I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.
There is a little something for everyone in this Regency rom-com. We have dragons, magic, horrible relatives, blackmail and of course romance. This is a fun read and will keep you entertained throughout.
I have never read this author before but I will be sure to pick up some of her other books.

I’ve been on a bit of a fantasy of manners kick recently, so it was perfect timing for me to be approved for an ARC of Scales and Sensibility. I’ve previously read and enjoyed Burgis’ Harwood Spellbook series, where my main complaint was that I wished each entry was longer, so I was super thrilled to see her writing a longer book in this new series.

Thankfully, it was delightful as I hoped. I haven’t read all of Jane Austen’s catalogue, but while I’m sure there are plenty of easter eggs for those who have, it’s certainly not necessary to enjoy this book. It’s not so much a retelling of Sense and Sensibility as a homage to all of Austen’s books and the regency genre as a whole. The plot is fairly basic – Elinor Tregarth essentially plays the Cinderella to her awful cousin Penelope, but with the help of her fairy godmother friendly dragon companion, Sir Jessamyn, begins to find a way to express her true worth. But, like all good regency stories, it delights in the absurdity of poor Elinor’s situation, and is filled with tongue in cheek moments of brevity and humour. There’s also a well-rounded supporting cast; I wouldn’t call them all likeable, but they feel very real and it’s fun to watch Elinor negotiate her way around each of them in turn.

If I have any criticisms, it’s that the romance wasn’t hugely compelling – the romantic lead felt the least developed all of all the characters and the resolution to this particular plot arc was rather rushed. It’s also a book that relies in part on Elinor’s emotional connection to her sisters, whom she is avowed to protect but whom we never meet (in this instalment), so some of her decisions don’t resonate as much as they could. But that’s largely offset by the sheer delight and hilarity that the rest of the book brings – I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

As usual: I got this advanced copy for free through Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
This was a short and sweet romance novel. Now, I don't talk about it a lot but I've a healthy obsession for Jane Austen's books. I may or may not own even some obscure adaptations. I've watched the 1995 miniseries (you know the one!) way too many times. So you give me a regency romance clearly inspired by the Lady, and I have to get it. And fantasy is also the main genre that I read. Mix the two and I'm one happy reader indeed.

I do have certain expectations when I open a regency novel, but Burgis met and exceeded them all. I like even my historical male love interests to be respectful and not sexist: check. I like my characters witty, and some amount of social commentary: check and check. I like historical accuracy to some extent, and even if dragons make that point kinda moot, I enjoyed the fact that she had small details like, oh, chamberpots hidden behind the scenes for ladies to relieve themselves during parties, to cite only my favourite. It was witty, and fun, and full of horrible people for us and the heroine to make fun of.

The whole concept gave me quite a bit of secondhand embarrassment, to be quite honest. Elinor's dragon puts her in some embarrassing situations, or she walks right into them. But it was the kind that I was able to laugh at, and not be too embarrassed to continue reading. I also saw the "plot twist" at the end coming, but in a satisfying way. Let us say I was reminded of certain characters in Mansfield Park...

The romance itself was very sweet. It was pretty quick, but I'm a person who crushes easily so I can appreciate that in a good story, and it worked with the fast pace of the novel overall. Besides, I really rooted for the two of them in general, against all the awful people around.

Honourable mention goes to Mrs Hathergill, without spoilers I can honestly say I want to be her when I grow up!

Anyways, I could not stop from about halfway through to the end, and I kicked my feet in excitement at the ending, like a little child with a present, so that should tell you how much I liked it. I want more stories like this, fun and light, but with that backdrop of social commentary that makes regency novels so great. And dragons!

Stephanie Burgis’ new series, Regency Dragons, gets a delightful start in Scales and Sensibility. Its a regency romance with added fantasy elements, dragons and magic, and the two sides go together seamlessly to create a world that feels natural.

Elinor Tregarth lives the dreary life of a poor relative in her aunt and uncle’s manor after her parents died and left her and her two sisters penniless. Constantly bullied by her cousin Penelope, she finally snaps and leaves the house without a penny, but with Penelope’s pet dragon Sir Jessamyn.

Her position untenable, she makes an ardent wish to be exactly like a society matron, Mrs. De Lacey—and her dragon makes it happen! A game of masquerade ensues, where she tries to maintain her pretense among people who are becoming increasingly suspicious of her. She soon finds herself in deep trouble from many quarters.

