Sixteen Scandals

March 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-Entering into London society at the age of 16 is a rite of passage for every young woman of a certain social standing. However, for Prim, the youngest daughter in the Ainsworth family, her 16th birthday is ignored by her family so she takes the celebrations into her own hands. Accompanied by her best friend Olympia, the daughter of a popular songstress, Prim sets out for an evening of adventure at the pleasure gardens at Vauxhall. Prim gets more than she bargained for and is immediately plunged into an evening of adventure and mayhem. Losing sight of Olympia, Prim meets and quickly rescues the incredibly handsome and mysterious Jacob whom she suspects of being more than he appears. This romp through Regency London is a whimsical and turbulent roller-coaster of mishaps and misfortunes with an all-white cast, except Olympia who is described as having "light brown skin." VERDICT This is a must-purchase for any YA collection where historical fiction and romance is popular. Hand this to teens who binge-watched Bridgerton and need more from the ton.-Maryjean Riou, Hunterdon County Lib., Flemington, NJ

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April 1, 2021
A young woman in Regency London finds her place in society through a chance encounter. It's 1821, and Primrose Ainsworth has just turned 16, but her prospects of improving her boring life are dim. As the youngest of four sisters in a modestly comfortable family, pale, freckled, redhead Prim is in turn reviled and ignored by her siblings and her ambitious mother, whose one desire is to marry off her daughters to rich suitors. Prim is abandoned at home on her birthday when her mother and sisters venture to Bond Street for an expensive shopping trip. One benefit of this situation is that Prim is left to her own devices--so when she chooses to join light-brown-skinned, black-haired Olympia Zaher, her sophisticated, glamorous friend, on a nocturnal adventure to that den of iniquity Vauxhall Gardens, no one is watching. Prim's mother disapproves of the Zahers, mother and daughter, whom she regards with suspicion as foreigners from Andalusia. Armed with masks for disguise and adventurous attitudes, the two girls head for the forbidden playground. Exciting chases and near misses abound as Prim is dramatically rescued from several scrapes by a mysterious and exceedingly handsome stranger. Prim's feminist spirit and determination to rise above her station will resonate with modern readers who feel trapped in difficult family situations. "Cinderella" meets Pride and Prejudice, and the result is a delight. (Historical romance. 14-18)

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May 17, 2021
Red-haired, freckled Primrose Ainsworth, sheltered and perpetually overlooked, has longed for the freedom that turning 16 will bring ever since witnessing her three elder sisters enter London society in succession. But when her birthday arrives in June 1821 and her mother dispassionately declares that Prim’s debut will be delayed for at least a year, Prim rebels. Enlisting the help of her best friend Olympia Zaher, the striking, brown-skinned daughter of a renowned opera singer, Prim dresses in a daring borrowed gown and dons a mask to covertly visit Vauxhall, the scandalous outdoor pleasure gardens. When a brawl separates the duo, Prim finds herself in the company of a handsome, unquestionably well-off stranger also missing his companions, who insists she call him Jacob, and infuriates and intrigues her in equal measure. Though offering a brief, two-day glimpse into Prim’s life, Jordan (Kissing Lessons) neatly evokes the familiar beats of a Regency romance and credibly establishes the setting. The charming Pride and Prejudice–reminiscent romance effectively renders the privilege and societal power dynamics at play and imbues forward-thinking, dynamic heroine Prim with refreshing agency. Ages 12–up.