⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. When society frowned upon their sexual orientations, Belle and Sir Horley found a way to happiness and freedom.

Sir Horley Comewithers isn’t particularly interested in getting married, especially when his match is a perfectly respectable young woman. Sir Horley is, after all, extravagantly gay. But he’s resigned to a fate there’s no point resisting, until a dear friend does it for him. Arabella Tarleton has no interest in romance, but even she can see that Sir Horley’s nuptials are destined to end in a lifetime of misery. Well, not on her watch. And what are friends for, if not abducting you on your wedding night in an overdramatic attempt to save you from a terrible mistake? Their journey to Gretna Green is a hodgepodge of colorful run-ins and near misses with questionable innkeepers, amateur highwaymen, overattentive writers, and scorned fiancées. Then again a bumpy road is better than an unhappy destination. But when it comes to marriage, Belle and Sir Horley are about to discover that it’s not what you do or how you do it but the people who you choose to do it with that matter most.

MY THOUGHTS

This book presented profound discussions and thoughts about friendship, sexuality, and aromanticism. The characters did a lot of introspection that made me think as well. By the time Belle and Sir Horley made it to Scotland, their unconventional marriage seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Even though it was set in the Regency period, the characters used very modern language and phrases. This didn’t bother me at all, in fact, I enjoyed the bits of contemporary vernacular in the historical context.

Any sex happened without the usual romantic build-up and our MCs weren’t attracted to each other at all, but that’s not what this story was about anyway. The focus was on Belle and Sir Horley and their personal journey. And at the end, I 100% believed in them, their marriage, and that they can make their lifestyle work for the long run.

There were also plenty of very entertaining and sharp, witty banter spread throughout. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

In terms of sexuality, you’d be hard pressed to find a more diverse representation. I won’t call this a romance, necessarily, as it deviates quite a bit from what you’d expect from a traditional romance novel, even though there is a happy ending.

I didn’t read any of the previous books in the series, and this one stood well on its own. If you like books about queer relationships in a historical context with interesting characters, then this is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication: December 17, 2024
Sensuality Rating: Hot
Series: Book 3 of Something Fabulous