Thanks to the commercial success of BRIDGERTON, I’m not at all surprised to see a new wave of YA romance novels about scandal and love, set to a backdrop that includes the infamous ton, springing up. Rosalyn Eve’s AN IMPROBABLE SEASON is one of them — a story told from alternating perspectives that follows an 1817 London season debut from three cousins.

From the jump, we meet cousins Thalia, Kalli and Charris as they prepare to head to London for their first season — each armed with a different set of expectations and goals for the affair. Rather quickly, the three are embroiled in an unexpected scandal that drastically impacts all of them — albeit some more than others. What follows is a tale of twists and turns, as each protagonist finds themselves doing exactly what they didn’t set out to do, but emerging from it for the better.

The refreshing spin on a regency romance makes this read intriguing — it’s fun to watch scientific Charris learn about love, responsible Thalia throw caution to the wind and society-minded Kalli find joy in what, at first, seemed to be a curse.

What wasn’t fun was the splintering of the relationship between Kalli and Thalia — over a boy, no less. Sisters fight, of course, but these two really go through it, and in ways that make them entirely unlikeable. Charris’s character remains the only redeeming of the three — for she never ends up compromising who she is or what she wants in favor of what society (or a boy in her ear whispering sweet nothings) expects of her. Also, her love of science, and budding unexpected romance with Mark, who shares her fervor for scientific literature, is sweet.

I thought the author did a wonderful job depicting some of the positions Thalia and Kalli are forced into being women at the mercy of a wholly patriarchal society — unjust inequities of the time that are deftly woven into the plot — but I struggled to stay engaged with their individual storylines. I found myself flipping through Thalia’s scenes with James — he’s the actual worst — and Kalli’s love triangle with Adam and Henry — that had a painfully obvious end from the start — just to get to Charris’s part of the story. I probably would have enjoyed this more if it was just focused on her narration and experiences during their scandal-ridden season.

That said, AN IMPROBABLE SEASON is a solid read for those looking for a quick and easy regency romance.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*