At Lodgings in Lyme

Oliver & Jack #2

by Christina E. Pilz

Genre: Historical, gay romance, adult content.



An ex-apprentice and his street thief companion flee the dangers of Victorian London and the threat of the hangman’s noose in search of family and the promise of a better life.

Back of Book Description

After Oliver Twist commits murder to protect Jack Dawkins (The Artful Dodger), both must flee London’s familiar but dangerous environs for safety elsewhere. Together they travel to Lyme Regis in the hopes of finding Oliver’s family. Along the way, Jack becomes gravely ill and Oliver is forced to perform manual labor to pay for the doctor’s bills.

While Oliver struggles to balance his need for respectability with his growing love for Jack, Jack becomes disenchanted with the staid nature of village life and his inability to practice his trade. But in spite of their personal struggles, and in the face of dire circumstances, they discover the depth of their love for each other.

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

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2015

About the author

Christina now writes under the pseudonym Jackie North.

Reviews

[Florence . · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

I think that this series is slow taking over my life. This is a MM retelling of Oliver Twist, which sounds like everything I have ever wanted to read in a book. And i’m just loving these books so much. Soon, my every thoughts will probably be taken over by thoughts of Oliver and Jack and their lives, because these books are seriously becoming so important to me. I’m just loving this series, so much.

These books have some of the best ambiance I have ever read in a book. I just adore how these books set the tone and ambiance and how I truly feel like i’m living with these characters in their century. The ambiance in these books is just perfect and makes the book so enjoyable to read.

This second book in the series is more focused on the relationship development between Oliver and Jack and I loved that so much. I loved seeing them slowly fall more and more for each other and I loved seeing how their relationship develops over the course of the book.

Also, this book was so angsty and it made me cry, so much. But I adored every seconds of that. I had to stop reading this book multiple times because I was crying too much. But it made for such an enjoyable reading experience for me.

I’m just so in love with this series and these characters and i’m so excited to see where their story goes next.

I received an arc of this book and this is my honest review

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to give five stars for a narrative so amazingly true to the spirit of Victorian era literature. It delves into the deeper layers of people's lives and attitudes, going much further than Dickens necessarily more sanitized depictions. The story picks up where Fagin's Boy ended, with Oliver and Jack escaping from London after Oliver commits murder in defense of Jack. The added POV from Jack was a delightful addition, offering his impressions of Oliver and his own motivations for staying with him. Oliver is still torn between his affection and loyalty to Jack and his desire to rise above the place in life he's forced to exist in. It's also the merging of Oliver and Jack as lovers and their slow growing bond of love. There's little in the way of sex, and then only used as an expression of their building trust and commitment.

It's a long book and quite detailed with daily events involving both characters. To reiterate, it's quite Dickensian in style, but also richly filled with characterizations and redolent with the atmosphere in each setting. It is a cliffhanger but that also fits with Dicken's serializations of his stories. I'm completely sold on this series and will continue to avidly follow the adventures Christina Pilz has created for these characters. Well, well worth the time for any reader and lover of historical fiction.

*An ARC was provided to me by the author for the purpose of an honest review with Hearts On Fire Reviews blog*

[Lena Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It matters not how it seems. All that matters is what is, and I will simply have to deal with whatever that happens to be.” ~ The Artful Dodger (Jack Dawkins) ‘Oliver Twist’, Charles Dickens

Oliver and Jack, of ‘At Lodgings in Lyme’ by Jackie North, flee London, terrified of being caught and hanged. The weather is as miserable as they feel. Finally, Oliver tells Jack they are headed to Lyme Regis, where his family was from, hoping there is someone who can help them.

Jack picks the pocket of a wealthy man. With this money, they get food and a roof over their head. The next day, they take a coach to Lyme Regis. Oliver has noticed that Jack isn't himself, but when he asks, Jack makes some excuse but admits he has a horrible headache. When he then throws up on the coach, Oliver realizes the seriousness of his illness. As the coach continues, Jack gets worse. When they stop for a break, they find that the coach doesn't go to Lyme Regis, but the coach driver agrees to stop at the point nearby, meaning they still have a distance to walk, in the torrential rain.

