One Glimpse

Indulgence #2

by Lydia Gastrell

For years, Sir Samuel Shaw has secretly lusted after the handsome and popular Lord John Darnish, a man known for his good humor, expert riding prowess, and very female mistress. Certain that John is an unattainable fantasy, Sam is shaken when an accidental discovery reveals John might not be as unattainable as he once thought. But what is possible is not always likely, and Sam finds himself trapped between keeping a friend and risking everything for the unlikely hope of something more.

John is terrorstruck when his drunken mistake threatens to shatter the double life he has worked so hard to maintain. His terror soon turns to hope when he finds himself drawn to Sam, who he is sure does not share his interest in men. But subtle things cause him to second guess and fear that his hopes are making him see what he wants to see.

Sam's risks and John's hopes turn futile, however, when blights from Sam's past resurface to threaten them and Sam's family. Can Sam choose between the love he has always wanted and the security of his family, or will forces outside his control hurt all the people he holds most dear?

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

374 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Lydia Gastrell was born in central Florida and grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York. A life long student of history, she received her degree in European History with a specialization in Social Deviance from Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, in 2008.
She started writing fanfiction in 2012 and published her first book, One Indulgence, in 2014.

In addition to writing historical fiction and romance, she is a also a student of costume history and works to conserve and reproduce 18th and 19th century garments.

Reviews

[Ingie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review written July 15, 2016

4 1/2 Stars - A great installment in a very promising historical M/M series. My love for these adorable heartmelting cute characters. Loved their love.

I finished this second (more or less standalone part) M/M in the Indulgence series by Lydia Gastrell yesterday (sunbathing on a beautiful beach on Cyprus). I truly enjoyed the first part - One Indulgence (4.3 stars), read in October 2014, but this second is without doubt one notch up. — A good one!!!

**********************************************

«For years Sir Samuel Shaw has secretly lusted after the handsome and popular Lord John Darnish, a man known for his good humor, expert riding prowess, and very female mistress.»

In my honest Ingela opinion is One Glimpse a "men loves men" HR that has everything I want ant need in this romance genre.

Here, we were treated with strong intense emotions, heartbreaking moments, old injustices, cozy cuddly men, laughter, tears, heat and yummy steam, and love love love in immense amount. Wow, I was totally hooked. Sam and John and their story will at least stay in my mind and heart the rest of this summer vacation week. — We also met the lovebirds Henry & Richard from the first book.

...I just must round up to a five this time, One Glimpse is well worth my thankfully applauses. — Highly recommended for M/M HR likers like me. Don't forget this pretty new author Lydia Gastrell's wonderfully romantic Indulgence romances.

**********************************************

I LIKE - to find new good romances writers and looking forward to more books from them, like Ms Gastrell


****
Once again a buddyread with dear (patient) Sofia ...even if is she finished days ago.

[Kade Boehme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Effing. Loved. This. Book. I loved the first and couldn't wait to read the second book in the series. And I'm a total snob with these so that was SUCH a "yay!" moment for me, to find a new historical author I loved, because ... rare. But this book. I REALLY LOVED it. Hell, she even managed to make me annoyed at a character I liked from the first book. Lydia's setting just pulls you in. But, I have to say, Sir Sam will go down as one of my fave MCs in Historical M/M. And I mean, top two characters. Which is a big thing for me because I'm an absolute whore for M/M Historicals. They were my gateway drug to M/M and will always be my first love. I adored John as well, bless him. I loved how he took up for Sam when no one else had. I just... this story is so worth the read and I highly recommend it.

Part of a series, but is totally able to be read stand-alone with no confusion or timeline wonkiness. But why would you? haha.

Can't wait for more from Ms Gastrell! 5 HUGE STARS!

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had liked One Indulgence the first book in this series but I liked this one much much better. I think Ms Gastrell has improved (like wine). It is a quiet book full of motion which is subtly written in so that there is no jarring and the plot and how it evolves show this smoothness as well.

I hope that Ms Gastrell will be writing more in this series, I'll read them.


Read with Ingela

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If a man is a possibility, it means he can reject you. If he isn’t, it leaves you free to fantasize without fear. It’s almost like dreaming about a Greek statue. The statue will never come to life and say ‘Thank you, love, but not interested.’”

Again, a wonderfully written book that begs for a next installment, but Julian's story is nowhere to be found. Even though it was almost finished and published, as I understand. 4.5⭐ and rounding it up.

This book opens up slowly and will probably take a while for you to warm up to the love story developing, but it's a beautiful book with a little more angst than the previous installment and you'll also find Richard and Henry having quite an important role here.

🟡 A chubby baronet/a tall, dashing lord whom everyone likes
🟢 Both in their late 20's
🔵 Both gay
🟣 A sweet love story with a little more smut
🟢 Good side characters, even the villainous ones
🟠 The cover is terrible
🌶️ Good intimate scenes, descriptive; a lot of kissing; rimming in this one; oral, penetrative; they're both tops but in this installment t/b

This book presented a really good dynamic, an impossible coupling so to speak, between a short, stocky and plain looking Samuel, who's not effeminate, but very mild and good natured and hides himself constantly because of that terrible episode with Henry when he was in high school --

and John Darnish, a tall, attractive, exquisite specimen of a perfect man that the society simply adores. John is gay and with him nobody would even remotely suspect anything, he hides it extremely well, going to such lengths as to having a mistress and a child - none of it being his.



Sam's and John's paths don't cross at all in social circles, John is a bit more important, he's more present and acquainted in polite society, wealthier, so when they inevitably run into each other in a brothel and John is led to believe he's the only one that's been caught (John thinks Sam is straight for the most part of the story), they form a friendship, start socializing more and ultimately John can't hold back anymore, so can't Sam.

"If he was going to share a chaste bed with the man of his dreams, he would at least smell good while doing it."

It's safe to say Sam has had a crush on John since forever, John's his ideal man, but Sam would've never thought John was open to being with him.

Sam and John begin a very passionate, emotional love affair that quickly turns serious and it was an absolute delight to read about.

“No matter if you sleep naked, John. I’m sure soldiers do it all the time when the weather is hot. Think nothing of it.”

The author touches many aspects of the social life and rules the gentlemen are obliged to obey and how they navigate through troubles when their reputation is on the line.

Sam and John are an amazing couple, I think I like them even more than Richard and Henry, they're definitely more ... I won't say authentic, but just closer to my heart, they're simple and have a sweet connection between them.

"Sam stopped, both hands frozen in pushing down his trousers. “I think I’d almost forgotten how perfect you are.”
John tilted his head. “Humility dictates I should contradict you, but I’m not going to.”"

It's a well researched and well thoughout story and I believe this author is a natural. The main characters are fleshed out, the story has much intrigue, the side characters never disappoint and you always get a small glimpse into another's POV and that seems to be the character that's in the next installment.

This book involves another two side male characters that I'd love to read more about, for sure. They're terrible in this story, but I think they have enormous potential, especially Evers.


I'm really sad the author didn't continue writing the series.
From all the regency books I've read so far, this author takes the first spot in my book.

[Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued by several of the sub-characters in One Indulgence, the first book in this series. While I was hoping to get Julian's story in the second book, I was not disappointed in Sam's story here. A brutal rejection as a young man has left Sam sure that no one will ever want him, or at least not want him for anything further than casual sex, and it's turned him into someone who puts on a mean outward appearance for the world. What I liked best about Sam's character was that his hangups aren't just fantasies in his head or the result of one incident that he can't let go of. It's not the usual gorgeous guy who just "thinks" he's homely. Sam really is short and chubby and over emotional, etc., and he lives in a world where all those traits are sneered at.

As for new characters, John Darnish was mentioned briefly in the first book, so he really is a NEW character here. I really liked this guy! And his hangups, quite different from Sam's, were also incredibly realistic. Sam doesn't put himself out there because he doesn't think anyone would want him, he'll gain nothing. Darnish doesn't put himself out there because he's terrified of discovery, mostly because he has everything to lose. He's handsome, rich, popular, and has all eyes on him wherever he goes. Unlike Sam, there's no drifting into the shadows for Darnish, so his fears are ten fold!

Finally, the author did the same thing here that she did in book one, which was to make he too damn curious about those subcharacters! Now I'm not only still eager to find out about Julian, but now I really want to know more about Evers. There's something going on there and I think I know what it is, but I don't want to say in case there's a book for him and I turn out to be wrong.

[AngelFire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded down)

This had a very strong and unique start and there was a lot to love about it, but unfortunately, I didn't like situations that became the focus in the last 40%.

This author is one of the very few in the genre who not only knows the Victorian period inside and out but also incorporates Victorian social etiquette into all of her character interactions, which I loved. In most historical romances, nobility titles are chosen at random, there are dukes around every corner and the complicated social etiquette that governed Victorian life is ignored whenever it's not convenient. I'm not a fan of authors taking outrageous liberties with the time period but I also don't like Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer's work because their strong focus on authenticity results in dull, boring scenes (IMO). However, the author of this book found the perfect balance between these two approaches by using interesting characters and giving them all complex histories with each other. There was also a strong emphasis on emotional connections between characters instead of political/social connections, which helped maintain my interest. For example, the many scenes of Sam and John at balls and other social events would have normally been boring, except the author gave Sam a complicated history with many of the other male characters, which made those interactions more interesting.

I also loved how the author demonstrated how complex and unforgiving Victorian social etiquette is without turning the book into a boring how-to guide. For example, Sam being a Baronet means he's at the bottom of the nobility social ladder. While John outranks Sam (him being a Viscount), one of Sam's enemies and John's friends is an Earl, who outranks both of them. These things added an interesting twist to social engagements where all 3 characters interacted and it was fascinating to see how Sam's life was controlled by these firm social guidelines.

In other instances, I liked seeing how Sam's behavior directly impacted the women in his family, even if they had nothing to do with whatever Sam's doing. When Sam got into an argument with an Earl, this reflected badly on his sisters (one of whom was having her first Season) and they would have been the focus of vicious gossip and shunning until John intervened and did some social maneuvering. In another situation, Sam accidentally introduces his younger sister to John's mistress while they're all in public. It was an interesting situation because we know all the characters involved and they're all wonderful, nice people. John's mistress is also very lonely so I was thrilled that she might become friends with Sam's sister...until I realized that this introduction would be social suicide for Sam's entire family. When everybody realizes Sam's mistake, there's a wild scramble to fix the situation. But I liked that none of the people involved come across as bad people during this entire exchange because they're not - adhering to Victorian social etiquette is mandatory if you wanted to remain part of that society.

This strict adherence to Victorian guidelines throughout the book, not to mention the attention to historical detail regarding clothes and other things made this book feel unique and I loved that about it.

I also liked Sam and John as characters and as a couple. They both spent their lives putting on an act to the public in an attempt to prevent anybody from finding out they're gay and it was very sweet seeing how happy they were to find each other and finally be themselves. It was also really refreshing that Sam wasn't conventionally attractive and isn't the ice-cold, snarky romance hero who is common in the genre. He's shorter than the average man, carries a bit of extra weight, isn't overly fond of athletics and loves things like poetry, music and animals. It was wonderful that John acknowledges how different Sam is from the men he's usually attracted to but that John is so drawn to Sam's personality that it doesn't matter. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones where somebody made fun of Sam, and John's reaction is outrage and confusion because he can't understand how other people can't see how awesome Sam is. This type of jock/nerd dynamic is one of my favorite things. It was also great that John had his own vulnerabilities and self-doubts throughout the story.

The first half of the book was very entertaining with John and Sam dancing around each other, both being intrigued by the other and wanting something more but being held back by society's homophobic attitudes and their own self-doubts and bad histories. The way they slowly got closer and finally allowed themselves to be open with each other was wonderfully paced and right when I started getting annoyed by the lack of communication - TA DA! Communication happened.

Another thing I liked is that the author examines the impact of bullying in school and how this can impact the victim for decades after leaving school behind. Sam's reactions to having his former tormentors forever be part of his social circle while also outranking him were very well done and added a lot of depth to those scenes. I also appreciated that the author had Sam decide not to forgive his former bullies, purely because he didn't want to and not forgiving them gave him power. It was a bit strange that the author made the two heroes from the prior book be two of Sam's bullies (one from his school days and the other being a bully only in the present), but I haven't read Book 1 so I hated Henry and Richard just as much as Sam did and I was glad he chose not to forgive them.

Unfortunately, the last 40% of the book became a boring slog. Sam and John get together and poof, all the tension between them disappears. Instead, the authors focuses on Sam's younger sister and there's a huge drama involving her and one of Sam's former bullies. Honestly, it felt like a new story and there was enough material there to create a whole separate novel. I also hated that this part included Richard and Henry playing a part in 'saving' Sam and earning Sam's forgiveness. My dislike for Richard and Henry meant I wasn't interested in having them redeemed so late in the story. Not to mention that Sam's earlier decision not to forgive them was something I had really liked.

