A Rulebook for Restless Rogues is the second novel in the Lucky Lovers of London series. It is the sequel to The Gentleman’s Books of Vices and features some of the same characters who were secondary in the first novel. The story follows David Forester, the manager of The Curious Fox club and Noah Clarke, who is a tailor and a drag queen by the name of Miss Penelope Primrose. The main story takes place with the two of them in 1885 and includes flashbacks to the two of them as students in boarding school in 1870. The premise not only follows the two characters discovering a new connection, but there is trouble at the club and David is trying to work to save it.

The two characters are going through their own journeys and trying to figure out if taking the next step from only friends will be possible. Neither is sure about the romantic feelings for each other nor also don’t want to ruin the friendship. There is also the historical aspect where their relationship would not be widely accepted. The relationship is built a lot on the history they share and the mutual current attraction, which made this a great romance story. The pacing is slower as the focus stays a lot on developing each character and their growing chemistry. Since the story is not as plot heavy, there is not a huge climax compared to other stories in the same genre. The story itself was still enjoyable and the characters were well-developed, but it did seem to be light on the plot to keep the reader enticed from start to finish. I think to be a memorable read, it needed a little more plot, but the reading experience was enjoyable.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Carina Adores, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Jess Everlee overcomes a sophomore slump with A Rulebook for Restless Rogues. We follow up with some characters in The Gentleman's Book of Vices and embark on a beautiful friends-to-lovers Romance with David Forester and Noah Clarke.

Noah and David were best friends at boarding school, and have since grown up with Noah as a renowned tailor and David running an underground queer club called The Curious Fox. After a shocking announcement of a raid endangering not only David's club, but everyone's livelihood, David and Noah set out to save The Curious Fox.

Jess Everlee continues to have a very engaging writing style. There are many interesting discussions about not only sexuality but gender expression. I recommend this to anyone looking for a heartfelt, queer, historical romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues was a delight to read. This story is packed with emotion, romance, heart, and clinging to one’s roots. David, the proprietor of The Curious Fox, discovers the owner’s intent to sell the club. Noah Clark, a skilled tailor, is known to the gentry of the Curious Fox as Miss Penelope Primrose.

The wonderful world of the Curious Fox and the heartfelt characters of Jess Everlee’s design will move you in this intriguing best-friends-to-lovers tale.

This story has it all:
High stakes, immaculate sexual tension, hilarious dialogue, a fresh look at historical fiction. It was truly a delight to read!

These two have been best friends since boarding school. Although they spend time apart, keeping the other safe, they still are there for each other. They work together to try to save the club that David runs, with Noah taking huge chances in order to save his best friend and love.

This is a sweet historical romance with real life dangers. These two will do anything for the other, even at their own expense. It is clear that Noah and David longed to be together, even with the risks. The story includes a suspenseful subplot with a twist.

It did take me a bit to get into this book, but likely was me, as I put it down for a bit, picked it up later, then devoured. The side characters brought in some humor to the MC's story, as well.

4 stars

I was delighted by The Gentleman's Book of Vices so I snatched this one up as soon as it was available. This one featured David and Noah who were background characters from the first book. Noah is also Miss Penelope when she puts on her whole décolletage in the club but by day, he's a bored but on demand tailor. David is the proprietor of the underground club for other folks under the LGBTQ banner who would be arrested if they partook in their relationship publicly.

Noah and David have known each other since they were fumbling kids and have never managed to get their acts together in regards to each other despite everyone telling them they know they're in love. After a few missteps, they start to figure it out.

David's club gets shut down and he feels the need to make his case to the owner who he has a pretty sketchy relationship to. Noah wants him to abandon it and just be safe and with him. David then goes on a pretty circular journey where he decides whether he wants to fight for his club or not and eventually puts Noah in a tight spot.

I liked that this ended like it did for them. I wish David wasn't as wishy washy since Noah basically put his cards on the table. I loved when Noah went to bat with his family and they started to forgive things that weren't really ever his fault.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

usually, I can finish a book in a couple of days… But I got this arc over a month ago and I just cant seem to finish it.

I don’t know what it is… is it the time period? Is it the sometimes overly dramatic characters? or the somewhat flat storyline?

