This was a really cute story. Matty and Warren were such a cute lil couple and I really enjoyed watching their romance bloom.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! I rate this book 4 stars and 2 chili peppers for spice. I have loved this whole series but I think this book was my favorite. I loved the dynamics of the two main characters, a detective and a salacious bar barkeep. I also loved the aspect of brining them together thru art classes. The whole story was wonderful and I really loved seeing my favorite characters from the other books in this story.

This book has a wonderful forbidden romance within a historical setting. It has diverse characters with non traditional settings and an enemies to lovers vibe (more opposing jobs than actual enmity). The main characters find acceptance from their actual and found families and build a community that provides a safe haven for themselves outcasts.

3.5/5. Releases 7/22/25.

Heat Index: 5/10

—undercover (but not really)

—the covert gay scene of 1800s England

—rake/cutie pie

The Basics:

Detective Matty Shaw is good at his job; unfortunately, his job is also catching on to the fact that he's gay, which could threaten his entire career. For the sake of his latest undercover assignment, he's also supposed to be something of an artist, which brings him to a class... accompanied by Warren Bakshi, the barkeep he recently almost hooked up with, and is absolutely supposed to stay away from. Warren's family has recently come into wealth, and he's supposed to use the class as an opportunity to elevate himself, when really he just wants to go back to picking up babes at The Curious Cat, a secret club for men of his Inclinations. Matty is the one person he's supposed to avoid. But you know what they say about avoiding hot people... it's hard....

The Review:

I know Jess Everlee has a following amongst queer historical romance lovers, and I can see why. This is a sweet, witty, and rather adorable historical romcom with just a touch of intrigue. And while I don't know that it necessarily gut-punched me the way I love to be gut-punched, it did entertain me.

Personally, I love it when historical romance really delves into queer subcultures. Yes, I love the books that purposefully go "fuck history", and I love the books that stick to characters on the outskirts. But it's also fun to get into the nitty-gritty of clubs like The Curious Cat, which very much existed and threw drag shows and entertained dalliances and dealt with the cops. It's something I think we need to see in our current era. We need to see people pursuing joy, even if everything seems to be against them.

In that light, I also loved that Warren is like... a rake. It's not that he doesn't take the threat of being exposed for his preferences seriously. He's just also going to pursue a hot guy, and flirt and charm. He's rather swoony, and it's easy to see why Matty would risk it all for him.

Matty... is a detective, and while I never read about cops in contemporaries, I allow a little more leeway with historicals. I really don't seek 'em out, but in all honesty, the aspect of this being a queer historical overrode the detective thing. I did sort of struggle as to why he wanted to do this at all, to be real, and though I liked him, I think I would have liked him more if he wasn't a detective. it just didn't make ton of sense to me as I got to know his character?

There are stakes (Matty and Warren's literal safety, for one thing) and a bit of intrigue. But I would say that the main point is the romance. And it is very charming, and I did like it, and I did keep tripping myself up with... Is this worth Warren putting himself at risk to the extent that he does?

To me, the book puts a little more focus on Matty than Warren, and yet I did get why Matty wanted Warren more than I understood why Warren wanted Matty. So while it was a cute romcom, this interplay tripped me up.

The Sex:

Kind of frustrating? Because you'd have sex scenes, and they were in the moment, but it was so vague that I would've preferred a fade to black. It's not that they were unsexy, because the chemistry is there, but it did feel like fence-sitting.

The Conclusion:

A fun, light romcom that had some logistical issues tripping it up. Nonetheless, I appreciated the highlighting of the 1800s gay scene, and I also just plain liked Warren. If this had been a bit more Warren-centric and a bit less "Matty angsts over his job that is not a great job anyway" I think we would've been more in business. But that's just me!

Thanks to Carina Adores for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To Sketch a Scandal is Everlee's fourth installment in her Lucky Lovers of London series. In this we finally get to see barkeep Warren Bakshi meet his match. He is seen as the Curious Fox's resident scoundrel and struggles to accept being seen as settled down. Matty Shaw loses a promotion at Scotland Yard and must untangle his messy relationship with his job before he can think of leaving law enforcement behind. The two men have instant chemistry, but the owner of the Fox bars Matty due to safety risks. The two men find themselves in the same art class and sparks fly. I've enjoyed the two books that I've read in this series, and this one was no exception. That being said, it did feel like there was less plot in this book than in previous ones. I kept expecting there to be more of a twist with the art investigation but one never came. This was a light read and I look forward to seeing what Everlee writes next. Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was expecting this book like air. I love this series so damn much! It’s everything I wanted in a book: scandals, queerness, good representation, historical accuracy, good banters, excellent romance and relatable characters.
And here we have a detective and a barista with a brother in the mafia. I MEAN! This is so hot! I needed more! I need more! Please!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I have never read a story by Jess Everlee that I haven’t loved, and this book was certainly no exception! This is book #4 in the Lucky Lovers of London series, and while the book could be read as a stand-alone, I would encourage readers to pick up the previous stories for further context and understanding of the connections and relationships spread throughout the story. As a lover of all things historical fiction + queer romance, this was such a great read. Definitely encourage adding this one to your TBR!

A true romance! loved this one - have previously enjoyed this author's work. The first part of the book is a trip! It was great to see the family and all the dynamics...beautiful ... really engaging and set the scene! A perfect summer read, this is a straight-forward and touching romance with all the right ingredients I loved that it was art that brought the MCs together..

cute romance with some awesome characters that really emphasizes queer joy while being set firmly in its historical context. I haven't read any previous books in the series, but now i think i probably will! 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

A playful, heart-twisting, and charming cap to the Lucky Lovers of London series. The leads could not be more well-matched or charming as a duo, and their story drew me in immediately. Perhaps my favorite part of this novel (and the series as a whole) is how Everlee's work relays a spirit of queer joy and community that answers the question of how historical queer people lived despite systemic inequity: with a lot of luck, and for all the people they loved. To me, Everlee has earned a place among KJ Charles and Cat Sebastian as one of the finest queer historical romance writers of our time. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Another wonderful addition to the Lucky Lovers of London series! I so enjoyed getting Warren's story, as well as seeing more of Matty. Like many characters in the series, Warren and Matty are living double lives. Warren has his home life where he takes care of his mother, helps around the house, and charms neighbors and shopkeepers, but he also has his beloved role as the flirty bartender at The Curious Fox. Meanwhile, Matty has been raised up to work for the police, frequently working in undercover roles that exploit his good looks and his past mistakes to infiltrate and expose queer places. Matty and Warren shouldn't work, but from their first meeting they're drawn together - from a foiled assignation to classmates in a somewhat suspect art school. I loved watching them get to know each other and slowly begin to shed their masks. There's so much tenderness between them, and the romance is incredibly sweet. I also liked how they're honest with each other and encourage one another to seek out new beginnings and better futures. In the midst of everything, there is the supportive, queer found family at the Fox. While they're not perfect, they're all doing their best and it was heartwarming to catch up with the characters and see how they've grown. I appreciated how this book explores queer history, and I especially liked that it examines what it would be like for a queer person of color during these times. While I found the book to be lighthearted, there is an ongoing strain felt by Matty as he works in an extremely homophobic environment and struggles with the roles he's given. The realism is well balanced with hope and happiness, and creates a satisfyingly complex queer historical romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest rating.

This was so cute! A true historical romcom and I had a blast! I love Jess Everlee’s other books in this series (tho this one stands perfectly alone) and adored the dynamic between Matty and Warren. It’s pretty low stakes/low plot but I think it was supposed to have *more* of a plot that kind of ended up falling to the wayside. Which did bug me but Everlee wrote such lovable characters that I didn’t really mind when the plot points were resolved faster than I expected!

I liked this one very much! Jess Everlee always promises a fun and light read. I perfect rounding up of the series.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance | Carina Adores; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Jess Everlee just does not disappoint! I was so tickled to find out there was another Lucky Lovers of London book, and To Sketch a Scandal delivered the romance, spice, and emotional depth and healing as the three previous books have. I don't think I would recommend this particular book as a standalone, as Matthew Shaw's story might require context of the previous books, but since I think this might be the final installment, that absolutely makes sense. I've loved this series and will continue to watch what Jess Everlee writes next!

For sensitive readers, this books contains references to forced prostitution, sexual assault, sexism, racism, homophobia, parental and parental figure abuse/neglect, poverty, and graphic sexuality.

This book was exactly what I wanted to read right now! It's cozy, a little suspenseful, and you spend the solid first half with a will-they, won't-they vibe. I'm a sucker for a solid historical romance and some sneaking around and you get all of that with this one. I recently discovered Jess Everlee's books and I'll definitely continue coming back for more!

Light, bright, and sparkling---portrait of the artists as the most adorable couple you'll meet! Jess Everlee makes cozy historical fiction an art form, grounding her work in the painful realities of London in the late 1800s while still managing to keep her tale gentle and heartfelt in tone. Matty and Warren give hope to all the beautiful, broken queer people out there who hope there's someone out there to see and love us exactly as we are.

This was genuinely so cute.
I don't have single issue with this book! It felt real and cute, like a true romcom!
Super romantic, and a cute little tie in with the rest of the series!!
It wasn't life changing (hence the four stars)
but it was still really sweet and I enjoyed every second!!!

If you loved the last 3 books, you’ll love this one. Low angst but genuinely had me giggling and kicking my feet last night. It also set me on a mission to re-read the other books in this series because it reminded me of how good they are!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the authors team who sent me an ARC for this one! Cant recommend this one enough!!

3.5/5

A thoroughly cute and fun culmination to this series! I didn’t realize this was the fourth in a series when I requested the ARC, but I was able to get my hands on the other three through my local library in a fairly timely fashion, and enjoyed them so much that it ended up making me all the more excited to read this one.

You don’t technically have to read any of the others to understand the plot of this – the basic mechanics are fairly clear, and any necessary information about the other characters who reappear is given to you.

The plot itself is fairly thin – at first it seems like there will be a detective thing going on, but then that quickly is shoved to the side and never happens. And then there’s a brief worry about being outed which is also quickly dismissed. But I wasn’t bothered too much but the lack of plot, because I enjoyed the characters themselves. I wish there was more with Warren’s family, and we learned more about Matty’s backstory at all, but I read this in two sittings so I have to say that I enjoyed it with its flaws.

It does lose a further half star because Matty is a cop, though. But it would’ve lost more if not for the ending of that particular plotline.