In the mid 1700s Edward Percival Talbot (Percy) is Lord Holland learns that his father the Duke of Clare was married before marrying his mother making him illegitimate. Someone is blackmailing he and his new step-mother to keep the story a secret. Percy devises a plan to get the the notorious retired highwayman, Gladhand Jack (Kit Webb), to pull off a job and get the money to pay the blackmail. Kit now runs a coffee house (who knew they had those in the 18th century). Kit isn't interested in being part of the plot but is willing to train Percy for the job and get him a crew.

The story starts off very slowly with a lot of Percy hanging around the coffee shop watching Kit. At about the half way mark the story picks up steam. Percy likes men and friendship with Kit grows as does their attraction to each other. I like that Percy accepts himself and doesn't pretend to be what he is not. The author is a cleaver and witty writer. Many individual lines are a joy to read.

The relationship between the main characters is believable and loving. I did enjoy the ending and my imagination of how they are live out their lives. This can easily have a sequel as a main side character's situation is not resolved. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason I thought this was a f/f historical? Like, for a very long time. I requested it on Netgalley just to see if they would give it to me, and they did! And then when I got it I realized those weren't ladies on the cover, but dudes, and this was about a highwayman and a lord falling in love! In an 18th century coffeeshop. My disappointment over it not being about ladies quickly fell by the wayside because I love a good historical featuring capers and radicals and anti-establishment criminals.

This one actually has quite a bit of plot, which I appreciated. It's set in the mid-18th century, a welcome change from Regency-era historicals. Our two heroes are the titular Kit Webb, a former infamous highwayman (who went by the name Gladhand Jack) who is now retired from the life due to a job gone wrong that left him with a bum leg and a dead partner. His coffee shop, once a front for criminal activity, is now his life in entirety. And then we've got Edward Percival Talbot, Lord Holland, who prefers 'Percy', thank you very much. Percy has returned from a few years on the continent to several pieces of terrible news. His mother has died, his terrible father married his childhood best friend Marian (seemingly against her will), and now a blackmailer has surfaced with proof that his father is in fact a bigamist, making himself, his mother, Marian, and his new baby sister Eliza participants in illegitimacy. If they don't take action, within months they could be facing dire circumstances.

It's Marian's idea to hire Gladhand Jack to hold up the Duke, but when Percy approaches him, it's clear that his leg will make doing so impossible, so instead, Kit is persuaded to teach Percy to do it himself. The two men are drawn to each other as Kit teaches Percy to Do Crime. Percy, who has never been close with his father and is pretty open about his deviancy (aka only being attracted to men), finds himself a bit of a challenge in Kit, who appears to be one of the rare demisexuals currently populating fiction at the moment. They slowly open up to one another, Percy reluctantly following Kit's lead in making their affair one of the heart rather than just a roll in the sheets.

My one criticism of the book is that I actually wanted more conversations between them during the falling in love/getting to know you stage. Mostly, Percy hangs around the coffee shop making a nuisance of himself and burrowing into Kit's affections against his will, but there are a few interesting exchanges between them. I wanted more of that. This is a step that Cat Sebastian as an author does sometimes skip or shorten, and I never like it when she does. The rest of the book was so good I really felt it this time.

I loved the ending, though, and this is going to sound weird, but there's this scene with a spider that just did me in. I already liked these two characters quite a bit but after that I was just like feeling so much affection for both of them.

This book does also leave A LOT of room for a sequel, indeed it's practically begging for one, involving Marian. She gets up to a lot of shady shit on the sidelines that we can piece together based on what ends up happening, but there's clearly more to the story, and it involves something spoilery. Anyway, do it, Cat Sebastian! I will buy that book!

All in all, a very good book for Cat Sebastian's trade paperback debut. I will be buying myself a copy.

The eighteenth century was superior to the nineteenth century, and Cat Sebastian knows this. Actually both centuries were awful, but before the terriblefication of men's fashion, the rise of middle class etiquette, and the decline of the sword duel, at least life was occasionally fun. People respected an aesthetic, is all I'm saying.

Set in the mid-1700s, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb follows a semi-retired highwayman, Kit, and a nobleman's son with a legitimacy issue, Percy, who team up to Do Some Crimes. Oh, and it's a literal coffee shop AU (I am really warming to this trope). I found this slow burn romance very winning, both in its emotional intensity and its smart characterizations—in fact, I'd say it's one of my favorites of Sebastian's novels so far.

Kit, whom I pictured with the visage of young Sean Bean and the affect of Luke from Gilmore Girls, is a sweetheart with a tragic past that's sensitively depicted. The novel beautifully subverts the trope of the "reformed rogue," making it clear that Kit is no bad boy and his principles are a radical correction to the systemic injustices of his era. Earlier this year I finished I Know What I Am: The Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi, a book that put me solidly on the side of brigandage as a form of political resistance, so I was delighted to find that Sebastian's novel cosigns this thesis.

Percy, meanwhile, is sassy and sartorially on point—somehow he even makes wigs sexy—without devolving into caricature. I appreciated that the novel gives Kit and Percy space to enjoy the material culture of nobility without consenting to the power structures that shaped it. Our desires are inextricable from our culture; we all have problematic faves.

Percy is also a mean flirt in a way that, to my utter surprise, really does it for me. How, how in the world, has the author reclaimed this most hateful of tropes? All I can say is that Percy's snideness never feels like negging. Perhaps it's because the power imbalance between Percy and Kit cuts both ways, perhaps because Kit makes no secret of his interest in Percy. (Now I'm imagining an alternate Star Wars where, every time Han calls Leia "Princess," Leia is at the same moment openly checking him out. See, doesn't it fix everything?)

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb incorporates some light swashbuckling and political intrigue; the romance plot comes first, but I thought the action/mystery was readable and fairly compelling. Marian, Percy's childhood friend (and stepmother), is an intriguing character and their relationship felt genuine. I was slightly disappointed that a number of plot threads are unresolved or left to our imaginations, but we get enough of the story to be satisfied with the HEA, and maybe a sequel...?

I received this ARC from Avon and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of @netgalley and @Avon

Let me start off by saying that the concept behind The Queer Principles of Kit Webb is so fun! A MLM romance between an English aristocrat and an ex highwaymen? Brilliant. But while the concept was strong I found the execution to be somewhat lacking.

Right off the bat I found the plot hard to follow and once I had finally gotten a grasp on on what was happening the plot came to a dead stop. Which I found to be my main issue with this book. It took me so long to get through the first half that I almost DNF’d it multiple times but right around the 50% mark it suddenly picks up and does not stop! I loved the second half of the book so much and wish the entire book had been written that way!

The romance and steamy scenes were so well done and I found both main characters to be so adorable! I also didn’t know there were coffee shops in 1800s England, which is super interesting.

I feel like this book has a lot of potential and could be much improved if a good chunk of the first half was either cut out or rewritten to add in some intrigue.

A delightful historical, queer romance. Very sexy, with a surprisingly satisfying socialist bent. I truly enjoyed this book and it was everything I wanted it to be. I will definitely read more by this author in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was reminiscent to Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, a more adult version of Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, and Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. I loved the heist elements and the humor a lot.

Ive never been left feeling more neutral about a book. The writing was okay, the plot was okay, the characters were okay. Everything just felt very average. Ive never read a more 3 star book.
My main critique would be many part had too much time spent on them, while others were rushed through.

Highwaymen and aristocrats, lords and ladies, this one has everything! It has romance and it is so action packed that I will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. These characters are just to die for! I have not read historical romance like this one in quite some time and I was definitely pleased. I laughed And loved as I rooted for this romance. A must read!!!

This is the first Cat Sebastian book I've decided not to finish, and I have read everything she's ever written. I love her snarky, snappy writing style, and I was so excited for this boo, but I DNF'd at 30%.

It just didn't grab me. The first quarter had so much exposition, it just felt like there was not enough foot on the gas. The characters - who are both interesting, fully realized characters - don't spend really any time together, and the romance doesn't have any time to build.

Also, this is just personal preference, but I find this time in history (1750s) to be particularly unsexy. The powdered wigs and the velvet, heart-shaped moles (not to mention the active slave trade). It's all just a little harder for me to get excited about.

As always, I love and appreciate Cat Sebastian's commitment to nuanced, joyful representations of queer, disabled people in love.

CW: death of wife, death of child

Cat Sebastian is always good and this was a good, if less steamy, effort. The end was confusing, though and the whole premise was anti-climactic.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian, in attempting a same gender historical romance, left out much of the plotting and deep character development that most romances require. If you don't mind wondering who these men are or why they would meet, and certainly why they would grow to love each other, but only care whether they have a physical relationship, then this might meet your standards. Otherwise you may be left dissatisfied and taking a walk of shame for having chosen this title over others better researched and better developed.

A reformed highwayman and the aristocrat who threatens to steal his heart. Kit Webb has retired from the highwayman life and is currently running a coffeeshop. When a handsome aristocrat comes into his shop specifically asking for Kit and inquiring him to steal something for him, Kit finds himself intrigued. Percy “Lord Holland” wants to steal a little book that his deceased mother had kept on her that would enable him to blackmail his father and get revenge on his father for the horrible predicament he had placed not only Percy in but his best friend and her daughter in. Percy has never done anything related to heisting and is in desperate need of Kit’s help in order to pull off this mission. But the more time Percy and Kit spend together the more they find themselves becoming attached to the other, they just can’t take their eyes off each other and everyone at the coffee shop knows this. Kit use to be a famous highwayman but has settled into a quiet life after his partner died and Kit is injured. He refuses to do the job for Percy no matter how much Percy asks or tries to seduce him, rather he offers to teach Percy how to do it himself. Throw in complicated family pasts, old grudges, and shock revelations that threaten to tear them apart, and soon Kit and Percy will find themselves asking if they will be able to make it out of this together.

