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Master
They said the old Bellarose mansion was haunted, by all those who died in the fire. They said that sometimes, late at night, you could see the ghost of the little boy in the window of the East wing, looking out at the people passing by.
Once upon a time, when Edmund Moreau was a young man, he had been that little boy’s personal attendant. Now a wealthy businessman, he is obsessed with restoring the Bellarose mansion to its former glory. He want it just exactly as it had been before the fire, and that includes finding a boy to play the part of his beloved little Master. Edmund takes one look at Astor Mercier and decides that he is perfect for the part.
For the beautiful young orphan with the forgotten past, the offer is a dream come true. But is it really a part Astor is playing or does Edmund know something that Astor doesn’t? What will he do when the part he plays becomes his entire reality? Will Astor be able to keep himself intact, or will he disappear entirely into the role Edmund has created for him? And though young Astor falls hopelessly in love with Edmund, will Edmund ever see Astor for himself, or will the older man’s heart only ever be devoted to his beloved little Master?
This is a haunting and thrilling tale of an unsolved mystery and a timeless, enduring love. The only thing that is certain is that some things are simply meant to be.
~28,000 words
Once upon a time, when Edmund Moreau was a young man, he had been that little boy’s personal attendant. Now a wealthy businessman, he is obsessed with restoring the Bellarose mansion to its former glory. He want it just exactly as it had been before the fire, and that includes finding a boy to play the part of his beloved little Master. Edmund takes one look at Astor Mercier and decides that he is perfect for the part.
For the beautiful young orphan with the forgotten past, the offer is a dream come true. But is it really a part Astor is playing or does Edmund know something that Astor doesn’t? What will he do when the part he plays becomes his entire reality? Will Astor be able to keep himself intact, or will he disappear entirely into the role Edmund has created for him? And though young Astor falls hopelessly in love with Edmund, will Edmund ever see Astor for himself, or will the older man’s heart only ever be devoted to his beloved little Master?
This is a haunting and thrilling tale of an unsolved mystery and a timeless, enduring love. The only thing that is certain is that some things are simply meant to be.
~28,000 words
108 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 16, 2016
49 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Amelita Rae
33 books624 followersAmelita Rae took a wrong turn on the internet one day. All the innocent young lass wanted to do was watch funny cat videos, but then she discovered Boy's Love and that was the end of any worthwhile contribution she might have otherwise made to the world.
She now spends most of her time writing filthy smut that she tries to frame with farfetched plots and deranged characters, but don't be fooled by her bullshit people, its all just smut.
She now spends most of her time writing filthy smut that she tries to frame with farfetched plots and deranged characters, but don't be fooled by her bullshit people, its all just smut.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 13, 2023
*3.5* Unique and somewhat eerie. A young man walks past a dilapidated mansion every day on his way to work, feeling a deep connection to the house. One day, he notices a help wanted sign, and walks to the front door.
Haunting, unsolved mystery
Daddy/boy vibes
Memory loss
Stockholm syndrome-ish
Unrequited love (for a bit)
HEA
To the affection starved boy raised in an orphanage where he was been just one of many, a nameless nobody his whole life, the attention was addicting. The rush he felt with those intense golden eyes fixed on him was like a drug because when Edmund fixed his attention on him, it was as if no one else in the world even mattered. It was as if Edmund lived for him and him alone.
Haunting, unsolved mystery
Daddy/boy vibes
Memory loss
Stockholm syndrome-ish
Unrequited love (for a bit)
HEA
To the affection starved boy raised in an orphanage where he was been just one of many, a nameless nobody his whole life, the attention was addicting. The rush he felt with those intense golden eyes fixed on him was like a drug because when Edmund fixed his attention on him, it was as if no one else in the world even mattered. It was as if Edmund lived for him and him alone.
September 24, 2017
Let’s just say this book is different and not quite what I expected but I still enjoyed it. First of all, the book was set in 19th century and I didn’t know it until one third of the book. 😁
You won’t get dominant alpha male and gullible and feminine submissive of Miss Rae’s usual characters. It’s quite different .. (that’s all I wanna say. No spoilers)
Did I enjoy it? Huh .. yes, I still like it but I didn’t love it as other books of Miss Rae. The story line is unique and quite interesting. I do want a better HEA though. It’s a good HEA but not a perfect one.
Overall 3.5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
You won’t get dominant alpha male and gullible and feminine submissive of Miss Rae’s usual characters. It’s quite different .. (that’s all I wanna say. No spoilers)
Did I enjoy it? Huh .. yes, I still like it but I didn’t love it as other books of Miss Rae. The story line is unique and quite interesting. I do want a better HEA though. It’s a good HEA but not a perfect one.
Overall 3.5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
December 3, 2016
4.5 stars Eerie, and hauntingly beautiful. This definitely has the feel of an Amelita Rae story with the somewhat Stockholmy vibe, given that Aster slowly starts to lose himself and fall in love with Edmond. But it's also completely different, there's no violence or violent overtones at all. And the Master/servant role is the opposite than what would be expected. But there is a heavy psychological component, in a way Edmond is gas lighting both of them, although they both are fully knowledgable of what's happening.
Neither the reader nor the characters ever has a true sense of what the real truth is, but only their truth matters. Although if you look at this situation from the outside, there are two very distinct scenarios, one much more favorable and the other bat shit crazy .
I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what the fuck was going on . Come to think of it, Ms. Rae might have gas lighted me too!
Neither the reader nor the characters ever has a true sense of what the real truth is, but only their truth matters. Although if you look at this situation from the outside, there are two very distinct scenarios, one much more favorable and the other bat shit crazy .
I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what the fuck was going on . Come to think of it, Ms. Rae might have gas lighted me too!
September 29, 2020
That was quite good. Almost read a bit like an age play story with the history between these two men. It was very subtle but I can see some people be squeaked out by it, so you have been warned...
That being said, it had a lot less sex than her usual stories and the story was predictable but I liked that. It was engaging and fun and a good time filler for a couple of hours.
That being said, it had a lot less sex than her usual stories and the story was predictable but I liked that. It was engaging and fun and a good time filler for a couple of hours.
August 7, 2016
Dubious non-con. The ending could be interpreted as Happy or Horror Ever After. Sex was pretty bad
February 23, 2021
THIS WAS A COMPLETE MIND F***!
It started very sweet a more than a little strange but I liked it.
I liked main characters and the butler, I liked how house itself has a major role here and it seems like a character too.
I thought that ending was very predictable, its going to be very neat and happy ending aaand I was wrong!
There was a twist that I did not expect.
There where nails on the windows and all the doors where locked?? So from that point onwards the whole atmosphere becomes very creepy and scary. And the more I have read stronger that feeling got.
In the end everything seemed like HEA or HFN (not really sure). But to me it was HORROR EVER AFTER; Why Astor had those dreams? Was he manipulated by Edmund and butler or drugged (it seemd to me like that) Or maybe Edmund is a ghost? Or someone is dreaming the whole thing?
And in the very end when everything seemed very romantic and happy Astor said that he never leaves the house and I got so freaked out that I couldn't sleep (it didn't help that I finished it before bed).
I hate and love this at the same time but any book that can make you feel so many things at one time is great in my opinion. I would love even more if I got answers to all my questions in the end (even scary answers).
It started very sweet a more than a little strange but I liked it.
I liked main characters and the butler, I liked how house itself has a major role here and it seems like a character too.
I thought that ending was very predictable, its going to be very neat and happy ending aaand I was wrong!
There was a twist that I did not expect.
There where nails on the windows and all the doors where locked?? So from that point onwards the whole atmosphere becomes very creepy and scary. And the more I have read stronger that feeling got.
In the end everything seemed like HEA or HFN (not really sure). But to me it was HORROR EVER AFTER; Why Astor had those dreams? Was he manipulated by Edmund and butler or drugged (it seemd to me like that) Or maybe Edmund is a ghost? Or someone is dreaming the whole thing?
And in the very end when everything seemed very romantic and happy Astor said that he never leaves the house and I got so freaked out that I couldn't sleep (it didn't help that I finished it before bed).
I hate and love this at the same time but any book that can make you feel so many things at one time is great in my opinion. I would love even more if I got answers to all my questions in the end (even scary answers).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2018
Picked this up on a whim and was surprised how it drew me in. Eerie, yet romantic, and the atmospheric build up was just delightful. For a novella, this book actually made strides describing the atmosphere and characters that some longer novels would have been ashamed of.
Astor was a great mix of wide eyed innocence, as well as smarts and level-headedness, though that was sometimes questioned until the part where he decided it was time to wake up. Edmund was the right amount of pure adulation for his young master, but the author did well to reign the creepiness in just a tad to make it readable. The house too was made to feel like a silent observer, a character that was omnipresent. It was very much a character that helped make sense of the story overall. I also liked that the buildup to anything sexual was slow and sensuous. It made that moment all the more explosive and hot.
A recommended read for someone looking for a afternoon pick up. Very much different from some of the author's offerings and a good one at that.
Astor was a great mix of wide eyed innocence, as well as smarts and level-headedness, though that was sometimes questioned until the part where he decided it was time to wake up. Edmund was the right amount of pure adulation for his young master, but the author did well to reign the creepiness in just a tad to make it readable. The house too was made to feel like a silent observer, a character that was omnipresent. It was very much a character that helped make sense of the story overall. I also liked that the buildup to anything sexual was slow and sensuous. It made that moment all the more explosive and hot.
A recommended read for someone looking for a afternoon pick up. Very much different from some of the author's offerings and a good one at that.
November 9, 2018
Rae's Master was like a rollercoaster,
the buildup:of Astor's background, the planting of the seeds of doubt about his identity and even the hints in the form of the adoration of the servants
the top: when Edmund was literally on top of Astor
the slide: when Edmund slid into Astor, it felt like coming home, firstly because Edmund really belongs in Astor, secondly because it established what we all know about how Edmund and Astor feels about each other and finally because Rae's strongest suit comes with her amalgamation of the emotional and physical layers of sex
the after: Edmund and Astor or perhaps Leon and their happy ever after
Miss Rae, I may have been sceptical about your ability to captivate me, especially since it's a romance with gothic elements and little sex, unlike your other fun filled sex rides, but after this, I'll read anything, written with your heart and soul.
the buildup:of Astor's background, the planting of the seeds of doubt about his identity and even the hints in the form of the adoration of the servants
the top: when Edmund was literally on top of Astor
the slide: when Edmund slid into Astor, it felt like coming home, firstly because Edmund really belongs in Astor, secondly because it established what we all know about how Edmund and Astor feels about each other and finally because Rae's strongest suit comes with her amalgamation of the emotional and physical layers of sex
the after: Edmund and Astor or perhaps Leon and their happy ever after
Miss Rae, I may have been sceptical about your ability to captivate me, especially since it's a romance with gothic elements and little sex, unlike your other fun filled sex rides, but after this, I'll read anything, written with your heart and soul.
September 25, 2022
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March 31, 2018
I generally enjoy Amelita Rae's work. She writes in a variety of yaoi sub-genres. This is a Gothic tale which is both creepy and thought provoking. You are left wondering what is true and what is imagined. Although Ms. Rae continues to exhibit strong writing chops, she could have used a more diligent proofreader: the number of grammatical errors in this story was distracting enough to detract from the tale. In my opinion, this is not her best effort but it is still an enjoyable read.
May 30, 2023
Something different. I found this one actually by accident and though hhmm yaoi and gothic, this should be interesting. It wasn't exactly what I would call yaoi, but it definitely hit some gothic notes; it had the setting with an ominous past, it had plenty of creep factor, mystery, and the question of sanity (to a degree).
I will say I was hoping it would go in a slightly different direction, but I still liked it; perhaps of it had been a little longer?
I will say I was hoping it would go in a slightly different direction, but I still liked it; perhaps of it had been a little longer?
December 29, 2017
Dark and a Tad Disturbing
It was good. I especially liked the emotional and psychological developments of the characters, the ending (though I wished it had been more open and just stronger in general). However, there were many grammatical errors that could have been avoided with an editor. It was a good read, though I wouldn't but it.
It was good. I especially liked the emotional and psychological developments of the characters, the ending (though I wished it had been more open and just stronger in general). However, there were many grammatical errors that could have been avoided with an editor. It was a good read, though I wouldn't but it.
February 1, 2023
It was short so I read it quick. I liked the horror elements more than the romance. In fact, my entire issue with this book, based on its premise, is that it should have been a horror novel instead. I'm begging the author to consider this. Take the whole story, make it much longer, with all the emotional turmoil and tension, and develop each section and you'll have a top tier horror novel.
June 22, 2021
This is maybe the Amelita Rae book I enjoyed the less. There were too many missing word in between sentences and it was in general not written as well as her other books. But still a very sweet story.
October 14, 2024
A short and light book. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. It's a cute couple but with a slightly 'different' relationship, there's no way I can describe them without giving spoilers, so read for yourself and find out :>
November 26, 2020
Eerily romantic...
June 29, 2023
Not a bad story. Fairly predictable and although it attempted to create a sense of mystery didn't do that well for someone who has read numerous mystery novels.
January 15, 2017
Great story. Brilliant author. There's nothing I love more than a mystery.
January 11, 2017
This is a haunting tale of lost love. Being orphaned at around five years old, Astor Mercier had no idea where he came from. There was an old mansion that had had a fire at sometime, and Astor would walk blocks to stop and look at it through the locked iron gate. He saw beauty in the old place that others didn't and he imagined how the outside and inside once looked and would fantasize living there. He would love someone to rebuild it and bring it back to its original beauty.
Then one day he visited the old mansion and it was under construction. It was reconstructed outside just as he had imagined it would be and wanted so badly to see the inside. When it was finished he saw a handsome man come out and get into a limo and leave. It must have been the new owner and he was quite handsome.
A short while later when Astor visited the mansion once again, there was a sign on the gate, Help Wanted and he scurried home to clean up to answer the ad. All he wanted to do was see the inside knowing he wouldn't get the job, actually he didn't even know what the job was, but he showed up in his best threadbare clothes he had.
Once Astor was welcomed inside by the butler he had an overwhelming déja vu that he had been there before. The butler, Mr. Laurent had Astor cleaned up with a wonderful bath in the claw tub Astor had imagined would be there and new clothes for him to put on so he could meet the master of the house for an interview in the dining room.
Astor met Mr. Edmond Moreau that evening for dinner and was examining a chipped tooth on one of the lions holding up the mantle that looked strangely familiar to him. He touched it and engrossed in his thoughts, Mr. Moreau's voice startled him and he almost fell into the fire, but the master caught Astor in his strong arms and Astor got a closer look at how much more handsome the man was than from a distance.
The two talked at dinner and Edmond told Astor the sad story of the fire and the losses he had from it. Edmond had been broken hearted ever since that day. He had been the young masters servant and he wanted to be again and that was the position he wanted filled. For Astor to accept living there role playing his young master so he could take care of him. Interesting enough Astor accepted.
Throughout the story Astor had dreams and images that showed him he was the young missing master of the house, Leon. And that only confused Astor more not knowing whether it was real memories or fantasy and it kept him denying he was Leon.
For me there was so many things that added up that he was the missing Leon and instead of Edmund just taking care of his charge he fell in love with him in a romantic way as did Astor and there is so much more to the story. It's a wonderful haunting romantic tale and well worth the read. I highly recommend this book.
Then one day he visited the old mansion and it was under construction. It was reconstructed outside just as he had imagined it would be and wanted so badly to see the inside. When it was finished he saw a handsome man come out and get into a limo and leave. It must have been the new owner and he was quite handsome.
A short while later when Astor visited the mansion once again, there was a sign on the gate, Help Wanted and he scurried home to clean up to answer the ad. All he wanted to do was see the inside knowing he wouldn't get the job, actually he didn't even know what the job was, but he showed up in his best threadbare clothes he had.
Once Astor was welcomed inside by the butler he had an overwhelming déja vu that he had been there before. The butler, Mr. Laurent had Astor cleaned up with a wonderful bath in the claw tub Astor had imagined would be there and new clothes for him to put on so he could meet the master of the house for an interview in the dining room.
Astor met Mr. Edmond Moreau that evening for dinner and was examining a chipped tooth on one of the lions holding up the mantle that looked strangely familiar to him. He touched it and engrossed in his thoughts, Mr. Moreau's voice startled him and he almost fell into the fire, but the master caught Astor in his strong arms and Astor got a closer look at how much more handsome the man was than from a distance.
The two talked at dinner and Edmond told Astor the sad story of the fire and the losses he had from it. Edmond had been broken hearted ever since that day. He had been the young masters servant and he wanted to be again and that was the position he wanted filled. For Astor to accept living there role playing his young master so he could take care of him. Interesting enough Astor accepted.
Throughout the story Astor had dreams and images that showed him he was the young missing master of the house, Leon. And that only confused Astor more not knowing whether it was real memories or fantasy and it kept him denying he was Leon.
For me there was so many things that added up that he was the missing Leon and instead of Edmund just taking care of his charge he fell in love with him in a romantic way as did Astor and there is so much more to the story. It's a wonderful haunting romantic tale and well worth the read. I highly recommend this book.
October 13, 2016
A strange tale ...
...
exploring lost love.
Astor is an orphan, growing up in the orphanage. He is now a welder working on ships, but he has always been drawn to an old building, which was slowly decaying. He loves the building and feels attached to it in some way but he doesn't know why. In his mind, he imagines the interior.
One day, there were people working on the gardens and building. Astor loved watching the restoration of his favourite house.
He was going to the house to see the inside when he saw a help wanted sign. He approaches and takes on the job asked of him.
As he stays he starts dreaming more. These give him bittersweet feelings. He learns more about the new owner and his new job sometimes forgetting himself in the process.
Their relationship becomes more than either had expected. However, there is a twist in the tale.
The characters are interesting but a little slow in the story telling.
...
exploring lost love.
Astor is an orphan, growing up in the orphanage. He is now a welder working on ships, but he has always been drawn to an old building, which was slowly decaying. He loves the building and feels attached to it in some way but he doesn't know why. In his mind, he imagines the interior.
One day, there were people working on the gardens and building. Astor loved watching the restoration of his favourite house.
He was going to the house to see the inside when he saw a help wanted sign. He approaches and takes on the job asked of him.
As he stays he starts dreaming more. These give him bittersweet feelings. He learns more about the new owner and his new job sometimes forgetting himself in the process.
Their relationship becomes more than either had expected. However, there is a twist in the tale.
The characters are interesting but a little slow in the story telling.
January 12, 2017
3,5 stars
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews