An Agreement Among Gentlemen by Chris Owen
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Book Reviews of An Agreement Among Gentlemen
Book Review: unfinished
Summary: 4 Stars
As all other reviewers I came to this book after reading the beautiful Bareback by the same author.
There could have been no major change: here we are led into Victorian England, among the gentility and the tone is necessarily completely different.
Edward Munrow comes to wealth in an unexpected way and is not entirely happy about it because his new position forces him to take those responsibilities he has carefully avoided until then.
The fact that ignites the plot feels unlikely enough to make it difficult for the reader to suspend disbelief; once suspension is managed somehow, the reader is thrown into a plot who develops consistently giving enough room for the three main characters to shine.
Mr Owen's writing is good as ever, yet I found the characterization rich but unfulfilling. It seems to me that the novel, rather short in fact, is constantly on the verge between the nicely written but light-hearted erotica and the full fledged gay historical novel: sex scenes are many, graphic, well done and take a large number of pages but there are several hints at deeper issues which are never dealt with, leaving me dissatisfied.
The most thorny issue is perhaps the threesome that develops among the three characters: it is nicely done and sexy but I really could not understand how the three come not only to have sex together but even to love one another so much that the expected exclusion of one of them from the "happily ever after" never takes place.
Among the others undealt with issues one could quote the characters of the duke and of the bride to be, not to mention the rather sexy topic of dominance and sexual play in xix century England.
As all these undealt issues are rather interesting and could have led to a very interesting narrative, I found myself rather dissatisfied at the end of the book.
A thing I appreciated is the complete lack of self loathing among the gay characters who only struggle to come away with law and society and are utterly inddifferent to moral constraints.
Four stars, but I think I should appreciate a second, edited edition taking a more clear direction.
Book Review: AN AGREEMENT AMONG GENTLEMEN by Chris Owen
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this story. The romance was cute and tender, though somewhat unrealized. That might just be due to the time period. Historical M/M romances are always bittersweet to me, since men fall in love but aren't allowed to show it due to society's restrictions.
The sex is spicy hot. I was not expecting this level of steam in a British historical. There's mild kink, threesomes, and a bit of D/s.
The story itself is clever and the dialogue is witty. I love a book that doesn't take itself too seriously.
However, a few things kept me from giving this 5 stars. First, I think this book would have been much better in third-person POV. I enjoy first-person POV in a few contemporaries and urban fantasy but it just doesn't fit in a historical, especially in what was supposedly Regency England. First-person is a very informal POV and Regency England is extremely formal, so they clash. Also, the dialogue felt a bit too contemporary at times, and not in line with the time period. Lastly, I found the D/s theme unrealistic in this particular setting. It was mild and inoffensive and even pretty sexy, but I didn't feel like it felt natural in a Regency piece.
Despite those minor issues, I found AN AGREEMENT AMONG GENTLEMEN to be an entertaining and satisfying read. This book is worth having in any M/M romance collection.
Book Review: An Agreement Among Gentlemen
Summary: 5 Stars
Edward "Ned" Munrow is content with his life of no responsibility and all pleasure until his friend unexpectedly gives him an estate and a great deal of money. He's not particularly pleased with the development, especially when a Duke blackmails him into a marriage he definitely doesn't want. The Duke sends his heir, Henri, Viscount Langton, to spend the summer with Munrow, so they can pretend he's seeing if the young man will make a suitable heir. To his surprise, Munrow discovers that he actually likes Langton. Things get even more confusing (and exciting) when an old lover enters the picture.
Don't let the Victorian setting fool you, An Agreement Among Gentleman is an incredibly hot book! Munrow is an unashamedly sensual character and I enjoyed watching him slowly become motivated by more than just temporary pleasure. The supporting characters in An Agreement Among Gentleman added a great deal to the story. They provided comic relief and much more. The relationship between Munrow and his valet was especially amusing. As for the love interests, Langton was sweet, passionate, and eager, and Munrow's old lover Truitt was absolutely delicious! The attraction among these three gentlemen just about burned up my laptop. Chris Owen has written a wonderfully sexy historical which will have a permanent spot on my reread shelf.
Cassie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Book Review: I loved this book
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great story,and it's well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's romantic and interesting, and it kept me coming back for more.Book Review: ENGLISH SADDLE vs WESTERN SADDLE..........which is best?
Summary: 4 Stars
'Gentlemen-ly' is a good (invented) word to describe the tone of this book; the arousing rawness of Owen's earlier novel, "Bareback" it has not. Perhaps it's 'gentlemen-ly' to the point that the following says it best: You just don't as often get the overwhelming "Bb sensation" of being so caught up you feel you're 'going down for the last time'.....yet all the while knowing there's a love there that's gonna pull you back up.
In this newer Owen work, the men of "Aaag" are of their time and place, in many ways being correct and restrained.....nothing wrong with this, it's historically correct (and a harder write). Further, it doesn't mean they never "break loose sexually".......though there's definitely less of a feeling given the reader of building anticipation. The following provides additional clues to this situation. While older lead character, Edward Munrow (too infrequently called a more informal 'Ned'), and much younger protege/lover, Viscount Langton (also infrequently called a more informal 'Henri'), become "vivid" lovers, there's a "formality" thrown up between them (as indicated by near continuous use of their correct names).....a "pulled-backness" in their relationship that's not found between the leads of "Bb." It really boils down to a seeming lack of drive to "commit to one another," a drive most strongly felt in Owen's first(?) novel. This reader gets the feeling that what is happening, on the part of the considerably older man, is a "preparation" of young Langton for a life together with a third party to these proceedings: Christopher Truitt, Munrow's earlier trained "protege" and someone much closer in age to the young Viscount. Realistically I know, of course, that much of this "writing approach" likely relates to the novel's earlier England setting.
Finally, another most important thing yours truly found lacking is a "sense of falling in love.......of being in love and, significantly, a sense of growing love" between the two leads....something that "Bb" has coming out its pores....something that this reader drastically missed here.
Which is best? Unsurprisingly, Chris (and other readers), the one that'll get pulled off my shelf for a re-read every so many months will be none other than your firstborn: the inimitable "Bareback." And that read'll take place out in my ole Arizona bunkhouse, where there's a saying that starts each day: 'Let's saddle up, Pard.'
Fond regards,
A Reading Fan
Living-you-know-where
****
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