The Soldier's Scoundrel

I loved this book, I loved everything about it: the appealing characters, the way in which their relationship developed, the assured writing and the mystery elements of the plot. It tugged at my heart in a way that historical romance novels used to do all the time before I became jaded by reading the same old clichés over and over. There is none of that here. The soldier is Oliver Rivington, younger son of an earl, a recently returned veteran of ten years serving in the Napoleonic Wars. He is good natured, honourable and lonely. The scoundrel is Jack Turner, born into London’s criminal classes, formerly a valet not above pilfering from his employers, and now a private enquiry agent with sometimes shady methods of solving his clients’ problems.The two men meet because Jack helps Oliver’s sister with the problem of her domestic tyrant husband. Oliver thinks Jack is an outright villain, whilst Jack sees Oliver as a pampered aristocrat. One of the joys of this novel is seeing how their initial opinions of each other change with time spent in each other’s company. Jack has no great faith in a justice system designed to favour the aristocracy he despises, and he has no qualms about bending the law to achieve moral justice. But Oliver craves order and respect for the law in his peacetime world, after the bloodshed and anarchy he experienced during warfare. He is appalled by Jack’s cavalier disregard for society’s rules in his quest for information. Oliver involves himself in one…

The Soldier's Scoundrel is a really fun book. I didn't really know what to expect going into this book. I haven't really read a full length historical romance since Pride and Prejudice in high school (I think you can count P&P as romance). I've mostly read romance stories in the contemporary genre, so this was an interesting change of pace. I definitely wouldn't have picked up this book to read at all based on the cover, but I saw quite a few friends having read this series and loving the books, so I decided to give this a try. This book is about Jack Turner and Oliver Rivington. Jack grew up in the slums and now makes a living navigating among the world of the wealthy. He takes jobs from women of status who need assistance in ways that may not be...completely acceptable in polite society. When Oliver Rivington discovers his own sister has made an acquaintance of Jack and paid for his services, Oliver immediately goes to confront Jack. Unbeknownst to Oliver, Jack already knows Oliver and knows that Oliver prefers the company of men, much like Jack. This story is a combination of mystery and romance. Jack receives a lady into his office who wishes Jack to find some missing letters from her possession. The lady claims to find herself being blackmailed in regards to the missing letters and implores for Jack's services. Against his better judgement (or is it with a subconsciously amazing judgement?), Oliver finds himself tangled up with Jack in his pursuit to find the mystery…

I don't pick up historical romances as often as I should even though I enjoy reading them a great deal. I've read contemporary M/M romances before but The Soldier's Scoundrel is the first M/M Regency and this is a début novel by the author. Jack Turner has a knack of making his own fortune. A good attribute because his abusive upbringing taught him to seize any opportunity at any time. He's like a chameleon, blending into any situation to 'help' solve problems for his discerning clients. When a distinguished young gentleman seeks him out at his office, he says, he's making inquiries for his sister. Whilst that may be true, it is obvious to Jack that Captain 'Oliver' Rivington isn't the gentleman he pretends to be. Oliver Rivington is back in England after selling the military commission his father paid for when he was only seventeen years old. Now in London, he's trying to find a purpose in his life and looking into the affairs of his sister is a start. When he visits an office to query an account, he comes face to face with a man who is far more complex than the services he offers. I didn't know what to expect when I dived in, but my inability to put this book down became quickly apparent; a hugely positive sign. I love the fact the protagonists' attraction is taboo with the obstacles they have to overcome to be together. A welcome surprise was the mystery element to the plot as Jack, with Oliver's assistance turn detectives. The whole plot is fun and aided with an…

This book caught me by surprise. It's the first m/m Romance I've seen from a major publishing house. In the past, all the ones I've seen have been either self or indie published. So that alone would have caught my attention. Yet, the author gives us enjoyable characters and a lovely romance to go along with that individuality. I adore Jack and Oliver. Both characters have distinct personalities, uncouth Jack and refined Oliver. Yet where other authors my fall into the trap of making these characters stereotypes or caricatures, the author succeed in making both men individual unto themselves. As the story progresses, each character changes with the turns of the story as well. Both leads were able to develop and grow, not being stuck in characterization ruts. The relationship between these two made for sweet reading. The author does a great job in conveying that two men can have as emotional and romantic a connection as a man and woman can, especially given the timeframe this takes place in. The Regency era was a time when a relationship such as theirs was punishable by death. Jacks and Oliver's personalities played off each other beautifully, rounding each other out to create a cohesive relationship. I also liked the time the author spent with her historical details. I got a real sense of the societal rules of the Regency era and the little details of everyday life like dress and home life. Seeing those details play into our lead’s personalities and how their relationship…

This review was copied from my romance novel review blog: romanticallyinclinedreviews.blogspot.com The Soldier’s Scoundrel is another male/male masterpiece by Cat Sebastian. After my first venture into her works—The Ruin of a Rake—I was completely and totally obsessed with the way Cat weaves her erotic tales. Not to be a broken record, but it seems positively nuts for me to spend money on books when I’ve got an entire shelf of my bookshelf dedicated to books I still need to read and review (and many of those have a time limit). Still, LGBT romance novels are few and far between and Cat writes some of the best historical romance novels I’ve ever read (male/male or not). The Soldier’s Scoundrel involves—wait for it—a soldier and a scoundrel. The soldier is Oliver Rivington, a gentleman through and through. He suffers from a war injury to his knee that limits his mobility and some bad memories of his time overseas that limits his emotional availability. Looking for something to fill his time now that he’s back he finds himself embroiled in some shady business lead by business entrepreneur, and scoundrel, Jack Turner. Jack moved up from the dark alleys of London’s slums and now runs a small business helping women solve their problems in a discreet manner. The last thing he wants is some wealthy gentleman following him around and slowing him down, but Oliver isn’t as easy to get rid of as he’d hoped. But the more time he spends with the handsome, polite, well-mannered Oliver…