ARC REVIEW: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by @india.holton

When I got this ARC I thought, “Oh yay, scoundrels and ladies being independent! Basically my favorite thing in historical romance. But I had no idea when I picked up this book what was in store for me!! 🏴‍☠️❤️😱

You know when you get a “rom com” and there’s one where your smile quirks while you read and you think “Oh, theeeeere’s the comedy. Found that little nugget!” This book is not like that. I was chuckling out loud from the very beginning and found myself smiling and laughing the whole way through. Its full of comedy nuggets! 🤣 ITS A LEGIT ROM COM!

If you:
😍 Love enemies to lovers
✨ Want something a little different
🤣 Are looking to legitimately laugh
🎈Watched Up and are asking yourself, “How do I get MORE flying houses in my life?!” (Like all of us, obvs)
😉 OR you just want to expand your TBR with all the goodness 2021 has to offer
⬇️
Then you definitely wanna pick this up magical goodness from @Berkleyromance and @india.holton on June 15th!

An adorably whimsical and female centric historical rom com overflowing with laughter and adventure. Pirates, assassins, bad poetry, and flying houses all converge for a young woman who must fight her feelings for the enemy as she struggles to find her place amongst her people.

Once I understood the premise, I loved it. I thought it was a witty, sometimes snarky take on women's roles, fashion and manners. The action/fight scenes were so well done, I could easily picture how they happened. I'd love to see more of the Wisteria Society stories!

I was completely blown away by this book! It’s brilliantly original and utterly charming, full of laugh out loud humour and gorgeous sexiness, but also so, so clever. I loved the smart feminism of the story, and the perfect level of tongue-in-cheek self-awareness by Holton. The book is an utter joy from start to finish, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Cecilia, Ned and the rest of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.

Prim and proper lady pirates in England who drink tea and steal, living an enjoyable existence until the men show up.

So funny and quirky, filled with delightfully strong and independent women - this one checks a lot of my boxes.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is a proper Victorian lady, a thief, a pirate, and one of her fellow crime society members just put a bounty on her head. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a serious business where the members go about their daily lives dismantling the patriarchy, blackmailing friends, acquiring knick knacks and treasures by dubious means and flying about the countryside in their pirate houses. Cecilia is enjoying her life of piracy under the care of her strict pirate aunt when the assassin Captain Ned Lightbourne and other meddlesome men get involved in her life.
All Cecilia wants is to be offered senior membership in the Wisteria Society and her own house but no, assassination attempts, an interfering Queen, and a long denounced father all conspire against her to ruin her day, worst of all her would be assassin can be quite charming. When calamity strikes the Society that raised her Cecilia is forced to partner with Ned in order to confirm that she is just as much a Lady and a Scoundrel as the best of them.
This book is an absolutely delightful page turner, where romance, adventure and mystery perfectly combine. Victorian romance, check, women defying social norms, check, adventurous flying society of lady pirates, check, pompous Queen Victoria, check, feminist pirate assassins, check, family drama, check, If you have devoured all of Gail Carriger's books then this book is 100% for you. Also for fans of Deanna Raybourn.

if you looked up whimsical in the dictionary, you'd get this book. I can't remember the last time I wanted to read something so quickly. the beginning was a little confusing (for a moment I thought I accidentally requested something in the middle of a series) but once I got a hang of the magic and the writing, I couldn't put it down. the characters were charming and the adventure was fun. I loved how self aware and satirical it could be at times. it was pure delight. I'll be pre-ordering a final copy and I would very much enjoy a sequel.

This is such a lovely book, and it fills the hole in my heart Terry Pratchett left behind. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is funny, charming, and feels completely new. I'd recommend it to fans of adventure, romance, and humor.

I genuinely don't think I've had this much fun reading a book in years! Attempting to describe the plot doesn't even scratch the surface of India Holton's deliciously batty historical adventure romance. Suffice to say that there are pirates, flying houses, fake ghosts, secret identities, parasols as deadly weapons, assassins-to-lovers, godawful poetry, and some of the funniest literary allusions I've ever read.

The short version is that Cecilia is part of a long line of lady pirates who cheerfully run around pirate-ing and attempting to take each other down (or working together, depending on their moods). At first, she's the target of an assassination attempt by a rival pirate, but then a villainous would-be poet and pirate puts his own hit out on her. Ned, the first assassin, winds up having to help her go on the run and rescue the rest of her fellow pirates, and that's when things *really* go off the rails!

The tone is the key to this book, and it would have been so easy to either pull back too much or go too far, but instead, it's just right: genuine emotions alongside the completely wild, matter-of-fact ride that comes with the territory of warring pirates and Bronte obsessions. It's romantic, of course, but in a way that's totally different from most historical romance, and yet manages to be wonderfully familiar at the same time. Just read it - it's worth every minute.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton is a delightful and completely fresh Victorian romp that is part adventure, part fantasy and very romantic. The story follows the plight of the heroine, Cecilia Bassingwaite, in her quest for acceptance as a as full-fledged member of The Wisteria Society whilst dodging the attentions (and various weaponry) of a handsome assassin, Ned Lightbourne.

Cecilia lives with her aunt, Miss Darlington, and is proficient with guns, poisons, and the occasional blunt instrument. All this is in service to the main goal of the Wisteria Society – alleviating the rich from the burdens of their possessions. How considerate! Robberies are conducted in between the civilized pastimes of tea and poetry reading, which is what Cecilia is doing when Ned first attempts to assassinate her. So rude. Good thing she can escape him in her flying house.

A mashup of Patricia McKillip and Tessa Dare, this charming romance will appeal to romance fans who enjoy a dollop of whimsey and a dash of humor with their smoldering glances and fervent kisses.

Piratical ladies, evil villains reciting terrible poetry, flying houses equipped with cannons shooting at each other, servants flying outhouses as getaway vehicles and a heroine who keeps getting thwarted from finding a library. This book doesn't take itself too seriously and is a complete hoot! Shades of Princess Bride mashed up with Captain Blood and a touch of Diana Wynne Jones. Recommended!

This book was delightful from start to finish! I loved how feminist and funny and full of adventure it was. And I especially loved the romance between Cecilia and Ned. I hope there will be more books in this series because I would 100% read them.

I was hooked from the first paragraph. The humor and wit in this book is fantastic. I love books that have tongue in cheek humor and narrator commentary as an aside additions that add life to the story. I found hints of Howl's Moving Castle in the story, which is high praise coming from me since I firmly believe that Diana Wynne Jones could do no wrong. If you're looking for a book that make you laugh and want a little magic to go with strong female character, pick this up immediately.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own!

Wow! What an adventure. India's creativity and imaginative storytelling made for a deliciously piratical, fantastical romp. It wasn't just set in the Victorian era, it *felt* Victorian. It had so many Victorian easter eggs that my Vic-Lit loving heart leaped with joy to see and my unpracticed brain sighed wistfully for, knowing I was too long out of the lecture room to catch them all. This was stunningly smart and clever, with Wildean wit bearing sucker-punch social commentary in sparkling, drolly delivered lines. Complimented with Gilbert and Sullivanesque theatrical action, absurdity, and playfulness, this was truly such fun. If you're looking for something as brilliantly outside the box as it is seductively smart and swoony, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is for you!

This book was absolutely hilarious and SO MUCH FUN to read. It’s a historical-fantasy feminist-adventure romance novel (does that sound like too much? It’s not, I swear) complete with flying houses and incendiary devices. The women in this book have poise, grace, good manners...along with secret daggers, dry wit, and magic in their hearts. Then you add in a slow-burn, I-was-sent-to-kill-you-but-oops-now-I’m-in-love-with-you romance and needless to say, I was hooked from the very first scene. This isn’t a book you turn to if you’re in the mood for something realistic and historically accurate, but if you’re feeling up to a Victorian adventure full of whimsy and wit, this is the book for you.

Such a fun read! I found it a little difficult to get into it, for two reasons. 1, I didn't expect the houses to fly (i.e. the fantastical elements were a surprise!) and 2, I wasn't super in love with the hero, at least initially. That being said, if you want a fantastical twist to a historical romance, then this is the book for you!

I intended to love this book, which had everything I love in a book, but I found it remarkably boring for a book about flying houses. I didn't care about the romance, and felt like it spent to much time being cute and not weigh in character development. I am absolutely certain many people will find it a delightful zany romp, it just didn't work for me.

It’s a 3.5 rounded up. Honestly, this was a lovely little funny book. I had a hard time keeping track of the names and the situations, but I still really enjoyed the ridiculousness of it all. I’ve heard people calling it “delightfully bonkers”, which I think encapsulated this book perfectly. It’s funny and ridiculous and honestly I had a marvelous time reading this. Do I think this will stay in my head for long after this? No, not really. I’m bound to forget about it soon, but I don’t think that means it’s a bad book. It’s a fun read. If you’re just here to have a fun time, this is a great book!

Super fun, Heyer-esque in tone Victorian romp with a big dash of fantasy. I devoured this book and will absolutely read whatever Holton has coming out next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of a parent, violence, mentions of adoption (side character)

I would recommend if you're looking for

-m/f enemies to lovers
-historical romance
-only one bed
-close proximity
-a little bit of magic
-a society of female pirates
-flying houses
-slow burn

Wow, this book. I have not read something so full of imagination in a long time. I would call this almost fantastical rather than fantasy. A world of female pirates, who's ships are their houses. The wit, the banter. This world was fully realized and almost like ours, but not. It was just fun to read.

And the flirting between Cecilia and Ned, their literal fighting, the back and forth. It was full of tension and I found myself laughing throughout their interactions wanting to see more of them together. I loved seeing Cecilia find her palce amongst her family and the society. And sweet Ned, saw her as indepndent, not in need of protection, he wanted to be along for the ride as long as he was with her. I adore a hero just gone on the MC.

I highly recommend this if you're just looking for something different and fun.

Rating: 4.5
Steam: 3 (open door, but almost peeking around the door)