“Sebastian proves she is a new force to be reckoned with in historical romances.”–BooklistSome of Ben Sedgwick’s favorite things:
Helping his poor parishioners
Baby animals
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 … 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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I love books, and sometimes I LOVE books. This one way exceeded my expectations, and I fell in love from the first page! So much so that I’m dedicated to reading the rest of this series now.
I loved how these opposites REALLY attracted–two very different men, yet they were so perfect for each other. Just enough emotion to pull me in and give me all the feels without being overdone or forced. I loved both heroes equally. A definite keeper!
Who allowed this book to be so good?! Cat Sebastian is absolutely brilliant. This book was so simple, romantic, and so well-done. The story had no right being this amazing. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.
Tropes:
– ship captain hero
– grump/sunshine vibes
– “governess” kind of romance
– Sound of Music vibes
– broken hero
The chemistry between Ben and Phillip was sizzling from page one. The way they met was absolutely amazing. It was such a sweet yet sexy meet-cute. I loved how Phillip was standing there like on the inside while trying to be serious on the outside.
Watching Phillip go from being a grump to loving his children and Ben was so sweet. He was the perfect grump hero. He was adamant about not loving someone and not getting attached, but he just couldn’t help it. He didn’t let his adamancy to get attached to anyone stop him from finding happiness nor did it instigate an unnecessary conflict at the end. I loved watching Phillip deal with his traumatizing past and how understanding and loving he was with his son so he doesn’t face the same issues that Phillip did.
Ben. My god did I love Ben. His fun and caring energy were so refreshing and cute! I just loved how much he wanted to help people and care for the people around him. He was so clearly the oldest child, and I was totally relating to his desire to protect and care for everyone around him. Ben was so good with Phillip’s kids. He was the perfect “governess” kind of character. The scenes where he took care of the kids were all so cute and heartwarming. Writing kids in romance is not easy, but Cat Sebastian did it in a perfect manner. They were such a wonderful and fun addition to the book. I hope we get to see them again.
I was awestruck by how perfectly the concept of religion in relation to this community was discussed! It was addressed and woven into the story flawlessly. I personally haven’t had the most positive relationship and experience with religion but Ben’s positive attitude and take on it was so heartwarming and welcoming. I felt like his friend. The book created such a safe and welcoming space and I have no clue how Cat Sebastian did that with such a short book.
The story was so simple and well done. The romance was developed beautifully, the plot was not overcomplicated, the characters were crafted wonderfully, and the steam was great! I implore you to read this book. I cannot wait to read the next one! I loved Hartley in this book.
.5/ 5 stars | .5/5 steam
I absolutely adored this audiobook. I admit that it has a lot of my favorite tropes – age gap, grumpy/sunshine, and a variation of nanny. Cat Sebastian’s writing and Joel Leslie’s terrific narration made this one I’ll be happy to listen to over and over again.
I loved Phillip’s growth as a man and a father. I particularly appreciated Sebastian’s approach to writing about children, their inclusion in the story, and respect for them as vibrant individuals worthy of respect. Ben was also a fantastic character and witnessing his heartache at disappointing those he loved because he needed to honor himself was simultaneously sad and beautiful. The relationship.between the two men was somewhat of a slow burn but in the best of ways. There were also a lot of laughs which made this a delight to listen to.
I’m looking forward to Heartly’s story in A Gentleman Never Keeps Score.
Joel Leslie’s narration was amazing. His accents were perfect. Delivery, timing, and emotions were impeccable. This is the sort of narration that can be held as a standard to which all narrators should aspire.
Loved the story, esp. in audio.
Not one of Ms Sebastian’s best – I really liked the preceding Regency romances more, but still a good read with interesting characters and some fun moments involving the captain’s kids and Ben the vicar’s eccentric father
I had left a review on Amazon LDC1215 if you wish to read it. I thought this was a lovely story. I have only recently started reading M/M romances but I found this one to be very dear; sweet yet sensitive and informative. It dealt with several very real problems and yet handled it with grace and sensitivity. I would definitely recommend this book. It was very well written and hardly had any editorial mistakes which I appreciate as I find that very distracting. I will be reading more books from this author.
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love between two men but still heartwarming
Another great book by Cat Sebastian. Watching Phillip and Ben open up to each other was wonderful.
3.5 stars–IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE is the first instalment in Cat Sebastian’s adult SEDUCING THE SEDGWICKS historical, regency romance series focusing on the Sedgwick family. This is Vicar Ben Sedgwick, and sea captain Phillip Dacre’s story line.
NOTE: IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE contains scenes of M/M sexual situations and may not be suitable for all readers.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Ben and Phillip) IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE follows the building but illegal relationship between Portsmouth Vicar Ben Sedgwick, and sea captain/widower/single father Phillip Dacre. Captain Phillip Dacre has been at sea for close to two years and in the ensuing time his wife died leaving their three children under the care of a string of nannies and tutors who have struggled to gain control over their hellish natures. Upon his return to England Phillip will come face to face with the local Vicar and the children’s tutor-Benjamin Sedgwick, stirring a long forgotten need he has buried for quite some time. The year is 1817 and homosexuality is a sin; illegal and punishable by imprisonment or worse but Phillip’s attraction to Ben is met with an equal amount of lust from the man in question. What ensues is the building but secret romance between Phillip and Ben as our couple work together to rein in Phillip’s children, and the potential fall out as Phillip’s time in England draws to a close, and Ben considers leaving the church for much different pastures.
The relationship between Phillip and Ben is one of immediate attraction as our leading couple dance around one another trying to ascertain the other’s emotional and physical needs. As a naval captain Phillip has had a number of male lovers while at sea but his return to civilization comes with alienation from his children, and a lack of knowledge regarding their immediate circumstance. Vicar Ben Sedgwick struggles between his attraction to Phillip versus his vow to the church, and his engagement to a woman he loves more as a friend than a potential lover. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text but saying that the attraction between Phillip and Ben felt low-key, without any discernable palpable sexual chemistry; there was no external conflict; their relationship was never questioned, and in this the story line lacked the powerful enticement to captivate and titillate.
We are introduced to Phillip’s three rambunctious children: Ned, Margaret and James , as well as Phillip’s best friend and ship’s surgeon Walsh; Ben’s brother Hartley; his best friend and fiancée Alice Crawford; neighbor and struggling land owner Sir Martin Easterbrook; and Ben’s father poet Alton Sedgwick, and housekeeper Mrs. Winston.
IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE is a charming romance; a sweet, forbidden love between a naval captain who has battled a learning disability all of his life, and a man of the cloth who is unable to be true to himself. The premise is engaging; the characters are delightful; the romance is captivating. IT TAKES TWO TO TUMBLE is character driven story line; a heart warming and tender tale about family, courage and love.