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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
**30 Books in 30 Days**
Book 30/30
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
For some reason I thought this was a f/f historical? Like, for a very long time. I requested it on Netgalley just to see if they would give it to me, and they did! And then when I got it I realized those weren't ladies on the cover, but dudes, and this was about a highwayman and a lord falling in love! In an 18th century coffeeshop. My disappointment over it not being about ladies quickly fell by the wayside because I love a good historical featuring capers and radicals and anti-establishment criminals.
This one actually has quite a bit of plot, which I appreciated. It's set in the mid-18th century, a welcome change from Regency-era historicals. Our two heroes are the titular Kit Webb, a former infamous highwayman (who went by the name Gladhand Jack) who is now retired from the life due to a job gone wrong that left him with a bum leg and a dead partner. His coffee shop, once a front for criminal activity, is now his life in entirety. And then we've got Edward Percival Talbot, Lord Holland, who prefers 'Percy', thank you very much. Percy has returned from a few years on the continent to several pieces of terrible news. His mother has died, his terrible father married his childhood best friend Marian (seemingly against her will), and now a blackmailer has surfaced with proof that his father is in fact a bigamist, making himself, his mother, Marian, and his new baby sister Eliza participants in illegitimacy. If they don't take action, within months they could be facing dire circumstances.
It's Marian's idea to hire Gladhand Jack to hold up the Duke, but when Percy approaches him, it's clear that his leg will make doing so impossible, so instead, Kit is persuaded to teach Percy to do it himself. The two men are drawn to each other as Kit teaches Percy To Do Crime. Percy, who has never been close with his father, is pretty open about his deviancy (aka only being attracted to men) and finds himself a bit of a challenge in Kit, who appears to be one of the rare demisexuals currently populating fiction at the moment. They slowly open up to one another, Percy reluctantly following Kit's lead in making their affair one of the heart rather than just a roll in the sheets.
My one criticism of the book is that I actually wanted more conversations between them during the falling in love/getting to know you stage. Mostly, Percy hangs around the coffee shop making a nuisance of himself and burrowing into Kit's affections against his will, but there are a few interesting exchanges between them. I wanted more of that. This is a step that Cat Sebastian as an author does sometimes skip or shorten, and I never like it when she does. The rest of the book was so good I really felt it this time.
I loved the ending, though, and this is going to sound weird, but there's this scene with a spider that just did me in. I already liked these two characters quite a bit but after that I was just like feeling so much affection for both of them.
This book does also leave A LOT of room for a sequel, indeed it's practically begging for one, involving Marian. She gets up to a lot of shady shit on the sidelines that we can piece together based on what ends up happening, but there's clearly more to the story, and it involves something spoilery. I would really like her to write that book, because Marian as a character fascinates me. She is a mother, but a reluctant one, and Anyway, do it, Cat Sebastian! I will buy that book!
All in all, a very good book for Cat Sebastian's trade paperback debut. I will be buying myself a copy.
Book 30/30
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
For some reason I thought this was a f/f historical? Like, for a very long time. I requested it on Netgalley just to see if they would give it to me, and they did! And then when I got it I realized those weren't ladies on the cover, but dudes, and this was about a highwayman and a lord falling in love! In an 18th century coffeeshop. My disappointment over it not being about ladies quickly fell by the wayside because I love a good historical featuring capers and radicals and anti-establishment criminals.
This one actually has quite a bit of plot, which I appreciated. It's set in the mid-18th century, a welcome change from Regency-era historicals. Our two heroes are the titular Kit Webb, a former infamous highwayman (who went by the name Gladhand Jack) who is now retired from the life due to a job gone wrong that left him with a bum leg and a dead partner. His coffee shop, once a front for criminal activity, is now his life in entirety. And then we've got Edward Percival Talbot, Lord Holland, who prefers 'Percy', thank you very much. Percy has returned from a few years on the continent to several pieces of terrible news. His mother has died, his terrible father married his childhood best friend Marian (seemingly against her will), and now a blackmailer has surfaced with proof that his father is in fact a bigamist, making himself, his mother, Marian, and his new baby sister Eliza participants in illegitimacy. If they don't take action, within months they could be facing dire circumstances.
It's Marian's idea to hire Gladhand Jack to hold up the Duke, but when Percy approaches him, it's clear that his leg will make doing so impossible, so instead, Kit is persuaded to teach Percy to do it himself. The two men are drawn to each other as Kit teaches Percy To Do Crime. Percy, who has never been close with his father, is pretty open about his deviancy (aka only being attracted to men) and finds himself a bit of a challenge in Kit, who appears to be one of the rare demisexuals currently populating fiction at the moment. They slowly open up to one another, Percy reluctantly following Kit's lead in making their affair one of the heart rather than just a roll in the sheets.
My one criticism of the book is that I actually wanted more conversations between them during the falling in love/getting to know you stage. Mostly, Percy hangs around the coffee shop making a nuisance of himself and burrowing into Kit's affections against his will, but there are a few interesting exchanges between them. I wanted more of that. This is a step that Cat Sebastian as an author does sometimes skip or shorten, and I never like it when she does. The rest of the book was so good I really felt it this time.
I loved the ending, though, and this is going to sound weird, but there's this scene with a spider that just did me in. I already liked these two characters quite a bit but after that I was just like feeling so much affection for both of them.
This book does also leave A LOT of room for a sequel, indeed it's practically begging for one, involving Marian. She gets up to a lot of shady shit on the sidelines that we can piece together based on what ends up happening, but there's clearly more to the story, and it involves something spoilery. I would really like her to write that book, because Marian as a character fascinates me. She is a mother, but a reluctant one, and
Spoiler
at the end she basically abandons her baby to be raised by Kit and Percy (something both of them are happy to do because Percy clearly loves his baby sister, and Kit loves babies and wants badly to be a father). There's just a really interesting mix of trauma and independence in Marian that I would like to see explored. I also think she was a lot more close to the blackmailer—who is Kit's old partner Rob, very not dead by the way, and also Percy's secret half-brother and the real Duke of Clare—than we are led to believe. Also a great hook for a book: A Highwayman who hates lords who turns out to be a lord! So many possibilities there.All in all, a very good book for Cat Sebastian's trade paperback debut. I will be buying myself a copy.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Child death
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Whatever they had between them, for all its confusion, was good, and it was theirs, and they should take it. Fuck anything that said otherwise.”
⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars!
This book was adorable! I definitely don’t usually go for historical romance, but this one seemed adorable and a dash goofy so I went for it!
Kit Webb doesn’t steal from people anymore. He runs a respectable tavern and keeps to himself. Until a handsome fancy stranger needs his help stealing from his very powerful father, who really deserves it. But teaching him the art of being a highwayman will require a close eye, a very close eye.
I honestly haven’t read many Cat Sebastian book even though there is a plethora. Like I said, not a big historical gal, but when the mood strike *shrugs*.
My favorite thing about the book was the dynamic, fun flirting, class differences, a pinch of revenge fantasy. It kept the book filled with drama.
I wish the plot had been the same level of interesting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t care much about the plot. It kept moving along, but it didn’t feel like it flowed with the rest of the book. Like the plot only existed so the characters could keep talking to each other. It didn’t interest me much. It’s very simple anyway.
Meet up
train for robbery
oh no- we’re fighting
just kidding
more planning for robbery
robbery
aftermath of robbery
The other part I didn’t love was the chemistry. There was plenty of witty banter and cute montages that I should have been falling head over heels. And I did mostly love the book, can’t complain. But it was missing the X factor. Just that bit of spark between them.
The book still manages to be entertaining for a bit and a perfectly okay read. If you like historical romance, you’ll most likely love it more than me!
TL;DR: A witty, charming historical romance with a fun premise and adorable moments. It was missing chemistry for me, but hopefully you’ll have better luck!
E-galley provided by Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based on an uncorrected proof.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars!
This book was adorable! I definitely don’t usually go for historical romance, but this one seemed adorable and a dash goofy so I went for it!
Kit Webb doesn’t steal from people anymore. He runs a respectable tavern and keeps to himself. Until a handsome fancy stranger needs his help stealing from his very powerful father, who really deserves it. But teaching him the art of being a highwayman will require a close eye, a very close eye.
I honestly haven’t read many Cat Sebastian book even though there is a plethora. Like I said, not a big historical gal, but when the mood strike *shrugs*.
My favorite thing about the book was the dynamic, fun flirting, class differences, a pinch of revenge fantasy. It kept the book filled with drama.
I wish the plot had been the same level of interesting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t care much about the plot. It kept moving along, but it didn’t feel like it flowed with the rest of the book. Like the plot only existed so the characters could keep talking to each other. It didn’t interest me much. It’s very simple anyway.
Meet up
train for robbery
oh no- we’re fighting
just kidding
more planning for robbery
robbery
aftermath of robbery
The other part I didn’t love was the chemistry. There was plenty of witty banter and cute montages that I should have been falling head over heels. And I did mostly love the book, can’t complain. But it was missing the X factor. Just that bit of spark between them.
The book still manages to be entertaining for a bit and a perfectly okay read. If you like historical romance, you’ll most likely love it more than me!
TL;DR: A witty, charming historical romance with a fun premise and adorable moments. It was missing chemistry for me, but hopefully you’ll have better luck!
E-galley provided by Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based on an uncorrected proof.
I adored this book. A fun caper, literal and figurative sword fighting,excellent banter, and a cagey mysterious duchess.
Some preachiness, but it spoke to my principles so I didn’t mind.
Some preachiness, but it spoke to my principles so I didn’t mind.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No