I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m kind of struggling with my thoughts on this book. It was kind of quirky and fun, but I never got very invested.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes follows the story of Marian, the Duchess of Clare, and Rob Brooks, the true heir of the Duke of Clare. Through a series of calamities, they end up traveling across England together.

This is the first book I’ve read by Cat Sebastian, and I will definitely read more, but it did leave me a little underwhelmed. The letters between the main characters were fun, but also left me a little confused. I did like the supporting characters, and might go back and read the first book in the series. I wanted a little more from the steamy scenes (more detail? More dialogue? I’m not even sure). Ultimately, while this book didn’t sweep me off my feet it was a nice change from a standard regency romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

What’s more romantic than blackmail, kidnapping, and a little accidental murder?

This book was just a blast to read. It was cute and light and fun, with a wonderful cast of characters. I absolutely tore through it—I picked it up to read a few chapters, and next thing I knew I was a third of the way through it. Marian is the “unlikable” female character in all the ways I love, and Rob is the perfect lovable rogue figure. Their romance was sweet and endearing, and I really appreciated how much their relationship dynamic differed from most of the books in this genre. Intimacy and motherhood and all their complications are explored in depth without ever making the story feel too heavy.

Based on the description, I did expect this to have more action, but at the same time I read this for the romance and really did love the romance, so it didn’t really bother me overall. Also, while Marian and Rob’s relationship builds over the course of months before they even meet, this is all glossed over in a chapter of their letters. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the letters, but in practice it made the couple feel a bit too insta-love for my taste.

"There is something inexpressibly masculine about expecting to be believed."

I read the first book in this series, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, last year and was left with a lot of questions by the way it ended. Where did Marian go? Where did Rob go? Why do Kit and Percy (the main characters from the first book) have Marian's baby??

Fortunately, this book answers many of those questions. The story begins in medias res and runs parallel to Kit Webb in a way that does not feel heavy-handed or repetitive of the events of the first book. I loved the use of the blackmail letters between Marian and Rob as a storytelling device to show the development of their relationship. It felt real that Marian would go to Rob and that Rob would see Marian as his equal (or better).

The book has several of my favorite tropes (only one bed! road trip! horses! larceny!) and really picks up steam as we travel around London with these two chaotic disaster bisexuals. My one major criticism is the plot from the first book is not propelled forward by this sequel as we are left in basically the same place we were at the end of Kit Webb albeit with slightly more of the gaps filled in. I also wish there was more crimes especially with the full group. Perhaps if there is a third book we will finally see the rise of this Robin Hood-steal-from-the-rich crime family.

That being said, the exploration of consent was interesting and well done for a historical with a female main character. It was a nicely executed subversion of the typical sexual dynamic in this genre. More specifically (mild spoilers for the book) Marian had a traumatic pregnancy and birth experience and didn't necessarily like the idea of penetration being forced on her so all of the sexual encounters with Rob did not involve him penetrating her after a short experiment with fingers she didn't like. Non penetrative sex is not something I see very often especially in MF romances. What's even more fun is Rob does like to be penetrated himself so she fingers him! The result of this exploration is compelling sex scenes which developed their relationship even further.

Overall, I highly recommend this book even if you don't like historical or MF romance.

HUBBA HUBBA, AWOOGA, AND I WOULD DIE FOR THIS BOOK! I usually DESPISE historical romances but boy did this have me hooked. I'm currently reading the rest of Cat's books and it just keeps getting better. Go read it.

At the end of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb we are left wondering what has become of Marian Hayes and Rob Holland. Well turns out Marian Hayes and Rob have decided to come to a general partnership after she tied Rob up of course.

I think I liked this one more than Kit and Percys story. I liked the writing the story and the writing better and the couple themselves. I thought their banter was funny, they were understanding with each other, and their love was endearing. I really enjoyed how the sexual intimacy in this one handled. Rob was very respectful of Marians boundries and let her take the reins with any sexual activity.

Rob was the sunshine and Marian was the grump in this sunshine/grump trope. Rob loves all animals even rescuing a disheveled cat. Rob is an open book and Marian struggles to show her feelings but reciprocates them in the way she knows how to. There was a ton of sweet tender moments to make a reader swoon. I really liked seeing Marians struggle with motherhood, she may have even suffered from some post partum depression.

I think the ending of the book got a bit messy and confusing with the plot being a bit rushed there but other than that I enjoyed the book a lot.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Cat Sebastian for the egalley for my honest review.

Cat Sebastian has yet again given me exactly what I wanted. The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is a delight wrapped in humor and kindness both to the characters and the reader. It is funny and well paced and the characters are absolute, and I mean this in the most complimentary way, lunatics.

Marian, the Duchess of Clare, must flee London after shooting her husband, a man who got exactly what was coming to him. Who does she take with her? Rob Brooks, a charming highway man who has been black mailing Marian. Despite their questionable introduction made up of black mail and kidnappings, on various sides, the two are endlessly delighted by each other. As the two figure out what comes next, they find peace and possibilities in each other that they had never expected.

I will admit bias going into this book as Sebastian has yet to write something I didn't adore. The simple act of queer people existing in a historical romance and being happy is something that shouldn't have been as difficult as it was to find in the genre, and that is exactly what we are given. More over this is a book of joy and choosing one's happiness how ever that might look. This book was such a fun experience for me. I spent most of it laughing at the unhinged and enchanting nature of the characters.

This book was a delight. I mean, a romance that begins blackmail, robbery, and a wee bit of murder is right up my nefarious alley, and the darkness of the characters' reality is balanced by the warm fuzzies of their full acceptance of and care for each other — and their circle of friends. I love a prickly heroine and a devoted hero, and I appreciated the explorations of intimacy and of motherhood, with all their complications. Going in, I expected this to be a tale of adventure and hijinks, but it's really a heartfelt character study — with a side of crime.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very enjoyable to read and I kept getting a Leverage feel to the book and if you don't know leverage is a show where a group of bad guys turned good guys help people who have been wronged and like that show this book rocked. The characters Marian and Rob are amazing and I couldn't put the book down and I hope there are more adventures.

Cat Sebastian continues to be a shining star of the romance genre with The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes. As always, not only are her romantic leads are excellent and loveable characters, but her supporting casts create a vibrant found-family background creating a warm dynamic that's almost as wistful to read about as the romance. That said, Rob and Marian are fantastic romance leads, more than just the sunshine-one-and-grumpy-one trope they embody, they both feel complex and dimensional with solid motivations and histories. Not to mention that between Marian's pragmatic willingness to do what must be done despite all consequence, and Rob's cheerful dedication to his Robin Hood-like belief system, this pair of bisexuals truly embody the mantra of "be gay, do crime" in a way that is fun to read and only avoids nail-biting page-turner territory because of the security of the happy ending guaranteed by the genre definition. In this particular novel, while Sebastian's prose is as enjoyable as ever, her writing truly shines in the witty snappish-but-tender dialogue between the leads. This book melted my heart in the unique way that Sebastian manages over and over again.

If, like me, you're tired of reading historical romances about rich (straight) people with their pretty problems, then you should pick up a Cat Sebastian book.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is the companion to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, following the dangling plot threads about Percy's young stepmother and Kit's not-dead best friend. What exactly happened to them during their highway robbery attempt? What could possibly go wrong during their travels with Marian's need for vengeance at odds with Rob's ability to find stray kittens? The answer is a delightful sequel about loving yourself, breaking free from toxic relatives, and why you should abandon your noble title to rob the rich.

Sebastian knows how to use the genre as more than a convenient setting. Her characters, all queer, discuss class struggles, and the unfairness of the legal system, all while aspiring to live their best lives. Even with these topics, there are moments of absolute joy. I have whole p[assages of my digital ARC highlighted. The letters between Rob and Marion in their early attempts at blackmail, Rob's kitten heist, and more! The growing attraction between Marian and Rob had me at the edge of my seat, cackling at all of the great tropes – the meet ugly, huddling for warmth, forced proximity, etc etc etc. Much like her previous Regency Imposter series, the journey is more than just loving someone else, but accepting the kindness that you also deserve.

The only flaw, and it isn't an actual flaw, is that you must read Kit Webb beforehand so that everything will make sense.

Cat Sebastian never fails when it comes to historical romance. I highly recommend this for fans of the heist show Leverage and her previous books.

A copy was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Hats off once again to Cat Sebastian, who in this novel gives us a different view of what true love can look like. Marian is understandably prickly and uncomfortable with her own emotions, and thanks to an abusive husband and a pregnancy that almost killed her, she's also got zero interest in penetrative sex. In most romance novels, she'd learn to "get over" that last issue; in this one Sebastian gives us a couple who are more interested in making each other comfortable and happy in all areas of their lives, and that's not only lovely to see, it's important in a romance novel. (In fact, I'd argue that romance is the most progressive genre on such issues, but that's a paper for another time.)

Marian and Rob's story happens around Kit and Percy's time-wise, so we get what happened before and after their book as well as what this couple was up to during the time they were off stage. It works quite well, and that neither Marian nor Rob can be summed up by their appearances in Kit and Percy's book makes reading this a treat, because we're constantly discovering more about who they are, while seeing Kit and Percy from the outside, which is also interesting. Marian's relationship with her daughter, Eliza, is also an important piece of the story as well as a reminder that there's no magic insta-love for your own infant sometimes, and that that's okay. My only complaint is that I wish we saw more the the cat Rob steals, er, rescues, because that plot thread is sort of left hanging.

This book was so much fun. I loved the characters, I loved how it both complimented and followed up on Cat Sebastian's previous book The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, I loved how it validated non-vaginal penetrative sex, and I loved the way it further explored the themes of family, gender, class, and love.

Cat Sebastian’s The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is about a prickly duchess and a charming highwayman who travel on horseback together and fall in love, with a dark secret propelling the plot. This might sound on paper like your typical grumpy+sunshine cross-class historical road trip romance but it’s so much more. It’s also worth noting that, while this is a M/F romance, the character aren’t straight, it’s definitely a queer romance. I won’t give specifics here, as I think discovering the characters’ sexuality as you read is an important aspect of how the story unfolds.

Marian, the prickly one, is in the midst of a string of bad luck despite being a practical-minded planner (it’s possible I’m projecting my own personality a bit but I think Marian would be a fan of spreadsheets if she were around today). Rob is the classic charming rogue but I like that his flirty, people-person ways are portrayed as personality strengths rather than flaws. He’s genuinely interested in and cares for people, whether they’ve just met or are lifelong friends (unless they’re in the aristocracy, hence the trouble with falling for Marian!). I really enjoyed the epistolary set-up to the main story, wherein Rob tries to blackmail Marian; these two have so obviously fallen for each other via letter long before they meet.

Marian’s duke husband is dead and she’s looking at an uncertain future but has decided, for dubious reasons, to kidnap Rob, her blackmailer. Rob seems to be just fine with being kidnapped, indeed we pretty quickly see that the roles of kidnapper and kidnapped are fluid. What ensues is a meandering journey of sorts, both real and in the main characters’ minds and hearts. Rob is so gobsmacked by Marian, and his gentle wooing and “I’ll take whatever you’ll give” approach to Marian sets him apart from the typical charming rake. Marian’s side of the story gives this book a melancholic edge and we are less certain of her feelings and whether she’s going to let herself feel those feelings. She’s also a new mother and has complicated thoughts about motherhood (and possible postpartum depression?) that I found compelling and very different from typical representations of motherhood in historical romance. I think she’s also suffering from PTSD after the duke’s death, and Rob lets her work through it and doesn’t push. I thought the queerness of the characters and their romance was really well written. The way the characters openly navigate their sexuality and their needs with each other is an important part of their emotional bond, and I loved that aspect of the romance as much as the sex itself. The storyline also weaves through some interesting ideas about wealth and the rule of law, and, well, let’s just say it makes perfect sense that the main characters are named Rob and Marian.

A few minor quibbles (and hence less than 5 star rating). At times I thought the road trip dragged a bit and I lost track of time and place. Could be that was the point — road trips can be like that! — but it pulled me out of the story for a couple chapters. At the end I also felt like I missed when and how things pivoted from “this will never work,” to “huzzah! we can be together!” Things just slid into place, and while I believe in their romance, it left some open questions for me.

I do recommend reading The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (which I *adore*), the prior book in the series, before reading this. While I think this might work as a stand-alone, it may be a bit confusing as there’s a lot of overlap and plot points set up in the prior book. I was thrilled that we got to see Percy, Kit, and other characters from the prior book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a really delightful read! I have read a few of Sebastian's books before, though not the first book in this series, and I was excited to dive back into her world. I will say that the beginning is definitely confusing if you haven't read the first book, but I was able to get through it and understand the plot through context cues! Definitely a great read for people looking for a fun, progressive historical. I'm so glad I got to read because it was one of my most anticipated books for this year!

I received a copy of this work from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is a fantastic read and a highly enjoyable book. The characterization and development are both solid, and the characters themselves are clever, witty and engaging. This book ends up being a very odd kind of rags to riches story of a sort, throwing in a good amount of romance, violence and intrigue as spice. Well written, well edited and a joy to read, this book is a rare gem. 9 out of 10.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

THE BANTER. The banter is fantastic. Marian is straightlaced, bordering on grumpy, and Rob is sunshine personified. They play off of each other marvelously, and everytime Rob made Marian smile I counted it as a victory.

A Straight Laced Heroine. Broken. Scarred. Wounded by years of living in fear, an unloving marriage, and difficult childbirth. Uncertain about her future. Reluctant to fall for the man that has broken the barriers around her heart.

A Scarred Hero (my weakness). Physical and emotional scars. Uncertainty about his future. Falling head over heels for a woman who doesn’t seem to enjoy his company all that much.

“She made a sound of acute exasperation and kissed him” and if that isn’t their relationship in a nutshell, I don’t know what is. The chemistry between Rob and Marian is off the charts, even as they try to fight their attraction to one another. Rob has his own reasons for convincing himself not to fall in love with Marian, and Marian has equally valid reasons for convincing herself not to fall in love with the man.

I love, love, love, the discussions of consent that take place between Marian and Rob. Marian has faced trauma, and even though she isn’t forthcoming about it right away, Rob can sense it – let’s face it, the man can see right through her defenses – and the pair never do anything without discussing consent beforehand. This adds another layer to their understanding of each other’s needs.

There is so much more I want to say about Rob and Marian and how much I love them both, but you’ll just have to wait and read their beautiful love story yourself! With poignant social commentary, crackling wit, a bit of scheming and thievery, and tender romance, I can’t recommend it enough!

CW/TW: PTSD. Though it is never named, I suspect Marian is dealing with bouts of Post-Partum Depression, and this is handled beautifully.

Blackmail letters, a duchess who shot her husband, and a thief who falls in love with her. Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare has shot her husband and is now on the run and the only person she can ask to help her is the one person who is blackmailing her, highwayman, con artist, and all around charmer, Rob Brooks. Rob is the son of a duke who has died and he has just discovered he is inheriting a dukedom, which goes against everything he stands for and does not want, and in order to prevent it... he starts blackmailing said duke’s wife... only what starts off as blackmail letters turns into friendship and care.. and maybe something more. When they finally do meet its because Marian has kidnapped Rob and Rob can’t help but help Marian. Soon they find themselves on a journey filled with single beds in seedy inns, banter, slow burning romance, and healing for both of them. They soon discover that they just might be what the other has always needed and that there can be happiness in the future for them. This was a sweet and cute story, it’s a continuation of the first book and does feature characters and events from the first book. One theme that I truly appreciated in this book was consent, Rob and Marian constantly communicate with one another with what they are okay with and what their limits and boundaries are. It was a refreshing story and for two disaster bisexuals, this was such a great read. They both are caring in their own ways and disasters and just perfection. Definitely go read this one!!

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

4.5

From the author's website: "It starts with an epistolary romance via blackmail letters and continues with a series of felonies; in other words, two disaster bisexuals doing their best worst in 1750s England."

I had such a great time with this!

I had an okay time with The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (possibly because I had such high expectations), so I went into this with lowered expectations and I adored it. Marian and Rob were the grump/sunshine of my dreams and I loved their banter. I also love that they are both bisexual and open and honest about their wants (eventually, it is a romance book after all) and how consent is portrayed.

Parts of this book take place at the same time as Kit Webb, so it would be best to read them in order so you aren't spoiled for the twists in the first book; however, this book does a good job of explaining how it relates so reading the first book isn't necessary to enjoy this one.

I am a Cat Sebastian convert. These delightful queer historical romances just make me so happy. The Queer Principles of Kit Webb was one of my favorite books of 2021, so I was thrilled to get an opportunity to read this sequel which includes characters we met in the first book.

These books have romance at their heart, but it almost feels secondary to the larger story of capitalism and nobility and the people those systems leave in their wake. Marian and Rob come from different worlds, but their lives are entangled by marriage and class and gender and sexuality. This isn’t an entirely lighthearted read, though there’s a madcap flavor to aspects of the story. Mostly it’s the story of two people who are figuring out how to make their way in a world that doesn’t exactly fit them, but doing so in entirely different ways. There’s a real subversive quality to this narrative. Marian and Rob’s love story is slow and real and complicated. Don’t read this one if you just want just froth, but if you like complicated, flawed people and some trope inversion, this one’s for you.

I adore Cat Sebastian. Both books I"ve read by Cat so far have been lovely, joyous things from start to finish. Keep writing Cat!