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Lords & Lionesses
England, 1864.
When a fire destroys fourteen-year-old Isabella Cringle’s home, she loses everything she has ever known. Then, against all odds, she is offered a scholarship to the prestigious Kensington School in London.
Kensington is a world of silk gowns, glittering parties, and unspoken rules the other girls seem to know by heart. Isabella is not one of them. Still, she is determined to find her place—especially after she befriends Margaret, a classmate who seems to shine brighter than anyone else.
But Kensington hides secrets of its own.
Drawn into the Black Rose Society, Isabella makes a choice she cannot undo and is soon blamed for a scandal that threatens her future at the school. In a last attempt to save her place, she goes home with Margaret, whose father’s influence reaches far beyond the school gates. There, Isabella uncovers a truth that stretches beyond one household—and into her own past.
What she learns leaves her with an impossible choice. Silence would secure her future. Speaking up could cost her friendship with Margaret. For Isabella, belonging may no longer matter as much as the truth.
When a fire destroys fourteen-year-old Isabella Cringle’s home, she loses everything she has ever known. Then, against all odds, she is offered a scholarship to the prestigious Kensington School in London.
Kensington is a world of silk gowns, glittering parties, and unspoken rules the other girls seem to know by heart. Isabella is not one of them. Still, she is determined to find her place—especially after she befriends Margaret, a classmate who seems to shine brighter than anyone else.
But Kensington hides secrets of its own.
Drawn into the Black Rose Society, Isabella makes a choice she cannot undo and is soon blamed for a scandal that threatens her future at the school. In a last attempt to save her place, she goes home with Margaret, whose father’s influence reaches far beyond the school gates. There, Isabella uncovers a truth that stretches beyond one household—and into her own past.
What she learns leaves her with an impossible choice. Silence would secure her future. Speaking up could cost her friendship with Margaret. For Isabella, belonging may no longer matter as much as the truth.
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 3, 2026
I was hooked by the cover art and the synopsis, but unfortunately this was a bit of a letdown and could have used more editing.
Ives flip-flops between using Isabella and Izzy for the protagonist's name, it's more frequent early on, but happens throughout the whole text and makes it feel like he's unsure what her name is. This happens in passages with no dialogue so it's not just that she goes by Isabella with some people and Izzy with others. Sometimes her name alternates between the two in the same paragraph.
Told mostly in the third person, there are moments where Ives will jump into the mind of other characters from paragraph to paragraph which made for an unbalanced reading experience (as did some of the time jumps). There's also a lot of overly descriptive passages where it feels like a Thesaurus was whipped out just to throw as many words as possible into saying Izzy smiled.
One of the big plot points when Izzy starts at Kensington is that she's invited to join a secret society that backfires and leads to her being set up. The actions hint at the society having deep roots and even involving staff but then that whole thread is dropped entirely without explanation or a conclusion.
Overall this feels like more of a draft than a finished text and I don't think it will appeal to most teen readers.
I also can't find any information online about this publisher which seems odd.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Gigglemug Press in exchange for an honest review.
Ives flip-flops between using Isabella and Izzy for the protagonist's name, it's more frequent early on, but happens throughout the whole text and makes it feel like he's unsure what her name is. This happens in passages with no dialogue so it's not just that she goes by Isabella with some people and Izzy with others. Sometimes her name alternates between the two in the same paragraph.
Told mostly in the third person, there are moments where Ives will jump into the mind of other characters from paragraph to paragraph which made for an unbalanced reading experience (as did some of the time jumps). There's also a lot of overly descriptive passages where it feels like a Thesaurus was whipped out just to throw as many words as possible into saying Izzy smiled.
One of the big plot points when Izzy starts at Kensington is that she's invited to join a secret society that backfires and leads to her being set up. The actions hint at the society having deep roots and even involving staff but then that whole thread is dropped entirely without explanation or a conclusion.
Overall this feels like more of a draft than a finished text and I don't think it will appeal to most teen readers.
I also can't find any information online about this publisher which seems odd.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Gigglemug Press in exchange for an honest review.
May 4, 2026
Where are the lords (plural) and the lionesses?
I thought this might be a fun romp of adventures at a girls school with some family secrets thrown in. I'm not even sure what it's trying to be, I'm so confused, and disappointed. It's a big miss for me.
Very unlikeable and unrealistic characters that are incredibly immature. They don't act like girls or even friends.
The main character's name suddenly changes from Isabella to Izzy from one page to the next and then back again the next sentence. Inconsistent usage and distracting throughout the entire book.
The descriptions are waaaaaay overdone. Painful to read and some are just strange, especially about people and bodies. My personal least favourite: "She stared at the skin on the pads of her fingers, crinkled into tiny hills and valleys that reminded her of home, then lifted her foot above the water, pulling it closer to her face to inspect her toes for the same condition". To misquote Cinema Sins - "book has time for this". In fact, i think that sums a lot of the book...
VERY dubious historical accuracy. The inaccuracies got more obvious and annoying as the book went on. I gave up noting them down. Here's just a few :
A powdered face is mentioned which would've gone out of style about a century beforehand.
Upper class people would've been used to cold food due to the distance between the dining room and kitchen.
If setting a book in Britain they should use British terms for things, not American. Eg: icing not frosting.
A baron is the lowest noble rank in England but they seem to be treated like a duke or similar in this book.
The blurb says it's 1894, but when Margaret's mum dies of cholera in '54 that's 10 years ago? Or did she somehow survive decades...? (maybe it was supposed to be TB?)
Kensington is supposed to be the epitome of girls education but they don't know anything about America or what's happening in the world? There was such a missed opportunity not showing what they learned and why it's such an inspiring place.
There wasn't much of a plot and there didn't feel like any stakes at all. The plot movement never felt natural or realistic. At one point I wondered if an entire chapter was missing as it shifted so suddenly.
After reading the authors bio I think it would've been much more interesting to read something written about what they did in their career! That could be fascinating. Write what you know as they say.
Thanks to netgalley for the advance ebook copy.
I thought this might be a fun romp of adventures at a girls school with some family secrets thrown in. I'm not even sure what it's trying to be, I'm so confused, and disappointed. It's a big miss for me.
Very unlikeable and unrealistic characters that are incredibly immature. They don't act like girls or even friends.
The main character's name suddenly changes from Isabella to Izzy from one page to the next and then back again the next sentence. Inconsistent usage and distracting throughout the entire book.
The descriptions are waaaaaay overdone. Painful to read and some are just strange, especially about people and bodies. My personal least favourite: "She stared at the skin on the pads of her fingers, crinkled into tiny hills and valleys that reminded her of home, then lifted her foot above the water, pulling it closer to her face to inspect her toes for the same condition". To misquote Cinema Sins - "book has time for this". In fact, i think that sums a lot of the book...
VERY dubious historical accuracy. The inaccuracies got more obvious and annoying as the book went on. I gave up noting them down. Here's just a few :
A powdered face is mentioned which would've gone out of style about a century beforehand.
Upper class people would've been used to cold food due to the distance between the dining room and kitchen.
If setting a book in Britain they should use British terms for things, not American. Eg: icing not frosting.
A baron is the lowest noble rank in England but they seem to be treated like a duke or similar in this book.
The blurb says it's 1894, but when Margaret's mum dies of cholera in '54 that's 10 years ago? Or did she somehow survive decades...? (maybe it was supposed to be TB?)
Kensington is supposed to be the epitome of girls education but they don't know anything about America or what's happening in the world? There was such a missed opportunity not showing what they learned and why it's such an inspiring place.
There wasn't much of a plot and there didn't feel like any stakes at all. The plot movement never felt natural or realistic. At one point I wondered if an entire chapter was missing as it shifted so suddenly.
After reading the authors bio I think it would've been much more interesting to read something written about what they did in their career! That could be fascinating. Write what you know as they say.
Thanks to netgalley for the advance ebook copy.
May 5, 2026
A YA book rich with all the beautiful details of historical homes, dresses, and growing up a young lady of the 1860's in England.
Being a teenager is hard no matter what background you come from as Margaret and Izzy soon discover. Having too much or too little will can be equally lonely making you question who your true friends are. Thus, the aristocrats and the fisherman's daughter are thrown together in an odd set of circumstances.
The girls discover that what really defines,are the decisions you make in the face of adversity or taking the easy versus the right way.
I enjoyed the story and Izzy's strength and honesty and Margaret's willingness to help out a friend. The descriptions were beautiful and really made you feel present.
The missing stars were for the sudden reveals of plot points that I felt weren't really followed up and the jumpy transitions to and from places.
I received this advance review copy for free and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Being a teenager is hard no matter what background you come from as Margaret and Izzy soon discover. Having too much or too little will can be equally lonely making you question who your true friends are. Thus, the aristocrats and the fisherman's daughter are thrown together in an odd set of circumstances.
The girls discover that what really defines,are the decisions you make in the face of adversity or taking the easy versus the right way.
I enjoyed the story and Izzy's strength and honesty and Margaret's willingness to help out a friend. The descriptions were beautiful and really made you feel present.
