Name: Abigail Joyann's review of The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian
Item: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes
Rating: 4
Author: Abigail Joyann

Cat Sebastian

Cat Sebastian returns to Georgian London with a stunning tale of a reluctant criminal and the thief who cannot help but love her. Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. Of course, the evil, murderous man deserved what was coming to him, but now she must flee to the countryside. Unfortunately, the only person she can ask for help is the charismatic criminal who is blackmailing her—and who she may have left tied up a few hours before… A highwayman, con artist, and all-around cheerful villain, Rob Brooks is no stranger to the wrong side of the law or the right side of anybody’s bed. He never meant to fall for the woman whose secrets he promised to keep for the low price of five hundred pounds, but how could he resist someone who led him on a merry chase all over London, left him tied up in a seedy inn, and then arrived covered in her husband’s blood and in desperate need of his help? As they flee across the country—stopping to pick pockets, drink to excess, and rescue invalid cats—they discover more true joy and peace than either has felt in ages. But when the truth of Rob’s past catches up to him, they must decide if they are willing to reshape their lives in order to forge a future together.

A Novel

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes

Emma Hak-Kovacs

She laughed, bright and happy, and he knew she could see right through him. Her laughter was rare and precious; it was the sound of church bells, the sound of coins dropping into a pocket, and he wanted to save it in a bottle and wear it close to his heart.

In his arms she felt as sharp as a knife and as sure as a promise and he never wanted to take his hands off her.

What a trick it was to be able to say I beg your pardon in a way that meant fuck off and die, and to look serene and saintly while saying it. 

There is something inexpressibly masculine about expecting to be believed.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Abigail Joyann

4 stars

  Thank you Avon & Harper Voyager for this ARC!


Taking place in London 1751, newly mothered and Duchess of Clare—Marian—is blackmailed via letter correspondence with—Rob—a con artist. As she, unfortunately, comes to know that the man she believed to be her husband contracted a marriage to a woman who still lives. Within these continued letters back and forth between the duchess and Rob, she finds comfort and ultimately what seems to be a likeness starting to form. Events unfold, the duchess shoots the duke to which she finds solace with her blackmailer and the journey to happiness and love begins with much more to be revealed.

I severely enjoyed this book. All in all, this is a queer romance with heteronormative relationships throughout including the found family trope and the all-so-loving grumpyXsunshine trope. Rob and Marian had the best banter (that never left) and some of the sweetest, most tender moments between their mutual attraction/infatuation with one another, as well as talks of the past and the future. Their relationship just blossomed and of course, he fell first. Rob being an all-out in the open kind of guy regarding those he loves and cherishes, he couldn't hold back or hide his true feelings for Marian. And she reciprocated that by showing them in her own ways.

To say the least, this was the perfect crimes of Marian Hayes with everything packaged up beautifully in the end.

sydney

*3.5
I really wanted to like this book but it just felt like something was missing. I don't think that there was enough description of them actually falling in love it felt it happened all of a sudden. 

I received a copy through netgalley.

be gay, do crimes. top tier banter. golden retriever boyfriend, chaos girlfriend. all the morally grey characters. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian