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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
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:
Complicated
The fourth book in Jess Everlee’s series rounds out these characters nicely - with cameos from favorite characters from the past books and new side characters to love (or despise!). It was an easy read and a nice love story. Very sweet, very cute.
Warren Bakshi is the "resident cynical slattern" and barkeep of a "private club" (read: gay bar) in 19th century London and proud of it. He's totally happy with his life: he helps run the house he shares with his mother during the day, and by night he charms the clientele at The Curious Fox. He's totally one of those men who swear they'll never fall in love and they're happier with their numerous liaisons than they would be settling down.
Matty Shaw, on the other hand, is a Scotland Yard detective who makes his living by going undercover to investigate crimes. Again, this is 19th century London, so one of the possible "crimes" he could be called on to investigate is sodomy. Matty feels ambivalent about his job, and especially ambivalent about looking into these specific cases because he's gay, himself. He knows he could lose his job if anyone finds out, but he doesn't know what else to do with his life.
Enter: art lessons. Matty is investigating an art school under suspicion of forgery; Warren's family recently had a reversal of fortune, and he's able to take art lessons instead of keeping house. Matty and Warren strike up a friendship, and then a friendship with benefits. They're both on the cusp of a life change, and they just might be there for each other.
There's a lot to love about this book. It has what I consider to be the perfect mix of plot and character development; I was never bored and I felt connected with both leads. The relationship progression was great, and the resolution of the relationship and of the external conflict was perfectly suited to the book. That said, this is one of those historical romances that, while there's an ultimate HEA, still makes me feel a little melancholic. Matty and Warren end up in love and with friends who acknowledge and support their relationship. But there's always going to be an element of deception about their relationship, and Everlee doesn't let you forget about it.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Matty Shaw, on the other hand, is a Scotland Yard detective who makes his living by going undercover to investigate crimes. Again, this is 19th century London, so one of the possible "crimes" he could be called on to investigate is sodomy. Matty feels ambivalent about his job, and especially ambivalent about looking into these specific cases because he's gay, himself. He knows he could lose his job if anyone finds out, but he doesn't know what else to do with his life.
Enter: art lessons. Matty is investigating an art school under suspicion of forgery; Warren's family recently had a reversal of fortune, and he's able to take art lessons instead of keeping house. Matty and Warren strike up a friendship, and then a friendship with benefits. They're both on the cusp of a life change, and they just might be there for each other.
There's a lot to love about this book. It has what I consider to be the perfect mix of plot and character development; I was never bored and I felt connected with both leads. The relationship progression was great, and the resolution of the relationship and of the external conflict was perfectly suited to the book. That said, this is one of those historical romances that, while there's an ultimate HEA, still makes me feel a little melancholic. Matty and Warren end up in love and with friends who acknowledge and support their relationship. But there's always going to be an element of deception about their relationship, and Everlee doesn't let you forget about it.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
medium-paced
Warren felt like more of a minor character in previous books when compared to other eventual leads so I was interested to see his story play out. To start with the good stuff, I think that Matty and Warren are very cute together and I enjoyed watching their romance build. I also loved the little cameos from other couples, specifically Noah and David. Though I will say there was a criminal lack of Jo, she didn’t show up until 99% into the book and had no lines.
So onto the stuff that just didn’t work for me. We’ve got to start with the elephant in the room, Matty being a cop. Our characters have spent three books being terrified of violence from cops due to their queerness so making a love interest a cop is insane. It’s especially wild when it comes to this being the first book in the series with a non white lead, like come on dude we’re gonna have the most marginalized character date an oppressor. As you can tell I wasn’t vibing with the idea of a cop love interest, but maybe the art fraud mystery solving would be fun. WRONG. We don’t do any work to solve the mystery besides joining an art class. It’s just an insane choice to introduce a fun little mystery to solve, do no work to find the culprit, and reveal the answer in a random throwaway line in the epilogue. I think it especially annoys me because Warren knows someone who is an expert in the criminal world, Jo. If you’re gonna do a mystery plot commit to it please!
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review
So onto the stuff that just didn’t work for me. We’ve got to start with the elephant in the room, Matty being a cop. Our characters have spent three books being terrified of violence from cops due to their queerness so making a love interest a cop is insane. It’s especially wild when it comes to this being the first book in the series with a non white lead, like come on dude we’re gonna have the most marginalized character date an oppressor. As you can tell I wasn’t vibing with the idea of a cop love interest, but maybe the art fraud mystery solving would be fun. WRONG. We don’t do any work to solve the mystery besides joining an art class. It’s just an insane choice to introduce a fun little mystery to solve, do no work to find the culprit, and reveal the answer in a random throwaway line in the epilogue. I think it especially annoys me because Warren knows someone who is an expert in the criminal world, Jo. If you’re gonna do a mystery plot commit to it please!
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
Jess Everlee never disappoints and this was no exception! This is the fourth edition in the lucky lovers of London series and it's just as charming as the last. The audio was incredibly well done you could really feel the emotion in the actor's voices. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook.
Thank you to the publisher for this arc copy!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
This was heckin' cute.
I've enjoyed this series, though certainly some installments have been more to my taste than others. This one is right up there. It's quieter than the other books, which sometimes got a bit frenetic as the finale approached. This one is much sweeter and slower, and I adored both of the main characters.
Of course, other characters we've come to know and love make guest appearances, particularly David and Noah. There were also some delightful side characters specific to this books... Anjali is an MVP.
So much of this series revolves around having to hide, which I have mixed feelings about, but there's also a huge emphasis on queer joy and found family. I wish parts of the ending had been a bit more fleshed out (for example, there's a dramatic moment at literally 95% of the book that quickly fizzles out) but I liked spending time with these characters, and their largely relatable problems, and their spicy sketching sessions. There sort of is a 3rd act breakup, but it's more like a reasonable conflict than a massive, overblown miscommunication.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me journey back into the world of the Curious Fox. My inane ramblings are left voluntarily.
I've enjoyed this series, though certainly some installments have been more to my taste than others. This one is right up there. It's quieter than the other books, which sometimes got a bit frenetic as the finale approached. This one is much sweeter and slower, and I adored both of the main characters.
Of course, other characters we've come to know and love make guest appearances, particularly David and Noah. There were also some delightful side characters specific to this books... Anjali is an MVP.
So much of this series revolves around having to hide, which I have mixed feelings about, but there's also a huge emphasis on queer joy and found family. I wish parts of the ending had been a bit more fleshed out (for example, there's a dramatic moment at literally 95% of the book that quickly fizzles out) but I liked spending time with these characters, and their largely relatable problems, and their spicy sketching sessions. There sort of is a 3rd act breakup, but it's more like a reasonable conflict than a massive, overblown miscommunication.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me journey back into the world of the Curious Fox. My inane ramblings are left voluntarily.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“I will be to you whatever this age demands of us.“
I received an advance listeners copy of To Sketch a Scandal by Jess Everlee from Harlequin Audio in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!
✏️ Warren’s job as bartender at The Curious Fox has helped to keep him and his mom off the streets, but he also loves it. Loves teasing all his friends falling in love, loves being around other queer folk, and especially loves the chance to flirt (and maybe do a bit more than just flirt) with the lovely men he serves. But all of that is at risk when Warren’s brother sails back in to town with riches to raise their family’s status.
Matthew has worked hard to bring some of the worst criminals to justice in his role as detective inspector, even if most folks at work only view him as a pretty face. So when Matthew’s mentor decides to retire and the only job he’s ever known is on the line, he knows that he needs to solve this next case in a different way.
When Warren enrolls in an art class to appease his brother and Matthew is there undercover, they both know it’s a bad idea to spend any time together. But the spark between them seems worth the risk, even when it makes them reconsider the old lives they are clinging to. ✏️
To Sketch a Scandal is the fourth book in Jess Everlee’s Lucky Lovers of London series, which features interconnected romance stories of folks who are connected to The Curious Fox club.
This time we got to focus on everyone’s favorite flirty bartender, and I was very excited for Warren to get a romance of his own. Overall I think he got a pretty decent book, though it’s definitely not my favorite of the series.
My main complaint with this one is that the detective work/police case in this one felt mostly unnecessary. That plot just felt really boring, and I always wanted to get away from it and back to the romance. Which, wow, Matthew had some GREAT one liners in this one. I just wish that he’d had a better story to back that up - although I am glad with the choices Everlee made for him in the end.
Overall I gave To Sketch a Scandal 3 stars, and I would definitely pick up another book in this series. It a good ol’ historical romance seems like your jam, consider checking this one out now that it’s released!
funny
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
I loved this so much! I’ve been really into queer historical romances lately so this was exactly what I needed.
I adored Matty and Warren’s journey and their relationship with each other. Their personalities are so fun and I felt like they were a perfect fit for each other despite being sort of opposites. Matty is a detective with Scotland Yard and Warren is a bartender and they meet in a drawing class. I loved how unique and exciting their story was.
I also really liked Joel Leslie as the narrator. I think he really brought the characters to life and gave an extra dimension to the story. I would highly recommend this as a feel good romance audiobook to put on when you need a little boost.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio for access to the ALC!
I adored Matty and Warren’s journey and their relationship with each other. Their personalities are so fun and I felt like they were a perfect fit for each other despite being sort of opposites. Matty is a detective with Scotland Yard and Warren is a bartender and they meet in a drawing class. I loved how unique and exciting their story was.
I also really liked Joel Leslie as the narrator. I think he really brought the characters to life and gave an extra dimension to the story. I would highly recommend this as a feel good romance audiobook to put on when you need a little boost.
Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio for access to the ALC!
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am a sucker for unique setting in historical romance, and it’s not easy to capture that in a Victorian M/M novel. We have two unique settings for To Sketch a Scandal; an underground club for queer men when Warren bartends, and an art studio setting where Warren and Matty meet through drawing class. It’s unusual for a historical romance to explore either of these avenues and I really enjoyed both, particularly seeing the way Matty and Warren slightly adjusted their personalities to fit each location.
Matty isn’t your typical artist, he’s undercover and in fact can barely draw at all. In a way, he’s also undercover in his career as a detective because he is unable to be openly queer and has toed the line acting as a molly as part of his police identity. Warren is quite opposite, both openly running the bar and possessing quite a bit of artistic talent. This is definitely a case of opposites attract with Matty being the character that has the most growth in the relationship. It’s mostly because of how difficult it is for Matty to comfortably express himself to his coworker (that accepts him regardless of his sexual preferences), to Warren, and to himself.
I think I’d describe this book as a cozy queer romance. It felt more sweet than spicy where even though there is open door romance, sex scenes were limited in their length and focused more on the novelty of two men engaging in intimate acts. In other words, the intimacy was not transformative as much as the emotional work the characters went through. I struggled a bit with the pacing; Warren’s brother’s storyline lost me a bit as well as some of the art studio scenes, but ai was very engaged any time Matty and Warren were in scenes together. I haven’t read other books by Jess Everlee so I could be missing prior storyline threads in this series, but overall I found the storytelling enjoyable. Joel Leslie is always a fun narrator and I had no difficulty distinguishing his characters, in fact even the smallest parts he gives his all (and sometimes they’re the funniest!). I received an ALC from Harlequin Audio. All opinions are my own.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟.7️⃣5️⃣
Steam: 🪭.5️⃣
Narration: 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
emotional
reflective
fast-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
Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for an ARC of this title! I need to go back and read the first two in this series, but I thoroughly enjoy this series of Queer Historical Romances from Jess Everlee.
To Sketch a Scandal features a M/M romance between Warren Bakshi, an Indian barkeep at the Curious Fox, and Matthew Shaw, a detective with the police (don't worry, this book and series are not glorifying the police, especially in the historical context of people getting locked up for being queer in 1880s England). The two meet at the Curious Fox, but because of Matty's history with the establishment and his profession at the time, he's kicked out. They have a hot and heavy moment in the back alleys of London but truly reunite at an Art Class that Warren is taking to pursue a hobby and Matty to go undercover to potentially thwart an art forging scheme. Warren is only able to pursue that hobby because his brother returns with money (and a wife), changing the circumstances and home dynamic for Warren and his mother.
There are lots of great discussions about gender, gender presentation (there's drag at the Curious Fox) and sexuality at the time as well as a real interrogation of what it is like to be a detective for Matty. Not to give too much away, but Matty found himself working undercover largely as a survival tactic after doing SW to survive and generally having a hard upbringing. His boss and mentor "saved him" and once he retires... Matty is no longer shielded or can no longer handle dealing with the homophobia from his fellow officers.
There's a bit of an external mystery element that leads to the conflict as well as the fact that Warren has not been honest with his boss about Matty - their 3rd act break up is brief. They just need to get themselves together with their nearest and dearest and then they find a way to be together.
Joel Leslie does a great job narrating! Truly one of my favorite narrators for queer historical romance.
To Sketch a Scandal features a M/M romance between Warren Bakshi, an Indian barkeep at the Curious Fox, and Matthew Shaw, a detective with the police (don't worry, this book and series are not glorifying the police, especially in the historical context of people getting locked up for being queer in 1880s England). The two meet at the Curious Fox, but because of Matty's history with the establishment and his profession at the time, he's kicked out. They have a hot and heavy moment in the back alleys of London but truly reunite at an Art Class that Warren is taking to pursue a hobby and Matty to go undercover to potentially thwart an art forging scheme. Warren is only able to pursue that hobby because his brother returns with money (and a wife), changing the circumstances and home dynamic for Warren and his mother.
There are lots of great discussions about gender, gender presentation (there's drag at the Curious Fox) and sexuality at the time as well as a real interrogation of what it is like to be a detective for Matty. Not to give too much away, but Matty found himself working undercover largely as a survival tactic after doing SW to survive and generally having a hard upbringing. His boss and mentor "saved him" and once he retires... Matty is no longer shielded or can no longer handle dealing with the homophobia from his fellow officers.
There's a bit of an external mystery element that leads to the conflict as well as the fact that Warren has not been honest with his boss about Matty - their 3rd act break up is brief. They just need to get themselves together with their nearest and dearest and then they find a way to be together.
Joel Leslie does a great job narrating! Truly one of my favorite narrators for queer historical romance.