as the last remaining heir of his house, lord nicholas monterris must marry to save his family. his father chooses lady leaf serral, eldest daughter of his greatest rival, and nic soon learns the head negotiator for their arrangement is to be none other than dashiell sa vare, nic’s old flame he’s never forgotten. nic and leaf set aside their differences to work together when dead bodies begin to pop up around monterris court. throughout their clandestine investigation, though, nic can’t stop thinking of dashiell.

i’ve seen this book compared to the last binding series, the first book of which i enjoyed (still need to finish the series, oops), so i was very interested in this! i tend to enjoy historical fantasies, and even better, this one also included pretty solid romance and mystery aspects. i liked the tension between nic and dash and how that played out. i also thought the mystery was interesting and enjoyed watching them solve it!

i would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical fantasy with romance and a murder mystery.

“After all, how could he protect the people he loved most without knowing what he was protecting them from?”

The Gentleman and his Vowsmith was such an agreeable read! I really loved how the book is articulated.
First, the fantasy aspect, that is just some sprinkles above the story, but adds just the magic you need, and contributes to the mystery. Then, the queer normative world with a MM romance and some ACE rep (I adored that, we need more ACE in books). I loved that it was also a forbidden romance, but that the queer aspect was not the major part (even though it was a bit). That brings us to the historical romance part, with social rules and settings that are Regency, and help us to picture the whole scenery and political schemes/stakes. The contract that forces all the parties to lock into a place brings us to our last –but not least– aspect, the murder mystery. I adored that part. It had been a very long time since I hadn’t read some locked room murder mystery, but they were my fav’ kind of books in my early teens. I loved to dive into this one, to suspect every single character and discover their motivations and secrets thanks to that. It glued me to the book, and I couldn’t put it down before I found answers. And the author brought me surprise after surprise, which was more than enjoyable.
Last, I loved the themes, about duty and paying for what previous generations did, about a society that adds layers of rigid rules and forgets its humanity.

Thank you to the author, Saga Press books and colored pages book for the eARC sent via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

4.5/5

I am officially in my historical romance era so I jumped at the chance to read The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide! A locked-room mystery with magic and romance in a historical setting that is full of humor, angst and pining? Immediately yes!!

✨ Magic
🔍 Sleuthing
💀 Mystery
💖 Romance
🏰 Historical Fiction
🫖 Cozy
🏳️‍🌈 Queer
🫶🏼 Friendship
🔒 Locked-Room

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a fabulous mix of cozy mystery, romance and fantasy - and I absolutely loved it! Seriously such a wonderful read and I can’t wait to see what Rebecca Ide has in store for us next!

Thank you CPBT & Saga Press for sending a copy my way!

This was a fun murder mystery romance set in a regency England that also has magic! Lord Nicholas Monterris is meant to be marrying Lady Leaf Serral in order to save the Monterris name and title, but when the Vowsmith who comes to smith the marriage contract for Leaf's family is a teenage love of Nic's paired with a series of murders that seem to be in opposition of Nic and Leaf's marriage makes Nic reconsider everything he knows about putting the needs of the family above the needs of the self.
Overall, this was a good read. I could have used a bit more explanation about the magic system and the hierarchy of magic users, but there was enough information to get by on. Despite more than one murder happening in the first 50% of the book, it still felt like it moved really slow until the last half or third of the book.
I hope we get another book in this world with more on Lady Leaf and what she does after she is no longer required to marry Nic.

3.5/5 stars

Solid read.

This is one of those stories where the vibes—queer longing, sharp banter, and emotionally tangled relationships—are absolutely spot on. Despite the literal dead bodies stacking up, this somehow reads more like a cozy regency romantic comedy than a gothic murder mystery, and honestly, that’s kind of its charm.

Nic is a charming, sarcastic nobleman, feeling powerless and resigned to his duty to his family. His betrothed is Leaf, an ace icon who also has zero interest in this marriage. The vowsmith in charge of their marriage contract is Dashiell, the one who got away in Nic's youth. Leaf, Nic’s brilliant, no-nonsense betrothed, is easily the heart of the entire thing. Leaf has been plotting her future since childhood, and her friendship with Nic is the real core of this story. I adored that this was both a platonic love story and a sweet queer romance. Their mutual respect and support were beautiful, and Leaf is the reason that Nic had the courage to make the decisions he does.

