Reviewed by Irene

TITLE: Bless Us With Content

AUTHOR: Tinnean

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 240 pages

BLURB:

Ashton Laytham came to Fayerweather, his uncle’s estate, as an orphan at the age of seven. Family and servants alike perceived Ashton as an unlovable child and shunned him; as an adult, the occasional illicit rendezvous aside, Ashton remains aloof and alone. When his uncle dies, yet more abuse falls upon Ashton’s shoulders: the estate is bankrupt and Ashton must make good on his uncle’s gaming debts.

With the family talisman stolen and the suspects fled, Ashton faces certain ruin until the arrival of Geo Stephenson, who holds all of Sir Laytham’s IOUs. Geo proposes a solution: Ashton will accommodate him in his bed, thereby paying off the debt. Attracted to Geo in spite of himself and desperate for any human kindness, Ashton agrees… never expecting to lose his heart to a man who claims he will never give his.

REVIEW:

Oh. My. God. This is a reinvention of the classical romance novel, in the awesome style of Jane Austen and the Brönte sisters, in a gay setting. Orphans, a family estate, secrets, domestic violence, family treasure and unrequited love – all the right ingredients mixed up with time period correct language ends up creating the perfect slice of historical fiction.

The characterization is deep and storyline perfectly balanced. The language is correct for the time period and the research of culture is so accurate that you feel like you’ve walked into a 19^th century British country manor!

Poor Ashton, orphaned at such a tender age and subsequently brought up by his mean uncle and his distant aunt, getting the short end of the stick in comparison to the progenies – the Hood brothers, also orphans – of his aunt and being bullied both by said progenies and beaten by his psychotic uncle – and only to inherit a pile of debts and all of his uncle’s responsibilities. Furthermore, he has to endure being used by one of the Hood brothers, whom he has fallen hopelessly and unrequitedly in love with. A recipe for disaster.

Once his uncle dies, he not only faces huge responsibilities towards his aunt and her girl orphan, he has to face the theft of the family jewel, and the subsequent disappearance of the Hood brothers. To make matters even worse, Geo shows up – the son of his aunt’s beau and many-year admirer, who happens to have bought up all of his uncle’s IOUs. Geo suggests a deal of the most unsavory sort – Ashton simply has to sleep off his debts and all will be forgotten.

Reluctantly, Ashton agrees, and their illicit affair begins – but soon Ashton finds himself once more in love with an impossible prospect – or is it so impossible after all?

I was sucked in by this instantly – I adore the language, the setting, the plot and the surprises. If you’re into classical romance in the style of Victoria Holt, Jane Austen and the Brönte sisters, this is definitely the book for you!

RATING:

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