the wisteria society of lady scoundrels book 2

I felt like I missed all of the in-between moments that led them to falling in love because I was too distracted by the flying houses and knife-wielding, tea-sipping lady pirates. It does, however, take a lot of time away from the central romance. Not to say that any of this is boring because I was wholeheartedly on board for all of it. There’s also setting up the larger cast, who will undoubtedly be sequel bait. A significant amount of page time goes to explaining how the world works and the various ins and outs of the Wisteria Society. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels has what I find to be a common problem with series that have fantastical elements. Is he really an assassin hired by Cecilia’s nemesis? Why does he seem so loyal to the Crown? What’s with this familiarity between him and Captain Morvath? All will be revealed!

Ned, though, is a man who wears many hats. Following her on this grand trip allows him to both spend more time with Cecilia and find a good time to murder her.

It just sort of happens because while he’s instantly attracted to her, he is also still under contract to assassinate her. He appears at just the right time to get roped into helping Cecilia rescue her friends, though to be honest, I’m not entirely sure how. Starring opposite Cecilia is Ned Lightbourne, an assassin who has tried to kill her at least once. Naturally, Cecilia has a lot of baggage regarding her absent, supervillain dad who wants to destroy her found family. There’s also more to Captain Morvath’s motivations than originally portrayed, which helped deepen the more goofy dynamics. The key to enjoying this book is to lean into the madness or else you’re going to have a bad time. Normally, this would irritate me because your girl needs a complex antagonist, but it fits with the madcap, rompy vibe. He’s a cartoonish villain to say the least with a penchant for mustache twirling and bad poetry. The villainous Captain Morvath is the one responsible for commandeering a battlehouse with the Wisteria women inside. She also knows that if she does, there’s no way she could be turned down for a rank promotion. When her mentor and fellow Wisteria members are kidnapped, Cecilia, of course, wants to save them. Miss Cecilia Bassingthwaite is an ambitious member of the Wisteria Society and desperate for a promotion that keeps eluding her. Set in an alternate version of Victorian-era London, the Wisteria Society is made up of a group of piratical women hunting for treasure in flying battlehouses.

Be aware that it will take some deep cuts, though, to suggest a book I haven’t heard of or read. And yes, this is a call to send me your recommendations if you have any. Whenever I sense a whiff of a new historical romance with fantasy, paranormal, or steampunk elements, my ears perk up and I’m on alert. Genre: Historical: European, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

The wisteria society of lady scoundrels book 2