To make matters worse—or better—Benedict Hawkins, a penniless suitor of Penelope, likes to spend time with Elinor instead. But how is she to let her feelings grow when she isn’t who he thinks—and he needs a fortune to save his estate and family.

Tension rises to almost unbearable before everything is solved and a happy ending can be declared.

This was a charming, well-written historical romance that was maybe a little lighter on the romance than I would’ve wished, but there was plenty of other things to keep my interest. Elinor was an excellent heroine, Benedict was a slightly distant but wonderfully suitable hero, and all the villains were perfectly villainous. But the book was stolen by Sir Jessamyn, the timid dragon who ended up changing Elinor’s life for good. A wonderful start to a series. I will definitely want to read more.

This is a sweet and fun story, with a lot of charm. Liked it very much..

Thanks to NetGalley and Five Fathoms Press for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and Five Fathoms Press for providing this ARC.

As a relatively new romance reader I'm trying out most subgenres to see what type of romance fits me best, and as an avid fantasyreader having the opportunity to read a romance with dragons in seemed like something that would work wonderfully.

Elinor Tregarth are recently orphaned and seperated from her two sisters as they all were taken in by different relations. Now being something like a maid for her spoilt cousin Penelope she's struggling to remain calm an positive. One day Penelope pushes Elinor a step to far and Elinor packs her bags and leaves the home together with her cousin's pet dragon. She doesn't get far before everything gets complicated, a handsome, kind gentleman and some magic is involved and it's all a bit more than Elinor expected.

I do belive that as readers we are often expected to accept a meassure of exaggeration, be it character personalities or events happening. But for me personally this was a little bit to much for me to accept. There is a slight element of magic and our main character Elinor goes under a disguise for the most part of the book. However I think that Burgis took the characters actions a step too far. Elinor goes disguised at her relatives home and even though they've not paid much attention to her during the six months she lived with them, I still find it hard to believe that she would not be found out.

The loveinterest spent little more than one conversation with Elinor and is suddenly in love. Attraction and interest at first sight is something I can buy into, but declaring love at once, no. To keep it short, all characters were extremes, the author seems to have wanted to do too many things in too short a story. Instalove, very specific and just convienient magic, an undercover operation, a blackmail plot, it all just felt like it was too much.

However, if you want a fast book with a bit of romance that's not heavy on the steam, cute dragons who put their owners in awkward positions and you don't mind having muliple plotstrings all going very fast then I can see this book as something quick and easy to consume on maybe a vacation or as a palett cleanser.

Scales and Sensibility is the first in a new fantasy regency romance trilogy by author Stephanie Burgis. The novel was originally serialized as part of Burgis' patreon, but is now coming out in full for purchase to other readers this October. I've very much enjoyed what I've read of Burgis in the past, most notably her Harwood Spellbook series of fantasy romances (also sort of Regency-esque)* which played with some fun inversions of gender tropes even as it dealt with heroines trying desperately to get both romance and magic in a world that ties to constrict them to one or the other.

*Those romances are fairly chaste - you may get an implication that sex has occurred off page, but that's about it, with the most you'll get on page being kisses, so if you're looking for steamy pages, you're in the wrong place.*

And Scales and Sensibility is pretty much exactly what I expect, and what I would want, from a Stephanie Burgis novel. There's a really enjoyable heroine in Elinor, a young woman whose family (her and her two sisters will each be the protagonists of these novels) was ruined and who thus now finds herself forced to live with her spoiled brat cousin and her selfish dominating uncle. There's a fun dragon who rests on her shoulder, and may possess a bit of magic. And there's blackmail, scandal, and romance, all leading to a conclusion that is very satisfying. It may not be something that is super unique, but if you're looking for not too serious enjoyable regency romance with a slight fantasy twist, Scales and Sensibility will give you everything you are asking for.
---------------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------------
Elinor Tregath was always the shy and proper one of the three Tregarth sisters. And so when her parents die, and her father unexpectedly leaves her impoverished due to a bad business gamble, she decides she is going to be the perfect adopted relative of the family who takes her in - her Uncle John, her Aunt, and her cousin Penelope. Except her cousin Penelope is a spoiled brat - beautiful, but spoiled, jealous and cruel - and her uncle John is a dominating bore, who keeps his wife from having any opinions and caters to his daughter's every whim. Until one day, Elinor cannot take it anymore, and she takes Penelope's pet dragon - who Penelope cannot control or care for - and walks out.

