Review: Captivating , witty, immensely enjoyable...Romantic!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 24, 2013
This engaging period piece unfolds at a leisurely pace that is reminiscent of the word "gentleman" within its title. Its unruffled, courtly style put me in the mind of television drama narratives the like of Gosford Park, or the ever popular Downton Abbey. Having outed one of my guilty pleasures, I will say that placing myself in the mindset of those dramas, only increased my pleasure of this charming read.Everett Gerard returns to his inherited estate after receiving a letter stating that a young boy, claiming to be his son, has shown up on the property. The letter is from his steward, a man whom Everett met with briefly, while inebriated, before hiring him to look after the abbey. Fleeing to the gaiety of London, Everett had managed to fob off his responsibilities for several months by ignoring all previous correspondence from the man, but this sharp-toned missive gives him pause. He knows the child cannot possibly be his, given his preference for men, but with a growing dread, he realizes he can no longer put off his duties. Memories of his childhood home hold a very real terror for him and his usual method of overriding fear by treating it as challenge seems to have abandoned him. Using his annoyance at the letter's presumptuous tone to smother his terror, he arrives at the abbey prepared to upbraid his steward.  But Miles Kenway is not at all whom he imagined, and worse, he finds his steward far more stimulating than any of the "fellows" in his European circles.Miles Kenway has his hands full; the capricious nine-year-old who simply appeared on the abbey's grounds is a wild child, prone to biting, kicking and questioning authority. The child is filthy and undernourished, and obviously needs care, but his trust is almost impossible to win. Someone needs to take the child in hand and that someone should be the boy's father. When he receives word that Everett Gerard is returning home he is both relieved and apprehensive. He may get fired for penning that harsh letter, but he had to do something... What kind of man ignores the needs of his estate? Probably a ne'er-do-well, if his son or the rumors floating about the nearby town are any indication.There is much to like about both of these two quietly willful men and the realistic pacing of their romance was made unique by the addition of Ipsial, the suspicious, but bright child over whom the two leads bond. Many entertaining, adventures befall the two men as they strive to tame the willful Ipsial, who added a heartwarming family-drama edge to this captivating romance.Thank you, Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon, for penning this "home is where the heart is" romance. "Sweet, loving, witty"