Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Avon Impulse (2017), 309 pages
Description
Some of Ben Sedgwick's favorite things: Helping his poor parishioners Baby animals Shamelessly flirting with the handsome Captain Phillip Dacre After an unconventional upbringing, Ben is perfectly content with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of strife or turmoil. When he's asked to look after an absent naval captain's three wild children, he reluctantly agrees, but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in ways that make him doubt everything. Some of Phillip Dacre's favorite things: His ship People doing precisely as they're told Touching the irresistible vicar at every opportunity Phillip can't wait to leave England's shores and be back on his ship, away from the grief that haunts him. But his children have driven off a succession of governesses and tutors and he must set things right. The unexpected presence of the cheerful, adorable vicar sets his world on its head and now he can't seem to live without Ben's winning smiles or devastating kisses. In the midst of runaway children, a plot to blackmail Ben's family, and torturous nights of pleasure, Ben and Phillip must decide if a safe life is worth losing the one thing that makes them come alive.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member beckymmoe
Such a sweet story--with a bit of a The Sound of Music vibe to it (minus the singing...and Nazis, thank goodness), especially the way that the captain first sees his children when he returns, LOL...
I really liked Ben and Phillip's story. Their antagonism at first, sparked by Phillip's prickliness
Though neither character had any illusions about the risks they were taking in choosing to be together (sacrifices needed to be and were made; there was just the right amount of angst throughout, considering) I'm going to continue in my happy bubble where these two, along with all the rest of Ms. Sebastian's heroes. live long and happy lives together and are never caught and punished for their "crimes". (Fictional fingers crossed) Can't wait for the next in the series!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I really liked Ben and Phillip's story. Their antagonism at first, sparked by Phillip's prickliness
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and inability to get along with his children (loved those kids!) felt spot-on and made for a delicious enemies-to-lovers-type plot. The ending was brought along by some rather quick and easy machinations, but I really enjoyed the characters and reading their story so much that I barely even noticed. :) Though neither character had any illusions about the risks they were taking in choosing to be together (sacrifices needed to be and were made; there was just the right amount of angst throughout, considering) I'm going to continue in my happy bubble where these two, along with all the rest of Ms. Sebastian's heroes. live long and happy lives together and are never caught and punished for their "crimes". (Fictional fingers crossed) Can't wait for the next in the series!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
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LibraryThing member WhiskeyintheJar
3.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Phillip has spent most of his life at sea, as the Captain, he knows his place and is effective in managing his people. When his ship finally berths after
Ben enjoys his job as the vicar; it allows him to see to everyone. When he gets tasked with taking care of the absent Captain's children, he may be in over head.
Phillip and Ben haven't been able to fully admit certain truths to themselves but as their relationship grows, they begin to become whole through each other.
Phillip hadn't planned on lusting after the vicar.
The first in a new series, the author introduces us to Phillip, the stern rigid naval captain and Ben, the affable mellow vicar. Both characters were very contained people in their own way. Phillip has dyslexia but has managed to figure out how to hide it and be effective as captain and he also carries around some melancholy which seems to be due to not being able to fully be his self. Ben had to essentially be the father to his brothers as theirs ascribed to a very bohemian philosophy that led to a lack of structure or responsibility. Both acknowledged their attraction to men but kept it in a contained box that as long as they didn't make it personal, putting real feeling in to it, they could lead "normal" lives. When they meet each other and start to develop those more emotional feelings, beyond just sexual, hard truths have to be recognized.
But comfort and ease suddenly seemed like pale and flimsy things.
I loved how Ben and Phillip's personalities played off each other. Ben's effortless charm and lightness cracked open Phillip's hard walls and helped him be at ease more, while Phillip's strength and willing to prod at Ben helped Ben release his more passionate side. They became more themselves through the other and there is nothing more romantic than that. For how much Phillip's children played a part in the story plot, I thought they were strangely more absent from the story than warranted. We get some scenes with Phillip bonding but I never felt like I knew them; they felt like obvious plot elements instead of woven into the story. I also thought Phillip's relationship with his former Lt. McCarthy needed to be flushed out more. It started off like there was a big emotional attachment but then it seemed to be more on the physical side, not quite fully explained well enough.
"When we're together it feels right. I want to go down that path and see what's there."
"With me?" It was a hoarse whisper.
"Together."
This is my first book by this author and I was impressed with the ease of her writing flow, how secondary characters felt complete and added so much to the story, and the historical feel. This had faint whisperings of the Sound of Music to it and I could read all day of Ben taking some starch out of the Captain and Phillip igniting some fire in the vicar. There's a slow burn feel as their relationship starts off challenging, to tentative, to heated and I enjoyed how they both were, somewhat, virgins not only emotionally but physically and we got see them explore and learn together. There's also a hot desk scene that you won't want to miss.
I missed interaction scenes with Phillip's children to get to know them better which in turn would have created more depth in Phillip's character, the middle seemed to meander a smidgen as the outer story took over more, but I delighted in Ben and Phillip's relationship. There's some bitter sweetness to the ending as Phillip and Ben don't quite get the full happily ever after they deserve due to the time period and country they live in, but they worked for and got more than most do. The author's talent with emotions will have me searching out her books from here on out.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Phillip has spent most of his life at sea, as the Captain, he knows his place and is effective in managing his people. When his ship finally berths after
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two years, his shore leave allows him to go home for awhile, a home where letters have informed him that his wife has died and his three children are running wild. Ben enjoys his job as the vicar; it allows him to see to everyone. When he gets tasked with taking care of the absent Captain's children, he may be in over head.
Phillip and Ben haven't been able to fully admit certain truths to themselves but as their relationship grows, they begin to become whole through each other.
Phillip hadn't planned on lusting after the vicar.
The first in a new series, the author introduces us to Phillip, the stern rigid naval captain and Ben, the affable mellow vicar. Both characters were very contained people in their own way. Phillip has dyslexia but has managed to figure out how to hide it and be effective as captain and he also carries around some melancholy which seems to be due to not being able to fully be his self. Ben had to essentially be the father to his brothers as theirs ascribed to a very bohemian philosophy that led to a lack of structure or responsibility. Both acknowledged their attraction to men but kept it in a contained box that as long as they didn't make it personal, putting real feeling in to it, they could lead "normal" lives. When they meet each other and start to develop those more emotional feelings, beyond just sexual, hard truths have to be recognized.
But comfort and ease suddenly seemed like pale and flimsy things.
I loved how Ben and Phillip's personalities played off each other. Ben's effortless charm and lightness cracked open Phillip's hard walls and helped him be at ease more, while Phillip's strength and willing to prod at Ben helped Ben release his more passionate side. They became more themselves through the other and there is nothing more romantic than that. For how much Phillip's children played a part in the story plot, I thought they were strangely more absent from the story than warranted. We get some scenes with Phillip bonding but I never felt like I knew them; they felt like obvious plot elements instead of woven into the story. I also thought Phillip's relationship with his former Lt. McCarthy needed to be flushed out more. It started off like there was a big emotional attachment but then it seemed to be more on the physical side, not quite fully explained well enough.
"When we're together it feels right. I want to go down that path and see what's there."
"With me?" It was a hoarse whisper.
"Together."
This is my first book by this author and I was impressed with the ease of her writing flow, how secondary characters felt complete and added so much to the story, and the historical feel. This had faint whisperings of the Sound of Music to it and I could read all day of Ben taking some starch out of the Captain and Phillip igniting some fire in the vicar. There's a slow burn feel as their relationship starts off challenging, to tentative, to heated and I enjoyed how they both were, somewhat, virgins not only emotionally but physically and we got see them explore and learn together. There's also a hot desk scene that you won't want to miss.
I missed interaction scenes with Phillip's children to get to know them better which in turn would have created more depth in Phillip's character, the middle seemed to meander a smidgen as the outer story took over more, but I delighted in Ben and Phillip's relationship. There's some bitter sweetness to the ending as Phillip and Ben don't quite get the full happily ever after they deserve due to the time period and country they live in, but they worked for and got more than most do. The author's talent with emotions will have me searching out her books from here on out.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Eh. Not bad, but not to my taste. The characters are rich, but they (especially the heroes) spend way too much time agonizing over this and that - relationships, abilities, things that happened years ago and can't be changed now...I was seriously surprised when both of them actually made decisions
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and took action about their futures, near the end. Lots of sex scenes, which didn't catch me - and while there was character development happening during those episodes, again it was awfully repetitive after a while. It took me a long time to read; I wasn't drawn in and wanting to see what happened next, though I was interested enough to finish it. As I said, eh. Worth reading, but I don't think I'll seek out more by this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member samnreader
The free-spirited sensitive caretaker anchored, stuffy sailor.
Charmed. Delighted. Lovely.
I have only one CS left!
Charmed. Delighted. Lovely.
I have only one CS left!
LibraryThing member elenaj
Charming and delightful.
LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
I tend to like the forbidden love trope, and this has it kinda built right into the foundation. They also have a good excuse not to just marry each other already five chapters in. So there's no need for a huge secret or misunderstanding or some other drama that involves the characters getting in
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their own way in order to draw it out. Which I appreciate. I like the way their relationship developed, and several times I got that 'aww!' feeling when something was particularly sweet. There's something kind of adorable about them. The children are a definite part of the plot and not just needlessly tacked on, and they're fleshed out, but the story doesn't focus on them to the detriment of the primary relationship. Show Less
LibraryThing member NannyOgg13
I generally love Cat Sebastian's writing and Joel Leslie did it justice with the narration. Even though they went from lust to love in a very short time (two weeks at the most) and I don't usually like insta-love, it didn't feel wrong or forced - just the way this particular couple found love. I
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loved the kids and Phillip's relationship with them. And I loved Ben - I think he would have been a good therapist if he were born in a different time. :) Show Less
LibraryThing member jennybeast
I wanted a sweet and steamy historical romance for the weekend, and this absolutely delivered. I find this series mildly less believable than the Turners -- I'm not sure why -- the scenario just feels a tiny bit more contrived? But I love that Cat Sebastien's books so often have a family dimension
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to them. This time, wonderful hellion children and an easygoing vicar who has a gift for alternative education. Show Less
LibraryThing member brittaniethekid
This isn't as memorable as some other Regency romances I've read this year but the two mains are charming in their own way. It has the typical trope of dead/mangled women in order to establish the romance which I could have done without. How Captain Dacre sees Ben (sunny disposition, always
Overall, I'll try to continue with this series but Sebastian didn't make her way into my favourite MM authors with this one book.
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smiling) isn't really what we see when reading from Ben's POV so the disconnect there was a little odd. Almost all the drama is internal with whole paragraphs of dialogue being seperated by internal thoughts so it was a lot of "JUST TELL HIM THAT." thoughts, but I feel like that's a common trope in M/M romances. The dyslexia seemed like something just thrown in as it doesn't really create much conflict; it was probably supposed to give Dacre some vulnerability but it obviously didn't affect his career that much and just gave him one more thing to hide from the world and something to relate to with one of his kids. Overall, I'll try to continue with this series but Sebastian didn't make her way into my favourite MM authors with this one book.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This was a story that had as it's conflict the law as it stood. Philip and Ben are two characters who appear at first to be opposites but as time goes on you can see that they complement each other well. It's a Regency Romance so they're in a period of time where being gay is an issue and could
Yes it's a romantic fantasy that they would be happy ever after and that they wouldn't have problems or issues but it would have been nice.
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have both of them at the very least exiled and at worst hung. Their lives as a Sea Captain and vicar would be over and it would ruin things. Philip has children from his marriage, but his relationship with them is strained and he needs to fix that. Ben is fighting his family's disreputable past and doing the service that sings to him by being a vicar. He plans to marry his childhood friend but her health is not good after an illness and he can feel that maybe he wants more than just friendship (and Lavender marriages were a thing) I found it sweet and the two came across as really caring for each other.Yes it's a romantic fantasy that they would be happy ever after and that they wouldn't have problems or issues but it would have been nice.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
Ben Sedgwick, after an unconventional upbringing, is a country vicar in Regency England. He doesn't find this dull; he finds it comfortable and reassuring, allowing him to bring some order into the lives of the villagers he serves. Providing both spiritual comfort, and practical assistance and
It does somewhat disrupt the peace and order of his life when the latest tutor of the three Dacre children does what so many have before over the last two years--abruptly leaves because he can't stand it anymore. The children have been hellions since their mother died two years ago. Captain Phillip Dacre, their father, will be back in England, for two months ashore while his ship is being refitted. Ben is recruited to stand in as the children's tutor till the captain's return.
Phillip Dacre is not at all happy about being back in England. Life on his ship is very, very orderly, because that's how he runs things. He's a good officer, a good teacher of young midshipmen. He was very fond of his wife, Caroline, and she was very good at running and orderly household. He hasn't been back home since her death, and he barely knows his children. He has no idea what to expect, or what to do about it.
Dacre and Sedgwick's first meeting doesn't go well, because Ben's approach to keeping the children from causing chaos in the community (something they have been very good at the last two years) has not been to keep them locked up in the schoolroom. That never worked for the other tutors, so he takes a more relaxed, and tricky, approach to education. They're outside a lot, and learning happens somewhat organically. Ben and the three children--Ned, the oldest, and Jamie and Peg, the twins--are up in a tree when he finds them. Phillip is shocked.
It's not long before Sedgwick and Dacre, both of whom have had discreet relationships with men in the past, discover that their attraction to each other is beyond casual. Each is alarmed, and determine to keep the other from noticing.
We all know how that's going to work out; this is a Regency romance, if a slightly atypical one.
While the two men are getting acquainted with each other, Ben is also encouraging Phillip to actually get to know his children. There's also the problem of figuring out why they've been running off every tutor they've had.
Without giving too much away, there are two characters in this book who are dyslexic, though of course that word isn't used. Two of the children are protecting the third from being discovered as absolutely unable to read, even though he's very good with math.
Meanwhile, as Ben realizes how attracted he is to Phillip, he also realizes he can't marry Alice. But he can't call it off, either, because her parents are unable to leave her enough to live on for the remainder of her life.
The local baronet, whose father left him barely enough to keep the family home physically intact, is very hostile to the Sedgwick family (which, other than Ben and his lawyer brother, is fairly scandalous), and has been unearthing evidence from his father's papers that would at the very least cause enough scandal regarding the family that Ben's career in the church would be ended. Even a country vicarage would no longer be possible.
Ben's father is, if you don't look at him from Ben's viewpoint, a delight. A scandal, but a delight, and much kinder and thoughtful than Ben realizes. Phillip's shipboard friends have their own good traits, and Alice has her own surprises. I'm not even mentioning the cooks in the vicarage and the Dacre home, or the groundskeeper, or others around the village.
And yes, the author pulls a happy ending out of this, as happy as possible in this time and place, and very nicely done.
It's a fun book, and I bought it.
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guidance when needed, gives a stability and a sense of usefulness to his life that life in his father's home didn't provide. He's also betrothed to his very good friend, Alice, who is lively, interesting, kind, helpful, and, since a bout of scarlet fever in the spring, unable to walk. This is a concern.It does somewhat disrupt the peace and order of his life when the latest tutor of the three Dacre children does what so many have before over the last two years--abruptly leaves because he can't stand it anymore. The children have been hellions since their mother died two years ago. Captain Phillip Dacre, their father, will be back in England, for two months ashore while his ship is being refitted. Ben is recruited to stand in as the children's tutor till the captain's return.
Phillip Dacre is not at all happy about being back in England. Life on his ship is very, very orderly, because that's how he runs things. He's a good officer, a good teacher of young midshipmen. He was very fond of his wife, Caroline, and she was very good at running and orderly household. He hasn't been back home since her death, and he barely knows his children. He has no idea what to expect, or what to do about it.
Dacre and Sedgwick's first meeting doesn't go well, because Ben's approach to keeping the children from causing chaos in the community (something they have been very good at the last two years) has not been to keep them locked up in the schoolroom. That never worked for the other tutors, so he takes a more relaxed, and tricky, approach to education. They're outside a lot, and learning happens somewhat organically. Ben and the three children--Ned, the oldest, and Jamie and Peg, the twins--are up in a tree when he finds them. Phillip is shocked.
It's not long before Sedgwick and Dacre, both of whom have had discreet relationships with men in the past, discover that their attraction to each other is beyond casual. Each is alarmed, and determine to keep the other from noticing.
We all know how that's going to work out; this is a Regency romance, if a slightly atypical one.
While the two men are getting acquainted with each other, Ben is also encouraging Phillip to actually get to know his children. There's also the problem of figuring out why they've been running off every tutor they've had.
Without giving too much away, there are two characters in this book who are dyslexic, though of course that word isn't used. Two of the children are protecting the third from being discovered as absolutely unable to read, even though he's very good with math.
Meanwhile, as Ben realizes how attracted he is to Phillip, he also realizes he can't marry Alice. But he can't call it off, either, because her parents are unable to leave her enough to live on for the remainder of her life.
The local baronet, whose father left him barely enough to keep the family home physically intact, is very hostile to the Sedgwick family (which, other than Ben and his lawyer brother, is fairly scandalous), and has been unearthing evidence from his father's papers that would at the very least cause enough scandal regarding the family that Ben's career in the church would be ended. Even a country vicarage would no longer be possible.
Ben's father is, if you don't look at him from Ben's viewpoint, a delight. A scandal, but a delight, and much kinder and thoughtful than Ben realizes. Phillip's shipboard friends have their own good traits, and Alice has her own surprises. I'm not even mentioning the cooks in the vicarage and the Dacre home, or the groundskeeper, or others around the village.
And yes, the author pulls a happy ending out of this, as happy as possible in this time and place, and very nicely done.
It's a fun book, and I bought it.
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LibraryThing member raschneid
No surprise, I liked this! It's probably the most emotionally intense of Sebastian's novels that I've read so far—and what can I say, I have a thing for vicars. I was satisfied by the delivery of a sweet and optimistic love story that still acknowledges heavier issues—a soupçon of realism
I guess I'm now a person who reads romance novels? I'll probably have to switch authors for my next read, since it will be interesting to see which constraints hold true across the genre. Sebastian's seem to be: relatively little character development for supporting characters (I especially wanted more attention to Hartley and poor Alice) and not much description (to be fair, it's hard to capture a landscape that looks like this). In exchange, we get a book that you can read in a long afternoon, so I can't honestly complain.
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without devolving into queer tragedy.I guess I'm now a person who reads romance novels? I'll probably have to switch authors for my next read, since it will be interesting to see which constraints hold true across the genre. Sebastian's seem to be: relatively little character development for supporting characters (I especially wanted more attention to Hartley and poor Alice) and not much description (to be fair, it's hard to capture a landscape that looks like this). In exchange, we get a book that you can read in a long afternoon, so I can't honestly complain.
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LibraryThing member norabelle414
Ben Sedgwick is a kind young vicar who has been asked to look after the unruly children of a local widower. Phillip is that widower, on a short leave from captaining his Navy ship, Patroclus (get it??). He believes in discipline and following orders, but he’s been away a lot and his children
A perfectly acceptable but insubstantial queer historical romance. I don’t think Ben’s backstory quite made sense to me, and Phillip is pretty distraught about Ben’s engagement for someone who was married to a woman until very recently. I did enjoy the inclusion of a learning disability in the plot, especially the outcome. And these dummies do kiss a lot, which is the important part.
It’s a fine read, but Sebastian’s more recent work is much better, IMO, so I’ll be sticking with that.
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don’t trust him. They need the softer touch of the vicar…and maybe Phillip does too….A perfectly acceptable but insubstantial queer historical romance. I don’t think Ben’s backstory quite made sense to me, and Phillip is pretty distraught about Ben’s engagement for someone who was married to a woman until very recently. I did enjoy the inclusion of a learning disability in the plot, especially the outcome. And these dummies do kiss a lot, which is the important part.
It’s a fine read, but Sebastian’s more recent work is much better, IMO, so I’ll be sticking with that.
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Language
Original publication date
2017-12
ISBN
9780062820501