callenmecait's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Loved this book. It’s like Bridgerton but with magic and pirates and the overthrowing of the patriarchy. Only has one smut scene but lots of tension building up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
Minor: Death and Sexism
bubblegirl858's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book was read as part of the 2023 book club for march. This was the second time I read this book and the first time I feel like I enjoyed it more, I gave it 5 stars. I raced through the first read and laughed out loud, cheered and finished the book with a happy sigh. This read, I found a lot more things problematic and just outright boring. Ned can be overly pushy and Ceclia really just existed. Both the main characters were pretty one dimensional and I couldn’t tell you a single thing either of them did or even anything deeper than basic likes and dislikes. They were great characters to project yourself on to, but as far as being human? Not so much. Things I loved about the book include the plethora of witty quotes, Jane Austen references, fighting and having a conversation at the same time, the “only one bed” trope, older women being absolute legends, and Pleasance’s character. She was such a fun aspect of the book and it would have been so much better with more of her.
Spoiler
The plot takes a major pace hit after they enter Morvath’s castle. The book drags for the next 100 or so pages. Cecila choosing to run away with Ned was expected as it is a romance novel, however it felt so conflicting compared to the goal she had literally the entire book. With the main undertones in this book being very feminist, I was expecting something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Sexism, and Death of parent
samchase112's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The definition of a madcap adventure romance! This wasn’t a perfect book — it dragged on too long, the beginning was nearly nonsensical because of the lack of world building — but it certainly dared to be different and I appreciate the satirical whimsy. Altogether an enjoyable adventure, if not my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Death of parent
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a lighthearted romp humorously told, with a swig of casual gun violence, occasional swashbuckling, and graphic sex.
In this, the first book in the Dangerous Damsels trilogy, we are introduced to a world of magical realism where aristocratic pirates pilot flying houses that are mounted with canon and guns. Raised to be a ladylike scoundrel, with savvy and decorum, our main character is a young woman who has not yet been accepted into her Society as an adult. This coming of age story deals with a woman facing her evil father, choosing her own path, engaging in the martial art of Polite Conversation, and facing the warring parts of her psyche, both emotional and rational.
Although not especially diverse in its lineup of characters, it is fiercely anti-Patriarchy.
Good fun if not very deep. Pass the popcorn, there's a love.
In this, the first book in the Dangerous Damsels trilogy, we are introduced to a world of magical realism where aristocratic pirates pilot flying houses that are mounted with canon and guns. Raised to be a ladylike scoundrel, with savvy and decorum, our main character is a young woman who has not yet been accepted into her Society as an adult. This coming of age story deals with a woman facing her evil father, choosing her own path, engaging in the martial art of Polite Conversation, and facing the warring parts of her psyche, both emotional and rational.
Although not especially diverse in its lineup of characters, it is fiercely anti-Patriarchy.
Good fun if not very deep. Pass the popcorn, there's a love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Alcohol, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Drug use, Kidnapping, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, and Stalking
tors_tomes's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Death
buildingtaste's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a 2020s novel with an excellent conceit must be deeply in want of better execution. I feel bad giving this such a low rating, as it is probably one of the better conceived 2020s novels of the ones I've tried, but once again, after the elevator pitch is over, the book collapses like an under-baked teacake. And under-baked is the overarching theme: we are given rather thin sketches of the titular society, a teeming cast of characters, an intergenerational revenge plot nodding heavily to the Brontes, and a requisite romance. All of them are glossed over in favour of comic asides which, after a few repetitions of (and that was rather a funny bit there, er, wasn't it?) seems more like an author's lack of faith in their own prose than a stylistic choice.
Most egregious here, though, is something I can't blame Holton for, because it seems to be more a convention of the historical fantasy-romance genre than anything: Cecilia is just the least interesting person in the bunch. And we have to stick with her a good 80% of the time. When your heroine sums up her role in the story with a glib "I'm afraid I've done nothing to advance the plot," and it's true, a good editor should perk up and recommend doing something about that. Cecilia, despite her bog-standard spunk, finds herself constantly outpaced and outsmarted, by the titular society, by the love interest, and by her villainous father. Not once does she get to be heroic on her own terms, and she's so baldly horny for Ned that her internal refrain of "well-I-never" gets dull.
So. Janky start. But I think the world of Wisteria has some real promise--I'd be interested in reading a short fiction anthology delving more into the lore of historical Lady Scoundrels and the senior ladies.
Most egregious here, though, is something I can't blame Holton for, because it seems to be more a convention of the historical fantasy-romance genre than anything: Cecilia is just the least interesting person in the bunch. And we have to stick with her a good 80% of the time. When your heroine sums up her role in the story with a glib "I'm afraid I've done nothing to advance the plot," and it's true, a good editor should perk up and recommend doing something about that. Cecilia, despite her bog-standard spunk, finds herself constantly outpaced and outsmarted, by the titular society, by the love interest, and by her villainous father. Not once does she get to be heroic on her own terms, and she's so baldly horny for Ned that her internal refrain of "well-I-never" gets dull.
So. Janky start. But I think the world of Wisteria has some real promise--I'd be interested in reading a short fiction anthology delving more into the lore of historical Lady Scoundrels and the senior ladies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, and Sexism
A teenaged character and young adult character have a sexual relationship. It is played for comedy, with the younger character repeatedly lying about her age and the adult acting distraught about the revelation. Characters drink on several occasions and a character gets drunk without real consent or awareness that alcohol will intoxicate her; this character vomits while drunk. The backstory of a character involves being abandoned by his parents. The lower class characters are usually fearful, superstitious, and deemed foolish. Most characters are kidnapped and imprisoned. The backstory of multiple characters involve their mothers being murdered in front of them. The main character's aunt is controlling and overbearing. Alcohol and cocaine pastilles are used by characters. A verbal spar of two characters involves multiple fatphobic remarks. Most characters have and use guns with murderous intent, though no one dies from a gunshot in the text. There is cousin marriage. The villain's primary motivation is named as misogyny. There is a chapter dedicated to a sex scene (Chapter 20).kshertz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book is hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. It’s pride and prejudice, if written in 2020, with the humor of The Princess Bride…and they’re in the supernatural world. It’s definitely a niche book but it’s my niche! I’m definitely continuing the series based on the hilarious banter alone. If you need a whimsical laugh, you have to read it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Violence
evie_dora's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
kyeruhh's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I absolutely loved this. A bit confusing in the beginning, but once you accept the fact that this is a fantasy first and historical romance second, it becomes such a fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is one of those books where the title is the reason and that's all there is to it. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to read such a fabulously titled book, and in this monumentally horrific time to be a person with a uterus in the United States, this kind of whimsy was exactly the escape I needed (and, if we're being fully honest, one of the only types of stories I could really handle attention-wise).
Cecelia Bassingwaite has been training since childhood to be a member of the Wisteria Society, an elite class of proper British lady pirates. They follow a strict training regimen of proper manners, high tea, and the particulars of assassinations and robbery and blackmail. When a dangerous(ly charming) assassin is sent to take Cecilia out, and her estranged father, Captain Morvath, kidnaps her aunt and other members of the Wisteria Society in a devious plot to take down Queen Victoria and restore men to their "rightful place" in power, things get complicated. Especially since the assassin, Ned Lightbourne, seems not only to be unsuccessful at killing Cecila, but is perhaps starting to make her feel some very improper feelings. Together Cecilia and Ned must face down flying gothic abbeys, deeply horrible poetry, quite a few attempts on their lives, and their own hot and bothered feelings.
This was one of the *most* incredible, in the literal "lack of believability" use of the word, stories I have ever read. The combination of magic (like, flying houses and incantations everywhere), piratical violence (swords and guns and poisons and "ship" hijacking), and soap opera level drama (evil fathers, unknown parentage, double agents, betrayals), with a snarky dose of Victorian etiquette (the great evil of sun exposure/freckles, being sure to bring a side dish to share at a social event, interrupted tea time) created an ambiance of arbitrary propriety that was just...hilarious. Like, all the quality off-the-wall, humorously satirical, entertainment one could want. Plus, it served that "touching a small piece of exposed skin on one's wrist/ankle" sexual tension that is wonderfully unqiue to historical romance, while also giving readers some kissing and one more "full" sex scene to satisfy on the release of said sexual tension front.
Slightly more seriously (though only by a little), I want to recognize a few other things I really enjoyed about this reading experience. First, the chapter titles. They were spectacular, totally original. I had fun guessing what they were talking about, and then after finishing each chapter, I went back to revisit them and confirm what they were referring to, with appreciation for the wordplay in them. They, along with the rest of the writing (including the dialogue) was all really impressively clever. There were a few times the language got caught up/twisted in itself, but overall, I was into it. Also, there were a few nuggets of depth and real social commentary within the ridiculousness, not as much serious moments in themselves, but sarcastic callings out of inconsistencies in gender-based expectations (that was the social theme in focus throughout this novel, though never in an intersectional way), that did hit home.
Was this novel deep/profound in any way? Absolutely not. Was it delightful, rolicking, absolutely bananas and with a funny and irreverent feminist vibe that was a balm to the soul? Yes. Yes it was. If you need that in your life, then give this one a try.
“…The Wisteria Society, a noble coterie of ladies who were virtuously open about their crimes.”
“'It is violence that best overcomes hate, vengeance that most certainly heals injury, and a good cup of tea that soothes the most anguished soul'; thus ran the motto of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.”
"Although she had been brought fairly late to propriety and self-restraint, she found they suited her. Indeed, if she were a bird, she would happily allow a net to ensnare her. Granted, she might cut that net with her dagger, fashion a hammock from it, and lie in said hammock reading books and drinking lemonade someplace no one would bother her, but that is beside the point.”
“…but the world makes love impossible for women sometimes, leaving us no choice but loss and grief. [...] Or rampant piracy.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence and Death