The League of Gentlewomen Witches follows in the footsteps of its fun predecessor with absurd humor and satire, great one-liners, and an eye for delightful phrasing when calling up relatable hilarities. What most impressed me with this sequel was the way it upped the ante emotionally. The romance was just as cheerful while allowing personal growth, vulnerability, and swoony adoration to still make it onto the page. The enemies-to-lovers trajectory was a delight, shifting from attraction and battle of wills in the first half to something heartwarming in the end without me noticing the transition in progress. I simply went along with it, completely convinced and entranced.

The series relies on a topsy-turvy bit of world-building that transposes a society of pirates (complete with flying houses) and now a league of witches onto historical romance. The witches rely on more subtle methods of magic, carefully aimed passive aggression, and battles of philanthropy to achieve their aims. Natural enemies of the pirates, it's no wonder that sparks fly and battle lines are drawn at the first meeting between pirate Alex O'Riley and witch Charlotte Pettifer. As they race to steal a powerful amulet that once belonged to the founder of both their groups, a reluctant alliance (or potential mutual kidnapping) may lead to something more.

Besides the humor and romance, I enjoyed the message in Charlotte's story. While the entire world is subversive in piratical fashion, Charlotte's rebellion went a step further and brought me a lot of joy. Diminished by years of training as heir apparent, Charlotte is a model witch. Her unscheduled, airborne adventures with a pirate unlock her personal agency and show her the unfettered freedom of loud feelings and life lived expansively. By the end of the book, she is practically unrecognizable after her transformative journey. Hers is a story of finding your own path, even outside the shadow of beloved heroines like Elizabeth Bennet, who it could be argued didn't have enough fun or adventure despite her great romance, anyway.

I had such a good time with this book, and it's truly one of a kind. Thanks to Berkley for my copy to read and review!

BOOK REVIEW: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton
Series: Dangerous Damsels | Book 2
2022 Publication Date: March 15

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Recommended Books By Genre | Historical Romance
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2022

CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
May you always have a good book to read and enough time to do so... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: My words could never come close to describing the magic pen of India Holton's writing!... Absolutely delicious dialogue with razor-sharp humor. And at the center, a strong female character who is fabulously formidable. Pirates, witches, & a fantastical Jane Austen vibe has this series elevating (along with the houses!) to an even more enjoyable level with Book 2... Fingers crossed that a Book 3 will be coming soon!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 350
Genre: Historical Romance
Sub-Genre: Fantasy Romance | Steamy Romance
• T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶 (Mild Spicy)
Time Period: Victorian Era
Location: London, England

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (Dangerous Damsels | Book 1)
Movie: Pride + Prejudice + Zombies

--------------------

All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I absolutely adore India Holton and her forays into a genre I like to call "Historical Fantasy." Her female characters are magnetic and an absolute blast to spend time with, while her male characters are likable and delightful in their supporting roles. The language she uses is artful in its whimsy, and every chapter of this series is a fantastic adventure. So, so highly recommended!

Was this my favorite? No. Was I obsessed? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes.

Let me explain. This is a historical fantasy romance. I haven’t read a historical romance since I was 18. Since 2021-2022 I’ve read four fantasy books.

Therefore the lingo of this book was very challenging. You see fantasy books are magical. They have this chaotic energy about them. Historical romance is very flowery. The prose is filled with flowers of metaphors and allegory. Something I wasn’t used to.

But I did adore our main leads. You have Charlotte who is prim, proper and absolutely not a witch (😏). She’s very in control of herself.

Then you have the rugged Irish pirate Alex who had me blushing. He throws caution to the wind and doesn’t look back.

In this story pirate society and witches (which they’re totally not) society don’t mingle. It would be the end of the world! But not really.

Both end up having to work together to steal an amulet which has massive power.

As mention fantasy books can be chaotic and so this book took me on a rollercoaster. I had trouble following along at some points. You also get many POVs. Not just our main characters. It was amazing to watch both characters tackle their inner demons to ultimately give into the love they felt.

I will say this is a historical romance once again therefore spice is written very differently. It’s written very…poetically.

One thing that I wasn’t entirely happy with was there is one character that I presumed would have had a more important role but I found that the author just tied it up quickly instead of exploring what could have happen.

Overall this was an enjoyable book and I can’t wait to dive back into historical romances. Also yes I did sew that outfit inspired by the cover.

India Holton’s second installment to the Dangerous Damsels series releases today! I was fortunate enough to sit down with India to discuss her books on the upcoming GateCrashers Podcast releasing Wednesday, but until then, grab a cup of tea and cozy up to enjoy my written review of India Holton’s The League of Gentlewomen Witches.

I’m going to be honest and say writing this review feels a little daunting. I named India Holton’s debut novel, The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels, my favorite read of 2021. It felt like magic in my hands as I devoured it. Could the second book possibly live up to the sparkle of first? Well, of course it did! But how can I adequately write *in words* how much I loved this book without resorting to strangled huffs and gesticulating wildly with my arms? It feels quite impossible, which also feels wrong because nothing is impossible in Holton’s books. While this will ultimately be a review of her new release, The League of Gentlewomen Witches, this review is also a love letter to both of her witty absurd little books that have fired their battle cannons right at my heart.

Holton’s imagined Victorian London holds two warring factions of respectable ladies; the delightfully thieving pirates of The Wisteria Society and the aggressively charitable League of Gentlewomen Witches. Both of these organizations have one puzzling thing in common; the deliberately muddled history of a woman named Beryl Black. Beryl’s amulet takes center stage in this newest novel, as witch Charlotte Pettifer is determined to steal the amulet from its highly guarded display case in a London Museum. Unfortunately for Charlotte, so is every other pirate and witch in her general vicinity. This quest to liberate Beryl’s amulet from its suffocating case of glass has Charlotte crossing paths with pirate Alexander O’Riley, a decidedly handsome marauder who happens to despise witches – I promise he has a good reason to be weary.

Of course, Alex and Charlotte’s team-up leads them to experience many moments of deliciously witty banter and where’s-my-fainting-couch-because-this-is-so-swoon-worthy levels of tension. Can Alex come to terms with his past and Charlotte’s witchy-ness? Can Charlotte break free from a prophesized family legacy I’ve told you nothing about? Maybe! You should definitely read the book!

If the job was open, I’d probably walk down the street in a sandwich sign hawking these novels – that’s how much I love them. Holton has an incredible wit and proclivity for humor that leaves readers in stitches. Her novels read like nothing else, but give me faint hints of a bunch of different things I absolutely love, like the absurd comedy of plays like Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, the musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, along with William Goldman’s classic novel The Princess Bride.

In case you haven’t picked up on my successful use of subtlety in this review, I’ll speak plainly: Read this book. Read the first one, also. They’re hysterical. I’ve never had more fun reading words. If you’re looking for action, adventure, magic, and love, then I suggest you hop on your broom and fly over to your local bookstore to pick up India Holton’s League of Gentlewomen Witches today.

3.5 / 5

India Holton's writing is such a delight to read; it absolutely sparkles with wit. Such a fun read, I really enjoy this world that she has created in this series. I found that the characters didn't jump off the pages quite as much as they did in the first book, but I enjoyed the writing style so much I almost didn't mind.

An absolutely wonderful follow-up to a series that is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites. Holton builds out the fantastical Regency-esque world she established in the first book by introducing a league of witches who has been in contention with the pirates we know and already love for centuries; with that as the backdrop, of course the circumstances are ripe for a witch and a pirate to fall in love while in search of a magical amulet. Charlotte and Alex practically tumbling into bed immediately while still trying to claim they were enemies at every turn had me grinning from ear to ear; this is a world I will happily become lost in any time and really hope to see more from in terms of future installments. (The only wish I had for this book was fewer references to Austen by the heroine; that running theme was charming but dipped into overuse at times.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After having such a great time reading the first book in this series, I had high expectations for this story. Thankfully those expectations were far surpassed! I loved this second book even more than the first and loved every moment of this read. Enemies to lovers romance will always be one of my favourite tropes, and it was used so beautifully in this fantastical story.

Charlotte and Alex were even easier to fall in love with than Cecilia and Ned (so glad for the page-time these two still got this time around, they are so cute together), and there were plenty of other characters to meet as well. Alex's butler, Bixby, was easily my favourite supporting character - I am super hopeful that it will be his story next! And we still got to see many Wisteria Society ladies' shenanigans, which provided wonderful contrast to the more tactful conventions of the witches.

But back to Charlotte and Alex: their chemistry was off the charts. The mix of sizzling steam, deep respect, playful teasing (and not-so-playful jibes), gentle caring, and
These two were clearly meant to be together, and they supported each other so wonderfully. (Eventually!) They may not have started on the best of terms, but I loved how quickly that changed - even if they continued to deny their feelings for much longer! Alex's admiration of Charlotte was so adorable. 😍

The chapter titles were once again delightfully funny with their hints/foreshadowing and dry humor. Holton's whimsical writing style is such a breath of fresh air, and it really brings her characters and events to life. It amazes me how upbeat and lively the tone of this book was overall, even with sadder/serious topics included. The balance and excellent pacing ensured this read was a great deal of fun. I will eagerly await the next story (and its beautiful cover!) in this series!

Loved, loved, loved. India Holton gained me as a fan when I discovered her first book on NetGalley. Needless to say, I will be remaining a fan. She’s amazing and so is this book.

A huge thank you to Berkley Romance for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 2🌶

I was so excited to read this after loving Holton’s debut “The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels” and knowing that we were gonna get witches in the next book!

What I LOVED
- holton’s writing filled with wit and sarcasm that will have you constantly laughing
- the swoony enemies to lovers romance with a forbidden streak
- banterful conversations and intense chemistry between main leads

What I LIKED
- fun side characters especially the cameos from my favorite main leads from the last book
- the side of fantasy elements and the other magical creatures hinted to show up in the next books (clue: 🧜🏼‍♀️)

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT IF YOU LOVE:
- regency romance with witches, pirates and more!
- insta-attraction, enemies to lovers, forbidden love

Charlotte is a gentlewoman. It's not only about the manners, but her very particular skills. Any sort of problem can be caressed, unstressed, and finessed by her precise application of magic. The same is true of every gentlewoman of The League of Gentlewomen Witches. Those bloody pirate ladies over in the Wisteria Society can fly their silly houses around all day long and yell "Arrrr!" as much as they please, but that doesn't make them properly civilized. They certainly aren't going to properly protect the amulet of Black Beryl, a powerful and dangerous artifact that has resurfaced. Unfortunately for Charlotte, she has no choice but to engage in an unwilling alliance with Alex, a pirate of no manners at all. They're both good at sleight of hand, but as it soon turns out, their hearts might need as much protection as the artifact they seek!

I was a very delighted fan of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, so when I discovered the opportunity to gallivant once more in its world, and this time with gentlewomen, I immediately prepared my petticoat for perusal, peril, and a proper good time. Of course, these gentlewomen are really gentlewicca, using magic for serious matters rather than amusement. I was really delighted at the juxtaposition of Charlotte's good sense and Alex's devil-may-care attitude. With both of them enemies that should be at each other's throats, there was no end of banter, barbs, and bluster, all sprinkled with plenty of Victorian references that are sure to satisfy even the most Shakespearian of hearts.

Of course, their mutual goal, and inability to escape the other's presence, is capable of working its own magic, untangling somewhat the snags within their hearts, opening them to a rather different, and definitely improper, form of partnership. The League of Gentlewomen Witches is a wondrous, whimsical, wiccan follow-up to its flying house pirate predecessor, building upon this magical, Victorian-soaked world deftly and capably. Recommended for fans of Jane Austen, Shakespeare, flying houses, adept women, deft magic, and unlikely romances in troubled times.

I listened to the audio version of India Holton's previous book in this series and I found the narration to be hard to follow. I suspected I might like to read the next in print and was excited to receive an advanced copy on Netgalley to reveiw. While I do find the romance in The League of Gentlewomen Witches to be more compelling than the romance in The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, but I still feel that the whole thing seems to be trying to hard. Several reviews of both this and TWSLS mentioned how uproariously laugh-worthy Holton's writing is but it felt forced rather than witty to me. I think perhaps I'm just not the audience for this book, which is light on the steam, and the romance, for a romance novel. Many people will enjoy this for it's feminist portrayal of women as the MCs in a romance novel, and it might find a wider audience for it's more limited spice level, but it was a miss for me.

The League of Gentlewoman Witches is just as charming and delightful as The Wisteria Society, if not more so. It has the same cheeky humor, absurdly charismatic characters, and top notch banter and dialogue that made me fall in love with this series.

It's also even sexier than the first. I know it's not fair to keep comparing a first and second book in a companion series, but League is even better than Wisteria Society. I absolutely adore Alex and Charlotte, their dynamic is so charming and swoon worthy and sexy. It's a sort of enemies to lovers situation and they claim to maintain their enemy status even when obviously madly in love. It's just SO GOOD.

Charlotte is a big fan of Jane Austen and constantly compares herself to various Austen heroines in various situations and I thought that was a really fun connection. These books sort of feel like a modern version of an Austen novel so I really enjoyed that cheeky homage. Fans of Austen will definitely enjoy this book. I will absolutely be buying myself a finished copy!

A wonderful read

“As much fun as the English language will permit.”—New York Times Book Review on The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the teahouse. . . .

Miss Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret league of women skilled in the subtle arts. That is to say—although it must never be said—witchcraft. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways. Using magic, they tidy, correct, and manipulate according to their notions of what is proper, entirely unlike those reprobates in the Wisteria Society.

When the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Charlotte, as the future leader of the League, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is most unfortunate when she crosses paths with Alex O’Riley, a pirate who is no Mr. Darcy. With all the world scrambling after the amulet, Alex and Charlotte join forces to steal it together. If only they could keep their pickpocketing hands to themselves! If Alex’s not careful, he might just steal something else—such as Charlotte’s heart.

Last year I read The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels about pirates that fly houses and are pretty good thiefs and pickpockets. The League of Gentlewomen Witches was was just as witty and whimsical. I really had fun reading it. Miss Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret league of women, witches, if they existed. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways, using magic, according to their notions of what is proper unlike those reprobates in the Wisteria Society. When the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Charlotte, as the future leader of the League, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, Lady Armitage, a hated pirate, gets the amulet and flies off in her battle house. Charlotte hitches a ride with Captain Alex O'Riley, a handsome, rich, rakish pirate. Will proximity push them into a relationship? A witch and a pirate?

Charlotte and Alex are so much fun together. Pirates and Witches are sworn enemies so they should not partners in crime on a fun and romantic adventure. I loved their banter, it was so much fun, especially with the sizzle just under the surface. The adventures they get up to are so much fun and often had me laughing out loud. This book has a little more heat and spice than the first book and the romance between Alex and Charlotte is fun and steamy. The secondary characters added so much to the story with drama, humor, action and danger. A witch hunter even makes an appearance. India Holton’s writing is clever and entertaining, with many references to Shakespeare and Austen. The action is non-stop and the interplay between the rival Wisteria Society and Gentlewomen Witches is wonderful. This is an enemies-to-lovers, road trip romance (but in a flying house). If you’re looking for pure escapism that will keep you laughing, this is the book for you, it is pure escapism and entertainment.

Charlotte Pettifer is a witch (which, of course, don’t exist), but when the long lost amulet of Beryl the Black turns up, Charlotte makes it her mission to steal it. However, Charlotte isn’t the only one looking for it, and Charlotte may need to work with a pirate (shudder!) to complete her mission.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches is the second in the series, but can definitely be read as a standalone. I do recommend reading The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels first as some characters show up in this one. I really enjoyed the first book and this one was just as fun, whimsical, and sassy. The back and forth banter is funny and the characters are great! I’m looking forward to the next book. If you like historical romance fantasy, then pick up this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Loved, loved, LOVED this book! It was every bit as good as The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, but with even more chemistry. The characters are interesting, the dialogue is witty, and the swift pacing keeps you turning pages. I hope India Holton writes more of these!

– Thanks to NetGalley/Berkeley for the ARC for a review –

This is a charming, flirty, fun, romp filled with swashbuckling pirates in flying houses and witches who do magic in bustles and corsets, but the amount of sexual innuendo, metaphor and euphemisms wrapped in the prim & proper language of the era makes this book hilarious. The pirates and witches relish in conflict and poo poo anything going well or any sort of polite behavior. It delights the mind and I was simply chuckling throughout.

I really liked the first book in this series The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels which sets up the world and characters and writing style very well. But I think I like this book even more.

Characters from the first book, particularly Ned & Cecilia, appear throughout and it’s really fun to see how they are doing now. But I absolutely fell in love with our new hero & heroine Alex O’Reilly & Charlotte Pettifer. They are a pirate and a witch who are sworn enemies so the enemies to lovers trope is fully there. But it’s a fresh take in that they are enemies-to-lovers that stay enemies-and-lovers throughout the whole book. It is a running joke.

There is adventure, magic and a mad chase after an Amulet which is a loose structure for the romance. There is SO MUCH MORE ROMANCE and extremely proper yet steamy scenes in this book! Which is probably why I liked it so much. I just want to feel good and be entertained nowadays and this does exactly that. :-)

There are also a ton of Jane Austen references in the book. Because Charlotte is bookish she keeps thinking along the lines of, “What would Elizabeth Bennett do?” I was chuckling the whole time reading it and really found the book delightful.

Charlotte Pettifer is the prophetic heir apparent to a most reputable group of women (most notably NOT witches whatsoever). This group is also definitely not on good terms with anyone of a piratic nature. So when a magical artifact is discovered in which both pirates and these non-witchy women lay claim, a battle ensues between the two sides over who will possess such a valued object.

In her pursuit of the artifact, Charlotte kidnaps (or is kidnapped by) known pirate Alex O'Riley. Begrudgingly they join forces certainly not working together but working towards getting the artifact for their own personal gain. What ends up happening is a pirate falls in love with a (non)witch, but can they set aside their ingrained hatred of one another to make it work?

I loved India Holton's first book so much. The snark and humor. The back-and-forth, quick-wittedness of all the characters was pure perfection. I'm happy to say that this aspect carries over quite nicely to this second book.

I'm not sure that I remember any mention of witches in the first book as that mainly focused on pirates, but I like the addition of other magical factions. India Holton seems to tease more things to come in this whimsical world and I cannot wait to see how things continue to progress.

This book took me a long time to get through. For whatever reason, it wasn't one that I just flew through. For me, I felt like the conflict in finding the amulet was overshadowed by Alex and Charlotte's budding feelings for one another and the idea that in their societies they wouldn't work or be welcomed. I wanted a little more adventure with the amulet as I think it speaks a lot about the histories of both of these groups, I would have liked to think that the differences that face Alex and Charlotte - one being a pirate and one being a witch - could have easily been incorporated into the initial conflict of an object in which both groups lay claim. It does to a certain extent, but as I said, quickly overshadowed.

But to that effect, Charlotte and Alex were wonderful and obviously the main draw of the story. I love a good enemies-to-lovers story and they inhabit it to a T. What really got me, though, was the vulnerabilities both are hiding in order to 1) appear as a tough pirate and 2) to appear able and capable of fulfilling the prophecy that has dictated their entire life. In each other, they find the person who understands and sees them for themselves and not what others have imposed upon them. I just loved seeing them slowly let their guards down with one another, yet still maintain their sense of self.

Overall, this series has been a delight so far. I would love for it to continue for many more books and adventures to come.

just what an absolute delight, as much as if not more so than the first one. this book feels like that scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's when Holly and Paul spend the day doing things they've never done before and steal those animal masks? I'm not sure how else to explain it. it's sweeping and romantic and silly and theatrical and will see straight through you.

this is for the hopeless romantics, the ones who worry they'll have to settle because they've built too much up in their heads, the ones who are trying to find adventure in the great wide somewhere, the ones who feel like they are bound and held together by ribbon and want to break free, the ones who so desperately want to be known, the ones that need to know that someone can see through it all into what's right with them and what's wrong with them and still love them anyway.

this is a whimsical story, too complex to put into simple words, but just know that through what seems dramatic and outlandish, there's just pure gold.