3⭐️

Kalli and Adam stole the show for me. I almost wish they had gotten their own book to allow more scenes for them. Watching them fall in love was very sweet, but it did feel a little like we missed seeing them interact due to thalia meddling.

Charis and Mark, I wish we had the time to go full enemies to lovers on this one. They had the potential for it, but trying to do 3 stories at once didn't leave enough space. I liked that he encouraged her intellectual pursuits from the start.

Thalia and james, I didn't care for the pairing from the off, and given how it goes, I was right. I am looking forward to the alluded to match for thalia in the next book. They seem well suited.

I'm hoping for lots of cameos in the next book since thalia will be there. It is a shame that each of the girls didn't get their own book as we could have had a more gradual development for the romances rather than the insta love feel we got.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Loved this - was a fun take on Bridgerton, with romance and three main characters (so it doesn't get boring)!

In the era of Bridgerton and regency romances making their way back it is no wonder that I had to request this historical fiction. But, I found the writing very jarring - the multiple POV's made it hard to figure out who I was reading about. I think one main character would have been enough. Maybe a series with each book focusing on their respective characters. On top of that, it didn't read like a regency, more of a modern romance shoehorned into a regency to profit of the success of other regency books of late. I don't know - I think this book had a lot of promise but it did not live up to my expectations.

This book is for those who are looking for their next Bridgerton style fix, balls, gowns and drama - this book has it all!

From living through the POV of all sisters you get to see their opinions and reasoning, it makes it easier to become obsessed with the well rounded characters and want the best for them. This book may be based in the regency era but the style of writing makes this an incredibly easy read. With this style of book becoming more popular - it's perfect for those that enjoy the drama of gossip girl along with the romance of bridgerton.

Thank you to Rosalyn Eves, Macmillan Children's Books and Net Galley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Children's Books in exchange for an honest review.

I, like most of the world right now, am obsessed with Bridgerton, so when the opportunity to read a romance book set in a similar period came up, I was more than a little curious. An Improbable Season is the tale of three young women coming out to society in Regency London, some more eager to meet their husbands than other. We have Kalli, a starry-eyed romantic who is immediately forced to make a match when she is caught in scandal, her sister Thalia who dreams of being a poet (and has zero common sense) and finally Charis, my personal favourite being autistic-coded and obsessed with science. Each of the three girls has their own romance plotline which gets explored throughout the book.

As with any book with multiple plots/characters, people are bound to have favourites. In my case, I thought the Charis romance was by far the most interesting. Kalli's was fine but predictable, and Thalia's outright annoyed me. Minor spoilers here but Thalia gets immediately taken in by an obvious hot guy rake, and every decision she makes with regards to this is frustrating and predictable. There was little tension, just annoyance at how stupid she was being. Kalli fairs a little better, being predictable but enjoyable still. There is a little doubt as to which suitor she will end up with, which is also nice.

Charis's romance is good. There isn't much representation of someone like her in this kind of romance (at least, not to my admittedly-limited knowledge) and it was really refreshing. I loved that she bonded with her romantic partner through science, that her attitudes and behaviours weren't a problem for him and that she had a small breakdown anytime she thought she might have romantic feelings for someone. I adored her story and if the whole book was focused on her, it would be an easy 4-5 stars.

Overall, this book is definitely worth checking out if you're enjoying Bridgerton and want more of the same with a YA twist. The historical elements aren't too heavy so that might irritate readers of the genre, but it's still a lot of fun for the most part. Just be aware there are a few obvious tropes/cliches alongside the good stuff

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Some genres/subgenres don’t translate well to Young Adult, and unfortunately I think Regency might just be one of them. For starters, Regency often does deal with young adult characters because of the historical context, and it’s also the reason you might get a younger female character paired with a slightly older male character in a way that wouldn’t work in a contemporary setting. It’s not always the case, of course, but Adult Regency heroines can be anywhere from 17 and older. Younger men historically also wouldn’t be seen as serious prospects, but as a romance subgenre, Regency relies heavily on sexual tension – the risk of scandal, forbidden touches, the possibility of crossing a line that could cost a character so, so much.

It doesn’t translate well to YA, and An Improbable Season does a good job of demonstrating why. Historical fiction can work well in YA, and for a contemporary audience, seeing teenagers ‘just like them’ in historical settings is part of the charm, but the characters still need to remain rooted in that setting. Here, we have three main characters; Thalia, Kalliope, and Charis, who neither read like contemporary heroines or historical ones. They come across as too young to even debut, bickering and sniping at each other in a manner even Downton’s Mary and Edith would frown upon. They don’t read as fully fleshed out characters – at one point, one even makes the comment that one is a scientist (Charis), one a writer (Thalia), and the other is a domestic (Kalliope), and these remain their defining characteristics throughout.

The plot itself is really messy. There are suitors for each girl, of course – Kalli ends up in a bit of a love triangle, after a mistake that could result in scandal ends with her engaged to her sister’s friend, but she likes this other gentleman who likes her back. Charis makes a big deal out of ‘scientifically studying’ the act of courtship, which sees her growing closer to a man who is also interested in science, and Thalia is drawn to a guy who I think is supposed to be a bit of a rake? The problem is none of the relationships feel solid, at all, and it’s clear we’re supposed to dislike Thalia’s beaux because of the horrendous red flag of him trying to give feedback on her writing, which she absolutely insists on sharing with him. The feedback consists of advising her she needs to work on it and maybe it’s useful for her to be around other writers. (Shock horror at actually giving her ways she could improve!)

Most of the time, this book feels like someone has just discovered Austen and Regency Romance, and tries to squeeze in as many of the tropes as possible without forethought as to why these elements work in the setting. Now, before I say my next point, I want to add that I have read plenty of historical romances from American writers, and often it’s very, very clear they have done their research. There might be the odd misstep or mistake, but usually nothing more than you’d expect in any historical fiction. This book comes across as painfully American. The word ‘missish’ crops up at one point, and is used so frequently in the next few paragraphs it was like the writer just discovered it and decided it had to be used as often as possible.

I gave this book two stars. I don’t think Eves is a bad writer, but I don’t think Regency Romance is the right genre for what she’s trying to do. The writing itself was fine, but in general it was the historical aspects and characterisation that really let this book down. Rosalyn Eves does write in other genres, and I can easily imagine her excelling in these, but An Improbable Season, on multiple levels, just doesn’t quite work.

Scandal and suitors - what more do we need from a regency inspired novel?! Loved the three perspectives and can’t wait to read more in the follow up!

Pretty fast read. I like the old english regency vibe to it and it made me think of Bridgerton. However, I didn’t really like the way Adam and Kalli ended up.

I really enjoyed this! I thought I was getting a sweet regency rom-com - and I did! - but it also felt very coming-of-age. Three very different and well-rounded main characters, all with different dreams and aspirations - I loved all of them equally, and was excited to watch how each of the girls tried to integrate herself into London society in her debut season. The three-POV's worked well, and each voice felt suitably different, but I found that when it came to the romance, there were definitely some storylines I preferred over others... but that's to be expected! I think I almost would have wanted three different books, one following each girl....

I'd give this to fans of Laura Wood's Agency for Scandal!

There's a lot of Regency story but this one was excellent and I loved the unusual heroines and the well plotted story.
Entertaining, well done and compelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

For fans of Bridgerton, An Improbable Season is a swoony Regency romance by Rosalyn Eves, offering a delightful and aptly described 'romp' through the intricate world of three young women and their grand dreams during a London Season gone awry. The narrative unfolds with a whirlwind of balls, elopements, weddings, rows, poetry, and scientific presentations. The book jumbles along with unexpected discoveries, disagreements, and tears, painting a vivid picture of a season that takes unexpected turns for the three girls.

Surprises abound, and the story keeps the reader guessing, as appearances can be deceiving, leading to the formation of the wrong couples and the right couples facing disagreements. Initially, adjusting to the multitude of characters, names, and love interests may be a bit confusing, but once that hurdle is overcome, the novel reveals itself as a truly engaging, madcap read.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This felt very YA. I liked the concept, but I found the characterisation quite laboured and predictable.

I’m not usually a person who enjoys historical romances, so I was a little sceptical when I saw this, but it actually was really good and I think the writing style was the main reason why enjoyed it. It wasn’t modern writing, but it was a hybrid between where it was intriguing and fast pacing and also understanding while also not going to much into technical language that it confused me and pulled me out of the scene. I actually did like this and thought it was really good and I will definitely read more of these books from this author in the future. I also thought the main female character was really cool and I would 100% read another book from these character

I didn't quite click with this one, purely because it's not the classic style of Regency romance I was expecting! Instead of a main couple who alternate POVs, the narration alternates between three cousins, all girls, which means we don't get the lovers' sides of the romance. Add to that the fact that this feels very YA in tone, with the girls feeling very accurately teenage, and this just wasn't quite my cup of tea - but I'll recommend it to younger readers looking for a fun Regency read.

Wow! This book is absolutely amazing. The descriptions are so touching and vivid. As soon as I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book to every other reader out there.

I enjoyed the individuality of each of the three women but I found it quite hard to connect to any of them or really root for their happy endings.

“To market, to market, one girl as a bride,
Home again, home again, lord by her side
To market to market, I’ll be no man’s wife
I’ll write poems instead and make my own life. —Thalia Aubrey”

My thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘An Improbable Season’ by Rosalyn Eves. It is the first in her Unexpected Seasons series.

My eye was initially drawn by the lovely cover of this Regency romance. Once started, it proved to be more than just a pretty cover and I found it a delight. While classed as Teen/YA, I feel that it will also appeal to older readers who enjoy traditional Regency romances.

The story follows the fortunes of three young women, who in early 1817 are setting off from Oxfordshire for their first London Season. They each have their own clear goals and appear less interested in marriage.

Thalia Aubrey intends to make her mark in the literary world and have her poetry published. Her cousin, Charis Elphinstone, has aspirations to earn a place among the scientific elite, a mammoth task for a woman in this time. Finally, Thalia’s sister, Kalliope Aubrey, aims to take the fashionable ton by storm.

Yet it doesn't take long for things to fall apart when a misunderstanding leads to a scandal that threatens the reputations of all three young women as they come up against the strict social codes of Regency London high society. Of course, there are suitors though will they prove to be honourable or dastardly?

The structure of the novel cycles between the perspectives of the three women. While not mentioned in the text, I noted that the Aubrey family clearly appreciated Greek mythology having named their daughters for two of the Muses. I also found the chapter titles and accompanying quotes annotated by Thalia, Kalliope, and Charis very witty.

As Rosalyn Eves points out in her closing Author’s Note, the Regency Romance is more escapist fantasy than rooted in reality. While Eves doesn’t discount the pleasure of escapism, she believes it is important to acknowledge that “the wealth that makes English high society fun to read about depended in large part on money earned from British colonial expansion, particularly in the British Raj and the Caribbean colonies.”

To reflect the realities of colonialism, she made choices in her narrative including having one of the male characters, Mr. Leveson, as Anglo-Indian and mentioning the infamous Elgin Marbles.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘An Improbable Season’ very much finding it an engaging story with likeable characters and a well realised period setting.

This is the first in her Unexpected Seasons series and I am looking forward to reading its standalone companion, ‘An Unlikely Proposition’, due for publication in March 2024.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

If you love Bridgerton and Lady's Guide to Fortune Telling, you will also love this!! It was a fun historical escapism read!

This tells the story of how three very different young ladies from the country fare in their first season in London. Thalia and Kalliope are sisters and Charis is their cousin. The story is told from their three points of view. Charis is only interested in science, Thalia wants to be a published author and Kalli wants a home of her own and a family. I did enjoy their story, the one drawback was the pace. It did dip in the middle but was all action towards the end. There are plenty of romances and would be romances in the story. It also showed how naive they were and also how some men regarded women, particularly in regard to scientific matters. This was an entertaining read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun, yet sometimes frustrating, regency romp. It was difficult, especially at the start, to differentiate between the POV chapters of the three girls. Charis had the most distinct voice as she was usually very matter-of-fact. While she could be oblivious to people’s intentions or feelings, I liked her for her strong morals and kind heart. I was initially charmed by her love interest but I didn’t appreciate the condescending manner in which he bantered with her.

I definitely liked Thalia the least. As the novel progressed, she became increasingly snobbish and hard to tolerate. She seemed to be jealous of whatever positive thing that was happening in Kalli and Charis’ lives. Considering the turmoil Kalli was going through this season – a time when she needed the support of her sister the most – Thalia’s behaviour was immature and narcissistic. I wished Thalia’s steep learning curve occurred sooner in the novel as it meant that for the majority of it, I found her POV chapters to be frustrating and I would try to rush through them.

Kalli was my favourite main character. She was intrinsically kind and thoughtful. She entered the season only looking to have some frivolous fun. In truth, I could have easily enjoyed a whole book of her and love interest's love story.

OVERALL: Intertwining three regency romances, this book had a lot to juggle. While I enjoyed the majority of the storylines, I wish less focus was given to those that I found to be unsympathetic.