I enjoyed the first book in the series… unfortunately, this one wasn’t it for me 🙁

[I received a digital arc for an honest review]

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues is the second book in the Lucky Lovers of London series by Jess Everlee. David Forester runs The Curious Fox as a means to keep the people he cares about safe and happy while turning a profit. It allows his best friend from school days Noah Clarke the comfort to be himself after long days as a tailor on Savile Row. The owner of the Fox has decided it’s too much risk for not enough reward but gives David the opportunity to fight for his establishment. Noah knows David shouldn’t have to do it on his own and teams up with David to save the place they love so much. Spending even more time together leaves the men questioning long standing feelings and if the two may see a future even if the Fox can’t be saved.

David Forester is a protector hiding behind the facade of a cheery bar proprietor. He cares greatly for the men and others that come to the Fox to be themselves for just a little while. He has always loved Noah and finds his time in the Fox is best spent allowing Noah to flourish. So what if he doesn’t try to find Noah his perfect partner and if they share a heat that cannot be extinguished. His fear of losing Noah overpowers him and causes the two to constantly question each intimate encounter. He also fears allowing Noah to get close with the Fox’s owner being more than a little shady.

Noah Clarke is a force to be reckoned with either as the no nonsense tailor or as Miss Penelope. He has always held a candle for David and when David needs him to save the Fox he steps in without a second thought. He doesn’t care if he loses everything as long as he gets to keep David.

It took me a little while to get into this book. There was a lot of building up the relationship between David and Noah as you get their history in bits and pieces. Once the story built momentum I was enthralled to see if the men could work things out and if there was any hope for The Curious Fox. With a collection of side characters that added charm and humor to the romance blooming between Noah and David. I enjoy a good MM historical romance and this was just that for me.

4 stars for David and Noah’s friendship blooming into a forever.

Jess, what a pen, what a pen, I read this book in one sitting, i wasn't happy until i finished. I think that this books are good to let yourself be surprised by them, because for some people work and for others didn't, like the pace in it, which for me was fine, specially considering is pretty similar to book 1, but for others it doesn't work.

I was very impressed by Jess Everlee’s début, The Gentleman’s Book of Vices, a queer romance set in late Victorian London featuring a superbly written and emotional grumpy/sunshine romance, so I’ve been eagerly looking forward to reading more from her. A Rulebook for Restless Rogues is book two in the Lucky Lovers of London series, but I’m sorry to say it lacks the sparkling chemistry and depth of feeling I so loved in the first book.

David Forrester and Noah Clarke appeared in The Gentleman’s Book of Vices; David is the proprietor** of The Curious Fox – the scandalous gentleman’s club where we first met Charlie Price in book one – and Noah is his oldest and dearest friend, a friendship that goes back to their schooldays when David looked out for Noah and stood up to the boys who were bullying him, even though David got punished for beating them up. After this, the two of them started spending all their spare time together – and sneaking off for heated kisses and fumblings in broom cupboards or hidden in the trees by the lake.

[**actually, he’s not the proprietor, because he doesn’t own the place – I’d describe him as the manager. For some reason however, he’s described as the proprietor throughout the novel.]
Although his father intended him to be a doctor, Noah went off to Milan after school, to study the art of fashionable mens’ tailoring at the establishment of a well-known Italian designer, while David remained in London. It was always David’s destiny to take over the running of the family business – a swish London hotel – but after a series of financial misjudgments, his father ended up torching the place for the insurance, and the ensuing scandal ruined them. Without family or friends around him, David ended up waiting on tables in a seedy pub in London – which is where Noah found him, pretty, vibrant Noah, who came back to England as soon as he heard of David’s misfortunes.

Now, David runs the Fox, without much interference from the place’s aristocratic owner, Lord Belleville, and despite the risks involved – running a club at which illegal activities take place – he’s worked hard to make it into a safe space for his clientele, even going so far as to play matchmaker with his patrons, setting them up and making sure everyone has a safe, fun time. In fact, as his friends often point out, David seems to expend more energy in organising the love lives of everyone at the club than he does on his own – which he refutes furiously.

Noah is one of the Fox’s regular patrons, and often frequents it as his dragged-up alter-ego Penelope – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get his share of ribbing from their friends about his non-existent love life, either. Everyone around them can see exactly how Noah and David feel about each other, but they persist in denying it – to themselves, to each other, to their friends – because they’re scared of losing the friendship that has been the one constant thing they’ve had in their lives for as long as either of them can remember.

