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Memories
Will Marsden is a man on the run from his memories and his past. Steward of Denton Manor was a good position until Captain Dearne, the owner, lost the manor on the turn of a card. When the feckless Dearne is dumped unconscious and near death on his doorstep, Will grudgingly accepts an enormous sum of money to care for him.
Dearne regains consciousness but has no memories of how he came to be in the bed of a dark-haired, angry, but gorgeous man or how he came to be so badly injured.
When nightmares drive Dearne into Will’s arms every night, the attraction between them explodes. As Dearne battles with lost memories, he is forced to accept the fact that someone in his family wants him dead, and Will is forced to confront his past head on. Will the revelations uncovered tear them apart?
Dearne regains consciousness but has no memories of how he came to be in the bed of a dark-haired, angry, but gorgeous man or how he came to be so badly injured.
When nightmares drive Dearne into Will’s arms every night, the attraction between them explodes. As Dearne battles with lost memories, he is forced to accept the fact that someone in his family wants him dead, and Will is forced to confront his past head on. Will the revelations uncovered tear them apart?
276 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2017
4 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Moone
23 books138 followersBiography
My name is Ruby Moone and I love books. All kinds of books. My weakness is for romance, and that can be any kind, but I am particularly fond of historical and paranormal. I decided to write gay romance after reading some fantastic books and falling in love with the genre, so am really thrilled to have my work published here. The day job takes up a lot of my time, but every other spare moment finds me writing or reading. I live in the north west of England with my husband who thinks that I live in two worlds. The real world and in the world in my head...he probably has a point!
My name is Ruby Moone and I love books. All kinds of books. My weakness is for romance, and that can be any kind, but I am particularly fond of historical and paranormal. I decided to write gay romance after reading some fantastic books and falling in love with the genre, so am really thrilled to have my work published here. The day job takes up a lot of my time, but every other spare moment finds me writing or reading. I live in the north west of England with my husband who thinks that I live in two worlds. The real world and in the world in my head...he probably has a point!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 2, 2017
*3.5 stars*
I knew I would like this book right from the first page.
To be honest, the book's title and the cover don't do it justice. Before starting it, I was nervous that it would be a disappointing historical romance and my standards for historical romance are high. Memories was also my first book from Ruby Moone, and I'm always nervous when I try a new author. However, the book was much better than I was expecting.
The writing was really good, very atmospheric and well done, even if the book's editing left much to be desired. I was drawn into the story from the start, and I liked how the romance developed slowly between the two MCs.
Mysteries in general don't interest me, but I don't think this book was particularly strong on the mystery front. I didn't mind at all, but it wasn't a heart-racing mystery or something very complex. There were a few odds and ends that I felt like weren't wrapped up well, but because I cared more about the relationship than the mystery, I didn't really mind these particular weaknesses.
The story swept me away, especially the aspects of the story that dealt with Will's past. I really liked how Will had to overcome a lot of personal obstacles during the story, and I felt like they were handled in a good way.
I think that Memories is a very good story that will please most historical romance lovers, even with it's flaws. It worked for me, and I wouldn't hesitate to read another story from this author.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
I knew I would like this book right from the first page.
To be honest, the book's title and the cover don't do it justice. Before starting it, I was nervous that it would be a disappointing historical romance and my standards for historical romance are high. Memories was also my first book from Ruby Moone, and I'm always nervous when I try a new author. However, the book was much better than I was expecting.
The writing was really good, very atmospheric and well done, even if the book's editing left much to be desired. I was drawn into the story from the start, and I liked how the romance developed slowly between the two MCs.
Mysteries in general don't interest me, but I don't think this book was particularly strong on the mystery front. I didn't mind at all, but it wasn't a heart-racing mystery or something very complex. There were a few odds and ends that I felt like weren't wrapped up well, but because I cared more about the relationship than the mystery, I didn't really mind these particular weaknesses.
The story swept me away, especially the aspects of the story that dealt with Will's past. I really liked how Will had to overcome a lot of personal obstacles during the story, and I felt like they were handled in a good way.
I think that Memories is a very good story that will please most historical romance lovers, even with it's flaws. It worked for me, and I wouldn't hesitate to read another story from this author.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
July 27, 2018
This is a heartwarming historical romance with a thread of suspense that isn't entirely resolved. The mystery is solved, but not all loose ends are tied up. I was mostly okay with that, since life isn't a jigsaw puzzle with all pieces fitting neatly together.
I really liked both Will and Dearne. What happened to Will made me so angry and sad. His is far from an isolated case, and to think it's still happening today is beyond comprehension.
The slow burn was perfect, and the more muted steam was appropriate to the story.
Despite the suspense plot, the relationship was the main focus, and the love between the men shone like a brilliant star.
The ending was rather unconventional, but a HEA nonetheless. I trusted Dearne's sister fully, and so did the MCs.
I hate to criticize the author because I loved this story, but the editing was shockingly subpar: missing words, wrong words, random punctuation, plus contextual issues, like referring to a sister as an aunt.
Editing gets 2 stars; the story gets 4+. I'm going with 3.5, rounded up, but, Ms. Moone, please hire an editor.
I really liked both Will and Dearne. What happened to Will made me so angry and sad. His is far from an isolated case, and to think it's still happening today is beyond comprehension.
The slow burn was perfect, and the more muted steam was appropriate to the story.
Despite the suspense plot, the relationship was the main focus, and the love between the men shone like a brilliant star.
The ending was rather unconventional, but a HEA nonetheless. I trusted Dearne's sister fully, and so did the MCs.
I hate to criticize the author because I loved this story, but the editing was shockingly subpar: missing words, wrong words, random punctuation, plus contextual issues, like referring to a sister as an aunt.
Editing gets 2 stars; the story gets 4+. I'm going with 3.5, rounded up, but, Ms. Moone, please hire an editor.
February 13, 2024
Reread in 2024: Ironically, I had forgotten that I had read this book! In rereading it, I loved the relationship between Dearne and Marsden so much more and the character development. The pace of the story was very fitting and while the spelling and usage errors still bothered me, I think the author intended to write a sequel to this book since there are several things left explained that would warrant another "episode." 4 stars.
2017 read: Set in England in 1815, this story features two men, each dealing with memories. Dearne fought in the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium and on his way home, he loses his memory and about two months of time. Will Marsden first meets Dearne when he is brought to Denton Manor by a woman claiming to be Dearne's sister and asked to nurse him back to health after a horrendous beating has left him almost comatose.
Marsden agrees, mostly because he is offered 500 pounds to do so, and
While I enjoyed this M/M historical, the plot had a few big gaps that remained unaddressed and at the beginning of the story, I felt the pace was very slow, although the relationship between the two men really held my interest. Also, there were some editing errors throughout ("taught" instead of "taut" along with some punctuation problems). But the ending pulls everything together, in a somewhat unexpected way, and I give Memories 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
2017 read: Set in England in 1815, this story features two men, each dealing with memories. Dearne fought in the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium and on his way home, he loses his memory and about two months of time. Will Marsden first meets Dearne when he is brought to Denton Manor by a woman claiming to be Dearne's sister and asked to nurse him back to health after a horrendous beating has left him almost comatose.
