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Innocence & Carnality
(Please note: This is a re-release with no additional content added.)
Innocence is his only currency.
The gilded cage of propriety where Nathan grew up as a member of the Deilian aristocracy became a true prison when, at fifteen, his homosexuality came to light and created a terrible scandal. His parents see only one way to preserve their reputation amongst the other noble families: fit Nathan with a chastity belt to increase his value to a potential partner and marry him off as soon as possible.
The recipient of that prize is Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. After a hasty wedding, Rother whisks Nathan away to the strange and seductive land of Marisol, where Nathan will begin a new life, free to explore the pleasures of the marriage bed, though his life is still not his own.
But Rother’s Delaga House is a place of secrets, dangers, and depravity Nathan can scarcely comprehend. Where friends are few and peril waits around every corner, Nathan must employ all the manipulation he learned from high society, along with his talent for clockwork. Most of all, Nathan must adapt, compromise to survive, and cast off the preconceptions of his homeland.
Because only he can orchestrate his freedom, and it’ll come at a cost.
Innocence is his only currency.
The gilded cage of propriety where Nathan grew up as a member of the Deilian aristocracy became a true prison when, at fifteen, his homosexuality came to light and created a terrible scandal. His parents see only one way to preserve their reputation amongst the other noble families: fit Nathan with a chastity belt to increase his value to a potential partner and marry him off as soon as possible.
The recipient of that prize is Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. After a hasty wedding, Rother whisks Nathan away to the strange and seductive land of Marisol, where Nathan will begin a new life, free to explore the pleasures of the marriage bed, though his life is still not his own.
But Rother’s Delaga House is a place of secrets, dangers, and depravity Nathan can scarcely comprehend. Where friends are few and peril waits around every corner, Nathan must employ all the manipulation he learned from high society, along with his talent for clockwork. Most of all, Nathan must adapt, compromise to survive, and cast off the preconceptions of his homeland.
Because only he can orchestrate his freedom, and it’ll come at a cost.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2015
42 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
J. Alan Veerkamp
9 books31 followersWhile spending years more focused on visual arts, J. Alan Veerkamp never let go of his innate passion for storytelling, wanting to write and draw comic books when he grew up. Once he discovered M/M fiction, a whole new world opened filled with possibilities. Why couldn't you have fantastic and dynamic sexy tales with an M/M cast? He started reading the online tales of authors like, Night Tempest, Rob Colton, and Alicia Nordwell, which only fueled his need to create. Eventually he found GayAuthors.org, and with a little coercive nudge, started sharing his tales with an unexpected level of positive response. The experience and support gave him the courage to cross his fingers and aim for the world of M/M publishing.
Born and raised in Michigan, J. Alan continues to type away, wishing it was practical to use an noisy, old fashioned keyboard that clacks with each strike, if just to annoy his loving partner and spoiled miniature dachshund.
Born and raised in Michigan, J. Alan continues to type away, wishing it was practical to use an noisy, old fashioned keyboard that clacks with each strike, if just to annoy his loving partner and spoiled miniature dachshund.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 31, 2019
4.5
I read the blurb so long ago that I forgot the blurb and that actually turned out to be a great thing. Going in blind and letting Veerkamp take you on the journey of Nathan from innocent ingenue to fierce force to be reckoned with is the way to go, thus I'm going to keep this SUPER short.
The entire story is told from Nathan's perspective and I have to be honest, initially I underestimated him. I thought he was vapid milquetoast. I've never been more thrilled to be wrong. He may have been married off as a 'trophy wife' but he is a quick study and all that time spent watching his trophy wife of a mother equipped him with a few tricks up his sleeve.
Innocence & Carnality is story driven with several turns in the narrative that surprised me and the way the narrative came together at the end was nothing short of inspired. (Trigger warning for abuse & violence.) However, several of the characters popped off the page as well. Strong female characters are always a win with me and Veerkamp delivered more than one all set in a historical steampunkish AU setting. If you're averse to steampunk, it's not overly steampunky.
I don't want to give away the romance but it was divine. I had to wait for it to come together but it was worth the wait. Soooooo worth it. Directly into my wheelhouse, it went.
As a shameless plea to the author, I would be overjoyed were there to be another book in this universe.
Highly recommended!
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
What. A. Delight!
I read the blurb so long ago that I forgot the blurb and that actually turned out to be a great thing. Going in blind and letting Veerkamp take you on the journey of Nathan from innocent ingenue to fierce force to be reckoned with is the way to go, thus I'm going to keep this SUPER short.
The entire story is told from Nathan's perspective and I have to be honest, initially I underestimated him. I thought he was vapid milquetoast. I've never been more thrilled to be wrong. He may have been married off as a 'trophy wife' but he is a quick study and all that time spent watching his trophy wife of a mother equipped him with a few tricks up his sleeve.
Innocence & Carnality is story driven with several turns in the narrative that surprised me and the way the narrative came together at the end was nothing short of inspired. (Trigger warning for abuse & violence.) However, several of the characters popped off the page as well. Strong female characters are always a win with me and Veerkamp delivered more than one all set in a historical steampunkish AU setting. If you're averse to steampunk, it's not overly steampunky.
I don't want to give away the romance but it was divine. I had to wait for it to come together but it was worth the wait. Soooooo worth it. Directly into my wheelhouse, it went.
As a shameless plea to the author, I would be overjoyed were there to be another book in this universe.
Highly recommended!
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2019
DNF @ 45%. I never usually rate a book I DNF but I can’t not this time.
I am not here for:
- No conversations or interactions outside of sex between MCs
- Lackluster sex at that
- Cheating in MCs
- Rother, at all - are we supposed to feel sympathy for his history? He’s an a-hole who treats Nathan like garbage or a toy to leave on the shelf. I love a dark and bad MC but Rother just does not work
- The fish-out-of-water MC to be made a fool of for being ignorant when he’s been married and sent off without his consent to a completely foreign country
-
- Non-consensual branding - spoiler maybe but could be a trigger so think it needs to be said
- The story took an even worse turn at 40%! How could I possibly dislike a MC more
- All the unnecessary violence - slapping, punching etc
Paid $8 for this and I’m upset
I am not here for:
- No conversations or interactions outside of sex between MCs
- Lackluster sex at that
- Cheating in MCs
- Rother, at all - are we supposed to feel sympathy for his history? He’s an a-hole who treats Nathan like garbage or a toy to leave on the shelf. I love a dark and bad MC but Rother just does not work
- The fish-out-of-water MC to be made a fool of for being ignorant when he’s been married and sent off without his consent to a completely foreign country
-
- Non-consensual branding - spoiler maybe but could be a trigger so think it needs to be said
- The story took an even worse turn at 40%! How could I possibly dislike a MC more
- All the unnecessary violence - slapping, punching etc
Paid $8 for this and I’m upset
May 7, 2019
This was a fan-freaking-tastic read! The plot twists, the hidden depths, the subtle nuances, all kept me on the edge of my seat. I was riveted.
Things that you think will happen, don't. Things that you feel are inevitable, aren't. The twists and turns are sharp as a knife's edge; you'll get cut if you're not careful.
Tricksy author is tricksy.
This is not a light and fluffy read. There are parts that will enrage you and parts that will make you cry. There may even be parts that will make you want to abandon ship, but I promise you, I PROMISE YOU, it is worth it in the end.
Highly recommend.
Things that you think will happen, don't. Things that you feel are inevitable, aren't. The twists and turns are sharp as a knife's edge; you'll get cut if you're not careful.
Tricksy author is tricksy.
This is not a light and fluffy read. There are parts that will enrage you and parts that will make you cry. There may even be parts that will make you want to abandon ship, but I promise you, I PROMISE YOU, it is worth it in the end.
Highly recommend.
April 23, 2019
Nathan was the "other" in his aristocratic family so when he was brought to Marisol, he had to quickly learn and unlearn many things. At first I thought he was just a spoiled brat(and he was initially) who needed to loosen up but as time went on and we learned more about him, I realised all that was just a product of his upbringing and that he was really a sweetheart underneath all that rigid breeding.
Also, I thought Rother was just misunderstood especially since the whole book was in Nathan's POV but later as Nathan and us (the readers) find out, Rother was just not right in his soul.
The writing was great, fast paced and the story was extremely unpredictable. In reading this, I also discovered the many many ways sexual anatomy could be referred to. I think I lost count at a point but trust me when I say they were all equally inventive and quite appropriate. Lol!
There were many "OMG what?!" reveals that knocked me sideways and I loved each and everyone of them. The biggest of which was discovering the intricacies of Nathan's escape/revenge plan. He was such a courageous man, using his wit, charm and sheer will to find ways out of his predicament. The plan was meticulous, ingenious and so precise that there was no way out for that bastard.
To add in the fact that Nathan found an HEA with the unlikeliest person you could imagine had me smiling all the way to the last word of the book.
This was my first book by the author and if this is any indication for the manner of writing and storytelling to be expected, I'll definitely be sticking around.
*** eARC was Graciously Provided by The Publisher, DSP Publications in Exchange For An Honest Review ***
Also, I thought Rother was just misunderstood especially since the whole book was in Nathan's POV but later as Nathan and us (the readers) find out, Rother was just not right in his soul.
The writing was great, fast paced and the story was extremely unpredictable. In reading this, I also discovered the many many ways sexual anatomy could be referred to. I think I lost count at a point but trust me when I say they were all equally inventive and quite appropriate. Lol!
There were many "OMG what?!" reveals that knocked me sideways and I loved each and everyone of them. The biggest of which was discovering the intricacies of Nathan's escape/revenge plan. He was such a courageous man, using his wit, charm and sheer will to find ways out of his predicament. The plan was meticulous, ingenious and so precise that there was no way out for that bastard.
To add in the fact that Nathan found an HEA with the unlikeliest person you could imagine had me smiling all the way to the last word of the book.
This was my first book by the author and if this is any indication for the manner of writing and storytelling to be expected, I'll definitely be sticking around.
*** eARC was Graciously Provided by The Publisher, DSP Publications in Exchange For An Honest Review ***
June 11, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
If Veerkamp hammers one point home in this story, it’s that our poor hero, Nathan, gets the shit end of all the sticks. First, Nathan gets outed as being gay in his home country where being gay is very much a taboo and Nathan’s father and brothers are absolute pricks about it. Then, his marriage to Rother fails to conform to a single one of Deilian’s own rules when it comes to marriages of the nobility (of which Nathan is a member). After that, there is a brief reprieve where Nathan is damn chipper about making his marriage work despite not knowing a thing about his husband—and that quickly evaporates when Nathan learns Rother not only has a temper, but egregious double standards and a mean streak a mile wide.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
If Veerkamp hammers one point home in this story, it’s that our poor hero, Nathan, gets the shit end of all the sticks. First, Nathan gets outed as being gay in his home country where being gay is very much a taboo and Nathan’s father and brothers are absolute pricks about it. Then, his marriage to Rother fails to conform to a single one of Deilian’s own rules when it comes to marriages of the nobility (of which Nathan is a member). After that, there is a brief reprieve where Nathan is damn chipper about making his marriage work despite not knowing a thing about his husband—and that quickly evaporates when Nathan learns Rother not only has a temper, but egregious double standards and a mean streak a mile wide.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
April 23, 2019
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Innocence and Carnality, by J. Alan Veerkamp
★★★★★
348 Pages
POV: 1st person, one character
Content Warning: violence, cheating, domestic abuse, brothel that caters to BDSM/age play etc off page, May/Dec
Innocence and Carnality is an intricate web of plots, lies, twists and turns. It's full of intrigue and deception. It's about Nathan as a boy becoming a man, as a man becoming a husband, and as a noble casting off the lessons of his upbringing to forge his own path. And I loved every second of it!
I can't even describe to you how I feel about it. This book was...everything it said it was in the blurb, and so much more! It was just...everything. It was steampunk, it was historical victoriana, it was surprising, shocking, laugh-out-loud, charming, feisty, melted pages, and somehow still managed to be dark and edgy and everything I didn't know I wanted, when I started reading.
It has some dark themes, for sure, but nothing that a neophyte like me couldn't handle, because I just don't read dark. But I did read this book. I read it and I'm buying the paperback so that I can read it again. It's got control, manipulation, blackmail, cheating, domestic abuse, and a brothel that caters to all sorts, including age play and BDSM. There's a May/Dec romance and the struggles of class, age, and social standing. Of looking beyond yourself and what is familiar to adapt to the new. Of accepting a huge change and not falling apart. And, there is violence. It's not excessive, but you need to know its there.
First off, I have to confess that I was a bit on the fence during the first 5%. I wasn't overly keen on Nathan, who was a bit whiny and useless. He couldn't take care of himself, he was naive and innocent and ignorant of so much. He was placid at times, feisty and sarcastic at others, and I didn't know what to make of them.
Then in walked Rother. The brutal efficiency of their arranged marriage, the steaming chemistry between this older man and innocent virgin, and the subtle word play they exchanged was amazing. I could feel this sizzle between them from the first instant, but I also felt a little bit something dark and broody, something improper and beyond Nathan's understanding in Rother.
When it comes to characters, I fell HARD for Nathan. I mean, things started off shaky, then he grew on me and now he's this precious feisty little puppy that grew into a wolf and I feel all mama-bear proud of him for that. I fell madly in love with Harston and I would want him to have his own book if that last chapter didn't just give me exactly what I wanted. I can't even begin to explain to you how I feel about Blythe, except to say...I want one! He can be my shadow any day of the week.
Things took a shocking turn at about 30-40% and I knew exactly what I wanted to happen and, for once, the author gave me EVERYTHING I wanted and more. If it was a murder mystery, you would say that I guessed the killer at this point, because I was spot on. But it wasn't predictable. It was just what I wanted for Nathan. What he deserved! That poor baby was so friggin' brave and strong and amazing that he deserved everything he got to have, in the end.
Beyond that...my lips are sealed!
Yup. I'm not telling you anything, because 1) you wouldn't believe me 2) you have to read it for yourself 3) you NEED to experience this roller-coaster of emotion firsthand and 4) there are so many twists, turns and sneaky little pieces of darkness that talking about what they are or where they lead would be cruel. I'd be denying you the experience of reading this book. And I won't do that.
You. Need. To. Read. This. Book!
~
Favourite Quotes
“The day's horror bled out of me with his touch, his possessive want. I wasn't a victim anymore. I wasn't the pawn in a criminal pissing match. I was the man losing himself to a passion I'd never been given permission to ask for, and I accepted it with abandon.”
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Innocence and Carnality, by J. Alan Veerkamp
★★★★★
348 Pages
POV: 1st person, one character
Content Warning: violence, cheating, domestic abuse, brothel that caters to BDSM/age play etc off page, May/Dec
Innocence and Carnality is an intricate web of plots, lies, twists and turns. It's full of intrigue and deception. It's about Nathan as a boy becoming a man, as a man becoming a husband, and as a noble casting off the lessons of his upbringing to forge his own path. And I loved every second of it!
I can't even describe to you how I feel about it. This book was...everything it said it was in the blurb, and so much more! It was just...everything. It was steampunk, it was historical victoriana, it was surprising, shocking, laugh-out-loud, charming, feisty, melted pages, and somehow still managed to be dark and edgy and everything I didn't know I wanted, when I started reading.
It has some dark themes, for sure, but nothing that a neophyte like me couldn't handle, because I just don't read dark. But I did read this book. I read it and I'm buying the paperback so that I can read it again. It's got control, manipulation, blackmail, cheating, domestic abuse, and a brothel that caters to all sorts, including age play and BDSM. There's a May/Dec romance and the struggles of class, age, and social standing. Of looking beyond yourself and what is familiar to adapt to the new. Of accepting a huge change and not falling apart. And, there is violence. It's not excessive, but you need to know its there.
First off, I have to confess that I was a bit on the fence during the first 5%. I wasn't overly keen on Nathan, who was a bit whiny and useless. He couldn't take care of himself, he was naive and innocent and ignorant of so much. He was placid at times, feisty and sarcastic at others, and I didn't know what to make of them.