One night, however, Lord Belleville turns up unexpectedly and tells David to clean the place out completely, because he’s been tipped off about a police raid that’s to take place the next night. David is rattled, but by more than the prospect of the raid; Belleville is a piece of slime whose thinly veiled threats indicate he will not hesitate to throw David under the omnibus (!) should he feel the need to do so, and it doesn’t take him long to realise that Belleville has no intention of re-opening the Fox after the raid. But David cares passionately about the club and the people for whom it’s become a haven, and is determined to find a way to keep its doors open – and Noah is not about to let him go it alone.

I enjoyed the book overall, although it has a couple of big weaknesses that drag it down to the low-B level. David and Noah are likeable, their cluelessness is cute, their mutual pining is really well done and I liked them as a couple, but when they start getting busy, their obliviousness disappears really quickly, and I found myself asking ‘why now?’ – especially after years of dancing around each other. And there were times I felt opportunities for character development were missed. For example, we’re often told about David’s protective instinct and there are hints at a degree of negativity associated with the role he’s adopted for himself, but it’s never explored. I also struggled to become invested in the fate of the club. I absolutely appreciated its being somewhere for people who were marginalised and criminalised for their sexuality to gather in relative safety, but we don’t actually see much of it in this story, so there’s not much time for us to get to know or care about the community or the characters David is so keen to protect, and without that relationship existing between the reader and the community, the plot falls flat.

The weak plotting is compounded by poor pacing and a conflict which never really takes off. The book gets off to a slow-ish start, but once Bellville appears it kicks up a gear, and everything in the first half of the story seems to be heading towards a daring and exciting plan to save the Fox – which then just… fizzles out. David’s past relationship with the Bad Baron is nebulous and somewhat downplayed, Belleville’s evil machinations are kind of dumb, and the anticipated showdown doesn’t happen. The Fox is saved in a deus-ex-machina move by a third party, which completely robs David and Noah of any agency, and the denoument of any tension. It’s rushed and anti-climactic.

Also, David and Noah are not rogues and there’s nary a rulebook in sight!

I struggled to grade A Rulebook for Restless Rogues, but have gone with the B minus because I did enjoy reading it, even as I recognised its flaws. There’s a strong supporting cast – Jo is awesome and I hope Warren is going to get a book – and the romance is full of tenderness and affection, so I’m giving it a qualified recommendation. Fingers crossed Jess Everlee’s next book will measure up to the previous one.

Rating = 3.5 stars/B-

I am not a huge fan of the friends to lovers trope and can at times be a hater of second chance romances. A Rulebook for Restless Rogues is arguably both of these but I greatly enjoyed it. Having read Jess Everlee’s debut and greatly enjoying the Fox as a central location was excited to return and see this story unfurl.

I loved both David and Noah and found them delightful. Even in their worst and stupidest moments in the book they were motivated and grounded in the characters believability. I also loved how while there was miscommunication in the book it wasn’t the conflict that was driving the plot. While this is a genre romance and is primarily about the relationship between David and Noah the outside conflict is what pushes the story forward.

This book reminds me of a conversation I had with a book seller once about how some tropes (specifically childhood friends to lovers) works even better in a queer context then they work in a straight one, and I definitely think that is true for this book as well. I would absolutely recommend this book especially for those who enjoyed the first.

Thank you to Net Galley and Carina Adores (Harlequin) for access to an EARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not really my type of book but I did read it and found that it wasn't to bad at all. If this is your type of story you would certainly enjoy it. I will give it 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgally and publisher for this ARC.

Maybe I missed something by jumping into this book without reading the first, but I just couldn't get into the book easily. I have a difficult time reading books with flashbacks and I just could never settle into the story, and I didn't connect well with the characters. It's probably me, but it was not a good connection.

