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The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

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The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

By: India Holton
Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Cecilia Bassingwaite belongs to a very prestigious circle of women: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels.

Yet this is no ordinary Victorian lady's society - as it's full of pirates, thieves and ne'er-do-wells.

These women spend their days pickpocketing and blackmailing their way around the country all before it's time to sit down for tea.

But when Cecilia meets Ned Lightbourne her world is set to change forever.

Because he's a paid assassin and she's his next hit.

Under the employment of the dastardly Captain Morvath - who wants to rid the world of these Lady Scoundrels - Ned knows he has one job to do.

But when he lays eyes on the feisty, beautiful Cecilia he's faced with a conundrum: does he kill her or fall in love with her?

Bridgerton meets Peaky Blinders in this swashbuckling tale of scoundrels and society, crime and crumpets. As these enemies turn to allies and might just fall in love along the way . . .

© India Holton 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Fantasy Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Paranormal Romance Victorian Women's Fiction Friendship Funny Witty Feel-Good

Critic reviews

As much fun as the English language will permit (New York Times Book Review)
Melds the Victorian wit of Sherlock Holmes with the brash adventuring of Indiana Jones . . . A sprightly feminist tale that offers everything from an atmospheric Gothic abbey to secret societies (Entertainment Weekly)
A joyride of a debut . . . As if The Parasol Protectorate series met The Princess Bride and a corseted Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Kirkus Reviews)
With secret identities, secret doors, and secret histories to spare, this high-octane layer-cake of escapism hits the spot. (Publishers Weekly)
If books are truly a portable magic, then The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is a satchel full of powerful spells and glittering fairy dust (Lynn Painter, author of Mr Wrong Number)
The most delightfully bonkers historical fantasy romance of 2021! I enjoyed every absorbing moment (Jen DeLuca, author of Well Played)
The most charming, clever, and laugh-out-loud funny book I've read all year . . . India Holton's utterly delightful debut is pure joy from start to finish. (Martha Waters, author of To Have and to Hoax)
India's debut is charming, clever, action-packed, with masterful bantering-while-dueling choreography: it reminds me of The Princess Bride, except swoonier and more fantastical. It's an instant beloved favorite. (Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each Other)
The perfect diversion for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea. What fun! (Manda Collins, author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem)
Magnificent in every sense. India Holton's writing is gorgeous and lyrical, her dialogue clever and witty, and her characters loveable and unforgettable (Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, author of Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything)
All stars
Most relevant
This book will grab you by the collar and take you down a Victorian / Piratical rabbit hole.

Enjoy!

Easy and topsy turvy

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Highly entertaining and beautifully narrated. It’s great to finally learn the fate of the Pucklechurch Community Library

A warning to all Estate Agents

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Loved the way the characters interact in this book, it’s a refreshing comedy of language and witty retorts, in a world of pirates and flying houses just brilliant. I laughed out loud a lot.

Quirky and brilliant

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Hilarious.
Unnecessary sex scenes but these are also very funny.
Excellent narration. Read with verve, characterisation & enthusiasm.

I laughed so much

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I don't often give up on a book, and I have enjoyed other fluffy magical worlds and ripping yarns for girls, which describes this.
But the characters are very 2 dimensional, the writing is uninspired.
When most of the cast got kidnapped I totally failed to care, and was bored at the prospect of the heroine's rescue.

Didn't finish, a pale mash up of genres and tropes

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