Books Tagged With when - period - 19th century

Word Count: Click here to reveal103000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: It began with a man sobbing in the night. When he is robbed by a fare, London cabman, Jack Merrit, thinks his life is over, but then he meets the dashing writer of social observations, Larkin Chase, a man in search of love. Larkin sees the chance for Jack to earn a twenty-pound reward. All Jack has to do is identify the pair of crooks that robbed him, but the crooks are part of a notorious East End gang who know no boundaries when silencing a witness. Despite the possibilities Larkin offers, Jack’s world begins to crumble. He must either deny or allow his unnatural desire and decide if he is to see justice done and win his reward. But when an equally dashing young detective arrives on the scene, Jack's life becomes even more complicated. Finding a Way is the first of a new series of thrilling Victorian mysteries. If you enjoyed the Clearwater Mysteries and Larkspur Mysteries, you'll love this book. There is no need to read them first.

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Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Boston in 1888 is quite urbane, but unfortunately for Gil Porter, that isn’t the same thing as being understanding. When his sexuality is exposed by the scandalous suicide of his lover, Gil is exiled to the small town of Mercy, Texas, by his domineering father, George, who believes life on Vernon Porter's ranch will cure Gil of his “unnatural” desires. Grieving and ashamed, Gil is determined to keep his distance from everyone until he can return home. To his surprise, he finds acceptance at Bent Oak Ranch, especially from Matt Grayson, the handsome son of the ranch foreman. Knowing he must fight his attraction to Matt, Gil courts a local girl, but an unexpected encounter with Matt leads to his discovery of Matt’s feelings for him. Torn between Matt and his desire to be “normal," between returning to his old life and building a new one in Texas, Gil is faced with a choice—appeasing his father or becoming the man Matt knows he can be.

Word Count: Click here to reveal100000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: When the eligible Eddy Hawkstone enlists Jack Merrit's services to recover a stolen book, it seems like a straightforward task. However, the clues lead Jack into the turbulent world of the music hall, where he uncovers the unnerving tale of his father's death at the feet of Marie Lloyd. Desperate to prove himself to his mentor, Jimmy Wright, Jack finds himself entangled in a web of sexual temptation, loyalty, and fraternal bonds, all while grappling with his emotions for Larkin Chase. To triumph, Jack must confront the shadows of his past and embrace the realities of the present. The path is fraught with danger and self-discovery and leads him to a twisting theatrical climax worthy of a melodrama. Follow the Van is the third book in the Delamere Files series. The books should be read in order.

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Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Questioning, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Alistair Lennox is disagreeable. Isolated and miserable, with parents who don’t care about him, his life has been equal parts privilege and loneliness. But when his parents die, his life is turned upside down. In order to gain his inheritance, Alistair is forced to attend a college he's never heard of - for good reason. Misselthwaite College is a school for the magically gifted Alistair has no magical gifts - unless being magically inept counts. What were his parents thinking? And what is the mysterious affliction plaguing William Carlisle, the affluent and arrogant heir to Misselthwaite? Is there a connection to the strange key Alistair discovers in a book, the stranger noises in the night, and, strangest of all, the multiple men who desire his friendship? Misselthwaite has no end of secrets. But if being disagreeable is good for anything, it's for getting to the bottom of mysteries. -- Garden of Secrets is book one in a duology, and the first installment in a magical new universe. A Secret Garden retelling with a queer twist and featuring MMMM polyamory.

Word Count: Click here to reveal48,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Patrick and Goose are getting married on Halloween. Before they can say their "I dos," however, they must recover both physically and mentally from the tragedy that befell them over the summer. While doing that, a new mystery begins, as several new ghosts enter their lives. Since Jefferson and Daniel were forced apart the last time Patrick and Goose saw them, Goose is convinced these new ghosts are somehow part of a puzzle to get the angelic duo back together. Meanwhile, Carrie gets a job working with children. At least one parent isn't happy about that. Rip and Shelby prepare for the arrival of their little one, and all three help Goose and Patrick with their new paranormal  adventure.  At the end of it all, marriage,  birth,  death, love and romance, plus many surprises abound in Ghosts of Honor.

Word Count: Click here to reveal23700 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: It was pitch black outside, the only light came from the lantern at the front of the coach, bobbing crazily over the road. Wild gusts of wind threatened to tip them over every so often and the coachman gripped the reins even more tightly, swearing under his breath. Rain beat frantically against the windows as Jonathan peered out, hoping to catch a glimpse of Castle Blackstone, the place that would be his home for the next six years... When Jonathan Winters accepts a post as tutor to the only son of Lord D’Anvers, he looks forward to sharing his love of learning with his young pupil.  Not even arriving at Castle Blackstone in the middle of a thunderstorm can dampen his enthusiasm, nor the fact that the wing above his head is forbidden. Absorbed with Evelyn’s education, Jonathan is completely unprepared to find himself the object of Lord D’Anvers’ attentions. Until D’Anvers kisses him...   A M/M Historical Romance   Word count 23,700

Word Count: Click here to reveal104000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: “The greatest gift one man may give another is his trust.” Barbary Fleet, 1890. Standing stones, messages written in symbols, and the language of the deaf. It falls to Lord Clearwater to unlock the mystery of Dalston Blaze and his deaf friend, Joe Tanner, two young men arrested for committing ‘unnatural offences’ at the Hackney workhouse. Dalston hopes for a prison sentence. It’s the only way to save his life. Instead, he is bailed to the Larkspur Academy on Lord Clearwater’s Cornish estate, where there is only one rule: honesty above all else. For Dalston, this means confronting his past, learning to trust, and admitting his secrets. Joe is the key, but Joe is missing, and his location is locked deep inside a memory seen in sign language, and clouded by eighteen years of workhouse life. If Dalston remains silent, the immoral workhouse master and his sadistic schoolteacher will continue to inflict pain and suffering on all inmates of the Hackney workhouse. If he tells the truth, he and Joe will die. The Guardians of the Poor is a combination of mystery, adventure and male romance, set in 1890. It draws on first-hand accounts of workhouse life at the time and is the first of a new series of mysteries set in the Clearwater world. The Larkspur Mysteries Beginning in 1890, The Larkspur Mysteries follow on from The Clearwater Mysteries series of 11 novels. It’s not necessary to have read the Clearwater books before you embark on the Larkspur series. However, if you enjoy mystery, romance, adventure and a mix of historical fact and fiction, then begin the journey with ‘Deviant Desire.’ (Or the non-mystery prequel, ‘Banyak & Fecks.’) Lord Clearwater has created a unique academy for disadvantaged young men. The Larkspur Academy is, ‘A non-academic institution with the aim to provide deserving men the opportunity to expand talent, horizons and knowledge for the betterment of the underprivileged and general society.’ It’s not a school. There are no lessons, no teachers, no schoolboys and no rules. The series exists in the established Clearwater world of the late 1800’s where homosexuality is a crime everywhere but on Clearwater’s country estate in Cornwall. The series is ongoing. Each story involves male bonding, bromance, friendship and love. Mystery, adventure and a little comedy play their parts, and every story is inspired by true events from the past.

Word Count: Click here to reveal3700 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: London, 1898 Streetwalker Cath plies her trade behind respectable houses in Victorian London, alongside close friend and fellow streetwalker, Ben. When an ugly encounter puts them on the wrong side of the law, she and Ben must choose between risking their hearts— or their lives.

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Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: In 773 AD, Roland, a young man of King Charles’ court, was gifted with the sword Durendal. That sword was one of four swords of rare power, three of which were held by Wardens, mages charged with protecting the sacred bloodline of the Merovingian kings. The last sword was held by their mentor, the mage known to history as Turpin. That same year, a Saxon priest seeking retribution against Charles enlists the aid of a mage who seeks the swords for his own purpose, setting into motion events that lead to the battle at the Pass of Roncevaux, and to Roland’s death. A thousand years later, a research group doing excavations in part of Aachen Cathedral uncovers a collection of books and scrolls, a ring, and a sword. As they uncover the sword, they are attacked. Summoned to the site by the power of the magical attack, Yael Mystere and his apprentice, Warden-in-training Doctor Douglas Keith discover the sole survivor – Margaret Prentice, the daughter of the man leading the excavation. A second attempt on her life fails, sending Yael, Douglas and Margaret on a quest for the power behind the attacks ─ a power that has been waiting a thousand years to win the swords at all costs.

Word Count: Click here to reveal62000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Award-winning novel, His Captain: A wounded hero... A mysterious healer... A secret enemy hell-bent on their destruction... Physicians proclaim Captain Reginald (Reggie) St. Clair will never walk again. Injured from a cannon misfire, he retreats to the Scottish Highlands. In the remote castle where he spent his youth, he will escape pity and ridicule from society and his family. And maybe, just maybe, he'll gain strength from the happy memories ghosting through the old stone walls. Johnnie Sloan, a healer with a mysterious past, expects to mend Captain St. Clair’s injured body as well as his broken spirit. He does not intend to fall in love. Just when Reggie thinks life might be worthwhile again, a secret enemy accuses him of a crime. Not only is Reggie’s freedom at stake, scandal threatens Johnnie's safety as well. Can the captain and the healer, with his underworld connections, defeat censure and betrayal to find happiness together? Award-winning novel His Captain, is the first book in the Scottish Crime Romance series by Stephanie Lake, and is part of the Regency Lords world. For romance, intrigue, and deliciously ruthless characters, dive into this exciting series today! “Stephanie Lake gives us appealing characters, fun storylines, and crisp prose. I especially enjoy the skill she uses with her historical settings. Her stories are perfect when I need an escape from the here and now.” – Kim Fielding, Award-winning author of The Bureau series."