The missing stars were for the sudden reveals of plot points that I felt weren't really followed up and the jumpy transitions to and from places.
I received this advance review copy for free and this is my honest and voluntary review.
April 15, 2026
This young adult book is about secrets, betrayals, seeking truth, belonging and friendship. The plot is interesting and should be liked by older teens. The characters are well defined for the most part, but the dialogue isn’t always natural. It definitely brings out the meanness that girls can experience, although there are characters who are almost too nice to be true, and don’t seem realistic. Maybe that is to bring attention to girls who read this, that their thoughts and actions can affect others in bad ways. Sometimes characters changed their demeanor so quickly it seems a little confusing. Text is descriptive and I can picture the settings. The ending is satisfying. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 22, 2026
YA historical fiction energy that wasn’t really my cup of tea.
There are moments of tension, growth, and character connection that keep things moving, but I didn’t find the characters especially likable or developed enough to fully invest in them. The premise of safety and security over honesty is interesting, and the FMC does make decisions she believes are best, but it takes a bit too long to really get there.
That said, I never felt fully pulled into the story the way I wanted to be. It has solid ideas and a few engaging scenes, but overall it felt just… okay. This isn’t a bad read, it just wasn’t one I deeply connected with. I’m sure there’s an audience out there for it though.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
There are moments of tension, growth, and character connection that keep things moving, but I didn’t find the characters especially likable or developed enough to fully invest in them. The premise of safety and security over honesty is interesting, and the FMC does make decisions she believes are best, but it takes a bit too long to really get there.
That said, I never felt fully pulled into the story the way I wanted to be. It has solid ideas and a few engaging scenes, but overall it felt just… okay. This isn’t a bad read, it just wasn’t one I deeply connected with. I’m sure there’s an audience out there for it though.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 15, 2026
I enjoyed the pace of this book. There were a few loose ends and story lines that didn't make sense within the book. I kept hoping the author would explain where the title originated from, if he did, I didn't see it.
The characters were fun to get to know and I would love to see a book 2 that shows the main character's next year at schoo.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The characters were fun to get to know and I would love to see a book 2 that shows the main character's next year at schoo.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 13, 2026
I really enjoyed Lords and Lionesses. To me, it was a great read. It quickly drew me in from the very beginning. The author did an excellent job developing the characters - they felt real, and the storyline kept me involved and interested from start to finish.
Review of advance copy
This was a verbose read - it’s one of those books that describe everything in minute detail, to the point of being superfluous at best or redundant at worse. For eg, ““Days later, the sun engaged in a game of peekaboo, darting in and out of the clouds…”. The writing could have done with a good editor!
This also goes for the plotline - a lot of coincidences and again, superfluous plot twists really challenged the suspension of disbelief: when Izzy is suspected of a grievous wrong that’s weighty enough to cost her her dreams, a Lord agrees to help; when Izzy gets herself in trouble as a guest in his manor, she is relegated to scullery duties, yet a few days later she’s forgiven enough to be treated to a trip to New York with the lord’s family; Izzy finds out about her mother’s story coincidently through a member of the Lord’s own family, whom Izzy met only through her school mate; and when all is forgiven and the lord celibrates his birthday, everyone in Issy’s close circle attends, including her ‘maid’ and the Headmistress from the school, and even the random boy who once gave her a ride to town! I think just a couple of those storylines might have been sufficient to drive this story, but all if them, alongside many others, just keep bouncing the reader from plot twist to plot twist, but without sibstantive engagement with any of them.
This would be a good light read if you just want to fall into ‘boarding school’ novel, and getting into which doesn’t require much effort!
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC!
This also goes for the plotline - a lot of coincidences and again, superfluous plot twists really challenged the suspension of disbelief: when Izzy is suspected of a grievous wrong that’s weighty enough to cost her her dreams, a Lord agrees to help; when Izzy gets herself in trouble as a guest in his manor, she is relegated to scullery duties, yet a few days later she’s forgiven enough to be treated to a trip to New York with the lord’s family; Izzy finds out about her mother’s story coincidently through a member of the Lord’s own family, whom Izzy met only through her school mate; and when all is forgiven and the lord celibrates his birthday, everyone in Issy’s close circle attends, including her ‘maid’ and the Headmistress from the school, and even the random boy who once gave her a ride to town! I think just a couple of those storylines might have been sufficient to drive this story, but all if them, alongside many others, just keep bouncing the reader from plot twist to plot twist, but without sibstantive engagement with any of them.
This would be a good light read if you just want to fall into ‘boarding school’ novel, and getting into which doesn’t require much effort!
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews