Pretty silly, but doesn't skimp on the genderfuck, which is always the hardest thing to find in romance novels. Call it a win! ( )

Loved this! I seem to be fated to only enjoy romances that dismantle or deconstruct gender norms. I feel like a child who delights in knocking over the other kids' blocks. (Look, y'all, if you didn't want me to smash patriarchy, you shouldn't have constructed it out of coercive gender roles and toxic masculinity.)

This sweet and thoughtful Regency romance follows Alistair, a sarcastic, uptight marquess who just wants to be left alone with his bookkeeping, and Robin, a bubbly trans-masculine person-about-town who has come to London to find her friend a husband. (Sebastian addresses Robin's pronouns in the afterword—basically "she/they." I'm following the text in my usage here.)

Alistair and Robin are a super charming pair, with great chemistry and delightful banter. Alistair could be absolutely insufferable in the hands of a lesser author; when we meet him, he's judge-y, arrogant, and self-absorbed. But Alistair is something else: anxious. Having spent his younger years putting out fires behinds his social rebel of a father, Alistair is a powerful aristocrat who nevertheless continually hamster-wheels about his position in society and his future. I was absolutely delighted to find a romantic hero who is actually deeply insecure and just faking it till he makes it.

Robin, meanwhile, is just plain likable—confident, curious, fun-loving, and deeply torn between helping her adopted sister and living her own life to the fullest. Despite the somewhat cringeworthy title, I thought this was a sensitive portrayal of nonbinary identity. Robin's gender identity and sexuality are carefully observed. The romantic and sex scenes feel fresh, not just because of their queerness, but because Alistair and Robin's interactions are so strongly rooted in character.

The novel's resolution is satisfying, though the last third or so drags a bit, getting lost in the weeds of resolving Robin's legal identity. Also, I would have liked to see more of the characters' other relationships on the page; I was glad that Robin had meaningful female friendships, but more screen-time would have clarified our understanding of the heroes' motivations and Alistair's personal arc.

I'm a cis woman, but this book made me feel seen. Thanks, Cat Sebastian!

ETA: Hmm, this is a thoughtful, productive critique of the treatment of gender and sexuality in this book. I can see why this narrative didn't resonate with them. I'm especially inclined to consign their critique of Alistair's sexuality—I found his "I don't care about gender!" statements a bit baffling. Even if some pan folks experience attraction this way (do they? does anyone?) it has the effect of erasing Robin's gender. ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2023/07/2023100-unmasked-by-marquess-cat.html ( )

This is a fantastic novel!

As usual, Cat Sebastian creates characters both entertainingly weird and historically accurate, as well as delightfully snarky and eventually hopelessly smitten.

Alistair... He is such a mess, but be patient with him. He has a great deal to learn and none of it is welcome.

Sebastian explains in her Author's Note why she uses she/her for Charity-Selby-Robin. It's based on what the character would find agreeable. That makes sense to me; she is at ease with her body. Charity/Robin is not at ease with dresses, or ladylike behavior, and never was, but particularly isn't after living as a man and feeling more herself than ever before.

I've read several novels now with trans or nonbinary main characters, and I'd rank this one among the best of them. Robin is such a giving character! ( )

Robert Selby wants to find a bride for his sister, Louise and enlists the assistance of Alistair, Marquess of Pembroke to help introduce Louise to society claiming that she's his deceased Goddaugther (and I had to check whether the Church of England allows proxy grandparents, they don't.). Alistair finds himself attracted to Robert who is desperately trying to hide the fact that she is in fact Charity Church; a foundling who grew up with Louise and Robert and started dressing as a man to attend college as Robert. As the relationship develops they have to face the fact that being a couple could be hard, Charity likes wearing men's clothing and is loath to give them up; being Alistair's wife might ask more from her than she's willing to give. Not being his wife could be worse.
Louise does find love but it's not an easy road either.

It was a good read with an interesting set of characters and I'd read more by this author. ( )