Reviews - The Gentleman's Book of Vices

635 reviews for:

The Gentleman's Book of Vices

Jess Everlee

3.83 AVERAGE

allisonwonderlandreads's review

3.0

hopeful lighthearted 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

Miles Montague, author, never thought he would meet one of his fans. Living in repressive Victorian-era England, he knows that though his books sell well, the queer, dark, kinky content of his works puts him in danger. And so it is that Miles protects his identity vociferously. He knows from personal, tragic experience what happens to a gay man who's turned over to authorities and lives in fear of being caught out. Without this context, Charles Price, smut aficionado, shows up at Miles' bookshop with the boundless enthusiasm of a devoted fan, hoping for an autograph. In a panic, Miles hears blackmail behind Charles' words, and their first meeting ends poorly.

Once Miles has some time to consider Charles' behavior, he acknowledges his misread of the situation, though he's still concerned about how his identity was leaked. To make amends, Miles brings an autograph and a bottle of wine just in time to accidentally crash a cake testing for Charles' upcoming nuptials. You see, Charles' joy at buying lovely things for himself and loved ones far outstrips his income. And dear old banker dad is only willing to pay off his debts just once more if Charles marries. So his request for an autograph was a bit of a last hurrah before he's doomed to marry a perfectly sweet girl whom he loves but could never be romantically interested in. To prevent the horrifying implosion of Charles' life, Miles poses as a sommelier to advise on wine pairings for the wedding cake tasting, one of the book's more hilarious scenes.

What follows is a fast-burning romance, racing against the deadline of Charles' imminent wedding. Where it's hot and heavy to start, we get some sweet little moments later on. I particularly liked a scene where the two simply work on their own projects side by side, enjoying the unobtrusive camaraderie. There are also some big twists with plenty of angst. Why settle for just a final act breakup when you can have a whole rollercoaster of feelings? Our protagonists have to delve into some coping mechanisms that might keep them apart and get honest about what they're afraid of and what they're willing to give up for love.

Some positives of the book are the representation of queer community in its many stripes and a focus on non-aristocratic characters in a historical romance. At Charles' club, we get to experience his queer found family. They meddle in his affairs and are devoted to him in a way he doesn't fully realize at the beginning of the book. Hitting rock bottom gives him a chance to appreciate all that they would do for him and how deep those bonds go. For a funny, spicy queer love story that also delves into the light and shadows of secret queer communities in a historical context, pick this one up. Thanks to Harlequin for my copy to read and review

madilowe's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous emotional funny fast-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

aliena_jackson's review against another edition

2.0

I was really bored for the entirety of this novel. I’m pretty sure I’ve read a fanfic exactly like this before…suspicious. Anyways, I’m kind of obsessed with Noah, so I guess I’ll read the second book.