Scales and Sensibility
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B
#TBRChallenge
- April’s Theme is “Unusual Historical”
- This book has been on my TBR since October 2021, and I’ve owned it since October 17, 2022.
- It’s an historical with dragons!
What I’m Talking About:
Elinor and her sisters were orphaned a year ago. No relation would take all three sisters. Elinor is sent to live with her mother’s sister and family and treated as a maid for their narcissistic daughter Penelope. After six months, Elinor cannot take any additional abuse and runs off with Penelope’s mistreated dragon. Unfortunately she doesn’t make it far when she is run off the road and ends up in a ditch, losing her meager funds. Fortunately, Benedict feels horrible and helps her.
Elinor has little to no options to escape. Her uncle and cousin will hunt her down for leaving with Penelope’s dragon. She has no money, no references, and no place to go. Due to an unknown dragon ability to grant wishes, Elinor finds herself disguised as a well-known socialite. She uses her new looks to trade Elinor’s freedom for Mrs. DeLacey’s presence at Penelope’s debut.
Scales and Sensibility is an entertaining historical romance with a magical twist. In this version of historical England, tiny dragons exist, and they are the used as a fashion accessory by wealthy women. This story, and especially the debut party, is a comedy of errors. Poor Elinor keeps finding herself deeper and deeper into problems as she tries to clean up each mess. She is being blackmailed on multiple fronts and is forced to help others. Overall, the comedic impact of Elinor surmounting a continual bombardment of problems works; however, I did find myself just wanting things to work out for Elinor much sooner than they did.
The romance between Benedict and Elinor is sweet. He is smitten from the moment he sees her and is first to figure out her disguise. I wish she would’ve confided in Benedict sooner, which would have provided better balance to the never-ending problems for Elinor. Even with Elinor disguised as Mrs. DeLacey, the pair is able to chat and grow closer.
In the end, everything works as, as a romance should. The story is fun, the romance is light, the comedy is silly. Scales and Sensibility is a delightful read for fans of unusual historical romances.
My Rating: B
Jen
About the Book:
Sensible, practical Elinor Tregarth really did plan to be the model poor relation when she moved into Hathergill Hall. She certainly never meant to kidnap her awful cousin Penelope’s pet dragon. She never expected to fall in love with the shameless – but surprisingly sweet – fortune hunter who came to court Penelope. And she never dreamed that she would have to enter into an outrageous magical charade to save her younger sisters’ futures.
However, even the most brilliant scholars of 1817 England still haven’t ferreted out all the lurking secrets of rediscovered dragonkind…and even the most sensible of heroines can still make a reckless wish or two when she’s pushed. Now Elinor will have to find out just how rash and resourceful she can be when she sets aside all common sense. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll even be impractical enough to win her own true love and a happily ever after…with the unpredictable and dangerous “help” of the magical creature who has adopted her.
Release Date: October 4, 2021
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: Regency Dragons #1
Genre: Historical Romance, fantasy elements
Format(s): paperback (380 pages), e-book
Book Source: purchased
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)