[ARC Review] The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb is a perfect trifecta of adventure, mystery, and queer romance.

Having given up his thieving ways a year ago, Kit Webb is surprised when a stranger enters his coffeehouse not only knowing his secret life of crime but wanting to hire him. Reluctantly telling the stranger (and himself) that his highwayman days are behind him, that doesn’t deter the ever-persistent and chatty Percy from continuing to show up to Kit’s coffeehouse. Percy might be the son of a Duke, but he has quite the complicated past and getting Kit’s help is the only way Percy can think to save himself from the dreary life of a commoner. Percy’s persistence pays off, and soon the looks passed between Kit and Percy are less out of apprehension and more out of curiosity and a little bit of lust. But as mysteries remain unsolved and plans go belly up, Kit and Percy soon realize that maybe the only thing that will go right for them is their growing attraction to each other...

I was very excited to get my hands on this newest title by Cat Sebastian. She is, as far as I’m concerned, the reigning queen of queer historical fiction, and The Queer Principles of Kit Webb only adds to her already fantastic catalog of historical romance featuring gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters. Sebastian manages to pack many tropes into this novel, and I loved that, despite Percy being a bit flouncy at times, Kit Webb managed to not be campy at all. Between aristocracy falling for a commoner, falling for the hired help, falling for the criminal/bad boy, mysterious blackmailers, and family secrets, there is a trope for everyone in this book - and that’s on top of the really well done, slow(ish) burn queer courtship between Kit and Percy. I loved that Percy was unabashedly gay, especially in the 1790s. Kit was previously in a heterosexual relationship, and I loved Kit’s journey of easing into his first homosexual relationship with Percy. Kit just seamlessly accepted that he was attracted to a man and entered his first queer relationship without question or without feeling like he was a different person. Kit accepted his bisexualness with aplomb, and I loved that there was no second guessing it. It just was, and it was beautiful. The Queer Principles of Kit Webb is a fantastic story, full of romance, intrigue, and action, and will delight fans of Cat Sebastian as well as readers new to her novels.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing an advanced review copy of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb.