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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
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
Cat Sebastian rarely does me wrong, and while this isn’t my absolute favorite of her books, it’s probably in the top ten. Definitely worth the read if you’re wanting a cute, heisty, historical.
This was the first Goodreads giveaway I've ever won. I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting. The setting was fun and the characters were adorable. There was a cute romance, plus a heist, some fighting, and unexpected twists.
This was a delightful read from start to finish. Kit and Percy were both so endearing, and I adored seeing their relationship unfold and develop. The initial tension between them was fantastic, and their care of and mutual respect between them was palpable as the story wore on.
There were so many little things about Queer Principles I deeply appreciated— the fact that Sebastian chose not to skim over or shy away from the massive wealth disparity between her two protagonists, for one, with Kit soundly condemning Percy for his part and participation in a corrupt system. Secondly, Kit’s disability was handled with care and skill: it was far from the only I thing about him, but neither was it something the reader forgot about, because it consistently impacted him throughout the narrative. His struggles with consolidating his disability with his previous self-image were particularly resonant for me personally.
Whilst the heist itself was nothing groundbreaking, the plotline still drew me in and had some twists and turns which managed to surprise me, in spite of foreshadowing. In my estimation, the plot was definitley secondary to the romance, but I entered into this novel with the expectation that the latter would be the main draw, and wasn’t disappointed.
To segue briefly into potentially spoiler-adjacent territory, though I’ll keep it as vague as possible: I’ve seen a few people complain that a character with a relationship to one of the protagonists was fridged. I’d personally disagree with that assessment for two reasons: firstly, the character in question was not killed, in-universe, to hurt the protagonist, but as punishment for her own actions. Her killer had no idea that the protagonist even existed. Secondly, fridged characters often have no personality, goals, or potential and are merely written as a motivation for the protagonist: often they fail the “sexy lamp,” test- i.e. you could replace them with a sexy lamp, and the narrative wouldn’t change. This character doesn’t strike me as falling under this umbrella, and I’d argue her actions echo through the plot and tie into the books themes and overarching message.
This book is so suffused with warmth— it really is just a lovely read. If you’re in need a dash of entertaining escapism this is certainly a wonderful choice.
There were so many little things about Queer Principles I deeply appreciated— the fact that Sebastian chose not to skim over or shy away from the massive wealth disparity between her two protagonists, for one, with Kit soundly condemning Percy for his part and participation in a corrupt system. Secondly, Kit’s disability was handled with care and skill: it was far from the only I thing about him, but neither was it something the reader forgot about, because it consistently impacted him throughout the narrative. His struggles with consolidating his disability with his previous self-image were particularly resonant for me personally.
Whilst the heist itself was nothing groundbreaking, the plotline still drew me in and had some twists and turns which managed to surprise me, in spite of foreshadowing. In my estimation, the plot was definitley secondary to the romance, but I entered into this novel with the expectation that the latter would be the main draw, and wasn’t disappointed.
To segue briefly into potentially spoiler-adjacent territory, though I’ll keep it as vague as possible: I’ve seen a few people complain that a character with a relationship to one of the protagonists was fridged. I’d personally disagree with that assessment for two reasons: firstly, the character in question was not killed, in-universe, to hurt the protagonist, but as punishment for her own actions. Her killer had no idea that the protagonist even existed. Secondly, fridged characters often have no personality, goals, or potential and are merely written as a motivation for the protagonist: often they fail the “sexy lamp,” test- i.e. you could replace them with a sexy lamp, and the narrative wouldn’t change. This character doesn’t strike me as falling under this umbrella, and I’d argue her actions echo through the plot and tie into the books themes and overarching message.
This book is so suffused with warmth— it really is just a lovely read. If you’re in need a dash of entertaining escapism this is certainly a wonderful choice.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
The Queer Principles of Kit Weeb is a historical M/M romance by Cat Sebastion. A sweet, heartfelt romance with a side of revenge and mystery. This was my first time reading Sebastian and what a great writer! I was drawn into this loving story full of revenge, healing, class clashes, passion and a dash of adventure. The characters and settings are so rich in this story that the plot flows so nicely around and at our lead characters. There is fashion, friendship, networks and deception. It’s really a masterpiece when a book can such gentleness and highway robbery.
The ending really left me wanting more in terms of how the mystery was resolved… so hoping there is a next in series with Marian’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #Cat Sebastian #TheQueerPrinciplesofKitWebb
The ending really left me wanting more in terms of how the mystery was resolved… so hoping there is a next in series with Marian’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #Cat Sebastian #TheQueerPrinciplesofKitWebb
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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
This is a very sweet book about a highwayman heist, but mostly it's a romance. It starts off not quite enemies-to-lovers (they start in opposition but not actively against one another), and tracks the relationship as it develops and expands into something more. I listened to the audiobook over the course of a week in small chunks, then turned around and spent all day listening to it again. It's probably going to be a comfort read for me from now on.
The novel starts off with Percy, a noble, coming to find Kit, a semi-retired highwayman running a coffee shop, to ask for his assistance in a highway robbery of a very important object. This heist is necessary because Percy's entire life has been upended by some unexpected blackmail, and Percy has people depending on him. Kit is suspicious at first, but does get on board with the heist for reasons of his own.
The characters are well-developed and there's a lot of chemistry between the two of them. Percy is quick-witted and full of sharp barbs. Kit is more of a straight man to Percy's comic, but he gets in his zingers here and there as well. There's a lot of banter, as they meet, work together, and bond. There's some swashbuckling, both in regards to the heist and to the reason for the heist. Kit is also wonderful because of how he is created - he has a disability that does affect the plot and his life, but it isn't overplayed or melodramatic. It's factual, something he lives around, and has to plan for. It was nice to see representation in this and also his bi-ness. Sebastian does a good job of being inclusive without it being a checklist of things that she covers just to cover. The other characters Sebastian has created are also very vivid; Marian and the person who makes a surprise appearance are both distinct and full of shenanigans of their own (which are explored in Book 2, *The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes*), and the other side characters are impactful and scheming in their own ways.
The sex scenes are gentle with a bit of spice and very well written. They are meaningful and add to the characters and their interactions with one another. They are also just very fun to listen to/read. Percy and Kit are both so interested in one another the whole time, that when they finally cross the line it feels almost inevitable.
Additional to all of this, the audiobook narrator, Joel Leslie, is very talented and makes the characters come to life. It's easy to differentiate who is speaking and the voices are appropriate to each character. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.
The novel starts off with Percy, a noble, coming to find Kit, a semi-retired highwayman running a coffee shop, to ask for his assistance in a highway robbery of a very important object. This heist is necessary because Percy's entire life has been upended by some unexpected blackmail, and Percy has people depending on him. Kit is suspicious at first, but does get on board with the heist for reasons of his own.
The characters are well-developed and there's a lot of chemistry between the two of them. Percy is quick-witted and full of sharp barbs. Kit is more of a straight man to Percy's comic, but he gets in his zingers here and there as well. There's a lot of banter, as they meet, work together, and bond. There's some swashbuckling, both in regards to the heist and to the reason for the heist. Kit is also wonderful because of how he is created - he has a disability that does affect the plot and his life, but it isn't overplayed or melodramatic. It's factual, something he lives around, and has to plan for. It was nice to see representation in this and also his bi-ness. Sebastian does a good job of being inclusive without it being a checklist of things that she covers just to cover. The other characters Sebastian has created are also very vivid; Marian and the person who makes a surprise appearance are both distinct and full of shenanigans of their own (which are explored in Book 2, *The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes*), and the other side characters are impactful and scheming in their own ways.
The sex scenes are gentle with a bit of spice and very well written. They are meaningful and add to the characters and their interactions with one another. They are also just very fun to listen to/read. Percy and Kit are both so interested in one another the whole time, that when they finally cross the line it feels almost inevitable.
Additional to all of this, the audiobook narrator, Joel Leslie, is very talented and makes the characters come to life. It's easy to differentiate who is speaking and the voices are appropriate to each character. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.
funny
hopeful
mysterious
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No