This is my first venture into M/M romance and I was surprised at how similar to straight gothic romance it was. Charles is a woman author, so I would be interested to eventually read a similar romance written by a man.
Isolation in a gothic mansion with horrible family members is Zeb's worst nightmare. Or so he thinks, until he realizes that his former lover, Gideon, is now working for his cousin and is ice cold. I realized during the first chapter that this would be a second chance romance.
Older gothic romances may have an eerie atmosphere but this situation seems more malevolent than eerie. Whoever is behind the shenanigans seems to have a good idea of each person's personal weaknesses and history. Cousin Wynn, who invited Zeb, rules Lackaday House strictly. The grounds are fenced and the gate is guarded. He is determined that his granddaughter Jessamine will marry one of the guests and the couple will inherit the manor and the fortune.
Zeb is horrified on Jessamine's behalf and isn't tempted to marry her despite the fortune attached to the wedding. In fact, he has spent time with a Black cousin, knows how the money was accumulated in the slave trade, and has no desire at all to accept it. It seems that absolutely no one in his family believes his protestations—they all think it's a ploy to appear chivalric and thereby win Jessamine's favour.
I thought the solution to the mystery was telegraphed rather early in the narrative but I still enjoyed reading to discover the details. There were a couple of things that were surprising, a great reward for continuing to read. The writing is not bad, but neither is it exceptional. I've been curious about Charles' fiction for some time and this novel encourages me to consider trying another one.
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