Review: Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous #1)

Title: Something Fabulous
Author: Alexis Hall
Genre: Romance, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Montlake
Source: Thomas Allen and Son
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of Boyfriend Material comes a delightfully witty romance featuring a reserved duke who’s betrothed to one twin and hopelessly enamoured of the other.

Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.

It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.

Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.

Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.

Review:

Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has always known he must marry Arabella Tarleton. Their fathers were friends, and they decided before they died that their children would marry. However, Arabella doesn’t accept Valentine’s proposal as expected because he doesn’t love or even care for her. After the proposal, Arabella runs away with her friend, so her twin brother, Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, insists that Valentine go with him across the country to bring her home. Valentine soon learns that Bonny likes men, which is something that Valentine had never considered. As they travel around, trying to track down Arabella, Valentine starts to question everything he’s ever thought about love.

This story started out with an author’s note that said some of the linguistic choices are modern and almost all of the characters are queer. The modern language was quite funny at times, especially for a book set in the 1800s. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where almost every character, except for one or two, are queer. This made for some tense situations during a time period where it wasn’t accepted. This story also had quite a steamy romance!

I was very curious to see how this story would end. Since it’s a romance, it should end with the main couple being in a relationship or getting married. However, a male couple in the 1800s wouldn’t be able to get married, and their romance would be frowned upon public, especially when one of the men was a Duke who must have an heir. I won’t give away the ending, but I was pleasantly surprised. It really made a lot of sense, yet I hadn’t thought it would happen. It was the perfect ending for this story!

Something Fabulous is a great queer historical romance!

Thank you Thomas Allen and Son for providing a copy of this book.

What to read next:

Have you read Something Fabulous? What did you think of it?