SOLVED. Adult Historical Romance with feminist vibes and FMC is named Marion and her name is a part of the title; something like the something life of marion something; MMC is bisexual and a Robin Hood-esc moral highwayman. [s]

[Lindsay]

I just want to state at the very outset that I'm pretty positive that all of the things I talk about concerning the plot and the characters in this are all things that we learn within the first handful of chapters of the book so I don't think any of it is really a spoiler. But I will give the disclaimer that I'm not 100% sure about the timeline of when things occur in the book so I could be wrong about that.

I read this book quite recently, probably within the last year or two, but long enough ago that it is no longer in my searchable library rental history. I don't know for sure but I believe it was a fairly recent publication based on the style and the kind of cover art that it had. It was one of those newer romance novels that, instead of having that classic Fabio, bodice ripper type cover, it had a very stylized cartoonish cover that featured the female main character and the male main character in what looked like a sort of slapstick, accidentally physically running into each other embrace. And I believe it was blue or teal.

As I said in the title the FMC was named Marion and she was a widow and I don't remember the exact details but I know that part of the plotline was that she was on the run because she was afraid that someone was going to find out that she had been forced to kill a man, possibly her husband? And I believe that she met the MMC because he is a Robin Hood style, steal from the rich give to the poor highwayman and he attempts to hold up her carriage when she is fleeing after having committed murder. I'm not really sure about whether or not that's the way that they meet but I do know that the MMC is, in fact, that sort of highwayman and that at some point during the course of the book we do see him commit a robbery of a carriage like that.

I also seem to remember that this is sort of a enemies to lovers book and that there is a scene that involves Marion restraining the MMC in a hotel or a boarding house room that she has rented for the night. And then she leaves him there and he works his way out of the restraints and manages to leave out the window so that she comes back to the room and finds him gone. But then while she's panicking about him being gone he returns and climbs back in through the window and tells her that his plan had always been to come back even though that meant he was coming back to be held captive by her.

He is also good friends with someone that the FMC knows, I think maybe her stepson? I believe the situation is that the FMC was much younger than her late husband and that her late husband had also been a widower and had a son from that first marriage who was roughly the FMC's age. So the FMC has a stepson who is actually more of a peer to her and that stepson is friends with the MMC.

I know for a fact that most of the book is taken up with the FMC and the MMC going on a journey together that involves both of them trying to hide from the law while they return to her childhood home for some reason, I believe to check up on her father who she financially provides for? I also know for sure that a feature of their romance is that the FMC has a daughter and that that pregnancy caused her such severe health problems that if she ever gets pregnant again it will likely kill her so she has sworn herself to celibacy. She wasn't bothered by this because her relationship with her late husband was unsavory enough that she has no interest in men or relationships with them at all anymore. But the MMC totally supports her in this and is happy to have a romantic relationship with her that does not involve any sort of physical activity which might result in her pregnancy.

And so the form that their relationship takes is one in which she is somewhat dominant in the bedroom and he is somewhat submissive. And the fact that he is bisexual and has experience being intimate with men makes him willing to engage in various activities that most men of his time would want nothing to do with and that allow her to be in control of the situation which helps her to feel more comfortable with their intimate activities.

I believe that's all I can remember about it, at least at the moment. I'll add anything if it comes to me. Thank you so much to anyone who can help me figure out what this book is so that I can recommend it to my friend.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there is also a portion of the book during which the FMC is in disguise as a man. And I believe that that particular aspect of the plot was something that was mentioned in the summary of the book, at least on my library app so I assume it was also in the back cover summary.

Edit: The Perfect Crimes of Marion Hayes by Cat Sebastian

[Ann]

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian immediately leapt into my mind.

[Lindsay]

Ann wrote: "The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian immediately leapt into my mind."

YES!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! This has been bugging me for days and I am so glad that someone responded to this so quickly because I'm trying to recommend it to a friend of mine but also for my romance book club poll and I needed to submit it tonight for that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, Lindsay.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes (book 2) of the London Highwaymen series by Cat Sebastian - Ann's find.