By now, Jack is so sick that Oliver practically has to carry him. Oliver needs to find shelter for them, and soon! They come upon a grand house and knock on the door. The butler answers. He is wary of them but calls Mrs. Heyland, who runs the household. Jack explains their shabby appearance by saying he used to be Oliver's manservant but that Oliver has lost his fortune and can no longer pay him. She's skeptical, but Oliver works his charm on her and agrees that it's her "Christian Duty" not to turn them away.

Jack is put to bed to recover. To pay for Jack's doctor bills, Oliver finds work gutting fish. While there, they enjoy a short respite from the trouble that always seems to follow them. When Jack's condition improves, he works with Oliver. All seems well until Jack is accused of stealing books. Unwilling to be separated, Oliver insists that he is guilty too. The authorities arrest both of them, but instead of going to jail to await trial, they take them to the Axminster workhouse.

‘At Lodging in Lyme’ is the second book in the ‘Oliver & Jack’ series. It was good to see Oliver and Jack get some peace providing them time to explore their relationship further. In other ways, it made it even harder when that peace was so cruelly taken away. Thanks, Jackie. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to the world of Charles Dickens! I read the first book in the series and it was with both anticipation and dread that I approached this second book. Oliver and Jack are two of the most engaging MCs I have encountered in MM romance. I deeply cared about both of them--them and my love of Dickens and his world kept me going. And the above-average-for-MM-romance writing. She has done her research into the period. Kudos to the author!

Okay, the dread--the book is long and not that much of consequence happens. Also, like the first book, it is dark, except for Jack and Oliver's love for each other. At least in Dickens you get both comic characters and "good" characters. Here there is no comedy to lighten the grimness and no "good" characters other than the MCs. And the rain is pretty much constant--okay, maybe that's a UK thing.

Still, I will probably read more in the series to see whether Oliver gets his bookshop and how Jack and Oliver resolve their differences.

[Sanji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dual POV!

Plot: DUAL POV!! Jack and Oliver (though he thoroughly becomes Jack’s “Nolly” here) weather storms, sickness and callousness of class in this second book of their journey to a HEA.
Feels: So much lovey-dovey-ness, made even better through Jack’s POV
Drama: Mrs. Heyland’s treatment of Jack and Nolly, hazing by the seaside, family woes, Jack’s hijinks
Heat: 2/5
Characters: Love how much they both have each other in their thoughts, affecting every little bit of their actions
Pacing: Smooth flow
Length: Shorter than first, but still a solid 5+hr read
Ending: Cliffhanger, anxiously awaiting the next installment!

[ancientreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this so much, having read the original version of Fagin's Boy, the first in the series, and been dismayed to find the rest had become unavailable. At Lodgings in Lyme seems like such a promising title, too -- I had hopes that after the woes Oliver and Jack suffered in Fagin's Boy their circumstances might improve. Lodgings! by the seaside!

No such luck: it turns out Cromwell gave Jack a bad concussion at the end of the first book, so much of this installment concerns Jack vomiting, Jack unconscious, Jack vomiting again. They're given refuge in the house of some rich people, but it turns out that Oliver's got to work off the physicans' fees in the service of a fishmonger. Oliver also "borrows" some books from the house library and stashes them under the mattress, where of course they are eventually found and -- surprise! -- both Oliver and Jack wind up under arrest.

This book and series should have been my catnip. Well-researched Victorian setting! Romance between characters I can totally ship! High-quality prose (mostly)! Essentially, something like Charles Dickens, but with banging. Unfortunately ...

The filth and misery and the callousness or frank cruelty of the other characters are unrelenting, and there's no humor to leaven them, nor are there many moments when kindness is shown to Oliver and Jack. I understand that Victorian poverty was hideous, but maybe there's such a thing as too much realism? At least if the story in question is billed as a romance? Anyway, the more I read, the gloomier I felt, until I found myself avoiding the book. I think the first installment didn't have this effect because it was the first installment, and somehow I was hoping things would improve for O and J once they got out of London.

There were plot eyebrow-raisers, as well. Why are they constantly giving their real names? (I may actually have screamed a little, inwardly, at this.) While Jack is convalescing, he coaxes Oliver into bed with him over and over. Fine, he's young and randy and a knock on the head won't get in his way, but Jack is also a longtime survivor on London's streets. He and Oliver desperately need a place to rest up and heal, and they're in a room with a door that does not lock. I could see them losing their heads once, but repeatedly? Jack's had close experience of English criminal law; is that a risk he'd take? But then nothing comes of it, so maybe it's just a way of building suspense, in which case it felt contrived. So does the bit I hid under a spoiler, above. No way do both Jack and Oliver not know perfectly well that the books will be found and that their arrests will result. The upshot was that this outcome didn't feel organic to the characters or the story, but more like something the author soldered on because a big setback was needed to create a cliffhanger at the end.

And I got tired of Oliver's inner ditherings about his relationship with Jack. I can accept that he'd still have them, but so much harping! Enough already.

Last and, I suppose, least, though it threw me out of the story repeatedly: malapropisms. Lord above, so many malapropisms. The verb "tender." It means "offer," not "soften." *sigh* Authors so often don't know what they don't know, so they don't look up words in the dictionary when they really, really should.

I'll leave it to someone else to address the "gypsies." It's period-typical, of course, but there are ways to convey objectionable period-typical attitudes without seeming to endorse them, as the plot here does.

Three stars instead of two because I do, absolutely, have to give Jackie North props for diligent historical research and for conveying atmosphere. It's not nothing to get those things right -- almost no authors do.

I received a free ARC with no obligation to review.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite thing about this book, apart from Jack and Oliver’s relationship, is the way the author captures the time period and doesn’t shy away from the harshness of their situation. I was drawn into Victorian times with the wonderfully descriptive and emotional prose, and am looking forward to reading what happens next.

I liked how Jack and Oliver swap roles in this story, with Oliver stepping up to look after Jack while he’s ill. He still hasn’t figured out what Jack is to him, but that changes as the story progresses, and that realisation feels very natural. Oliver still has a lot to learn about the world, where perhaps Jack knows too much, or thinks he does. I like how they’re both flawed, make mistakes, and are learning their way with both men out of their depth in an unfamiliar world.

If they’re going to survive their journey through this life together they’re going to have to learn to communicate as keeping secrets it already sowing the seeds for a destructive future.

I felt for Oliver as his fantasy about his mother comes face to face with the hefty dose of reality. I thought his reaction was realistic, as was Jack’s determination that he doesn’t want to meet his family. I liked the way their time at Lyme comes crumbling down around them, but not for the reason I thought it would.

Their world is a character in its own right, with its moods and different facets of the fish market and the house. I thought the supporting cast built on that, reflecting a time that expects payment in due course.

This is a long book, but very much worth the read. It also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so you’ll want to keep reading to find out what happens next. I suspect their road ahead won’t be an easy one but I trust the author to give them their HEA. Eventually.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the series (start with book one if you haven’t already!) and readers will want to make note that the story has further to go after this one (so, perhaps a bit of a cliffhanger ahead). I love the premise for this series: inspired by Dickens’ Oliver Twist, we get to see Oliver and Jack grown up and falling for each other. The author captures some of the most immersive and atmospheric elements of Dickens’ nineteenth century characters and settings, while making them feel also somehow timeless. In this story, we see a relationship very much in the process of evolving and growing stronger, although not without its ups and downs. There’s a “things we do for love” thread that runs through the narrative to great effect. Oliver’s willingness to work to make Jack well and safe is both really hard and ultimately, I think, really good for them both. They’re easy characters to care about, and I’m invested enough that I can't wait for the next book in their series.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the harrowing end of Book #1 the reader now follows Fagin aka/Nolly and Jack making their way
toward Lyme but trudging through rain until they make it to an inn. More or less penniless Jack
must resort to his pickpocketing ways so they can afford any available room. Fagin can see that Jack
is sick and therefore it falls on him to take care for Jack until he recovers. The author's description of the surroundings is so real that any reader can feel the actual travel conditions that both the well-to-do and those of lower English status experience. I'm somewhat of a history buff so these societal elements were liked. The cliff hanger ending (as expected as there are other books coming in this series) left me depressed as it seemed Fagin and Jack went from boiling pot of Fagin's Boy and into the burning fire of another workhouse. While their plight is dire it seems for uplifting with hopes of a future in the middle chapters of this book. This is my honest review.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two of this series picks up where book one leaves off. Oliver and Jack are walking away from London toward an uncertain future. As their journey away from London begins, we find them cold, wet and bedraggled.

