Unwritten Rules

The Savages of Falcote #1

by Ally Hastings

Richard Savage is used to scrutiny. As the illegitimate son of the Marquess of Dorset he can be sure that the eyes of society are always upon him, and it is second nature to him to make sure his behaviour is never less than impeccable. He pays his debts, he never drinks to excess, and he doesn’t quarrel – certainly not with his family. The only gossipworthy things Richard allows himself are his friendship with Fleetwood, the radical scholar, and the occasional visit to an extremely discreet gentleman’s club called Greene’s.

No one ever pays much attention to Lucas Greville. His brother manages the estate, his mother is preoccupied with finding husbands for his sisters and the cousin who promised to show him around London abandoned him at the first opportunity. He is not an attractive match for girls on the lookout for a title or a fortune, and he fully expects to spend his first season in cheerful anonymity.

When Richard rescues Lucas from an unpleasant situation at Greene’s it is the start of an entirely proper friendship, and neither of them is looking for more. But then a stray word from his new acquaintance sheds light on the great mystery of Richard’s life. Can Lucas help him discover the circumstances of his birth? And will the resulting upheaval help or hinder their growing affection for each other?

Genres: Historical, LGBT, Regency, Romance, Queer, Fiction

233 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2023

About the author

Ally Hastings loves to read mystery, romance, literary fiction and sometimes fantasy, but writes only one of them. Preferably after a long walk, with a cup of tea and the radio tuned to something from the sixties or seventies. Ally is the author of The Savages of Falcote, a queer historical romance series, beginning with Unwritten Rules (March 2023).

Reviews

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stilted dialogue.
Coincidences drive plot.
Mannered Regency.

(also, the love interests are first cousins? and no-one is squicked? they can't have babies, but still? kind of gross)

2.5 rounded down

[FelixI · Rating 5 out of 5]

A queer historical romance that is really embedded in its period, very traditional upper class setting, but Richard, the main character, has enough awareness of ‘how the other half lives’ to keep him from being insufferable. You really hope things will turn out all right for him (and I basically just want to hug Lucas...).
It’s the first in a series, so I’m really curious where the author will be taking us next.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good Regency romance; it’s all those Georgette Heyer novels I read as a teenager. This one is well plotted in the tradition of 19th-century novels, and the characters are interesting if not exceptionally well drawn. And yet, it reads very much like the author's first novel, as I think it was. I don’t anticipate continuing with this series, but I anticipate that future novels will be stronger.

[Nikol]

DNF at ~50%..... Just an FYI before anyone decides to read this: the MCs find out they're cousins like 50% in and still continue to be in a relationship... I really wish it would've been at least tagged as incest, i definitely wouldn't have touched this.

[Ally Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first historical romance about the Marquess of Dorset’s family, the Savages of Falcote, in which the marquess’s bastard son and the younger brother of a viscount try to find a place for themselves in a world where the heir gets everything.