Read Around the Rainbow | Regency Romance

September 27, 2024September 27, 2024 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 5 Comments

It’s Read Around the Rainbow time!!! If you’re new around here, we’re a bunch of queer romance authors who get together on the last Friday of every month and blog on the same topic. This month we’ll be chatting about historical romance, more specifically Regency.

I don’t write historical stories, and I rarely read them.

If you could see time passing in a blog post, you’d have noticed the several-minute pause between the last sentence and this one. I simply don’t know how to continue this post.

I think it’s amazing how people have the patience to sit down and write a historical story. I fear I’d never finish another story if I were forced to write historical. The amount of research would have me screaming. This, of course, have to do with my complete lack of interest in history.

It’s important! Don’t get me wrong. Everyone should have a grasp of history. But I read to escape, and I’m not keen on escaping into a world where there’s a war on women and queer people. We’ve fought long and hard to get to the point we’re at today, and we still have a long way to go, but I find little joy in reading stories where people like me are murdered simply because they’re like me. Or I have it easy. I’m married to a man. I would’ve floated under the radar. I’d only have to amputate part of myself, not destroy it completely. So yay.

And I know it’s hypocritical since I have no problem reading about vampires, werewolves, and magic users murdering each other. I even enjoy a good murder, but vampires and werewolves aren’t real. Women and LGBTQIA2S+ people are, and they lived through it…or most of them lived through it, at least. Only a portion died.

That being said. A good character is a good character no matter what world or era they’re in. So we’re talking Regency, and I had to google. Officially, the Regency only lasted nine years. Feels insane that we have a name for such a short time, but it also said that the Regency era of British history is commonly understood as the years between 1795 and 1837, and I know absolutely nothing about it. It was when we had the Gustavian era here. Wars and other boring stuff LOL.

But scrolling an MM Romance Regency list on Goodreads told me I have read some Regency books. The Doomsday Books by K.J. Charles were listed, and it’s not too long ago I read those. I enjoyed them. As I said above, a well-crafted character is captivating no matter what era they appear in.

If you’re a fan of Regency books, check out what the others have to say! I’m sure you get a lot more out of it than you did my post 😅

Ellie Thomas

K.L. Noone

A.L. Lester

Guest Post | Town Bronze Regency Box Set by Ellie Thomas

August 11, 2024August 7, 2024 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 1 Comment

Today, the amazing Ellie Thomas is back on the blog to tell us about her new Town Bronze Box Set. welcome, Ellie!

Thank you, lovely Ofelia, for having me as a guest on your blog again. I’m Ellie, I write Historical Romance novellas, and I’m here today to chat about the release of my Town Bronze Regency Box Set.

When I started writing Town Bronze for the JMS Books Silver Foxes submission call, it was intended as a one-off story. I got halfway through Jasper and Mortimer’s romance and realised that Jasper’s two friends, Barney and Julian, also young men about town, were available to make their own romantic matches.

In Town Bronze, the character of Barney, Jasper’s London roommate, is played for laughs. He’s quite bossy and overly keen to pass on his limited experience to Jasper. He also seems protective of his unofficial place as second in command to golden boy Julian.

So, in Pantaloons and Petticoats, it was fun to explore the reasons behind Barney’s pugnacious attitude. He might be wealthy, but his family’s fortune comes from trade, which means he’s not quite accepted by London high society. Like any wealthy young man, he enjoys all the fun that London can offer. However, despite his extravagance, at heart Barney is sensible, practical and loyal.

When he meets Rose in a Covent Garden tavern and soon discovers she was not born female, this triggers his sense of chivalry as well as his desire.

Rose was a wonderful challenge to write as a non-binary person in the Georgian era. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence of cross-dressing in London’s molly houses and so Rose is not merely an imaginative invention. Unlike some ebullient characters, as described in books and plays about the infamous Mother Clap’s Molly House, Rose is careful and cautious because she lives a double life as Ross, a clerk at Coutts Bank, and also has a disabled mother to support.

