Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

David Lauriston is struggling to build his reputation in Edinburgh’s privileged legal world. His humble origins are enough of a hurdle, never mind his recent decision to defend a group of weavers accused of treason, prompting speculation that he may harbour radical sympathies. The last thing he should be doing is agreeing to help the brother of one of the convicted weavers find the government agent who caused his brother’s downfall.

David’s personal life is no more successful. Tormented by his forbidden desires for other men, and the painful memories of the childhood friend he once loved, David tries his hardest to live a celibate existence, castigating himself whenever his resolve slips.

But then—into David’s repressed and orderly world—bursts Lord Murdo Balfour.

Cynical, hedonistic and utterly unapologetic, Murdo could not be less like David. Whilst David refuses to entertain the prospect of entering into a loveless marriage for propriety’s sake, Murdo is determined to wed one day—and has no intention of giving up the company of other men when he does so. But as appalled as David is by Murdo’s unrepentant self-interest, he cannot resist the man’s sway.

Murdo tempts and provokes David in equal measure, distracting him from his promise to find the agent provocateur responsible for the weavers’ fate, and forcing him to acknowledge his physical desires.

But is Murdo more than a mere distraction?

Is it possible he could be the very man David is looking for?

Beguiled (Enlightenment #2)

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Two years after his last encounter with cynical nobleman Lord Murdo Balfour, David Lauriston accidentally meets him again in the heart of Edinburgh.

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Title: Enemies Like You

Author: Annika Martin & Joanna Chambers

Date of publication: 15 May 2017

Genre: Romantic suspense, MM romance

Annika Martin: 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Joanna Chambers: 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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My rating: 3 stars

They're dangerous men. Absolute enemies. And totally hot for each other.

Will has never met anyone like Kit. He’s arrogant. Gorgeous. Lethal. The most expensive bodyguard money can buy. 

And Will can’t seem to resist him. 

A simple command in Kit's cut-glass accent makes Will want things he’s never wanted, do things he’s never done. Their red-hot chemistry is off the charts. 

Just one problem: Will has vowed to kill the billionaire that Kit is hell-bent on protecting.

And Kit has secrets, too—his own reasons for sacrificing his soul, piece by painful piece, to keep one of the worst men on earth alive.

When two favourite authors team together who could resist reading their joint book. Carolyn Crane (aka Annika Martin) has written my favourte mf romantic suspense, The Associates series, and Joanna Chamber's mm historicals are a joy to read. 

The prologue to this romance which is actually the first 8 chapters and is available for free was totally addicting and left me impatient to see what happens with these two. I admit Will read a bit amateurish as an undercover agent, though I expected to see him acting more professionally in the rest of the story. This was not the case and I ended up  sadly disappointed in this aspect of the story.

I liked Will much better as a person and in his reactions to Kit. I liked seeing him break down and rationalise his attraction to Kit, his desire to submit (which was a new thing for him and which he found surprising and a bit unnerving initially but came to accept as part of himself and eventually enjoyed it in the fullest). Kit, oh Kit was my favourite, so self-assured initially, gradually we see his troubled soul. 

The romance was the best element of this story for me, enemies-to-lovers is a favourite trope of mine and it was powerfully and convincingly done here. There is a lot of character growth and the more I saw of the inner world of these two, the more I fell in love them and rooted for their HEA. 

My main complaint with this book was the suspense plot. It felt rather weak, bordering on ridiculous at times and I hated it. It was an unpleasant surprise to be honest since I know both authors can do so much better than that. I'm not really familiar with spy/undercover work but a lot of it here felt naive, too contrived, a particular subplot with Kit's parents was definitely overdone in my opinion. I do realise that reading romantic suspense requires some suspension of belief but it felt too much for me to buy into the spy stuff.

Another thing that did not sit very well with me in this story and I feel it should be mentioned was the bit with Kit's cross-dressing. I found it interesting in the beginning but than the way it was further presented in the story felt disturbing, like it was there just for shock value and not an integral part of character. Will and Kit did have an honest conversation about it but I still feel it was a poorly done element in the story.

In short, while I liked the romantic aspect and the growth and change the characters undergo, this book did not quite work for me. There were one too many things that bothered me and I hesitate recommending it.

Enemies Like You by Annika Martin & Joanna Chambers is NOW LIVE! 

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They're dangerous men. Absolute enemies. And totally hot for each other. Will has never met anyone like Kit. He’s arrogant. Gorgeous. Lethal. The most expensive bodyguard money can buy. And Will can’t seem to resist him. A simple command in Kit's cut-glass accent makes Will want things he’s never wanted, do things he’s never done. Their red-hot chemistry is off the charts. Just one problem: Will has vowed to kill the billionaire that Kit is hell-bent on protecting. And Kit has secrets, too—his own reasons for sacrificing his soul, piece by painful piece, to keep one of the worst men on earth alive. This is a stand-alone contemporary M/M romance.

 

DOWNLOAD ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS FOR FREE!

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They're dangerous men. Absolute enemies. And totally hot for each other. Two years ago, the men in Will’s unit were killed in an ambush because they were betrayed. Now he has a chance to go after the corrupt billionaire who sold them out. One problem: the billionaire’s bodyguard. Nobody knows what he looks like; they only know him by the trail of bodies he leaves behind. Will their passion destroy them both? Kit’s a hardened assassin who’ll do what it takes to protect his boss. But when Will moves on the billionaire at an elite party, things with Will and Kit take an unexpected—sexy—twist.

About the Authors:

Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. In between studying, finding a proper grown up job, getting married and having kids, she spent many hours staring at blank sheets of paper and chewing pens. That changed when she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna's muse likes red wine, coffee and won't let Joanna clean the house or watch television.

Connect with Joanna: Twitter / Website / Facebook

Annika Martin is a NYT bestselling author who enjoys writing dirty stories about dangerous criminals and hot spies. She loves helping animals and kicking snow clumps off the bottom of cars around the streets of Minneapolis, and in her spare time she writes as the RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.

Connect With Annika: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

Title: A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack #2)

Author: Joanna Chambers 

Genre: Historical, MM romance

Release Date: 17 April 2017

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
Add on Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars

A Porthkennack novel

When grief-stricken scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam provokes public scorn by defending a sham spiritualist, he’s forced to retreat to Porthkennack to lick his wounds. Ward’s reputation is in tatters, but he’s determined to continue the work he began after the death of his beloved brother. 

In Porthkennack, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Roscarrock family. Ward becomes convinced that Nick, whose Romany mother was reportedly clairvoyant, is the perfect man to assist with his work. But Nick—who has reason to distrust the whims of wealthy men—is loath to agree. Until Fate steps in to lend a hand.

Despite Nick’s misgivings, he discovers that Ward is not the high-handed aristocrat he first thought. And when passion ignites between them, Nick learns there’s much more to love than the rushed, clandestine encounters he’s used to. Nevertheless, Nick’s sure that wealthy, educated Ward will never see him as an equal.

A storm is gathering, but with Nick’s self-doubts and Ward’s growing obsession, the fragile bond between the two men may not be strong enough to withstand it.

Joanna Chambers is a favourite author of mine and her historical romances are always a pleasure for me to indulge in. She didn't publish anything last year and when her latest release, A Gathering Storm came out earlier this month I couldn't wait to read it. And what a lovely story this turned out to be.

I went into this book almost completely blind, just knowing it was a historical romance set in a fictional town and that it was part of a series where other authors write stories set in same place but at different times. And I loved every bit of this mix of sciency bits and love story and social commentary, all presented in exquisite writing.

I found the story very moving, tender and passionate. It's about dealing with grief and loss (my heart truly ached for Ward). There is also an interesting exploration of the sense of place and (not)belonging in the character of Nick. And the collision of such opposite characters going from enemies to friends to lovers was explosive and rather spectacular.

The complex relationship of Nick with his Romani heritage and his bastard aristocratic heritage was also very interesting for me to read. We this juxtaposed with Ward's high social status which was somewhat tarnished by recent events, yet still allowed him to act aloof and be totally oblivious of the intricacies of how class division works and how much it shapes the interactions between people.

We see a lot of the inner thoughts of both Nick and Ward and I felt like I got to know them really well, slowly and gradually they way they got to know each other. I loved how the author presented their struggles to come together despite their different social status and background. Their past, their position in society was very much part of who they were and it took conscious efforts on both sides to see and accept the other person's perspective on life. Naturally, mistakes were made, and wrong assumptions corrected while we see them grow and change as people in order to find happiness together.

As usual for Joanna Chambers' novels the historical atmosphere was vividly presented through all the little details that take us back in time. The science elements were so much fun to read - storm chasing, mesmerism, hypnosis, even weather forecasting at the end.

All in all, this was a highly enjoyable queer historical romance, moving and tender, beautifully written. I can highly recommend it to all fans of the genre.

My guest on the blog today is the lovely Joanna Chambers, presenting her latest release, A Gathering Storm. It's a mm historical romance, part of a series of queer romance set in the fictional town of Porthkennack and written by different authors. I finished this book last week and have just one word for it - wonderful. It's fun and intriguing and so well written. Read on if you are curious how it all came into being and what else we can expect from Joanna Chambers in the near future. 

Interview 

1. Your new release, A Gathering Storm, is part of a historical romance series written by different authors but set in the same fictional town of Porthkennack. It’s the first time I’m hearing/reading something like that. How did this idea come about? 

It’s a format Riptide, the publishers, have used successfully before. So, for example, they put out the Bluewater Bay series and the Tucker Springs series which you may have come across? Porthkennack is the same idea in that it’s set in a specific universe but the books are written by a number of different authors. The differences with the Porthkennack series are that (a) it’s distinctly British, being set in Cornwall in South West England, and (b) it’s a mix of contemps and historicals.

In terms of how the idea came about, I gather it was the brain child of Sarah Lyons (Riptide editor extraordinaire) and the amazingly talented Alex Beecroft. The other authors playing in the Porthkennack sandpit with me are Alex Beecroft, JL Merrow, Garret Leigh and Charlie Cochrane and we’re all writing two books each. I’ve read Jamie Merrow’s first one, Wake Up Call, which is also out now and is fantastic. I can’t wait to read the others!

2. What was the experience writing this book compared to your other series?

It was quite tricky since I was writing in a new-to-me time period (Victorian, 1850s) AND there was lots of research needed AND the book ended up being longer than I usually write at over 80k—so it took a wee bit longer than planned than most of my stories. The initial bit though – of selecting characters and identifying the basic storyline – was a bit easier, thanks to the detailed bible we got.

3. There is lots scientific bits in the story – hypnosis, nature/power of electricity, spiritualism, even weather forecasting. Did you have to do a lot of research on these? Which was the most fun thing to research for this book? 

I did a LOT of research for this book! The most fun parts were probably reading into the spiritualism and seances and mesmerism/hypnosis. Those also gave rise to two key scenes in the book – the one in which Ward hypnotises Nick and the one in which they attend a séance together. However, about 80% of my research doesn’t even appear in the book. For example, I spent hours reading into the Second Burmese war and the Siege of Rangoon and its aftermath (where Ward’s brother lost his life). I even researched which British regiments fought at the Siege and which one Ward’s brother would have been part of, which county his regiment was based in and how close that was to Ward’s family home etc. None of that is in the book, but you never really know at that research stage, which parts of the general history you are reading into will end up being significant to your story. Anyway, it’s all interesting and worthwhile, regardless of whether you use it.

4. One of the heroes, Nicholas Hearn is half-Romani. How did you go about representing his cultural heritage? I have to say I found him both fascinating and convincingly presented as a Romani (based on my limited knowledge of Romani people). 

I was quite wary about depicting Nick’s heritage. Romance novels have quite a troubled history with Romany people. I remember reading many ’gipsy romances’ as a teenager (25-30 years ago, gulp!) and honestly? I loved them – I really did – but now I look back and see how troubling it was that Romany people were always depicted as passionate, wild, dark, ‘other’. In this book, I wanted to portray Nick, who is estranged from the Romany half of his family, in a way that would push back against these assumptions. Consequently, Nick, is by far the more pragmatic and level-headed of the two heroes and in fact is the one who has to be pushed to make a leap of faith.

5. We don’t see much of Nick’s cousin, Isabella but I think she is a very intriguing character and I’d love to read her story. Is there any chance of that happening? 

I’d honestly never thought about writing about her! She’s basically the heroine of all those romance stories I read when I was teenager, you know? The headstrong, passionate redhead etc. But now you mention it, I do like play around with romance clichés, so maybe that would be a good one to try to subvert 😊

6. Finally, what can we expect next from you?

Next up – and very soon – is a co-written book with my long time pal and crit partner Annika Martin. We started this book a year ago, dashed off 15K words, then had to shelve it while we met our other commitments. We came back to it late last year to write the rest and I’m super excited about releasing it next month. It’s a hot, fun and emotional contemp story with an American hero and a British hero. I’m really excited about it and can’t wait to reveal all the details! Coming soon!

Blurb

A Porthkennack novel

When grief-stricken scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam provokes public scorn by defending a sham spiritualist, he’s forced to retreat to Porthkennack to lick his wounds. Ward’s reputation is in tatters, but he’s determined to continue the work he began after the death of his beloved brother. 

In Porthkennack, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Roscarrock family. Ward becomes convinced that Nick, whose Romany mother was reportedly clairvoyant, is the perfect man to assist with his work. But Nick—who has reason to distrust the whims of wealthy men—is loath to agree. Until Fate steps in to lend a hand.

Despite Nick’s misgivings, he discovers that Ward is not the high-handed aristocrat he first thought. And when passion ignites between them, Nick learns there’s much more to love than the rushed, clandestine encounters he’s used to. Nevertheless, Nick’s sure that wealthy, educated Ward will never see him as an equal.

A storm is gathering, but with Nick’s self-doubts and Ward’s growing obsession, the fragile bond between the two men may not be strong enough to withstand it. 

Purchase links: Riptide / Amazon 

Author Bio and Links

Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. In between studying, finding a proper grown-up job, getting married, and having kids, she spent many hours staring at blank sheets of paper and chewing pens. That changed when she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna’s muse likes red wine and coffee and won’t let Joanna clean the house or watch television.

You can find Joanna at www.joannachambers.com, friend her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @ChambersJoanna, and connect with her on Goodreads.

Synopsis

Quin Flint is unimpressed when his gorgeous colleague, Rob Paget, asks for extra time off at Christmas. As far as Quin is concerned, Christmas is a giant waste of time. Quin's on the fast track to partnership, and the season of goodwill is just getting in the way of his next big project. But when Quin's boss, Marley, confiscates his phone and makes him take an unscheduled day off, Quin finds himself being forced to confront his regrets, past and present, and think about the sort of future he really wants…and who he wants it with.

Every holiday season I read a couple of holiday/Christmas romance and this (already last year) I was lucky to read Humbug by Joanna Chambers. This is a modern-day retelling of Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a mm romance and I greatly enjoyed it.

I generally love Ms Chambers writing style and this was no exception. Quin's story was told in a tender and exquisite style, full of warmth and true holiday spirit. I liked how real the story felt, not sappy or overly dramatic, just normal, everything troubles and joys and love and loss than happen to us all the time. What Quin went through felt real, sadly familiar in some ways and I'm oh so glad that he found Rob (and himself) in the end. 

There were not big surprises or unexpected plot twists, yet the familiarity and in a way the predictability of the story were a welcome pleasure. It gave me hope, spoke to the hopeless romantic in me who wants to follow their dreams regardless of the harsh reality. It's an endearing story, the perfect read to relax to during the holidays and beyond.

The romance was subdued and quiet, yet beautiful and touching in its simplicity and straightforwardness.

If you missed to read this during the past holiday season, keep Humbug with you for those moments when you are feeling down and you need a sweet pick-me-up read. I guarantee you this sweet story will bring back the smile on your face and the hope in your heart. 

Purchase links: Smashwords / Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / ARe

Title: Unnatural
Author: Joanna Chambers
Genre: Historical, MM romance
Release Date: 24 Nov 2015

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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My rating: 4 Stars

Iain is poised to leave the King’s service to become an undercover agent in India. Before he leaves his old life behind, he’s determined to reconcile with James. An invitation to a country house party from James’s sister provides the perfect opportunity to pin the man down. 

James has loved Iain all his life, but his years of accepting crumbs from Iain’s table are over. Forgiving Iain is one thing—restoring their friendship is quite another. 

In the face of James’s determined resistance, Iain is forced to confront his reasons for mending the wounds between them. And accept the possibility that James holds the key to his heart’s desire—if only he has the courage to reach for it.

Review

This is a spin-off story from the Englightenment series, a favourite historical mm romance of mine which I read earlier this year.

It's a slow burn romance full of tenderness and deep emotions. It focuses heavily on friendships and family and explores the difficult road for two gay men in Regency England from most dear friends to lovers.

The story is told alternating between in the past and the present and the intrigue and tension is slowly building. Iain and James are childhood friends and seeing how their relationship developed and changed and deepened (and sometimes faltered) as they grew up and became adults allowed the readers to experience in full their strong connection. There was admiration initially (on the part of James for Iain), mutual respect, shared interests and a growing physical attraction.

Ms Chambers has created some very engaging characters - James is just so lovable and sweet. He appeared fragile and vulnerable, but he was surprisingly strong and determined. James was sure of his feelings for Iain, loyal to him, yet no doormat but a proud young man who knows his worth and will not settle for less than he deserves.

Iain is wonderfully complex, so much more than what we saw from him in Enlightenment trilogy. His story, his growth into a fine young gentleman, a soldier, a devoted son who did his best to please a father who didn't deserve and couldn't appreciate his efforts. Iain's inner struggles, his moral dilemmas were heart-breaking at times and make him a really intriguing character, someone I cared deeply for.

I loved how the romance progressed slowly. It was a revelation for Iain who fought so hard against it, something he had never even dreamed of. Iain and James navigate a very close, very intimate friendship into a love relationship which they have to keep a secret in a strongly homophobic historical context. We see the POV of both characters which really gave depths and intensity of the story.

For fans of Murdo and David, I have to say there is a particularly pleasant scene with them at the beginning of the book that just melted my heart. A multitude of side characters in the story creates a rich historical background and a detailed pictures of the social situation at the time,

Overall, it's a lovely, tender romance, a recommended read for fans of the Enlightenment series and Ms Chambers' elegant and engaging writing.

My guest in the Author Spotlight on the blog today is the fabulous Ms Joanna Chambers, author of Enlightenment series (review) of historical MM romance. I was late reading this series but I read the three books one right after the other and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed them all. 

Ms Chambers shares her Friday Favourites - a curious mix of Scottish, British, French and American favourites. Make sure to read her great recommendations for queer historicals (I haven't read any of them yet, but I'm adding most of them to my TBR list right away).

I love to visit new places but my favourite place remains the city I live in, Edinburgh. I feel a romantic attachment to it. It's not just that it's beautiful with wonderful architecture, a dramatic landscape, and a fascinating history. To me, it's so much more than that. When I first moved here, at seventeen, it was from somewhere I didn't want to be, a place that I longed to escape. So Edinburgh is freedom to me. Sanctuary. And I love it with all my heart.

2. Favourite food and drink

This is too hard!! I love to eat. And drink. Okay, so, one of our family games is to say what we'd pick to eat if we could only have one meal for the rest of our lives, so I'll answer it along those lines. My pick would be a perfectly cooked (rare) steak with green beans and bearnaise sauce. And a nice glass of red wine.

3. Favourite music/genre/artist/song

These questions are hideous, Ellie! I adore music of all kinds. I can't pick one genre or one artist! I do have a tendency, though, to obsess - I will listen to the same thing endlessly for a couple of weeks before moving on to the next thing. My current obsession is the music of Jacques Brel (performed by him and others). His songs are super dramatic and filled with emotion (which I love!) - rage and longing and crazy happiness. And they have this extraordinary poetic sensibility. I'm presently trying to find the very best versions I can of all my favourites.

4. Favourite movie/TV series

I don't watch much TV - maybe 1 or 2 hours a week, less now that Great British Bake Off has ended - but I like This Week with Andrew Neil, especially when he's got Alan Johnston and Michael Portillo on. I love movies too but don't watch as many as I'd like to. I prefer the big screen but with kids rarely get to the cinema. I recently loved a Swedish film called Force Majeure.

5. Favourite hobby besides writing, if you consider writing a hobby

Easy. Reading. I feel bereft if I don't read at least a little every day. 

Favourite books - please list at least 5 books you'd recommend to everyone....

Ellie, you're killing me! OK, I'm going to pick 5 queer historicals (not necessarily romance) that I love because of how immersive they are:

1. As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann - to me, this is the gold standard of historical fiction. It's set at the time of the English Civil War, when there was no real concept of sexual orientation and eternal damnation was an ever present danger. This is NOT a romance, be warned. What it is, is wonderful and wrenching and fierce. It wrecked me. Took me days to recover from reading this one

2. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - my favourite Waters book is probably Tipping the Velvet, but in terms of historical immersion, this earlier Victorian piece is a very rich broth indeed.

3. The Only Gold by Tamara Allen - turn of the century New York. Allen has a wonderful ear for this time and this fabulous story, set in a bank, and looking at themes of honour and responsibility is typical of her. Rich and beautifully structured.

4. Captain's Surrender by Alex Beecroft - age of sail perfection.

5. Maurice by EM Forster - I'm really shoe-horning this into my self-styled parameters because this was a contemporary-set piece when first published. Now, it's a period piece. Set in Edwardian England, this is the story of a man redeemed by his queerness. Doomed by birth and nature to a stodgy, narrow-minded, middle-class life, Maurice is forced to question and examine his nature by his homosexuality and thereby redeemed.

Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. In between studying, finding a proper grown up job, getting married and having kids, she spent many hours staring at blank sheets of paper and chewing pens. That changed when she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna's muse likes red wine, coffee and won't let Joanna clean the house or watch television.

Blurb

Captain Iain Sinclair. Perfect son, perfect soldier, hero of Waterloo. A man living a lie. The only person who really knows him is his childhood friend, scientist James Hart. But they’ve been estranged since Iain brutally destroyed their friendship following a passionate encounter. 

Iain is poised to leave the King’s service to become an undercover agent in India. Before he leaves his old life behind, he’s determined to reconcile with James. An invitation to a country house party from James’s sister provides the perfect opportunity to pin the man down. 

James has loved Iain all his life, but his years of accepting crumbs from Iain’s table are over. Forgiving Iain is one thing—restoring their friendship is quite another. 

In the face of James’s determined resistance, Iain is forced to confront his reasons for mending the wounds between them. And accept the possibility that James holds the key to his heart’s desire—if only he has the courage to reach for it.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

James and Iain's story - offshot of the Enlightenment series.

Captain Iain Sinclair. Perfect son, perfect soldier, hero of Waterloo. A man living a lie. The only person who really knows him is his childhood friend, scientist James Hart. But they’ve been estranged since Iain brutally destroyed their friendship following a passionate encounter. 

Iain is poised to leave the King’s service to become an undercover agent in India. Before he leaves his old life behind, he’s determined to reconcile with James. An invitation to a country house party from James’s sister provides the perfect opportunity to pin the man down. 

James has loved Iain all his life, but his years of accepting crumbs from Iain’s table are over. Forgiving Iain is one thing—restoring their friendship is quite another. 

In the face of James’s determined resistance, Iain is forced to confront his reasons for mending the wounds between them. And accept the possibility that James holds the key to his heart’s desire—if only he has the courage to reach for it.


Why am I waiting for this? - I just finished the Enlightenment series and I absolutely loved all three books. Ms Chambers writes the most perfect historical romances - detailed, true to the times stories of love and intimacy and hope with just  a touch of political intrigue and social issues. This is a spin-off story set in the same world as the Enlightenment series and I can't wait to read it (secretly hoping for just a little more of Lord Murdo and David).

I won copies of this series back in spring and have been meaning to read it even before that but somehow I never came around to doing it. Now that I've read that I can't believe I waited so long to do it. What was I thinking?! In short, I absolutely LOVED this series. I'm doing a joint review since the story covers the life and love of the same couple - Lord Murdo Balfour and Mr. David Lauriston.

Title: Provoked (Enlightenment #1)
Author: Joanna Chambers 
Genre: Historical, MM romance
Release Date: 23 July 2013

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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My rating: 4.5 Stars



When a man loses his heart, he has no choice but to follow…

Lowborn David Lauriston lacks the family connections needed to rise in Edinburgh’s privileged legal world. Worse, his latest case—defending weavers accused of treason—has brought him under suspicion of harbouring radical sympathies. 

Troubled by his sexuality, tormented by memories of a man he once platonically loved, David lives a largely celibate life—until a rare sexual encounter with a compelling stranger turns his world on its head. 

Cynical and worldly, Lord Murdo Balfour is more at home in hedonistic London than dingy, repressed Edinburgh. Unlike David, he intends to eventually marry while continuing to enjoy the company of men whenever he pleases. Yet sex with David is different. It’s personal, intimate, and instead of extinguishing his desire, it only leaves him hungry for more. 

As David’s search for the man who betrayed the weavers deepens, he begins to suspect that his mysterious lover has more sinister reasons for his presence in Edinburgh. The truth could leave his heart broken…and more necks stretching on the gallows.

Review 

This is a fabulous historical romance series which I enjoyed a lot. Book 1 starts dramatically with an execution followed by a hot sex-in-a-back-alley scene and it looks liked a roller coaster from there. Things do slow down after that and I liked the depth and breath of the story Ms Chambers created.

Told exclusively from David's POV this series got completely invested in his life from the start. I understood his social and sexual anxieties, his fears and dreams and hopes against hope. I grew to care and love him despite not always agreeing with his thoughts and actions. I found his inner turmoil over his sexuality believable. His journey through he story was an amazing one - slow, with twists and turns, but unflinching and honest like himself. David was a person of principles and a strict moral code which often made him seem too rigid and unbending in the eyes of Murdo who had an exactly opposite views on life. 

Murdo was presented as tradionally handsome, very manly, very there, his presence powerful and mesemrizing. I understand his appeal yet I remain a Davy girl till the very end of the series. He did change as the story progressed but i felt there was less development with him. 

The romance barely started here, it was more of a random encounter which had surprising effects on both David and Murdo and their (misguided) attmepts to deal with it. The attraction and chemistry is there but the build up of their relationship is slow, Murdo and David do have much page time together romantically in this book but it felt natural and real given the times and the personal circumstances of the characters.

I liked the simple and elegant writing of Ms Chambers and the way she gave her story a rich and detailed historical atmosphere. The language is evocative and powerfully used to give the readera a strong sense of being there in the city, in the library where David worked, in Murdo's mansion, on the streets in Edinburgh.

There are strong social and political elements in the story which, I have to say, sometiems felt force and not fully intrinsic to the characters. Still, I very much enjoyed the gradual change of David's view of society, politics, religion, personal happiness.

Ms Chambers also included some great secondary characters (we see more of them in the next books too) adding to the richness of the story. The story continues in the next book but there is no cliffhanger ending to to this one. On the contrary, it's a tender, heart-felt ending which made me very happy.

Synopsis

The story in this book continues two years after David and Murdo parted in the end of the first book. There is some more action and plot dynamics in this instalment and David and Murdo get to spend more time together which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

We still get David's POV but we do get to know Murdo better as well through the increasing intimacy they share. They are still very much unlike though more and more common ground grows between them. At the background of some political intrigues, family troubles, David and Murdo explore their connection while keeping one too many secrets, one too many parts of themselves hidden. For David this is because he sees the affair as one-time indulgence on his part and for Murdo, well let's say that his reasons are not reveilled until the next book. 

Euan and Elizabeth also take more prominent place and I enjoyed it, though there were some elements (Euan's feminist rant) felt a bit forced. Overall I found the whole social and political thread running through the series to be an important element in the character development, making them all real people fighting their own battles.

What I love the most in this book (and in the next) is the dynamics between David and Murdo. The slowing growing intimacy between them, the way to open bit by bit to each other, even their fights, they way they try to rationalise what's happening between them is an exquisite pleasure to read. 

The writing is as powerful and elegant as in the first book and both the romance and the intrigue are just getting stronger. This time the ending leaves us anxious for the next story and it's a good thing I already had the next book at hand and started reading it immediately after finishing this one.

Five months ago, David Lauriston was badly hurt helping his friend Elizabeth escape her violent husband. Since then, David has been living with his lover, Lord Murdo Balfour, while he recuperates.

Despite the pain of his injuries, David’s time with Murdo has been the happiest of his life. The only things that trouble him are Murdo’s occasional bouts of preoccupation, and the fact that one day soon, David will have to return to his legal practice in Edinburgh.

That day comes too soon when David’s friend and mentor takes to his deathbed, and David finds himself agreeing to take on a private mission in London. Murdo is at his side in the journey, but a shocking revelation by Murdo’s ruthless father leaves David questioning everything they’ve shared.

As tensions mount and the stakes grow higher, David and Murdo are forced to ask themselves how far they’re prepared to go—and how much they’re prepared to give up— to stay together. And whether there’s any chance of lasting happiness for men like them.

Review

What a conclusion to a wonderful series! It was just so good!

Everything finally fell into place. There is a lot of happening in this book - for Murdo and David, for Euan and Elizabeth, for most of the other characters. There are also some plot twists that kept me on the edge. 

I love the way Murdo and David come together in the end in a way that felt right for them and authentic to their characters the way they were developed throughout the series.

There were again minor moments when I felt the narration too preachy (there seems to be one such moment for me in every book in the series) The love advice David got from Elizabeth's father was very much something he needed yet the way it was presented didn't feel fully natural to the story.

There is some melodrama, some going back and forth, a challenge to a duel and aristocratic fall from grace and I enjoyed it all. It brought to mind traditional historical romance settings and tropes, yet it felt fresh and fun. Murdo's treatment of David as a damsel in disress when he only meant to express his love through caring for him (I can really relate to this because it's taking care of people is a big part of how I love) and David's indignant resistance to being seen and treated like a woman. It was thought-provoking and insightful. 

David and Murdo really try to make their relationship work in the only possible way for them. The ending was beautiful and the epilogue left in a happy place. 

I can't recommend this series enough! If you enjoy historical romances and you haven't read these books yet, I have only two words for you - READ IT!