Review: Outstanding! Highly recommended!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2013
The arrival of a young half staved urchin named Ipsial at the Gerard family estate, known as the Abbey, is the catalyst that calls Everett Gerard home. Home to a place he vowed never to return to. Everett witnessed the aftermath of a terrible crime there as a child, and the ghosts still haunt him, so much so that he would rather the walls of his ancestral home crumbled away to ruin, than he ever had to walk within them again. However Everett needs to discover the truth about Ipsial as the note that came with the boy said that Everett was his father, a claim he knows is false, no matter how much the boy resembles him.Waiting for him at the Abbey' is his bailiff Miles Kenway. Miles not only disapproves of Everett's, 'gadabout' ways but also his complete refusal to maintain the estate, allowing it to fall in ruin. When they meet Miles is in turn annoyed, intrigued and aroused by Everett. Both men are running away from their past, but they recognise in each other a kindred spirit, drawn to each other like moths to a flame, mixing passion with annoyance in equal measure, It only takes one bout of fisticuffs to turn anger into passion.<!--more-->When Everett first meets the young hellion Ipsial he is drawn to him, the pull of duty and responsibility hard to ignore, Everett's rootless existence may finally have found something to focus on, something worth coming back home for. But who exactly is Ipsial's father? And what about Miles Kenway, can Everett walk away from the attraction he feels for the man? <a href="[...] target="_blank"></a>I adore historical stories, it's no secret, and The Gentleman's Keeper by Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee ticks all the right boxes. One thing I wasn't expecting though was the slight sense of humour that runs through this story, it's quite refreshing and lifts a very good historical drama into the realms of something quite special.Both main characters are likeable, decent honourable men, and the connection between them is immediately electric, the intimate scenes very hot. I also loved the interaction they had with Ipsial, I felt quite sorry for him, although I got the impression that even at the age of nine he was well used to looking after himself, something which gave both Everett and Miles more than a few tricky moments!I also loved Farley, the disproving, ever so proper valet, and Mrs Billings, the housekeeper, trying so hard to bring a certain decorum to the household, which is jeopardized by young Ipsial running around the estate like some wild boy out of jungle book.The writing grabbed me from the first page, I didn't want to put the book down, but I also wanted to savor it, not finish it too quickly. As the mystery of Ipsial's paternity is revealed all the other secrets between Gerard and Miles come tumbling down and I was left with a great sense of satisfaction at the ending. Everybody ended up where they needed to be.This was my first book by this duo of writers but it won't be my last. For lovers of historical drama's I can't recommend this book highly enough, just allow enough time to read it as you won't want to be interrupted.Josie's 5 sweet pea and RECOMMENDED BOOK review appears at mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=13276