This was such a darling and delightful story. I couldn't put it down and loved every second of it. I adore Noah and David. The lack of communication between MCs always annoys me, but it also makes sense in a friends to loves story. But somehow in this story it worked better than usual. At least for me. Maybe it is because it takes place in the late 1800s and believing that two friends could be that oblivious to each other's feelings seems more realistic in that setting.

I read this book without reading the first book and I didn't feel like I was missing any key details. It was obvious there was another story from the mention of Charlie and Miles, but this book is a good stand alone.

I really did enjoy this story and the fictional 1800s London created.

This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!

A bit underwhelming and I kinda wish the resolution was different. I read book 2 before book 1 and I prefer book 1 a tad more.

I loved Jess Everlee’s debut, The Gentleman's Book of Vices, so I was excited to get my hands on an ARC of the followup. It didn’t disappoint! I’ve been looking forward to getting Noah’s story since the first book. Reading David and Noah’s friends-to-lovers romance was a delight. I think friends-to-lovers is one of the hardest tropes to write, but Everlee pulls it off beautifully.

I really enjoy the world the author has created with this series and hope there are future books featuring the other characters.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

thank you netgalley for the ARC!

mini summary: two best friends with a complicated history realize they’re in love and decide to save their gay club. period drama gays.

this was better than the first one!! i love david and noah. it was unpredictable which i enjoyed and also there was no horrible miscommunication after they got together!!! loved it very much

At first, me and this book didn't get on. I didn't really get invested in the characters and I didn't like the constant flashbacks. I ended up putting it down for a while and coming back to it. This time around, I found it much more enjoyable as I finally got to the main plot. I did love David and Noah's terms of endearments for each other and the surrounding characters. I think the plot with the lord could have been improved a bit but I did like the twist at the end. Ultimately an enjoyable read, I just wish it had gripped me right from the beginning.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much!! Once again, Everlee proves her knowledge of Victorian London, as well as her skill at writing deeply believable characters & settings. I loved this story in particular because we get to see the main characters both as teens (in flashbacks) and adults (in the present). Their relationship feels so real & emotive, and you can tell how carefully everything was crafted. I liked this one even better than the prequel, and I definitely plan to keep reading Everlee's future releases!

DNF at 51%

There’s really nothing WRONG with this book. It’s an easy read, the characters and setting are likeable enough, and it’s queer which is a big draw for me.

I found the first book in this series quite average as well but was very interested in learning more about these two characters.

However, halfway through, and I was just rather bored and unmotivated to continue, and I don’t make a habit of forcing myself to read a book when I’d rather be reading something else.

Would have likely been 2.5-3 stars though, so that’s what I’ve gone with here.

Thanks for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Lucky Lovers of London series and I also love the friends-to-lovers trope, so I was very excited to pick this book up. I'm happy to say that it fulfilled my expectations. The setting of the story was well incorporated into the plot, both main leads felt fleshed-out and their struggles were relatable, and the build-up of their relationship was perfect. I look forward to more stories in this world. A very enjoyable historical romance.

I was so excited for this book and had such high hopes for it. I absolutely loved 'The Gentleman's Book of Vices' so I naturally expected to love this one too. I did not. It is well written and I'm positive is absolutely perfect for a lot of people, it just didn't work for me.

The plot felt meh to me and honestly a little lackluster and not super well developed, the 'stakes' that are mentioned and fretted about during the first half of the book never come to fruition. There is absolutely no climax in this book and it comes across as incredibly wishy-washy. The ending also felt rushed and rather disconnected from the previous chapters. The characters while well developed in comparison to the plot were just 'there' and I felt zero chemistry between them at all. I would also struggle to name a character from this novel except the main two and Warren. They just didn't stick with me.

I do love the cover on this one and the way this version of 1880's London is portrayed is well explained and presented which does add more to the story.

Overall I think I was decidedly overwhelmed by this novel which is partially my fault because I went in with high expectations.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I was underwhelmed by Jess Everlee's debut novel, "The Gentleman's Book of Vices", but pleasantly surprised by her sophomore effort. I still have some concerns about the author's plotting, but she has improved her character development skills. And although the "clueless best friends who are obviously in love with each other" trope is not one of my favorites, I only wanted to knock the MCs' heads together a few times.

Noah and David met as schoolboys, when David punched Noah's frequent tormenter and won his undying gratitude. The boys fooled around a bit, as boys are wont to do in boarding school. But they never considered themselves as anything but BFFs, and any stronger feelings were left unexamined. After an apprenticeship in Italy, Noah became a well-regarded London tailor. David found a job as manager of The Curious Fox, a popular gentlemen's club for queer men, including Noah and his alter ego, Miss Penelope.

When the Fox's rich, powerful owner threatens to close the establishment, David fears that his role of protector for some of London's most colorful drag queens and assorted queers is in jeopardy. Noah realizes it's time for him to step up and save the man who has always been there for him.

As David and Noah spend more time together, they engage in a bit of drunken making out, the typical "we'll agree to forget last night because it didn't mean anything," and then, hallelujah, around the 60% mark, the MCs start to express the feelings they previously couldn't quite formulate in their own heads. From that point, I'm happy to report there are no Big Misunderstandings or Noble Sacrifices for Love. They will face their challenges as a team.

That's where the book's weakness becomes evident. Everything in the first half is leading up to a dangerous and exciting plan to save the Fox....and then it just doesn't happen because Reasons. The anticipated confrontation with the bad guy is avoided and the problem is solved by the surprise involvement of a third party. It's nice to know that the MCs were willing to face this danger together, but taking the agency away from them kills the book's momentum.

Rulebook is still an engaging read, especially in the second half when the MCs open up to each other. Another highlight is the scene in which Noah confronts his surprisingly tolerant Unitarian father about his choice in careers and lovers, which goes splendidly sideways, in another example of a perceived threat simply disappearing.

The MCs from Book of Vices appear briefly, but this can easily be read as a standalone novel. Don't even pay attention to the title; there is no Rulebook and neither Noah nor David can really be considered "Restless Rogues."

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

This was a really fun read, though I felt the pacing needed to be better. The ending felt super rushed. Overall, the story was cute and I loved the overall vibe.

I’ve been trying to broaden my reading horizons, so a queer historical fiction seemed like a great place to start. I think the storyline of this book, especially in relation to the first book in the series, was interesting but lacked something to really hold me in. The relationship between Noah and David was well-written and almost made up for the lack of anti-climatic scenes. Despite the plot fizzling, I think each of the characters was well-written, well-maintained, and different than I expected.
I think this series has a lot potential to bring a new group of readers into the historical fiction scene. While it wasn’t exactly my go-to genre, I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot.

The Lucky Londoners series continues with "A Rulebook for Restless Rogues" which takes you back to explore the Curious Fox's owner David and unforgettable Noah Clarke/Miss Penelope Primrose with an exploration of gender, love, and queerness in a time of sexual prohibition.

Thumbs up: If you have not read Everlee's first novel, do not fret as this is a standalone novel in a series connected to the molly bar "The Curious Fox." I was curious about how Everlee would explore Noah Clarke/Miss Penelope Primrose storyline, as I wanted more of them in the first book! I enjoyed how the fluidity of David's sexuality was brought forth and the serious reality of death/imprisonment for queer folks in the 1800's and how relevant that topic is even today.

Thumbs down: Still some work to be done in the spicy romance sections. From the first book to now, it still feels disjointed. I would also enjoy seeing the characters have some life breathed into them as they still come across slightly flat.

Was it a nailbiter? I am pleased to see the series continue and look forward to the next installment. What can I say? I am a sucker for a queer happily-ever-after in these trying times..

Really enjoyed this read. Every time I thought I'd figured out how the story was going to go, it went slightly differently in a wonderful way. I hope there are more in this series.

Superfun quick read. I loved Noah and Davey and their rattletrap group of friends and colleagues. I especially loved the twists I didn't see coming toward the end!

The author is very good at painting the picture so you feel like you're right there. The characters are relatable and familiar

Did I expect to be so thoroughly taken by this story, its characters, and the plight of The Curious Fox after reading the previous book? No, but boy was this good. Everlee's crafting and prose in general seemed much stronger with her second novel. Not only were Noah and David compelling characters, but their chemistry was insurmountable; this was the friends-to-lovers trope at its best. Everlee did a fantastic job teasing out each man's backstory and ensuring their voices were differentiated from one another. On top of that, they had such different upbringings that this also added to how she portrayed their personalities. The drama surrounding the molly bar kept me on my toes, and the mystery behind what the bar's owner intended was almost as interesting as the romance. The climax was...a bit of a letdown, to be honest: I wanted another confrontation between David and his former lover/current boss. But there were some factors about the climax I did find entertaining. Other than this, the two things I wanted more of were Noah's passion for drag and where this stemmed from, and the female characters (which is always my gripe with books about queer men written by women)—I wish they were as fleshed out as, say, Warren, who I'm now anticipating a book about. Definitely will be purchasing a copy!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<

Life for gay men in Victorian London is dangerous and potentially heartbreaking, but David has made the Fox, the gentleman's club he runs, into a sanctuary for his community. Despite the occasional need to clear out before a raid, David manages to keep his patrons both safe and comfortable. When an impending raid results in the owner threatening to sell the Fox, David is ready to travel to the owner's country home to plead his case. He just needs a "wife" to advert suspicion concerning his relationship to the Fox's dangerous and noble owner. David's best friend, Noah, has promised to stay by David's side no matter what, but would much rather talk Davide out the visit all together.

Readers will not only be rooting for David, and impatiently waiting for the development of David and Noah's relationship, but want to settle in for an evening at the Fox with its gay (in all senses) denizens.

Davy and Noah truly are a pair of restless rogues! The duo and their friends (including a suspiciously quiet valet) absolutely capture the best elements of found family. I enjoyed returning to the Curious Fox and learning so much more about its proprietor, David. Noah, however stole the show in this story for me - he is bold, kind, funny, and brave. We recommend this one if you enjoy a friends to lovers moment, larger than life characters, and a perfect ending.

I read the first book in this series and was excited for the second book. Unfortunately, while this wasn't the worst book I've read, it just fell a little flat. I liked the characters, the setting, and the story, but the pacing was honestly the biggest deal-breaker. Maybe had I been in a different mood I could've handled the slower pacing, but I found myself skimming and really only reading the dialogue about 40% into the book and I still got the story. I really liked the heroes and found their love story to be so cute. However, I really cannot emphasize enough how the pacing just seemed so slow and made this book feel like a bit of a chore. I don't know what could've been adjusted to pick up the pacing, but I found that reading the dialogue and only skimming the rest gave me a pretty good impression of the story and was pretty enjoyable.