The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes: A Romantic Adventure of Crime and Love in Georgian England (London Highwaymen Book 2)

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to start reading books again. Let me tell you, I’ve spent more time watching book reviews than reading and the books I have read only inspired paragraphs in my notes app ranting about dumb characters and plot holes. At this point, I’m just trying to find books that don’t annoy me either with the writing or the characters and this book went above and beyond that. Not only was I not annoyed at any point, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I was excitedly clapping my hands with a big smile on my face and giddy to keep reading after the interstitial at the beginning. This will be the first book I’ve actually review this year (maybe ever). I’d seen all the great reviews for this book but what made me pick it up was a reviewer saying both MCs are bisexual and the man is more submissive. I really enjoyed this dynamic. I’m very tired of the controlling, possessive, bordering on abusive bad boy love interest in romance books. Seeing Rob clearly express his devotion at any opportunity and Marian trying to be practical and a little cautious due to her past but having no shame about her desire was beautiful to watch. Rob never came close to anything resembling non-consent and in fact obeying Marian only excited him more. The intimate scenes weren’t over the top or cringy. I know it’s based on Robin Hood and this book did give me Robin Hood (men in tights) and Pirates of the Caribbean vibes. Just incredibly smart and funny people you might call…

I'm so glad this book exists, and I wanted to love it so much, but there were things that didn't work for me. 3.5 Stars. Marian Hayes thought she was the Duchess of Clare, until she received a blackmail letter from someone claiming that her husband was still legally married to his first wife, and her life was a sham. There was no love lost between she and her "husband," but now her daughter could be considered illegitimate. She's not sure what to do. Rob Brooks has always played the villain. He's been a pickpocket, highwayman, con artist, and all around grifter. Now, he's added blackmailer to his resume. It was all in pursuit of keeping his big secret from getting out. He is the rightful heir to a dukedom, and he's right ticked off about it. It will ruin everything he stands for, and he can't have anyone finding out about it. When Marian shoots her husband, after her planned robbery of him goes off the rails, she knows just the man to help her run. She kidnaps her blackmailer, Rob, and demands his help. He agrees to help her, and finds that he's beginning to care more about her than he ever imagined. I loved the epistolary beginning to Marian and Rob's relationship. Their letters were hilarious, and you could clearly see how they came to care for each other over that year of correspondence. Once they met in person, things took off from there, and their connection was stronger than either of them planned for. I appreciated their chemistry, and their flirty bantering. So,…

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. THE BANTER. The banter is fantastic. Marian is straight laced, bordering on grumpy, and Rob is sunshine personified. They play off of each other marvelously, and every time Rob made Marian smile I counted it as a victory. A Straight Laced Heroine. Broken. Scarred. Wounded by years of living in fear, an unloving marriage, and difficult childbirth. Uncertain about her future. Reluctant to fall for the man that has broken the barriers around her heart. A Scarred Hero (my weakness). Physical and emotional scars. Uncertainty about his future. Falling head over heels for a woman who doesn’t seem to enjoy his company all that much. “She made a sound of acute exasperation and kissed him” and if that isn’t their relationship in a nutshell, I don’t know what is. The chemistry between Rob and Marian is off the charts, even as they try to fight their attraction to one another. Rob has his own reasons for convincing himself not to fall in love with Marian, and Marian has equally valid reasons for convincing herself not to fall in love with the man. I love, love, love, the discussions of consent that take place between Marian and Rob. Marian has faced trauma, and even though she isn’t forthcoming about it right away, Rob can sense it – let’s face it, the man can see right through her defenses – and the pair never do anything without discussing consent beforehand. This adds another layer to their…

I love historical romances! I’ve read a few of this author’s books and loved them, so I thought I’d try this one. I wasn’t sure about the premise - duchess kills duke, then seeks help from thief. The heroine, Marian (as in Maid), was a mixed bag - plain and cranky, but also mis-used. The hero, Rob (as in Hood), was less compelling - handsome and loyal, but very adolescent. They had intermittent chemistry but plenty of sizzle. The storyline was clever and unpredictable. Overall, not a bad book that I just never connected with.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes was such a fun ride! It was witty and sharp, while also being incredibly heartfelt and tender. This is book 2 in the series and though it can be enjoyed as a standalone, I think it will be a much more fulfilling experience if read in order. Things to look forward to: -Tropes like: grumpy + sunshine, road trip romance, forced proximity, epistolary, enemies to friends to lovers, there's only 1 bed - Rob is such a sweetheart. He’s charming and welcoming to everyone he meets and has an adorable soft spot for animals. He is so gone for Marian right from the start and I loved how much care he took to make sure she was comfortable, safe, and supported. - The intimate scenes. These were steamy in a way I haven’t quite encountered before and were done so well. I loved how Rob and Marian listened and spoke honestly with each other about what they wanted and needed. Rob’s eagerness to please and the praise kink were so hot. - The found family. I LOVED how this unlikely group came together. They are ride or die no matter what and the amount of love they have for each other is amazing. Thanks to the Duke’s bigamy, the family tree is a bit twisty and turny, but no matter the official title or connection, this group is a family. - A great retelling/spin on the Robin Hood and Maid Marian story I both read and listened to this one and the narration by Joel Leslie was just as fantastic as it was in book 1. The different accents and voices used made it…