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The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian
- Publisher: Avon < HarperCollins
- Genre: Romance < Historical Romance
- Audience: Adult
- Pages: 352 (paperback)
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.
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.
THE PERFECT CRIMES OF MARIAN HAYES
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes was surprisingly funny, with shocking wit and entertaining banter.
I will be quite honest, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is a funny, entertaining read and a fun time. And if you were worried about reading it without having read the first installment in the London Highwaymen Series (The Queer Principles of Kit Webb) then don’t fret. I have not read the first book in this series and had no issues with adjusting to the cast and the world in reading this book as a standalone.
However, funny and somewhat fun doesn’t make up for what I perceived to be a real lack of actionable plot.
I feel as though I have to preface here that I don’t often read historical romances, or romances outside the realm of simple contemporary or fantasy romance. There’s no outside or in-between, until now. So I’m not sure if it’s an accepted aspect of the genre for there to be little to no movement or easily identifiable progressing steps throughout the plot of romance novels such as these, but I was not satisfied.
It seemed as though the main (and arguably only) aspect to this book was the romance. And yes, while it is a romance, even that fell flat in light of other issues aside from the lack of plot.
In fact, despite the wittiness that decreased as the book went on (the funny aspect was the best part in the beginning), I found myself often entirely bored.
I could not honestly tell you what happened the last half of the book, other than some sex. More sex than plot or character development, or any other form of tension or drama, that is for damn sure!
The characters, other than both being witty,–Marian was downright hilarious and Rob was a genuine and somewhat awkward, charming kind of funny–lacked any other form of characterization. There was nothing else to their personalities, other than sexual preferences, really, that gave them any form of dimension whatsoever. Because of this, I found it difficult to connect to any characters. And this made it impossible to connect to the romance by extension. And for a romance novel, I would say that connecting to the romance itself is a necessary component to its overall success.
I’ve decided that while The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes wasn’t necessarily for me, it was a quick read and definitely could be a fun and enjoyable time for other readers.
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is witty, laugh-out-loud funny, and full of attention-grabbing banter. Though it might be worth the skip for lovers of complex, identifiable plot and avid character development, it can conversely be the perfect read for an escapist who just wants something light and fun, requiring little thought or intense focus.
TROPES AND TRIGGER WARNINGS FEATURED
- Enemies to lovers
- Sharing one bed
- Witty banter
- Historical romance
OFFICIAL rating
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayessimilar titles THE PERFECT CRIMES OF MARIAN HAYES
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Let’s Chat in the Comments!
What are some of your favorite historical romances? The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes explores some unique social realities, especially among women and pregnancy/sexual intercourse. Do you like this social commentary in your romance novels? If so, what are some romance novels that have social commentary in them that you have loved, or think are super important or thought provoking?
