Review: A Minor  Inconvenience
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 20, 2014
“When all you see are the scars, all I see is your heart. You're beautiful. You're beautiful the way that you are.” ~ The Afters “In My Eyes”Captain Hugh Fanshaw, of 'A Minor Inconvenience', is convinced that future choices in his life are limited by the disability he incurs in battle. He's bored with his work and with escorting his mother and sister to various social functions, but he's a dutiful son, who takes his familial responsibilities seriously and carries on as best he can. He's given up hope of having any real, meaningful life for himself, that is, until he meets Colonel Theo Lindsay who ignites a passion in him that he only dared to dream of. All the while they are together, he can't fathom how he could get so lucky and keeps asking himself if this is too good to be true. Often the answer is yes it is.Hugh is a good man who is not quite attuned to the subtleties of what's going on around him in the world. He works hard, is considerate, honest, and a good son and brother. He resents being crippled because of the pity it invokes from others around him. He feels damaged and useless, thinking that no one will ever take him seriously again. He's lonely, but because he favors men, he expects to stay alone. The idea of a relationship is so far-fetched that he's never even considered it; which is why when Theo pays so much attention to him, he's taken aback, wondering what in the world he has that Theo could possible consider valuable. It feels so good to be with him that Hugh puts his doubts away and simply enjoys Theo's company in and out of bed. Just being with him feels so right, that he dares to hope for a future together. When he finds that things are not entirely as they seem, he's heartbroken and tries to run away from Theo and anything to do with him. He feels humiliated and used. It's going to take a lot of convincing to prove to him that all of Theo's attention is not false.Colonel Theo Lindsay is handsome, personable, and persuasive. Theo is a real charmer and both men and women fall into his trap, resulting in him usually getting what he wants. He's not entirely selfish though. His manipulations often are for a good cause such as getting Hugh's mother and sister into an exclusive ball. He befriends Hugh, but has ulterior motives. By the time Theo acquires the information he needs, he's fallen in love with Hugh, even though he's not been entirely honest with him. When Hugh finds out about his deception, Theo scrambles to make things right, but too much damage has been done. By now, Theo knows that life without Hugh is not a viable option; he becomes determined to set things right, even if it means taking drastic measures and eating a lot of crow. Theo prays that Hugh will hear him out and forgive him.Historical gay romance is my favorite genre and I have to say that this romance is one of the best period pieces I've ever read. It's obvious that Sarah has done her research. The story put me right in the middle of the action, experiencing the scenery, customs, conversations, and feelings of the characters. Its lyrical prose fits the mood perfectly and, instead of feeling removed from the antiquated language, I was perfectly at home with the flowery speech. It added charm and depth to both the characters and descriptions, i.e., the balls, the rides in the park, and both the happiness and the angst between Hugh and Theo. I highly recommend this story to those who enjoy historical romances, handsome, sexy men, suspense, intrigue, and mystery. Thank you, Sarah, for a truly entertaining piece. Originally published at rainbow Book Reviews.