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The May Flowers #4

The Earl's Scandalous Bargain

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Lord Frederick Herrington is lost. He was lost in the sea of his friends at university, lost in the orders he followed as an officer in the army, most certainly lost where anything romantic is concerned, and beyond lost when it comes to saving his estate from the ruin his father made of it. As far as he sees it, the one thing he absolutely must do is to find a way to restore the fortunes of his earldom and to keep the property from being sold off. But how?

Lord Reese Howsden, Marquess of Albany, is a man of power with confidence to spare. His estate and investments are thriving, his adored son has secured the continuation of the family line, and he knows who and what he is. He knows what he wants as well, and what he wants is Freddy. With an esteemed title and close friends to protect him from scorn and scandal, all he needs to do is open Freddy’s eyes to the love that has been simmering under the surface between them for years. But when?

When Reese hosts an American cattle baron and his “dollar princess” daughter for a house party that mixes business and pleasure, he inadvertently provides Freddy with a way to boost his fortunes. But will the solution be worse than the problem, especially as Freddy’s eyes are open to the truth about what his heart really wants? Or will he discover an alternative path and a love worth giving everything up for?

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Steam level – very spicy! And yes, this is an m/m romance, so if that’s not your thing, feel free to pass on this one.

THE MAY FLOWERS series is a continuation of THE SILVER FOXES OF WESTMINSTER series, involving the younger generation. It consists of:

A LADY’S FIRST SCANDAL
IT’S ONLY A SCANDAL IF YOU’RE CAUGHT
THE SCANDAL OF A PERFECT KISS
THE EARL’S SCANDALOUS BARGAIN
THE ROAD TO SCANDAL IS PAVED WITH WICKED INTENTIONS
WHEN LADY INNOCENT MET DR. SCANDALOUS

249 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 12, 2019

237 people are currently reading
297 people want to read

About the author

Merry Farmer

291 books1,137 followers
USA Today Bestselling author Merry Farmer lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Justine and Peter. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized she didn't have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. Her books have reached the top of Amazon's charts, and have been named finalists for several prestigious awards, including the RONE Award for indie romance.

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5 stars
170 (42%)
4 stars
130 (32%)
3 stars
73 (18%)
2 stars
19 (4%)
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12 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Profile Image for JD Crittendon.
1,170 reviews11 followers
February 18, 2020
A Quick Study In The Ways of Love!

A whirlwind, historical, Victorian romance between Lord Reese & newbie Lord Freddy. This tale has it all: a financial rescue, a nefarious plot, a physical altercation, a feisty visitor and ill advise (sometimes) sexy times. (What could they be thinking to do that in front of the window!) Likable MCs and good pacing. I want more...Rating: 3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
628 reviews3 followers
February 7, 2020
Too much drama. DNF

This is like those old romance novels that are ridiculously dramatic with the helpless female and the dashing man coming to her rescue. Except they’re both guys and the dashing one is also too stupid for words if he actually doesn’t realize no one wants to be bought or kept like a whore. Also, when he gets this great idea and everyone races from the house there’s no mention of who’s taking the kid. He didn’t take his son and neither did his helpless costar. So where’s the kid? He was such a big part of the previous chapter but then he suddenly just disappears like he was just a prop. I just couldn’t keep reading.
Profile Image for Elodie’s Reading Corner.
2,554 reviews152 followers
December 9, 2019
The Earl's Scandalous Bargain
The May Flowers Series #4
Merry Farmer
https://www.facebook.com/merryfarmera...
Release date 12/13/2019

Blurb :

Lord Frederick Herrington is lost. He was lost in the sea of his friends at university, lost in the orders he followed as an officer in the army, most certainly lost where anything romantic is concerned, and beyond lost when it comes to saving his estate from the ruin his father made of it. As far as he sees it, the one thing he absolutely must do is to find a way to restore the fortunes of his earldom and to keep the property from being sold off. But how?

Lord Reese Howsden, Marquess of Albany, is a man of power with confidence to spare. His estate and investments are thriving, his adored son has secured the continuation of the family line, and he knows who and what he is. He knows what he wants as well, and what he wants is Freddy. With an esteemed title and close friends to protect him from scorn and scandal, all he needs to do is open Freddy’s eyes to the love that has been simmering under the surface between them for years. But when?

When Reese hosts an American cattle baron and his “dollar princess” daughter for a house party that mixes business and pleasure, he inadvertently provides Freddy with a way to boost his fortunes. But will the solution be worse than the problem, especially as Freddy’s eyes are open to the truth about what his heart really wants? Or will he discover an alternative path and a love worth giving everything up for?

My review :

When two friends feeling more than companionship must face threats jeopardizing their reputation and freedom ...

I really awaited this one installment, I wanted for long to read a m/m romance, and there is nothing better than with an author I am confident will succeed in retranscribing male lovers feelings.
And I am happy to say Mrs Merry Farmer hits the mark, I just loved Reese and Freddy.
Freddy is so sweet and in a way so innocent, he knows his sentiments but is unsure to let them free, his only experience left him with the sense if not unnatural, it is a matter of ascendency and humiliation. Why he is wary, he loves Reese but is also afraid of let go of his control, unsure of it would lead them.
Reese shares Freddy’s feelings and it has been for years, and like him he refrained on acting on them, scared to ruin their friendship.
While he is bolder and far more experienced than Freddy, when it is a matter of love, they are on the same level. He thinks with his heart but does not reflect of how it might be perceived.
Why they make mistakes, hurting one another, letting their pride take over.
Yet, all their errors can’t damage their bond, it is up to them to find the right path and make things work for them.

This book is a wonderful story about love and acceptance, it is not the usual set of lovers and all the love scenes are sensual and gentle, they reflect the love the author has for her characters.
5 stars for this amazing tale of friendship and love.

I was granted an advance copy by the author, and prior to it I preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...

Profile Image for Nicole.
1,251 reviews99 followers
January 4, 2020
After returning from war in South Africa to deal with the crippling debt his late father left behind, Lord Frederick Herrington has finally had to resort to putting his family home, Silverstone Castle, on the market. Depressed, he retreats to the country estate of his dearest friend, Lord Reese Howsden, the Marquess of Albany. Freddy is bemused to find the house full of guests including a wealthy American heiress searching for a titled husband. She could solve all of Freddy's financial woes, yet he can't seem to stomach the idea of courting her since he feels nothing for her and is becoming increasingly aware of the deep feelings that have been boiling just beneath the surface between himself and Reese for years.

This book was very much outside my typical wheelhouse, but as Merry is one of my favorite authors, I decided to give it a shot. And I wasn't disappointed. I loved both of these characters in previous books of this series and wanted to read their story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be one of the most emotional romances I've read in some time. I'm very glad I gave it a try.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2,420 reviews22 followers
December 10, 2019
I have read a few m/m romances but they were all quick and dirty so I was anxious to see how Merry spun this tale of Freddy and Reese. All I can say is WOW! I thought the danger of being exposed as homosexual was so well portrayed in this story. A lot of emotion hit me from Freddy’s being angry with Reese over purchasing his home (I totally got that), to the villain who was blackmailing the men, to the understanding of their families, to the overwhelming love between Freddy and Reese. I thought this was a beautifully told story of two men who just wanted to live their lives and raise a family.

I adored Lenore and hope she ends up with a story down the line.

I received a complimentary copy from Booksprout.
1,949 reviews18 followers
December 17, 2019
This is a great addition to the series and a wonderful book to read. I loved the story of Freddy and Reese and the struggles they faced regarding their sexual preference for men and especially for each other, considering the laws that were in effect at that time. Danger is lurking in the form of a blackmailer who is watching and photographing in the background. The story is well written, full of love and passion and it has some tense moments. This is a great read and I would highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Annezo.
298 reviews6 followers
May 29, 2020
This one just missed for me. I have a particular dislike of people being trampled on and "managed" without their knowledge or consent. And I have an even more particular dislike of people who have been disrespected deciding that it doesn't matter, because they're in lo-o-ove

Profile Image for Alison.
894 reviews32 followers
April 1, 2023
Another one that I picked up for free and read while home sick. It worked for that situation because it's a pretty easy read, but probably wouldn't hold up well otherwise. It's entertaining enough and held my attention, though I don't think it's destined to become a classic. There's a lot of dumb stuff that happens. I did not have particularly strong feelings about this one and I expect it won't be overly memorable.
1,787 reviews26 followers
January 26, 2020
Stuck in the Middle

I used that headline not to describe the book but to inform those who might not realize it that this MM romance is part of a series of MF romances which take place in Victorian England.

There are some very succinct and suggestive scenarios which allow us to experience a lot of male-female bonding, but none of it--except for memories of a marriage which ended tragically--is explicit in the least.

However, the romance and heat that develops between Freddy and Reese is totally off the charts in both feelings and descriptions. What dirty men these Victorians could be!

The plot is at turns hilarious, annoying, exciting, violent and in the end with as convoluted a resolution as one could expect, except you won't expect it. This is the only MM one in the series, though a major sub character in it gets his own book in the author's Tales From the Grand Tour series ("Rendezvous in Paris" which I have also read).

Both of these books are preludes to what author Merry Farmer promises will be an all MM series, "The Brotherhood," to come out in the Spring of 2020. I will be on it like a bee in an English garden.
Profile Image for Viper Spaulding.
3,147 reviews25 followers
December 16, 2019
Seriously fun romance with a serious theme!

Reese and Freddy, friends who have to be exceedingly careful before they can be more than friends, are both wonderfully portrayed characters. Reese is the more experienced one, and he's in a position to help Freddy find his path in life. Both of these characters are connected to the other couples in this series, so we've already become familiar with both before this story gets started. This is a standalone, however, so those who haven't read the earlier books won't feel left out at all.

I don't mind my historical romances with a side of social awareness, especially when it's as well-written and captivating as this story. Throughout the series, the author boldly displays the societal norms as well as the lesser-known aspects of the times, and I really appreciate the author's acknowledgement at the end of the extensive research that supports the conclusions drawn in the story.

I loved this story, especially the heartwarming and very satisfying ending. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Lenna  Wright.
3,397 reviews35 followers
December 23, 2019
Enjoyable, and kept me attention from the starts. Both POVs HFN ending so when the next book starts your be ready for a new couple to figure out life’s plans.
Reese and Freddy went to boarding school in their teenage years, Reese fell at first sight but he didn’t let his love stop hime from pleasures of others. For 10 years Reese semi-hid his love for Freddy all those years, but Freddy saw how the upperclassmen in their school forced themselves on the younger weaker men, and he view the same crimes when he was in the Army and he witnessed high ranking officers force themselves on the weaker men. So Freddy sees the act and he’s scared of that kind of pain and suffering so when Reese acts out his love with kisses and feels, Freddy will push himself away from unknown and flashbacks of the rapes he saw. So Freddy will have to open himself up for love that is foreign but pleasurable. Until Reese pulls the wool right from under Freddy by making him less then a man in society standings.
Profile Image for Pontiki.
2,517 reviews9 followers
December 27, 2019
Freddy has debts to pay from his father’s bad decisions, and is about to lose his ancestral home, having to sell it.

Reese, his best friend, has always been in love with Freddy, and they finally declare their feelings when Freddy visits. Reese thinks to buy Freddy’s castle as a sign of his love, but doesn’t tell Freddy, who is livid when he finds out. He feels bought, disrespected, and hurt.

Meanwhile, Reese’s friend has been blackmailed, then arrested, for indecent acts. When the blackmailer goes after Reese and Freddy, they fight back, not needing the police to rid themselves of the vermin.

The pacing is a bit off, first a quick declaration of feelings, then a few slow chapters, then things smooth out and become more focussed.

Interesting view into homosexuality in society in 19th century England.

KU
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews23 followers
January 12, 2020
This is an intense, intriguing, suspenseful and entertaining story of love, acceptance, friendship and danger. Reese and Freddy met at school and became fast friends. Reese also fell in love with Freddy then, but never said anything. Years later Reese finally makes a move, but Freddy freaks out. Reese decides to show his love for Freddy by saving Freddy's home, which he finally has to sell to finish paying off his father's debts. Freddy is livid, he feels betrayed and used. Freddy proves to be a scared and angry man because of the situation, and Reese proves to be dense and can't help putting his foot in his mouth. Despite the minor character flaws it's very interesting and entertaining.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
810 reviews8 followers
December 8, 2019
Overall I liked the story. There is tension from latent danger of exposure of homosexual lovers in the Victorian era. Freddy and Reese are long time friends. Freddy is rather shy, although he's witnessed the horrors of army life. Reese is very privileged; his life seems to have been charmed so far.
What I disliked in this story was the risk taking by Reese, especially after his former lover had been arrested; he endangered himself and the man he's loved for years. That seemed just too implausible for him not to be more circumspect. But the author uses those errors and their ramifications to continue the story.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
79 reviews
December 12, 2019
The story is so much a reflection of "What you don't see, won't hurt you". We take so much of our current lifestyle for granted, that we sometimes forget to look to the past and think what others had to give up, or sacrifice because life, love and society had pre-concieved ideas on what was acceptable and what not.
I once again have to thank Merry for using a established medium to highlight what others had to accept and find alternative ways to live, just be part of "normal" society. Merry has a way of bringing "touchy history" subjects to live in such a way that anybody can understand.
Thank you Merry!
4,720 reviews40 followers
December 14, 2019
Reese and Freddy.
First off I want to say this book is well-written with excellent characters and if this is a theme you enjoy this will be a book you will like. Now for me, it was not my cup of tea and that is a personal response to the subject matter. I think this is the first book of Merry Farmer’s I have not enjoyed reading. I still give it a four-star because of the technical work done by the author. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Sandra White.
196 reviews5 followers
December 14, 2019
Absolutely the best book of 2019!

This truly is one of the most amazing stories of 2019! Ms. Farmer writes with passion bringing her characters to life in the most beautiful ways. She writes of strong relationships that many would consider taboo or inappropriate with grace and poise. Be it heroes or villains, each character is well developed and necessary to the story.
This book is just one more of the absolute best in Historical Romance!
2,841 reviews14 followers
December 27, 2019
This tugs at the heartstrings and makes you realize how lucky we are to live in this time. To love who we want and be able to express it as we see fit. This broke my heart and brought me to tears. I wanted to know what happened to Sebastian and hoped that Freddy and Reese were able to help him. I can’t wait to read his story. I really enjoyed the blurb at the end by the author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,065 reviews35 followers
December 29, 2019
The Earl's Scandalous Bargain is the fourth book in The May Flowers series and is a great historical romance.

This is a departure from the author's normal romances since it is a M/M romance but it only goes to show that love is love, no matter the gender. The storyline is well written and flows nicely throughout. The characters are well developed and likable.

I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
Profile Image for Suzanne Irving.
2,720 reviews24 followers
December 26, 2019
I love Merry Farmers books and adore regency stories so when I heard that she was writing a m/m regency I was really excited. Well she lives up to her reputation with this terrific story about how was to be gay back then. I hope others like this book and that she writes more like it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.2k reviews8 followers
December 31, 2019
Book four in The May Flowers series a M/M romance that kept me turning pages. Lord Frederick Herrington and Lord Reese Howsden, Marquess of Albany's story there is blackmail, suspense, drama, danger, twists, turns, and a forbidden love. I want to read the next book in this series and in the new series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
552 reviews7 followers
January 1, 2020
I have adored Reese and Freddy from the very beginning of this series and am so pleased they finally got their much deserved HEA. Friendship, family, tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, hope, and love were some of the themes in this wonderfully sweet story about forbidden love in a thankfully long-gone era.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
2,080 reviews14 followers
January 9, 2020
I really enjoyed Reese and Freddy's story. They start out as Freddy being unsure about many things and Reese knowing that Freddy is the one for him. I enjoyed that this was a historical romance from a m/m point of view. I loved these characters and am very glad they got their happy ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,187 reviews
December 16, 2019
Love wins

Okay,I will admit this is not my usual read, but I enjoyed this love story. A bit on the steamy side this story of love between Reese and Freddie is well written and thought provoking.
Profile Image for Joanna.
327 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2019
I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a male on male book - it’s not always my thing but I thought this story was done well. It really portrayed the prejudice that homosexuality suffered in those times. I enjoyed the story and loved the characters.
943 reviews7 followers
January 3, 2020
Who would have though it would be ma man

When Freddie realise that he not only things off Reece as a friend but also a lover in Victorian England and what they do to make sure no one except family now
Profile Image for Cynthia Brooks.
2,335 reviews11 followers
January 11, 2020
Two men, best friends, one who knows what he wants and will do what he has to do to get it. The other knows what he wants but is afraid to go after it. Then he realizes that all he needs has always been there waiting for him. I really enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews

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