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emmacartlidge's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-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
3.75
This is the second book of the Dangerous Damsels series. It's quite similar to the first one, and has some recurring characters. This book pits two factions (both alike in indignation) namely the pirates and the witches (if witches existed). There is a starcrossed not-really-enemies to lovers plot wrapped in a rambling adventure or perhaps prolonged chase scene, as they try to find a magical amulet.. and don't forget about rescuing Tom!
The vibe of this is sort of Pride and Prejudice, meets Indiana Jones at Studio Ghibli (Kiki + Howl's moving castle?) only with explicit sex. It's always going to be a bit cinematic when you have swords and sorcery - telekinetic witches throwing things around, and pirates with guns and cannon zooming about in flying buildings.
As in the first book, the sexy-times are explicit... and so is the consent and the birth control. Swashbuckling is certainly married to the unbuckling of swashes... but will it lead to marriage? There are a couple of other players/factions introduced that stay mostly in the background, but I can see them becoming more important in the next book.
The vibe of this is sort of Pride and Prejudice, meets Indiana Jones at Studio Ghibli (Kiki + Howl's moving castle?) only with explicit sex. It's always going to be a bit cinematic when you have swords and sorcery - telekinetic witches throwing things around, and pirates with guns and cannon zooming about in flying buildings.
As in the first book, the sexy-times are explicit... and so is the consent and the birth control. Swashbuckling is certainly married to the unbuckling of swashes... but will it lead to marriage? There are a couple of other players/factions introduced that stay mostly in the background, but I can see them becoming more important in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual content, Gun violence, Confinement, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, and Blood
j_squaredd's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Blood, and Child abuse
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.0
Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is based on Charlotte Pettifer and she belongs to a secret society skilled in a very particular art. That is to say, although she can’t say it too loudly, witchcraft. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways. Using magic, they tidy, correct and manipulate according to their notions of what is proper, entirely the pirates in the Wisteria Society. When the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Charlotte as the future leader of the League, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is most unfortunate when she crosses paths with Alex O’Riley, a pirate who is no Mr. Darcy. With all the words scrambling after the amulet, Alex and Charlotte join forces to steal it together. If only they could keep their pickpocketing hands to themselves! If Alex’s not careful, he might just steal something else – like Charlotte’s heart. 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. After I read the new book in the series, I knew what I was getting into, but I still really wanted a more action-packed novel. I liked Charlotte and Alex’s relationship. I loved Alex in the first book so seeing him as the main character in this book was funny as. He sort of reminds of Damon Salvatore as a private. I think this book would have been better if it was a slow burn as both books sort of have an insta love trope in it which I'm not really enjoying in this series. It could have been 100 more pages for the slow burn and I would have liked it more. 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.
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. After I read the new book in the series, I knew what I was getting into, but I still really wanted a more action-packed novel. I liked Charlotte and Alex’s relationship. I loved Alex in the first book so seeing him as the main character in this book was funny as. He sort of reminds of Damon Salvatore as a private. I think this book would have been better if it was a slow burn as both books sort of have an insta love trope in it which I'm not really enjoying in this series. It could have been 100 more pages for the slow burn and I would have liked it more. 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 Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Confinement, Pregnancy, Blood, and Kidnapping
aromarrie's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
the author quotes jane austen at the end in her vision for charlotte pettifer’s story and it was this: “I’m going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” which just absolutely baffled me because what do you mean “no one but myself” will like her?? i love her, i loved charlotte’s pov and seeing her embrace her magic in a way that made her fellow witches gasp in horror at such lack of decorum and yet—she was so free & buoyant with the energy that flowed through her that it made this story all the more thrilling.
even more so was seeing her make as many leaps as she did falling, sometimes letting her insecurities wrap around her in her worries that she’s too different; that no one could possibly stand to be near her without her trying to diminish herself. seeing the way that alex made her literally feel like she could fly just from their first meeting alone, and then in all the soft & chaotic moments they share afterward, to see charlotte express herself with such fervor and bare nakedness as she & alex spark an intimacy with each other like no other, it was romantic as hell. it was everything to see how charlotte made alex feel like he could let his own barriers down due to his own traumatic history with a witch from his past; to have that history not be swept away amongst all the chaos that does reign in this story (it’s absolute madness) but rather actually get explored as he & charlotte grow closer to each other, charlotte’s own fears being shed in light—it added such unmistakable depth to both of these characters and made their relationship one to be written in the stars and stretches across water.
for the author to be able to write such an achingly sweet romance and balance it so well with cheeky humor & explosive action between pirates & witches—it’s an adventure i should’ve expected from my positive reading experience with the first book and yet in this one, it just felt like it was on a whole other level. there were just as many new characters as there were old, and the ones i was already familiar with fueled the heart of this story even more, making me feel so swept up in all this drama that at its core, was exploring a love story between a pirate & witch, two people who should strictly be known as enemies and yet they can’t seem to let go of their grip onto each other’s hands at any moment.
i adore charlotte & alex so much, and i adore how much excitement this story gave me; it was really fun, and i’ll always remember this for that.
even more so was seeing her make as many leaps as she did falling, sometimes letting her insecurities wrap around her in her worries that she’s too different; that no one could possibly stand to be near her without her trying to diminish herself. seeing the way that alex made her literally feel like she could fly just from their first meeting alone, and then in all the soft & chaotic moments they share afterward, to see charlotte express herself with such fervor and bare nakedness as she & alex spark an intimacy with each other like no other, it was romantic as hell. it was everything to see how charlotte made alex feel like he could let his own barriers down due to his own traumatic history with a witch from his past; to have that history not be swept away amongst all the chaos that does reign in this story (it’s absolute madness) but rather actually get explored as he & charlotte grow closer to each other, charlotte’s own fears being shed in light—it added such unmistakable depth to both of these characters and made their relationship one to be written in the stars and stretches across water.
for the author to be able to write such an achingly sweet romance and balance it so well with cheeky humor & explosive action between pirates & witches—it’s an adventure i should’ve expected from my positive reading experience with the first book and yet in this one, it just felt like it was on a whole other level. there were just as many new characters as there were old, and the ones i was already familiar with fueled the heart of this story even more, making me feel so swept up in all this drama that at its core, was exploring a love story between a pirate & witch, two people who should strictly be known as enemies and yet they can’t seem to let go of their grip onto each other’s hands at any moment.
i adore charlotte & alex so much, and i adore how much excitement this story gave me; it was really fun, and i’ll always remember this for that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
vixenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
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? Yes
3.5
It’s like Jane Austen wrote a swashbuckler/Halloween novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Blood
The central relationship is a bit of an “enemies-to-lovers” troupe, so if you are not into that, this book might not be for you.amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Blood, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Cursing, Grief, and Death
sabrinz's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
This book is the second book in a series. However, it can be read without knowing book 1 (I didn't know it was part of a series) - and while some small details and callbacks may have been lost on me, it did not have the feeling that I was missing something.
The story is about Charlotte, a mostly law-abiding, young witch in London who dreams of stealing things to help orphans and living a quiet little life in the country side. When she steals a gentleman's bag, however, she has no idea that that man is Captain O'Riley, a pirat. The rivalry between witches and pirates is well-known and must be adhered to at all costs. But there is the little problem of this particular pirat showing up everywhere and Charlotte really has no choice but to "kidnapp" his battlehouse with O'Riley and his butler inside to catch up to the terror of lady pirates, who has just stolen a powerful amulte.
I really enjoyed this book and laughed several time (quoting whole passages to my friends). Sometimes a book just has to be entertaining and fun - which this entertaining spin on Victorian society with witches and pirates certainly does.
The story is about Charlotte, a mostly law-abiding, young witch in London who dreams of stealing things to help orphans and living a quiet little life in the country side. When she steals a gentleman's bag, however, she has no idea that that man is Captain O'Riley, a pirat. The rivalry between witches and pirates is well-known and must be adhered to at all costs. But there is the little problem of this particular pirat showing up everywhere and Charlotte really has no choice but to "kidnapp" his battlehouse with O'Riley and his butler inside to catch up to the terror of lady pirates, who has just stolen a powerful amulte.
I really enjoyed this book and laughed several time (quoting whole passages to my friends). Sometimes a book just has to be entertaining and fun - which this entertaining spin on Victorian society with witches and pirates certainly does.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Sexual content
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much 😭 mostly for the characters, let's be real. A badass witch subverting what is expected of her as the "good and proper girl"? Oof I feel that. Annnddd an Irish rogue pirate with a heart!? I CAN'T. The adventures were fantastic, I loved having characters from Wisteria show up. And there were SO MANY quotes from Austen and Shakespeare that I adored!
This is NOT an Austen retelling for anyone who thinks this BUT there are so many Austen lines reworked to fit this story and it is amazing and so much fun to keep an eye out for them! Plus Charlotte references Austen characters and books throughout which was so much fun!
I'm excited to see if there will be another spinoff!
This is NOT an Austen retelling for anyone who thinks this BUT there are so many Austen lines reworked to fit this story and it is amazing and so much fun to keep an eye out for them! Plus Charlotte references Austen characters and books throughout which was so much fun!
I'm excited to see if there will be another spinoff!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Kidnapping is more mentioned jokingly - as an excuse. It's not a violent or traumatic kidnapping. But the word is thrown around. The child abuse is brief mentions from the past of a character.purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
"I beg your pardon," [Bixby] said without the least hint of apology in his voice, "but is this a romance or is it an adventure? For I will remind you, we are missing the ongoing action."
Charlotte and Alex exchanged a smiling glance.
"I think what this is defies definition," Charlotte said.
India Holton is back with another definition-defying historical fantasy romance farce — now with more magic! more derring-do! more iron-spined maiden aunts! more innuendo! more rogues and rakes! more petticoats and pilfering! and (to my great enjoyment) more skillfully bastardized classic prose (mostly Austen, with a bit of the Bard thrown in)!
Charlotte and Alex exchanged a smiling glance.
"I think what this is defies definition," Charlotte said.
India Holton is back with another definition-defying historical fantasy romance farce — now with more magic! more derring-do! more iron-spined maiden aunts! more innuendo! more rogues and rakes! more petticoats and pilfering! and (to my great enjoyment) more skillfully bastardized classic prose (mostly Austen, with a bit of the Bard thrown in)!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, and Sexual content
Minor: Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Violence
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