One of my current writing projects is writing a gay romance, to be published shortly. With this in mind, I’m reading a lot in this genre at the moment, and want to bring you some of the best. So if you enjoy a steamy Victorian setting, read on …

A Perfectly Structured, Refreshingly Original, Highly Erotic Romance

This pleasingly fast-paced historical romance is not only extremely well-researched but thoroughly entertaining. Unashamed to delve into detailed description of the characters’ sexual liaisons, it does so in a way that is readable, knowledgeable of the period, and deliciously steamy.

Violet Goodwin is a rich American heiress who, returning to Victorian London after a period of years, rencounters a young noble, Captain Alistair Crawford, with whom she very nearly shared a kiss on her first coming-out season in London, when she was just fifteen. The passion between the pair remains, but all is now different. Violet has now trained herself as a nurse, and champions a utopian world in which women and the poor might receive quality healthcare. Alistair—the “spare” to his brother, the heir, and with no fortune of his own—has spent years on board ship, first in the Navy, and then the East India Company. His focus is trained steadfastly on his own dream of starting a trading company. Neither character has much use for romance, however their innermost hearts might be screaming to the contrary.

In cahoots with a friend from Alistair’s roving days, a scheme is hatched to find capital for their company: one partner will marry into his capital, while the other will try to convince his father to invest. Of course, the plot goes awry, but not before dragging us readers through London’s entrails. The almost Dickensian descriptions of Alistair’s and Violet’s exploits in the city’s slums make up some of the most engrossing parts of the novel.

This is a perfectly structured romance, with the beats falling reassuringly where they should and containing some highly erotic writing that never feels gratuitous or embarrassing. The concept is refreshingly original, while the period is so carefully researched, brimming with appropriate contemporary language and slang, that is never overused or laboured, that I really felt I was living in this period, as well as learning a lot about the way people lived and spoke. I highly recommend this book.

Get this book on Amazon here.