Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for an eARC of The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4.75 Stars Rounded Up

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is a charming & clever queer historical romance. This book should be the poster child of the “Be Gay Do Crime” trope.

I absolutely adored Marian in The Queer Principles of Kitt Webb. She was my favorite character because of how mysterious and hilarious she was. So naturally I was excited to read a book focused on her.

The book starts off with the blackmail letters that were exchanged between Marian and Rob. They were so witty, sarcastic and funny! It was seriously one of my favorite parts of the story. The letters laid the foundation for their relationship before they ever met in person. In true Marian fashion they actually come face to face during her attempt to drug and kidnap him 😅

As wonderful as it was to get more of Marian’s backstory, Rob stole my heart in this book! Think of him as cinnamon roll version of Robin Hood that can/will actually kill you if you cross him or someone he loves.

There were of course some steamy scenes but they were a lot different than in TQPoKW. Through Marian and Rob, Sebastian highlights alternatives to penetrative sex. I loved how Rob delicately handled Marian when it came to intimacy and physical touch. He understood the trauma she had been through in her marriage to the Duke. He proved time and time again that she was indeed safe with him which was beautiful.

I was hoping to see more of Kitt and Percy in this book than we got. However, the way the book ended I have a feeling there will be another in this series! So I just may get my wish after all 😏

Cat Sebastian does an excellent job of writing two characters who seemingly shouldn’t work as a couple but actually are perfect for each other! The banter between Marian and Rob was just as sublime as it was between Kitt and Percy. Cat has a way of crafting characters during 18th century who feel like real people and not the pretentious caricatures you would expect for the time period. Marian, Rob, Kitt and Percy defy the social norms of the time at every turn making them much more relatable. For that reason, I believe people who don’t like historical fiction would enjoy this book!

First I would like to say I received this e-arc from Avon & Harper Voyager. Thank you guys for sending me this copy.

So, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes follows recently widow Marian Hayes Duchess of Clare who shoots and kills her husband after being sent letters by a blackmailer. (this is referenced in the blurb so no spoilers) Throughout the book, Marian starts to work with her blackmailer to Escape London before anyone finds out who killed the Duke of Clare.

This book was a different read for me, I haven’t read any books that took place in Georgian London. This book has it all queer main characters, slow burn, longing, highwayman robbery, illegitimate bastard sons, esquire banter, thriving, and stolen kittens.

I really enjoyed how different the book was even though I was confused in the beginning I really enjoyed her way of inputting the letters in the storyline and having it be a running them throughout towards the end. Marian and Rob's chemistry was amazing he was definitely sunshine and she was grumpy the best part of them avoiding love for each other still wanting each other.

Available June 7th

This was my first read from Cat Sebastian and I really enjoyed it! I genuinely loved the banter between Rob and Marian as well as their sweeter moments. I also love how their chemistry and relationship grew and developed in such a natural way. I think fans of the historical romance genera will really enjoy this one!

First of all I just want to say I’m not a huge historical fiction fan. If you are the same way, don’t let this stop you from reading! This book hooked me from the beginning! I loved the exchange of letters and the author’s style of writing.

This was my first time reading a Cat Sebastian book and I will definitely be picking up the first one of this series! The characters were so new and different than most historical fiction reads. I loved how modern this book was in a sense.

Rob and Marian’s growing relationship was absolutely adorable and I love how he was the one who fell first. I loved Rob’s secret animal loving side and Marian’s ability to surprise him.

This was easily a 4-star read for me. I did wish that there was a little more action in it with some scenes. As a mother, the way Marian left her child behind also bothered me a little bit. But overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those who love a good historical romance.

The Prefect Crimes of Marian Hayes is a cute historical LGBT+ romance with a heist subplot. This book is like if Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows was written into the Hamilton musical. I’m not one for historical-based books but this book had me absolutely swooning on every page. It has a good mixture of enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, morally grey characters, chaotic heists, and characters that are so intertwined with one another that it is truly a small world. It doesn’t hurt that the main characters are bisexual royalty that I would sell my left tit to know.

