This story takes place in a queer normative world with same-sex relationships possible and common for all classes. One of the main side characters is Aro.

This was a Queer Steampunk Murder mystery that had a lot of potential but was just trying to do too much at once. The author introduced a lot of really cool, interesting concepts but never developed them out.

I really loved the Sigil Magic and how it played into the evidence and hunting for clues but never had a firm grasp on what it was or what it could do. I also wasn't sure how that differed from the vowsmithing, conjuring, or the automotons.

The first 40% is very slow paced while also throwing a ton of evidence and bodies at you. A character would be presented as someone to stay away from because they're shady, only to end up dead shortly after. The tidbits on why they were shady are revealed through dialogue after the fact. A lot of the evidence and crimes are presented this way, there isn't a lot of build up, or suspense, or chance for you to figure things out.

The action does pick up and the story finds it's rhythm from 40% to 85% --I read that section in one go because I didn't want to put the book down.

The conclusion was very convoluted with the many crimes confusing to keep track of. And several crimes were already solved and were being repeated.

I absolutely adored Leaf. Her personality, energy, and desires drove the plot forward. I loved the comadarie between her and Nic. I especially loved how she was presented as a friend instead of a rival or hurdle for Nic and Dash's relationship.

Unfortunately, this one is a DNF for me. I was so excited to read this book when I saw that it was a queer historical fantasy book with murder and humor but I made it 28% into the book and can’t seem to find it interesting. I just think this one fell flat for me and I did not connect with the main character Nic at all. However, I do think a lot of people will like this book and that it just was not within my current interests!

So I would still recommend it to people who enjoy reading fantasy books set in the Regency era, murder mystery, and a queer main character!

Thank you Netgalley & Saga Press for the eARC!

A Beautifully Queer Love Story with Magic

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is an unforgettable story filled with a sort of love triangle, unique magic system and you guessed it MURDER. At its heart, it follows Nic, Lady Leaf, and Dashiell the Vowsmith as they work together to uncover family secrets and countless murders all happening during a confined marriage contract being written at Nic's estate.

Nic and Dashiell love story is tender, powerful, and beautifully written, with just the right amount of longing and magic woven in. And we can't forget about Lady Leaf, a funny, independent, murder mystery fanatic who already knows about her soon to be "AS GAY AS A SPOON" husband.

The chemistry between the two male characters is electric, and the world-building is rich without being overwhelming. It’s the perfect read for anyone who loves queer historical fantasy and a slow-burn romance that makes your heart ache in the best way. It was such a fun read and Im super excited to share this with all my queer folks <3

gorgeous, five star romance/mystery with some incredible and very well plotted chars. 5 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.

I went into this book expecting something cozy and romantic with a little light murder--this book was absolutely not that! It was much darker and longer than I had realized, and with a lot more murder. None of which is to say I didn't enjoy it--just that it was not what I thought I was signing up for.

Leaf! I absolutely loved Leaf. I would read an entire book just about her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This book showed great promise, with an intriguing premise and compelling characters. However, the story progressed at a slow pace, and the momentum never fully picked up. The novel blended elements of romance, gothic fiction, mystery, and Regency-era storytelling, but the frequent shifts between these genres made it challenging to fully immerse myself in the plot.

There was a lot of characters, and it was difficult to keep track of everyone. Additionally, the use of multiple nicknames for certain characters further complicated this issue, making it hard to remember who was who, even later in the story.

I particularly enjoyed Leaf and her storyline; she was a well-developed character, and her friendship with Nic, along with their banter, was engaging. Dash and Nic's relationship was also enjoyable, though I would have preferred more scenes with them together. Just as I thought their story was picking up, Dash disappeared for a while from the storyline which was frustrating.

The magical elements could have been better explained as I really wanted to know more about those.

***SPOILER***
The reveal of the murders was somewhat confusing, and I was disappointed by the lack of consequences for the murderer. It was frustrating that no one faced repercussions for murdering people, and similarly, the attempted murder of Nic was largely brushed aside without resolution.

That said, I appreciated the ending and how the various plot threads came together. Overall, I found the story enjoyable, but I would have liked to see a stronger sense of justice regarding the murderer’s actions.

3.75/5. Releases 4/8/25.

—duty versus desire

—locked in murder mystery meets light fantasy

—queer-normative world

—Clue vibes

Heat Index: 6/10

The Basics:

With his family's dukedom on the decline, Nic has no choice but to marry Lady Leaf (despite the fact that he is, in fact, totally gay). In accordance with tradition, their families are locked in together while the marriage contract is negotiated—made worse by the fact that Leaf's family selected vowsmith Dahiell as their negotiator... and he happens to be Nic's ex. Oh! And now people are being murdered. Great!

The Review:

This book takes on several different subgenres—there's fantasy, there's romance, there's cozy mystery, there's legit creepy mystery. You even get a touch of coming of age, though it's more coming into your own. And while I think the romance of it all could've been punched up a bit more, overall the result is a fun, breezy, but not shallow adventure.

The premise of this book sounds like a setup for queer suffering, but I will say that Nic's betrothal to Leaf is presented more as a practicality situation and less about his family hating who he is. I mean, don't get me wrong, Nic has conflict with his family—but his sexuality isn't exactly the heart of it. And Leaf is fully aware that he's gay; she personally doesn't care to fall in love with anyone. Yep, ace rep!

My point being that queerness is baked into this world, and what's keeping Nic and Dashiell apart really has a lot more to do with class and money. And hurt feelings, of course. Get your shit together, Nic!

This is one of those books where everyone's issues are confronted by way of throwing them together to confront a bigger problem—in this case, all the murders. Which, valid! This is a very valid reason to face your fears! And speaking of fear, you do get some legitimaely creepy moments, which surprised me. It doesn't take away from what I'd call a fairly light tone, however. The novel definitely wants to evoke a Bridgerton vibe at points, and I'd say it succeeds.

In general, the big successes here are in Nic sort of learning to own what he wants to be, in the general fabness of Leaf, the spakr of the world. Where I think we could've used more substance is in Dashiell. He and Nic definitely have chemistry, and you get the pining as needed. But Dashiell as an individual feels a bit flat, like an object of desire versus a leading character. He could've used a POV.

The Sex:

You do get sex on the page—not a lot of it, and fairly lightly described. It's good, but I could've used more.

Conclusion:

This is a fun debut, and I had a good time with it. Would I call it a stellar romance? No, but it's solid. It really stands out on the fantasy romance front, mixing old-fashioned charm with a fresh take.

Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SagaPress for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Quite simply, I loved it. It's rare that a book can do so many things at once and do them all well. But this is a Romance, a murder mystery, a gothic novel, and a Regency lock-in party, all in a queer-normative world with magic. And yet it's all balanced beautifully.

The romance is full of longing, ANGST, tortured glances, and STEAMY interludes. It's a second-chance forbidden romance with class differences and it absolutely had me in a choke-hold. The murder-mystery had me on edge the entire time; who did it, what were the motives, and OMG how many murderers are there in this house?! The house itself is full of ghosts, hidden passages, locked rooms, and dangerous and decrepit places. And to top it all off, this lock-in party has characters with so many secrets and grudges, unravelling them all will make your head spin.

I not only loved Nic and Dash, but Lady Leaf really was a star. She's funny, smart, candid, and ace! I loved that she and Nic actually became great friends through it all too, and supported each other along the way.

Anyway, I really really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend!

I really can't express how much I loved this book. Somehow, a regency era, queer, fantasy, whodunnit was exactly what I was in the mood for and didn't know that I needed. This book has gothic vibes (think Jane Eyre), cozy mystery vibes (think Agatha Christie), along with fantastical elements and compelling characters.

Lord Nicholas Monterris is the last heir to a once revered estate. In order to uphold his family name and honor, his father arranges a marriage to Lady Leaf Serral. It is customary in this society for marriage contracts to be negotiated by vowsmiths while all parties remain sealed inside the same house. Unfortunately for Nicholas, the vowsmith that the Serral family brings along is none other than his first love, Dashiell sa Vere. Things go even more sideways when members of the party start to turn up dead and ghostly apparitions appear.

This was really a delightful read and a great debut from Rebecca Ide. The characters all had depth and she handled the relationships between the three main characters very well. Lady Leaf Serral is no villain in this book and her growing friendship with Nicholas was one of the best parts. I felt tense enough around the mystery, but not too on edge to keep this from being a cozy mystery. I was absorbed into the story and fully engaged in the relationship between Nicholas and Dashiell.

The reason that this is a four star read instead of five is simply that I wish there had been more explanation of how the magic in this world actually functions and more background about the vowsmith profession. As engaging as this book was, I still don't really have a grasp on the magic system or the how/why of the vowsmiths.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

A fast and decently entertaining read! Essentially a locked-room mystery with magic and gays, if you can call a large estate that's falling apart to the extent that some wings are closed to the public a locked room.

First things first: ever since I read the premise, I was wondering how the romantic relationships would be handled here, and was pleasantly surprised by Nic and Leaf's effortless and adorable friendship. Dashiell was only there to be dashing, I'm afraid, and the rest of the cast weren't particularly 3D either, so if you're looking to form some deep attachment to your leads, this book is probably not it.

