Everyone in Highley eagerly anticipates the arrival of Reginald Abernathy, the new master of Albon Manor. Everyone, that is, except Lord William Bascomb. William knows he’ll be expected to woo Reginald’s sister, and he can’t summon the interest for it. But when the Abernathys arrive at last, William discovers he’s interested after all—in Reginald. Reginald is the most handsome, most dashing, most … most intriguing man he’s ever known. Better yet, he seems to share William’s preference for men.
The addition of the Abernathys to Highley suits everyone. William’s sister adores Reginald’s, Aunt Harriet foresees many happy matches between the two families, William’s sister-in-law is pleased at the prospect of unloading her penniless relatives at last, and all the eligible ladies in Highley want the man who only has eyes for William.
Against a backdrop of elegant balls and frolicking picnics, William and Reginald enjoy furtive moments of ecstasy until a scandal erupts, forcing William to choose between Reginald and the only life he’s ever known.
See how many matches Aunt Harriet can make in this low-angst, warm and fuzzy Jane Austen-inspired M/M Regency romance.
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This book was exactly what I needed right now. A lovely historical m/m with two sweet main characters caught in a predictable predicament with a delightful solution staring them in the face the whole time. I enjoyed it and it was a soothing read during this stressful time. Do recommend!
A taboo love in a time where there were too many risks. Reginald comes to England with his family from America. He is a bit liberal. Lord William is expected to woo Reginald’s sister Susan. But William is not attracted to Susan. It’s interesting to view the relationship from such times, how they were so secretive and circumstances for intimacy were not ease to come by. I like historical romances and this one doesn’t disappoint. A nicely plotted, well written gay romance.
I am a fan of all Tanya Chris’s books but I’m not so such historical romance fan. When I was offered a free audio version I decided to try it again because of the author. I enjoyed the book. I can’t say I’m converted to reading more historical romance but I would if it were this author’s. There is so many quirks in the story that made it enjoyable. I kinda of knew where the story was headed but it was the journey that made me laugh. I could see a proper William having mental battles with his self over his relationship. Reginald’s causal outlook on the way he expects circumstances to happen are funny also. Maybe it’s my sense of humor but somehow picturing all the historical people going about their business and all of this happening with their stiffness just gave me a laugh. I would read more historical by this author. I also think my enjoyment had a lot to do with the narration. Joel Leslie provided me with what I expected the characters to come across as.
This was a really lovely and emotional Regency romance. Very romantic and sweet. I loved it.
I really enjoyed this Tanya Chris story. I love to read about LGBT characters in historical era novels. Yes, you can see most of the relationships and solutions coming, but that does not change the reality or difficulty of the situations or the sweetness and lovability of the characters. I loved Reginald and his seeming devil-may-care attitude. In reality, he had already accepted who he was and had figured out ways to keep his secrets while still living his best life. William spent much time fretting and worrying, but I didn’t find that odd when one wrong word could erupt in scandal and ruin a man (or get him imprisoned or executed.) I enjoyed reading how things should have been. Love is love, and it is always great reading to see people finding their true love and living their HEA. This is a sweet, pretty low-angst story.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this charming, engaging, slow burning, grab-you-by-the-feels, and delightfully unexpected story. The details, descriptions, and characters were so vivid, complex, and three dimensional that I almost felt like I was actually there. I was pulled in from the very first page, and would definitely recommend getting this book ASAP.I
I read an ARC and voluntarily left a review.
3.5 stars
Manners & Mannerisms is an Austen-inspired romance, which brings me to a confession. I’ve never read Austen. I’m familiar with the titles and premises of various books, but I’ve just never taken the time. So, is this one truly inspired by those works? I don’t have a clue. I just know that the blurb does include that, so I’ll just assume that it does and move on. What I can tell you is that this one is an M/M Regency romance. Now, we all already know how anything LGBT related was viewed in those days, so what always interests me is how the author handles that part of the story if they handle it at all. I found the way Tanya Chris went with this one to be a bit different than most I’ve seen, and it proved to be an interesting storyline. I will say that it didn’t take me long to guess where it was going, so that particular twist wasn’t really a surprise, but it was still interesting. That’s not to say that there were no surprises in this one because there were, but I won’t spoil it so we’ll leave those alone.
The prose in this one does help set the atmosphere of the time period, so it wasn’t hard to visualize the characters and setting. The story is a kind of coming of age romance for William as he learns to trust Reginald and his feelings. He’s rather innocent in the beginning, and he’s very concerned with propriety. William is an interesting character, but he did make me a little bit crazy from time to time with his ramblings. The area I felt needed more attention was Reginald’s character. He feels superficial, which makes it hard to connect with him. There were things I liked about him, but I really wanted more. Nevertheless, the story is a fun bit of escapism into another time and place. The angst level is pretty low, and for the most part, the story is light-hearted and an easy read.
I’m a huge historical romance fan, so when I saw Tanya Chris had tackled one, I was all in.
Historicals can be rife with pitfalls, and I confess the use of “sick of it” in the first line took me aback, as I wondered whether that phrase was in use during the period in which the story is set… and whether that was a harbinger of anachronisms to come. However, I quickly became immersed in the story and forgot about nitpicking. (To be clear, I never did research that phrase, so for all I know it’s not anachronistic at all.)
That quirky concern aside, this was a thoroughly enjoyable romp. The characters (main and secondary) were engaging, the plot moved along well, and while the resolution was obvious early on to everyone but William—and perhaps it was tied up with a bit *too* neat of a bow in the end—the book did precisely what it set out to do: provided some much-needed escape and optimism in a dark time. I’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever Tanya Chris writes next, whether contemporary or historical.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC edition of this book from the author.
I found William equal parts amusing and annoying. There was a naivete to him through most of the book that was almost adorable, but at other times the naivete got to be a bit much. I did like that he eventually found something that he want to actually work on rather than just continuing to live off the kindness of his brother and sister-in-law. There were several plot points (I hesitate to call them twists) that while William didn’t see them coming, I saw coming quite early on in the story. It made parts of the story seem to drag for me, I kept wanting to get everyone to just talk instead hinting at things (yes, I could see why William was reluctant to discuss some things, but I still am not a fan of a lack of communication). I really liked Reginald. I liked his loyalty to his friends and his sense of honor and integrity. I loved the moments between William and Reginald, there was a good mix of sweet and spicier moments to help balance out their story. There was a good selection of secondary characters in the book that helped add to the plot.
I do wish we had gotten to read another POV besides William’s. I would really have liked to have seen Reginald’s POV (or really even Catherine’s).
Unique and interesting! Reggie was quite the sexual tutor fie William, and I loved reading their interactions. It was disheartening to see how people felt about and treated gay relationships. When a gay couple is outed William and Reggie put their thinking caps on and come up with an ingenious plan for their lives and loves. Necessity is the mother of invention, and it was quite curious and wonderful how nicely it all came together. Well thought out by Reggie! Kudos sir!
Historical stories are not the books I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. This Regency romance is set against the backdrop of the English countryside, with manors, butlers, and carriages.
It even is written in the style of an old-fashioned English novel. And although this is fitting for the time period, it didn’t always make for easy reading. The descriptions of country life and the manners and mannerisms of the English nobility were vivid and interesting.
That aside, I found it an engaging story. A lovely slow-burn romance between the somewhat naïve, sheltered English Lord William and the more experienced, debonair American Reginald.
I really liked Reginald and William, but as the story is told from the latter’s POV, I didn’t quite get a good grip on Reginald. He was charming and flirty for sure, but maybe because I didn’t get to know what made him tick, it sometimes felt a bit shallow.
Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and I loved how Reginald was careful in teaching William that loving a man is perfectly normal and not something to frown upon or shy away from, just because society deemed it “not done.” And with that support and attention, William grows and becomes a man who’s not afraid to take the reins.
The secondary plotline with the embezzlement was a bit underdeveloped and solved rather quickly as was the answer to how to live their future together. It was no surprise that the budding friendship between their respective sisters, Catherine and Susan, played a key role.
All in all an enjoyable and recommendable story.
A well-written, exciting Regency MM romance. Wonderful characters, a tense, suspenseful plot, a very satisfying read.
I received a free copy of this book in return for a voluntary and honest review. This was an amazingly fresh romance that kept me reading well past my eyes exhaustion limit! 😀 I didn’t want to put it down! I loved the honest feelings and warm embrace of the characters. I love historical romance and also mm and mixing the two so well without any gimmicks or tricks thrown in made me a devotee for life!
Manners & Mannerisms by Tanya Chris. This is Lord William and Reginald’s story.
Lord William and Reginald’s characters were great. Reginald fulfilled so many things that William was missing in his life plus his influence got William to using his skills from school. Their sister’s characters were great too and they played an important role in this story.
I hardly read historical novels anymore but this one kept my attention and I enjoyed William and Reginald’s story. They found a solution to live the way they wanted but would also be accepted by society in 1788.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Tanya Chris brought me so many emotions with this book. I love how she’s able to do that and this was a hard-hitting one. There was a complexity to the story and yet the overall message desperately needed to be heard.
The character development was superb. Every bit of it made me feel like I knew the characters fully. This included secondary characters. It didn’t matter if it was a character I fell in love with or one who made me angry, it all was executed perfectly. Historical romance is not a genre I normally read, however Tanya Chris’ world building pulled me in and never let go. It kept me thoroughly hooked.
The plotline was excellent. There was so much there that it really provided a phenomenal read. The complexity and dynamic of the relationships resonated deeply with me. I especially loved how the author showcased how difficult it was and the different experience levels. I’d recommend this book to those who don’t typically read historical romance because this is worth every captivating moment.
5 stars for a dynamic and engaging read!
Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Lord William was the second son of the title Marquees Lord Eldridge. With no money to claim with the title he had very for options to which he was reminded of daily dislike by his sister in law Lady Isabella. With the arrival of the new Lord of Albon manor, an American to boot Reginald Abernathy. Helping Mr Abernathy teaches William to look more closely at his own brothers estates holding leading him to discover something wrong but how to prove it.
Reginald Abernathy didn’t want the responsibility of what being a Lord of the English realm. He was perfectly happy raising his horses back in America, at least if he was going to be stuck here maybe the young Lording William can be a help. When Gossiping mills take hold of his good friend can they all come togetherto help protect one of their own.
But in the year of 1788 it was frowned upon of same sex couples. Having to hide away the forbidden types of love, can Reginald and William be together? Or will society ripe them apart. As Lord William know gossip is key to everyone entertainment, doubt sets in once. With a nice little twist woven throughout this book. Just love MM historian themes, Tanya Chris just makes you fall in love with all her characters in this book from the gossiping Aunt Harriet to young Fredrick.
William and Reginald
It’s the 18th centuries, no man can lie with another man, no women either, no exception with partnerships, only one man with one woman.
When William laid eyes on Reginald his heart goes faster. Trying to hide his feelings is almost impossible. Reginald is way more open and free with his attraction toward William, of course only when they are behind closed doors.
William has a sister and Reginald too. Susan and Catherine are very fond of each other. Women can show affection much more than men. William is somewhat depressed not able to be with Reginald all the time, to enjoy his company. The family wants him and Susan together and they want Reginald and Catherine together.
Reginald positive as always knows how to deal.
A lovable and enjoyable story. Family matters placed in that particular time is all about keeping up appearance. So they all did.
Reginald is so delicious uplifting, William can only do the same. William learns a lot about physical enjoyment from the more experienced Reginald.
I loved this story very! The historical age spirit was convincingly written, I saw the environments and types of equipment, the elegance, the clothes, the carriages, the residents’ all-clear before my eyes.
With Reginald learning William all about bodily pleasure in such a delightful way was beyond appealing! All the secondary characters had a wonderful place in this story. But William and Reginald stayed the absolute main characters. The solution with all the different relationships was nicely written. I loved the whole plot.
A very enjoyable read!