cakt1991 's review for:

The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee

4.0

emotional 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

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 While I’ve enjoyed the contemporaries I’ve read from the Carina Adores line thus far (and have some others on my TBR), I was unbelievably excited that they’d also started publishing historical romances, starting with this one, The Gentleman’s Book of Vices. It sounded right up my alley, and once I got around to it, I ended up really enjoying it. 

Charlie and Miles are both sympathetic characters, and I appreciate how both of them exemplify different ways in which queer men existed within Victorian England, with the risk of prosecution (imprisonment or death) hanging over their heads. Miles in particular drew me in, as he’s a writer of explicit queer fiction under a pen name, Reginald Cox, while also struggling to run a bookshop. However, Charlie, as a fan of Miles’ work as Reginald, also drew me in too, as he’s closeted, with an impending wedding, finding an outlet of connection through Reginald’s work.

And while the premise could potentially be a bit skeevy, given current modern-day incidents of authors (queer and cishet) having been doxed, I appreciate how the text handles it, by having Miles’ initial uneasiness at being outed brought up. While I’m not sure how I feel about Charlie choosing to seek him out to begin with, I was able to suspend disbelief, and their romance ended up being super-sweet and affirming for both. The two deal with conflicts over how each of them chooses to try to attempt to exist within their society as queer men, with Charlie’s choice to marry being a contentious issue. The stakes there are particularly high, as Charlie  ultimately considers doing it for noble reasons beyond saving his own prospects and reputation. 

I loved how their friend group really rallied around Charlie and Miles, not only being affirming of their identities, but finding a satisfying way for them to work out the problems keeping them apart to reach their HEA. Everyone stood out in their own way, and I hope that at least some of them get stories sometime down the line. 

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I’m excited to get to the next one soon. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys queer historical romance.