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The Penningtons #4
A Sinner without a Saint
An honorable artist Benedict Pennington's greatest ambition is not to paint a masterpiece, but to make the world's greatest art accessible to all by establishing England's first national art museum. Success in persuading a reluctant philanthropist to donate his collection of Old Master paintings brings his dream tantalizingly close to reality. Until Viscount Dulcie, the object of Benedict's illicit adolescent desire, begins to court the donor's granddaughter, set on winning the paintings for himself . . . A hedonistic viscount Sinclair Milne, Lord Dulcie, far prefers collecting innovative art and dallying with handsome men than burdening himself with a wife. But when rivals imply Dulcie's refusal to pursue wealthy Miss Adler and her paintings is due to lingering tender feelings for Benedict Pennington, Dulcie vows to prove them wrong. Not only will he woo her away from the holier-than-thou painter, he'll also placate his matchmaking father in the process. Sinner and saint-can both win at love? But when Benedict is dragooned into painting his portrait, Dulcie finds himself once again drawn to the intense artist. Can the sinful viscount entice the wary painter into a casual liaison, one that will put neither their reputations, nor their feelings, at risk? Or will the not-so-saintly artist demand something far more vulnerable-his heart?
350 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2018
13 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Bliss Bennet
9 books100 followersBliss Bennet writes smart, edgy novels for readers who love history as much as they love romance.
Despite being born and bred in New England, Bliss finds herself fascinated by the history of that country across the pond, particularly the politically-volatile period known as the English Regency. Though she’s visited Britain several times, Bliss continues to make her home in New England, along with her husband and ever-growing piles of research books.
Despite being born and bred in New England, Bliss finds herself fascinated by the history of that country across the pond, particularly the politically-volatile period known as the English Regency. Though she’s visited Britain several times, Bliss continues to make her home in New England, along with her husband and ever-growing piles of research books.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 18, 2018
I've given this a B at AAR.
I’ve been looking forward to reading A Sinner Without a Saint, the fourth book in Bliss Bennet’s series about the Pennington family. It features the remaining unwed sibling, Benedict, and Viscount Dulcie, a long-standing family friend and former schoolmate of Benedict’s, with whom he appears to have a bit of a love/hate relationship. The snippets of them together we’ve seen in previous books have mostly consisted of Dulcie exercising his sharp wit and knowing manner in order to needle Benedict into reacting to him; it’s clear there’s a mutual attraction there and equally clear that Benedict isn’t particularly happy about it. This is a frenemies-to-lovers story with depth and originality; in each of the books in the series, Ms. Bennet has chosen interesting backdrops that are more than just window-dressing, and she ties her characters and storylines very closely to them.
The timeline of this book runs concurrently with those of The Penningtons books two and three and some events from those stories are referenced here, but I don’t think it’s completely necessary to have read those, as sufficient explanation is given to enable A Sinner Without a Saint to work as a standalone.
When he was just twelve years old, Benedict Pennington developed a severe case of calf love for the gorgeous Sinclair Milne, Viscount Dulcie, only son and heir to the Earl Milne. Dulcie is five years Benedict’s senior and for a time at school, Benedict was his fag (fagging was a traditional practice at British boys’ boarding schools wherein younger pupils acted as servants to the most senior boys). When Dulcie failed to return to school after the Easter holidays one year without explanation, Benedict was devastated and felt Dulcie had abandoned him. Years later, Benedict – a hugely talented artist – went to live on the continent, where he honed his craft and acquired a reputation not only as a fine portraitist, but as a connoisseur, and as such, his opinions are sought regularly by collectors. He continues to accept commissions, but his passion is the creation of a national collection of art which may be seen by all, and not just those who can afford the entrance fee to exclusive exhibitions. The prevailing belief among the artistic establishment is that the masses could have no appreciation for the fine arts but Benedict believes that art should be accessible to all and he has managed to persuade Julius Adler, a wealthy businessman and owner of the finest collection of Old Masters in England to donate some of his paintings to the project.
Adler is also hoping to attract an aristocratic husband for his granddaughter, and has added three of those paintings to her dowry in order to sweeten the pot. When one of Dulcie’s set suggests that Benedict Pennington is courting Polly Adler in order to obtain the paintings and that Dulcie should woo the lady in order to obtain them for himself, Dulcie shrugs off the idea. But then, an old school-mate insinuates that Dulcie’s reluctance is because of some long-held infatuation for Benedict, and then wagers five hundred pounds that those feelings will stop him from cutting the latter out with Miss Adler, and Dulcie realises he’s trapped; his reputation for taking on pretty much any wager, no matter how outrageous, means turning down this one will make him a laughing stock and will seem to confirm he has some sort of tendre for Pennington. He accepts the wager (not intending to win it), and proceeds to exercise his charm upon Miss Adler, much to the delight of her grandfather, and not at all to Benedict’s who, while not actually interested in the lady himself, does not wish her to be hurt.
If Benedict is not pleased at the sudden and frequent intrusions into his orbit of the beautiful, golden-haired, silver-tongued viscount, he is even less so when he is inveigled into painting his portrait. He has never forgiven Dulcie for what he still views as his rejection years earlier, but infuriatingly, Benedict’s artistic muse – which seems to have deserted him of late – is fired up at the prospect of painting Dulcie’s likeness, and the time the two spend together in private gives them the chance to clear up some of the misunderstandings that lay between them.
The two men find common ground in their love of art and their genuine commitment to persuading the artistic establishment to become more progressive, even though in other ways they’re like chalk and cheese. Dulcie is flamboyant and outgoing; he’s almost always one step ahead of everyone else in the room, but hides his fierce intelligence behind a mask of ennui and sarcasm, where Benedict is quiet, intense and open about his beliefs and desires. He finds it difficult to reconcile the superficial individual Dulcie has become with the kind, funny young man who’d taken a homesick boy under his wing at school, although he soon comes to realise that the Dulcie he’d known is still there, but is buried beneath the persona of biting wit and self-absorption he now presents to the world – and he longs to crack that veneer and reach the man inside.
But Dulcie learned the hard way that constructing a thick outer shell was the best way to protect himself from hurt and disapproval. Following a youthful indiscretion which ended in blackmail, he now wants nothing to do with the deeper emotions and has walled himself off, preferring to keep his affections and his heart firmly locked away and only to engage in casual liaisons that last for a few weeks at most. Both men are comfortable with their sexuality (although of course, well aware of the inherent dangers should their preferences become known) and Benedict is very clear as to his desires when it comes to his sexual partners. He wants mutual affection and respect, and to be with someone who will be open with him about his emotions and needs – and that’s something Dulcie isn’t prepared to offer. Not any more.
Dulcie’s complicated relationship with his father, his good-natured scheming on behalf of his friends, and the detail about the nineteenth century art world all coalesce to create a rich and fascinating background to the love story, although I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps there was just a bit too much going on at times and that the romance was in danger of being somewhat overwhelmed. I didn’t mind too much – I’m particularly interested in the art of the period – and the romance is very well done; the author really shows the depth of emotion that exists between the protagonists through moments of affinity and tenderness, such as the one in which Dulcie takes Benedict to an evening at an artist’s society simply because he knows how much he will enjoy and appreciate it.
A Sinner Without a Saint is a richly layered, sophisticated and satisfying read and is a novel I’d definitely recommend to lovers of historical romance who are looking for something a little different to the usual round of balls, musicales and soirées.
I’ve been looking forward to reading A Sinner Without a Saint, the fourth book in Bliss Bennet’s series about the Pennington family. It features the remaining unwed sibling, Benedict, and Viscount Dulcie, a long-standing family friend and former schoolmate of Benedict’s, with whom he appears to have a bit of a love/hate relationship. The snippets of them together we’ve seen in previous books have mostly consisted of Dulcie exercising his sharp wit and knowing manner in order to needle Benedict into reacting to him; it’s clear there’s a mutual attraction there and equally clear that Benedict isn’t particularly happy about it. This is a frenemies-to-lovers story with depth and originality; in each of the books in the series, Ms. Bennet has chosen interesting backdrops that are more than just window-dressing, and she ties her characters and storylines very closely to them.
The timeline of this book runs concurrently with those of The Penningtons books two and three and some events from those stories are referenced here, but I don’t think it’s completely necessary to have read those, as sufficient explanation is given to enable A Sinner Without a Saint to work as a standalone.
When he was just twelve years old, Benedict Pennington developed a severe case of calf love for the gorgeous Sinclair Milne, Viscount Dulcie, only son and heir to the Earl Milne. Dulcie is five years Benedict’s senior and for a time at school, Benedict was his fag (fagging was a traditional practice at British boys’ boarding schools wherein younger pupils acted as servants to the most senior boys). When Dulcie failed to return to school after the Easter holidays one year without explanation, Benedict was devastated and felt Dulcie had abandoned him. Years later, Benedict – a hugely talented artist – went to live on the continent, where he honed his craft and acquired a reputation not only as a fine portraitist, but as a connoisseur, and as such, his opinions are sought regularly by collectors. He continues to accept commissions, but his passion is the creation of a national collection of art which may be seen by all, and not just those who can afford the entrance fee to exclusive exhibitions. The prevailing belief among the artistic establishment is that the masses could have no appreciation for the fine arts but Benedict believes that art should be accessible to all and he has managed to persuade Julius Adler, a wealthy businessman and owner of the finest collection of Old Masters in England to donate some of his paintings to the project.
Adler is also hoping to attract an aristocratic husband for his granddaughter, and has added three of those paintings to her dowry in order to sweeten the pot. When one of Dulcie’s set suggests that Benedict Pennington is courting Polly Adler in order to obtain the paintings and that Dulcie should woo the lady in order to obtain them for himself, Dulcie shrugs off the idea. But then, an old school-mate insinuates that Dulcie’s reluctance is because of some long-held infatuation for Benedict, and then wagers five hundred pounds that those feelings will stop him from cutting the latter out with Miss Adler, and Dulcie realises he’s trapped; his reputation for taking on pretty much any wager, no matter how outrageous, means turning down this one will make him a laughing stock and will seem to confirm he has some sort of tendre for Pennington. He accepts the wager (not intending to win it), and proceeds to exercise his charm upon Miss Adler, much to the delight of her grandfather, and not at all to Benedict’s who, while not actually interested in the lady himself, does not wish her to be hurt.
If Benedict is not pleased at the sudden and frequent intrusions into his orbit of the beautiful, golden-haired, silver-tongued viscount, he is even less so when he is inveigled into painting his portrait. He has never forgiven Dulcie for what he still views as his rejection years earlier, but infuriatingly, Benedict’s artistic muse – which seems to have deserted him of late – is fired up at the prospect of painting Dulcie’s likeness, and the time the two spend together in private gives them the chance to clear up some of the misunderstandings that lay between them.
The two men find common ground in their love of art and their genuine commitment to persuading the artistic establishment to become more progressive, even though in other ways they’re like chalk and cheese. Dulcie is flamboyant and outgoing; he’s almost always one step ahead of everyone else in the room, but hides his fierce intelligence behind a mask of ennui and sarcasm, where Benedict is quiet, intense and open about his beliefs and desires. He finds it difficult to reconcile the superficial individual Dulcie has become with the kind, funny young man who’d taken a homesick boy under his wing at school, although he soon comes to realise that the Dulcie he’d known is still there, but is buried beneath the persona of biting wit and self-absorption he now presents to the world – and he longs to crack that veneer and reach the man inside.
But Dulcie learned the hard way that constructing a thick outer shell was the best way to protect himself from hurt and disapproval. Following a youthful indiscretion which ended in blackmail, he now wants nothing to do with the deeper emotions and has walled himself off, preferring to keep his affections and his heart firmly locked away and only to engage in casual liaisons that last for a few weeks at most. Both men are comfortable with their sexuality (although of course, well aware of the inherent dangers should their preferences become known) and Benedict is very clear as to his desires when it comes to his sexual partners. He wants mutual affection and respect, and to be with someone who will be open with him about his emotions and needs – and that’s something Dulcie isn’t prepared to offer. Not any more.
Dulcie’s complicated relationship with his father, his good-natured scheming on behalf of his friends, and the detail about the nineteenth century art world all coalesce to create a rich and fascinating background to the love story, although I couldn’t help feeling that perhaps there was just a bit too much going on at times and that the romance was in danger of being somewhat overwhelmed. I didn’t mind too much – I’m particularly interested in the art of the period – and the romance is very well done; the author really shows the depth of emotion that exists between the protagonists through moments of affinity and tenderness, such as the one in which Dulcie takes Benedict to an evening at an artist’s society simply because he knows how much he will enjoy and appreciate it.
A Sinner Without a Saint is a richly layered, sophisticated and satisfying read and is a novel I’d definitely recommend to lovers of historical romance who are looking for something a little different to the usual round of balls, musicales and soirées.
October 15, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.25 stars
This story is book four of The Penningtons series involving Benedict’s family as they look for and find love. While it can be read as a standalone, it would help greatly in understanding the small scenes and glimpses of plots to be somewhat familiar with the other books in the series and the people within them. Taking place in the early 1800s, this book uses terms that — while they may sound offensive to modern ears — are historically accurate and are true to the period: fagmaster, fagging, fags, and fagboy. In boarding school, a fagmaster was an older boy given charge of and power over younger students (fags and fagboys). They were mostly worked as body servants, blacking boots, brushing out clothes, and tending to their fagmaster’s rooms and meals in exchange for a glimpse at a senior’s schoolwork and books. It’s not meant to be vulgar or an aspersion; it’s simply a part of English boarding schools.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
3.25 stars
This story is book four of The Penningtons series involving Benedict’s family as they look for and find love. While it can be read as a standalone, it would help greatly in understanding the small scenes and glimpses of plots to be somewhat familiar with the other books in the series and the people within them. Taking place in the early 1800s, this book uses terms that — while they may sound offensive to modern ears — are historically accurate and are true to the period: fagmaster, fagging, fags, and fagboy. In boarding school, a fagmaster was an older boy given charge of and power over younger students (fags and fagboys). They were mostly worked as body servants, blacking boots, brushing out clothes, and tending to their fagmaster’s rooms and meals in exchange for a glimpse at a senior’s schoolwork and books. It’s not meant to be vulgar or an aspersion; it’s simply a part of English boarding schools.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
August 4, 2018
A Sinner without a Saint was my first book by Bliss Bennet and unsurprisingly I’ve hopped right into a pre-existing series without as much as a glance at the previous books. I didn’t even realize that this was a series until I went to write this review, so that should tell you how little it mattered. Sure, I didn’t know a few character backgrounds, but it wasn’t a big deal at all.
I love male/male stories and I love them even more when set in the historical time periods. Bliss Bennet has a unique way of telling her stories that is unlike any other historical romances I’ve read. I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it is that makes it so different. Perhaps it’s the flow of the dialogue, or just the right amount of description, or the depth in which she explores her topic of choice (in this case the world of art in 1800s England).
I didn’t know a lick about art, modern or historical, before reading this book. I’m not certain how much I learned from A Sinner without a Saint but I definitely feel smarter, so that’s a plus. All the characters are passionate about art in ways that I cannot even begin to fathom, but it was a refreshing change of pace from other historical romances where the upper class is mostly interested in parties and gambling. I gained new insight into the lives of the wealthy through this novel.
I loved the back and forth banter and heat between Benedict and Dulcie. Both men were comfortable in their sexuality, which was nice because it took that element of tension away from the story and allowed other aspects of the plot and relationships to shine through. There’s nothing I love more than a really nasty love-hate relationship and that’s what you get here.
Due to a misunderstanding Benedict is understandably wary of the charming Dulcie. And you want to dislike the annoyingly witty, always one step ahead Viscount, but it’s so freaking hard. It was incredibly enjoyable to watch the two men fight their attraction for one another, but even more enjoyable to watch them given in to that attraction and stop fighting their desires.
In my experience authors tend to write either male/female romances or LGBTQ+ romances, but Bliss Bennet seems to play both fields here, so to speak. The other books in this series are male/female romances. I’ve not yet had the pleasure of reading them, but as a lover of historical romances I’m sure I’ll love them.
Those who love their historical romances in depth and with a personality all their own should pick up a Bliss Bennet novel and dive in.
An copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please check out romanticallyinclinedreviews.com for more reviews on romances of all subgenres.
I love male/male stories and I love them even more when set in the historical time periods. Bliss Bennet has a unique way of telling her stories that is unlike any other historical romances I’ve read. I can’t really pinpoint exactly what it is that makes it so different. Perhaps it’s the flow of the dialogue, or just the right amount of description, or the depth in which she explores her topic of choice (in this case the world of art in 1800s England).
I didn’t know a lick about art, modern or historical, before reading this book. I’m not certain how much I learned from A Sinner without a Saint but I definitely feel smarter, so that’s a plus. All the characters are passionate about art in ways that I cannot even begin to fathom, but it was a refreshing change of pace from other historical romances where the upper class is mostly interested in parties and gambling. I gained new insight into the lives of the wealthy through this novel.
I loved the back and forth banter and heat between Benedict and Dulcie. Both men were comfortable in their sexuality, which was nice because it took that element of tension away from the story and allowed other aspects of the plot and relationships to shine through. There’s nothing I love more than a really nasty love-hate relationship and that’s what you get here.
Due to a misunderstanding Benedict is understandably wary of the charming Dulcie. And you want to dislike the annoyingly witty, always one step ahead Viscount, but it’s so freaking hard. It was incredibly enjoyable to watch the two men fight their attraction for one another, but even more enjoyable to watch them given in to that attraction and stop fighting their desires.
In my experience authors tend to write either male/female romances or LGBTQ+ romances, but Bliss Bennet seems to play both fields here, so to speak. The other books in this series are male/female romances. I’ve not yet had the pleasure of reading them, but as a lover of historical romances I’m sure I’ll love them.
Those who love their historical romances in depth and with a personality all their own should pick up a Bliss Bennet novel and dive in.
An copy of this novel was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please check out romanticallyinclinedreviews.com for more reviews on romances of all subgenres.
October 11, 2018
Something keep ringing wrong about this book, but I couldn't figure it out until I realized it was the fourth in a series about brothers -- three of them straight, one gay. The gay male characters just didn't act in a believable fashion -- much more like straight women would behave, with a lot of coyness and a long time before getting to the sex. Not that sex is the most important thing in a book -- but men simply don't have the same emotional responses as women. There was also way too much time spent on questions about art when romance took a back seat.
July 11, 2020
We All Go Little “Mad” for Love!
This is a historical cat and mouse game of romance between Artist/Advocate Benedict Pennington & Art Connoisseur Lord “Clair” Dulcie. It is also more a literary tale than just a romance. It is a bit of a soap opera, a bit of Art history and public access in the Regency era, and a commentary on women artists during this same era.
This is a slow, slow burner with lightweight sexy bits. So, if you enjoy a slower, meandering, heavy on storytelling historical romance, Read On!
This is a historical cat and mouse game of romance between Artist/Advocate Benedict Pennington & Art Connoisseur Lord “Clair” Dulcie. It is also more a literary tale than just a romance. It is a bit of a soap opera, a bit of Art history and public access in the Regency era, and a commentary on women artists during this same era.
This is a slow, slow burner with lightweight sexy bits. So, if you enjoy a slower, meandering, heavy on storytelling historical romance, Read On!
September 17, 2018
This is the first book I have read by this author and I had not read the other books in the series. Benedict Pennington abandoned everything to pursue his dream and had become a renowned painter. As he finally returns home, he has high ambitions to open the first National Museum. I found this so interesting because it entails so much history and information about art that I did not know. Benedict finds a patron who might donate some old masterpieces and gets caught in being pushed to woo the gentleman's granddaughter!
He runs into old schoolmate Viscount Dulcie who also wants the paintings, and the two end up in a competition to marry the wealthy granddaughter to obtain the art! But as the two are thrown together, who will come out the victor? Will they win each other?
The author brought the art world alive and the two characters were very distinctive in their different personalities. An enjoyable read and can be read as a standalone.
He runs into old schoolmate Viscount Dulcie who also wants the paintings, and the two end up in a competition to marry the wealthy granddaughter to obtain the art! But as the two are thrown together, who will come out the victor? Will they win each other?
The author brought the art world alive and the two characters were very distinctive in their different personalities. An enjoyable read and can be read as a standalone.
April 16, 2021
More a 3.7
I liked several elements of this book but the end could have been worked at in a better way for certain.
Even allowing for difficulties, considering the time, I think the author could have written things in a more definite way, so that the main characters could have a more obvious HEA.
I also felt there were till loose threads left in the air.
I liked several elements of this book but the end could have been worked at in a better way for certain.
Even allowing for difficulties, considering the time, I think the author could have written things in a more definite way, so that the main characters could have a more obvious HEA.
I also felt there were till loose threads left in the air.
April 23, 2022
Real history entwined with M/M romance; the last half of the book sparkles
The story is about the nearly life-long attraction between 33 year old Viscount Dulcie, a self-centered, sharp-tongued, and, for all his supposed aesthetic taste in art, shallow Regency socialite, and Benedict, an earnest second son of an earl who is also an aspiring artist and art advocate. For just over half the book, the author creates an unappealing main character, Dulcie, with no obvious redeeming qualities. Dulcie isn’t even one of those “he’s a train wreck and I can’t stop reading because he’s utterly unique” characters. He’s just blandly unpleasant and, worse, narrates most of the book. But then, to be fair, both main characters - the love interests - read as one dimensional cardboard cut outs for 60% of the novel. (But wait til the last 40%....). Worse still is that the sentences the author writes describing the back and forth love story are a bit forced, awkward and self consciously trying to evoke an early 19th c aristocrat feel. At one point, right after an intense emotional climax, the author follows with an overlong sentence of staccato prepositional phrases that ends up calling attention to itself rather than keeping us focused on the emotion.
The events in the story occur during the period leading up to the establishment of England’s National Gallery. The author knows her history; while I’m more familiar with the detailed history of the Royal Academy, and the action here revolves partially around the British Institution, there is overlap and the author gets it right, including the quick jaunt Dulcie and Benedict make to the colourman shop (art store). If anything, Bennett sometimes allows the history to edge out the narrative at times.
So why does this book warrant the high rating I gave it? The last 40% of the novel goes along way to redeeming the rest of the book which, I want to emphasize, isn’t bad but rather not as polished (e.g. the plot, characters, history, writing et. Al. aren’t as integrated) as the last part. But the final chapters almost sparkle, shaking off the numbing one dimensionality and awkward phrasing of the earlier chapters. The author offers up unexpected choices made by her characters and explores the consequences of these choices. It’s only at the end I felt the emotional bond the MC’s supposedly had the entire book - but it is worth the wait.
The story is about the nearly life-long attraction between 33 year old Viscount Dulcie, a self-centered, sharp-tongued, and, for all his supposed aesthetic taste in art, shallow Regency socialite, and Benedict, an earnest second son of an earl who is also an aspiring artist and art advocate. For just over half the book, the author creates an unappealing main character, Dulcie, with no obvious redeeming qualities. Dulcie isn’t even one of those “he’s a train wreck and I can’t stop reading because he’s utterly unique” characters. He’s just blandly unpleasant and, worse, narrates most of the book. But then, to be fair, both main characters - the love interests - read as one dimensional cardboard cut outs for 60% of the novel. (But wait til the last 40%....). Worse still is that the sentences the author writes describing the back and forth love story are a bit forced, awkward and self consciously trying to evoke an early 19th c aristocrat feel. At one point, right after an intense emotional climax, the author follows with an overlong sentence of staccato prepositional phrases that ends up calling attention to itself rather than keeping us focused on the emotion.
The events in the story occur during the period leading up to the establishment of England’s National Gallery. The author knows her history; while I’m more familiar with the detailed history of the Royal Academy, and the action here revolves partially around the British Institution, there is overlap and the author gets it right, including the quick jaunt Dulcie and Benedict make to the colourman shop (art store). If anything, Bennett sometimes allows the history to edge out the narrative at times.
So why does this book warrant the high rating I gave it? The last 40% of the novel goes along way to redeeming the rest of the book which, I want to emphasize, isn’t bad but rather not as polished (e.g. the plot, characters, history, writing et. Al. aren’t as integrated) as the last part. But the final chapters almost sparkle, shaking off the numbing one dimensionality and awkward phrasing of the earlier chapters. The author offers up unexpected choices made by her characters and explores the consequences of these choices. It’s only at the end I felt the emotional bond the MC’s supposedly had the entire book - but it is worth the wait.
November 23, 2018
This book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review via the MMRG Don’t Buy My Love Program.
For me, this was a 3.5-star read which I marked up to a 4. I have not read the previous stories in this series but I don't feel that it lessened my enjoyment of this book in any way. Dolcie and Benedict were intriguing, well fleshed out characters. They behaved true to their nature if not totally true to the demands of the era. I particularly liked Dolcie's wit and quick come-backs. The secondary characters were well written as well and added to the story. I enjoyed the dialogue particularly the verbal sparring between Dulcie and Leverett, again though I felt that some of the wordage wasn't always true to the era. The story itself tended to be wordy which kept dragging down the pace and frequent misuse and misplacement of words ruined the flow. I liked the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy Historical Romance.
For me, this was a 3.5-star read which I marked up to a 4. I have not read the previous stories in this series but I don't feel that it lessened my enjoyment of this book in any way. Dolcie and Benedict were intriguing, well fleshed out characters. They behaved true to their nature if not totally true to the demands of the era. I particularly liked Dolcie's wit and quick come-backs. The secondary characters were well written as well and added to the story. I enjoyed the dialogue particularly the verbal sparring between Dulcie and Leverett, again though I felt that some of the wordage wasn't always true to the era. The story itself tended to be wordy which kept dragging down the pace and frequent misuse and misplacement of words ruined the flow. I liked the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy Historical Romance.
August 25, 2019
First off, let me state that some of these people have weird names. One guy is called Leverett (a leveret is a young hare in its first year); a girl is named Polyhymnia which was the name of one of the muses (although mercifully everybody calls her Polly) and one of the male protagonists is Dulcie, which I associate with dulce con leche, a Mexican dish. What the heck? Maybe it’s an English thing.
All that aside, this is a tender story about the struggle between private art collections and public artistic appreciation, between three very different men struggling to express love, revenge and secret hatred. The story wends its way from schoolboy days to twenty years later when the individual characters have grown up but not necessarily grown out of their own emotions.
It’s tough for men in patriarchal cultures to express vast reserves of emotion. Many convince themselves that they don’t experience the tenderer feelings, sneering that such sentimentality is for the weaker sex. But the women in these pages aren’t necessarily weak at all. The aforementioned Polyhymnia, e.g., wants nothing to do with conventional marriage, preferring instead to devote her time to her painting. The lady has talent and a rich husband of the peerage would only stand in her way. So she comes up with a scheme to make certain she gets what she wants. But even when love is married to calculation, matters can go horribly awry.
This book swims with interesting and arresting characters and not just the central love pairing between Benedict Pennington’s and Sinclair Milne. Every chapter brings a different layer to their burgeoning yet secretly growing attraction. It’s equally stirring to read about their mutual efforts to get wealthy patrons to denote their reserved artwork to a public form as it is to linger on Benedict’s coaxing Dulcie to admit his affections.
The love scenes are powerfully written erotica yet also restrained (the Casanova antics of Dulcie are surprisingly restrained in their…variety). If m/m erotica set in the cusp of artistic change in early 19th-century England is your cup of tea, try this entry in the Penningtons series.
All that aside, this is a tender story about the struggle between private art collections and public artistic appreciation, between three very different men struggling to express love, revenge and secret hatred. The story wends its way from schoolboy days to twenty years later when the individual characters have grown up but not necessarily grown out of their own emotions.
It’s tough for men in patriarchal cultures to express vast reserves of emotion. Many convince themselves that they don’t experience the tenderer feelings, sneering that such sentimentality is for the weaker sex. But the women in these pages aren’t necessarily weak at all. The aforementioned Polyhymnia, e.g., wants nothing to do with conventional marriage, preferring instead to devote her time to her painting. The lady has talent and a rich husband of the peerage would only stand in her way. So she comes up with a scheme to make certain she gets what she wants. But even when love is married to calculation, matters can go horribly awry.
This book swims with interesting and arresting characters and not just the central love pairing between Benedict Pennington’s and Sinclair Milne. Every chapter brings a different layer to their burgeoning yet secretly growing attraction. It’s equally stirring to read about their mutual efforts to get wealthy patrons to denote their reserved artwork to a public form as it is to linger on Benedict’s coaxing Dulcie to admit his affections.
The love scenes are powerfully written erotica yet also restrained (the Casanova antics of Dulcie are surprisingly restrained in their…variety). If m/m erotica set in the cusp of artistic change in early 19th-century England is your cup of tea, try this entry in the Penningtons series.
September 18, 2018
A Sinner Without a Saint is the fourth book in Bliss Bennet’s The Penningtons series of Regency-era historical romance novels. I was not familiar with Bennet before this, but as soon as I saw that this entry featured a m/m pairing, I was intrigued.
Benedict Pennington might be the younger son of a peer, but he is an artist who harbors strong opinions about art. He believes that art museums should be accessible to everyone, and not even the wealthy people who can afford private collections.
Viscount Dulcie is the heir to his father’s earldom, and he has spent most of his life courting scandal. Dulcie and Benedict were at school today, and the latter had a bit of a crush on the former. They have not encountered each other since then, but when they are forced into close proximity, they realize that their feelings have not dissipated over the years.
I liked this book quite a bit. It’s an interesting combination of estrangement/reunion as well as a slow burn. It’s clear that Benedict and Dulcie share a mutual attraction, but Benedict has stated that he avoids meaningless encounters; there has to be an emotional attachment to accompany any physical relationship. This is in direct contrast to Dulcie, who does not allow feelings of any sort to enter into his meaningless encounters. Throw in a fake engagement, a political campaign, minor betrayal, one very scandalous portrait, and you have the makings of a delightful novel.
I would recommend A Sinner Without a Saint. I always like discovering new authors. Many of the other characters from previous Pennington books make an appearance, and so my interest has definitely been piqued; I definitely plan to add their stories to my reading queue. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bennet in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Benedict Pennington might be the younger son of a peer, but he is an artist who harbors strong opinions about art. He believes that art museums should be accessible to everyone, and not even the wealthy people who can afford private collections.
Viscount Dulcie is the heir to his father’s earldom, and he has spent most of his life courting scandal. Dulcie and Benedict were at school today, and the latter had a bit of a crush on the former. They have not encountered each other since then, but when they are forced into close proximity, they realize that their feelings have not dissipated over the years.
I liked this book quite a bit. It’s an interesting combination of estrangement/reunion as well as a slow burn. It’s clear that Benedict and Dulcie share a mutual attraction, but Benedict has stated that he avoids meaningless encounters; there has to be an emotional attachment to accompany any physical relationship. This is in direct contrast to Dulcie, who does not allow feelings of any sort to enter into his meaningless encounters. Throw in a fake engagement, a political campaign, minor betrayal, one very scandalous portrait, and you have the makings of a delightful novel.
I would recommend A Sinner Without a Saint. I always like discovering new authors. Many of the other characters from previous Pennington books make an appearance, and so my interest has definitely been piqued; I definitely plan to add their stories to my reading queue. I’m looking forward to reading more from Bennet in the future.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
September 6, 2018
I received a copy of this from netgalley in exchange for a review.
I really enjoyed this! I wasn't expecting to, I picked it up from Netgalley largely on a whim and approached it with some wariness, but it really surprised me with how good it was.
This was just a lovely story. The period setting was nicely done, I absolutely ADORED all the characters (Milne, in particular, was a delight) and I loved the inclusion of the art world in it. I was very much gripped by this book. I enjoyed pretty much every moment I spent reading it, and found myself unexpectedly charmed by the world it portrayed.
I've deducted a star because the writing was a bit wobbly at points, this is apparently the fourth in the series and the links to the other books feel a bit stuffed in at points, and also the two main characters first meet/feel attraction (although they don't act on that attraction) when one of them is twelve.
...But overall I really enjoyed it, really liked the characters and would definitely like to read more Bliss Bennet in the future. Unexpectedly great, and I'm really glad I picked it up.
I really enjoyed this! I wasn't expecting to, I picked it up from Netgalley largely on a whim and approached it with some wariness, but it really surprised me with how good it was.
This was just a lovely story. The period setting was nicely done, I absolutely ADORED all the characters (Milne, in particular, was a delight) and I loved the inclusion of the art world in it. I was very much gripped by this book. I enjoyed pretty much every moment I spent reading it, and found myself unexpectedly charmed by the world it portrayed.
I've deducted a star because the writing was a bit wobbly at points, this is apparently the fourth in the series and the links to the other books feel a bit stuffed in at points, and also the two main characters first meet/feel attraction (although they don't act on that attraction) when one of them is twelve.
...But overall I really enjoyed it, really liked the characters and would definitely like to read more Bliss Bennet in the future. Unexpectedly great, and I'm really glad I picked it up.
October 6, 2023
I had some issues with the writing, the strange swings the characters had between infatuation and This books starts with a 12 year old boy writing an erotic letter to a 17 year old that is waylaid by the 17 year old's father. The 12 year old is later molested by another 17 year old. Nothing ever happens to the molester and barely any time is spent dealing with any fall out of the main character being molested.
Additionally,
Additionally,
March 14, 2022
I’ve not read the previous books in the series but I will now. The audiobook is great, read by a talented voice actor that kept me engaged. This is definitely a story with complications rooted in trauma rather than forced conflict or secrecy, which feels authentic. Its pretty art heavy but it doesn’t take away from the story if your like me and don’t know much about it.
October 7, 2018
I loved the art theme. But this book should have ended at 75% (when they , because that felt perfectly satisfying) but instead dragged on to what was supposed to be a happier ending; I was fine with the first ending.
April 23, 2022
Finally going to review this beauty. RTC probably tomorrow.
September 4, 2018
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Although I am rating this four stars for solid writing, excellent research, and the writer's attention to detail, I have to admit that I did not enjoy Sinner Without a Saint. And although I haven't read the other Pennington books (nor did I know it was a part of a series), it FELT like the fourth in a series. It's that point where the writer has written his/her familiar characters and then, to create differentiation and distinction, writes less interesting characters. What it means for me is that I didn't like either lead character and therefore never became invested in their relationship.Story: Aristocrats Dulcie and Benedict met at school and had a fling. But Dulcie's father quickly put an end to the affair and Dulcie cut off Benedict cruelly. Years later, a shared love of art and especially old masters has the two in a competition: to marry a wealthy heiress whose grandfather's art collection is immense. Can these two rivals ever come to terms with the past and their conflicting artistic ideals in the present?
Benedict is resentful, rude, inflexible, and unpleasant. Dulcie is spoiled, malleable, and easily convinced to do terrible things - a dilettante. One spends his day lecturing people and the other being tooled by his friends. I had a hard time really liking either; Bennet's excellent historical research ended up being far more interesting and thoroughly upstaged the leads.
That said, the historical research about the era is superb. This isn't a light and fluffy 'historical romance for idiots' series. The writing is carefully crafted, the subject matter intelligent and well presented, and best of all, it's for M/M romance. It's so rare to find this level of writing for male romances.
So although the historical/art aspect was clearly the best part, I was interested in reading characters who appeal and for whom I want to root. That didn't happen here and I began to skip the insipid and understated scenes of the two men bickering because it was so boring. Moreover, I found both to be thoroughly unlikable, each doing/saying things that made them look either shallow or uptight. It was like a 14 year old was courting a 60 year old spinster. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
September 15, 2018
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the author for an honest review.
I felt sure I had read some of this series and after checking my kindle and other e-books I was very surprised that yes I have two of the four in this series. I will be getting the ones I have missed as soon a possible. This book was a wonderful book that had all the right themes that I love. Art, and romance and secrets. The two Heros are a delight and feel that more books like this should be written for all to enjoy. Benedict Pennington is a man who loves his art and painting is his passion. Sinclair Milne, Viscount Dulcie, is a gentleman who is hiding his secrets and is being forced into regarding a marriage for an art collection. Will both heroes think of their reputations or take a chance on a forever relationship together? I recommend this book and author.
I felt sure I had read some of this series and after checking my kindle and other e-books I was very surprised that yes I have two of the four in this series. I will be getting the ones I have missed as soon a possible. This book was a wonderful book that had all the right themes that I love. Art, and romance and secrets. The two Heros are a delight and feel that more books like this should be written for all to enjoy. Benedict Pennington is a man who loves his art and painting is his passion. Sinclair Milne, Viscount Dulcie, is a gentleman who is hiding his secrets and is being forced into regarding a marriage for an art collection. Will both heroes think of their reputations or take a chance on a forever relationship together? I recommend this book and author.
September 23, 2018
The first thing I always want to know when I'm reading a series out of order is will I be totally lost. Rest assured, this fourth story in The Penningtons series stands alone and causes no confusion. I love historical romance and enjoy a M/M one when written well. I'm not much interested in art and art history, but the story description sounded interesting nonetheless and I wanted to read it.
The book started out a bit slow for me. The art references didn't capture my attention. As for the main characters, Clair seemed like an uncaring fribble and Benedict just came across as moody. But as the book moved along, I began to like the two of them. They were so much deeper than they appeared at first. By the end of the story, I absolutely loved them both! It was a truly lovely (and steamy) romance full of longing.
As for the art aspect of the story, it still didn't capture my attention....until I got to the part about The Raft of the Medusa and Clair's feelings about the painting. I looked it up and was fascinated by both the artwork and the story behind it. The artist himself was also quite interesting. You can't look at that painting and not feel some deep emotion. I saw a photo online of it hanging in the Louvre. I've been there! It was all so overwhelming that it's hard to remember all the artwork I saw there, plus I know there was so much there that I didn't get the opportunity to view. I need to look at the pictures I took there to see if I took one of that painting.
I am so glad I stuck with the story! It truly ended up fascinating me. I want to go back and read the rest of the series. Kudos to Bliss Bennet for pulling me into the art world.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
The book started out a bit slow for me. The art references didn't capture my attention. As for the main characters, Clair seemed like an uncaring fribble and Benedict just came across as moody. But as the book moved along, I began to like the two of them. They were so much deeper than they appeared at first. By the end of the story, I absolutely loved them both! It was a truly lovely (and steamy) romance full of longing.
As for the art aspect of the story, it still didn't capture my attention....until I got to the part about The Raft of the Medusa and Clair's feelings about the painting. I looked it up and was fascinated by both the artwork and the story behind it. The artist himself was also quite interesting. You can't look at that painting and not feel some deep emotion. I saw a photo online of it hanging in the Louvre. I've been there! It was all so overwhelming that it's hard to remember all the artwork I saw there, plus I know there was so much there that I didn't get the opportunity to view. I need to look at the pictures I took there to see if I took one of that painting.
I am so glad I stuck with the story! It truly ended up fascinating me. I want to go back and read the rest of the series. Kudos to Bliss Bennet for pulling me into the art world.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
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