Reviews with content warning for Sexism - The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

36 reviews

overflowingshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

CW: Gun violence; murder; death of parent; sexism

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is unlike any book I’ve ever read. It’s absurd and over the top, yet I loved every second of reading it! This book combines a fantastic romance with an incredibly unique premise, badass female characters, and razor-sharp wit. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun reading a book in ages!

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the perfect Victorian lady – and also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England in her Aunt’s house, drinking tea, blackmailing friends and acquiring treasures. Sure she has a villainous father and an overbearing aunt, but it’s a pleasant existence. Until Ned Lightbourne, a sometimes assassin/pirate, shows up. Ned is fascinated with Cecilia when he meets her, despite his orders to kill her for one person and capture her for another. One of those people is Captain Morvath, Cecilia’s father and an overall villainous person who intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. When Morvath captures the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with Ned to save the women who raised her and hopefully prove that she’s as much a scoundrel as the rest of them.

The premise of this book is preposterous. I mean, lady pirates who have flying houses instead of boats? An evil villain intent on wiping out a secret society? A handsome pirate/assassin/spy? All that together should feel like too much, but it all works perfectly. The plot is over the top, yet the book leans in and embraces the absurd, so it works perfectly. I was deeply engrossed in the story and couldn’t wait to see what wild and zany twist India Holton would throw in next.

Holton’s writing style is so unique, and I was instantly hooked! The book is very tongue-in-cheek with so many fun asides that add to the humor. I don’t often laugh out loud while reading, but this book made me do that multiple times. The dialogue felt real (despite some of the absurd conversation topics) and flowed rapidly. I also loved the chapter headings – it made this book feel like a play or something you’d see on screen. This book also gave me major The Kingsman vibes with the action and humor!

The characters give this book so much life and heart. I loved all of them. Everyone from our main characters, Cecila and Ned, to the secondary characters, such as Jacobson, felt like fully-fleshed people with their own personalities. Queen Victoria is one of my favorite characters in this book – it was such a fun play on a figure you think you know. Morvath is also such a fun villain. He’s truly an evil character, but his obsession with the Brontës and his bad poetry frequently made me laugh. He’s so over the top and dramatic in his desire to destroy the Wisteria Society, and I loved it. And Miss Darlington was such a fun guardian for Cecilia. She’s overbearing, overly cautious and a bit of a hypochondriac, but she’s also a badass and incredibly caring.

And then we have Ned and Cecilia, our main characters. These two were so good together! I loved how Ned had 20 identities – I feel like more kept coming out of the woodwork! Cecilia was a great, strong female character, and I love how she didn’t let others define her actions in the end. And the romance between them! I got major Mrs. & Mr. Smith vibes from them with the top-notch banter happening during action-packed scenes. This book is also packed with so many good tropes! Holton leans into the tropes in a fun way, making the romance sing.

Also, color me surprised that this book was opened door! The cutesy cover and the rollicking plot convinced me it was going to be closed-door. But this book has not one but two sex scenes – and they were the perfect mixture of sexy and sweet.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels was so fun – an incredibly impressive debut novel! India Holton has such a fresh and unique voice – I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this before, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next! I will be picking up The League of Gentlewomen Witches as soon I can (though I may be holding out on picking it up until a little closer to book three, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, which comes out in April 2023, as I feel I’m going to want to binge the rest of the books).

Content Warnings

buildingtaste's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

becksusername's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional 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

4.25

Content Warnings

kshertz's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

hazelgirl21's review

Go to review page

funny 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

3.5

Content Warnings

maublew's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

vaniavela's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

stwriter92's review

Go to review page

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

2.5

I really need to stop getting recommendations from BookTok. I know that they might be other people's cup of tea, but it wasn't mine. This wasn't a horrible book, to be sure. It was just kind of...meh. It didn't leave any sort of impression for me either good or bad.

The story centers around a society of lady pirates (scoundrels) who fly around in houses, having tea, planning assassinations, and discussing the latest in literature. It is set in an alternative Victorian England and, thus, carries a lot of the sensibilities that were common during that time. The story starts during a botched assassination attempt on Cecilia Bassingwaite by one Ned Lightbourne. However, instead of killing her, her would be assassin decides to assist her when her aunt (along with the rest of the Wisteria Society) are kidnapped by the mysterious Captain Morvath.

After reading the synopsis, I was intrigued. Flying houses? Lady pirates? Tea time? Excellent. I was drawn in immediately. However, upon reading the book, I felt that the plot was lacking. It kept being bogged down by unnecessary tea parties, awkward banter, and conversations that seemed to keep repeating themselves. I can only giggle at the juxtaposition of "tea parties" and "assassinations" being mentioned in the same sentence once. However, it kept happening throughout. It seemed as if this was the only real method of humor used. That and it felt as if the book was written as a movie with stage directions being slipped in here and there.

In addition, I felt like the pacing was very inconsistent. There would be minutes upon minutes (I listened to the audiobook) of repetitive banter and then suddenly something big would happen in the span of thirty seconds before returning back to the mundane banter. The ending also felt extremely drawn out to me for no particular reason.

I think the problem was more with me expecting more than was there. I think that if you go into this expecting a lighthearted story of a pirate girl and a debonair assassin bumbling their way through a plot (and their own feelings for each other) in a story that seemed to have a longer-than-necessary resolution, then this is the book for you.

Content Warnings

More...