word of the day: scaroused (scared + aroused)

just as full of whimsy and wit as its predecessor, this book is another win for the ‘dangerous damsels’ series and its historical-fantasy feminist-adventure romance stories. this isn’t a book you should pick up if you’re in the mood for a traditional (or historically-accurate) historical romance, but if you’re in the mood for flying houses, pirate/witch feuds, hidden shoe-daggers, and some intense feelings of male scarousal…this book will be your next best friend.

I think it's safe to say that if you liked The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, you will like this book. Luckily, I loved TWSOLS so I adored this book! Set in the same world of flying houses and polite thievery and murder, the witches (who don't exist) and the pirates (who definitely do) are on the hunt for the same amulet. Plucky not-witch Charlotte and dashing pirate Alex have kidnapped each other in their quest to get to it first and will absolutely not fall in love on the way.

India Holton's writing has a charm all of its own - funny, clever, and packed with references to classics (in this case primarily Jane Austen and Shakespeare). Another hilarious, action-packed, and surprisingly steamy adventure!

What a charming, imaginative book!  The League of Gentlewoman Witches continues the Dangerous Damsels series with fun and aplomb.  Want a romance about a witch and a pirate?  Then look no further.

Miss Charlotte Pettifer is the future leader of the titular league, and prophesized heiress of Black Beryl, and thus she has the awesome responsibility of the coven resting on her slim shoulders.  Witches practice magic quietly - they do not make a huge show of it – and their mortal enemies are pirates, who practice thievery and fly houses about and draw much attention to themselves.

Alex O'Riley is one such pirate, and he is as handsome, roguish and cunning as one would imagine.  The League and the pirates – and the rest of their world – have their eyes on the long-lost amulet of Black Beryl, which has been discovered and put on display at the British Museum.  With so many factions fighting for it and to salvage the coven’s future – and with a hefty fee in it for Alex – the Charlotte and Alex team up to snatch the amulet from its display. Adventure, love, duels and other complications set in.

This book rollicks and it rolls. The League of Gentlewoman Witches gives us memorable characters (when will Charlotte’s mother and grandmother get their own books?), interesting world-building and a lighthearted, irreverent sense of storytelling. I actually liked this one more than the first volume in the series.

Don’t come to this book if you’re looking for heavy drama – but if you want to scheme and plot with the best, you’ll have fun with this.  Charlotte grows up and discovers herself, and Alex is a fine provocation in that respect.  There is much ground to cover, many magical deeds committed, and a lot of beautiful prose to chronicle it.  The whole novel is an enjoyable endeavor.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches has punch and verve, and makes for one heck of ride.  It’s romantic, sensual and a lot of fun, too.

Buy it at Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

Visit our Amazon Storefront

A rollicking ride through the ether bumping houses and wielding weapons of all kinds with witches and pirates. Many surprising twists along the way. What fun!

Another witty installment by India Holton! Witches and pirates, a centuries old feud, and an artifact that everyone wants, leads Charlotte and Alex on a chase across England. On their journey, more seems to be sparking than their supposed hate for one another and soon their chemistry is combustible! Funny and gregarious, this was a fantastic read! I couldn't put it down!

India did it again! I would like to see a touch more spice. But, it had everything I needed and wanted. The writing it’s clever and witty. I hope (think) a third one is going to be coming out? I would 100% keep up this series! It’s my favorite handsell!

I loved this book even more than the first. The dynamic between the hero and heroine was very humorous and heartwarming. This is one of those series where you have to put the book down several times because of how hard you’re laughing.

Charlotte as a character I think is meant to be a little unlikeable, but I love those kinds of characters, so it was easy for me to jump right in and get to know her. Alex I already knew a little about from the previous book, and was excited for him to get his own romance.

I don’t think you need to read the previous book in order to read this one, but I would highly recommend them both if you’re looking for a laugh and a sweet romance!

I enjoyed this book but wish I'd read the first one first. I'm definitely going to go back and read it. I liked this quirky story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

I don't think a series has ever made me so dang HAPPY reading it, I snickered and giggled out loud constantly while reading this, and never could quite wipe the smile off my face. As with its predecessor, The League of Gentlewomen Witches it is full of crazy wonderful adventures and shenanigans, swoony romance, and plenty of wit, wisdom, wise-cracks - basically its one-hundred-percent entertaining fun. **Thank you so much to both NetGalley and Berkley Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!**

I'm not going to lie, I was a little scared to start this because I LOVED The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels so so much, and in my mind there was just no way anything was going to equal that. And even though I didn't love Charlotte and Alex quite as much as I loved Cecilia and Ned, I still absolutely loved the story and adventures just as much (i'm pretty sure I highlighted something on almost every other page...that might be a record for me...). And so many of my favorites returned like the aforementioned Cecilia and Ned, along with Oply and poor Tom Eames, plus some wonderfully cantankerous new additions like Miss Plim and the creeptastic Inspector Creeve, not to mention my new favorite butler, Bixby.. However a shout out must go out to my returning favorite bada$$ lady Pirate, that nemesis extraordinaire, Lady Armitage (still flying her battle house, trying to rundown a new husband, and still wearing plenty of scary undergarments).

There is nothing not to like here people. Read, escape, enjoy - It's irreverent, its action packed, its lovely and swoony, its crazy, and its oh so well put down to page. India Holton's writing is just so unique - whimsical and clever - and I will forever read whatever she chooses to write (just so long as it features crazy pirate ladies flying battle houses lol).

And so I leave you now with a quote covering Lady Armitage's view on Dungeons:
"Lady Armitage was excessively fond of a dungeon. There was always so much discomfort,
so much elegiac charm, about them. She had built herself one in the cellars of her battlehouse,
where she might drive husbands down at any time, and collect a few gruesome memories, and
be happy. She advised everyone who was going to maraud, plunder, marry, or generally commit
piracy, to build a dungeon."

