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bannedfrombookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Fun with occasionally jarring changes in tone, and towards the end the plot starts to lurch around like one of the flying pirate houses but I'd still recommend it to anyone who thinks they might fit into the centre wedge of a 3-way Venn diagram of Lisa Kleypas, Diana Wynn-Jones, and Terry Pratchett fans.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is based on Cecilia Bassingwaite and she is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief and a pirate. She is apart of Wisteria Society crime sorority, she files around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Yes, she may have a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up. Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, he happens to be under a direct order to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possess a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. However, both men make the same mistake. Never underestimate a woman. When Moravth needs stopping, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her – hopefully proving once and for all, that she’s as much as a scoundrel as the rest of them. This book is a romance historical fiction.
Okay, if you are wanting a pirate, action-packed feminist book, don’t read this book. It’s a romance book with a bit of action. Not saying that I didn’t enjoy this book, I just didn’t expect it to be all romance and a bit of action. I wanted it the other way around. When I first read the blurb of the book, I was like it’s gonna be bad ass girls fighting men and it’s gonna be great. But then Ned comes in all insta love and it’s just a romance novel. I liked Cecilia, she was great and was all for fighting men, but it just didn’t happen. I liked her back story and thought it could have gone more into her back story and Ned’s. I think this book would have been better if it was a slow burn which is sort of was from Cecilia’s point of view but not from Ned’s. I liked the multiple POVs during this book.
I just was expecting more and wanting more from this book and it just never happened. Hopefully the next book in this series is better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Sexism, and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
maublew's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder and Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
vaniavela's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-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
4.0
A lady pirate society with a gun-wielding heroine and an assassin who's been hired to kill her but he's also a spy?
Cecilia, a first-rate scoundrel and pirate, has a dream: seat at the table of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. When Ned Lightbourne, a skilled pirate and assassin, is hired to assassinate her [by Queen Victoria] and rescue her [by a mysterious man], everything changes. She certainly must kill him first, but.... why does she find it so difficult to do so?
The concept of the story is interesting and I loved the chapter headers; they are incredibly creative. What I liked the most was the hilarious opening. Imagine you’re with your aunt, waiting for your lunch, when someone bangs the door. When you open the door, a [really handsome] salesman tries to sell you a brochure, but you decline. Then he proceeds to climb up your window.
I would have liked to connect with the characters. I found the dialogues pleasant most of the time, and I was able to laugh from time to time.
It did not meet my expectations unfortunately; I don't know what was missing, but it really wasn't what I expected. Despite that, it is a good book and although I do not plan to read the following books, I liked it.
TW: death of a parent, kidnapping, stealing, violence, gun violence, injury, sexual content
Cecilia, a first-rate scoundrel and pirate, has a dream: seat at the table of the Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. When Ned Lightbourne, a skilled pirate and assassin, is hired to assassinate her [by Queen Victoria] and rescue her [by a mysterious man], everything changes. She certainly must kill him first, but.... why does she find it so difficult to do so?
The concept of the story is interesting and I loved the chapter headers; they are incredibly creative. What I liked the most was the hilarious opening. Imagine you’re with your aunt, waiting for your lunch, when someone bangs the door. When you open the door, a [really handsome] salesman tries to sell you a brochure, but you decline. Then he proceeds to climb up your window.
I would have liked to connect with the characters. I found the dialogues pleasant most of the time, and I was able to laugh from time to time.
It did not meet my expectations unfortunately; I don't know what was missing, but it really wasn't what I expected. Despite that, it is a good book and although I do not plan to read the following books, I liked it.
TW: death of a parent, kidnapping, stealing, violence, gun violence, injury, sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
summerisreading's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Terry Pratchett fans, were you ever just dying to have a Discworld book set entirely among the assassins, packed with wordplay, double entendres, literary references, and extensive shade toward gothic novels?
The book is reminiscent of Terry Pratchett (in that it's self-referential and a weird combination of an absolutely absurd world combined with historical fun facts from the real world) mixed with any historical romance that skews toward parody (Tessa Dare maybe?)
This book was slow to grow on me, as I'm really not generally a fan of reading about violence, even when it's charmingly committed by old ladies, but by the end I loved it. I think this is a good debut from an author who could grow into someone truly great.
The book is reminiscent of Terry Pratchett (in that it's self-referential and a weird combination of an absolutely absurd world combined with historical fun facts from the real world) mixed with any historical romance that skews toward parody (Tessa Dare maybe?)
This book was slow to grow on me, as I'm really not generally a fan of reading about violence, even when it's charmingly committed by old ladies, but by the end I loved it. I think this is a good debut from an author who could grow into someone truly great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Fatphobia
amberinpieces's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny
Minor: Cursing, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Drug use
livinginbetweenthepages's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexism, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
chasinash's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Bullying, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. I surprised me how much! I was trying to explain this book to some friends and the best I can come up with is a weird and wonderful romcom that feels like if you mashed together My Lady Jane and Pride and Prejudice or Bridgerton, but make it Victorian 😅
I absolutely loved the characters - obviously the two main characters but I also just found so many from the Wisteria Society hilarious!? And the quotes and misquotes from classic poets were so fun! Loved seeing a bit of Wordsworth and Byron mixed in with the Brönte quotes.
You definitely have to suspend reality but when don't we in books? Very enjoyable and I laughed out loud numerous times!
I absolutely loved the characters - obviously the two main characters but I also just found so many from the Wisteria Society hilarious!? And the quotes and misquotes from classic poets were so fun! Loved seeing a bit of Wordsworth and Byron mixed in with the Brönte quotes.
You definitely have to suspend reality but when don't we in books? Very enjoyable and I laughed out loud numerous times!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Cursing, Grief, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use
hrtlss_grl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Sexism, Mental illness, and Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Drug use