While I adore the novel's premise and hoped for a transmasc version of "A Lady for a Duke" I found myself rather bored with the storyline, character depth, and relationship between the two. I don't feel like there were enough scenes establishing the pair breaking from the employer/employee decorum and creating a real bond beyond "first person my age I've been around, and he is also attractive." I love a trans regency and a trans romance but overall the follow-through on the premise wasn't there for me.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor Books & PRH Audio for the review copies! This was a lovely, cozy romance with amazing representations we don’t often see in Regency romances.

While this wasn’t a friends to lovers romance, it kind of felt like one, because out lovers come from different classes - Christopher is an Earl and James is his newly hired valet. Since we only got Christopher’s point of view, and he was aware of that having a crush on his employee was problematic, he tried to keep himself at a distance from James for so much of the book. But they did keep growing closer in a more friendly way that eventually turned romantic.

So much of this book was about Christopher becoming more comfortable with himself as part of society, and allowing himself to trust others. All of the characters were so kind and lovable.

While I enjoyed this one, this is the kind of book where it’s helpful for me to read multiple books at once. I get frustrated with the pacing otherwise, even when it is purposefully done.

I really loved this book! It had a great sense of humor, and showed how trans and queer folk may have lived in the Regency era. My main critique is I wish it had explored the characters emotions in a deeper manner.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman is another slam dunk by TJ Alexander. TJ’s books always feel like a warm hug and I was so excited to see them stretch into the Historical Romance genre. I was not disappointed in the slightest. I read the bulk of this book after a tornado hit my house and it was the PERFECT cozy comfort read to soothe my anxiety.

TJ Alexander is a hit or miss author for me, and this one is a miss. Aside from the fact that the premise of the novel is pure fantasy (in reality, the title passes down according to the letters patent, not the whims of the previous holder), I couldn’t get past the first chapter due to the writing style. Our main character is presented in excruciating detail as he wakes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, etc. I’d expect this from a first draft by a first-time writer, but not from a multi-published author.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

Thank you to Vintage Books for the eARC and PRH Audio for the free audiobook.

I’m loving the increase in queer historical romances. It obviously happened (they were roommates!) and I love that we are writing and talking about it.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman stars Lord Christopher, a reclusive Earl who has to marry within the next few months to keep his title and land. Enter James Harding, Christopher’s new valet, to help him transition to London and woo a wife. The only twist…is that Christopher wasn’t born male, so any wife would have to be accepting of his secret and the marriage of convenience.

This story felt a little less like a romance and more of a coming of age. It’s told in third person from Christopher’s point of view, and so much of the story revolves around Christopher coming to terms with himself, his wants, and accepting who he is. I felt genuine friendship (and some lust) between Christopher and James, but I was missing the emotional connection and romance.

Regardless, I still really enjoyed this story and had a fun time listening to it. The narrator Harrison Knights did such a good job conveying Christopher’s quirky personality.

Lord Christopher Eden is tasked with a truly awful task: he must marry by his next birthday (by the stipulations of his father’s will) or lose his title and lands. For such a private gentleman with a great secret, marriage is an unpleasant chore and love is something only other people can obtain. Still, he will make the attempt to find a sympathetic wife who can keep secrets. To fit into society to obtain said wife, he needs a valet, finding one in James Harding, who harbours a secret of his own.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman by T.J. Alexander is set in 1819, so we have the deliciousness of the Regency Era. Christopher, however, is an odd duck in comparison to those of his status, as he doesn’t hire the amount of servants he ought (just Cook and Plinkton, the ancient butler who has always been around), and dines with them to boot. So if readers are looking for the stifling manners of the time, they won’t find it coming from his direction. Some of the description and language also feels a little more modern at times, but it was so much fun that I didn’t mind it.

The book itself is just a delight, to be honest. We’ve got the lovely miscommunication when it comes to love, and there are little sprinkles of comedy throughout. There’s a sex scene at the end, too, that is quite fiery but also tender. If I had a quibble, I would say it’s that things seem to wrap up ALARMINGLY fast; maybe it feels so after the tension of trying to find a wife for the entirety of the novel. I would have loved a little more in the slowburn yearning department, but that’s just me; I can NEVER get enough yearning.

Harding and Christopher are both believable characters that I rooted for the entire time while getting all giggly when they were admitting how they felt for one another. I’d definitely recommend for people who like some historical flavour to their reads as well as for those who enjoy queer characters seizing their happiness. All I have left to say is that when I finished the last page, I was filled with a warm, fuzzy glow.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Vintage for sending me a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This trans historical romance from the author of Chef’s Kiss and Triple Sec, is sweet, fun, and full of secrets.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this, the characters of Christopher and James were well done, I loved the growing relationship between the two men as well as the side characters of Éteinne and Miss Montrose as well as Belinda and Chester. The queerness of this story is interwoven into every page, though it takes to the end to figure out exactly what was going on. I did suspect some things but the way everything came about was wonderful. This is a solid entry into the queer historical romance genre.
This is more of their journey (especially Christopher's journey) and I loved that for him.

Recommend for those who want more character growth, and not necessarily just sexual scenes (although what is there is lovely).

I was really loving it, Christopher and Harding as individuals and their relationship. This book made laugh and cry, but at the end I felt the miscommunication was completely unnecessary and frustrated me greatly, other than that it was lovely.

Lord Christopher Eden is known as a “man of unusual make” because his eccentricity keeps him in his manor house, far away from London, and with only two servants. He's happy to spend calm days with only his cook and aging butler, but a stipulation on his father's will states that he must be married by 25, or he will lose everything. With the day fast approaching, Christopher finds himself forced to hire a valet in the hopes of looking normal and gaining a wife. Except the valet is James Harding, distractingly handsome and infinitely capable, and feelings Christopher has tried to keep buried start coming to the surface.

I appreciate the twist Alexander gave this otherwise very traditional historical romance. You're not outright told what is "unusual" about Christopher, but there are hints. And he's so nice that you're constantly rooting for him to get to live his life however he wants.

The other big reveal is a little obvious, but I loved how it made the message of "you're not as alone as you think" that much more powerful. Showing that Chritopher had many people there to support him, even when he didn't know it, hits a little harder and made everything even sweeter.

In the end, it's a perfect LGBTQ twist on a very classically sweet historical romance.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Vintage for the emotional read!

Not bad, not great. A perfect pallet cleanser while you relax between reads. I have been wanting more historical romance in my life and this premise struck my Bridgerton and Downton Abbey interests. What you get here is a decently executed book and pleasant writing style. The issue here are the characters. Everyone just felt flat, void of any real depth. Which, given the historical period, can be true as Regency Era individuals were very superficial. I was just hoping with a queer romance, it would have given something a little more emotional.

The setting- I really enjoyed the historical setting of this book. It was fun to see the authors take on it, especially with the queer characters within this book. The world felt pretty fleshed out, and I liked the authors descriptions.

The characters- I did like the romance between the two main characters. There were a lot of cute moments, and banter between the two of them. I just wish there was a little more between the two of them. They barely touched the whole book, and were fairly clueless of their feelings between each other. Then when we finally got those admissions the book was over, I guess I just wanted more pining to really make me feel the tension. Overall they were cute but I wanted the fireworks.

The plot- The plot of the book was interesting. I really enjoyed getting to know the backstories of our characters as the story went along. It really ends up shaping how the story goes in the end. The element of one of our main characters trying to find a wife to gain his inheritance was a good way for us to meet the side characters. We went on some fun side quests with them, and met the protagonist of the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed this one. I was a tiny bit hesitant because historical isn’t always my favorite to read. However I love everything that TJ Alexander writes. So I was happy to get offered an ARC. Thank you so much. I recommend picking this one up if you are looking for a queer historical romance.

A GENTLEMAN’S GENTLEMAN is a delightful and important queer rom com with a clever story and beautiful trans representation. I honestly couldn’t put the book down as the novel hurtled - quite literally, in a carriage chase - to its, I’d say, triply if not quadruply surprising conclusion. So good and so fun. 🐴

His Lordship Christopher William Fitzwilliam Winterthrope, the Right Honorable Earl of Eden, is a young man who - not a surprise - learns that he must find “a solid helpmate” (ahem, his father’s will’s words) and marry - also, not a surprise, soon - so that he can keep his estate. In order to find such a person, Lord Eden realizes he must go to London for the Season, and he must be accompanied by a valet in order to properly participate in the proceedings of the Ton. However, Christopher is a unique earl, one who eschews the trappings of the wealthy; he prefers the company of his Cook in her kitchen and, Plinkton, his butler, in the stable and, as a “man of unusual make,” prefers to dress himself in his colorful, dapper wardrobe. The last thing he wants is a valet, but hire one he must.🕺🏽

And so we meet James Harding, the handsome valet, “a greyhound in human shape,” who catches Christopher’s eye immediately, but whose grumpy and stiff valet-ish attitude both intrigues and puts Christopher off.🦚

Still, Harding quickly befriends Orion, Christopher’s even more prickly steed, and Harding can also ride a horse well enough to keep up with Christopher and agrees not to dress his boss, so their tenuous friendship begins to blossom. It is, of course, a slow burn - it’s a regency romance, after all - until it takes off with all due alacrity.🏇🏻

When they finally arrive in London (and even when they return to Eden), things get (and stay) messy. As Christopher wonders how he’ll find a suitable match, he starts to learn more about who James might actually be (possibly not just a valet), James learns about what kind of spouse his lordship actually needs, and the hi jinx are under way. James tries to help. A potential match is found. Christopher makes assumptions. Alliances are formed and broken. The aforementioned carriage chase ensues. James makes spicy warm milk for Christopher late at night (my favorite scene). Discoveries are discovered. Surprises are uncovered. The old estate plays its part. And the conclusion most satisfyingly and surprisingly concludes.🐀

I am thrilled to have read TJ’s first foray into historical romance, and - good news - it is not their last. A sequel, A LADY FOR ALL SEASONS, is coming out next year!🙌🏻

I’m so appreciative to @ireadvintage for the ARC, final copy, and swag and to @netgalley for the eARC! 📚

I'm a big fan of TJ Alexander's contemporary romances so was curious when I learned that they had written a regency romance. This shares a lot of what I come to expect from Alexander's writing, strong characters and charming humor, but it also had a nice sense of historical setting.

Transman, Lord Christopher's fashions are described in glorious details. The novel also deals with the issue of the isolation of lgbtq people in a time before the internet, when the questioning if there are other's like them out in the world was not so easily answered. A few clever plot twists happen along the way and though the happily ever after was never in doubt, it was not exactly in the way I had thought it would be and was a more satisfying conclusion than I had expected.

This was a heartfelt slow burn Trans for Trans historical romance that sees reclusive Lord Christopher Eden falling for his valet and all his plans to find a wife and save his family's estate go out the window in the face of true love. This was good on audio, had some surprise twists and is perfect for fans of authors like Cat Sebastian, Joanna Lowell or Alexis Hall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommended for anyone participating in the Trans Rights Readathon in March this year and a great pivot for a fav contemporary queer romance author of mine.

A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander was released yesterday! I got to read this one early and it is phenomenal! I am really finding just the right historical romances for myself these days.

Christopher is at risk of losing his inheritance if he does not marry, so he plans to go to London to find a wife. But first he must hire a valet. When James Harding arrives to take up the post as Christopher's new valet, Christopher is immediately annoyed by how obstinate Harding is about following the rules of polite society... And by Harding's attractiveness. Christopher is downright distracted by how handsome Harding is and it is so funny and adorable. But over time, his annoyance with his valet turns to pining. And oh my goddess, I just love watching someone pine for another. And Harding's stubbornness and dry wit are also a delight. I swear even though Christopher is the employer, Harding just about always gets his way. The shenanigans these two get up to in the search for a wife for Christopher are hilarious!

I can't forget the side characters! Étienne is so out of pocket. I adore him. And Christopher's only employees, Anne and Plinkton, cared for him so much. They made such a sweet little family.

Overall, this is a delightful trans regency romance. I will definitely be picking up another book by TJ Alexander.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was giving Bridgerton, meets rom com, plus trans! Which I kind of loved! There was some mystery to it, there were wtf moments. There was suspense, and romance. I felt all the feels and enjoyed every bit of it! There were some parts that were meh but for the most part I was thoroughly entertained the whole time.

What a great book!! I loved Christopher and James. I especially loved how everything worked out. I did not see the twist coming and was very impressed!! I look forward to the next book!
Thank you to Vintage for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

This story was absolutely stunning, don’t let anyone spoil you for it, because there are so many twists and turns— and even when you know or greatly suspect the truth, the reveals are just so so good. Also for a fairly chaste slowburn, the culmination of their relationship is absolute FIRE.

(MOSTLY VAGUE) SPOILERS AHEAD:
Their happy ending is so earned, I really wondered through most of the book if the solution James presented was the only answer. When Christopher came back with his solution, I genuinely felt like Jason in The Good Place when the Judge tests him. (Stay with me here.) We were so focused on Christopher winning, we never asked if he could opt not to play. Absolutely brilliant.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Books for the ARC to review.

I found out about A Gentleman’s Gentleman at Steamy Lit Con last year and my initial reaction was YES, PLEASE.

I’ve been a fan on TJ Alexander since Chef’s Kiss, I love HistRoms and I knew TJ would bring something fresh to the genre and they did.

This is a completely new genre for TJ, but it’s the same humor and wit you get from their contemporary books. When I say this was laugh out loud funny, I’m not blowing smoke. I was laughing all the way through. I enjoyed the heck out of it. 

Read, if you enjoy:

🎩 Historical romances
🎩 Snort laughing
🎩 Even the horse is funny
🎩 Lovable characters and side characters
🎩 Sloooow burns
🎩 Plot twists
🎩 People who take everything literally
🎩 Hard won HEAs
🎩 Everybody’s wet

TJ Alexander has become an auto buy author for me. I will continue to devour everything they write and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Vintage Books and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book