I jumped into this book not having read the first of the series because I was drawn to the teaser of the characters and premise. I loved Marian and Rob. Sebastian had to keep reminding us that they were both 'less desirable' by pointing out Robs criminal behavior and Marian's sharp features and even sharper personality. If she hadn't we might just fall to mush for both of them. I think of Rob like "Robinhood' with his red hair, freckles, and penchant to 'redistribute' the wealth using criminal methods. He is the cinnamon roll hero, full of genuine charm, deep affection, great patience, and unending loyalty. Marian is not a cookie cutter heroine, even of the 'witchlike' variety. Sebastian does such a wonderful job of bring her to life with unexpected complexity. She's a quiet force of only 22 years of age, who shoulders responsibility far beyond what you would wish for a girl her age. As the story progresses and the layers are revealed, she is intriguing and unpredictable. The denouement is so satisfying and sparkling that I hope there are more stories of this band of thieves to come.
Thank you so much for the ARC!

This book is EVERYTHING. I live and breathe books and I would be happy to never read another book and just live in this one. It's that good. But more than that it's the perfect book *for me.* Like Cat Sebastian knew it's been rough lately and wrote it just for me. I'm predicting it makes it *at least* into my top 5 books this year.

It’s a cleverly disguised Robin Hood and Marian book. It’s the *perfect* Robin Hood and Marian book. I want to paper my walls in quotes from this book (and I probably highlighted enough to do just that - a full 11 single-spaced pages of them!!) and just live in this story from now on. Is this because I love Robin Hood stories? Yes, partly. But also I love queer love stories and Cat Sebastian's writing in general, and the Queer Principles of Kit Webb in particular, so this was just the happy convergence of all of my favorite things.

This is an *excellent* queer love story. Both leads are bisexual and Marian is probably some flavor of asexual and the dynamic is very much a dominant/aggressive/in charge Marian and a submissive Rob who only wants to please her. That stable scene! She pins him against the wall! Flip the gender status quo of historical romance why don’t you? I LOVE it.

I love how Marian is the prickly and closed-off and responsible one in this relationship, and Rob is friendly and charming and is distracted by kittens. And, now that I think of it, this is yet another case of me falling completely for a grumpy / sunshine trope.

Another reviewer pointed out that this book in a nutshell is ‘disaster bisexuals’ and ‘be gay do crime’ with a side of ‘eat the rich' and if that isn’t Marian and Rob I don’t know what is. I can't top that as a description.

I see hints of future books of 'be gay do crime' and i just want to say YES PLEASE. And baby Eliza will be raised by four doting queer parents and immersed in planning of heists before she can talk. I desperately want more books in this world, with these people.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an e-arc for review.

I really enjoyed it! I blew through it in less than a day. It was fun to revisit the events of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb from another angle. I loved the epistolary element of Rob and Marian's romance. Cat Sebastian does a great job with dialogue and humor and relationships.

This was a very cute story! When I saw the cover and title, I knew this would be right up my alley, having a love story, a murder plot, adventure, and just enough old-timey language to keep me interested but not feeling stupid for not keeping up.

I preface my review with I didn't read the first book in The Queer Principles of Kit Webb series, but this second story in the series read very well as a standalone.

What I liked about the book:
1. I love that their "meet-cute" is through letters of him attempting to blackmail her and her essentially telling him to get f*cked. Their quippy exchange they establish through the letters does not die down once they are in person, and I love it.

2. I love the Robin Hood moral code everyone lives by in this book. Standing up for those less fortunate, even it means breaking the law, is something I can definitely get down with morally....Ok, and I just realized as I'm writing this his name was Rob (as in Robin Hood) and her name was Marian (as in Maid Marian)....

3. The MCs are great. I love that neither of them are typical MCs.

Marian is a strong, determined, and grumpy person, who doesn't have the "typical" attachments a mother would be expected to have towards her child. I love this representation because it shows that all mothers aren't doting and overfilled with mothering being their greatest purpose in life.

Rob is social and submissive. This definitely comes through with him declaring his love for her first and in their lovemaking. Submissive males is not usually my thing, but I can say that Rob worked quite well for me here.

4. The steam was good. It was sweet and wasn't fade to black. You could also feel by their acts done (and not done) how emotionally intimate the scenes were, rather than just hurrying to get to the good stuff.