The characters of Marian and Rob are so complex and they were written to defy gender norms and how someone of a particular gender should behave. Rob is based off of Robin Hood, at least I believe he is, meaning he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. He’s got a heart of good and will rescue every animal he can. He’s so understanding of what other people are dealing with and he’s loyal to the end of time. Marian, on the other hand, is stubborn and will prioritize what she should do rather than what she wants to do. She goes to the extreme but it’s always deserved. Marian will do whatever it takes to ensure that her loved ones are safe and taken care.

There were so many adorable moments in this book that made me flip out, in a good way. Rob constantly calls Marian “darling” which is so freaking precious and made my heart melt. He called her “pet” once and she flipped out on him, rightfully so, and it’s been back to darling ever since. Also, Rob is just a simp for Marian and we support that. He would do literally anything for her and it’s so refreshing to read a man be the simp. He’s also very much a bottom with a praise kink and I support that shit with my whole being. Marian is definitely the one wearing the pants in the relationship and Rob does not seem like he’s about to complain about that anytime soon. They are just so precious! Rob also kidnapped/saved (depending on how you wanna look at it) a cat and Marian just went along with it like it was normal. She even took care of it for him and the cat doesn’t even like him. There’s just so many moments in this book that I absolutely loved but those were a few of them that wouldn’t spoil the plot.

The author doesn’t shy away from discussing topics that are considered more taboo, which is quite frankly stupid, in our society. There’s one point where Rob asks Marian if she is going to start her menstrual cycle in the next few days and offers to buy her what she needs for it. Just the brief mention of a menstrual cycle existing in a book was so amazing to read and then the Rob offers to buy stuff for it?? Bloody amazing (pun was not intended but was welcomed).

Although Marian has a baby in the book, it is mentioned multiple times that she isn’t the most maternal and she acknowledges that. I’m not certain if it was intended this way, but it almost seems like Marian is suffering from postpartum depression. Even if this was not the goal, the fact that it came across this way to me was really cool because most romance books that feature a child also have a main character who really wants to have birth. It’s not often that you get a main character who isn’t maternal or didn’t want a child. Even better is that Marian knows this about herself and she’s not trying to hide it or fool anyone. It truly makes her a stronger character for being able to accept her strengths and weaknesses and also being able to ask for help in that area. And it’s not like Marian isn’t maternal, she takes quite good care of her baby, but she knows she isn’t the most maternal or doting mother. I’m not mother and nor will I, hopefully, ever be but motherhood is often glorified in romance books and the take on it in this book was more realistic.

The book also touched on how dangerous having children can be which, repetitive I know, was really fucking cool. It ties in a lot with the above point but having children is not always feasible for people and can be a major risk to the mother. Although Marian did survive childbirth, it is mentioned that she likely wouldn’t survive another childbirth. And when Rob finds out about this, instead of being a dick and risking Marian’s life to have penetrative sex, they both explore other alternatives of sex and pleasure. Just this exploration of other forms was just a phenomenal decision by this author. This, we’ll all of it really, makes me wish that all men were like Rob and that more romance books touched on topics similar to these rather than portraying a perfectly happy couple who get the perfect life with a white picket fence. Marian and Rob may not be able to have penetrative sex or have a child but they are still able to have their happily ever after.

The only downside to this book that I found, which isn’t really that big of a deal, is that I found it kinda hard to keep track of who everyone is, who they know, and who they are related to. I do want to preface this by saying that I have read The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes before reading The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and this might not actually be an issue if I read them in order. Continuing on though, I think it would be really helpful to have some sort of family tree or graph that shows the relationships of everyone in the book.

That was entirely a lie, there was one other downside which was that we got robbed of a pegging scene!!! This book has done so well at making the characters not play by their gender roles, discussing sexuality, and exploring alternatives ways of sex rather than just penetrative sex. This all makes me mad because it was mentioned that strap-ons are a thing and then does absolutely nothing and the book ends! We didn’t even get a pegging scene and I will do whatever I need to do in order to get that pegging scene. Like why tease us and not deliver? By this point, y’all know that Marian wears the trousers in the relationship and all I want is to read her pegging Rob while Rob receives a bunch of praise from her.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for a review. Everything stated in this review is of my own honest thoughts and opinions.

