The Gentleman’s Keeper

Devon and Dee (The Gentleman and the Rogue) fill this expertly written gay Victorian romance with emotional tension. Though Everett Gerard knows that the half-starved boy claiming to be Ipsial Gerard is definitely not his son, the family likeness is undeniable, requiring further investigation at the long-avoided ancestral home. Estate manager Miles Kenway is disgusted by his employer’s refusal to take responsibility for the estate and the boy; after he sends Everett an outraged letter, he expects to lose his job. To Miles’s surprise, Everett keeps him on, and the “dissolute bounder” turns out to be a man haunted by his past. As Miles tries to help Everett overcome his fears, he also develops a fatherly interest in “little hellion” Ipsial. Miles’s unwavering strength provides Everett with the emotional support he never had, and their friendship slowly becomes a romance. When Hubert Gerard, Ipsial’s biological father, threatens to expose Everett as a sodomite and claim custody of the boy, Everett must decide what his relationship with Miles is worth. Well paced with realistic characters, this deep story is a must-read for fans of gay historicals. (July)