A fun and well-written Regency romance, featuring (small) dragons, initially introduced as fashionable accessories for young ladies.

The protagonist, Elinor, has strong stakes: not only her own survival after her parents lost all their money to a con artist and then died in a carriage accident, but that of her sisters, sent to different relatives in other parts of England. She has ended up with her mother's ineffectual sister and her aunt's angry, domineering husband and spoilt, cruel daughter. Very early on, she's unable to take her cousin's crap anymore, and despite being supposedly the sensible, practical sister, she walks out without a plan or anywhere to go.

This unpromising beginning leads to a laudably twisty and enjoyably farcical plot in which Elinor impersonates a woman with a lot more power and influence, and is put in the difficult position of trying to arrange for the man she loves to marry her awful cousin (he also has responsibilities to help his family, and his father lost all their money in the same scam, so Cousin Penelope's dowry seems like the only hope). Along the way, the love interest's dragon-expert friend learns something he doesn't like and didn't expect; Elinor's resolve, creativity, and ability to remain composed in a crisis are tested severely; her aunt finally finds her voice; and justice is done on a couple of different levels.

I spotted the big twist almost as soon as the relevant characters arrived (early in the book); how the whole plot would end up shaking out was eminently predictable, but I had no idea how the author was going to get there, and was more than willing to buckle in and enjoy the ride. There was a generous helping of coincidence involved in setting up the problem, but it was resolved by the determined and capable actions and the admirable character of the protagonist, so I have no complaints there.

Speaking of admirable character, I appreciated how the love interest recognised and honoured Elinor's ability to keep her composure and deal with difficult situations pragmatically and effectively (even if she didn't feel like she was doing so). That's an excellent basis on which to choose a life partner, I can personally attest, and a much more sensible one than you'll see in most romances.

The Regency setting (with the difference of the dragons) is well portrayed, and feels more authentic and better researched than a lot of "Regency" romances (many of which feel like modern people in cosplay with brief and inaccurate nods to Regency social realities). The editing, even in the pre-release version I had from Netgalley, has few and minor errors.

Overall, it's good stuff, and I'm looking forward to the sequels. I suspect that the passionate sister, Rose, will end up with Elinor's new brother-in-law, and that the dreamy academic sister, Harry, will be with the equally dreamy academic dragon expert, but I might well be surprised.

After her parents died penniless, Elinor Tregarth and her sisters are separated and relegated to being poor relations. Now living in her Aunt's house with her horribly spoiled cousin and blowhard uncle, Elinor intends on being a model poor relation until her cousin's cruelty toward her pet dragon, Sir Jessamyn, becomes too intolerable to bear. Taking what coin she has, she absconds with the poor dragon only to be hurled face first into a mud puddle by a passing carriage. The bad luck continues when the inhabitants of said carriage turn out to be the premiere dragon scholar of the age and his friend, a handsome but down-on-his-luck gentleman who has come to this part of Britain to woo her spoiled cousin in hopes of securing her great dowry. Despondent and overwhelmed, Elinor makes a wild wish only for it to be granted which sets off a comedy of errors and manners and which threatens not only Elinor's heart but also the future of her whole family.

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This is a new-to-me author but when I saw the cover I just knew I had to give this book a try, and I am glad I did. It's a fun, fantastical sweet romance in the style of Jane Austen. The book is obviously a play on the classic Sense and Sensibility but it doesn't lift the plot or the characters of the novel wholesale, nor is it a pure Alternate Universe (AU) of the novel. But there are definite call outs to the book, so those people who like a good Jane Austen FanFic with fantastical elements will likely enjoy this novel.

The story moves very fast, taking place over less than a week's time. But it covers a lot of things. There's a mystery to be solved as well as several plots to be handled. Elinor keeps blundering into situations where she's stuck between a rock and a hard place and often finds herself the subject of blackmail. I didn't dislike Elinor and she's a fun heroine, but at times she seems to be startlingly naive and trusting.

The hero, Benedict Harper is an absolute good doobie. He's a great romance beta hero who is funny and kind and supportive and also stuck between doing what his heart wants and what is best for his family. I quite liked him. He had depth and he felt like a good foil and counterpart to Elinor.

There's a few things I didn't love. I wasn't a huge fan of how over the top every other character was. They sort of became caricatures not characters... they were that one dimensional. Additionally, I felt that Elinor and Benedict fell in love a little too quickly.... while the author does hang a lampshade on it, it didn't solve the underlying problem. I'm not the biggest fan of instalove. It's a thing.