Since some of the characters fall flat, the tension that was intended to be growing between them didn't always work, but partially this was compensated by versatile magic that apparently involves quite a bit of studying and has its own form of legalese, as well as truly creepy scenes involving talking automatons and billowing black smoke. Horror stuff is generally not my thing, but in my amateur perception those parts were chilling and therefore I consider them well-done. Here and there, neat details would pop up, like wings of the house named in accordance with echo anatomy or how dictionaries are needed to decipher/interpret magic symbols or how producing an heir was handled if openly gay nobility entered into a heterosexual marriage (for political reasons, say) or how you get from context and remarks made seemingly in passing that vowsmiths are a more prestigious bunch than conjurers.

My main quibble with the book that brought the rating down (it was really going for a solid 4 for a bit there) is that it required too much suspension of disbelief re: carrying on with the lockdown despite people dropping dead like flies, had an overly dramatic resolution, with Nic's solution to his little heir status problem that made sense to me in that moment but stopped making sense as soon as I thought about the more mundane aspects of it, and, as mentioned before, the characters that were fun enough but not really that engaging for me as a reader. A curious universe, however, so I might be interested in checking out other things by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

So, I’ve been quite obsessed with the idea of “fantasy of manners” stories that are played out more straight forward. As in, instead of being a “comedy of manners with fantasy,” they are literally fantasy about the manners and etiquette of the peoples in that fantasy world (whether it be our own or a secondary one). I like it when I get to read “Pride and Prejudice” with wizards and dragons. That shit is my crack.

This book was set to be just that. It fit all the right criteria on paper, checked off many boxes in execution, but still felt a bit too modern for me to label a favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Nic and Dash, I wanted more of them! It was the diction that took me out most of the time. I know not everyone has a modern-to-Victorian English dictionary handy, but man did this book have a ton of modern slang at inappropriate moments.

The plot was fabulous, the characters were lovely. I definitely will buy this one when it comes out. But is this the gay man’s version of Jonathan Strange? No. Unfortunately, not.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! From reading the summary I thought it’d be a fun read but I wasn’t expecting there to be so much more to it. I love regency era, so add in magic and some steam punk vibes and you have a great setting. What’s interesting about this book is that the characters are stuck in a house the entire book while a marriage contract is being written. Main characters Leaf and Nic are expected to marry for duty even though they each have other plans and dreams in mind. Leaf is fearless and brash and Nic has never been the ideal Duke’s son. Add in Dash, the vowsmith who has to make the marriage contract, who is Nic’s past love plus the relatives of Nic and Leaf who all have history together and you get an interesting group of characters.

During the lock in for the contract it quickly becomes a murder mystery after a body has been found. This for me was the best part of the book. The mystery was so fun and tense at times, but really keeps you guessing. As the book progresses we start to learn more secrets and details that constantly make us think who is the murderer. I wasn’t expecting the murder mystery to be so prevalent in the book but I loved it!

What broke up the tense parts from the murder mystery was the fluffy romance between Nic & Dash and the banter/snarkiness between the characters. This book is a great cozy read with an interesting murder mystery, unique magic, and fluffy romance.

Thank you to Saga Press Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a mostly charming romcom murder mystery fantasy taking place during a Regency-with-magic era, and if that sounds like a lot, don’t worry, most of the elements are severely underbaked. A little bit “closed room” mystery mixed with historical fiction details and every miscommunication trope you could dream up, “The Gentleman and His Vowsmith” is written well, but just doesn’t muster much beyond “that was cute”. Part of it is the setting – keeping it in the ‘real’ Regency (complete with actual referenced historic figures) but adding magic and social progressiveness just isn’t explained enough for it to work; had it been a case of a Regency-like fantasy world, it might have been fine. Part of it is the main character – he is so passive and whiny that it makes rooting for him difficult, and one of the side characters is far more interesting and relevant to the plot (Lady Leaf, I love you). Part of it is that the central romance we’re supposed to be rooting for just isn’t that interesting, as it’s a classic case of “the reason we hate one another is just a complete misunderstanding that would have been resolved with one conversation in which we both act like the 20-something characters we supposedly are”. All that grumpiness said, if you’re looking for a light-ish murder mystery romance, this one is well-written and fun.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a Achillean spicy historical fantasy second chance romance about a young man, his new fiancée, his old love and a few random murders happening around him.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3.5⭐️.
I really enjoyed our trio of main characters and the relationships that developed between them. I think the friendship between Leaf, the fiancée, and Nicholas, the Gentleman, was particularly well done and a strong point in this book.
The murder mystery aspect was done well enough that I didn’t guess the twist that came at the end, but it also wasn’t a part of the book that I really cared about. Maybe if the murders had started with more of the background characters first and then worked up to the most emotional for our MC but instead the first murder was against the one who I cared for the most because that’s who Nicholas cared about the most. The unaliving order seemed off.
The main issues I had with this book was that it seemed too long and there just want enough angst for me. I want my second chance romances with more pain before that reconciliation and if they happen to have a third act breakup I want all the feels from that too. Unfortunately this wasn’t delivered by this books.
I did enjoy this and will recommend, but it wasn’t a book I loved and probably would not buy a copy of it for my own collection.

• queer, historical, second chance romance
• regency setting
• murder mystery vibes
• magic, sigils, "ghosts"
• aroace rep
• yearning and moderate spice

This was a really fun read! I was very satisfied with how things played out between Dashiell and Nic and I couldn't help but root for them the whole time. I think Leaf was my favorite character overall, though. She added so much personality to the story, it wouldn't have been the same without her. Read this for the queer love, humor, mystery, & plot twists! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

A murder mystery with a dash of classism, forbidden romance, generational trauma, a combative relationship between Nic and his father, a mother disassociating from reality, a forced marriage, a long-lost love, a second chance romance, an interesting magic system all set in a crumbling, gothic manner where the doors are locked and no one can leave.

This book had a great deal going for it. The plot, the betrayals, the secrets were all very nicely strung together into a complex tangle; the magic system isn’t explained, just there in the background but given just enough depth to hint at a greater complexity, and the vaguely Victorian society where rank, class, money and power keep the rich rich and the poor … not so rich. However, it also has a few areas that, I felt, were a bit lacking.

The world building, like the magic, is very soft. Instead the book relies on vibes and the reader’s familiarity — however small or great — with the idea of a queer normative world of English manors and manners and waistcoats and carriages to fill in the gaps. Personally, I think with a little more attention paid to the societal issues, one scene in particular at the end would have had a greater punch. As it is that moment when one of the reasons behind so many events is suddenly revealed, it was a little confusing and a bit anti-climactic, especially since it came on the heels of several other reveals, most of which were done with greater pageantry.

Nic, as a character, is fine for a “poor little rich boy” vibe, locked away in the country where he by turns ignores his father and dances attendance on his mother who is suffering from the emotional neglect and betrayal of her husband. However, he doesn’t exactly have that much character growth. He has some, don't get me wrong, but personally — and this is just my nitpick, not a comment on the book — I wanted either more emotion in the first half, or more in the second. He felt rather … whelming as a character, as if he didn’t really care about anything or anyone beyond getting back with and back at Dashiell, his first love who abandoned him.

Dashiell is a little unformed; he reacts to Nic as appropriately as any love interest would; hurt when Nic rebuffs him (this after Dashiell’s asshole moment where he fucks Nic, and calls it “closure” before walking away), angry when Nic insults him, protective when Nic is threatened, and amorous when Nic wants to sleep with him. If Dash had been stronger, and if Nic had shown a less passive personality, I think I might have given this book five stars. Instead, it’s a paltry four.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, and do recommend it. It’s just, as someone who reads more for characters than plot, I think this book could have done more to please me. (I’m sure the author will get right on that, haha.) Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me have an ARC of this book!

When I first read the blurb of Theo Gentleman and his Vowsmith, I didn’t think much about it, only that it could be a nice read. It is, everyone, and with the magic of Freya Marske’s The Last Binding series and the wit from K.J. Charles’ Will Darling, it’s even more than a nice read.

A Gentleman and His Vowsmith is light, sweet, and funny, even though it’s not only a romance but also a mystery (just like the above mentioned series). I always love it when a historical story (in this case, one with magical elements) has a strong and a bit brash female character in it. I really liked Nic and Dash, but Leaf was by far my favorite. Fearlessly, she wanted to investigate the deaths, stood up to her father, and was simply the star of the book.

This story is for all of you who just want to smile, don’t mind a few dead people (there’s a little tension, but it is often dismissed fast due to the snarkiness in the story), and love a few speculative/magical elements, but not too much.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a charming book with all the ingredients seen in romance books, including an engaging premise, dynamic characters, and a mystery element. It gets praise for being an out-of-the-box romance with a slightly more complicated relationship dynamic than the typical boy-meets-girl trope. It's a very comfy, cozy read that fits in well with the other books in the same genre.

The automations heavily reminded me of Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series, but Rebecca Ide's story skews a bit more new adult than young adult. Nic is a solid main character and his relationship with Dash at the beginning was intriguing enough to keep the reader going. Leaf is a very different type of female main character although I feel like her character did seem to be boring sometimes.

Overall I think The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a solid romance story. While the execution wasn’t groundbreaking, it was still a well-paced and enjoyable read that delivered exactly what it promised—a feel-good romance with just the right amount of drama and heart.

I am OBSESSED with this book, and couldn't help but stay up late last night just to finish it. Ide has crafted a twisty, gothic, magical mystery, where it feels like a regency era family is being run as a corporation, and the implications that it has on all the relationships. Nic, Dash, and Leaf were such a lovely trio, full of friendship, yearning, and detective skills that I was rooting for to the very end. I hope more books come out in this universe Ide has built, as I am immensely curious about this world and magic presented. Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the man character, he was unbelievably whiny. The book also felt like it dragged on and i just wasn't interested.