The romantic tension between Nic and Dashiell is pure yearning—lots of repressed feelings, miscommunication, and longing looks over contract negotiations. It's delightfully angsty, but also full of sweet warmth and some spice. These characters are delightful! That said, I did find myself confused about the stakes. I had a lot of questions and I don't feel like the story answered a lot of those.

The world-building here is very thin. I still don’t really understand what a vowsmith is, what kind of magic exists in this world, or why the locked-room murder mystery played out the way it did. People kept dying, and everyone just... shrugged? The plot lost steam whenever it tried to be more than a romantic character study. It left me with more questions than answers—and not in a satisfying, “ooh, intriguing” way, but in a “wait, did I miss something?” way.

Still, if you’re here for charming queer characters, witty banter, and regency drama with a twist of magic (however vague), there’s a lot to enjoy. The romance and relationships absolutely carried the book, and Leaf alone makes this worth the read.

Thanks so much to Coloredpages Book Tours, Saga Press Books, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own

Magical contracts, messy characters and their tangled relationships, Knives Out-esque murder mystery, and a second chance forbidden romance made for a captivating and angsty read. Just don’t think too hard about these magical contracts and enjoy the journey. Leaf was an absolute DELIGHT, I adored her character so much. Her friendship with Nic was such a unique dynamic. Nic and Dash were just precious! The premise of the plot was unique and I thought I might get bored with the entire story taking place in a manor but there was never a dull comment with the
plot twists and murders galore.

Thanks to Saga Press for the eARC, thoughts are my own.

4.5/5
Perfect for fans of The Last Binding series, The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a delightful blend of historical fantasy, queer romance, and murder mystery!

Nic, Dash, and Leaf were all great characters in their own ways, but for me Leaf stole the show from her first scene in the book! The friendship between Nic and Leaf is beautifully done, I loved this refreshing take on the ‘arranged marriage’ trope, and Nic and Dash’s second-chance romance was exactly as I hoped, full of angst and yearning.

I also loved the combination of historical fantasy, romance, and murder mystery. The locked-room mystery combined perfectly with the magical elements of the novel. That said, while the magic is intriguing, its rules aren’t fully explored, and I would have loved a deeper dive into the vowsmithing system and its role in the world.

Despite this, The Gentleman and His Vowsmith was a very enjoyable read with lovable characters. If you love historical queer romances with a dash of mystery, this book is well worth your time!

Two people have to have an arranged marriage, but one is aro/ace and definitely doesn’t want to have to have kids, and the other is in love with the guy who’s negotiating the marriage contract…because that’s not awkward at all.
And to add to that, people start being murdered in the house they’re all staying in during this whole debacle.
This was a very fun and somewhat unpredictable read. As with a lot of second-chance romances, however, I felt like part of Dashiell and Nic’s origin story was missing, as we’re picking up after they already have a history and just haven’t seen each other in several years. However, the urgency of the relationship and how much they want to be together was great, and the conflict Nic has with his overbearing father is something I really felt as well.

I really enjoyed the magic system and the world-building (I loved the creepy automatons). Overall, the characters were interesting and relatable, but two of the main characters (Nic and Leaf) seemed a lot more fleshed out than the third main character (Dash), who seemed a bit more one-dimensional.
Still, a fun read that I would recommend to other readers who like fantasy, murder mysteries, and family drama.

Lord Nicholas Monterris has a real problem. He's being forced to marry Lady Leaf Serral in an attempt to save their crumbling manor. To make matters worse the head negotiator of his marriage contract is Dashiell sa Vare, Nic's childhood friend/lover who left Nic without ever even saying goodbye. The contract requires a lock-in with parties involved, including family members and Leaf just so happens to be the daughter of his father's greatest rival.

Needless to say, there's a LOT going on in this story and that's even before the murders start happening.

The murder mystery is honestly a bit convoluted and confusing. Although a solid story overall it did drag a bit past the 50% mark. The real saving grace is the characters. Nic, Leaf and Dash are all delightful and well-rounded characters. I was a little worried that Leaf would be made out to the villain in Nic and Dash's story but she was funny, intelligent and a great friend throughout to Nic. She had her own goals and aspirations and was not just a side character meant to get in the way of the real love story.

Poor Nic, he just needs a big old hug. Never having really left his large country manor, both his parents have their issues (his mother mentally and his father is a dick). He goes through temporary lovers while hiding his true passions from his father. Dash is intelligent and thoughtful. Obviously trying to control his passion for Nic and not doing a very good job of it.

The story probably spent more time on the murder mystery when I would have preferred more time spent with Nic and Dash together. The story certainly gives you a lot of options of who the murderer might be and has it fair share of twists.

Overall this was a sweet regency romance, I always enjoy when a story takes place in a queer normative world. The magic involved was interesting and there was plenty of spice. The main three characters kept me interested and reading the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Selling this book as a comp to Freya Marske's Last Binding trilogy mixed with the wit of an Alexis Hall is deft marketing to appeal to me as a reader specifically. And those comps are accurate - I'd throw in a little of Alexandra Rowland's yearning angst from A Taste of Gold and Iron too. Somewhere along the way, though, A Gentleman and His Vowsmith doesn't quite stick the landing of those many comps as deftly as I hoped.
There's a lot that i liked about this - i LOVED Nic and Leaf's characters, and the development of their friendship in the midst of their unwanted marriage contract and a few murders was charming. i am still very much in my fantasy mystery era, and this one offers up a twist on the locked room set up that I really enjoyed. and i always love a set up that offers an interesting magic alt history to our world.
however - i felt Dash's character was a bit underdeveloped by the end, seemingly only existing to be desired by Nic and while their relationship and the emotion between them was sooo lovely it ended feeling a little flat because i was missing that extra depth from Dashiel's character arc. There was some world building that felt like maybe i missed it, or it wasn't developed in a way that made sense to me. and so there were moments in the book i decided to just keep reading hoping they would become clear as i got further, and instead they just remained a puzzle.
overall i really liked this and if you're looking for a fluffy locked room mystery with a romance at its heart this is a perfect read - and i will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author in future.

Nic Monterris is facing down an unpleasant event: his betrothal. He must marry to secure finances for his family, and he is just this side of dragged into the proceedings, utterly against his will. While his intended (Leaf Serral) is a fiery and funny girl he gets along well with, he is gay. To make matters worse, the man who has a hand in the arrangements as a Vowsmith is Dash sa Vare—his old friend and former lover. All of this is bad enough, but when people start getting murdered, and they’re unable to leave because this is a LITERAL locked room mystery, Nic just might realise how painfully true the saying “Death is the only way to escape being a Monterris” is.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide is a Regency-era story, but with two notable changes. One: there is magic in this world, and that is a guiding influence of the way marriages are contracted and set up, with the tiniest of details the most important, with the possibility to ruin both parties lives. Two: homosexuality is accepted in this universe, and men (and presumably women) are perfectly capable of marrying one another, provided, of course, they are suitable matches with regard to lineage. That surprised me, but it was a nice surprise.

The mystery itself was…a little unwieldy. I actually did in part guess who had a hand in it, but it just seemed like…a lot. More of a train wildly rushing along the tracks trying desperately not to careen off the rails. I found myself more intrigued with the unfolding of Dash and Nic’s relationship than the mystery. There were the hurt feelings of the past and the pain due to the uncertainty of the future, given Dash was literally there to bind Nic to Leaf. The sex was searing, but the words spoken between them were sweet. It was really nice!

Leaf as a character was fun, too, as mentioned above. A lot of times a woman is inserted into these sorts of stories and neither she nor the man is happy, but she and Nic got on splendidly, and seemed to care for one another and to wish the other well. I enjoyed how it seemed like NO ONE had happy arranged relationships in the story. Vale and his wife despised one another, Ricard was ripped away from the wife he loved and saddled with a woman he didn’t want, Leaf and Nic liked each other but didn’t want to be married…just a lot of misery going around. Societal rules forcing people into roles they don’t want.

Tiny note: the language is anachronistic in many places, especially with references to being gay or homosexual. I just skipped over it, because I understand the difficulty in conveying relationships and romances in a past setting, but some people are going to be annoyed by that. It’s not bad enough in my opinion that I’m removed from the story, because the characters are a little cheeky in tone.

So where do I stand? For ME, personally, I don’t think the mystery was the best asset to this story. It got a bit muddled and I was impatient by the end. I feel that the strength of this novel is nestled in the characters, specifically the trio of Dash, Nic, and Leaf. Dash and Nic’s relationship and Nic and Leaf’s friendship is what kept me interested as a reader. I liked the magic in the world, and the Regency setting was important to me, too; while certain things were changed from the real life setting (such as the accommodating attitude toward queer people), I would not have been interested in a modern day book.

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

I’ve been in a historical MM vibe lately and I was given the opportunity to read the ARC for A Gentleman and his Vowsmith. This combines magic, history, mystery and MM. Lord Nicholas is to be wed to Lady Leaf, as they both have magical powers they must be locked in while a contract is prepared. As luck would have it, said contract is to be drawn up by his former flame, Dashiell. Nic longs for Dash and Leaf has no interest in being married; but the biggest problems they face are the bodies that start piling up. With no way out, they soon realize someone doesn’t want this marriage to happen.
While this did have my attention from the get go, I think this did drag in the middle, at times I forgot there were murders going on and was focused on the friendship and relationships between our three main characters; thus making the mystery and murders seem more like an after thought. I also don’t think there was any tension with the murders, one would happen and then it’s off to tea as if nothing happened. I would have liked a bit more insight into the magic system, it was intriguing and I wanted to know more. Nic and Dash are the focal point of the romance plot and were interesting in their own way but Leaf stole the show here. Her character and backstory were far more interesting, and hilarious (gay as a spoon made me cackle). There were far too many other characters here that I couldn’t really tell you much about them. I think this would have benefited from being tighter and somewhat shorter.

I’m stuck between 2.5-3 ⭐️, but I’ll give it a 3 cause of Leaf.

🤵‍♂️The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a binge-worthy blend of historical romance, mystery, gothic atmosphere, and a dash of sci-fi and magic. Nic, heir to the Dukedom of Monteriss, must marry soon to save his house from ruin. The chosen match? Lady Leaf Serral. The problem? Nic’s heart belongs to someone else. As marriage contract negotiations begin, things take a dark turn, and people start getting murdered.🤵

👨‍❤️‍👨The first 70% of this novel is absolutely addictive. The romance between Nic and Dashniel is deliciously spicy, and Lady Leaf ended up being my favorite character. I loved the mystery woven with sci-fi elements, and while I didn’t fully grasp the world’s magic system, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment. The last 30% did feel a bit rushed, with a lot of information crammed in to tie everything together, but overall, this is a gripping read.👨‍❤️‍👨

Perfect for fans of queer romance, locked-room murder mysteries, and historical settings with a speculative twist.

Thank you to Saga Press for the book!

If you’ve ever thought “wow I’d love to read a queer locked room fantasy murder mystery” then look no further!

The characters were the best part of this book - Nic and Leaf, our begrudgingly betrothed turned best friends, were both so fun to read about. The romance between Nic and Dash was so sweet and their banter was also very enjoyable! The murder mystery was quite complex and had a lot of moving parts but it constantly kept me guessing who the culprit might be throughout the whole story!

I will say that the fantasy aspect was pretty light and I would have loved a bit more explanation behind it all because it did seem really cool.

Thank you so much to Saga Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lord Nicholas Monterris is spending his days drinking and sleeping with whoever he can bring into his family's crumbling, gothic estate in an attempt to forget about everything he's lost along with his father completely controlling his life. Years before, Dashiell sa Vare, his father's vow smith apprentice, left the house without even a goodbye, breaking Nic's heart, and now, his father has committed Nic into a marriage with Leaf Sarral, the daughter of a his enemy's house. So begins Rebecca Ide's fantasy, The Gentleman and His Vowsmith. The first half of the novel lives up to expectations; it's a gothic, moody mystery as the the members of both households are locked into the Monterris manor while the marriage contract is being crafted and then one-by-one they begin dying. There are decaying rooms and period manners, and the typical romantic tropes as Nic play a will-they-or-won't they game. My only complaint is that the world building is inconsistent immediately: we are expected to have advance knowledge of some terms and roles in this universe (which we don't) but for others we are shown well-crafted scenarios explaining them. However, even with that skilled storytelling, we then get hit over the head with an abrupt explanation of the situation that's just been detailed. It's a case of all or nothing which is jarring and sometimes feels as though you came in during the middle of a scene and missed something, but it's just not there.

And there's plenty of time to build the world because the book struggles with a lack of progression - it's another day; there's another dinner, but we haven't really learned anything new. The romance follows a predictable course and relies on overused tropes such as miscommunication not to mention the purple prose and melodrama. The mystery elements have great promise and ingenuity, but it's at that halfway point where instead of digging in and developing the mystery, inspiration leads to the solution, that even then is only explained in a few lines in the concluding scene. I'm still unclear if we know who actually committed the murders, but that could be because I found the characters interchangeable. However, Ice does have moments of brilliance when writing atmosphere; we are able to vividly picture the decay and former brilliance of the grand rooms with the house. The figures flitting through the hallways are truly macabre and breathtaking. I wish there had been more of that.

I think there were too many genres trying to be covered here, and that detracted from all of them. Overall a 2-star read that I really wanted to enjoy and probably would have if it was more of a gothic than everything else stirred in.

What if Jane Austen wrote murder mysteries?

Put a Regency house party into a decrepit old mansion, add some magic, a little steampunk-y automatons, a dash of unresolved sexual tension, and a few murders. Stir. Sprinkle with some ghosts and family secrets. Pour it into a pan and bake, and then see what comes out.

Nic is an Earl, who is being locked into his house so his family's Vowsmith (read: lawyer) can negotiate a marriage contract with Leaf's family. Except Nic loves Dash, who is the vowsmith for the other side. So we'll start with relationship angst, but then people start turning up dead. And strange happenings ensue. But oh Nic and Dash, my heart. Will these brave, young people get the life they choose?

I found the book to move at a nice, steady pace, although a little slow in the middle; the language was easy to read; the alternate universe with the alternate vocabulary pretty easy to pick up on.

The good guys were charming. The villains were just really terrible people. The mental health issues involved in locking a bunch of people into a house like a game of Clue, is suspect. The spice is middling, graphic at times, light at others.

It's a long read, but worthwhile.

First, I apologize to the author and publisher for the lateness of this review.

While the blurb and plot originally hooked me, this just didn't hold my attention. I have tried multiple times to get into this book. Restarting over and over but still not being able to push through. this is a DNF for me.

I loved this book! I wish I had a gasp count on my phone because this book made me gasp out loud several times! I also adored the pinning between the two MMCS think like Anthony and Kate in the second season of Bridgerton. I also adored the instant friendship between the MMC and FMC who were to wed. If you are looking for a historical fantasy with an interesting magic system definitely go get “The Gentleman and his Vowsmith”!

For fans of Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal, The Gentleman and his Vowsmith reimagines a sort of historical (regency/victorian inspired) world where magic has seemingly always existed and society has adapted to favor those with a high "Brilliance," or ability to do magic. Nic, a gay character in a fairly queer normative world, is being forced into a marriage of convenience with the asexual daughter of his family's greatest enemy, all while the magical vowsmith brought in to head the negotiations is his ex-lover who he seemingly never got over. All of this would have been a lot going on, but very quickly, the first murder is discovered, and the book quickly shifts from a straightforward historical fantasy romance to a mystery as well.

I liked a lot of elements of this in theory, but actually reading it, I don't think it quite came together in the way that I'd like. Still, I thought it was well-written and with some interesting concepts, and I think it could work very well for someone else. I'd also pick up another book by the same author.

What didn't quite gel for me: the magic system. I am not a stickler for a hard magic system by any means, but I felt like, with how much it came up in plot relevant ways (the automatons, the sigils, the entire concept of vowsmithing?) I would have preferred a little more look into why it's so important, why Brilliance is so valued, and some more explanation into vowsmithing. I also felt like some of the relationships could be a bit better developed; I really liked the main couple together, but I think something was lost by having so much of their connection be in the past and then starting up so quickly again. This is definitely a book with spice, which surprised me (the first scene even!) but was totally fine. The mystery was quite slow for a while, which made it hard to keep interest, and then there was this big Clue reveal where it was like, this could have happened! never mind, this is actually what did happen! which I loved in Clue but didn't feel like it fit the mood here. Finally, I did find the dialogue a bit stilted. I think this was an attempt to be historical, but as a regular histrom reader, it stood out to me as a bit awkward.

I think generally, there's just so much going on that each individual element suffers a bit to prevent the book from being 600 pages long. But I still think there's a lot of really interesting stuff going on and could see it really being a hit with other readers.