In Regency London, Jolyon Everett is determined to dissuade his irascible friend, Captain Ben Harding, from fighting a duel. However, before commencing on the pressing business of defusing Ben’s misplaced anger, Jo writes two letters, one to Percy Havilland, his very demanding paramour and the other to his tailor, Daniel Walters. With those trifles out of the way, he can concentrate on persuading Ben to reprieve young Edward Stephens, a newly qualified doctor, who Jo suspects has a serious crush on Ben.
But the best-laid plans can go awry, as do the letters and, as well as a furious Ben, Jo finds himself at the mercy of an outraged Percy and an amorous tailor. Can he convince Ben not to shoot Edward after all? Will he soothe Percy’s ruffled feathers? And might Jo realise that true love can be found under the most unexpected conditions?
Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes MM historical romance.
Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.
Despite its fun and whimsical set-up, I think this is a case where the story tries to do too many things; featuring too many love stories, while also being too short to garner any real emotions out of me. We start with a man named Jolyon Everett, who ends up writing and sending two letters: one, a sexy letter to his part-time lover, Percy, and another, more innocent one to… his tailor. As these things tend to happen, the letters get mixed up and Jolyon’s life is in for quite the upheaval. Oops! But perhaps it was for the best, as it’s more than likely that a new romance will blossom from this accident! This was definitely a “one-sitting” read (even though I read it through several sittings), and because of that, it’s pretty low-stakes in its premise. The low key, matter-of-fact approach to storytelling gives it a quaint and intimate atmosphere, and made it feel like a passing, momentary glimpse into a chapter of these people’s lives. The simple, yet effective prose helped Twelve Letters serve as a perfect love letter to stories that feature quirky mishaps that can bloom into something else entirely. Maybe even something beautiful! All in all, I can’t argue that this was a charming enough romance story and I enjoyed my time reading about these fools who fooled around and fell in love.
Exquisite!! That’s how I found this short historical book, simply exquisite. Beautiful writing, excellent historical accuracy in speech and in general, and so well done. The characters are so endearing and so ..rich in emotions and sensuality . It’s hard to pack a big variety of emotions in a short book and I’m usually left wanting more but there are short books like this one that don’t need more to be amazing . (I still wish it was longer but that’s just me being greedy ) .
This was such a delight! A big thanks to u/Brittanie for putting this author and this series on my radar because I haven't heard about either before and this introduction to the series was great! I loved all the MCs, the writing was beautiful and I loved how well the author was able to juggle multiple romance plotlines within just 60 pages.
First - I have to point out that this is one of those historical romances where you have to suspend your disbelief just a little bit. The whole idea of Jo writing explicit letters that are clearly referencing a male lover is such a massive risk that it doesn't feel realistic. In addition, Percy doesn't even attempt to be discreet about his romances with men while at society functions, including openly flirting with other men and having dramatic arguments designed to make him the center of attention. Was any of this realistic? No. But their behavior wasn't outrageous enough and didn't happen frequently enough for me to get annoyed. Anyway, onto happier things!
I wasn't aware when I went into it that this story includes more than one romance and there are multiple MCs and we get a lot of their POVs. I might not have tried the book if I had known because it takes a talented writer and a talented storyteller to handle multiple romantic plotlines within just 60 pages but the author did an incredible job! The story focuses on best friends Jo and Ben and how they get together with their love interests, Daniel and Edward respectively. At the same time, Jo is together with Percy for most of the book and even though their break up is welcomed by readers because Jo and Daniel are a thousand times better together than Jo and Percy, the author nicely sets up Percy as another interesting character and we also get a brief introduction to Nathan, who I assume will be Percy's love interest later.
My favorite aspect of the story is how the author cleverly used the characters' relationships, social statuses and life routines to easily transition between character POVs and plotlines. For example, we'd have Jo visit Daniel (his tailor) and then go visit Ben for a chat. When Jo leaves, we stay with Ben and we get his POV when Edward visits him. So on and so forth. This wonderful transition between plotlines was even more enjoyable with the beautiful writing style. To be honest, I thought the writing style was leaning a bit too close to purple prose territory at the very beginning but the style quickly settled into gorgeous prose that fit the historical Regency setting perfectly.
I also adored all the different characters. I'll be the first to admit that I'm very fussy about the presence of side characters and as I said earlier, I usually avoid stories that have many MCs entirely. But in this story, the author did a fabulous job making each main character interesting and unique. What made it especially enjoyable is that the characters are from different social classes with different backgrounds. Jo is the nobleman who has never done a day's work in his entire life but he's kind and down-to-earth. Ben is Jo's long time best friend and a former military Captain who lost one of his feet and his former lover (a fellow soldier) during the war. Percy is a spoiled, immature nobleman who lives life as if he's the center of the universe. Daniel is from the working class, working as a tailor's assistant in the shop where Jo purchases most of his clothes. Edward is a young recent graduate from medical school and has just started working as a doctor at the nearby hospital. Having the MCs be from different walks of life also allowed the author to move the action to all sorts of different settings and introduce interesting plotlines so I was never bored.
The only complaint I have is that the shift from cautious 'interest signaling' to making out was very abrupt for Jo/Daniel and also Ben/Edward, given the time period.
But that being said, I loved how well the author paced the two romances. We get to know the characters through their interactions with their soon-to-be partners and other MCs and the author also included meaningful scenes between the MCs that made me root for their romance. In particular, I adored the scene were . Another favorite scene was when .
I also appreciated that the book delivers a satisfying progression for many of the characters and their romances but there are plenty of issues left unresolved that make me excited to continue the series. In particular, I look forward to . As for Edward/Ben and Jo/Daniel, they might be officially together but due to their class and lifestyle differences, I'm eager to see how they'll navigate the hurdles in their futures.
Overall, I felt this introduction to the series was very well done and I can't wait to continue!
This was a lovely regency romance novella. My first read by this author, who's known for her well written regency novels, and it was truly enjoyable. This is a sweet novella about letters that get mixed up and unexpected things are set in motion because of that. There's also a side story about a duel, apologies and finding unexpected love, all set in a time when being homosexual was forced into the obscure, dark corners of society, existing only behind closed doors and where one wrongly delivered letter with mature content could turn into blackmail or jail. But maybe said letter coincidentally turns up in just the right hands...
I liked Ellie Thomas's writing and this was a sweet, little story with truly enjoyable characters. There's not a lot of angst, it's a little predictable, but I didn't care. It was just meant for me to enjoy myself for a short while without having to think too deeply. Really liked it.
Twelve Letters is a short historical story set in England. It’s a sweet story with a few POV’s. I have not read this author before but I would read them again.
I wish the book had been longer, the relationships were rushed because of the length.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
3.75 stars - A super fast paced story, almost a farce. As with most of this author’s stories, it worked for me, but I would have liked to see the story play out over a longer space.
There is nothing more wonderful than to read a comedy of errors such as this. Shakespeare was a master of this type of story so I got hooked early on and knew I would adore the story!
When letters are written and sent to try to stop a duel, calm frayed nerves, and do a little matchmaking -- but those letters unexpectedly find themselves in the hands of the incorrect recipient -- all sorts of mayhem and misunderstanding occurs. When it is all settled, will the two couples brought together by accident be happy in their newfound situations? Will Jolyon Everett get the mess all sorted out appropriately and hopefully without any deaths occurring?
This story was delightful and fun. The characters were well-portrayed and adorable in their confused states. We can only hope it all gets sorted out in the best possible combination.
This was delightful! My only complaint is that, like other reviewers, I would have liked it to go on longer. I could happily spend an entire novel with these characters, and I wanted to get to know all the minor characters, too.
I enjoyed this charming comedy of errors over misplaced letters sent to the wrong people. From that mixup came a new relationship for gentlemen about town Jolyon and his tailor’s assistant, Daniel. Both of them well written characters with depth. I loved the hesitant scenes between them and the care Jo took with Daniel’s feelings. I hope to read more about them in this multi-part book about letters.
There was another couple featured in the story, Jo’s good friend, Ben, an ex military man who has had a war wound amputation. He has threatened a duel with a young doctor who insulted him. Edward’s letter of apology to Ben softens his stance about the duel. Further interactions with Edward have Ben’s closed up heart opening to a relationship. There is a nice physical scene between Ben and Edward. I would read more about this couple. Perhaps they will be in Book 2 of this series.
I remember the character of Jolyon being in one of the author’s books that I read recently. He was just in one scene, but it was neat to remember him when I began reading this.
A very short story that follows the "comedy of errors" type trope. Our main character write two letters that end up getting crossed as he puts them in the wrong envelopes. Now, this is usually just a little oops but one of the letters is quite graphic and meant for a same-sex lover - which is still a hangable offense in this time period in England. I think it stretched reality a little too far because a person in this time would never make such an amateur mistake that could mean their (and their lover's) very lives. That gripe aside, it ends up with a HEA for multiple characters stemming from this "small" mistake. If you enjoy regency MM romances and looking for a quick read, you'll enjoy this.
As usual with this author we are given a lovely historical story. This one starts with letters going astray, a possible duel, and a young newly qualified doctor waking to what might be his last day on earth. A series of letters, some going astray, is the basis of this tale and makes for a sweet scenario. We see most of this from Jo's perspective, a kind, helpful man foolishly enamored with Percy, who's a total prick. I loved it, a gorgeous read on a lazy Saturday morning.
When I began Twelve Letters, authored by Ellie Thomas, I felt it would be a typical period piece, albeit with gay characters. I quickly realized that my presumed thoughts were far from correct.
This is a darling story of a man with some means, who, at least initially, believes the pretty or handsomest specimens are worth his while.
An important component of this book is the practice of letter writing, and its necessary form of communication in the early 1800’s. As a man interested in men, Jolyon only has this way of conveying to others important information, such as meeting arrangements and feelings of appreciation or need. Underlying this is the constant fear of being caught out.
When a chance mistake occurs with his correspondence, he is unexpectedly privy to another soul’s flame.
This beautiful look at a romantic interlude of men, traveling in different social circles, yet drawn to each other, is one of the most romantic stories I have ever read. While private activities are eluded to, graphic depictions are not needed or provided.
This is a novel where elegant, refined and educated men circulate! ❤️ We have 5 amazing characters, charming each in their own way; Jo; the main character of this lovely book, is polite, good friend, elegant... In his haste to resolve an impending conflict, Jo sends two letters, and...something very interesting and funny happens...🥰🤣 Daniel; the gentle and kind young tailor... Ben; a grieving and wounded man, Edward, a handsome and competent young doctor,Persy a blonde diva, (who I hope to get to know better in the future...) There, you've been introduced to these 5 amazing guys and you need to read the book to know how their lives intertwine!! The writing is perfect, fluid, funny, smooth, elegant like the characters!! Ellie is one of my most beloved authors, I highly suggest you read her books and let yourself be enchanted too! It's like traveling back in time without leaving the couch. Really perfect! Highly recommended!! 5⭐
This was a first from this author for me, and it will surely not be the last. I love MM romance, and regency, so I was really looking forward to this.
This turned out to be short and sweet and I just wanted more. I liked all the characters, even Percy. The premise of this story is primarily 2 letters being mixed up, and the consequences of that which lead to great things for Jo in the end. The surrounding stories are great too, I loved seeing Ben and Edward coming together after their initial misunderstanding too.
This was short, sweet and ultimately satisfying and I'm definitely going to look for more from Ellie Thomas now.
It’s hard to talk about this book without giving away some of the lovely fun of it. It’s all based around the “Twelve Letters” of the title that go to and from a few different people that then set off events in the book. It’s a very different idea for a story and Ellie Thomas does a wonderful job slowly winding all of the situations around each other. I greatly enjoyed this book and my only complaint is that I wanted it to continue. I guess that is a compliment to the writing. I will definitely be looking for more books from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love stories set in the regency period and this one has a different take on it as it's all about men and their taboo relationships with other men. Jo pens two letters that he inadvertently addresses to the wrong parties and what sets off from their is a bunch of errors, setting those errors to rights, groveling, break-ups, and new-found connections. It's a quick read but there is so much that occurs in the few pages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a sweetly charming story with beautifully drawn historical nuances and lots of fun (and period appropriate) plot details— the threat of a duel, mixed up letters, emotions that are deeply felt and gently expressed, it’s all here. Jo is delightful, and all the characters are vividly drawn, with care and elegance and plenty of life. Well worth a read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another delightful read by Ellie who is quickly becoming a favorite of mine with a wonderfully brave and decent Regency men.
I just adored Jo and Daniel and their “love by chance” — so innocent and sweet.
And Ben. So happy he found love after loss thanks to Jo meddling a little and convincing him that instead of dueling the stunning doctor Edward, he should instead let him into his heart.
I really hope that there will be more from these lovelies in the future.
I think that this was a really fun story. The characters were entertaining. All the trouble that they manage to get into socially. I loved the detail that Ellie goes into in describing the men's clothing. This is really a fun little romp of a story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an entire romance packed into sixty pages. Yet nothing seems rushed. The author dispenses with the superfluous, relying on nuance and concise detail to allow us to develop our own emotional response. It’s sweet, charming and ever-so-proper, with appealing characters that are fleshed out beautifully using only a few well-placed brush strokes. The fade-to-grey intimate scenes did not leave me feeling cheated whatsoever - and me and my salacious mind generally require complete candour and realism in this area. But the power of this author’s sensual description lies as much in what she doesn’t say as what she does say. Far from being coy, her cleverly chosen words launch our imagination into what sizzling encounters may have occurred between the lines (and sheets.) Put a little quiet time aside, make yourself a pot of tea and plate of scones, and immerse yourself in this fun little comedy of errors.
I love this period of history and Twelve Letters was a thoroughly enjoyable entry into a new world. Ellie has introduced some captivating characters and I can’t wait to dive into the next instalment to find out what happens next. It’s a short read that packs a punch with every page.
Comedy of errors is my absolute favorite trope and so hard to find in mm. I wish Twelve Letters had been longer and a little more steamy but it was still wonderful.
A series of miscommunications involving hand delivered letters propels the action in Ellie Thomas’ latest historical gay romance, Twelve Letters. The encounters that ensue, and the awkward situations that become fortuitous romantic connections, are a delight to read. Happy endings abound in this light hearted novella leaving the reader with a smile on their face. Highly recommended.
I’m not reading much at the moment (COVID brain!) but this was a perfect regency mm romantic short story. Funny plot line, great fingernail sketches of the characters and a satisfactory hea. Lovely.
Twelve Letters is everything I have come to expect from Ellie, gorgeous flawless historical romance with that linguistic flair that brings you right back in time. Twelve letters was, as always, swoon worthy reading and I highly recommend it!
A charming tale of letters given and received; a courtly dance of gestures and genuine emotions which well up in the gentlemen involved with it, seeking something deeper within and beyond the dance. What is it about Percy? His petty vanity invites punishment, making the viewer enjoy his punishment, yet somehow adore him and look forward to whatever mischief he’ll invoke next. I couldn’t look away from him, delighting in his antics, yet delighting right along with Jo in thwarting him. Jo’s budding romance with Daniel was strikingly different and a relief after feeling the weariness along with him of paying court to Percy. Seeing Jo act as confidant and friend to other gentlemen in their budding romances added additional sweetness to his own. The passion which rose from satisfaction delayed by an apology was more satisfying than the duel Jo’s counsel helped to prevent.
It was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of all the gentlemen in this tale. I look forward to becoming better acquainted with them all.
I am not really a fan of historical romance as the Ton was far too pretentious for my liking but I thoroughly enjoyed this novella!
It was refreshing to see it from the different male point of views as you read each chapter and learn more about each character and how they respond to the letters sent- be it an opinion on a button for a jacket or an apology for ill behaviour or an enticing letter to your selfish, spoilt paramour...
it was tong in cheek funny and witty with a touch of steam with all the repercussions that the two letters caused poor Jo! Some good, some bad and best of all an unexpected outcome!
It was too short too gauge the character build of this story so far but all I can say is I look forward to more!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.