peachani's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, and Alcoholism
Minor: Classism, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Outing, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization
thewordsdevourer's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-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
4.0
the gentleman's book of vices is a fun, nicely written novel that belies real depth and impactful thematic exploration. i love this book's recipe: gays! grumpy meets sunshine! gays w/ great friends! gay angst! impending doom but ultimately happy ending!
i rly like the characters. the main duo charlie and miles are great individually and tgt, each has complex characterization and development. the side characters esp charlie's friends and alma are also great; i enjoy the former's banter and quips, and the latter's refreshingly non-streotypical portrayal.
the writing imo is very nice and flows smoothly. another thing i rly enjoy is everlee's handling of the themes and emotional moments. the parallel between charlie and miles' reality and fictional erotica make for some great character development and thematic exploration. i esp enjoy the more unique take of charlie's noble idiocy, how it plays into his deeper fear but also illustrates the impact of miles' works on him. the high stakes of marriage also ups the angst level, but i think it's handled nicely and doesnt feel gratuitous.
as fort the smut, it was ok; it's a lil weird bc i feel like charlie and miles' simple interactions, makeouts, and foreplay are more sizzling than the actual sex scenes, which i think are too short, making the payoff unsatisfactory despite the lengthy lead-up. and i wish there more of them as well.
nevertheless, this was one of the best romances ive read this yr. the story's nicely executed, peppered w/ great characters and a main couple whose lovelorn passages actually make me feel things, in addition to an adept exploration of the themes. happy w/ a gay happy ending and cant wait for the sequel.
i rly like the characters. the main duo charlie and miles are great individually and tgt, each has complex characterization and development. the side characters esp charlie's friends and alma are also great; i enjoy the former's banter and quips, and the latter's refreshingly non-streotypical portrayal.
the writing imo is very nice and flows smoothly. another thing i rly enjoy is everlee's handling of the themes and emotional moments. the parallel between charlie and miles' reality and fictional erotica make for some great character development and thematic exploration. i esp enjoy the more unique take of charlie's noble idiocy, how it plays into his deeper fear but also illustrates the impact of miles' works on him. the high stakes of marriage also ups the angst level, but i think it's handled nicely and doesnt feel gratuitous.
as fort the smut, it was ok; it's a lil weird bc i feel like charlie and miles' simple interactions, makeouts, and foreplay are more sizzling than the actual sex scenes, which i think are too short, making the payoff unsatisfactory despite the lengthy lead-up. and i wish there more of them as well.
nevertheless, this was one of the best romances ive read this yr. the story's nicely executed, peppered w/ great characters and a main couple whose lovelorn passages actually make me feel things, in addition to an adept exploration of the themes. happy w/ a gay happy ending and cant wait for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death
chief_cook_and_librarian's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
The Gentleman's Book of Vices is a cute historical queer romance between grumpy Miles, author of (illegal) gay erotica and reluctant owner of a bookstore, and Charlie, a drunk and a fop who is up to his eyeballs in debt, but determinedly optimistic nonetheless. The two start a torrid affair after Charlie manages to track down Miles in the hopes of getting him to sign his copy of one of Miles's titles.
While the story was cute and moderately entertaining (I actually really enjoyed the cake tasting scene), I didn't really find anything in the story to set it apart from other grumpy/sunshine romances, and it felt like it took awhile to really get going.
The Gentleman's Book of Vices is a cute historical queer romance between grumpy Miles, author of (illegal) gay erotica and reluctant owner of a bookstore, and Charlie, a drunk and a fop who is up to his eyeballs in debt, but determinedly optimistic nonetheless. The two start a torrid affair after Charlie manages to track down Miles in the hopes of getting him to sign his copy of one of Miles's titles.
While the story was cute and moderately entertaining (I actually really enjoyed the cake tasting scene), I didn't really find anything in the story to set it apart from other grumpy/sunshine romances, and it felt like it took awhile to really get going.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death
_isabel_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
3.5
This was lovely.
Romantic and sweet, full of heartfelt emotions and found family vibes that were truly top-notch, with just the right amount of angst and heartache to make the book, with it's historical setting, feel realistic.
It's also surprisingly tame in some ways, especially considering the chosen profession of one of the leads: there are several closed-door scenes that I was a bit surprised to see.
However, "The Gentleman's Book of Vices" IS an extremely sexy book: the chemistry between the two leads, the build-up to their relationship and the way their dynamic plays out, all of that is very, very hot so I must say, I wasn't disappointed at all by the steam (or lack of it). On the contrary!
I also adored the characters. Miles and Charlie are fantastic protagonists: opposites in so many ways, but both of them are terrified of their lot in life and secretly desperate to find a bit of happiness and love. The whole cast of side characters, though? They stole my heart completely. Noah/Penelope, Forester, Warren, Jo and even Alma and Smithy: all of them are terrible meddlers, and the best kind of people. I'm so, so curious to see if any one of them will be getting their own story: I'm especially desperate for Noah's 🥺
So why 3 and a half stars?
Well, I got a bit bored at one point. I think this book started off great, and then lost a bit of steam. Maybe it was a tad too lengthy for its content: I ended up skimming a few bits, especially during the second half of the book. A shame really, because otherwise I would have truly loved it.
Anyway, this was a minor issue, so I'm sure lots of readers with more patience than me will enjoy this book more: either way, I'd wholly recommend giving it a go, if you love queer historical romances.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Romantic and sweet, full of heartfelt emotions and found family vibes that were truly top-notch, with just the right amount of angst and heartache to make the book, with it's historical setting, feel realistic.
It's also surprisingly tame in some ways, especially considering the chosen profession of one of the leads: there are several closed-door scenes that I was a bit surprised to see.
However, "The Gentleman's Book of Vices" IS an extremely sexy book: the chemistry between the two leads, the build-up to their relationship and the way their dynamic plays out, all of that is very, very hot so I must say, I wasn't disappointed at all by the steam (or lack of it). On the contrary!
I also adored the characters. Miles and Charlie are fantastic protagonists: opposites in so many ways, but both of them are terrified of their lot in life and secretly desperate to find a bit of happiness and love. The whole cast of side characters, though? They stole my heart completely. Noah/Penelope, Forester, Warren, Jo and even Alma and Smithy: all of them are terrible meddlers, and the best kind of people. I'm so, so curious to see if any one of them will be getting their own story: I'm especially desperate for Noah's 🥺
So why 3 and a half stars?
Well, I got a bit bored at one point. I think this book started off great, and then lost a bit of steam. Maybe it was a tad too lengthy for its content: I ended up skimming a few bits, especially during the second half of the book. A shame really, because otherwise I would have truly loved it.
Anyway, this was a minor issue, so I'm sure lots of readers with more patience than me will enjoy this book more: either way, I'd wholly recommend giving it a go, if you love queer historical romances.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Alcohol
srm's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Utterly delightful debut romance about a Victorian man who loves gay erotic novels and his meeting with his favorite author. The general trope set up is grumpy/sunshine, but I love that Charlie's sunny demeanor is hiding some pain and problems, and that grumpy Miles is really just in mourning. The unraveling of how these two get thrown together is such a joy, and the steamy bits are fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Self harm
More...