Something spectacular

Gleefully anachronistic and spectacularly queer, this Regency sequel to Something Fabulous feels like Hall is really having fun. Arabella Tarleton has had many lovers, but she's never been in love and, out of boredom and desperation, decides it's high time she try it. She picks famed opera singer Orfeo, a castrato, as her romantic object, but, unfortunately, being in their presence reduces her sharp wit to meaningless babble. She enlists her far more sensible best friend, nonbinary Peggy Delancey, who has pined for Arabella for years, to "play Cesario to Orsino" and plead her suit to Orfeo. From their first meeting--during which the beauty of Orfeo's voice causes Peggy to faint--Peggy and Orfeo's interactions exist in a heightened, almost operatic register of bared souls and tender touches, which can feel tonally inconsistent with the flippant, campy quality of the scenes between Peggy, Arabella, and their delightful found family of friends. The pair bond deeply over their complex relationships to gender--but Orfeo, who is portrayed as a Bowie-esque rock star, claims to have eyes only for their music and Peggy is reluctant to put herself through yet more unrequited love. Readers are advised to leave their historical scruples at the door and enjoy this indulgent treat for what it is. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Apr.)

Two gender-nonconforming people find love with each other in Regency London. Peggy Delancey loves herself and her body but knows she doesn't fit into society's rigid gender norms. She and her neighbor Arabella Tarleton have been friends and casual lovers for years, and Peggy is convinced that her feelings for Arabella are true love and not just sexual attraction even though Arabella doesn't feel the same. Nevertheless, Peggy's sense of duty and loyalty make her unable to resist Arabella's pleas for help in wooing Orfeo, a famous castrato opera singer. Peggy is troubled by her instant feelings of attraction to Orfeo, wondering if it makes her disloyal to find them more attractive than Arabella. Even more thrilling, Orfeo is the first person who has ever preferred quiet, unassuming Peggy over the brash, beautiful Arabella. Orfeo instantly recognizes Peggy as someone special, and their magnetism and confidence show Peggy how to be honest with herself and others about her own identity. Hall's trademark witty banter and impeccable comedic timing are on full display here. The book is a campy Regency, full of fabulous fashions and over-the-top plotting. The large returning cast of characters from the first book in the series, Something Fabulous (2022), adds a delightful feeling of camaraderie and a reminder of the importance of found family. Hall is explicitly claiming and making space in the historical romance subgenre for queer people to be main characters on their own terms. Peggy and Orfeo's tender friendship and romance shows that queer people do not need to justify or explain their presence or identities to find love and that love, in some form or fashion, is for everyone. This historical rom-com will delight readers looking for a fun, rompy read. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.