I loved The Gentleman's Book of Vices and should probably post my viral reel again cause this book has the same vibes. And we got some Charlie and Miles in this one.
David and Noah are childhood friends and have always had an attraction. But life separated them for awhile. Long enough for David to get taken advantage of by an awful lord. Ugh that guy was the worst of the predators. Hiding in plain sight.
In a time when men couldn't publicly be together or show their love, and same for women. This was about David's underground gentleman's club and the awful man who owned it. Loved the inclusive club for all of their preferences that were welcome along with their friends sapphic club. But politics always has to ruin everything and stick their noses where they don't belong. Vilifying the wrong parties. That ending though was 😭😍.
If only all of the lovely gentlemen had an hea though private like this. Unfortunately having it be illegal is why so many think this is new. Oh innocent fools.

Thank you harlequinbooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Best friends since boarding school, David and Noah scramble when the queer club David manages is threatened with closure. As they work to save the beating heart of their found family, David and Noah discover that their feelings for each other are more than friendly. Can they untangle the web of deception surrounding them and build a new future together?

The emotion between Noah and David is palpable and infuses the plot with a strong sense of longing. There's also a suspense/mystery subplot that provides a nice twist at the end.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

David and Noah have been best friends forever. They helped each other survive a horrible boarding school and explored the physical aspect of love in furtive encounters. But years have passed, and while they'd still follow each other anywhere and give anything to help each other, they constantly keep a cautious distance from each other. Each has his reasons, and would rather live like that than risk losing their friendship. But the suspicious closure of The Curious Fox, the queer club David runs, by the awful aristocrat that owns it puts David in danger and pushes Noah to stand up for the man that is always willing to protect others but never does anything for himself.
It's a perfectly sweet relationship, the kind where you can tell that there's a long history behind it that makes their inevitable getting together even sweeter. They each have their faults, which they acknowledge while bringing out the best in each other. It starts out as a bit of an unbalanced relationship, but Noah's confidence grows and it's great to see him standing up for his right to do things for the man he loves. There are so many great, swoon-worthy moments from both characters thanks to this dynamic.
Also praiseworthy is the fact that each character has a very well-defined personality that reads differently and really helps the sense that you're following two points of view telling the same story. It's not something many authors manage with such smoothness.
Extra praise goes to Everlee for making the dangers queer people faced just for existing and wanting to live their lives front and center while not making it as doom-and-gloom as it could have been. It helps the reader understand why they do what they do and gives the romance a bit of a darker edge that I appreciated.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Carina Adores for the wonderful early read!

As a reader that did not read the first book in this series, just know that you can absolutely read this one with no previous context needed.

I love the format of this story- the time jumps from David and Noah's time in school to present day. This is my favorite way to see a friends to lovers relationship bloom.

These characters were an absolute delight and I will definitely be going BACK and picking up the first book in the series now.

I really did not like the writing style of this book. It was a fast read but it felt like nothing was happening. They got together like 25% in and had almost no problems between them for the rest of the time. That's not something I'm opposed to but I just didn't like the way it was done. I'm sure this book will find it's audience though.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I enjoyed the first book from this author and was excited to see that this one would follow two of the supporting characters from that story. One of my favorite things about The Gentleman's Book of Vices was the found family environment at the club, The Curious Fox. David and Noah were a huge part of that family, and I loved the idea of getting to see their romance blossom. I can confirm that I did, in fact, enjoy spending more time getting to know them and their history. However, there were some things about this book that made me love it less than the first one.

First off, I still loved all of the characters. David and Noah were fun to follow, and I liked how the story switched between their past and present to give the reader a clear picture of their journey. Their best friends to lovers romance was super angsty and full of years of mutual pining finally coming to a head. David had some abandonment and self worth issues that Noah helped him work through, and Noah had so many walls up that David needed a sledgehammer to slowly chip away at them. I understood David's reticence to express his feelings because of the terrible things he'd experienced in the past, but Noah's emotional constipation seemed a bit unfounded. It made sense that he wouldn't want to lose his best friend if things didn't work out, but the lengths he went to avoid his feelings just seemed over the top at times. It did make for good drama, though, and I can't deny that I ate it up. lol.

The plot was where this book didn't work as well for me. There wasn't much build up of the two characters just being friends in the beginning, and the crisis at the club happened really, really fast. This kept the book from having as much of the found family feel as I expected. The story was also a bit lopsided and gave more weight to David's struggles than Noah's. In the beginning, the reader is led to believe Noah is super stressed about his workload and career, but then it got ignored for most of the book because the characters were focused on their romantic entanglements and the club being closed down. I enjoyed the parts of the story we got, but I really wanted to see more of Noah in his element. I think part of the problem was that all of these big things were crammed together over the course of a weekend, which didn't give the story much room to breathe. The ending was also a bit lackluster. Everything got wrapped up in a couple of paragraphs, and it just felt way too simple and passive.

I also think it's important to note that I don't think this book works very well as a standalone. I enjoyed this follow-up because it added context to the pre-existing story and characters. However, people who haven't read the first book will likely not appreciate it as much because the book didn't take the time to set anything up. The club was shut down almost from the beginning, and none of the cameo characters get any real characterization. So, I definitely recommend reading The Gentleman's Book of Vices first because a lot of my enjoyment was tied to how this book related to the previous one. I'd definitely classify this as more of a companion novel than a sequel, as well, since it adds context to the first story without really moving it forward in any way.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable MM historical romance with good writing. I liked the main characters and the angsty best friends to lovers story. However, I wish the story had been a bit more independent and worked better on its own to add something unique to this world. If you've read the first book, I do recommend picking this one up for the context on what happened at The Curious Fox. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Premise:
-set in London in summer 1885 with flashbacks to David & Noah's time in boarding school, starting in 1870
-Noah is Savile Row's promising young tailor
-David runs an underground queer club, The Curious Fox
-when the baron who owns the Fox tries to close it, David must figure out how to save his club!
-Noah & David navigate their feelings for each other that they've suppressed over the years & dismissed as childlike curiosity
-cw from Jess Everlee's website: A main character has a history of abuse at the hands of a parent and an intimate partner. While this is dealt with non-graphically, his resulting C-PTSD and an on-page connection to that ex-partner drive parts of the plot. There is an off-page suicide of an unsympathetic character. All on-page sex is between adults, but their underage history is discussed. There is period-typical homophobia, racism, and sexism. Arrest and violence pose significant threats, though do not occur in any Lucky Lovers books.

Thoughts:
This was the delightful historical queer romance I've been wanting!!! I adored the dynamics, angst and tension between Noah & David! They were so clearly pining for each other for so long and denied themselves a chance at true happiness FOR WHAT?! I love this trope of what I call "two idiots who need to just shut up and kiss already" ahhaha.

Overall, I'll admit that I read this for the friends-to-lovers first and the plot second lol! However, I loved the way the flashbacks tied into the present, and the quest to save the club was fun! This was the first book I've read by Jess Everlee and I'm so excited to read the first book in the series now

"Best friends going on fifteen years, their feet always seemed to wander to wherever the other happened to be."

I’m always a little nervous reading a sophomore novel, particularly the follow-up to one I enjoyed. The set up for Noah & David’s story was perfect and gave me high hopes on which Jess Everlee absolutely delivers. In addition to a sweet, satisfying romance, this trip to The Curious Fox takes readers on a journey full of intrigue, mischief and unexpected mystery.

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues is a fantastic friends to lovers historical romance featuring childhood best friends. I appreciate Everlee’s use of flashbacks through which readers experience the depth of Noah & David’s dedication, affection and devotion. In reconciling their past with their present, it’s obvious just how much of themselves they’ve hidden away and what they’ve sacrificed in the name of friendship.

David’s a former hotel heir disgraced by his father’s destruction of the family fortune. He’s working through this trauma, as well as his insecurities and shame surrounding decisions which have landed him in his current role as proprietor of The Curious Fox.

Noah, on the other hand, has built a respectable career as a tailor while discreetly spending his free time at The Fox as the lovely Miss Penelope Primrose. He comes from a rather unorthodox family for the times; his Unitarian upbringing and values are the right vehicle to give their relationship a foundation. It’s refreshing to see this early acknowledgement of love between same sex couples, even if it’s something we’re very much still fighting for today.

Navigating the mysterious circumstances concerning their beloved club changes the dynamic between David & Noah, forcing them to spend time together, rely on each other and view their relationship in a new light. Theirs is very much an “it’s always been you” story, and I have a definite weakness for the grand confession. Jess Everlee gets this one just right, a moment that’s so perfectly them readers can’t help but swoon.

*My thanks to Carina Adores (Harlequin) for an advanced copy of this story via NetGalley.*