Sixteen Scandals follows Miss Primrose Ainsworth on her 16th birthday - the day her parents promised to have her debut in Society. Prim's eldest sisters (she's the youngest of four!) are married and betrothed, whereas Aster is coming upon her third year season on the "marriage market." Because of Aster's situation, Prim has been told that she is to not debut, and therefore is confined to a purgatory of staying home and reading the same books. Prim decides to take her destiny into her own hands for one evening, and sneaks off to the scandalous Vauxhall district with her best friend Olympia. Prim sets upon visiting a tavern, when a bar fight separates the girls and puts Prim into the company of Jacob, a man of assumed nobility who treats Prim to an evening of adventure. Will Prim see Jacob after that night and get to lead a life she wants? We'll see!

I enjoyed this book, as I've found I enjoy most regency fiction! This was a quick read, certainly falling into an easy and fun Young Adult genre. I enjoyed the writing, as this genre can more easily sound much more well-polished than a modern romance just due to the dialogue of the early 19th century. I thought that the ironic pull quotes from an etiquette book to intro each chapter added more depth to the story, and felt that so many of the classic tropes of this genre were skillfully used. If I had one note for the book, it would be that there seemed to be a romantic relationship budding between Olympia (Prim's best friend) and Aster right in the last few pages of the book. I'm not sure if that is to prompt a sequel, but otherwise I wish it had been developed earlier in the book.

If you loved - A Rogue of One's Own, Emma, Pride & Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables (or Anne with an "E"!), Tangled, or Woven in Moonlight - you'll enjoy Sixteen Scandals!

This is a fun, regency romance for teen readers.

Primrose Ainsworth is just about to turn sixteen. The youngest of four daughters, she is not yet out in society and much to her dismay, she finds out on the morning of her birthday that her mother has no plans to let her debut in society until after her elder sister is betrothed. Not only that, her family have not planned any celebration of her birthday at all. All her mother cares about is the upcoming wedding of another of her elder sisters to a her wealthy beau.

Well, what is a spirited girl to do? Primrose, or Prim to her friends, is determined to have one night of adventure before being banished left to languish at home while the rest of her family are free to be entertained by their nightly outings.

Prim doesn't come from a wealthy family, or a particularly distinguished one. But her best friend, Olympia, is the daughter of a scandalous and incredibly wealthy singer. Together Prim and Olympia plan an outrageous excursion to Vauxhall Gardens. But disaster strikes when Prim and Olympia are separated not long after they arrive.

And so Prim begins a night of adventure as she tries to find Olympia, with the help of a handsome young gentleman, Jacob, who is just altogether too charming and who has his own secrets.

This book is so much fun. Prim is a young lady not to be be trifled with and Jacob is a hero to make you swoon.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is essentially Jane Austen meets The Brat Pack.

Primrose has been counting down the days to her sixteenth birthday with increasing desperation. As the youngest of four daughters to a London gentlemen of modest means, she has spent her entire life in the shadow of her older sisters. For Prim, turning sixteen means she is finally old enough to come out to Society and therefore freedom.

When her mother announced that’s Prim’s coming out will be postponed for the foreseeable future, Prim decides to take matters into her own hands. With her best friend Olympia and a borrowed dress, Prim sneaks out to the famed Vauxhall Gardens for a night of adventure. What could possibly go wrong?


This is an intriguing concept for a book and I think it will appeal to modern young readers. I had never heard of the Vauxhall gardens before reading this story and I enjoyed exploring them alongside Primrose.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers for an Advanced Reader Copy ebook.

Prim is tired of being trapped in the nursery and takes matters into her own hands on her 16th birthday. When separated from her friend, prim meets Jacob and everything changes. This is a fun, flirty Regency Rom-com perfect for YA fans. Full of commentary about Regency life and women’s rights, Sixteen Scandals gives YA readers a glimpse into the world that our beloved classics were created in. I enjoyed this book and will definitely hand sell when it comes out.

This was very cute, even if it required a lot of suspension of disbelief - given the Victorian (Edwardian? I mix those up) setting, the main character would have definitely been "ruined" about 200000 times over. It's also pretty predictable; you will immediately think you know where it is going, and you will be right. But you know what kind of content my holey-like-swiss-cheese-pandemic-brain needs right now? This. It was the perfect turn your brain off read, and I'll be widely recommending it this Spring for that very reason. 3 stars - I liked it.

Primrose turns 16. Which means she can now go out in society and find a husband, attend parties. Her mother is more worried about her older sisters wedding and how the other girls aren't betrothed yet. Her family makes not even a small deal of her birthday and she is not allowed into society until her sisters are married. Primrose goes out for one night with her best friend. What happens when she and her friend get pulled apart? What happens when she meets a young man for the second time and they hang out?
Like other books, this one comes with a happy ending. I did not like how everything was wrapped up and turned all around in the last couple of pages.

This book was an interesting and readable take on a young sixteen-year-old's adventures in Regency London. When her unfeeling parents refuse to let her have a debut, Prim goes to Vauxhall Gardens without their permission. A mysterious young lord saves her from disaster (well, actually, they save each other, because...feminism), and Prim finds herself falling for him. IMO, it's hard to shoehorn a feminist teenager into a Regency romance as the romance leads one to want them to get married while the ideology leads one to think that Prim needs to live her life before getting tied down by matrimony.

Cute and romantic story that kept me intrigued the entire time! The writing was absolutely amazing, and the characters dynamic were incredible! I Would highly recommend this story for hopeless romantics!! <3

Oh my heart! This sweet sweet book is simply lovely! The fierce little redhead who takes society by the arm and storms ahead with all of the etiquette of a true, passionate feminist is a perfect lead character where I never would have expected it! She proves that love can be found, trusted, and enjoyed in a time when love was only a trope for fairytales! Her adventure will make you laugh out loud, hold your breath, and cheer her on! Primrose and Jacob share a scandalous albeit innocent night together that changes her life in the matter of hours. Bravo! Excellent book!!!!

This book was ok, the plot and the character development wasn't the greatest. At first Liked Primrose character, but as the book progressed and she constantly forgot about her friend (accept for occasionally remembering her for a brief moment only to quickly forget when she was engaged with and activity with the Romantic interest.) The romance was also ok, It was very insta-lovey and developed very quickly. In general this book could have used some more development, there was also a bit of queer-baiting as its hinted at at the end that two of the female characters ate interested in each other.

If you want a light and basic regency read you may like this but I cant say that id recommend it.

Many thanks to netgalley for the advanced copy.

Young Adult books are not necessarily my preferred genre; however, the cover art and title, Sixteen Scandals, drew me to requesting this book. And boy am I happy I did! This was a cute regency romp with enough adventure and romance to keep me interested. Will I read any other books from Sophie Jordan, maybe, depending on the genre.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC. I very much enjoy reading Sophie Jordan so when I saw she had a YA regency book, I jumped at the chance to read it. I thought it was good and I envision this being read more by a New Adult audience rather than teens. I did find that I wish the main character acted a bit more mature but I understand that she is only 16 and has been isolated from adult society. Overall, I enjoyed and would recommend to people who enjoy regency romances but would prefer something more PG 13

Primrose Ainsworth has made it to the magical age to debut into society, sixteen. Unfortunately, her mother has decided that she will have to wait until after two of her older sisters marry. Prim is terribly upset at still being considered a child. and so she decides to take matters into her own hands and give herself a birthday night to remember. Prim and her best friend, Olympia, head off to Vauxhall for a night of adventure. Adventure is what Prim and Olympia find. I enjoyed the premise of an 18th-century YA tale. It was sweet and funny, for the most part, with a nice bit of tension thrown in. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Jane Austen.

Overall consensus: absolute PERFECTION.

I think the comparison to My Lady Jane in the pitch of this book is spot on. Both books have a similar light, humorous tone with great young female leads. These books would definitely appeal to a similar audience in terms of age and, while both are historical fiction, they have more of an emphasis on the characters’ fun journeys and reactions to the world around them, making the historical element slightly easier to digest for a younger audience or one not used to a historical setting.
I really enjoyed following Prim as a main character. She was relatable in a way that other young female protagonists seen as ahead of their time in a historical era often aren’t - she wasn’t brash or bolshy, wasn’t particularly radical, and she didn’t have any remarkable abilities - she was just a normal young woman a bit fed up of being ignored who decides sheepishly to do something outlandish for her birthday, ultimately resulting in disaster. How much more relatable can it get…? She was self-deprecating, full of love and wonder and so critical of the world around her - I want to be her best friend.
The language, while admittedly over the top at times (I loved it though obvs), was so accessible and really propelled the story forward with great dialogue and beautiful descriptions of scenery through our protagonists’ naive eyes. The romance was gorgeous and joyful and so refreshingly consensual - this would be such a great introduction to the YA romance genre for younger readers, as it took a back seat to the overall narrative yet had a strong impact on the progression and intrigue of the novel. P.S. I need a sequel about Olympia and Aster right this minute please and thank you.

I would recommend this book to young readers aged 12-16, or anyone in need of all the (Drew Barrymore version of) A Cinderella Story feels. 5/5 perfection. Thank you so much to the publisher for this e-arc!

This regency style riff on "Sixteen Candles" is fabulous! I was surprised to find myself heartbroken early in the book when Prim's family dismiss her birthday and 'coming out' into society. Her "Jacob" /Jake Ryan character was equally endearing.
I felt like this was a YA version of Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. All of the adventure, romance, and tongue-in-cheek humor in a YA format.
A super fun, quick read that I can't wait to get for our high school library. My only wish would be that the end feels a little rushed and I would love just a little more Prim & Jacob time.
Thank you for ARC!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a recency era YA novel that was a quick and delightful novel. I loved prim and Jacobs might in Vauxhall gardens! Prims mother was nothing short of horrible. Loved Olympia!!! The kisses shares were melt worthy but didn't move beyond that. Great job and will definitely read more!

Cute book for teen romance lovers. Youngest of four daughters, Primrose is tired of being overlooked, left out, and now denied her come out. Defying her mother, she and best friend Olympia sneak out to Vauxhall Gardens for a night of freedom that turns into mayhem but it brings Primrose into contact with Jacob and romance ensues. It is very clear the secret Jacob is hiding and that he will rescue Primrose from the consequences of her rebellion. The story seems unfinished so the characters and relationships aren’t fully fleshed out. The writing is repetitive in spots but the dialog is snappy and the romance, although quick to develop, is believable. Recommended for teens who like romance and historical fiction.

A fun light teen romance set in the Regency period it should engage those budding Austen fans and any girl who's interested in historical novels. Primrose is a frustrated teen desperate for her debut in society and so when her mother tells her outright on her sixteenth birthday that she won't be able to come out into society at all because of her older sister's languishing prospects, she's both depressed and furious. After consulting with her best friend they decide they will have her spend a birthday to remember in disguise at the racy and enticing Vauxhall gardens. It's only when she is at the gardens in a revealing borrowed gown and just a slight mask for disguise that she realizes that such pleasure can have its dangers too. Until a mysterious young man h
named Jacob rescues her and they spend a memorable night facing the dangers and pleasures of Vauxhall together. But will it be just the one night they in which they will spend time together? This is a question Prim wrestles with as she becomes increasingly aware of Jacob's wealthy background, though his true identity is never revealed.

The novel is enjoyable and light and will engage teen girls looking for a romance set in an historic time period, though it's filled with historical inaccuracies. As a historian and lover of Regency romances I balk at the historical inaccuracies but I know that it's common in the genre in recent years and doubt it would inhibit any teen from enjoying this light read.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, perfect for Austen lovers who don't want to reread Emma for the ninth time.

The last of four girls in Regency England, Primrose is used to being overlooked. What she was not expecting, though, was for her mother to tell her *on her birthday!* that she was not going to join the other 16 year old girls and join society. Taking matters into her own hands, Primrose and her best friend, Olympia, decide to have their own night on the town. It doesn't take long for their plans to go astray, and the two are separated. Prim ends up joining forces with a handsome stranger... who is definitely not telling her his entire story.

I'd definitely classify this as , it was an easy and fun read. I was invested in the characters, and really like Sophie Jordan's style of writing. While it is obviously reminiscent of Austen, Jordan brings a new twist with the setting-- the love interests don't even meet at a ball!

Jordan's "Sixteen Scandals" delivers on all the promises of the genre: a marriage-minded mama, a masked escapade, a handsome duke, a daring rescue (or two!), and an ending sequence straight out of teenage dreams (seriously, I feel like the ending could have been something I daydreamed as a teen).
Two things held me back from really enjoying this:
First, most romance novels bring the main characters together by helping them change — the protagonists wouldn't have been a couple at the beginning because of lessons they need to learn/baggage they need to leave behind/etc, and by the end they've grown into the people who can love one another. Neither Prim nor Jacob change at all from beginning to end. So yes — it had a daydream-y quality, but I didn't <feel> their connection beyond teenage fizz.
Second, the one-step-up-from queerbaiting. At the end, two female characters are hinted at being together (and to be fair, we have been hearing how uninterested both of them are in marriage for some time). Unless Jordan intends to write another book about these two characters getting together, it feels like the most cursory kind of "Do I get a cookie for remembering that there were gay people in Regency England?" As a queer reader, honestly, sometimes I would rather authors left out gay characters if that character trait is going to be dropped in 4-5 sentences that have nothing to do with the plot. Like, do better.

All that being said, I did blast through this in one sitting. For teens ready for a slightly-more-steamy Pride and Prejudice, this would be a good fit.