Behind These Doors

This heartbreaking Edwardian queer romance is set against the backdrop of the fight for women’s suffrage, a societal upheaval that mirrors the characters’ struggle. In 1906 London, Aubrey Fanshawe, an earl’s second son, is out at the theater with his longtime secret lovers, spouses Henrietta and Rupert Hernedale, when the trio meet gossip journalist Lucien Saxby. Aubrey takes Lucien home for what both men expect to be a one-night stand. When Edgar Lowdon, Henrietta’s older brother, thinks Lucien is very inappropriately hitting on the married Henrietta, the Hernedales insist on befriending Lucien to save his reputation and livelihood; thrown into proximity, Aubrey and Lucien find themselves falling in love. Lucien struggles with dating a member of the “nob” class while Aubrey grapples with his dislike of Lucien’s profession. Eventually, their relationship poses a threat not only to Aubrey’s social standing but to all of his romantic ties, old and new. While the men are all angst-riddled, the women know what they want and fight for it, contributing to a well-constructed subplot about the suffrage movement. It’s so challenging for these characters to find happiness, both in private and in society, that the aura of tragedy diminishes the stronger aspects of characterization and setting. Readers who don’t mind a lot of emotional pain mixed into their romantic stories will find this one worth reading. (BookLife)