It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
But Lord Christopher Eden is no ordinary man …Lord Eden has always preferred the comfortable company of his staff to the prying eyes of the debutantes at the ton’s latest soirée. So, when he receives word that he must find a wife by the end of the Season, or lose his fortune, Christopher knows that he can’t do it alone.
Enter the distractingly dashing – if rather stoic – James Harding. As Lord Eden’s mysterious new valet, James must ensure Christopher’s reputation appears as faultless as his cravat. But as sparks fly, and Christopher’s deadline to find love looms, will James find himself vying for the position instead?
New author, new story
When I discovered this audio book on Netgalley, I believed that I hadn’t heard of the author before. Only after finishing it, I discovered that some others of their books have crossed my past, though mostly unnoticed and unread. Therefore, I am glad that I stumbled upon this one and decided to give it a chance simply for the fact that I love to support queer representation and love when those stories are set in historical times. This book specifically adds to the repertoire of stories to demonstrate that queer people have always been there.
A somewhat different gentleman
Christopher is the only one last of his wealthy family but won’t be able to access all the accompanying fortune much longer, if he doesn’t marry until his 25th birthday. We learn early on that he doesn’t believe in a marriage based on love (for himself) and, furthermore, requires a wife who cherishes discretion. What this discretion is needed for remains a secret for the biggest part of the book. Someone who nonetheless threatens his feeling of safety is his new manservant who seems persistent on dressing him as his job description demands for. On the other hand, this new companion grows quickly closer to Christopher.
Sub- and main plot
On his search for an adequate wife, we experience wonderful and hilarious moments. The book felt rather slow paced, but some scenes certainly drew me in more and I wanted to stay in them forever, bathing in the tension between our main characters. That Christopher is not the only character with secrets also adds to the complexity of the story, revealing more and more layers and presenting diverse stories. Although the book starts with the search for a working business transaction (marriage), it is a love story after all—and that in more than one regard. At times connections and decisions seemed a bit rushed to me, but—for fiction’s sake—I won’t take offense in it. I was also not the biggest fan of the slight supernatural implications, although they eventually led to revealing backstories that were moving and explained those trauma-induced beliefs of ghosts.
In conclusion,
This book offers a whole lot of smaller and bigger revelations that kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the growing trust and relationship between our main characters but also loved their engagement with other characters. The pacing was, for my taste, not perfectly balanced and there was a lot of info drop before the big final decisions, but this book certainly entertains and moves its readers.
The author:
TJ Alexander is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and USA Today bestselling author who writes about queer love. Originally from Florida, they received their MA in writing and publishing from Emerson College in Boston. They live in New York City with their wife, cats, and various houseplants. Source
The reader:
Harrison [Knights] is an actor, musician and trans activist who is probably best known for his recurring role on the Radio 4 sitcom Relativity. Other credits include EastEnders, Silent Witness and All Together Now (BBC1); Just a Woman (R4); Sacred Country, Go The Way Your Blood Beats, and Frankissstein (Audible); Brass (Leeds City Varieties and Hackney Empire); the documentary A Self-Made Man; Brass in Concert; National Theatre; National Theatre of Scotland; Manchester Royal Exchange. Harrison trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the National Youth Music Theatre. Harrison was a Positive Role Model nominee for the National Diversity Awards 2018, and is the co-producer of Trans Voice Cabaret in partnership with The Other Palace. casting@belfieldandward.co.uk Source