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.

I read a lot of historical fiction, and this one had a different take than many I have read. It is easy for the reader to sympathize with Prim and her predicament as the youngest of four daughters during a time when daughters are seen as an expense and sons are prized. Mirrors Pride and Prejudice in some ways with the parents being a bit irresponsible and favoring certain ones of their children over others based on how well they think they can marry. It was a quick and easy read. Due to mature content (a description of a couple having intercourse in a hedge) I won't be able to purchase this for my middle school library.

**Review will be posted on my blog on 5/3/21 closer to publication date.**
I Liked:
*I’ve read Sophie Jordan’s adult historical romances so I really wanted to see how a young adult romance would work out. I thought the Sixteen Candles twist to it was cute, since it’s one of my most favorite movies of the 80’s.

*Prim definitely takes chances by sneaking out of the house and going to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. I think it’s important to remember in history and historical romances, girls got married at 16+. So Prim sneaking out, really had the risk of being caught in a scandal that could ruin her life.

*Her family life is drama-filled with her sisters and a mom who is laser focused on getting each girl married, except Prim, of course, it’s like she’s too tired to care about Prim, poor girl. Glad Prim doesn’t let that hold her back though.

*The romance is sweet and cute. Prim and Jacob get to know each other all in one night, but the sparks are definitely there by the end.

*It’s a happy ending for Prim, thank goodness because her mom’s plan for her life was pretty harsh.

Random Notes:
*This was a quick read – and it’s meant for teens. As an adult reading it, it wasn’t for me. But this would be definitely perfect for teens – it has a little romance, adventure, and a girl trying to live her young life. I had a hard time trying to stop comparing adult historical romance and this one meant for a younger audience.

*And being a Sixteen Candles fan, where was Farmer Ted?! Haha, I mean Jacob obviously is Jake (the duke). The story takes place all in one night, just like the movie, but I think because of the amazing supporting cast in the movie, Prim and Jacob’s one night escapade in this book fell so short. It had some action, the kind you would get in a pleasure garden haha.

*Everything comes to such a predictable and anti-climatic ending.

FInal Thoughts:
I do wish there was a little more to the Sixteen Candles retelling like having more of a supporting cast like the movie did. Other than that, the story is quick and the romance is sweet. This one is perfect for teen readers who want to read a historical romance story.