Ok but this book is really a true enemies to lovers romance where they REALLY REALLY try to kill each other every chance they get lmao. And it was fantastic! The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a hilarious historical romance with fantasy elements that definitely would work so well as a film.

Cecilia just wants to part of the Wisteria Society and show all those ladies that she's not going to turn evil like her father. Then a dashing, charming pirate knocks on her door, ready to assassinate her. Of course, he falls for her immediately and doesn't know what to do. Their missions and goals make them bump into each other constantly, and when the Wisteria Society ladies are kidnapped, Cecilia thinks it's the perfect opportunity to show them all how good a pirate she is.

It's a bit hard to catch up at first with all the different names and things that are happening on-page, but after you know who is who and get a feel of the story and writing, anything else will flow so easily! Cecilia and Ned are really great main characters. It's really interesting to be inside their heads ESPECIALLY when they're together. All these conflicted emotions develop into something really, really good. And let's not talk about the kisses because ooof. It's those kinds of kisses where the tension and pining have been so high, a kiss is bound to happen, you know?

Get ready to meet the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and their flying houses, some assassination attempts, two or three marriage proposals, a lot of thieves and pirates, and an epic love story. This is a series so I'm excited to see what's next! I want to keep seeing Ned and Cecilia tho lmao.

Firefly meets A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem on acid.

That's it. That's the review.

I jest, but seriously if that's your thing, you'll love this book: it's got flying houses, pirates, feminism, thieving ladies, revenge, a family feud there's a lot going on and either that's your thing or it isn't. This book is hilariously funny, whip-smart and moved a steady clip, with so much going on it can be hard to keep track of everything at times (especially when one character has seven names). I'd describe this book as historical fantasy with a dash of romance, and as someone who rarely reads historical fiction and NEVER reads fantasy, I'm actually quite surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I think perhaps because I knew from page one that this novel was something fantastical, with an assassin pirate and a flying house present right from the get-go, so I wasn't surprised two-thirds of the way in (*cough* looking at you A Special Place for Women *cough*).

I compared it above to Firefly and A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (on acid, we can't forget that), but I'd also throw Princess Bride into the mix, with the elements of revenge and, of course, sword fighting. I could easily see this being made into a sh*tty movie where everyone says the book is better. I think this is going to be a book that people either love or just completely avoid.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my onw.

4 stars - 8/10

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is the first book in the Dangerous Damsels series by India Holton. A historical romance with a hint of mystery that is sure to pull the reader in from the beginning and hold your attention until the very end. The writing is superb, with witty prose that had me laughing out loud. The plot pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I haven't had so much ridiculous fun with a book in a long time. This romantic historical fantasy story was absurd and quirky with tongue-in-cheek humor that worked for me in every way. You follow Cecelia Bassingthwaite, a society lady pirate in an alternate history England in which the best pirates are women, and they fly actual, literal battlehouses instead of ships. Some of them are better at flying them than others. Her love interest is Captain Ned Lightbourne (among many other names) another pirate, albeit currently homeless, as his house had been pushed off a cliff.

This book was just purely a lot of fun. If you appreciate historical romances and an absurd fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously, you'll most like enjoy this book. I read the Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry earlier in the year and, honestly, the tone was very similar to this. I enjoyed reading this immensely and gave it four out of five stars. I hope this is a part of a series, because there are several other characters that I would love to learn more about and see get their own romances in the future!

The beautiful cover caught my attention and I was unprepared for the quirky, fun novel inside. Cecelia Bassingthwaite is an extremely proper Victorian lady who lives with her aunt. Her aunt belongs to the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and Cecelia is waiting for her turn to join their ranks. Fantasy and fun take over. Suspend reality and enjoy the ghosts and spells. The ladies are pirates and they fly in their houses pillaging and raiding. Ned Lightbourne has his own agenda. A lady hires him to assassinate Cecelia while another pirate has hires him to protect her. Of course along the way there is time for a romance between Ned and Cecelia.

This is all tongue in cheek, fantasy and fun. I found the writing clever but the style is harder to read through than a typical romance. I found myself turning to other books a couple of times as i was reading which isn't usual for me. I am not a big fantasy reader and maybe that lowered my enjoyment of the story. Cecelia was delightful and Ned was a great match for her. I will look for future books by India Holton. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this quirky, wacky, romantic historical fantasy. It has the most ridiculous premise: that lady pirates fly houses instead of ships, but it really works. The wit and humor sparkles throughout the romping plot, and the banter flies fast, like the house-ships themselves. Everything about this book is fun, and if you're looking for a lighthearted, unique take on Regency society and pirates, I highly encourage you to pick up this book.

