REVIEW: The Lawrence Browne Affair

The Lawrence Browne Affair, by Cat Sebastian
Publish Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult historical m/m romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) An earl hiding from his future . . . 

Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that’s what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family’s crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence’s new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down.
A swindler haunted by his past . . .

Georgie Turner has made his life pretending to be anyone but himself. A swindler and con man, he can slip into an identity faster than he can change clothes. But when his long-dead conscience resurrects and a dangerous associate is out for blood, Georgie escapes to the wilds of Cornwall. Pretending to be a secretary should be easy, but he doesn’t expect that the only madness he finds is the one he has for the gorgeous earl.
Can they find forever in the wreckage of their lives?

Challenging each other at every turn, the two men soon give into the desire that threatens to overwhelm them. But with one man convinced he is at the very brink of madness and the other hiding his real identity, only true love can make this an affair to remember.

The Lawrence Browne Affair was a fantastic new book in the m/m historical romance genre. I'm thoroughly enjoying these books of hers - I didn't hesitate to pick this one up after loving The Soldier's Scoundrel.

Lawrence Browne is a super smart guy. He also has severe anxiety issues and is socially awkward. As a result, he is content to spend his days completely alone in the study of his crumbling mansion working on his inventions. In 1800s England, it is completely unheard of for a gentleman of Lord Radnor's position to act like this, so there are those that think he might be completely nuts.

Then there is Georgie Turner, whom we met in The Soldier's Scoundrel. He's a grifter who is asked to pose as Lord Radnor's assistant as a way to determine if he is, in fact, insane. Georgie needs to get out of London anyway since a job he was working went south and he now has some bad guys looking for him. It's a win-win for Georgie.

It doesn't take long for Georgie to realize that Lawrence is only an eccentric genius, and his social anxiety actually rouses some protective instincts in Georgie that he didn't even know he had. Not to mention Georgie loves the way Lawrence looks in his dressing gown.

I LOVE that Cat Sebastian has created a hot nerd for the 19th century. If you take away the fancy-pants clothes and the high-falooting language, what you have is a brilliant guy who had a crappy childhood and likes other men, which in this time, is not even remotely acceptable. It's no wonder he's squirreled himself away in his big house with only a skeleton crew of servants.

Georgie was the biggest surprise, though. He is absolutely an anti-hero. He cheats, steals and lies for a living, and was perfectly happy about it. Until Lawrence. He actually respects him. Then, he likes him. Then, he more than likes him, and that's when Georgie realizes he's in trouble. He can't cheat someone he loves. And THAT was when I fell in love with him.

This series is one of my favorite historical romance series ever. These men are sexy and complicated and awesome. I love the mysteries that are solved and the fears that are being overcome. And I can't wait for the next one to come out. 

REVIEW: The Soldier's Soundrel

The Soldier's Scoundrel, by Cat Sebastian
Publish Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult m/m historical romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) A scoundrel who lives in the shadows
Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London's slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be.

A soldier untarnished by vice

After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman's life-one that doesn't include sparring with a ne'er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before. Soon his yearning for the unapologetic criminal is only matched by Jack's pleasure in watching his genteel polish crumble every time they're together.

Two men only meant for each other

I don't do too many historical romances, but this one was so much fun, and I'm so glad I read it. The characters were fun and interesting and the story even more so. 

Jack is a man who is on the very bottom rung of English society, having come from parents of ill repute. After having to stoop to drastic measures to make a living, he's trying to turn himself around, using his skills to help women in difficult situations. It is through a former client of his that he meets Oliver, a gentleman who's just returned home from war, not entirely whole anymore. 

Oliver is trying to find his place in life now that he's done with the military. But, he's unsettled with all the things that he found enjoyable before. He meets Jack, and although Oliver doesn't approve of his methods, the work that Jack's doing intrigues him. Even though he doesn't want to, Oliver finds himself thinking of Jack and his newest case often. And before Jack knows it, he has a partner. In more ways than one. 

To make matters even more interesting, Jack and Oliver are gay in a time when that was not acceptable. For a man of Oliver's status, he would receive a slap on the wrist and be the topic of all the good gossip for a long while. However, for Jack, if he were caught with a man like Oliver, he could be jailed. Despite knowing the consequences, despite Oliver's issues with Jack's methods, and despite the fact that neither man believes in love or forever, they just can't stay away from one another. Even though Jack knows it would be better for Oliver if they could stay apart.

"No matter what you do, I'll always be the sordid part of your life." Jack loved Oliver too much to be a blot on the man's perfection. "I'll be a dirty secret."

I loved how Cat Sebastian gave Jack and Oliver some big differences - not just socio-economically, but ideologically, too. Sometimes those disagreements on what's "right" and "wrong" can make or break a couple if one isn't willing to try and see the other's point of view. So, it was interesting to watch Oliver navigate through his thoughts on the matter, especially given his history. But, Oliver wasn't the only one who shifted and changed throughout the course of the book. Oliver had a big effect on Jack and his outlook for the future. So, it was fun to see these two men get thrown for loops. 

The mystery of Jack's clients missing letters was a really nice thread woven throughout the story of Oliver and Jack's romance (which, of course, is the REAL story - the main reason why I picked up the book). It was clever and surprising and gave me lots to enjoy in between the steamy encounters and crazy sexual-tension filled scenes. 

Even though historical romance isn't my go-to genre, I'm so glad I gave this one a go. It was a fun book, and I'm looking forward to checking out more from Cat Sebastian.