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A review by nickoliver
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For the most part, this book was fun. It was about Percy, a lord who got blackmailed alongside his childhood best friend (who was also technically his mother-in-law, because old men are absolutely vile ) and now had to stage a robbery in order to get a specific book from his father. Enter Kit, a retired highwayman, who he wanted to help him accomplish that.
The romance, unexpectedly, was quite slowburn, which was a nice, pleasant surprise. Since there were only about 350 pages, it wasn't too drawn-out either; instead, it was quite well-balanced. The story was told in dual POV from both Kit's and Percy's perspectives, and I liked both protagonists - separately, and as a couple. I liked the way they bickered with each other, and that it took some time for them to really open up to each other.
The diversity in this was also well done. I found it fascinating to have a gay main character in a historical setting live as openly as Percy did, because I wasn't aware that that had even been possible. While it was acknowledged that it was dangerous and illegal, it was mostly kept lightly, so you didn't get too anxious reading about them being lovingly. I also adored that Kit had a bad leg and had to walk with a cane, and the way that was portrayed. Sebastian showed the struggles he went through but without making it seem like his sole existence was completely burdening, and the way Percy paid attention to his pain was lovely.
Additionally, the side characters, too, were charming. I sometimes wished I got a little bit more from them - especially from Marian and Rob, whose ending was a bit too open and unfinished for my taste. I just wished they showed up a bit more. Plus, certain things were treated a bit too lightly when they should've had a lot more obvious impact. Everyone was okay with some things (like Rob coming back from the dead ) way too quickly.
I really appreciated the discussions that took place in the book, especially between Kit and Percy. With Kit being a criminal who always had to rely on illegal activity to get by and Percy being the son of a rich, heartless landlord, there was a big difference in the way they grew up. They talked a lot about class and privilege, and I especially enjoyed the way Kit talked about landlords and that even if Percy tried to be better than his father, landlords were by definition unable to be “good”. It was nice to see a romance hero not abandon his principles for love, and instead have the other one leave behind his life of leisure.
The plot was the only part where things got a bit imperfect for me. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of actual plot action. The heist took forever to happen - the majority of the story was about Kit teaching Percy how to be a highwayman rather than them actually being ones. While I liked reading about the build-up because it was pretty fun, the actual climax was a bit of a letdown. It was pretty much over in a heartbeat and didn’t offer that many positive results. And like I mentioned, Marian and Rob’s involvements were kept vague, which I didn’t enjoy.
Additionally, some of the plot was simply a bit too confusing to me. For example, I didn’t understand the reasons behind the blackmailing - and the way it ended felt a bit like Sebastian wasn’t that attached to it either, anyway -, and the whole explanation for the book was also information that I couldn’t for the life of me retain. In general, the book was definitely more focused and fleshed-out when it came to the characters rather than the plot. I don’t think I would recommend this to people who are interested in it solely for the heist portion.
Lastly, the book was actually pretty forgettable; I had to pretty much reread the entire thing before writing this review, because I couldn't remember for the life of me a single thing that had happened, nor any precise opinions on it. That is very unusual for me, since I normally remember at least parts or the general gist of the plot.
Overall, though, I liked this! Especially the characters and their interactions shone for me, I had a lot of fun. Cat Sebastian is definitely an author I'd like to try another book by.
The romance, unexpectedly, was quite slowburn, which was a nice, pleasant surprise. Since there were only about 350 pages, it wasn't too drawn-out either; instead, it was quite well-balanced. The story was told in dual POV from both Kit's and Percy's perspectives, and I liked both protagonists - separately, and as a couple. I liked the way they bickered with each other, and that it took some time for them to really open up to each other.
The diversity in this was also well done. I found it fascinating to have a gay main character in a historical setting live as openly as Percy did, because I wasn't aware that that had even been possible. While it was acknowledged that it was dangerous and illegal, it was mostly kept lightly, so you didn't get too anxious reading about them being lovingly. I also adored that Kit had a bad leg and had to walk with a cane, and the way that was portrayed. Sebastian showed the struggles he went through but without making it seem like his sole existence was completely burdening, and the way Percy paid attention to his pain was lovely.
Additionally, the side characters, too, were charming. I sometimes wished I got a little bit more from them - especially from Marian and Rob, whose ending was a bit too open and unfinished for my taste. I just wished they showed up a bit more. Plus, certain things were treated a bit too lightly when they should've had a lot more obvious impact. Everyone was okay with some things (like
I really appreciated the discussions that took place in the book, especially between Kit and Percy. With Kit being a criminal who always had to rely on illegal activity to get by and Percy being the son of a rich, heartless landlord, there was a big difference in the way they grew up. They talked a lot about class and privilege, and I especially enjoyed the way Kit talked about landlords and that even if Percy tried to be better than his father, landlords were by definition unable to be “good”. It was nice to see a romance hero not abandon his principles for love, and instead have the other one leave behind his life of leisure.
The plot was the only part where things got a bit imperfect for me. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of actual plot action. The heist took forever to happen - the majority of the story was about Kit teaching Percy how to be a highwayman rather than them actually being ones. While I liked reading about the build-up because it was pretty fun, the actual climax was a bit of a letdown. It was pretty much over in a heartbeat and didn’t offer that many positive results. And like I mentioned, Marian and Rob’s involvements were kept vague, which I didn’t enjoy.
Additionally, some of the plot was simply a bit too confusing to me. For example, I didn’t understand the reasons behind the blackmailing - and the way it ended felt a bit like Sebastian wasn’t that attached to it either, anyway -, and the whole explanation for the book was also information that I couldn’t for the life of me retain. In general, the book was definitely more focused and fleshed-out when it came to the characters rather than the plot. I don’t think I would recommend this to people who are interested in it solely for the heist portion.
Lastly, the book was actually pretty forgettable; I had to pretty much reread the entire thing before writing this review, because I couldn't remember for the life of me a single thing that had happened, nor any precise opinions on it. That is very unusual for me, since I normally remember at least parts or the general gist of the plot.
Overall, though, I liked this! Especially the characters and their interactions shone for me, I had a lot of fun. Cat Sebastian is definitely an author I'd like to try another book by.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol