Blackmailer's Delight

by David Lawrence

“All the hopes, doubts, pain and sensuality of hidden gay love in the English 18th century fill David Lawrence’s sparkling new novel… He brings it all together in the most unexpected way in this charming, sexy, witty romp.” – Stephanie Cowell, author of The Boy in the Rain and American Book Award recipient

“Lawrence crafts a romance that rouses, with twists, surprises, and a randy wit… (a) passionate, uproarious gay romance. – BookLife Reviews

A misunderstanding ties the fates of three men together in this heartfelt, sensual, and hilarious romantic puzzle. Blackmailer’s Delight is a tale of lives tossed into the air, then reassembled in some unanticipated ways.

England 1795
London gentleman Daniel Thornton has just dumped his philandering lover Clarence. He moves to Grantham to care for his ailing uncle and nurse a broken heart. The move he hopes will be a fresh start – a place to discover himself and perhaps a new way of seeing the world.

Luke Morley is a draper's son struggling to accept his sexuality. He has withdrawn into a world of fantasy, but with the arrival of Mr. Thronton this private world is shattered. Grantham’s most eligible bachelor is everything Luke has ever dreamed of. After months of silent admiration, he determines to introduce himself.

Re-enter Clarence, who arrives to win back his old lover. When Daniel rejects him again, he is not about to take it lying down…

A blackmail note appears – a demand that Daniel marry one of Luke’s sisters. A demand that he fulfill Luke’s sexual desires.

Daniel saw young Mr. Morley leave the note on his mantle.

The note is from Luke.

Isn’t it?

From the author of Hugh and Blue Billy’s Rogue Lexicon.

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

325 pages, ebook

First published February 13, 2024

Reviews

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of the French Revolution, the English "Revolt of the Housewives" erupted in 1795, whereby the mostly female rioters redistributed food stores to those in need, after one of England's coldest winters, setting fair prices for the food and paying the proceeds back to the original owners. I love how the women strived to give all involved a good outcome, and in a sense, this reflects the overall tone of David Lawrence's book.

Throughout the course of Blackmailer's Delight, we find, yup, blackmailers, some perfectly horrid characters, miscommunications and misunderstands galore, and situations where there seems to be no good outcome. And at first, the tone of the writing - for me personally - was a bit much to really digest. There's a certain formal tone and a huge amount of descriptions that bogs down the story and many of the actions and events in the book are told after the fact, or recalled as a memory, resulting in a lack of immediacy.

But once the plot was fully in swing, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it all. Daniel Thornton goes to Grantham to care for his ailing uncle, declaring that he wished to find the goodness in the world. Yet when confronted with Luke Morley "this young man I've joked with, caroused with, argued with, f@cked with, and tried to emotionally blackmail. Everything, it seems, except to speak to properly.") he believes the absolute worst of him, and yet believes most of what his ex Clarence tells him.

Clarence starts out as a simply horrid character who I was eager to write off, and yet Daniel manages to find a good resolution to their former relationship. He manages to circumvent the supposed blackmail plan for his marriage to Luke's sister, and the solution is really a stroke of genius all the way around. The secondary characters are well-developed and fleshed out and as the book come to an end, there is a world of possibilities for all the characters. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[J.L. Thornton · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%

This book started out well. I enjoyed the writing style and the introduction to the characters and world building. But then the actual blackmail plot happened and it all fell apart for me. Not sure if this all really counts as "spoilers" but I marked it as such anyway.

It all hinges on a handwritten blackmail letter, and therein lines the immediate issue. The book makes a point of talking about all the letters Daniel and his ex wrote to each other, and yet Daniel doesn't recognize his ex's handwriting? Not even a little bit? No suspicion or thought at all after the ex made a scene in his house? So instead the MC just immediately assumes it came from this random kid? And then, getting a different note from said kid later on, never questions that the writing isn't at all alike? Or never, in the whole contrived "relationship" does he think to outright question being blackmailed? Not even an affronted "you think you can blackmail me!" to which the kid would say (in essence) "wtf are you talking about?" and the whole miscommunication could resolve. But no, why do that when everything could be needlessly complicated and the whole sexual relationship between the two character could be made to feel gross and obligatory and spiteful? Which just made me feel angry and disgusted for the kid, who's sweet and innocent and trying his best, because a man who's supposedly in his 30s can't recognize handwriting or use the baseline critical thinking to ask a question.

The book really did try to get me to buy all of this, and I can respect that, but it didn't work. And even without the plothole, that kind of "relationship" between our love interests, especially with the age and experience gap already so large, just made reading this unpleasant. Maybe others wouldn't be bothered by that. Maybe I somehow missed a crucial point that would have fixed this. Maybe it gets better and becomes amazing by the end. If so, I hope others enjoy it, but it's not gonna be me.

[Miles · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand that 34 year olds dating 18 year olds during this time period was probably about as common place as marrying your cousin but c'mon. There was a wide array of ages to pick from and you just HAD to make the 18 year old learn to explore his sexuality with the 34 year old.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book!

The writing in this book is very solid. The author nailed the dialogue particularly, it felt very accurate to the time period. The prose was fast moving and light, which made it easy to read. The characters were colorful and interesting. Luke was my favorite. He was adorable. The miscommunication trope worked particularly well here, being that the characters were unable to speak about certain things to each other outright.
That being said, I don’t think I would be the target audience for this book but I thought it was cute and I can see how others would like it.

[Bonnie]

DNF at 17%

I don't like hetero historical romance because the dynamics are very uneven. I don't feel like any woman could properly have consented in the past because they weren't treated like fully autonomous beings (they still aren't so I don't really read heteromance).

I feel the same way about age gaps. It's icky having a dude that's over a decade older lusting after someone who is just barely legal by today's standards and also extremely unexperienced. It might have been different if the older guy was the inexperienced one but as it stands, this is not my jam and I'm gonna pass on in.

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC promotional copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

TLDR: This book does have sexual scenes and an age gap. However, it's well written, especially if you're already a fan of historical romance. It's very much of the genre and I liked it. 4 stars because I'm personally not a fan of age gaps.

Normally, I don't read historical romance. However, this book is so well written and quite honestly so adorable, it made me rethink my previous stance on the genre. The chemistry between the characters, as well as the strength within the characters themselves is so amazing to experience. David Lawrence has a way of describing the events and the world that the story takes place in that made me want to keep reading. There is an age gap between the main men of the story, so be aware if that's something you don't like. But I think that's normal within the genre, and it's not a major plot point. There are sex scenes but they’re not explicit and are mostly used to further the feelings of the main characters at the time. They’re also used to show the full desire between them.
The true feelings of the love between the characters made me smile so much my cheeks started to hurt. There are twists and reveals that made me gasp out loud. Overall, I had an absolute blast reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of romance.

[Notforgoodgirls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceedingly well written comedy of errors makes for a highly amusing romp where everyone gets their comeuppance, redemption or happy ending as deserved.

The absolute dreck you see on here rated 4.7 and for this not to be up there is a travesty.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair review, thanks to Net Galley and the publisher.

DNF @ 40%

Blackmailer's Delight is a historical LGBTQ+ romance about a man Daniel Thornton (who seems to be in the landed gentry/old money) who has recently come to the country after breaking up with his lover Clarence, and who falls for a tradesman's (new money) son, Luke Morley. It started off strong with a great breakup scene between Clarence and Daniel.

One thing that got to me early is the huge age gap: Daniel is in his mid 30s and Luke is about 20 years old. Daniel also is the more powerful character. Luke is a golden retriever, and Daniel is a grump, and I would hope that there would be a bit more equality between them.

The pacing is also off: the characters don't spend much time on the falling for each other bit before the complication is introduced, and actually they don't really spend much time together at all. Or thinking about each other. A lot of the book is spent talking about their families which would be fine, but we don't really get much character development to care about those families.

The PoV also jumps around at times in weird ways where it's hard to keep track of who we're following. The first Luke chapter seemed to be more from his mother's PoV.

So at 40% when things didn't really seem to be picking up much, I am giving this a DNF.

You might like this book if you're super into blackmail plots and don't mind the age gap or the inequality of feelings.

[Stephanie Chaplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Blackmailer’s Delight by David Lawrence is a historical romantic comedy with coming-of-age and LGBTQ themes. The story itself starts off in 1795 London, where main character Daniel Thornton lives with his lover, Clarence. Clarence, though, is a philanderer, a fact that up until this point, Daniel has been more or less dubiously accepting of, as he lives by the idea that, “There is safety in cynicism.” As far as he’s concerned, it’s better to remain pessimistic about life, acknowledge (and expect) the bad in people, and simply build walls to shield yourself from the world. However, when the need arises for him to move to Grantham to care for his ailing uncle, Erasmus, Daniel takes it as an opportunity to leave his philandering lover behind (with dramatic flair) and break down his self-made walls, in order to become a ‘better person.’ Once settled in Grantham, he makes the acquaintance of young Luke Morley, a local draper’s son, who shares his inclinations (and interest), thus beginning a whirlwind romance. Of course, this relationship must remain secret, and so, becomes a relationship where struggles and misunderstandings abound.

The book is full of more serious subjects such as rejection and heartbreak, self-discovery and the struggles of self-acceptance, family and societal expectations, secrets and deceit and blackmail schemes, and some period-typical homophobia. It does, though, have enough witty quips and comical relief, mainly thanks to the lovely Albert Collins, valet and supportive friend of Daniel, as well as cute/tender moments of new love, which keep it from staying too heavy. The constant twists and turns and surprises weaved into the story are sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, as well. I know I was hooked from the get-go, drawn into the characters’ worlds, and needing to know how things worked out for each of them, if there was any possibility of a happy ending.

I will say that there are some love scenes in this book (not overly explicit, but definitely steamy), so if that’s something you’re uncomfortable with, or if, perhaps, you take issue with large age gaps in relationships, this probably isn’t the novel for you. If, however, you don’t have any problem with those things, and you’re looking for a good LGBTQ love story with relatable characters, interspersed with comedic moments, and historical facts, I would highly recommend giving Blackmailer’s Delight a read.

[Jaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book.

Blackmailer’s Delight by David Lawrence was witty and funny and really spoke to what it is to live in distrust of the world around you. The book begins with a breakup scene between Daniel Thorton and his lover Clarence Ludlow before Daniel receives a letter whisking him away to an estate in the countryside to care for his ailing uncle and to find goodness in the world. What follows is a tumultuous and heartwarming story as Daniel Thorton and Luke Morley try to love one another in a world that forbids them from doing so.

The plot of this novel was driven forward by multilayered miscommunication. Although I typically don’t enjoy the miscommunication trope, I can appreciate the role it played in this story. The factors that allowed this miscommunication to persist for so long were realistic to the time period as opposed to just being the lack of simple communication. I enjoyed the resolution at the end of the novel and the way that it tied together so many of the obstacles faced throughout the story. I thought that it was a sweet and wholesome end to a romp.

Despite understanding the role of miscommunication, it made it so that I struggled a little to believe the romance between Daniel and Luke. There is a 16 year age gap between the two of them and the power inequality was apparent from the very beginning. In addition to this, Daniel and Luke don’t spend enough time truly getting to know one another. This is justified in part given the weight of a blackmail note hanging in the balance but it made it hard to believe the feelings they were developing after so little civil interaction.

The characters in this novel were charming and nuanced. Daniel Thorton is a kind and gentle man made distrustful from years of feeling ostracized in a society that refuses to accept him. Luke Morley is a young man coming to terms with the realities of his orientation, distancing himself from those he loves and standing defiant against an oppressive world. Clarence Ludlow was the image of a man spoiled by overbearing parents, but even he grew and developed wonderfully by the novel's end.

[Kate Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Broadbound Publishing for the ARC of Blackmailer's Delight by David Lawrence. Set in 1795 this book broaches the topic of time specific homophobia and the men and women you fight to have the relationships they want outside of societies standards.

Blackmailer's Delight starts with the rather spectacular breakup of Daniel and Clarence prior to Daniel moving back to Grantham to care for his ailing uncle. There he meets Luke who is a younger man seeking to understand his sexual orientation. After a night of partying Daniel receives a letter blackmailing him about his sexual orientation. Daniel believes the blackmailer to be Luke and uses this to his advantage.

The characters in this book where really well developed and written. Daniel is definitely a person who while he may seem selfish he truly cares about those around him. He worries that if his uncle finds out the truth about himself that he may lose the closest family member he has. Luke starts off as a really innocent character who doesn't know much about the world. Throughout the book I just wanted to hug and protect him. Clarence is 100% what happens to spoil children who have overbearing parents. He does develop a lot as a character throughout the book but he frustrated me so much during it.

I loved the open communication of what it is to be a queer person in this time period and how one must protect themselves. I think the ending was pure perfection and was the only way for everyone to have a happy ending. I also think this was one of the best versions of a misunderstanding/miscommunication trope I have read. The misunderstanding does go for a while in the book but once it is solved there is such wonderful and open communication between all characters.

I highly recommend this for a good and quick read. If you enjoy historical fiction books this is the one for you. Content warnings are period specific homophobia.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Broadbound Publishing for sending this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Blackmailer’s Delight follows Daniel Thornton as he leaves his relationship with Clarence. After moving to his Uncle’s estate to care for him, he meets Luke Morley. As Daniel enters this new relationship, conflict transpires as he receives a blackmail letter asking that he marry one of Luke's sisters. All signs lead to Luke, and confusion ensues.

This book’s strength is certainly in its prose. It is unique in that the language is similar to that of a period classic—think Pride and Prejudice—rather than a modern retelling of historical events, which I loved. It's witty and lighthearted and won't leave you heartbroken by the end. I felt that the pacing of the novel worked well given its length. I think it would be a great choice for anyone who appreciates a classic romance novel but would like more diversity regarding romantic relationships. I also appreciated the history lesson regarding 'The Revolt of the Housewives,' an event that takes place during the time of this novel.

I admit I had a tough time getting into this book at first, but once I was a ways along, it was much easier to get immersed in the plot. A few of the characters felt flat at times but I felt that this didn’t detract too much from the work as a whole, especially considering that the novel itself is meant to be more lighthearted. I would have loved to see a deeper, more intimate connection between Daniel and Luke apart from an attraction for physical features.

I recommend Blackmailer’s Delight to fans of A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue who are looking for a tale with similar feelings but less modern language.

[Katdunn37 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn you dramatic irony! Damn you miscommunication trope!

A Blackmailer’s Delight is well written, with complex secondary characters and a surprise twist ending. The book passes the Bechdel Test.
But a large portion of the middle section contained: Oh-so-very painful and stressful miscommunications between the MCs. These misunderstandings spanned so many anxiety provoking chapters, taking away from my enjoyment of the overall story. About 7 chapters into the story, I knew I’d have to finish it, in order to get rid of the anxiety in the pit of my stomach. I had to power through the tortuous middle section, in order to reach the happily ever after resolution. So, in summary: This book held me hostage!

I utterly despise the anxiety that the reader experiences when the omniscient narrator reveals something to the audience about which the characters in the story are unaware. The feeling is so horrendous. The misleads, lies and frustratingly avoidable miscommunications go on for so long making at least 50% of the reading experience so unpleasant- and effecting my overall rating. It was impossible to enjoy the sex and intimacy that occur during the misunderstands. That being said the writing was good, narrator (Cornell Collins) was excellent as per usual.
Ultimately the romance was satisfying, once all the miscommunications were revealed and explained, but not until the near end.
So much of the book made me queasy and anxious that most of it wasn’t enjoyable to read. If it weren’t for all the dramatic irony and strong reliance on the miscommunication trope, I’d rate the book more highly.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Interestingly, I was still not sure, halfway into the book, whether it was intended to be a capital-r romance or not, and, unfortunately, this lack of clarity about what this book wanted (was supposed?) to be affected my experience with and enjoyment of it. The cover calls it a "Georgian Era Romp," and it certainly is that. Lawrence's writing style is wry, self-aware, and more than occasionally outright funny. It definitely succeeds as a queer historical romp, and I recommend it for readers who want that. I, however, am a Romance Reader and cannot help but view it through that lens. As such, the romance did not work for me: there is no build-up to their feelings for each other, in large part because they actually spend very little time together. It's very insta-lovey. There is a line halfway through that claims "[t]here had been moments at the ball and in his home which seemed like openings to a private joke or a pet name." If so, all of those moments happened off-page. It's a shame because I think more on-page development of the burgeoning relationship central to the story could have made this an outright delight of a book. I did enjoy the romance aspect more after about 60% in, when it starts to treat the romance with a bit more earnestness. Truthfully, Mr. Collins may have been my favorite part. Overall, I mostly enjoyed the fun ride, and I'd be willing to give Lawrence's other books a shot.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


2.5 stars

dnf @ 58%


I feel very mixed about this book. On one hand, the writing style is EXCELLENT -- it's extremely engaging and witty, and was one of the parts of the book that I enjoyed the most. The characters were also pretty fun, tho I do wish we'd been able to delve into the main characters a tad more than we did.

On the other hand, there were many things that really frustrated me. The central conceit of the book (a blackmail comedy of errors) is often so ridiculous that it's difficult to suspend your disbelief, to the point that it irritated me most times it came up. I would have also loved if we got more development of the romance; it felt more like a mutual lust/instalove combination, which is fine for some people, but not to my taste.

I also found the historical setting somewhat challenging. The author has a forward saying how they wanted to play with this specific time period because of the unrest around food prices, but we don't properly engage with that until 50% into the book. At which point that unrest seems to have arrived out of left field, and only serves to confuse the reader. If it had been better incorporated into the book from the beginning, I think it could have been really interesting and successful! But alas.

Overall, I think this is a book that has a lot of bright points that might draw and entertain readers, but alas, it was not a successful book for me.

[Janusch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this wasn’t for me, DNF at 38%.

“A misunderstanding ties the fates of three men together in this heartfelt, sensual, and uproarious romantic puzzle.”

The age gap between two of those three, Daniel and Luke felt uncomfortable and unnecessary. Luke is very recently 18 and constantly gets referred to as a boy, while Daniel is 34. Daniel is also the rich Londoner, to Luke’s small-town youth. Combined with the miscommunication their acquaintance (relationship?) is built on, I can’t help but feel very sorry for Luke.

Another reason not to keep reading was because I don’t enjoy the old timey language. It’s quite flowery and tends to take me out of the story a lot. I suppose it fits the story and setting (1795), but it kept me from connecting with the characters and story. It wasn’t particularly sensual or uproarious, either.

In terms of setting and marriage plotting, this felt somewhat similar to Pride and Prejudice. I didn’t particularly enjoy either of the main characters’ perspectives, though. One being the grumpy, judgemental character’s, the other a naive boy who gets taken advantage of. A bunch of the side characters also got POVs, which felt rather expository.

As said, not for me. I hope this finds its audience.

Thanks to NetGalley and Broadbound Publishing for the ARC.

[Nikki Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

See this and other reviews at https://www.thebookdragondotblog.word...

Content Warning for Novel: graphic sexual content, some sexual (consensual) violence, cheating, adult language. 18+

I received a promotional ARC of this book, and everything stated below is my honest opinion.

Think Bridgerton, but gay. And less of the Gossip Girl anonymous writer feeding everyone’s private business to the masses. However, there are some letters, one of which–arguably the most important–does happen to be anonymous… And it kicks off the whole fiery story. Gay smutty romance, the historical time period, and a wealth of misunderstandings drove me crazy with this novel.

Lawrence’s writing was *chef’s kiss* in this novel. He knows exactly when to tease and when to satisfy us readers. He plays around with multiple POVs that allows us to see into the minds of various main characters, raising tension when our two favorite have completely opposite understandings of what just happened. I loved being able to clearly see how a single event could foster love in one, and hate in another. It was so intriguing and, unfortunately, realistic. Communication is key here, people.

The characters themselves were also quite compelling. Each had their own idiosyncrasies and unique ways of thinking that truly made them come to life. I will admit that I am not well-versed in this specific time period, but I did feel as if I were living beside them, listening to their woes as a loved confidante. Even the side characters were expertly woven into the narrative, just as acquaintances make up important aspects of our own, real lives!

Overall, this was an amazing read. There is quite a bit of graphic, male-on-male sexual content, and it was nicely done–even if some of the sex scenes were… let’s say, not-so-nice. It all worked very well with the entire novel as a whole. And I’m always a proponent for more LGBT+ representation! Great plot (be prepared to be frustrated!), realistic characters, and phenomenal writing. Absolute must-read.

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It's the first I've read of David Lawrence.

I liked Daniel and Luke, together and separately. I did think at points, Daniel was using his greater age over Luke to get what he wanted, but I don't think he was doing it deliberately, or maliciously.

It's steamy and smexy, plenty of that but I did find the romance element lacking. As a reader of romance, I do like a more in depth romantic element, to go along with the smexy stuff.

I did like the twist at the end! Clarence, Daniel's ex, was a thoroughly nasty piece of work, but he does come around to Daniel moving on, and does redeem himself somewhat.

Apart from the above mentioned, the story is well told and well written. I found the character development very good. It is a little long winded in the beginning, but it does pick up and then runs away with itself.

I saw no editing or spelling errors to spoil my reading.

I'd like to read something else by this author, he's on my radar now.

4 good stars

[Leslee Kahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an Arc copy of the Blackmailer’s Delight or Love Under Duress by David Lawrence and was delighted to receive it as I am an avid reader and always looking for a new author.
The book is set in 1795 England and has an unusual and delightful opening where we meet and quickly fall in like and admiration with the hero Daniel Thornton and his cheating lover Clarence. The writing is well done and you will quickly feel for the hero and his plight as he struggles to pursue love in a restrictive and judgmental society.
I can’t say too much without giving away spoilers, but the novel begins with Daniel breaking up with his lover Clarence, and on the same day being invited to come and stay in the country by his wealthy uncle. The book is a delightful weaving of misunderstandings, first love, and lost love, black mail, forgiveness, being true to one’s self and fighting the pressures of society. The novel is a M/M romance and the intimate scenes are tastefully done. If you are a fan of this genre or new to it and looking for a good first M/M romance than give this book a try.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book, and offer my honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed Blackmailers Delight. The book speaks to the parts of our souls that are hesitant after the betrayal of a partner. Everything seems to good to be true, and it’s hard to let any light in without questioning its motives. The book plays on the emotions of readers, making us hopeful that Luke and Daniel might find the courage to let love win.

The lovebirds are pitted against a time that doesn’t understand them, the conniving nature of jilted ex-lovers, and their own tentative minds.

Lawrence finds a good balance between conflicts of sweet love, and hot and heavy scenes to keep us on our toes.

I was engaged from the beginning and ushered along through well written chapters and a satisfying ending. I finished looking to see is Lawrence has written anything else that I could piggyback onto.

And personally, Clarence was just morally grey enough for me to leave off not actually hating him, and wanting to know more about how he ends up.

[Emma F. Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Although it took me a chapter or two to fully immerse myself in the story, I am thankful I pushed on. Once I felt established in the writing, I did not want to put the book down. I found each character intriguing, each having a unique personality. Of course, there were some not-so-kind characters, the blackmailers, but I found those perspectives to help build the other characters, and to help create a clearer and more realistic picture and storyline.
I found it quite interesting for the story to be held in the late 1700s, and I am always down for some LGBTQIA+ representation in any form. I have not read many historical romance novels in the past, but Blackmailer's Delight has opened my eyes and mind to reading more soon.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a smutty love story but is okay with getting a bit frustrated by the storyline.
(Frustrated in the sense of wanting to jump inside the story yourself to clear up any miscommunications between characters).

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 50%
I think the style is quite pretty, I really do. I cannot deny that this is a well written book and the dialogue alone got me coming back to read a little more every time, conversations flowed naturally and felt accurate to the time period.
I however could not push myself to finish this. This probably stems from personal preferences, and I am aware of this, but I was given an eARC to give my honest opinion and so I will. The age gap was...too much. Different time, different morals, I get that. It doesn't mean reading about a barely legal boy discovering his sexuality through intercourse with a man almost twice his age cannot make me uncomfortable though. Furthermore, and I should have seen this coming, Daniel and Luke's immense misunderstanding (and the actions that stemmed from this) got on my nerves *real fast*. Said misunderstanding was well written however, so anyone who likes this trope will surely be fully satisfied. I just was not the target demographic for this book after all.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blackmailer's Delight is an authentic rendition of an era where inequality was prevalent and soceity intolerant. This gives rise to the premise of the book.

Going into it, I would recommend to readers to have an open mind and keep in mind that those were different times which we evolved (and learned) from. On to the plot

Daniel and Clarence have an epic breakup, Daniel returns to England and falls for a yournger man (Luke). Daniel is of the rich gentry and Luke working class. Friendships of this type were scorned and anything more was unheard of, in fact prosecutable in those times. Therefore, the relationship is rife for backmail

There are multiple POV's which can be difficult to follow at times, but begin to entwine as we learn more about the families involved.

An interesting read from the historical/ cultural perspective. Well-researched and elgant plot

I was kindly given an arc for free and leave my review voluntarily

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3 stars

Let me start by saying I wanted to like Blackmailer’s Delight a lot more than I did. The book is well-written and well thought out and there are some genuinely funny moments, especially involving Clarence and his ridiculous parents. But honestly, the characters aren’t the most likable and the plot is so contrived, it goes beyond a Georgian or Austen-style romp and ends up inane and tedious.

The storyline is a conundrum. The author clearly put a lot of effort into the blackmail plot and getting all the characters into place, as it were. But it’s not a very interesting story overall and instead of feeling like a true Georgian-style escapade, it read as rather blah and lifeless.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden Love, Betrayal, and Adversity

I received an ARC promotional copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blackmailer’s Delight is a tale of forbidden love, betrayal, and overcoming adversity.

The book does start out rather slow and had a hard time grabbing my attention at first. However I came to really enjoy this book.

Even though the book is set in 1795 there’s so much about this book that is relatable today.

I absolutely loved the historical accuracy and all the research that must have went into writing this book.

The twists and turns of the book were marvelous and really kept me on the edge of my seat.

I highly recommend this book and would like to leave you with a quote from the book that really resonated with me.

“The movement of many, none individually powerful, when assembled in one direction, could achieve things.”

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the old fashioned feel of the language but ultimately this book didn't work for me. A big part of the plot is various blackmail notes going back and forth creating misunderstandings. But apparently the author forgot that handwriting exists and most of the misunderstandings don't make sense since the notes were all written by different people, who would have had different handwriting. Also, the extreme age difference in all the couples (Daniel/Luke, Bridget/Sophia, Clarence/George ) feels icky. Daniel keeps rhapsodizing about Luke's innocence and sweetness so it's hard believing their relationship is going to last once he gets a bit older. Add in some unnecessarily long scenes with characters I don't care about (Luke's parents, Clarence's parents) that I skimmed and two really off-putting sex scenes, and this just wasn't the book for me.

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is an uncanny valley quality to this book. The tries to ape regency era novels but just doesn't quite make it. The sentence structure might be period but the vocabulary is modern and the whole thing feels disingenuous.

I certainly don't expect my gay period romance novels to achieve pinpoint accuracy but the best ones manage to achieve an emotional/psychological realism that feels grounded in the circumstances inherent to the era. That, or the novel swings for high camp and uses the period as a way to transcend and lampoon our own.

This does neither. The characters feel somewhat sleazy and are at times too self aware. It feels like a story originally set in the 1970s but then rewritten after Bridgeton blew up.

I'm probably going to avoid this author going forward.

[Ashley -Goldstarreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to rate. The plot interested me so I thought I would give it a whirl but historical romances aren’t my thing. I’ve read a few and while I do enjoy the story for the plot, it isn’t for me in the end which is why I have a hard time rating them. I don’t read enough of them to know if it’s my personal preference or it’s just lacking. I thoroughly enjoyed the blackmail plot. I didn’t enjoy Clarence’s POV, didn’t really see why we needed his perspective. I also didn��t care how one moment it felt like it was from Luke’s, then Daniel’s, then someone else’s. I thought the author was creative in the way the HEA came about but I felt dissatisfied, just a bit. If historical, protocol, regency type books are to your liking, I think you will enjoy this one.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

“I cannot make someone who hasn’t a heart understand what it’s like to break one.”

DNF around 50%.

The book is described as being a “hilarious romantic puzzle” and I struggled to see anything in this read as hilarious.

The combination of the blackmail plot and age gap just wasn’t for me. I understand it’s a miscommunication trope but it all felt rather icky and ridiculous.

I really liked the Daniel and Clarence breakup and the vibe Daniel and Luke had once they met but I really can’t get past the instant love aspect and the miscommunication.

Someone else may really enjoy the story but this just wasn’t for me.

[Romance Professor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this well enough. It is a silly but fun m/m Regency romance with several likable characters and a willingness to consider how queer women at the time fared with vastly less freedom but a similarly restrictive situation.

My satisfaction with the MCs varied. Luke is fun but a bit too naive. Daniel is a little too ready to believe the worst of him. I wasn’t entirely convinced of the believability of some of the miscommunications, but I think
Lawrence kept a somewhat overused device from feeling too frustrating. And the ending is terribly sweet.

I’d rate this 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding up (not down) because I’d like to see more from this author.