#queer historical romance
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let's be more positive about books for a while! here are some queer historical romance novels that i've been rereading recently that i think do something interesting with making characters feel historical in their mindset and worldview, but are also fairly progressive, diverse queer books that are, frankly, a delight to read
this is by no means exhaustive and to be honest i could put almost anything by cat sebastian or kj charles on a list like this so this is purely the highlights of what i've reread in the past week to take my mind off work, and why i think they're interesting from this specific angle
cat sebastian, the ruin of a rake (turners #3)
this is technically the third in a trilogy but they're only very loosely connected, so you don't need to have read the others if you don't care about knowing who all the background characters are. the others are also good though
why it's interesting: features a character who has had to painstakingly study and learn the rules of polite society in order to claw his way up to respectability, and is now deploying those skills to help another man repair his reputation. shows the complexity of those rules, the social purposes they serve, and the work that goes into living by them, as well as the consequences of breaking them. also explores some of the financial side of aristocracy, and features a character with chronic illness (recurring malaria following repeated infections as a child in india) whose feelings about his illness are very relatable without feeling overly modern.
kj charles, society of gentlemen series.
this trilogy is closely related plot-wise and best read in order. all three explore cross-class romances and characters struggling to reconcile their political views and personal ethics with their desires, in the aftermath of the peterloo massacre, with a strong focus on the political role of the written word. first book is long-lost gentleman raised by seditionists / fashion-minded dandy teaching him to behave in society; second book is tory nobleman submissive / seditious pamphleteer dominant who've been fucking for a year without knowing the other's identity; third book is lord / valet and all the complicated dynamics of consent there with a generous side-helping of crime.
why they're interesting: close attention to the history of political printing and the impact of government censorship and repressive taxes on the freedom of the press; complex ideological disagreements that aren't handwaved as unimportant; examination of trust, consent, and social responsibility across class differences and in situations with problematic power dynamics; most of the characters are progressive for their time without feeling like they have modern attitudes. the second book, a seditious affair, deals most strongly with the revolutionary politics side of things, but all tackle it to some extent.
kj charles, band sinister.
look i'm probably biased because this might be my favourite KJC. it's a standalone about a pair of siblings: the sister wrote a gothic novel heavily inspired by their mysterious and scandalous neighbour whose older brother had an affair with their mum (causing scandal); the brother is a classics nerd. the sister breaks her leg on a ride through their neighbour's estate and can't be moved until she heals so they both have to stay at the house and find out if the neighbour is really as scandalous as he seems.
why it's interesting: discussion of atheism and new ideas about science and creation (very shocking to the brother, who is the viewpoint character); details of agriculture and estate management via main LI's attempt to grow sugar beet, as well as the economics of sugar (including references to slavery); "unexpurgated" latin and greek classics as queer reference points for a character who nevertheless hasn't quite figured out he's queer; material consequences of society scandal
bonus: wonderful sibling dynamic and a diverse cast including a portugese jewish character, which i don't think i've seen in a book before
i will add to this list as i continue to reread both of their backlists! (bc i have read them all enough times and in close enough succession that they blur together in my head unless i've read them very recently)
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Queer historical romance book recs?
Throwing this into the void to see if anyone knows of any good queer, historical romance novels. I’ve read Heart of Stone by @johannestevans (it also includes vampires, so 🤌) and I’m almost done reading A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. I think I’ve found my favorite genre of literature and would love to read other books that fall into that genre.
Tia!!
#historical romance#queer literature#queer book recs#historical queer literature#queer historical romance#queer books#booklr#book recs
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Me and the smuggler prince I pulled with my sincerity and childlike wonder
OR
Me and the baronet I pulled with my roguish charm and sense of whimsy
Queer Book Draw Challenge 17/20: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
(details under cut)
#queer book draw challenge#qbdc#kj charles#the doomsday books#joss doomsday#sir gareth#the secret lives of country gentlemen#queer books#queer romance#queer historical romance#lgbt books
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Lmaoooooo
#the gentle art of fortune hunting#kj charles#crack#writing#funny#knee of huss#queer historical fiction#queer historical romance
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instagram
Check out my Instagram to get updates on my upcoming queer historical romance, Set the World Aflame!
Joss Kensley is one of our two main protagonists and has been an absolute joy to write. He's a highwayman who'd do anything for his sister and his friends, and whose whole world tilts after he is betrayed by an old friend, with everyone he loves caught in the cross-fire. Follow to learn more about Joss and his story!
#book blog#booklr#literature#MDFides#MD Fides#Set the World Aflame#Debut#self publishing#books#Queer#historical#romance#queer romance#historical romance#Queer historical romance#Instagram
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ARC Review: Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall
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Publication Date: April 11, 2023
Synopsis:
From the USA Today bestselling author of Boyfriend Material comes a riotous Regency romp full of art, expensive hats, and a love that is nothing short of spectacular.
Peggy Delancey’s not at all ready to move on from her former flame, Arabella Tarleton. But Belle has her own plans for a love match, and she needs Peggy’s help to make those plans a reality. Still hung up on her feelings and unable to deny Belle what she wants, Peggy reluctantly agrees to help her woo the famous and flamboyant opera singer Orfeo.
She certainly doesn’t expect to find common ground with a celebrated soprano, but when Peggy and Orfeo meet, a whole new flame is ignited that she can’t ignore. Peggy finds an immediate kinship with Orfeo, a castrato who’s just as nonconforming as she is—and just as affected by their instant connection.
They’ve never been able to find their place in the world, but as the pair walks the line between friendship, flirtation, and something more, they may just find their place with each other.
My Rating: ★★★★★
*My Review and Favorite Quotes below the cut.
My Review:
There's something magical about Alexis Hall's writing. His books are hilarious and witty and full of unexpectedly profound truths about life and love and everything in between, and always wonderfully, unapologetically queer. I always find myself highlighting dozens upon dozens of passages and then agonizing over which to choose for my 'favorite quotes' section of my review blog posts. Again and again his writing has me collapsing with laughter and then startled into profound revelations when my guard is down. This book is hilarious and tender and incisive with biting social commentary. Every character is ridiculous and dramatic and I love them all.
In this book we have Peggy, who is genderfluid - not only a woman nor only a man - and is often quite cross and contrary about it, and about how the world wants to box her in no matter how vehemently she protests. And then we have Orfeo, an agender castrati opera singer who is also neither man nor woman, simply beautiful. And though some of that was forced upon them, they would be neither man nor woman either way. Being nonbinary myself, I really appreciated seeing them struggle with and ultimately joyfully accept themselves and each other as they are.
Their love story is at times stunningly gorgeous and at times hilarious, and it was a joy to watch them discovering deeper truths about themselves and one another.
It was wonderful to see Valentine and Bonny and Belle and Sir Horley again, for they bring the sheer ridiculousness energy they brought in Something Fabulous. I do feel the Sir Horley marriage thread got dropped abruptly, but I'm hoping that's just because there will be a third book focusing on him in the future.
I hope we get more of Belle, too, as her ending was also a little abrupt and I found her realization that she is aromantic, after a lifetime diet of nothing but romantic books and daydreams, very interesting, especially when contrasted with her twin Bonny, who is romantic to his core. I would like to see Bonny realizing that Belle, though his twin, is also her own person and they do not have to share everything and his dreams do not need to be her dreams.
I really liked the addition of the Duke and Duchess of Marshalsea, and I hope we see more of them in future books as well.
The final scene, involving four participants, struck me as one of the more profound sex scenes I've encountered. It was so unusual, and had so much love and care and trust in it, and such a striking lack of awkwardness, that I found it quite moving. And that's coming from someone who doesn't normally enjoy sex scenes. It's the kind of scene that's incredibly difficult to write well, and it's executed beautifully. Just four people who love and trust one another unconditionally, finding joy and even further closeness together.
In case it wasn't already clear, I adored Something Spectacular. I adored Something Fabulous as well, but I may adore this even more. I will now commence hoping for further sequels.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing an early copy for review.
Favorite Quotes:
(Yes, there are far too many, I know. But Alexis Hall is one of my absolute favorite authors and I have already cut 75% of what I highlighted.)
“Letter for you, darling.” Glancing up from her book, Peggy’s mother gestured with a forkful of bacon, causing the bacon to fly off the fork and land in her husband’s teacup. “Oh, bother.”
Mr. Delancey de-baconed his tea. “Thank you, pet. I always felt what tea was missing was more meat.”
---
“Oh my God.” Belle’s voice broke upon them as abruptly as if she’d dropped a piano on their heads from the floor above.
---
It was at this moment that Belle popped up like a shark beneath a shipwreck, seizing both Peggy and Sir Horley. “Come. We need to be at the front”
---
It was beautiful, but it was beautiful in the way that looking at the night was beautiful in winter, when it was at its blackest and coldest, and you felt as infinitesimal as the distant stars. It was beautiful as only the bloodiest sunsets and the most jagged mountains were beautiful. Terrible beauty, beauty that wanted to drive you to your knees and drink the tears from your eyes, the sort of beauty to rend skies and topple cathedrals, as impossible as the flame of Prometheus.
---
Peggy had not come out tonight seeking a glimpse of the numinous, but the numinous was staring right at her regardless.
----
“So…” Peggy lurched to her feet. “I’m not very—I”m feeling a bit…” She could taste blood at the back of her throat. Her breath was knives. Her pulse a stampede of wild horses. “I think I might…”
Then the walls closed in, the ceiling rolled over like a dog wanting its tummy scratched, and the ground vomited itself into her face.
---
It was almost imperceptible—perhaps so imperceptible that Peggy was probably imagining it, but something about Orfeo had changed. They offered the same warmth, the same curious gaze, the same tantalising play of humility and theatricality. But it was as though they had gilded themselves, somehow. Until they were nothing but the gleam of reflected light.
---
She wondered if Orfeo would be like that, a lion and an eagle and a fiercely burning flame before they were finally just themselves, safe and spoiled in Peggy’s arms.
---
“Perhaps had things been otherwise,” Orfeo went on, “I would have been a farmer like my father. Married some sweet. peasant girl. Had children of my own. Never dreamed in music and lived for the gleam of a thousand candles.”
---
Someone who wasn’t her romance-oppositional best friend, an opera singer committed exclusively to their career, or a clergyman’s daughter with a fatal case of poetry.
---
And someday she was going to like somebody who didn’t see their life as a story they were telling instead of something they were living. Or, then again, maybe she wasn’t. Maybe dramatic beyond all reason was her type.
---
Because the soiree had been little more than a glimpse of this: the kind of beauty that did things to you. Hurt you and healed you and humbled you.
Left you not quite the same.
---
Peggy tried to draw her knees up even more but was prevented by the limits of her own body and the physical laws of the universe. “It’s what they want.”
---
She didn’t bother calling for a carriage because having to call a carriage to take you to the other side of the same damn square was the sort of nonsense society inflicted on ladies. And she wasn’t—had never been—a lady, and she was through with letting people force her to pretend to be one.
---
He was fucking with her. Peggy was increasingly convinced he was fucking with her. This was going beyond butler and into obstructive.
---
“You’re not a coward, mio principe. Sometimes living, simply as we are, is the greatest act of courage there is.”
---
George bristled. “Are you ridiculing me Delancey? These are my feelings, in this sonnet. Do you know how difficult it is for a man like me to have feelings? I’m very athletic.”
---
In any case, Peggy liked the crocodile. For whatever reason, the taxidermist, perhaps not knowing very much about crocodiles, had positioned it on its hind legs, with its front claws extended before it and its long-snouted mouth open in an expression of mild exasperation. It was if it was saying “Oh, what the fuck now,” and it was exactly how Peggy wanted her visitors to be greeted.
---
Peggy wouldn’t have known to describe a piece of music as “fostering a vocal sensuality” if it stuck its tongue in her ear.
---
She could have told them that the world at large believed her made for certain things and that admitting she wanted them for herself felt like betrayal, triumph, and surrender all at once. She could have told them she thought that sometimes the only way to have a choice was to make it anyway.
---
And Peggy wasn’t sure what was worse: resenting a piece of art for not speaking to you or having to face up to the fact it was.
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"All I want”—it was Valentine’s most tragic voice—“is to be a very rich, powerful, and well-dressed man who gets to sleep until a sensible hour of one or two in the afternoon, and bathe uninterrupted at length.” He flung his arms to the heavens. “Is that too much to ask?”
As in answer, the sky darkened, and a few drops of rain plopped heavily down upon them.
“No,” said Valentine. He subjected the weather to a ducal glare. “Stop it. Stop it at once.”
Peggy patted him reassuringly on the arm. “We’re nearly there.”
They were not nearly there. But she didn’t want to admit that to Valentine in case he burst into tears or threw himself from the vehicle.