Overall, the entire plotline with Sam's sister was well done but it had very little to do with Sam and John, which decreased my interest. There were multiple scenes from other characters' POV and Sam and John became side characters who ran around, dealing with somebody else's problems. That's not what I want in a romance novel so I ended up skimming most of it until I reached the end. Skimming 40% of a book would normally result in 2 stars from me, but the book had so many unique elements that it easily stands above my other 2 star reads.

[Alex Akira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to the sublime ‘One Indulgence’ does not disappoint and I found much to love in this longer tale of Baronet Samuel Shaw who struggles to exorcise his childhood demons and takes a chance on love.

Samuel Shaw has built a crusty, aloof exterior to protect his innate good nature and tender heart. Gentlemen of the ton are cruel to anyone they perceive as weak and Sam has experienced their harshness first-hand. A moment of weakness with a fellow classmate left him ridiculed by all of his peers during his school years and he has neither forgotten nor forgiven any of the culprits of that long-past incident. Nor has he forgiven himself for baring his heart to his childhood friend only to have it crushed. Now that boy has become Sir Henry Courtland, lover of Lord Richard Avery.

Seeing his former friend’s happiness reignites Sam’s ire, and his anger and resentment threaten to consume him. A trip to the mollyhouse to release some steam has him running into Lord John Danish, a highly respected, above reproach gentleman whom Sam has secretly admired for years. John runs with the fast set and barely knows Sam, but he panics when Sam catches him embracing a near-naked male prostitute. Devastated that he has been found out, John seeks out Sam hoping he will be reasonable with his blackmail demands.

This second captivating tale of the Regency ton blends characters from the previous book with new characters for the tantalizing tale of Sam and John’s charming but calamity-ridden courtship. Wit, cleverness, and heat combine to marvelous effect in a story that delves deeper into the psyche of the-mouse-that-roared, Samuel Shaw. The whimsical juxtaposition of Sam’s point of view, which reveals his rampant self-criticism and his dogged attempts to fit in without standing out, versus John’s point of view, which highlights his gradual awareness that the gentry’s perception of Sam as a gruff, hard tough is not the truth of the man, were delightful and splendidly entertaining.

The author again gifted me with exquisite details of the fashions, scenery, and atmosphere of the haute ton of Regency-period England. I especially loved the inclusion of the secluded hideaways, small edge of nowhere cottages that afforded Sam and John and others of their ilk trysting spots where they were free from the constraints of their societal obligations. These secluded lovemaking scenes were reminiscent of the effervescent film “Maurice” and added a melancholic overtone of genuineness that only enriched the story. Sam and John conduct themselves admirably when facing a multitude of scandals. John saves Sam from disgrace only to have Sam’s sister in danger of scandal, which leads to both Sam and John facing ruin. Quite a few nasty characters prove villainous and rescue comes from, perhaps not an unlikely source, but certainly a triumphant one with a surprising twist.

All in all there is a lot of entertainment to be had from this stimulating addition of the series, which contains cliffhanger-style hints that another book is pending. What can possibly be troubling the exquisite fashionista fop Julian? I want to know, so I’ll be waiting for the next book. ‘One Glimpse’ can be read as a stand-alone, but I feel the experience will be richer if the two books are read in order. I highly recommend both, especially for lovers of traditional and gay romance.

Thank you, Lydia Gastrell, for another enchanting trip to the land of cravats, waistcoats, and high hats…tangled and discarded at the end of a bedpost.

“Wanting, Wooing, Waiting…Wondrous!”



NOTE: This book was provided by Loose Id for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please please please write more. This is so good. . It is Georgette Heyer meeting MM love and not shying away from all the issues that faced men who loved men in the Regency world and how dangerous and yet exciting the whole world was. The world of “the Ton” explored in these two books and the romance of men is gorgeous. Cant wait for more. Pleasssse !!!

[Irina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this instalment!

Even though it took me almost a week, I had enjoyed going back to Sam and John's story every evening. I'll miss the boys. And I can't wait to have Jullian's book. Please be in progress.

[Hannah Jay]

The first sixty percent of this book. The drama of it, the yearning, the misunderstandings. Ugh. That build up. Absolutely fucking DELIGHTFUL.

(Last forty percent was good too but I’m toxic, I don’t really care about what happens after that first kiss.)

[Erica Chilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads

4 stars.

Genre: Historical Romance | Male/Male Romance | developed & involved side characters | returning protagonists | Heat level HOT but story-driven |

Immediately after finishing One Indulgence, I had to begin One Glimpse. Had to. There was no waiting. To the point I couldn't wait on my reviewer copy & bought my own.

Lydia Gastrell created an addictive historical romance series with the added twist of the issues facing gay men of the era. It's an added bonus of angsty deliciousness that keeps the reader hungering for more.

I've searched far & wide for His-ro MM that didn't devolve into erotica, and was story-driven with developed, complex characters, & I finally found it in this series. Nothing against the above, but it wasn't what I was searching for. Any recommendations?

What I enjoyed the most was that it wasn't predictable. Yes, with romance you know the heroes will have an HEA, but the side events definitely have surprise outcomes, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.

I was frustrated, agrivated, heartbroken, & delighted during through course of the book. I wanted to shake the characters, then give them hugs.

I was glad the author allowed a reconciliation between Henry & Sam. Also for giving the reader Richard & Henry page-time, to keep us connected to the pair. I hope this trend remains in subsequent books, as I'd miss characters I've grown to love.

Well, here's hoping Julian gets the next book. There is another, right? I'll be the first in line to read it. & I need to know if it involves Evers.

[peach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I really loved the first half of this book. The romance development was so good, with a lot of pining and unresolved tension, and I really liked both characters a lot. Unfortunately, the last part of the book didn't capture me as much. Part of that was being thrown into a bunch of different POVs, and that I felt that some of the side characters were a bit too underdeveloped. The sister in particular stuck out to me, as I had the same issue with the sister in One Indulgence where she sometimes felt a little more like a prop or plot tool than a fleshed out character.

Otherwise I felt that this book had a lot of improvements on the previous book, with a better structure and a nice, tight pacing. I really liked Samuel and the character work around him, and was glad to see the conclusion of the past events between him and Henry. The society stuff also felt particularly well done, even though I can't speak to its accuracy.

A small gripe that I have is that it felt clear to me that a third book was planned for this series (which seems to never have been written/released), since there were several threads left loose regarding Julian. If this series did continue with a book about what happened there I wouldn't have been bothered by it, but as it stands it made this book feel slightly unfinished too even though Sam and John's story is obviously concluded.

[Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start with my only complaint, and it's a trivial one: The cover art sucks. And since I know a thing or two about publishing and how houses strong arm authors, I'm gonna take a guess and say the author took what she was told to take, so...no worries, I don't blame her. To all the photographers making stock images for historic covers: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. Stop putting dudes in cheesy modern suit jackets with table linens wrapped around their necks and calling it "historic clothing". You're embarrassing yourselves.

Okay, enough of that, on to the book.
I love this new author, and dammit I wish she was more prolific because waiting a year for this sequel almost killed me. Still, it was worth it, and at almost 120 thousand words I can see why it took a friggin' year. Don't let the length scare you tho, 'cuz this thing moves fast. I read the whole thing in like two 6 hour binge sessions. Sam is so adorable I just wanted to step into the book and squeeze him and tell him Brenleigh wasn't shit...you know, like a good friend. Also like a good friend, I would have smacked him and told him to stop being so scared of rejection, but that's me. Brenleigh, by the way, is the hero of the first book in this series, who I loved to death. So, the fact that this author can make me get pissy at a character I loved prior is pretty awesome.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I think Gastrell is the Mary Balogh of MM Regency Romance. And if you know anything about Balogh, you know that's one hell of a compliment. Her characters are real to their era, the research is impeccable, like you actually learn shit by reading these books! And the sex scenes are damn hot and heart melting, which is a bonus

[Meg Sinicropi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, yes, FINALLY! I have been waiting over a year for this and was NOT disappointed. Sam is so cute and endearing while being frustrating as hell at the same time. I could not put it down, which was a bad thing considering the almost 120K words count. And I really felt bad for Darnish. He's so scared of being caught that he isn't even out to other gay men. He's completely alone until his run in with Sam. But, oh! No more spoilers. I'll stop now. Now I'll wait for #3.

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* A really well-crafted M/M regency with lovely chemistry and connection between the MCs, but I felt that the plot became a little too contrived and then that the resolution was too easily achieved. It also hinges on the threat of forced outing, not once but three times(!), and that’s something that gives me strong cis-woman-gaze vibes. It’s compounded here by the use of the only woman character as a tragic pawn to manufacture the dark moment.

So, mixed feelings - loved the execution and the characters, enough to read the first book, but leery of the overall structure and tone of the story.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

One Glimpse was a sweet, enjoyable Regency-style romance that charmed me from the start. It’s the second in Lydia Gastrell’s Indulgence series but this can certainly be read as a standalone. Sam and John are the heart of the book in every sense of the word and the gradual evolution of their relationship is truly exceptional. Sam is far from perfect, being a little too short and a little pudgy, but loves that John thinks him beautiful and as a result so do readers. All the tiny imperfections that make John and Sam human are neither ignored nor glamorized. Rather their affection and devotion to one another feels realistic and natural. There are a few too many misunderstandings and secrets that crop up to cause mini conflicts. While one or two of these are fine, they became somewhat repetitive in One Glimpse. These did not overly detract from my overall enjoyment of Sam and John’s relationship, but they did weaken the plot.

The book as a whole had a real Regency flare woven in and amongst the text, which I greatly appreciated. So many Regency romances, be they m/f or m/m call themselves Regency by tossing in a phaeton and mentioning Almacks, without ever capturing the flavor of the time period. And while One Glimpse stumbles on a few points, the author has done a good job of giving this novel a real historical essence.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.

[Tacitus Lector · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next book in a series, but not a continuation of the love story in book 1. In this book, the main focus is on Sam Shaw, who played a sub-character role in book 1. There are aspects of the story that would be easier to appreciate if you read book 1 first, but it isn't a necessity. I was hoping book 2 would focus on Julian, who caught my attention in book 1, but I believe he will be the focus in book 3.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. I loved it more than One Indulgence and I didn't think that was possible. I really hope we get another book.

[Verdelite · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Glimpse was surprisingly enjoyable! I think the author improved by leaps and bounds after the first book.
It's a shame that the author appears to have stopped writing. I would happily read more from her.

[Reader (Show me, don't tell me) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to say about this book that if I attempt it, GR would feel it necessary to charge me for something. Thank goodness for 19k limit.

This is a damned good read. Not one character of this 100k+ words was written for 'padding'. Every syllable meant something, every word necessary, every sentence needed for each paragraph which told a blooming great story!! Spot on Lydia.

Yes, the subject matter has been told over and over again but this telling of it is among those that resonate.

Being an absolute romantic, I see flowers where weeds are supposed to be. This character flaw led me to halt reading of One Glimpse at chapter 7 and return to One Indulgence for a re-read this time with my flowery specs full on. See, by chapter 7, I felt an 'ah ha' moment.

In Indulgence, I had an abundance of sympathy and compassion for Henry: he took responsibility for and felt remorse over what happened with Sam those years ago. So yes, it was not hard to forgive the poor sod. While Sam was being quite boorish: get over yourself already, Sam, sprinted past my affronted sensibilities.

Fast forward to Glimpse. Sam's pov. From epilogue on, I literally cried for the poor fellow and isn't so fond of Henry anymore. But then--things happen :).

The 'ah ha' moment: did dear Lydia deliberately begin this story from Henry's pov? So that we can really see Henry and Sam as two men, victims of a hateful, ignorant and hypocritical society? That it is not a matter of despising someone for being mean and cruel to another or just being weak spirited? But because of the fear of discovery and the desperation of wishing one was not 'unnatural, an 'abomination'?

Doesn't this just makes you want to furiously scratch and claw at the ignorance that can cause such fear and despair in a person for the simple and most wonderful reason of: to follow one's heart?

Whatever the reason, Lydia made a very good call to start with Henry's story. Though there is room for improvement on society's attitude on homophobia, how lucky I feel to be living in this era.

Finally, I would that in this 21st century, same sex couples will no longer accept the labels of gay or lesbians. You are people. People in love; people who deserved to be loved, respected. Your name is not Gay, but John, Sam, Richard. Not Lesbian, but Sarah, Milly, Dinah. You are no different than me because I am woman with a husband or a man with a wife. I never answer to Straight, Hetero or any such things. Those are not my name and those certainly aren't yours!

from One Glimpse -pardon me Lydia but if there is a copyright problem, let me know and I'll remove the quote.

“There is nothing wrong with you,” Shaw emphasized each whispered word. “There is so damn little happiness in this world, why should it be a crime to find some if you aren't hurting anyone? You're just different. You aren't harming anyone. And please, please don't ever speak to me like that again, like you're afraid of me. It's cruel that anyone should have to feel so afraid that they debase themselves. . . .”

Can't wait for One Kiss :)

[Andrea Goodell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two and you don't need to read book one to understand, however Henry and Richard play a major roll in this book so to understand there dynamic I would. Plus it's also a brilliant book and well worth it.

We start this one by looking back at Sam's last year at school and what led him to become the man he is today.

Nine years later we find an outer shell of Sam to be boorish, rude, argumentative and quick to temper. The man underneath however, is kind, willing to help a fellow man, woman, child and animal. Quick to laugh and very business savvy.
John, also is living two lives. He has spent years cultivating a life surrounding himself around fun loving men, women of the night, a real man's man and lady's dream. Secretly he has a second life that no one knows about.
One night Sam and John run into each other and both their lives are changed forever.

The dance that Sam and John do is one based on perceived shame and misunderstanding. Sam's walls built up for nine years of almost daily torment by peers of the ton make it almost impossible for him to tell John the truth. And John, not having ever dealt with this situation before has no bases for comparison is confused and hurt. The two together make great friends while dealing with feelings that are aware they shouldn't have. Once they find the footing needed they become a match couple, perfect for each other. Once disaster strikes John becomes a force to be reckoned with willing to become Sam's knight in Shining Armor.
The secondary cast, who actually play a major role really add another layer to an already brilliant story.Richard and Henry stay just enough in the back ground so not to take over the story, because after all this not there book, they had there's. Sam's sisters Kat and Flor. All the men of the Ton.
Make a almost 400 page story just fly by
Can't wait for book three, better be a book three!

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam lives his life with bitterness and isolation. He attends society functions but is always an outsider. Things have gotten even worse recently as Sam's past love has shown up in London and now has a new love of his own. Sam also has a secret crush on John who he is sure is straight. A chance encounter one night leads Sam to believe he was wrong.

John knows he is attracted to men but he's created an elaborate ruse to keep anyone else from knowing because he has a lot to lose should someone find out. Despite his fears he finds himself attracted to Sam in a way that leads him to make choices he's never made before.

I thought this a really well done historical. The imagery of the society, their clothing, the activities etc all felt so realistic. All of the characters were well developed. I was immediately drawn in to Sam's feelings and I had empathy for him. This was huge because Sam had been a very unlikable character in book one of this series. There are host of side characters in this and there is a pretty good amount of page time for Henry and Richard, the couple from book one. There was also an interesting build up with Julian for the next book which will be about him.

The plot is fast paced and takes some interesting twists. I was on the edge of my seat towards the end of the book. The romance was really touching and I was so invested in these two. The story really made you feel the fear and desperation men had during this time period.
I really adored this book and this is one of my favorite historical series. This book is the second in a series but can be read as a stand alone. This is a definite recommend from me.

[Synthia Lorkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for the "adorably insecure" type character, but I think it goes even further here. I'm usually not a fan of angst or problems that are all just in someone's head, but Sam's behavior made a lot of sense considering everything he went through and the type of shit going on around him all the time. It's not high drama like rape or physical abuse or any of the usual shit. It's stuff even regular people can relate to. Sam isn't that good looking. He's short and fat and lives in a high class world where being rich and good looking are EVERYTHING, so he's turned into sort of a bitter asshole to make up for it. It's better than being miserable and letting on that other people are bothering you by looking down on you. The problem is that Sam doesn't put on the show very well, and it's obvious that the shit he gets does bother him.

Darnish is like a whole different can of worms. He's popular and gorgeous and gets constant attention because of it. Sam gets ignored, but it at least gives him some wiggle room to feel like he can relax once in a while. Darnish can't relax at all because of the spotlight, so he lives this super uptight life style where even other gay men don't know he's gay. he just goes to brothels like a few times a year when he can't take being alone any more. Made me want both of them to be together so bad because they need each other for totally oppsosite reasons. Puzzle pieces. =)

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning Sequel

STOP RIGHT HERE! Be forewarned. If you have not read the first in the series, One Indulgence, do not start this one until you've finished the first.

Author Gastrell has picked right up where she left off in the first one by focusing this edition on one major and one minor character in One Indulgence--as well as bringing back the wonderfully romantic Henry Cortland and Richard Avery to boil the plot along.

This book has more plots and subplots than the three witches of King Lear could possibly toss into a cauldron--plenty of eyes of newts here, and other dastardly things. This is just a brilliantly plotted, cleverly revealed, historical love story that you will alternatively love and hate the author for plot twists you can't forget--or dead in anticipation. That's the hallmark of a great read.

Both Sam Shaw and John Darnish are deeply flawed characters, and it's remarkable how author Gastrell has positioned them so that they remind you of Henry and Richard, respectively. But that could just be me. There are characters galore here who spill into the book from the first one, and more than that, there's one character whom I absolutely bet is going to be one of the two MC's in the next one.

And there'd better be a next one or I will go mad, I tell you, absolutely mad!!!

[WhatAStrangeDuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's a solid 4.5 stars rounded up but mostly because I somehow liked the first book in the series a little more. Still, very good yarn and I am so pathetically grateful for an author who doesn't cut off very thin slices of a story and sells it as a trilogy (which Ms. Gastrell easily could have done). So, very nice historical gay romance without the magically-gay-okay. It is actually sometimes painful to read but nevertheless I do appreciate it very much because in all the romance fluff sometimes the very real threat to LGBT people back in the day (and even now) gets glossed over.

Anyhow, interesting characters, well thought-out plot, and - as in the first book of the series - well fleshed out secondary characters.

Highly recommended.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. I loved this book. Lydia Gastrell writes amazing historical books. This is a story full of emotion and heart and it brought tears to my eyes many times. It's lovely. I love that our main character, Sam, is not a traditional "romance hero": he's short and stocky and sensitive and unpopular and not traditionally handsome, and he's magnificent. This is such an excellent series. Characters and events from the first book do play a role here, so I wouldn't recommend it as a stand-alone book. Also, the first book is marvellous, so it should be read anyway. I'm really looking forward to the third book, which is to be about the charming and mysterious Julian.

[Myshka Man · Rating 5 out of 5]

hella long wait but worth it. hope the next one comes out sooner than a year! jk

[Cynthia Beels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this read. i was pretty psyched to see Sam get his own story. When I saw One Indulgence was part of a series I was expecting more of Henry and Richard as the MCs, but they're sub-characters here. I'm not a big fan of soap opera series anyway, where you're following the same couple book after book. That shit gets dull.

my fav part was the carriage accident. No spoilers, but when you get there you'll know what I'm talking about. Such an intense and course changing scene, loved it.

I don't usually say anything about covers but I have to here. That cover is terriible. they don't look like the guys in the book at all and those clothes look like halloween costumes. I ain't blaming the author, though, cuz I see this is published from Loose Id and those guys suck as cover art. New Flash! Not every romance cover has to have PEOPLE on it. Your stock images problems would be solved if you stopped trying to put beefcake on every damn book cover.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was headed to five stars for me. It's packed with strong emotions, and I love both Sam and John a lot. I was thoroughly invested in their story and happiness the entire book. The thing that ever so slightly dulled the shine for me, was the late in the game POV shift. We were getting 3rd person limited for both MCs for most of the book, and around 3/4 of the way through, we're popping into other people's heads. (If it happened earlier, I didn't notice it. I went back to scan and didn't see it.) Not sure if that qualifies as a spoiler, but maybe if I mention it, someone else might not be thrown by it. I understand why it was done, but if it had been incorporated earlier in the story, with a scene or two from another perspective, I don't think it would have bothered me.

I still highly recommend it, one of the best books I read this month (and I read about 50 books/stories this month.)

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in a binge session. I fell in love with Sam as a minor character in book one and really hoped he would get his own story. It doesn't disappoint. The story has a lot of angst but it felt realistic and appropriate. For John it's definitely appropriate, since the guy is terrified of being found out and having his life ruined. I can't wait for book three which is supposed to focus on Julian from what I've heard. Also, can I just give a quick shout-out of thanks for an author bringing back the big book? Well over 100,000 words and worth every one of them. It moves fast!