Regency England with Amita Murray, because the tone of Unladylike Lessons in Love fits the era perfectly. Amita Murray conveys the niceties of society, the formality of language and the patterns of speech so authentically that they place the reader at the heart of the era. She also uncovers the real world beneath these social conventions brilliantly.

Indeed, there’s a real concept of the Regency period, and I loved the exploration of society. What we have here is an insight into class, education, propriety, race and gender. Patriarchal dominance, the concept of women as second class and as diversions or belongings ripple through the story. However, they are balanced to perfection by the feisty, intelligent and strong willed Lila. 

Lila is a triumph because her mixed race heritage and her gender should leave her far outside polite society and yet she wears her so-called defects with pride, turning them to her advantage so that it is impossible not to find her irresistible as a heroine. I adored her stormy, passionate and complicated relationship with Ivor Tristram. Equally, he is everything a reader desires in a strong hero and their relationship positively sizzles with sexual tension and desire, making for a surprisingly sexual read. 

Add in the plot concerning Maisie and Sunil and not only does the reader glimpse a convincing hierarchical society, underpinning a turbulent love story, but they are treated to a fast-paced and compelling thriller too. All life is between the pages of Unladylike Lessons in Love, providing something for every reader.

If Amita Murray’s Unladylike Lessons in Love is an example of the Regency romance and mystery genre, then I’m delighted this is just the first book in the Marleigh Sisters series. Roll on the next book! I thoroughly enjoyed Unladylike Lessons in Love.

About Amita Murray