Sam Fox was closing up his pub for the night when his good
friend Kate Bradley shows up with a favor to ask. She posed
for a scandalous painting, and she wants Sam to get it back
for her. Sam is a law-abiding citizen, but he knows how
important it is for her, so he goes to the Easterbrook
residence, where the painting should be, and there's a
young toff hanging about. Contrary to what Sam thought, the
dandy is not Easterbrook, but Hartley Sedgwick, who is the
new owner. When Sam tells him the purpose of his "visit",
Hartley sees the perfect opportunity to right some wrongs.
What neither had expected was that they had much more in
common than they would have ever suspected.
Have you ever read a book where you wanted to know
everything about almost every character until the end of
their days? Where you wanted to inhabit their world, and
call them friends? I hadn't before the magnificent A
GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE. The extraordinary Cat Sebastian
has written a modern classic, one of the most unique and
compelling historical romances I have ever read. The romance
is extraordinary -- literally and figuratively -- as it is
between two men, when such a thing was nearly suicidal, and
Sam, his brother Nick, and Kate are all people of color and
working class, none are servants, while Hartley is gentry.
The story about Kate's ordeal is fabulous, and satisfyingly
resolved; everything in A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE is
wonderful. The research into people of color in Regency
England must have been staggering, and it gave much
authenticity to the story. The characters are exceptionally
well crafted and so realistic that I cared for them as if
they had been my own flesh and blood. Hartley is the
character I had despaired to ever read in a romance novel:
he is slim, not very tall, almost too pretty, quite precious
and more than a bit of a diva. But under his fancy clothes
lies a broken man, albeit one with a steel backbone. Sam is
a gentle giant, who had dedicated his life to succeeding in
spite of all the obstacles and helping others as well as he
can. Some of the secondary characters -- there are many --
are also irresistibly fantastic: Sadie and Alf, Hartley's
servants, as is Will, one of the Sedgwick brothers.
Cat Sebastian's writing is stupendous, her storytelling
outstanding, every line of dialogue feels genuine, every
character and action is precisely as it should. A GENTLEMAN
NEVER KEEPS SCORE is one of the most original, gratifying,
human, captivating, and moving stories I have ever read, and
I feel privileged to have read such a remarkable literary
achievement. I could go on for pages talking about this
book, but I will instead say that A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS
SCORE is one book that should not be missed at any cost.
Once beloved by London's fashionable elite, Hartley Sedgwick
has become a recluse after a spate of salacious
gossip exposed his most-private secrets. Rarely venturing
from the house whose inheritance is a daily reminder of his
downfall, he’s captivated by the exceedingly handsome man
who seeks to rob him.
Since retiring from the boxing ring, Sam Fox has made his
pub, The Bell, into a haven for those in his Free Black
community. But when his best friend Kate implores him to
find and destroy a scandalously revealing painting of her,
he agrees. Sam would do anything to protect those he loves,
even if it means stealing from a wealthy gentleman. But
when he encounters Hartley, he soon finds himself wanting
to steal more than just a painting from the lovely, lonely
man—he wants to steal his heart.
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