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The Gentleman and His Vowsmith
“A delectable read.” —C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author
A young lord, his future bride, and his former lover become unlikely allies to survive a deadly mystery in this spine-tingling historical fantasy of magic, murder, and steamy encounters.
Lord Nicholas Monterris is trapped. The only heir to a declining dukedom, Nic is destined for a marriage of convenience. What he doesn’t expect is for his bride to be Lady Leaf Serral, daughter of his father’s hated rival.
Tradition dictates the families are confined together while the marriage contract is crafted, which should be the worst part. Until Nic learns the Serrals’ head negotiator is master vowsmith Dashiell sa Vare—beautiful, perfect Dashiell sa Vare—an old flame he has neither forgiven nor forgotten. Nic’s only defense is false smiles and too much wine.
When a dead body turns up, tension within the castle thickens. The first death is brushed off as an unfortunate accident, but a second reveals something sinister is unfolding at Monterris Court. As accusations fly and long-buried secrets surface, Nic must work with his former lover and his future bride to uncover a devious mastermind before they claim another victim.
“One part sweet and swoony romance, one part magic-infused mystery, and thoroughly enjoyable on all counts!” —Maiga Doocy, author of Sorcery and Small Magics
A young lord, his future bride, and his former lover become unlikely allies to survive a deadly mystery in this spine-tingling historical fantasy of magic, murder, and steamy encounters.
Lord Nicholas Monterris is trapped. The only heir to a declining dukedom, Nic is destined for a marriage of convenience. What he doesn’t expect is for his bride to be Lady Leaf Serral, daughter of his father’s hated rival.
Tradition dictates the families are confined together while the marriage contract is crafted, which should be the worst part. Until Nic learns the Serrals’ head negotiator is master vowsmith Dashiell sa Vare—beautiful, perfect Dashiell sa Vare—an old flame he has neither forgiven nor forgotten. Nic’s only defense is false smiles and too much wine.
When a dead body turns up, tension within the castle thickens. The first death is brushed off as an unfortunate accident, but a second reveals something sinister is unfolding at Monterris Court. As accusations fly and long-buried secrets surface, Nic must work with his former lover and his future bride to uncover a devious mastermind before they claim another victim.
“One part sweet and swoony romance, one part magic-infused mystery, and thoroughly enjoyable on all counts!” —Maiga Doocy, author of Sorcery and Small Magics
460 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
March 24, 2025
When I first read the blurb of The Gentleman and his Vowsmith, I didn’t think much about it, only that it could be a nice read. It is, everyone, and with the magic of Freya Marske’s The Last Binding series and the wit from K.J. Charles’ Will Darling, it’s even more than a nice read.
A Gentleman and His Vowsmith is light, sweet, and funny, even though it’s not only a romance but also a mystery (just like the above mentioned series). I always love it when a historical story (in this case, one with magical elements) has a strong and a bit brash female character in it. I really liked Nic and Dash, but Leaf was by far my favorite. Fearlessly, she wanted to investigate the deaths, stood up to her father, and was simply the star of the book.
This story is for all of you who just want to smile, don’t mind a few dead people (there’s a little tension, but it is often dismissed fast due to the snarkiness in the story), and love a few speculative/magical elements, but not too much.
Thank you, Saga Press Books and NetGalley, for this entertaining ARC!
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A Gentleman and His Vowsmith is light, sweet, and funny, even though it’s not only a romance but also a mystery (just like the above mentioned series). I always love it when a historical story (in this case, one with magical elements) has a strong and a bit brash female character in it. I really liked Nic and Dash, but Leaf was by far my favorite. Fearlessly, she wanted to investigate the deaths, stood up to her father, and was simply the star of the book.
This story is for all of you who just want to smile, don’t mind a few dead people (there’s a little tension, but it is often dismissed fast due to the snarkiness in the story), and love a few speculative/magical elements, but not too much.
Thank you, Saga Press Books and NetGalley, for this entertaining ARC!
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April 15, 2025
It took me ages to figure out what to rate this one because I felt the book was all over the place. The first half was a solid 4. The last 20% had me trying to look into the camera like Jim in The Office and I seriously considered dnfing at 95%
It's a bit of a mix between The Last Binding series, Arrested Development, Defying Gravity from Wicked, and a telenovela wearing a KJ Charles party mask.
Leaf is flawless though and I love her!
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
It's a bit of a mix between The Last Binding series, Arrested Development, Defying Gravity from Wicked, and a telenovela wearing a KJ Charles party mask.
Leaf is flawless though and I love her!
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
May 29, 2025
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
For what its worth, I do think the idea was a creative and unique one that just never reached the full potential it could have; the idea of family politics governed by magical marriage contracts that might have been a forbidden union, yet the lust for power and control, as well as abiding by the laws governed, overcame the feelings of love. 📜🪶 The locked-room vibes set in early 1800's Regency era of a murderous mystery that threatened to wipe out each remaining family member in pursuit of familial ownership, while also covering the tracks of deadly and deceitful ploys of the past kept me turning the pages, despite the issues I faced with the romance; which is a shame, considering how love, itself, plays the driving force of how the events unfold. 💌
Nic and Leaf made an interesting detective duo, but I would have wanted more of that with Dashiell; I did not need Nic fawning and reminiscing, aside from moments of fwop fwop with Dashiell, where I could have had Dashiell be more of a proactive player earlier. And it is a personal me thing, but I always skim confessions; I don't know why, but -- some feel really like they come from the heart. But, when I see recycled phrases that don't fit the era, even if you discount it as a magical world - I just can't take it. *shudder* 🙂↔️🙂↔️ For as much as the spiciness was enjoyable, and certain moments made my heart flutter, their relationship just wasn't convincing enough.
“Sometimes the very strongest love is only hate by another name.”
With a title like The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, you would think that they would be in the majority of the story. But so much emphasis was put into their past encounters and flailing emotions that the author did not spend that much time in the present to make their connection feel believable that reuniting years later and they would pick up right where they left off! 🤦🏻♀️ I mean, we got more reminders of the fact that there had been nine years of separation between the two - 'nine years of absence... those nine years could just disappear....Nine years of silence' - rather than actually seeing the two of them interact with one another in the present timeline! 😩
“Even if we had to wait nine years for it.”
And that's not even half of it! 😭😭
“In truth, all the memories he could gather never could be, because he wanted Dashiell, not once, not twice, but forever.”
I wouldn't say that the writing style read like fanfiction, but I don't think there was enough depth allowed to Dashiell and Nic's relationship for me to be convinced enough that they could fall back together so easily after nine years without any real discussion. I kept waiting for that pivotal talk, and despite Nic's thoughts relating to it, Dashiell never became into a character worthy enough for me to believe that Nic's heart still carried a torch for him. Then, throw in that annoying martyr card of a sacrificial pawn, which also vexed me. 😒
It also took me a while to get a handle of the characters' names; there are a lot, but once the plot started to unfold, I was able to grasp who was who, and then start to care about the murderous intent brewing. However, I felt the magical element was very underwhelming and if there was no need for a magical contract to bind families with their vows, it would have made very little difference to it being a story sans that magic feely thing. Maybe it was toned down deliberately, but I wanted more of the depiction of vowsmithing—which is essentially magical lawyering—and is highly prized. 🤷🏻♀️
Even though the cast was dropping like flies, I was glad that certain reveals were unexpected and executed well. The complicated strained relationship between Nic and his parents was a pivotal part that carried the narrative and me into seeing how he would break free of his responsibilities. 😥 Nic was a caring protagonist; he was able to see both sides of the conflict, and still assess the damage and the difference in truths and fabrications, which made him someone you cared about. His intentions may have been questionable at times, but his convictions were honorable.
“Somewhere there’s a clue that will help untangle this riddle and maybe this is it.”
I would actually be really curious to read a prequel concerning the premise of the events that revolved around the present-one; that consisted of some deep and disturbing dark and twisted toxic vibes that I was actually more interested in seeing how it really unfolded. 🤔 The abrupt epilogue left some questions unanswered, which I actually would like to see some conversations played out. It was sad to see how people changed because they could not bear the truth - how lives were destroyed because duty was more important than their desires. It's a bittersweet truth that exists even now when people are too afraid to voice what their heart truly wants. I can only hope that it won't ever have to be solved the way Nic was faced with the ultimatum of deciding where his future lay - and with whom with. 🤍
“Too well did he know the feeling of love where no love ought to live.”
For what its worth, I do think the idea was a creative and unique one that just never reached the full potential it could have; the idea of family politics governed by magical marriage contracts that might have been a forbidden union, yet the lust for power and control, as well as abiding by the laws governed, overcame the feelings of love. 📜🪶 The locked-room vibes set in early 1800's Regency era of a murderous mystery that threatened to wipe out each remaining family member in pursuit of familial ownership, while also covering the tracks of deadly and deceitful ploys of the past kept me turning the pages, despite the issues I faced with the romance; which is a shame, considering how love, itself, plays the driving force of how the events unfold. 💌
Nic and Leaf made an interesting detective duo, but I would have wanted more of that with Dashiell; I did not need Nic fawning and reminiscing, aside from moments of fwop fwop with Dashiell, where I could have had Dashiell be more of a proactive player earlier. And it is a personal me thing, but I always skim confessions; I don't know why, but -- some feel really like they come from the heart. But, when I see recycled phrases that don't fit the era, even if you discount it as a magical world - I just can't take it. *shudder* 🙂↔️🙂↔️ For as much as the spiciness was enjoyable, and certain moments made my heart flutter, their relationship just wasn't convincing enough.
“Sometimes the very strongest love is only hate by another name.”
With a title like The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, you would think that they would be in the majority of the story. But so much emphasis was put into their past encounters and flailing emotions that the author did not spend that much time in the present to make their connection feel believable that reuniting years later and they would pick up right where they left off! 🤦🏻♀️ I mean, we got more reminders of the fact that there had been nine years of separation between the two - 'nine years of absence... those nine years could just disappear....Nine years of silence' - rather than actually seeing the two of them interact with one another in the present timeline! 😩
“Even if we had to wait nine years for it.”
And that's not even half of it! 😭😭
“In truth, all the memories he could gather never could be, because he wanted Dashiell, not once, not twice, but forever.”
