Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a funny, sexy, touching read that explored some interesting issues around class, sexuality and the freedom to choose your path. I really enjoyed the characters and, while the plot was slightly meandering at times, the emotional core of the novel was enough to keep me on board.

I'm confused by this book. It seems like it wanted to be too many things at the same time. Murder mystery, historical fantasy and queer romance are already enough. Add to it an arranged marriage with complicated politics and family secrets, and it's just too much. The Gentleman and His Vowsmith could be a great book, but some things didn't work.

Firstly, there's not enough world building. We don't get any explanations about what exactly the Brilliance is or how this magic works. And what exactly does the vowsmith do? I understand that the author wanted to show, not tell, but unfortunately, it looked like there were no rules to this magic system.

Secondly, for a book called The Gentleman and His Vowsmith there's not enough of The Vowsmith. At first, I really liked Dashiell, but he quickly became a typical love interest. Nic and Leaf were far more interesting but also quite typical for a book in this setting. He's the irresponsible heir, and she's not interested in love intelligent girl he's supposed to marry.

I don't read crime books, so it's hard for me to rate the murder mystery plot. I will just say that I was surprised by the identity of the killer. Was it a good surprise? I'm not sure.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. It had really good moments, it just didn't work as a whole story. Maybe if it was two books - one about the parents and one for kids it would have worked better.

I would like to mention a thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith.

I really enjoyed reading this novel; it was exactly what I needed at the time. Even though I gave it three stars I just think the book was half way there for me in regards to the world building, the two love interests and the mystery.

I felt like we were getting things explained to us that didn't need to be explained and the things that I wanted to be explained weren't. For example: the magic system - the laws, the rules of the magic, the world, what happens if you leave the house during the lock down etc... I also felt like the sentences could have been expanded a bit more as I thought they were cut short.

On the other hand though, I really did enjoy the character Leaf and her personality and I really like the setting, the atmosphere and being openly queer within the time period that it is set.

There's a lot to love, a lot of potential, and intriguing characters
Well developed world buidling and some very exciting parts.
I had some issues with the pace that I found a bit uneven and the plot, a bit too convoluted at times
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this book. Full of sass, sex and murder set in a magical alternate version of regency England, it really enjoyable to read. The world was fantastic, the characters were thoroughly entertaining and the plot was full of murder and mystery! What’s not to like?

The thing I enjoyed most was the relationship between Leaf and Nic. I loved how quickly they settled into being best friends. I also think that it was hinting at Leaf being aroace, which was fantastic representation!

I feel like this is a book I’ll go back to and read again, because murder mysteries are always very satisfying the second time around! But I’d also love to see more from this world.

A regency era magical murder mystery with a queer romance sounded like the perfect book for me…but unfortunately this book didn't quite deliver on the premise that was promised.

The world building left a lot to be desired. The magical system never gets fully explained, or explored, which is a shame because it sounds so intriguing. The setting was a little disappointing too, because the book captures more of the aesthetic of the era, rather than being accurate to the language or legalities of the time period.

I loved Leaf’s character, she is the standout highlight of the book. However, with the book being sold as a mlm romance, I expected more focus on the relationship between Nic and Dashiell–whereas the platonic friendship and partnership between Nic and Leaf gets most of the focus.

If you're looking for a murder mystery with the flair of the regency era, a modern flavour, and a strong platonic partnership, then I think you'll really enjoy this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

i'm really disappointed i didn't love this like i thought i would. this sounded right up my alley - historical fiction, fantasy, queer romance, and a murder mystery / amateur detective plotline. I love historical fantasy to bits, and magic based on something physical or adapting to a real world concept. but I struggled to keep reading this. i didn't really care for the characters or the relationships or the murder mystery. maybe i just wasn't in the right headspace but the characters and world felt only half-built. i liked the promise of the concept of the world and magic in it, but a lot of the time i felt like this was a sequel and the reader was expected to know a lot of things already or the world was a half-finished stage set. the background drawn maybe, partially painted, and some sections built. the characters felt much the same.

there was also little bit of too much crammed in one book or storyline and i found it hard to care about the outcome. the ending when i eventually go there was also quite sudden and a bit all over the place. this just wasn't for me.

A Regency queer romance mixed up with a locked room murder mystery - what could be better? Add lashings of comedy, intense family dramatics, unexpected friendships, rivals-to-lovers tension and a generous pinch of horror to spice it up and you have a mesmerising and very enjoyable story.

The worldbuilding is light touch, setting the scene easily with a Regency nobility flavour, whilst the magic and politics are far more interesting: power is kept and maintained through complex magical contracts and bound through marriage. As a result, the dissolute Nic, who would rather be a simple conjurer, is locked into the crumbling family mansion to negotiate such a contract, along with his tyrannical father, unstable mother, prospective fiancée and family, and a whole host of other characters. Oh, and his unbelievably hot and talented ex, who’s there to craft the whole thing. What could go wrong? Well…

One death might seem accidental. But as the murders mount up, Nic begins to tug on threads that might unravel a whole tapestry of lies and collapse the power structure around him. But will he even make it out alive… and unmarried?

A fun story that kept me guessing, great for fans of Freya Marske.

I have been so looking forward to this release - and I'm so thrilled it lived up to my very high expectations. I loved every moment of this and I couldn't recommend it enough.

This was a cute little historical fantasy romance with some interesting ideas. It didn't really wow me and the writing style wasn't for me, and I never really felt much for any of the characters, but it did serve me perfectly well as a palate cleanser between all the denser novels I was reading. It really isn't much more than that, though.

"The Gentleman and his Vowsmith" tells the story of Nicholas, mostly called Nic (which I didn't like to be honest, made it feel more modern), who is supposed to marry a young woman he doesn't know yet in order to save his noble but secretly impoverished family from financial ruin. As is custom, the family of his bride arrives at his estate with their vowsmith in tow - magical contract lawyers, if you will. This magical contract lawyer, Dashiell (not a fan of that name either) just happens to be Nic's childhood friend and crush who once was his father's vowsmith apprentice before abruptedly leaving their estate, breaking Nic's heart. While the contract is being negotiated behind closed doors, more and more people get killed in mysterious ways. So not only does Nic have to deal with his complicated love life, but also he's been thrown right into a murder mystery.

I feel like there are a lot of great ingredients in this book, but maybe it's a case of the author wanting too many things in too small a story. Murder mystery, historical fantasy shenanigans, family drama, romance, comedy, exploration of identity with a dash of coming of age drama - all of it is in here but none of it is fleshed out. Due to this imbalance I never really got a feel for the central romance between Nic and Dash, because there was barely anything happening before a weirdly disjointed and awkwardly written sex scene and I just did not feel the chemistry here. The mystery part is also more than convoluted at times, though it was still the most interesting aspect of the story for me. There is barely any magic, or brilliance as it's called here, in this book, and honestly I never really did understand how this brilliance actually works for the most part. How does a vowsmith's work make contracts unbreakable? What happens if people do try to break them? I couldn't tell you.

So yes, a nice little romance, rather bland and forgettable with mostly uninteresting characters that could have been much better if it focused on one or two things instead of being twenty and fleshed the romance especially out more. But as I said, a perfectly fine palate cleanser and it does have high ratings from other reviews, so maybe it's just an "it's me, not the book" kind of situation. Check it out yourself, you might still love it!

By the time we got to the fourth dead body and we were only 60% of the way through the novel, I gave up.

'The Gentleman and His Vowsmith' is packed full of interesting ideas and executes none of them. It has no reason being the length it is - close to 500 pages - considering the plot and characters introduced. With stronger writing and a better plot, there might be something to it, but it just lacks on all corners. The magic system / fantastical element is so underbaked it's raw, with little time being spent on exploring why the system is there in the first place and the impact it has on the characters' day-to-day lives. The queer romance needed more in the moment action points - a chance for these two to play out their 'wounded love' romance in little touches and conversations and flirtations before they made out randomly.

The problem with locked room mysteries is it's so easy for an author to write themselves into a corner and then struggle to get out again. You confine yourself to such a small corner that coming up with ways to move the plot forward get more and more complicated and you could see it in this book. I felt like I was getting deja vu - the same things kept happening over and over again with little to no development, nudging the plot forward instead of driving. I found all the characters to be rather two dimensional in their execution and, particularly with the supporting cast, liable to blend into one mass blob.

It started well, but I found this to be a rather messy, lacklustre attempt at fantasy-historical. I wasn't even really sure during what time period it was supposed to be set, that's how little detail had gone into the novel's contextual work. I think there are stronger options out there.

I adored this. If you liked Freya Marske's The Last Binding trilogy or Swordcrossed, and if you like a murder mystery in a locked house you are in for an absolute treat.

Nicholas Monterris is the sole heir to a remote dukedom in the north. Trapped at home by his father he is exceptionally bored and lonely spending the day building automata and the night enticing local handsome rogues to bed - both much to the disgust of his father - until the day he must marry to continue the family line. When his father comes home and announces his betrothal to Lady Leaf Serral, Nic assumes the worst part will being locked in with another family until the contract is signed. That is until he learns the lost love of his life Dashiell Sa Vere will be the vowsmith.

Trapped in the crumbling manor, tensions rise between the parties and Nic and Dash, even as they befriend Leaf who absolutely does not want to marry anyone. But then the bodies start dropping and Nic, Leaf, and Dash must find the killer be they are killed.

Ide spins a fabulous tale the simmering tension between Nic and Dash is exquisite as they both try to claim closure and hide their true feelings whilst trying to survive the scheming machinations of Leaf’s Uncle and Nic’s father and the bitter history that spins the tensions between the two families into over drive. The murders are truly devastating too as both Nic and Leaf lose people they truly care about and IDE is talented enough that the reader cares too. Except one, I cheered at one xD Additionally the twists, the slowly revealed secrets, and treachery and ulterior motives of so many of the characters keep you shocked, guessing, and worried for our main trio right up to the denouement. I loved the magic system and the way the very believable way the elite have codified and legalised and bound up magic in vowsmithed contracts to maintain power and keep it away from the hoipoloi and the way that some forms of magic vowsmithing, are seen as superior to Nic’s conjuring skills.

This book is brilliant and I would definitely read more from Ide!

Thank you to Tor/Pan MacMillan for sending me an eARC - it has not affected my opinions.

4.5 Rounded up to 5.

I absolutley adored this book!

The characters were entirely charming and felt well developed. Although at times Our MMC's can be a little aggravating in their communications with each other and somewhat self absorbed, they were never unlikable and I found myself rooting for them and wishing for their successes. The romance is a second chance one and you know they were always meant to be together. As an aside, Lady Leaf is a treasure.

The plot is one of mystery and murder and was well paced and highly intriguing. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and the Automatons brought a creepy and high stakes atmosphere that I absolutely delighted in.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys their Romantasy with a wonderfully crafted Mystery murder plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Pan Macmillan for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I loved this! I don't often go for murder mysteries but this was fantastic. A strong cast of characters with complex motives, a real sense of jeopardy and an intriguing world. I might have liked a little more background world building but there was a good amount to get a sense of it all. I very much enjoyed the second chance romance and the character growth Nic goes through. Bonus points for ace rep. I really hope to read more I'm this universe.

Recommend for fans of Freya Marske, KJ Charles & Alexis Hall

This book is absolutely amazing. I have read this author's work under the name Devin Madson before, and so I had a bit of an idea what to expect, but I still found this far exceeded everything I anticipated.

Lord Nicolas Monterris is set to inherit a title, but his impoverished family need him to marry some money. Lady Leaf Serral is chosen, and the families enter the traditional “lock in” at Nic’s family estate to complete the magical marriage contracts. Unfortunately, one of the vowsmiths who will be working on the marriage contract is Nic’s first flame, Dashiell sa Vare. When things start to go wrong with the contract, and the bodies start appearing, Nic needs to work to figure out what is going on, and who (and what) he can trust.

Published under the name Rebecca Ide, it has some consistency with the deep and huge world building of Devin Madson stories. This story on the surface sounds like it has too many different things happening to be able to deliver. It’s a Historical Romance AND has family politics AND has a locked room mystery AND has magic BUT ALSO has steampunk elements. The story is told carefully and at a speed that allows each of these different elements to be built up, without feeling like the story is trying to do too much.

The characters were enchanting and the mystery had me constantly guessing and looking for clues and included a number of delightful twists and turns. I am loving this author, in every form, and am off to work my way through back catalogues!!

dnf 25%

If this book were food, it would look good, smell good, and have all the ingredients I like. But then I take a bite, and it's just... stale.

I tried with this one. I let the book rest and restarted it after a few days, but I'm just not enjoying it. There are plenty of interesting things that make me sad that this book didn't work, but the plot was just all over the place and after a hundred pages I still had barely an idea where the story was going.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was a beautifully written historical queer romantasy with a unique magical twist.
While the romance was a bit more on the spicy side than I usually prefer (I prefer minimal spice), I know many readers will consider that a highlight. The chemistry between the characters is undeniably strong and adds a lot of intensity to the story.

What really stood out to me was the intricate and well-developed magic system. It was fully integrated into the worldbuilding and played a significant role in the unfolding plot.

Nic, the main character, was fantastic. I found him very compelling and relatable. The murder mystery he’s pulled into was actually my favorite part of the book. It gives the story an edge of suspense and kept me turning the pages.
I didn’t expect the automatons to be quite so unsettling, but they were written in a surprisingly eerie way. Their presence added a touch of creepiness that I really enjoyed.

Overall, this book is definitely one to check out if you’re into queer romantasy!

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a book that is set in a world that is similar to Regency Britain, but with magic. It combines a MM romance with a locked-room/house murder mystery that has strong gothic vibes.

I liked how the author blended the genres. There's this old dilapidated mansion suddenly polished for the lock-in to impress the bride's family. The parties arrive and at first it feels like a story about a house party. albeit with contract negotiations looming in the background; not to mention neither bride nor groom actually want to get married to each other. Nicholas is openly gay and Leaf seems to be asexual. When the first murder victim is found, everyone believes it was an accident. No one can leave before the marriage contract is signed, so the negotiations continue, but the bodies start to pile up. Leaf and Nicholas start investigating the murders, with the help of Nicholas' lost love, the vowsmith Dashiel, and Leaf's cousins.

Here's how I understood the magic system in this alternate Britain. People with magical abilities, called Brilliance, are mainly part of the upper classes and nobility. Those people have different degrees of Brilliance and also different abilities. Nicholas, for example, partly trained to become a vowsmith, but his Brilliance affinity is conjuring. Vowsmiths are trained in the art of making magical contracts, magical lawyers? Contracts need to be 'smithed' in order for them to be legally binding. They cannot be altered after signing and the wording of the contracts is binding for all participants. Novel women, as always, only get basic training in Brilliance and hence are mere broodmares for the next generation of Brilliance wielding male offspring.

As mentioned above, I liked the house party gone wrong part and the amateur sleuthing part, as well as the familial duty and familial ownership criticism the book makes.

The author hinted at further books set in this world and I am looking forward to finding out more about Brilliance and vowsmithing, and hopefully Leaf, Nicholas and Dashiel get to have a cameo.

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read this title - it sounded right up my alley from the very start.

Magically locked in a house with his bride-to-be, Leaf, her entourage, and his own family, Nic isn't thrilled about signing a marriage contract to a girl he's just met. Especially not when part of the proceedings are to be led by his ex, and very much not forgotten, lover, Dashiell. However, the forging of the contract is endangered by multiple deaths within the party, making everyone appear suspicious and feel unsafe. Nic and Leaf find themselves unexpected, fast friends and begin to investigate the situation, while Nic also struggles to resist his unstoppable attraction to Dashiell. They all just need to survive long enough to solve the mystery...

First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this novel, especially the dynamic between Nic and Leaf. They made such a fun pair with their banter and quickly-developed loyalty to one another. It was a great twist to see unwilling fiancés become allies throughout the story! They also made an excellent investigating team, combining Nic’s magical knowledge with Leaf’s ideas drawn from the murder mystery books she wasn’t even supposed to have read. I also really liked the atmosphere in the house - suitably creepy and haunted, making me want to jump out of my skin on behalf of the characters. The twists were compelling and kept me guessing right up until the end.

On the other hand, I struggled with some of the dialogue, which sometimes felt stilted or clunky, and with the pacing, which slowed down considerably in the middle before suddenly racing through huge, explosive reveals in the final 15%. I enjoyed that I couldn’t predict those reveals despite my best efforts, but I wish they had been spread out a bit more rather than served all at once. Another point of dissatisfaction for me was the lack of explanation regarding the magic system and world-building. It sounded intriguing, but I was left with just as many questions at the end as I had at the beginning. I know magic is somehow important and "vowsmithing" is a powerful skill, but I still know next to nothing about it.

Overall, I’d rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. Although I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped, it was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to readers who love a blend of genres - in this case, a fantasy murder mystery.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith had <u>such</u> a great premise—an alternative Regency setting with magic, some steampunk vibes, an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, and a queer romance at its heart. It sounds like a dream. But while the ingredients are all there, the execution just didn’t land for me.

There are some cool worldbuilding ideas—like the bizarre talking birds (echos), the concept of marriage equality in this society, and the walking automaton 'ghosts' that might be behind the murders. And I loved Leaf’s character—smart, thoughtful, and full of suffragette energy, a century ahead of her time. But key concepts like the idea of being "sasined" weren’t properly explained, and that lack of clarity made it hard to stay immersed in the story.

The murder mystery fell flat too. Despite multiple deaths and culprits, the plot never gripped me. By the end, I couldn't remember who had done what—or really care. And the central romance between Nick and Dash lacked spark, weighed down by constant miscommunication. Oddly enough, Nick had more chemistry with his arranged marriage bride-to-be, Leaf, even though their relationship was platonic.

All in all, this felt like a book with great potential that never quite pulled it all together. 2.5 ⭐ for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.