---
She had always chosen to be the naysayer, the sensible one, the voice of reason when dragged into the latest round of Tarleton hijinks, but she had never once said no. Because, at the end of the day, a world full of adventures, romantic reversals, grand gestures, and happy endings was simply better than a world without.
---
“If we do get married,” said Orfeo dreamily, “I shall wear gold.”
“And I’m going to wear”—Peggy gave it some thought—“clothes.”
“And this is truly what you want?”
“To wear clothes at my wedding? Definitely.”
#alexis hall#something spectacular#something fabulous#historical romance#queer historical romance#literally everyone in this book is queer#it's such a delight#netgalley#shilo reads#arc review#best books of 2023#favorites#absolute must-read
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Picks for PRIDE: Queer Historical Romances
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
When Viola Caroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.
Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.
As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a polite young lady—or a bawdy old man. Anything to solve the case. Her latest assignment unveils a top-secret military cipher covering up an enigma that goes back centuries. But when Tommy’s beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she’s secretly smitten with, more than her mission is at stake...
Bluestocking Miss Philippa York doesn’t believe in love. Her cold heart didn't pitter-patter when she was betrothed to a duke, nor did it break when he married someone else. All Philippa desires is to rescue her priceless manuscript and decode its clues to unmask a villain. She hates that she needs a man's help—so she’s delighted to discover the clever, charming baron at her side is in fact a woman. Her cold heart... did it just pitter-patter?
The Hellion's Waltz by Olivia Waite
It’s not a crime to steal a heart...
Sophie Roseingrave hates nothing more than a swindler. After her family lost their piano shop to a con man in London, they’re trying to start fresh in a new town. Her father is convinced Carrisford is an upright and honest place, but Sophie is not so sure. She has grave suspicions about silk-weaver Madeline Crewe, whose stunning beauty doesn’t hide the fact that she’s up to something.
All Maddie Crewe needs is one big score, one grand heist to properly fund the weavers’ union forever. She has found her mark in Mr. Giles, a greedy draper, and the entire association of weavers and tailors and clothing merchants has agreed to help her. The very last thing she needs is a small but determined piano-teacher and composer sticking her nose in other people’s business. If Sophie won’t be put off, the only thing to do is to seduce her to the cause.
Will Sophie’s scruples force her to confess the plot before Maddie gets her money? Or will Maddie lose her nerve along with her heart?
The Pursuit Of... by Courtney Milan
What do a Black American soldier, invalided out at Yorktown, and a white British officer who deserted his post have in common? Quite a bit, actually.
• They attempted to kill each other the first time they met.
• They're liable to try again at some point in the five-hundred mile journey that they're inexplicably sharing.
• They are not falling in love with each other.
• They are not falling in love with each other.
• They are… Oh, no.
The Pursuit Of… is about a love affair between two men and the Declaration of Independence. It’s a novella of around 38,000 words.
#Romance#Queer Romance#LGBTQIA#PRIDE#books for PRIDE#historical romance#queer historical romance#lgbtq characters#lgbtq books#lgbtq#to read#tbr#reading recommendations#book recs#Book Recommendations#library books#highly recommend#Highly Rated#booklr#booktok#book tumblr#reading list
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The Seducing the Sedgwicks series by Cat Sebastian brought me so much joy during the end of summer beginning of autumn period! I finally own the whole series so it's time to gush about it a bit.
The series follows three brothers in the beginning of the 1800s, all three of them queer and trying to navigate life during a time where it's less than ideal for them to not be interested in women and only women. The first book follows Ben, a vicar, who falls for Captain Phillip who returns home after Ben gets assigned to help take care of his three children. The other two books follow Ben's brothers, Hartley and Will. Alongside Ben and Phillip's story there is an underlaying plot regarding Ben's family and their relation to another family, past trauma and manipulation, which gets explored more throughout the series. I won't say too much so not to spoil anything, but it's very well done and ties the story together well in the end of the last book. I adore seeing characters we know appear in the other books, giving it all more of a natural course. It's both about found family and about blood, about being accepted for who you are and how you're worthy of love. It's also about past trauma. Not much gets displayed on page, but a lot is implied and therefore I do recommend reading the trigger warnings.
My absolute favorite was the second book. I love it, I love it, I love it. I love how it discusses consent, class, found family. Don't get me wrong, the other two books were great, but nothing beats Hartley's story. It's forever nestled in my heart now.