I wouldn't say that the writing style read like fanfiction, but I don't think there was enough depth allowed to Dashiell and Nic's relationship for me to be convinced enough that they could fall back together so easily after nine years without any real discussion. I kept waiting for that pivotal talk, and despite Nic's thoughts relating to it, Dashiell never became into a character worthy enough for me to believe that Nic's heart still carried a torch for him. Then, throw in that annoying martyr card of a sacrificial pawn, which also vexed me. 😒
It also took me a while to get a handle of the characters' names; there are a lot, but once the plot started to unfold, I was able to grasp who was who, and then start to care about the murderous intent brewing. However, I felt the magical element was very underwhelming and if there was no need for a magical contract to bind families with their vows, it would have made very little difference to it being a story sans that magic feely thing. Maybe it was toned down deliberately, but I wanted more of the depiction of vowsmithing—which is essentially magical lawyering—and is highly prized. 🤷🏻♀️
Even though the cast was dropping like flies, I was glad that certain reveals were unexpected and executed well. The complicated strained relationship between Nic and his parents was a pivotal part that carried the narrative and me into seeing how he would break free of his responsibilities. 😥 Nic was a caring protagonist; he was able to see both sides of the conflict, and still assess the damage and the difference in truths and fabrications, which made him someone you cared about. His intentions may have been questionable at times, but his convictions were honorable.
“Somewhere there’s a clue that will help untangle this riddle and maybe this is it.”
I would actually be really curious to read a prequel concerning the premise of the events that revolved around the present-one; that consisted of some deep and disturbing dark and twisted toxic vibes that I was actually more interested in seeing how it really unfolded. 🤔 The abrupt epilogue left some questions unanswered, which I actually would like to see some conversations played out. It was sad to see how people changed because they could not bear the truth - how lives were destroyed because duty was more important than their desires. It's a bittersweet truth that exists even now when people are too afraid to voice what their heart truly wants. I can only hope that it won't ever have to be solved the way Nic was faced with the ultimatum of deciding where his future lay - and with whom with. 🤍
March 1, 2025
I made a couple of irrevocable mistakes with this book, and they were as follows: 1) start reading it, and 2) continue to read it after I realised it wasn’t going to get any better. Why did I carry on? Was it for an interest in the characters? Fuck no 😂 I made it past halfway and Goodreads needed that to count for something.
So we have the tale of me not only falling on the sword but doing push ups on that motherfucker so no one in my immediate orbit needs to suffer as I did.
Fundamentally the Gentleman and His Vowsmith can’t decide what it wants to be. It’s like six different books in a trench coat except the trench coat is wide open and every time you glimpse it you think ‘oh I’d rather be reading Freya Marske’ or ‘And Then We Were None walked so this one could stay at home. In bed. Maybe flirting with the idea of being a book.’
I will say conceptually this is maddeningly interesting. Arcane magic? Yes please. Regency Marske-esque romance? I’ve been chasing that feeling since I finished A Marvellous Light like 5 years ago. Vanitas adjacent steampunk elements? Interesting sure. And I stand by the fact that ✨that book✨ would most likely be a really interesting read. But that book doesn’t exist and it certainly wasn’t this one. The magic (or Brilliance as it was called and don’t even get me started on that) was hardly even there and about as useful as a bucket with a hole in it. When we did get little insights into how it worked and how much our main character apparently loved being a Conjurer (show don’t tell? Never heard of her) it was cool for a little bit but ultimately reminded me of all the things this could have been if give the time.
Okay so that’s one out of three hurdles tripped on. What about the queer romance? You must have loved that, surely Hannah, well…
Istg these two had hardly any scenes together before a really weird make out scene, a quick bang in the library (ps- if you find yourself writing the words ‘mingled seed’ in your book, you fucked up) and then suddenly they’re in love. Which, fine, I get that they knew each other before but we totally missed all of the yearning and then Dash disappeared as a character as soon as the confessions happened and was just kind of there to be this unattainable object of Nic’s affection? Nic had a lot of great moments with Leaf, and I enjoyed their friendship, but I feel like at a baseline of trying to be a fantasy romance it just fundamentally misses. I also didn’t love just how geared against women this world was but that’s something else entirely. It also suffered with the conflicting issues of somehow being chronically overwritten and have nothing fucking happen at the same time. But I truly believe if these characters pooled their collective brain cells together (Leaf is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here) we could have cut like 200 pages out because the answer is literally right there.
Overall I probably had a 2 star time with this book. But the final 50 pages killed it. Homeboy ‘surprise ghost spy’ and ‘death is the only way to escape being a Monterris’ caused me physical pain. It’s a shame because I was ✨so excited✨ for this one, and yet here I stand.
So we have the tale of me not only falling on the sword but doing push ups on that motherfucker so no one in my immediate orbit needs to suffer as I did.
Fundamentally the Gentleman and His Vowsmith can’t decide what it wants to be. It’s like six different books in a trench coat except the trench coat is wide open and every time you glimpse it you think ‘oh I’d rather be reading Freya Marske’ or ‘And Then We Were None walked so this one could stay at home. In bed. Maybe flirting with the idea of being a book.’
I will say conceptually this is maddeningly interesting. Arcane magic? Yes please. Regency Marske-esque romance? I’ve been chasing that feeling since I finished A Marvellous Light like 5 years ago. Vanitas adjacent steampunk elements? Interesting sure. And I stand by the fact that ✨that book✨ would most likely be a really interesting read. But that book doesn’t exist and it certainly wasn’t this one. The magic (or Brilliance as it was called and don’t even get me started on that) was hardly even there and about as useful as a bucket with a hole in it. When we did get little insights into how it worked and how much our main character apparently loved being a Conjurer (show don’t tell? Never heard of her) it was cool for a little bit but ultimately reminded me of all the things this could have been if give the time.
Okay so that’s one out of three hurdles tripped on. What about the queer romance? You must have loved that, surely Hannah, well…
Istg these two had hardly any scenes together before a really weird make out scene, a quick bang in the library (ps- if you find yourself writing the words ‘mingled seed’ in your book, you fucked up) and then suddenly they’re in love. Which, fine, I get that they knew each other before but we totally missed all of the yearning and then Dash disappeared as a character as soon as the confessions happened and was just kind of there to be this unattainable object of Nic’s affection? Nic had a lot of great moments with Leaf, and I enjoyed their friendship, but I feel like at a baseline of trying to be a fantasy romance it just fundamentally misses. I also didn’t love just how geared against women this world was but that’s something else entirely. It also suffered with the conflicting issues of somehow being chronically overwritten and have nothing fucking happen at the same time. But I truly believe if these characters pooled their collective brain cells together (Leaf is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here) we could have cut like 200 pages out because the answer is literally right there.
Overall I probably had a 2 star time with this book. But the final 50 pages killed it. Homeboy ‘surprise ghost spy’ and ‘death is the only way to escape being a Monterris’ caused me physical pain. It’s a shame because I was ✨so excited✨ for this one, and yet here I stand.
April 14, 2025
these gays…these gays are trying to murder me!!
April 1, 2025
A very sweet historical fantasy with enough tension, angst, and yearning to keep things interesting and a locked room mystery that genuinely kept me guessing.
Review to come
Review to come
March 23, 2025
The Gentleman and his Vowsmith is a (nearly) locked-room mystery centering on the marriage contract negotiations of Nic (the only heir of a Duke) and Leaf by Nic’s former flame Dashiel-that get complicated by a bit of murder and some spooky antics on account of Nic’s complicated family history. It took me a bit to get into this one, but overall I very much enjoyed the character development of our three main players and the romance in here is full of angst and yearning that make the payoff that much better. I did have complicated feelings surrounding the resolution of the main mystery (but not the resolution of the story), largely because when reading I could come up with SO many possible scenarios while none of those are ultimately what played out. However, I think for many readers that constantly-keeps-you-guessing vibe will really hit just right! Overall, I’d rate this book 3.75ish, nearly 4⭐️, with a strong recommendation if you like your mysteries to come with a LOT of swoon-worthy romance. Grateful to Saga Press books for the ARC!
August 2, 2025
It sounded just like the sort of brain candy I needed to get me out of a slump, and it was all brand shiny new, I could not resist. But it ended up being disappointing. An alternate regency world, a mm romance kind of, Freya Marske territory definitely with a touch maybe of Voyage of the Damned in the surprise dead bodies continuously being found. But it was all so limp, so lackluster. And as a romance, the main characters seemed to have no personality whatsoever (after hundreds of pages I am still quite confused whatever stopped Nick from having a life before, or actually how the nameless lover in the first scene fitted in) and no chemistry (oh, there is sex, it is just a bit perfunctory and rather surprising after not getting any chemistry). In fact, the intended fiancée seems to be the Mary Sue character around which it all turns, always there to be so supportive, and ambitious and clever and oh such a Mary Sue.
The universe was confusing, and somewhat contradictory. The authors makes a bi-norm and same sex marriage alternate regency but with strict chaperones, and the importance of bloodlines for some things but not for others apparently. The good guys solve the mysteries (not very mysterious, and actually stupid me, I kept hoping for a real twist) by jumping to conclusions and sometimes not acting on those conclusions and then jumping again to the same conclusion in a different scene.
Rating this, well, I finished it, and it did not make me froth with rage at anything, but I wish I hadn't finished it or given it a chance, it's really not good as a romance or a mystery or a fantasy setting, it kind of fails at all that. I was wavering between rating it 1 or 2 stars, and thinking oh, it is a debut novel, and it is promising, but checking after the read it seems the author has several other books already published under another penname, so there goes that excuse, and I kept comparing it to other non perfect similar books and it lost out in comparison and I am not going to pick any more of the authors' future books, so 1 star which for me usually means I did not like it and will not pick more books by the author. Not recommended, in short.
The universe was confusing, and somewhat contradictory. The authors makes a bi-norm and same sex marriage alternate regency but with strict chaperones, and the importance of bloodlines for some things but not for others apparently. The good guys solve the mysteries (not very mysterious, and actually stupid me, I kept hoping for a real twist) by jumping to conclusions and sometimes not acting on those conclusions and then jumping again to the same conclusion in a different scene.
Rating this, well, I finished it, and it did not make me froth with rage at anything, but I wish I hadn't finished it or given it a chance, it's really not good as a romance or a mystery or a fantasy setting, it kind of fails at all that. I was wavering between rating it 1 or 2 stars, and thinking oh, it is a debut novel, and it is promising, but checking after the read it seems the author has several other books already published under another penname, so there goes that excuse, and I kept comparing it to other non perfect similar books and it lost out in comparison and I am not going to pick any more of the authors' future books, so 1 star which for me usually means I did not like it and will not pick more books by the author. Not recommended, in short.
April 24, 2025
2025 reads: 87/300
2025 tbr: 34/111
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
as the last remaining heir of his house, lord nicholas monterris must marry to save his family. his father chooses lady leaf serral, eldest daughter of his greatest rival, and nic soon learns the head negotiator for their arrangement is to be none other than dashiell sa vare, nic’s old flame he’s never forgotten. nic and leaf set aside their differences to work together when dead bodies begin to pop up around monterris court. throughout their clandestine investigation, though, nic can’t stop thinking of dashiell.
i’ve seen this book compared to the last binding series, the first book of which i enjoyed (still need to finish the series, oops), so i was very interested in this! i tend to enjoy historical fantasies, and even better, this one also included pretty solid romance and mystery aspects. i liked the tension between nic and dash and how that played out. i also thought the mystery was interesting and enjoyed watching them solve it!
i would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical fantasy with romance and a murder mystery.
2025 tbr: 34/111
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
as the last remaining heir of his house, lord nicholas monterris must marry to save his family. his father chooses lady leaf serral, eldest daughter of his greatest rival, and nic soon learns the head negotiator for their arrangement is to be none other than dashiell sa vare, nic’s old flame he’s never forgotten. nic and leaf set aside their differences to work together when dead bodies begin to pop up around monterris court. throughout their clandestine investigation, though, nic can’t stop thinking of dashiell.
i’ve seen this book compared to the last binding series, the first book of which i enjoyed (still need to finish the series, oops), so i was very interested in this! i tend to enjoy historical fantasies, and even better, this one also included pretty solid romance and mystery aspects. i liked the tension between nic and dash and how that played out. i also thought the mystery was interesting and enjoyed watching them solve it!
i would recommend this to anyone looking for a historical fantasy with romance and a murder mystery.
January 26, 2025
So here's the thing: on paper, this book sounds fantastic—an alternative Regency setting with magic and steampunk-esque elements, wrapped in mystery and queer romance.
Let's start from the top. The alternative regency setting, elements of the world building were amazing, and there were threads I wanted to pull and hear more about but... you don't need to explain things that are the *same* as regency Britain, I just need to know what's different. The concept of being 'sasined' was actually really central and it just didn't seem to be explained in a clear way anywhere, of things people can and can't do, of reasons they can't just... leave, walk out, is there magic there that would stop them? Are there law officials? It seems like it's the same as being part of a family, I honestly can't get what is different. And... gay marriage is normal and okay, which is great, but feels like it should be highlighted much earlier that that is even an option for anyone! The echos, I loved the echos... I think. I just. The wrong things were explained in too much detail.
Next, the mystery. Honestly, it was like watching someone stare at a table with a cup on it and constantly demand to ask where the cup is. I don't want to spoil too much here, but really if you're going to use mysteries to build tension, the reveals should be dramatic. They were most definitely not. I finished the book yesterday and even now I have to squint to remember who killed whom and why. Yeah.
The queer romance was just... lazy. It was full of misunderstandings, making it so hard to feel any connection between the main pairing for most of the book. Then, out of nowhere, we suddenly have people talking and showing emotions you can connect with. It was so frustrating. And the open-door moments? Jarring and vaguely heteronormative. No thank you. That first spicy scene was right out of a bodice ripper, what the hell, where did the bloody oil come from??
The prose, though—the prose was well-written, and the core idea was solid. But everything else? Really not great.
2.5 stars, rounded up.
Let's start from the top. The alternative regency setting, elements of the world building were amazing, and there were threads I wanted to pull and hear more about but... you don't need to explain things that are the *same* as regency Britain, I just need to know what's different. The concept of being 'sasined' was actually really central and it just didn't seem to be explained in a clear way anywhere, of things people can and can't do, of reasons they can't just... leave, walk out, is there magic there that would stop them? Are there law officials? It seems like it's the same as being part of a family, I honestly can't get what is different. And... gay marriage is normal and okay, which is great, but feels like it should be highlighted much earlier that that is even an option for anyone! The echos, I loved the echos... I think. I just. The wrong things were explained in too much detail.
Next, the mystery. Honestly, it was like watching someone stare at a table with a cup on it and constantly demand to ask where the cup is. I don't want to spoil too much here, but really if you're going to use mysteries to build tension, the reveals should be dramatic. They were most definitely not. I finished the book yesterday and even now I have to squint to remember who killed whom and why. Yeah.
The queer romance was just... lazy. It was full of misunderstandings, making it so hard to feel any connection between the main pairing for most of the book. Then, out of nowhere, we suddenly have people talking and showing emotions you can connect with. It was so frustrating. And the open-door moments? Jarring and vaguely heteronormative. No thank you. That first spicy scene was right out of a bodice ripper, what the hell, where did the bloody oil come from??
The prose, though—the prose was well-written, and the core idea was solid. But everything else? Really not great.
2.5 stars, rounded up.
January 26, 2025
Perfectly fine fluffy queer historical fantasy, but the thing about chucking dead bodies at your plot to make it go is that they have to actually make the plot go. If a dead body does nothing but keep the soggy center of the book idling in neutral, it seems awfully disrespectful to the characters who thought they were giving their fictional lives in service of moving things along.
December 31, 2024
Buckle in folks, because this is going to be a ride.
I went into this book with reasonably high expectations. The concept sounded cool. I like mysteries. I like queer romance. I loved the idea of MC’s fiancee being treated as a friend and ally instead of a shallow rival. And to be fair, Leaf is one of this book’s best parts. She’s likable. She’s smart. God knows she’s got far more drive and agency than our MC. She’s even pretty decent ace rep. She wasn’t perfect - often coming off as a teenage girl playing Nancy Drew instead of an adult woman personally invested in the situation, but I still wished she was the main character instead of Nic.
Nic, in a nutshell, was one of my biggest problems with this book. I wanted to like him, but damn was he a whiny dunce with no agency! The death knell came when he got stabbed, and I just stared at the page and realized, “I couldn’t care less.” A few chapters later, he confronts the stabber in question. That could lead somewhere good, right? The culprit fires back with, more or less, “yeah, and what are you going to do about it? We’re on lockdown.” Being a person of reasonable intelligence, I assumed Nic would reply, “Tell everyone,” knowing that this would likely result in the culprit being beaten, restrained, and stuffed in a small room under guard to wait for the police, who would arrive in a few days. Shame dearest Nic appeared to have, in the immortal words of Heather Chandler, eaten a brain tumor for breakfast. “What are you going to do about it?” works for him, and he stays silent.
His eventual solution to all his life’s problems might have been halfway to clever, were it not for the fact that I had arrived at it a couple hundred pages earlier. Not from any desire to solve the plot of this book, mind you. Somewhere around the third or fourth time Nic hung his head, remarking that “Death is the only way to escape being a Monterris,” I let out a strangled scream, scaring the cat, and muttered under my breath. Yes, this book also has a huge redundancy problem. Not only is the horse dead, but the murderer beat it over the head ’til it was no more.
Nic’s relationship with Dashiell did not help matters any. Ide packs every stupid, annoying cliche into their arc. They spend the first half of the book sulking in a Big Misunderstanding, utterly unable to communicate. They spend the second half moaning about how they can never be together and it’s soooo sad, instead of trying to be lateral for half a second. Look. I don’t expect romantic leads to behave like they just came out of a couples’ counseling session, but I do expect them to act like plausible goddamn adults. And then, Ide pulled the wretched cliche of That’s when I barfed in my mouth a little. Dashiell contributed a tiny bit to the mystery solving, mostly by knowing magic sigils, but was disappointingly useless outside of a few scenes, robbing me of him and Nic working side by side as a badass couple. Honestly, the book spends more time on Nic and Leaf bonding, and consequently they have better, albeit platonic, chemistry. The sex was eh. It wasn’t horrible, or toxic, or cringe. It was just eh. I’ve read hotter fanfic.
The prose in general was fine. Outside of one line on the very first page, which was so bad I honestly believe the editor left it in deliberately, as a sacrificial lamb to make the rest of the (meh) writing sparkle in comparison.
The world building had some potentially interesting ideas, but was poorly served by the alternate Regency setting. The big advantage of setting your book in an alternate version of the real world is that the reader can fill in some blanks without you needing to cover them yourself. If there’s a major break from the status quo, the reader needs to be told as promptly and smoothly as possible. It shouldn’t have taken forty percent of the book for me to find out that gay marriage is legal in this setting, as opposed to, you know, the real Regency, where sodomy was potentially punishable by death. This is incredibly relevant, as it completely changes the stakes faced by our leads. Without a specific Regency setting, I would also not have been pulled out of the story by forensic investigation techniques which I’m pretty sure weren’t in common use at the time, let alone fictionalized accurately in pulps. I would not have been perplexed by the use of the word “gay” to mean “homosexual,” or for that matter the concept of homosexuality-as-identity, neither of which emerged until the twentieth century. I would not be cringing as Nic described something as “a bit messed up,” question marks floating above my head at every new anachronism. It really felt like Ide wanted the #aesthetic of the period, with none of its warts. But the thing is, she could have set her book in a thinly-fictionalized “Englia” or some shit, and I wouldn’t be asking any of these questions.
I’d be asking different ones instead. Because unfortunately, the novel doesn’t do a good job developing or explicating any of its potentially interesting world building concepts. So, noble children in this setting basically belong to their parents. Okay, I’m curious. Tell me more. What does this ownership mean Is it fundamentally the same as in the real world, with guilt trips, social pressure, and financial abuse? Can magic/contracts physically, literally, curtail someone’s actions? (Evidence suggests not so much.) Can magic bonds/blood relation be used to track an escapee? Don’t ask me, I finished this book and I have no idea. There’s steampunky automata. There’s illusion magic. There’s sigils being used for law. Why isn’t there magic being used for medicine? Who knows. There’s a lot of sigil recitation. It’s even relevant to one part of the mystery. What’s the principle behind the system? Who knows.