These characters have become very dear to me, so Jack’s illness and Oliver’s determination to get him well and keep him safe is heartwarming and beautiful. As their saga continues, we see their relationship deepen. Although it ends with a cliffhanger, there is more to come in the Further Adventures of Jack and Oliver, as I call these books in my head.

Beautifully written, the language in this book is rich and evocative of time and place. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*

[Justine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Lodgings in Lyme is Book 2 in the Oliver and Jack series. This is a wonderfully written story that continues from book 1. Oliver and Jack find themselves on the run and heading out of London. Jack also finds himself with fever and Oliver does everything he can to help Jack. It isn't until Oliver finds a house and a friendly servant who allows them shelter that he can relax a little as Jack now has a place where he can get better. I love Oliver and Jack together. They really are better together. They may bicker but they love each other and would do anything for the other. This is an enjoyable series and I can't wait to see what's going to happen to them next.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Roger R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the continuing adventures of Oliver Twist and Artful Dodger (Jack). They were on their way to Lyme when they got on the wrong carriage so they had to deal with walking in the rain and Jack got real sick. They managed to arrive in Lyme and was able to find a place to stay. They had to pretend that Jack was Oliver’s manservant. Keep in mind that Oliver was from Lyme and was hoping to find some of his relatives but unfortunately they had passed on. This is where you’d find more about Oliver’s mother and this is when the story gets interesting. There are also some hard facts regarding Jack’s parents. You’d have to read to find out what they are!!!

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues

Oh my! I feel. So many feels. Honestly this is an intense but immensely captivating story that takes the idea of Oliver Twist and Jack meeting later in life and runs with it. Jackie North has done a stellar job of imagining “what if” about these two famous characters of fiction. I just finished this book and looked up, surprised to be in my house rather than a seaside village in England. To me that is terrific writing. I cannot recommend this series highly enough.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great sequel to the first book. This book is a MM retelling of Oliver. It is six books I believe and definitely has to be read in order. In the first book Fagin's Boy we left off with them on the run. Here in book two, we are dealing with their burgeoning relationship and also lots of angst. Jack is sick and Oliver is dealing with keeping everything together. This book ends on a cliffy, and I am looking forward to finding out what happens next. Definitely recommended this book!

[Kkhmonrai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's very realistic and emotional, sometimes sad and depressing, but always full of love and devoted togetherness. I love the way Oliver and Jack love and cleave to each other. The setting can be dark and dismal, but the love shines through. Also note, you need to read book 1 first.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twist on Oliver Twist and the artful dodger. They need to leave London and have gone to a small village where the artful dodger falls ill leaving it up to him to work to pay for the doctor bills. Life is not going to be easy especially when love appears for him to his I’ll friend. Will it ever become more? Will they get better? Will they go back to London? See how it will all go

[Kit Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable book from Pilz. She captures the Victorian tone perfectly yet crafts a love story that is realistic and painful. Her research is excellent.

[RjS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging characters in an ongoing episodic story.
I’m enjoying my re-reading of the series.

[Cheryl_cajun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Stonehenge was lost on the pair of them it seems, as neither had even known anything outside of London. Is finding the Fleming family in Lyme just may turnout better or worse for young Twist? Here Oliver is in fear from the hangman, while Jack is deadly ill.. patients was not on their side with the people travelling along the roads to Lyme. Oliver makes a cute nurse to a bedridden Jack!
Jack is still trying to protect Nolly, even after witnessing the turn of events that set their course of motion.  Picking up wondering if the constables have been informed of Cromwell's demise! Along  miserable track away from all Oliver had known, well with the exception of Jack's steady  presence. On the run, without a direction.. Oliver feared not for just his life but Jack's as well. Jack is a master in the skills of dissipation, even the stubborn man was fibbing about his health.  A sick Jack just blurts out the most outstanding things, which is hilarious even as Oliver fears for his health.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Oliver face some hard truths in this book. Everything is not always better when you first get away from your troubles, and these two have quite the fight on their hands to achieve their happiness. Jack gets sick and Oliver has to help him get back to health. I must say, I don’t like Mrs. Heyland at all! Talk about judging and taking advantage of people! Anyway, Jack and Nolly find that things don’t always take a turn the way you want them to and they find themselves in even more trouble. We get kind of left with a bit of a cliffhanger as the book ends but I think it will all be worth it in the end. If you like historical stories, you will enjoy this story of Oliver Twist and his Jack.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I thought Fagin’s Boy was angsty and dark this was that but amped up another 20 degrees. Definitely NOT a standalone, to understand the weight of the sweetness and the low of the bad times you HAVE to have read book one in the series.

I don’t know that I was expecting anything specific from this story but I do know I had hopes. Those hopes are still there, but they’ve been both stymied and raised. It’s a complicated place to be in, what with seeing the reality of the times in the beautiful way the setting was laid out and still knowing that something more could have been pulled from the characters themselves.

Oliver and Jack are back in the thick of things and Oliver gets to care for Jack while he recovers from the cliffhanger event of book one. While doing so we get a dual POV that allows us into jacks mind and heart. This was so crucial for me because it’s helped to see a softer, tender side of Jack in how he feels about Oliver. Oliver is finding an inner strength through his dedication to his Jack.

I’m encouraged by what I read, but I also feel so down overall. It’s hard times that these boys are going through, most of which they end up in by their own actions. The writing is truly well done despite the repetition and some scenes that felt a bit draggy and the beauty of that is that I could almost feel the gritty and dirty streets, the sticky and wet cold of the air at the seaside, the desperation and frustration within the boys, and the closeness and grasping intimacy they shared.

While I’m absolutely going to read book three I have to admit that I need a break from it. It’s a hard read and my current life situation needs more lightness at the moment. I’m going to reread this author’s time traveling heroes before jumping back into the grimy perilous streets Jack and Oliver can’t be free of just yet.

[Josh Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver and Jack are on the run, leaving London for Lyme Regis. We follow their Journey in book two. We see another side to Oliver, as Jack gets ill. Oliver finds help in the form of a House Keeper at a Stately home. She calls the local DR to treat Jack. But this also means Oliver is obliged to work to pay the Drs Bills. So, this time tables are turned for a while at least. And Oliver finds himself doing anything he needs to do, to ensure Jack gets the care he needs. This of course does not bode well with Jack who believes he is the stronger, wiser guy, though he does appreciate what Oliver has done to ensure he recovers.
Oliver’s perfect picture of his mother is shattered and That makes Oliver determined to get Jack to find his family. Of course, Jack refuses to budge on the subject.
I really like the way the author changed the Characters dynamics temporary without changing the character in total. She has managed to show, we will do anything and everything for the ones we love.
As with the first book. The story stays true to the original Oliver and Jack (Dodger), you really do feel like you are continuing the boys journey through life.
You also get a vivid feel of the world back at the time the story takes place. You are absorbed into the story world.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted an ARC of this book in return for an honest and fair review. This review first appeared on the WROTE Podcast website.

I don’t usually start a series in the middle, but I wanted to read Lodgings in Lyme as I know the area reasonably well. Also, I would be reading the book at the very time I would be staying there.
I had no idea what to expect, going into the series completely cold. This is the continuing saga of two young men who love each other, but haven’t acknowledged it physically yet, an audacious, yet not terribly serious, tale of what it was like to be young, gay, and the wrong side of the law in the 1880’s. Jack and Oliver (Jack “Artful Dodger” Dawkins and Oliver Twist – all grown up) are on the run and have to get out of London after a crime that would see Oliver hanged if he was found out. Jack has some nebulous plan to head to Lyme Regis to find out more about his long lost family, but before that, they have to stay one step ahead of the law. Jack is also injured and getting more unwell by the moment, and spending hours in a creaky, leaky coach isn’t doing his health any good at all.

First off, one minor niggle to point out and put aside; the cover, stunning as it is, but the picture is not of Lyme Regis! Call me petty, but it did make me question the quality of the book before I had even opened it. Some readers might then start picking holes in the fabric of the book on this point alone, but that would be a shame, because aside from the artistic licence given to the photograph, the author has obviously researched her subject with forensic detail. The historical setting and language is convincing. She hasn’t tried to ape Dickens; not at all, but put her own spin on two well-loved characters and in doing so, made them her own.

Oliver is still the golden boy, possibly able to get away with murder, and Jack is the wild card, still not able to let go of his thieving ways, missing the “craft” of what he does best. He is ill-mannered, even to those who want to help him, which doesn’t make him that sympathetic. It seems as if Oliver’s charms aren’t rubbing off on him yet. I hope they do, because at the moment, I don’t care for him very much at all. Considering the precarious position they are in, relying on the charity of strangers, his behaviour seems self-destructive at best. His only redeeming feature is his obvious love for Oliver, and the lengths he will go to, to protect him. Oliver, on the other hand, seems very capable of looking after himself, and his doe-eyed innocence does not seem very convincing after a while. They are an odd couple but somehow, it works.

I loved the authentic voices, the descriptive scenes and historical detail, all given a lightness of touch which saves this series from being weighty and full of its own importance. Instead, there is a mischievousness to the dialogue and tenderness during the intimate scenes. The sex, when it happens, is not lengthy or lurid, but is well-written and cleverly dealt with. Sexy, yes, but not gratuitously so.

In the end, I would be very intrigued to discover the fate of these two men. History shows us that a HEA isn’t really feasible, but this is MM historical fiction, and anything can happen. It will be interesting to find out. I just hope that Jack relinquishes his uncouth ways before they lead both him and Oliver to the gallows.

[福ちゃん · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical research was just as strong in this one as it was with the first one. Sometimes, I found myself completely wrapped up in the imagined scents and sights that the narrative gave, like the wharf and the ship where they worked with its salty air and the smell of gutted fish. There was a lot going on here that really wrapped up in a good, solid story, and I really appreciated that.

The romance continued on, which was a little more difficult to get excited about since the tension had already ended in the first book. If I were more of a straight romance reader (rather than the getting together bit, which is what I enjoy), then I think I would have enjoyed it more, but readers who are keen to get more once a couple finds themselves together will definitely have fun reading this installment.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver and Jack on the run and facing the grim reality of just how tough it is to survive in this time period. There are conflicts between these two about the desire to live an upright and respectable life versus what they need to do for food and shelter. There is nothing romanticised about their world, yet their love for each other shines through. I'm loving this series.

[Stephanie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a fascination of Victorian-era MM novels, you may truly enjoy this book. Filled with romance, all the feels of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic with the obvious opposites attract.
Artfully done and a welcomed ideal of Oliver Twist and Jack. I can't wait for the next book in this engaging series.


**I received this ARC via GRR for my honest feedback.**

[Roger Grossklaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The depth and breadth of their love shines through trauma and peril. Taking on tasks difficult to bear, Oliver works to pay the bills on Jack's recovery. Along the way, we find out Jack likes to be read to, among many other more carnal ministration. The journey is adventurous and entertaining.

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun (if very slow), but be warned: there is an awful cliffhanger at the end.

[a_total_bookwormm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good series. The setting and characters are so well done. The hardships they endure can be down right heartbreaking. I have very much enjoyed this series and cannot wait for more.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know this was the second book in a series. I didn’t need to read the first book to appreciate this, but now I want to read it. Oliver Twist had all of the tenderness and beauty he possessed as a child, blossoming into something heartbreakingly compelling as a young man. These qualities brought out equal tenderness in Jack Dawkins, yet Jack retained the cheeky worldliness of the Artful Dodger. On the run, searching for shelter, Oliver and Jack find this for a time in Lyme, trusting themselves to the dubious kindness of strangers. Some of these strangers know something of Agnes, Oliver’s mother, painting a picture he’s not comfortable with. Some of them offer clues to Jack’s own background, loathe as Jack is to find out about his past. Oliver and Jack improve their health and catch their breath, getting a taste of an almost normal life before past and peril catch up with them again.

Lacking the density of Charles Dickens’s own narrative; this depicts the characters and setting in exquisite prose; capturing the heart of these classic characters while allowing them to grow and develop along with the story. This is everything I’d want in a romance between a grown-up Oliver Twist and Jack Dawkins, carrying some of the innocence of the children they were; while they discover their own maturity. If you’ve ever wanted to see these two characters together, don’t miss this.