A review by noellelovesbooks
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

fast-paced

5.0

  I received an ARC, ahead of the June release, from Avon Publishing in exchange for an honest review. 

Content Warnings: Detailed sex scenes, murder, violence, blood/gore, confinement, gun violence, and loved one with dementia. Mention of: a difficult and life-threatening pregnancy, bigamy, implied marital rape, and emotional abuse.


When I first read the summary of this book I knew I needed to read it, so when I found out I could get an ARC through Avon, for being part of their influencer program, I jumped at the chance. Having read THE QUEER PRINCIPLES OF KIT WEBB right before I was excited to see Rob and Marian’s journey unfold.


From a young age, Marian has done what it takes to protect those closest to her, no matter the cost, even if it means potentially living a life on the run…if anyone were to reveal that she, not a highway robber, was the one to shoot her husband. Never having committed such a crime before Marian is unsure of what to do so she elicits the help of the highwayman that’s been blackmailing her, really it’s the least he could do.


Having been gone a year, letting his closest friends and family believe him dead, Rob found himself looking forward to each and every correspondence with Marian, though it started as blackmail he feels a connection to Marian even before meeting her face to face. Normally a Robin Hoodesque highway robber Rob feels a lot of guilt for blackmailing Marian so when she appears, covered in her husband’s blood, Rob is determined to help her in any way he can.


I absolutely adored both of these characters so much. Between their inner thoughts and dialogue with each other, I found myself laughing so much. The way Rob pays so much attention to Marian’s body language, whether to alleviate her stress by changing the subject of their conversation or to ensure she feels safe and comfortable during more intimate moments…I just loved how much he genuinely cared about her feelings.


Marian is able to see how much Rob missed his friends and family, by reading between the lines of his letters and urges him to return to them before Marian even met him. She’s in awe of how easy it is for Rob to turn strangers into friends as fast as he does and how happy he seems to be no matter what he’s doing. Marian hasn’t trusted anyone, aside from Percy, in a very long time but the more she gets to know Rob she realizes maybe she can add one more person to the list.


Between the sweet romance developing between Marian and Rob and the shenanigans, they get themselves into over the course of the book, I absolutely adored every second! This couple will definitely be one that stays with me for a long time. I’m not sure if Cat plans on writing more books within this universe but I desperately hope that she does. 

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