Desire for Dearborne (2009)

Leander and Julien are so great together. The have to heart their love because it is forbidden but they can't stay away from each other. I've read it several times and love it more after each read. I highly recommend this book. ( )

This is one of the best Regency Gay Novels I have read in a long time.
The characters are well written, the language tru tot he Era and the description's of London during this time are captivating.

Leander Mayfield is the only surviving son of a poor farmer... or so he believes,until the day he learns he is in fact the new Earl of Dearborne. Still recovering from a lingering illness, the sensitive young man travels to Great Britain to claim his estate and embarks upon a bewildering new life.

Julien Sutcliffe, the Earl of Blackstone, is suffering from boredom. He's tired with all the finery and wealth and wonders about him. He has been accustomed to hiring his companions, but his latest Escort holds no mystery for him any longer. Then he meets this refreshingly naive American Earl, newly arrived in England, and suddenly the world comes alive around him again.

Irresistibly drawn to one another, Julien finds himself besotted, and Leander is equally smitten. I love how Julien takes his time with Leander, slowly seducing him, and the age difference really gives the story of the young, inexperienced Virgin meeting the older, wiser Lover a true REGENCY atmosphere. But just when they think they may have finally found happiness together, Julien and Leander discover that something--or someone--is determined to separate them permanently.
This was a realy page turner for me. I loved it.
It made me want to find a stately mansion with a big library, a cozy fire and a comfortable big chair and a good book! Just like Leander did so often in this terrific story. ( )

I love this book and I think it may be the best historical gay romance novel I've ever read. It is a slash twist on the traditional regency romance (the book takes place post-regency, but the style is still that of the regency genre).

The characters are great. I love that Leander's farm-boy innocence is the reason he does not have reservations about homosexual love.

Leander and Julien's romance is so tender and passionate and is written so well that I could feel their burgeoning love and it made me so happy. ( )

I’m a big fan of gay romance books. And I love historical romances. This book combines these two categories and I was eager to read it.
Leander is a young american who comes into succesion of an english Earldom. He is very young, innocent and insecure. With no friends and a bad health he is not prepared for english high society. He is interested in Julien Sutcliffe, who is well known for his interest in men. They fall in love and everything seems to be fine, when Leander is abducted and his lost older brothers suddenly arrive in London. They are suspicious of Julien who tries to find Leander on his own.
This book was a very nice gay historical romance. Both main characters a very likeble. Leander seems to be the naive young one who falls in love with the older rich aristocrat, who thinks he has seen it all. I enjoyed their bantering. The theme of abduction and Juliens desperate search for Leander added an intersting storyline which ends happily. ( )

The first thing that drew me to this novel was the cover... and it was not a surprise to discover that this an Anne Cain's original cover. Since it's a commissioned artwork, it reflects perfectly the story, an historical romance, and the setting, that folly in the background is part of the story. And so it is also explained the second reason I wanted to read this book, it's an historical romance, and so I was expecting another breeches rippers, one of my favorite genre as all you know. And I was not disappointed in my expectation, on the contrary this is 'exactly' a real breeches rippers and to be so, one of the main character has to be a sort of damsel in distress, but I'm not saying in a derogatory way.

The book respects all the rule of a Regency Romance, and so we have the dashing and dangerous earl, with a notorious reputation among the ton, and the young and innocent new 'beau' of the season, who obviously falls immediately on the net of the aforesaid lord. Only that the 'beau' is himself an earl, the American Earl, just arrived from the former colony to claim the title of a distant relative. Leander was the first to be surprised by the turn of the event, he was the fat too often ill third son of a american farmer, forced to bed for most of his childhood and youth. For that reason no one expected from him to be healthy enough to attend College, and so he gave the money his grandfather left for his tuition to his two brother to invest in a merchant ship. Unfortunately the ship, with his two brothers above, got lost at sea, soon after the death for illness of his father, and so, when the news of the inheritance arrived to his american small village, Leander was the only one left to claim the title of Earl of Dearborne.

Not in London he is seen by society like an odd but funny stranger, someone no one has the courage to scorn due to his title and wealth. He also finds a group of aristocratic scholars who share his love for history and books and so he is able to obtain his place among the ton. His strange and secluded upbringing allowed Leander to form a strange way to judge and be judged, and so when he becomes friend with Julien, Earl of Blackstone, he pays little attention to the gossip that the man has 'strange' preferences... also since Leander himself is quite attracted by Julien, and starts to wonder if his apparent indifference for women and his only and one interest for a youth friend was not the proof that also him has odd preferences regarding bed companions. Even if innocent, Leander is more than eager to follow his instinct and willing to let Julien being his teacher.

At first Julien is not interest in having an affair with another member of the ton. Due to a bad past experience, Julien reserved himself to pay for his bed partner, and he has a 'mistress' settled in a comfortable house. But more or less at the same time of Leander's arrival, Julien is starting to get bored of his temporary partner, and so his interest is sparkled but the young Earl. There is no plan of seduction, instead Julien at first tried to discourage Leander, but when he realizes that the young man is willing, all his reserves are put aside. The conquer is slow but steady, and step by step, Leander experiment a kiss, a stroke, a rub and... well, you can imagine! All Leander's innocence is violated meeting after meeting, but with mutual satisfaction and eager participation. When I said that Leander is a damsel in distress I meant exactly this part of the story, Leander is not a 'manly' figure, he was not raised to be a man according to the rule of the XIX century, and so he is extremely innocent and vulnerable; Julien assumes the role of his protector and teacher, and so apparently stronger. But Leander, even if innocent, is smart and clever, only gentler than most of the men.

The fact that their relationship is not something acceptable by the common rules of society and by the law, is not underestimated. It seems that Julien and Leander are excused only due to their high rank position and wealth, but if both of them were not part of the ton, would not be allowed for them to be seen together in society.

Overall the book is almost a classic Regency romance, also in the length, almost 300 pages. I believe that readers like me, who came from an Historical Romance background, will enjoy very much this one. The novel is first in the Timeless Dreams line by Dreamspinner Press, a line I'm sure will love: stories of M/M romance in historical settings. While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma. You can visit the rough and tumble Old West, travel the ancient kingdoms of desert sheikhs, see the black and red lacquer of the Far East, or dance in dramatic Regency England. No matter where or when, in the romantic worlds of Timeless Dreams, our heroes always live happily ever after (description of the line from Dreamspinner Press website).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1615810099/?tag=elimyrevandra-20