Short Reviews: It Takes Two to Tumble and A Gentleman Never Keeps Score

It Takes Two to Tumble
(Seducing the Sedgewicks #1)
Cat Sebastian
Release: December 12, 2017
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Some of Ben Sedgwick's favorite things:

Helping his poor parishioners
Baby animals
Shamelessly flirting with the handsome Captain Phillip Dacre

After an unconventional upbringing, Ben is perfectly content with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of strife or turmoil. When he's asked to look after an absent naval captain's three wild children, he reluctantly agrees, but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in ways that make him doubt everything.

Some of Phillip Dacre's favorite things:

His ship
People doing precisely as they're told
Touching the irresistible vicar at every opportunity

Phillip can't wait to leave England's shores and be back on his ship, away from the grief that haunts him. But his children have driven off a succession of governesses and tutors and he must set things right. The unexpected presence of the cheerful, adorable vicar sets his world on its head and now he can't seem to live without Ben's winning smiles or devastating kisses.

In the midst of runaway children, a plot to blackmail Ben's family, and torturous nights of pleasure, Ben and Phillip must decide if a safe life is worth losing the one thing that makes them come alive.

Review: 
It's hard to believe that I read my first Cat Sebastian book only a couple years ago and it was this book that started my obsession. While, in my opinion, this wasn't as good as the Turner series, it was still a cute m/m historical romance. 

I loved that the romance was between a grumpy sea captain and the mild-mannered vicar who ends up caring for the captain's rambunctious children. Ben and Phillip are about as opposite as you can get but it works. The chemistry is there and I was living for their interactions. I also loved the foil that the children added to the development of their relationship. They are a bunch of hellions and I want to see more of them just to see what kinds of shenanigans they'll get up to.

What I love the most about Cat Sebastian's books is their focus on family. While Ben and his brothers didn't have the most normal upbringing, they care about each other and it shows through with their brief interactions on the page. Ben's and the Dacres' interactions with his father were kind of adorable and he lived up to the flighty description Ben gave of him but a bit more perceptive and caring.

I actually just reread this after getting caught up in the series and I feel like this is one of those books that makes more sense as you continue the series. Something felt off about this one when I first read it and I couldn't figure out what. I found upon rereading that that feeling was gone. The questions I had were answered in the next book.

If you're looking for a cute queer historical romance that will make you happy reading it, I'd highly recommend this book and this series. All of Cat Sebastian's books kind of feel like a little ray of sunshine while you're reading them.

   

  4 / 5 Stars

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score

(Seducing the Sedgewicks #2)

Cat Sebastian

Release: August 21, 2018

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Once beloved by London's fashionable elite, Hartley Sedgwick has become a recluse after a spate of salacious gossip exposed his most-private secrets. Rarely venturing from the house whose inheritance is a daily reminder of his downfall, he’s captivated by the exceedingly handsome man who seeks to rob him.

Since retiring from the boxing ring, Sam Fox has made his pub, The Bell, into a haven for those in his Free Black community. But when his best friend Kate implores him to find and destroy a scandalously revealing painting of her, he agrees. Sam would do anything to protect those he loves, even if it means stealing from a wealthy gentleman. But when he encounters Hartley, he soon finds himself wanting to steal more than just a painting from the lovely, lonely man—he wants to steal his heart.

Content Warning from Author: This book includes a main character who was sexually abused in the past; abuse happens off page but is alluded to.

Review:

I was a bit unsure if I would enjoy this book based on what we learned of Hartley in the first book but I loved it so much! It's very much a story about found family and Hartley and Sam and the others dragged me into the story and didn’t let go until it was over. I loved Sam and Hartley but I loved Alf, Sadie, Kate, Nick, and the dog just as much!

One of the things I enjoy a lot about Cat Sebastian's books is the amount of research she does. I loved that Sam was a free Black man because he brought into the story a perspective we don't normally see in Victorian England historical romances. We got to see pieces of the Free Black community and the hardships they had to endure and the prejudices Sam has to deal with when it comes to the constabulary and his past as a boxer.

And poor Hartley! I just wanted to reach through the pages and give him a hug. He was abused by his godfather and it has gotten out what he let him to do him to better his brothers' life. Hartley has walls so high around himself that it seems that it would be impossible to reach him. I loved seeing his walls break down as he lets people in. His growth as a character was heartwarming to watch.

That ending was a bit weird though, right?!? But, also oddly captivating? I was so glad that I had an ARC of the next book as soon as I finished this one because I would have been dying to know what happened next with Will and Martin! Overall, this was a fantastic book and is probably my favorite of the series so far.

   

  4 / 5 Stars