ARC Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

“This book is a remarkable piece of literature and a swoonworthy, action-packed, and clever romance I’m honestly going to treasure forever.”

~ Under the Covers

Recommended Read!

”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.

Oh my heart. This book is a remarkable piece of literature and a swoonworthy, action-packed, and clever romance I’m honestly going to treasure forever.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels follows Cecelia Bassingthwaite, a nineteen year old girl inspiring to become a senior member of the Wisteria Society: a secret society of lady pirates (of houses, of course – not ships) who love to both pickpocket and heist, who are completely upfront about their crimes and even announce their piracy with a black flag on their homes for complete transparency. They live in a cycle of attempted assassinations and polite theft and tea, and that’s really all Cecelia wants – a place at the senior table.

She hopes her lucky break has come when she earns herself an assassin. Finally the ladies of the Wisteria Society may think her worthy of her seat. But that assassin has a charming, roguish smile, a wit as sharp as his various knives, and several names (which depend on who you ask). Which of his personas can she trust? Signor Luca, the assassin? Captain Smith, the agent of the crown sent to protect her? Or Ned Lightbourne, a man with a past determined to uphold a promise? With each day they are thrown together (by circumstances or by fate), they learn to lower their guards and trust each other as partners, even maybe friends – but nothing more. At least, that’s what Cecilia keeps telling herself. And as they reluctantly team up to defeat the evil Captain Morvath, they must decide how much they will trust each other – and how far they will allow their relationship to go before they have to say goodbye.

”We are exactly that, Signor. Corsairs, robbers, pirates. I, however, am also a bibliophile, and you are impeding my visit to the library. So either assassinate me now and get it over with, or kindly step aside.”

This novel is first and foremost a romance. If you don’t like romance, this may be a bit out of your comfort zone. BUT if you even remotely like romance, this is one hundred percent the book for you! The development of the relationship between Cecelia and Ned is masterfully done; they go from semi-enemies to reluctant partners to I-don’t-understand-my-feelings-for-you-but-they’re-there, and it is utterly heart-warming. There’s all the witty banter you can possibly take and then some, and Ned is the swoon-worthiest of love interests with smirks and charm to make anyone want to be his girl – yet at the same time, their relationship has this purity and sweetness that I absolutely adore, and I am not kidding when I say I could NOT get enough.

Although this book is primarily a historical romance (with elements of action, danger, and intrigue), its wit makes it a true stand-out. All the characters are snarky, and there is constant banter between them. But perhaps the greatest aspect of this novel is its tone; it embraces irony and pokes fun at itself, maintaining the light air of a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s got its intense moments, but it’s quirky and humorous and never loses its levity. I really truly loved every word of it.

So I most definitely recommend this read! The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a remarkably clever, action-packed, and charming novel that is going up on my all-time favorites shelf on Goodreads. If you love funny, romantic reads, you will devour this whirlwind of a story!

     

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[about-author author=”India Holton”]

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