Marsden agrees, mostly because he is offered 500 pounds to do so, and
While I enjoyed this M/M historical, the plot had a few big gaps that remained unaddressed and at the beginning of the story, I felt the pace was very slow, although the relationship between the two men really held my interest. Also, there were some editing errors throughout ("taught" instead of "taut" along with some punctuation problems). But the ending pulls everything together, in a somewhat unexpected way, and I give Memories 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2017
To say that the last person on the planet that Will Marsden wants to see right at that moment was Captain fucking Dearne, would be an understatement. He might not have much in the world, but what he did have, before Captain “I Can’t Win at Cards to Save My Life or My Fortune” Dearne lost his inheritance, was a pretty damn good job. But since part of that inheritance was the very manor Will was steward of, that job will soon no longer be in Will’s possession. No job means no longer having a place to live, or a steady paycheck in which to buy one.
So, you can imagine Will’s extreme pleasure at having Dearne’s half-dead body practically dropped at his feet. Which, on any other day, would be one hell of a boon. That was not this day. This day is the day in which he lets some strange lady convince him (for a very reasonable fee, he thinks) to take care of the very bane of his existence. And boy does he regret that. Especially when it becomes clear that not only is whoever thrashed Dearne out to finish the job, but Dearne is doing a rather good job at taking out all the walls Will had thrown up to protect himself.
I’ve found myself reading an awful lot of historicals lately, so when the came up on offer for review it didn’t take much to convince me to give it a try. I’m clearly in the mood this kind of thing, and the blurb really made it sound interesting.
It turned out to be a good choice.
I really like Will. He is a very good balance of grumpy and willing to lend a hand. And as I got to know more about him–and I have to say I really like the slow unfolding of his past–I just fell more in love with him. There are certainly things I’d love to know more about, but for the most part I found him to be one of the most interesting parts of this book.
We don’t get quite as much about Dearne, even though he is basically the thing that moves the plot for most of the story, but I found him to work nicely as well. I also like how it didn’t go full-on amnesia here, but instead stuck to something much closer to the truth. I’m not a huge fan of amnesia stories, so I appreciated it not having Dearne forget everything about himself, instead of just what happened in the short time preceding his injuries. It kept the mystery in the story, but didn’t have some big “I remember everything!” scene, which I mostly find annoying.
I am a little unsure how I feel about the mystery, though. For the most part, it did a great job of keeping me interested. And it pulled a nice twist out of its hat at the end, which I really am thankful for. On the other hand, in order for the mystery to drag on as long as it did, it required all the characters to act a bit stupid. Maybe they were all too close to the problem, but honestly, if they had sat down and created a short list of everyone who could have done the deed, well, this book could have been at least 50, if not more, pages shorter. But that twist…damn. I did like that.
Mostly the reason this isn’t higher scored is because of the “tie everything up in a bow” endings. Everyone had to have closure of some type, and it seemed a bit unrealistic. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, not every story require a HEA for everyone in the story (minus the villains, of course). The whole thing with Will’s past felt a bit too rushed and far too jammed into the plot. Maybe not everything, but certainly that last scene with him and…well, spoilers. Also, not a huge fan of the ending ending. I get it, I guess this is the “as close as you’re gonna get” historical HEA, but it didn’t work for me. I just dislike when this happens in stories. Others might not be so bugged by it, but it is something that just doesn’t sit right with me.
Leaving that aside, though, I must admit to enjoying this book. The slow-burn first half of the book was so my jam–though I think I lost a bit of interest in how many sex scenes it tried to work into the story to make up for that slowness. But the characters had really good chemistry, even when they didn’t like each other very much, and any time it was just the two of them talking I was so into it. If you like historicals set in this time period, and you are looking for something on the light side, this will probably suit your needs very well.
3.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
So, you can imagine Will’s extreme pleasure at having Dearne’s half-dead body practically dropped at his feet. Which, on any other day, would be one hell of a boon. That was not this day. This day is the day in which he lets some strange lady convince him (for a very reasonable fee, he thinks) to take care of the very bane of his existence. And boy does he regret that. Especially when it becomes clear that not only is whoever thrashed Dearne out to finish the job, but Dearne is doing a rather good job at taking out all the walls Will had thrown up to protect himself.
I’ve found myself reading an awful lot of historicals lately, so when the came up on offer for review it didn’t take much to convince me to give it a try. I’m clearly in the mood this kind of thing, and the blurb really made it sound interesting.
It turned out to be a good choice.
I really like Will. He is a very good balance of grumpy and willing to lend a hand. And as I got to know more about him–and I have to say I really like the slow unfolding of his past–I just fell more in love with him. There are certainly things I’d love to know more about, but for the most part I found him to be one of the most interesting parts of this book.
We don’t get quite as much about Dearne, even though he is basically the thing that moves the plot for most of the story, but I found him to work nicely as well. I also like how it didn’t go full-on amnesia here, but instead stuck to something much closer to the truth. I’m not a huge fan of amnesia stories, so I appreciated it not having Dearne forget everything about himself, instead of just what happened in the short time preceding his injuries. It kept the mystery in the story, but didn’t have some big “I remember everything!” scene, which I mostly find annoying.
I am a little unsure how I feel about the mystery, though. For the most part, it did a great job of keeping me interested. And it pulled a nice twist out of its hat at the end, which I really am thankful for. On the other hand, in order for the mystery to drag on as long as it did, it required all the characters to act a bit stupid. Maybe they were all too close to the problem, but honestly, if they had sat down and created a short list of everyone who could have done the deed, well, this book could have been at least 50, if not more, pages shorter. But that twist…damn. I did like that.
Mostly the reason this isn’t higher scored is because of the “tie everything up in a bow” endings. Everyone had to have closure of some type, and it seemed a bit unrealistic. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, not every story require a HEA for everyone in the story (minus the villains, of course). The whole thing with Will’s past felt a bit too rushed and far too jammed into the plot. Maybe not everything, but certainly that last scene with him and…well, spoilers. Also, not a huge fan of the ending ending. I get it, I guess this is the “as close as you’re gonna get” historical HEA, but it didn’t work for me. I just dislike when this happens in stories. Others might not be so bugged by it, but it is something that just doesn’t sit right with me.
Leaving that aside, though, I must admit to enjoying this book. The slow-burn first half of the book was so my jam–though I think I lost a bit of interest in how many sex scenes it tried to work into the story to make up for that slowness. But the characters had really good chemistry, even when they didn’t like each other very much, and any time it was just the two of them talking I was so into it. If you like historicals set in this time period, and you are looking for something on the light side, this will probably suit your needs very well.
3.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
August 28, 2017
3.5 Stars
‘Memories’ by Ruby Moone is a historical m/m romance with quite a nice dose of mystery and danger to it. Amongst the unknown and the uncertainty, love kindles between the MCs which leads to hope and ultimately to an HEA which is not exactly perfect by today’s standards but kind of worked out for everyone at that time when homosexuality was a crime punishable by hanging.
Will Marsden has a painful past and he has been hiding and running from his memories for the most part of his life. He is a hard worker and has been working tirelessly towards the goal of finally owning his own property. But then his new master loses the manor he works at, in a cards game and Will is without a job. So needless to say, his contempt for the good for nothing, wastrel Captain Dearne is without bounds.
Imagine his surprise when the same Captain Dearne is unceremoniously dumped on him and left in his care one day. Dearne is highly injured and Will grudgingly cares for the man and helps him get back to the land of living. And as each day passes, the tiny flare of attraction between the men grows.
Dearne cannot remember anything about how he ended up almost beaten to death and how he gambled away his inheritance. He cannot trust anyone in his family as the mystery behind the unauthorized selling of his property thickens. On top of that someone is definitely after his life and through all this uncertainty, the only person he can put his complete trust on is Will Marsden.
The pace of the story is nice as the mystery behind Dearne’s lost memories gets more and more deep and the reader’s curiosity as to what actually happened increases. The romance also goes hand in hand with the mystery. Will is attracted to Dearne and though Dearne is totally not subtle on letting on about his attraction, Will is more reserved or shall I say scared as hell. A lot of ugly things has happened to him in his past and it kind of twisted him up inside about his homosexuality.
Will’s past trials are mentioned in a way so that we can understand what has actually happened to him but it’s not too graphic. I loved the dynamics between the lovers. Dearne’s vulnerability after a nightmare and the only thing to pull him out of the darkness is being wrapped around Will’s strong arms was endearing and sweet. Dearne was pushy when required and also very understanding of Will’s battling emotions when it came to their feelings for each other. I loved how he helps Will reach the point where he can finally overcome his past fears and accept their love to be as beautiful as it truly was and not some abomination.
Though the mystery part is an integral part of the plot, the conclusion of it was not that satisfactory. There were quite a many lose ends which were left unexplained. I thought that there is this huge sinister plot being concocted behind everything but what finally came out was not too dramatic or over the top (like my imagination*head-shake*) but it does an ok job as an ending. It was not something amazing or too disappointing.
Over all, this is an enjoyable historical read about romance blooming where you least expect it. The issue of homosexuality during those times is also handled well as in it was believable and not sugar-coated much. The conclusion or the HEA is not ideal as I said earlier but it was the most practical and near to perfect as it could get for the couple involved so I definitely count that as a win.
*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
‘Memories’ by Ruby Moone is a historical m/m romance with quite a nice dose of mystery and danger to it. Amongst the unknown and the uncertainty, love kindles between the MCs which leads to hope and ultimately to an HEA which is not exactly perfect by today’s standards but kind of worked out for everyone at that time when homosexuality was a crime punishable by hanging.
Will Marsden has a painful past and he has been hiding and running from his memories for the most part of his life. He is a hard worker and has been working tirelessly towards the goal of finally owning his own property. But then his new master loses the manor he works at, in a cards game and Will is without a job. So needless to say, his contempt for the good for nothing, wastrel Captain Dearne is without bounds.
Imagine his surprise when the same Captain Dearne is unceremoniously dumped on him and left in his care one day. Dearne is highly injured and Will grudgingly cares for the man and helps him get back to the land of living. And as each day passes, the tiny flare of attraction between the men grows.
Dearne cannot remember anything about how he ended up almost beaten to death and how he gambled away his inheritance. He cannot trust anyone in his family as the mystery behind the unauthorized selling of his property thickens. On top of that someone is definitely after his life and through all this uncertainty, the only person he can put his complete trust on is Will Marsden.
The pace of the story is nice as the mystery behind Dearne’s lost memories gets more and more deep and the reader’s curiosity as to what actually happened increases. The romance also goes hand in hand with the mystery. Will is attracted to Dearne and though Dearne is totally not subtle on letting on about his attraction, Will is more reserved or shall I say scared as hell. A lot of ugly things has happened to him in his past and it kind of twisted him up inside about his homosexuality.
Will’s past trials are mentioned in a way so that we can understand what has actually happened to him but it’s not too graphic. I loved the dynamics between the lovers. Dearne’s vulnerability after a nightmare and the only thing to pull him out of the darkness is being wrapped around Will’s strong arms was endearing and sweet. Dearne was pushy when required and also very understanding of Will’s battling emotions when it came to their feelings for each other. I loved how he helps Will reach the point where he can finally overcome his past fears and accept their love to be as beautiful as it truly was and not some abomination.
Though the mystery part is an integral part of the plot, the conclusion of it was not that satisfactory. There were quite a many lose ends which were left unexplained. I thought that there is this huge sinister plot being concocted behind everything but what finally came out was not too dramatic or over the top (like my imagination*head-shake*) but it does an ok job as an ending. It was not something amazing or too disappointing.
Over all, this is an enjoyable historical read about romance blooming where you least expect it. The issue of homosexuality during those times is also handled well as in it was believable and not sugar-coated much. The conclusion or the HEA is not ideal as I said earlier but it was the most practical and near to perfect as it could get for the couple involved so I definitely count that as a win.
*This review has been cross posted at GayBookReviews*
May 21, 2023
Very acceptable m/m historical romance.
Quite a few plot queries and a functional (though competent) prose style stopped this really landing for me.
I didn't notice any glaring anachronisms though, which is a treat in itself.
Quite a few plot queries and a functional (though competent) prose style stopped this really landing for me.
I didn't notice any glaring anachronisms though, which is a treat in itself.
May 19, 2024
Yikes, this one was a mess. I adore this author's work but it appears she put minimal effort into this one because it's all over the place in terms of storytelling and there are so many sloppy SPAG errors that I don't believe the author even did a second pass over her own story.
Things started out really well! An unconscious, badly beaten Dearne is dumped on Will's doorstep by a mysterious lady who pays Will 500 pounds to nurse Dearne back to health within a week. There was lots of hurt-comfort during that week with Will having to help Dearne eat, bathe and look after his wounds. Dearne suffers from PTSD from his time being a Captain in the very recently ended Napoleonic Wars (recent as in 2 months prior) and he often wakes up screaming from nightmares, begging for Will's comfort. Will is happy to provide this so there's lots of platonic bed sharing and the two of them get accustomed to sharing a bed, to the point where they have an adorable routine that they go through every night and they end up sharing a bed for most of the book.
This was supposed to be an enemies to lovers scenario with Dearne having supposedly gambled away his recently inherited manor house, which was where Will had been working. Will is incredibly angry at Dearne when the story starts but after Dearne wakes up and claims to have no memory of having gambled away the house, Will immediately believes him and the enemies part is over. Never mind that having no memory of doing something doesn't mean you didn't do that something, but that was just one example of the rushed, poor plotting that the story descends into after Dearne's week of recovery.
The story had way too much happening. Just off the top of my head, the following plotlines were carried through the entire book:
I loved each of these plotlines but it was way too much for one story. The MCs were constantly jumping from one problem to the next without ever making much progress. More often than not, the MCs would default to jumping into bed after having spent a few minutes talking/angsting over one of the many problems they're dealing with. In fact, it was kind of funny (in a bad way) how unconcerned the MCs were over living in a house with Dearne's assumed attacker (his older brother) because they were too busy having sexy times and angsting over their PTSD issues. There's even a part where Will spends the entire day walking around outside because he's having an angstfest...leaving Dearne inside the house with his supposedly killer-brother and neither of them are concerned about this. Making things funnier (again in a bad way) was that Dearne's sister appeared to be a lot more worried about Dearne's safety than the MCs were and she was the one pushing the MCs to try to get to the bottom of the manor-selling mystery and the who-tried-to-kill-Dearne mystery.
Making things even worse was that some of these plotlines are wrapped up in rushed ways. Dearne's family pressuring him into marrying a woman comes and goes in the blink of an eye and only seemed to exist to allow Will to have a fit. Have I mentioned that the epilogue ends with Dearne not having gotten his manor back yet? Because it does.
But worst of all was that the identity of the villain wasn't only obvious but the villain had no motive to do what they did. Don't click on the spoiler if you don't want to know who it was.
There were other smaller issues that irritated me, such as sloppy plot holes. For example: Dearne claims he never told his sister that he'd left the manor to her in his will, except later it turns out that he did tell her. Another example: Dearne claims the deeds for the manor are in his possession, except we find out they're in his brother's possession and always have been. There's also the plot convenience of Will being a virgin and having avoided everything to do with gay sex for his entire life, yet he becomes a topping pro the first time he and Dearne have penetrative sex.
Lastly, I got really annoyed at the frequent and inexcusable spelling and grammar errors that the book is littered with. This author doesn't appear to pay for editing or employs shoddy editors because her work always falls into one of two categories: a small handful of errors that are easy to ignore or an infestation of errors that create frequent distractions. We had appearances by all of this author's favorite mistakes: missing or wrong words, missing or misplaced quotation marks and my favorite - not using question marks at the end of questions. But this one was by far the worst I've come across because we also have characters often not using contractions, lengthy sentences that contained no commas to separate clauses, and sentences that contained such word jumbles that I had a hard time puzzling out what the author was trying to say. My favorite was "I came to give it you back.". The errors were so frequent and so glaringly obvious that I refuse to believe that the author did a single pass through her own story after writing the first draft. There's no way this many errors wouldn't have been noticed by her even if she was reading with one eye closed. When you add on the use of modern profanity (fuck, shit), I very nearly threw the book out the window but I hung on because I wanted to know who the villain was.
The absurd number of errors would make me knock this down two stars anyway but the fact that the story was messy and cluttered makes the rating go down even further. It's too bad because the hurt-comfort scenes were wonderful and the platonic bed cuddling routine was adorable. Unfortunately, this was a big miss for me.
Things started out really well! An unconscious, badly beaten Dearne is dumped on Will's doorstep by a mysterious lady who pays Will 500 pounds to nurse Dearne back to health within a week. There was lots of hurt-comfort during that week with Will having to help Dearne eat, bathe and look after his wounds. Dearne suffers from PTSD from his time being a Captain in the very recently ended Napoleonic Wars (recent as in 2 months prior) and he often wakes up screaming from nightmares, begging for Will's comfort. Will is happy to provide this so there's lots of platonic bed sharing and the two of them get accustomed to sharing a bed, to the point where they have an adorable routine that they go through every night and they end up sharing a bed for most of the book.
This was supposed to be an enemies to lovers scenario with Dearne having supposedly gambled away his recently inherited manor house, which was where Will had been working. Will is incredibly angry at Dearne when the story starts but after Dearne wakes up and claims to have no memory of having gambled away the house, Will immediately believes him and the enemies part is over. Never mind that having no memory of doing something doesn't mean you didn't do that something, but that was just one example of the rushed, poor plotting that the story descends into after Dearne's week of recovery.
The story had way too much happening. Just off the top of my head, the following plotlines were carried through the entire book:
I loved each of these plotlines but it was way too much for one story. The MCs were constantly jumping from one problem to the next without ever making much progress. More often than not, the MCs would default to jumping into bed after having spent a few minutes talking/angsting over one of the many problems they're dealing with. In fact, it was kind of funny (in a bad way) how unconcerned the MCs were over living in a house with Dearne's assumed attacker (his older brother) because they were too busy having sexy times and angsting over their PTSD issues. There's even a part where Will spends the entire day walking around outside because he's having an angstfest...leaving Dearne inside the house with his supposedly killer-brother and neither of them are concerned about this. Making things funnier (again in a bad way) was that Dearne's sister appeared to be a lot more worried about Dearne's safety than the MCs were and she was the one pushing the MCs to try to get to the bottom of the manor-selling mystery and the who-tried-to-kill-Dearne mystery.
Making things even worse was that some of these plotlines are wrapped up in rushed ways. Dearne's family pressuring him into marrying a woman comes and goes in the blink of an eye and only seemed to exist to allow Will to have a fit. Have I mentioned that the epilogue ends with Dearne not having gotten his manor back yet? Because it does.
But worst of all was that the identity of the villain wasn't only obvious but the villain had no motive to do what they did. Don't click on the spoiler if you don't want to know who it was.
There were other smaller issues that irritated me, such as sloppy plot holes. For example: Dearne claims he never told his sister that he'd left the manor to her in his will, except later it turns out that he did tell her. Another example: Dearne claims the deeds for the manor are in his possession, except we find out they're in his brother's possession and always have been. There's also the plot convenience of Will being a virgin and having avoided everything to do with gay sex for his entire life, yet he becomes a topping pro the first time he and Dearne have penetrative sex.
Lastly, I got really annoyed at the frequent and inexcusable spelling and grammar errors that the book is littered with. This author doesn't appear to pay for editing or employs shoddy editors because her work always falls into one of two categories: a small handful of errors that are easy to ignore or an infestation of errors that create frequent distractions. We had appearances by all of this author's favorite mistakes: missing or wrong words, missing or misplaced quotation marks and my favorite - not using question marks at the end of questions. But this one was by far the worst I've come across because we also have characters often not using contractions, lengthy sentences that contained no commas to separate clauses, and sentences that contained such word jumbles that I had a hard time puzzling out what the author was trying to say. My favorite was "I came to give it you back.". The errors were so frequent and so glaringly obvious that I refuse to believe that the author did a single pass through her own story after writing the first draft. There's no way this many errors wouldn't have been noticed by her even if she was reading with one eye closed. When you add on the use of modern profanity (fuck, shit), I very nearly threw the book out the window but I hung on because I wanted to know who the villain was.
The absurd number of errors would make me knock this down two stars anyway but the fact that the story was messy and cluttered makes the rating go down even further. It's too bad because the hurt-comfort scenes were wonderful and the platonic bed cuddling routine was adorable. Unfortunately, this was a big miss for me.
September 2, 2017
“Time will heal everything but it can't keep the memories from the past away.” ~ unknown
When Will, of 'Memories' by Ruby Moone, is presented with “an offer he can't refuse”, taking care of Captain Dearne, a very ill man who is the former owner of Denton Manor and current source of all Will’s woes, he's resentful. Will doesn't care what happens to the man. What starts out as an obligation has the potential to become so much more.
When Will accepts the job of trying to keep Captain Dearne alive, he's not feeling too charitable. After all, Dearne is the reason Will has to uproot his whole life. Dearne's wanton, feckless life is the antithesis of everything Will believes in. Will has done everything he can to distance himself from the despicable attitudes held by the upper class. Will escaped and has no intention of going back. When he discovers that his charge is nothing like Will expects him to be, he's perplexed as well as frightened. Will has spent years fighting the “unnatural” desires he was punished so severely for having. Being with Dearne feels nothing like he's been told it should, but his fear is still there.
Dearne's physical condition is serious, but his mental health suffers as well. Dearne is in pain and confused about why he's lost his memory of what happened to land him under the care of a stranger who seems to hate him. Dearne is so fragile that Will's attitude softens as he realizes that he's wrong about Dearne. Comforting him becomes as natural as breathing. There's so much to set right: Who sold the manor from under him? Who wants him dead? Why he can't remember any of it? Dearne is nearly overwhelmed with the enormity and uncertainty of his task, but when Will tells him comes with him, Dearne knows he can accomplish it.
This was an exciting historical romance with a touch of intrigue and many twists and turns. I especially liked Dearne and was thrilled that he wasn't as bad as I originally thought he’d be. I felt sorry for Will that because of ignorance and fear, he thought of himself as an abomination: without Dearne's influence he would have missed an opportunity to love and be loved. Thanks, Ruby, for a great adventure.
NOTE: This book was provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
When Will, of 'Memories' by Ruby Moone, is presented with “an offer he can't refuse”, taking care of Captain Dearne, a very ill man who is the former owner of Denton Manor and current source of all Will’s woes, he's resentful. Will doesn't care what happens to the man. What starts out as an obligation has the potential to become so much more.
When Will accepts the job of trying to keep Captain Dearne alive, he's not feeling too charitable. After all, Dearne is the reason Will has to uproot his whole life. Dearne's wanton, feckless life is the antithesis of everything Will believes in. Will has done everything he can to distance himself from the despicable attitudes held by the upper class. Will escaped and has no intention of going back. When he discovers that his charge is nothing like Will expects him to be, he's perplexed as well as frightened. Will has spent years fighting the “unnatural” desires he was punished so severely for having. Being with Dearne feels nothing like he's been told it should, but his fear is still there.
Dearne's physical condition is serious, but his mental health suffers as well. Dearne is in pain and confused about why he's lost his memory of what happened to land him under the care of a stranger who seems to hate him. Dearne is so fragile that Will's attitude softens as he realizes that he's wrong about Dearne. Comforting him becomes as natural as breathing. There's so much to set right: Who sold the manor from under him? Who wants him dead? Why he can't remember any of it? Dearne is nearly overwhelmed with the enormity and uncertainty of his task, but when Will tells him comes with him, Dearne knows he can accomplish it.
This was an exciting historical romance with a touch of intrigue and many twists and turns. I especially liked Dearne and was thrilled that he wasn't as bad as I originally thought he’d be. I felt sorry for Will that because of ignorance and fear, he thought of himself as an abomination: without Dearne's influence he would have missed an opportunity to love and be loved. Thanks, Ruby, for a great adventure.
NOTE: This book was provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
March 9, 2018
Started out really strong - I loved the combination of enemies-to-lovers and hurt/healing tropes. But then the two MCs end up at the amnesiac's family estate and the plot screeches to a halt, except for a lot of sex. Even the denouement is anti-climactic. Then there's the ending - okay, we all want a HEA or HFN for our MCs, but given the historical time period, this one was just too much rainbows and unicorns for me to buy.
I was hoping Ruby Moone would be one of my new go-to historical MM authors, but I think I'll limit myself to considering her books when they are on sale or very strongly reviewed.
I was hoping Ruby Moone would be one of my new go-to historical MM authors, but I think I'll limit myself to considering her books when they are on sale or very strongly reviewed.
October 24, 2019
Memories loss and past memories to forget brings Will Marsden & Captain Dearne together. I love this historical romance.
September 8, 2017
4.5 Stars!!!
Will had found his ideal job as a steward at Denton Manor until the owner lost the manor at the games' table. So, of course, the last thing he expects is to have said owner, Captain Dearne, delivered by his sister, unconscious and badly injured. However, he can't say no to helping the Captain, especially when he's offered a sum that would mean he won't have to worry about money again in his life if he takes care of Dearne and guards him against whoever wants him dead.
When Dearne (aka Max) wakes up, they realize that he's lost his memories of everything that happened after the battle of Waterloo, other than the nightly nightmares which drive Dearne into Will's arms. Even when Will is understandably angry at Max, he can't escape the attraction that blooms between them. As Dearne slowly regains his memories, they start to realize that maybe Dearne wasn't the one who lost Denton Manor and that perhaps there's someone that is interested in making sure he's not alive to claim it back.
Will is prickly and angry and he just wants to be left alone, however, furious as he is of having lost his livelihood, he can't turn Dearne away when he needs him. My heart broke for him when his past came to light. I can easily imagine many men going through what he went through during that time period and it's just horrible. Dearne was amazing! Even with his memory loss and his injuries, his confusion, there was this strength and innate goodness to him. I adored them both individually and together. They had great chemistry and worked well together, their relationship changing from enemies to friends to lovers in a very organic way.
The mystery portion of the book was full of intrigue and suspense to culminate in a big reveal that I truly can say I didn't see coming. Perhaps there was too much build-up for the way it was ultimately resolved, and I had hoped for a more satisfying conclusion, but it was a solid one.
I loved Gussy and Araminta, Max's nephew and sister and Rose, and I really wouldn't be opposed to reading a story with Augustus and Cross and seeing where all the persuading got them. 😉
All in all, I have a new favorite Ruby Moone book! While I've loved all the books by this author that I've had the chance to read and review, there was something special about Memories, from the characters to the writing to the excellent plot and to the very realistic ending. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Will had found his ideal job as a steward at Denton Manor until the owner lost the manor at the games' table. So, of course, the last thing he expects is to have said owner, Captain Dearne, delivered by his sister, unconscious and badly injured. However, he can't say no to helping the Captain, especially when he's offered a sum that would mean he won't have to worry about money again in his life if he takes care of Dearne and guards him against whoever wants him dead.
When Dearne (aka Max) wakes up, they realize that he's lost his memories of everything that happened after the battle of Waterloo, other than the nightly nightmares which drive Dearne into Will's arms. Even when Will is understandably angry at Max, he can't escape the attraction that blooms between them. As Dearne slowly regains his memories, they start to realize that maybe Dearne wasn't the one who lost Denton Manor and that perhaps there's someone that is interested in making sure he's not alive to claim it back.
Will is prickly and angry and he just wants to be left alone, however, furious as he is of having lost his livelihood, he can't turn Dearne away when he needs him. My heart broke for him when his past came to light. I can easily imagine many men going through what he went through during that time period and it's just horrible. Dearne was amazing! Even with his memory loss and his injuries, his confusion, there was this strength and innate goodness to him. I adored them both individually and together. They had great chemistry and worked well together, their relationship changing from enemies to friends to lovers in a very organic way.
The mystery portion of the book was full of intrigue and suspense to culminate in a big reveal that I truly can say I didn't see coming. Perhaps there was too much build-up for the way it was ultimately resolved, and I had hoped for a more satisfying conclusion, but it was a solid one.
I loved Gussy and Araminta, Max's nephew and sister and Rose, and I really wouldn't be opposed to reading a story with Augustus and Cross and seeing where all the persuading got them. 😉
All in all, I have a new favorite Ruby Moone book! While I've loved all the books by this author that I've had the chance to read and review, there was something special about Memories, from the characters to the writing to the excellent plot and to the very realistic ending. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
September 2, 2017
I’ve said plenty of times before that I’m hesitant when it comes to M/M historical romance because of the horrible repercussions placed on same sex encounters—let alone anyone bold enough to be a couple—in anything before modern day. But after reading this author’s book Trapped, I decided any M/M historical romance she wrote, I’d be very willing to read. I’m happy to report that Memories left me happy in the end!