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M/M historical romance book rec
Rating: E
Category: M/M
Genre: Romance. Also adventure, crime, mystery
Setting: Romney Marsh, England, 1810
Characters:
Sir Gareth Inglis is a humble law clerk, until he inherits a house and title from the father who abandoned him as a child. The house is in Romney Marsh, on the southeast coast of England, and because it's 1810 and England is at war with France, the area is rife with smugglers sneaking goods back and forth across the Channel.
Joss Doomsday is the leader (with his formidable mother) of the Doomsday clan of smugglers. Widely known as charming and capable, he's used to getting what he wants.
It just so happens that before Gareth came to Romney Marsh, he and Joss had an anonymous week-long fling in London that ended badly, with neither expecting to see the other again. When they come face to face again, it's not under the best of circumstances . . .
This book has everything: enemies to lovers, sweet romance, hot sex, likable outlaws, family drama, skulduggery, and bad relatives getting their comeuppance.
KJ Charles writes great characters—not just the mains but the secondary characters too. The entire Doomsday clan are fabulous. When Gareth and Joss fall out, as they must (because romance), it makes perfect sense given who they are. And when they reconcile it's because they've thought about their issues and talked it through (you know, like real people do). It makes the romance all the more compelling.
I've never been to Romney Marsh but I feel like I have because of Charles's descriptions. She's obviously done tons of research but she never shoehorns it in, just subtly builds an atmospheric backdrop for the story. Gareth becomes an amateur naturalist early on, walking through the Marsh to look at flora and fauna, particularly insects; and of course Joss knows the Marsh like the back of his hand. You'd never believe how romantic beetle-watching can be.
About a third of the way through the book we learn that Joss is mixed race (though it's hinted at earlier). It turns out his grandfather, Asa Doomsday, was born into slavery in Georgia and later immigrated to England. This is mentioned but not dwelt on, and Asa is presented as a respected patriarch. Racism is acknowledged to exist in this world, but the racists always end up getting punished. Charles treats homophobia much the same way: it's a real threat, but it never triumphs.
Some trigger warnings: There's a good amount of violence in this story, though it's not egregious—but we are talking about outlaws here. A couple of people get murdered (off screen), but you really won't mind in their cases. There's a sexual assault (chest groping) that's not shown but is described by the victim, who receives immediate support from her family. There's a young teenager who's verbally and physically abused by his father (a main baddie) off-screen, and one major act of violence that's immediately followed by the kid's rescue and the father's punishment. Overall, I'd say Charles is sensitive to her readers' feelings and doesn't overplay trauma or write anything for shock value. Her baddies are bad, but they always come to a satisfyingly sticky end. Plus, I find that her violence is overshadowed by the love and kindness of the characters and their families, both birth and chosen.
Highly recommended!
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Today, we’re welcoming KJ Charles to Fated Mates for our next Trailblazer episode! Known for her work helping to bring queer historical romance to the modern genre, KJ joins us to discuss historical romance, how it remains relevant in the modern world, her work centering queer characters and communities in romance, and the start of her romance career as an editor of Mills & Boon medical romances. We also talk about the arc of her career through early small press publishing, indie publishing, and now, as a traditionally published author.
You can find links to everything we discussed in show notes.
#kj charles#queer romance#queer historical romance#historical romance#mills and boon#trailblazer#Youtube
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Watcher Indie Author Spotlight
Manja Siber: A Song for Ghosts
You love The Phantom of the Opera? You're interested in opera? You are looking for queer historical romance? Well search no more, Manja's got you covered.
A Song for Ghosts is the first book of two. The 2nd is An Ode to Life
Synopsis:
Garvanos Scimia has not wanted to go to Dresden and join the Royal court theatre. But he has been sent away from his home in Milan and now here he is, a new singer at the Royal Court Theatre. It won’t be easy, he knows. His nerves and his tendency to break downs take care of that. Also he is a born Gypsy, which is just one more problem on the heap.
But then Ivan takes him under his wing. Ivan who lives in secret underneath the theatre and who has the most lovely smile and the most wonderful voice. With his help Garvanos finds confidence in himself, in his voice, in his feelings and - and maybe he can make it?
Maybe it will be alright?
For more books by Manja please check out her Goodreads profile here
@siberianchan
#Watcher indie author spotlight#Manja Siber#indie author#a song for ghosts#queer historical romance#lgbtq literature
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??????
#queer historical romance#richard the lionheart#romance#?????#it says a lot about how thin the field is (at least in my library) that i'm considering it
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Every book Allie Therin writes is the definition of Chemistry, and she's so right for that
Queer Book Draw Challenge 19-20/20: Magic in Manhattan and Roaring 20s Magic series by Allie Therin
AND THAT'S A WRAP ON QBDC!! Thank you to everyone who came along for the ride! Stick around for next year's queer book art challenge announcement in a few weeks 💛📚🥳
Also! My print/sticker shop is officially open! Check it out at the link in my bio :3
#queer book draw challenge#qbdc#lgbt books#queer books#queer romance#book art#allie therin#proper Scoundrels#magic in Manhattan#rory brodigan#Sebastian de leon#wesley lord fine#arthur kenzie#queer historical romance#queer fantasy
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KJ Charles has breathtaking range. And it's all so organically diverse and vivid and excellently paced and clever.
Doomsday books -- Smugglers of Romney Marsh in 1810–20s in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars.
Society of Gentlemen -- Clash between the royalist establishment and radical republicans in the last years of Regency.
Sins of the Cities -- Small businesses and trade of the Industrial Revolution in London's immigrant quarter (taxidermy of all things!), Victorian spiritualists and musical hall artists in the 1870s.
Lillywhite Boys -- London criminal underworld, bluestocking feminists, private detectives, colonial gem trade, the rise of industrialists in the 1890s, and pre-Victorian folk Christmas traditions.
Charm of Magpies -- Shanghai traders and Chinese immigrant communities of London in the late 1800s.
England World -- Nascent British intelligence agencies and new technology in the shadow of the Boer War in the 1890s + integration of Indian nobles from its last kingdoms with elite British society + classism and xenophobia in British antisemitism
Will Darling Adventures -- The reverberating social, political and economic changes from the aftermath of WWI and further development of intelligence organisations during the 1920s.
Just finished Band Sinister, which touched on Hellfire Clubs, the emergence of new medicine, atheism, and challenge Creationism from the fields of natural science, and Black British life before abolition. Currently reading Unfit to Print, which seems to be about London's underground pornography trade with character focus on the shared plight of Black and Indian immigrants from the colonies and their mixed race offspring. Charles's body of work really brings home that the 19th century was a full hundred years long and the distinct character of every decade. And that the real and authentic history of Britain had people of every race, religion, colour, disability, neurodiversity, gender and sexuality who have been deliberately erased by the same power structures that kept them disenfranchised and ghettoed back then.
#british history#british culture#black britain#british immigrants#british colonialism#historical fiction#queer history#queer historical fiction#queer historical romance#mlm romance#kj charles#book recs#book recommendations#knee of huss
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He knows that we exist in a world that is forever changing. A world where a single moment is never to exist in the same way again. It isn't possible to get a breath that you took before back. He wished that he could though. He wished so hard that it hurt him. That it broke his soul. But he never stopped because his heart was still steady. He wished for days, months, years, and yet. He hoped that it was possible, that in this ever-changing world that their moment could happen again.
#original writing#gay#gay romance#historical#historical romance#queer#queer romance#queer romcom#romcom#rem writes#queer historical romance#gay historical romance
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ARC Review: We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
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Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Synopsis:
[I have opted to remove the comps listed on Goodreads because they are nonsense.]
Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city's biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can't let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy.
Andy Fleming's newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He's barely able to run his life--he's never paid a bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he'll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it.
Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can't deny. But what feels possible in secret--this fragile, tender thing between them--seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they're willing to fight.
My Rating: ★★★★★
A few months ago he told himself that his choices—that any queer person’s choices—were either to hide or brazen it out, and that’s still true. But there’s another possibility: pushing back against the injustices that force people to make impossible choices.
*My Review and Favorite Quotes below the cut.
My Review:
I read this book in one sitting - while I was supposed to be reading an entirely different book. I picked it up meaning to read a chapter or two while I ate lunch -- because it's easier to read on a kindle than a paperback while eating -- and the next thing I knew I was turning the last page. I can't remember the last time I did that.
I knew I would love it from the beginning; that was a given - it's a Cat Sebastian book. But I wasn't prepared for how much I would love it, or for how many feelings it gave me.
