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Solemn Contract
Connecticut, 1720: In an attempt to give his family financial security, school master Jem Bradley hires himself out as an indentured servant - and thus begins an odyssey which will take him to the small settlement of Kennet and a burgeoning friendship with enigmatic blacksmith Will Middleton. Trouble is never far away, however, and when Jem is accused of committing a bloody murder his future begins to look very bleak indeed...
218 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Cheshire
5 books8 followersA resident of the north-west of England, Morgan Cheshire has had a lifelong interest in botany and ecology and has lately developed a taste for genealogy too – and rapidly discovered a colorful family history to explore! She is also a patch-worker and quilter, a gardener when time permits, and the enthusiastic grandmother of four boys and two girls. She has been creating and sharing fiction for more than thirty years, but has only recently ventured into the realms of professional publication.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 8, 2016
This is a lovely story with a gentle tone of writing. I really enjoyed it and I wish Morgan Cheshire had a huge backlist. This is a historical romance with few sex scenes and much story, which is exactly how I like my books.
Jem Bradley takes on his brother in law's debt and enters into service as an indentured servant. He embraces his new life with gusto until he falls foul of another man's planning and scheming.
Badly beaten Jem is rescued by the local blacksmith Will Middleton, and life takes a new and better turn when he becomes the school teacher for a small town. Alas things turn a dark corner and his reputation suffers when James is accused of murder but he has friends who stand beside him and sometimes friendship can turn to love even though such love is forbidden.
I really liked the characters in this book. They were so realistic and the small town American frontier life they portrayed drew me into the story. This isn't your run of the mill mm romance but is a carefully crafted historical tale which portrays life on the American frontier and the challenges of the New World. I enjoyed the gently emerging romance between the two men and the way they resisted the bullying and abuse of power within the small community. Jem was such a hero and very naïve but I enjoyed his trusting nature and his thirst for education and the way he protected his brother in law even though his brother in law clearly didn't deserve it.
This was a novella and so quite a quick read but the kind of story that stays with you long after reading it. Really enjoyable and definitely going on my list of exquisite reads for 2016.
Jem Bradley takes on his brother in law's debt and enters into service as an indentured servant. He embraces his new life with gusto until he falls foul of another man's planning and scheming.
Badly beaten Jem is rescued by the local blacksmith Will Middleton, and life takes a new and better turn when he becomes the school teacher for a small town. Alas things turn a dark corner and his reputation suffers when James is accused of murder but he has friends who stand beside him and sometimes friendship can turn to love even though such love is forbidden.
I really liked the characters in this book. They were so realistic and the small town American frontier life they portrayed drew me into the story. This isn't your run of the mill mm romance but is a carefully crafted historical tale which portrays life on the American frontier and the challenges of the New World. I enjoyed the gently emerging romance between the two men and the way they resisted the bullying and abuse of power within the small community. Jem was such a hero and very naïve but I enjoyed his trusting nature and his thirst for education and the way he protected his brother in law even though his brother in law clearly didn't deserve it.
This was a novella and so quite a quick read but the kind of story that stays with you long after reading it. Really enjoyable and definitely going on my list of exquisite reads for 2016.
October 24, 2011
This book is sweet and charming. Set in early American history, it's not your usual m/m setting, which makes it all the more fun because the period feels accurate, as do the characters. The plot is not complex, but neither is it overly grim or unnecessarily harsh. Classic melodrama which a deft hand for keeping the same melodrama in check. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this and recommend it happily.
October 30, 2012
Very lovely story. I loved the connection between Jem and Will, and their developing relationship was done convincingly. No jumping into bed here; the men admitted to their feelings over time, and this was important as far as I was concerned because Will had never considered a relationship with a man before, while Jem had always known his preference.
I loved that . The lack of emphasis on penetrative sex made a nice change too. It didn't make their relationship any less 'hot'.
The historical setting was very well done, and the reactions of the townsfolk seemed highly convincing and realistic for the 19th century.
This is published by a small British press - Manifold Press. I bought my copy from their website: Manifold Press. I firmly believe in supporting authors and publishers, especially small publishers, by buying from their own sites rather than the giant retailers. The people doing the hard work get more out of it that way, without the giants skimming off their share :)
The cover is simple, but fitting, so no grumbles there.
I hope the author is writing some more for us!
I loved that . The lack of emphasis on penetrative sex made a nice change too. It didn't make their relationship any less 'hot'.
The historical setting was very well done, and the reactions of the townsfolk seemed highly convincing and realistic for the 19th century.
This is published by a small British press - Manifold Press. I bought my copy from their website: Manifold Press. I firmly believe in supporting authors and publishers, especially small publishers, by buying from their own sites rather than the giant retailers. The people doing the hard work get more out of it that way, without the giants skimming off their share :)
The cover is simple, but fitting, so no grumbles there.
I hope the author is writing some more for us!
September 15, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
The overall plot was intriguing because it deals with indentures and that just isn’t something that pops often in historical fiction. Unfortunately, the book was rather uneven and, while the basic storyline was intact, a lot of Solemn Contract felt jumbled and chaotic.
William and Jem are sympathetic characters, especially Jem, who suffers on more than one occasion for simply trying to do a good deed. There is a romance here, but it isn’t well developed. It comes out of nowhere for the most part and while Jem and William are a good fit for one another, I didn’t feel as though we got much relationship building.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
3.25 stars
The overall plot was intriguing because it deals with indentures and that just isn’t something that pops often in historical fiction. Unfortunately, the book was rather uneven and, while the basic storyline was intact, a lot of Solemn Contract felt jumbled and chaotic.
William and Jem are sympathetic characters, especially Jem, who suffers on more than one occasion for simply trying to do a good deed. There is a romance here, but it isn’t well developed. It comes out of nowhere for the most part and while Jem and William are a good fit for one another, I didn’t feel as though we got much relationship building.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
October 25, 2015
2011 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
October 28, 2018
Nice historical love story. Slow but even pacing, likeable characters, good story. More like 3.5 stars - and again my 3.5 are many other people's 4.5 but I need to leave room at the top :-).
December 8, 2013
Solemn Contract is an exquisite gem of a novel which may just be my favourite book of the year. Admittedly, when I first read the blurb for this book, I dismissed it, thinking it wasn't for me, however I'm so glad I gave it a chance.
The book is set in Connecticut in 1720 and opens with Jem learning the true extent of his brother-in-law's mounting debts and his sister's fears her husband will end up in prison. Morgan Cheshire manages to pack a lot of information in the opening chapter and the characters are immediately brought to life in such a way, the reader instantly cares about this family. Jem and his sister have a very close relationship and come from a comfortable background with Meg marrying for love below her station. I'm so glad Neil Iveson was not portrayed as an undeserving villain here, he may have made a few ill-advised investments but he loves his family and is trying to make a better life for them. Neil is well aware Meg sacrificed a lot to marry him and this fuels his desire to prove himself worthy of her love, even if he goes about it the wrong way.
The issue of the debts is dealt with as a family with Jem coming up with the idea of becoming an indentured servant for five years to pay the debts in full. Meg is horrified with the idea but soon realises it is the only solution if they are to keep Neil out of prison. I had no idea indentured servitude existed so I did a bit of research on the internet and discovered it was very common in colonial America for young men and women to enter into a such a contract in exchange for accommodation. It actually makes for some fascinating reading if you are interested in history and there are some examples of written contracts on Wikipedia.
I absolutely adored Jem Bradley and his willingness to submit to five years of servitude to safeguard Meg's family just highlights his selflessness. Jem is an educated man who is a trained schoolmaster so he is giving up a lot to swap that for hard manual labour. It would've been easy for someone like Jem to fall into despondency when faced with such a situation but Jem has such a thirst for knowledge, he sees everything as an opportunity to learn and that is so refreshing. Jem is an exceptional young man with a zest for life which many find attractive but not everyone has good intentions.
Cheshire has a real gift for characterisation and within moments of meeting many of her characters, you have an inkling of who they are from how they behave rather than from being told outright. From Tanner's short exchange with Neil before the contract is agreed, the warning bells are already ringing but the unsavouriness of his character is underlined by his actions during the journey to Kennet when he takes advantage of Jem. If Jem is guilty of anything, it's of being a little too trusting.