Ide’s attempts to add socially relevant themes also fall flat. At one point, Nic comments how sad it is that no one sees the servants around them as people. Unfortunately, that’s also how the narrative seems to see them. Not one of them is presented with internality or a life of their own. Every single one is portrayed as a helpful, loyal accessory of the nobles who employ them. It’s a little sickening. Just try it: try to name a single trait of a single servant character, other than “servant.” You can’t. Because there aren’t any. I was also deeply not a fan of the frail victim “madwoman in the attic” portrayal of Georgiana's mental illness. Charlotte Bronte at least has the excuse of writing centuries ago. A modern author? Not so much.
It’s not all dreadful. I do appreciate that Nic and Leaf not only investigate the murders but make real headway, uncovering clues and piecing together the story. Believe me, that’s not always the case in stories which claim to have a mystery at their center. The supporting cast, particularly the parents’ generation, are somewhat interesting and add value to the mystery’s social web. At least before everything devolves into melodrama at the very end. Ricard especially had the potential to be a fantastic character, and watching his potential squandered hurt.
So that was A Gentleman and His Vowsmith. It did not defeat me. I finished it against all odds, because it was an ARC and I felt obliged. Now there’s a true story of putting duty before one’s desires. And one with a happy ending. Because I’m done, and now I can go have a glass of wine. I deserve it.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
I went into this book with reasonably high expectations. The concept sounded cool. I like mysteries. I like queer romance. I loved the idea of MC’s fiancee being treated as a friend and ally instead of a shallow rival. And to be fair, Leaf is one of this book’s best parts. She’s likable. She’s smart. God knows she’s got far more drive and agency than our MC. She’s even pretty decent ace rep. She wasn’t perfect - often coming off as a teenage girl playing Nancy Drew instead of an adult woman personally invested in the situation, but I still wished she was the main character instead of Nic.
Nic, in a nutshell, was one of my biggest problems with this book. I wanted to like him, but damn was he a whiny dunce with no agency! The death knell came when he got stabbed, and I just stared at the page and realized, “I couldn’t care less.” A few chapters later, he confronts the stabber in question. That could lead somewhere good, right? The culprit fires back with, more or less, “yeah, and what are you going to do about it? We’re on lockdown.” Being a person of reasonable intelligence, I assumed Nic would reply, “Tell everyone,” knowing that this would likely result in the culprit being beaten, restrained, and stuffed in a small room under guard to wait for the police, who would arrive in a few days. Shame dearest Nic appeared to have, in the immortal words of Heather Chandler, eaten a brain tumor for breakfast. “What are you going to do about it?” works for him, and he stays silent.
His eventual solution to all his life’s problems might have been halfway to clever, were it not for the fact that I had arrived at it a couple hundred pages earlier. Not from any desire to solve the plot of this book, mind you. Somewhere around the third or fourth time Nic hung his head, remarking that “Death is the only way to escape being a Monterris,” I let out a strangled scream, scaring the cat, and muttered under my breath. Yes, this book also has a huge redundancy problem. Not only is the horse dead, but the murderer beat it over the head ’til it was no more.
Nic’s relationship with Dashiell did not help matters any. Ide packs every stupid, annoying cliche into their arc. They spend the first half of the book sulking in a Big Misunderstanding, utterly unable to communicate. They spend the second half moaning about how they can never be together and it’s soooo sad, instead of trying to be lateral for half a second. Look. I don’t expect romantic leads to behave like they just came out of a couples’ counseling session, but I do expect them to act like plausible goddamn adults. And then, Ide pulled the wretched cliche of That’s when I barfed in my mouth a little. Dashiell contributed a tiny bit to the mystery solving, mostly by knowing magic sigils, but was disappointingly useless outside of a few scenes, robbing me of him and Nic working side by side as a badass couple. Honestly, the book spends more time on Nic and Leaf bonding, and consequently they have better, albeit platonic, chemistry. The sex was eh. It wasn’t horrible, or toxic, or cringe. It was just eh. I’ve read hotter fanfic.
The prose in general was fine. Outside of one line on the very first page, which was so bad I honestly believe the editor left it in deliberately, as a sacrificial lamb to make the rest of the (meh) writing sparkle in comparison.
The world building had some potentially interesting ideas, but was poorly served by the alternate Regency setting. The big advantage of setting your book in an alternate version of the real world is that the reader can fill in some blanks without you needing to cover them yourself. If there’s a major break from the status quo, the reader needs to be told as promptly and smoothly as possible. It shouldn’t have taken forty percent of the book for me to find out that gay marriage is legal in this setting, as opposed to, you know, the real Regency, where sodomy was potentially punishable by death. This is incredibly relevant, as it completely changes the stakes faced by our leads. Without a specific Regency setting, I would also not have been pulled out of the story by forensic investigation techniques which I’m pretty sure weren’t in common use at the time, let alone fictionalized accurately in pulps. I would not have been perplexed by the use of the word “gay” to mean “homosexual,” or for that matter the concept of homosexuality-as-identity, neither of which emerged until the twentieth century. I would not be cringing as Nic described something as “a bit messed up,” question marks floating above my head at every new anachronism. It really felt like Ide wanted the #aesthetic of the period, with none of its warts. But the thing is, she could have set her book in a thinly-fictionalized “Englia” or some shit, and I wouldn’t be asking any of these questions.
I’d be asking different ones instead. Because unfortunately, the novel doesn’t do a good job developing or explicating any of its potentially interesting world building concepts. So, noble children in this setting basically belong to their parents. Okay, I’m curious. Tell me more. What does this ownership mean Is it fundamentally the same as in the real world, with guilt trips, social pressure, and financial abuse? Can magic/contracts physically, literally, curtail someone’s actions? (Evidence suggests not so much.) Can magic bonds/blood relation be used to track an escapee? Don’t ask me, I finished this book and I have no idea. There’s steampunky automata. There’s illusion magic. There’s sigils being used for law. Why isn’t there magic being used for medicine? Who knows. There’s a lot of sigil recitation. It’s even relevant to one part of the mystery. What’s the principle behind the system? Who knows.
Ide’s attempts to add socially relevant themes also fall flat. At one point, Nic comments how sad it is that no one sees the servants around them as people. Unfortunately, that’s also how the narrative seems to see them. Not one of them is presented with internality or a life of their own. Every single one is portrayed as a helpful, loyal accessory of the nobles who employ them. It’s a little sickening. Just try it: try to name a single trait of a single servant character, other than “servant.” You can’t. Because there aren’t any. I was also deeply not a fan of the frail victim “madwoman in the attic” portrayal of Georgiana's mental illness. Charlotte Bronte at least has the excuse of writing centuries ago. A modern author? Not so much.
It’s not all dreadful. I do appreciate that Nic and Leaf not only investigate the murders but make real headway, uncovering clues and piecing together the story. Believe me, that’s not always the case in stories which claim to have a mystery at their center. The supporting cast, particularly the parents’ generation, are somewhat interesting and add value to the mystery’s social web. At least before everything devolves into melodrama at the very end. Ricard especially had the potential to be a fantastic character, and watching his potential squandered hurt.
So that was A Gentleman and His Vowsmith. It did not defeat me. I finished it against all odds, because it was an ARC and I felt obliged. Now there’s a true story of putting duty before one’s desires. And one with a happy ending. Because I’m done, and now I can go have a glass of wine. I deserve it.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
April 13, 2025
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a historical fantasy mystery with a beautiful m/m romance, set in Regency England. I liked the main couple and the mystery elements, but the other parts not so much.
Nic is our main character, and he is such a lovely character to have a journey with. He grows throughout the story, and his trajectory to happiness was a beauty to behold. In the beginning, he felt hopeless and imprisoned within his life controlled by his overbearing father who "owned" everybody in the family. But his friendship to Leaf let him grow and actually find strength in her who has been determined to gain her freedom for years. Leaf's honesty and bravery made him be honest with himself and brave to fight for his future, too. Their friendship is actually one of the two best things in the book, the other being Leaf herself.
Leaf is Nic's betrothed but they grow to be friends instead. She is asexual and very honest with what she wants and doesn't want and also with what she likes and doesn't like. She is outspoken and honest and brave and doesn't stop. Her wit and humour really stood out in the book. However, I don't get the "gay as a spoon" or how Nic found it funny. Then, there is the whole "word gay being used in Regency England setting" discussion...
Dash, our love interest, was also an okay character. Very handsome, very polite, very good at his job, and very competent in magic. And oh how he loves Nic.
However, I couldn't possibly tell you much about the worldbuilding. I still don't understand how magic works. I do get that they use sigils for magic (how, why; I have no idea.) They say that contracts are also very important, and I again have no idea why. Nic's father kept telling him that it must hold, and Dash gave an explanation much later in the book, something about threads that are interconnected, but to be honest, I don't get it. Sure, magical threads of fate (?) are interconnected but how and why? Why are the contracts so important???? What does a vowsmith even do? Just make contracts? Is it only they who can do it? Why? How? "Brilliance" was also mentioned a couple of times, and I think it means magic, even though "magic" was also used, so the terms might be intrechangeable or "Brilliance" is about vowsmithing? I have no idea. I don't mind vague rules in magic systems actually but I do want to understand how it works.
Since I didn't understand much about those contracts, it didn't help me understand the motive behind the murders, either. One person was a clear suspect, but other than that, I just didn't have enough information and understanding for anything. And the resolution? Quite anti-climactic, I'm afraid. On the other hand, I had no idea who did what until the final revelations, so that was good.
There is also a discussion to be had about the setting, the language used, etc, but to be honest, this book left me so confused to even attempt that, sadly. Did it feel like Regency England? Yes (hello misogyny) and no (language used generally).
I came for the m/m romance, and it was lovely and little spicy, but the worldbuilding left me confused, so I'd say that The Gentleman and His Vowsmith was an okay read if you focus on the romance and the friendship arcs.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a historical fantasy mystery with a beautiful m/m romance, set in Regency England. I liked the main couple and the mystery elements, but the other parts not so much.
Nic is our main character, and he is such a lovely character to have a journey with. He grows throughout the story, and his trajectory to happiness was a beauty to behold. In the beginning, he felt hopeless and imprisoned within his life controlled by his overbearing father who "owned" everybody in the family. But his friendship to Leaf let him grow and actually find strength in her who has been determined to gain her freedom for years. Leaf's honesty and bravery made him be honest with himself and brave to fight for his future, too. Their friendship is actually one of the two best things in the book, the other being Leaf herself.
Leaf is Nic's betrothed but they grow to be friends instead. She is asexual and very honest with what she wants and doesn't want and also with what she likes and doesn't like. She is outspoken and honest and brave and doesn't stop. Her wit and humour really stood out in the book. However, I don't get the "gay as a spoon" or how Nic found it funny. Then, there is the whole "word gay being used in Regency England setting" discussion...
Dash, our love interest, was also an okay character. Very handsome, very polite, very good at his job, and very competent in magic. And oh how he loves Nic.
However, I couldn't possibly tell you much about the worldbuilding. I still don't understand how magic works. I do get that they use sigils for magic (how, why; I have no idea.) They say that contracts are also very important, and I again have no idea why. Nic's father kept telling him that it must hold, and Dash gave an explanation much later in the book, something about threads that are interconnected, but to be honest, I don't get it. Sure, magical threads of fate (?) are interconnected but how and why? Why are the contracts so important???? What does a vowsmith even do? Just make contracts? Is it only they who can do it? Why? How? "Brilliance" was also mentioned a couple of times, and I think it means magic, even though "magic" was also used, so the terms might be intrechangeable or "Brilliance" is about vowsmithing? I have no idea. I don't mind vague rules in magic systems actually but I do want to understand how it works.
Since I didn't understand much about those contracts, it didn't help me understand the motive behind the murders, either. One person was a clear suspect, but other than that, I just didn't have enough information and understanding for anything. And the resolution? Quite anti-climactic, I'm afraid. On the other hand, I had no idea who did what until the final revelations, so that was good.
There is also a discussion to be had about the setting, the language used, etc, but to be honest, this book left me so confused to even attempt that, sadly. Did it feel like Regency England? Yes (hello misogyny) and no (language used generally).
I came for the m/m romance, and it was lovely and little spicy, but the worldbuilding left me confused, so I'd say that The Gentleman and His Vowsmith was an okay read if you focus on the romance and the friendship arcs.
April 22, 2025
I was SO looking forward to this book, but I ended up very disappointed.
My issues with the book are:
1) It’s too long!
There just isn’t enough story here for 460 pages. You could easily remove 100 pages, and it would be vastly improved. The plot is so circular: someone is murdered, Nic and Leaf try to investigate but are unsuccessful, someone is scared by an automaton, and Nic and Dashiell pine for reach other. Repeat ad infinitum.
2) There are too many characters, and they are underdeveloped.
You would think that with a book that is fundamentally a locked-room mystery, there wouldn’t be so many characters that all run together. You would be wrong lol. There are Dukes and vowsmiths and members of the family staff and and and.
And what’s worse is that I just did not care about any of them. They’re just names, not vibrant characters. This is especially evident when character after character is killed to (supposedly) advance the plot. But the cycle I mentioned above just continues over and over again.
The most egregious example is when Nic’s valet dies (this happens very early on so I’m not counting it as a spoiler). Nic says his valet was more like a father to him than his biological father. Yet Nic barely mentions him again, except to occasionally remind the reader that the valet is dead.
3) The romance plot line is weak.
I have this issue with many second-chance romance stories: when the characters have fallen in love off-page, before the start of the book, the author has to show us why they’re drawn to each other as they reconnect. It’s a difficult thing to accomplish, and I don’t think Ide succeeds. I don’t know what’s appealing about Dashiell except his eyes, and I don’t know why Dashiell cares for Nic either. We are told over and over about their connection, but you can’t feel it in the book.
4) The magic system is dumb.
The magical rules of Brilliance is barely explained, and the use of runes(?) and automata needed to be explained more. How does this world work? You would think in a book of 460 pages, everything would be clear. But somehow that doesn’t happen.
I will say that I think Rebecca Ide has the ability to write some lovely prose. And Leaf is a delightful character, the most enjoyable by far. Some lovely turns of phrase and a sweet character are far from enough to save this book from mediocrity though.
My issues with the book are:
1) It’s too long!
There just isn’t enough story here for 460 pages. You could easily remove 100 pages, and it would be vastly improved. The plot is so circular: someone is murdered, Nic and Leaf try to investigate but are unsuccessful, someone is scared by an automaton, and Nic and Dashiell pine for reach other. Repeat ad infinitum.
2) There are too many characters, and they are underdeveloped.
You would think that with a book that is fundamentally a locked-room mystery, there wouldn’t be so many characters that all run together. You would be wrong lol. There are Dukes and vowsmiths and members of the family staff and and and.
And what’s worse is that I just did not care about any of them. They’re just names, not vibrant characters. This is especially evident when character after character is killed to (supposedly) advance the plot. But the cycle I mentioned above just continues over and over again.
The most egregious example is when Nic’s valet dies (this happens very early on so I’m not counting it as a spoiler). Nic says his valet was more like a father to him than his biological father. Yet Nic barely mentions him again, except to occasionally remind the reader that the valet is dead.
3) The romance plot line is weak.
I have this issue with many second-chance romance stories: when the characters have fallen in love off-page, before the start of the book, the author has to show us why they’re drawn to each other as they reconnect. It’s a difficult thing to accomplish, and I don’t think Ide succeeds. I don’t know what’s appealing about Dashiell except his eyes, and I don’t know why Dashiell cares for Nic either. We are told over and over about their connection, but you can’t feel it in the book.
4) The magic system is dumb.
The magical rules of Brilliance is barely explained, and the use of runes(?) and automata needed to be explained more. How does this world work? You would think in a book of 460 pages, everything would be clear. But somehow that doesn’t happen.
I will say that I think Rebecca Ide has the ability to write some lovely prose. And Leaf is a delightful character, the most enjoyable by far. Some lovely turns of phrase and a sweet character are far from enough to save this book from mediocrity though.
April 17, 2025
This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum.
I received an eARC from Tor via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.5👑
When I first heard of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, I got excited, and not just because Rebecca Ide is the pen name of Devin Madson, whose fantasy books I enjoyed over the years. The Gentleman and His Vowsmith promised to deliver everything I enjoy – murder mystery, M/M romance, fantasy, dressed in banter and set in the Regency era. Although the last is not a particular interest of mine, but I’m certainly not complaining. All that said, I had high expectations going in, and I wasn’t dissapointed.
Being the son of a poverished duke, who has strong magic abilities, it was always inevitable for Nic to get married off for good money to save the Monterris family name. The problem? His intended bride is not only a Serral, a family with whom the Monterrises have a strained relationship, but she is also a woman, while Nic prefers man. And when he thought things couldn’t get any worse than that, he ends up locked in for weeks with his childhood love (along with the whole Serral party and), who left him behind years ago, while the negotiations last and the contract gets vowsmithed (made magically bonding). And then the mysterious deads start happening. So Nic has to deal with ALL the feelings while playing a generous host which leds to unexpected discoveries.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a mash of genres that works really well. It’s part closed space murder mystery, part M/M romance with a dash of fantasy just to spice it up a bit. Well, a bit more, because the romance has enough spice to it as it is 👀 Which is to say it has some steamy scenes, but it’s not overdone and doesn’t take away the focus from the mystery, well, not too much anyway, lol.
As for the characters, it took me a bit to get connected with Nic. I mean, I liked him, and his voice as we get the story from his POV, but sometimes I found his “woe me” attitude a bit tiring. Then again, it’s kind of understandable he is having a hard time, between a father who technically owns him, and doesn’t seem to care about him much, a mother who is absent most of the time, retreated into her own fantasy world, a fiancé whom he didn’t want and the temptation that is Dashiell, well, I think we all would be having a hard time. Not even talking about all the tension between different characters that comes out even stronger now that they are all closed in together, with nothing to do but bring old hurts and frustration to the open.
I liked how each person in the story was well characterised, their personality really came through, although, I admit I found Dashiell just a touch too bland for my liking, then again, most of the time he wore the mask of the professional vowsmith whose only role is to make sure his employer gets his wishes in the contract. It’s just that, it was hard for me to see what Nic saw in him, exactly, outside of his looks. They sure had chemistry, at least, so I’m complaining too hard. Leaf was an unexpected surprise for me. She is the bride to be, the daughter of the marquess, well bred, intelligent, and a sense of dry humor that I like. And also no filter between her brain and her mouth so that makes her witty comments just more fun. But she is also kind, and good hearted, and of course she also has her own dreams and ambitions – marriage is not one of those. I appreciated how Nic and Leaf ended up coming together forming a deep bond of friendship amidst all the chaos around them, and despite the high strung emotions on all sides.
I’m not going to talk about the mystery plot of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, because of spoilers, but I can tell you it was well executed – as someone who reads many mysteries, it even had a couple of surprises for me too, and I kept guessing who might have been behind everything. Closed space mysteries are tricky, because you only have a limited selection of culprits, so you need to make sure everyone has motives and secret agendas to make sure you keep up the interest of the readers. Ide pulled that off quite well.
To bring this review to a close, I really don’t have much to complain about. If I really want to nitpick, then I would say that I would have liked to get a bit more about the magic, because the Brilliance thing was just a touch confusing, given the fact that the higher you are registrated, the more you are worth, but other than that, I enjoyed the mystery aspect, I enjoyed the romance aspect between Nic and Dashiell and I enjoyed Nic’s budding friendship with Leaf. And I didn’t even mention the steampunkish bits with the automatons. I don’t know how Rebecca Ide made all the different elements work, but the result is speaking for itself. And I can see why it’s compared to the works of Alexis Hall, and I probably would add AJ Lancaster as well. Either way, I highly recommend The Gentleman and His Vowsmith if you need a bit of bloodrush in the form of a spicy murder mystery.
I received an eARC from Tor via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.5👑
“You see, that was the word I wanted you to stop saying.”
Leaf looked entirely baffled. “Which word?”
“Murder. And murdered. And murderer. And -“
“What would you rather I called it? Premeditated life extinguishing?”
“You know what? Forget I said anything.”
When I first heard of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, I got excited, and not just because Rebecca Ide is the pen name of Devin Madson, whose fantasy books I enjoyed over the years. The Gentleman and His Vowsmith promised to deliver everything I enjoy – murder mystery, M/M romance, fantasy, dressed in banter and set in the Regency era. Although the last is not a particular interest of mine, but I’m certainly not complaining. All that said, I had high expectations going in, and I wasn’t dissapointed.
Being the son of a poverished duke, who has strong magic abilities, it was always inevitable for Nic to get married off for good money to save the Monterris family name. The problem? His intended bride is not only a Serral, a family with whom the Monterrises have a strained relationship, but she is also a woman, while Nic prefers man. And when he thought things couldn’t get any worse than that, he ends up locked in for weeks with his childhood love (along with the whole Serral party and), who left him behind years ago, while the negotiations last and the contract gets vowsmithed (made magically bonding). And then the mysterious deads start happening. So Nic has to deal with ALL the feelings while playing a generous host which leds to unexpected discoveries.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a mash of genres that works really well. It’s part closed space murder mystery, part M/M romance with a dash of fantasy just to spice it up a bit. Well, a bit more, because the romance has enough spice to it as it is 👀 Which is to say it has some steamy scenes, but it’s not overdone and doesn’t take away the focus from the mystery, well, not too much anyway, lol.
As for the characters, it took me a bit to get connected with Nic. I mean, I liked him, and his voice as we get the story from his POV, but sometimes I found his “woe me” attitude a bit tiring. Then again, it’s kind of understandable he is having a hard time, between a father who technically owns him, and doesn’t seem to care about him much, a mother who is absent most of the time, retreated into her own fantasy world, a fiancé whom he didn’t want and the temptation that is Dashiell, well, I think we all would be having a hard time. Not even talking about all the tension between different characters that comes out even stronger now that they are all closed in together, with nothing to do but bring old hurts and frustration to the open.
I liked how each person in the story was well characterised, their personality really came through, although, I admit I found Dashiell just a touch too bland for my liking, then again, most of the time he wore the mask of the professional vowsmith whose only role is to make sure his employer gets his wishes in the contract. It’s just that, it was hard for me to see what Nic saw in him, exactly, outside of his looks. They sure had chemistry, at least, so I’m complaining too hard. Leaf was an unexpected surprise for me. She is the bride to be, the daughter of the marquess, well bred, intelligent, and a sense of dry humor that I like. And also no filter between her brain and her mouth so that makes her witty comments just more fun. But she is also kind, and good hearted, and of course she also has her own dreams and ambitions – marriage is not one of those. I appreciated how Nic and Leaf ended up coming together forming a deep bond of friendship amidst all the chaos around them, and despite the high strung emotions on all sides.
I’m not going to talk about the mystery plot of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, because of spoilers, but I can tell you it was well executed – as someone who reads many mysteries, it even had a couple of surprises for me too, and I kept guessing who might have been behind everything. Closed space mysteries are tricky, because you only have a limited selection of culprits, so you need to make sure everyone has motives and secret agendas to make sure you keep up the interest of the readers. Ide pulled that off quite well.
To bring this review to a close, I really don’t have much to complain about. If I really want to nitpick, then I would say that I would have liked to get a bit more about the magic, because the Brilliance thing was just a touch confusing, given the fact that the higher you are registrated, the more you are worth, but other than that, I enjoyed the mystery aspect, I enjoyed the romance aspect between Nic and Dashiell and I enjoyed Nic’s budding friendship with Leaf. And I didn’t even mention the steampunkish bits with the automatons. I don’t know how Rebecca Ide made all the different elements work, but the result is speaking for itself. And I can see why it’s compared to the works of Alexis Hall, and I probably would add AJ Lancaster as well. Either way, I highly recommend The Gentleman and His Vowsmith if you need a bit of bloodrush in the form of a spicy murder mystery.
August 26, 2025
I absolutely loved this magical murder mystery, with a side of a lovely sapphic love story.
The characters are wonderfully full and real. Sorrow and longing are so well written. One of the female main characters, Lady Leaf Sereal is awesome! She becomes Nic's best friend and confidant. The mystery side is excellent with many twists and turns and a truly poetic ending.
The characters are wonderfully full and real. Sorrow and longing are so well written. One of the female main characters, Lady Leaf Sereal is awesome! She becomes Nic's best friend and confidant. The mystery side is excellent with many twists and turns and a truly poetic ending.
March 31, 2025
Mehhhhhh.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith had such potential, but it just doesn't live up to itself, if that makes any sense at all? The basic gist of the plot is that two families are locked in one house/manor for however long it takes to hash out a marriage contract. No one is allowed to leave until everything is finished. While locked in, several murders happen, and the characters are left wondering if they should break the lock in, or continue on.
The whole book is way more of a mystery than a romance, and it's an increasingly cool mystery...until the reveal. The reveal straight up feels like a cop-out. Needless to say, I was extremely underwhelmed with how this book ended. I wanted the reveal to be something much cooler than what it ended up being. Instead, I'm left with this book that was SO INTERESTING to start, and just kinda fizzles out.
I really did like the characters, Nic and Dashiell. Nic, especially. He didn't want the life he'd been given, and despite being forced into a marriage that he didn't want, was still uncommonly kind to his wife-to-be. Dashiell is pretty flat, as a character, but despite that I did like him. I just wish we'd had slightly more backstory about him. Instead, it's vague and not in a good way. Leaf (idk WHAT that name is) was also a very interesting character. I wanted her to be on page way more than she actually is. She was so willing to jump into the mysteries and attempt to solve what was going on, all while being her own person.
Overall, I'd give The Gentleman and His Vowsmith three stars. Disappointingly mediocre.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith had such potential, but it just doesn't live up to itself, if that makes any sense at all? The basic gist of the plot is that two families are locked in one house/manor for however long it takes to hash out a marriage contract. No one is allowed to leave until everything is finished. While locked in, several murders happen, and the characters are left wondering if they should break the lock in, or continue on.
The whole book is way more of a mystery than a romance, and it's an increasingly cool mystery...until the reveal. The reveal straight up feels like a cop-out. Needless to say, I was extremely underwhelmed with how this book ended. I wanted the reveal to be something much cooler than what it ended up being. Instead, I'm left with this book that was SO INTERESTING to start, and just kinda fizzles out.
I really did like the characters, Nic and Dashiell. Nic, especially. He didn't want the life he'd been given, and despite being forced into a marriage that he didn't want, was still uncommonly kind to his wife-to-be. Dashiell is pretty flat, as a character, but despite that I did like him. I just wish we'd had slightly more backstory about him. Instead, it's vague and not in a good way. Leaf (idk WHAT that name is) was also a very interesting character. I wanted her to be on page way more than she actually is. She was so willing to jump into the mysteries and attempt to solve what was going on, all while being her own person.
Overall, I'd give The Gentleman and His Vowsmith three stars. Disappointingly mediocre.
February 28, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and SagaPress for the preview. All opinions are my own.
Quite simply, I loved it. It's rare that a book can do so many things at once and do them all well. But this is a Romance, a murder mystery, a gothic novel, and a Regency lock-in party, all in a queer-normative world with magic. And yet it's all balanced beautifully.
The romance is full of longing, ANGST, tortured glances, and STEAMY interludes. It's a second-chance forbidden romance with class differences and it absolutely had me in a choke-hold. The murder-mystery had me on edge the entire time; who did it, what were the motives, and OMG how many murderers are there in this house?! The house itself is full of ghosts, hidden passages, locked rooms, and dangerous and decrepit places. And to top it all off, this lock-in party has characters with so many secrets and grudges, unravelling them all will make your head spin.
I not only loved Nic and Dash, but Lady Leaf really was a star. She's funny, smart, candid, and ace! I loved that she and Nic actually became great friends through it all too, and supported each other along the way.
Anyway, I really really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend!
Quite simply, I loved it. It's rare that a book can do so many things at once and do them all well. But this is a Romance, a murder mystery, a gothic novel, and a Regency lock-in party, all in a queer-normative world with magic. And yet it's all balanced beautifully.
The romance is full of longing, ANGST, tortured glances, and STEAMY interludes. It's a second-chance forbidden romance with class differences and it absolutely had me in a choke-hold. The murder-mystery had me on edge the entire time; who did it, what were the motives, and OMG how many murderers are there in this house?! The house itself is full of ghosts, hidden passages, locked rooms, and dangerous and decrepit places. And to top it all off, this lock-in party has characters with so many secrets and grudges, unravelling them all will make your head spin.
I not only loved Nic and Dash, but Lady Leaf really was a star. She's funny, smart, candid, and ace! I loved that she and Nic actually became great friends through it all too, and supported each other along the way.
Anyway, I really really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend!
March 24, 2025
The Gentleman and his Vowsmith is 1/3 queer romance, 1/3 murder mystery, and 1/3 fantasy. It’s filled with lovable characters and has complex world building that sucks you in.
It takes place in an alternate regency era London, a world in which families operate like corporations, and use symbol-based magic.
While it’s a bit slow to start, as the mystery picks up so too does the tension between Nic and Dash. Family secrets and ghostly hauntings are investigated as our crew is put to the test.
While I adored Nic and Dash, my favorite character has to be Leaf. Leaf is a hilarious, determined woman whose one goal in life is to operate autonomously as the strong woman she is (despite the men in her family’s wishes).
This was an easy four star read for me! Highly recommend if you want lovable characters, complex family dynamics, and an equally sweet and hot queer romance.
I received an ARC of this book from TOR UK via @bookhuddle (thank you!)
It takes place in an alternate regency era London, a world in which families operate like corporations, and use symbol-based magic.
While it’s a bit slow to start, as the mystery picks up so too does the tension between Nic and Dash. Family secrets and ghostly hauntings are investigated as our crew is put to the test.
While I adored Nic and Dash, my favorite character has to be Leaf. Leaf is a hilarious, determined woman whose one goal in life is to operate autonomously as the strong woman she is (despite the men in her family’s wishes).
This was an easy four star read for me! Highly recommend if you want lovable characters, complex family dynamics, and an equally sweet and hot queer romance.
I received an ARC of this book from TOR UK via @bookhuddle (thank you!)
April 19, 2025
3.5/5 stars
Solid read.
This is one of those stories where the vibes—queer longing, sharp banter, and emotionally tangled relationships—are absolutely spot on. Despite the literal dead bodies stacking up, this somehow reads more like a cozy regency romantic comedy than a gothic murder mystery, and honestly, that’s kind of its charm.
Nic is a charming, sarcastic nobleman, feeling powerless and resigned to his duty to his family. His betrothed is Leaf, an ace icon who also has zero interest in this marriage. The vowsmith in charge of their marriage contract is Dashiell, the one who got away in Nic's youth. Leaf, Nic’s brilliant, no-nonsense betrothed, is easily the heart of the entire thing. Leaf has been plotting her future since childhood, and her friendship with Nic is the real core of this story. I adored that this was both a platonic love story and a sweet queer romance. Their mutual respect and support were beautiful, and Leaf is the reason that Nic had the courage to make the decisions he does.
The romantic tension between Nic and Dashiell is pure yearning—lots of repressed feelings, miscommunication, and longing looks over contract negotiations. It's delightfully angsty, but also full of sweet warmth and some spice. These characters are delightful! That said, I did find myself confused about the stakes. I had a lot of questions and I don't feel like the story answered a lot of those.
The world-building here is very thin. I still don’t really understand what a vowsmith is, what kind of magic exists in this world, or why the locked-room murder mystery played out the way it did. People kept dying, and everyone just... shrugged? The plot lost steam whenever it tried to be more than a romantic character study. It left me with more questions than answers—and not in a satisfying, “ooh, intriguing” way, but in a “wait, did I miss something?” way.
Still, if you’re here for charming queer characters, witty banter, and regency drama with a twist of magic (however vague), there’s a lot to enjoy. The romance and relationships absolutely carried the book, and Leaf alone makes this worth the read.
Thanks so much to Coloredpages Book Tours, Saga Press Books, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
Solid read.
This is one of those stories where the vibes—queer longing, sharp banter, and emotionally tangled relationships—are absolutely spot on. Despite the literal dead bodies stacking up, this somehow reads more like a cozy regency romantic comedy than a gothic murder mystery, and honestly, that’s kind of its charm.
Nic is a charming, sarcastic nobleman, feeling powerless and resigned to his duty to his family. His betrothed is Leaf, an ace icon who also has zero interest in this marriage. The vowsmith in charge of their marriage contract is Dashiell, the one who got away in Nic's youth. Leaf, Nic’s brilliant, no-nonsense betrothed, is easily the heart of the entire thing. Leaf has been plotting her future since childhood, and her friendship with Nic is the real core of this story. I adored that this was both a platonic love story and a sweet queer romance. Their mutual respect and support were beautiful, and Leaf is the reason that Nic had the courage to make the decisions he does.
The romantic tension between Nic and Dashiell is pure yearning—lots of repressed feelings, miscommunication, and longing looks over contract negotiations. It's delightfully angsty, but also full of sweet warmth and some spice. These characters are delightful! That said, I did find myself confused about the stakes. I had a lot of questions and I don't feel like the story answered a lot of those.
The world-building here is very thin. I still don’t really understand what a vowsmith is, what kind of magic exists in this world, or why the locked-room murder mystery played out the way it did. People kept dying, and everyone just... shrugged? The plot lost steam whenever it tried to be more than a romantic character study. It left me with more questions than answers—and not in a satisfying, “ooh, intriguing” way, but in a “wait, did I miss something?” way.
Still, if you’re here for charming queer characters, witty banter, and regency drama with a twist of magic (however vague), there’s a lot to enjoy. The romance and relationships absolutely carried the book, and Leaf alone makes this worth the read.
Thanks so much to Coloredpages Book Tours, Saga Press Books, and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
February 15, 2025
Yet another cosy-adjacent queer romance I’ve read to chase the feeling A Marvellous Light gave me. It didn’t fulfil the brief but did satisfy the itch, like having a snack when really you need a full meal.
The tone is very cheeky immediately, and straight into the sneaky illicit moments and tension. Usually I’m a slow burn connoisseur but it worked so well here. However, that’s precisely why this book didn’t need to be so long… the bodies just kept dropping and yet the pace was slowww.
The seriousness of his mother’s plight gives the book the weight it needed. I loved both of the betrothed & his secret lover. Fully invested and engaged in the murder mystery. I felt a little like more people would’ve protested being forced to stay in a house where people are dropping like flies, but then you remember a rich white man is giving the order and it all makes sense. Also plus points for the aro rep, loved how she was done.
Thoroughly enjoyed !! The romance was great !! I just wish it was cut down a little !!
The tone is very cheeky immediately, and straight into the sneaky illicit moments and tension. Usually I’m a slow burn connoisseur but it worked so well here. However, that’s precisely why this book didn’t need to be so long… the bodies just kept dropping and yet the pace was slowww.
The seriousness of his mother’s plight gives the book the weight it needed. I loved both of the betrothed & his secret lover. Fully invested and engaged in the murder mystery. I felt a little like more people would’ve protested being forced to stay in a house where people are dropping like flies, but then you remember a rich white man is giving the order and it all makes sense. Also plus points for the aro rep, loved how she was done.
Thoroughly enjoyed !! The romance was great !! I just wish it was cut down a little !!
April 7, 2025
'Gwen & Art Are Not in Love' meets 'The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue', written by Freya Marske. what more could you want in a queer historical fantasy murder mystery !!?
arc from netgalley
arc from netgalley
October 6, 2025
4.5 stars - steampunk cosy lock in murder mystery I ATE IT UP
August 18, 2025
3.5
Honestly I thought this book had a lot of great potential. I enjoyed the mystery element and the magic system was unique, but could've been fleshed out a little more because I still find myself wondering what the whole purpose of a vowsmith was anyway. I love that it has a medieval feel with the castles and the posh way of speaking that I enjoy in my fantasy novels while it also being super normalized to have gay couples (beyond the need for an heir of course). My biggest qualm with this book is that I think it got to be too long, the ending was really good, but it really dragged in the middle and I don't think there was enough excitement in between to sustain it to the ending reveal.
Honestly I thought this book had a lot of great potential. I enjoyed the mystery element and the magic system was unique, but could've been fleshed out a little more because I still find myself wondering what the whole purpose of a vowsmith was anyway. I love that it has a medieval feel with the castles and the posh way of speaking that I enjoy in my fantasy novels while it also being super normalized to have gay couples (beyond the need for an heir of course). My biggest qualm with this book is that I think it got to be too long, the ending was really good, but it really dragged in the middle and I don't think there was enough excitement in between to sustain it to the ending reveal.
February 25, 2025
I really can't express how much I loved this book. Somehow, a regency era, queer, fantasy, whodunnit was exactly what I was in the mood for and didn't know that I needed. This book has gothic vibes (think Jane Eyre), cozy mystery vibes (think Agatha Christie), along with fantastical elements and compelling characters.
Lord Nicholas Monterris is the last heir to a once revered estate. In order to uphold his family name and honor, his father arranges a marriage to Lady Leaf Serral. It is customary in this society for marriage contracts to be negotiated by vowsmiths while all parties remain sealed inside the same house. Unfortunately for Nicholas, the vowsmith that the Serral family brings along is none other than his first love, Dashiell sa Vere. Things go even more sideways when members of the party start to turn up dead and ghostly apparitions appear.
This was really a delightful read and a great debut from Rebecca Ide. The characters all had depth and she handled the relationships between the three main characters very well. Lady Leaf Serral is no villain in this book and her growing friendship with Nicholas was one of the best parts. I felt tense enough around the mystery, but not too on edge to keep this from being a cozy mystery. I was absorbed into the story and fully engaged in the relationship between Nicholas and Dashiell.
The reason that this is a four star read instead of five is simply that I wish there had been more explanation of how the magic in this world actually functions and more background about the vowsmith profession. As engaging as this book was, I still don't really have a grasp on the magic system or the how/why of the vowsmiths.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.
Lord Nicholas Monterris is the last heir to a once revered estate. In order to uphold his family name and honor, his father arranges a marriage to Lady Leaf Serral. It is customary in this society for marriage contracts to be negotiated by vowsmiths while all parties remain sealed inside the same house. Unfortunately for Nicholas, the vowsmith that the Serral family brings along is none other than his first love, Dashiell sa Vere. Things go even more sideways when members of the party start to turn up dead and ghostly apparitions appear.
This was really a delightful read and a great debut from Rebecca Ide. The characters all had depth and she handled the relationships between the three main characters very well. Lady Leaf Serral is no villain in this book and her growing friendship with Nicholas was one of the best parts. I felt tense enough around the mystery, but not too on edge to keep this from being a cozy mystery. I was absorbed into the story and fully engaged in the relationship between Nicholas and Dashiell.
The reason that this is a four star read instead of five is simply that I wish there had been more explanation of how the magic in this world actually functions and more background about the vowsmith profession. As engaging as this book was, I still don't really have a grasp on the magic system or the how/why of the vowsmiths.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.
January 6, 2025
Special thanks to Netgalley for an eARC ~
I'm a fan of Rebecca Ide's other work (writing as Devin Madson), so I was quite excited for this, and it did not disappoint.
Though I'm not typically one for historical fantasy, I appreciated the fantastical worldbuilding Ide threw in, which had the intricacy and intrigue that I've come to expect from their work. Learning about smithing and sigils was always interesting, seeing the different ways in which they could be applied to the world, and having the whole story--in regards to both the marriage contract and the murder plot--revolve around that aspect was very clever and fun.
Said murder plot was also fun to follow, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing as to what exactly is going on and why. I actually thought that was going to be the primary narrative, with the romance simmering in the background, but I was surprised to see that both got pretty equal airtime. While some scenes got steamier than some who don't usually dabble in the romance genre might expect, I do think that fans of romance and of murder mysteries would be equally satisfied by this book, given how balanced it feels tonally, and how organically each side of the narrative slides into the other (no pun intended). It reminded me a lot of Sword Dance by AJ Demas in that way, which is another great romance/murder mystery in a historical fantasy setting.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't specifically shout out Leaf Serral, who I loved. The relationship dynamic between Nic and Leaf was not at all what I expected, and it might have been my favorite thing in the book.
I'm a fan of Rebecca Ide's other work (writing as Devin Madson), so I was quite excited for this, and it did not disappoint.
Though I'm not typically one for historical fantasy, I appreciated the fantastical worldbuilding Ide threw in, which had the intricacy and intrigue that I've come to expect from their work. Learning about smithing and sigils was always interesting, seeing the different ways in which they could be applied to the world, and having the whole story--in regards to both the marriage contract and the murder plot--revolve around that aspect was very clever and fun.
Said murder plot was also fun to follow, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing as to what exactly is going on and why. I actually thought that was going to be the primary narrative, with the romance simmering in the background, but I was surprised to see that both got pretty equal airtime. While some scenes got steamier than some who don't usually dabble in the romance genre might expect, I do think that fans of romance and of murder mysteries would be equally satisfied by this book, given how balanced it feels tonally, and how organically each side of the narrative slides into the other (no pun intended). It reminded me a lot of Sword Dance by AJ Demas in that way, which is another great romance/murder mystery in a historical fantasy setting.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't specifically shout out Leaf Serral, who I loved. The relationship dynamic between Nic and Leaf was not at all what I expected, and it might have been my favorite thing in the book.
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December 24, 2024"A queer historical fantasy of magic, murder, high heat and humour."
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April 18, 2025
Nic Monterris is facing down an unpleasant event: his betrothal. He must marry to secure finances for his family, and he is just this side of dragged into the proceedings, utterly against his will. While his intended (Leaf Serral) is a fiery and funny girl he gets along well with, he is gay. To make matters worse, the man who has a hand in the arrangements as a Vowsmith is Dash sa Vare—his old friend and former lover. All of this is bad enough, but when people start getting murdered, and they’re unable to leave because this is a LITERAL locked room mystery, Nic just might realise how painfully true the saying “Death is the only way to escape being a Monterris” is.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide is a Regency-era story, but with two notable changes. One: there is magic in this world, and that is a guiding influence of the way marriages are contracted and set up, with the tiniest of details the most important, with the possibility to ruin both parties lives. Two: homosexuality is accepted in this universe, and men (and presumably women) are perfectly capable of marrying one another, provided, of course, they are suitable matches with regard to lineage. That surprised me, but it was a nice surprise.
The mystery itself was…a little unwieldy. I actually did in part guess who had a hand in it, but it just seemed like…a lot. More of a train wildly rushing along the tracks trying desperately not to careen off the rails. I found myself more intrigued with the unfolding of Dash and Nic’s relationship than the mystery. There were the hurt feelings of the past and the pain due to the uncertainty of the future, given Dash was literally there to bind Nic to Leaf. The sex was searing, but the words spoken between them were sweet. It was really nice!
Leaf as a character was fun, too, as mentioned above. A lot of times a woman is inserted into these sorts of stories and neither she nor the man is happy, but she and Nic got on splendidly, and seemed to care for one another and to wish the other well. I enjoyed how it seemed like NO ONE had happy arranged relationships in the story. Vale and his wife despised one another, Ricard was ripped away from the wife he loved and saddled with a woman he didn’t want, Leaf and Nic liked each other but didn’t want to be married…just a lot of misery going around. Societal rules forcing people into roles they don’t want.
Tiny note: the language is anachronistic in many places, especially with references to being gay or homosexual. I just skipped over it, because I understand the difficulty in conveying relationships and romances in a past setting, but some people are going to be annoyed by that. It’s not bad enough in my opinion that I’m removed from the story, because the characters are a little cheeky in tone.
So where do I stand? For ME, personally, I don’t think the mystery was the best asset to this story. It got a bit muddled and I was impatient by the end. I feel that the strength of this novel is nestled in the characters, specifically the trio of Dash, Nic, and Leaf. Dash and Nic’s relationship and Nic and Leaf’s friendship is what kept me interested as a reader. I liked the magic in the world, and the Regency setting was important to me, too; while certain things were changed from the real life setting (such as the accommodating attitude toward queer people), I would not have been interested in a modern day book.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide is a Regency-era story, but with two notable changes. One: there is magic in this world, and that is a guiding influence of the way marriages are contracted and set up, with the tiniest of details the most important, with the possibility to ruin both parties lives. Two: homosexuality is accepted in this universe, and men (and presumably women) are perfectly capable of marrying one another, provided, of course, they are suitable matches with regard to lineage. That surprised me, but it was a nice surprise.
The mystery itself was…a little unwieldy. I actually did in part guess who had a hand in it, but it just seemed like…a lot. More of a train wildly rushing along the tracks trying desperately not to careen off the rails. I found myself more intrigued with the unfolding of Dash and Nic’s relationship than the mystery. There were the hurt feelings of the past and the pain due to the uncertainty of the future, given Dash was literally there to bind Nic to Leaf. The sex was searing, but the words spoken between them were sweet. It was really nice!
Leaf as a character was fun, too, as mentioned above. A lot of times a woman is inserted into these sorts of stories and neither she nor the man is happy, but she and Nic got on splendidly, and seemed to care for one another and to wish the other well. I enjoyed how it seemed like NO ONE had happy arranged relationships in the story. Vale and his wife despised one another, Ricard was ripped away from the wife he loved and saddled with a woman he didn’t want, Leaf and Nic liked each other but didn’t want to be married…just a lot of misery going around. Societal rules forcing people into roles they don’t want.
Tiny note: the language is anachronistic in many places, especially with references to being gay or homosexual. I just skipped over it, because I understand the difficulty in conveying relationships and romances in a past setting, but some people are going to be annoyed by that. It’s not bad enough in my opinion that I’m removed from the story, because the characters are a little cheeky in tone.
So where do I stand? For ME, personally, I don’t think the mystery was the best asset to this story. It got a bit muddled and I was impatient by the end. I feel that the strength of this novel is nestled in the characters, specifically the trio of Dash, Nic, and Leaf. Dash and Nic’s relationship and Nic and Leaf’s friendship is what kept me interested as a reader. I liked the magic in the world, and the Regency setting was important to me, too; while certain things were changed from the real life setting (such as the accommodating attitude toward queer people), I would not have been interested in a modern day book.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2025
“i wasn't born a man who could ever hope to love you.”
a locked room murder mystery and a ducal heir’s second chance with his childhood sweetheart complicate a magical marriage contract negotiation between two noble families.
the gentleman and his vowsmith is set in a regency era england where the magical elite are locked in together to negotiate complex marriage contracts for weeks on end. nic must marry to save his family from ruin, but the lock in is far from straightforward: his ancestral home is crumbling, the families are fighting, his first love is negotiating the marriage contract—oh, and then there’s a series of suspicious deaths. nic and his betrothed (who is equally unenthused at the prospect of marriage) pair up to play detective as old feelings begin to resurface between nic and the man he cannot have.
on paper, this was a book i should have loved. in practice, well, let’s just say it was not my cup of tea. i found myself constantly nitpicking at little details because the story just didn’t appeal to me. i should have DNFed, in all honesty.
nic and dashiell’s relationship is a great example of everything i dislike about second chance romance: so much time is spent on their love story back then and their sexual chemistry now that their current dynamic is neglected. why do they like each other NOW? as much as i liked leaf as a character (truly my favorite part of the book) and her friendship with nic, i wish nic and dash had spent more time together instead—it would have been a good opportunity to add more depth to their relationship.
the murder mystery was… fine? i don’t read enough mysteries to have a strong opinion one way or the other. some parts were a bit absurd to me but this is a fantasy romance in a queernormative regency england, so 🤷🏼♀️
the anachronistic language and dialogue really irked me by the end. give me period-appropriate witty banter dammit.
anyway, the most interesting element here is the exploration of class lines, the cages we create for ourselves (both individually and as a society), duty to the family vs care for the individual family members’ wellbeing. very “good luck, babe!” coded.
while i probably won’t be picking up anything else by this author, i do think this book has an audience! i truly think the writing style just wasn’t for me and that really affected my overall enjoyment, but readers looking for bridgerton-type historical fiction with a fantasy element might have more luck!
arc provided by netgalley and saga press in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 1.5/5.0 stars
March 2, 2025
|| Thank you to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review ! ||
This book was able to keep me reading only for its plot - I haven't felt a thing for the characters except for Leaf. It was sadly way too slow, with a non-existent worldbuilding.
The plot: it was interesting, even if at some points I wondered if the deaths were actually done for anything, as it was overall really glazed over. Sometimes the plot was predictable, other plot twist were harder to guess, so it was good. The locked room was interesting as well, making them hard to leave and having to continue on, but it also made things too slow, always rounding on the same things, same rooms, diner tea exploring death diner tea etc. However I do really enjoyed the way everything ended, it was very satisfyind for all parties, even if I would have also enjoyed knowing what happened to the duke and lord Ricard.
Characters: I couldn't appreciate Nic at all, he was blant and he was mostly a sum of all his relationships instead of having is own character and emotions. Dashiell was a nice love interest, but as I couldn't care about Nic, it was hard to enjoy the romance overall. Leaf was the only great character here, may it be for the investigation but also a great support to Nic and their quickly growing friendship was awesome. Also there is a nice aromantic and asexual rep with Leaf and it was honestly refreshing to read Nic's reaction, and as an aroace myself I truly enjoyed the rep.
Lastly the worldbuilding: it was almost non-existent, as we get to know almost nothing of this alternate regency era, where there's magic, guilds, vowsmiths, automatons... It felt like the author knew their magical world but wanted us to guess by sheer reading than explaning it to us. It felt lacking of explanation, real interest put towards the magic, the importance of lock-ins and what truly would happen if it goes wrong and why, the magical system with sigils but that some could sing or conjure it was just... extremely confusing I have stopped trying to understand how the magic worked.
This book was able to keep me reading only for its plot - I haven't felt a thing for the characters except for Leaf. It was sadly way too slow, with a non-existent worldbuilding.
The plot: it was interesting, even if at some points I wondered if the deaths were actually done for anything, as it was overall really glazed over. Sometimes the plot was predictable, other plot twist were harder to guess, so it was good. The locked room was interesting as well, making them hard to leave and having to continue on, but it also made things too slow, always rounding on the same things, same rooms, diner tea exploring death diner tea etc. However I do really enjoyed the way everything ended, it was very satisfyind for all parties, even if I would have also enjoyed knowing what happened to the duke and lord Ricard.
Characters: I couldn't appreciate Nic at all, he was blant and he was mostly a sum of all his relationships instead of having is own character and emotions. Dashiell was a nice love interest, but as I couldn't care about Nic, it was hard to enjoy the romance overall. Leaf was the only great character here, may it be for the investigation but also a great support to Nic and their quickly growing friendship was awesome. Also there is a nice aromantic and asexual rep with Leaf and it was honestly refreshing to read Nic's reaction, and as an aroace myself I truly enjoyed the rep.
Lastly the worldbuilding: it was almost non-existent, as we get to know almost nothing of this alternate regency era, where there's magic, guilds, vowsmiths, automatons... It felt like the author knew their magical world but wanted us to guess by sheer reading than explaning it to us. It felt lacking of explanation, real interest put towards the magic, the importance of lock-ins and what truly would happen if it goes wrong and why, the magical system with sigils but that some could sing or conjure it was just... extremely confusing I have stopped trying to understand how the magic worked.
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