Stevie‘s review of The Shepherd and the Solicitor by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon
Gay Historical Romance published by Samhain 29 Sep 15
In the early part of my university career, I delivered a lot of lambs; while most of my classmates went to farms with a few hundred sheep in total, I worked on an estate with 1,500 ewes – and that was just the lowland flock. I’ve also been a keen visitor to social history museums all my life. A book with a hero involved in Victorian sheep farming is either going to be right up my street or a very frustrating read for me. This one delivered everything I could possibly have asked for.
Daniel Pierce taught himself about sheep farming from books. Not a bad start, considering the Victorian reference volumes I and, I suspect, the authors have had a chance to study. Reading is no substitute for experience, however, and he’s still struggling a little with the practicalities four years after escaping his old life to become a shepherd. Daniel’s plans for an uneventful lambing season (as uneventful as anything at that time of year can ever be) are disrupted, however, by an unexpected visitor.
Gregory Tobin is even less accustomed to life in the country, it seems, than Daniel ever was. Having been thrown from a borrowed horse on his way to visit the man he believes to have inherited a majority sharehold in a successful machinery business – and whose relatives would like to see him declared dead so they can dispose of the assets in ways that suit them, but not necessarily the workforce – Tobin continues his journey on foot until he has an unfortunate encounter with rough ground and some of Daniel’s flock.
Having rescued his unwelcome guest, Daniel tries to be a good host, while avoiding answering any of Gregory’s questions about his past. And Gregory has a lot of questions; when he can’t get Daniel to talk about who he was, he switches to asking about the sheep, and finds himself drawn into helping with their husbandry. The discussions and the descriptions of Daniel’s work – helped enthusiastically by Gregory – are spot-on, and I love the contrast between Daniel’s pragmatism and Gregory’s romanticism and determination to save every weakling lamb he encounters.
The two become close over a very short period, although that fits with the urgency associated with both their tasks: Gregory has to return to London with news of the heir – or better yet with the heir himself – and Daniel has to ensure that his sheep get through this crucial time, not to mention ensuring that his prize sheepdog is delivered of her latest litter of puppies.
In the end, of course, the real world issues that sent Gregory to Daniel in the first place get in the way of their burgeoning relationship, and both are forced to decide between country and city. I love the way both are able to overcome their various fears and obstacles and reach a resolution that works well for both men, given the era they’re living in.
This isn’t a particularly long novel, but the story managed to avoid leaving loose ends that couldn’t be tied up in the pages available. I definitely want to read more from both authors, and fortunately they seem to have a huge joint back catalogue.
Grade: A
Summary:
When a storm is brewing, taking shelter could be the most dangerous move of all.
One careless, public sign of affection cost Daniel Pierce’s lover his life at the hands of a hate-filled mob. Grief-stricken, Daniel retreated from society to a sheep farm in the wilds of the north. Years later, Gregory Tobin erupts into his solitary life.
Sent to confirm the existence—or the death—of the Pierce family’s lost heir, Tobin isn’t sure he’s found the right man. The gruff, shaggy hermit calling himself Jacob Bennet bears little resemblance to photographs of the younger Pierce. Tobin needs more time to study his quarry.
With lambing season in full swing, Daniel grudgingly admits he could use an extra hand. Through a long, exhausting night, they parry back and forth as Tobin probes closer and closer to the truth. And something beyond casual attraction simmers between them.
They come together in a crash of desire, but ultimately Daniel must overcome the terrors of the past to reconcile the man he was with the man he’s becoming—a man capable of loving again.
Warning: Many sexy encounters on a sheep farm—NO, not like THAT!—between two adult males with temperaments as different as night and day.
Read an excerpt.
