This is one of the most unusual romances I've ever read, and I enjoyed it even though I had some difficulty following the plot. I didn't realize at first that this was not a standalone book but was the second book in a series. I definitely recommend reading the first book before reading this one.

The romantic couple are both bisexual - she prefers women and he prefers men but somehow they are good together although they are opposites. He is cheerful and optimistic, and I suspect she will be grumpy even when not extremely pregnant and uncomfortable. She has also just murdered her husband, a Duke. I gathered that Rob does not want to be a duke and has done everything in his power to escape it.

Even though I didn't completely understand what was going on, the book was funny and I loved the conversations that Marian and Rob had. Rob was a real sweetheart and Marian was...not. I enjoyed this most unusual couple - Rob's cheerful blackmail letters and soft heart, and Marian, who redefines the idea of heroine. My thanks to the publisher Avon and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It was a pleasure to read and review it.

If you have not read The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, you will be confused. This book picks up right where Kit Webb ends. The book doesn’t reintroduce the characters or circumstances from the first book, so there were times when I went, ‘Oh, yeah. That happened.’

Cat Sebastian is a writer I feel like I should love. However, her books can be on the bland side. The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes has a nice pace to it. Marian and Rob are cute and fun together. The book opens with them writing letters to each, and their banter is perfect. In a wonder subversion of grumpy and sunshine romance, the woman is the grumpy one while the man is the sunshine one. The pacing does come to a screeching halt around the middle, unfortunately.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

This author and I do not seem to click. Nothing wrong with the story. I just didn’t enjoy the author’s writing style. This book was a DNF at chapter 5. I think that fan’s of the writing style will however enjoy this book. Would recommend for fans of the author to enjoy though,

I had some trouble getting through The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes. While I enjoyed it overall, the story struggled with pacing issues. The correspondence between Marian and Rob in the beginning of the book drew me in. However, when it moved on to the action, it started with a bang, but then kind of meandered all the way to the end. The story feels somewhat disjointed and there is a bit of a patchwork feel to it, as well.

Another issue I had is that the stakes in The Queer Principles of Kit Webb felt so high, and comparatively, the stakes in The Perfect Crimes seem to pale in comparison. In both books, the “bad guy” was barely on page, but in The Queer Principles (and even continuing through The Perfect Crimes) I feel like the reader gets a very clear picture as to what an evil man Kit and Percy are up against. In The Perfect Crimes, the nemesis is barely mentioned and feels almost like an afterthought.

Don’t get me wrong - this book was still delightful, because it is a Cat Sebastian book. The letters were stellar and the banter was amazing. I loved Marian’s grumpy to Rob’s sunshine, and was delighted when they nearly immediately found themselves in a room with only one bed. I liked that both Rob and Marian were both bisexual and openly talked about past relationships with each other. Their relationship was also just so cute. Rob was clearly gone for Marian and it was so much fun watching them figure everything out.

Because the events in the book overlap with those in The Queer Principles, I would not recommend reading The Perfect Crimes as a standalone. There’s a good bit of context that in my opinion is necessary to understand what Marian is going through in the beginning of the book and throughout.

Like I said, overall, it was enjoyable. But the plot didn’t always make sense and it felt like a bit of a let down after The Queer Principles. Read this one for the dialogue and the characters, and maybe the Robin Hood references (for example, Rob and Marian - it only took me writing their names five times in this review before I caught on).

Content notes: References to prior murders; implied marital rape in the past (not on page); Marian’s father has Alzheimers/dementia

Grade: C+/3.5 stars

There was a lot to love about this book (two bi main characters! crimes! a prickly heroine paired with a charming hero! praise kink! fucking with the aristocracy!) but the poor pacing of the plot left me feeling disengaged overall. I didn't remember a ton from The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and I was definitely tripped up a bit as this book wove in new happenings that overlapped with that one, plus the middle just seemed to drag a bit unecessarily. 10/10 would read a follow-up about the whole merry gang pulling a historical Leverage and going after aristocrats taking advantage of the poorer classes though!

Usually, when books are connected in romance, it's a smile and a wave from the previous couple, or maybe a check-in. This book seems to be deeply entangled with its predecessor, which I did not read, but it didn't keep me from enjoying this book. Any confusion is minor, as you are mostly caught up in the beginning with what is going on. If anything, it makes you want to read the other book, not only to catch up, but to see the leads from others' perspectives.

This is probably the lightest book I've ever read that starts with a murder. It focuses so heavily on the leads that there were times I felt there was more "tell" than I'd prefer, but from reviews the two books run parallel rather than overlapping, so that may explain those moments. I loved how the sex scenes were playful and healing and bonding–sex can be a lot of things, and this felt like an expansive way to portray that. I do wish I'd fallen in love with this book and I never quite did, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. The characters are extremely likable and it's easy to root for their success, in love and their criminal endeavors.

Dear Reader,

Cat Sebastian has done it again! This book contains queer characters in a delightful historical setting. It has one bed, seems to be loosely inspired by Robin Hood, and is a continuation of the story we began to see set up in "The Queer Principles of Kit Webb". Overall, I greatly enjoyed this highly anticipated read and will be reading it again soon.

*3.5 stars*

This review is going to be a weird one because on one hand, I LOVED it. Like parts of this book were exactly what I needed and wanted, and I couldn't get enough. However, the slow pacing and the fact that you really need to have read the previous book to get any sort of footing in the story really threw me off.

Let me address my one major complaint about this book and that's the plot and pacing. I often have this issue with Cat Sebastian's books. They are always almost *brilliant*, so queer and interesting, but then the pacing just stumbles time and time again, and the middle is a slog. I kept putting this book down, and these characters are so unique that it should have held my attention absolutely rapt the entire time. I feel like nothing much happened in the middle of the story, which was a shame.

Also, I've read the other book in the series, and I was still nearly lost. It took a bit for me to remember all that happened previously (or concurrently, with the other story) in The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, and I think without reading the other story, you'd be pretty confused.

Now, on the good, and there is a LOT of good. These characters are so delightfully different than most other MF historical romance characters that it almost made me tear up with joy. Warning: some spoilers ahead dealing with sexual proclivities of these two MCs, I'll try to hide most in spoiler tags.

It was an absolute pleasure reading a book where both the male and female MC were bisexual. To have a bisexual male in a MF romance pairing is so, so, so rare, and I loved it so much. Not just that, but one that prefers (view spoiler) was *chef's kiss*. I wish we had more time to explore the sexual relationship between these two. I often don't clamber for more sex scenes, but you can bet I was begging for more here. And the fact that the female MC was completely opposed to (view spoiler) was so refreshing and inclusive to read.

I liked that the female MC was not maternal, even though she had a child. She wasn't a negligent or mean person, but you could feel her strong reluctance towards motherhood, and I loved how the author wasn't afraid to show that. I liked the friendly, affable male MC and how he was the happy/sunshine to the female's tougher persona.

A unique book with amazing characters, I just with The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes could have held my attention all the way through. The ploting and pacing were just too slow for me to give this more stars, though I was tempted.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Cat Sebastian returns to her world of Georgian era Robin Hoods in The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes. Marian and Rob’s story begins almost where The Queer Principles of Kit Webb ended, with a planned heist gone wrong. Now Marian must flee to the countryside and the one person she can turn to for help also happens to be the man who has been blackmailing her.

It’s grumpy meets sunshine for Marian and Rob, and I loved that Marian was the prickly one. I adored her serious nature and how she shows her love for people by taking care of them and putting everything in order. Rob, in turn, wears his heart on his sleeve for all to see and has no shame about it. He’s a charming thief and though blackmail isn’t something he normally engages in, he did so with Marian. The two of them first connect through the blackmail letters which were wonderfully funny and instantly showed the personalities of both protagonists. When Marian needs help, Rob is there to lend a hand and the two take turns taking care of each other. They were equals in every way, which I loved. They also understood and respected each other’s likes, needs, and boundaries, in bed and out, and the result is an utterly satisfying romance.

Rob and Marian are both at crossroads in this book and I liked that each had to stop and figure out what they wanted from each other and out of life. They find a true sense of joy, companionship, and freedom together which added depth to the romance. Their story is just plain fun and I absolutely loved that they carved out a life that works for them rather than let society dictate what their lives should look like. All in all, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes was a delight and I hope Cat Sebastian has more books planned that are set in this world.

“Need was only weakness by another name. And if someone could give you what you needed, they could just as easily take it away.”

Why YOU should read “The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes”

• There’s only one bed
• Bisexual main characters
• Robin Hood & Maid Marian inspired
• Hurt/Comfort and trauma recovery

The Duchess of Clare is a murderer. It’s not exactly the proper occupation for a duchess, but Marian Hayes is not the average noble. When she receives letters from a man claiming to have knowledge of her husband’s bigamy–and asks for 500£ to keep it quiet, no less–she finds she can’t resist writing back, sparking the beginning of a wild adventure. Through the streets of Georgian London, across the countryside of Kent, and inside a series of questionable inns, this physical journey mirrors an equally-impressive set of character arcs.

There’s so much I want to say about this novel, it’s hard to know where to begin.

I found both main characters extremely lovable. Rob is a hopeless sweetheart who’s lived a dangerous life as a highwayman. Marian is all sharp edges and wit with a heart of gold, despite the abuse she’s shuffered. They make a match that simmers with chemistry and underlying anxieties that need to be overcome. What makes a ‘good’ person, truly, and what tips the scales to make someone ‘bad’? Murder? Postpartum Depression? Thievery?

I’ll be honest–I don’t ordinarily read spicy romances. I find intimate scenes cringe-worthy a lot of the time and would rather fade to black. So, I hope you’ll understand how significant it is for me to say that every single hot-and-heavy scene was necessary to this narrative. Rife with character-building moments, every time these characters came together, they overcame some personal obstacle. I won’t tell you any details, but I was so impressed by the handling of these scenes (and all the baggage unpacked in them), I had to stop reading and tell my spouse all about them. I mean, they were also super hot; Cat Sebastian delivers.

I absolutely loved this work. The ending felt somewhat rushed to me, with one particular flimsy thread that wove through the majority of the narrative (a certain ominous ‘brother’ figure) fraying away altogether. This is possibly the only gripe I have about the book, and the journey more than made up for any messiness at the end.

If you like period pieces, and you like excellent banter, steamy romance, “there’s only one bed!,” and enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, please pick up this book when it releases on June 7th, 2022. You won’t regret it for a moment.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This was a very sweet, queer historical romance, and the style and tone were like a warm hug and fun all wrapped in one. This is the second in a historical romance from Cat Sebastian, and though it can be read as a standalone, almost all of the characters from the first book are present in the story. Marian just shot and killed her husband, a duke, for good reason, but now she’s on the run through the English countryside. She teams up with Rob, a thief who is blackmailing her with a secret, and as they travel, they rescue animals, pick pockets, and fall in love. This book has a great blend of adventure, fun, and romance, with witty and fun inner and outer dialogues. This is a queer historical romance because both characters are bisexual, and the love between the two is really steamy, charming, nuanced and well done - in my experience, the sweetness and fun between the characters is where Cat Sebastian really shines as an author. I recommend this book for fans of Cat Sebastian, adventure, historical romance, and LGBTQ+ representation.

This review contains spoilers for The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes & The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (indirectly): Perfect Crimes releases June 7th, so if all you want is a reminder/nudge to go buy the book, consider this your full-steam ahead, yes-please-buy-this-book-immediately, recommendation.  Go read it, & then come back here to talk with me about it, please!  This review is 90% amazing quotes, and - as such - will give away/hint at major plot points. If you want your journey to the HEA unspoiled, stop now. 

Look at these two!

When people ask me why I read romance (which usually only happens in a snobby, annoying, or dismissive manner), I sometimes have a hard time nailing down one specific reason. There's so many reasons! And then I go into a rant of my own, and I want to start all the way back at The Flame & The Flower and go on through to whatever I'm reading today. Which: Don't ask me unless you want an actual answer. But over the course of the last few days, as I devoured Cat Sebastian's The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes, I found myself thinking, again & again, "This. This is why."

“After everything you said, you think I could possibly be happy if you were miserable? I hadn’t realized that I fell in love with a simpleton.” He wanted to ask her to repeat that, to demand if she meant it, to ask for it in writing. But Marian never said anything she didn’t mean. If she said she loved him, she loved him. She had once said that she didn’t love people the way he did, whatever that meant. Nothing could have mattered less; if Marian loved him, then that was precisely the sort of love he wanted.

"That was precisely the sort of love he wanted." The acknowledgement that we don't all love each other - or show our love for each other - in the same ways, and that, when you love someone, you'll gladly accept the way they love you, no matter that it's different from yours. That's why.

Because somebody has to be the brave one, sometimes.  And because - in the right relationship - we can take turn being brave, and allowing the person we love to be brave.

“Marian,” he said, barely managing to get the word out. “What is happening right now?” She cast him a faintly disappointed look, and good Christ that should not have gone straight to his prick. “You said that all I had to do was say the word.” “Oh God,” he said. “Have you always been this brave?” She sniffed. “Obviously.” With that, she rested her head on his chest and went to sleep.

“I want to be with you more than I want . . .” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence, because the fact was that he could end it with just about anything and it would be true. “I’ve never thought about the future. Hell, I’ve avoided thinking about the future. But now when I look at time stretching out before me, all I can think is that I want you with me.” He brought his hand to the pocket where he still held her letters and he watched her gaze track his movement. “Everything else is secondary.”

That's why. The absolute breathtaking gall it takes to fully love other human beings.

Because the heroine can start the book thinking things like this, feeling the straight up Louisa-Surface Pressure-ness of her life:

She was dimly aware that what she was objecting to was simply basic consideration, but it had been a long day. It had been a long year, during which one of the few lessons she had learned was never to let anyone know that you needed anything. Need was only weakness by another name. And if someone could give you what you needed, they could just as easily take it away.

And -through the twisty-turny machinations of an amazing author- wind up feeling like this:

Marian could rely on all these people, and they on her, and that thought made her feel safe in a way she hadn’t known she wanted. She turned to look at Rob, who she had always, somehow, known was safe, who she had trusted when she didn’t think she could trust anyone. “You all right?” Rob asked. Marian knew she was a bit misty and didn’t try to deny it. But she also knew that there was nothing she could say that would do justice to her feelings. “You’re mine,” she said. “And I’m yours.” She swallowed. “It’s a promise.” And Rob must have understood, because he picked up her hand and kissed her palm. “A promise,” he agreed.

That's why: Found families, built from scratch, through the randomness & greatness, through the weakness & willingness of people to take just one more chance on each other. Because in romance novels, good romance novels, there's characters we can see ourselves in, or imagine ourselves to be, or relate to in some way, and these characters are written so well by an author of such skill, that we find ourselves rooting for them to do the near-impossible tasks said author has laid in front of them - to trust again after betrayal, to continue trying after hope is as foreign a concept to them as forever.

It was foolish, of course. She didn’t know if, after everything, she was capable of falling in love, or indeed if she ever had been, but she knew she could lose things, and she didn’t want to lose him.

That's why. Women who've lost everything it is possible to lose - their identities, their safety, their freedom, their sense of self & security - but still somehow manage to take their next steps, get through their days, meet the challenges life(/the author) throws at them, with stubbornness & care & power. Men whose worlds get turned absolutely inside out, but whom you can still see struggling to do what they think is right, to find honesty inside themselves when it matters most, to care & connect & give up control when it has been the only thing they've ever depended on.

“Come here,” she said, and took his hands, rubbing them between her own. Then, still holding his hands, she bent her head and breathed on them. “Why on earth don’t you have gloves on,” she muttered. He stayed perfectly still, afraid that if he moved she’d notice that she was holding his hands. “Do you want my cloak? It’s very warm.” He looked at her to see if she was teasing him, but her expression was serious. She was—Christ, she was worried for him. The notion made his cheeks heat, made him want to look away.

That's why.

Because in only in romance novels can lines like these exist, and make 100% perfect, chef's-kiss-sense:

“You have been busy,” he murmured, thinking of what a waste it was that in all the thousands of love poems written across the ages, nobody had ever thought to catalogue their beloved’s proficiency in crime.

“I beg your pardon.” What a trick it was to be able to say I beg your pardon in a way that meant fuck off and die, and to look serene and saintly while saying it.

She stared at him. “You are ridiculous. I let my life get thrown into uproar by a ridiculous man. How lowering. Villains are supposed to be serious.” “I, a villain?” He put his hand to his heart. “You wound me.” “I wish I wounded you,” she grumbled. “Eat,” he said. With the air of a woman much put upon, she ate, and he very definitely did not grin as he watched her.

So that's why: Because banter & bravery & queerness that's as natural & unremarked upon in the story as it is in our actual lives. Because sometimes the story doesn’t wind up being about what you thought it was going to be about, or even what other people -say NetGalley or Goodreads- might tell you it's supposed to be about. Because every so often, there are just corners of a book that fit into your brain perfectly, or that you fit into perfectly, and that’s what the story ends up being about, for you.

Because The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes winds up being a perfect book, to me.

A book about trust and care and vulnerability; About intimacy and fear and love: About life.

And because I -personally- think that people who don't read books like this are the ones who should be getting the side-eye, because they're voluntarily missing out on masterclasses in writing, in character development, and in what it means to be a living breathing human being in this world.

And because books like this exist, and I'm lucky enough to get to read them. I hope you get to, too.

Cat Sebastian is an auto-buy lgbt historical romance author. I love the cover art style of her recent books, and I did not see this plot coming. I loved Marian and Robb's letters at the beginning of the book, and felt their chemistry and banter authentic and lovely. Sebastian always has me laughing, and I liked seeing a pre-Regency romance novel!

On the one hand-- I hadn't read the first book and was confused throughout a lot of the book. Without some more context edits, I wouldn't _really_ call it a standalone. People kept getting introduced but I had no idea who they were, which kind of diminished the pleasure.
On the other-- Reading this has made me want to read the first one. And I have no choice but to stan a complete and total wife guy.
Overall, I was mostly just glad the plot didn't get in the way of my sex scenes.

There is a lot to love about this book. Rob and Marian are an amazing sunshine/grump couple. Their unconventional relationship forms the major appeal of the book. Rob is an amazing combination of strong yet submissive. He finds both purpose and pleasure in providing Marian with everything she might want. (He's the sunshine if you hadn't guessed that yet.) Marian, on the other hand, is prickly, often mean, and demanding. She's also got a heart of gold, of course, that she shows by her fair and compassionate behavior rather than her words.

It's a good thing that the relationship is such a highlight, because there's really no plot. If you've read The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, then you know the end of that book puts Marian in an untenable situation. This book goes a long way to explain her motivations and actions, but it doesn't give her a lot to do. (Seriously, the first half of the book is Marian and Rob on a road trip... that spans 3 days or so.)

We recommend this one for when you're in the mood for a low-angst, unconventional romance that upends some of the tried-and-true romance tropes. (If you think that Marian is going to end up as a duchess, think again!).

Cat Sebastian does great queer romance but NOBODY does class-conscious historical romance like Cat. She takes a genre that idealizes the aristocracy and twists it, playing both within the constraints of the genre and pointing out the way that a hereditary ruling class is truly, deeply problematic. Cat Sebastian novels are SO SMART that not only will you have a great time reading them, but they will probably make you smarter as well. Marian Hayes is the bisexual romance of dreams, in which a mean unhappy duchess (sort of) slash murderer (definitely) teams up with a soft Robin-Hood-type turned unwitting duke's heir. Be gay! Do crimes! Upset unjust systems! Adopt a scrawny cat! This book has it all.

After devouring The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, I let out an almost inhuman noise when I saw this book on Netgalley. I was so happy when I started this book and it essentially began in medias res, so it ran parallel to Kit Webb for a bit and I was way too excited when I got the side of things that I didn't get in Kit Webb.

Criminals. Love. Forced proximity.

Look. this book gives me everything I want in a romance.

OH. DID I MENTION THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED?!

Cat Sebastian had a direct line to my heart with this book. Marian. There were a few scenes that, while spicy, actually made my heart swell. The dynamic between Rob and Marian was intense, sweet, and tantalizing at the same time.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I didn't know this was part of a series so I was a little bit confused in the beginning but the story was sooo good and held its own. I think it can even be read as a standalone.

The relationship between Marian and Rob is not one seen often in romance books. Rob respects her in every sense of the word and his devotion to her is absolutely phenomenal.
There is a beautiful found family in this story and I'm going to pick up the Kitt Webb book because I can't get enough of them.

This book is focused on Marian's growth and we do not forget that even as many things happen. I loved getting to know her and see her blossom enough to accept the family.

This book was also very very spicy! I found myself blushing and giggling through many many parts. The chemistry between Marian and Rob jumps out at you from the initial pages.

I love so many of the choices made by Cat Sebastian. Overall, this was such a FUN book!
Thank you Netgalley and Avon books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I had a lot of fun with Marian and Rob in The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes. If you recall from the first book, Rob is blackmailing Marian as a way to avoid taking his rightful place as the Duke’s heir. Being the Duke’s heir doesn’t really vibe with his Robin Hood/criminal mentality but why not profit off of this secret? But he discovers Marian is not some wilting violet, she’s ready and able to take him down.

The banter between the two was fantastic. It was witty and fun, yet always felt light-hearted and never cruel. There was definitely a play on the grumpy/sunshine trope, yet our grump is Marian. Rob is just this happy-go-lucky, rob the rich, give to the poor thief, but you just can’t ever get mad at him. He falls hard for Marian (because she’s amazing!) and slowly but surely, Marian becomes a bit less prickly and falls for him too.

The facet of The Perfect Crimes that I loved best? How their intimacy occurs. It challenged typical M-F pairings (especially from that period in history) and focuses on consent. It was honestly beautiful to see how loving and caring Rob was of Marian, and vice versa.

I did wish that we got a little bit more of an epilogue, as I still have some questions about how everything got wrapped up. Otherwise, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes was a wonderful read that hit all the boxes for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the review copy.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is the romance/heist sequel to the Queer Principles of Kit Webb, a historical romance that I previously read and quite enjoyed! I was very excited to read the sequel and looked forward to the publication for months before I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader's copy!

I really liked this book! I liked Marian and Rob as characters and very much enjoyed their banter. I loved the representation in the book, particularly Marian's boundaries regarding penetrative sex. I appreciated seeing partners express their desires and respect each other's wishes.

The one major problem that I had is that even though I read the first book I had absolutely no idea who Marian or Rob were and the book very much assumed that I did. I ended up looking through other reviews of this book and Kit Webb to get context for this story. I didn't even read Kit Webb that long ago, either! About 50% through the book they actually lay out who is related to whom and what the previous relationships were but that meant that I was floundering for half of the book. It also takes place during the events of Kit Webb, which I didn't know and was very confused for a lot of the book. I definitely recommend reading and reviewing the events of the previous book before reading this. Definitely don't read it as a stand alone!!

Overall, I had a good time with this book and recommend it to anyone who has read the first book! 4.45 stars. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book!