The relationship between Will and Jem is wonderfully portrayed as it evolves very slowly from friendship into love. Jem is aware he is attracted to Will quite early on but since Will displays no signs of having the same feelings, Jem keeps it to himself. Will feels responsible for Jem in a way he cannot understand from the outset but it isn't until both men are accused of unnatural acts that the truth finally dawns. To his credit, Will embraces these new feelings and doesn't allow Jem to pull away from him despite concerns for Will's standing in the community. The lovemaking between the two men is beautifully written and is sensual without being too graphic.
Will and Jem's relationship can never be revealed in the small town which requires discretion on their part but they have plenty of support from individuals who care for them deeply. The supporting characters are all well rounded and enough attention paid to their backgrounds to make them interesting enough in their own right. The community of Kennet is hospitable for the most part but can be menacing enough when required. When Jem is accused of being homosexual, he is immediately ostracised and the individual reactions of the townspeople are honestly portrayed.
While the murder plot is an important part of the story, it is never intended to be the main focus of the book so there is plenty of other stuff to explore. As I've already mentioned, Jem loves learning and he is given a lot of opportunities to pursue diverse fields of study from building to botany. Jem's enthusiasm for learning is such an important part of his character and it is explored in an interesting way without becoming too bogged down with details.
Morgan Cheshire's narrative flows smoothly and I'm also really glad she avoided using too much old-fashioned language to portray the time period as sometimes that can become stilted for modern readers. I'm not familiar enough with this century to comment on historical accuracy but it hardly matters since the story drew me in so thoroughly.
Posted from BitterSweet Reviews
The book is set in Connecticut in 1720 and opens with Jem learning the true extent of his brother-in-law's mounting debts and his sister's fears her husband will end up in prison. Morgan Cheshire manages to pack a lot of information in the opening chapter and the characters are immediately brought to life in such a way, the reader instantly cares about this family. Jem and his sister have a very close relationship and come from a comfortable background with Meg marrying for love below her station. I'm so glad Neil Iveson was not portrayed as an undeserving villain here, he may have made a few ill-advised investments but he loves his family and is trying to make a better life for them. Neil is well aware Meg sacrificed a lot to marry him and this fuels his desire to prove himself worthy of her love, even if he goes about it the wrong way.
The issue of the debts is dealt with as a family with Jem coming up with the idea of becoming an indentured servant for five years to pay the debts in full. Meg is horrified with the idea but soon realises it is the only solution if they are to keep Neil out of prison. I had no idea indentured servitude existed so I did a bit of research on the internet and discovered it was very common in colonial America for young men and women to enter into a such a contract in exchange for accommodation. It actually makes for some fascinating reading if you are interested in history and there are some examples of written contracts on Wikipedia.
I absolutely adored Jem Bradley and his willingness to submit to five years of servitude to safeguard Meg's family just highlights his selflessness. Jem is an educated man who is a trained schoolmaster so he is giving up a lot to swap that for hard manual labour. It would've been easy for someone like Jem to fall into despondency when faced with such a situation but Jem has such a thirst for knowledge, he sees everything as an opportunity to learn and that is so refreshing. Jem is an exceptional young man with a zest for life which many find attractive but not everyone has good intentions.
Cheshire has a real gift for characterisation and within moments of meeting many of her characters, you have an inkling of who they are from how they behave rather than from being told outright. From Tanner's short exchange with Neil before the contract is agreed, the warning bells are already ringing but the unsavouriness of his character is underlined by his actions during the journey to Kennet when he takes advantage of Jem. If Jem is guilty of anything, it's of being a little too trusting.
The relationship between Will and Jem is wonderfully portrayed as it evolves very slowly from friendship into love. Jem is aware he is attracted to Will quite early on but since Will displays no signs of having the same feelings, Jem keeps it to himself. Will feels responsible for Jem in a way he cannot understand from the outset but it isn't until both men are accused of unnatural acts that the truth finally dawns. To his credit, Will embraces these new feelings and doesn't allow Jem to pull away from him despite concerns for Will's standing in the community. The lovemaking between the two men is beautifully written and is sensual without being too graphic.
Will and Jem's relationship can never be revealed in the small town which requires discretion on their part but they have plenty of support from individuals who care for them deeply. The supporting characters are all well rounded and enough attention paid to their backgrounds to make them interesting enough in their own right. The community of Kennet is hospitable for the most part but can be menacing enough when required. When Jem is accused of being homosexual, he is immediately ostracised and the individual reactions of the townspeople are honestly portrayed.
While the murder plot is an important part of the story, it is never intended to be the main focus of the book so there is plenty of other stuff to explore. As I've already mentioned, Jem loves learning and he is given a lot of opportunities to pursue diverse fields of study from building to botany. Jem's enthusiasm for learning is such an important part of his character and it is explored in an interesting way without becoming too bogged down with details.
Morgan Cheshire's narrative flows smoothly and I'm also really glad she avoided using too much old-fashioned language to portray the time period as sometimes that can become stilted for modern readers. I'm not familiar enough with this century to comment on historical accuracy but it hardly matters since the story drew me in so thoroughly.
Posted from BitterSweet Reviews
January 21, 2012
Solemn contract is a charming story, rich in historical details, told in an understated manner by an author who obviously knows what she's doing.
Warmly recommended.
Warmly recommended.
June 30, 2020
This book has highly unusual writing style, which is the main reason why I am DNFing it and giving it a low rating. I don't mind books having POV switches - if it happens in different chapters or if there is some sort of divide at least.
But this book a) has a POV change almost every paragraph, it feels and b) it has so many POVs characters. There are the two main heroes, but also characters sister, his brother in love, random villagers and the main villain.
Oh, yes. The main villain, whose POV we share while he rapes the main hero. Villain who is one of those creepy older guys who blackmails and terrorizes others.
Look, this sort of villain is pretty common in historicals, but we usually don't get his horribly slimey POV.
The fact that some of the characters almost feel like caricatures, including the horribly naive main character, doesn't help.
Just... not my cup of tea at all.
But this book a) has a POV change almost every paragraph, it feels and b) it has so many POVs characters. There are the two main heroes, but also characters sister, his brother in love, random villagers and the main villain.
Oh, yes. The main villain, whose POV we share while he rapes the main hero. Villain who is one of those creepy older guys who blackmails and terrorizes others.
Look, this sort of villain is pretty common in historicals, but we usually don't get his horribly slimey POV.
The fact that some of the characters almost feel like caricatures, including the horribly naive main character, doesn't help.
Just... not my cup of tea at all.
December 14, 2019
A nice read with little character nuance - the good guys are heroic and the bad guys are horrid.
February 22, 2013
I love the unusual historical setting, the subtle writing and the slow-developing love story. Brilliant novel!
"Looking across at Will, a wave of love and pride swept through Jem. What he wanted was to touch and be close to him, to know what those firm lips felt like in a kiss - which was something, he thought darkly, that Kirsty from the tavern probably knew. This jealous and ugly thought brought him crashing back to earth; he had earned Will's friendship and trust and that should be enough for him. Revealing how he felt would almost certainly mean losing that easy companionship, and the very thought was almost unbearable. Their friendship was complete as it was, and that was how he would like it to remain."
July 5, 2012
My review of this book can be read at Speak Its Name.
March 21, 2013
4.5 Stars...Absolutely lovely book!
Read
January 4, 2015DNF
October 26, 2016
I wish the POVs were more limited to just the two MCs so the story could embrace more mystery and poignancy. However, I really like the tone and the premise of this novel.
Read
January 13, 2018It's very difficult for me to review a book that I have mixed feelings about. A few CWs:
This book is a gay-for-you romance, which is not my preference to read about. It's double gay-for-you, sort of.
The book is written in 3rd-person omniscient; we always know what almost everyone thinks at all times, sometimes multiple characters in the same paragraph. I thought this was an odd choice, and the story would not have been much different if we had only seen Jem's point of view.
Overall I didn't enjoy this book, but the story at the heart of it is a sweet friends-to-lovers romance. I also liked the setting of pre-Revolutionary War Connecticut.
This book is a gay-for-you romance, which is not my preference to read about. It's double gay-for-you, sort of.
The book is written in 3rd-person omniscient; we always know what almost everyone thinks at all times, sometimes multiple characters in the same paragraph. I thought this was an odd choice, and the story would not have been much different if we had only seen Jem's point of view.
Overall I didn't enjoy this book, but the story at the heart of it is a sweet friends-to-lovers romance. I also liked the setting of pre-Revolutionary War Connecticut.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews