Reviews with content warning for Dementia - The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes

Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

31 reviews

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book WOULD have been five stars if not for the “not technically related but still weird” thing between Marian and Rob.

Much like The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, this book was written with prose that were so delightful and funny. The writing style also does such a great job of conveying the characters and their distinct personalities. I really did appreciate the grumpy x sunshine with a grumpy woman and sunshine man, but they felt far more complex than that too. I really appreciated that extra complexity because I feel like I too often find characters in this sort of dynamic to he EXTREMELY one note and flat.

The character being dynamic and well rounded also worker well in how Rob and Marian played off each other. I loved their dynamic and how they quipped and flirted with each other. It was really endearing and just made the romance feel extra sweet. It also really heightened the sense of yearning and longing between the two.

My ONLY gripes were that Marian’s PPD didn’t feel like it got proper focus and the weird thing between Marian and Rob. To start, I felt like every interaction Marian had with Eliza or when she thought of her was filled with a sad kind of love. She clearly loved Eliza, but it felt like she didn’t know HOW to love her. It just felt a bit glossed over. Then there was the fact Marian and Rob were not quite related but almost. Marian is the mother of Rob’s half sister and there’s just something odd about her and him having a romance with this being glossed over. A consequence of the setup from The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, but I would really like to pick the author’s brain on why Marian and Rob had to be not quite related but almost.

Overall a really great read and was so enjoyable it made me look over whatever the relations between Marian and Rob were.

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ajb24's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

The stakes are minimal and the relationship maybe comes together a bit too easily, but I looove it as a continuation of the Highwaymen series!! The found family of it all 🥺

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cibani's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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cgreenstein's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

I don't know why I got bored during this, but I did. Rob is a total sweetheart, and I enjoyed him and his charisma and his extroverted personality, but Marian didn't do it for me. She doesn't treat Rob well enough for me to understand why he falls in love with her.

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beepbeep101's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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shelvesofivy's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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wilybooklover's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

Ahhh, the Robin Hood references! I grew up about half an hour from Sherwood Forest and it’s always been one of my favourite legends, so I’m delighted to see the parallels in this story.

Rob’s blackmail letters to Marian soon turn into love letters, and his infatuation with her grows after she drugs him and ties him up only to ask for his help when she accidentally murders her husband. I just loved their dynamic; Rob’s laidback golden retriever nature versus Marian’s mean and prickly personality. He basically follows her around with heart eyes for the whole book (although briefly distracted by adorable kittens). Both Rob and Marian are bisexual disasters, and their interactions and relationship feel realistically queer.

The sex scenes were so well-done. Marian’s dislike of penetration isn’t treated as something to ‘fix’, or as though something is wrong with her. Instead they just work around it and find other sexy things to do together! It’s such a rare thing to see portrayed neutrally in a romance novel.

There were some great nuanced conversations about ethics in this — about having money, about stealing money, about murder, about motherhood — but they didn’t feel intrusive or unnatural to the narrative. The dialogue is as witty and clever as it was in Kit Webb.

I will admit I was a bit weirded out at Rob being the half-brother of Marian’s daughter and the son of her deceased husband, especially since he kept that info from her for longer than he really should have. But it didn’t bother me enough to impact my enjoyment of the story!

Content Warnings