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A review by andreasromancebooks
A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee
5.0
4.75 ⭐️ Excuse me while I wipe away my tears and pick my heart up from the floor.
This book was an absolute delight to read, and also the most tension and angst my heart could possibly take in one day. I couldn’t put the book down, but I couldn’t keep on reading during some parts. I was getting so incredibly frustrated at the state of these two!
A Rulebook for Restless Rogues explores the history and connection between David Forester -the proprietor of The Curious Fox, our most beloved club from The Gentleman’s Book of Vices- and Noah Clarke, a well sought out tailor by day, who we’ve come to know as the Queen of Cards herself, Miss Penelope Primrose, at night.
To say I was excited to finally read this book, where we get these two together with their very own best-friends-to-lovers story, would be an understatement. I just knew I wouldn’t been able to focus on anything until I read the entirety of the book, so I basically read the whole thing in one sitting… And it was so worth it! I’m in love with the world and characters Jess Everlee creates in these books. This second instalment was everything I had hoped for and more. I’m personally not the biggest fan of the “friends-to-lovers” trope, but here it just made perfect sense. It kept every angsty touch feeling like a ticking time-bomb of emotion. I’ve teared up throughout every revelation in this book, fearing for the lives and wellbeing of the characters that have come to mean so much so fast; I’ve tried to hold back weepy smiles at every sappy, emotionally charged moment where jokes gave way to feelings. So yes… I really wasn’t lying when I said I was wiping away tears here.
The exploration of gender, love, relationships, and sexuality in this book has me in such a chokehold. I would love to know how Noah would identify himself if he were able to have the options we have today -the vernacular we have nowadays- when it comes to his exploration of drag and femininity. The obviousness of how David owns his bisexuality was a breath of fresh air whilst also bringing forth such a comforting sense of fluidity that, realistically, I doubt would’ve been able to exist in the 1880s -as much as I truly wish to be wrong in that regard. Reading queer stories set in a time where imprisonment and death would’ve been likely outcomes for these main characters always makes me incredibly heartbroken, as I think of how many people were robbed of the chance of a full life just because they didn’t hide their true selves well enough. Which is exactly why I believe books like this to be so necessary. Even if this is ultimately a work of fiction, the pain, fear, and sentiment behind it is very real to this day. It is truly surprising just how much homophobia and transphobia continues to run rampant in our society, almost a quarter into the 21st century. Change is slow coming and built on hundreds of years and lives lost. It’s a fight we continue to fight and one we endeavour to win, especially when we get books like this. Hopeful books that paint queer love stories in the most beautiful light.
If you haven’t picked up this series yet, I’d recommend you do so immediately. And although this book can be read as a stand-alone, I’d suggest for them to be read in order, as there are several scenes where we meet and interact with the protagonists from book #1 - Miles and Charlie! Those two stole my heart in The Gentleman’s Book of Vices and I’ve been trying to get it back since.
Overall, this was one my most anticipated reads for 2023 and I can 100% say that it did not disappoint! I’m so in love with this series, I can’t wait to see where it goes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
This book was an absolute delight to read, and also the most tension and angst my heart could possibly take in one day. I couldn’t put the book down, but I couldn’t keep on reading during some parts. I was getting so incredibly frustrated at the state of these two!
A Rulebook for Restless Rogues explores the history and connection between David Forester -the proprietor of The Curious Fox, our most beloved club from The Gentleman’s Book of Vices- and Noah Clarke, a well sought out tailor by day, who we’ve come to know as the Queen of Cards herself, Miss Penelope Primrose, at night.
To say I was excited to finally read this book, where we get these two together with their very own best-friends-to-lovers story, would be an understatement. I just knew I wouldn’t been able to focus on anything until I read the entirety of the book, so I basically read the whole thing in one sitting… And it was so worth it! I’m in love with the world and characters Jess Everlee creates in these books. This second instalment was everything I had hoped for and more. I’m personally not the biggest fan of the “friends-to-lovers” trope, but here it just made perfect sense. It kept every angsty touch feeling like a ticking time-bomb of emotion. I’ve teared up throughout every revelation in this book, fearing for the lives and wellbeing of the characters that have come to mean so much so fast; I’ve tried to hold back weepy smiles at every sappy, emotionally charged moment where jokes gave way to feelings. So yes… I really wasn’t lying when I said I was wiping away tears here.
The exploration of gender, love, relationships, and sexuality in this book has me in such a chokehold. I would love to know how Noah would identify himself if he were able to have the options we have today -the vernacular we have nowadays- when it comes to his exploration of drag and femininity. The obviousness of how David owns his bisexuality was a breath of fresh air whilst also bringing forth such a comforting sense of fluidity that, realistically, I doubt would’ve been able to exist in the 1880s -as much as I truly wish to be wrong in that regard. Reading queer stories set in a time where imprisonment and death would’ve been likely outcomes for these main characters always makes me incredibly heartbroken, as I think of how many people were robbed of the chance of a full life just because they didn’t hide their true selves well enough. Which is exactly why I believe books like this to be so necessary. Even if this is ultimately a work of fiction, the pain, fear, and sentiment behind it is very real to this day. It is truly surprising just how much homophobia and transphobia continues to run rampant in our society, almost a quarter into the 21st century. Change is slow coming and built on hundreds of years and lives lost. It’s a fight we continue to fight and one we endeavour to win, especially when we get books like this. Hopeful books that paint queer love stories in the most beautiful light.
If you haven’t picked up this series yet, I’d recommend you do so immediately. And although this book can be read as a stand-alone, I’d suggest for them to be read in order, as there are several scenes where we meet and interact with the protagonists from book #1 - Miles and Charlie! Those two stole my heart in The Gentleman’s Book of Vices and I’ve been trying to get it back since.
Overall, this was one my most anticipated reads for 2023 and I can 100% say that it did not disappoint! I’m so in love with this series, I can’t wait to see where it goes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5