Lord Marcus Avenleigh couldn't stand it anymore. After lusting
for two years after Mr. Alistair Finley, tonight was the night
he would make his sentiments known at Lady Elsevier's annual
gala. Alistair is standing at his usual spot, near the potted
plants trying to make himself invisible, which would be most
difficult as he is quite stout. Alistair is trying to drown his
misery in spirits, wishing he could be worthy of the beautiful
Marcus, who has occupied Alistair's thoughts for a couple of
years. Marcus, son of a duke; Alistair, unacknowledged son of
the late King; how preposterous! But Alistair has nowhere to
run when Marcus walks briskly in the portly gentleman's
direction.
In A GENTLEMAN REVEALED, Cooper Davis has created one of the
most exciting alternate realities I have ever read. The author
does such an admirable job that it was only past the middle of
the book that I realized that nowhere was England mentioned!
The period details, the language, the social customs are spot-
on, but the huge difference in this Victorian romance is that
the views on homosexuality parallels today's; while not
entirely embraced, it is accepted. I particularly appreciated
that the Marriage Mart also applied to young unmarried
gentlemen, with very much the same rules that had applied to
women, with a few inspired twists.
Alistair is the most unconventional romantic hero I have ever
seen: he is not pudgy, he is a hefty man, and he finds his
countenance most repulsive indeed, which is one of the reasons
that has driven him to drink heavily. He is not always terribly
likeable, but extremely easy to relate to. If heroes of non-
queer romance were as divine as Marcus, I would gripe less
often! Marcus is adorable, attentive, witty, affectionate, and
very tolerant of Alistair's faults until the latter oversteps
the boundaries. The romance is exceptionally realistic; the sex
scenes, while very explicit, are elegant and classy, passionate
and often quite emotional, and contribute to much of the
character development. The secondary characters are as
carefully drawn as the principals, the villains do not act
according to the usual script, and while the presence of women
is scarce, I applaud the fact that our heroes lament the
injustices done to the ladies. I hope that the fascinating and
perplexing Samuel -- Alistair's cousin -- will be featured
in an
upcoming installment, because he is one enigmatic man and there
is so much to do with this character, the mind boggles!
I most appreciated how the author chose to deal with Alistair's
issues, and again, I don't think I have ever seen the likes of
it. The writing is superb, entirely in tune with the Victorian
age, and there are very clever twists on some concepts. The
dialogues are brilliant: one that comes to mind is when
Alistair and Marcus meet for the second time and engage in a
perfectly era-accurate and absurdly inane conversation, which
had me laughing out loud. A GENTLEMAN REVEALED is built on a
very ingenious premise, and Cooper Davis brought to vibrant
life this most realistic alternate reality for a little while.
From New York Times bestselling author Deidre
Knight, writing as Cooper Davis, comes a thrilling new
romance series, set in an alternative Victorian world, where
gentlemen may openly court and marry fellow noblemen....
Alistair Finley has spent years concealing the truth of his
illegitimacy. The bastard son of the late king and
half-brother to the man who now occupies the throne,
Alistair fears ruination. He has never allowed himself love
or companionship. Until he meets the handsome young Lord
Marcus Avenleigh.
Marcus has spent two years attempting to gain the notice of
the king's shy secretary. Tempting Alistair out of the
shadows and into his bed, however, proves a daunting task.
The self-proclaimed spinster has made a profession of
decorating the wings of every social gala, denying Marcus
and every other eligible bachelor a formal introduction.
When Lady Elsevier's annual ball presents a daring moment,
Marcus invites Alistair to waltz. What Marcus can't know is
that his would-be paramour has chosen drink and the life of
a lonely bachelor above ever risking his heart, or his
king's own reputation. He’s bound in lies and secrecy, and
the past must never, ever be revealed...
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