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alisoun's review against another edition
adventurous
3.75
This was fun and enjoyable. I loved the concept of the flying houses.
Loved how ned was just so head over heels from first sight. I love insta love from one partner!
I did enjoy the Flowery language lol but it did sometimes get a bit much. I also wanted a bit more 🌶️ if ya know what I mean. Like ONE more scene at the end!
I also wanted a bit more priateing. I would have loved a scene of them stealing some jewels or something from a house like they talked about a lot!
Loved how ned was just so head over heels from first sight. I love insta love from one partner!
I did enjoy the Flowery language lol but it did sometimes get a bit much. I also wanted a bit more 🌶️ if ya know what I mean. Like ONE more scene at the end!
I also wanted a bit more priateing. I would have loved a scene of them stealing some jewels or something from a house like they talked about a lot!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexism, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug use
melismichelle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Fun premise but by the end I was more annoyed than entertained.
Biggest flaws for me was including the bs trope of "mouth saying no but eyes say yes" andCecilia rejecting Ned after the big battle was drawn out stupidity that I did not find charming
Biggest flaws for me was including the bs trope of "mouth saying no but eyes say yes" and
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual harassment
Dubious consent (please add this as a content warning, I am actively trying to read romance books that do not have dubious consent, thank you)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).beabates's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Death of parent
nolalee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Delightful, witty, and an absolute blast to read. Holton has created such a vibrant and detailed world of high class society and raucous pirate women, written in a style unique to her creative vision. I loved this book and found myself reading cracking up behind the veil of my e-reader in public.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse and Misogyny
____emily____'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse and Misogyny
heatherox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Murder
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