An earl hiding from his future . . .
Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that’s what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family’s crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence’s new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned … planned world is turned upside down.
A swindler haunted by his past . . .
Georgie Turner has made his life pretending to be anyone but himself. A swindler and con man, he can slip into an identity faster than he can change clothes. But when his long-dead conscience resurrects and a dangerous associate is out for blood, Georgie escapes to the wilds of Cornwall. Pretending to be a secretary should be easy, but he doesn’t expect that the only madness he finds is the one he has for the gorgeous earl.
Can they find forever in the wreckage of their lives?
Challenging each other at every turn, the two men soon give into the desire that threatens to overwhelm them. But with one man convinced he is at the very brink of madness and the other hiding his real identity, only true love can make this an affair to remember.
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I adore Cat Sebastian’s character-driven historical romances, and this m/m is no exception. Each character is complex and sympathetic–not only the two heroes, but the secondary characters, from cook to child to scientist correspondent. They’re all lovely to spend a few hundred pages and a few hours with.
The way Georgie takes care of Lawrence and just gets him made my heart melt. Audio narration by Gary Furlong was A+.
No romance is quite as satisfying as one between two anguished people who think they don’t deserve and will never get love.
I loved this Regency M/M romance between a grumpy, anxiety-ridden, reclusive earl and a con artist who’s developing an inconvenient conscience. Lawrence, the earl, spends his days working on inventions in his crumbling manor house. In contemporary times, he’d probably be considered somewhere on the autism spectrum. The author does a wonderful job of letting us see the world through his eyes, and it’s a terrifying place. He lives with the constant fear that he’ll end up losing his sanity entirely and be shut away in an assylum. His forbidden attraction to his new secretary George Turner only increases his feeling of impending doom. George is a delight–a sharp, perceptive student of human nature who’s used that talent to survive by fleecing wealthy marks. When he refuses to con an elderly widow, he runs afoul of his London crime boss. Now he’s on the run, and his temporary post as Lawrence’s secretary (Really he’s there to spy on him, and why not help himself to unused riches while he’s at it?) leads to all kinds of messy feelings. Now he’s certain he’s putting the man he loves in danger. Marvelous tension, great steam, just the right amount of humor, plus a shaggy dog and an adorable kid. Big feels in this one! Highly recommend.
I just finished a reread of this lovely MM romance and realized I hadn’t left a review for it here and figured why not do it now. Clearly from the maximum stars and the reread itself you must know I adore this book. Cat Sebastian has a way of making me fall in love with all her characters, not just the main ones even, but all the side characters that give the story depth and personality. I loved the oddball scientist who thinks he’s too mad to deserve a normal life let alone love. I loved the rakish thief who thought he was too damaged to deserve more than his life of deception. I loved the way these two characters simply got each other, despite all their differences and eccentricities. Sometimes it’s nice to read a story where the characters seem to be a perfect match and Sebastian never disappoints.
What use is love to a man doomed to go mad? What use is romance to a man doomed to crime or death? Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, and Georgie Turner, a confidence man and swindler, are both trapped by the circumstances of their births and their own imposed limitations on their lives. Neither man has any expectations that their lives will be happy or that love is in the stars for them. And yet, when they meet, their chemistry and compatibility cannot be denied. Although society deems both of these men imperfect and unsavory, together they are the perfect fit.
Cat Sebastian is a beautiful writer. Her prose is gorgeous, her dialogue flows, and the plot streams forward at a steady pace – neither lagging nor feeling rushed. The characters she creates are so full of depth and layers, they are as complex creations that feel so real I expect to find their portraits hanging in an art gallery somewhere. These characters are not perfect, and their faults and complexities are portrayed very well. There’s nothing cheesy or corny about this historical romance. Although there is drama, it’s not overdone nor melodramatic. The drama is thrilling — not eye-rolling cliché.
I loved the first book in this series, and I highly suggest that book is read first before reading this one, although this book can stand on its own if it must. This is definitely my favorite book of the series so far, and I will be reading the next book immediately. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Audible Escape has given me lots of chance to branch out to new-to-me authors. One of those is Cat Sebastian. This was my first of her books — a MM historical – – and, while it’s a little slow starting, it picks up steam and turns into a page-turner! The characters are especially wonderful — a peer of the realm whose panic attacks and near-agoraphobia make him think he’s mad, who falls in love with his secretary who is actually a swindler and confidence man who comes to the ruined estate with larceny on his mind. Add to that the fact that sodomy is punishable by imprisonment or death and you have more than enough conflict to keep this story going. The Earl’s young son is a charming child and other secondary characters bring lots of color and texture to the story.Try it, you’ll love it.
Two very interesting characters meet when Georgie Turner, thief and swindler turned secretary, meets the mad earl.