I hate to say it, but this didn’t really work for me. While there was potential and charm to the story, there really was too much going on in too little time. Some big decisions made here require you to believe that these two men have come to really care about each other deeply, and I just didn’t see that on the page. I feel like this book also suffers from the idea that characters in the past have to be unproblematic from a modern perspective in terms of the things they say or do and it makes them feel very weird for where they’re actually situated. I’ve seen worse examples of this in other books, but since I felt like I wasn’t given a lot o time to get to know the characters, it got more noticeable as the story went on. Finally, I did like certain elements of how the ending went differently from what I expected at the beginning of the book, but, again, I just really needed to book to convince me that these characters would make these decisions. It just felt very sudden.

I read a lot of queer historical romance and this book captured a lot of what I love about the genre. I loved the found family aspect and the amount of acceptance Christopher and Harding found in their little community. This book has a lot of grief and loss but it also holds trans joy as front and center, and it's set around the premise that gay and trans people have always been here, in every era, and deserve to find their happiness in it. I loved the resolution for both Christopher and Harding and the lives they chose for themselves. The book has a lot of TJ's signature writing style in it in terms of keeping things pretty light and low conflict between the main characters, with really great trans representation and just one pepper's worth of spice.

The relationship between Harding and Christopher is pretty much the slowest of slow burns. They're not even on first name terms a good 70%+ of the book, and Christopher is a very insecure and inexperienced lead who spends most of the book fretting about how no one could possibly desire him. I found it honestly a bit grating and would've loved to see him absolved of the notion much, much earlier.

The leads were also kept apart by other matters. I'm normally a very plot-driven reader and love a good romp, but there were so many shenanigans going on that Harding and Christopher barely got to spend time together, especially since Christopher spent so much of it keeping Harding at arm's length. I would've loved a more intimate romance that would've kept a bit more of a focus on the main couple. The extra distractions kept me from feeling much chemistry between them.

Do be aware that there is a lot of historical liberties in this book especially with inheritance rules which are just complete shenanigans and form a central premise for the plot.

Overall this is a light and fun romp, and I'm happy to see TJ Alexander expanding into hist-rom. While not every part of this book vibed with me, I think this is still a great read for anyone who loved Triple Sec, Chef's Kiss, and TJ's other books, and I'd love to see them gain a more solid footing in this genre with future books!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

Very original and dynamic. The chemistry between the main characters was amazing and well written.

I really liked this one! I read it very quickly--it caught and held my attention for a very fun book binge. The character voices are strong and distinct, and I liked the whimsy of it alongside the deeper emotional connections. I will definitely be reading more TJ Alexander. For fans of Alexis Hall's A Lady for a Duke, as well as anything by Cat Sebastian or KJ Charles.

Lord Christopher Eden has a dilemma. He must marry by his next birthday (a few short months away), or lose his home and title, thanks to a stipulation in his late father’s will. His situation makes this even more challenging.

With no other choice, he makes arrangements to go to London in hopes to find a bride. But before he can do that, he must have a proper valet. This is where James Harding enters the story.

This was a great read! The struggles of Christopher trying to keep his privacy from James was fairly entertaining at times. The two men learn a lot about each other, themselves, and what they truly want from life.

Will Lord Eden be able to save his title and his estate? Check this one out to discover more!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

This is a really sweet story with some excellent banter and an interesting exploration of what it might have looked like to identify as trans and gay during the Regency Era. I enjoyed watching Christopher and James learn to trust each other. This is on the shorter side and I would have loved to see a bit more of James and Christopher getting to be together but I did really enjoy getting to read each of their stories and the sacrifices they had made to feel like their authentic selves.

If you like queer historical romance this is a great choice! I've loved seeing the growth in traditionally published queer historical romance over the past few years and I hope it's a trend that continues!

Thank you to Vintage Anchor Books for the ARC!

A Gentleman's Gentleman is a queer, Regency romance. The socially awkward Lord Christopher and his new valet, Harding, navigate finding a wife for Christopher and end up having the slowest of slow burns.
The pining was amazing, the exploration of grief and trauma was great, and of course... the queer characters were everything. I love watching two weirdos fall in love while being incredibly awkward.
I don't know what TJ Alexander puts in their books, but I devour them every time.
The twists were great, if a little predictable at times, and the historical accuracy is questionable, but it's a fun romance that really isn't trying to be anything else.

CW: death; sexual content; grief (PTSD)

A Gentleman’s Gentleman was well written with surprising plot twists. Throughly enjoyed it and will recommend our library to purchase it.

4.5 stars


What an absolute, heart-rending, beautiful experience this book was!!!!! It takes a good book to make you feel seen and understood, especially when your people's stories have so often been confined to the whispers and shadows of history.

I read this book in one sitting; I could not put it down, both because I found the plot and characters compelling, but also because I found such incredible joy in seeing a historical trans experience enacted on the page. I cried multiple times from that joy -- the one time I had to set the book down was because of those tears.

It felt so wonderful to get to read a silly regency romance with an eye to the trans experience -- I didn't have to worry about heartbreak or tragedy, I just got to read a delightful and charming story with sweet and interesting characters, where people like me get the happy ending, the same as with any number of cis regency romances.

This book was a wonderful treat during a rough week. I will be pre-ordering a copy for myself and will be suggesting a purchase for my library, and I plan to convince many of my friends to pick it up too. May there be more books like this in the world!

A lovely, moving tale of trans identity in the Regency era. Christopher, Earl Eden, is being forced to marry before his next birthday if he wishes to keep his title and manor. But he also has a secret, one he is afraid of anyone learning, one that could strip him of all he knows. He takes on a valet, the competent Mr. James Harding, who quickly enmeshes himself in every facet of Christopher's life. But James has secrets of his own.

This book was not quite what I expected, but in a way I thoroughly enjoyed!

I’m a sucker for a regency era rom-com. Give me the estates, the balls, the gossip, the outfits, the SCANDAL. This book has it all and more.

Chris has to find a wife or he will lose his entire estate and inheritance. So he must travel to London, which he hates, to search for a wife he doesn’t want. His new valet is here to help, but having someone in his personal space is not what Chris is used to. How is he ever going to get through this season and find a wife?

There are a few surprised that I saw coming and a few that I didn’t. I was really engaged in the outcome of this story and what would become of Chris. The only thing that keeps it from being a five star read was a bit of disappointment with how the author chose to end the book. I was wishing for and imagining a different path. It’s definitely worth a read if you’re looking for a light but heartfelt queer regency romance!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Vintage and this is my honest review.

I should’ve DNF’d this but it was a buddy read 😔

As an avid lover and reader of queer historical romance, this sadly wasn’t great. The writing was really clunky, there was little to no development between the MCs even as a slowburn romance, dumb miscommunication that had me groaning, and poor pacing.

I was really excited about the trans rep and I do think that was well done for a period piece.

I love queer histroms, and I was super excited for one with trans rep. Sadly, I didn't vibe with it. I likely would've DNF'ed if I hadn't been doing a buddy read with a friend who also got an ARC.

There was a slow start, then a rushed ending. I didn't think the leads had chemistry, and there was too much miscommunication throughout the book. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed this book!

And I would totally recommend it for fans of Think of England by K.J. Charles. This book has a very similar tone and atmosphere to that book (minus the lil mystery element of Think of England).

This was a very fun historical (and trans!) slow-burn romp that takes place in the Regency era (early 1800's) England!

This book gives a look at what life is like for Lord Christopher Eden and the struggles (internal and external) that he has to deal with in the sort of society that he live in. Being rich and a lord means that there are certain expectations of him but he does not know how to go about those expectations and isn't really comfortable with them either. But when his new valet shows up, that changes everything for Christopher...

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly wrap-up.

So, I'm a little torn about this one, tbh.

On the one hand, I appreciated so much seeing queer folk--especially trans folk--represented in historical romances. I especially loved getting to read a queer historical romance where they don't end up having to compromise their queerness or their transness. The scene where Christopher finally confesses his identity to Harding was just so wonderfully done. I felt like it really nailed that, historically, queer folks have been everywhere, even if some parts of history don't want to acknowledge them.

On the other hand, there were two main issues I had with this one. The first is that there was a B-plot that I felt didn't really end up adding anything to the story and, in fact, made Christopher act in such a way that felt both out of character and difficult to root for. Plus, what he did--the line he crossed--was really not addressed or resolved in any way. Second, the romance didn't quite hit the mark? Some of that is that the B-plot didn't allow for Harding and Christopher to interact in a way that developed their relationship in any meaningful way. Then, there was the break-up scene (that really wasn't a break up scene, but had a lot of the hallmarks of one) that came with the classic miscommunication trope. It didn't draw out too much, thankfully; it just also didn't really feel all that... dire?

I don't know. I felt like the romance was almost there and I love that TJ Alexander hopped into regency romance writing (I'd definitely love to see more!). I also think that it needed just a bit more development of the romance, for my liking.

Wow, this book was FANTASTIC!!! I absolutely loved the trans rep, it felt really accurate to the historical time period which I appreciated. I also loved the slow burn romance, and all the side characters/found family!!

I think this is a new fav!!

🌈Queer rep: trans man main characters, MM main relationship. MM secondary relationship.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Simply delightful! Another entry in the queer historical fiction roster, and one I enjoyed immensely. A Gentleman's Gentleman combines the delicious juxtaposition of the (somewhat) bumbling lord and uber-competent valet of the Jeeves and Wooster series with a dramatic love story as well as a tale of personal forgiveness and healing. I think I loved every single character in this story, and will gladly read whatever the author writes next!

For sensitive readers, this book contains depictions of death, death of loved ones, unhealthy relationships, trauma, graphic sexuality, and references to historical misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia.

I greatly enjoyed A Gentleman's Gentleman - perhaps ridiculously, the only reason it's not a five-star read for me is that it did too good of a job building the surrounding cast. The epilogue provided satisfactory snippets of the future beyond Christopher and Harding, but for me this wasn't enough! I adored so many of the side characters - even the horse is well-developed(!) - and I desperately wanted to know more. Despite touching on some serious themes at times, this was such a fun read - I ploughed through it, chortling aloud every now and then. There's even a carriage-chase interlude! A tremendously enjoyable and engaging read - perhaps my favourite TJ Alexander yet.

I absolutely did not want to put this book down! I read it in one sitting. The characters were so charming and witty. The plot was so entertaining, I was never bored. An amazing queer historical romance.

“A Gentleman’s Gentleman” is a beautifully crafted trans Regency romance that takes the slow-burn trope to new heights. The story follows Lord Christopher Eden, a trans man who faces the pressure of marrying by the age of 25 to retain his estate. Feeling isolated and convinced that love is out of reach, his life takes a turn when James, his new valet, arrives with the task of helping him find a wife among the ton.

What stands out most about this novel is its heartfelt exploration of identity, love, and belonging. Alexander masterfully weaves together themes of found family and self-acceptance against the backdrop of a richly detailed Regency setting. The characters, particularly Christopher and James, are wonderfully nuanced. Christopher’s journey from a reserved, lonely figure to someone who learns to open up and pursue happiness is especially touching. His interactions with his chosen family at Eden Abbey—including the kind-hearted Cook and the steadfast Plinkton—add warmth to the narrative and bring a sense of community and support.

James, with his stoic yet gentle nature, is the perfect foil to Christopher’s vulnerability. Their chemistry is undeniable, though the romance builds slowly—perhaps excruciatingly slow for some—but it makes the payoff all the more satisfying. While the novel is told entirely from Christopher’s perspective, it would have been interesting to see James’ point of view as well, especially during the emotional turning points of their relationship.

The plot is peppered with twists, some of which are easy to anticipate, but they don’t detract from the enjoyment. In fact, it feels more like a game of watching the characters piece things together, which adds to the fun. The setting of Eden Abbey, with its crumbling beauty and endearing staff, feels like a character in its own right, grounding the story in a world that is both elegant and deeply personal.

Overall, A Gentleman’s Gentleman is a touching tribute to the power of love and self-discovery. The slow-burn romance, witty dialogue, and heartfelt moments make this a must-read for fans of queer historical fiction. TJ Alexander has truly outdone themselves with this charming and emotional story. Highly recommended!