I feel this story was a solid 4 star work of fiction!!! I have been a fan of historical romance for decades and I am pleased to say that even though some of the subject matter was difficult to push through...I was very impressed with the writing and the story itself!!! Wes/Albert & Michael both had demons from their past and present to fight and with the help of friends and as they slowly discovered their own inner strength...they were able to slay those demons and managed to make their own happy ever after!!! WTF? From the product description, for some reason I was thinking this would be a light, sexy m/m historical romp about a shy gentleman who liked flowers and his lover, but there was nothing light about this book. Not one damned thing. This book had not just one but two extremely broken heroes with lives so full of angst they leave Kurt Cobain in the dust. Jeez. This is why I am always wary of intense, angsty books and try to limit their intake: they get me too emotionally invested. They remind me I have feelings. They make me tear up and raise my blood pressure. They make me stay up until three in the morning even though I have a full day of work ahead of me. This book checked all of the above boxes. It was very well written, with lots of historical detail. It kind of reminded me of A.S. Byatt, with its attention to detail. I especially loved the whole botanical plot line. I learned a lot about orchids! The ending was both heartbreaking and satisfying, though I kind of saw it coming from very early on. For me, it just got to be way too much awfulness when the villain's misdeeds are recollected. And when the American lady (I forget her name) recounts her mother and sister's terrible story, I wanted to dig out my eyeballs. This author WENT THERE, and I kind of didn't want to go with her. I don't need those violent and evil images seared into my brain,, but then again, it made the happy(ish) ending all the more powerful. Could the author have maybe glossed over these things? Yes. Would it have been as effective? Probably not, unfortunately. This book was all about excess, both good and bad.I will definitely remember this book. It was powerful and emotional, and just bordering on too much. If you're looking for a light, sexy m/m historical romp, however, don't read this! You'll probably cry like I did. Four solid stars.
What do You think about A Private Gentleman (2012)?
This was a really sweet read. More of a 3.5 star rating.Full review to follow...
—limone
I really enjoyed this well-written historical romance.
—Luis
I loved this book, full review coming soon
—puppydog1800
