Review: All in with the Duke by Ava March
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 25, 2013
“Is it better to have loved and lost...” Max Arrington, of Ava March's book 'All in with the Duke' at first will answer with a resounding: “NO!” Disillusioned by the demands of his duchy and betrayal of a past lover, he closes himself off; Max finds himself in a dilemma though. He doesn't want to trust his heart to anyone ever again, but he's lonely and misses having a man in his bed. Thinking he's found a way around this problem, he visits a brothel and engages a prostitute to fulfill his physical needs. Tristan, the rent boy, is nothing like he expects and when a spark ignites between them, Max has a decision to make; he can remain aloof, protecting himself, or he can let this young man, with whom he already feels a connection, share his life. His future happiness depends upon whether he's brave enough to give love another chance.Tristan is a young, beautiful, sometimes foolish man who is placed in a bad situation because of gambling debts he cannot pay off. He is offered a position as a male prostitute in exchange for the madam settling these debts and is working off the balance. He doesn't want to be there forever, but feels he has no other option. Tristan is often treated badly by his clients and is pleasantly surprised when Max is a great deal more considerate than most men, taking Tristan's desires into account as well as his own. When he returns and saves him from a beating and then buys Tristan's contract and offers to take him home with him, he can hardly believe it. During the course of his stay, he becomes frustrated with Max for working incessantly, never taking time to be with Tristan and enjoy life. Tristan makes him see that he's micromanaging his business, doing many things which could be done by subordinates. Max is not quite convinced of this, but he does begin to spend more time with Tristan making both of them happier. Even though the original bargain is to live with Max as a kept man, when Tristan falls in love with him, he can't continue to fulfill his part of the contract. He wants to be Max's lover, not his whore. With no other solution in sight, his only recourse is to leave and try to start over.Max is a complicated man. He's arrogant and self-centered. He needs to be in control of everything in his life and, as a duke, is used to getting everything he wants. Tristan challenges him when they have a confrontation about certain things, trying to get Max to see them as he does. He's entranced with Tristan from the beginning and his compassion for him is admirable, although it seems like he's doing it for his own benefit alone. Max expects Tristan to be at his beck and call, with no real direction during the day. Tristan only has his full attention at night in bed. Even when Tristan tries to explain that he feels neglected and suggests that Max works too hard, he's stubborn about relinquishing any control. This is especially true in the bedroom where Max calls the shots. Technically, Tristan could say no, but usually he acquiesces, whatever Max's whims may be. Then he has the gall to blame Tristan when, through Max's lack of attention, things go wrong. He's not an easy man to love. When Tristan leaves, Max realizes how much he means to him and wants him back. Fortunately, Tristan doesn't make it easy for him; he teaches Max a lesson by showing him that he can't just snap his fingers and have Tristan come running back to him. Max has to prove that he has changed and that things will be different between them, giving him a much needed dose of humility.Written using lyrical prose suitable for the Regency Era, this story reflects the culture and customs of people in that time period. Ava's characters are well-wrought and engaging. I read with interest, as the main characters wrestled with their inner demons and became more secure, with a better idea of what they wanted from their lives and each other. Max and Tristan are a good match sexually and express their compatibility in very erotic, intense love scenes. Their trysts are an important part of the story since learning to communicate with each other about their physical needs leads to better understanding between them all around. If you enjoy historical romance, the Regency Era, steamy sex with a bit of BDSM thrown into the mix, and a happy ending, then this might be the book for you. Thanks, Ava, for this well spun tale of two men finding a way to be together in a time when it could mean dishonor and death. Originally published at Rainbow Book Reviews.