The Queer Principles of Kit Webb is a charming, romantic as heck and witty story fully immersed in its 18th century landscape. This is a historical MM done well.

I adored both Kit and Percy as they are characters who are equally drawn out and complex in their nature. These two men came off the page easily and lent us their stories. The romance was a definite slow burn that can falter under a lesser author but Sebastian plays true to the times and allows you to follow along until your fingers get burned.

The plot was another sort of slow burn but one that kept me engaged and intrigued until the very end.

The main points were tied up nicely and I look forward to the next book.

An absolute delight of a book, per Cat Sebastian's usual. The best part was the banter. Kit and Percy are absolutely adorable, and the side characters are also wonderful, as is the aesthetic of Kit's coffee house. One thing that bothered me a bit is that both the action plot and the romance development felt a little underwhelming—the jump from flirting to love, as well as the action climax, could have had a bit more oomph. Regardless, thoroughly enjoyable.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Somehow, this was my first Cat Sebastian book, but it absolutely won't be my last. What a supremely delightful romp, centered around a heist but grounded in self-discovery, healing, and love.

For me, the biggest issue with this book is just how much it's trying to work in -- there's blackmail, bigamy, illegitimacy, abusive parents, new bodies after injuries, classism, the truth about how dukes make their money, prizefighting, et cetera. It's not that it doesn't work, per se, it just doesn't come together as smoothly as I'd like it to. Still, I think the bits with Percy understanding his home as a beloved place from his childhood and also the scenes of some serious inequities are well-done and incredibly valuable. Also, I am now dying for a book about Marian and Rob, perhaps together????

I love Cat Sebastian, full stop. I love the way her romances are gentle and sweet. This book continues on that grand tradition.

Kit owns a coffee shop, and he lives a simple, uncomplicated life (for the most part.) Kit is also a former highway robber. Percy is the son of a duke. Percy also is in need of a highway robber. He and his mother-in-law (also his friend and his age) need to get their hands on the book the duke keeps on his person at all time. Because Percy and Marian are being blackmailed: the duke was already married when he wed Percy's late mother, which means Percy is illegitimate, as is Marian's own marriage to the duke and their infant daughter.

Kit has a dark history with Percy's father as a former tenant, and he's not too keen on the aristocracy, either. Percy's love for expensive trinkets and clothing doesn't exactly enamor Kit to him, even though it really does. Kit can't do the robbery himself, as he has a permanently injured leg from a job gone wrong. But he agrees to teach Percy how to pull the whole thing off himself. Along the way, Kit and Percy fall in love, obviously. It's really a be gay, do crime sort of tale.

The actual highway robbery doesn't take up much space in the book (although when it went down, I was so worried about Kit and Percy, you have no idea.) What did take up the bulk of the book was Kit and Percy's tantalizing circling around each other: Percy is acerbic and Kit is a grumpy grouch. They really shouldn't get along, but the testy banter is like foreplay to these two, and it's delightful. Percy is pretty unapologetic about everything, and Kit doesn't give many fucks, all things considered. But Kit is sort of figuring out his sexuality, and well, Percy isn't going to turn down a handsome lay.

What Percy desperately does want to turn down is Kit's growing affection and pretty much how much of a big ole softie he is. Percy has terrible parents, and it shows in his reluctance to engage in anything resembling emotional intimacy. But, you know, this is a romance, so Cat gets them both where they need to be.

The mystery of the blackmailer and who the duke's actual, legal wife is are both pretty easy to figure out. And the question of where Rob and Marian end up at the end of the book is also pretty obvious, and perhaps there's a sequel where Kit and Percy see them both again.

I also appreciated that the story is about Percy and Marian trying to set themselves up for the time when they're stripped of their aristocracy, not the pair of them trying to figure out how to stay among the Ton. Percy works to figure out who he could be without his title, and that's nice. Kit is also unwilling to bend on how he thinks of the "ruling" class, that is, it's trash and should be done away with. Kit has some fire dialogue about how landlords and aristocrats are garbage and that wealth isn't worth its cost in human life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. It's a bit on the slow side, pacing-wise. But I really like seeing Kit and Percy connect on so many different levels, and their banter is so good. It was a true delight reading their perspectives, the turns of phrase used and the witty observations about each other and their situations. Seriously, every time Kit was tender and Percy was like, "Ugh. You're disgusting. Continue." was amazing. And Kit just being like, "You're such a scheming little peacock. I love it." was classic.

| I received an ARC, and this is my honest, freely given review. |

👍🏼 This one is just fun revisionist history with a LOT of steam that I was not against.
👎🏼 As a gay man, the thought of gay sex in the time period is 😬, but that’s not a negative. This was a pretty fun, perfect romcom/heist story.

Review posted on GoodReads (August 29th, 2021)
Review linked.

4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I loved this book. I had heard amazing things about this book since its release and I was so excited to pick it up. And I am so glad that I finally got to reading it because this book was so damn cute.

There were a few moments where the pacing got a bit slow for me, but other than that I genuinely enjoyed reading this book. I loved reading about Percy and Kit's stories, and loved watching them fall in love with one another. This book was so adorable, and I look forward to now reading more from Cat Sebastian!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

My heart is happy. I was finally able to sit down with my copy of Cat Sebastian's The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and it was everything I wanted it to be—sharp-witted, tenderhearted, hilarious, and sexy. It exemplifies so much of what I love about Sebastian's works, which is characters ultimately trying to make their corner of the world better through taking care of their own, through rebellions big and small, through the simple yet radical act of happiness.

Kit Webb is a reformed highwayman and a gigantic grump who tells paying patrons to leave his coffee house but apologies to the stairwell spider if anyone dares jostle its web. He knows that he should hate everything Percy, a bratty lord asking him to help commit robbery (#BeGayDoCrimes), stands for. And he does... yet as they plot and train and spend more time together, he starts to realize that he may hate the ton, but he doesn't hate Percy.

The romance between them was a delicious slow burn with Kit's fortified walls crumbling in the wake of Percy's pursuit of him. And as always, Sebastian delivers sharp critiques of class and privilege as Percy reckons with what his future looks like if he loses his title in the way he fears. Add in caretaking scenes, insults as a form of flirting, and a bossy valet judging all of Percy’s fashion choices—what more could I ask for?

I have never read Cat Sebastian before, but have recommended her work many times over. I was excited to read this.

Kitt Webb has been living a life of drudgery for far too long. Little does he know, that when a handsome face begin appearing at his coffee shop in the form of Percy, Lord Holland's son that his life would soon change. The noble propositions him with a robbery, bringing up Kitt's bygone days as a thief, but also throwing in a crux -- the mark is his father. Kitt refuses to help but can't refuse to help teach Percy how to about it himself. The more time they spend together, Kitt finds there is little he can refuse Percy.

I have thought about this one a bit and I feel like I have to tackle it from a few different angles. Firstly, I feel like the character creation/characters were probably the strongest part of this story. We as readers got a good idea of Percy and Kitt are, but also equally what they feel/think. I also felt like we got a good feel for the supporting cast too though. This was just well done all around.

Beyond this, I had some issues here and there. The plotting of this story was impeccably slow. If there was ever a slow-burn, goodness was this it. So much build up was not only to the climax of the plot in general, but also to the romance. While in some ways I don't mind a slow burn, I also find myself annoyed with just the glances. Like let them each other and almost get caught? Let them pet each other. This almost clean until they got to having sex for the first time and it was kind of disappointing.

Plus, the plot. The build up to the robbery. So he's teaching Percy and skills and stuff. But then there's also random side plots that at times don't seem to have anything to do with character creation, building of plot, etc. While I think on some level I could understand the inclusion of for instance Scarlett and her ladies-- why was it such a big plot point (or felt like one?)?

I feel like more time could have been spent getting to the robbery and then dealing with the aftermath of it, so it didn't feel like such an afterthought. When the whole plot of the book was leading to it, it shouldn't be like that. This should be a bigger part of the book. It just wasn't very well plotted.

Overall, I liked it, but I wish it hadn't been so rushed and has been plotted a little more equally. Thank you!

The arrival of a new Cat Sebastian book is always cause for rejoicing! The Queer Principles of Kit Webb is another queer historical romance, this one set in the 1700s, about a nobleman’s son called Percy who is plotting with his mother-in-law (she’s his mother-in-law but she’s his same age and they are The Best Bros) to ruin his father’s life before a blackmailer can ruin it for them. To do this, Percy must do a highway robbery! But he does not know how to do a highway robbery, which means he has to find *presto hands* A HIGHWAYMAN.

(Did anyone besides me read that poem “The Highwayman“? It’s about the highwayman who comes riding, riding, riding up to the old inn door to flirt with Bess, the landlord’s daughter, and then in order to capture the highwayman, the long arm of the law ties up Bess and puts a gun to her breast and the idea is that when the highwayman shows up, they’re going to use Bess to capture him. I won’t spoil what happens but things do not end well for Bess. She is really beset on all sides by Male Nonsense. Justice for Bess.)

The only highwayman that Percy and Marian are able to track down is out of the game. Kit Webb retired from the life of a highwayman after his partner Rob was killed and he himself was significantly injured. Now he runs a coffeehouse, where he grumps around very handsomely and runs a lending library very grumpily. He has long luscious brown hair. You will never convince me that he’s not English Eliot Spencer. He even runs a brewpub basically.

English Eliot Spencer Kit Webb is out of the game, but he is allured by the prospect of one last job, even though he knows that it, and Percy, are a bad idea.

As noted, this is a new time period for Cat Sebastian (I think? unless I am forgetting something?), and she really leans all the way into it. The 1700s were a horrible (read: amazing) time for fashion, complete with beauty spots for people of all genders, decorative swords, and so many wigs. Percy wears all of those things. It is great. I am so glad that Cat Sebastian did not try to pretend that the fashions in 1751 were anything other than what they were. Sometimes Percy wears very quiet clothes in order to skulk around and blend in, but other times he goes all in on 1750s nonsense, and it never failed to make me laugh.

A nice trend that I’ve noticed in m/m romance lately is a greater emphasis on the women in people’s lives (and community more broadly). I loved Kit and Percy’s romance, of course, but I also adored Percy and Marian’s friendship. Their relationship is totally unromantic, but that doesn’t make it less important. It’s of vital importance to them both, the life raft that keeps them afloat in the ocean of 1750s society. Marian is ferociously intelligent and determined to see their plan through to the end. If I had one small complaint about this book, it’s that I’d have liked to see either more or less of what was going on with Marian: Clearly she’s got her own drama, which we catch glimpses of in the background of this book, and which I presume is setting up a sequel? But there’s just enough of it that it felt like it should have been more central to this book, rather than a tease for the next one, and the lack of resolution made the book as a whole feel not quite resolved.

But also, I mean, who cares? We’ll get Marian’s book (right? right?), and then I will be happy. And in the meantime, Cat Sebastian’s romances continue to be an absolute treat, every single time.

Note: I got this from Netgalley for review and am also mutuals with the author on Twitter, where I am trying to convince her to share with me her archives of Harry Potter fanfic from the olden days.

This book didn’t do it for me this time but I definitely want to revisit it in the future. I think it’s a great read for people who love historical fiction and romance.

This was a cute sunshine/grump, mixed classes romance. This has queer and disability rep that felt executed well. I don’t read much historical romance, but this felt like a nice introduction into the genre.

I read Cat's f/f novella "A Little Light Mischief" about 2 years ago and absolutely adored it. I loved the representation and the storyline so much. So when I was approved for "Kit Webb," I did a little happy dance - few things make me happier than queer historical romances or queer smut.

While I did like this book generally, I found myself not believing in the love story or the connection between Percy and Kit. And since that's the point of a romance book, it's disappointing. They are very much not each other's types and had barely spoken to each other before starting to pine for/lust after one another. I don't believe in their attraction-at-first-sight.
Another gripe I have is that bits of it were hard to follow. It took me a while to understand what exactly Kit's past was like and what Percy's home situation was - did he go away for a while? Where did he live? Who is Marion to him again, what is their history?
Also, I unfortunately correctly predicted the entire rest of the story at about 30% into the book... soooo yeah.

It may just be that this book & I aren't a match. I will continue to read Cat's writing for sure, I just think this story wasn't one for me. But I encourage others to try it now that it's out!

Cute, queer, and historical sums up this book pretty well. The romance wasn’t as developed as I would have preferred, but a good read nonetheless.

This book made me laugh so hard I farted and also states that there are no good landlords 14/10

But sincerely this is one of the best romance novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Truly one of my favorites in the genre as a whole and in fiction as a whole as well. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is excellent disability representation in this book! The characters were well written. I loved following the adventures.

I read most of this book in one weekend, it's an enjoyable regency heist? The two main characters are worlds apart, although both have a reason to dislike Percy's dad. Percy comes to Kit for his help, which he is unwilling initially to give, but of course we all know the story isn't going to end there.

Both Percy and Kit were likable characters, and I also have a deep fondness for Percy's valet as well, the man needed more scenes! The highwayman and mystery pieces were entertaining and well written, and although I saw the things coming around in the end, I liked how it was written and handled.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable story with enjoyable characters, and I definitely recommend.

4.5 stars, rounded up. Reading the Queer Principles of Kit Webb has spiraled me into a historical romance frenzy and I have since ordered quite a few more of Cat Sebastian’s books because of this one. The characters are addicting, the plot is wonderful, and although I feel the plot takes a major sideline to the romance, it has a wonderful ‘eat the rich’ message as well as a good heist aspect. Highly recommend this one!

Copy Provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was a great pride month read! I saw it in every bookstore I went to! I got sucked into the story from the very first page and just could not put it down!

I came for the idea of a queer historical romance and I stayed for the heist rooted in a family drama. I found the whole family/marriage drama conundrum to be a little confusing in the beginning, but as the pieces started to fall into place, it was totally entertaining. On top of the plot being entertaining, I thought the romance between Kit and Percy was endearing and nice. I was also glad the conflict that challenges their relationship in the book was not based on the fact that they are in a queer relationship in the 1700s.
Something that I felt took away from the book, however, was how I felt the first 30-40% of the book really just dragged on. I read about them ogling each other for so long, while Kit took his sweet time trying to decide what to do. This was frustrating and it made me not want to pick up the book sometimes. However, I am glad I got through it because the second half of the book was amazing.
At times, it didn't feel like a historical romance (with the dialogue specifically), which I still go back and forth on whether I liked that. I will say this is a very accessible book for beginners of historical romance, as there are not too many terms and titles that need to be known.
Overall, this was a very fun read.

Sadly I have decided to DNF - though I will say this is something I could see myself trying to give another go sometime in the future. Historical like these just aren’t working for me right now. Beginning started slow and had trouble keeping my interest, but I am curious to see how it continues.