Rose is independent, smart and kind. It was wonderful to describe how she flourishes when she is entirely accepted by Barney. These two might have challenges to face in order to be together, but they are strong and determined, united in their love.

Blurb:

townbronzeboxset

All three novellas in Ellie Thomas’ Regency Town Bronze series are gathered together in this box set. A trio of young gentlemen, former university friends, Jasper, Barney and Julian, are set loose in Regency London to pursue carefree pleasure. Instead, they find unexpected romance and follow their individual paths to true love. Contains the stories:

Town Bronze: In 1812, Jasper Goodhew departs from sleepy Somerset for his first London season, anticipating fun, frolics and drunken debauchery. But to his consternation, he finds that a spanking from the firm hand of a particular older man sets him ablaze.

Can Jasper and Sir Mortimer Cleverly overlook their unorthodox introduction to become friends? Or is Jasper unable to resist his deepest instincts?

Pantaloons and Petticoats: In the autumn of 1812, Barney Marshall is a carefree young man, able to afford every variety of entertainment in Regency London while remaining heart-whole and fancy-free. All that changes after a passionate encounter with Rose, who by day is Ross, a clerk at Coutts Bank. Can Barney persuade Rose to trust him? And might their connection blossom into love?

Impeccable Credentials: In the autumn of 1812, aristocrat Julian Buchanan faces a crisis. He must choose between the trappings of his privileged life or the man he loves. Will Julian submit to his father’s decree and marry to further the family name? Or can he find the strength to break free?

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Excerpt from Town Bronze:

The next part of Jasper’s evening passed in patchy coherence. The older gentlemen departed with dignity almost immediately after Jasper’s inadvertent blunder. With his wine glass replenished more than once by a luscious attendant, Jasper almost forgot about the impact of that searing gaze.

He was vaguely aware of some of his companions departing with young ladies. Others were content to remain, drink deep, and dandle a damsel on their laps. Minutes or hours progressed in a pleasant haze until Jasper reached the point where he had drunk himself sober.

Relatively clear-headed and suddenly thirsty, Jasper rose on remarkably steady legs to fetch a glass of water from the drinks tray on the capacious sideboard.

This gave him a clear view of the entrance hallway. The vestibule was empty, apart from the three gentlemen earlier expelled from the drawing room by an excess of wit.

The gentleman with the remarkable hair was shaking the hands of his companions with a few congenial words. In that instant of seeming sobriety, it was terribly important for Jasper to make amends. He couldn’t have fathomed if this was due to his basic good manners and general inoffensiveness when not as drunk as a wheelbarrow. Or perhaps he was prompted by the infinite unimaginable possibilities in those haunting eyes.

He entered the hall as the gentleman escorted his companions towards the exit. Jasper stood uncertainly in front of the central staircase, awaiting his opportunity. Once his companions had departed, the remaining gentleman approached a further another doorway off the hall.

“Excuse me,” Jasper said, belatedly adding, “Sir.”

The gentleman turned, raising an inquisitorial dark brow that made him no less forbidding.

During Jasper’s formal education, he occasionally got into trouble. To be fair, these incidents occurred either from absent-mindedness or when he tagged along in the wake of more exuberant and imaginative students. Any resulting discipline, a removal of privileges or corporal punishment, was a matter of course and not taken personally. His sporadic visits to the principal’s study were desultory and instantly forgotten by the disciplinarian and the culprit.

This charged confrontation was entirely different. Jasper was unnerved by the swooping feeling in his belly as he faced his unknown foe. The older man drew closer but remained silent, his face expressionless, that implacable glare holding a sense of threat and thrill.

“I think I was somewhat discourteous earlier, and I wanted to say I was sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. We were all getting rather carried away and had too much to drink. I know it was a bit much, and we were rather close to the mark concerning you and your friends. But I suppose you were young once too, eh?”

Jasper tried and failed to raise a placating smile. The gentleman didn’t move a muscle and stared at Jasper as though regarding a failed scientific experiment.

“I mean to say, I was a bit bosky, and I wasn’t thinking straight. Anyone with decent eyesight could tell that’s your natural hair. You’re nowhere near old enough to be wearing a wig. You’d have to be in your dotage. And you’re not. Naturally. No one would think you’re wearing a cauliflower of the wig variety, and it doesn’t remotely resemble an actual cauliflower. I don’t know why I said that. You have very nice hair.”

Jasper’s ramble stuttered to a stop. Without softening his expression, the gentleman said, “You were insolent.”

Jasper blinked. He suddenly grasped his opponent was slightly the taller and his lean build held latent strength. He felt paralysed, like a snake to its charmer, in thrall to the depths of that gaze.

“I think you deserve to be punished.”

Jasper gulped.

The gentleman’s voice was persuasive. “You’ve earned a good thrashing.”

In a husky tone Jasper didn’t recognise as his own, he said, “I’ll let you be the judge of that. I’ll do anything you require.”

That eyebrow rose again. A glint of humour lit those night-dark eyes.

“Anything?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know.”

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Book Links:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCBHJY4G/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1

Universal Book Link:

https://books2read.com/u/mqQXp1

Publisher:

https://www.jms-books.com/ellie-thomas-c-224_420/town-bronze-box-set-p-5162.html

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217217568-town-bronze-box-set

Add to Bookbub:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/town-bronze-box-set-by-ellie-thomas

Bio:

Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance.

Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.

Website: https://elliethomasromance.wordpress.com/

Facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8308047409266947

Twitter/X: @e_thomas_author

Bluesky: @elliethomas.bsky.social

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19835510.Ellie_Thomas

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ellie-thomas

Guest Post | An Increasing Entanglement by Ellie Thomas

July 14, 2024July 9, 2024 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 2 Comments

Today, the lovely Ellie Thomas is back on the blog! She’s here to talk about An Increasing Entanglement, so read on!

An Increasing Entanglement WP 2

Thanks for having me as your guest again, lovely Ofelia! I’m Ellie and I write MM Historical Romance. I’m here today to chat about my latest release, An Increasing Entanglement, book 2 in my MMM Regency series, An Unlikely Alliance. This sequel was written for JMS Books’ 14th anniversary, with the story taking place over a period of fourteen weeks.

In the first book, An Unlikely Alliance, I introduced my three characters, Abe, Clem and Humphrey. It was a fun challenge to explore how they might fit together romantically given the historical setting. In the sequel, An Increasing Entanglement, having introduced my trio, I had the opportunity to dig deeper into their personalities and explore their strengths and weaknesses.

Abe Pengelly is the outward strong man of the trio. Brought up in the raucous melting pot of London’s Covent Garden, the only son of a courtesan, Abe flirted with criminality in his youth, establishing himself as a formidable figure. By the start of An Increasing Entanglement, Abe has fully embraced respectability, relinquishing his lair in the notorious Old Red Lion tavern, and is now an established investigator at the military headquarters of Horse Guards.

All seems well in Abe’s life. He has found stable employment that won’t get him arrested or hanged, and he has finally found two special men to share his life, with the blessing of his beloved mother, Lucy.

But when Clem is abducted by their mutual enemy, Richard Farquarson, redoubtable Abe finds himself at a loss. Love has made him vulnerable. His inability to snatch Clem from danger or to wreak immediate revenge on Farquarson causes deep self-doubt.

I found it fascinating to explore Abe’s vulnerability as a result of falling in love and to reveal that Abe is capable of deep and complex emotions at odds with his physical strength. It’s impossible for him to fight this inner battle alone. His challenge is to accept love and understanding. To achieve that goal, he must learn to rely on Clem and Humphrey.

An Increasing Entanglement

anincreasingentanglement

In Regency London, during the Season, after a brief and steamy courtship, the relationship between threesome Clem, Abe and Humphrey holds much promise.

But their busy routines and different lifestyles, as a professional secretary, society gentleman and an official informant to the military, interfere with their burgeoning romance.

Then sinister forces reappear to threaten their connection and even the life of one of the trio.

Can these three band together to save the day and keep each other from peril? And given the chance, might they forge lasting happiness together?

An Increasing Entanglement Promo 2

Excerpt:

Abe entered the Ye Olde Cheddar Cheese tavern closer to eight o’clock than seven. Clem was sitting at their usual table, alone and forlorn. Abe cursed the informant who had delayed him.

Abe approached, attracting Clem’s notice. His aspect didn’t brighten. There was no teasing smile of welcome.

Instead, Abe received a chilly glare.

“You came then,” Clem said flatly.

Abe sat opposite his friend and lover. “Can I get you another drink?”

“If you like.”

Clem’s glacial indifference continued when their gin was served together with a jug of water.

He said casually, “I was at the Old Red Lion yesterday to find you’d vacated your room. I thought you might have run out on us.”

He took a swig of barely diluted gin, avoiding Abe’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Clem. I should have let you know.”

If they had been in a less public place or one that catered solely for their kind, Abe would have covered Clem’s hand with his own.

“Yes, well, it’s not like you owe me an explanation.” Clem’s defensive posture said otherwise.

“Of course I do. It was remiss of me. I have been occupied with pressing matters, official-like.”

Clem’s body relaxed slightly. Abe hardly made it public that he was working for Horse Guards, but he had shared that confidence with his lovers. He eyed Abe warily under long light brown lashes, a distinct pout to his lush mouth.

“You could have sent word to me.”

“Yes, I should have. I see that now. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Clem.”

“Who said I was hurt?” Clem’s indifferent words were at odds with his wounded expression.

“Just because I’ve been busy doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking of you. And Humphrey, too. I’ve missed you both.”

“Really?”

“I swear it.”

“Then it’s fortunate that I left a note for Humphrey to meet us here after he’s dined.” Clem’s narrow jaw clenched combatively.

He’s not letting me off lightly. At least he’s still talking to me and hasn’t flounced off in a huff, renouncing me forever.

It wasn’t the right moment to argue that either Clem or Humphrey could have taken the initiative earlier. Abe recognised that Humphrey was too self-effacing to make the first move. As for Clem, he’d learned the hard way to be sparing with his trust.

“I’m sorry,” Abe said sincerely. “I’ll say it a hundred times over if that will make amends.”

Abe was the first to admit that once he got the bit between his teeth, he could be ruthlessly single-minded. Apart from his mother, he’d never had to consider anyone’s feelings. Until now.

That must change, he vowed.

“I’ll gladly apologise to Humphrey. I’ve neglected you both. You know what I’m like when I’m in full cry.”

There was a brief silence as the waiter topped up their glasses.

“We all have our burdens,” Abe added. “You’re chained to your desk during the day, I’m no longer my own master and Humphrey has a flock of relatives to shepherd.”

Clem smiled grudgingly. “Is that an excuse?”

“No, more a recognition of our circumstances. What say you if we make this our regular rendezvous? This is as good a place as any to meet every few days. That should avoid any further misunderstandings.”

“I thought you’d left me.”

Clem’s voice was so low that Abe’s strained to catch the words against the background noise of the narrow tavern.

“I’d never abandon you, Clem. I may have many faults, but I’m no fool. I would never throw away such a treasure unthinkingly.”

Clem stared into his glass.

“Now I’ve found you and Humphrey,” Abe continued. “I won’t let go easily unless that’s your will.”

Clem gazed at Abe, his face unreadable. Then he glanced over Abe’s shoulder.

“You have an opportunity to repeat your abject apology. Humphrey’s coming this way.”

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