First off, this is not necessarily a spicy book as the summary implies. It is closed door, so don’t go into this expecting spicy scenes. That isn’t happening; there is one scene that is a little bit on that side, but minimal at best.

How did I feel about this book? I had mixed emotions. I gave it a 2.5 stars because I wanted to be generous, as I feel there are never enough queer historical books. The world always needs more of them. I think this book is going to appeal to a wide range of those who are queer, but for me there were several things that didn’t work for me and hindered my overall enjoyment of the book.

The writing style was honestly not for me. I struggled with it, and I had to force myself to keep reading at parts. I felt it was stilted, and the plot just weaved all over the place for me. I found the characters all over lackluster, and just didn’t connect with them the way I wanted to.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just ended up not vibing with it. I certainly think this book is going to be well-liked, and it will work for others!

The Gentleman’s Book of Vices was a quick, lighthearted read, perfect for fans of regency romance and the grumpy / sunshine pairing. The story follows Charlie, a wealthy, eccentric man and Miles, a bookstore owner who moonlights as an erotica author. When a Charlie sets off to meet his favourite author, their two lives collide. I loved their dynamic and found Miles character particularly intriguing. They were both well rounded individually and as a couple, which can be difficult to do in a romance book where the focus is, naturally, more so on their relationship. Due to the historical setting, their sexuality and relationship was deemed a crime, which lent a forbidden feel to the pairing, although they did get their happy ending at the end, of course!

One thing I really appreciated was Charlie’s relationship with his fiancée, Alma. It would have been very easy to make her one dimensional or the villain, but instead she’s a wonderfully fleshed out character who I would love to see more of in future books. I would say this has the found family trope too with the supporting characters, which I always love.

I did find the first half far more compelling than the second, and my attention definitely started waning by around 70%. I’m also not sure why it was (mostly) closed door in regards to intimacy, but that wasn’t really an issue for me, though it might be for other readers. Overall, I really enjoyed The Gentleman’s Book of Vices and am looking forward to reading more of Jess Everlee’s work!

I swooned through the whole book! A delightful, surprising tender romance. I loved the relationships portrayed- the two main characters were wonderful, but the supporting cast was entertaining as well. Sometimes the language of the dialogue threw me off, but overall I appreciated the wit and snark. A very enjoyable read!

Charlie is engaged to a very nice girl, who he likes like a sister. He has many vices including spending most evenings at a "molly house" with his friends, as well as his large collection of erotic art and literature. In the weeks before his wedding his friend Jo offers him the oppurtunity to meet one of his favorite authors, and Charlie jumps at the opportunity. Miles is so far in the closet that he barely admits to himself that he enjoys the erotica he writes to keep his deceased partener's bookstore open. When some gentleman shows up requesting an autograph, he nearly dies of fright of the possible consequences of his secret being revealed. When he decides that his fear made him rude and he must apologize, he finds himself at Charlie's cake tasting pretending to be a sommelier as they unintentionally charm one another.

This book was so fun and sweet that I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters of Charlie's found family and their acceptance of each other. I don't know how I would rate it for historical accuracy, but for a love story it was fantastic. 5/5 absolutely will recommend to those who need a love story with just the right amount of laughs, angst, joy and Happy-Ever-After!

The Gentleman's Book of Vices is the first book in the Lucky Lovers of London series by Jess Everlee and is a thoroughly enjoyable, surprisingly moving read. The characters are well-written, with intriguing backstories. Overall a beautiful, moving, tender, funny, and endearing read.

The Gentleman’s Book of Vices is my number one read of 2022!

Jess Everlee depicts the most compelling and captivating romance of the year!

A m/m love story in the nineteenth century is something I never knew I needed, but now can’t picture myself without. The entire premise is remarkable and its execution is perfect!

A closed off risqué smut writer who ceased believing love was in the cards for him long ago.

An adamant follower of said works, a hopeless romantic who expresses himself without fear of consequence.

Together, they make the match of a lifetime. Apart, they are a shadow of their truest selves.

Will Charlie Price and Miles Montague’s story have a blissful ending? Or will circumstances tear them apart forever?

The only way I can describe The Gentlemen’s Book of Vices is in unintelligible rambles. In fact, I can not establish a proper response that would convey how impressed and thrilled I was by reading Everlee’s work. Still, I will try my best!

The Gentlemen’s Book of Vices is astronomical! It is officially over for me - I am obsessed with Miles Montague and Charlie Price. From their first meeting, it is obvious they have something unspoken between one another. If I went in with no knowledge on this book, I’d know Charlie and Miles were soulmates.

Everlee writes their interactions with sparks flying!

Above all, The Gentleman’s Book of Vices is a story of all-consuming love. It is a novel that speaks to readers’ hearts and pours devotion off of each page.

Equally important, Everlee shares some of the most intimate and tender scenes I have ever read! While this book is quite amorous, it displays passion and affection, like it is the easiest thing in the world. I’ve never read such blissful and all-consuming love that felt so real.

I can confirm, The Gentleman’s Book of Vices is a written work seen once in a lifetime. It is ethereal; it is romantic, and it is stunning! Every part of this novel comes together in perfect harmony!
Readers will never forget The Gentleman’s Book of Vices because it leaves a mark on one’s soul. Deep down, Everlee writes from her heart to every reader.

To conclude, I have already pre-ordered a copy and I hope you will too! It is the shining star of 2022 releases. Do not miss out on this novel! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Word for word, on my life, if I died, I’d stick around as a ghost until I saw this novel through. Jess Everlee has written pure magic!

November 29, 2022. I’ll see you there!

Thanks to Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) and NetGalley for this ARC!

A gay historical romance featuring a Victorian erotica author and a sunshine dandy? A found family Molly house friend group? A marriage of convenience causing problems? Sign me up!

Everything about this premise drew me in when I was looking to pick up something at the end of the summer and it did not disappoint. A collector of gay erotica and pornography finds out the real name of his favorite author and goes to get an autograph before he is set to marry. Chef's kiss.

The Pros:
The author has very clearly studied the LGBTQ+ experience of the Victorian era well beyond the confines of writing this book and it shows on every page. Gentleman's Book of Vices is set in a believable history, not a softened around the edges, rose-tinted past. That is not to say I don't also enjoy those types of settings, but this was a refreshing change of form for the genre. The threats of raids, of imprisonment, or life added a level of realistic tension that truly elevated this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed not only our main characters but also the cast of friends and associates that we meet throughout this book. Charlie and Miles as are protagonists are well developed and their emotional and sexual connection is not only believable but compelling. You can feel the lust just rolling off of the pages between these two in the best way.

The Cons:
The start of this book is so strong, the end feels almost too convenient for me. That said this is probably not a big con for a lot of folks. The thing that keeps this book at a 4 star for me, however, is that for a book about an author of smut and a collector of erotica there was a distinct lack of actual smut on the page in this story. I was absolutely surprised. Fade to black was not at all what I anticipated when reading the synopsis. I definitely am not a person who needs a spice in a romance book by any stretch of the imagination but the overall premise of this book led me to believe that this was going to be a little steamier than it was. That's on me.

Hey, big time shout out to NetGalley and Carina Adores for letting me read this book early because this is exactly what I needed to get out of my little reading slump! Those of you who watch my “currently reading” on the side of the homepage may have noticed that the book I read right before this took me over a month to read, which is very unusual for me. While trying to work my way through it, I started to feel a bit like reading wasn’t fun anymore, and maybe I should just do something else, and so on and so forth. After I finally finished it, I immediately went to my NetGalley shelf because I’d remembered I’d been approved for a historical romance because I figured if anything could get me to love reading again, it would be some fluffy, Victorian-era love. And boy, was I right!

On a previous review of a romance novel, I said the book had a three-act structure. After reading this romance novel, I’m wondering if three-act structures aren’t just key to how romances work, because this one has it as well! You have Act One: The Lead-Up, Act Two: The Honeymoon, and Act Three: The Fall-Out and Reconciliation. I think in some cases, the Fall-Out and Reconciliation can be separated into 2 separate acts, but in these last two books I read, I’m inclined to make them the same act because of their length in comparison to the rest of the story.

Now that I’ve talked about my theory of the construction of romance novels, I’m going to use that act structure to tell you why this book is so good and you need to read it right now.

Act One: The Lead-Up. Handsome, rich?, pretty boy Charlie Price is about to get married, and he’s planning to lock his collection of erotica away in a safe-deposit box in the near future. Before he does that, though, he needs one last thing to make it complete–the signature of one Reginald Cox, who is not only Charlie’s favorite author, but an author who nobody knows the real identity of. Enter to the scene a delightful side character Miss Jo. In this same scene, we meet a cast of other side characters like Miss Penelope, Warren, and Mr. Forester, who just add such color and depth to the story. And, finally, we meet Miles Montague, the true identity of the aforementioned Reginald Cox, his slightly absurd publisher, and his sad little bookstore. And then Charlie and Miles meet. Is it a pleasant meeting? No, not really, but it is the start of something absolutely fantastic, which brings us to…

Act Two: The Honeymoon, AKA the best part of any romance book, the part where they’re so in love it seems like nothing can go wrong. This is the part where there’s starry-eyed gazing at each other, and cute dinner dates, and all kinds of hanky panky… And for those of you, who like me, are not the biggest fans of reading graphic hanky panky scenes because they make you feel icky and uncomfy, have no fear, for this adorable romance is fade-to-black for the most part! There are some scenes that are a bit more graphic than fade-to-black, but they aren’t as graphic as an erotic novel by any means, and most of the sex happens off-screen. Charlie and Miles are so cute and sweet during this part of the book, just as they should be, but, alas, not even a romance novel can have no conflict, and so we get…

Act Three: the Fall-Out, AKA the worst part of any romance book. This is the part that gets you teary-eyed and puts a lump in your throat and also sometimes makes you want to punch the characters because they’re being idiots. One of the things I really like about the Fall-Out in Gentleman’s Book of Vices is that both of the characters are 100% making understandable choices at the time, and they’re doing it with all of the information. I’ve spoken before about how much I hate miscommunication as a means to creating conflict in romance novels, because if you’re miscommunicating so poorly that you end up breaking up…getting back together isn’t just going to fix what is obviously broken in your ability to communicate/trust/treat each other as equals/etc. Miscommunication isn’t the problem for Charlie and Miles; in fact, they’re really good at communicating their needs. Unfortunately, their needs and desires aren’t lining up with external pressures, and it leads to the fall-out. But have no fear! This is a romance novel! And, as everyone knows, the definition of a romance novel includes the words “happy ending” which is how we end up with…

Act Three Part 2: The Reconciliation. I will not spoil for you how reconciliation happens, but know that there are some fantastic side characters working in the background to make sure these two idiots can end up happy together, and these side characters are good at getting shit done.

I highly recommend this book for fans of historical romance everywhere. It’s immediately going on my list of books to purchase because I know it’s one I will reread a bajillion times.

Charlie Price's life is a mess. He has vast debts and is engaged to be married to the lovely Alma. The latter is the remedy for the former. But Charlie doesn't love his fiancée. His passions lie elsewhere, evidenced by his "collection" of homoerotic literature and art. Resigned to his forthcoming marriage, he has decided to search out his favourite author for an autograph, but their meeting doesn't go as planned and sets off an unexpected series of events...

A Gentlemen's Book of Vices is a slow-burn romance. The slow is somewhat overpronounced in the first half of the novel. I overcame this because the characters are likeable (especially Miles), and I wanted them to get their happy ending. But the first few chapters didn't seem as strong as the latter. If you can get through that, it's a brilliant novel.

I would include this in my top reads of 2022. I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC and I look forward to the next instalment in the series.

5 ⭐

By some otherworldly miracle I got this ARC - I don’t know who was in charge of accepting or declining ARC requests for this book in Net Galley but thank you so much. As always, my opinions are my own.

It’s no secret that since reading the first five chapters of this some weeks ago I was, almost literally, going stir crazy in anticipation for this book. My love for Charlie and Miles already blossoming – but that was child’s play, I tell you. It was nothing. I’m pretty sure what I’m feeling is full blown obsession at this point. And there’s going to be more books. This is a series! And it can have all my money because I don’t even care, I want to read every single book that comes out. Even if it’s no longer Charlie and Miles - I will take a crumb of information, a mini-scene, another miniscule epilogue with them in it and I’ll be worth it. This book is the reason I love romance literature the way I do. The ups and downs, the humour, the pain… I can’t help it, I fell in love with the characters, and their happiness became mine; their sadness was painful; their joy bright and light in my heart. Ok, I need to stop gushing and get on with the review…


The Gentleman’s Book of Vices has Charlie Price and Miles Montague as two characters who fall into place in the strangest way possible - Charlie is an overzealous rake in the verge of marriage to a charming, well-to-do lady; whilst Miles finds himself writing smut to support his old inherited, failing bookstore. Their lives come together when Charlie seeks Miles out for an autograph, given that he’s his favourite author and all. Sufficed to say, Mr. Montague is not only not amused but this, but he believes the so-called Mr. Price is there to blackmail him. This book’s:

- Gay historical romance.
- Rakish bachelor who’s rich but down on his luck – Charlie.
- Bookshop owner with a passion for writing dark erotica – Miles.
- Insta-lust.
- Grumpy/Sunshine.
- BDSM aspects.

This is my most annotated book ever – by far. I’ve never been much for taking notes or pulling quotes out of books, but this one was impossible to resist. There are just so many – 39 to be exact. That’s from someone how barely finds one or two in any other book. There are quotes where the notes attached are just “please stop making me cry” – and I wish I was kidding. I’m not.

This book wrecked me. It felt too real in some parts, too beautiful in others – so just perfect for me all around. It’s quite insta-lovey so if that’s not your thing you might not love this as much as I do, but I would not change a single letter in this entire thing. None. Now usually I would do a “things I enjoyed” vs. “things I didn’t enjoy” like I usually do, but…

What I enjoyed:

Everything. Every single fucking letter that made up every single word. All the tropes, all the joyful, filthy romance; all the pain and the sadness it put me through was just so sweet. Honestly, Romeo and Juliette don’t have shit on Miles and Charlie, and yes you may quote me on that. The side characters were sweet, funny, interesting, and they added so much to the book without taking away from the main focus – which is the love story between Miles and Charlie.

Miles is my dream man, and there is no other way to go about it. If it wasn’t because I know that he 1) doesn’t exist and 2) is very much gay, I would wife him up so fast it’d be stupid. Charlie’s perfect for him, though – warm where he’s cold, vibrant where he’s been dulled out by years of solitude, vulnerable and honest and just so fucking pure. They both are. And yes, I’m aware that some will read the absolute filth that these two get into and will not think ‘pure’ like me, but they are. just. so. pure. Just perfect.

What I didn’t enjoy:

Nothing. Absolutely, not a single thing, because I loved the entirety of this book.
That’s it.

As a conclusion to this review/gushing interlude I’m going to leave some quotes here, because I can’t not do it. The last three might be a bit spoiler-y, so beware. You’re welcome.

5/5 ⭐


Quotes:

“You’d never guess to look at him, but he’s hung like a damned horse. Never seen anything like it.”
“Isn’t that good?” Jo asked.
“To a point. Warren seems to like him, though, bless his heart and his arse. He never does know when to quit.”

…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

“His heart was racing. He felt like he’d hardly gotten out of there with his life. Now that he had, he wished he’d risked death to stay.”

…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

“What did you just say to me?”
A delicious chill ran up Charlie’s spine. “I said I shouldn’t have been surprised that you like to go about it like a complete brute.”
“Price,” he said, pulling his hair just that much harder. “Charlie. There’s better things to do with that pretty mouth of yours.”

…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

“A lady never tells her age, nor the size of her debts.”
“Good thing you’re a whore then, ain’t it?”
Charlie threw the balled-up offer at his chest. “How dare you!”
…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

Good boy that he was, he’d spent two Sundays in a row on his knees

…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

until you desire no obligation save for the ones I give you, when I spin you around and bend you over and drive such piercing memories into your flesh that you’ll never do the same to your stupid little wife without thinking of me while you do it—

…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

They were supposed to spend their lives together. Since they had just one night, now, they’d have to make it last the rest of their lives. […] No one would ever look at Charlie like that again. He knew it. Who else could?
…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

But Miles had tasted the future, now. He didn’t have it in him to keep clinging to things that had ended, however beloved they were.

…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….

“If you so much as try to walk out that door,” Miles said slowly, “I swear to God, you won’t be able to sit down for a week.” Slowly, as the words soaked in like a sip of tea after a snowstorm, Charlie smiled. Grin in place, he shook Miles off and stood up. With a cocky wink, he turned toward the door.

I received this eARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I've been so excited for this book and really, really wanted to love it! I love mm historical romance and the plot sounded fun. I thought this book would really be up my alley.

Sadly, it just left me wanting. Pretty much all the time. I don't feel like there was a lot of character development. There was potential for a great cast! It just fell a little short. I would have loved to see more from each of the characters, especially those at the club! Things were mentioned and then either lightly glossed over or never brought up again. The ending was a huge letdown. Basically some characters came in at the end, explained the events that took place before the book started, and practically shouted, "ta-dah." It felt chaotic and weird.

An entertaining read, this novel is a refreshing take on regency romance with an LGBTQ story. It would appeal to fans of Bridgerton, and I will be reading more novels by this author in the future. Very nice love story with a satisfying ending,

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I received the email from NetGalley likening this book to Cat Sebastian and KJ Charles, I couldn't hit the request button fast enough. I enjoyed this novel and felt it did fit as a good recommendation for readers who enjoyed queer historical romance.

That said, it felt like a debut novel. The pacing felt weird at times, especially towards the end. Typically, a reader expects to pour through the last quarter of the book, eager to get to the ending, but I found my eyes skipping ahead as the ending sort of flagged. I also found the ending to be a little contrived as the driving forces behind the events of the novel were revealed.

I did enjoy the worldbuilding of The Curious Fox and all of the characters who inhabited it. I know this is meant to be a series starter, so I hope the author's subsequent entries in this series focus on those characters. I will be looking out for the sequels.

This was SO GOOD! Spicier than I usually read but I loved it. I adored all the characters & the descriptions of clothing were great. And the ending just made me happy. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

This was not a book for me. Which not to say it’s a bad book.

It was advertised as a book for those who like Our Flag Means Death which I LOVE. What I love about the show is that it is deadpan funny and also has a sweetness to its a relationships that touches your heart. This was not particularly comedic and had quite a bit of graphic sex description so the only thing like the tv show was that it was queer and probably the same time period. So it just wasn’t what I wanted.

However it definitely is what someone out there wants! And there were some things that I really loved. In a lot of romances there’s just attraction and not much of getting to know each other. In this there is immediate lust, but then it builds to long chats and tea by the fireside as well. The supporting characters were also fun and incredibly sweet in the way they support each other.

VERDICT: Not really what was advertised but if you want a 1800s/early 1900s (maybe?) gay romance…this is a great option.

*The publisher has provided me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This book opens with a cake tasting scene, and that's a very fitting metaphor for this book: a very sweet, very light piece of cake. It's short (my ARC was 226 pages) and fluffy and accomplishes exactly what it set out to do. Length is a tricky subject when it comes to romance, because the balance of the story can very easily be upset by adding either too much or not enough, but this felt just right. I finished it with a smile on my face, and really, that's all I could have asked for.

I saw this book through an email from NetGalley that it had been nominated for LibraryReads, and I'm so happy I decided to read this ARC.
Pros:
This book was awesome with the representation of LGBTQIA+ people. There was a great variety of people represented and I liked that the people were represented positively too.
I loved Charlie and Miles' meet-cute. It was absolutely perfect and their whole opposites attract vibe was fantastic. I liked that even though they were opposites they still seemed like a good fit, which doesn't always happen with this trope.
I liked that the author chose to keep aspects of the discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people that was certainly existent during that time. Some historical romances that feature LGBTQIA+ characters tend to get really fantastical and while that's great, it also isn't even remotely realistic of what it was like for that community during that time period. I think Miles' caution was realistic and a great contrast for Charlie's devil-may-care attitude which could have realistically gotten him into a lot of trouble during that time. Despite the need for caution, I think adding the Fox was a perfect way to allow Charlie, Miles, and the other characters to have a place where they could let loose and be themselves within a community of supportive people.
I think it's great that Charlie and Alma had a positive relationship. It was refreshing that they were friends and that Alma had more backstory to her character that made her more than a 2-D happy-go-lucky rich girl. I will admit that I sort of want a book featuring Jo and Alma.
I LOVED that Charlie and Miles were not part of the aristocracy. Most historical romances feature members of the aristocracy and I think it severely limits that types of interactions and situations that the characters can experience. Having these characters be outside the aristocracy was so smart and made the ending more realistic since there was no expectation that one of the characters needs to marry for the title and to take care of the lands and whatnot.

Cons:
I wasn't a fan of the whole cloak and dagger aspect to how Jo was able to get Miles' identity. It felt a little unnecessary and gave an unintentional undertone of menace. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and for there to be some element of blackmail and was waiting for Jo to be a villain. I think it took away from the main story and made me not really trust or understand Jo's character until the last chapter.
I think an explanation of Miles' grief over Ethan should have happened more early on. It was obvious that Ethan was a former lover, but it was kept as a secret backstory for a little too long.
There should've been an explanation of why Charlie couldn't get out of his engagement sooner. While it was mentioned that he needed his debts paid off, it was written in a way where you felt like there was more to the story and we should've gotten that explanation sooner since there was no pressure in terms of the ton and the aristocracy for Charlie to continue his engagement with Alma.

Overall I really liked this book. It was a fantastic LGBTQIA+ representation especially for a historical. There were a few minor typos in the ARC, but it didn't detract from the reader's ability to understand the text. I would highly recommend this book. The cons I mentioned above prevented me from giving this book 5 stars, but if I could I would give 4.5 stars since it was really close to perfect.

I really enjoyed this historical romance about Charlie, a fop with a penchant for smutty novels, and Miles, a grumpy bookstore owner who writes Charlie's favorite books. Through a friend, Charlie manages to track down Miles (who keeps his real identity a secret, because his books could get him in trouble) to get his book signed. Their first encounter doesn't go well, but then Miles shows up on Charlie's doorstep to apologize—while Charlie is in the middle of a cake- and wine-tasting for his upcoming wedding. Miles pretends to be a sommelier, and I *loved* it. After that, the two men begin spending more time together, getting to know each other and falling in love.

However, Charlie is engaged to someone else, a woman named Alma. Their families have agreed to an arrangement where marrying Alma will help pay off Charlie's debts. He's in a tough situation because he genuinely likes Alma, although he isn't in love with her. Not marrying her could leave him in debt and her abandoned by her terrible family to live a life on the street. I appreciated that Alma was a fully realized character. It was clear how much Charlie cared for her, and she for him.

I wasn't sure how Miles and Charlie would get their HEA, and how Alma would still be okay if they did. This being a romance novel, I knew everything would work out in the end. The exciting part was seeing how the author would pull it off, and I thought she did it beautifully.

Sidenote, but I'm hoping to see Alma get her own story in this series, maybe with a side character from this book. (I'm not mentioning that character by name because I don't want to spoil anything.) I'd like to see some of the characters from The Curious Fox, the club Charlie frequents, get their own books, too. The club scenes were a highlight for me and were so much fun.

This was a great debut, full of funny moments and heartfelt ones in equal measure. I'm excited to read whatever Jess Everlee writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

I was so excited to pick this book up. The blurb had me hooked. Sadly, the writing let me down. I didn't feel connected to the characters and found my mind wandering a lot while reading.

This book a sweet, fun to read romance. It was a little style over substance, but the characters and their motivations were interesting. This book was much tamer than the expectation set by the summary, which while neither here nor there, left me a little confused when intimate scenes didn't so much fade to black as slam a bedroom door in the readers face. A fun way to pass the time but ultimately not as intriguing or memorable as the premise left me hoping it would be.