I get the feeling that I definitely should have read the first book in this series before trying to enjoy this one. While I could see clearly that some instances and dialogue were humorous, I was distracted by the fact that I had absolutely no idea what was going on! Why do pirates have magical powers? Is this a new world or is this England? Who knows!!! So, while those who have read the first book and got some much needed background, I did not.

Objectively, I can clearly see that this is funny and even occasionally clever. But I hated it, was bored nearly to tears. I'm chalking it up to this just not being the series for me.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches is a delightful Victorian romp. Lady Charlotte, next in line to be leader of the witch league, encounters Alex - a pirate - in her search to recover the amulet of Black Beryl. Now every pirate and witch in the country is after the trinket and Charlotte and Alex will work together (actually each is pretending to have kidnapped the other to maintain the antagonistic relationships between witches and pirates) to secure the amulet before it falls into the wrong hands.

I love India Holton's writing style. Her voice is so clear and her characters are vibrant. I also love how witches and pirates have essentially the same magical gifts - but use them in such different ways. It's truly a case of feuding for the fun of it, rather than to harm the other side. I have not read the first title in this series, but have ordered from my local library to enjoy.

Really enjoyed this book! The writing style was so refreshing and the plot was simple and did a great job in amplifying these fictional characters who were honestly my favourite part of the book. The characters and relationship dynamic had me enticed. I was swooning and laughing at the same time. Their banter was hilarious and now I'm determined to get myself in a relationship like that. I recommend this book to everyone.

India Holton has done it again!
We are back in Holton’s world where pirates fly houses and theft is accomplished as politely as can be that she established in her first book, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. However, Holton expands her universe and introduces us to The League of Gentlewomen Witches, where thievery is still rampant but unlike the wily pirates of the first book, we find that witches have their own unique means of lifting a string of pearls from the neck of a duchess – who really should have known better than to wear those pearls with that bonnet.
TLOGW has a little more heat and spice than the first book and the romance between the hero, a handsome Irish pirate named Alex O’Reilly, and the heroine, Charlotte Pettifer, the future leader of The League, is fun and fizzy.
Holton’s writing is consistently clever and engaging, with copious references to Shakespeare and Austen. The action is non-stop and the interplay between the rival Wisteria Society and Gentlewomen Witches is wonderful. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy fantasy and romance all rolled into one.

Another swoony, whimsical, swashbuckling adventure from India Holton. Miss Charlotte Pettifer is a proper young woman. She is polite, tidy, has an excellent lineage, and she is an excellent witch. She will never ever associate with, be friends with, or fall in love with a pirate. Charlotte finds herself clinging to her proper witchy image as she chases after a stolen amulet with a handsome pirate Alex O'Riley. I thoroughly enjoyed this next adventure in The Dangerous Damsels series, perhaps even more than the first since I now have more of a handle on the world building. Also, major points to India Holton for writing the most hilarious sex scene I have ever read.

I normally don't read advance review copies this far in advance, but The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels was one of my absolute favorite books of 2021 and I had to get cracking on the sequel ASAP!

Rather than focusing on the Wisteria Society of female pirates, this book focuses on the Wicken League. According to the Wickens, the Wisteria Society is a lesser offshoot of their founding members who used their magic to fly battlehouses.

The witches use magic not for fun, but for more serious matters. These women don't flaunt their magic in front of mundanes, which is another strike against the pirates in their eyes. Charlotte is one serious witch who knows via prophecy that she will one day lead the Wicken League. But when a handsome Irish pirate catches her eye, she may bring the wrath of the entire clan of witches down on her.

Charlotte's adventures with pirate Alex O'Riley hold just as much fun and romance as Cecilia Bassingthwaite and Ned Lightbourne's interactions in the previous novel. Although Ned was hired to assassinate Cecilia, they were on more equal footing as both were pirates. Charlotte and Alex are sworn enemies, which makes their dialogue and romance all the more intriguing.

This novel is filled with the same wit and humor as The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels and is just as enjoyable as the first.

Recommended for fans of Jane Austen who like their novels with a side of humor and adventure. Romance readers whose favorite tropes are enemies to lovers or forced proximity will also enjoy this historical adventure.

More swashbuckling, sorcery, romance, and strong heroines — just what I was hoping for from this sequel. Even better: finding well-loved lines from Jane Austen adapted throughout. We had Bronte in Wisteria Society and Austen here — which author will find favor in the next book?

A fun book, but not my favourite - possibly that's because I didn't realize till I read reviews that this was book 2 of a series. It's funny and absurd, and the romance wasn't exhausting. Generally I would recommend it, even without having the world building of book 1, which I think would help a lot.

The Pirates and League of Gentlewomen Witches are after a magical artifact. But none of them play well with others. However Charlotte, a witch if such things existed and they did not, and the Pirate Alex, end up together on the chase. They rapidly become… gasp…drawn to each other, something very much frowned upon in a Pirate and a Witch (if they existed).
The book is a fun action adventure romp filled with allusions to Austen novels and as well as Shakespeare and other classics. If you are in-the-know it can be hilarious however I’m unsure whether it would be quite so fun for those non Jane-ites. While it can be read alone I think having read the previous novel makes it easier to follow many of the secondary characters. In the end the hero and heroine are so romantic and vulnerable and strong and capable- and fun - it makes this a wonderful book. I would recommend this book to my patrons.

Intriguing characters and ridiculous situations. Fine lady Witches and gentleman magical Pirates makes for a rather fun plot.