Two Rogues Make a Right

Seducing the Sedgwicks #3

by Cat Sebastian

Will Sedgwick can’t believe that after months of searching for his oldest friend, Martin Easterbrook is found hiding in an attic like a gothic nightmare. Intent on nursing Martin back to health, Will kindly kidnaps him and takes him to the countryside to recover, well away from the world.

Martin doesn’t much care where he is or even how he got there. He’s much more concerned that the man he’s loved his entire life is currently waiting on him hand and foot, feeding him soup and making him tea. Martin knows he’s a lost cause, one he doesn’t want Will to waste his life on.

As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other?

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, LGBT, M M Romance, Queer

304 pages, ebook

First published June 23, 2020

About the author

Cat Sebastian has written sixteen queer historical romances. Cat’s books have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist.

Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of south. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.

The best way to keep up with Cat’s projects is to subscribe to her newsletter.

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very excited to read the latest installment in the Seducing the Sedgwicks series, Two Rogues Make a Right, by the popular Cat Sebastian, and I'm pleased to announce that it didn't disappoint.

First of all, I highly recommend that you read at least the first book in the series as I don't think this book works particularly well as a stand-alone. It really helps to get some background knowledge about the Sedgwick family before starting this story.

I enjoyed so many things about Two Rogues Make a Right. First of all, we get a demisexual MC. I love the growing number of asexual-spectrum characters in romance, and I really dug it here. We also get a pan/bisexual main character (love), a character struggling with a chronic illness, and a main character who is a former opium addict. I loved how these were not perfect characters. They were both deeply flawed, with jealousy, a lack of proper communication, and years of pent up longing and resentment.

Plot-wise, this book is... thin. Truly, not much happens at all, but that was pretty much fine by me. If you are a reader who likes an exciting plot and/or a fast-paced story, this is not the book for you. It is a gentle friends-to-lovers romance with some meandering parts to the story and lots of peace, quiet, and countryside.

If you are a Sedgwicks fan or a Cat Sebastian fan and want a mellow, serious story, you will be pleased with Two Rogues Make a Right

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*


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[aarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to write a longform review as I’ve interacted with the author but here are some brief notes:

Content Notes: MC with history of illness/consumption (on sickbed and near death for part of the novel); MC with PTSD and abuse due to Navy; MC with opium/laudanum addiction; discussion of dead mother who was very ill; discussion of sexual abuse of a minor (not main MCs)

“This was going to be the death of him. He had survived this latest illness only to be murdered by casual affection.”

I recently complained about a book for having no external conflict/plot. At the time, I was bored but maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind and I ought to reread it. Because TWO ROGUES MAKE A RIGHT has even *less* external conflict/plot and I enjoyed it! Clearly this pandemic is changing my reading preferences. The first third is textbook hurt/comfort fic as Will tends to a sick Martin; the second third is puttering around a run-down cottage while falling in love; and the final third is a brief separation/something resembling angst (but isn’t) before they make heart-eyes again.

There is no plot and honestly? I’m okay with it! It’s like reading a hurt/comfort AO3 fic with the following tags: oblivious requited pining; abduction for the best of intentions; it’s not kidnapping if you’re doing it to nurse them from the edge of death; childhood friends-to-lovers; idiots in love; seduction via Moll Flanders’s scandalous (and criminal) exploits; seduction via shaving each other’s beards; seduction via exchanging longing gazes in a small cottage with Only One Bed; oh no they’re apart now; just kidding they literally can’t function without each other; surprise! there is no plot after all; and happily-ever-after.

So yeah. I liked it! YMMV. It’s a valid critique that little external plot exists in the book, so consider if that sounds appealing before you read it. On the flip side, it’s possibly one of the more intimate romance novels I’ve read in a while. The MCs spend all their time in the same room and/or thinking about each other. The book is Capital-F-Feelings in its purest form, and I prefer that to a romance novel where the MCs are squabbling/not together for most of the book (cough looks at the alarming number of badly executed enemies-to-lovers romances I’ve read in the past year cough).

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I’ve interacted with the author, but these are my honest opinions about the book.

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm waffling a bit about whether I'll round up on this because while it definitely wasn't my favourite of the series (not that anything could live up to book one, I mean, really), I think I liked it more than book two. Which I also rated 3.5. Whatever, what even is a rating.

What you do need to know about this book, though, is that it is pretty damn pure. Not quite fluffy but.. tender. Though a slow build or even a slow burn would be fairly apt descriptors, more than that, it's all just.. gentleness. Not sure how else to describe it. There are no real fireworks, no huge momentous realizations, no energic romps or lengthy debauchery scenes, not even any real big blow up.. it's just two best friends, both a little damaged, both a little bruised, becoming more, and navigating what that looks like.

That said, I still enjoyed my time reading this, it was a deligthful bit of sweetness and sass, exactly what I wanted when I picked it up, so it definitely delivered. Even if it won't go down as a favourite.

3.5 stars

Fuller-ish review to come.

** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

[Renaissance Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read #2 (May 2022): Wow do I adore this book 😭. The affection and intimacy between Will and Martin is just so beautiful and sweet and all of the things you could hope for between two people who are clearly meant for each other. I happily expect this book to turn me into a puddle on the floor each and every time I return to it.

Read #1 (Dec. 2021): Simply lovely. This book includes some of my favorite tropes—childhood friends to lovers, only one bed, caring for a sick love interest, among others—so naturally I loved it. It was so tender and sweet, even more so than the previous books in this series, and overall such a wonderful read for the end of 2021.

[Vanna on semi hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Loved-this-friends-to-lovers-historical-romance 🤩❤️💘 I had been a little disappointed with book 2 (A Gentleman Never Keeps Score) but it had ended with a bang (with the long missing Martin Easterbrook having been found) The readers of the series will know who Martin and Will are and their backgrounds, but other than that, the story stands on its own.
Will and Martin have been friends since their childhood despite the difference in their status, Martin's illnesses and frail health, Will's deployment in the Navy and subsequent discharge and opium addiction and the fallout between the Sedgewicks and Martin after Lord Easterbrook's death. Their friendship has survived it all. However, this new challenge of living in such close quarters while Will tends to Martin is a sweet torment for both. They have deep feelings for each other that has only grown over the years and now with physical attraction between them they can't help but act on it. But is it just passion based on their old friendship, which will fizzle out if they are apart again? 🔥 Or is it love? deep, jealously-possessive, gut-wrenching, self-sacrificing love? 💘
The story is slow and character driven. Martin has a chronic illness and Will has PTSD and addiction issues, but they don't let these define them. They are flawed, imperfect in so many ways.. but perfect for one another💓. The story does not have major flashbacks and only lightly touches on a few backstories for reference. It is more about who they are now and how they fall even more in love with each other😍. Because there is no question that despite having no name or labels for their relationship, they have been each other's soulmates for all this time❤️. It is a heart-felt, sentimental, and sweet romance with a wonderful HEA💖. Highly recommended to all fans of historical M/Ms!! 👍👍

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this an A- at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars rounded up

The third Sedgwick brother, Will, has his story told in Two Rogues Make a Right (and look at that lovely cover!), the latest instalment in Cat Sebastian’s Seducing the Sedgwicks series.  It’s a charming, funny, friends-to-lovers romance that had me sighing happily, melting inwardly and thinking ‘awwww’ on several occasions as I read, one of those books that’s like a warm hug you just can’t help sinking into.   It’s not essential to have read the two preceding books in order to enjoy this one, but I’d recommend doing so as they contain background information that will be helpful in understanding the central characters and their relationship; please note that there are spoilers in this review.

Will Sedgwick and Martin Easterbrook were childhood friends who found companionship, comfort and a refuge from their difficult family lives in each other.  Will’s family was unusual and chaotic; his father had both wife and mistress living in the same house, and was far more concerned with the philosophical and esoteric than the basic necessities, while Martin’s father was dismissive of his only son because of his ‘delicate’ health, and thought him useless.  The two boys were inseparable, until the morning Martin’s father found them in bed together – completely innocently – and promptly arranged for Will to join the Navy.  Through the years of separation, they kept up a correspondence which continued after Will returned home – until without explanation, Martin stopped answering Will’s letters.  Will is worried – Martin would never not respond to him – and fears his friend may be seriously ill or worse, but Martin has disappeared and nobody has a clue where he is.

Martin Easterbrook was presented as something of a villain in the first book (It Takes Two to Tumble), where he was intent on squeezing every last penny out of his already impoverished tenants, and later, he started the vicious rumours about Hartley Sedgwick (A Gentleman Never Keeps Score) which saw Hartley shunned by the society of which he’d previously been a part.  But while most view Martin as selfish, stand-offish and arrogant, Will knows that’s not all he is, and that there’s a witty, warm and inviting man beneath the grouchy exterior.  He also knows that while Martin has certainly been acting like a total git, there are reasons which, while they don’t excuse his behaviour, do at least explain it.

When we caught up with Martin at the end of the previous book, he was suffering an attack of the consumption that had begun to affect him a couple of years earlier, and was in a pretty bad way. Wanting, for once in his life, to make his own choices, he was secretly living in the attic of the London townhouse his father had left to Hartley before giving in to the inevitable and going to live on the charity of his aunt, something Martin has been desperately trying to avoid.  With Hartley’s help, Will bundles the almost insensible man into a carriage and takes him to a cottage on one of Martin’s smaller properties in Sussex, hoping that a change of air will help, but secretly fearing he has taken him there to die. Will refuses to give up on him, and we suffer with both of them at the beginning of the book, Will watching fearfully over Martin night and day, Martin burning up with fever and struggling to catch his breath.  But miraculously, after a week or so of getting weaker and showing no improvement, Martin’s fever finally breaks and slowly, he starts to recover. Will knows he feels better when he starts to sound more like his normal self; waspish, annoying and ill-tempered.

Still, over the next few weeks, Martin gradually regains his strength and realises, that for the first time in his life, he’s happy. He and Will are making their small, gamekeeper’s cottage into a home – and finally, their proximity forces them to confront the real nature of their feelings for one another. Martin has known he’s in love with Will for years, but has forced those feelings away for many reasons; his father was a disgusting lecher (he basically ‘bought’ Hartley when he was just sixteen) which made Martin determined not to even think about anything related to sex or attraction, and Martin is also reluctant to saddle Will with a useless invalid. Consumption wasn’t always fatal, but there’s no cure for it and it’s likely that Martin will continue to suffer relapses and bouts of ill health for the rest of his life. Add that to the fact that he’s broke and has no idea how to go about supporting himself… Martin refuses to be a millstone around Will’s neck. He’s already uncomfortably aware that Will has given up his life in London in order to care for him – he doesn’t want a future in which Will isn’t able to live the life he deserves.

Will, of course, thinks this is all ridiculous. Martin is his oldest and dearest friend and could never be a burden – he’s important to Will and he can’t imagine his life without him in it. He’s never thought too much about the nature of his feelings for Martin, believing them to be friendship and nothing more, and it takes these months of closeness for him to begin to understand that he’s loved Martin for probably the same length of time as Martin has loved him.

I loved watching these two loveable idiots orbiting each other in ever decreasing circles. The author writes their friendship so beautifully that I could almost have been content had the story been simply Will and Martin Live in a Cottage in the Country; they talk and squabble and tease with such warmth and affection that there’s no question they know each other inside out and are perfect for one another. Will is a natural caregiver, tactile and given to casual endearments that Martin knows are just his way, but which he treasures nonetheless. And Martin is prickly and grumpy and cantankerous, but usually that’s a front to hide embarrassment or insecurity – and when it comes to Will, he’s a pile of mush. He goes from being practically alone in the world to acquiring a family as the book progresses, which was lovely to watch; I loved that he and Will read each other bedtime stories, and I was pleased when that Martin’s aunt proved to be not at all the gorgon he had expected her to be; instead, she’s a woman of good sense who just wants Martin to be happy – and is intuitive enough to realise where – or rather with whom – that happiness lies.

There were only a couple of things I didn’t like about this book; one was the use of the ‘I’m-leaving-you-for-your-own-good’ trope, and the second was a choice Will makes near the end which didn’t make a lot of sense. Otherwise however, Two Rogues Make a Right is simply lovely, a sensual, sweet and tender romance that doesn’t sugar coat the problems involved in loving someone with chronic illness, and which ends with an epilogue that will melt your heart as it provides an optimistic glance into Will and Martin’s future.

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Rating: 4.75* of five

Today, 31 March 22, it's only $1.99 on Kindle!

LIBRARIES ARE AWESOME! USE YOURS MORE OFTEN, THEY NEED US!

My Review: First, read this:

“Which poor man?” Will asked carefully.

“The man who—he lives in the Alps and has an overbearing father.”

Will closed the book. “I think we’ll leave the rest of this novel for when you’re more lucid,” he said, his mouth twitching in a badly suppressed smile, “but I will always cherish the description of Victor Frankenstein as an overbearing parent.”
–and–
He knew Will liked women, but that didn’t mean he only liked women. Martin was fairly sure he himself liked women as much as he liked men, which was to say not particularly much. He supposed he was capable of being attracted to anybody, as long as they were Will Sedgwick.
–and–
“If you can be stupid for me, then I can be stupid for you.”

“You’re stupid no matter what you do,” Will said, trying very hard to sound like he wasn’t about to cry.

There's no escaping it: Will Sedgwick has *terrible* taste in men. He is in love, and really always has been, with Sir Martin Easterbrook. "Sir" Martin (a busted-flat baronet), on the other hand, is mean, grouchy, anti-social, and equally in love with Will. Tell me those quotes don't feel deeply familiar from one or another of your bygone youth's loves!

But they've both been through the mills...they've each got a family secret...and neither one will drop his guard. Because, y'know, reasons. Like Martin is dying of consumption, the Regency equivalent of AIDS in the 1980s: Invariably fatal, of unknown cause, and really really bad news.

People been people forever, don't you know. The two could sort everything out by simply opening up their respective yaps. Will they? Why would they? Neither has any slightest belief that the other could possibly be interested in him that way.

That tension, familiar as it is to most all of us, does wear thin. The subject of "do you/don't you—will you/won't you" loses a certain amount of urgency once one learns that rejection and embarrassment aren't fatal. They are unpleasant, and never stop being so. But Will and Martin are still feeling as though the stakes are too damned high and so they're too scared to get the job done...until they're not, and what a relief it is! (To all of us, I mean, not just them.)

What's most poignant to me, what moves me very deeply, is that above-mentioned similarity to AIDS. I lost two loves and a lot of friends to that plague. And these lines:

On a good day Will barely felt competent to manage his own life, and being responsible for another person’s—the most precious person’s—was daunting at best. He was not in the habit of eating regular meals or keeping predictable hours, but now he had to keep track of Martin’s medicines and make sure he drank and ate a few times a day. And Martin fought him every step of the way, as if Will’s ministrations were an annoyance, as if he wished Will had left him to rot in London.
–and–
Will stared hard at his friend, saw how his profile was caught in the setting sun, and was struck by how fleeting this all could be. A chill, a cough, and Martin could be gone. He was filled with a wave of—not sorrow, because the time for that had come and gone—but the urge to make this count. If their time was finite, then he ought to—he didn’t know what. He ought to take these tiny incandescent moments and figure out a way to hold them in his heart.

Well, they just couldn't have been more perfectly tuned to twang my sentimental old fools of heartstrings. Yes indeed, Author Cat, you caused a barely-sublethal crying jag, you did you did. And isn't that what the word "catharsis" was coined to describe.

This is a category romance, so we know the ending will include the men being together. It isn't kind of me to take you on the whole cruise, so I'll just note that once The Deed is done, there is no magical sunshine lollipops and rainbows effect...they still don't possess an ounce of sense between them. "Just SAY IT!!!" I came close to screaming at the silly buffoons. But they aren't, buffoons that is, and they aren't any different from many, many abused men I've known. They simply can't articulate the feeling of wanting something without choking on it. Very common, I'm afraid. But...and this is important...hang tight. The ending...well, house martins and sweet williams will always have a bit of extra luster in my eyes.

And, while another story won the 33rd Lammy Award for Gay Romance, this one is always going to win in my heart.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartbroken this series is over 😟💔

absolutely delightful historical romance like miss cat does it again frrrrrr I eat up that grumpy/sunshine, traumatized childhood best friends, taking care of each other while sick, the features of the badass women side characters (since m/m romances will sometimes be like very misogynistic lol) how romantic relationships can be affected realistically by class difference and complicated relationships with one’s parents in a way that isn’t heavy handed the way a literary historical fiction would be because the story is grounded in the romance genre!! I just absolutely loved this book and also the way this entire series works together

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Turner series by this author, but this one left me lukewarm.

Generally, I was a little underwhelmed:

While the MCs are nice and likeable, their deepest issues remain largely undiscussed with little impact on their current lives. And there is so much scope for this to have been more.
Tbh, the storyline reminded me strongly of a Mills and Boon romance Daisy turning out to be Martin’s sister! , just with writing a lot classier (which speaks for the author!). Nothing against Mills and Boon, btw, I loved those romances when I was young!

Mainly, I wanted to feel more, rather than plough through this, checking too often how many percent were left. Saying that, I still was interested enough to want to know how it all ended.

Barely 3 stars for me.

[Emma Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today started great - I woke up, put some Chuck Berry on, danced a bit, and before even reading the news, found out Edelweiss had approved my request for an ARC of Two Rogues Make a Right, the latest Cat Sebastian novel. I screamed. I had begged the universe for something good to happen today, anything that could make me forget the world for just a blissful few hours. Hell, I'd even have settled for a few minutes. Cat Sebastian writes beautiful, funny, sweet queer historical romances that you want to escape to and I desperately needed her (we all do).

Two Rogues Make a Right is about Martin, a baronet whose late father was the absolute worst and who's lived with consumption the better part of his life. His best friend is Will, a former sailor, who's doing his best not to think too much about how much he loves Martin. Will is scared - Martin is an aristocrat who has to marry and produce an heir, Martin is scared and thinks he's undeserving of Will's love because he's ill. They're both too precious for words - just kiss already, please.

I didn't expect this to be so moving but as soon as the book opens, we see Martin struggling to breathe, coughing, and Will nursing him back to health knowing there isn't much he can do to save him and I thought 'oh my goodness, I can never read historical again, it's too close to home now' but this book heals every wound. There's no miracle cure, but there's love, comfort, a respite from the world for however long these two are together (forever) and god, that was gorgeous.

A few wonderful things I loved:

- this is very much about loving someone with a chronic illness and all that entails. That was beautiful.
- Martin hasn't got much of a family at the beginning of the book and he finds one through the course of the novel, which was super sweet
- Loved Daisy and Mrs Tanner her mother, both practical women who are Martin's neighbours and incidentally end up fixing his life in more ways than one
- We see Hartley and Sam! My lovelies <3
- Bread and cheese feature heavily in this. Bread and cheese. COME ON.
- Some truly funny moments, there's a line about the plot of Frankenstein at the beginning of the novel that had me chuckle
- Will and Martin read each other bedtime stories <3
- It's a friends-to-lovers novel that's kind of like a bread pudding. I fell in love with them both instantly and was in love with their love. They're both just so sweet.
- The ending is ridiculously endearing, I can't spoil it but awwwww.

This is the comfort read the world needs. This is the respite from *gestures wildly at the general state of the universe* you asked for. It was the one I needed today. I'm very tempted to reread it all over again. Thank you, Cat, for being the soft, pillowy writer you are. You're the best. And of course, thank you to Edelweiss for this unexpected gift.

[Para (wanderer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this a thousand stars if I could. It was perfect.

“You’re allowed to be greedy and grasping. You’re allowed to be cross with him. That’s sometimes what love is. It’s not all sweetness and light.”

Initially, I thought I'd borrow it, but it wasn't long until I got sick of waiting and bought it and I couldn't be more glad I did. I knew I'd love it. I read the whole series just to get to it. And in the end, yes, my instincts were once again correct. It literally couldn't fit my preferences better and I devoured it in a span of a few hours.

If there's a trope I'm weak for when it comes to romance, it's a character taking care of their sick lover (any hurt/comfort is good, really, but this in particular), and if there's two tropes, very messed up people finding love is the second. Which is, well, pretty much exactly what this book is. Will, a former opium addict suffering from PTSD after his time in the navy under a horrific captain, spends most of it caring for Martin, who's always been sickly but is now suffering from consumption.

“How long are you here for?”
“Well, at least I don’t have a monopoly on idiocy.”
Will stared. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m here, full stop, because it’s my home, because—as you said two minutes ago—it’s where you are, you monumental lackwit.”

It's not a love heals all story. Neither of them is all well and good by the end, but they learn to live with it, and I loved that. I also liked that their love was a prickly thing, that even though they've been pining for each other for their whole lives, they mess up a lot and are terrible with feelings and use idiot as a term of endearment. So good. I have said before I like my romance soft and sweet, and it was that, but there are no cinnamon rolls here.

(As a sidenote, the other characters were also fantastic, especially the women. From Daisy, easily as prickly as Martin, to his terrifying aunt.)

Even though each book in this series can technically stand alone, this one in particular benefits greatly from having read the other two, otherwise you miss a lot of context about the relationships between the brothers. I'm glad that despite my impatience to get to this book in particular, I went for the whole series.

But either way. I think I have a new favourite romance book.

Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5

Recommended to: fellow suckers for hurt/comfort and romance involving healing, those looking for bisexual and aroace-spec characters

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

CRIES i loved this so much 😭😭🥺

[therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uhhh, this was kind of boring. There were some sweet moments, but all the conflict felt so goofy and I could barely parse together what these idiots were arguing about half the time. I would read a back and forth disagreement and come away from it genuinely confused as to what points each of the main characters was trying to make. Our two main dudes don’t really have distinct or interesting personalities either. Martin is kind of grumpy and Will is just there. Idk. He's friendly or flirty or something?

When the previous book ended with Will straight up sucker punching a fairly ill Martin, I thought this was going to be angsty and fun with a lot of clashing as two old friends try to figure out how to fit together once again. I’m not sure what this was, but it wasn’t quite that. There’s no real conflict or will-they-won’t-they. Martin and Will love each other from the get go and they’re both pretty sure that love is retuned, which removes a lot of opportunity for tension and pining.

Also, this book is sort of inherently sad without ever quite addressing that. We don’t get a lot of detail about Will or Martin’s pasts, but they haunt the story. I think Sebastian is trying to avoid a trauma porn type situation, which is commendable, but I don’t prefer things instead being overly vague and unexplored. On top of that, we have the fact that Martin is very ill and will remain very ill….and could also make Will very ill? It’s never addressed that Martin could be contagious but I mean…it’s tuberculosis….he probably is? So sooner rather than later he will die and he could pass this onto Will as well. None of this is really straightforwardly discussed, and I would have appreciated some actual serious discussions rather than a lot of the flowery, nonsensical things Will and Martin throw at each other.

I think this has been my least favorite of Cat Sebastian’s books, and it’s also the first one I’ve noticed blatant errors in. Overall, I think the Turners series is better than this one, though all of Sebastian’s books are fun and your enjoyment mostly depends on your preference when it comes to romance tropes and character archetypes.

[Sol ~ TheBookishKing · Rating 1 out of 5]

wow i hated everything about this

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cozy and comforting and lovely.

If you're looking for a plot- or angst- or action-heavy romance, this won't satisfy you, but if you're looking for something slow and sweet, where two lifelong friends slowly come together while one nurses the other back to health, than this is your book. Martin and Will have been best friends since childhood. Will grew up slightly neglected in a rather bohemian household that was falling into ruin. Martin's father was a first class asshole, who also turned out to be an abuser (see the second book in the series). Martin has also been sick his whole life (asthma, probably) and now has consumption on top of all that. He is legitimately on death's door at the beginning of the novel. (Sidenote: I didn't know people with tuberculosis could live so long, up to ten to twenty years without treatment. I don't know why I assumed it killed you faster. Let's blame Moulin Rouge.)

The first half of this was just brain candy for me. I love a good hurt/comfort story, and the two of them have such good chemistry. Sebastian's inner monologue for Martin, who is a grumpy cat with gooey marshmallow insides, had me cackling at points. They just sort of bit by bit fall into a relationship with each other, and have to figure out how to make that work logistically with their financial, health, and professional limitations, not to mention the 1800s-ness of it all.

This could be read on its own, but I think it really works best if you just read this whole series. They build on each other very nicely, and a lot of Martin's backstory in particular happens in book two.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so sweet and not in a make you puke so sickly sweet sort of way. Review a little later - if I can find a working brain cell.

Probably a 4 - 4 1/2 because they did have a little trouble with sharing their feelin's and communicating but they're men so there's that, lol.

[alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i adore slow burn friends-to-lovers and the mcs were decently endearing, but for reasons i can’t quite put my finger on, i kept checking how much time was left on the audiobook 😅

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is a sweet hurt/comfort friends-to-lovers story. Martin has his illness, Will has his PTSD and previous opium addiction. At the same time, both Martin and Will are already in love with each other, thus, that the book doesn't really have big "tension/conflict", you know? At times it feels rather mundane and repetitive.

Basically, Martin assume that he will be a big burden to Will -- while Will thinks that Martin needs the comfort of being a baronet rather than 'shacking up' with an ex-sailor like him. They are both IDIOTS, of course *gazing at both men, fondly, before smacking them in the head*. We know assumptions are stupid, and they just do a LOT of assumptions in this course of relationship *grumblings*

Sebastian's lovely writing makes up for it, of course. Plus, like I said in the beginning, it IS sweet.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐
I received an ARC copy of this from Avon via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary
After months of searching for his best friend, Will found Martin hiding in his brother's attic on the verge of death. In hopes of saving his life, Will kidnaps Martin to the countryside in hopes of helping him recover. When Martin wakes up, he finds himself in a small country house, being cared for by his best friend, and the man he's been in love with his entire life.
"As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other?"

Overview
➸ POV: 3rd Person from Martin & Will's POVs

➸ Will Sedgwick: Middle of 5 brothers, Ex-Navy, Battling Depression/PTSD and addiction, Suffers from nightmares

➸ Martin Easterbrook: Chronically ill, Ran away from aunt - his only remaining family, Broke, Best friends with Will

➸ Content Warnings: Chronic Illness, Talk of Violence (in the past), PTSD, Depression, Drug Abuse, Talk of Sexual Assault (in the past)

My Thoughts
Book 1 is definitely my favorite of the series, but this was a close second! This story was so soft and precious. I adored these characters and the life they created for themselves.

I was a little nervous going into this one because I had no idea how Cat Sebastian was going to redeem Martin. While he wasn't an awful person in the first 2, he definitely wasn't very likable. I love how his character and motivations were slowly revealed throughout this story. I though he went through a fantastic character arc and I grew to really love his pov.

Martin is such a precious character I would protect him with my life. I am still a little disappointed that we never got a good look at what happened to him in the past. His backstory intrigued me the most out of the brothers and I didn't feel it was explained very clearly. It's hinted at and we catch small glimpses throughout the series, but it's never explained in detail. Which I think would have brought a lot to his character since we see the aftermath of the events through the entire series.

I think my favorite thing about this series and Cat Sebastian's books in general, is the way she handles topics I don't otherwise see in historical romances. This one in particular touched on chronic illness, mental illness, and addiction.

Overall I really enjoyed this third book in the series! I loved how sweet these characters were and how their relationship was based on friendship. I loved the slow burn of their romance and seeing them slowly open up to each other. I can't wait to see pick up whatever Cat Sebastian writes next!

[Stephi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Rogues Make a Right is an sweet and adorable best-friends-to-lovers romance between two flawed, but selfless characters who really needed to learn how to better communicate.

This isn't a tense or plot-heavy book; rather, it is quiet and meandering, taking place mostly in a small cottage in the countryside with piglets who "were very slippery and wished for nothing so much as anarchy. Whenever presented with a dull moment, they began devising new and horrible ways to get out of their pen." I'm not entirely sure why I found that part so funny, but Cat Sebastian just always has a way of getting me to laugh. I especially loved the banter between Martin and Will.

"It was as if his mind had taken the source of all his nightmares and mapped it onto the face of the person he loved best, as if to remind him that maybe the sea wasn't all bad."

You can really tell how in love with each other they are and I love how this book showcases more the emotional bond between Will and Martin, rather than just their physical chemistry.

I also loved the representation in this book. Will is bi/pan, a former opium addict, and suffers from poor mental health as a result of a past traumatic experience. Martin is demisexual and struggles with chronic illness.

I've read the first book in this series, It Takes Two to Tumble, but I haven't yet read the second and I'll definitely pick it up in the future.

3.75 stars

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me: Nonononononononononooooooooo. This cannot be happening.
Also me: But you love this author!
Me: I KNOW THAT!

I really cannot believe this is happening. I have to give two stars to a book by one of my new favorite authors. Okay, 2.5, but goodreads won't let me, and I did give 3 stars to book 2 in the series, and I enjoyed it more than this one...

Anyway. I seem to have read a different book than most of my friends, who really loved it.

I did enjoy the beginning, and I was really curious what happened between Will and Martin when they were younger, but. None of it was exactly news. You get the fact that they were in love in book 1 of the series (or at least I suspected), so maybe I was expecting too much?

All I can say that the beginning was incredibly sad and heart-breaking, but after a while the mis- (or really NON) communications started boring me. They were both so good. So intend on not hurting the other one. So stuck in their own heads. So willing to sacrifice their love if it meant the other one was safe and happy. Too much of it happened in their heads, and I just wished either something would happen (and really, not much does. Martin is sick. Will nurses him. Martin gets better. Sex happens.) or they would just talk to each other. So the middle part was rather a let-down for me. The ending (after the last miscommunication) was rather sweet again, and that saved a bit for me. I mean:

"How long are you here for?" Will started. "Well, at least I don't have a monopoly on idiocy." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'm here, full stop, because it's my home, because -as you said two minutes ago- it's where you are, you monumental lackwit."

Anyway. So sad beginning, meh middle, and kinda cute ending. I'm really bummed about this, but I expected more from this :( And you'd think the book would be perfect for me! Friends-to-lovers, no drama, nothing bad happening AT ALL. It's all I ask for in a good book! There was just something missing for me that I can't exactly put my finger on..

[Ay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My immediate takeaway on reading this book is that I am going to gallop off and read everything else she has ever written.

First: the title is stupid and misleading. The main characters are not rogues. The slightly jaunty title does not match the tone of the book either. This is what happens when you have mainstream publishers coming up with stupid titles for historical romances. Can you tell that this is a bugbear of mine? Yes, yes it is. At least the title is not a reference to a hit film or tv show, or some other grotesque anachronism.

Moving on....

This book is highly enjoyable. As soon as I finished it, I looked forward to rereading it.

The writer treats the reader with respect. She also respects her characters and their world. They are two complex messed up guys. There is lots of backstory, but it artfully conveyed as the story proceeds.

The main characters are two very different people, with different needs, history, issues and hang-ups which are clearly the result of their upbringing. The story is told from both their point of view, and both guys are endearing and delightful. Here and there they do and have done, very silly things, but their internal worldview and logic is made evident.

The story is extremely sweet without being infantile and simplistic. It is realistic to the time, when homosexuality and homosexual acts (and oral sex incidentally) were illegal and taboo.
The book deals broadly with how two guys in their early 20s work out how to go about their lives henceforward.

The only other issue of grave concern with this book, apart from the high Glom Risk, is that it raises the reader’s expectations of what an historical novel can be, thus many other books are likely to disappoint.

[Ina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin and Will are precious idiots and I love them whole heartedly. Needless to say, if you enjoyed either of the earlier books in this series, you’ll want to run not walk to read this one: Will Sedgwick is just as compelling as his siblings, Ben and Hartley, and he is equally as deserving of his HEA. Full review to come.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: gay mc with chronic illness, bi mc with PTSD, gay side characters

CWs: past drug addiction, past abuse

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will Sedgwick can’t believe that after months of searching for his oldest friend, Martin Easterbrook is found hiding in an attic like a gothic nightmare. Intent on nursing Martin back to health, Will kindly kidnaps him and takes him to the countryside to recover, well away from the world.

Martin doesn’t much care where he is or even how he got there. He’s much more concerned that the man he’s loved his entire life is currently waiting on him hand and foot, feeding him soup and making him tea. Martin knows he’s a lost cause, one he doesn’t want Will to waste his life on.

As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other?

Review:

As title suggests this is a third book in the "Seducing the Sedgwicks" series. It is a little hard for me to buy into several family members being gay/bi, since we already had two brothers settle down with their loves, but without accepting the premise I could not even start the book, so I told myself sometimes it happens and moved on the story.

I thought it was a really sweet book ( in a good way). I refuse to tag it as a historical, because I feel like the story could have taken place at any time during I don't know, oh let's say 17 - 19 centuries, but it was a good romance with minimum settings.

Will and Martin were introduced in the previous books, but they were at most supporting characters and small ones at that ( especially Martin). All their backstory is repeated and expanded upon here, so I don't think you will be confused if you read this one as a stand alone.

This is "friends to lovers" story. Will and Martin were friends since they were kids. It is unclear to me even after reading the story whether they even realized that they had more than friendly feelings towards each other before Will came back from Navy. It looked like Martin did, but thought he did not deserve it and Will realized relatively recently. ( or more like he was deluding himself because he surely treated Martin as a loved one all his life in my opinion).

In this book as blurb tells you Will is nursing ill Martin back to health. ( Martin has consumption so his illness will always be there, but he has his better days and bad days . In the beginning of the story Martin has some very bad days).

Besides that and them figuring out how they really feel towards each other ( or allowing themselves to feel how they really feel about each other), the story does not have much plot.

Their real life of course at some point intrudes on their escape from reality. Martin has a title and certain obligations and Will has his life too, but I thought that all of it was waved away pretty easily ( and while I was reading I even bought it within context of the story). I thought conflict itself made sense, but as I said I thought the solution was too easy. Not that I minded much. I was not bored, the author writes well and I thought that both guys were sweethearts ( even if Martin trued to pretend he was something else and had sharp tongue) and deserved their happiness.

Here if you want to get a taste of writing:

"Martin didn’t know which of them stood first, or which of them led the way toward the bedroom. Half an hour earlier he wouldn’t have thought it possible that either of them could have wanted this. Will was shaken and anxious; Martin was tired and ill. But there they were, peeling one another’s clothes off, kissing with more affection than heat. He had always thought sex was something base and animalistic, and maybe sometimes it was. But it was also this—a comfort after a long day, a reminder that there was someone who wanted to take care of you, a small piece of mercy in an unyielding world. When Will lay back and Martin bent over his lap, he was astonished by the gentleness of the act, the tenderness of his own lips and tongue, the sweetness of Will’s hand in his hair. And then, later, his face buried in Will’s neck, he found that there could be a sort of surrender in his own release, a slackening of the line between what he needed and what was possible.”

Grade : C+/B-

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily five stars. The best book I’ve read since the last time I read Cat Sebastian.

RTC

[Maisha Farzana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Loving you is a part of me, probably the best part of me, and even if you want to argue with me about that—and why the hell do you want to, Martin, really—I want to be with you, to be near you, to do what I can to make you happy. A choice,” he said, shaking his head. “A choice. It’s the only choice I want to make.”

Is there anything sweeter than falling in love with your best friend? I think, the answer should be no. Well, sweets amd pastries may disagree. But we are not going to pay any heed to their protestation today because once I start babbling nonsense, it would be hard to stop me....

I have read and enjoyed Cat Sebastian's works in the past. She writes great historical mm romance books. "Two Rogues Make a Right" was great too. It was a childhood friends to lovers romance. We follow Martin and as they navigate their lifelong friendship that has been getting cracks and we witness their friendship slowly blossoming into something more. Martin and frienship, their bonding was wonderful. They had an incredible chemistry. The banter was awesome too. I really liked the humor in this book. It's witty, sarcastic and a lot of fun.

Now my issues....I think anyone can guess what I'm going to say. Yes, I'm gonna recite my infamous dialogue once again - I didn't like the romance. It was meh...

Okay, the romance wasn't bad per se. I just didn't like it. Totally a personal opinion. It didn't work for me. I was bored and distracted while reading this book. Basically, historical romances are not my scene. They just bore me, I feel so utterly disconnected from the characters that it hurts. I guess I need a break from these historical romances. Not giving up yet but maybe I should....

Please do read this book if you're planning to. The book was great. It was me who didn't enjoy reading it.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Two Rogues Make a Right is the third book in Cat Sebastian’s wonderful Seducing the Sedgewicks series. While the story does spin pretty directly from A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (my favorite of the three), the essential information is all incorporated here. Those of you who read the previous book may remember Martin as the son of Hartley’s abuser. When Martin’s father died, he left Hartley with a home and Martin with nothing, causing a conflict between them that drove a lot of Hartley’s story. At the end of that book, we see them find Martin hiding in the attic, delirious with illness, and this story picks up in the aftermath after Will has whisked him away to the country. So all that said, as long as you know that set up, you will be fine starting here (though these books are wonderful, so don’t miss out on the first two).

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don't really like covers with real people on them, but this one melts my heart 💕🥺

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safety warning attached at end.

This is my first Cat Sebastian book and also my first MM novel. This is book 3 in the series. I think it would be better to read this series in order? It was okay as a stand alone but I did get the feeling that the story had already started happening before I got there. And the heroes from book 2 make appearances in this book. I'm not sure how much Will and Martin are in the previous stories though.

Will and Martin were best friends growing up. Martin's life was different than most, as he was always sick. Weak lungs. He lived for Will's wild stories. Martin's father gets Will into the navy and they don't see each other for a number of years.

The story picks up when Will, who found Martin living in an attic and terribly ill, kidnaps him and takes him to the country to recover. This story is very laid back and sweet. Sweet as in, actually sweet interactions, not the NO SEX sweet ;) It doesn't have a lot of craziness going on. No murders, no mysteries to solve, there's not a lot of action. Most of the story takes place at a cabin in the country and then parts in London towards the end. Still it didn't feel extremely slow to me. It was all about the friendship redeveloping into love. It was about the daily interactions that build a relationship. It was very much about the little touches and I loved that aspect especially. I felt every touch in this book in the most endearing ways. Straightening lapels. A hand on the back. A snuggle in bed. Martin is a character that hasn't allowed much contact in his life. Not physically or emotionally. He's been separated from so much due to his illness and he just desperately wants someone to touch him and love him and treat him like he's not made of glass. But he hides all this underneath a layer of aristocratic contempt. Will really is perfect for him. I believe Martin is also a virgin though it didn't come out and say. He's been very alone and inexperienced in a lot of things. Once he allows Will to connect with him emotionally he just blossoms.

Will is a bisexual character. He's very happy and free and seems to not take anything too seriously. But underneath it all, he takes Martin VERY seriously. Never wanting to endanger their friendship he has not crossed certain lines. The two of them have to face a lot of things within their own hearts while they recover at the cabin.

I'd give this book a try if you want
-a MM novel
-inexperienced hero
-a fairly uncomplicated story purely focused on the emotions
-friends to lovers
-slow burn/gentle love
-forced proximity (most of the book is spent at a 1 room cabin together)

This book has 2-3 fully fleshed out intimate scenes. There are also a few that are glossed over. It was all very sweetly done. The details focused more on the emotional side.

With all this said, I'm falling in at 3 stars. The book was really sweet and I'm happy I read it. But it wasn't a book I didn't want to put down. And I was left only having lukewarm feelings about both Will and Martin. I can't say I was super connected to either of them. I can't picture myself rereading this. I would definitely try Cat Sebastian again though.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts about opinions are my own regarding this story.

Safety warning: sexual abuse (implied off page to other characters), addiction