Book Reviews

Book Blurb

William Arthur Ainsworth, second son of the Earl of Cannahan, has just purchased a Lieutenant’s Commission in the Coldstream Regiment, British Foot Guards. A new officer, Will shows promise and is taken in hand by experienced Scottish Sergeant Duncan Blair. Friendship grows into affection and desire as the men fight the French from Egypt to Sweden and back to the Spanish Peninsula through the six coalitions of the Napoleonic Wars. A bloody defeat in Spain and tragedy at home pull William away from service in the British Army and turn him from an officer to an earl, but status, time, and distance combined can’t change Will’s feelings for Duncan. When a hard-won peace is finally achieved, Will realizes the most important mission he may ever undertake will be convincing Duncan that the end of the fighting can mean the beginning of their lives together.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Daily Dose package "Never Too Late."

Book Review

The idea of buying an officer’s position, ending up with a rank of captain or lieutenant based on the amount of money spent, seems very strange to me. But it was the way things were done in the British Army during much of its history (1683 to 1871), with all the problems attached to the concept of financial prowess replacing real ability and training. There were limits though; commissions could only be purchased in cavalry and infantry regiments, up to the rank of colonel. Set during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, this is the story of twenty-one-year old William, the second son of an earl who encounters “real life” as a member of the Army, and Duncan, the thirty-five-year-old experienced sergeant who is assigned to him.

William has wanted to be a soldier all his life, and thinks he is well prepared based on the military history and tactics courses he took at Oxford University. His father, however, doesn’t think him ready for significant responsibility, so he “only” obtains a lieutenant’s commission for William. Once the reality of war with all its brutality hits William, he grudgingly admits that his father was right. He needs a lot of help, and Sergeant Duncan Blair is just the man to teach him. William gradually realizes he’s developing an infatuation – one that, if discovered, is a hanging offense. Not that this stops him from wanting more than a solid friendship.

Duncan may be lower in rank than William, having actually earned his position through hard work, but he has experience on his side. He saves William’s life quite a few times, and he is always gruff about it, but his actions and loyalty speak louder than his words. He turns away from William after catching him getting a blow job from another officer, but I wasn’t as sure as William that it was disgust. Admitting to loving a man was dangerous back then, and Duncan is too good a soldier to risk everything for a relationship both men think is impossible.

When they do finally open up to each other, due to tragedy and William risking his life one too many times according to Duncan, the result is explosive. Anger and fear, as well as passion explode across the pages, and I was totally invested in finding out how this would end.  And let me tell you, the author definitely made me suffer along with William. It was a heartbreaking final run before the happy ending!

If you like historicals with a lot of detail, if you’re interested to find out more about who lived two hundred years ago and seem to be very different from today based on their ideas about society and “how things should be”, and if you’re looking for a read that uses the brutality of several wars as a backdrop for a highly passionate romance, then you will probably enjoy this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinnr Press for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 80 pages/26970 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-June-2015
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/saints-save-a-sinner-by-dawn-douglas-5329-b