Dear fellow readers,

To be brief:

I loved the characters so hard. Like "Hall of Fame" loved them so hard.

I wished I loved the plot more? It sounded so perfect. The pacing and timing seemed a little disjointed, though, and with the focus on some areas, I wanted more in other areas that seemed barely touched upon. It ended up more of a "liked" the plot situation.

Speaking of timing, I felt mixed emotions about a major subplot that I thought took up too much time yet also added to the characterization in an interesting way. It's probably more of a "me" thing, however.

More importantly, I adored the friend-TPs/family of choice-TPs (especially Marian and Percy, omg), the "eat the rich" theme, all the humorous moments, Rob's sheer adoration for Marian's prickly personality, the hot ginger appreciation, the cat, and the animals in general.

I feel like I need to reread this to review it and appreciate it properly,* but despite the ambivalent sound of this review, I also know I couldn't wait to continue reading this any moment I had to put it down, and I adored Marian and Rob every moment of the book. I'll certainly pick up the audio and devour it when it's available.

With Humble Regards,
Reader V

I just recently read The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and was so intrigued by Marian as a character that I was extremely excited to get this from NetGalley and read it immediately. This starts right in the middle of the action from the first book - Marian has just shot her husband and is going on the run. She is accompanied by Rob, a thief and former highwayman who has been blackmailing Marian. Their relationship starts in the form of blackmail letters, and grows from there. I found Marian to be a great character - a sharp, independent woman who has been pushed into a terrible marriage and, at the start of the novel, is the victim of a blackmailer. I appreciated her character growth, and I got some sunshine/grump vibes with Marian's practical cynicism and Rob's zest for life. A great romance (with plenty of adventure) with two very different, but very engaging main characters.

Cat Sebastian has such a way with words, her writing never ceases to impress me. The writing is tight, engaging and highly entertaining. And it was a most unorthodox romance but I really liked that about it.

This is the follow-up to Kit Webb which I have not read yet (but is on my TBR)… The book can stand well enough on its own without having read Kit Webb first but I do feel like I missed the meaning of several references and didn’t understand some conversations that I would like to have been clued in on. I think this will be a very rewarding reading experience for Kit Webb fans.

It starts out with the most hilarious epistolary (and antagonistic) back-and-forth between highwayman Rob and duchess Marian. They are equals in every way but in social standing. Their banter is so good and Rob is like a feminist Robin Hood. I am here 👏🏼 for 👏🏼 it 👏🏼 (Also… “Rob”? “Marian”? Stealing from the rich, giving back to the poor. I like it.😏)

Clever characters, irreverence, and disdain for the privileged upper classes are a few of the things I’ve come to expect from Cat Sebastian and this is has all of that. The colorful, well-drawn characters and fantastic dialogue were my favorite aspects of the book. Overall I think this is a really well done enemies to lovers trope and a very enjoyable read.

Tropes and other relevant info:
* historical romance (M/F)
* enemies to lovers
* slow burn
* forced proximity
* only one bed
* grumpy/sunshine
* cinnamon roll hero
* two bisexual protagonists

3.5 stars out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing the digital arc.

3.5
While this was an enjoyable read, it did make for a confusing one, especially if you haven't read the first (The Queer Principles of Kit Webb). It makes a lot of allusions to the first, and a majority of the characters are tied to to the events of the first book so that even though the second is about a different couple, you start out at a disadvantage if you don't have prior knowledge.
With that said, I loved the witty banter and the discussion of trauma, plus postpartum depression of a main character. The sex positivity is also present in this book.
In the end, though I acknowledge the positives this book has to offer, it wasn't for me. I had a difficult time empathizing with one of the main characters, and just couldn't fully get into some of the relationships in the book.