This was a fun historical romance and I did enjoy the element of heisting and training. Percy and Kit are an adorable couple, especially with Percy being a little bit mean but cute and Kit being the grouchy but soft one. They learn to trust each other and become vulnerable with one another. Despite issues of class, of the fact that Kit has a grudge against Percy’s father, and the fact they both are facing different circumstances, they really work as a couple. Overall a sweet and fun read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Cat Sebastian's The Queer Principles of Kit Webb is a very light read. It's a classic romance novel, but boy-meets-boy (a highwayman and a lord). For fans of Cat Sebastian, I'm sure this book will be a pleasure to read. I did not personally enjoy it. To me, the romance felt slightly empty and the characters were stock--no departure from conventional romance there. It is an average book, but I expect to see it on the shelves of most urban libraries.

I really enjoyed reading The Queer Principles of Kit Webb. What a fun, feel-good book! There were a few plot points that I felt were hurried along and didn’t make too much sense, but really the point of this novel is the relationship between Kit and Percy and that was done beautifully.

I appreciated that Kit was a protagonist in a romance novel dealing with chronic pain and therefore physical limitations. There were times when this detail about the character seemed forgotten, but overall I enjoyed that representation.

The building of their romantic/sexual tension was fun to read and their version of happily ever after was a satisfying end to such a story. Overall, this is certainly a book I would recommend.

Charming love story, I enjoyed how the main characters had instant attraction but slow burn on acting on it. Felt pretty realistic. The rogue turned gentlemanish and gentleman turned rogue was a fun aspect. Kinda saw the twist coming a mile away but that's okay. *thumbs up*

This was extremely fun if a bit predictable - I devoured the whole thing on a sunny day sitting outside.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb deals in some delightful tropes - the whole thing is a twist on the coffeeshop AU, and there's class divide! Enemies to lovers! Secret identities! Revenge! Fancy ponces living more-or-less out in silk stockings contrasted with stubbly everymen denying their affections! Swordplay! A trope-y end I won't spoil! Etc. etc. The heist/bigamy/illegitimate children/blackmail/fake death plot is honestly a little convoluted, but it did work as framework and excuses for various romantic scenes.

One of the things Cat Sebastian does do best is layer in depth, and Kit has been through some real shit. It kept me on board with his character. Percy takes a bit to warm up to, but as the plot goes on he begins to address the privileges and power attached to his position. It all culminates in a satisfying if maybe slightly anachronistic ending for the two main characters.

All in all, I don't know if this is my favorite of Cat Sebastian's romances, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

So this was a bit of an uneven read to me. On the one hand, the characters were interesting, and I liked that there were no over the top dramatics, and that they acted like adults with each other and actually discussed their histories with each other in a very realistic way. But then on the other hand, the pacing had a tendency to be very erratic - particularly in the beginning where there are several chapters in a row wherein Percy just shows up to the Kit's coffeehouse to flirt and the plot advances a millimeter, if at all. Also, although so much of the set-up here is interesting and worth delving into, when the time comes for explanations, so many of these things only get a glancing line before being set entirely aside.

But then again (back to the first hand!), I did really appreciate how light of a read this was overall: there's nothing excessive here. It never gets too convoluted, or too unbelievable. It's entertaining enough to keep you moving through it.

There will probably be readers who will fall in a bit more love with this story than I did, but even if you don't, it's still an enjoyable read, and worth looking at if you want something breezy.

Cat Sebastian’s latest is a totally charming love story wrapped in an excellent Georgian era mystery/adventure. Kit Webb is a retired rough and tumble highwayman with a deep hatred of the aristocracy. Edward Percy Talbot is a pampered and powdered lord. The two should have near nothing in common but when they team up they find that they have undeniable sexual tension nonetheless. This is a solid romance with a deceptively sophisticated discussion of the privileges and power attached to class. 4.5 stars

It started a bit slow for me but overall was silly and fun and didn't take itself too seriously. I like Kit and Percy as characters and would be curious to see the stories of some of the side characters as well.

When I saw an M/M historical romance by an author I enjoy on NetGalley I automatically requested it. While I usually like Cat Sebastian, I found this one really slow, I had a hard time getting into it and felt the most of the action happened in the last 50 pages.

Aristocrat, impeccably dressed Lord Holland, AKA Percy, finds his life is not as simple as it seems, well his entire existence has been built on a lie. Now he enlists the help of retired highwayman Kit to rob his father and hopefully set things straight. As they form their plan, Kit begins to have feelings for Percy beyond the job of teaching him to rob.

As with most of Cat Sebastian’s books the characters are lovely. Percy trying to find his place, Kit coping with losing so much of his highwayman identity because of his injury and the side characters of Marian, Rob and Betty just popped. The characters were well written, I love a queer character in HR that is unapologetically out and Percy did not disappoint. I enjoyed Kit and Percy’s evolution from enemies to friends to lovers.

I really had a hard time immersing myself in this book and I think I started it 3 times before getting into it. The first half is really slow, there is lots to learn about Percy’s dad, Kit’s past and how they can pull off the robbery while they inch towards realizing they have legit feelings for one another. I expected a slow burn and when they did get to the sexy times they were hot but it just felt like a lot to get there. There is also a lot going on- a blackmail plot, illegitimate children, a fate death, bigamy, so much to keep straight. This book ended with two characters unresolved so I feel like it is setting up for another book.