Posts Tagged With: Historical

Book Review: Of Silk and Steam by Bec McMaster

Reviewed by Ami

18667312Title: Of Silk and Steam
Author: Bec McMaster
Series: London Steampunk #5
Hero/Heroine: Leo Barrons/Lady Aramina
Genre: MF Historical Romance
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: March 3, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Enemies. Allies. Lovers.

When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game. When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is illegitimate, she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son, a man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

A woman of mystery, Mina’s long driven Leo crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she’s hiding something, and he’s determined to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn’t expect the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the corrupt prince consort… or to saving his own carefully walled-off heart.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, M/F, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Jackdaw by K.J. Charles

Guest Reviewed by Gyn

1Title: Jackdaw
Author: K.J. Charles
Series: A Charm of Magpies,
Heroes: Jonah Pastern/Ben Spenser
Genre: MM Historical
Length: 189 Pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  If you stop running, you fall.

Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. Until his betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.

Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.

Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, can they find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them?

This story is set in the world of the Charm of Magpies series.

Warning: Contains a policeman who should know better, a thief who may never learn, Victorian morals, heated encounters, and a very annoyed Stephen Day.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Bells of Times Square by Amy Lane

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: The Bells of Times Square
Author: Amy Lane
Heroes: Nate Meyer
Genre:  MM Historical
Length: 236 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: December 15, 2014
Available at: Riptide Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Every New Year’s Eve since 1946, Nate Meyer has ventured alone to Times Square to listen for the ghostly church bells he and his long-lost wartime lover vowed to hear together. This year, however, his grandson Blaine is pushing Nate through the Manhattan streets, revealing his secrets to his silent, stroke-stricken grandfather.

When Blaine introduces his boyfriend to his beloved grandfather, he has no idea that Nate holds a similar secret. As they endure the chilly death of the old year, Nate is drawn back in memory to a much earlier time . . . and to Walter.

Long before, in a peace carefully crafted in the heart of wartime tumult, Nate and Walter forged a loving home in the midst of violence and chaos. But nothing in war is permanent, and now all Nate has is memories of a man his family never knew existed. And a hope that he’ll finally hear the church bells that will unite everybody—including the lovers who hid the best and most sacred parts of their hearts.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: A Gentleman’s Agreement by J. Roman

Reviewed by Morgan

1Title: A Gentleman’s Agreement
Author: J. Roman
Narrator: Paul Morey
Heroes: Thomas Derrick Henry Appleby
Genre: MM Historical
Length: Book – 100 Pages / Audio – 2 Hours, 24 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Book – December 1, 2012 / Audio – October 22, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Thomas Derrik is about to have the worst Christmas of his life. Three days before the holiday, he finds out the father he doesn’t get along with is arriving on Christmas Eve, his ex-lover and new brother-in-law will be staying at his estate until the New Year, and his beloved brother, Edmund, has died.

Luckily, Edmund’s last holiday scheme may well save Thomas’s Christmas: Henry Appleby, a young lord fresh from the Continent, has arranged to court Thomas. But the family tragedy and jealous exes may put an end to the romance before it begins.
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Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Gentleman and the Lamplighter by Summer Devon

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  The Gentleman and the Lamplighter
Author: Summer Devon
Heroes: Giles Fullerton/John Banks
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 60 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Available Online: Heroes and Heartbreakers December 3, 2014
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: You Can’t Walk Away from Love.
Destroyed by the death of his former schoolmate yet unable to show it publicly, Giles Fullerton has taken to walking the streets of London in the middle of the night, the only time he can safely mourn the only person he’s ever loved—until one chance meeting with a lamplighter changes everything….

But You Can Walk Toward It…
Widower John Banks knows a thing or two about grief, and immediately recognizes a kindred spirit when he finally meets the handsome, haunted gentleman he’s admired from afar. And in fact, the two men discover shared passions and the possibility of a forever love—if they can overcome social taboos, and their own fears….
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Book Review: Hesitant Heart by Morticia Knight

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Hesitant Heart
Author: Morticia Knight
Series: The Hampton Road Club #1
Heroes: Sam/Aaron
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 174 Pages
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: November 7, 2014
Available at: Totally Bound and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Sam is a naïve young man who arrives in Hollywood to escape his brutal father. When the older, sophisticated Aaron rescues him, Sam discovers what it means to fully surrender himself to another.

Eighteen year-old Sam Cunningham is used to living with lots of secrets. He’s had to hide his true nature his entire life or else incur the wrath of his strict and abusive father. When he’s faced with a horrible ultimatum, he flees to Hollywood where he hopes he can escape the fate his father has planned for him.

Aaron Rubenstein is a wealthy and sophisticated man who loses himself in painting portraits of bound men to help stave off his loneliness and despair. Unable to find a lasting connection with anyone, he’s had to resort to paying lovers not only for their affections, but to be allowed to indulge in his darker passions. Aaron’s only respite is his nights at the Hampton Road sadomasochism club where he’s a respected Dominant.

Naïve and inexperienced in the ways men can please one another, Sam takes a job at a bathhouse where he first glimpses a beautiful older man. Aaron notices the sweet towel boy watching him with interest every time he patronizes the Temple of Eros bathhouse. A traumatic incident for the innocent towel boy triggers Aaron’s protective tendencies and he’s compelled to rescue the gentle Sam from the clutches of the Temple’s manager.

They embark on a journey together that teaches them both things about themselves that they never knew. As their bond deepens and Sam is trained for his first night at the Hampton Road Club, an unknown danger lurks. Will Sam’s father find him and destroy both men’s chance for true happiness together? Or will Aaron protect his boy and keep him for always?
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Categories: Book Review, Did Not Finish, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Forever Hold His Peace by Rebecca Cohen

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Forever Hold His Peace
Author: Rebecca Cohen
Series: The Crofton Chronicles #3
Heroes: Sebastian Hewel/Anthony Redbourn (Lord Crofton)
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 16, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Sebastian Hewel has never been happier. But his life playing the role of his twin sister Bronwyn, the wife of Anthony Redbourn, Earl of Crofton, is about to change. Rumors abound that Bronwyn is using witchcraft to enthrall her husband, and false evidence has been found. Practicing witchcraft is a crime that could have Bronwyn brought in for questioning by the sheriff, and that would reveal Sebastian and Anthony’s secret.

Together they must decide whether it is time to lay Bronwyn to rest. Anthony intends to ensure that whoever implicated Bronwyn pays for the treacherous deed. Whatever happens, Sebastian and Anthony must prepare to face an unknown future together.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Duty to the Crown by Rebecca Cohen

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Duty to the Crown
Author: Rebecca Cohen
Series: The Crofton Chronicles #2
Heroes: Sebastian Hewel/Anthony Redbourn (Lord Crofton)
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 210 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Despite the uncomfortable clothing and the gossip at court, Sebastian Hewel is still enjoying the role of Lady Bronwyn, wife of Earl Anthony Crofton. But when Queen Elizabeth asks a favor of Anthony, Sebastian’s world fractures and his heart threatens to break. The Queen wants Anthony to seduce Marie Valois, the beautiful daughter of a French noble, to discover the whereabouts of her father, who is wanted by the King of France.

Sebastian knows Anthony can’t refuse the Queen, especially since he has something of a reputation at court. But the situation is further complicated when Marie meets Sebastian without his disguise—and starts flirting with him. Her brother, Nicholas, arrives at Crofton Hall, not happy that his sister has been linked to a man like Anthony, only to find his own head turned by Lady Bronwyn and her acerbic wit. Contending with the attentions of both siblings—and a very jealous Anthony—would be bad enough. But then Sebastian’s uncle demands Sebastian and Anthony stage Bronwyn’s death to avoid discovery….

A Timeless Dreams title: While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Sin & the Preacher’s Son by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Sin & the Preacher’s Son
Authors:  Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon
Heroes: Jonah/Rafe
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 219 Pages
Publisher: Duet Publishing
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Driven from his family when his sexuality is exposed, Jonah discovers drama, passion and intrigue in a traveling carnival—and in the enigmatic owner, Rafe Grimstone. The preacher’s son and the lord who’s rejected his former life in England feel the heat of attraction from the moment they meet.

Open-hearted Jonah is willing to risk hellfire and damnation for brief moments of pleasure with Rafe, but the older man is frozen in a past he can’t escape no matter how far he runs. As Rafe struggles to choose between responsibilities of his present and his past, mysterious accidents assail the close-knit carnival community.

Will the perpetrator be revealed before the traveling show is ruined? And will Rafe finally reveal his true self to Jonah or continue to mask his identity like the changing images in a house of mirrors?

Previously published as House of Mirrors.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: A Gentleman of Substance by Julia Talbot

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  A Gentleman of Substance
Author: Julia Talbot
Heroes: Michael St. James/Daniel Calhoun
Genre: MM Historical Romance
Length: 156 Pages
Publisher: Torquere Press
Release Date: April 3, 2011
Available at: Torquere Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Michael St. James is something of a cad, and now he’s paying for it, banished to a backwater, post-colonial Virginia town for his sins. Happily, he finds something to occupy his time in the form of Daniel Calhoun, a stiff-necked local squire who simply begs to be taken down a notch for his arrogance. The two begin a torrid affair, and Michael pushes them to the very edge of social extinction with his wild ways, drawing Daniel into mischief at every turn. Eventually Michael realizes that he teeters on the very brink of ruining Daniel’s life as thoroughly as he has his own, and decides to do the honorable thing. Will it be too late for him to convince Daniel he can do the right thing? Or will Daniel Calhoun decide perhaps he doesn’t want a gentleman after all?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2011 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment