A Gentleman's Gentleman: A Novel

Within a few pages of reading A Gentleman’s Gentleman, I knew I had picked up something really special. A Gentleman’s Gentleman is about Christopher, a reclusive trans man living in Regency-era England. According to the directions of his father’s will, he is expected to find a wife if he wants to keep his title and sprawling estate. When the lonely and eccentric Lord hires James, a new valet, to help him manage the upcoming Season, the two men are set on a course that profoundly changes their lives. All the characters in this, both main and supporting, are fantastic. Christopher is unbelievably delightful: so funny and charming. He is dealing with a lot of loss, loneliness, guilt, and stress. Still, he’s enduring and doing his best despite his hardships. James is a little mysterious to us at first. He’s a proper gentleman who takes his job and etiquette very seriously, but there are enough glimpses of his personality to make him instantly likable. There is also a cast of memorable side characters that I really enjoyed. The romance between Christopher and James is a true and very satisfying slow burn. Christopher’s upcoming marriage and other plots sometimes take center stage, so their relationship is allowed to build slowly and organically. Christopher’s need for a wife is the most active plot, but side-plots arise that add a lot of heart and emotion to the story. All the various threads are balanced well, and everything comes together beautifully in ways that surprised…

Well-written well-executed idea of a story. Protagonist has a secret which cannot be told without dire consequences - especially in that time period. No spoilers!

This started off well, a kind of comedy of manners. But then the story bogged down and I got bored at the 90% mark. I also had to suspend a lot of disbelief at some of the sillier plot lines. Gave up.