If you haven’t read Cat Sebastian, what are you waiting for?”—Lorraine Heath, New York Times bestselling author
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 … 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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I’m a huge Cat Sebastian fan and love the way she incorporates the realities of 19th century England in stories that are fun, sexy and heart-tugging.
3.5 stars–A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE is the second instalment in Cat Sebastian’s SEDUCING THE SEDGWICKS adult, M/M historical romance series focusing on the Sedgwick brothers-Ben, Hartley, Will, Percy and Lance. This is twenty-three year old, recluse Hartley Sedgwick, and bar owner Sam Fox’s story line. A GENTLEMEN NEVER KEEPS SCORE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.
NOTE: A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE is a M/M romance story line with M/M sexual situations.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Sam and Hartley) A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE follows the forbidden relationship between recluse Hartley Sedgwick, and bar owner Sam Fox. The year is 1817, and homosexuality is illegal; a sin, and punishable by law but the rumors abound about Hartley Sedgwick in the wake of his ‘inheritance’ from his godfather Sir Humphrey Easterbrook, a man known to partake of the sins of the flesh including dalliances with young men, a rumor purported to have been started by the man’s only son Martin. Spurned by London society for his flamboyant and effeminate persona, and rumoured attraction to men, Hartley Sedgwick found himself secluded in his new home, a home once owned by Humphrey Easterbrook. Enter bar owner and former boxer Sam Fox, a black man who’s hoping to help his brother’s future wife Kate by retrieving a rather intimate portrait thought to be in the possession of Martin Easterbrook. What ensues is the racially forbidden, and sexually illegal relationship between Hartley and Sam, and the potential fall-out as they go in search of Kate’s portrait, keeping secret their attraction to one another in the wake of more than one offense punishable by law.
A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE focuses on the frightening reality of racism, sexism, classism and the fear of homosexuality in the early 1800s-not unlike the realities of many of today’s societies. While Hartley Sedgwick must accept or ignore the rampant rumors that have destroyed his standing in London society, Sam Fox knows only too well the effects of discrimination for all of his life. As the two men battle their attraction to one another, Sam must do battle with local law enforcement as it pertains to his bar license and former prowess as a boxer, while Hartley continues to search for Kate’s missing portrait.
The relationship between Hartley and Sam is one of immediate attraction, an attraction deemed forbidden by God and by law but an attraction that forces Hartley and Sam to seek out one another in secret and in the dark. Hartley keeps secret a darkened past that has all but destroyed his faith in most men, a past that controls his relationship with the man that he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Hartley’s brother Will, who may or may not be attracted to Martin Easterbrook; Hartley’s stubborn valet Alf; his young cook Sadie; Sam’s brother Nick, and Nick’s fiancé Kate. The requisite evil has many faces, most of whom reject Hartley based upon rumors and his sexual preference.
A GENTLEMAN NEVER KEEPS SCORE is a story of sexual challenges, discrimination, racism and class. The premise is engaging and compelling; the romance is forbidden but intense; the characters are enterprising, tireless and spirited.
An unusual mix of characters. Interesting reading.
I lost interest in this one… dunno if I’ll get back to it..
Cat Sebastion is always a winning read.
Loved the story, excellent in audio 🙂
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica –
A Gentleman Never Keeps Score is the second installment of the Seducing the Sedgwicks series, but can easily be read as a standalone novel.
Hartley is the eldest of his brothers, who bargained his innocence to his godfather to ensure they were properly schooled and taken care of. Hartley harbors a lot of guilt and shame, but surprisingly no resentment toward his father and brothers for putting him into a position that harmed his reputation. Believing his godfather’s heir released the shameful truth due to the fact Hartley inherited a house in the will, which caused Hartley to be shunned by his peers, he’s turned into a recluse to avoid shame-filled glances and gossip.
Being that this is set in an era where Hartley’s orientation was a crime, the allegations levied against him were serious and reputation-destroying.
Sam is a retired prized-fighter who now runs a tavern with his brother and his brother’s girlfriend. The black man struggles with discrimination, and the author gave an easy to digest history lesson, which left me wishing to know more.
Both Sam and Hartley have chips on their shoulders, which lends to many miscommuncations, especially with things Hartley says that Sam takes the wrong way. Miscommunication is the angst of the novel.
Hartley is suffering with shame and guilt and a feeling of not being worthy. The man doesn’t wish to be touched, has been ostracized by his peers, yet somehow Sam always spins Hartley’s insecurities to be about him, which I found extremely frustrating. I just hope the author was trying to showcase how we all need to get over ourselves and not make it about us all the time, because you never know what’s going on inside someone else’s head, but it never ventured into that territory.
In fact, Hartley profusely apologized. Repeatedly. Sam kept taking everything he said as insult, when it was about Hartley not Sam, leaving Hartley to apologize to the one with the chip on his shoulder, when the commentary was about the chip on Hartley’s shoulder. Not only was Hartley already insecure, feeling inadequacy, now he feels guilt for offering insult when no insult was given. Frankly, Hartley was a ball of guilt, almost suicidal, so Sam’s behavior actually made me dislike him when that wasn’t what the author intended. As I said, frustrating.
There was a symmetry to Hartley and Sam, suffering differing types of discrimination, coming together in a balance. Both men are givers, trying to do good deeds to make up for past misdeeds. Sam easily gives what he has extra to those in need, while Hartley has taken it upon himself to employ those who understand what it’s like to be seen as lesser.
While I loved the levity, banter, and heat shared by the couple, and felt a real evolution toward friendship and a relationship, I felt as if Hartley’s emotional issues were never explored, with support offered. Sam understood on a physical level but not on the emotional. The reader never does learn why Hartley doesn’t wish to be touched, other than to assume it stems from the godfather. Without this fully explained and explored within the relationship and individually, writing it off as if loving and trusting Sam is the antidote, the bridge to the romantic connection didn’t work for me.
The side cast of characters offered a plethora of emotions and varying situations that kept me glued to the pages. I have to admit, their stories interested me more so than Sam and Hartley. I feel bad stating this, but there was a pull to know more about Alf and Sadie from the moment they stepped onto the pages.
An enjoyable second installment, fitting well into the series lineup, but I wasn’t as hooked or emotionally invested as I was with the first installment, taking me nearly a week to read this short novel.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (Seducing the Sedgwicks #2) by Cat Sebastian to read and review.