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The Lords of Bucknall Club #4
A Sanctuary for Soulden
He wasn't meant for a quiet life.
Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden, is a fop. An idle popinjay with nothing more on his mind than how to best knot his cravat. He definitely doesn’t spy against the French. Or arrange hasty weddings. Or occasionally commandeer the navy. And he certainly doesn’t seek out mortal danger in order to combat his pervasive ennui. It’s all just a big misunderstanding when he’s shot by a French intelligence officer during a merry riverside chase. And what a wonderful bit of quick thinking to pretend to be a corpse in order to get himself taken to the local surgeon's autopsy cellar. The French will never find him there. If the French are even looking for him. Which they’re not. Now he just needs to locate a way out before this surgeon fellow attempts to dissect him.
He'd rather deal with the dead than the living.
Surgeon Edmund Fernside does his best to heal the living, but in truth, he'd much rather look into the gaping chest cavity of a corpse than into the startling blue eyes of a...corpse that just climbed off his autopsy table. Well then. Lord Soulden is clearly a man with some complicated secrets. But with the French in hot pursuit and a rather brutal gunshot wound, Soulden’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and Fernside discovers that he enjoys the pleasure of his company. In more ways than one.
Now, trusting each other could mean the difference between life and death.
As Soulden learns to be still for the first time in his life, Fernside wonders if perhaps it’s time to spread his wings a little. They can only hide from the outside world—and from their pasts—for so long before the secrets they’ve uncovered about each other strain the growing attraction between them. Each man must decide whether a life of comfortable lies is preferable to one full of difficult truths. And whether the sanctuary they’ve created together is something worth fighting for.
A Sanctuary for Soulden is the fourth book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance. The Lords of Bucknall Club can be read in any order.
Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden, is a fop. An idle popinjay with nothing more on his mind than how to best knot his cravat. He definitely doesn’t spy against the French. Or arrange hasty weddings. Or occasionally commandeer the navy. And he certainly doesn’t seek out mortal danger in order to combat his pervasive ennui. It’s all just a big misunderstanding when he’s shot by a French intelligence officer during a merry riverside chase. And what a wonderful bit of quick thinking to pretend to be a corpse in order to get himself taken to the local surgeon's autopsy cellar. The French will never find him there. If the French are even looking for him. Which they’re not. Now he just needs to locate a way out before this surgeon fellow attempts to dissect him.
He'd rather deal with the dead than the living.
Surgeon Edmund Fernside does his best to heal the living, but in truth, he'd much rather look into the gaping chest cavity of a corpse than into the startling blue eyes of a...corpse that just climbed off his autopsy table. Well then. Lord Soulden is clearly a man with some complicated secrets. But with the French in hot pursuit and a rather brutal gunshot wound, Soulden’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and Fernside discovers that he enjoys the pleasure of his company. In more ways than one.
Now, trusting each other could mean the difference between life and death.
As Soulden learns to be still for the first time in his life, Fernside wonders if perhaps it’s time to spread his wings a little. They can only hide from the outside world—and from their pasts—for so long before the secrets they’ve uncovered about each other strain the growing attraction between them. Each man must decide whether a life of comfortable lies is preferable to one full of difficult truths. And whether the sanctuary they’ve created together is something worth fighting for.
A Sanctuary for Soulden is the fourth book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance. The Lords of Bucknall Club can be read in any order.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2021
42 people are currently reading
443 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Rock
53 books562 followersJ.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for MINOTAUR, and THE SUBS CLUB received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 8, 2022
DNF @ 47%.
Pretty much from the moment Soulden winds up in the attic, is all downhill. I mean, I'm almost halfway in and he has spent the majority of that time in the attic. I needed a break, so I went and read another book and now i can't bear the thought of picking up where I left off. I fear I'll die of boredom if I do.
Pretty much from the moment Soulden winds up in the attic, is all downhill. I mean, I'm almost halfway in and he has spent the majority of that time in the attic. I needed a break, so I went and read another book and now i can't bear the thought of picking up where I left off. I fear I'll die of boredom if I do.
Read
May 27, 2025Gave up on this 37% in. This year I'm not persevering through if things bore me.
Not sure why this did not work for me, especially coming off the high of the previous book.
Part of it was because it went the way of book 2, where there were lots of other things going on. Soulden's convinced someone's trying to kill him, and the bullet wounds imply he's not dreaming it, but I did not care enough to read far enough in to discover whether it really is Aumont as suspected.
Part of it was because Fernsdale works with corpses. Was not a very romantic profession and it did not help that mot of what I read took place at his place of err....business.
Part of it was because they got physical so quickly, and while sometimes I do not mind, part of why I like historical romance is for the building of that connection long before things go there. It made a lot of sense for Soulden, I admit, but it felt out of character for Fernsdale, though to be far, maybe 37% of a book is not enough for me to know what Edmund Fernsdale would or would not do. Maybe it's me?
Either way, taking a break from this series for now because up next is Aumont's story, and given how I felt about this one, perhaps a little time between installments is prudent.
Not sure why this did not work for me, especially coming off the high of the previous book.
Part of it was because it went the way of book 2, where there were lots of other things going on. Soulden's convinced someone's trying to kill him, and the bullet wounds imply he's not dreaming it, but I did not care enough to read far enough in to discover whether it really is Aumont as suspected.
Part of it was because Fernsdale works with corpses. Was not a very romantic profession and it did not help that mot of what I read took place at his place of err....business.
Part of it was because they got physical so quickly, and while sometimes I do not mind, part of why I like historical romance is for the building of that connection long before things go there. It made a lot of sense for Soulden, I admit, but it felt out of character for Fernsdale, though to be far, maybe 37% of a book is not enough for me to know what Edmund Fernsdale would or would not do. Maybe it's me?
Either way, taking a break from this series for now because up next is Aumont's story, and given how I felt about this one, perhaps a little time between installments is prudent.
December 29, 2021
Magnificent Romantic Romp
In Rock and Henry’s marvelous Regency series, The Lords of Bucknall Club, the authors start with a premise that history zigged instead of zagged in 1783 when the Marriage Act Amendment was introduced in England to allow same sex marriages. Why? Because it wanted to encourage childless marriages between the many lesser young men and women of the Realm. Those who wouldn’t inherit and therefore strengthen the right of the first born to inherit the title and property, not the younger siblings.
It’s a great twist on history and their take on Regency romance is just plain out splendid. It’s full of rakes, spies, romantic twits, Lords of high intelligence and those of questionable morals. It’s got it’s Bow Street Runners and it’s French Haberdashery! It’s just grand fun.
Sanctuary for Soulden , the fourth novel in the series, has at its center the enigmatic Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden. Viscount Soulden has been a major character over the series , always in the middle of things. Especially with his friend Lord Christmas Gale (A Case for Christmas #1).
Finally, after the major role Soulden played in what I affectionately call The Tale of Two Twits aka A Rival for Rivingdon #3, the man gets his own fabulous story.
By turns exciting, sexy, unexpectedly poignant, and yes, a tad funny, A Sanctuary for Soulden is such a great romantic romp that I forgot to take notes and just blew right through it.
The dialogue is sheer delight! Especially when it’s Soulden and the rest of the group gathered at The Bucknall Club. Whether it’s Soulden calling Worry “Wally”, a mare being mistaken for a stallion, or a waistcoat of hand painted buttons….of one’s husband. There’s always something memorable to comment one and chuckle at.
The medical profession, the subject of the need for corpses, the war, and it’s traumatic impact is strongly dealt with. But is ways that often sneak up on you, as they do the characters. Here the moments that recollect overwhelming loss, grief, anger, and guilt play out…a cacophony of emotions. All through the great characters of Surgeon Edmund Fernside and Fitz.
Not only can a reader clearly picture each setting and situations, but each character is so well defined that it’s a feeling of being connected each time we drop into the relationships and maneuverings as the story continues.
Like all the couples, who appear here, the relationship is one that is relatable and nicely realistic in its expectations. It’s definitely a HFN. I think that was a great choice here. Especially as all the others are going through changes and growth as well.
I’m excited over the next book, An Affair for Aument. It’s one that feeds beautifully out from this one with a new , yet amazing character.
This series just continues to expand and amaze. I highly recommend it to all. It’s just just a splendid thing you shouldn’t pass this or any of the books up. Read them in the order they are written.
Series - ThLords of Bucknall Club
A Husband for Hartwell #1
A Case for Christmas #2
A Rival for Rivingdon #3
A Sanctuary for Soulden #4.
A Affair for Aument #5 - coming later
In Rock and Henry’s marvelous Regency series, The Lords of Bucknall Club, the authors start with a premise that history zigged instead of zagged in 1783 when the Marriage Act Amendment was introduced in England to allow same sex marriages. Why? Because it wanted to encourage childless marriages between the many lesser young men and women of the Realm. Those who wouldn’t inherit and therefore strengthen the right of the first born to inherit the title and property, not the younger siblings.
It’s a great twist on history and their take on Regency romance is just plain out splendid. It’s full of rakes, spies, romantic twits, Lords of high intelligence and those of questionable morals. It’s got it’s Bow Street Runners and it’s French Haberdashery! It’s just grand fun.
Sanctuary for Soulden , the fourth novel in the series, has at its center the enigmatic Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden. Viscount Soulden has been a major character over the series , always in the middle of things. Especially with his friend Lord Christmas Gale (A Case for Christmas #1).
Finally, after the major role Soulden played in what I affectionately call The Tale of Two Twits aka A Rival for Rivingdon #3, the man gets his own fabulous story.
By turns exciting, sexy, unexpectedly poignant, and yes, a tad funny, A Sanctuary for Soulden is such a great romantic romp that I forgot to take notes and just blew right through it.
The dialogue is sheer delight! Especially when it’s Soulden and the rest of the group gathered at The Bucknall Club. Whether it’s Soulden calling Worry “Wally”, a mare being mistaken for a stallion, or a waistcoat of hand painted buttons….of one’s husband. There’s always something memorable to comment one and chuckle at.
The medical profession, the subject of the need for corpses, the war, and it’s traumatic impact is strongly dealt with. But is ways that often sneak up on you, as they do the characters. Here the moments that recollect overwhelming loss, grief, anger, and guilt play out…a cacophony of emotions. All through the great characters of Surgeon Edmund Fernside and Fitz.
Not only can a reader clearly picture each setting and situations, but each character is so well defined that it’s a feeling of being connected each time we drop into the relationships and maneuverings as the story continues.
Like all the couples, who appear here, the relationship is one that is relatable and nicely realistic in its expectations. It’s definitely a HFN. I think that was a great choice here. Especially as all the others are going through changes and growth as well.
I’m excited over the next book, An Affair for Aument. It’s one that feeds beautifully out from this one with a new , yet amazing character.
This series just continues to expand and amaze. I highly recommend it to all. It’s just just a splendid thing you shouldn’t pass this or any of the books up. Read them in the order they are written.
Series - ThLords of Bucknall Club
A Husband for Hartwell #1
A Case for Christmas #2
A Rival for Rivingdon #3
A Sanctuary for Soulden #4.
A Affair for Aument #5 - coming later
July 7, 2023
3.5 stars
I skipped book #1 and book #3 because a friend (whose reviews I trusted) said those were "skippable" basically. PLUS I was indeed curious about Edmund Fernside and Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden when I read A Case for Christmas - especially since Soulden managed to
Philip and Edmund were two characters that met on happenstance. I mean, despite Philip being a spy who worked under First Lord of the Admiralty, he wasn't the type that frequently visited Edmund's place of work (that "honor" belong to Gale 😅 ). It was only because Philip got shot and managed to escape into a cart that brought corpses into Edmund, that these two crossed path.
The story was rather slow... because Philip spent almost half of this book being cooped up at Edmund's attic, recuperating from his wounds. So I wasn't really sure that Philip's attraction to Edmund was real in the beginning, or a result of his hallucinating due to his injury 😂
I did like the two characters together though, especially after they opened up about themselves to the other. I felt that Philip brought Edmund to see his own worth; that he was worthy of love. Edmund, on the other hand, made Philip realized that he didn't have to "hide" behind his mask all the time, that Philip had friends that will back him up when needed, and force Philip to face his past as well (there's a huge backstory of Philip's life that make him act/do what he does).
I wasn't into Edmund's "we're of different station, that I'm way beneath you" sense though (after he learned that Philip was a viscount). I just didn't want Philip to spend all his life trying to make Edmund realizes that his station didn't matter to Philip. It would be exhausting.
On a different note, Christmas and his Ben continued to be a very much welcome side-characters. I LOVED seeing them appearing here, especially when Chant chided Gale. Oh, and to know that Miranda (their dog) still pretty much alive (since the event in book #2). Yay!
So I like this one slightly less than book #2. And it makes me CURIOUS as HELL with book #5!
I skipped book #1 and book #3 because a friend (whose reviews I trusted) said those were "skippable" basically. PLUS I was indeed curious about Edmund Fernside and Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden when I read A Case for Christmas - especially since Soulden managed to
Philip and Edmund were two characters that met on happenstance. I mean, despite Philip being a spy who worked under First Lord of the Admiralty, he wasn't the type that frequently visited Edmund's place of work (that "honor" belong to Gale 😅 ). It was only because Philip got shot and managed to escape into a cart that brought corpses into Edmund, that these two crossed path.
The story was rather slow... because Philip spent almost half of this book being cooped up at Edmund's attic, recuperating from his wounds. So I wasn't really sure that Philip's attraction to Edmund was real in the beginning, or a result of his hallucinating due to his injury 😂
I did like the two characters together though, especially after they opened up about themselves to the other. I felt that Philip brought Edmund to see his own worth; that he was worthy of love. Edmund, on the other hand, made Philip realized that he didn't have to "hide" behind his mask all the time, that Philip had friends that will back him up when needed, and force Philip to face his past as well (there's a huge backstory of Philip's life that make him act/do what he does).
I wasn't into Edmund's "we're of different station, that I'm way beneath you" sense though (after he learned that Philip was a viscount). I just didn't want Philip to spend all his life trying to make Edmund realizes that his station didn't matter to Philip. It would be exhausting.
On a different note, Christmas and his Ben continued to be a very much welcome side-characters. I LOVED seeing them appearing here, especially when Chant chided Gale. Oh, and to know that Miranda (their dog) still pretty much alive (since the event in book #2). Yay!
So I like this one slightly less than book #2. And it makes me CURIOUS as HELL with book #5!
October 24, 2023
I'm not often in the mood for historical books, but when I am this series always hits the spot! I loved these two so much, and it definitely makes me excited for the next book.
January 31, 2022
Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden, is a fop. An idle popinjay with nothing more on his mind than how to best knot his cravat. He definitely doesn’t spy against the French. Or arrange hasty weddings. Or occasionally commandeer the navy. And he certainly doesn’t seek out mortal danger in order to combat his pervasive ennui. It’s all just a big misunderstanding when he’s shot by a French intelligence officer during a merry riverside chase. And what a wonderful bit of quick thinking to pretend to be a corpse in order to get himself taken to the local surgeon's autopsy cellar. The French will never find him there. If the French are even looking for him. Which they’re not. Now he just needs to locate a way out before this surgeon fellow attempts to dissect him.
He'd rather deal with the dead than the living.
Surgeon Edmund Fernside does his best to heal the living, but in truth, he'd much rather look into the gaping chest cavity of a corpse than into the startling blue eyes of a...corpse that just climbed off his autopsy table. Well then. Lord Soulden is clearly a man with some complicated secrets. But with the French in hot pursuit and a rather brutal gunshot wound, Soulden’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and Fernside discovers that he enjoys the pleasure of his company. In more ways than one.
Now, trusting each other could mean the difference between life and death.
As Soulden learns to be still for the first time in his life, Fernside wonders if perhaps it’s time to spread his wings a little. They can only hide from the outside world—and from their pasts—for so long before the secrets they’ve uncovered about each other strain the growing attraction between them. Each man must decide whether a life of comfortable lies is preferable to one full of difficult truths. And whether the sanctuary they’ve created together is something worth fighting for.
A Sanctuary for Soulden is the fourth book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance. The Lords of Bucknall Club can be read in any order.
Review:
This is the fourth book in the series, but you can read it in any order. Some of the gentlemen from Bucknail club appear in other books as secondary characters, but really when they appear as secondary characters it is only to participate in the plot which moves forward the romance for whatever characters are the main characters in the given book, so you won't miss anything if you will read the book out of order. And all you need to know about the world building is that it is your standard romance regency fare with the addition of m/m romance. In fact the world building in the previous books gave me some headache, so maybe it is better if you did not read those.
Actually come to think of this I liked book two in the series almost as much as I liked this one, so it appears that I liked even numbered books ( 2 and 4) way better than books one and three. One thing I can pin point is more likable characters ( to me) and the fact that books two and four just accept the gay relationship in this world as a given rather than accepting it when the needs of the plot demand.
Philip Winthrop Viscount Soulden appeared in the third book and even then I knew that he was probably much nicer person than he pretended to be because his actions to help the main couple of the book three spoke well for him. In this book he is the main character whose life is in danger due to doing some work for the government.
When Philip is shot by unknown villain ( although as blurb tells you such villain is most likely to be French ) he is brought ( as an alleged corpse ) to the home of Edmund Fernside, the surgeon and of course the pair ends up falling in love.
I actually really liked both men in this book. They certainly had their issues, but to me they sounded and acted as adults. For all Philip's pretence to act a certain way in society as we saw in the book three, here we note that most of it was just that - a pretence. Philip has to confront some of the things about himself and his past actions and learn to accept himself as he was while trying to see if his relationship may have a future. As I said I liked both men, but I actually found Philip's issues more interesting than Edmund's. Maybe I just saw Edmund's issues as something that had been covered in romance many times and Philip's a little less often? Not sure. Regardless, I thought they had a very nice chemistry and I wished them a long and happy life together .
“He lay back on the bed, breathing hard. Philip wiped his hand on the quilt and crawled up next to him, lying so that their shoulders touched and they were both staring at the ceiling. After a moment, Philip tilted his head toward him. “Are you satisfied?” Fernside couldn’t answer for a few seconds. “Very.” Philip turned to the ceiling again. “I’m glad.” “Was I…” He couldn’t think how to ask the question he really didn’t want to ask at all. “Passionate enough?” Philip twisted his neck again and groaned into Fernside’s shoulder. “What a swine I was to you earlier. You are a delight, my dear. A revelation. I’m so very sorry for what I said.””
3.5 stars
He'd rather deal with the dead than the living.
Surgeon Edmund Fernside does his best to heal the living, but in truth, he'd much rather look into the gaping chest cavity of a corpse than into the startling blue eyes of a...corpse that just climbed off his autopsy table. Well then. Lord Soulden is clearly a man with some complicated secrets. But with the French in hot pursuit and a rather brutal gunshot wound, Soulden’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and Fernside discovers that he enjoys the pleasure of his company. In more ways than one.
Now, trusting each other could mean the difference between life and death.
As Soulden learns to be still for the first time in his life, Fernside wonders if perhaps it’s time to spread his wings a little. They can only hide from the outside world—and from their pasts—for so long before the secrets they’ve uncovered about each other strain the growing attraction between them. Each man must decide whether a life of comfortable lies is preferable to one full of difficult truths. And whether the sanctuary they’ve created together is something worth fighting for.
A Sanctuary for Soulden is the fourth book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance. The Lords of Bucknall Club can be read in any order.
Review:
This is the fourth book in the series, but you can read it in any order. Some of the gentlemen from Bucknail club appear in other books as secondary characters, but really when they appear as secondary characters it is only to participate in the plot which moves forward the romance for whatever characters are the main characters in the given book, so you won't miss anything if you will read the book out of order. And all you need to know about the world building is that it is your standard romance regency fare with the addition of m/m romance. In fact the world building in the previous books gave me some headache, so maybe it is better if you did not read those.
Actually come to think of this I liked book two in the series almost as much as I liked this one, so it appears that I liked even numbered books ( 2 and 4) way better than books one and three. One thing I can pin point is more likable characters ( to me) and the fact that books two and four just accept the gay relationship in this world as a given rather than accepting it when the needs of the plot demand.
Philip Winthrop Viscount Soulden appeared in the third book and even then I knew that he was probably much nicer person than he pretended to be because his actions to help the main couple of the book three spoke well for him. In this book he is the main character whose life is in danger due to doing some work for the government.
When Philip is shot by unknown villain ( although as blurb tells you such villain is most likely to be French ) he is brought ( as an alleged corpse ) to the home of Edmund Fernside, the surgeon and of course the pair ends up falling in love.
I actually really liked both men in this book. They certainly had their issues, but to me they sounded and acted as adults. For all Philip's pretence to act a certain way in society as we saw in the book three, here we note that most of it was just that - a pretence. Philip has to confront some of the things about himself and his past actions and learn to accept himself as he was while trying to see if his relationship may have a future. As I said I liked both men, but I actually found Philip's issues more interesting than Edmund's. Maybe I just saw Edmund's issues as something that had been covered in romance many times and Philip's a little less often? Not sure. Regardless, I thought they had a very nice chemistry and I wished them a long and happy life together .
“He lay back on the bed, breathing hard. Philip wiped his hand on the quilt and crawled up next to him, lying so that their shoulders touched and they were both staring at the ceiling. After a moment, Philip tilted his head toward him. “Are you satisfied?” Fernside couldn’t answer for a few seconds. “Very.” Philip turned to the ceiling again. “I’m glad.” “Was I…” He couldn’t think how to ask the question he really didn’t want to ask at all. “Passionate enough?” Philip twisted his neck again and groaned into Fernside’s shoulder. “What a swine I was to you earlier. You are a delight, my dear. A revelation. I’m so very sorry for what I said.””
3.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2024
It is highly advisable to have read the earlier titles of the series for the back stories of multiple secondary characters here. I had skipped the previous installment as it seemed too silly overall but this kept my attention throughout - 3.5 stars.
January 10, 2022
I adore this series. I was really looking forward to this one sue to Soulden's role in the previous books. This did not disappoint. Plus tons of Christmas (mc in book 2) and he's my favorite! Great set up for the next book too.
January 28, 2024
Another absolutely delightful book in the ‘Lords of Bucknall’ series - I cannot get enough of these idiots and I absolutely loved the cameos from Notley, Rivingdon, Gale, Chant, Warry and Hartwell!
Fernside is a doctor living in a rough neighbourhood - you will recognise the name of you have read ‘A Case For Christmas’ - it’s his doctor! Fernside has a cellar filled with corpses which he cuts up to learn about anatomy and illness. He serves the community, often dealing with those who cannot pay.
One day his corpse-dealer (lol) brings him a third body when he was only expecting 2 - that body is the recently shot Viscount Solden.
Philip (Solden) is an English spy and has been shot… he is unsure who wants to hurt him, but has some ideas. Injured and weak, he falls into a cart of bodies and ends up on the table of Surgeon Edmund Fernside.
I loved this book so much - the tender affection between Fernside and Solden that grew as they learn more about each other and come to trust each other with their biggest secrets…
Fernside is a doctor living in a rough neighbourhood - you will recognise the name of you have read ‘A Case For Christmas’ - it’s his doctor! Fernside has a cellar filled with corpses which he cuts up to learn about anatomy and illness. He serves the community, often dealing with those who cannot pay.
One day his corpse-dealer (lol) brings him a third body when he was only expecting 2 - that body is the recently shot Viscount Solden.
Philip (Solden) is an English spy and has been shot… he is unsure who wants to hurt him, but has some ideas. Injured and weak, he falls into a cart of bodies and ends up on the table of Surgeon Edmund Fernside.
I loved this book so much - the tender affection between Fernside and Solden that grew as they learn more about each other and come to trust each other with their biggest secrets…
January 6, 2022
Fabulous reading, Good for the soul and just a tad different. At least the two books I've read fit that vibe. Rock and Henry write like a well oiled machine and they can tackle any topic, from complex to sweet, with aplomb.
This is Regency romance with a real sweetness to it, an air of fun, but there is more below the surface of these characters, just like the sneakily marvellous A Rival for Rivingdon.
This is Regency romance with a real sweetness to it, an air of fun, but there is more below the surface of these characters, just like the sneakily marvellous A Rival for Rivingdon.
July 9, 2023
Instalove między korpulentnym chirurgiem robiącym w swojej piwnicy nielegalne sekcje na porwanych ciałach a bajecznie pięknym i bogatym arystokratą-szpiegiem to nie było coś, czego bym się spodziewała. Ale oczywiście łyknęłam jak młoda żaba. Nie wiem, o co tu chodzi, ale autorkom udaje się mnie zaciekawić w każdej części i tak było też tym razem.
October 19, 2024
Soulden is possibly my favorite character from this series, other than Gale, so I was ready to enjoy this, and I did. I'm not quite sure how their relationship will work long-term, but I loved seeing them in love. I didn't feel as much of a connection to Fernside, but he was still enjoyable.
Audio: this narrator has to have at least five different names he works under. I always enjoy his work.
Audio: this narrator has to have at least five different names he works under. I always enjoy his work.
October 26, 2025
Read it in one swoop and, except for a few longueurs here and there, resulting from catch-up with other characters and plot strands from the series but beyond the book, I heartily enjoyed it. I now want to go back to book 1 in the series, a volume, I note, that I had DNF'd three years ago and of which I now retain no memory. And that's saying something for this book, ain't it?
Content: body horror to do with body dissection and removing a bullet wound.
#still on my m/m regency romance binge
Content: body horror to do with body dissection and removing a bullet wound.
#still on my m/m regency romance binge
February 20, 2025
I had a lot of expectations about the book of the spy but, alas, i was disappointed. I didn't feel convinced by the pairing AT ALL nor by the relationship progression. I can't for the life of me see how these two fell in love. Still, I enjoyed the moments of levity provided by the characters we've met in previous books.
October 26, 2024
Oh, you beauty. 🥰 4 stars for a wonderful read. Best book in the series. Loved. It. I would note that a 4 star rating is a rarity for me (I only give 5's to books that are seismic in impact for me, and those are few and far between.)
One of my favorite MM authors is KJ Charles and the greatest compliment I can give this book is that it is highly reminiscent of the books in Charles' luscious 'Society of Gentlemen' series. I say reminiscent because at heart these two series are apples and oranges - Charles' series is firmly rooted in the reality of how dangerous it was to be a homosexual in Britain during the time period, while the Bucknall series has a fantasy aspect in that homosexuality is not only OK, but same-sex marriages are also accepted. As an example, in one of the Bucknall series books (A Case for Christmas) there is a scene where two men dance together at a social event. Despite the fact that the author had already made it plain that such a thing is a total non-issue in their universe, it was still almost physically jarring to read such a scene. But I digress - my point is that while this book is really not in the same league as a book by Charles, it does land firmly in the same neighborhood, particularly in terms of plotting and dialogue and (to me) that's quite a feat.
There is so much to highlight about this book. To begin with, the author(s?) is/are exceptionally good at creating a series-wide arc of events that tie all the books to each other, with some of the events actually overlapping from one book to the next. Not only that, the author also brings in all the previous books' MCs in roles that are truly pertinent to the current plotline. (Note: I would strongly advise against reading this as a standalone. There's just too much rich history at play to miss out on it because you haven't read the earlier books.) To illustrate, there is this lovely little bit of dialogue between Soulden and Gale:
Soulden shook his head. “Crauford is more oblivious to the world around him than Hartwell. Hell, he’s more dimwitted than Notley and Rivingdon put together.”
“Notley knows a surprising amount about buttons,” Gale said thoughtfully. His brow creased. “And yet, distressingly little about where ivory comes from. He seemed quite shaken when he learned, didn’t he, Chant?”
“Quite shaken, yes.”
Now, none of that would have much meaning to anyone who hadn't read the previous book, and that would be a shame because it's an extremely clever continuation of one of the lovelier aspects of the previous book, aka the whole buttons and elephants discussion (seriously, it was one of my favorite parts of the previous book). While we're on the subject of Soulden vis a vis Notley/Rivingdon, it's also wonderful to see how the Soulden from the previous three books (aloof, heartless, emotionless, can't be bothered, viciously sarcastic about those who don't merit his attention, etc., etc.) evolves into a man who actually has a heart and who begins to see these two as real people and, more importantly, friends. It's a pretty momentous change and the way it's portrayed is quite heart-warming, especially as Notley and Rivingdon are polar opposites of Soulden's personality, like a pair of high-strung, yappy chihuahuas trying to be the BFF of a German Shepherd trained to be a guard dog.
There is also a lot of Gale in this book. Gale is my favorite of all the characters (so far - I haven't read Aumont's book yet) and he plays a very integral role in this story. Both Gale and Soulden are of the type who have a basic dislike of most (like 99.9%) people and who both are very vocal in that they don't want to or need to have something as frivolous as friends (perish the thought), yet while they are busy shoving their emotions aside, they have forged a real, well, friendship. Maybe not a typical friendship, but a friendship nonetheless. The two of them discourse on these and other tricky "I hate people" issues - like the concept of love (ugh) and romance (bitch, please) - at some length in this book and those discussions alone are worth the price of admission. It's quite fun to watch these two overwound clams start to open their shells just a tiny bit to poke a toe into the murky waters of experiencing and (shudder) expressing true emotions.
Speaking of dialogue, the repartee in this book is fabulous. There is a ton of scathing wit and dry sarcasm and while it's not quite as knife-edged sharp as in Charles' books, it actually does come pretty darned close, and that's saying something. I ended up with a large number of highlights in my Kindle notes, which is always the sign of a really good book. Here's a sample from Gale regarding his automatically ruling out the hapless Warry as a potential spy/assassin:
“I do not find Warry to be humanity’s most compelling representative. Which is perhaps why I doubt his ability to orchestrate your assassination.”
Again, these remarks are even funnier if you have read book 1 and know what Warry is like.
The plot is also quite good. There are myriad twists and turns in the second part of the book, some of which really floored me because I just didn't see them coming. It was like watching a jigsaw puzzle full of disparate pieces slowly mesh together. The story was unexpectedly intense at times, far more so than any previous books in the series and in stark contrast to the previous book. There were a couple of scenes that were downright upsetting and/or shocking. Overall this book has a much richer, deeper story than any of the previous ones. There is also a wonderful new secondary character, which is Edmund's assistant, Fitz. Fitz and Edmund actually have a pretty complex relationship and the interactions and dialogue between the two ran the gamut from humorous to emotionally painful. I ended up loving Fitz quite a bit and I also love that Fitz will continue to have a very large presence in Edmund's life despite Edmund and Soulden becoming a couple. There's quite a bit of real-world-feeling awkwardness between all three as they navigate the new relationship dynamic.
The book also created a really great lead-in for the next installment - it left me wanting to find out what Aumont's truth really is, particularly regarding his relationship with Soulden. There's a whole lot of baggage there that is just waiting to be unpacked and I'm looking forward to reading about it.
I did have a few issues with the book, mainly around the author's depiction of Edmund's physical aspects. Based on their description, Edmund came across (for me, anyway) as downright dumpy, to the degree that it was hard to believe how enamored Soulden was with him. Case in point is this quote from the book regarding Edmund's body:
He was an absurd looking creature when naked.
It also didn't help that Soulden had a penchant for referring to Edmund as being "plump" (which Soulden is apparently quite happy about)
He felt the softness of the surgeon’s round belly, the wiry curls that trailed down to his waistband.
Now, that sort of image is not exactly a great selling point for an MC in a romance. Ultimately it was really hard for me to envision these two as passionate lovers. While we learn volumes about Soulden - the good, the bad and the ugly - it seems the story doesn't go very deep into who Edmund really is and what makes him tick. I can't get a real handle on his personality and thus don't see a basis for Soulden's almost immediate infatuation with him. I would have loved a scene where we get a bit more thorough inventory of Edmund's attributes as seen through Soulden's eyes. And just as a side note - how the heck is Edmund so chunky when he's always scraping by for money to get any kind of food for himself and for Fitz? It's like we are supposed to believe that he is poor, starving, and overweight all at the same time.
Despite not feeling the magic of Soulden's attraction to and love for Edmund, the overall book is so danged good that this was too small of an issue to distract from everything I loved about the book - which is, well, just about everything else.
HIGHLY recommend, especially if you love historical MM romance and/or are also a fan of KJ Charles' books. I would advocate for reading the entire series as it really enhances the overall experience. Based on reviews, I know there is some resistance towards reading book 3 (A Rival for Rivingdon), but I would advocate for giving it a chance beyond the first few pages. It's about as light as a dandelion tuft and yes, the MC's are an acquired taste 😁, but I found it to be a lovely story and am glad I stuck with it.
One of my favorite MM authors is KJ Charles and the greatest compliment I can give this book is that it is highly reminiscent of the books in Charles' luscious 'Society of Gentlemen' series. I say reminiscent because at heart these two series are apples and oranges - Charles' series is firmly rooted in the reality of how dangerous it was to be a homosexual in Britain during the time period, while the Bucknall series has a fantasy aspect in that homosexuality is not only OK, but same-sex marriages are also accepted. As an example, in one of the Bucknall series books (A Case for Christmas) there is a scene where two men dance together at a social event. Despite the fact that the author had already made it plain that such a thing is a total non-issue in their universe, it was still almost physically jarring to read such a scene. But I digress - my point is that while this book is really not in the same league as a book by Charles, it does land firmly in the same neighborhood, particularly in terms of plotting and dialogue and (to me) that's quite a feat.
There is so much to highlight about this book. To begin with, the author(s?) is/are exceptionally good at creating a series-wide arc of events that tie all the books to each other, with some of the events actually overlapping from one book to the next. Not only that, the author also brings in all the previous books' MCs in roles that are truly pertinent to the current plotline. (Note: I would strongly advise against reading this as a standalone. There's just too much rich history at play to miss out on it because you haven't read the earlier books.) To illustrate, there is this lovely little bit of dialogue between Soulden and Gale:
Soulden shook his head. “Crauford is more oblivious to the world around him than Hartwell. Hell, he’s more dimwitted than Notley and Rivingdon put together.”
“Notley knows a surprising amount about buttons,” Gale said thoughtfully. His brow creased. “And yet, distressingly little about where ivory comes from. He seemed quite shaken when he learned, didn’t he, Chant?”
“Quite shaken, yes.”
Now, none of that would have much meaning to anyone who hadn't read the previous book, and that would be a shame because it's an extremely clever continuation of one of the lovelier aspects of the previous book, aka the whole buttons and elephants discussion (seriously, it was one of my favorite parts of the previous book). While we're on the subject of Soulden vis a vis Notley/Rivingdon, it's also wonderful to see how the Soulden from the previous three books (aloof, heartless, emotionless, can't be bothered, viciously sarcastic about those who don't merit his attention, etc., etc.) evolves into a man who actually has a heart and who begins to see these two as real people and, more importantly, friends. It's a pretty momentous change and the way it's portrayed is quite heart-warming, especially as Notley and Rivingdon are polar opposites of Soulden's personality, like a pair of high-strung, yappy chihuahuas trying to be the BFF of a German Shepherd trained to be a guard dog.
There is also a lot of Gale in this book. Gale is my favorite of all the characters (so far - I haven't read Aumont's book yet) and he plays a very integral role in this story. Both Gale and Soulden are of the type who have a basic dislike of most (like 99.9%) people and who both are very vocal in that they don't want to or need to have something as frivolous as friends (perish the thought), yet while they are busy shoving their emotions aside, they have forged a real, well, friendship. Maybe not a typical friendship, but a friendship nonetheless. The two of them discourse on these and other tricky "I hate people" issues - like the concept of love (ugh) and romance (bitch, please) - at some length in this book and those discussions alone are worth the price of admission. It's quite fun to watch these two overwound clams start to open their shells just a tiny bit to poke a toe into the murky waters of experiencing and (shudder) expressing true emotions.
Speaking of dialogue, the repartee in this book is fabulous. There is a ton of scathing wit and dry sarcasm and while it's not quite as knife-edged sharp as in Charles' books, it actually does come pretty darned close, and that's saying something. I ended up with a large number of highlights in my Kindle notes, which is always the sign of a really good book. Here's a sample from Gale regarding his automatically ruling out the hapless Warry as a potential spy/assassin:
“I do not find Warry to be humanity’s most compelling representative. Which is perhaps why I doubt his ability to orchestrate your assassination.”
Again, these remarks are even funnier if you have read book 1 and know what Warry is like.
The plot is also quite good. There are myriad twists and turns in the second part of the book, some of which really floored me because I just didn't see them coming. It was like watching a jigsaw puzzle full of disparate pieces slowly mesh together. The story was unexpectedly intense at times, far more so than any previous books in the series and in stark contrast to the previous book. There were a couple of scenes that were downright upsetting and/or shocking. Overall this book has a much richer, deeper story than any of the previous ones. There is also a wonderful new secondary character, which is Edmund's assistant, Fitz. Fitz and Edmund actually have a pretty complex relationship and the interactions and dialogue between the two ran the gamut from humorous to emotionally painful. I ended up loving Fitz quite a bit and I also love that Fitz will continue to have a very large presence in Edmund's life despite Edmund and Soulden becoming a couple. There's quite a bit of real-world-feeling awkwardness between all three as they navigate the new relationship dynamic.
The book also created a really great lead-in for the next installment - it left me wanting to find out what Aumont's truth really is, particularly regarding his relationship with Soulden. There's a whole lot of baggage there that is just waiting to be unpacked and I'm looking forward to reading about it.
I did have a few issues with the book, mainly around the author's depiction of Edmund's physical aspects. Based on their description, Edmund came across (for me, anyway) as downright dumpy, to the degree that it was hard to believe how enamored Soulden was with him. Case in point is this quote from the book regarding Edmund's body:
He was an absurd looking creature when naked.
It also didn't help that Soulden had a penchant for referring to Edmund as being "plump" (which Soulden is apparently quite happy about)
He felt the softness of the surgeon’s round belly, the wiry curls that trailed down to his waistband.
Now, that sort of image is not exactly a great selling point for an MC in a romance. Ultimately it was really hard for me to envision these two as passionate lovers. While we learn volumes about Soulden - the good, the bad and the ugly - it seems the story doesn't go very deep into who Edmund really is and what makes him tick. I can't get a real handle on his personality and thus don't see a basis for Soulden's almost immediate infatuation with him. I would have loved a scene where we get a bit more thorough inventory of Edmund's attributes as seen through Soulden's eyes. And just as a side note - how the heck is Edmund so chunky when he's always scraping by for money to get any kind of food for himself and for Fitz? It's like we are supposed to believe that he is poor, starving, and overweight all at the same time.
Despite not feeling the magic of Soulden's attraction to and love for Edmund, the overall book is so danged good that this was too small of an issue to distract from everything I loved about the book - which is, well, just about everything else.
HIGHLY recommend, especially if you love historical MM romance and/or are also a fan of KJ Charles' books. I would advocate for reading the entire series as it really enhances the overall experience. Based on reviews, I know there is some resistance towards reading book 3 (A Rival for Rivingdon), but I would advocate for giving it a chance beyond the first few pages. It's about as light as a dandelion tuft and yes, the MC's are an acquired taste 😁, but I found it to be a lovely story and am glad I stuck with it.
October 30, 2023
I enjoyed this but I was expecting more from the spy angle. Soulden came across as a dashing spy type more in the previous two books. In this one he seemed to be constantly getting things wrong.
Soulden is a complex character who carries a lot of guilt about past events, many of which he had no control over.
The first half of the book takes place almost solely in Fernside's house with Soulden stuck in the attic. This allows Fernside and Soulden to get to know each other without outside factors and standings to get in the way. It was a lovely developing relationship but neither thought it would go anywhere.
I'm curious to know how these two are going to progress in their relationship. It's not that I don't believe their love is real, I'm just not certain how they can overcome real life and be together and still keep the parts of themselves that they want or are obliged to.
Soulden is a complex character who carries a lot of guilt about past events, many of which he had no control over.
The first half of the book takes place almost solely in Fernside's house with Soulden stuck in the attic. This allows Fernside and Soulden to get to know each other without outside factors and standings to get in the way. It was a lovely developing relationship but neither thought it would go anywhere.
I'm curious to know how these two are going to progress in their relationship. It's not that I don't believe their love is real, I'm just not certain how they can overcome real life and be together and still keep the parts of themselves that they want or are obliged to.
June 23, 2023
My favorite so far of a truly delightful series. I love that you can read these "in any order," but the interlacing of characters and events throughout is so good. There are so many characters that you see through other's eyes, and until you get to their book, you don't really understand their motivations or actions.
The characters in this one are so bitterly and deeply flawed. Phillip is so different from the image he presents, and his story is all the better for it.
Can't believe there are only two more to this wonderful series.
The characters in this one are so bitterly and deeply flawed. Phillip is so different from the image he presents, and his story is all the better for it.
Can't believe there are only two more to this wonderful series.
February 13, 2022
Enjoyable story although I didn’t entirely feel that the disparity of their stations was worked out in a satisfactory way. I liked that the Dr was not conventionally handsome but he was absolutely Soulden’s type. I thought this was the best aspect of the story and most unusual.
March 19, 2025
TLDR: This book was just as good as the previous one I read.
https://klishis.com/reading/archives/...
https://klishis.com/reading/archives/...
March 3, 2024
Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden, is a spy pretending to be an empty-headed gentleman who cares only about his looks and having dalliances with as many people as possible in order to avoid suspicion. One evening, while he's taking a stroll in one of the less well-off neighborhoods, he gets shot in the back. He hides in a nearby horse cart, only to be carted off to the local surgeon's house and mistaken for one of the corpses that the surgeon, Edmund Fernside, buys off some less savory men.
When Fernside discovers Soulden is very much alive, he operates on him and offers him a place to hide in his attic. As Soulden recuperates, he finds himself drawn to Fernside, so he seduces him, and they spend some days having enjoying each other's company. But soon enough, Soulden has to leave Fernside in order to complete his mission () and discover who tried to kill him.
I almost DNFed this story at 30% as I found Soulden's stay in Fernside's attic and his flirting with Fernside quite boring to that point. So I skipped ahead and read An Affair for Aumont, the next book in the series, which somewhat expectedly spoiled me to some of the answers to Soulden's mysteries (namely who was Luke and who was the spy trying to kill Soulden). After finishing An Affair for Aumont, I deliberated returning or actually DNFing A Sanctuary for Soulden, but I decided to give it one more try.
I pushed through the rest of the chapters of Soulden staying at Fernside's house and the two of them possibly developing tender feelings for each other. Their romance was the story of opposites attracting. Soulden, the rich aristocrat who, after suffering terrible losses, decided to distance himself from his friends and family and pretend to be a vapid man without a care in the world, traveling around, splitting his time between spying against the French and having sex with anyone who would catch his eye. Fernside, a surgeon who dedicated his life to helping others less fortunate than him, but who in his dedication to his noble goal forgot (or never knew) how to enjoy what life had to offer and how to let anyone get close to him. These two were portrayed as two suffering souls who only came to realize how lonely they both were when the situation throws them together. Getting involved, they were supposed to accept each other's deep, dark secrets and help each other become better people in the process. If we suspend belief and accept the fact Soulden felt immediately inexplicably drawn to Fernside, their relationship did seem plausible. Except, I didn't much care for their romance. More interesting and enjoyable parts of the story for me were the ones when Soulden left Fernside's attic and returned to socializing with his peers while trying to draw out the spy in their ranks, and that had more to do with the rest of the cast of characters from previous books than Soulden himself.
I quite enjoyed Soulden as a secondary character in A Rival for Rivingdon, and judging from that experience, I did have higher expectations for his own book. But I'm sad to say that as the main character, I didn't find Soulden as enjoyable. Yes, he played the part of a character deeply tortured by grief and regret, but I couldn't feel for him as much as I would for some other character in a similar situation. I couldn't get over the fact that , and I found him reprehensible for it. Unlike Soulden, Fernside seemed like a decent enough character, if we ignore the whole illegal business of corpse acquisition, but he just didn't come across as a particularly interesting one.
Unlike A Husband for Hartwell and A Rival for Rivingdon, A Sanctuary for Soulden touched on more serious subjects of loss, death, and war. And while Soulden and Fernside's characters were more serious and less obnoxiously annoying than the characters in those books, I can't say I connected with them any better. Having read 4 out of 6 books in this series, I can only conclude that this series isn't the one for me. I will probably finish the two remaining books, but that has more to do with the fact that more than halfway through I feel it is only natural to complete the whole series than to any particular expectations. I'm not denying the possibility of being pleasantly surprised by A Case for Christmas and A Scandal for Stratford, but I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Themes: dual POV, opposites attract, forced proximity, aristocrat/surgeon, spies
When Fernside discovers Soulden is very much alive, he operates on him and offers him a place to hide in his attic. As Soulden recuperates, he finds himself drawn to Fernside, so he seduces him, and they spend some days having enjoying each other's company. But soon enough, Soulden has to leave Fernside in order to complete his mission () and discover who tried to kill him.
I almost DNFed this story at 30% as I found Soulden's stay in Fernside's attic and his flirting with Fernside quite boring to that point. So I skipped ahead and read An Affair for Aumont, the next book in the series, which somewhat expectedly spoiled me to some of the answers to Soulden's mysteries (namely who was Luke and who was the spy trying to kill Soulden). After finishing An Affair for Aumont, I deliberated returning or actually DNFing A Sanctuary for Soulden, but I decided to give it one more try.
I pushed through the rest of the chapters of Soulden staying at Fernside's house and the two of them possibly developing tender feelings for each other. Their romance was the story of opposites attracting. Soulden, the rich aristocrat who, after suffering terrible losses, decided to distance himself from his friends and family and pretend to be a vapid man without a care in the world, traveling around, splitting his time between spying against the French and having sex with anyone who would catch his eye. Fernside, a surgeon who dedicated his life to helping others less fortunate than him, but who in his dedication to his noble goal forgot (or never knew) how to enjoy what life had to offer and how to let anyone get close to him. These two were portrayed as two suffering souls who only came to realize how lonely they both were when the situation throws them together. Getting involved, they were supposed to accept each other's deep, dark secrets and help each other become better people in the process. If we suspend belief and accept the fact Soulden felt immediately inexplicably drawn to Fernside, their relationship did seem plausible. Except, I didn't much care for their romance. More interesting and enjoyable parts of the story for me were the ones when Soulden left Fernside's attic and returned to socializing with his peers while trying to draw out the spy in their ranks, and that had more to do with the rest of the cast of characters from previous books than Soulden himself.
I quite enjoyed Soulden as a secondary character in A Rival for Rivingdon, and judging from that experience, I did have higher expectations for his own book. But I'm sad to say that as the main character, I didn't find Soulden as enjoyable. Yes, he played the part of a character deeply tortured by grief and regret, but I couldn't feel for him as much as I would for some other character in a similar situation. I couldn't get over the fact that , and I found him reprehensible for it. Unlike Soulden, Fernside seemed like a decent enough character, if we ignore the whole illegal business of corpse acquisition, but he just didn't come across as a particularly interesting one.
Unlike A Husband for Hartwell and A Rival for Rivingdon, A Sanctuary for Soulden touched on more serious subjects of loss, death, and war. And while Soulden and Fernside's characters were more serious and less obnoxiously annoying than the characters in those books, I can't say I connected with them any better. Having read 4 out of 6 books in this series, I can only conclude that this series isn't the one for me. I will probably finish the two remaining books, but that has more to do with the fact that more than halfway through I feel it is only natural to complete the whole series than to any particular expectations. I'm not denying the possibility of being pleasantly surprised by A Case for Christmas and A Scandal for Stratford, but I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Themes: dual POV, opposites attract, forced proximity, aristocrat/surgeon, spies
June 28, 2024
I really had a hard time keeping interested in this, which was disappointing because it did start off so well.... Viscount Phillip Soulden is in the middle of something. He's been a mysteriously affable and vague figure in the earlier Bucknall books, but in the last book he was clearly being shot at. This one picks up about a week after the twinks run off to Gretna Green to get married (with the highly unpublicized assistance of Soulden.) In the club of Bucknall, Soulden is doing what he does best, playing social butterfly even as he secretly collects a missive and then leaves even ore privately. However, he's followed and shot in the back... but never quite manages to see who it was. Faking dead, he winds up in the nearby basement of the Doctor Edmond Fernside, who rescues him, stitches him up, and hides him in the attic bedroom of his house. And like Soulden, Fernside has his own secrets, including he's a secret anatomist in his basement lair, dissecting human corpses to advance human anatomical and medical sciences.
Slowly over the following week (or so, it seems like a month given how vaguely time is described) the two men flirt and then start having sex. And it's at this point the plotting and pacing of the story just slows down to dreadfully painful pages. There's a few other plots brought up including Fernside's assistant Fitz, the mystery of Soulden's spy work, who is trying kill him, and late in the book, Soulden's reunion with his family.
I found this one just slower than molasses. Barely squeaked by with 2 stars for a rating.
Slowly over the following week (or so, it seems like a month given how vaguely time is described) the two men flirt and then start having sex. And it's at this point the plotting and pacing of the story just slows down to dreadfully painful pages. There's a few other plots brought up including Fernside's assistant Fitz, the mystery of Soulden's spy work, who is trying kill him, and late in the book, Soulden's reunion with his family.
I found this one just slower than molasses. Barely squeaked by with 2 stars for a rating.
January 9, 2022
It's the return of Lord Christmas Gale (from book 2, A Case for Christmas)! Oh, and a story about Soulden, a viscount who plays the carefree idiot in order to avoid confronting the trauma of his past and succeed in undercover work.
Gale is much my favorite, and it's a pleasure to see how he and Chant are getting along, even if they're only glimpses. (We also get some nice moments with the two idiots from book 3.) But the real story is watching Soulden balance his commitment to his facade with the risk of a real relationship (with Gale's acquaintance, the surgeon Fernside, who does a lot of autopsying to better understand anatomy). It's charming!
Recommended particularly for fans of hurt/comfort, as the men meet after Soulden is shot and needs a place to hide out and recover. The machinations that take place to hide him from Fernside's assistant Fitz are funny, then briefly angsty, then funny again.
Fernside's character is tough to manage, as he's reserved and uncomfortable, but I found him relatable. Soulden works a bit less for me, as he's got a lot of backstory to process, and some of it is setting up for the next book in the series, An Affair for Aumont. At times, he's more a chess piece than a character, but the plot twists keep it all entertaining.
Gale is much my favorite, and it's a pleasure to see how he and Chant are getting along, even if they're only glimpses. (We also get some nice moments with the two idiots from book 3.) But the real story is watching Soulden balance his commitment to his facade with the risk of a real relationship (with Gale's acquaintance, the surgeon Fernside, who does a lot of autopsying to better understand anatomy). It's charming!
Recommended particularly for fans of hurt/comfort, as the men meet after Soulden is shot and needs a place to hide out and recover. The machinations that take place to hide him from Fernside's assistant Fitz are funny, then briefly angsty, then funny again.
Fernside's character is tough to manage, as he's reserved and uncomfortable, but I found him relatable. Soulden works a bit less for me, as he's got a lot of backstory to process, and some of it is setting up for the next book in the series, An Affair for Aumont. At times, he's more a chess piece than a character, but the plot twists keep it all entertaining.
August 30, 2022
I thought this book was pretty good but not great. The emotional connection between them definitely grows organically, but then the "I love you" still pops out of nowhere. I loved the tenderness and all that, but I felt it started and ended on the same note, so not very compelling.
I didn't mind that a huge portion of this book happened in one room in an attic, it kinda focused things. BUT. It was strange? The Sherlock archetype was so overdone in Gale's book, the foppish mama's boy archetype was so overdone. Here, the spy archetype? Where was it? He spends almost the whole book healing and then he kinda wanders around waiting to get attacked again? Doesn't have much of a plan, we don't see any complex inner thinking, doesn't have tons of insider knowledge; not a very spy like character. Lastly, it seems like everyone knows at least one of his secrets, so... not very good at living in disguise.
The Augustus thing was completely out of nowhere and I'm not sure what it was supposed to add to the story. If it was just to explain why a Viscount wasn't trying to produce an heir, fair enough. But it was way more than that. Bizarre.
Of the 3 books I've read in this series, here's my most to least favourite: Book 2, Book 4, Book 3.
I didn't mind that a huge portion of this book happened in one room in an attic, it kinda focused things. BUT. It was strange? The Sherlock archetype was so overdone in Gale's book, the foppish mama's boy archetype was so overdone. Here, the spy archetype? Where was it? He spends almost the whole book healing and then he kinda wanders around waiting to get attacked again? Doesn't have much of a plan, we don't see any complex inner thinking, doesn't have tons of insider knowledge; not a very spy like character. Lastly, it seems like everyone knows at least one of his secrets, so... not very good at living in disguise.
The Augustus thing was completely out of nowhere and I'm not sure what it was supposed to add to the story. If it was just to explain why a Viscount wasn't trying to produce an heir, fair enough. But it was way more than that. Bizarre.
Of the 3 books I've read in this series, here's my most to least favourite: Book 2, Book 4, Book 3.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2024
Meh.
I liked the premise more than the actual book.
The first few chapters were really good because a man pretending to be a corpse is fun, but then for something like 10 chapters, nothing happens but Fernside bringing food for Soulden, Soulden making jokes about having Fernside wash his chamberpot, and then some fucking. It was really boring.
The second half seemed more promising as it happened OUTSIDE Fernside's attic, but the book was definitely 50 pages too long. The falling action after the climax was too corny, too long. I really could have done without all that constant "You're lovely. No, you're lovelier. No, my lovely, you're the lovliest of them all. Ah, how lovely!" if you know what I mean.
I didn't enjoy it, but here I am, still reading this mad series because I genuinely like the writers.
I just don't like their books, does that make sense?
No, that's not quite fair. I liked book 2, and I have a feeling I'm going to like book 5.
Ah, and also... I really appreciate Morgan and Loftas as secondary characters now, they are so ridiculous and hilarious, I just wanna hang out with them.
Still, this book gets two stars, same as book 1.
I liked the premise more than the actual book.
The first few chapters were really good because a man pretending to be a corpse is fun, but then for something like 10 chapters, nothing happens but Fernside bringing food for Soulden, Soulden making jokes about having Fernside wash his chamberpot, and then some fucking. It was really boring.
The second half seemed more promising as it happened OUTSIDE Fernside's attic, but the book was definitely 50 pages too long. The falling action after the climax was too corny, too long. I really could have done without all that constant "You're lovely. No, you're lovelier. No, my lovely, you're the lovliest of them all. Ah, how lovely!" if you know what I mean.
I didn't enjoy it, but here I am, still reading this mad series because I genuinely like the writers.
I just don't like their books, does that make sense?
No, that's not quite fair. I liked book 2, and I have a feeling I'm going to like book 5.
Ah, and also... I really appreciate Morgan and Loftas as secondary characters now, they are so ridiculous and hilarious, I just wanna hang out with them.
Still, this book gets two stars, same as book 1.
February 9, 2022
I wasn't as sold on this as the readers were, if based on the reviews.
I felt it was three separate novels: One was the growing relationship between Phillip and Edmund, two was the mystery of who was the assassin and the final was Phillip's family.
I thought the relationship between Phillip and Edmund was too fast, the assassin storyline didn't have the heft for me to care and the family storyline felt tacked on.
While I appreciated the twist of the regency era where same-sex couples are out and accepted, I didn't quite get the feeling that it was set in the regency era. Even though it's the fourth in the series, I would've liked more descriptions about the world that it's set in. It's a fine line, providing enough information to educate new readers while not alienating those that have already read the previous books.
There is a sequel but I'm not motivated to seek it out.
I felt it was three separate novels: One was the growing relationship between Phillip and Edmund, two was the mystery of who was the assassin and the final was Phillip's family.
I thought the relationship between Phillip and Edmund was too fast, the assassin storyline didn't have the heft for me to care and the family storyline felt tacked on.
While I appreciated the twist of the regency era where same-sex couples are out and accepted, I didn't quite get the feeling that it was set in the regency era. Even though it's the fourth in the series, I would've liked more descriptions about the world that it's set in. It's a fine line, providing enough information to educate new readers while not alienating those that have already read the previous books.
There is a sequel but I'm not motivated to seek it out.
February 9, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
A Sanctuary for Soulden is the fourth book in J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry’s Lords of Bucknall Club series. As soon as I read A Rival for Rivingdon, where Philip plays a small but critical role, I knew I wanted to read his story and this one does not disappoint. While the blurb indicates these books can be read in any order, and from an individual relationship standpoint that is generally true, I do think they are much more enjoyable read in order to get to know the various supporting characters and their stories. In particular, the scene stealing Christmas Gale from A Case for Christmas shows up here as one of the few people Philip can trust (and a grudging friend), and so it helps to be familiar with his story and personality.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
A Sanctuary for Soulden is the fourth book in J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry’s Lords of Bucknall Club series. As soon as I read A Rival for Rivingdon, where Philip plays a small but critical role, I knew I wanted to read his story and this one does not disappoint. While the blurb indicates these books can be read in any order, and from an individual relationship standpoint that is generally true, I do think they are much more enjoyable read in order to get to know the various supporting characters and their stories. In particular, the scene stealing Christmas Gale from A Case for Christmas shows up here as one of the few people Philip can trust (and a grudging friend), and so it helps to be familiar with his story and personality.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
February 21, 2022
The spy stuff is pretty underdeveloped, but I enjoyed the relationship between Edmund and Phillip, which allowed both men to be honest with themselves and each other. The only real challenge to their HEA is the difference in their stations (and the fact that someone is trying to kill Phillip), so there's little angst, and quite a bit of dry humor.
I've been meh on this series so far, but this one hit all the right notes. The MCs from previous books are involved (I found myself much more kindly disposed towards Christmas Gale than I was in his own book, A Case for Christmas), and the MC from the next book is set up in an intriguing manner.
I've been meh on this series so far, but this one hit all the right notes. The MCs from previous books are involved (I found myself much more kindly disposed towards Christmas Gale than I was in his own book, A Case for Christmas), and the MC from the next book is set up in an intriguing manner.
October 5, 2022
Soulden gets shot in the back and then hides in a cart of corpses. He is hauled into Fernside’s cellar where Fernside discovers he is not a corpse. Fernside acquiesces Soulden’s request to keep him hidden and not letting anyone know about him while he recovers from the gunshot wound.
Soulden being the rake he is, can’t keep his hands off Fernside and somehow manages to grow romantic feelings for Fernside. Complications ensue from Fernside’s illegal activity of collecting unwanted corpses for dissecting and from Soulden being chased by a spy, but mostly from Soulden’s fear of commitment and Fernside understanding Soulden’s nature.
This book is not as good as the others in the series I’ve read so far. It has several continuity errors within itself and in the series. It’s pacing isn’t as great and doesn’t have the best foreshadowing. Still decent.
Soulden being the rake he is, can’t keep his hands off Fernside and somehow manages to grow romantic feelings for Fernside. Complications ensue from Fernside’s illegal activity of collecting unwanted corpses for dissecting and from Soulden being chased by a spy, but mostly from Soulden’s fear of commitment and Fernside understanding Soulden’s nature.
This book is not as good as the others in the series I’ve read so far. It has several continuity errors within itself and in the series. It’s pacing isn’t as great and doesn’t have the best foreshadowing. Still decent.
October 15, 2023
After the previous book, which was so fluffy and silly, I wasn't expecting how genuinely good and compelling this book would be! Both characters felt complex and believable (even in the still slightly goofy faux-historical setting), and I really appreciated the depth they explored in both of them. Their actual relationship dynamic was also very sweet and well done and made me happy to read and watch develop. There were still some occasional issues with stilted dialogue and odd pacing, but overall, I really did enjoy this one a lot! I almost rated it 5 stars just because I was so invested and surprised by how genuinely emotional and interesting it was, but those smaller issues still just bugged me enough I'd have to put this closer to a 4.5. But this really was a well done queer historical romance that I'd recommend to others who enjoy the genre!
January 18, 2022
Back stories provide us many of the more emotional scenes between these characters we've now known across four books.
Motivations, why their relationships are the way they are, what it will take for them to achieve progress and, maybe, secure support and love with a partner.
Of the four books, this one includes the highest levels of serious subject matter. Moral debates, familial complications, and more.
The past informs the present, and it breeds the challenges of mystery, curiosity, doubt, and hope.
A classic storytelling structure that pulls us in, has us asking what will they do and how will they do it.
It all leads to I need ta know all the things!
Luckily, we have two pros here giving us all the stuffs we want. :D
Motivations, why their relationships are the way they are, what it will take for them to achieve progress and, maybe, secure support and love with a partner.
Of the four books, this one includes the highest levels of serious subject matter. Moral debates, familial complications, and more.
The past informs the present, and it breeds the challenges of mystery, curiosity, doubt, and hope.
A classic storytelling structure that pulls us in, has us asking what will they do and how will they do it.
It all leads to I need ta know all the things!
Luckily, we have two pros here giving us all the stuffs we want. :D
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