I can't wait for the next one.

Poetry, betrayals and alliances, secret identities, pirates, flying houses, disguised deadly weapons, outlandish literary allusions - this assassins-to-lovers story is the most entertaining, swashbuckling, and silly read I've inhaled in a long time! I laughed a LOT, and really loved the quirkiness of the setting and premise. I got strong Princess Bride vibes often!

I've never read a historical adventure/mystery/romance before, and this one was a hoot! I definitely suggest suspending reality for a little bit, throwing expectations out the window (of a flying house), and just enjoying the ride. It's not traditional in any sense - utterly feminine and pushing boundaries on what you might expect in the genre.

However, I wished for a little more depth into the relationship between Cecelia and Ned. Their relationship was a bit of a side thought to the massive amount of shifting plotlines and alliances.

Overall, a whimsical, snarky, batty, unique story with a strong community of entertaining women. The banter is amazing, and the romance takes a backseat to the feminine drive to be the best pirate. Great fun! (Rounded up from 3.5)

Absolutely delightful! In a style reminiscent of Gail Carriger, this was a novel of a *proper* Victorian young woman who was much more than she seemed. In fact, she was a pirate and a gifted scoundrel. When her aunt and the other members of the Wisteria Society she must prove that she’s worthy of joining their ranks by rescuing them. She is helped and sometimes hindered by another handsome pirate. It’s an adventure story, romance, and coming of age all rolled into one. Read it now!

This book was equal parts regency romance, wild adventure, and biting wit and I loved every second of it! You are thrown into the strange world of floating houses and lady pirates pretty quickly but it all seems to come together perfectly. The whole concept is so incredibly unique which is such a nice surprise when it feels like a lot of books rely so heavily on the same tropes. And Ned and Cecilia were the perfect pairing as rivals and then as romantics.

What a bizarre and fun read! I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into but it was a pleasant surprise. I don’t read a lot of books that make me laugh out loud and smile with mischievous glee but this one surely did.

Set in a fantastical Victorian England, we have Cecilia Bassingthwaite, a quirky heroine with piracy and thieving in her blood. She teams up with Ned Lightbourne (an assassin among other hobbies) to rescue The Wisteria Society from Morvath, a dangerous pirate and poet.

I had so much fun reading this book. A wonderful sense of humor and variety of plucky characters. I smiled for a lot of this book. Then I was laughing at the craziness of the characters. It took me a little time to get into this book but once I did, I was ready to jump onboard a flying house (did I mention there are flying buildings?) and soar in this adventure.

I’m hoping there are more books. Also, the chapter titles give me life.

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

WOW! This book is SO GOOD! It is hilarious, witty, entertaining, romantic, adventurous, quite steamy at times, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels", I was whisked back in time to the Victorian Era, and went on such a fun journey with this story.

This is the first book I have read by India Holton, and the first in her "Dangerous Damsels" series! I can't wait to read more! Her writing style is so witty, and the way she builds the world her story takes place in is spectacular. She transports readers into the Victorian Era in such a brilliant way. There are pirates, flying houses, danger around every corner, humor, magic, and both heart pounding and felt moments all mixed into one incredible and unique book. With twists and turns around every corner, not everyone or everything is as it seems!

Cecilia is a brave, intelligent, feisty, strong, and witty young lady pirate who is a member of the Wisteria Society.
Ned is such a kind, brave, funny, and smart man who is hired to assassinate (or so it seems) Cecelia. Never could either have imagined how their meeting will change both of their lives. When they band together to help defeat Cecilia's father, who is a horrific villain, they begin to grow closer as they fight threat after threat. Will these two be able to work together? Will they kill each other in the process? Is it possible something deeper could develop? You will have to read to find out!

(Possible Spoilers!)
I found myself pulling for Cecilia and Ned to end up together from the very beginning! The moment they lay eyes on each other is definitely attraction at first sight (even as Ned is warning Cecilia that an assassin has been hired to murder her), and, from that moment on, they can't get their minds off of each other. Their verbal banter is incredible, and they truly support each other in the best ways. Watching them grow closer and closer, through a range of different emotions, was so special, and I hope we see their story continue in future novels! I do not want to spoil anything else in this review, so, I will simply, say, read this book!!

After the first two chapters, I actually stopped reading the titles of each chapter, as they give clues as to what is going to happen, and, I wanted to be surprised. I also really love the numerous references to classical literature books as well!

If you enjoy Victorian Romance, Fantasy, and / or are just looking for a hilarious book that will keep you laughing out loud, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages into the early hours of the morning to see what would happen next, and I absolutely did not want to put this book down! I hope there will be many, many more books in this incredible series! And the ending with Cecilia and Ned...just...SWOON!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book, it is amazing! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A clever and quick witted read that makes you (literally) laugh out loud.

The characters are charming and subtlety hilarious in their arguments and casual conversations, as well as their inner thoughts and dilemmas.

Cecilia and Ned are entirely lovable with their will they, won’t they fall in love/assassinate each other (and there’s even a one bed scene).

This one is utterly charming, fresh and funny, unique and subtle sexiness that keeps you reading in a way to spend more time with these hilarious, absolutely precious characters.

Well, I never!

A tongue-nearly-always-in-cheek blend of Parasol Protectorate/Finishing School with dashes of Sorcery and Cecelia and Thursday Next. Hoping this will be a series.

Ok this was SUCH A FUN READ. I love historical fiction, but this took it to a completely different fantastical level. The characters made me laugh, and the take on piracy was magical. My only problem was that I was a little confused at first with Ned’s changing identity, though the character list did help with that. It was light and honestly just what I needed. Can’t wait for more of these!

Review on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19049407.Nicole_Lambe

Tiktok: @moonlightxmetaphors (posting on release day!)

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC!

Pub Date: 06/15/21

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels was a fun, whimsical, energetic ride of a story and I enjoyed it all! I liked all of the characters, their quirky nature, and unique names. If you want to be transported into a land of hilarious adventures I would definitely give this book a go, you won't regret it! I can't wait until it comes out on audio because I could see myself listening to this for the experience.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal prim and proper Victorian lady. She just so happens to also be a pirate and a thief. After a traumatic incident in her childhood, Cecilia was taken in by her overly cautious aunt where she was raised by the Wisteria Society, a league of powerful women crime masters. Here, Cecilia learned from the best when it comes to the arts of blackmailing, using magic to fly their houses around looting unsuspecting people, weaponry, and of course, etiquette. You know you’ve made it in the Society when someone tries to assassinate you, so Cecilia is overjoyed when she learns someone has put a hit out on her. She just wasn’t expecting to like her would-be assassin.

Ned Lightbourne is a man of many names and many talents. Sometimes he’s a secret service agent for the Crown, other times he’s working for the dastardly Captain Morvath who wishes nothing more than to rid England of its free-thinking women. But his most recent job is by far his hardest: trying not to fall for the woman he’s been ordered to kill. The moment Ned looked at Cecilia he knew he was a goner, so when Morvath kidnaps the ladies of the Wisteria Society, he offers her his services. Naturally, Cecilia isn’t one to trust a man paid to kill her, but she knows there’s no other choice if she wishes to save her family and friends. And, if along the way, she’s able to rub her abilities in the faces of all who have underestimated her and prove that she’s just as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them, well, that’ll just be a bonus.

When I finished the first chapter, I thought, ‘Oh this is going to be funny.’ By the time I finished the second, I thought, ‘Oh, I need to harass everyone I know to read this.’ This is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. Holton’s writing is razor-sharp, hilarious, and incredibly clever. One of my favorite protagonists is Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell, and Cecilia reminded me so much of her. Both are fiercely independent, take-no-prisoners, no-holds-barred characters who approach anyone trying to kill them with a “Yeah, good luck” type of attitude that I live for. I loved the way she and Ned bounced off one another and their constant volleying of verbal jabs had me smiling the whole time. Everything about this, from the world itself to the feisty women brandishing a knife in one hand and a teacup in the other, was so enjoyable. This was such a fun creative mix of action, adventure, and fantasy and I’m dying to see where the series goes from here.

This story centres around The Wisteria Society, a Victorian society of pirate women. They can fly houses, murder, thieve, and plot their way into any dasterdly deed they wish. For some reason I wasn't expecting this book to focus so much on assassination which is why I lost interest in it pretty quickly. There seems to be a trend of kick butt Victorian women which is great, and I thought this story was unique. I have never read a book about pirates before which was a nice change. The flying houses idea was pretty cool and it reminded me of the neighbour to the Banks family from Mary Poppins who had a ship on the roof of his house. I liked the bits of magic in this story and I think the pirates could have easily have been replaced with witches.

3/5 stars for the originality, pacing, and characterization.

"Prepare to die," as Inigo Montoya would say, of amusement and enchantment the moment you step into this madcap Victorian adventure. With well bred lady pirates, assassins, secret societies, flying battlehouses (yes, you read that right), unpublished poet villains who have Bronte-esque fiaxtions, as well as literary allusions and references galore which are infused with absurdist twists nearly everywhere you turn, this book is nothing short of imaginative whimsical fun.

It's charming! It's romantic! It's satirical! It's feminist yet still corseted by the norms of the time period. It's a blend of petticoats, daggers, tea, honor codes, and capers. It borrows familiar tropes or genres from literature only to then give them all a subversive face lift that'll leave you guessing, giggling, gaping, and gushing with delight.

I'm not only impressed by how Holton managed to come up with this concept in the first place, but how well she made it work. It's everything I never knew I was missing in my reading life.

So many different elements are in balance here, it's incredible!

If you took Oscar Wilde's humor and wit, stirred in Austen's social convention and romance, then dumped in some of William Goldman's sword fighting frippery and adventure, you'd only begin to scratch the surface of what's inside. I mean, there's even an enemies to lovers dynamic that'll leave you wondering "who will stab who" rather than "who will kiss who" first.

I loved the paradoxes that were prevalent in all of the characters, too.

For instance, Cecilia was a well-mannered, well-read lady who, if prompted, would not hesitate to stab an enemy "properly" with the knife she had tucked up her sleeve. Ned was a hired henchman, an assassin, a man-of-many-names-and-disguises, with a somewhat blighted heart of gold. Lady Darlington was a spastic, overbearing, "make sure you wear your scarf or you'll catch your death, dear!" aunt whose nerves could rival those of Mrs. Bennet's except for when she's blackmailing, stealing, or plotting her own escape after being kidnapped. Morvath is a Byronic hero wannabe turned villain in possession of a gothic abbey, guns, and appalling original poetry. Pleasance, Constantinopla, Lady Armitage, Queen Victoria, and Frederick are all a hysterical combination of quirks.

As for the lady scoundrels themselves, well, they plan as well as celebrate assassination attempts within their own ranks but will not ignore, tolerate, or abide by any threat that comes from the outside. And they sure as heck won't go down without a rollicking good fight in the skies!

Anyway, this book was outlandish in all the best ways, and I can say with nothing but absolute sincerity that I haven't had such a good time in ages. If you're at all in the mood for fanciful historical nonsense then please pick this up. It's so, so worth it! The snort-to-swoon ratio is on point, I promise!

Without a doubt one of my favorites books of 2021. I'm ready to brand my heart through with a Wisteria Society member's badge as we speak!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

The aura of this book is a magically intoxicating blend of The Princess Bride and Wuthering Heights, from the writers of Shrek 3 with a touch of Up, and of course the pen of India Holton. It’s incredible how this one inspired so many memories in me but is still precisely and fearlessly it’s own beautiful thing.

Inigo and Wesley sword fighting is exactly how Cecilia and Ned talk to (and also fight) each other. A long line of Cecilias (and a Cilla)? Cathy and Catherine love the tribute. Frederick and Captain Morvath are such fun additions because they were over-the-top and just so theatrical. Think Prince Charming trying to act in Shrek 3. The lady scoundrels having a “craft-making session” is both the princesses and the fairy tale villains (in the most lovable way possible). The magical floating houses invoke the whimsy of Up.

Incredible, smart, vivid prose leaps off the page and lands in a battle stance ready to stab you with a fork, where it will then write you a beautiful poem about your demise. The amount of heart and care that went into the characters is as palpable as it is enchanting; the amount of wit and humor is intoxicating. The entire book is just so goddamn clever. The chapter headers are incredible and also incredibly hilarious. The ending is a true storybook love story and inspired so many potential adjectives I can’t even begin to choose the perfect fit.

Ned and Cecilia’s fairytale title would be Beauty and the Blackstocking. Cecilia is gloriously turned on by Ned’s purloining and he’s hopelessly in love with her(s). The romance is slow burn but their chemistry is tantalizing from the beginning. There were little mysteries throughout and the pace never faltered. Overall, I desperately didn’t want this one to end. I’ve already grown roots pining for the next book. I have a good feeling about Alex. I have such a good feeling about the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶🌶/5

Wisteria Society is a run change up from our traditional historical romance. It's packed full of whimsy and adventure, snark and feminism. It is such a unique take on a genre of romance that we all know and love and adds such a new perspective from characters and experiences. I enjoyed the community of women so much. I liked their care and banter and enjoyed the conversations between characters. However, I wished for a little more depth into the relationship between Cecelia and Ned. The suspended reality, fantasy and banter were so great, but did feel like they distracted from really sinking into the romance of the story. Rounded up from 3.5