But Elinor's attempt at walking out is interrupted by a handsome young man, who helps her unnecessarily, and is everything she could dream of. But that man is desperate for money to save his family, and has thus come courting Penelope, so there's no future there for her either. Elinor is left only to wish she could be someone else entirely....a wish to which her dragon reacts quite strangely.

Soon Elinor finds herself looking like someone else, a Lady renowned of high society, and finds herself returning to her Uncle's manor in that guise hoping somehow to find a way forward in all this mess. But disguised as she is, Elinor will still have to deal with her horrible relatives, a man who she wants but can't quite have, and other unexpected horrors of high society.

Not even a magical dragon could allow Elinor to cut through this tangle....or could it?
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Scales and Sensibility begins with a premise that should feel incredibly familiar to fans of Regency Romance. You have the young woman with supposedly plain features, who is impoverished and forced to rely on the good graces of a beautiful but horrible other woman - who is about to debut in society no less. You have the love interest who comes for the beautiful woman...and who has reasons to want to Court her even if she is absolutely awful. And as the book goes on, you have other features straight out of other regency novels - the lady who steals things and then blames servants for her misdeeds, the rival suiter and his sketchy sister who is desperate to obtain secrets....they are all here. And these features are classic for a reason, and Burgis weaves them together incredibly well.

What Burgis definitely adds of course is magic, in the form of tiny dragons that rest on ladies' shoulders (it's the fashion, you know), one of which has actual literal magic of a kind that I won't completely spoil. And so Elinor isn't just pretending to be someone else for much of the book, she literally looks like that other person. And so she's forced to maintain that illusion by acting braver and rasher than she normally does - which is hard because unlike her sisters, Elinor was always the demurring respectful one. She's incredibly easy to like especially as she almost always chooses the most selfless option over all the others, even if that results in making things harder....and so when her own actions lead to disaster and bad things for others, even those who don't deserve it, she can't help herself but want to do something to take it all back. Needless to say this leads to a lot of plot turns, as Elinor finds herself caught between innocent servants, greedy and spoiled ladies and lords, and her own desires.

The rest of the cast here is all solid, even if they somewhat do correspond to archetypes. While Elinor's horrid cousin Penelope is such an archetype, her degree of awfulness and the things she'll try to do are particularly awful and well done to make her a truly hatable antagonist - the same is true of Uncle John. Love interest Benedict is a real charmer - at first I worried he was going to be too good to be true, but that's not Burgis' game here: he's a real good guy who falls for Elinor far before she realizes it, but who is in his own difficult situation from the start that prevents him from ever running away with her. Benedict's friend, a pompous dragon scholar, is kind of funny and adds flavor, and the two scheming siblings who also have eyes on Penelope make excellent side antagonists. None of it is unique, but it is all done really well and leads to an enjoyable and magic conclusion.

So yeah, I'll probably be back for the rest of these novels, particularly for the sister who's a mathematics nerd (cmon that just appeals to me). Burgis' work never fails to please, and this is no exception.

I feel like this book was written for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This is basically Jane Austen with dragons. Both of which I love. I feel like this might be a new sub-genre of books: historical fantasy romance. This has all the things I love about regency romance novels, with the added bonus of dragons.

The story centers around Elinor and the family that has taken her in after her parents' passing. Dragons are now fashion statements in regency England, and Elinor's cousin treats her dragon terribly. Elinor's decision to run away with the dragon is where the adventure begins. Even though I was expecting a Happily Ever After ending, there were some tense moments at the end that had me questioning everything.

I'm very much looking forward to the learning more about dragons and this world in the sequels, that will center around each of Elinor's two sisters. Highly recommend to all my fellow regency fans!

This is a hilarious regency rom com! Perfect for fans of fantasy and Jane Austen. Elinor tries to hide her secret powers, but other servants and guests guess what it is and attempt to blackmail her for it. This is a fast-paced and enjoyable read!

This book was so much fun, and I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would!

It is exactly what you would expect from the cover and title - a fun and easily read period in romance, but with dragons. It is not a retelling of Sense and Sensibility, but its own story with some nods towards the Austen canon.

The dragons are freaking adorable too, and the main one is called Sir Jessamyn Carnavoran Artos, which is probably the greatest dragon name I have ever come across. I also really liked the heroine. She was clever, resourceful and pretty fun, and I loved seeing her develop throughout the story along with her dragon!

