Fun read. A very G-rated introduction to historical romance. The pacing was very steady and Prim was very relatable. The story was a little predictable at times, but the tension between Prim and Jacob well written. Will definitely recommend to fans of YA romance.

One raucous night in Vauxhall in the Regency Era? Don’t mind if I do.

This Cinderella variation set in 1820s London is so sweet, fun, and uplifting, and I wish it could have continued on for many, many more pages.

Primrose Ainsworth is her middling family’s forgotten daughter, destined to be ignored and left out as her harridan of a mother desperately seeks to marry off her older daughters. When her cruel mother and out-to-lunch father go so far as to call her selfish for wanting to celebrate her own birthday as the family prepares for her older sister’s wedding, Prim and her friend Olympia go on the one night adventure to end all one night adventures, Regency style, which means prowling the streets of Vauxhall seeking excitement.

Predictably, things go off the rails quickly, and hijinks and adventures ensue. There are footpads, and spirits, and of course, there’s a boy. One who might just be too good to be true. Or is he?

I loved how sweet this story was without being too over-the-top hokey or sincere, and the love story was cute without getting too absurdly sappy or cringey.

But mostly I loved Prim, a delight to spend an evening with. Her friend Olympia, her beau Jacob, and her sisters too were endearing and intriguing characters.

I love the One Big Night Out trope in fiction, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint here. It’s Morgan Matson’s Take Me Home Tonight mixed with Cinderella, but with its own unique twist and all the atmospheric fun that comes with Regency Era fiction.

Sixteen Scandals is an absolutely delightful regency story for teens. With the popularity of Bridgerton across many audiences, the YA market is desperate for more historical romances. Sophie Jordan, an already beloved adult romance author, delivers a swoony and engaging read for teens. This is a perfect title for younger readers who are interested in learning more about the regency time period while also escaping into a fun story.

This book was not what I expected, but in a good way! It was a quick read that kept me captivated the whole time.

I really enjoyed this book, but it was a little boring at the same time. I got through it very quickly and it kept me interested pretty much the whole time which is good. I liked the different characters and the love interest. I disliked the characters who I was supposed to dislike, so the author did good! The only thing I didn’t like about this book was how it stayed in pretty much the same place the whole time. That made it go faster, but also made it a little boring at the same time. Other than that, everything was good!

Overall, I liked this book. I recommend it to those who enjoy regency and romance books.

I absolutely adored this quick but wonderful escape! It was basically a young adult version of Bridgerton, and I loved it!!

A light YA historical regency romance. Like Caraval without the magic. Surprised by how much I ended up liking this one.

This is my first time reading a YA Historical Romance, and I have to say I found this to be a fun read
with a sweet story. I loved the fact that we got to see young love and its first kiss in such a way that has
me revisiting my own first romantic encounters and each one of those new overwhelming emotions. I
think the author did a fantastic job of maintaining the innocence and adolescence of our leading lady
without sacrificing any of her adventure. She did a great job of fully immersing readers into the
environment to the point where at times I felt like I was right there next to the characters. I really
appreciate that while both main characters are teenagers with raging teenage hormones the scenes
when they kissed didn’t go much further than that even though the opportunity for more (not
necessarily sex) was there. This story has love, adventure, first kisses, heartbreak, and a happy ever
after. It was a refreshingly innocent story to read, and I hope you find it as much of a joy as I did.

Sixteen Scandals is a fun YA regency romance that follows Primrose Ainsworth, the youngest of four daughters who is used to being lost in the shuffle. What she doesn't anticipate, though, is being told on her 16th birthday that her entry into English society will need to be delayed by a year or more because her middle-class parents can't afford to focus on her until her awkward older sister becomes engaged. Like a lot of us at that age, Primrose is experiencing major growing pains--she wants to go to parties and drink champagne and talk to boys--so with the help of her friend Olympia, she sneaks into a masquerade ball on the evening of her 16th birthday, and drama and hilarity ensues.

Jordan writes the "youngest child syndrome" aspect of Primrose's character so well. I'm the eldest daughter so I can't relate, but it's palpable how Primrose feels as though she lives in the shadow of her older sisters, and how she feels pressured to live up to the standards that they set. I did relate, though, to Primrose's desire to not be seen as a child and to have grown-up experiences. In her quest to be seen as the mature adult she is, Primrose catches the eye of a charming older boy named Jacob, and the potential for scandal becomes apparent.

Primrose's fun to read about teenage rebellion is placed on the backdrop of the gossip culture of the era. Coming from a middle-class family and being raised by a social climbing mother, Primrose was taught at a young age about the importance of public image, and she's read enough gossip rags to fear being featured in one (though, ultimately, that doesn't stop her). At the beginning of each chapter is a quote from a fictional etiquette book that Primrose had been forced to memorize, which helps set the juxtaposition of what she has been taught vs. what she ends up doing in Sixteen Scandals. There is also some discussion around double standards which I appreciated.

Overall, this was a genuinely fun book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA book. It was like Bridgerton for teens! It was a fast moving storyline that sees our heroine embark on a night of adventure. Primrose finds herself in lots of scrapes and can’t help but fall for her handsome rescuer. For those who enjoy a historical adventure with a bit of romance, this is perfect. It certainly had me racing through the pages.
Thanks to NetGalley UK and the publisher for the e-arc of this book in exchange for a review.

Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan was a short and simple read. Not too much happened and the actual pacing of the story made the read a slow one as perhaps the simplicity of the story made it suffer. Characters weren’t really fleshed out, allowing the plot to only show the surface of their personalities which made them not very unique or likable, but rather generic and stereotypical. This story had a cinderella-esque vibe which I did like, especially when it came to her own mother who really seemed to nail the evil stepmother role from the original tale. The addition of the Lady Druther’s Guide to Perfect Deportment and Etiquette passages at the chapter breaks were also enjoyable because it provided a clever way to incorporate how the ‘ton’ functioned within the society. There were aspects of the story that I thoroughly enjoyed, but the overall readability didn’t work out as well as reader would hope. It read too slowly and the plot was overall too predictable to keep my attention in check.

This book would be perfect for fans of the Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn as they also heavily feature society’s formal rules of the ‘ton’. I also respect and enjoy Jordan’s writing as a whole and although Sixteen Scandals wasn’t a hit for me, I loved her Reign of Shadows duology that features a Rapunzel without sight. This series is amazing and perfect for people who love unique fairytale retellings!

Our main character Primrose started off really likeable. She was stubborn when it came to her mother and her rules, she was an avid reader, and she was hilarious as hell to read! But I didn’t like how much she would lose her confidence and sneak back into her shy shell because it really set her character back and it made it harder for me to respect her and the growth that her character would achieve by the end of the story. There’s being shy and then there’s being too cautious and self-conscious. And I think that way of thinking stunted her growth too much.

“Her temper prickled at his clear insinuation. Prim let go of his arm, disliking his tone. He was no longer the only one annoyed now. He did not think her concerned with propriety? Well, on this night, she was not. True enough. But while she may have temporarily cast aside the trappings of decorum, she did not appreciate his judgment of her. He did not know anything about her. Excluding the facts that it was her birthday and she was acquainted with Mrs. Zaher, and that her hair was a rather unfortunate shade of red.”

I liked her temper here, especially when it came to her first initial meetings with the “man-boy” Jacob. This gave her some cred because she shared her opinions and I like how she was bothered by the assumptions that he was making. It created the perfect amount of tension to start the romance off. You could sense the chemistry and the attraction that was going to come from this and I was excited for more!

“My hair is too…brazen.’ Mama had told her that plenty of times.
‘Your hair is beautiful.’ The rejoinder came quickly. Forcefully.”

The only part that I hated which she constantly brought up as an insecurity was the colour and vibrancy of her red hair. This is even after both her friend and love interest recognise it as a beautiful thing that she shouldn’t be ashamed of. It was interesting for the author to include this trait as a negative in the main character’s eyes because they don’t usually have this insecurity, it’s usually a distinctive feature that makes them extraordinary or a stand out to all the other characters.

“See there.’ Olympia nodded to the stage as they wove through the room, locating a vacant table. ‘You bemoan your hair while there are those desperate to replicate it.”

I get why she did it because Prim didn’t want all this attention and the red hair created a sort of beacon for it, which her mother obviously hated, but she should have embraced it from the beginning and that would have shown her character to be stronger. Building up her confidence just a bit more at the start would have helped her character shine and this could have been done through her bright hair.

“Why wear it, of course. I’ll look quite the lady, don’t you think?’
Simon jerked a thumb in Prim’s direction. ‘This one’s got more meat on ‘er than ye. It won’t even fit. The thing will hang off ye.’
Nell slapped his arm. ‘Watch yer tongue. I’ll not ‘ave ye insulting another female for the shape the good Lord saw fit to bless ‘er with.’
Simon sputtered, gesturing at Primrose. ‘I merely pointed out that ye and she do not–’
‘Enough.’ Nell waved a finger to silence him. ‘Next thing you’ll be insulting me.”

One thing I did really appreciate was the inclusion of this scene because although it was an altercation between a female thief and Prim, the message she gives to the main character and her male companion was beautiful! It was a body positive comment in an era that didn’t recognise it as so and it was great the direction and concept that Jordan wanted to give to readers. It didn’t matter that it didn’t fit with the society the story takes place in because this is an important message to all women and the body shaming that happened during this time was not okay. This woman calls it out straightaway and that made me like the story more.

The way Jordan depicted her female characters was great! She gave them scenes where they didn’t care if they had a healthy appetite and would eat their fill. No one should be ashamed for their diet and I know a woman’s diet is highly judged, especially when this takes place and despite it being that way she gave Aster and Primrose the confidence and defiance to strike back from that status quo. Having a healthy love of food with none of the shame made this reader happy!

“She suffered a quick stab of guilt at the memory of all the times she had joined Aster in poking fun at Violet when she returned from Bond Street with some ridiculous confection that she insisted was the height of fashion. Prim shoved the memory aside. Violet was a sister. Insults were their love language.”

‘Insults were their love language’ struck a chord with me. Being a middle child of four, I got this right away and it is 100% accurate. The bonds she has with her sisters were real and genuine, you will not get along with your siblings all the time and there are definitely personality clashes and this book represents them perfectly with Primrose and her sisters. It was a masterclass in sibling relationships.

“Matches were made for practicality, not because of things like flutters. Mama had lectured on that point too many times to count. Along with the warning not to expect emotion or sentimentality from a future husband. According to her mother, it was not in a man’s disposition, as they were far too concerned with masculine pursuits. And why was she thinking of matches anyway? She was not in one of the gothic romances she purchased from the local bookshop and then hid from Mama. Mama blamed such books for filling Prim’s head with rubbish. And it was not as though Jacob was a viable marital prospect.”

Once again I loved how much Prim loved to read. It made me relate to her easily. The use of the word ‘flutters’ stood out to me as ingenious, It’s a new take on butterflies that’s very similar and yet unused to convey the same emotions one has when attracted to another, it was brilliant! It was a refreshing take on an exhaustive cliché and I loved its use here! It’s just so clever and simple and yet reads so much better than it’s cliched other half.

I enjoyed this book, it was fun and such a great summer read for a vacation. I loved the historical theme and the plot, it was twist and sweet. Prim was such a fun character and had I been 16th in the period she was in I would have done some of the same things! I would recommend this for fans of My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane.

Sophie Jordan is one of my go-to authors. Her books are lighthearted and fun. Her books always leave me smiling and waiting for the next.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc! Sixteen Scandals was a cute, clean, fast read. The cover is what originally caught my attention, and it sounded like a cute book, so I gave it a chance. I was not disappointed.

Primrose is the youngest of 4 daughters, she is looking forward to her 16th birthday, so she can finally enter society. However, on the morning of her birthday, it is announced that her entrance into society will have to wait. Along with this disappointment, it is made clear that there will be no celebration of her birthday. So, Primrose decides to take matters into her own hands, and sneak our with a friend. She gets into all kinds of trouble, and even finds a little romance.

The majority of this book takes place during one night, the night of Prim's birthday. This is not a typical romance, it is obviously written for younger readers, but I thought it was a fun read.

This book follows Prim, the youngest of 4 daughters, and her excitement (then disappointment) about turning 16 and finally getting to debut and go out into society after years of sitting home alone while the rest of her family is out at parties, operas, and other social engagements. The way she handles and remedies her disappointment is a fun adventure that moves quickly. There is excitement, romance, and mentions of the Ton, which is quite popular these days. I read this book in one sitting! This is a quick and fun “beach read” type of story.

Sixteen Scandals is the perfect introduction to the regency romance genre for teens or anyone who just wants to dip their toes into the water before they dive in head first. With the adaptation of Bridgerton to Netflix, the teen genre needed a book like Sixteen Scandals - one that would introduce the tropes, language, and feeling of regency romance while still feeling fun, light, and exciting. Jordan does a great job of weaving both romance and adventure throughout this coming-of-age tale.

I was charmed by this one, which took the movie 16 Candles and (sort of) turned it into a comic Regency romp. Primrose is the youngest of four sisters and is excited for her sixteenth birthday, when she can finally enter society and start to do fun things. Unfortunately, her sister is getting married and her other sister is still unmarried, so her mother tells her, sorry, no. She'll have to wait.
So Prim and her best friend sneak off to Vauxhall for a magical night during which she is rescued and romanced by a mysterious boy. (This section had a probably historically accurate but still horrifying portrayal of animal abuse).

Yes, this felt a bit short but I found it really entertaining and sweet. PERFECT for fans of Bridgerton as it has a similar irreverent vibe.

2.5/5

TBH I'm a little disappointed with this book. I do think it's a me thing and not a book thing. I love historical romance and I love Sophie Jordan books, but I don't think YA historical romance is for me.

This book is pretty derivative. What's good about that is you know whether you're going to like it or not before you open it.

If you enjoyed Bridgerton, you will enjoy this book. The setting is Regency, and much of the action is set at the Vauxhall Gardens where Simon and Daphne initiate their fake relationship. The main male character is also a duke, though more self-assured than Simon. The main female character is very Eloise Bridgerton.

She also has quite a bit of Felicity Montague to her in that she will rebel a little further than Eloise would. The action isn't full rejection of society and women's role like you get with Lady's Guide to Pirates and Petticoats, but Primrose Ainsworth, Sixteen Scandals' heroine, does take it far enough to create mayhem and endanger her reputation. It also has some fun nods to the 80s teen romcom 16 Candles in that one of the primary instigators of the action is that her family basically blows off her sixteenth birthday.

It has a nice little happy ending where the right people are rewarded.

If you didn't like any of those books or movies or you want something *new* or *fresh,* this isn't for you. If you want to revisit beloved tropes, this book will entertain you.

This looked like your run-of-the-mill regency romance but with a twist. When I saw this come available on Netgalley I went for it and was given a copy for my unbiased opinion.

This book is one of my favorites of the year. It had all the regency and romance that a girl's heart could want but it also had sights that would make Elizabeth Bennett blush. This was a happy mix of Jane Austen and Julia Quinn.

Prim has a wonderful evening with a young man learning all about herself and her heart. At the end of the evening, she becomes Cinderella and must return to her reality.

I can't wait to read more!

Prim Ainsworth is turning sixteen, and that means she can finally come out into society as a debutante. But her less-than-thrilling birthday surprise is learning that her parents have decided to delay her debut until after her older sisters are settled. They won't even celebrate her birthday this year. Prim decides to take matters into her own hands and sneak out for the night with her best friend to celebrate herself.

Prim's scheme inevitably goes awry, but the result is a really fun adventure through Vauxhall Gardens. As she explores the infamous venue and learns that society and its so-called delights are not all that she anticipated, she also contemplates her upbringing and what she knows and doesn't know. And of course, she meets the mysterious Jacob who both annoys her and intrigues her at the same time. I liked that the characters were flawed but remained sweet and fun. It made for a charming romance.