The First Bloom of Winter by Pearl Love

FirstBloomofWinter[The]LGTitle: The First Bloom of Winter
Series: The Garden Series, #2
Author: Pearl Love
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novella (136 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (August 5th 2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Blurb: Holden Peters is a normal, middle-class English lad in all respects save for his preference for his own gender. Caught in a compromising position with his father’s clerk, Holden is forced from his childhood home and sent to The Garden, a mysterious tea and flower shop located in the heart of the notorious Seven Dials slum.

To his dismay, Holden soon learns that the shop sells more than floral arrangements. Behind its genteel façade, The Garden is as an all-male brothel, and he is to be its newest acquisition in order to pay off the debts his father owes the enigmatic owner, Mr. Leslie. But Holden’s nightmare grows only more grim when he learns that, before he is allowed to see his first customer, his new employer will personally see to relieving him of his inconvenient virginity.

Now Holden must steel himself and face his fears if he is to survive his new life as a courtesan in Victorian London’s depraved underbelly.

ISBN: 978-1-63476-360-8

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6703

Reviewer: Tams

Review: Holden Peters gets caught with his hand down the wrong person’s pants. Rather than face the humiliation of having a deviant for a son, his father exiles Holden to The Garden, basically selling him to the owner, Mr. Leslie, to pay off a huge debt.

2 birds, 1 stone, so to speak.

Holden is beside himself not only because his father shipped him off with nothing more than a “Don’t come back!” but now he’s been sold to the owner of a brothel. He’s scared, alone, doesn’t get along well with one of the other flowers in the shop, and worst of all, Mr. Leslie wants to de-flower his newest flower.

I loved the premise of the story; naïve young man thrown into the lion’s den, other players in the game having a pissing contest over their spot in line, and the big, brooding butler that is to be Holden’s bodyguard. Holden most definitely wants him to guard his body alright. I enjoyed the costumes, the language fitting of the era and the blinders Holden wore.

Just one little speed bump for me. I wanted the scene between Holden and Richard to be just them. All that other mess was distracting; it pulled me out of the story and made the special moment between them less special for me. I hope there is more in this series in the future for them. I would love to see how their relationship forms and grows.

Still a fast, fun read and definitely worth consideration if you like historical type mm romance.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *