While this is definitely an interesting concept, I just felt the story was all over the place and felt a disconnect with the characters throughout. I'm sure there are readers out there that might appreciate this brand of quirky storytelling, it just wasn't me.

I didn't publish this review, but I did feature the book on my Sunday Post.

This is outside my typical genre and I LOVED IT! I enjoyed all the different genre at play. I will have to keep this author on my radar because this was a great read. It has great humor and it was for sure a unique story. Highly suggest you pick it up.

I don't know what I expected going into this novel, but it certainly wasn't this, and I have never been so pleased to be taken by complete surprise by a book.

This is a whimsical story of proper lady pirates who fly houses rather than sail ships (yes, you read that correctly, they fly houses--the houses fly. By magic. And are usually equipped by cannons, because...these are pirates we're talking about). And while assassination attempts may be a regular occurrence within the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, that does not excuse poor manners.

Our heroine, Cecilia, is the perfect lady as well as a formidable thief and fighter, but what she really wants (other than revenge on her father and to be fully accepted into the Wisteria Society) is to curl up with a good book and be left alone. And what could be more relatable than that? When Captain Ned Lightbourne appears on her doorstep having been sent to assassinate her, however, things get...complicated.

This book is laugh out loud funny. And I mean genuinely, I was laughing every few pages. The writing is straightforward about the most whimsical aspects of the story, and provides hilarious commentary throughout. I've seen it compared to The Princess Bride, which I find fitting, but it struck me as almost Wes Anderson-esque as well. It's dry and witty and somehow colorful, the characters all leapt off the page, and Cecilia and Ned's chemistry is palpable.

From the table of characters at the very beginning, I was completely enamored by this book. It jumped straight to being one of my all-time favorites, and I can't wait to see what the second book in the series has in store!

Witty, fun and just the right amount of mystery.
The relationship felt slightly strained in some spots, but Holton managed to bring it all back together very well. Looking forward to more from India Holton!

BOOK REVIEW: The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Funny historical romance with strong female characters who can equally present an afternoon tea and a solid “punch” too!… ✨😎✨

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

You can see my complete book feature on The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/funny-historical-romance-novels-the-wisteria-society-of-lady-scoundrels-india-holton

♡ A big thank you to India Holton, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my reviews and content are my own… ✨😎✨

Cecilia has done all the things required of a proper lady: she can recite poetry and embroider cushions, she always wears her gloves and a carries a parasol, her manners are impeccable and she can pour the perfect cup of tea, and she’s stolen numerous jewels and can shoot a canon with ease. Not to mention that someone is now trying to assassinate her! So why is she still sitting at the kids table of the Wisteria Society’s latest meeting with Jane Fairweather, who has not so much as robbed a bank?! When the whole Society is kidnapped however, Cecelia sees her chance to finally move up to the rank of full lady pirate, and together with the rakish Ned, erstwhile spy/pirate/would be assassin who keeps threatening to kiss her, they set off on a wild adventure across England.

It is so hard to describe this whimsical, adventurous, streamy, and silly in the best possible way novel. Truly @india.holton has crafted one of the most original—and delightful!—alternate worlds I’ve ever come across. From flying castles and abbeys to a send up of bad poetry and ridiculous society manners, I fell in love with Cecelia, Ned, Miss. Darlington, Oply, and all the rest from the first pitch perfect chapter title to the last page. If you are looking for a novel that is just pure, unadulterated FUN (with one of the most 🔥🔥🔥 bedroom scenes I can remember) I cannot recommend this more.

Romance readers often discuss historical romances as a kind of shared fantasy setting full of improbable dukes bristling with abs and feminism; India Holton’s nimble debut novel, THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS (Berkley, 336 pp., paper, $16), takes aim at that idea and blasts it out of the sky with a barrage of bloodthirsty charm. It’s the kind of book for which the word “rollicking” was invented.

