4 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 160 pages. Published December 28th 2018 by Smoking Teacup Books
Blurb:
Owen Honeyfield lives a goddess-blessed life. His picture-perfect courtship and engagement to the man of his dreams is proof of that. But when his betrothal takes a disastrous turn, Owen’s only hope to restore his tarnished reputation comes from a most shocking source—the cold, disturbingly sensual brother of the man who just shattered his heart and abandoned him. Perhaps he’s not as blessed as he’d always thought…
Arthur Drake is accustomed to cleaning up after his impulsive and selfish brother. After all, he’s done it his whole life. The latest debacle, though, is much worse than usual. This time, his brother’s actions have threatened not only their family name, but Arthur’s own happiness. The only honorable choice is to marry Owen. But while he knows he can repair the damage to his beautiful new husband’s reputation, mending his broken heart might prove infinitely more difficult.
It’s not long before the lines between duty and passion blur, and Arthur finds himself in the inconvenient position of falling for his new husband. Will his love be enough to convince Owen to let their marriage of convenience become the happily ever after they both deserve?
This is an M/M romance set in an alternate-universe Regency with waistcoats, awkward tea-drinking, and pagan goddesses on the loose. It is the first in a series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Likes:
- Hooked me and kept me interested.
- Unique premise.
- Hot smut.
- Short, quick read.
- Arthur and Owen, together and separately.
Dislikes:
- The goddess blessings weren’t explained.
- Some lingering questions.
- Owen’s constant doubts.
- Abrupt ending.
- Wish Arthur and Owen had spent more time together.
I picked up this book after reading The Alpha’s Warlock. I liked Grayson’s writing and was eager to read more from him. Happily, I really enjoyed The Replacement Husband. It was a quick, easy read that hooked me from the very start and kept me interested.
The premise of the story was interesting, what with the goddess blessings, but it could have used a lot more explanation. Owen was obviously treated differently from other young men, and I wish I knew how much of his personality was him and how much of it was how he was raised.
Still, it was easy to like Owen. He was young and a bit sheltered, but his feelings about the way people treated him like he wasn’t fully a man made him sympathetic. I was a bit worried at first, especially with the way Tom treated him, that the book would be filled with many of the things I don’t like about hetero historical romances – i.e. with Owen treated like he’s a delicate, swooning prize to be won. And while Owen was a bit of a damsel in distress at the beginning, he did change over the course of the book. Do I wish he’d changed a bit more and punched Tom at the end? Yes. But that doesn’t feel realistic for his character.
Arthur was my favorite character by far. Older, brooding, but with a desire to care for and love Owen. I loved that he honestly tried to respect Owen in many ways, from not making him go through a purity ritual before their marriage to writing up a marriage contract that left everything to Owen in the case of his death.
Of course, there was a lot of miscommunication between the two men. Honestly, that was where the majority of the tension in the book came from. It got a little annoying at times, especially when it came to Owen’s doubts.
The only thing that worked for them right from the start was the smut, which was incredibly hot. I do wish Owen’s submissive tendencies had been explored a little more. I also wish the men had spent more time outside of the bedroom getting to know each other better. Their relationship felt like it was finally on safe, solid footing when the book ended. Simply put, I wanted more of their relationship.
I do have some lingering questions, especially about Tom. Was he no longer in Arthur and Owen’s lives? I liked the epilogue about Caroline, but wish that Arthur and Owen had been the focus.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I finished it in a single setting, and am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Find the reviews for the second two books in the series, The Reluctant Husband and Yuletide Treasure.
Love is Love Reviews 