Coming back to The Curious Fox and all of her patrons was so much fun, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to read this early through NetGalley.
Watching the character growth for both of the MCs was very satisfying, and their connection to one another and investment in each other's well-being was authentic and believable. Upon completing this I felt mildly disappointed that some of the larger foreshadowed conflicts/reveals never came to pass. However, with reflection I really appreciate that the primary conflict in a historical queer romance is coming from the legal barriers to the two MCs being together, and don't require additional conflicts for them to overcome. If you've enjoyed the prior stories in this world then it's a delightful addition to the series.

This was such a sweet and endearing read! I have loved this series so much and Jess continues to write the most wonderful couples.

From the beginning, I was always hoping we would see Warren find his match and while it took some trials to get there, Matty is the absolute perfect companion for him. The backstories of both men were so well thought out and helped weave together the two of them in present day. I loved seeing the biological family and found family begin to mesh together in this one too were are previous books focused more solely on found family.

I was sooo nervous with some parts of the last 100ish pages. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if something truly bad was going to happen but alas, everything worked out (although I wished parts were addressed more instead of being brushed over and saying “everything’s fine! Nothing to worry about!”)

I would highly recommend this series and this one is no exception!!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I haven't read the preceding books in this series, but I don't think that diminished my enjoyment of this one. What did diminish my enjoyment were the numerous anachronisms. I wasn't actively looking for them, but things like "multimedia" (1962, per M-W) and "Windsor knot" (1947) kind of leap out at you. And those are just a couple of the particularly egregious ones.

Don't get me wrong: I certainly couldn't write a historical romance competently. But it seems to me a major publisher like Harlequin should be able to get the details right.

Apart from that, I liked the story well enough. I'm not sure the dramatic arc made much sense—it seemed to go this way and that rather a lot—but the events were interesting and the details not overly predictable. All in all, this was a mostly satisfying read, but the sloppiness was a big negative for me.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

*The publisher has provided me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.*

A cute and fluffy romance that lacks a bit of what I found so compelling about Everlee's other books - not that there's anything specifically wrong with this one, but that "A Rulebook For Restless Rogues" and "A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence" were both pushing the boundaries of what historical romance does and how it addresses various issues, and this one is more firmly in the category of her first, "The Gentleman's Book of Vices:" sweet and fun but ultimately kind of forgettable. I gave "Gentleman's Book" four out of five stars and this one three out of five: believe it or not, that's a compliment. It means I've seen Everlee do really fantastic work, so when she puts out a book that's good but not amazing, I grade it on a curve.

I will say, depending on your personal tastes, the conflict in this book might frustrate you: serious problems are introduced (are Warren and Matty going to be blackmailed? Is this art studio a front for a counterfeiting ring? Is Matty's mentor going to turn on him?) and then resolved without any serious repercussions (it was all a big misunderstanding! Whoops!) The core of the book is really Matty's journey - Warren is the co-lead, but he doesn't go through nearly as much change or growth - so it works well as a character study. Just don't expect anything really thorny or challenging. It's also entirely possible I just wasn't in the right mood for this, in which case, I may reread down the line and love it! Who knows.

I have read LGBTQIA+ historical period books and this one was so fun! It was fun to read about the secrets they had to keep while falling in love. It was so good!!

I love Jess Everlee's books. They are sweet, spicy, and all-around queer. I love reading the time period it is based in and seeing how the characters are willing to risk it all to be with the person they love. These books never disappoint and I'm glad that I was able to read it

thank you Harlequin Netgalley and Jess Everlee for the ARC! 4.5 because it’s not Noah and David - this series is so fun and silly and i enjoyed seeing the cast come back but in a way that is unobtrusive to a new couple. the depth of both characters and their pasts affecting who they are and how they act now was well written and the bad guys were ugh but not scarily dangerous- jess everlee has a way of showing historical “homophobia” in a way that makes you mostly enjoy the hope and joy of queer community