I adored this book. Sebastian writes precious cinnamon rolls and I love them. You definitely have to read The Queer Principles of Kit Webb first, but it's an absolute treat of a book too! I really like Marian - she's prickly, but so full of love. It was interesting to have a MC who suffered from HG before it could be treated. I think it added a layer of complexity to the story and her relationship with Rob. Rob is the most charming villain, a perfect counterpoint to Marian. I was thoroughly delighted while reading this book.

Cat Sebastian can truly do no wrong. She always delivers gorgeous fiction that a) manages to feel historically accurate while avoiding so many of the pitfalls/sins of the time period, updating enough of the mores and attitudes without becoming entirely ahistorical; b) is wonderfully cozy wish-fulfillment, where characters can overcome past trauma and pain and forge new relationships/make found families that help them heal and grow and find a happy future; c) is scorchingly hot AND emotionally resonant AND unapologetically/undeniably queer.

Every time I pick up one of her books, I feel like I've won the lottery. For the next couple of hours, love is ABSOLUTELY gonna conquer all, and I'm in for a guaranteed good time.

"Perfect Crimes" is no exception. Sebastian's obviously, overtly queer stuff is great, but I'm developing an even softer spot for her adventures that, at first blush, *seem* to be hetero. I just love the idea that folks might pick this up expecting a standard m/f historical romance, only to find themselves rooting on characters that are bi/pan/queer.

Then there's Sebastian's overtly Marxist/"Eat the Rich" messages that have become more and more prevalent in her work as the years pass. There's no escaping the class/money issues in this series, and it goes contrary to so many historical romances, where everyone is beautifully rich and comfortably insulated from real world issues. It's so nice to read a historical story where the characters rebel against society's expectations/demands in EVERY way, no matter what it costs them, so long as they can maintain their souls/morals and protect their loved ones. "Be gay, do crime" has rarely been this fun or beautiful.

As a Barnes & Noble bookseller, I make a point to recommend Sebastian to anyone I find in the romance section, and it's been just lovely seeing folks' faces light up when I explain her books are *always* queer. Very much looking forward to putting this in customers' hands as soon as I can.

This was the first time I read a Cat Sebastian book. I liked it fine, but could see I should’ve read the first book in the series to get the fuller picture. While entertaining, I found the story rather rushed. It felt like too much was happening off the page and I was left filling in the blanks myself.

The writing style was easy and succinct, however the chapter breaks were rather abrupt and very “end scene/enter scene”. I would have liked a more continuous flow so that I wasn’t taken out of the scene so quickly. But overall the book was entertaining and inclusive. I wouldn’t mind going back to read Kit and Percy’s story.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this arc to me in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe this is just a mood I am currently in? I don’t know but Marian and Rob were everything I wanted and more.

Both are bi/ pan and their sexuality and queerness is inherent to their characters and are interwoven in to their intimate moments without having any form of a coming out story. I loved the Be Gay Do Crimes (and eat the rich) vibes of every book that Sebastian writes but I also deeply love this story’s theme of vulnerability, consent, and defining a relationship in your own terms. (No spoilers but such a soft and unique HEA?!) Marian is all cynical hard edges doing what she has to take care of everyone around her and never taking care of herself (ouch I felt called out) and Rob is just a borderline himbo throwing his love and sweetness in to the world. (Georgian Ted Lasso? Possibly!)

I loved seeing Kit and Percy again (really should read that book first!) and how their found queer crime family is just living their best less than legal lifestyle. This is all vibes and feels but also has a lot of depth and hard themes in a way that only Cat Sebastian can write.

This book is what happens when you mix three parts vodka, two parts bisexual, one part triple sec, and one part frothy historical romance. Let's all get drunk on bi historical romances. Sebastian takes us back before the Regency into a gay Georgian London. Marian, a grumpy criminal, and Rob, a thief who can’t seem to stop saving kittens, become our entire focus. Between a prickly ice queen and a sunshine hero, the once scathing letters these two sent back and forth to each other develop into a smart, quick-witted road trip romance. A truly excellent mixture of Bridgerton, Harlots, and Our Flag Means Death. With the whimsy tone of Bridgerton, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is part feral and part sweet.

This historical romance is charming, fun, and a pleasure to read. Both humorous and emotional, it is a sequel to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, so features characters readers already know with adventures and a love story of their own.. I always look forward to what Cat Sebastian comes up with next. Highly recommended.

I'm never disappointed in a book by Cat Sebastian. In fact, each book is a delight, and "The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes" is no exception. Rob's devotion to prickly Marian is so charming and heartfelt, and I can't resist a thieving hero who also rescues animals and gives almost all of his money away. Cat's books are also beautifully inclusive, and demonstrate that there are many ways to achieve an HEA. Highly, highly recommend.

Great banter between the characters, especially enjoyed their internal monologues. I enjoy a prickly heroine with a happy-go-lucky and charming hero. I wanted a bit more of each character's backstory - our introduction to them felt a bit rushed. Reading the 1st book in the series first would probably have allayed this feeling somewhat. I enjoyed the epistolary meet-cute, but thought it was a bit weak for establishing an initial attraction between the two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read an eARC!

CWs: gun violence, blood, death, mention of SA, dementia, PTSD, claustrophobia, drugging.
***
I am giddy. I giggled, shrieked, and smiled my way through this book. MARIAN AND ROB ARE SUCH A GOOD COUPLE, I LOVE THEM.

The events of The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes overlap with the timeline of events from The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, so I definitely recommend reading Principles first (and - it’s amazing, so why wouldn’t you read it).

We pick up on the duchess of Clare, Marian's story just after she’s shot her bigamous husband. She must flee town until she knows whether or not she will face the gallows. Her unlikely ally in this flight is the man who’s been blackmailing her for months, Rob, who she in turn has taken to spying on at night for exploitable information. She needs help getting away with a crime, and luckily, that's something Rob has plenty of experience in. They've gotten to know one another via (often hostile, on Marian's part) letters about this alleged blackmail, and find themselves confiding in the other, as each have nearly no one to turn to about the mess they've made of their lives.

Marian is cold, rude, prickly, likes to tell people what to do and could live without being duchess. Rob the ex-highwayman and still-criminal is charming, warm, self-sacrificing and loves kissing babies and rescuing animals from danger. He blackmailed her. She kidnapped him. Then they fall in love. NO NOTES.

As a sequel to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, of course this book is full of thievery, scheming, and threatening the rich. It’s also a tender love story about finding your person after trauma and loss - set against a backdrop of community, justice, and found family (of criminals!! Yes).

The banter is 10/10 and I’m obsessed with Marian and Rob’s relationship. NO DREADED THIRD ACT BREAKUP - I AM ECSTATIC.

Mild spoiler: when Marian, Rob, Percy, Kit and Betty end up as a group of Robin Hood-esque honourable criminals who live together and create a beautiful found family where they share responsibility for raising little Eliza, I died.

This is a gem of a book and I will be delighted to buy myself a physical copy when it is released in June.

this story was refreshing. i never really read anything in the same vibe / genre and it was such a fun read. unfortunately i didn't know it was kind of a sequel/following to a first book so i felt like i missed my introduction to the world but it's okay, it was still fun!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m kind of struggling with my thoughts on this book. It was kind of quirky and fun, but I never got very invested.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes follows the story of Marian, the Duchess of Clare, and Rob Brooks, the true heir of the Duke of Clare. Through a series of calamities, they end up traveling across England together.

This is the first book I’ve read by Cat Sebastian, and I will definitely read more, but it did leave me a little underwhelmed. The letters between the main characters were fun, but also left me a little confused. I did like the supporting characters, and might go back and read the first book in the series. I wanted a little more from the steamy scenes (more detail? More dialogue? I’m not even sure). Ultimately, while this book didn’t sweep me off my feet it was a nice change from a standard regency romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

What’s more romantic than blackmail, kidnapping, and a little accidental murder?

This book was just a blast to read. It was cute and light and fun, with a wonderful cast of characters. I absolutely tore through it—I picked it up to read a few chapters, and next thing I knew I was a third of the way through it. Marian is the “unlikable” female character in all the ways I love, and Rob is the perfect lovable rogue figure. Their romance was sweet and endearing, and I really appreciated how much their relationship dynamic differed from most of the books in this genre. Intimacy and motherhood and all their complications are explored in depth without ever making the story feel too heavy.

Based on the description, I did expect this to have more action, but at the same time I read this for the romance and really did love the romance, so it didn’t really bother me overall. Also, while Marian and Rob’s relationship builds over the course of months before they even meet, this is all glossed over in a chapter of their letters. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the letters, but in practice it made the couple feel a bit too insta-love for my taste.

"There is something inexpressibly masculine about expecting to be believed."

I read the first book in this series, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, last year and was left with a lot of questions by the way it ended. Where did Marian go? Where did Rob go? Why do Kit and Percy (the main characters from the first book) have Marian's baby??

Fortunately, this book answers many of those questions. The story begins in medias res and runs parallel to Kit Webb in a way that does not feel heavy-handed or repetitive of the events of the first book. I loved the use of the blackmail letters between Marian and Rob as a storytelling device to show the development of their relationship. It felt real that Marian would go to Rob and that Rob would see Marian as his equal (or better).

The book has several of my favorite tropes (only one bed! road trip! horses! larceny!) and really picks up steam as we travel around London with these two chaotic disaster bisexuals. My one major criticism is the plot from the first book is not propelled forward by this sequel as we are left in basically the same place we were at the end of Kit Webb albeit with slightly more of the gaps filled in. I also wish there was more crimes especially with the full group. Perhaps if there is a third book we will finally see the rise of this Robin Hood-steal-from-the-rich crime family.

That being said, the exploration of consent was interesting and well done for a historical with a female main character. It was a nicely executed subversion of the typical sexual dynamic in this genre. More specifically (mild spoilers for the book) Marian had a traumatic pregnancy and birth experience and didn't necessarily like the idea of penetration being forced on her so all of the sexual encounters with Rob did not involve him penetrating her after a short experiment with fingers she didn't like. Non penetrative sex is not something I see very often especially in MF romances. What's even more fun is Rob does like to be penetrated himself so she fingers him! The result of this exploration is compelling sex scenes which developed their relationship even further.

Overall, I highly recommend this book even if you don't like historical or MF romance.

HUBBA HUBBA, AWOOGA, AND I WOULD DIE FOR THIS BOOK! I usually DESPISE historical romances but boy did this have me hooked. I'm currently reading the rest of Cat's books and it just keeps getting better. Go read it.

At the end of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb we are left wondering what has become of Marian Hayes and Rob Holland. Well turns out Marian Hayes and Rob have decided to come to a general partnership after she tied Rob up of course.

I think I liked this one more than Kit and Percys story. I liked the writing the story and the writing better and the couple themselves. I thought their banter was funny, they were understanding with each other, and their love was endearing. I really enjoyed how the sexual intimacy in this one handled. Rob was very respectful of Marians boundries and let her take the reins with any sexual activity.

Rob was the sunshine and Marian was the grump in this sunshine/grump trope. Rob loves all animals even rescuing a disheveled cat. Rob is an open book and Marian struggles to show her feelings but reciprocates them in the way she knows how to. There was a ton of sweet tender moments to make a reader swoon. I really liked seeing Marians struggle with motherhood, she may have even suffered from some post partum depression.

I think the ending of the book got a bit messy and confusing with the plot being a bit rushed there but other than that I enjoyed the book a lot.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Cat Sebastian for the egalley for my honest review.