In London during the gross indecency trial of Oscar Wilde, Douglas Shrove finds himself still haunted by memories of his dead lover while skirting violence, blackmail and the affections of two men.
There are two who seek you out.
That is what the gypsy told Douglas Shrove a few months after the death of his lover. And the gypsy was right. Two men were vying for his affections.
Mark Goldcrest: an aristocrat like himself; a golden Adonis, cool and discreet.
Warren Scott: a shabbily-dressed denizen of a Bohemian world that Douglas can’t begin to understand.
One is what he seems, and one is not, and one is dangerous.
But which is which? Both men are attractive and attracted to him…but only one has a dangerous secret.
One is what he seems, and one is not, and one is dangerous.
One of Douglas Shrove’s admirers could be his salvation—if the other doesn’t destroy him first.
Why I bought it: I won this during the M/M Romance goodreads group’s anniversary celebrations.
Dislike/like (ending on a high note):
Dislike~ Most of my mates know how I feel about historical fiction. My rabid avoidance comes from a deep, abiding hatred for authors who don’t thoroughly research the period in which they are setting the story. One of the perils of my working in the history field unfortunately. I therefore can’t help but begin reading an historical romance expecting the worst… (cont. below)
Like~ However, and I know this may come across as patronising, I was pleasantly surprised by Helpless. The author did an excellent job at portraying the time period, complete with the historical and social context of Oscar Wilde’s trial. This added a depth and richness to the story which made it more than just a chicks-with-dicks version of a regency romance. It made it a convincing and at times heartbreaking look at what life was like for so-called deviants.
Dislike~ More of a warning~ Douglas, the main character, drove me batshit. He seemed so insipid in parts I kept expecting him to have an attack of the vapours and take to bed. Yet, as the plot progresses and Douglas’ character develops, I realised the author had emphasised this to show his increasing independence, his growth from being ‘helpless’. Clever, yes?
Like~ As I sit here typing this, I have come to the conclusion that what I liked the most about this were the contrasts in it. Things were not always what they seemed and, while some characters and situations may be a little trope-y, the twists the author has managed to work into the plot and subplots as well as the historical context give it a freshness which makes for a very good read.
So, what I think: If you are interested in an m/m historical romance with a strong dash of crime/thriller, I would recommend Helpless to you. I enjoyed it very much.
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‘Tasting’ is my version of a mini-review where I talk a (very) little about what I liked and disliked about a book as well as who I think the story will appeal to. Oh, and I’ve added a bit about why I picked up the book in the first place – sometimes this can be interesting to know.
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 