Do not be taken in by the sweetness of the cover: This story is so outrageously bonkers that it ends up creating its own surreal logic. Of course a letter opener has a hidden rapier blade. Of course a respectable lady’s house in Mayfair is equipped with a flying spell and can sail to Bath to elude enemies. Assassination contracts are as good as a letter of introduction, and stealing your target’s bracelet is merely an attempt at flirtation (especially if she simultaneously steals your fountain pen).

And then everyone is in the air firing artillery at everyone else, and lies and treachery abound, and several people get repeatedly and casually shot, stabbed, concussed, exploded and brained with an emerald crown.

This book has considered realism and punted it out the highest available window. Holton is having as much fun as the English language will permit — the prose shifts constantly from silly to sublime and back, sometimes in the course of a single sentence. And somehow in all the melodrama and jokes and hilariously mangled literary references, there are moments of emotion that cut to the quick — the way a profound traumatic experience can overcome you years later. The instant you know you’ve fallen in love with exactly the person you shouldn’t. The moment you realize the way you’ve always solved problems has become its own problem, and now you have to find a way to unlearn it for your very survival. That last one, admittedly, does involve cannons, but it was very incisive all the same.

This is a crazy, fantastical, romp of a historical fiction ride. With lady pirates/privateers and flying houses. Equally hilarious and tender, this is a purely fun read - sure to entertain. Recommended for fans of The Bridgertons who enjoys a touch of the ridiculous! Thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy.

The second I started this book I knew it was going to be enjoyable...it was such a different type of historical romance that I just couldn't put it down and I loved every second of it.

Cecilia Bassingwaite isn't your typical Victorian lady. She is a member of the Wisteria Society crime sorority and alongside her aunt and other members, she steals and blackmails to obtain treasure...and a place within the Society. Ned Lightbourne is an assassin who is contracted to kill Cecilia but he has other plans...he also has some secrets that come to light throughout the book but I'm not going to tell you any of that because that makes the story even more interesting.

I loved the way Cecilia and Ned were with each other. There was plenty of banter and some swoony bits that made this about more than a group of women who fly around in houses and try to avoid the man/men who are out to kill them.

If you're looking for a story that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next and what new, odd thing might occur, definitely consider picking this book up. It was highly entertaining and I'll definitely be looking forward to more from India Holton!

What I thought might be a fun, quirky read turned out to be just a bit too much. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels had way too much going on. Pirates, assassins, and flying houses, it was definitely overkill. The plot was definitely lacking, and I couldn’t connect to the characters. It all just seemed a bit silly after while and became rather boring. Unfortunately, the aspects that I thought would be refreshing turned out to be a miss for me.

Holly hell, this is way too much entertaining, hilarious, witty to be accompanied by tea and biscuits ( of course I added at least four drops of bourbon into my tea : that’s why I giggle too loud and luckily you cannot hear the ear bleeding villanelle laugh I’m performing!)

It’s a great combination of espionage, fairy tal-ish fantasy, smart action, regency romance with very smart and sarcastic sense of humor!

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Titillated Termagant Romance Reviews (https://titillatedtermagant.wordpress.com/2021/07/02/the-wisteria-society-of-lady-scoundrels-by-india-holton/)

My Rating: 4.0 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Slow-ish burn

Relationship dynamics: The Pirate Assassin (H) / The Lady Pirate (h)

Physical descriptions: Cecilia: blue eyes and red-gold hair; Ned: blues eyes and blonde hair. Stature is not really a focus in the book.

Sexual content: A smidge; on-page and explicit

Triggers: Underage female fooling around with an of-age guy (off-page, not h/H); lawlessness and violence.

Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a couple of typos.

Review: This book is best described as a romp, bordering on a farce. This is Victorian England turned on its head. Indeed, the world has magic. The women are also greater than men. However, they have some of the same strange social etiquette and insistence on women being ignorant or everything to do with sex. This is a feminist text, for certain, but I found that it swings the pendulum a little to far; men are shown as rather stupid, irrational creatures, and while I understand that that is part of the concept of role reversal, I didn’t find it very satisfying. I would rather see equality than one-sided dominance. In addition, if you enjoy law-abiding characters, this is not the book for you. All characters are entirely adverse to law-abiding behaviour and show no remorse, regardless of how their behaviour may affect others.

Cecilia and Ned are the main characters in this book. Cecilia can be catty with her peers. She is not sentimental unless it relates to piracy. That being said, she is not a damsel in distress. If anyone is going to save her from a bad situation, it will be herself. Ned is a charmer and a bit bumbling, at least in comparison to Cecilia, but he finds everything about her to be wonderful. Cecilia’s career coming first drives the tension in their relationship, at least insofar as the question of barriers to their being together in the end. That he might assassinate her barely registers in terms of strikes against his character. I would go so far as to describe their relationship as cute and a bit of a lark. There are a fair few supporting characters in this book, and they are all pirates and/or scoundrels. They are mostly friends with one another, but also all out to get one another. I think I could have done with a bit more stability in the supporting characters to contrast with the main characters. It was all just a lot of the same thing over and over in the book. I also found the villain to be pretty much ineffectual, although I suspect that that may have been the point.

Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton was not at all what I was expecting... I am not sure what exactly I was expecting but this was not quite it. Nonetheless! I found this book to be highly entertaining, comical and an easy, enjoyable read. You don't think of scoundrels, mischief, thieves and murders when yo think of high society, tea times, white gloves and etiquette - but this book twists it all together for a really fun read! Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Pub for a copy of this book for review!

This historical fiction romance is an absolute GEM! It is so unique from anything I have ever read before. I mean come on, flying houses and espionage with some piracy sprinkled in there?! Literally never been done before!

All of the women in this book are badasses! Like major, hold my tea while I pull a damn pistol and knife from my stocking badasses. This book grabs you by the neck and does not let you go. I laughed way too many times, all of the characters were just so witty! There was non-stop hilarious dialogue and world-building that kept you on the edge of your seat.

I don’t even want to go into massive detail about the plot because it is so outlandish - you have to experience it for yourself! You have to experience it firsthand to really get why I was absolutely loving every second I spent reading it.

Consider me an official India Holton fangirl! 🥰

Is it possible to rate this book higher than five stars? The synopsis piqued my interest, but I don't think it fully prepared me for the wonderful weirdness that is The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. Filled with flying houses (yes, you read that right), failed assassination attempts, and a fiery romance, this book was everything I hoped it would be and more. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever laughed so much while reading a book. The running gag of Ned and Cecilia stealing each others belongings and calmly asking for them back, the nonchalance with which Cecilia deals with danger, and the fast-paced witty dialogue made this book a delight from start to finish. It's safe to say that I am highly, highly anticipating the next book in the Dangerous Damsels series (March 2022 can't come quickly enough!).

Highly recommend! From page one, I could not stop smiling. This has to be one of the most fun reads I've had - I think - ever. India Holton knocked it out of the park in this steampunk through so much of the impossible, witty banter, humor, and chemistry.
The Lady Scoundrels are properly improper. A cup of tea will solve most problems and if that doesn't work, there's always a knife or pistol on hand. Cecilia wants nothing more than to be seated at the table with the elders in the society but she can't seem to burgle her way there. When the horrible Captain Morvath threatens the lives of all she holds dear, she teams up with Ned (or is it Captain Smith? Mr. Lightbourne? Who knows, really) to save them all.
If you at all enjoy The Princess Bride, Gail Carriger, Pirates of the Caribbean, or the Lady Janes, I feel like it's in your best interest to pick this up immediately. India recently announced the next book in the series and I cannot wait for it!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a book I wanted to pick up for its title and the pretty pastel cover. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect going into the story because I hadn’t read the book summary. So imagine my complete delight when I discovered that the book was a historical romance with light paranormal/fantasy elements! I’m a big fan of books with light magical elements so this made for a fun read!

AN ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS ROMANCE
I was recently complaining with some friends about how books described as “enemies-to-lovers” are hardly that because the couple usually gets over the enemies phase pretty quickly. Ned and Cecilia, on the other hand, seemed to remain enemies for a longer time despite their growing proximity to each other. It was so fun to watch them dance around each other and outwit each other at every step of the way. India Holton writes clever banter between the two, which kept me charmed and invested in the two as a couple. I wanted to see how they would go from assassin/pirate trying to assassinate his target to being lovebirds. The progression is slow, but the end result is rewarding. That being said, I would maybe have liked a bit more romantic scenes between them because I’m selfish like that and I never don’t want more romance. I think it would have balanced out some of the more plot-driven aspects of the story better.

A SWASHBUCKLING DUO
The writing in The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels has a whimsical and magical feel to it and it really lends itself to this story. Even the characters are penned in a way that makes reading about them very enjoyable. I can’t quite explain it – you’ll have to read the book to understand what I’m trying to say. Ned and Cecilia are delightful as protagonists of this story and they carry this story well. They are both headstrong and this leads to them butting heads from time to time. What I loved about them was their respective senses of humor. Cecilia had almost of a dry sense of humor, while Ned was more silly funny. As I said, they made for a great duo to lead this story.

If you like adventurous romance novels, you might be interested in A Rogue To Remember by Emily Sullivan.

FLYING HOUSES, MAGIC, & SO MANY SHENANIGANS
The plot in The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is creative, action-packed, and just full of adventure. I think not knowing what I was getting myself into helped me enjoy the story even more than I would have had I read it. I wouldn’t go into the story expecting tons of world-building – this isn’t a high fantasy novel – but the descriptions of flying houses, magical spells, and villainous characters will keep you entertained. There’s a lot that happens in this book and it can feel a bit overwhelming if you’re just here for the romance. My favorite scenes involved all of the other lady scoundrels a.k.a the pirates and all their drama with each other. OH. MY. GOSH. They added to the comedic factor of the book and were never not scene-stealers. I imagine some of the side characters will have their own romantic arcs and I look forward to it!

READ THIS FOR A DIFFERENT HISTORICAL ROMANCE EXPERIENCE
I really enjoyed this unique world that India Holton has crafted. This book is so playful and reading it was a joyous experience. I would recommend it if you’re looking for a different Victorian historical romance.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This book is a glorious send-up of Victorian manners, featuring a clan of lady pirates/thieves with flying manor houses, snub via assassination attempts, and evil relatives. Expect extreme tongue-in-cheek banter and at least one laugh per page.

Trigger warning: murder of a parent

My first impression of this book was that the writing style is delightful. The author writes as if you are reading an account from a confidante or are a part of their story. This immediately sucks you into the action and makes the reading experience incredible. The chapter titles are long sometimes humorous snippets of events contained therein without giving too much away.

The world the characters inhabit is an England filled with pirates and assassins, where houses of the pirates can fly to different locations like ships in the air. The titular Wisteria Society is a gang of pirates who have very few rules. Assassination attempts between the ladies abound, and the Queen herself is the head of a pirate clan.

Our main protagonist, Cecilia Bassingthwaite, is a nineteen-year-old pirate in training who is ready to join the Wisteria Society as a full member, rather than remaining an unimportant junior member. When an assassin is hired to kill her, she takes this as a sign that she has arrived and is miffed when the Society doesn't immediately admit her.

Cecilia lives with her overbearing aunt who cautions her against things like the Great Peril (freckles) while training her in both piracy and ladylike behavior. Her mother (also Cecilia, called Cilla) died in mysterious circumstances that are revealed later in the novel.

Cecilia's father is an evil pirate and the main villain of the story. Shockingly, her assassin isn't a villain at all, but her love interest. She's thrust into an adventure with her would-be assassin when the ladies of the Wisteria Society and their battlehouses are taken by her deranged father.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, adventure stories, pirates, and the Victorian era. Readers of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters will find this modern update charming.