This book is devastating in its quiet queer joy and relentless hope while living in the face of prejudice and hate. It's about a queer couple in the newspaper publishing world of New York City of the 1950s. It's about the slow realization of feelings, and the inevitable and infinitesimal merging of lives, and the way you can breathe easier when you have a community of people like you who understand you and know you. It's about the comfort and happiness to be found in the little things in life. And it's so soft and domestic, even with the uncertainty and the lies and the hiding. Which takes skill.
I teared up several times, enough that it made it difficult to keep reading. I *felt* the truth in this story viscerally. Times may have changed (somewhat) but I could still understand the hesitance and the fear and defiant joy that make up a queer existence.
In some ways it was starkly different than Cat Sebastian's other books, and yet in other ways it felt familiar. She straddled the line between quiet joy and simmering rage at the realities of queer life. It was intense and healing and beautiful. I didn't want it to end.
I was bracing myself for tragedy as the book progressed, and I'm so glad that isn't the sort of story Cat Sebastian is telling here. That instead she is telling a story of people who just want to live their lives, and who find the courage in themselves to do so despite the fear and threats. Like Nick, I was dreading reading about another queer tragedy.
The characters were beautifully drawn and felt so real. I came to care about them so much and feel like they were my friends. It was masterfully done. The setting also felt incredibly, painfully real. It was 100% believable.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing an early copy for review.
Favorite Quotes:
Nick has spent years making sure that when people look at him, they don’t see anything that sticks out like a sore thumb—they don’t see anything at all, they hardly even see a person, just a man in a suit.
---
Andy gives him this flat, disappointed look that Nick recognizes because Nick invented it and now he’s going to have to sue Andy for copyright infringement.
---
“Back in his day they didn’t have Band-Aids,” Nick continues. “They just slapped mud on their wounds and went back to drawing the news on the walls of their caves.”
“I can still hear you,” Jorgensen says.
“It’s nice when the elderly keep their hearing,” Andy observes.
---
“It’s the creme de menthe,” Nick says, eying the green liquid distastefully. “It’s like drinking toothpaste, if toothpaste got ideas above its station.”
---
“A heart doctor, though,” he says in a tone that suggests that getting jilted in favor of cardiologists is all anyone can expect. That maybe Andy should have considered medical school if he didn’t want to get jilted. That Emily did what she had to do, because who could turn down a heart doctor?
---
“I was going to make minestrone soup,” Nick says. “You like soup.”
“I do like soup,” Andy agrees. “I take it that’s an invitation, not you taunting me with soup I don’t get to eat.”
---
He feels as if he’s been turned inside out, as if he just learned that a part of his heart is on the outside of his body, in the possession of somebody else entirely.
---
But somehow, a journalist being hurt because he’s on to a dangerous story seems less traumatic than someone being attacked for living his life.
---
Andy worries that it’s his lot in life to be mocked by elderly Italian women.
---
Andy isn’t expecting an epiphany at eight on a Monday morning when he’s still mostly asleep, when his first cup of coffee is still hot in his hand. Honestly, Andy isn’t expecting an epiphany ever.
---
A couple times a year, Nick finds a tale of gay misery and woe on his desk, because apparently Bailey has taken it upon himself to be Nick’s personal sad gay librarian.
----
“You have shitty taste in books. Would it kill you to read something that isn’t totally dismal?”
“I’m paid for my taste in books,” Bailey says easily. “And I don’t mind dismal things. I’m trying to be your friend, aren’t I?”
---
Families might usually be bonded by blood, but maybe sometimes they’re bonded by shared secrets, by a delicate mixture of caution and faith, by the conviction that hiding together is better in every way than hiding alone.
---
That might be what turns the tide and makes Nick enjoy the book, at least a little. These men are finding time and energy to flirt and have queer parties and get jealous and fall in love despite bombs and injuries and death. That feels like the truest thing he’s ever read.
---
“Yes, well. I figured, you see.” He stops, looking suddenly at a loss. “People in New York have hearts, too, don’t they?”
And Emily must really love him if she’s susceptible to a line like that.
----
A few months ago he told himself that his choices—that any queer person’s choices—were either to hide or brazen it out, and that’s still true. But there’s another possibility: pushing back against the injustices that force people to make impossible choices.
#cat sebastian#we could be so good#queer romance#queer historical romance#queer books#romance#historical romance#lgbt+#shilo reads#arc review#netgalley#best books of 2023#favorites#oh my god they were roommates#friends to lovers#grumpy x sunshine#soft domesticity#disaster bi
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