This was the first book I read from Cat Sebastian and I’m sure it won’t be my last - as far as historical romance goes, she clearly offers a unique point of view with an eye to LGBTQ perspectives, class dynamics, and diversity of sexual practices, which can only benefit the genre as a whole. I hadn’t read the first book in the series (Kit Webb) prior to starting this one, and I didn’t have too difficult a time picking up where that left off. Reading a quick synopsis should be all that’s needed if you want to pick this up as a stand-alone.

This book has a really charming opening section where the two leads build their emotional connection via a series of letters (a correspondence that first began as an ill-conceived blackmail attempt). I loved that, and I loved the chemistry between the two MCs throughout the book.

I read an arc and cannot speak to the finished version of this book, but the conclusion of this book felt under-developed to me. It kind of felt like the author had an “ideal” of where she wanted things to end up, according to the political and personal ideals of the characters, but she rushed the characters there and didn’t let it happen organically. Still, I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to historical romance readers.

✨ Review ✨ The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

Rob, a Robin-Hood-bent highwayman (steals from the rich, gives to the poor), "meets" Marian, the Duchess of Clare, when he writes to blackmail her. He won't reveal the true heir to the dukedom if she gives him 500 pounds. Marian, however, writes back with spunk, refusing his offer. After rapidfire written correspondence, Rob ends up tied up in a bed at an inn to keep him away while Marian and her friend Percy (also the duke's now illegitimate son) try to rob the duke. When these plans go awry, Marian and Rob end up on the run together in a enemies-to-friends type story that will make you smile along the way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical romance + adventure
Location: London + Canterbury and in between.
Reminds me of: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (in its adventure historical romance vibes, but less for quirky writing)
Pub Date: June 7, 2022

This was such a fun book to read because it throws traditional gender roles out the window, which I always think is fun in historical romances. Both characters identify as having had relationships with women and men, without putting any kind of ahistorical label on it. Both complement each other so beautifully, while their banter was glib, irreverent, and just so much fun!

This book is second in The Queer Principles of Kit Webb series, though I read this second book first; Note that the characters from the first book still feature prominently, though I didn't think it significantly impacted my reading experience of this book to read them out of order. For me what held this back from being a perfect read was that it dragged on a bit at the end as it resolved different things, and perhaps that was a result of its role as a sequel. **shrug**

I read this at the beach and it was certainly a great beach read - light, fun, a little bit of steam, and lots of adventures and ethical theft! 😊

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Bi representation in a historical setting
⭕️ Kittens!!
⭕️ Robin Hood style crime and irreverence for gender and class divisions.

Thanks to Avon and #netgalley for an advanced digital and physical copies of this book!

I am now a historical romance fan, as long as it includes queer characters and crime. Thankfully, Cat Sebastian exists. This book had many twists and turns that kept me interested until the very end. Let's begin. The chemistry between the main characters is INSTANT, as you can see with the letter writing in the opening chapter. I was hooked, and rooting for them from the start (I mean, come on, who doesn't love a good enemies to lovers plot?) The author skillfully alluded to things that were happening beyond the scope of the book, but as a reader I wasn't confused about any of what was happening in the book. There was a good, steady pace which never faltered. At no point did I think the plot was too slow. Towards the end of the book, I did find some of the resolutions to have happened a bit quickly, especially since the pace of the book was so well established in the first half. I would have loved one or two more chapters towards the end, to make the revelations and conclusions hold a bit more weight for me as a reader. There was a lot of predictability in the book (re: Chekov's gun), but at no point did I role my eyes as go "yeah, of course". I love how the story grows into the found family trope. Speaking of tropes! There were so many good ones in this book. One bed, grumpy/sunshine, found family. The romance lover in me couldn't stop smiling. I also enjoyed how, considering this is a second novel (both standalones, but written in the same world), nothing was really given away about the couple in the first novel (which I have not yet read). The couple from the first novel, Kit and Percy, added to the story, but did not overshadow Marian and Rob in anyway. I appreciated this because it is one of my pet peeves with series like this.
Overall, this story as entirely delightful, I could not put it down. The chemistry between Marian and Rob was unreal! I will now be reading everything Cat Sebastian has ever written.

This book was part delightful romp and part heavy emotional revenge story. Marian, who we were introduced to in "The Queer Principles of Kit Webb," is our protagonist. Marian has a lot going on: she's the Duchess of Claire, her husband is a terrible person, she has postpartum depression, an ailing father, a newborn, and she's being blackmailed by highwayman Rob.

This is a romance, so we know Marian gets her happy ending. I won't spoil how we get there, but I enjoyed the ride. The main romance features two bi/pan characters (what a delight!) and the story is equally touching and exciting. I'm not a ride-or-die reader of Cat Sebastian's novels, but I truly enjoyed this one.

4/5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars. This one wasn’t the light hearted romp I thought it would be but I think that is what makes it so great. Marion and Rob are a different type of couple and they work. I loved both of them individually and together. I also loved supporting characters and I hope Betty gets a book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a m/f historical romance where both people were queer and it turns out I am a fan.
This book was also fun. While there were some very serious moments, there was still comedy. Marion and Rob’s banter was top notch. Also, additional points for found family because I love that.

DNF at 32%. Sadly this one doesn’t seem to be for me. I was really excited about the premise, but I’m awfully bored considering how much plot has already happened. The story and characters also don’t feel grounded—more a series of events and personality traits strung together because *romance reasons*. I know this author can do better, so pretty disappointed.

This book is such a delight. A perfect follow-up to the previous one in this series, it has the same charming cast of characters and a steamy but sweet romance between a grump woman and a marshmallow of a man - both of them doing crimes, and also doing what they believe is right. Plenty of heat and banter, and not too much angst. Perfect Cat Sebastian, and well worth a read.

This is a m/f romance between bisexual characters, which for me as a bi/pan person just puts huge goddamn hearts in my eyes. The book follows The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, picking up two characters where they were left at the end of that book. While each book does stand on its own, I do think it’s probably helpful to read them in order for context and to avoid spoilers.

Marian Hayes is a sharp-edged woman who made a bad bargain in her marriage to the Duke of Clare, not in the least because it turns out to be invalid due to bigamy. Rob Brooks is an experienced highwayman who has been living the Robin Hood lifestyle since boyhood and is determined to keep it that way. When Marian’s plans for redress against the Duke go spectacularly sideways, the only person she can turn to is a charming criminal she can’t trust, and she and Rob skip town together.

This book is such a great romp. Both Rob and Marian are extremely likeable in their very different ways, with Rob the sunshine to Marian’s determined grump. It’s a fun adventure within the four corners of the book — but the other thing I loved about this story was it’s repeated defiance of amatanormative conventions.

Marian is the mother of a year-old little girl, and Marian’s feelings about motherhood are deeply ambivalent. She was dangerously sick through her pregnancy, and she experiences depression and has a hard time connecting with her child after the birth. She’s very aware that another pregnancy would likely be equally dangerous and potentially would be the death of her, and she’s not going to take that risk. It’s also clear that she experienced some sexual trauma in her marriage which has left a mark. These are really challenging topics to tackle in a lighthearted romance novel, and it’s really well done, unflinchingly and with compassion. Rob also has some past trauma—from past imprisonment, from darker things he’d done—which somehow rests in balance with his character of irrepressible good cheer.

Both Rob and Marian are sexually experienced, so they know and are comfortable with their own desires. And not only does Rob adore Marian, but he also is very happy in the role of giving his partner what they need, or giving himself up to his partner. So in the balance of their needs and desires, there is really lovely representation of a sexual dynamic not usually to be found in m/f romance, with very mutually satisfying intimacy that doesn't include penetrative sex.

This was a really charming and delightful book. It’s currently available for preorder and releasing on June 7, 2022.

An enjoyable read at every turn. Marian and Rob are absolutely electric and positively fun. I'm looking forward to hearing more about Kit and Percy's story in the next installment of the story. This book feels as if it's missing something, the ingredients for a perfect romance are all there, but the author's full voice never shines through particularly well. The imitation of the setting, the flow of the dialogue - brilliant and perfectly done. I wish there was more in the writing in the voice and character.

Cat Sebastian can do no wrong when writing historical romance. I have read a lot of her other books, and The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes lives up to my expectations! Would recommend to anyone who likes the genre.

Cat Sebastian knows how to write funny, queer , historical romance and this is one of those book. I just wished I had read book 1 of the series as I was kind of lost for a while.

So, if you're thinking about reading The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes get The Queer Principles of Kit Webb first.

I just reviewed The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian #ThePerfectCrimesofMarianHayes #NetGalley

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is my first book by Cat Sebastian, and definitely not my last. This book had a wonderful cast of characters, and a great reverse grump/sunshine romance. I loved seeing the relationship develop between Rob and Marian, and their mutual respect. The banter was A+. I also really loved the representation in this.

I didn’t read the first book in the series so I had a little bit of trouble initially with all of the relationships. However, once I grasped them, it was a truly enjoyable read.

3.5/5 stars

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!*

Read this on an airplane, so I had to skim the sex scenes to protect the guy sitting next to me XD I didn't vibe with this book as intensely as I have with some of Cat Sebastian's other works, but it was a really sweet story! I really appreciated that Marian was able to be ambivalent about motherhood, that there was no miraculous pregnancy epilogue, that the happy ending is NOT suddenly becoming an aristocrat. There's such a sweet found family at the end, and I would have loved to get more of that (since for most of the book Rob and Marian are off on their own separate adventure together), but hopefully that's what book three is for! Recommended for anyone who likes: m/f where both characters are bisexual, grumpy/sunshine where the girl is grumpy and the guy is sunshine, and a touch of femdom in your historical romance! I will say that you probably do need to have read Kit Webb before starting Marian's book -- it's been a while since I read it and I was kind of confused for a bit before it started coming back to me.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is utterly adorable! If you're a historical romance lover--this is for you. The grumpy sunshine trop is one I fall for more often than not and this is no exception.

Cat Sebastian has cleverly disguised her characters as Robin Hood and Maid Marian and honestly, what's not to like?

"“You have been busy,” he murmured, thinking of what a waste it was that in all the thousands of love poems written across the ages, nobody had ever thought to catalogue their beloved’s proficiency in crime"

4.5/5

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for my free copy.

This was so fun! The chemistry between Marian and Rob was *chef's kiss*. And their letters...I love. Unfortunately though, I haven't read the first book yet (planning on rectifying that soon!), so some things went over my head. Apart from that, this was perfect!

4 stars

Taking place in London 1751, newly mothered and Duchess of Clare—Marian—is blackmailed via letter correspondence with—Rob—a con artist. As she, unfortunately, comes to know that the man she believed to be her husband contracted a marriage to a woman who still lives. Within these continued letters back and forth between the duchess and Rob, she finds comfort and ultimately what seems to be a likeness starting to form. Events unfold and the duchess shoots the duke to which she finds solace with her blackmailer and the journey to happiness and love begins.

I severely enjoyed this book. All in all, is a queer romance with heteronormative relationships throughout and the found family trope, along with the all-so-loving grumpyXsunshine trope. Rob and Marian had the best banter (that never left) and some of the sweetest, most tender moments between just their mutual attraction and infatuation with one another as well as talks of the past and the future. Their relationship just blossomed and of course, he fell first. Rob being an all-out in the open kind of guy regarding those he loves and cherishes, he couldn't hold back or hide his true feelings for Marian. And she showed them in her own ways.

To say the least, this was the perfect crimes of Marian Hayes with everything packaged up beautifully in the end.

Is it possible that I loved this one more than Kit Webb??? Somehow, I think it is. Marian was so intriguing during the previous book and she was just perfect as the star of her own book. I love when the grumpy/sunshine trope has a grumpy heroine, and Marian’s acerbic personality was delightful. Rob was just a very soft sweetheart and I loved him. Absolutely going on my keeper shelf. As a side note,
it is SO nice to see a M/F book that doesn’t involve vaginal penetrative sex. The enthusiastic consent and respect for boundaries in this book was top notch.

I received an advance copy of this book free in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

This book is, at its core, a queer romance. Common queer themes such as found family and shirking heteronormative relationship models prevail in this delightful sequel to the Queer Principles of Kit Webb. The original characters pop in enough to connect this book to the earlier canon, but Marian and Rob truly are the stars of this particular piece. Despite a dearth of activity in the plot itself, the pacing never felt slow, and the story kept me interested and engaged. It also cast a significantly different light on the events of the first book. Seeing more of who Rob is and what his perspective was made me feel like I got a fuller version of the original story, which is a nice touch in a sequel. In short, would recommend. Make sure you've read Queer Principles of Kit Webb first though, not that that's a chore by any means.

I absolutely loved The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian!

After shooting her husband in a robbery gone wrong, Marian, Duchess of Clare has to get out of London. But she knows that the roads aren’t safe for a woman to travel alone, especially a murderer everyone might be looking for. So she does the sensible thing and turns to the highwayman who’s been blackmailing her…and who she, hours before, left tied up in an inn. Rob Brooks has had many adventures in his life, some innocuous, some ending with him in prison. He believes himself to be like Robin Hood, stealing from those he deems to have too much and giving to those who don’t have enough. But when his mom reveals who his father is, Rob is left questioning everything he knows. To make the best of a bad situation, he blackmails Marian. Neither of them count on finding someone who truly understands them.

For a book with murder, this sure is fun and even lighthearted at points! I loved the dynamic between Marian and Rob. Their relationship develops so naturally and it is easy to see how they start falling for each other. From their letters back and forth to their first meeting in person, they have so much banter and it’s so fun to read. I also loved how well Sebastian wrote the relationship between Marian and Rob, and how respectful they both are of each other. While this is a M/F relationship, both main characters are bisexual and I loved how well they are written! It’s definitely a grumpy/sunshine book, but with the “typical” roles reversed. Marian keeps to herself and can be pretty irritable. Rob loves making friends with everyone he meets and rescuing kittens. But they balance each other so well!

I also love that they are morally grey characters (she has murdered her husband and he robs people…and maybe more) and the questions that this raised for me while I read.

Finally, I loved how well this book handled hard subjects. After Marian was in a previously abusive relationship, I really loved how respectful Rob was in not pushing her boundaries. I also loved how Sebastian explores motherhood and parent/child dynamics in general.

Overall, this book was a delight to read and I recommend checking it out when it comes out on June 7, 2022!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Reviewing an ARC of The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian from NetGalley (thank you!)
Note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted in whole or in part without explicit consent from the author.

I’ve been reading books on my Kindle for a few months now, and this is the first one that had such elegantly composed passages that I used the highlighter feature … and I read a lot of books, so that’s high praise.

This is the second book that takes place in the Queer Principles of Kit Webb (QPOKW) universe, and I am here for it. When an author builds out a set of compelling characters in a particular time and place, and that author writes well and is a good storyteller (and Cat Sebastian ticks all those boxes), I want to devour all the books that world has to offer so I can live there a little longer.

Main characters Marian and Rob build a connection first through letter writing, then cement their relationship by spending time traveling together. They’re both Robin Hood-esque people who value equity and disavow the unfair social structure of 18th century England. Though they each have secrets, they’re open with each other about having secrets, which spoke to me of the importance of building trust in a relationship before you spill everything.

I also liked the sex-positive tone of the characters and the fact that PIV sex wasn’t the end goal for this hetero-looking couple. Pleasure was celebrated but it wasn’t straightforward, and that was refreshing.

Highly recommend!