This seemed like a fun idea, so I couldn’t resist it.

I liked Prim. She wants to see society, is a bit naive and a lot eager to go out into the world. Her BFF Olympia is lovely and Prjm’s sisters are loyal at the end. Of course the parents aren’t the best and that’s the basis of the conflict.

Plot wise, it moves pretty fast. There’s loads of inner monologue and I found myself skimming to the dialogue sections. I enjoyed the slice of time and speedy resolution towards the HEA, but definitely would have liked a bit more fleshed out.

Overall, it was a quick read, but not likely one that will stick with me.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Primrose Ainsworth has waited sixteen years to be noticed by her marriage-minded mama whose only goal in life is to climb the social ladder by finding wealthy and/or titled husbands for Primrose’s older sisters. But on her 16th birthday, Primrose’s parents barely acknowledge the fact that it’s her birthday, and callously break the news that she will not be entering society until all her sisters are married. Since her mother didn’t see fit to complete Primrose’s education, she has been at loose ends for years, waiting for a chance to be a part of her family’s lives, which means entering society. Feeling hurt and neglected, Primrose & her loyal, best friend Olivia sneak out to Vauxhall Gardens where all manner of chaos ensues. Primrose is an easy character to root for, not only because she is extremely likable, but because she deserves so much more than her mother’s neglect and cruelty. Her mother makes a very good villain and in the end Primrose, with a little help from a handsome boy she meets at the gardens, becomes the hero of her own story. She proves herself smart & resourceful and realizes that she is indeed worthy of love. This is a light but very enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to fans of regency romance. Ab added bonus is the fact that you could recommend this book to younger teens that are looking for a romance book

Adventurous sixteen year old breaks out!

Improbably charming YA regency romance romp with a ‘not so Cinderella’ younger sister, Primrose Ainsworth, who decides to celebrate her sixteenth birthday at an entirely unsuitable place. Trouble arises (of course!) and she’s rescued by a not much older handsome young man Jacob, (next best thing to a prince as we come to see)
There be metaphorical dragons a plenty, including Primrose’s own mother!
Strong echos of the movie 16 Candles, set in Regency times. Enjoyable YA novel that older readers, including myself, will enjoy.

A Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book ARC via NetGalley

Did you watch Bridgerton and love it? This book is for you. Sixteen Scandals is a single night in the life of a young woman in England. It's her 16th birthday, and she's ready to make her debut in society, as it's what she always wanted. After being told that she was not only not going to the dance that evening, but that her debut would be at least a year later, she decides that she wants an adventure. So, with her best friend, she decides to go to Vauxhalll at night. And adventure awaits.

In a borrowed dress and a mask that doesn't cover her obvious hair, Prim explores all that Vauxhall has to offer, complete with getting accosted in a dark alley, having her dress almost stolen, and meeting the boy of her dreams. Jacob is 19 years old, and she's sure he's either landed gentry or even nobility, even as he insists he's just like her. They escape a tavern brawl together, and end up going on an extended adventure that includes animal baiting and a theatre (of sorts). And a kiss under the moonlight.

The last few chapters involve the punishment Prim's mother sets out for her when she catches Prim sneaking back in: rustication with her great-aunt. Those chapters are terrifying, but this fun read has a Happy Ever After and ends with a bang.

Thank you NetGalley for the free e-ARC.

What a fun novel! It was a light, enjoyable story and Primrose with her sass and intelligence was an easy heroine to like. I can’t imagine being a young woman during this time in history. You have no rights, you are either at the will of your parents or of your husband. So this one night of rebellion might be all Primrose will have of freedom, unless she finds the right man who will be her partner in crime, which in this case she did. Primrose was the right combination of naiveté and intelligence and this illicit adventure rang true despite it being essentially a teen romance. This time it was a sixteen year old girl who snared the Duke. Not as awful as it sounds as he was only 19 himself.

I have a fondness for historical romances and Sixteen Scandals fit the bill. What made this book different for me was that it was a YA historical romance, so it was rated PG-13 but also that the author provided diversity in its characters. Prim’s best friend Olympia had ‘light brown skin’ and beautiful dark, curly hair but she was also (slight spoiler) gay, as was one of Prim’s sisters. I liked this small difference from other historical novels and hope these changes continue in this genre. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

Sophie Jordan's Sixteen Scandals is the story of Primrose Ainsworth and what happens when a young girl tires of following all the rules. Newly 16, Prim conspires with her friend to sneak out to Vauxhall and enjoy one night of intrigue to celebrate her birthday. She never dreams she'll be separated from said friend and spend the night trying to find her with the aid of Jacob, a young man she'd seen earlier in a sweet shop. As the night progresses, Prim discovers things about herself, and the world, she never would have learned locked in her bedroom at home.

This is a super quick read. It's lighthearted and simple, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! If you're looking for something sweet and fun, definitely pick it up.

Sixteen Scandals tried really hard to embody the same energy as romance regency novels and failed.
The story went way too fast, since it takes place in a span of two days and the book is only 298~ long, and there was barely any real development with the characters. The romance was the definition of insta-love, and though they were cute I didn’t feel very comfortable with the love interest being 19 y/o while the main character had JUST turned 16. It wouldn’t have bothered me at all if he had been 16 or 17. I do understand, however, that during the 19th century things like this were not a big deal at all.
We had some funny moments here and there, and I enjoyed seeing Prim breaking the rules of society and experiencing the outside world. I also really enjoyed her friendship with Olympia, even though we don’t get to see her a lot. The Vauxhall Gardens were a magical setting for the story and that is also something I really loved seeing.
Overall, it was an OK read. If the book had had more pages, the story could have developed so much better than what we got.

Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan, 256 pages. HMH Books for Young Readers, 2021. $18.
Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
As the youngest of four daughters, Primrose knows exactly what her privileges will be now that she’s sixteen years old and making a debut -- not the least of which includes leaving the nursery. Those hopes are quickly shattered when her mother announces that Prim must wait for her last single sister to find a match before Prim can have her entrance to society. Disappointed and hurt, Prim takes matters into her own hands and sneaks out.
I recognize that the word scandal is literally in the title of this book, but I didn’t expect Prim to be as daring as she was; her story felt like a race from bad to worse decisions. While somewhat entertaining, I was embarrassed for Prim as I read her determination to make poor choices under the flimsy excuse of this one night being her only opportunity to do so. Overall, Jordan’s book is well-written and ends in a satisfying way, despite Prim being frustrating. The mature content rating is for alcohol use and innuendo.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

So this book was compared to My Lady Jane, which is one of my all time favorite books, so I picked it up immediately. Unfortunately this book did not live up to that claim.

This book read extremely young. I know it is a YA book but it reads younger than an average YA. The heroine is immature. It's been awhile since I have rolled my eyes that hard. It was also a pretty short book so everything was rushed.

I hate leaving negative reviews but there just wasn't a whole lot about this book I enjoyed.

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

This was so sweet! I loved Prim and Jacob - the bickering, the rescuing, the flirting. They were lovely together. I loved the way it all wrapped up in the end!

This was a fast paced story about Primrose Ainsworth who escapes for a night of fun on her 16th birthday. After one unfortunate accident after another she ends up in the company of a young man who accompanies her throughout the adventures of the night. The feel of the book was fun. Prim was a bit naïve but as the night goes on she gets a bit smarter. It almost feels like a very loosely Cinderella type tale. This is a young adult book but often it felt like it could pass for middle grade...slightly. If you like regency type standalone books then you might enjoy this quick read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

The description mentions Austen and Shakespeare, but it fails to mention the allusions to Hughes—John Hughes, that is. I can’t help but notice the parallels to the classic teen movie Sixteen Candles, minus the problematic content.

Specifically, the book begins on Primrose’s sixteenth birthday. Her parents are too busy planning her sister’s wedding for any kind of celebration, so she decides to make her own fun.

This book was so delightful. I found myself smiling throughout the entire thing; even though Primrose was clearly out of her depth, she remained determined to find her missing friend. And even though a handsome young man insisted upon accompanying her, she didn’t abandon her goal to spend more time with him.

I’m going to keep things vague to avoid spoilers, but the mysterious gentleman’s identity should be fairly obvious to the savvy reader. Primrose remains oblivious, although she pieces together some clues to know that he must be well-connected and wealthy. The big reveal at the end is one of the most romantic gestures I have ever encountered in a romance novel in twenty years of reading them.

I would absolutely recommend Sixteen Scandals. This is classified as YA, but I think older fans of Regency romance will enjoy this one too. I’ve gotten pickier about my historical romance in recent years, but this one was easy to enjoy. I’ll confess that I own several of Jordan’s other books, but they have lingered on my TBR. After this, I’ll be bumping those other books to the top of the queue!







I received an ARC of this book from HMH Books/NetGalley.

This was a cute, very short read that I managed to finish in one afternoon/evening. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. It had a very Caraval and Jane Austen style feel to the writing and the plot. It's a sweet standalone that would be perfect to read if you are looking to read a book that you won't have to invest a lot of time in. The romance between the two main characters was probably my favorite part of the book. Least favorite was that it contained some heavy topics that could be triggering for some readers, i.e. emotional abuse from a parent, and animal cruelty. There is a scene in the book that discusses animal-baiting and it almost made me DNF this book. No animals are actually shown to be hurt in the book, but the implication was enough to make me uneasy. Ultimately if you decide to read this you can skip this scene and be perfectly fine with how the story progresses. It is not essential to the plot. Aside from this one scene there were still many positive interactions in the story that made it worthwhile to continue reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Full of sparkling regency scenes and light, witty banter, Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan is perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Primrose Ainsworth can hardly wait to turn sixteen. The youngest of four daughters, she’s spent all of her evenings sitting at home. Meanwhile, her sisters attend every party in high-society London, trying to meet wealthy husbands. Primrose longs to join them, but on the morning of her birthday, her mother delivers shattering news: she will not be coming out this year. Her older sister must find a husband first, which may take years, as she is uninterested in marriage.

Devastated, Prim turns to her best friend Olympia, who suggests that they sneak out for one wild night. Feeling daring, she agrees. That night after her family leaves, she dons one of Olympia’s low cut gowns and they head to Vauxhall. Disguised by a mask, Prim hopes to avoid detection. But almost immediately, she and Olympia are separated, and she nearly blows her cover. She’s not complaining, though, because she’s just run into Jacob, a handsome, charming lord. He protects her from the dangers of Vauxhall as they both try to find their friends.

After spending so much time sheltered from society, Prim has barely spoken to a man. She makes a few blunders, but Jacob is easy to talk to. In fact, he’s perfect. Incredibly sweet, charming, and swoonworthy. She falls in love immediately, but reminds herself that nothing can ever happen between them. His station is too far above hers. Tonight is the only night they will ever spend together.

…so why not make it memorable, right?

Most of this novel takes place in one night, and follows Prim and Jacob as they wander Vauxhall and have adventures. I found this pacing to be much too fast. As a trope, I don’t enjoy instalove. Even though these two were cute together, I didn’t see them grow as characters or get to know each other beyond surface level. After their night ends, the rest of the plot resolves quite easily in just a few days. It felt like there wasn’t enough conflict to move this story along, and the conflict there was tied up too neatly.

In general, I found the characters to be flat and one-dimensional. Prim’s mother is a cold, cruel villain with no redeeming qualities, while the rest of the family does nothing. Olympia and Jacob are both incredibly endearing, although their characters ultimately do not get much depth. I have mixed feelings about Prim—she sometimes irritated me, but charmed me at other times.

Overall, this was a fun and easy read! It seems intended for the younger side of the YA spectrum. It’s a less steamy version of Bridgerton, full of drama and gorgeous dresses. A quick read, it delivers a sweet romance and some good laughs. Readers new to the genre especially will love it!

This one was a cute romance, but just didn't keep me hooked or entertained during the story. I honestly found myself rather bored.

This book has potential and I would have loved it more as an adult book but that is not what it is. Overall, the book was enjoyable. The characters were fun and at times witty. The story moved fast but that did not stop me from enjoying it. It felt a little flat but as I stated this is not an adult book it more for teens.

Sixteen Scandals is sort of a young adult version of Bridgerton. There’s no sex, but the same irreverence runs throughout.

Prim’s exasperation with her family is understandable. They don’t even seem to care it’s her birthday. Having been neglected for years, it makes sense that she is used to getting away with things.

However, Prim’s not as mature as she thinks, and that becomes clear the moment she enters the gardens. In fact, there are times when Prim comes across as even younger than her 16 years. She’s an odd mix of sheltered and worldly that mostly works.

The plot of Sixteen Scandals seems to rely solely on Prim’s naïveté, with all the action stemming from the unwise decisions she makes. Even her relationship with her new ally raises a few alarms. For someone who is supposed to be smart, she makes some silly choices.

Now, you’d think that would make Sixteen Scandals a flop, but it doesn’t. Author Sophie Jordan’s pacing and prose push the story forward at an almost binge-worthy pace. The whole thing is a bit much, but it works. I wouldn’t hand it to a 12-year-old, but certainly 14 and up will enjoy it. This is a book I can see easily crossing over into the adult fiction market.

I read a lot of books. Some are deeply serious, and while I love those books, they can be emotionally draining. After such a book, I need an emotional reset, something easy to read and fun. Sixteen Scandals, by Sophie Jordan, is one such book. Is it historically accurate? In some ways, not at all. But, with a wonderful main character, it was really entertaining, and a great escape.

What I Liked:

Premise:

Like Sixteen Candles (the movie that the book's title was inspired by), Prim's family doesn't acknowledge her sixteenth birthday. When she realizes that there will not only be no celebration, but she will also be kept out of society for another year, Prim decides she will sneak out of the house for one wild night on the town.

Would any girl in Regency Era London actually do this? Um, no. This kind of behavior would be social suicide at that time. No young lady of the time would risk being cut off from her family for such a small taste of freedom. And this is addressed in the book. But even of it was unlikely, Prim's odyssey is so much fun (think of the wild night in the move Sixteen Candles).

Characters:

Prim is a young woman who is painfully aware of how limited her life has been, and will be in the future. At first, she is really frustrated with having to wait for her sister to find a husband, before she is allowed out into society. No evenings out, no parties, just a life at home. But, she gradually starts to understand that she is actually getting a reprieve from the marriage march. Once her sister becomes engaged, the pressure from her mother to find a rich husband will be unrelenting. I love that Prim is so self-aware. But she is also stuck without any way to change her situation.

Prim's friend, Olympia, has won the social jackpot by having a mother who is a famous opera singer. Since her mother can support them without relying on a man, she has a level of freedom that Prim can only dream of. Olympia also has a wonderful relationship with her own mother. This contrast to Prim's mother illustrates just how alone she is, and is probably why she decides to risk everything for a little bit of happiness.

Story:

When Prim decides to go out and enjoy a night on the town, she needs to make sure to go where no one will know her. But her simple night goes quickly wrong when she gets seperated from her friend Olympia, and doesn't know what to do. Should she look for her friend, and get even more lost, or should she try and find her own way home?

She also meets a dashing young man, who may be an aristocrat. As he helps her look for Olympia, they get to know each other, and share quite a few adventures. I was reminded of that movie, Before Sunrise, where two people meet on a train, and get to know each other over the course of a night (so many movie inspirations!). Their interactions were quite romantic, and sweet.

Social Consequences:

As unlikely as the premise is, the book does follow through with showing what the risks and consequences would be for a girl acting out in that society. It's amazing to think that girls were not allowed to go out of the home, at all, unless they had a chaperone. Even a trip to a tea shop without a chaperone could lead to a girl being labelled as unmarriagable. If anyone recognizes Prim, her family will disown her. She not only wouldn't get married, she might be left destitute.

I love Sophie Jordan's stories but this one just didn't make the cut. I want to say that I fell hard for it but sadly that just didn't happen. This story that was supposed to be a take on My Lady Jane did not have the humor, drive, or plot to make me love it. I have to say that if you are looking for an amazing story about My Lady Jane check out the story with the title My Lady Jane from Hand, Brodi, and Meadows. Those ladies did a wonderful job!

Cute and fun romance! I loved this book, it was sweet and fun. I love a good regency's twist. Totally recommend!