There’s plenty of intrigue and a bit of suspense in this story from the mystery of who is trying to get rid of Dearne, to how his manor home was lost, to what happened to his memories, to who Will really is…and if you think you know who’s behind things, well—think again. I changed my mind a few times as I read, and I honestly couldn’t be sure until just before the reveal near the end.
As for the romance? I really liked that things developed slowly, mostly due to Will’s hesitancy (which goes back to the ‘who Will really is’ question and things that happened in his past). Nothing is rushed, even when at times Dearne would try to push Will a bit out of his comfort zone. They are actually really good together, and I thought how Will was with Dearne when he would have nightmares was sweet.
I loved the supporting characters, particularly Dearne’s sister Araminta and her companion—especially later in the story with the support they showed for both him and Will. All of the supporting characters added depth to the story, and everyone’s actions contributed to the uncertainty I had in figuring out who was trying to get rid of Dearne.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Memories and am giving it 4.5 stars. For this genre, the author does a really great job at giving readers the angst of same sex relationships for the time period without sacrificing a happy ending. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
There’s plenty of intrigue and a bit of suspense in this story from the mystery of who is trying to get rid of Dearne, to how his manor home was lost, to what happened to his memories, to who Will really is…and if you think you know who’s behind things, well—think again. I changed my mind a few times as I read, and I honestly couldn’t be sure until just before the reveal near the end.
As for the romance? I really liked that things developed slowly, mostly due to Will’s hesitancy (which goes back to the ‘who Will really is’ question and things that happened in his past). Nothing is rushed, even when at times Dearne would try to push Will a bit out of his comfort zone. They are actually really good together, and I thought how Will was with Dearne when he would have nightmares was sweet.
I loved the supporting characters, particularly Dearne’s sister Araminta and her companion—especially later in the story with the support they showed for both him and Will. All of the supporting characters added depth to the story, and everyone’s actions contributed to the uncertainty I had in figuring out who was trying to get rid of Dearne.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Memories and am giving it 4.5 stars. For this genre, the author does a really great job at giving readers the angst of same sex relationships for the time period without sacrificing a happy ending. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
September 9, 2017
Will has the perfect job that suits him to a T. He is the steward of Denton Manor, a large estate that has passed from a woman Will liked working for to her grandson, Dearne, who has the reputation as a womanizer, gambler and all around wastrel. When Dearne loses the estate in a card game all the servants are pensioned off and only Will remains to close up when the new owners arrive. Will has been carefully saving his money, pushing away his past and looking toward a future of owning his own property. This plan is now in danger since he has no job and no prospects.
When Dearne’s sister brings the battered, unconscious and nearly dead Dearne to Denton, she finds only Will there and pays him to care for Dearne. How ironic that Will has to nurse to health the very person who has ruined his life at the moment. Dearne waking up with absolutely no idea of how he came to be in this situation and how he lost the Manor makes things unsettling.
Dearne acts like a jerk at times, trying to cover up weakness and injury. Will, for his part, is cross and angry most of the time. He has a painful past that made his attitude make total sense. I wanted to cry for him and for his father’s mistake. There is no overt description of what happened but you get the idea, which is enough. Then a lack of trust made me want to hug Dearne.
The writing worked so well for me. There is a balance of light to offset the darker aspects, mostly in the way it is written. “Dearne wanted to think he let out a manly shout, but suspected it was more of a high-pitched shriek.”
There is a mystery about who wants Dearne killed and what has happened that he can’t remember and this was not overdone. The mystery is not a huge whodunit, being more subtle than that, and I felt it had a logical progression. When the twist comes, I thought, “oh that makes sense!”.
I really appreciated that Dearne’s amnesia was not magically cured and I loved the way it ended. The focus for me was not on the mystery but on the connection between Dearne and Will and I thought it was very well done. Recommended for historical fans, particularly.
When Dearne’s sister brings the battered, unconscious and nearly dead Dearne to Denton, she finds only Will there and pays him to care for Dearne. How ironic that Will has to nurse to health the very person who has ruined his life at the moment. Dearne waking up with absolutely no idea of how he came to be in this situation and how he lost the Manor makes things unsettling.
Dearne acts like a jerk at times, trying to cover up weakness and injury. Will, for his part, is cross and angry most of the time. He has a painful past that made his attitude make total sense. I wanted to cry for him and for his father’s mistake. There is no overt description of what happened but you get the idea, which is enough. Then a lack of trust made me want to hug Dearne.
The writing worked so well for me. There is a balance of light to offset the darker aspects, mostly in the way it is written. “Dearne wanted to think he let out a manly shout, but suspected it was more of a high-pitched shriek.”
There is a mystery about who wants Dearne killed and what has happened that he can’t remember and this was not overdone. The mystery is not a huge whodunit, being more subtle than that, and I felt it had a logical progression. When the twist comes, I thought, “oh that makes sense!”.
I really appreciated that Dearne’s amnesia was not magically cured and I loved the way it ended. The focus for me was not on the mystery but on the connection between Dearne and Will and I thought it was very well done. Recommended for historical fans, particularly.
October 4, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
So Memories ticks all my happy reader boxes: a wounded hero, a reluctant caregiver, a mystery, and a slow burning romance. The writing is strong and the story fairly engaging. Will is a relatable and empathetic character. He was essentially tortured for being gay and after escaping he had no choice but to rebuild his life. But he does so alone and without help and when his cherished position is suddenly ripped away, his anger is believable. As readers we can’t help but empathize with him. Maxim is rakish in his own way, but his swagger and arrogance hide a man scarred by war and terrified of his lost memories. They fit quite well as a couple and their romance feels natural in its progression. Given the harshness of Will’s past, his reluctance to involve himself with Maxim is more than understandable, but the author does a good job of creating an authentic pull between these two — they could no more be apart than they could stop breathing. Maxim’s sister, Minty, also plays an important part and she’s got just enough definition to feel like a vital addition without stealing the show.
The biggest issue with Memories is one of pacing. At times it moves quite smoothly, but when dealing with the mystery, things start to drag. It seems that certain points (Maxim’s memory loss for example) are brought up over and over without adding to or furthering the plot. As a result, I feel like maybe an eighth of the book could have been trimmed without affecting the overall course of the story. Also, the resolution to the mystery felt a little too neat and pat. I love a happy ending, but this one came without the gravitas the rest of Memories seems to carry.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
So Memories ticks all my happy reader boxes: a wounded hero, a reluctant caregiver, a mystery, and a slow burning romance. The writing is strong and the story fairly engaging. Will is a relatable and empathetic character. He was essentially tortured for being gay and after escaping he had no choice but to rebuild his life. But he does so alone and without help and when his cherished position is suddenly ripped away, his anger is believable. As readers we can’t help but empathize with him. Maxim is rakish in his own way, but his swagger and arrogance hide a man scarred by war and terrified of his lost memories. They fit quite well as a couple and their romance feels natural in its progression. Given the harshness of Will’s past, his reluctance to involve himself with Maxim is more than understandable, but the author does a good job of creating an authentic pull between these two — they could no more be apart than they could stop breathing. Maxim’s sister, Minty, also plays an important part and she’s got just enough definition to feel like a vital addition without stealing the show.
The biggest issue with Memories is one of pacing. At times it moves quite smoothly, but when dealing with the mystery, things start to drag. It seems that certain points (Maxim’s memory loss for example) are brought up over and over without adding to or furthering the plot. As a result, I feel like maybe an eighth of the book could have been trimmed without affecting the overall course of the story. Also, the resolution to the mystery felt a little too neat and pat. I love a happy ending, but this one came without the gravitas the rest of Memories seems to carry.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
November 12, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up. Enjoyed this Regency romance from Ruby Moone, although it did have quite a few typos and wrong words.
This is my second story from her, and I like the way she writes; she doesn't go into great detail in the sex scenes, it's left to your imagination and is mostly fade to black anyhoo. The mystery was fairly obvious but I really liked the two MC's Maximilian and Will [who was hiding a secret himself], and Maxim's sister Minty and her 'companion' were great secondary characters.
This is my second story from her, and I like the way she writes; she doesn't go into great detail in the sex scenes, it's left to your imagination and is mostly fade to black anyhoo. The mystery was fairly obvious but I really liked the two MC's Maximilian and Will [who was hiding a secret himself], and Maxim's sister Minty and her 'companion' were great secondary characters.
November 6, 2017
I adored this book. Wonderful story, lovely characters, great plot and fabulous ending. My favourite book by Ruby so far!!
January 23, 2018
Unfortunately, the unevenness of this book didn't let me enjoy it. The detective plot was promising at the beginning, but became too simplified in the end. The love story was intriguing, but couldn't deal with the announced complexity of the characters. The text would have greatly benefited from better editing and proof reading.
January 6, 2018
Good story. I liked the main characters Will and Dearne The time period, Regency England, is one of my favorites
October 7, 2018
Intense, beautifully crafted, deeply humane romance/mystery
This is one of the best novels in the genre I've read - and I've reviewed nearly 50 m/m historical romances in roughly 2 months. I am grateful to the author, Ruby Moone, for writing a passionate, skillfully crafted, and deeply humane novel. She fills it with characters that, while flawed, are essentially generous, giving and kind even when life becomes dire. My life is better for having read it.
The book moves from an intensely personal encounter between two men - Will, by all appearances an estate steward, and Dearne, a captain and survivor of Waterloo with PTSD - who are thrown together and haunted by the past, a past that unravels into the threads of a family drama enacted in the repressive confines of Regency social mores. Confronting Will, Dearne, who starts the novel being viciously beaten into a near-coma, summarizes their situation by saying "I am trying to find my memories, and you running away from yours.” This book could stand out simply for Moone's all too convincing account of how a body recovers from being brutalized.
But Moone does much more. Her gifts of insight into emotion, psychology, and history extends to her use of language. Through the pacing, rhythm, and repetition of language she puts us right in her lovers' heads, letting us know what kind of people they are by the sediment and scars their lives have left on them. Her sentence structures expand and contract to suit mood and action effortlessly, using telling detail, nuanced observation, or turn of phrase to best affect. She also excels at imbuing her characters with personality and an interior life by depicting their non verbal communication, from groans and hitched breaths to tilted heads and posture shifts. Together with a knowledgeable and judicious use of dialect and historical accuracy, she conjures a compelling world that feels immediate and real.
Throughout the novel, Moone shows how Will and Dearne maintain their individual identities even as they evolve to a point where each needs the other to be whole. This is done with nuanced sophistication - not with a spectacular melodramatic flourish, albeit there a numerous emotional flashpoints in the story, but as an accretion of experiences leading the couple towards a fiercely protected shared space of intimacy, caring, joy, and resolve. Moone also provides space for her other characters to live and breathe beyond being plot devices, and the inclusion of feminine voices at points throughout enriches the narrative.
If I have any quibbles, the book's title doesn't do it justice. While accurate, "Memories" is too vague, perhaps too commonplace, to convey the intensity of the story - and the story is intense. Also I counted two short passages that may have been a bit rushed in execution in that they hadn't seemed as deeply worked out as the rest of the book. Also, the last part of the book has a handful of what are either editing or Kindle glitches in the text - but none of these quibbles are likely to mar your reading experience.
Do yourself a favor and read this book - you'll thank yourself
This is one of the best novels in the genre I've read - and I've reviewed nearly 50 m/m historical romances in roughly 2 months. I am grateful to the author, Ruby Moone, for writing a passionate, skillfully crafted, and deeply humane novel. She fills it with characters that, while flawed, are essentially generous, giving and kind even when life becomes dire. My life is better for having read it.
The book moves from an intensely personal encounter between two men - Will, by all appearances an estate steward, and Dearne, a captain and survivor of Waterloo with PTSD - who are thrown together and haunted by the past, a past that unravels into the threads of a family drama enacted in the repressive confines of Regency social mores. Confronting Will, Dearne, who starts the novel being viciously beaten into a near-coma, summarizes their situation by saying "I am trying to find my memories, and you running away from yours.” This book could stand out simply for Moone's all too convincing account of how a body recovers from being brutalized.
But Moone does much more. Her gifts of insight into emotion, psychology, and history extends to her use of language. Through the pacing, rhythm, and repetition of language she puts us right in her lovers' heads, letting us know what kind of people they are by the sediment and scars their lives have left on them. Her sentence structures expand and contract to suit mood and action effortlessly, using telling detail, nuanced observation, or turn of phrase to best affect. She also excels at imbuing her characters with personality and an interior life by depicting their non verbal communication, from groans and hitched breaths to tilted heads and posture shifts. Together with a knowledgeable and judicious use of dialect and historical accuracy, she conjures a compelling world that feels immediate and real.
Throughout the novel, Moone shows how Will and Dearne maintain their individual identities even as they evolve to a point where each needs the other to be whole. This is done with nuanced sophistication - not with a spectacular melodramatic flourish, albeit there a numerous emotional flashpoints in the story, but as an accretion of experiences leading the couple towards a fiercely protected shared space of intimacy, caring, joy, and resolve. Moone also provides space for her other characters to live and breathe beyond being plot devices, and the inclusion of feminine voices at points throughout enriches the narrative.
If I have any quibbles, the book's title doesn't do it justice. While accurate, "Memories" is too vague, perhaps too commonplace, to convey the intensity of the story - and the story is intense. Also I counted two short passages that may have been a bit rushed in execution in that they hadn't seemed as deeply worked out as the rest of the book. Also, the last part of the book has a handful of what are either editing or Kindle glitches in the text - but none of these quibbles are likely to mar your reading experience.
Do yourself a favor and read this book - you'll thank yourself
October 27, 2018
This was my first book by the author and it made me a fan.
I won't go into plot points since so many others elaborated on them but I wanted to mention my appreciation of the research this author has done to keep true to the time period and make it feel authentic.
I was disappointed multiple times before with other authors using modern language and conveniences in the times that had neither such words/language terms nor certain conveniences/inventions that came much later on.
Being happy with authentic feel of the time period, writing style and likable heroes, I've enjoyed the story quite a lot.
I won't go into plot points since so many others elaborated on them but I wanted to mention my appreciation of the research this author has done to keep true to the time period and make it feel authentic.
I was disappointed multiple times before with other authors using modern language and conveniences in the times that had neither such words/language terms nor certain conveniences/inventions that came much later on.
Being happy with authentic feel of the time period, writing style and likable heroes, I've enjoyed the story quite a lot.
August 9, 2018
Misspelled words and grammatical errors really detract from the story. When the main character felt like he had been run over by a "canon" I knew we were in trouble.
The plot is fine, if unbelievable, and it took a while to get going. A mystery runs through the storyline, but it's pretty easily solved.
All in all, I found myself skipping whole paragraphs to get to the end.
The plot is fine, if unbelievable, and it took a while to get going. A mystery runs through the storyline, but it's pretty easily solved.
All in all, I found myself skipping whole paragraphs to get to the end.
January 15, 2020
Another delightful historical from Ms. Moone, this one with a splash of an Agatha Christie-like mystery. Will is a steward and groundskeeper for a remote home owned by an elderly woman. She dies and the home is to be passed to her grandson, Maximilian Dearne, but mysteriously, the home has been sold. Will has to find another position; the other servants are let go and no one knows who the buyers are. A carriage arrives at the home with a badly beaten Maximilian Dearne aboard. Will is asked to care for and hide Dearne but he's angry because in his view, it's Dearne's fault that the house was sold.. Our mystery begins. Why was Dearne beaten? Who did it? Dearne doesn't remember what happened to him. Excellently written with twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Lots of red herrings yet at the center is the deepening connection between Will and Dearne. Well drawn three-dimensional MCs who tug at your heart. Additionally, some wonderful secondary characters, particularly Lady Araminta (Minty!). She's funny, irreverent and a wonderful caring person. There was SO much going on that I got a little lost and I'll spoiler tag this since it gives away a bit of the plot . At any rate, this was wonderful and just loved how things turned out for everyone. A beautifully written HEA. One of my favorite lines "Constantly searching. It hit him in a moment of absolute clarity that, with Dearne, he had come home. With him he was safe and loved. The home he was looking for wasn’t a place. Warmth blossomed in his chest and the words he’d struggled to give to Dearne came easily."
September 24, 2018
Slow Moving Then Spectacular
Will Marsden and Captain Dearne are among the handful of star-crossed Regency lovers that seem real. Will has memories to hide and Dearne (aka Maxim) has seemingly lost his most important memories, i.e., how did he wind up beaten and dumped into Will's frightened but sympathetic hands?
You can read the blurb and get the drift, but what's not said is that the slow-moving romance that buds up between these two goes into overdrive and then crashes because of the mysteries surrounding how Dearne has been robbed of his rightful inheritance after being mistakenly declared dead at the Battle of Waterloo.
All sorts of other characters come trundling into the narrative and the book takes off on a wild, duplicitous, and sometimes hilarious, ride. The characters include Dearne's sister Araminta (Minty) and her companion Rose; his brother Holbrook and his nasty wife Catherine; and their son Augustus (Gussie). In addition, another (no spoiler) character from Will's key frightful memory busts out of the past and helps precipitate a chain of events that leads the whole group into an hysterically sweet HEA.
I would love to see Ms. Moone give us a book following Gussie's new pursuit, but for now she has delivered an extraordinary punch of sweetness, light, darkness and love--with an abundance of salacious scenes to savor.
Will Marsden and Captain Dearne are among the handful of star-crossed Regency lovers that seem real. Will has memories to hide and Dearne (aka Maxim) has seemingly lost his most important memories, i.e., how did he wind up beaten and dumped into Will's frightened but sympathetic hands?
You can read the blurb and get the drift, but what's not said is that the slow-moving romance that buds up between these two goes into overdrive and then crashes because of the mysteries surrounding how Dearne has been robbed of his rightful inheritance after being mistakenly declared dead at the Battle of Waterloo.
All sorts of other characters come trundling into the narrative and the book takes off on a wild, duplicitous, and sometimes hilarious, ride. The characters include Dearne's sister Araminta (Minty) and her companion Rose; his brother Holbrook and his nasty wife Catherine; and their son Augustus (Gussie). In addition, another (no spoiler) character from Will's key frightful memory busts out of the past and helps precipitate a chain of events that leads the whole group into an hysterically sweet HEA.
I would love to see Ms. Moone give us a book following Gussie's new pursuit, but for now she has delivered an extraordinary punch of sweetness, light, darkness and love--with an abundance of salacious scenes to savor.
July 13, 2020
I have read a few of Ruby Moone's book recently. She mostly writes historic romances and short ones. When i picked up this book and saw that it was a full length novel I was really happy. But I was a bit dissapointed due to that. All the problems in the book, whether it be pacing, the sluggish flow of the story, the anti climatic culmination of the mystery and the far too easy solution of far too many problems at the end were the result of the length. There were far too many issues to be solved and the number increased with the pages. Also personally I'm not a fan of fake marriages in historical romances. AND I actually wanted some big gesture from Will. After all the running after Dearne had done i wanted some show from Will.
But anyway, I really like the writing, the plot and the setting. She writes the conversations so well, it just flows. So many of my favorite tropes in there. I wish the story would have kept to Will cottage because that part was suplendid.
But anyway, I really like the writing, the plot and the setting. She writes the conversations so well, it just flows. So many of my favorite tropes in there. I wish the story would have kept to Will cottage because that part was suplendid.
October 15, 2017
I got about a quarter into the book and had to put it aside. This is one of those romances where the couple in question goes from complete strangers to romantically involved immediately. The attraction seems to be purely physical because they don't actually know each other, and in fact one of them, Will Marsden, has very compelling reasons to be bitter and angry at Captain Dearne. However, those reasons appear to be forgotten within a matter of days, primarily due to an amount of cuddling that's entirely unnecessary when nursing someone back to health.
Additionally, this novel throws out the social mores that characterize interactions between gentry and their servants during the time period in such a way that's quite jarring if you're used to reading anything in the Regency era.
Would not recommend.
Additionally, this novel throws out the social mores that characterize interactions between gentry and their servants during the time period in such a way that's quite jarring if you're used to reading anything in the Regency era.
Would not recommend.
October 16, 2023
Obnoxious, irritating, illiterate, lazy, sloppy, absurd, aggravating, toxic, obnoxious - which absolutely deserves to be repeated, problematic, ignorant so-called “authors” like this one need to be banished from writing completely - in the most shameful way possible!!! I absolutely detest this author and everything she has done here!! So fucking obnoxious!! I’ll elaborate on some thoughts in a little bit!! This book and this author are total garbage, trash, drivel, obnoxious, obnoxious shitty bullshit!!
January 15, 2018
Historical m/m with a bit of suspense. This was very entertaining and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Well written, though it would benefit from another round with a proofreader.
January 26, 2019
Historical Romance
A good slow burn historical romance with a side of mystery, ending with an improbable but satisfying HEA for all
A good slow burn historical romance with a side of mystery, ending with an improbable but satisfying HEA for all
October 26, 2019
I loved this book, one man with memories lost, and another with memories cannot forget. BUT, although I liked the ending it left us hanging with two big things unresolved, I need closure!
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