“Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

After ten years as a spy for his country, Earl William Richmond, of 'Acceptable Lies' by CM Corett, comes home to manage his estate. His greatest joy is his son, Thomas, with whom he spends many happy hours. William thinks he has all he needs, that is, until he rescues a handsome young man, Daniel, who is washed up on a nearby beach. Being with Daniel, throws William's neat, orderly life into chaos by unfamiliar and disconcerting feelings and he is not sure what to do with them.

William takes Daniel to his home to recover and offers him the choice of staying for however long it takes for him to feel well again. Daniel pretends to have amnesia, afraid that if William knows why he left home, he would, at the least, withdraw his offer and at worst, have him arrested for sodomy. Since Daniel has a head wound, no one is suspicious about his memory loss. Daniel is charming and quickly endears himself to everyone there, especially Thomas, who thinks more of him as a playmate than another adult in the household. Daniel loves spending time with Thomas as well, but it's William with whom he'd like to spend “real alone time”. As Daniel grows stronger, he both welcomes and dreads his recovery. Being well will mean he's that much closer to leaving. Since William hasn't a clue how to court a man, Daniel takes the first step but William is a quick learner. Once Daniel helps him see that what they have is a beautiful thing rather than an abomination, William overcomes his reticence and things heat up rather quickly.

William is a kind, generous man, who treats his servants with respect, causing them to be understandably loyal. William is also a wonderful father who delights in riding, rock and shell collecting, or doing anything else that will nurture his son and make him happy. Considering his mysterious past, it's not surprising when he begins to receive threatening blackmail letters. William reacts by pulling everyone in closer to the manor house, ordering the doors to be locked and other areas secured to prevent invasion. Instead of giving in to threats, William, with the help of two comrades, is determined to find and dispense of the troublemakers. Even these precautions aren't enough. William's worst nightmare comes true when both Thomas and Daniel are kidnapped. William, along with his two associates, is determined to get them back, and rides out to punish the men who dared take his family.

Although predictable, the story is engaging and the characters well-developed and likable. Of course, Thomas stole the show with his adorableness, compassion, intelligence, and bravery. Adding a child, especially one as involved as Thomas, made the story even more poignant. If you like a romantic, fairy-tale-like story, filled with action, intrigue, an adorable little boy, two handsome men in love, and a happy ending, you may enjoy this one. Thanks, CM, for an entertaining, relaxing read.

“More money doesn’t equate to (much) more happiness. But ... committed, long-term love – a pair bond that lasts forever – is about the greatest ticket to happiness known to mankind.” ~ Evan Mark Katz (How Much Is Your Love Worth?)

After a serious injury, Murdo takes David to his estate at Laverock to recuperate. Murdo shows a different side than he has before, turning out to be an excellent, if not a bit overbearing, caregiver. It is an idyllic time for them, being together, living and loving as they should be able to do to begin with. Yet, despite that, both of them know there will come a time when they will have to leave the safety of their cocoon where life is, at the least, uncertain.

As David improves, he becomes bored and restless. Murdo has several legal issues he needs to be resolved so he gives them to David to handle. As time goes on, David tries to bring up the subject of going back to his law practice in Edinburg. Murdo doesn't want to discuss it and avoids the subject when at all possible; he does everything he can to delay David's departure. Murdo has go back to London at some point to take care of some important business that he's not told David about; knowing his black and white reasoning he fears David's reaction. Murdo begs David to remain at the estate until he comes back from London. However, when David's friend and mentor, Mr. Chambers, becomes terminally ill and asks to see David, he knows he has to go. Conveniently, Murdo is going in the same direction so they share a coach. David finally gets to see Chambers who is ecstatic he's there. They have a discussion about his daughter, Elizabeth, whose husband is getting close to finding her. Chambers asks David to go to London and take care of business which will ensure Elizabeth's safety. David can't refuse such a plea and rides to London with Murdo, both with serious matters to attend to; neither man entirely sure what the outcome will be.

Before David can leave to visit Elizabeth, then take care of business matters. Murdo's father comes to his house full of insults and demands. There's potentially damaging information his father wants to be sure David hears before he leaves. When David hears the news, he and Murdo have a bad argument outside; then David leaves to find Elizabeth, to tell her about her father's impending demise and about the business plans to ensure her future. Finding Elizabeth well and happy, he stays overnight, too tired to walk back and needing some space from Murdo to sort out his feelings. Going to Elizabeth's turns out to be a terrible mistake because David is followed, leading her volatile husband straight to her door. David feels awful knowing it's his fault that she is found and turns to Murdo for help. Murdo, adept at knowing how to hit someone where it hurts most formulates a superb plan that will not only free Elizabeth, but will directly affect his and David's future as well.

This is an amazing conclusion to a great series. The character growth in both David and Murdo is exceptionally well written and believable. The secondary characters, i.e., Elizabeth, Murdo's father, and even William, David's first love, are incredibly believable and oh so good, or evil depending upon the part they played. I loved seeing the relationship between David and Murdo begin, simper, and, when they were both ready, bloom into an awesome, strong, nurturing bond. Seeing Murdo's plan at work was like watching a bowling match in which Murdo used his knowledge of his audience and what made them tick, to knock the “pins” down one by one. It was brilliant, not an easy fix like in some books. I highly recommend it to fans and newcomers also, considering the previous stories have been read beforehand. I shall miss David and Murdo a great deal. Thank you, Joanna, for a truly great romance.

“If you can’t get someone out of your head, maybe they are supposed to be there.” ~ Heathers Heart

When Lord Murdo Balfor of 'Seasons Pass' by Joanna Chambers goes back to London, he's determined to forget David Lauriston. Unfortunately, the harder Murdo tries to get over David, the worse Murdo's desire for him becomes. Hoping to burn bridges between him and David, Murdo even becomes engaged although he has no interest in being married. When his father “strongly suggests” that Murdo be his representative in Edinburg for the King's impending visit there, Murdo has second thoughts, but still hesitates. When even a trip to Kit Redford's club for men fails to interest him, Murdo knows that he must do something even more drastic; he needs to go to Edinburg, confront David, and purge the man from his system once and for all.

Although this is a short portrayal of events, the insight it gave me from Murdo's point of view was important in understanding his actions in the next book. I delighted in the fact that Murdo, who was always so 'together' and nonchalant, could be so rattled by his feelings for David and that Murdo thought he was going to see David and simply end this “madness” that is so obviously love. I recommend reading this story because it's an excellent introduction for book two in the ‘Enlightenment’ series. Thanks, Joanna, for the heads-up on what Murdo was thinking.

"People never know how special someone is until they leave, but maybe sometimes it's important to leave, so they are given that chance to see how special that someone really is!" ~ Unknown

David Lauriston of 'Provoked' by Joanna Chambers has worked hard and sacrificed a lot for his position as an advocate in Edinburg, Scotland. David is strong and brave and idealistic to a fault. The one thing he can't justify is his desire for other men and he hates himself for it. Understandably, his sexual encounters are few and far between, rushed, without emotion, and are always followed by extreme bouts of guilt and self-loathing. While staying in an inn on his way back to Edinburg, he meets Lord Murdo Balfour, who quickly guesses his proclivity and propositions him. Although their encounter is hurried, there is something compelling about Lord Murdo. Instead of a rough, quick release, David receives uncharacteristic consideration and respect that David has never gotten from another man. Everything about Lord Murdo feels different. Although David quickly tries to bury his unusual response to Lord Murdo, it proves to be much more difficult than he anticipates.

David has a nearly inflexible moral code that constantly conflicts with the reality of life. In some ways, it's a good characteristic making him a fair and honest person who loves his family and makes him careful not to dishonor them. But it also causes David to deny many thoughts and feelings he considers unachievable, i.e., falling in love or having a family of his own. With his “affliction”, as he calls it, David sees no practical reason to waste time dreaming about things he will never be able to have. Since David doesn't come from a wealthy family, he has to work harder to achieve success. Unlike his other experiences with men, David is unable to forget how it felt to be with Murdo. His mind plays those few moments over and over again making him wish for another meeting, even though it is highly unlikely their paths will ever cross again. No one is as surprised as David when he encounters Murdo again at a dinner at the home of his coworker and mentor, Mr. Chalmers. Even though David wants to be with Murdo again and is reasonably sure the feeling is mutual, he still has a battle raging inside of him which tells him he's wrong to want that to happen. In the end, David's physical desire and Murdo's charm and sensuality win out.

Murdo hasn't been able to forget David either, which is especially irritating to him since sex has always been a casual thing for him. Even so, Murdo can't help but be happy to see David again. There's no way Murdo is going to let David slip away without having another tryst with him. David is characteristically hesitant, but Murdo uses his multitude of charms and persuasion to convince David to come home with him. Murdo is determined to give David an incomparable physical experience, while also enjoying himself immensely in the process. Murdo has him doing things David has never even dreamed of while thoroughly enjoying himself as well. Murdo is satisfied with the knowledge that he's convinced David that sex can be deeply intimate and satisfying. Sadly, it's tempered with the knowledge that David still considers himself an abomination. In spite of himself, Murdo is becoming uncharacteristically overprotective, even jealous which is a surprise. Murdo, who is usually calm and collected, is shaken up by these feelings; he is not at all sure how to deal with them. With discomfort, Murdo admits that David is important to him and knows that no matter how idealistic and naïve his actions may seem, he means well. Murdo trusts David's judgement and is willing to help him with his endeavors.

This is a beautifully written historical romance which includes the political and social unrest of the Regency Era in Scotland. David and Murdo are interesting, well-wrought characters with a spark between them that threatened to catch my Kindle on fire. Their lovemaking sizzled with a sensuality that curled my toes. I admired David's love for his family. His honesty and integrity was beyond reproach, but he overthinks everything, resulting in enjoying very little in his life. Murdo was the bad boy incarnate, playing by his own rules and thumbing his nose at polite society. If you like historical romances involving intrigue, dishonesty, revolt, abuse of power, and passion, you may enjoy this story. Thank you, Joanna, for the informative, suspenseful, and passionate love story. I can't wait to read the next installment.

 “Guilt can prevent us from setting the boundaries that would be in our best interests, and in other people's best interests.” ~ Melody Beattie

'Viscount's Wager' is the third book in the ‘Gambling on Love’ series by Ava March. Anthony and Gabriel have been given a second chance at love. Anthony is thrilled and goes all out to convince Gabriel they can be together; Gabriel is reluctant; he can't let go of his fear, regret and guilt from the past. Anthony tries to convince him to put it behind him but it's Gabriel who has to forgive himself in order to be able to love again.

On the surface, Anthony is a secure, carefree young man. He inherited the viscounty from his father at one-and-twenty, quite young for so much responsibility. From this time on, Anthony has tried his best to handle his responsibilities while being a good son and brother, escorting his mother and sister where ever they need to go. The bank takes care of a great deal of the financial transactions, but Anthony worries about debts and other business matters for which he has no talent. Mostly, he lives a charmed life of privilege, albeit boring at times. When he spies Gabriel, the man who broke his heart at sixteen, he's elated, but cautious. Anthony is not anxious to be hurt again yet is excited about the possibility of getting together with Gabriel.

Gabriel is a widower whose wife died six months ago; she is also the woman he chose over Anthony. Anthony, forgiving soul that he is, doesn't hold a grudge, but is still in love with Gabriel. He offers to show Gabriel around London, since he's not been there in a long time and Gabriel agrees. Anthony is secretly hoping his rooms will be one of the places Gabriel will want to visit and begins a tantalizing seduction to which Gabriel responds, letting Anthony know he's interested. This begins a heart wrenching game of hot and cold which almost breaks Anthony. Sensitive Anthony is as understanding as anyone can be, putting up with Gabriel's moods which are motivated by his guilt over hurting Anthony in the past, never loving his wife, and his desire for other men. Their lovemaking is hot and heavy, like they are trying to make up for the past, but the disappointment of Gabriel leaving right afterward causes Anthony to doubt his sincerity. When Anthony finds out about Gabriel's gambling addiction, he's furious, because now he knows where all Gabriel's money has gone and why he is in such dire straits. They have a bitter argument and Gabriel leaves for his estate. He's lost everything. More than ever, Gabriel knows he doesn't deserve Anthony and is determined to dig himself out of the disaster he's created.

Ana's lyrical writing is perfect for this Regency romance. It captures the excitement and danger of men loving men in a time when it was against the law. Although engaging, the pace was slow at times. I adored Anthony. He was such a kind soul who always tried his best at everything.  Gabriel was difficult to like. I thought he was a pitiful excuse for a man with no backbone or common sense and I disliked him intensely for the way he treated Anthony; although he did redeem himself in the end. If you like Regency historical romances, reading about London society and customs in 1882, passionate sex, angst, and a happy ending, then you may enjoy this story. Thank you, Ava, for bringing Anthony and Gabriel back together.