Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Hold Fast

AUTHOR: Sebastian Nothwell

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 295 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2018

BLURB: 

As Evelyn becomes the perfect gentleman, Morgan becomes the perfect captain. It is down to Morgan to take command, down to Evelyn to hold fast, and down to both to navigate their own treacherous sea.

Thirteen years ago, Evelyn Winthrop fled England to go a-whaling. But now that his father is dead, Evelyn must become a proper baronet to save the estate from his wastrel brother. He grudgingly accepts help from estate agent Morgan Turner, who is eager to carry out the late baronet’s wishes. While repressed Morgan teaches rough-edged Evelyn to fit into high society, Evelyn seduces his closeted agent into embracing his true nature.

Just when it all seems like smooth sailing, a mutual acquaintance returns make waves. Painful secrets from Morgan’s past threaten his relationship—and the entire Winthrop estate along with it. In the midst of dysfunction, drama, and duels, Morgan must learn to trust again and disclose his harrowing past. Otherwise, Evelyn may abandon the estate and follow the siren song back to the sea.

REVIEW: 

Historical romance is not typically my thing.  I’ve read several of them by various authors and have enjoyed them, but they’ve never really captivated me.  Hold Fast (previously released as Take Me Like a Sailor) is different.  Sebastian Nothwell found a way to make this story accessible to non-historical romance readers, like me, by crafting an engaging plot laced with suspense and drama, and filling it with colorful world-building and captivating characters. 

Evelyn Winthrop, heir to the Winthrop estate, fled in the wake of a scandal, leaving his father, younger brother, and heritage behind.  Evelyn’s been working on a whaling ship for thirteen years. He is only called back to the estate when estate agent, Morgan Turner, contacts Evelyn with the news that Evelyn’s father has died leaving the estate to Evelyn.  Evelyn has no interest in sticking around though.  He just wants to get things squared away so Morgan can assume responsibility for the estate and Evelyn can flee back to the sea.  But in the meantime, Evelyn has to play the part and his etiquette and social skills are rusty at best.

What unfolds in the story hearkens back to Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady, or Pretty Woman …).  Morgan is tasked with “civilizing” Evelyn by reintroducing him to social customs, expectations and etiquette.  Basically, Morgan needs to make Evelyn into a “gentleman”.  In Evelyn’s long time away at sea, he acquired a number of things – like tattoos, a beard, long-hair and a sailor’s coarse attitude – that make Morgan’s task a challenge.  Morgan and Evelyn’s relationship requires a foundation of trust for the “remaking” of Evelyn to succeed, and we get to see that develop in a believable way.  There is evident attraction between these two and as the story progresses, that attraction gives way to actionable desire.  Ultimately, Evelyn submits to Morgan in more than just matters of etiquette.  

Morgan and Evelyn are sympathetic and relatable, a remarkable feat given how anachronistic they are to modern society.  The story also feels authentic, which is strengthened by the author’s adoption of a tone apropos of the time period.  It does, however, stray into the land of soap opera at times.  There’s family and friends drama a plenty, threat and suspense, emotional impact, dastardly villains needing to be dispatched, an action filled plot that is sometimes melodramatic, and naïve actions on the part of Evelyn that are exceptionally frustrating, and yet completely consistent with his personality.  But the story also portrays a credible relationship between Morgan and Evelyn and the all important HEA.

I really enjoyed this story, maybe even more so because it was unexpected.  I recommend this book not just to historical romance fans, but to any romance reader looking to try something new.  You may just get yourself hooked on a new-to-you author, and maybe even a whole new genre. 

RATING: 

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