Then in walked Rother. The brutal efficiency of their arranged marriage, the steaming chemistry between this older man and innocent virgin, and the subtle word play they exchanged was amazing. I could feel this sizzle between them from the first instant, but I also felt a little bit something dark and broody, something improper and beyond Nathan's understanding in Rother.
When it comes to characters, I fell HARD for Nathan. I mean, things started off shaky, then he grew on me and now he's this precious feisty little puppy that grew into a wolf and I feel all mama-bear proud of him for that. I fell madly in love with Harston and I would want him to have his own book if that last chapter didn't just give me exactly what I wanted. I can't even begin to explain to you how I feel about Blythe, except to say...I want one! He can be my shadow any day of the week.
Things took a shocking turn at about 30-40% and I knew exactly what I wanted to happen and, for once, the author gave me EVERYTHING I wanted and more. If it was a murder mystery, you would say that I guessed the killer at this point, because I was spot on. But it wasn't predictable. It was just what I wanted for Nathan. What he deserved! That poor baby was so friggin' brave and strong and amazing that he deserved everything he got to have, in the end.
Beyond that...my lips are sealed!
Yup. I'm not telling you anything, because 1) you wouldn't believe me 2) you have to read it for yourself 3) you NEED to experience this roller-coaster of emotion firsthand and 4) there are so many twists, turns and sneaky little pieces of darkness that talking about what they are or where they lead would be cruel. I'd be denying you the experience of reading this book. And I won't do that.
You. Need. To. Read. This. Book!
~
Favourite Quotes
“The day's horror bled out of me with his touch, his possessive want. I wasn't a victim anymore. I wasn't the pawn in a criminal pissing match. I was the man losing himself to a passion I'd never been given permission to ask for, and I accepted it with abandon.”
October 17, 2021
3.5 stars
Oh this is going so hard to review... even with my usual brevity.
I went back and forth, back and forth, between enjoyment and frustration. The story was in desperate need of more world building. It felt more like a stage play at times. On the other hand, the author has a masterful grasp of language, at which I thoroughly marveled and was grateful. Very well edited, too. Then we have far too much tell and not enough show at times that slowed the pacing to a snail stroll and caused me to skim. I both liked and didn't like the book depending upon the chapter I was reading. I thought the actions leading to plot outcome and the ending itself somewhere between clever and a bit too convenient. Maybe it's me and not the book. I just don't know.
I'm just getting off the train now and calling my rating a B-. Meaning I would try this author again in the future.
Oh this is going so hard to review... even with my usual brevity.
I went back and forth, back and forth, between enjoyment and frustration. The story was in desperate need of more world building. It felt more like a stage play at times. On the other hand, the author has a masterful grasp of language, at which I thoroughly marveled and was grateful. Very well edited, too. Then we have far too much tell and not enough show at times that slowed the pacing to a snail stroll and caused me to skim. I both liked and didn't like the book depending upon the chapter I was reading. I thought the actions leading to plot outcome and the ending itself somewhere between clever and a bit too convenient. Maybe it's me and not the book. I just don't know.
I'm just getting off the train now and calling my rating a B-. Meaning I would try this author again in the future.
December 5, 2022
Nathan, the MC and POV character, is a young man in a society so homophobic he's obliged to wear a chastity belt. (Potential for so. much. kink!) He's sent into an arranged marriage to a lord from a nonhomophobic country where there's much less emphasis on protocol and hierarchy. And he loves to make clockwork devices -- neat hobby, check!
This really, really, really could have been my jam -- gaslamp, strangers to lovers, constraint giving way to freedom. Here's the thing, though -- if you're going to write in a formal, slightly stiff, Victorian-ish register, you have got to have perfect or near perfect pitch for it. The syntax, the diction, the vocabulary: they all have to be in place. Veerkamp hasn't got it. "I was being shipped off with a precursory [wedding] ceremony" -- I think he meant "cursory"? Obligations are laid at Nathan's feet -- uh, no: the image of things being laid at one's feet originates in the idea of tributes being laid at the feet of a "great man" or a memorial. It's not a different way of saying "noblesse oblige," i.e. "rank has its obligations." Nathan rebuilds a music box to "play a complex symphony." Um. It's a music box. Unless you, the author, tell me more about how music boxes work in the universe you're building, it's a music box more or less like the ones we have in our world, and no, it can't be made to play a symphony. (Woodwinds! Brass! Percussion! ... Maybe a symphony made of up of nothing but xylophones?)
Yes, all those are trivial taken one by one. The trouble is they add up.
The characterizations weren't making a lot of sense to me either, but the technical problems were what drove me out of the book; if the language had been better, I'd have stuck around to find out what was up. As it was, reading was like being poked with sharp sticks over and over and over again. Dammit.
This really, really, really could have been my jam -- gaslamp, strangers to lovers, constraint giving way to freedom. Here's the thing, though -- if you're going to write in a formal, slightly stiff, Victorian-ish register, you have got to have perfect or near perfect pitch for it. The syntax, the diction, the vocabulary: they all have to be in place. Veerkamp hasn't got it. "I was being shipped off with a precursory [wedding] ceremony" -- I think he meant "cursory"? Obligations are laid at Nathan's feet -- uh, no: the image of things being laid at one's feet originates in the idea of tributes being laid at the feet of a "great man" or a memorial. It's not a different way of saying "noblesse oblige," i.e. "rank has its obligations." Nathan rebuilds a music box to "play a complex symphony." Um. It's a music box. Unless you, the author, tell me more about how music boxes work in the universe you're building, it's a music box more or less like the ones we have in our world, and no, it can't be made to play a symphony. (Woodwinds! Brass! Percussion! ... Maybe a symphony made of up of nothing but xylophones?)
Yes, all those are trivial taken one by one. The trouble is they add up.
The characterizations weren't making a lot of sense to me either, but the technical problems were what drove me out of the book; if the language had been better, I'd have stuck around to find out what was up. As it was, reading was like being poked with sharp sticks over and over and over again. Dammit.
June 15, 2019
It's been several years since I first read this novel in serial form, and it remains one of my all-time favorites.
I was absolutely addicted to this serial about a sheltered young man who is made to enter an arranged marriage with a charismatic and dangerous man.
It is suspenseful, lurid, witty, dry, romantic, brutal, and creative. The character of Nathan has a very distinct voice, and his adventures/struggles are fascinating. The author has also created a nuanced villain who is a textbook malignant narcissist (or at least that's what I believe he'd be classified as on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, since I actually don't read any psychology textbooks but trust anything Vincent D'Onofrio says).
Nathan is beautiful and sheltered and constantly underestimated, but he manages to triumph and by the end of the book it is hard not to admire him as he engineers complete and total revenge against his nemesis. His love interest, Blythe, is a wonderful character, a musclebound, unrepentant manwhore whose devotion to Nathan is about as romantic as it gets.
Triggers:
I was absolutely addicted to this serial about a sheltered young man who is made to enter an arranged marriage with a charismatic and dangerous man.
It is suspenseful, lurid, witty, dry, romantic, brutal, and creative. The character of Nathan has a very distinct voice, and his adventures/struggles are fascinating. The author has also created a nuanced villain who is a textbook malignant narcissist (or at least that's what I believe he'd be classified as on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, since I actually don't read any psychology textbooks but trust anything Vincent D'Onofrio says).
Nathan is beautiful and sheltered and constantly underestimated, but he manages to triumph and by the end of the book it is hard not to admire him as he engineers complete and total revenge against his nemesis. His love interest, Blythe, is a wonderful character, a musclebound, unrepentant manwhore whose devotion to Nathan is about as romantic as it gets.
Triggers:
March 1, 2020
The idea that we are in charge of our own destinies is very Western but, as this story shows, there are some people who end up wanting to be in charge of their own lives no matter what society they were raised in. While this story’s exact setting remains unclear, for most of the book the “feel” I got was that of a steampunk world with Victorian morality and principles in some societies, an openly decadent lifestyle in others. Nobility rules the day, arranged marriages are the norm for anyone of rank, and being different in any way is not acceptable.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 9, 2020
So good.
May 24, 2019
So I was in the middle of writing this and fell asleep. Lol. BUT my opinion has definitely not changed. I'm kind of glad I did fall asleep, so maybe now I can better gather my thoughts. I am completely blown away by this book. Completely. It's just freaking awesome.
BUT! Triggers! This deals with some brutality. Death, beatings, branding, manipulations, etc. Even though it is a romance, it's a darker one. But if you can get past the triggers, it's so worth it.
If you guys don't pick this book up, you are severely missing out. It will make you rage, cry, and run through the gambit of emotions. But it's worth it. It's so worth it.
Nathan comes from the nobler societies. Where everything has to be just so and going to the bathroom seems like a grand affair. Well, that part for Nathan is horrible, considering his stuck in a chastity belt and has been for a few years. All in the guise of making sure Nathan stays pure. He's been the pariah of the family, since discovered he likes men instead of women. To the point, his own father won't have anything to do with him. His brothers torment and his mother is…..well, a follower. Now Nathan is being told he's getting married and the next day, and his voice doesn't matter. Once married, he's shipped away with his husband to a land he's never known. The marriage night makes things seem like they're off to a good start, until they come out of the clouds and real life begins again.
Rother, his husband, hid what he does for a living, and now Nathan knows. He's never been more shocked. And Rother has quickly changed. What he thought would be a good marriage, has quickly become a nightmare. He tries to adjust the best he can, with the help of some people he didn't expect it from. But unfortunately, some help couldn't be in time. Rother has completely changed and not for the good. Nathan now has to figure out how to survive and move forward before things take a fatal turn.
Oh my gah, Nathan. If ever a man needed some love and support. I hated his family right off the bat. Especially when everyone decided he was lower than dirt when discovered he was gay. His father was the lowest of low. (He gets his, but I'm not telling). I understood some of it to a point. Being of nobler family lines, they had to act a certain way. But then again, I never understood that to begin with. But such is the way of the world. It's still that way today. When Rother finally showed up, I was so happy for Nathan. The way the kind of interacted at first, it seemed like it would be good for Nathan. And Rother would get Nathan away from his family. He'd be free. Finally. Nathan would be able to blossom fully and be himself.
But that's not the way it turned. I'm glad for Blythe and Alexandra. For Nathan's sake, he had some support. And because of all Nathan was going through, he learned to straighten that backbone of his and devised a plan. It would save almost everyone.
What impressed me the most with this book was in fact Nathan and his old friend and valet, Harston. Even Blythe and Alexandra. These guys have been through hell. Rother wasn't making it easier. He made things worse. So much worse. But through it all, they survived. They did what they had to. Even acting like a clueless Noble, to appease things. They found their own family, support and love. They held secrets but they did all they could to make things better. Even at their worst.
I hope I've written this book in a good light. Sometimes I can't gather my thoughts the way I need to to accurately describe a book without giving it away. At the end of the day, all I can say is read this book. If you don't, you are missing out on a hell of an experience.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
BUT! Triggers! This deals with some brutality. Death, beatings, branding, manipulations, etc. Even though it is a romance, it's a darker one. But if you can get past the triggers, it's so worth it.
If you guys don't pick this book up, you are severely missing out. It will make you rage, cry, and run through the gambit of emotions. But it's worth it. It's so worth it.
Nathan comes from the nobler societies. Where everything has to be just so and going to the bathroom seems like a grand affair. Well, that part for Nathan is horrible, considering his stuck in a chastity belt and has been for a few years. All in the guise of making sure Nathan stays pure. He's been the pariah of the family, since discovered he likes men instead of women. To the point, his own father won't have anything to do with him. His brothers torment and his mother is…..well, a follower. Now Nathan is being told he's getting married and the next day, and his voice doesn't matter. Once married, he's shipped away with his husband to a land he's never known. The marriage night makes things seem like they're off to a good start, until they come out of the clouds and real life begins again.
Rother, his husband, hid what he does for a living, and now Nathan knows. He's never been more shocked. And Rother has quickly changed. What he thought would be a good marriage, has quickly become a nightmare. He tries to adjust the best he can, with the help of some people he didn't expect it from. But unfortunately, some help couldn't be in time. Rother has completely changed and not for the good. Nathan now has to figure out how to survive and move forward before things take a fatal turn.
Oh my gah, Nathan. If ever a man needed some love and support. I hated his family right off the bat. Especially when everyone decided he was lower than dirt when discovered he was gay. His father was the lowest of low. (He gets his, but I'm not telling). I understood some of it to a point. Being of nobler family lines, they had to act a certain way. But then again, I never understood that to begin with. But such is the way of the world. It's still that way today. When Rother finally showed up, I was so happy for Nathan. The way the kind of interacted at first, it seemed like it would be good for Nathan. And Rother would get Nathan away from his family. He'd be free. Finally. Nathan would be able to blossom fully and be himself.
But that's not the way it turned. I'm glad for Blythe and Alexandra. For Nathan's sake, he had some support. And because of all Nathan was going through, he learned to straighten that backbone of his and devised a plan. It would save almost everyone.
What impressed me the most with this book was in fact Nathan and his old friend and valet, Harston. Even Blythe and Alexandra. These guys have been through hell. Rother wasn't making it easier. He made things worse. So much worse. But through it all, they survived. They did what they had to. Even acting like a clueless Noble, to appease things. They found their own family, support and love. They held secrets but they did all they could to make things better. Even at their worst.
I hope I've written this book in a good light. Sometimes I can't gather my thoughts the way I need to to accurately describe a book without giving it away. At the end of the day, all I can say is read this book. If you don't, you are missing out on a hell of an experience.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/
June 4, 2019
Full review available at: https://optimumm.blog/2019/04/24/revi...
I loved reading Innocence and Carnality by J. Alan Veerkamp. It’s the first time that I’ve read a book by this author. I can tell you that it won’t be the last time that I read a book by this author. I was captivated by the cover. It reminds me of the covers for steampunk books with the gears being in it and that it had a historical feel to it. Like the Harlequin romances that I liked to read before I got into reading primarily MM books. And I will admit to one-clicking more than a few books just by how much I like the cover. And the blurb when I read it only made me want to read it more. Who doesn’t like a nobleman that’s been made to stay in a chastity belt to ensure his innocence when in the era of dowries and advantageous marriages? I know that I do. One of my favorite movies is Men in Tights, and Maid Marian wears a chastity belt to ensure her innocence before her marriage. Which was a good thing because she was a horny young woman when she meets Robin Hood. But I digress, back to the story.
I loved Nathan and how he grew up as a member of the Deilian aristocracy. At age fifteen, they have their blood tested by the apothecary to have their futures read in a manner of speaking. It comes out that Nathan is a homosexual and it created a terrible scandal. He’s kept in a gilded cage of propriety and fitted with a chastity belt and given lessons that are normally given to the females of the house instead of the lessons given to the males of the house. And as soon as his parents find him a potential partner, they marry him off. The Deilian aristocracy is very much about sex for procreation only after they had a virus that wiped out most of their race. So Nathan has no other value being unable to reproduce than finding a marriage from somebody that is not a Deilian. That recipient is Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III from the land of Marisol. Which is very much different from what Nathan is used to on Deilia. I loved that Nathan got to take his valet and personal servant, Harston with him. I loved Harston and would love to see him find his happy ending.
I liked Lord Rother at first. He came off as being possessive of his new husband, but he gave the impression that he was someone that Nathan could fall in love with. But the more Nathan got to know him the more he was able to see just what kind of person Lord Rother was and the only person that Lord Rother can love is himself. I did love Alexandra and Blythe, and I hated Vivian, and I am so glad she got what was coming to her in the end. Such a manipulative, nasty, vindictive person. I didn’t like Blythe at the beginning of the story. I found him vulgar and common and kind of a brutish man, which makes sense since he’s Rother’s bodyguard. He did grow on me, and I fell in love with him and his loyal heart.
I loved watching Nathan as he came into his own person and all of the twists and turns that happened in the book. There is cheating in this book, so if you don’t like to read a book that has cheating in it, then this book is not for you. I found the cheating to be justified in this book since both parties in the relationship are cheating. There is also BDSM used by a secondary character on another secondary character.
***The ARC was provided by DSP Publication . My review is an honest opinion of the book ***
I loved reading Innocence and Carnality by J. Alan Veerkamp. It’s the first time that I’ve read a book by this author. I can tell you that it won’t be the last time that I read a book by this author. I was captivated by the cover. It reminds me of the covers for steampunk books with the gears being in it and that it had a historical feel to it. Like the Harlequin romances that I liked to read before I got into reading primarily MM books. And I will admit to one-clicking more than a few books just by how much I like the cover. And the blurb when I read it only made me want to read it more. Who doesn’t like a nobleman that’s been made to stay in a chastity belt to ensure his innocence when in the era of dowries and advantageous marriages? I know that I do. One of my favorite movies is Men in Tights, and Maid Marian wears a chastity belt to ensure her innocence before her marriage. Which was a good thing because she was a horny young woman when she meets Robin Hood. But I digress, back to the story.
I loved Nathan and how he grew up as a member of the Deilian aristocracy. At age fifteen, they have their blood tested by the apothecary to have their futures read in a manner of speaking. It comes out that Nathan is a homosexual and it created a terrible scandal. He’s kept in a gilded cage of propriety and fitted with a chastity belt and given lessons that are normally given to the females of the house instead of the lessons given to the males of the house. And as soon as his parents find him a potential partner, they marry him off. The Deilian aristocracy is very much about sex for procreation only after they had a virus that wiped out most of their race. So Nathan has no other value being unable to reproduce than finding a marriage from somebody that is not a Deilian. That recipient is Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III from the land of Marisol. Which is very much different from what Nathan is used to on Deilia. I loved that Nathan got to take his valet and personal servant, Harston with him. I loved Harston and would love to see him find his happy ending.
I liked Lord Rother at first. He came off as being possessive of his new husband, but he gave the impression that he was someone that Nathan could fall in love with. But the more Nathan got to know him the more he was able to see just what kind of person Lord Rother was and the only person that Lord Rother can love is himself. I did love Alexandra and Blythe, and I hated Vivian, and I am so glad she got what was coming to her in the end. Such a manipulative, nasty, vindictive person. I didn’t like Blythe at the beginning of the story. I found him vulgar and common and kind of a brutish man, which makes sense since he’s Rother’s bodyguard. He did grow on me, and I fell in love with him and his loyal heart.
I loved watching Nathan as he came into his own person and all of the twists and turns that happened in the book. There is cheating in this book, so if you don’t like to read a book that has cheating in it, then this book is not for you. I found the cheating to be justified in this book since both parties in the relationship are cheating. There is also BDSM used by a secondary character on another secondary character.
***The ARC was provided by DSP Publication . My review is an honest opinion of the book ***
June 15, 2020
What a freaking ride! Some of the people in this story are decent human beings, but not many. Conniving, scheming, abusive, egotistical, manipulative bastards are thick on the ground, both in Deilia and in Marisol. And those who are manipulated had better learn, and learn quickly, how to save themselves, because those in power certainly aren't going to trouble themselves to do it. And it is
freaking amazing
when the innocents learn. I'll be looking for more by this author!
March 28, 2019
Review at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
ARC provided by DSP Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by DSP Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2019
5 Hearts reviewed by Pixie for MM Good Book Reviews
Click the link to take part in the blog tour with $10 DSPP GC Giveaway! (ends 6th May 2019)
Wow! This story blew me away with its twists and turns.
Innocence & Carnality starts out as expected for a historical setting story, a young stripling told point blank that he will be marrying a man of his father’s choice and he’d better like it or else. Then said young man comes over all aflutter when first meeting his husband to be, being swept off his feet by an older man who oozes carnal delights, and then rushed through marriage and dropped into a setting he is too innocent to understand. And that’s when things start to get juicy and veers off from a standard historical.
Nathan is the young man in question, after the first couple of days with his new husband he has high hopes but they are swiftly dashed, he gets a brutal awakening as to what his husband is really like and our young Nathan starts to plot.
Rother is the man who had to have Nathan after seeing just one picture, he’s a ruthless man who knows how to get what he wants and he never allows anyone to get the best of him.
When I first started reading this I expected it to follow the normal historical formula, young innocent breaking through to the ruthless lords’ heart and softening his outlook, well I was swiftly disabused of that notion as it is Nathan who comes into his own and changes vastly from the innocent young man we first meet.
All the characters in this story stand out in their own ways, each one vibrant with their personalities, and whether you like them or not each one leaves a mark in your mind. There are some characters you end up adoring who you weren’t sure of in the beginning, others earn your scorn and hate even though at first they appealed to you.
The rich settings have you plunging into the story, with a few well-placed words you’re in an office, a bedroom, a hallway, a salon, walking down a busy street or a quiet shop. We are treated to an amazing story that surprises at turns and shocks with its twists, it has vices and violence that has your eyes widening and yes there are some scenes of brutality.
One thing I want to say is don’t be put off if you hear about the cheating, I’m one for turning my nose up at cheating in a story and I take a very dim view of it but with this story it is essential and makes the story what it is.
I'm not gonna delve further into the story as it really does need to be discovered by yourself, but I will say it's thoroughly enjoyable that I had a very hard time putting down.
This story isn’t about hearts and flowers, it’s not about first loves and breaking through someones toughened shell, it’s about surviving a situation that looks bleak, it’s about playing the game until you can turn the tables, and it’s about striving to make your own life on your terms.
J. Alan Veerkamp has written a story that drags you along on a journey that you just don’t know where it’s going or how it’s going to end, and you’ll love every minute of it.
Click the link to take part in the blog tour with $10 DSPP GC Giveaway! (ends 6th May 2019)
Wow! This story blew me away with its twists and turns.
Innocence & Carnality starts out as expected for a historical setting story, a young stripling told point blank that he will be marrying a man of his father’s choice and he’d better like it or else. Then said young man comes over all aflutter when first meeting his husband to be, being swept off his feet by an older man who oozes carnal delights, and then rushed through marriage and dropped into a setting he is too innocent to understand. And that’s when things start to get juicy and veers off from a standard historical.
Nathan is the young man in question, after the first couple of days with his new husband he has high hopes but they are swiftly dashed, he gets a brutal awakening as to what his husband is really like and our young Nathan starts to plot.
Rother is the man who had to have Nathan after seeing just one picture, he’s a ruthless man who knows how to get what he wants and he never allows anyone to get the best of him.
When I first started reading this I expected it to follow the normal historical formula, young innocent breaking through to the ruthless lords’ heart and softening his outlook, well I was swiftly disabused of that notion as it is Nathan who comes into his own and changes vastly from the innocent young man we first meet.
All the characters in this story stand out in their own ways, each one vibrant with their personalities, and whether you like them or not each one leaves a mark in your mind. There are some characters you end up adoring who you weren’t sure of in the beginning, others earn your scorn and hate even though at first they appealed to you.
The rich settings have you plunging into the story, with a few well-placed words you’re in an office, a bedroom, a hallway, a salon, walking down a busy street or a quiet shop. We are treated to an amazing story that surprises at turns and shocks with its twists, it has vices and violence that has your eyes widening and yes there are some scenes of brutality.
One thing I want to say is don’t be put off if you hear about the cheating, I’m one for turning my nose up at cheating in a story and I take a very dim view of it but with this story it is essential and makes the story what it is.
I'm not gonna delve further into the story as it really does need to be discovered by yourself, but I will say it's thoroughly enjoyable that I had a very hard time putting down.
This story isn’t about hearts and flowers, it’s not about first loves and breaking through someones toughened shell, it’s about surviving a situation that looks bleak, it’s about playing the game until you can turn the tables, and it’s about striving to make your own life on your terms.
J. Alan Veerkamp has written a story that drags you along on a journey that you just don’t know where it’s going or how it’s going to end, and you’ll love every minute of it.
April 24, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in one day (when I should have been cleaning). I really appreciated all the characters and the fact that the author made an effort to make supporting and minor characters interesting, living people as opposed to props that advanced the story. The writing was great and flowed nicely, the only things I noticed was the many, many different words used to describe various genitalia and a prostate referred to as a "walnut" which made me chuckle.
The banter was on point, the sex was hot, the plot was good and had me guessing for a while. I enjoyed the dynamic between all the characters (even though sometimes it was rough). I liked that the plot was more complex than we usually get in this genre outside of mysteries. I liked that the antagonist wasn't immediately apparent.
Just very well done all around. I've added it to my favorites and I really hope this author produces more stories like this!
The banter was on point, the sex was hot, the plot was good and had me guessing for a while. I enjoyed the dynamic between all the characters (even though sometimes it was rough). I liked that the plot was more complex than we usually get in this genre outside of mysteries. I liked that the antagonist wasn't immediately apparent.
Just very well done all around. I've added it to my favorites and I really hope this author produces more stories like this!
July 15, 2021
I liked this book but, ooooof, it needed some CW/TWs! Both the cover and description led me to believe I was heading into a romance novel, but this is not that. This is a story about surviving parental and spousal abuse. Veerkamp is a very talented writer and he builds a world that is both fantastic and terrifying. Nathan is a believable character, as is Rother. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and this is a page turner. I just wish I had been prepared for the graphic descriptions of spousal abuse and threats of sexual assault. Take care before picking this one up!
January 4, 2020
Intriguing Fantasy World
This is a beautifully written story that is set in a fantasy world where gay marriage is the norm in one country and not in another. There so many unexpected twists and turns. The reader cannot predict the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This is a beautifully written story that is set in a fantasy world where gay marriage is the norm in one country and not in another. There so many unexpected twists and turns. The reader cannot predict the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
November 11, 2020
MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING NEEDED FOR THIS BOOK.
The trouble is, the trigger warning needed is for a plot twist that is clearly intended to be a clever surprise. I really can't abide that though. I'm leaving this without a spoiler tag to increase visibility, but BE AWARE there is a significant plot twist at the halfway point of the book that I will partially SPOIL further down in this review. I dont know how else to do this. If you feel you may need a content warning, I would urge you to keep reading, with the understanding that I share some significant information about the shape of the plot.
I came across this book in the context of it being a romance. I went in with the conventions of romance uppermost in my mind... namely that there would be a happy ending for a love story (which there is) and that there would be a good faith effort on the author's part to provide two leads who generally deserve that happy ending together. For that reason, the love interest for the first half of the book reads to me as a clumsy, overbearing man that only needs a bit of growth to become a better person. He's certainly making errors, but he's also charming in a standoffish, macho sort of way... a rather classic kind of romantic hero. That's not who he is. At the halfway point of the book, he descends into full-throated domestic violence, assaulting the main character (his now husband) and terrorizing him for the entire second half of the book. The man I thought was the love interest becomes the central villain at the halfway point, and the tension of living under the control of a cruel, violent man is the reality of every other important character until the very end of the story. This abuse is painted in vivid detail. This puts a reader like me in a terrible position of having made excuses for this character for some time, believing the plot was leading me to his heart of gold, and then having my trust used against me as I watch him violate, and continue to violate, a character I've come to care about. I was blindsided by the very intimate violence the MC had to endure. To treat this reader experience as okay - as maybe even a cleverly done surprise - is not showing proper respect to the many readers who have lived such terror. Withholding this information isn't a clever plot twist. It's a violation of reader consent in a way that shows a particular disregard for folks who have lived certain traumas. Domestic violence is not appropriate reader surprise material.
It is otherwise a decently clever steampunk romance with a focus on intrigue. I do enjoy the main character. I appreciate the lessons he ultimately learns about what morality means to him, and about finding love outside his expectations. The worldbuilding is competent and the found family feeling is somewhat satisfying, even if its driven primarily by coexisting under intense cruelty. The MC does get his happy ending, after a gut-wrenching experience, and after falling for a character who appears to have minor significance for the first half of the book. Sex work is a prominent activity, and while the sex scenes themselves are quite hot, I'm not pleased with the disregard and derision leveled at sex work as a whole. It's treated very poorly. Also, in nearly the last chapter, the villain busts out with the r-slur, repeatedly. There is zero need to be that lazy with language in an alternate steampunk fantasy world when many other word options would do.
If domestic violence is manageable content for you personally to read about, you may well enjoy this story. It's just a real shame that the content wasn't forefronted in a responsible way.
The trouble is, the trigger warning needed is for a plot twist that is clearly intended to be a clever surprise. I really can't abide that though. I'm leaving this without a spoiler tag to increase visibility, but BE AWARE there is a significant plot twist at the halfway point of the book that I will partially SPOIL further down in this review. I dont know how else to do this. If you feel you may need a content warning, I would urge you to keep reading, with the understanding that I share some significant information about the shape of the plot.
I came across this book in the context of it being a romance. I went in with the conventions of romance uppermost in my mind... namely that there would be a happy ending for a love story (which there is) and that there would be a good faith effort on the author's part to provide two leads who generally deserve that happy ending together. For that reason, the love interest for the first half of the book reads to me as a clumsy, overbearing man that only needs a bit of growth to become a better person. He's certainly making errors, but he's also charming in a standoffish, macho sort of way... a rather classic kind of romantic hero. That's not who he is. At the halfway point of the book, he descends into full-throated domestic violence, assaulting the main character (his now husband) and terrorizing him for the entire second half of the book. The man I thought was the love interest becomes the central villain at the halfway point, and the tension of living under the control of a cruel, violent man is the reality of every other important character until the very end of the story. This abuse is painted in vivid detail. This puts a reader like me in a terrible position of having made excuses for this character for some time, believing the plot was leading me to his heart of gold, and then having my trust used against me as I watch him violate, and continue to violate, a character I've come to care about. I was blindsided by the very intimate violence the MC had to endure. To treat this reader experience as okay - as maybe even a cleverly done surprise - is not showing proper respect to the many readers who have lived such terror. Withholding this information isn't a clever plot twist. It's a violation of reader consent in a way that shows a particular disregard for folks who have lived certain traumas. Domestic violence is not appropriate reader surprise material.
It is otherwise a decently clever steampunk romance with a focus on intrigue. I do enjoy the main character. I appreciate the lessons he ultimately learns about what morality means to him, and about finding love outside his expectations. The worldbuilding is competent and the found family feeling is somewhat satisfying, even if its driven primarily by coexisting under intense cruelty. The MC does get his happy ending, after a gut-wrenching experience, and after falling for a character who appears to have minor significance for the first half of the book. Sex work is a prominent activity, and while the sex scenes themselves are quite hot, I'm not pleased with the disregard and derision leveled at sex work as a whole. It's treated very poorly. Also, in nearly the last chapter, the villain busts out with the r-slur, repeatedly. There is zero need to be that lazy with language in an alternate steampunk fantasy world when many other word options would do.
If domestic violence is manageable content for you personally to read about, you may well enjoy this story. It's just a real shame that the content wasn't forefronted in a responsible way.
March 1, 2020
The idea that we are in charge of our own destinies is very Western but, as this story shows, there are some people who end up wanting to be in charge of their own lives no matter what society they were raised in. While this story’s exact setting remains unclear, for most of the book the “feel” I got was that of a steampunk world with Victorian morality and principles in some societies, an openly decadent lifestyle in others. Nobility rules the day, arranged marriages are the norm for anyone of rank, and being different in any way is not acceptable.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
gave-up-on
September 20, 2021I started reading this book, but after reading reviews, I stopped because I really don't think the themes are for me.
September 18, 2019
Nathan is a bird in a gilded cage. A member of the Deilian aristocracy, his life is proscribed by a series of rigid rules. But something goes horribly wrong when his “inclination” is discovered—that is, his homosexuality. Suddenly he has become the black sheep of his family, and his future looks bleak indeed, as the people of Deilia do not tolerate such behavior. Nathan’s father has him fitted with a chastity belt to keep his virtue intact until such time as he can find him someone who is willing to wed him, sacrificing his very dignity in the process.