The romance itself was kind of rushed, I felt like, but then again the story only lasts about a week. I did really like them as friends though, which made me cheer for them as a couple anyway!

My favourite part was the plot though. It was so wild from start to finish with intrigues and funny, over dramatic characters. I felt like a fly in the wall eating popcorn while watching everything unfold.

If you like Austen, period Romance and dragons, I don't see why you wouldn't enjoy this book!

This was a clever, entertaining book. It was quirky, humorous and fast-paced. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Scales and Sensibility was a quick and delightful read. It's a short, silly story, perfect for readers who are looking for something light-hearted. Our main character finds herself in a rough spot when she runs away from home, kidnapping her cousin's pet dragon. On the resulting adventure she finds herself wrapped up with a handsome young man, his introverted genius dragon-enthusiast, accidental disguises, and several fancy parties.
I finished this story in a day, and absolutely recommend it to readers looking for something fun to read.

Okay so I received this form netgalley for an honest review.

The play on Jane Austen while adding dragons definitely intrigued me. I love romcom books, but adding these slightly absurd fantasy elements was a treat? But silly and I think could be geared towards a very specific audience. I am still not sure if I am a part of that audience. Since it appears it will be a series I’m interested to see who the next book will be about, whether she will add more mythical creatures, and really curious what the Austen pun will be.

I feel like this is a love or hate book. Someone will greatly enjoy the cheesy comedy with the use of dragons while others will be immediately turned off.

I loved Elinor’s personality and I could not have continued without feeling connected to her character. 3.5/5 I’m just not sure this was for me. Title and cover intrigued but not necessarily enough to hold me over. It was well-written regardless and I would recommend giving it a chance.

As someone who doesn't naturally gravitate towards Regency romance I really wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. However the book contains dragons so what bona-fide book-lover could resist? Elinor is the destitute relative, living on the good graces of her Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. The problem is only her Aunt really wants here there and she is so brow-beaten by her bombastic and overbearing husband that Elinor's life is far from pleasant.


We pretty much join the story as things come to a head and, unable to bear things any longer, Elinor takes her leave. However she is unable to abandon Sir Jessamyn, her cousin's much traumatised and terribly endearing dragon. Covered in muddy water and penniless, Elinor embarks on a series of bold and daring misadventures which had me thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.


I adored Elinor, she was so very relatable and utterly charming. Her relationship with Sir Jessamyn was so heart warming and watching her battle to do the right thing, despite the odds stacked against her, had me rooting for her every success and happiness. Benedict was just as wonderful a hero, magnificently swoon-some and caring to boot. Even the fact that their relationship was far too insta-love for my tastes couldn't persuade me to lower my rating. The story was just to wonderfully written for me to do anything but give this five stars.


Since the subtitle heralds this as the first book of a new series, I'm hoping we get to meet Rose and Harry, Elinor's sisters. I have a suspicion - or perhaps that should be hope - that one of them may just turn out to be the perfect match for Aubrey, though whether it would be the fellow academic Harry, or the romantic Rose I can not decide. What I do know is that regardless of whom features in the upcoming books I will definitely be reading them!

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Scales and Sensibility is a sweet fantasy-historical rom-com, paying homage to Jane Austen. Contrary to what the title suggests, it’s not a direct retelling of one story in particular, but is an homage to Austen’s world and style overall, with some recognizable character archetypes and plot devices…but given a little twist.

This book is a bit absurd at times, due to the inclusion of the dragons, and there are some comedic elements of a very specific type at the beginning of the book that will either be very amusing or will put you off. I personally liked that it had a whimsical feel, but can understand why others might not expect or care for it.

I admit I wasn’t super invested in the characters or the romance, and often did want something a bit more substantial, even if I did like the fun, rom-com vibe in general. Elinor is a good character in theory, and I liked seeing her bonding with the dragon, Sir Jessamyn (the fact that that’s the dragon’s name may just be the best part!), but other than that, I just felt like a passive observer in things like blackmail plots and magical machinations. And while I didn’t hate the love interest, I wasn’t drawn to him that strongly either. The somewhat wacky and ridiculous nature of the supporting cast did make up for my lack of investment in the leads, however.

In spite of its shortcomings, I did enjoy it for what it is, and chock up my issues more with the execution of many “Traditional Regency” style stories of late. I am still interested to read more from Stephanie Burgis and may continue with the series. And if you like both Austen/lighthearted Regency romps and fantasy, you might also enjoy it, perhaps a bit more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and Five Fathoms Press for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Austen meets Diana Wynne Jones in this delightful mashup of Sense and Sensibility and Howl's Moving Castle.

Elinor Tregarth is the orphaned poor relation sent to live with her aunt and her dramatic and entitled cousin, Penelope Hathergill assisting her with her debut into society with a nervous dragon on her shoulder. Fed up with the abuse at the hand of her cousin she takes the dragon and all of her worldly possessions and strikes out on her own only to cross paths with Benedict Hawkins and his eccentric friend Cornelius Aubrey. In a twist of fate and the magic of the nervous dragon Sir Jessamyn, Elinor finds her way back into Hathergill Hall.

I was expecting something more akin to Sense and Sensibility and while the spirit of Jane Austen was there along with the name of the heroine, it felt a bit more like Howl's Moving Castle in Fantasy Recency England. I do feel that some of the mannerisms and the focus on dragon droppings in the start of the story did read much younger for me. I started this book thinking it was going to be a bit more adult since it's in the romance category on the website but it did read a bit more young adult in a way like there was a series of unfortunate events.

Still it was pretty entertaining even if it wasn't what I was expecting or looking for. The characters do grab you in a way and take you along on this journey. If you're looking for something a little more enchanting playful with Howl's Moving Castle vibes, this is totally worth a read.

I received a free eArc of this work in exchange for an honest review; thanks to Net Galley and Five Fathoms Press for the opportunity.

I love a good Regency-ish fantasy story, and it’s always fun to check out the twists on Jane Austin retellings. This one includes a very plucky and resourceful heroine, dragons, a mystery, willful deception, unexpected blackmail, villainous cads, and a quite delightful bit of romance. It’s an excellently fun comfort read and I am very excited to read more in the series.

The overall tone of the book is not sad or serious- there are definitely some dramatic and tense moments, but overall it’s a marvelous adventure and feels true to the tone of Austin’s works. The world-building is well done, it feels familiar in a Bridgerton-ish way, but and fans of Patricia Wrede’s Sorcery and Cecelia series or Charlie Holmberg’s works will absolutely adore this set up. There are a few moments that stretch credulity a bit, but you are led so gently through them that you forgive the author for the necessary movements for the sake of story and plot.

The relationships are well done and character actions and rationalizations are established authentically. The voice of the protagonist is very clearly defined and makes sense for the character. I like Elinor and her cohort of associates and love how the dragons were used and introduced.

I had a great time reading this one and I’d be delighted to read this one again, as well as any others about the Tregarth sisters and hopefully their dragons (or other mythological beasts).

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

This was a lovely twist on a classic. If you like historical romance and fun fantasy stories, this is a great combination.

If you read the Heartstone series and enjoyed it, this is similar - an updated version of the classic tale with a fair bit of fantasy thrown in. Though this is based on the classic, the three sisters lose both their parents and each live separately with different family members. Unlike the original, there is no brother and issue of familial assistance; in this case it’s a fraud scheme that took the family money. I look forward to seeing many of these characters again in the next novel, for the next sister’s story!!

I love a Regency Romance and devoured Georgette Heyer in my teen years. I was intrigued by the description of this book and I can wholeheartedly recommend if you are looking for a romance to submerge yourself in. The author captures Heyers regency flair and deftly integrates dragons into the story as a natural element - in this case a status symbol of the haute ton.
Elinor Tregarths parents are tragically killed, leaving her and her sisters penniless and dependant on the kindness of relatives. Each sister is sent to a different relative and Elinor joins her aunts family at Hathergill Hall, and is very much the poor relation (read unpaid higher level servant).
After 6 months with her pampered and indulged cousin Penelope, her indifferent Aunt and domineering Uncle, Elinor snaps when her cousin causes her dragon (Sir Jessamy) so much anxiety he is constantly sick. Her outburst leads to her eviction from the hall and via various means headlong into a ditch, then into the strong arms of Benedict Hawkins.
Bright, frothy and full of Heyeresque plot twists this was a joy to read and I look forward to further books in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC, all views are my own.

it was truly delightful, most enjoyable, lovely idea about dragons (view spoiler) and can't wait to meet the other 2 sisters. lovely characters, very interesting story and since it's a burgis' book super enjoyable story telling. (less)