A review by wilybooklover
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

What a delightful story! My first Cat Sebastian book but definitely not my last. 

Kit is a grumpy-yet-softhearted retired highwayman, who is hired by spoilt aristocrat Percy to help him rob his own father. The heist set-up actually doesn’t take up much of the story — which I liked. It’s mostly about Kit and Percy coming to terms with their pasts and futures, and learning about each other, learning to like each other. And what I found particularly lovely is that each character retains their flaws at the end. Kit is still grumpy and suffering with chronic pain at the end; Percy is still a bratty snob. Often in romances the characters become less flawed when they find love, but in this they just love each other despite their flaws. Both of them are complex and vividly characterised on the page. 

I love that this was set in the 1750s rather than the Regency/Victorian eras and how incredibly detailed the descriptions of Percy’s lavish clothes and makeup and wigs were; they really helped set the scene. The book itself is full of brilliant dialogue and sharp wit, interspersed with social commentary with strong ‘eat the rich’ vibes. The secondary characters were wonderful (well, except the Duke) and gave the story a proper ‘found family’ feel. 

I wish some of the heist/blackmail plot had taken place a little earlier or been spaced out more because it felt a bit crammed in all together at the end. It does get a bit overly-complex and confusing. But I trust that the sequel (which I will definitely be reading) will elucidate a bit more on that. 

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