Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Lock Keeper’s Heart
AUTHOR: Neil S Plakcy
PUBLISHER: Samwise Books
LENGTH: 379 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021
BLURB:
A 19th Century American MM Historical Romance
In the aftermath of a failed love, Isaac Evans drops out of college and flees Philadelphia for a lock-keeper’s job on the Delaware Canal in rural Pennsylvania, where he pursues a life of Thoreau-driven solitude.
Prussian immigrant Lenert Tessmer trudges along the canal towpath in good and bad weather, hobbled by his dialect, which prevents him from connecting with others. Then Lenert breaks his leg, and Isaac’s Quaker beliefs force him to offer a place where Lenert can recover.
Slowly, these two broken men find solace and healing in each other. But with railroads replacing the canal and narrow-minded outsiders who threaten their country idyll, Isaac and Lenert will have to face their deepest fears to develop a love that will endure.
Fans of MM historical romance will appreciate a fascinating time period, filled with unique details and a vibrant location, and a focus on the lives of working-class men in the 19th century who dare to love other men.
REVIEW:
During 1871-2, Isaac hated noise and left college in favor of quiet solitude. He landed a job as a lock-keeper. Lenert left his home country under a cloud, seeking a life in the New World – America. Finding a job as a hoggee, working the mules, on the canal, he gets by. An accident that broke Lenert’s leg also put him on an intersecting path with Isaac. From there, both lives change.
What followed was a historical story that, when I saw the word count, I had a few misgivings. However, by the end, I felt I’d experienced a part of history and was enchanted by a story that I was sad to leave.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Isaac and Lenert. Other than that, I can’t say that I noticed any other technicalities because, figuratively speaking, I was stuck to the page.
Imagine going for a stroll through the woods on a long summer’s day – enjoyable but gentle – this is the pace throughout the story. So, yes, the relationship is a slow burn, but so is the worldbuilding. Only, this story is not a walk through the countryside. In the opening chapters, there is powerful imagery concerning the plight of an immigrant and what awaited them in the New World. It is depressingly bleak with sex being a universal currency. Also, some dialogue is in German/Prussian – which I don’t speak. My lack of language skills gave me an intimate realization of how isolating the inability to communicate can be. Add in prejudice and …well.
When Lenert encounters Isaac with his Quaker beliefs, it is a breath of fresh air to Lenert and the story. Isaac is a serene, sexually naïve, learned man, with firm views about people, hospitality, and what God provides. As such, he opens his home to Lenert and eventually his heart. Though, for a long time, the couple plays the dance of attraction and second-guessing – afraid to venture into something more. Each man learns something from the other, and this process was lovely to read.
The story is a historical tale told in an old tongue. The extended cast fills out the world and makes it a tale to immerse oneself in. There are no guns or huge drama, just that of life, told beautifully. It is sweet, sexual, and enlightening. As the story progressed, it pulled me in, and by the end, I was a fan.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: