The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide | Book Review

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide
Published by S&S/Saga Press on April 15, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Romance
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Death, Suicide, Blood, Explicit Sexual Content
Rating:

Lord Nicholas Monterris is trapped. The only heir to a declining dukedom, Nic is destined for a marriage of convenience. What he didn’t expect was for his bride to be Lady Leaf Serral, daughter of his father’s hated rivals. Now they must all be locked inside mouldering Monterris Court for the duration of the contract negotiations, along with head negotiator, master vowsmith Dashiell sa Vare—beautiful, perfect Dashiell sa Vare—an old flame Nic has neither forgiven nor forgotten. What could go wrong? Only a dead body turning up mere hours after they lock the doors. The first could be an accident, but a second death reveals something sinister is unfolding at Monterris Court, and long-buried secrets begin to surface. As accusations fly, Nic must work with his former lover and his future bride to uncover the killer before they become the next targets.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith was one of the first books I read this year (2026), and while I was very excited about the premise, it was ultimately just okay. Not great, but not terrible either. 

It is a beautiful combination of fantasy set in Regency England with a high-stakes murder mystery and queer romance. The setting? Very atmospheric. The characters? Loveable. The murder mystery? Somewhat confusing. Magic system? New and exciting. Romance? Full of yearning. So why was it just okay? Because none of it is particularly memorable. Here I am, two months out from reading the book trying to write a review and I am struggling to put into words exactly what went wrong. So I guess, let's talk about what I did enjoy.

First and foremost, I loved the setting. Ide transports the reader effortlessly into the crumbling manor of a destitute noble family who has many a secret to hide. The Monterris's were once a well-respected family, but, due to many unfortunate financial mistakes and blunders, have found themselves just shy of the poorhouse. A marriage to a wealthy family is necessary to save face, but the family is so plagued by secrets that such a marriage may never work. We are lead through dark, decrepit halls, into the dank servant passageways, and through overgrown, molded, and deteriorating wings of the manor as we follow Nic and Leaf while they investigate a series of unfortunately (or fortuitous?) murders. The setting really gripped me, keeping me reading even when I wasn't particularly interested in other aspects of the story.

Second, the characters are extremely loveable, especially Leaf. She is a headstrong young woman with a plan and once she sets her mind to something, there is no stopping her. She is the perfect partner for Nic, an otherwise shy recluse. And while Leaf is supposed to marry Nic, there is absolutely zero romantic chemistry between the two as Nic is unapologetically gay. According to Leaf, "As gay as a spoon." Yes...that was said by Leaf. Funny, but out of place for the supposed time.

Other than the loveable characters and the deeply disturbing manor, the yearning between our gentleman, Nic, and his vowsmith, Dash, is palpable. The two have a complex history and it rears its head, threatening to undo them both in the process. There is spice in this book, so if gay sex or spice in general make you uncomfortable, this may not be the book for you.

Despite how much I enjoyed our characters, the atmosphere, and the love affair, the overall story was just okay. There were moments that a scene did not make complete sense or the dialogue was so modern it pulled me out of Regency England into modern-day America. Not a great feeling. I was also angry at the lack of or unwillingness of people to communicate with each other. The entire affair and murders could have been prevented if people had just talked to each other and said what they meant. I get it...we wouldn't have a story if that were the case, but it was overwhelmingly frustrating for me as an outside person looking in.

Overall, The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a rather light-hearted read for a book filled with so much death, making it a great palate cleanser between more intensive reads.