Book Reviews

Book Blurb

When Lucien Mayer is held captive by dangerous but seductive highwaymen, does he escape, or does he give in to his heart’s desire?

 

Lucien, Earl of Ravensberry, has the looks, the title, the house and all the money in the world. What he’s lacking in his humdrum life of loneliness is someone to warm his sheets at night. When he’s kidnapped by five highwaymen one night, things start looking up. This is the most exciting thing to happen to him in forever.

 

But Lucien’s life is in danger. Dante, the tough, self-appointed leader of the band, doesn’t have a lot of time for captives and vows to kill him—after he’s used Lucien’s body as he desires. Then there’s Ambrosius, Dante’s best friend, a damaged, reclusive individual who appeals to Lucien from the outset. The feeling is mutual, and Lucien is soon braving a whirlwind of emotions. He had never thought to fall for an outlaw, and he is torn between escaping and satisfying the needs of his heart. All he knows is, life will never be the same again…

 

NOTE: This book was previously published by Total-e-Bound in October 2009.

 

Book Review

Talk about complicated relationships! It is one thing to have a captor/captive dynamic in this tale about Lucien, a bored and lonely earl, and the highwaymen who take him prisoner. Based on the book’s blurb, I expected that much. But then, as the story develops, it becomes clear there is far more going on underneath the surface than I expected. Between Dante, the cruel, cold leader who seems to have it in for Lucien, and Ambrosius, the man Lucien begins to fall for, there is not just heated lust but a dark past that keeps all three men in its clutches. It makes for a riveting read, deeply emotional outbursts and conflicts, and some scorching “therapy” between the sheets.

Lucien is a product of his time. He may be rich and an earl of some reputation, but he is lonely and very bored. The fact that he is attracted to men doesn’t help, but his lack of interest in any of the men he encounters makes it worse. When he is held up by highwaymen one night, decides to fight back, and gets taken prisoner when he (predictably) loses the fight, it is the most exciting thing that has happened to him in a long time. But he soon learns that the fantasy of living an exciting life as a criminal is far from romantic. Lucien is fascinated by Ambrosius, who doesn’t seem to be as cold and intimidating as Dante, their leader. But Lucien also feels Dante’s pull – the danger, sheer violence, and the promise of being used hard have Lucien enthralled.

Ambrosius has a sad history, and some of it is intimately entwined with Dante’s past. Not that Ambrosius is aware of this, and he has enough demons to fight as it is. But Dante is super aware of it and makes shameless use of his knowledge to get Lucien to where he wants him to be. By the time Lucien has figured out what is going on, he is neck-deep in trouble. He doesn’t want to return to his boring life, but he cannot stay with murderers, no matter how much he is beginning to love Ambrosius. The conflict almost tears him apart, and I was glued to the pages as he battled his conscience, his heart, and Ambrosius’s needs for revenge all at the same time.

If you like stories about men who live on the shadier side of the law, if two men who are separated by the life they live as much as their pasts sound intriguing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as fascinating and full of raw emotions as it is hot, then you will probably like 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 Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 106 pages/35083 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	20-October-2015
Price	$4.50 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/stand-and-deliver