The Grand Deception of Benedict Blackmoor

by Gaia Tate

"Benedict Blackmoor was not in want of a wife…"

With echoes of Bridgerton and Jane Austen's novels, this Steamy Gay M/M Romance is a daring, sparkling, twisted tale of love and deception set in a re-imagined Regency era.

Benedict Blackmoor, a 24-year-old heir to a grand estate, faces an impossible ultimatum from his dying grandfather: find love or lose the family fortune to his younger brother.

Uninterested in any potential bride, Benedict finds himself in a pickle. But a chance encounter at a drag cabaret introduces him to Vivienne LaFleur, a dazzling drag queen whose true identity is a mysterious young man named Victor.

Desperate to save his beloved cabaret from closure, Victor offers to pose as Benedict's love interest for a handsome fee, and Benedict agrees. It seems like the perfect plan: he'll grant his grandfather's wish and secure the estate without breaking any girl's heart when he needs her to disappear forever.

But there's one thing Benedict didn't account for—his own heart, as he slowly finds himself captivated, not by Vivienne, but by Victor himself.

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

Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2024

Reviews

[Turquoise Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet romance with lovable characters and a fun premise: fake dating in the Regency era (I think?) starring a mighty drag queen. The protags have amazing chemistry!! Benedict reminded me of Anthony from Bridgerton. His arc of being burdened with familial responsibility and social expectations and how he deals with it to find happiness is pretty nice.

While the story works as an m/m historical romance, I was bothered by some of its action and the writing not matching the period at all. The story sort of reimagines a Regency-era England, where many shades of queerness are accepted by some of the characters at least, but it does not ring true or feel subversive. I felt this way particularly about Benedict's family and social circle.

I came back to edit this review after a couple of weeks because I had to add that this book made me curious about whether drag clubs (of any form) existed in Regency-era England and learned about molly houses, an important aspect of gay culture during the period. I love how the author has captured this slice of history in this book.

I also wanted to add that the book's plot is quite well-paced, and the twists and turns in the story are fun and mesh well together. Aaand I adore the book's cover: Benedict and Victor look exactly as I imagine them to be!

Thanks to the author and Booksprout for the ARC.

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus ) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m honestly upset at myself for reading this.
It’s singular POV which already isn’t my favorite.
Then we have Benny consistently hurting Victor’s feelings and being depressed for a week, apologizing, rinse and repeat.
The only time Benny and Victor spent time together out of drag was when they were having sex. I’m sure it’s supposed to be explosive chemistry but I needed a conversation because what were they at this point ????
I have no clue if Victor has been sleeping with anyone else during their time apart ( which was a lot (weeks) because Benny messed up a lot ) He often left hurt and upset at Benny’s words.
All that angst without any love declarations?
Did I blink and miss the “I love you’” ??????
Benny bought Victor the space he used to work at, cool, but are they gonna live together ? Separated? How’s their life looking like after Benny decided to be okay with people knowing he’s queer?
There’s no epilogue.

I think I would’ve rather have read a story about Percy and Bethany. Percy had a one track mind about not caring about anything except being able to marry Bethany and got upset when he thought someone else was going to propose before he was able to.

I actually enjoyed everything but the romance, which says a lot because I’m reading just for the romance. >:(

[davdashaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was incredibly sweet 🥰 and gave me major Bridgerton vibes. The main character, Benedict, reminded me so much of Anthony Bridgerton, and the situation was very similar to the first couple in Bridgerton — yes, we get fake dating here! ❤️‍🔥

This was my first book by this author, and I kept postponing this book because I thought the historical language would be “too heavy,” but it was the complete opposite — the writing is light, fun, and super easy to read!

I absolutely loved the drag queen storyline 👑 — it added such a vibrant, unique vibe to the whole book.
From the beginning, I assumed the Blackmoor family would be awful and cause problems for the MC, but spoiler alert: they’re not! They’re wonderful, and I adore every single one of them — especially the grandfather!

Ben and Victor completely stole my heart. Their relationship felt like a perfect blend of medieval-style flirting and delicious, modern-day heat. ❤️‍🔥
I truly adore every single part of this book!

Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[⋆｡°·☁︎ sydney ⋆｡°·☁︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down.
This was good, however the romance felt very shallow throughout the book, and I found it lacking somehow.
The book also didn’t feel very regency-esque to me.
BUT!!
It kept me interested and entertained, along with making for a lovely, easy read that made me smile. I genuinely enjoyed this book.

In the end, it was just missing some key aspects that would have made it a great read, so instead it just landed along the lines of pretty good
.
Ive said this before, and I will say it again, but I would give my right arm for a duel pov in this book!! I feel like it could have added more depth.
MOMENT OF APPRECIATION FOR THIS STUNNING COVER THO!!

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great romcom with interesting and loveable characters with such a great premise. Fake dating regency queer romance yes please. I love regency romances with all the balls and galas and seeing Benedict and Victor go from fake dating to falling in love was so worth the slow burn. Those last few chapters 😍🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good
As soon as I saw the cover I knew I was going to love this book. I've been one the hunt got more queer historical romances and this was great! The concept of fake relationships so someone can get an inheritance isn't new but a drag queen in the equation was and I found that as a refreshing addition. I loved both Benedict and Victor. Benedict has a lot going on. His father died, he has to take over all the estate management, and his brother and him have a rocky relationship. He is a people pleaser to his core but also stubborn. Seeing him figure out he is queer while knowing how much he is bound by tradition and is family was interesting to read. Victor is witty, charismatic, and so daring. He is confident in himself and his art but his past left him closed off to love. I honestly didn't know where the story was going to go at times which was fun and I was super satisfied with the ending! I loved their love so much!!

Tropes:
— Fake Dating
— Historical Romance
— Drag Queen MMC

Horn Level: 4/5🌶️
Format: Ebook

The Rating
I give this book a 5/5🌟 rating. From the moment I saw the cover I knew I was going to love this and I'm so glad I gave it a chance!!

Check out my socials here for more reviews!

[Imaginary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had a great time reading it! ❤️
At first, it was hard to adjust to the 19th century backdrop as it’s not exactly historically accurate :) But once I’ve accepted it as it is, I enjoyed the book very much.
The chemistry between the characters is tangible, and overall the story is well written. Couldn’t put it down until I finished reading it at 2 am :D which doesn’t happen to me often!
I also love that it leaves you in a good mood after you turn the last page — there are so many stories that don’t. And sometimes it’s just what you need, a lighthearted (but not too simple!) romance with a perfect amount of smut in it 👌

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Benedict needs a fiance so he hires a drag queen, Vivienne (Victor). In this amusing regency, at this unsuitable time, the two men fall for each other. Vivienne is sharp witted, enticing and totally believable. Benedict is stiff, grumpy and unattracted to anyone before Vivienne. Though unrealistic with the idea society and family accepted queer men, it makes a lovely romance. I enjoyed how Benedict thawed over love for Victor. A sweet romance. I received a copy of this book through Book sprout and this is my voluntary opinion.

[Mathoulectrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je suis hyper perplexe.
Dans le fond j’ai aimé l’histoire et les personnages. J’ai eu du mal à m’adapter au single POV à la troisième personne, sans parler du fait qu’on est dans une sorte d’Angleterre victorienne mais ils utilisent un vocabulaire très moderne avec « drag queen » ou encore « queer ».
Sans parler du fait que les personnages ne se parlent juste pas avant d’avoir des relations, ou que Benny passe de n’avoir jamais été avec un homme avant à savoir exactement comment se comporter lors de rapports…

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept imagining Diavolo as Benedict and Lucifer as Victor the entire time, and it naturally made the reading experience ten times better. The main leads have such sizzling chemistry, and the pining, combined with the fake dating trope, got me so obsessed that I didn’t want the book to end.

However, if you're a historical nerd, you might not enjoy the writing in this book. Both the plot and the writing style feel a bit contemporary, in my opinion.

[Satenik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has:

✨ Drag queens 💅
✨ Spice — 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ Multiple queer characters (trans/gay/bisexual 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈)
✨ A masquerade and multiple balls 🎭
✨ One-bed trope 🥵
✨ Who did this to you (sort of) trope 😈
✨ Engagement-of-Convenience 💖💗🥰💞
☠️ Unrealistically-quick-at-painting-their-mugs drag queens ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)✨

[Anhüi Piar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drag queens
Maricone'
Historia de época
Drama
Humor justo
Me encantó esta historia🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼✨️

[ʚ⋅ɞ .ᐟㅤem. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing that disappointed me about this book is that it didn’t reach the recognition it deserves yet!!! 😭

I literally devoured it in only a few hours since I started it and I’m usually a slow reader. But all I could think about was them, Benedict and Victor and how I’m gonna be so devastated as soon as I reach the last page.

I’m giving this beauty 5 ⭐️ with all my heart, hoping to see more people reading it, enjoying it the way it deserves to be enjoyed. Victor is a complete sweetheart and Benedict is… well, a gayer version of Mr. Darcy. Was I here for that??? Of course!!!! Ate it and left no crumbs.

[Kaisa Sild · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐
It was a bit unclear for me if this was truly historical or were the rules in that world a bit different than really during this time and I wish Benedict and Victor talked a bit more, but otherwise I loved it, i was hooked from the get go. The tension between them was real and I just loved all the angst, it truly had my the throat, I loved the romantic moments and gestures and god the ending, honestly fucking amazing.

[Good Girl · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute story with likable characters. The basic writing is also pretty solid, but it is really hard to give it higher than two stars when characters in a book about the aristocracy in England, during a time when people use carriages and they say things like, "Capeesh? " 🙄

[sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

soy demasiado exigente con la historical accuracy como para disfrutar un libro así pero it was fun en algunas partes

[Vinnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So...it was ok.

Quite a bit of what I love about a slow burn romance in a Regency Era story was present in this book. The Opposites Attract trope was front and center, which makes for a great almost-enemies-to-lovers plotline. It was great to see Benedict relaxing and joining in after an extended period of time of Victor/Vivienne playfully ribbing him in and away from company. The context of a fake betrothal creating distance but also an opportunity for intimacy was perfect for this setting and for our hapless main characters.

Where I had a hard time staying focused and present within the story were the frequent run-ins with anachronistic elements. Flintlock rifles being able to shoot multiple times in succession, Vivienne wearing a blouse and utilizing rubber breastplates, cigarettes, characters using slang like "capeesh" and starting a sentence with "Plus". There were too many instances of things that were too far out of that time period for an enjoyer of period romances to overlook. I don't want to belittle the author on how difficult it is to write from a specific time in history that none of us lived in; there was quite a bit of this story that was historically accurate! Unfortunately, when stuff is made up in lieu of checking for anachronistic inaccuracies, it makes the story feel a bit cheap. Doubly unfortunately, the romance wasn't life-changing enough to distract me.

There was so much going for this story that I really wanted to finish it to see if it could hold itself together for a satisfying conclusion. It had as good of an ending as I imagined possible, but it was difficult to stay in-the-moment. For a reader who isn't as knowledgeable about the Regency Era in England, this book could be quite fun. For anyone who notices the inconsistencies and has trouble suspending their disbelief...this one might be rough.

P.S. I would've loved for there to have been more time for Benedict to spend with Victor instead of Vivienne. When Victor was out of drag, that's when I felt the romance the strongest, and I really loved their time together in that way.

P.P.S. I completely forgot to mention this spoiler, if anyone wants to know: A 2nd Act Breakup AND A 3RD ACT BREAKUP? SERIOUSLY?! That honestly took it from a tentative 3 star rating to a solid 2 stars.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENGLISH
Honestly what a blast. Reading this book felt like reading a fanfiction, and I mean that in the best way. It was fun, tense at some points, fast-paced, sweet and addictive.
The characters were witty, interesting, charming and the conflict kept me wanting to read more.
The smut was actually great, I'm someone who sometimes cringes a bit by the way some steamy scenes are written, but it was not the case here.
The ending did felt quite "happily ever after" and a bit abrupt, I would have liked maybe just a bit of more permanent negative consequences (specially considering the themes of this book) but overall I had a lot of fun, and it helped me get out of the reading slump I'm kind of dealing with this month.
If you're looking for a spicy, fun, with some interesting tension (in more than one sense ;) ) MLM book, I would totally recommend you check this one out.
Side note: Is there another Supernatural fan that read this book and thought there were a couple of Easter eggs/references to the show or its fanfics? 😂 👀 If that's the case I'm gonna be very happy

ESPAÑOL
Este libro se sintió como si estuviera leyendo un fanfic y lo digo de la mejor forma. Fue re divertido, tenso, emotivo y adictivo. Los personajes son rápidos, bastante ambiciosos y re interesantes de seguir. Las escenas spicy fueron muy buenas, normalmente en los libros el "smut" me da un poco de cringe o es un poco difícil de comprender que es lo que está pasando, pero no fue el caso acá.
Tuvo varios momentos que me tenían nerviosa (de buena manera) aun así, el final me pareció muy "y vivieron felices para siempre", creo que si las consecuencias de los actos de los protas hubieran tenido un par de consecuencias MÁS negativas me hubiera convencido mucho más.
Dicho esto, la pasé re bien leyendo este libro y me sacó del mini bloqueo que estuve sintiendo este mes. Si buscan una historia con un poco de diversión, tensión, de todos los tipos ;) y representación LGBT para pasar el rato, les recomiendo que chequeen este libro. Todavía no está traducido en español por lo que cruzo los dedos para que lo hagan pronto.
PD: Algún otro fan de Supernatural que haya leído este librio sintió como si hubiera referencias a la serie/fanfics de la serie? 😂 👀 Si es así voy a ser muy feliz

[Lily Ackerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Creo que lo más sorprendente de este libro es lo fácil que es leerlo, y no me refiero a la prosa de la autora -aunque también es bastante ligera- sino a lo rápido que me metí en la historia y abrazaba capítulo a capítulo.Toda la historia se me fue como agua, y creo que eso habla bastante bien lo lo entretenida que es.

No voy a mentir, si hubo ciertas cosas que me tenían estresada por las cientos de vueltas que daban a lo mismo, pero como tiene cierto sentido por la época en la que transcurre la trama, no me pondré tan picky al respecto.

Siguiendo el punto de la época, no sé si soy yo una persona poco letrada al respecto, pero siento que algunas cosas se tomaron de una manera demasiado liberal para el contexto, lo que me confundía un poco en momentos muy específicos.

En cuanto a los personajes, creo que lo único que puedo decir es que amé a Víctor con locura. Es un personaje auténtico y del cual es fácil encariñarse, por lo que cada vez que sucedía algo que podría lastimarlo me sentía mortificada.

En general, creo que es un libro muy disfrutable e ideal para una lectura rápida y ligera. No es una historia que yo considere que puede cambiarte la vida, pero sin duda es de lo más entretenida. Se siente que la autora disfrutó escribiéndo este libro, lo cual le brindó mucho de su encanto.

[nanahi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 me costó mucho terminarlo

me gustan los libros lentos pero con este iba por más de la mitad y sentía que no había pasado absolutamente nada, casi hasta el final los personajes se siguen comportando como al principio, y aunque me gustó como terminó la relación de los protagonistas por momentos no tenía idea de que se supone que sentían por el otro (pero no en el buen sentido). al principio me gustó su química pero sentí que no evolucionó bien a lo largo del libro, como si pasaran de caerse mal a amarse abruptamente (probablemente porque no hay tantas escenas en las que hablen o interactúen realmente? además de cuando están fingiendo ante los demás, que tampoco se siente muy íntimo).

las escenas de sexo no me parecen malas pero como alguien que no las disfruta tanto realmente, me parecieron medio intrusivas. cuando están hablando en el balcón en el último capítulo venía enganchada pero me sacó un poco de la lectura cuando se van a cojer ajjsjdjaj, igual ya es algo personal pero bueno, a veces sentía que se le daban más importancia a esas escenas que a las que avanzaban la trama con conversaciones importantes por ejemplo (teniendo en cuenta que los personajes no tienen la mejor comunicación del mundo)

[Nina Diab · Rating 4 out of 5]

'It was overwhelming, disorienting, and yet Benedict found himself drawing closer.
Benedict felt Victor’s eyes fixed on him and looked down. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the intensity of Victor’s gaze took Benedict’s breath away.'

I only on very rare occasions read regency/historical romances, but the premise of this one was something I had to read- fake dating in Regency era with a drag queen and he falls in love with the man behind the dress? Yes please!

Vivienne/Victor is smart, quick thinking, and is perfectly believable as Vivienne. Benedict is in this for the family fortune, but of course shoulders the weight of family expectations and the pressures of society. The chemistry between the two men is sizzling. I was quickly hooked.

I found the Regency era of it quite charming and it actually made me want to read more- preferably mm. This is the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely be reading more. 4 stars.

P.S.- What a beautiful cover!

[SAHYL · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was an easy read with not too much drama...BUT, Benny says he's in love with Victor but we never get them confessing their true feelings like everytime they were alone all they cared about was having sex and dont get me wrong i love 🌶 scenes but this was their entire thing "act like a woman have sex behind doors repeat", towards the end when Victor started crying in the middle of them having sex i was like finally we're gonna have some conversations but nope.there were so many things going on but it was just glanced over without giving any context or elaborating anything ,it was always like "yup that happened...Anyway..."

And i dont like how they just let everyone one get away with everything,Beating up benny,being blackmailed by a matchmaker etc.etc. like they dont even try to stand up for themselves like why is the matchmaker always at your house uninvited and has so much power than Benny and his family, to me these things just didn't make any sense.

[Precious C Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unexpected Twists. Soulful Reawakening."
A Regency storyline filled with unexpected twists and turns. One would assume that this book is ordinary, however, it explores different themes and concepts. No matter what society we live in, there will be critiques of our life decisions like Madam Hawthorne who tried to control Benedict Blackmoor's life. This book has taught me to accept my decisions and yeah, screw the consequences, because happiness matters.

For lovers of Jane Austen mixed with scandals and high societies, and don't forget drag queens, The Grand Deception of Benedict Blackmoor by Gaia Tate is definitely for you, accompanied with hot cocoa.

[Pilar Gutierrez (Elpilardeloslibros) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitivamente es la fusión entre los Bridgerton y no se Rojo Blanco y Sangre Azul, de verdad que bonito se sintio todo, he de decir que hubo partes que me costaron en avanzar, pero siempre quería regresar a leer a Benedict y a Victor, de verdad sus personalidades fueron lo que salva todo, además es un romance que tiene de todo, desde risas, hasta spice y también sufrimiento, porque he decir que le llore mucho al libro y que yo solo quería abrazar a mis bebes, siento que me falto algo, para poderle dar 5 estrellas pero aun así este libro se va a los que quiero recomendar a todo el mundo amo mucho

[Júlia Jorqueira · Rating 4 out of 5]

tem qualquer verossimilhança? nao
tem sexo seguro? não
mas ele tem o povo!

eu genuinamente gostei do livro, apesar do inicio ser meio chato e demorar pra pegar ritmo, isso passa depois de 50 paginas.

tem varias coisas que é necessário virar a cara e fingir que faz sentido, tipo um cara achar de bom tom contratar uma pessoa pra fingir que ele gosta e let alone uma drag queen.

outra coisa, se eu tenho medo de sair do armario pra minha avó em 2025, imagine um viado em 1700, ent o fato de no final ele ter sido super acolhido e nem um pouco olhado estranho é meio estranho.

mas assim é muito legal, eu gostei e eu ja tinha lido um conto dessa queen mas esse é melhor

[Queenie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was more of a 2.5. There was just a couple of glaring issues for me that made it go down from a 3. First, the plot point is that he is supposed to find love but most of the book he doesn't publicly seem like he is into Victor. I get waiting till a certain point till proposing or courting but neither happened and even his own family were questioning his affection. The rules of the upper society were also confusing, for certain things they were like a traditional Victorian upper society and then the next they were quite progressive.
Otherwise, it was a fun book. I really enjoyed the change up of love interest. It was also quite wholesome overall with no big confrontations of homophobia.

[Milei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonito, ligero y hot.
Definitivamente no es el mejor libro que leí este año, pero tiene su encanto.

Los personajes son fáciles de querer y tienen una química y tensión increíbles. Creí el romance de los protagonistas desde el comienzo.
Que sea ambientado en la regencia no sé si fue la mejor opción, no está del todo bien caracterizado PERO no está del todo mal ejecutado tampoco.

En conclusión: No esperen que sea un 5 estrellas. Pero si buscan un romance bonito, fácil de leer, con mucha química entre los personajes y que a su vez les saque alguna lagrimita; entonces quizá esté es su libro.

[Memi · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me pregunten cómo fue que encontré este libro, ni por qué decidí leerlo, ni por qué le di 3 estrellas,,,

Habiendo dicho eso, me estresaba q sentía que en cualquier momento alguien iba a sacar un Iphone 17 pro Max, tambn hubiese me hubiese gustado leer más bonding de los protas!!! Necesitaba más backstory, más momentos en los que hablaran de cosas idk como q no hablaban y de la nada estaban super enamorados, yo quería saber más de Victor!! o q pasó después,,

Por otro lado igual fue un silly book q me entretuvo y me salvó de no caer en la locura por un bloqueo lector

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this reading, I laughed a lot and omg I love Victor!!! but Benny.... Honey, sometimes you're an asshole 🙄 you could be born a hundred times and never deserve Victor, tbh. In general I liked so much the characters, Percy and Lord Exington were some of my favorites and the grandpa! anyways, it was a good book to pass the time.🙈💗
And Victor so are a fucking queen babe, you are and create art🫶✨