A Rulebook for Restless Rogues: A Victorian Romance – A Paste Must-Read MM Historical Fiction Story of Found Family (Lucky Lovers of London 2)

SERIES REVIEW: Am I glad I read it? Absolutely! Overall, I had an excellent time with this series and definitely recommend it to fans of queer historical romance. What stands out most to me now that I have finished the series is how Everlee entangles her couples in particularly snarly situations, where the threat of legal, financial, and social repercussions for the characters’ relationships and activities loom particularly close - even more so for the MM couples in books 1 and 2 - lending a compelling sense of tension to the stories. Though the tone of book 3 is decidedly lighter than the others, all of our characters, are pushed into corners where they feel they have no recourse but to do the thing they desperately don’t want to when their safety and survival are threatened. BUT - and this is what makes this series special, I think - Everlee subverts expectations by insisting that the extreme solution - a marriage of convenience; returning to the grasp of your wealthy, awful ex-lover; running away (again!) to start a new life - to a complicated problem is not the only option when you allow yourself to rely on your community, on the people who love you. Each couple learns this lesson, and oh! I loved it. Jo and The Beast play important roles in aiding Miles/Charlie and Noah/David, and it was so satisfying to see the story come full circle in book 3 with Jo being the recipient of her community’s support. I may have clutched my chest a time or two. So while these books…

I enjoyed the first book from this author and was excited to see that this one would follow two of the supporting characters from that story. One of my favorite things about The Gentleman's Book of Vices was the found family environment at the club, The Curious Fox. David and Noah were a huge part of that family, and I loved the idea of getting to see their romance blossom. I can confirm that I did, in fact, enjoy spending more time getting to know them and their history. However, there were some things about this book that made me love it less than the first one. First off, I still loved all of the characters. David and Noah were fun to follow, and I liked how the story switched between their past and present to give the reader a clear picture of their journey. Their best friends to lovers romance was super angsty and full of years of mutual pining finally coming to a head. David had some abandonment and self worth issues that Noah helped him work through, and Noah had so many walls up that David needed a sledgehammer to slowly chip away at them. I understood David's reticence to express his feelings because of the terrible things he'd experienced in the past, but Noah's emotional constipation seemed a bit unfounded. It made sense that he wouldn't want to lose his best friend if things didn't work out, but the lengths he went to avoid his feelings just seemed over the top at times. It did make for good drama, though, and I can't deny that I ate it up. lol. The plot was…

3.5 stars if I could. I can't tell if I loved this or not, hence the ambivalent rating. There were absolutely elements that I loved but the ones I disliked were enough to bring things down. Positives: This is a lovely, intricate proposal of what queer life was like in England in the late 1800s. I've never seen all these elements at play before. All manner of sexual orientation is represented but there's also period-appropriate trans representation and a healthy appreciation for drag. It's a delight to read in this day and age. Watching Noah and David come into their own was heartwarming, not only in terms of their relationship but in all other facets of their lives. I particularly loved reading about Noah and his family. The ending is more realistic than most queer historical romances offer. Everlee beautifully weaves together uncertainty and hope. It made me smile to read it. Negatives: The pacing is terrible, mostly because the more mysterious elements of the plot lead you towards a path that you should be on much sooner if this were actually more of a mystery. Instead, that whole part of the plot ends up being rather convenient. It came across as a little lazy. I understand it was integral to David's backstory but that's really the only purpose it served. Noah and David hovered on the precipice of becoming truly great characters without ever achieving it. They needed just a touch more depth and emotional connection with the reader and it would've been brilliant.…

I loved Noah when I met him in book 1, so I had to get his story! He is every bit as wonderful as I thought he’d be, and he and David are just adorable together! David and Noah have been best friends for years, ever since David saved Noah from a bully in school. Their bonding moments in boarding school became a little naughty at times, but their friendship was always sacred. As they grew up, Noah became a successful tailor while David runs a risqué gentlemen’s club. When David finds himself and the club in trouble, Noah is, as always, right by his side. A night of comfort and distraction turns hot and heavy, but the two can’t quite admit to their feelings. Even though everyone else sees it, these two don’t quite understand that this isn’t just a dear friendship; they’re madly in love with each other. This is a sweet, fun story with plenty of heat, emotions, and love…and a best friends to lovers romance with two men who take awhile to get there

Loved coming back to the world and characters from the first book, coupled with the great narration by Tommy Hawthorne. Not just was it a pleasure to revisit characters from the first book and be introduced to new ones, but getting a more in depth focus on a different set of protagonists that were secondary from Book One makes even more excited for the next installment… 🥰🥰🥰‼️