Captain Phillip Dacre hasn't set foot on terra firma in a
long time, he hadn't even reached home before he can't wait
to go back to sea again. Phillip's wife died two years ago,
a lover he'd had for more than a year also died; he barely
knows the children who await him, children whom he quickly
learns are the village terrors. Benedict Sedgwick, the vicar
of St. Aelred, has taken matters into his own hands, and for
the past two weeks has been trying to civilize the little
hellions until their father's return. Everyone loves Ben,
who is well regarded in his village in spite of his
eccentric and scandalous father, Ben who will marry his
childhood friend Alice in a few months, Ben who never
expected his secret longings would be put to the test when
he meets the fearsome Captain.
Oh, my. IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE is one of the grandest love
stories I have ever read. Cat Sebastian's writing is
eloquent, refined, of such inconceivable gorgeousness and
elegant simplicity, it's unreal. The tone is so perfect for
a M/M romance; it's never precious, but masculine and
tasteful. The dialogues are so well-crafted they seem to
naturally emanate from the characters without any outside
intervention. Ben is utterly adorable, sunny, clever and
kind, and seemingly everything that Phillip is not, at first
glance. Phillip is rigid, uncompromising; he seems
heartless, whereas, in fact, he is lost, he feels he is
nothing without his ship, he loves no one, and has no one to
love. His marriage was convenient, and he had had male
lovers in the past, but true love had remained elusive,
until Ben. Ben longed for a normal and safe life, not liking
the fact that he might prefer men, and determined to fight
his attraction to Phillip. What a thorny road it was for
them to acknowledge the impossible love that they could no
longer ignore.
Cat Sebastian has written a Regency romance where everything
feels so realistic, I was completely enthralled in the story
that seemed to have really taken place in 1817; there was
not one little word, one little utterance, not the tiniest
detail that felt out of place. The author's depiction of
homosexual love in a time where it was publicly
inconceivable feels so accurate, it hurts. She made me feel
the agony Ben and Phillip were going through, while
rejoicing with them at the immense gift that has been
bestowed upon them, in spite of having to keep it secret. I
experienced every moment of the first fluttering of
attraction to full-blown love, and the sex scenes are
indescribably beautiful, tender, passionate, and positively
exquisite. It took some tissues, gentle readers, and believe
me, nothing was contrived. And what a glorious, wonderful,
believable ending! Best of all is that the story surrounding
the fabulous romance is so rich; IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE
recalls a tapestry in which the whole is comprised of every
stitch, of every color, and made exceptional because of the
weaver's complete mastery of her craft. IT TAKES TWO TO
TUMBLE is a remarkable work of art, Cat Sebastian a
consummate artist and superlative storyteller.
Shamelessly flirting with the
handsome Captain Phillip Dacre
After an unconventional upbringing, Ben is perfectly content
with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of
strife or turmoil. When he's asked to look after an absent
naval captain's three wild children, he reluctantly agrees,
but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern
but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in
ways that make him doubt everything.
Some of Phillip Dacre's favorite things:
His ship
People
doing precisely as they're told
Touching
the irresistible vicar at every opportunity
Phillip can't wait to leave England's shores and be back on
his ship, away from the grief that haunts him. But his
children have driven off a succession of governesses and
tutors and he must set things right. The unexpected presence
of the cheerful, adorable vicar sets his world on its head
and now he can't seem to live without Ben's winning smiles
or devastating kisses.
In the midst of runaway children, a plot to blackmail Ben's
family, and torturous nights of pleasure, Ben and Phillip
must decide if a safe life is worth losing the one thing
that makes them come alive.
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