The Consort

by Misty Malone

An ultimatum from his dying father forces Prince Accolon to give up his plans to enter the church to fulfill the marriage contract left behind by his slain brother. If he refuses, his father will strike at him and deny his entry to the church, but if he accepts, he loses his freedom forever. Across the land, Rhys faces a similar problem. Discovered in an indecent position with a stable boy by his furious father, Rhys makes a fool's bargain. He has one month to steal the crown of Wales, or die. He disguises himself as a manservant and sets about learning what he can of the royal family. Everything goes according to plan--until Rhys meets Accolon. All Rhys wanted was to save his skin and steal the crown. He never planned on losing his heart. But with Hunters on his tail and a rival out for blood, Rhys cannot allow himself to fall for a firm body and kind smile, no matter how much he wants to. Nor can Accolon understand the strange primal urges this Briton awakens in him, no matter how hard he fights against them. A triangle of historic proportions where love, lust, politics, and murder sleep in the same bed. Blood will be spilt, lands will be lost, and no one's heart will be safe if The Consort has his way.

Genres: M M Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Gay

Nook

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Midnight · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to put this one aside, so I didn't finish it. I didn't even get past the first couple of chapters. The two main characters are both weak and pathetic and that's something I can't stand, be it in books or real life. Certainly don't want to read about them and their whining. The plot's nothing new either and doesn't seem particularly exciting in light of the characterizations of the MCs.

There were also a few rather long and unnecessary scenes, which added virtually nothing to the plot development or character development, and left me going "what was the point of this here passage?"

So, one star for this one.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to give this book a 4.5 just because it was awsome. it was a long haul but i loved the ending, which was worth all the drawn-out drama throughout the book. great read and i would recommend it to any one who enjoys HEA's and a lot of drama in their reading. and i happen to love green eyes and black hair so Rhys was just my type of character,but alas i fell in love with both the MC's and wanted a happy ending for both.

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhys and Accolon. If any two men deserved a Happily Ever After, it's these two.

This is a love story about trust, how hard it is to gain and how easily it is to lose.

[Portia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book expecting the worse. What I found instead, was a very well written historical love story that drew me in from page one. My first impression of Rhys was that he was an arrogant toad with more bravado than good sense. It didn't take long to figure out that he was doing what he had to do to survive a extremely dysfunctional family. And Accolon isn't much better. He's pulled out of his sacred space kicking and screaming.

Accolon has been taught to suppress his sexuality. It broke my heart to watch him struggle with embracing the fact that he was a sexual being; worthy and deserving of love and passion. Rhys, however was an excellent teacher. On the other hand, Rhys has learned that sex is just another weapon, a tool to be used for his pleasure and advancement. Kissing Accolon shakes him on a soul level as he learns there can be more to sex then just sweat and release. The sex between these two is beyond hot. There is lots of it, but it is sprinkled into the plot in all the right places.

What I liked most about these characters is that they were realistic. Neither man suddenly became a hero. Rhys doesn't suddenly become a saint and Accolon doesn't suddenly become a man worthy to be king. I loved the intrigue that was woven throughout the entire story. There were plenty of plot twists and turns to keep me up well pass my bedtime. I really enjoy knowing the identity of the bad guy (or girl), and anticipating how they are going to get busted in the end.

I don't know why The Consort hasn't gotten the attention that it deserves. Ms. Malone is definitely fresh voice within the historical genre and I will definitely look out for her next offering. I highly recommend this book.

[Ayanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

It actually wasn't bad. I wasn't entirely certain what to expect and actually kind of braced myself for something much worse, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be based on the blurb.

I did have some qualms about it, though, which is why it only gets 3.5

I thought it used the True Love Conquers all trope a little too much and that for me killed some of the realism it was building up. I didn't quite understand the characterization of the prince exactly. I thought he was supposed to be some innocent virginal whatever, and I get that he turned voyeur on his cousin and all, but I still feel like he knew too much/acted too knowledgeably during their first intercourse. And in the epilogue, I felt the subtle nuances were a little too decidedly modern for the supposedly historical setting in which the world in general are not as accepting of homosexuality. I get that it's an AU and shiz, but I get the feeling that earlier, the author was trying to preserve the medieval atmosphere of the original mythos and w/e (It's all Arthurian, really).
And seriously, the Tristan/Iseult thing was really bad taste. Especially since Iseult is apparently Yvette's lover and Tristan is Yvette and Accolon's kid. Just saying.
I get that it's an AU, but I feel like that was just an ill-placed allusion. *shudders

[Meghan Reads MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the first 5 or 6 sex scenes, the sex scenes began to seem dull to me and there were a fair number of those scenes. The rest of the story was engaging and I enjoyed reading the viewpoints of the lovers.As much as I enjoyed the book, it didn't quite make up for editing errors like whole words missing or some way of distinguishing a view point change. Would rate this 3.75, if I could.

[Ery · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok- pretty well written, but overall it failed to wring out any serious emotion from me.

[Ozlem · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Miriki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both MCs were just TSTL.
The castle's security was a joke.
Too preachy.
The ending was just too convenient
On top of that, it's too long, the story just dragged and dragged.

[Alarik · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 *