The Queer Principles of Kit Webb

 Book 33 of my 2025 Reading Challenge

read from March 17 - 22

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

published 2021

Summary (via the book jacket)

Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver adventures behind him. But dreary days at his coffeehouse have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires.

In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland, must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and that could be Percy's salvation. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffeehouses frequented by criminals, Percy finds that his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman formerly know as Gladhand Jack prove equal parts frustrating and electrifying.

Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit, and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers theft isn't the only crime he's desperate to commit with Kit.

But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts overcome the impediments in their path?

My Opinion

3 stars

I checked this book out immediately after reading The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes.  This is technically the first book and I had hoped reading them out of order wouldn't affect this read.  Unfortunately it did.  Reading Marian first made this book feel very slow because I knew certain characters would appear and what the plot would become.  I thought this book would cover the same timeframe but from difference perspectives but that wasn't the case.

So it may have been mostly user error but even if I had read this first, I wouldn't have loved it.  I thought the plot got stagnant and the will they/won't they lasted too long.  Once they did start, it was hot.  I appreciated the detail of them making sure they had lubrication and going slow instead of pretending everything can just be jammed in without preparation.