Genre: Romance, Historical, Victorian
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
He wasn’t looking for love. He only wanted a job…
The sixth son of a family who’d have been better off with none, Izzy wants more than the miserable life he’s been granted. Living by his wits in the slums of Whitechapel, he’ll take any escape, committing to a life of sin and luxury at anotoriousLondon pleasure house where the rich and powerful come to be humbled by the very lowest.
Yet there’s one man from his grim past he can’t leave behind. His oldest friend Noel is moral, modest, and law-abiding—everything that Izzy isn’t—and he’s made up his mind to do right. Until Izzy blows his plans sky high, awakening in Noel a craving for a grander life and a yearning to make their friendship what it was always meant to be.
But when an aristocratic client demands more than a little bought time, Izzy does what he must to protect Noel from the truth of the devious lives they lead. Even if it means breaking his heart.
Just Love Enough – a pretty little love story about a most unlikely love.
The Review
Noel Erasmus Peters spends his time earning very little to help his large family. He lives with his father Lucius, mother Rita, and sister Gladys. He’s of Jamaican parentage, and lives in the slums of Whitechapel in London. He works hard at being a tenant gardener, growing and selling to those that have jobs at the warehouses. But he often thinks of finding a better job to benefit himself and take care of his family.
He’s been watching his friend Ezekiel ‘Izzy’ Pound, and how he now dresses in fancy clothes. He hasn’t seen Izzy in a while, and thinks he might be in prison.
Izzy spends his time working at The House of Lords for Ursula Barkley, who manages the bordello. Izzy started out as a runner for Ursula, and eventually became staff. Ursula keeps many secrets for her clients and staff. Izzy is now earning enough to take care of a family that isn’t very grateful for the assistance – a father with gout, his brother Matthew who’s sick, and Pete, who is nothing but useless. Izzy and Luke are the only ones being able to bring earnings to the household.
When Noel meets with Izzy, they make a plan for Noel to meet with Ursula. He hopes he will become a part of the staff at The House of Lords. Izzy doesn’t want Noel to do what he does, so Noel’s job will be to help Sal tending the bar two nights a week. Noel gets the job, and it helps Noel to paydown his debts and help his family. Being loyal to them, he never stops working in the gardens, early in the morning.
A special love grows between Noel and Izzy as the story progresses. Izzy doesn’t want Noel to observe what he does at the brothel. And Izzy finds that Noel has kept a secret from him. Izzy has always felt the need to protect Noel, especially when it comes to their life at the bordello. They will both discover the dark secrets of some of the royals who visit The House of Lords, and some of those secrets are filled with danger that will send Noel on the run.
But that’s not the only trouble. Ursula loses her backers, and a man named Muldoon takes charge of all criminal syndicates, even the brothels. With Izzy and Noel gone, Ursula will do what she can to save those who are in her employ.
Just Love Enough takes place in the nineteenth century in Victorian London, which I love. It;s a tale about a group of people who had to do what they could to survive during difficult times, and faced dangerous situations. Izzy and Noel go through so much as an interracial couple, and their love grows to be very powerful, but it doesn’t come without doubts and heartache.
FYI: There are words that may be offensive to some, but they are used very little between Izzy and Noel, in a teasing way.
This is an intriguing tale that takes Izzy and Noel from London to Liverpool, Calais (the northern-most coast of France) and Paris. It’s also a snapshot of a time when those of higher status and royalty would hide secrets of their sexuality and the degrading acts that they were obsessed with.
Besides this intriguing story of Izzy and Noel, there’s an abundance of characters here that each has their own story to tell. In the House of Lords: Ursula Barkley, Sal Hastings, Clyde Bevan, Marisol, Rose, Annie, Eloise, Noreen, Sophie, Nellie, Brigid and Prue. A couple other characters to watch for: Lord Harry Bolton, deputy chief Metropolitan Police and daughter Esmerelda. And Bill Alanson, Marisol’s husband, who claims he’s a playwright.
I highly recommend Just Love Enough. It’s a beautiful story that weaves together many different lives around the unforgettable love of Izzy and Noel.
There is also a short Bonus episode at the end – “Made to Measure”.
Watch for the sequel The Old Razzle Dazzle!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