Word Count: Click here to reveal9000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: An Award-Winning Gay Regency Romance: Where Love Defies Boundaries and Status. In Wiltshire, England, amidst aristocratic grandeur, a spark ignites between Grey, a young nobleman, and Sam, a charismatic laborer. As their worlds collide, Grey grapples with societal chains and echoes of his father’s stern lessons. Yet, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Sam’s rugged allure. Can their love rise above these trials? Embark on a journey of passion and defiance in this gripping historical romance novella. “Stephanie Lake gives us appealing characters, fun storylines, and crisp prose. I especially enjoy the skill she uses with her historical settings. Her stories are perfect when I need an escape from the here and now.” – Kim Fielding, Award-winning author of The Bureau series. “Bold, sensual historical settings that immerse you in the experience and characters that bring the past startlingly to life.” – Amy Lane, award-winning author of Fish out of Water series."

Word Count: Click here to reveal62000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay, Lesbian (Click here to hide)

Summary: Indiana Jones meets The Magpie Lord in this suspenseful MM Victorian era romance from award-winning author Stephanie Lake. Tormented by nightmares, and fighting to maintain his sanity, Kit Asplin struggles to keep his business afloat. He might sell the occasional ancient artifact to make ends meet, but he never mixes business with pleasure. And he certainly does not have time for an inexperienced, prickly Englishman with a flirty sidekick. Everything Dylan Mansfield holds dear is in jeopardy. If he doesn’t find a specific sacred object for his mentor, he and Bertie will lose their positions, and the only family they know. Their future lies in the hands of a man for hire, who seems a rather shady character. Can Dylan trust Kit who trades in stolen artifacts and secrets? And if that’s not enough to cause Dylan angina, the object he must uncover and take to England has alternate plans. His Tomb Raider is the first book in the Magic of the Lost Temple series. If you like charming characters and rich plots, you’ll love this page-turning historical romance by award-winning author Stephanie Lake. Discover this must-read paranormal series today! “Stephanie Lake gives us appealing characters, fun storylines, and crisp prose. I especially enjoy the skill she uses with her historical settings. Her stories are perfect when I need an escape from the here and now.” – Kim Fielding, award-winning author of The Bureau series. “Bold, sensual historical settings that immerse you in the experience and characters that bring the past startlingly to life.” – Amy Lane, award-winning author of Fish out of Water series.

Word Count: Click here to reveal99249 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: George Pettigrew and his papa must leave the California rancho they'd lived on since his birth. They end up in New York City, where Papa marries and George gets a new beloved mama. George also meets Frank and Bart who become fast friends, and in Bart's case, even more. The start of the Civil War leaves George the man of the family, but although he’s found a job, it’s difficult to pay the ever-increasing rent. Then Papa dies at Appomattox and Mama falls ill. After Mama dies, her father takes George’s siblings. When George learns his younger sister is being abused, he rescues the three children. But will dressing his sisters as boys and himself as a woman be enough of a disguise to keep them safe until they can reach the valley he’s dreamed of? Will Bart leave behind his own family and go with the man he loves?

Word Count: Click here to reveal90000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Home From Nowhere The Clearwater Mysteries Book Seven After their wild and dangerous adventures, Archer and his crew are happy to take on a cosy mystery. Two new staff join Clearwater House. One of them, Jasper Blackwood, comes with an enigmatic, limited edition songbook that suggests he is no ordinary lad from the workhouse. When Archer investigates Jasper's past, he soon realises that his origins, if known, will cause a scandal for one of his closest friends. The question is, how to reunite father and son without disrupting their lives? In the space of one week, Jasper's life changes in ways he never expected, and when he meets Billy Barnett, what was once a shameful longing for the companionship of another man, quickly becomes his reason for living. 'Home From Nowhere' begins on the day Artful Deception ends. This is a comfortable, low-heat mystery set against a young man's coming of age in 1889 London. It can be read as a standalone novel, but it's best to have read the previous books in the series first. As with the other Clearwater Mysteries, you will find a mix of fact and fiction, alternating between upstairs and downstairs in a Victorian household.

Word Count: Click here to reveal90,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Soulmates across time. A love that was meant to be. In present day, Laurie, tired of corporate life, takes a much-needed vacation at Farthingdale Dude Ranch. The very first night a freak blizzard combined with a powerful meteor shower takes Laurie back to the year 1891. When he wakes up in a snowbank, his only refuge is an isolated cabin inhabited by the gruff, grouchy John Henton, who only wants to be left alone. His sense of duty prevails, however, and he takes Laurie under his care, teaching him how to survive on the wild frontier. As winter approaches, Laurie's normal fun-loving manner make it difficult for him to connect with John, but in spite of John's old-fashioned ways, the chemistry between them grows. Sparks fly as the blizzard rages outside the cabin. Can two men from different worlds and different times find happiness together? A male/male time travel romance, complete with hurt/comfort, true confessions, a shared bed, fireplace kisses, the angst of separation, and true love across time.

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Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: In a respectable neighbourhood, on the top floor of a beautiful house, crouches the Succubus; by design, and by temperament, she is all that men crave and fear. To the wealthy and privileged men of London, the Succubus is a test they must pass to gain access to the House of Sable Locks, the most exclusive brothel in town. However, to William, a wealthy young man born and raised in India, she is the very essence of his desires. William is recovering from the loss of everything he knows and loves when he first meets the Succubus. With great care she tears him apart... and he falls in love again. But their idyll cannot last: there is a killer loose in London, and the darkness of William's past is about to collide with the terror of his present. Based on the story "The Succubus" from the acclaimed erotic steampunk anthology Like Clockwork, HOUSE OF SABLE LOCKS lets us enter the mysterious brothel readers previously only had a glimpse of.

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Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Student-Artificer Elijah Saloman discovers what he thinks could be a lost masterwork of the greatest Artificer ever born. He is determined to make it work, even though he has no idea what it is or what it is supposed to do. But when everything that can go wrong does, Elijah finds himself caught in an interesting predicament—trapped within the machine, and at the mercy of the whimsical plaything of a long-dead Artificer with a taste for the exotic.

Word Count: Click here to reveal103000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Forgive when there is nothing to forgive, and forget when there is. Barbary Fleet, September 1890 Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, September 1890 Deaf since birth, Joe Tanner is destined for a life of misery in the workhouse until Lord Clearwater offers him a place at the curious Larkspur Academy in Cornwall. There, while adjusting to his new life, His Lordship challenges Joe to unlock the mystery of the Colvannick stone row. As Joe sets about his task, he suspects a connection between the standing stones and a series of unsolved murders. The problem is convincing others, and his obsession soon threatens his relationship with his lover, Dalston Blaze. Joe's determination to unearth the truth also jeopardises his place at the academy, but a man's life is at stake, and the only one who believes in the mysteries of the past is Joe — and the killer who is prepared to murder anyone who interferes. The second of The Larkspur Mysteries continues from book one, 'The Guardians of the Poor.' The Larkspur Mysteries are inspired by existing locations and newspaper reports from the time, and combine fact, fiction, adventure and bromance. If you have not yet read the preceding series, ‘The Clearwater Mysteries’, you might like to start with book one, ‘Deviant Desire.’ There are 11 books in the ongoing series including a prequel, ‘Banyak and Fecks’ which can be read first although it is not a mystery. To get the most out of it, you should read it just before you read book nine, ‘Negative Exposure.’

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Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Iain Donaldson and Bran MacRae have been best friends since childhood, despite Iain being part of the gentry and Bran a mere crofter's son. Iain's feelings of friendship have deepened over time, and he suspects Bran might share his inclinations—and Hogmanay may be the time to confess feelings. As the old year becomes the new, Iain keeps his promise to first-foot at the MacRae cottage, and Bran takes the opportunity to bare his heart—will it be enough to overcome the challenges to their budding relationship?

Word Count: Click here to reveal70000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Three traitor lords plotted to kill the king; now their sons must deal with the aftermath. When butler Daniel Rivers finds his employer, the Earl of Lynster, has shot himself, confirming he was one of the traitor lords plotting to kill the king, Daniel’s only thought is to protect his childhood friend James, the new Lord Lynster, from the scandal. He’s been quietly looking out for Lord James ever since the day by the pond when James’s “experiment” of a kiss proved to Daniel that he loved the young lord. James had heard rumors of traitor lords and a plot to kill the king, but he didn’t realize his father was one of them until he read a newspaper story hinting the traitors were on the verge of being arrested and finds his father has shot himself rather than be tried, making James the new Lord Lynster. Fortunately, his father’s butler, Daniel Rivers, found the body. Daniel knows James’s deepest secret, and James knows he can trust Daniel, even when the Crown decides they’d like another traitor lord to put on trial. When it’s discovered there may be more traitors involved in the conspiracy than the ones the Crown already knows about, James will need all his resources to prove he isn’t one of them. And Daniel will do anything he can to keep the former Lord Lynster’s scandal away from the son, even if it means allowing himself to be suspected. A gay - M/M romance novel set in the Regency period with a medium heat level. 70,000 words/ approx. 280 pages