September 4, 2023
Danger and secret identities complicate a blossoming queer romance in Denny’s achingly addictive debut. In 1360 England, William “Penn” de Foucart, son and heir of a cruel earl, flees his impending arranged marriage. Half-Scottish Raff Barden, Penn’s would-be brother-in-law, comes upon Penn in the forest and accepts his story that he’s a servant running for his life from the earl. Raff offers protection, and Penn, enamored, offers sex. Raff initially refuses, despite his intense attraction, as he’s convinced Penn’s only coming on to him out of a feeling of obligation, but as the men slog northward to Raff’s castle, they do eventually give in to their desires. When Raff’s father arrives at the castle shortly after the men do, however, their blissful budding relationship is interrupted with harsh news: Penn’s father has spread a rumor that Raff kidnapped his son and he’s marshaling allies to march north. With their families on the brink of war, Raff and Penn make bold decisions to save each other. Throughout, historical accuracy takes a backseat to intense and poignant emotional turmoil and gracefully erotic moments. This is a toothsome delight for fans of queer historicals.
Starred review from October 15, 2023
The night before William de Foucart is fated to wed Cecily Barden, he vanishes from his family's home. Among those tasked with finding William is Cecily's brother, Griffin "Raff" Barden, whose fierce reputation as a hunter and tracker precedes him. While scouring nearby Hartswood forest, Raff encounters Penn, a young man claiming to be a servant of William's, whom Raff had previously met in the forest. It is obvious to Raff that Penn has no idea how to survive in the wild, so he invites Penn to join him while he searches for William. Both men recognize an immediate spark of attraction, but are all the risks of giving in to temptation worth the possible reward of a love that could last a lifetime? Denny's perfectly polished debut, which won the Mills & Boon Romance Includes Everyone competition, will win over readers with its vibrantly evoked medieval setting, insightfully nuanced characters, and a soul-satisfying love story that is both sublimely romantic and splendidly sexy.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.