Overall, I gave this book a 3.5/5 star rating. I thought this was a fun and light read, but felt like there was a bit missing with it? (I’m also one of those raters that rarely gives out 5 stars, and a lot of books are solid 3 star good reads.) 

 

As for the pairing of the leads, I found that Tommy and Philippa had a good connection. They both didn’t quite fit in with society, Tommy with disguises, her queerness, and upbringing. Philippa as a bluestocking who was not attracted to any suitors her mother tried to match her with. I liked their “first” meeting, where Tommy was impersonating a baron and their little banter back and forth. HOWEVER, the steam in this felt very clinical and not sexy. There was explicit scenes, but I was reading a manual on how to stimulate the clitoris rather than getting that lusty smut. (I’m also a horndog.) Another aspect I appreciated in this was how the charade of the baron was thrown away immediately when the two were alone for the first time. I find that deceipt of “hidden identity” can really break a lot of trust between characters, and I SO enjoyed having them in on the heist and deceit. 

 

Philippa’s family was rough and wrong in so many ways. I think this showed the standard “elite” family as very unhappy in their relationships with one another, while the “lesser” family was bursting with love, comradery, and found family. I thought Philippa took a bit too long to figure out living with Tommy’s family was exponentially better than any marriage scheme Philippa’s parents could muster up. Sure, her mother wanted to find P someone that would allow her to be the bookworm bluestocking recluse she was, but the woman had 0 empathy or compassion towards her daughter. But when you think of how her marriage was done in the same manner, and to a man who doesn’t love or respect her, I can understand how desperate she was in securing something for her daughter. In her own way she was trying to make her daughter’s life “better” in the society they were living in, but she gave 0 respect going about it. Controlling her daughter’s time spent with friends (literally reading and being smarties) and berating her for being herself is not a good parenting technique. But it was probably how she was raised/taught and she’s just passing it down. P’s dad was a shit head and I will not spend any brainwaves thinking on how he was ~doing what was best~ for his child. 

 

The steam was a letdown for me. It was very clinical, very short, and I wanted more. These two had one night together. One chance of a lifetime to have the privacy of being under the same roof, and … that was it? This could definitely be a me thing though. I was here for the demisexual representation and discovery, and loved seeing two lesbians, one gender bending, the other femme, get their HEA. 

 

I found the plot to be flimsy and forgotten about at the end. We started with this very strong standpoint of feminist, take down the intellectual thief, get a public apology, make the bastard pay type of rage. Only to fizzle down to embarrassing him at the ball, and in turn alienating P and her chances at a proposal. No apology, no “sticking it to the man,” just calling out an asshole who wouldn’t really get any real consequences for his theft? Sure, he didn’t get paid and the title of a Viscount for his achievement, that sucks. But he also didn’t really go down any pegs in society, wasn’t an outcast, wasn’t alienated or shunned. Just sat in his same spot in the world before he tried claiming the fame? Yet again, that could be a note on history, how the men really aren’t out anything, and have no real consequences in a world where they hold all the power. I wanted MORE. BURN IT ALL DOWN. 

 

The heist scenes were my favorite part of this book, and where I found there to be uniqueness in this book compared to other wlw HR’s. I liked Tommy’s family, and how they all took on the roles to get the book. I liked seeing T bring P into her world of disguises and trickery. Having an accomplice rather than being a knight in shining armor was a good move. When the heist and ball scene were complete, it did feel like the ending was very bleh and low stakes. The asshole was outed, P brought disgrace to her family and could either choose option A, marrying some old man and living a life of sadness and keep her parent’s name elite, or option B, leave her toxic family and move in with her lover and found family and be happy and herself? No stakes, no real competition. 

Also didn't like the modern phrases thrown in. Cog in the machinery...