Representation: Bisexual MCs, gay supporting characters

Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, has just shot her husband. It wasn’t in the plan, but the awful man deserved what was coming. Now she has to disappear for a little while, and the only person she can reasonably turn to ask for help is the man who’s been blackmailing her. She also may have tied him up a few hours ago to keep him out of the way of her plan. Rob Brooks, the blackmailer and general criminal, has a proclivity for escaping jail and his lover’s beds. He blackmailed Marian to get enough money so that he could disappear himself, and he actually enjoyed the banter in their letters. But when she shows up covered in her husband’s blood and desperately needs his help, he can’t help himself. He may have fallen for Marian through their letters, and he immediately takes charge, helps Marian escape to the countryside. On the way, they do some pickpocketing, drinking, and debauchery. While traveling, they find more peace and joy with each other than they’ve felt in a long time. Eventually, Rob’s past catches up to them and they have to decide what they’re willing to do if they want a future together.

Rating: 4.5/5 I really enjoyed these two chaotic bi disasters! I loved the epistolary portions, where it was their letters to each other. We got to see their relationship evolve over time from blackmail to borderline love letters through the signatures and their banter. That carried over in person, which was fantastic. I really enjoyed that both of these characters had their own connections with the aristocracy, but both of them wanted to get back at the rich people, commit crimes against them. I just wish there was more actual criminal activity, because it’s mostly just light stealing and the murder of the duke. Hopefully, that’ll happen in the next book? This also talks about some class differences, how people live and spend their time in the Georgian period, which was nice to see. Now, I want to talk about the sexual dynamics in this book. There was a lot of emphasis on consent, which was great to see in a historical fiction, especially with a main character who’s a woman. Spoilers for more info about the sexual dynamic: skip past the brackets. <<Marian had a traumatic pregnancy and birth, so she’s very averse to being penetrated. Part of it is because she doesn’t like the idea of being penetrated again, and partly because she could die if she got pregnant again. So the whole time she and Rob are having sex, they don’t do penetrative sex. In fact, Rob enjoys being penetrated so she does that. It’s very rare to see this in romances between men and women! This definitely really developed their relationship and trust with each other.>> When I first saw the cover for this book, I couldn’t place why it felt so familiar. It was only after reading it and looking closer at the GoodReads listing, I realized that it was the second book in a series, after The Queer Principles of Kit Webb. I haven’t read that yet, but I didn’t feel lost at all, and from a review I read, it would seem that this runs in parallel to the first book so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue reading these out of order. I’m definitely going to be reading the first book, and I look forward to seeing more about this little budding criminal chosen family.

Another big-hearted comfort read from one of my favorite romance authors! Two chaotic bisexuals begrudgingly fall in love while on a series of low-stakes misadventures in Georgian England.

From the initial series of letters between Marian and Rob, I knew the banter between these two would be off the charts and I was not disappointed. While the chemistry between them is immediately palpable, this romance doesn’t veer into insta-love territory and, instead, lets the tension build between stubborn Marian and golden retriever Rob as they traverse the English countryside. Filled with heart-melting earnestness and authentic emotional complexity, this cozy historical romance is a perfectly sweet romp that centers female pleasure, enthusiastic consent, and turns some fun romance tropes on their heads.

One note on my reading experience - I had not read the first book in this series, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, but wish that I had before reading the second. I still enjoyed The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes, but characters from the first book are big players in the sequel and I think would have gotten more out of the novel had I read them in order. Looking forward to catching up on the first book, though, and for any others in this series!

I'm so glad this book exists, and I wanted to love it so much, but there were things that didn't work for me. 3.5 Stars.

Marian Hayes thought she was the Duchess of Clare, until she received a blackmail letter from someone claiming that her husband was still legally married to his first wife, and her life was a sham. There was no love lost between she and her "husband," but now her daughter could be considered illegitimate. She's not sure what to do.

Rob Brooks has always played the villain. He's been a pickpocket, highwayman, con artist, and all around grifter. Now, he's added blackmailer to his resume. It was all in pursuit of keeping his big secret from getting out. He is the rightful heir to a dukedom, and he's right ticked off about it. It will ruin everything he stands for, and he can't have anyone finding out about it.

When Marian shoots her husband, after her planned robbery of him goes off the rails, she knows just the man to help her run. She kidnaps her blackmailer, Rob, and demands his help. He agrees to help her, and finds that he's beginning to care more about her than he ever imagined.

I loved the epistolary beginning to Marian and Rob's relationship. Their letters were hilarious, and you could clearly see how they came to care for each other over that year of correspondence. Once they met in person, things took off from there, and their connection was stronger than either of them planned for. I appreciated their chemistry, and their flirty bantering.

So, I hate to be the girl who says "this heroine was so unlikeable," but she REALLY was. I don't normally have a problem with that as a general rule, but Marian in particular just rubbed me wrong from the start. I felt for her situation, and I empathized with her choices, but she was SO prickly, and I just couldn't really find a way in to her heart. Rob was completely enamored of her from the start, and he found her prickliness endearing, but mostly it just grated on me. Even by the end, I didn't feel convinced that she cared for Rob as much as he did her. Some of these issues kept me from completely believing in her HEA.

Ultimately, I was glad to see queer characters living their best lives, and being their authentic selves. Rob was happy, and their little makeshift family was happy, and I was glad for that. But, I didn't feel at the end how I like to feel when I finish a romance, so that was an issue for me. However, I would absolutely read more from this author in the future!

This is such an absolute and utter delight. I relished these characters and the plot and how it continued to not pigeon hole them where society thought they ought to be. Truly marvellous

I absolutely adored this book! An accused husband murderer seeks help from a conman, and for a price, she gets his help. There are more than one secret (thankfully not all cost 500 pounds to protect). Along the way they encounter many different adventures including rescuing invalid cats, which makes them both angels who must be protected at all costs!

You’ll absolutely fall in love with Marian and Robb! I promise this will become one of your favorite reads!

Thank you to Cat Sebastian, the publisher, and to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

A blackmail letter from a thief to a duchess kicks off a brief epistolary flirtation, and next thing you know our leads are on the lam together. The series’ first book, “The Queer Principles of Kit Webb,” set up the characters’ rejection of inherited wealth and title, and this book carries it forward into full-blown anarchy.

Marian, Duchess of Clare, has shot her evil husband but does not know if he’s survived to incriminate her. Our charming thief — Rob by name and Rob by nature — has uncovered the duke’s secrets but is still hiding a few of his own.

Rob has a weakness for stern, brilliant women (who doesn’t?), and his affability plays beautifully against Marian’s sharper angles. They don’t care much for conventional morality but they care a great deal about the people they love, a category that slowly starts to include each other.

If romance is designed to lay bare the innermost workings of a person’s heart, then it’s ruthless to put Marian and Rob — oh God, I just saw what she did there — in a romance. They resist being known in the same way they flee from the law: Every page of this book sees them trying to squirm out from under the reader’s scrutiny. Self-knowledge? You might as well offer them a cup of drugged wine (an example not chosen at random).

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I left the first one wondering what the hell had been up with Marian — which made sense, considering we were getting Percy's and Kit's side of things — but it was probably the one thing about that book that had frustrated me. This book answered those questions (why had Marian married the Duke, why was Marian in the coach, why blackmail Marian and Percy if the real heir didn't want to inherit?) and let it unfold in a way that made sense, but more than that, I really, truly enjoyed the relationship between Marian and Rob.

I thoroughly enjoyed this continuation of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb. I enjoyed being able to continue with Rob and Marian's adventures after the ending of the previous book. Every character has such a pronounced yet individual personality that no one lags or becomes stagnant. I would love a third book continuing the storyline featuring Betty and her fencing items for Kit, Percy, Robb, and Marian while helping run an inn and take care of baby Eliza.

I’m not usually the biggest cat Sebastian fan but this was lovely. Very enjoyable and a lovely romp.

GO READ THIS ASAP

I'm serious, everything about this historical fiction is so refreshingly unexpected. Get rid of all the typical clichés that happen in this genre of books, because everything will be BROKEN. I cannot believe I waited this long to read this. It is so phenomenal.

Our two baes, Marian and Rob are just so loveable. Their adventures, banter and sweet, sweet romance is just so heart-warming. I will def be rereading this book many times in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper, and the author for this advanced copy! This is my honest opinion :)

This book did not go at all how I was expecting and I love it even more because of that. Cat Sebastian is a wiz at creating the most unexpected plots and making them sound perfectly logical and believable.
Marian is hilariously perfect in her very literal and direct way, and Rob is a lovable cad that could charm his way into any heart. Everything from the way they meet to the scandalous way they end up on the run together is a pleasure to experience because there is no better banter than Sebastian's banter. It's a case of opposites attracting and completing each other perfectly even when they both seem too stubborn to accept it and it makes for some very entertaining reading.
Extra props to Sebastian for continuing with her phenomenal tradition of showcasing different ways that people can love each other without conforming to the 'established' norms.
While technically the second book in the series, I'm certain that this can be fully enjoyed without having read the first book because that's what I did. There are character relationships and situations that might be more exciting to read about or that might make more sense, but the story contained within the pages of this book is more than enough.

Overall, a very unconventional historical romance full of delightful characters in a plot that entertains and constantly surprises.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the excitingly romantic read!

This book left me with all the warm fuzzies. :)

Admittedly, I have not yet read Cat Sebastian's other book in this world yet, but I was still able to read and enjoy this one! You'd definitely have a little more context up top if you read the first one, but you'll be fine diving into this one first as well.

In Steffan from SNLs voice: "This book has *EVERYTHING*: Begrudging Allies to Lovers, witty dialog, two bi/pan main characters, only one bed trope, justifiable murder, found family, and an angry cat.

In all seriousness, this is a lovely book and will leave you smiling.

I absolutely loved this? I know I shouldn't say that with such a surprised tone, but I really enjoyed this much more than I was anticipating!

Maybe it's just the reading mood I'm in (I just finished my full series reread of Throne of Glass, so I was looking for something completely different to keep me from going into a full-blown reading slump!) but this was absolutely delightful and hit the spot! To narrow it down to the banter would be selling this story and the incredible writing short, but HOLY BANTER! The dynamic between Marian and Rob was so brilliant, it's not often you fall in love with your blackmailer! There was so much going on but it honestly brought me so much joy to read and was a wild ride!

This is perfect if you love epistolary romances, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, road trips, heists, found family, and all the banter! The intimate scenes were also so fresh, and there was something so tender about them. I loved that amid all the chaos, it felt so real, and I loved how Marian and Rob weren't perfect by any means but ended up being perfect for each other! This was such a fun summer read and I absolutely recommend!

Cat Sebastian books are reliably fun. You really need to have read the previous book (Kit Webb) to appreciate everything going on in this one, and I didn't have it fresh in my mind so I was a little confused at first. There's so much to love, epistolary parts, only one bed, banter for days. But my top tier Sebastian books are less plot and more feelings, so it's not a five star for me personally.

This book was spectacular. I absolutely loved that Marian was a bitch and no amount of Rob's sunshine could un-bitch her. Like...not every woman wants a man to change her into a ray of sunshine. Some women are just bad ass bitches and they want to remain so. And even better, Rob loved her that way! It's like femdom lite. Give me a man who wants to be bossed around in bed ANY DAY, thank you!

Rob was the cutest thief ever. And he loves his mom. And he adores rescuing animals and taking them home with him. Swooooon. And I appreciate a man who can have fun in bed and make his lady laugh.

And I don't want to spoil anything, but fuck yeah, a book that redefines how sex has to look in a relationship. That's all I'm gonna say.

Anyways, this book fucking rocked. Two bisexual characters. Funny shit happening. Bad people getting what's coming to them. Yeah, I'll read it again.

*copied from goodreads*

As far as Historical Romances go, this one is just so incredibly delightful and unique that I can't give it anything less than five stars. From the characters (both MCs are bi, plus a delightful cast of queer side characters) to the story to the smut, it is so refreshingly different from what you typically see and made me adore Cat Sebastian even more. My only regret is that this series isn't longer (I would love for Betty to get a book!), but I'm very happy with where it ended and know I will come back to this book again and again.

What a wonderful follow up to THE QUEER PRINCIPLES OF KIT WEBB! Marian’s story added so much layer and depth to this already wonderful world, and Rob is such a perfect foil. Their chemistry was perfection! I didn’t want this one to end.

3.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for providing an e-arc of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I want to start off by saying that this is a direct sequel, not a companion novel. I know a lot of romance series can be read as standalones, I would argue that this is not one of them. This story overlaps with the ending of book 1 and the plot is a direct consequence of what happens in that book.

But my mediocre feelings about this book are purely due to my own reading preferences and not at all about the quality of this book.

Cat Sebastian's characters are always so well fleshed out and well rounded. And these 2 were no exception. I loved the casual bi rep in here - I love that this author always includes diverse characters in a genre that often lacks that representation.

But while I loved the characters and relationship, where this book fell flat for me was in the plot. Or lack there of.

The plot of this book is a multi-day travel story. And unfortunately I didn't find it to be enough to keep me engaged or the story moving forward. I don't like particularly love travel plots in general, but this one was too long and without purpose.

In the end, this is very much a story about Marian's own personal journey. But I felt like this book was missing something to keep the pace moving. I still love these characters and Cat Sebastian's writing, this just wasn't my personal favorite of her books.

I'm extremely excited to see what Cat Sebastian writes next though!!

“Every minute I spend away from you is second best.”

This book was wonderful. The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is the follow up book to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, which I recently read and loved. I would highly suggest reading that book first, since the stories are interconnected and the timeline overlaps.

This book begins with an epistolary relationship; evolving from blackmailer/ blackmailed to something resembling friendship. Marian and Rob then end up traveling together while she checks in on her sick father and figures out her next move after shooting her terrible husband in a robbery attempt gone wrong. Their relationship is unconventional, but they develop trust and maybe something more for one another…

I absolutely adored Marian and Rob and their reverse grumpy/ sunshine dynamic. Marian is sharp, witty, fierce, and protective; she will go to extreme lengths to keep her family and friends safe. Rob is adorable. He is the kindest thief, friendly and sweet, making friends and rescuing animals wherever he goes. He gives off Robin Hood vibes, stealing from the rich and returning it to the poor, righting the wrongs of the class systems.

One of the most unique things about this book was the steam. Marian is mistrusting of men after her husband, now deceased, forced pregnancy on her despite a serious medical condition. She is still carrying significant trauma from a brutal pregnancy and (suspected/ undiagnosed) PPD. I loved how Rob gave her full control when they were intimate; his submission made her feel safe.

This is by far one of my most heavily annotated books; I highlighted so many quotes and passages. It is funny and tender, sexy and sweet, vulnerable, and thoughtful; a must read for historical romance lovers.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian is out now! Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Fingers crossed that Betty will get a story next because I need more from these characters!

Review was submitted on 7/26 to Amazon, waiting on approval! Link below will work once approved.

My memory of this novel's companion piece, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, was that I quite enjoyed it and found it very sweet, but it was very slow. The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is, if possible, slower. It took me ages to read this, not because it was a bad book, which it definitely is not. It's thoughtful and sweet and a bit sad, with a hopeful ending that is a perfectly satisfying HEA. That said, the pacing of both the plot and the relationship was so glacial that I had trouble making it to the end. I stalled out about halfway, because nothing seemed to be happening, but when I came back to it, I found things really picked up after that. I could have done with more crimes, and more plot wrap-up. It doesn't feel like there will be a third book, but I feel like there's so much action that could take place in one that I'm a bit let down. Cat Sebastian is one of my favorite authors, and there are quite beautiful passages in this contemplative romance, but it may just not have been for me. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.