5. LGBTQIA+ representation!

Why it didn't get 5-stars:
1. I wish we had more backstory on Marian and her family. I don't know if more of this was present in the first book of the series, but somehow I doubt it as it wasn't her book. Same with Rob. I feel like we got the reader's digest version of their backstories, but I wanted more.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this book. The review above is representative of my honest opinions. The book comes out June 7, 2022!

4 stars!

This is my second book from Cat Sebastian, but I had no hesitation picking it up because I liked The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes didn’t disappoint with this story that was charming and emotional.
The chemistry between Marian and Rob grew so naturally over time and it was utterly palpable since beginning.
Just, if you're a fan of any kind of historical romance, go and read this.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an enchanting piece of Georgian England with two incredible main characters that bring the story filled with nefarious acts and romance to life.

First, I adore the queer representation in this book, and I find that even as time progresses, there is still not an abundance of LGBT+ characters in historical fiction books. The characters are strong, with Marian a headstrong woman making her own way in the world, and Rob serves as a remarkable counterpart. Their tension together, as well as some sweet moments, create an interesting and generally uncommon dynamic.

The plot adds the intrigue, where an attempted kidnap and accidental murder leads to Marian escaping the city to the countryside in case someone suspects her of the murder, and Rob accompanying her, despite just being kidnapped.

The only fault I find in this story is that the majority of it is spent traveling across the countryside, and while this was very likely accurate to the time period, the act of traveling put a slight halt in the story. The two characters were often also separated by the distance; however, their relation makes up for it.

Overall, this book was a splendid standalone the entails a sprinkling of crime, intrigue, and romance, making it a good book to get out of a reading slump.

Perfection! I absolutely adored Marian and Rob’s story — truly two flawed but lovable disasters at their best (and worst), with a healthy dose of “be gay, do crime” thrown in for good measure. The chaotic energy between Marian and Rob was magnificent and magnetic — I was thoroughly charmed by them both, from beginning to end. Hugely entertaining and I closed the book with a giant grin on my face.

While this story follows a separate couple than The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, the two books very much function as a duology, with two HEAs but one overarching plot and are best read in order.

5⭐️ First let me say that when i requested this book i did it because i saw the cover and automatically loved it. I went into the book blind but at the end i really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a quick and fun read this is your book! One of our main characters, Marian Hayes, who is also the duchess of clare shot her husband and now she is on the run. The only person who can help her now is a very charming criminal. Rob, who is our charming criminal, was my favorite throughout the read. The whole story was well written and I applaud Cat Sebastian for it. I can’t wait to see what her next project is. Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Net Galley for the eARC!

a novel that really revels in the language of the setting but doesn’t set up any of the romance right
like i just didn’t get enough info of them two together to truly believe they fell in love?? it was all way too sudden
i suppose they fell in love on their numerous horseback rides but those all happened off the page so we didn’t get a strong build up
they’re fine as a couple ig but the conflicts in the story seemed so low stakes, the murder part was brushed over, and the pacing was just wack
I WANTED A NON PROBLEMATIC BONNIE AND CLYDE DYNAMIC AND I GOT A LIMPING HISTORICAL ROMANCE INSTEAD

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is the perfect standalone sequel to The Queer Principles of Kitt Webb!

TPCOMH opens up with an Interstitial containing the infamous blackmail letters between Marian and Rob, and honestly I reread the letters several times. They really set up the main duo's relationship and I knew this book would be a favorite after I read the first handful.

After the collection of letters, TPCOMH starts off with Marian kidnapping Rob, shooting her no-good husband, and joining forces with her blackmailer who she recently kidnapped. And the hijinks and shenanigans don't end there, as the two travel across the English countryside, they get into all sorts of situations and grow closer. I really thought that nothing could top Kitt and Percy's romance in book one (The Queer Principles of Kitt Webb), but these two do.

On the note of TQPOKW, even though this book is technically a companion / sequel, it really does stand on its own. Yes, this one does spoil and continue some plot points for TQPOKW, but the two books can be read as standalones.

I'm really hoping that this isn't the last book for this cast of characters! (I would love to see a Betty, Marcus, or Flora novel(s) or a novel/novella with Kitt, Percy, Rob, and Marian). This cast of characters is just wonderful.

This book also tackles different views of parenthood (especially with Marian and Rob's mother) and has the very Robin Hood-esque "steal from the rich to give to the poor" mentality when it comes to thievery. Honestly, this book has so many things going on but it handles it all really well.

All in all, Cat Sebastian delivers another perfect Georgian England rom-com with a cast of unforgettable (& LGBTQ+) characters!

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC of The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes! I really enjoyed reading this delightful tale!

[This ARC was provided by NetGalley! Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this!]

So, I will preface this review by saying that despite this being a book two, I haven't read the first book! I haven't even heard of it before, nor the author! I'll also say that historical fiction isn't usually my thing. There's just something about the way it's written so often, even romances, that's so stiff that I can't stand it. Like, objectively I understand and respect why people like that! It just isn't typically for me.

That said... I ADORED this book. I requested to read it at a whim because the cover art was SO cute and caught my eye, then I read the description and got even more interested. And THEN I saw that the book is LGBT. I was sold. So this is me coming from someone who read this as a standalone novel.

Personally, I think any romance that starts out with blackmail means you're in for a ride. And God, what a ride it is. The only real "critique" I even have of the book is that it can be a bit confusing working timelines/events out at first, but once you settle into the story that issue goes away!

I lovingly compared this book to baked goods when describing it to my friends. It's just something rather lighthearted and delicious and it feels GOOD reading it. Like is it something world-shattering? No! And not everything has to be! The book touches and alludes to some serious issues such as the way women are treated, especially in this time, and it never feels DISMISSIVE or brought in for drama. But it doesn't bog things down at all, or make things depression porn if that makes sense? Like... this book feels HOPEFUL, even when it's down to earth and matter of fact about the struggles that Marian and Rob face.

Speaking of the struggles of women, that's part of the issue I sometimes have with historical romance. I sometimes find that authors take the historical setting as an excuse to write about and handwave incredibly uncomfortable misogynistic behavior from their male protagonists. It just... yeah, it's accurate. But it sucks to read. Like I don't feel good reading that. Rob, on the other hand, is SUCH an enjoyable male protagonist specifically because he actively works against every single one of those offputting characteristics common in historical romances while still being the picture-perfect portrayal of a flirtatious, charming rogue.

He's just so earnest in the way he feels about Marian, even when he's playing cat and mouse with her. ESPECIALLY when he's playing cat and mouse with her, because that's part of the charm of their relationship-- and Rob is certainly the mouse, and he definitely likes that.

And I ADORE Marian. She's a fantastic character with a lot of nuances. Her relationship with the concept of motherhood is something I particularly enjoyed reading about even if it wasn't a main focus, and I love how the author handled that thread by making her incredibly sympathetic and just... human in her insecurities. I also LOVE her expressions of boundaries, and I love that there was not a SECOND where Rob questions or pushes them.

On that note, the steamy bits were VERY good. If that's something you care about, I found they were fun and lighthearted and tasteful in all the right ways (and that's coming from someone who doesn't particularly care about steamy bits always being tasteful haha), sometimes downright tender. And if anybody isn't so much of a fan of reading the steamy bits of books, I found that you can skim them very easily and you won't really lose much from the experience!

Anyways, it's genuinely so nice reading about two canonically queer characters surrounded by other queer characters in a lovingly chaotic found family setting.

Needless to say, I've been gushing to all my friends about this book since I received it.

I do plan to eventually circle back and read the first book about Kit! I really adored this little family the author built up, and if more entries are added I'll definitely give them a go! I am curious if we'll ever see a f/f focused book if so, since that would check off the three major boxes haha. But yeah! What a solid book. What an ENDEARING book.

Literally what a delight.

I got an arc in netgalley. It has a good story line. Not what i expected but i did enjoy it. It was an easy read for a relaxing afternoon or two.

Cat Sebastian returns to Georgian London with a stunning tale of a reluctant criminal and the thief who cannot help but love her. Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. Of course, the evil, murderous man deserved what was coming to him, but now she must flee to the countryside. Unfortunately, the only person she can ask for help is the charismatic criminal who is blackmailing her-and who she may have left tied up a few hours before…..

I didn't expect this book to be so good. An incredible historical novel and for sure, Cat Sebastian's writing was the strong point in this story.

The characters are wonderful and very well constructed. I would definitely like a Rob in my life, he's the cutest character there is (needless to say he's my favorite right?)

I would like everyone to read this WORK OF ART, this book is wonderful and super fun.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in
exchange for an honest review.

This book is so good! I really love how the author writes complex characters and subverts both the tropes and character gender expectations that are common (and beloved) in the historical romance genre. Both main characters here are fully realized characters, complex and richly written. We have real relationship building and none of the silly "misunderstandings" or "lack of communication" issues that are usually used to advance plot in historical romance books. Instead it is the circumstances, personal histories, and personalities which drive the suspense and the story. This one was fun too, a great romantic romp that maintains its emotional depth.

Well, that was joyful. Like. I don't know if there's a better word. It's silly, it's light, it's happy, it's fun, it's... joyful. This book focuses on Marian, a duchess who just shot her husband, and Rob, the cheerful conman who was blackmailing her. It's a lighthearted romance, with an incredible amount of focus on consent, that manages to avoid a lot of tropes and pitfalls (oh hey, misogyny) that come up in historical romance. Also, there was almost no conflict. So if you like some tension between the couple or, well, anything, than this might not be the book for you. But if you're looking for some feel-good fiction with a bit of smut, than this is a great pick.

Also, I want to note that while this is the second book in a series, I had no issues going in without having read the first one. I'm sure that being familiar with the first book would have deepened some of the interactions, but I felt just fine reading it without that prior knowledge.

This book really should be classified as fantasy, because Rob just does not exist in real life so is, therefore, fantasy. This was my first Cat Sebastian book, and it did not disappoint.

Marian, a sharp-tongued and hostile woman who has never smiled on command, shoots her husband in the midst of a robbery she helped to stage after learning her husband is a bigamist by way of Rob's inept blackmail attempt. She goes to Rob, the only blaggard she knows, for help in concealing her role and helping her reach her invalid father. Rob, that fantasy of a human, adores every barb that falls from her mouth, sneer that curls her lip, and withering glance she throws his way. He is in no way dissuaded by her repellant personality and instead finds her desperation to hide her vulnerability to be more adorable than a basket of kittens. Rob is charming, loved by all, and adheres to a Robin-Hood-esque wealth distribution philosophy. To top it off, he's patient and considerate with Marian and loves taking direction from her. The rest of the plot is really immaterial, as the best part of the story is the characters of Marian and Rob and their relationship. This book is a 'praise be!' for all the sharp, sour, and prickly humans eviscerating the fools in their path and their partners that appreciate them.

This unique historical romance should reside in every collection, as it is a breath of fresh air from the standard regency romance.

“…what were the pair of them, after all, but a collection of things gone wrong and then, slowly, made right again.”

THE PERFECT CRIMES OF MARIAN HAYES is a simultaneously rollicking and tender queer historical romance about a woman who’s been deeply hurt, the man who earns her trust, and the virtuous crimes they commit together to help right the wrongs in the world around them.

If you’ve read THE QUEER PRINCIPLES OF KIT WEBB, you’ll be familiar with the beginnings of the plot: Marian has just shot her husband, the duke, and flees to the countryside with Rob, the man she has kidnapped - who, coincidentally, has been blackmailing her for the past few months. The two have a budding fondness for each other that emerged unexpectedly while exchanging letters to negotiate terms, and despite the many reasons they can’t ever be together, this strong affection and innate trust only grows as they deal with the aftermath of the crime and begin to figure out what’s next for both of them.

This book feels incredibly intimate. All romance is intimate, yes, but Sebastian peels back the layers of Rob and Marian slowly, achingly, creating a love story that happens both all at once and bit by bit. The two of them have baggage they are bringing into the relationship, and there are external barriers as well, but there’s no big reveal or emotional blow up - even secrets kept and desires made known that might normally result in a fissure are handled rationally, calmly, mending wounds instead of reopening them. While I love to be emotionally devastated by fiction as much as the next girl, it’s refreshing to read a less fraught story, especially one with queer characters.

Marian and Rob are a delightful grump/sunshine pairing, with Marian a prickly heroine brimming with sharp angels, sardonically raised eyebrows, and disdainful looks, barriers she throws up to hide - and perhaps deny - the ways in which she’s been burdened and traumatized, and Rob, an adorable puppy of a man who charms innkeepers and kittens and babies, intractably generous, head over heels for Marian, and eager to put himself at her mercy. Their banter is smart, argumentative, and flirtatious, even as they both desperately try to resist feeling feelings that demand to be felt. Their physical chemistry is immediate but their intimacy unfolds slowly, increasing in intensity as their trust builds, firmly centered on mutual consent and a willingness for sex to be an act of co-creation, not a predetermined set of steps. I adore how Rob is infinitely respectful of the limits Marian sets, no questions asked; this is the baseline, y'all. Also, Marian and Rob are both attracted to multiple genders, making this wonderfully queer.

Other things to love: a complex and nontraditional portrayal of motherhood, Sebastian’s signature brand of redistributive robbery that is precisely my kind of economics, revisiting our favorite lovebirds Kit and Percy, and a happy ending for Marian and Rob lodged within a new found family, firmly committed to continuing their criminal shenanigans for the sake of justice. Quick note: while this is a follow-up to KIT WEBB, it’s a standalone that you can fully enjoy without reading the previous book.

Thank you Avon Books for the eARC! This delight is out in May.

Content warnings: violence, murder, illness during pregnancy, trauma around sex, death of a loved one, patriarchal fuckery

This was cute and fun! I did feel like it somehow moved kind of slowly for a robbery/heist romance, but I still liked it enough that I'm going to go back and read book 1.

The Duke is dead and Marian is on the run with her blackmailer Rob. The Duke's death leaves Rob in a sticky spot, having attempted blackmailing Marian about the Duke still being married to a living, breathing woman, not to mention that said woman is Rob's mother, thus making Rob the Duke's legitimate heir and next in line to be Duke of Clare, a position he vehemently opposes. And he isn't telling Marian all of this. When she kidnaps Rob, they set off on a rollicking adventure full of robbery, humor, romance and a vengeful, scraggly cat!
I did not read the first book "The Queer Principles of Kit Webb". but after reading this one I wish I had! I loved this book despite not really knowing the character's backgrounds or relationships toward one another. I am sure I would have enjoyed their adventure even more if I had been able to catch the subltities that I am sure were there referring to the first book. But even without that knowledge I completely fell in love with Marian and Rob and especially the poor, scraggly cat!
I love the witty back and forth banter between Marian and Rob, the hilarious descriptions about the poor cat, and the irreverant attitude towards the aristocracy in general. I also love how Rob was able to admit his feelings for Marian. The great charismatic characters are the heart and soul of this novel, brought to life by Cat Sebastion's clever writing style.
Totally loved this, am going to go back and read the first book.
Thank you to Net Galley and to the publishers at Avon and Harper Voyager for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

I so enjoyed this follow up to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb. This time Cat Sebastian gives us the story of the other major characters from the previous book: Rob and Marian.

It's a lovely play on names that references Robin Hood and Maid Marian and I loved that detail for the characters, as it does dovetail in with their motivations.. I found this a very enjoyable book, but I do think it would help to have read Kit Webb first–there are so many call backs and clever details that are too good to miss.

The book runs parallel with Kit Webb for much of it, giving us the story of Marian and Rob that was more in the background in Kit's book. It's fun to see what was happening and even more enjoyable to get in Rob and Marian's heads and POVs. I liked both of the characters a great deal. They are imperfect and flawed and make mistakes and are prickly and at times difficult and that made them so human and relatable.

Marian and Rob's interactions and growing intimacy is engaging and how it moves from prickly correspondence to reluctant allies to more is well told.

Overall the book kept me interested and engaged and I would gladly read more about these characters. The story arc filled in so many pertinent details from the previous book. And in no way was the previous book lacking in any aspect! It was just fun to get this other point of. view--it added to the whole narrative arc of the two books.

I also want to highlight the sensitive discussion of pregnancy, pregnancy complications, post partum issues. It was handled deftly and sensitively but also in a forthright manner, as a reality. I appreciated that.

Highly recommended. Entertaining and held my interest. Do read Kit Webb--it will add so much to your reading experience.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. This is my honest review.