Nathan’s father eventually comes up with a husband for his wayward son… enter Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. He shows up one day and is unlike anyone Nathan has ever met. He is quite open about being gay, and is very obviously interested in Nathan. The wedding takes place right away—this is a man who doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet when he wants something—and he whisks his handsome and innocent young husband off to the strange and seductive land of Marisol.
Delaga House is not what Nathan expected. In fact there’s no way around it, it is a bordello. With some very interesting occupants. Such as Alexandra, the very competent manager, and Blythe, the rather large bodyguard with a mind of his own and a mouth to match, and Vivian, who has a sharp tongue and an inflated sense of her own importance. Luckily, Nathan has brought his valet Harston with him, with whom he is close, someone to anchor him in this strange land.
Thanks to his strict upbringing, Nathan has trouble adjusting to the sensuality of his new life, but it feels oh so good. And just when he thinks maybe life as a married man in Marisol will be good, he the blinders torn from his eyes. Has he traded one kind of cage for another? Where can he turn and who can he trust? If he doesn’t lost his innocence and learn how to deceive, he will never survive the experience.
Innocence and Carnality is my first book by J. Alan Veerkamp, but it won’t be my last. I’ve been looking forward to reading this ever since I saw snippets of it in our writer’s group. It was well worth the wait. It’s sci fi with a definite steampunk vibe that I love. I especially loved Nathan, and enjoyed reading about his journey, and the things he had to do to survive as he became less and less innocent through necessity. The author has a wonderful writing style that flows easily, and he creates very memorable characters. The sex scenes are very hot and steamy and very explicit.
If there is a lesson one can take away from this book, perhaps it’s that there are no absolutes with good and bad, and what may seem to be good may not be, and what is looked down on as bad might be just a matter of understanding. I think this book would make an awesome movie.
In all good books, a character should grow in some way, not simply exist. Veerkamp has accomplished that with young Nathan, who not only experiences new things, but learns from them and develops as a person. You can’t help but cheer for him and hope he rises above the bad in his life in the end in order to emerge triumphant. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy men having hot steamy sex but are also a romantic heart, and liked it with a touch of sci fi.
Well done, J. Alan, well done indeed!
Nathan’s father eventually comes up with a husband for his wayward son… enter Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. He shows up one day and is unlike anyone Nathan has ever met. He is quite open about being gay, and is very obviously interested in Nathan. The wedding takes place right away—this is a man who doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet when he wants something—and he whisks his handsome and innocent young husband off to the strange and seductive land of Marisol.
Delaga House is not what Nathan expected. In fact there’s no way around it, it is a bordello. With some very interesting occupants. Such as Alexandra, the very competent manager, and Blythe, the rather large bodyguard with a mind of his own and a mouth to match, and Vivian, who has a sharp tongue and an inflated sense of her own importance. Luckily, Nathan has brought his valet Harston with him, with whom he is close, someone to anchor him in this strange land.
Thanks to his strict upbringing, Nathan has trouble adjusting to the sensuality of his new life, but it feels oh so good. And just when he thinks maybe life as a married man in Marisol will be good, he the blinders torn from his eyes. Has he traded one kind of cage for another? Where can he turn and who can he trust? If he doesn’t lost his innocence and learn how to deceive, he will never survive the experience.
Innocence and Carnality is my first book by J. Alan Veerkamp, but it won’t be my last. I’ve been looking forward to reading this ever since I saw snippets of it in our writer’s group. It was well worth the wait. It’s sci fi with a definite steampunk vibe that I love. I especially loved Nathan, and enjoyed reading about his journey, and the things he had to do to survive as he became less and less innocent through necessity. The author has a wonderful writing style that flows easily, and he creates very memorable characters. The sex scenes are very hot and steamy and very explicit.
If there is a lesson one can take away from this book, perhaps it’s that there are no absolutes with good and bad, and what may seem to be good may not be, and what is looked down on as bad might be just a matter of understanding. I think this book would make an awesome movie.
In all good books, a character should grow in some way, not simply exist. Veerkamp has accomplished that with young Nathan, who not only experiences new things, but learns from them and develops as a person. You can’t help but cheer for him and hope he rises above the bad in his life in the end in order to emerge triumphant. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy men having hot steamy sex but are also a romantic heart, and liked it with a touch of sci fi.
Well done, J. Alan, well done indeed!
June 4, 2020
This was one big disappointment. I didn't like the writing style. It felt awkward and overly flowery. I didn't like any of the characters, except maybe the valet Harston, who didn't get much attention. There was zero worldbuilding. The author obviously just had to come up with a different universe, because it wouldn't have worked in the real world. It's built around the story. I wouldn't call it Steampunk either, there's just a tiny bit of clockwork every now and then, just to give Nathan an interesting hobby. But there are no details.
The beginning was interesting but the plot got really weird fast. The ending was somewhat satisfying but couldn't make up for the confused plot for 80% of the book. I wasn't happy with the final pairing and saw absolutely no connection. The attraction came out of nowhere and made no sense to me.
Don't bother with this book if you actually want a good Steampunk setting with romance. I guess it might be okay if you're looking for an unusual romance set in an AU that might have a few Steampunk elements, if you squint real hard. I guess this author just isn't for me.
The beginning was interesting but the plot got really weird fast. The ending was somewhat satisfying but couldn't make up for the confused plot for 80% of the book. I wasn't happy with the final pairing and saw absolutely no connection. The attraction came out of nowhere and made no sense to me.
Don't bother with this book if you actually want a good Steampunk setting with romance. I guess it might be okay if you're looking for an unusual romance set in an AU that might have a few Steampunk elements, if you squint real hard. I guess this author just isn't for me.
November 11, 2021
I didn't expect for much diving into Innocence and Carnality but Oh my... was it one hell of a ride. Nathan was just THAT type of character, fleshed out, alive, almost palpable and so endearing and relatable. The plot surprised me at every turn so I'm not gonna spoil anything but I really didn't expect the way it turned out. Yet everything made sense and I just flowed with it. The writing : sharp and agreable. The pacing : perfect.
It's a little jewel of steampunky MM and I throughly enjoyed it.
It's a little jewel of steampunky MM and I throughly enjoyed it.
April 28, 2019
Wow! I loved this book and I usually don’t like steampunk at all. I absolutely fell in love with Nathan and hated what Rother did to him, Rother is a total MF that gets exactly what he deserves in the end. I was so so so happy that Nathan got his HEA and with a total sweetheart at that! I will definitely reread this one!
April 14, 2020
It pains me to have to give this book less than five stars. I absolutely adored this story until the last few chapters leading up to the climax and, after that, I almost had to give it three. After giving it a lot of thought, I decided to give it four since, despite my grievances with the latter half of the book, I did like the concluding chapter, and, overall, I [mostly] really loved this book.
At first, what really drove me to it was that it kind of reminded me a little bit of Downton Abbey, of which I am a big fan. I started reading and was immediately drawn to Harston, the MC's Nathan's valet, and their interactions. I found the whole thing sweet and charming and was pulled right in.
*The rest of this review may contain some spoilers*
The story starts to get dark, and that was when I fell in love. As someone who has suffered the trauma of an abusive relationship, I felt every ounce of that pain relived in these pages. Which was torture let me tell you, but it also had me so ingrained in the story and rooting so hard for Nathan that I could. Not. Stop. Reading. I was literally on the verge of throwing my phone (where I read books) because I was so angry and frustrated in the best way. I felt every last bit of Nathan's pain, and hatred, and hurt, and betrayal, and it elicited such an emotional response from me in a way a book hasn't done in a long time that I was even singing the author's praises on Twitter.
But then came Nathan's plan to break free. And I was excited about the plan! And I waited for the plan. I still kept on reading and waiting on that plan. Chapter upon chapter that should have been the plan launching me toward the book's climax passed at an agonizingly slow crawl where nothing really seemed to be happening and the plan was not revealed. The entire plan *happens* but only in the background while really only inconsequential things pass, and this amazing, memorable, powerful story just grinds to a screeching halt.
Because of this, the climax is essentially an entire chapter of monologuing as the characters catch the reader up on everything that's happened and what Nathan's entire plan was.
What a disappointment.
The end chapter was satisfying and summed up the fate of all the characters, so at least there was that.
In regards to the writing quality:
I found this book to be beautifully written. I loved the voice and writing style. It was easy to read and engaging, even throughout those dragging chapters. I never felt the need to skip sections.
The characters were either wonderful or terrible in a good way. With the exception of Vivian, who I found to be kind of a cheap villain, I liked them all.
That said, it needed just a little bit of editing because, several times, details ended up being repeated more than once throughout the story. Maybe that was supposed to be for the reader's benefit so they wouldn't forget? But it read more like the author forgot they'd already said something and said it again. And I don't mean those times that things were repeated for dramatic effect, but literally details that had already been covered/revealed were covered/revealed again chapters later. Sometimes I felt like I was being walloped upside the head with info I already knew.
TLDR: It's a very good book with a slow and somewhat lacking ending. I'd still recommend it to others, and I'd be interested in reading more from this author.
At first, what really drove me to it was that it kind of reminded me a little bit of Downton Abbey, of which I am a big fan. I started reading and was immediately drawn to Harston, the MC's Nathan's valet, and their interactions. I found the whole thing sweet and charming and was pulled right in.
*The rest of this review may contain some spoilers*
The story starts to get dark, and that was when I fell in love. As someone who has suffered the trauma of an abusive relationship, I felt every ounce of that pain relived in these pages. Which was torture let me tell you, but it also had me so ingrained in the story and rooting so hard for Nathan that I could. Not. Stop. Reading. I was literally on the verge of throwing my phone (where I read books) because I was so angry and frustrated in the best way. I felt every last bit of Nathan's pain, and hatred, and hurt, and betrayal, and it elicited such an emotional response from me in a way a book hasn't done in a long time that I was even singing the author's praises on Twitter.
But then came Nathan's plan to break free. And I was excited about the plan! And I waited for the plan. I still kept on reading and waiting on that plan. Chapter upon chapter that should have been the plan launching me toward the book's climax passed at an agonizingly slow crawl where nothing really seemed to be happening and the plan was not revealed. The entire plan *happens* but only in the background while really only inconsequential things pass, and this amazing, memorable, powerful story just grinds to a screeching halt.
Because of this, the climax is essentially an entire chapter of monologuing as the characters catch the reader up on everything that's happened and what Nathan's entire plan was.
What a disappointment.
The end chapter was satisfying and summed up the fate of all the characters, so at least there was that.
In regards to the writing quality:
I found this book to be beautifully written. I loved the voice and writing style. It was easy to read and engaging, even throughout those dragging chapters. I never felt the need to skip sections.
The characters were either wonderful or terrible in a good way. With the exception of Vivian, who I found to be kind of a cheap villain, I liked them all.
That said, it needed just a little bit of editing because, several times, details ended up being repeated more than once throughout the story. Maybe that was supposed to be for the reader's benefit so they wouldn't forget? But it read more like the author forgot they'd already said something and said it again. And I don't mean those times that things were repeated for dramatic effect, but literally details that had already been covered/revealed were covered/revealed again chapters later. Sometimes I felt like I was being walloped upside the head with info I already knew.
TLDR: It's a very good book with a slow and somewhat lacking ending. I'd still recommend it to others, and I'd be interested in reading more from this author.
February 9, 2020
OMGEEEEEEEE... It has been
A WHILE
since an author had me in their grasp like this. J. Alan Veerkamp had me caught in his web 🕸 from, "Who told you?" to "Go draw the water." ❤️
He spun it such that I had to read this straight through with no breaks because I simply HAD TO KNOW how it ended.
Some of it I guessed, some I saw coming; some could only be attributed to how ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL this author is at weaving a tale, how utterly magic his art with words was in this captivating prose that he TOTALLY managed to blindside me.❤️
I've been doing the M/M romance Shelf-A-Thon Challenge 2019/2020, and I feel at this point it takes so much more for me to be impressed in/by a story or the MCs, but this hit all the right notes for me and not just with the story and the MCs, but the supporting cast as well. ❤️
So, I'm going to go against everything I was originally planning to write for this review and instead take a 📄 out of other reviewers' books and leave the surprises as they are... I feel this is one of those best enjoyed as such.
Nathan ➡️ I COULD NOT STAND HIM in the beginning. I get it, product of his environment and what not, but he instilled such a strong sense of dislike in me at first, until he didn't, until someone else won that cup from him, and boy was that cup hard won!! 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬
The sex scenes... Whooo boy!!! 🔥🔥🔥☄☄☄
The secondary characters were sooo well fleshed out I fell in love with more than one.
The moments of hilarity were literally tears-in-my-eyes dying-laughing. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The scene with Finn had me wheezing!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dahvra has my ♥
The love story... Just perfection.
I'm in love with love.
This book gave me all the feelings I look for in a good story telling, which few authors do for me much anymore.
As such, I have a new favorite. 🥰🥰
He spun it such that I had to read this straight through with no breaks because I simply HAD TO KNOW how it ended.
Some of it I guessed, some I saw coming; some could only be attributed to how ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL this author is at weaving a tale, how utterly magic his art with words was in this captivating prose that he TOTALLY managed to blindside me.❤️
I've been doing the M/M romance Shelf-A-Thon Challenge 2019/2020, and I feel at this point it takes so much more for me to be impressed in/by a story or the MCs, but this hit all the right notes for me and not just with the story and the MCs, but the supporting cast as well. ❤️
So, I'm going to go against everything I was originally planning to write for this review and instead take a 📄 out of other reviewers' books and leave the surprises as they are... I feel this is one of those best enjoyed as such.
Nathan ➡️ I COULD NOT STAND HIM in the beginning. I get it, product of his environment and what not, but he instilled such a strong sense of dislike in me at first, until he didn't, until someone else won that cup from him, and boy was that cup hard won!! 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬
The sex scenes... Whooo boy!!! 🔥🔥🔥☄☄☄
The secondary characters were sooo well fleshed out I fell in love with more than one.
The moments of hilarity were literally tears-in-my-eyes dying-laughing. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The scene with Finn had me wheezing!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dahvra has my ♥
The love story... Just perfection.
I'm in love with love.
This book gave me all the feelings I look for in a good story telling, which few authors do for me much anymore.
As such, I have a new favorite. 🥰🥰
July 11, 2020
I was given innocence ... there couldn't have been a more secluded / protected young man when MC Nathan was introduced. Then the promised carnality was delivered in spades when same Nathan was powerlessly married off to the first suitor whose specific criteria to clinch the deal was Nate's virginity! I'm not sure what I was expecting really .. but when Nathan found himself being launched from the familial frying pan into the fires of married life with a louche stranger in a foreign land, with subsequent 'Bluebeard-ish' discoveries about his new husband taking on increasingly alarming overtones - I started dreading the plot being taken into Story of O territory!! Thank God that did not happen as this would have been a DNF read.
Anyhow, I stopped my eye-rolling once the hapless and tearful Nathan managed to find his guts and gumption somewhere in the middle of the book and started to plot and fight back for his freedom, and for the plight of others. The M-M sex is rather raunchy and I did bypass a couple of sections. Nathan getting caught up . As I tend to avoid M-M romances involving waifs being snatched up by buffed pirate-lords, the best I can give is 2.5 stars for being not quite 'my cup of tea'.
Anyhow, I stopped my eye-rolling once the hapless and tearful Nathan managed to find his guts and gumption somewhere in the middle of the book and started to plot and fight back for his freedom, and for the plight of others. The M-M sex is rather raunchy and I did bypass a couple of sections. Nathan getting caught up . As I tend to avoid M-M romances involving waifs being snatched up by buffed pirate-lords, the best I can give is 2.5 stars for being not quite 'my cup of tea'.
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