A Delicate Seduction

Harwell Heirs #4

by Regina Kammer

Love is patient…but desire is demanding

Percival Wood, the Marquess of Norrington, is free. His former lover Jack—a blackguard and a brute—is dead. Percival no longer needs to hide. While his father insists Percival take the opportunity to rejoin Society, Percival has other plans. He wants to get away, far away from the traumas of his past.

For years, Bertram Atherley, the Viscount Ravensburgh, had waited on the sidelines, helpless while his cousin Jack had been a cruel beast to his boyhood chum Percival. Now Jack was dead, and Bertram is eager to resume his friendship with Percival. This time, though, Bertram feels something more than mere camaraderie.

At Percival’s behest the two set off on a Grand Tour of sorts, a journey from England to Italy and France. While abroad, friendship blossoms into something more. But trauma and pain have a way of reasserting themselves no matter where one may go. For Percival, intimacy with Bertram dredges up old wounds. Yet Bertram has waited so long for a chance to woo his boyhood crush and his patience is running out.

Will the two be able to overcome inner struggles and embark on a future together in each other’s arms?

A Delicate Seduction is Book 4 in Regina Kammer’s Victorian romance Harwell Heirs series. The story takes place in 1879, at the same time as Book 1, and is a male-male slow-burn, childhood friends-to-lovers, vacation abroad, historical romance. Interwoven with the romance is a story-within-a-story featuring a pirate hunter and his trusty mate. A Delicate Seduction can be read as a stand-alone; however, the novel is enhanced by first reading The Pleasure Device.

The Harwell Heirs
Victorian aristocracy has very strict rules concerning marital connections and familial obligations. But the Harwell heirs—Helena, Sophia, and Arthur—discover love doesn’t always follow the rules. Scandalous affairs force these scions of society to choose between duty and desire, deference and destiny.
Book 1: The Pleasure Device
Book 2: Disobedience By Design
Book 3: Where Destiny Plays

Harwell Heirs Legacy Romances
Travel beyond England’s shores for these stories featuring beloved secondary characters from the first three books of the series. The Legacy novels delve into the romances of the friends, family, and intimates of the extended Harwell family.
Book 4: A Delicate Seduction
Book 5: Discovering Her Delight
Book 6: Their Noble Deceit

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2023

About the author

Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and a multi-published writer of provocative historical romance and contemporary romance with a touch of history. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, Loose Id, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.

Subscribe to Regina's newsletter, Kammerotica News : https://reginakammer.com/newsletter/

Reviews

[Jason Pettus · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reads, #63. This is one of the books I judged for a romance literary contest this year, and so as such, I feel it probably wouldn't be ethically proper for me to do a full public review of it. To be honest, I'm mostly listing it here merely so that it will count towards my total number of books read at Goodreads in 2024, so that in the future it won't look like I was lazy this particular year. All the books I read as part of literary contests this year were great, not a single clunker in the bunch, so I recommend them all!

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters in Percival and Bertram. The author does a great job developing their story and takes you into their lives with a friends to lovers slow burn romance with tons of emotions, trauma and pain. She takes you back to Victorian aristocracy and the strict rules of the day with her descriptive scenes and delivers a terrific story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Ella Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like a restorative vacation on the coast of France. A Delicate Seduction is a friends-to-lovers m/m Victorian romance about Percy, a survivor of abuse/SA, and his childhood best friend Bertie. I appreciated that Percy's abuser, Jack, has already died by the time the story starts, and Percy's story is rooted in him learning to feel safe and confident as he begins his life anew. Bertram is an understanding and generous partner who never once judges or blames Percy for his trauma. This is an empathetic romance for lovers of cozy, queer historical fiction.

[Kkhmonrai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Although it was my first read in the series, I felt it worked well enough alone. The speed and pacing of the story, and the developing romance between the hurt and recovering Percival, and his friend and long-time admirer Bertram, felt realistic and accurate considering the historic timeframe of the story, and the painful history and abuse Percival suffered with Jack. I thought the abuse topic was handled very well and sensitively. I adored Bertram, and the way he supported and waited for Percival. I was rooting for their love, and to see Percival overcome his past suffering. To survive and find happiness is surely the greatest victory over an abuser, and I wanted to see Percival get that. Although there are some heavier topics in this novel, I appreciated the focus on the MCs and the recovery, and the lighter touch on the drama and wounds of the past.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samyka · Rating 5 out of 5]

To fully enjoy this book you don't have to read the others in the series.
This is a M/M love story between Percival and Bertram, two childhood friends. Percival's ex-lover Jack is dead. Percy is free at least from his abuser. And to feel the freedom and recover from the abuse (which is only hinted at) he wants to go to Italy and France. He persuades his old friend Bertram to accompany him. Like soft silken threads love binds them together. They yet have to acknowledge it. And Percival has to find a way to get over the abusive relationship with Jack. How he did it with the help of Bertram is at the core of this book. The story is slow and sweet. Percival hurts a lot and has to fight for his love. Everywhere the two (and we) are reminded that the 19th century wasn't really forgiving for "deviant" love stories. A beautiful book which leaves you hopeful. Highly recommended!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gladys · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a totally new to me author when I stumbled across this book. The blurb really intrigued me, and I knew I had to read it and I am happy that I did. To start I must say that the title fit Percival and Bertram romance extremely well. The author approaches the sensitive subject matter, the couple's blossoming romance, and Percival's wounded heart and bruised soul with a delicate sweetness. I went into this book well aware that the burn would be slow, which was perfectly fitting, and while I liked this book a lot, I also would have liked it all to be a bit grittier and more intense as far as the emotions went.

[Es Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. And appreciate the fact that the sex scenes don't rush into penetrative sex. There actually isn't any penetrative sex in the whole book, and that makes a lot of sense for the characters.

I was really annoyed with the third act breakup when it happened, but it was dealt with well. Bertram was completely in the wrong and ultimately retracted all of his demands. And then the book took it's time to show that Bertram learned from it.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Harwell Heirs series, a well written M/M story that held my interest. Percival Wood, the Marquess of Norrington and Bertram Atherley, the Viscount Ravensburgh are both free from Jack after his death. The story has a good storyline that I enjoyed reading and seeing them get their HEA. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Pinar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical romance set in 1879 in England, Italy and France. It features two childhood friends, Percival "Percy" Wood, the Marquess of Norrington (21) and Bertram "Bertie" Atherley, the Viscount Ravensburgh (28).

During his teenage years, Percy experienced torment and sexual abuse at the hands of Jonathan Atherley, the Viscount Saxondale, known as “Jack of Diamonds” by his wastrel friends. Percy was saved by his father, the Duke of Amesbury, who whisked him away and cloistered him at Oxford University. At the beginning of the book, we find out that Jack has died. Percy can finally move on with his life without fear.

Percy and Bertie have been friends since childhood. Bertie carries a fair amount of guilt for not saving Percy from Jack's clutches. He is attracted to Percy but does not wish to make him feel uncomfortable or pressure him into a relationship when he is not ready. When Percy decides to take a tour of Italy and the Mediterranean coast, Bertie accepts his invitation to accompany him in the hopes that their relationship will evolve over the course of their travels. As they spend time together, away from English society and all the expectations placed on them to marry and produce heirs, the two men gradually become more than friends. Theirs is a "delicate seduction" as Percy learns to overcome his discomfort with physical intimacy, which is brought on by past trauma.

This was another well written book from the author. Both characters had interesting personalities, Bertie being an aspiring writer and Percy showing a keen interest in history as he explored the Etruscan ruins in Italy. I particularly enjoyed the excerpts from "The Adventures of Paolo the Pirate Hunter, the Magnificent Adventurer, who, along with his First Mate Barnaby, Protects the Seas from the Evil Pirate Jonas the Marauder", authored by Bertie for the amusement of Percy.

This is the fourth book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone.

[Pamela Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written, the characters are sensitively portrayed, and the descriptions of Italy and France are spectacular. This is the story of two best friends who are British aristocrats. One is healing from an abusive relationship. The other is supporting the friend he’s loved since childhood. But the year is 1879 and even though they are traveling abroad, same-sex relationships are still very dangerous and must be hidden.

I liked the way the author puts the reader right into the scene, the bits of history that intrigue but don’t overwhelm, and the gorgeous descriptions of the places the two friends visit. The compassion shown by the character Bertram for his friend Percival is palpable and the sex scenes that begin with kissing and, as the book progresses, eventually end with a full-blown relationship are packed with emotion.

Ms. Kammer has outdone herself on this one and for fans of male/male romance, I highly recommend it.

[aidni · Rating 2 out of 5]

This kind of felt like reading an erotic story in my grandmother wrote. Like in those movies where you’re watching somebody read a period romance and it just sounds ridiculous.

I was really here for the plot of this, but the age gap actually made it feel creepy. The number of times it was mentioned in the way it was mentioned. The younger MC had really no personality other than the abuse and didn’t really seem to have any reason except for the need for protection, and to move on to desire the older man. Also, he was really back-and-forth demanding a lot of understanding from his new friend, it just didn’t seem realistic.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Percival has come out of a bad situation with a crappy lover who was abusive. He needs a new start. Bertram has waited in the wings for Percival to be free of a bad situation and this is their slow burn story as they work their way forward carefully towards a new beginning for Percival and the relationship Percival has long wanted. A fine romance that handled some tough topics with sensitivity.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percy's ex was abusive to him. His ex is dead now but Percy doesn't know if he can love again. Bertram has been Percy's friend since they were children but now he wants more. He knows he has to be patient with Percy but he will do anything to make Percy his. I really enjoyed this book.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great fourth book in the Harwell Heirs series. It had the same great feel that I was hoping for. The characters felt like real people in the time-period. I was never bored when reading this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.