I did love the dragon lore and how realistic it felt for Regency ladies to turn dragons into fashion accessories... it felt like the designer dog or exotic bird crazes of the past and present. I enjoyed the mystery although with the small cast of characters, it's pretty easy to see how everything is related. The writing was engaging and readable, but it did take me a while to get into the book at first (the beginning is a little slow.)

In all I liked the book and would be interested in reading the next book in the series. But it wasn't a perfect book, so it gets:

Four stars

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley

This was a very fun regency romp! I loved the addition of Dragons to a historical romance and the nods to Jane Austen were great.

This was such a cute book! I was initially slightly skeptical about the premise, but it ended up being adorable. Very Howl's Moving Castle meets Regency Romance. I had a few quibbles - honestly, it was a little too insta-love for my tastes and some of the other characters felt one-dimensional - but the protagonist is great, and it was funny and charming. Recommended for fans of regency romance with cute twists.

I really wanted to take a little break from horror, and I ran into the author of this book tweeting that it was available for request on Netgalley. Seeing nothing but the title and cover, I already had a pretty good idea that it was something I was likely going to be interested in. With a name like ‘Scales and Sensibility’ I was hoping it was going to be a little Austen-esque rom-com, and that’s exactly what I got. With a few added bonuses, of course.

Psst, one of those added bonuses was dragons.

I love dragons. Give me all the dragon books. Make them scary, make them anthropomorphic, make them little and pocket sized and adorable, making them cute little shoulder-riding accessories of fancy high-class ladies. I’ll take them all. A good book just gets better when you toss dragons into it. Especially if dragons were a recently rediscovered, thought to be fairy tale creature until recently.

This book reads so much like a slightly more fun Jane Austen, it was wonderful. The very first line, “It was a truth universally acknowledged that any young lady without a dragon was doomed to social failure,” so perfectly sets up the tone of this story, I made a too-high squeal of delight when I read it. It was such a genious way to start the book and it was such a great play on a well used Austen quote.

As things start to get going, I started to wonder if there was ‘too much’ going on that couldn’t possibly all be sorted by the time we reached the ending. Elinor just has hardship after hardship, problem after problem, thrust upon her. If I had a complaint, it would be the sheer amount of things Elinor had to juggle.

Despite the many complications going on in Elinor’s life (one of which is being in love with one of her cousin’s potential suitors!), she faces every obstacle with, well, some amount of poise and grace. She is operating in semi-high English society, after all.

This was such a fun read. Even when I was stressed out along with Elinor, I was entertained by the somewhat whacky hijinks she kept getting herself into. It was a light, fun, and quick (for me) read. I’m already considering a reread on it, and I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out so I can gorge myself on more cute, funny, regency romance.

I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An advanced digital readers copy was provided by NetGalley.

“It was a truth universally acknowledged that any young lady without a dragon was doomed to social failure.”

Scales and Sensibility, p1

A delightful regency romance filled with magic, dragons and impending disaster, Scales and Sensibility is a wicked blend of Christies Third Girl mystery and disguise and a clever supernatural homage to Jane Austen.

Exhausted by the tantrums and demands of her spoilt cousin, Elinor rescue’s Penelope’s pet dragon, gathers up her things and turns her back on the family who ‘took her in’ after her parents death.

A chance encounter with the carriage of a handsome stranger and a wish for more sets off a chain of events proving dragons aren’t just a fashion accessory and love is worth more than money.

What I Liked: Elinor was great fun. Sensible of her position in life (so like her namesake) but tired of the selfishness of her Aunt’s family, Elinor sees the chance to change her future and grabs it with both hands. Given the opportunity to be someone else, Elinor forces herself out of her comfort zone and starts speaking, and acting, with confidence, with style and with flair.

Tiny domesticated dragons that drape around your shoulders like a cat! This idea is wonderfully cute and our dragon hero is lovely. Small hints at the history of dragons and their capabilities are dropped leaving you ready for more. Speaking of dropping….I loved watching how Sir Jessamyn’s and Elinor’s affection for each other built his confidence as a reflection of her own growing strength.

What I didn’t like: Considering the title, the dragons in the story were underused – especially considering how pivotal they are to the progression of the story. I wanted more page time with Sir Jessamyn – I wanted to understand how he ticked, which of the fairy tales were correct about the history of dragons, and I wanted to see more of his relationship with Elinor.

Some of the characters were a little two dimensional – the motivation of the villains didn’t really make sense, the penury of Elinor’s family was purely a plot device to place her in her cousin’s home as a setting for her romance – it didn’t really develop naturally and the poncy scam felt too ridiculous to be real.

Conclusion: Three Tregarth sisters, three books. I might have some issues with the plot but I’m still ready to put my hand up and enjoy more Regency Dragons. I had fun reading this and will happily keep reading.

This is a loose adaptation of a classic made a bit more current by adding a paranormal element.

This is a light story, not a lot of depths to the characters.

Let me preface this by laying my own biases out for all to see. While I don't tend to mind loose literary adaptations because I love to see new iterations of favorite stories, this one bothered me because it seemed that the only relevant aspect of Sense and Sensibility in the story is Elinor herself, but her characterization left much to be desired. In this version, Elinor's dragon grants her a magic wish that causes her to find self-confidence in the act of imitating it under a glamoured guise. Her journey towards self-expression was greatly accelerated and lost its power by skipping through the growing pains. Elinor became a flattened version of herself who frequently comments on her own famed sensibility even as she does wildly outrageous things. The story also suffered from the loss of a Marianne character as a meaningful foil. Instead, we are left with Penelope: a witless, screeching, spoiled cousin in the role of Obvious and Inept Villain. Our love interest is also a two-dimensional Kind and Devoted Dreamboat with simplistic motivations.

Without strong characters, I don't connect well to works of fiction. To dampen matters further, the plot was predictable and didn't elicit any emotion or even amusement from me. Despite being a regency, there were some weird anachronisms (beyond the obvious dragons) that negated attempts to establish sense of place. That doesn't leave much else to recommend it.

I don't read many books in the romance genre, but this one has dragons and is set in the Regency period. It is light and fun.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I discovered this charming book while browsing titles on Netgalley and was enchanted by the wit and whimsy within. Brimming with magic, including miniature dragons that are the latest fashion accessory for ladies, this rollicking romp was a delight to read.

I’m looking forward to the next title in the “Regency Dragons” series.

Dragons, magical wishes, and regency romance.

When Elinor stole her cousin's pet dragon, she didn't have any plans beyond running away from her selfish relatives. On the run from her uncle - who doesn't care about Elinor, he only wants his daughter's expensive dragon back, Elinor makes a desperate wish, and discovers that dragons can perform magic. Disguised as a famous woman, Elinor finds new doors opening up for her, even as her mounting lies dig her deeper into trouble.

I enjoyed the magic and the story, which was somewhat predictable. The plot followed the standard regency romance drama of a poor girl meeting a handsome young man, both falling in love, but their relationship develops dramatic complications. The fantasy elements here added some nice touches.

I might've enjoyed this more if the handsome young lad in question had more than a mostly flat character, and if the happy young couple had spent more than like a week or two getting to know each other before declaring themselves in love and committing their futures together. Somehow, quick engagements always work out for eternal love and fidelity in these novels, so maybe I'm just being too critical.

The ending wrapped up all the various pieces very nicely. I'm not a fan of blackmail and situations where the characters need to lie, but then have the lie hanging over their heads like a doomsday cloud throughout the story. It just stresses me out, which is the last thing I'm looking for when trying to enjoy a good literary escape.

The book shares a title with Austen's Sense & Sensibility, but other than the period social setting and romantic plot, there weren't many similarities. Which is a good thing, because I prefer a fresh read.

In all, the book had its good moments, particularly at the end where all the secrets came tumbling out. The women had good character arcs, even from some seemingly minor characters. This wasn't my favorite cup of tea, but I'm sure it will find the right audience with others who appreciate or don't mind the minor issues that I mentioned.

Scales and Sensibility is the first book of a new series. Regency Dragons is a romantic comedy trilogy involving three orphaned sisters, where the latest fashion accessories are dragons.

Elinor Tregarth is living off her uncle’s generosity in Hathergill Hall, trying to help her cousin Penelope prepare for her social debut while also cleaning up after the spoiled girl’s new dragon. The beautiful creature was terrified of Penelope, who thought the dragon was as worthless as her orphaned cousin Elinor. Fed up, Elinor packs her bags, rescues the abused dragon, and leaves without a single idea of where to go or what to do. So of course an elegant carriage with a handsome gentleman will knock her off the road and into a water-filled ditch!

Scales and Sensibility is absolutely delightful. I’m looking forward to the second book of the trilogy - Claws and Contrivances - coming in late 2022.

This was a cute and fluffy comedic retelling of Austen's Regency-era Sense & Sensibility. It does read a bit young for a "romance" in my opinion, but it is still a fun and enjoyable quick read. Unique enough to leave the reader anticipating what might happen next, but comfortingly familiar enough to be a satisfying fix for those of us that adore Jane Austen. Scales and Sensibility is an ideal choice for those that enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, and naturally Regency-era fiction.

As a lover of Jane Austen novels and dragon books, this book was absolutely fun. I've read Burgis' Harwood Spell books before so I had a sense of what I like about her as a writer. Strong women, lots of humor, inventive plots, and scenery. This new series contains all of that plus dragons!!

I had a great time with this one and I'm looking forward to the sisters' books. Just a slight downgrade for me because I like my Regencies a little spicer and this one is definitely on the sweeter side.

4.5 stars!

In 1817 England, dragons were rediscovered. Elinor Tregarth moved to Hathergill Hall and accidentally took her cousin's pet dragon and fell in love with the fortune hunter courting Penelope. Though she was always the sensible one, she must be resourceful when participating in an outrageous magical charade to save her younger sisters' futures.

This is Sense and Sensibility with dragons! As in, Elinor as the poor relations had to put up with Penelope, and when she reached her limit after six months with Penelope's poor treatment of her pet dragon, Elinor shouted at her and took off. The self-centered Penelope sees everything that doesn't go her way as an insult and affront to her innocence, even when she and her two friends are far from it. Elinor goes through an elaborate scheme to help Penelope with the help of her dragon to avoid her uncle writing to the relatives taking care of her two younger sisters, even though she can't her cousin. On top of that, some people determine the truth about her altered appearance, and the wishes she makes with her dragon have consequences she could never foresee.

Scales and Sensibility is an adorable Regency romance with a dash of magic. We still have the rules and responsibilities of titled gentry with class and gender role differences, with magic to offset some of the hardships Elinor would have otherwise. As a romance novel, we know that the problems will resolve somehow by the end, and I enjoyed how it all played out. There will be stories in this world involving Elinor's two sisters in the future, and I hope they're as fun as this one was.

Scales and Sensibility is a fun, whimsical, charming story blending Georgette Heyer-esque Regency romantic hijinks (mistaken identities! Blackmailing scoundrels! A plucky heroine!) with the magic of a fairy tale. Unlike in so many similarly hijinksy, deception-heavy stories, though, the plot actually does hang together, and never felt unbelievable (okay, granted, wish-granting dragon, but you know, aside from that). A delightful and amusing read, and I’m looking forward to the continuation of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Five Fathoms Press for the advance review copy!

This magical Regency rom com is an absolute treat – fun, witty, and featuring one very adorable dragon!

I’m a huge fan of Stephanie Burgis – her stories always seem to fill exactly the kind of niches I’ve always wanted to read. After loving her Regency fantasy Harwood Spellbook series (you can find my review of Moontangled here!), I was really excited to see what her new series would be like, and I’m pleased to say that while it’s tonally fairly different, it’s just as delightful. If I hadn’t been interrupted, I would have raced through the whole of Scales and Sensibility in one sitting – it’s exactly the kind of fluffy, fun fantasy I adore!

Elinor Tregarth is a fabulous heroine, one whom it’s easy to sympathise with as she deals with her awful family, and whom it’s even easier to root for as she learns to stand up for herself. And Elinor isn’t the only character I loved – pretty much all of them are wonderful, even the ones you love to hate! Benedict Hawkins, the love interest, is the perfect swoonsome Regency hero, and while it would have been easy for bratty Penelope to be irritatingly one-note, she’s actually very entertaining, as are the various other quirky members of her houseparty, who range from amusing to dangerous. One of my favourite side characters was Mr Aubrey, a scholar of dragons who’s so intently focused on his work he barely notices the world around him – he provides plenty of comic relief, but is also very interesting in himself. I hope we see more of him in the future! Of course, it would be wrong of me not to mention the very best character of all – Sir Jessamyn, the dragon, who is completely adorable and wonderful. Reading this book will make you want a pet shoulder dragon.

I really loved the themes of self-confidence throughout the book, and how Elinor learns to act in her own interests only when she’s given the opportunity to literally act like she isn’t herself. There can be a real freedom in deciding not to care about other people’s opinions of you, but it’s not easy to get to a position where you can do that, for fear of causing trouble or breaking relationships. The magical aspect here allows Elinor an unexpected opportunity to be someone she’s always admired, someone who stands for no nonsense, but even for those of us who have no dragons to help, emulating someone who has the qualities you want can be a powerful tool, and I really enjoyed how this theme of re-invention played out both with Elinor, and with her aunt (on which no spoilers, but a quick mention that her character has a fantastic subplot – and actually mentions the menopause as a catalyst for change, which is awesome to see!). Perhaps I’m armchair philosophising, but after lockdown, I think a lot of us are realising we need to make active choices to make our lives better, and this book perfectly encapsulates the fraughtness of deciding to make scary changes, and the relief when you discover it’s working.

Oh, this is just a delicious read. Stephanie Burgis is an auto-buy author for me, and if you like clever women, magical shenanigans, and that indescribable quality of books that feel like friends the moment you pick them up, then you need to read this one and then put her on your auto-buy list too. This is perfect fluffy, fun fantasy of manners, and I loved every moment. I can’t wait for book two!

4.5 stars.
Stephanie Burgis has crafted a delightful Regency-based story, riffing on Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” and “Mansfield Park”, and made everything that much better by adding dragons. Not the majestic, huge creatures I usually think of, but iguana-sized, beautifully coloured, and magical creatures that ladies of the ton keep perched on their shoulders as the ultimate fashion accessory.
Elinor Tregarth is a poor, and mostly despised relation of her rich and beautiful cousin Penelope. And the only reason she’s despised is that the utterly self-absorbed Penelope can’t abide being told “no” or to moderate her behaviour, both of which Elinor is frequently guilty of urging her cousin to do. When one day Penelope goes too far and shoves her poor, frightened young dragon off her shoulder, Elinor has had it. She might be nearly penniless, but she will not stand for any more abuse from Penelope, or to the defenceless dragon Sir Jessamyn. Elinor packs her meagre possessions, perches the dragon on her shoulder, and marches off, determined to make her way in the world on her own, and hopes to, at some point, see her two, equally impoverished younger sisters again. They’re both living separately with other relatives—the family was split up after the sudden deaths of their parents, who were rendered penniless by a pair of grifters shortly before their untimely deaths.
Barely started on her escape, Elinor encounters a young, attractive man who literally knocks her off her feet and renders her truly penniless when her few shillings are lost.
When Elinor makes a wish that Sir Jessamyn acts on and is transformed, a series of fun hijinks ensue and we get a fun mix of marriage plot (this is a Regency romance, after all!), disguises, blackmail, thievery, discussions of theoretical versus actual dragons, and an Elinor stressed beyond belief, who also, wonderfully, finds her voice and romance. The story is fun from start to finish, and I can’t wait for the next sister’s story in this world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Five Fathoms Press fir this ARC in exchange for my review.

This is a book that was not at all for me, but other people will like much more than I did. I wanted to like it. It’s an homage to Jane Austen, but with magic and dragons. The things I didn’t like are mostly your mileage may vary kinds of things. I find stories in which the protagonist tells an easily discovered lie or is engaged in a three racoons in a trench coat kind of disguise very stressful.

Elinor Tregarth is living with her aunt, uncle and cousin as the poor relation. Her cousin, Penelope, has no redeeming qualities. Penelope has a dragon, to whom she is unkind, and is getting ready for her debut. Elinor runs afoul of her cousin and uncle over the treatment of the dragon and ends up marching away with the dragon and no prospects of hope for the future. She is promptly knocked into a muddy ditch by a carriage containing Benedict Hawkins, and his scholarly friend Mr. Aubrey. Through a series of events, Elinor ends up back at her cousin’s house, with everyone thinking she is a grand society matron. Except for the people who figure out she is not, and then blackmail her.

Everything works out in the end of course. I did enjoy Sir Jessamyn, the dragon. I just wish there had been significantly less deception and blackmail. Elinor has to juggle a lot of blackmail, plus keeping her brutish uncle happy enough that he not torpedo her younger siblings lives. It was stressful!

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

This book was lovely. Elinor is a poor relation, a cousin sent to live with her aunt, uncle and their very spoiled daughter Penelope when she loses her parents. When an argument sends Elinor out the door with only her cousin's dragon as a companion she finds herself out in the world to try to make her way with only her wits and a dragon's magic to help her along. This was in interesting book with a very upstairs/downstairs feel. The magical elements were an interesting concept and Sir Jessamyn was the star of the show.