Northern Relations by H. Lewis-Foster

NorthernRelationsTitle: Northern Relations

Author: H. Lewis-Foster

Genre: Historical Romance / Regency

Length: Novelette (15K)

Publisher: Amber Allure (October 6th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Edward, Lord Hadnall, leads a hedonistic life in Regency London, along with his friend and occasional lover, Charlie Brabinger. The only blot on Edward’s carefree horizon is the insistence of his female relations that he settle down and get married. He intends to ignore their pestering for as long as he can, and continue his decadent lifestyle of dances and debauchery. But then Edward meets Charlie’s cousin, Arthur Hathwaite, a kind and honorable country gentleman.

Edward accepts Arthur’s invitation to visit his Yorkshire home and is surprised to find life on the rural estate extremely agreeable. He enjoys Arthur’s company immensely and they become firm friends. But when Edward makes an unexpected discovery, he is left in a moral dilemma. Will Edward follow his usual indulgent urges or do the right thing for once in his life? Or might he be lucky enough to do both? 

Product Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/NorthernRelations.html

Review: I certainly enjoy a good regency read, what can I say, the era appeals to me. This one was quite enjoyable on many accounts. It had the erotic sensuality I come to expect from this kind of setting. The language and mannerisms were fitting of the era even explicit sex scenes were described, and that made me one satisfied reader. I loved how the shallow Lord was painted, how his lifestyle was described and how in contrasts his northern noble friend was to his city gent mannerisms. There was a certain care when it came to relying gentlemanlike behaviors and attention/respect for the female family members. The expectations of “society” versus the guilty pleasures, the duty one had to their titles and station in life versus the wants and their personal longing was exquisite. All in all, I loved the writing style of this short story.

Romance-wise I was elated to see how this story developed. The happy end was to be expected, but it came in such a beautiful order. It was filled with the “romance” and the elegance the setting demanded. The growth that occurred for Lord Hadnall was lovely. He matured so wonderfully that I came to adore him in the end. All his playboy behavior shattered in the wake of noble feelings and love were simply delightful. As for Arthur, he somewhat surprised me with his surety and confidence, I expected him to be the seduced not the seducer, but the end result was gorgeous. It displayed his hunger for things he thought he’d never have with a very gentle way. He was a lovely character all over.

All in all, this was a very tasteful and enjoyable read I’d love to recommend for fans of the genre.