Beck & Call

"This book about Edwin and William, is a slow but romance. The central characters are both valets in Victorian England. Both raised in service, they are keenly aware of the dangers of their romance. Edwin, once engaged in a romance with a gentleman, was burned by the relationship and is now back in England working for a Viscount. Unfortunately his checkered past leaves him open to the blackmailing schemes of another. The blackmailer of course is William’s brother.<br/><br/>The two meet when both men are at a country even with their respective employers. Also present is William’s brother Cyril. Edwin is leery of beginning anything with William, not sure if he is a coconspirator in his blackmail and because of the treatment he received by his past lover. But love, or lust initially, prevails and the two begin their romance. Because both men are at the beck and call of their masters, they are relegated to stolen moments when they can both get away.<br/><br/>The book is well researched and written. The author does a wonderful describing the day to day life the servants, the hierarchy of upstairs/downstairs living, and the estates of the titled and wealthy. The love scenes are very discrete and focus more on the emotions of the act than the description of the act. The book also does a good job of detailing the limitations of both the wealthy and the servants. The status of the valet is a precarious one, while they are higher in status than the other servants, they are servants none the less. They are afforded freed ones and responsibilities not given servants of a lower status, they too are subject to the idiosyncratic whims of their employers.<br/><br/>Fear not, this is a HFN and will have you transported to a time of yesteryear. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.<br/><br/>I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily."