Rating: 4.5 Stars 

Publisher: Smoking Teacup Books 

Genre:  Gay Romance

Tags: Alt-Historical, Supernatural Backdrop, Redemption, Series

Length: 168 Pages

Reviewer: Kazza

Purchase At:  amazon

Blurb:

Is their marriage a blessing…or a curse?

Tom Drake wants nothing to do with his patron goddess. Her blessing has always been little more than a cruel curse. But when he finds himself disowned, disgraced, and on the verge of homelessness, he knows he can no longer afford to ignore her demands. He must marry. Sadly, his one marriage prospect is a pragmatic, stubborn man who only seems to value him for his blessing…and his body…

Mal Leighton will stop at nothing to save his beloved cousin’s life, even if it means marrying Tom—and using him for his blessing—to do it. Theirs would be a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience. Love was never part of the equation. He’ll just have to somehow learn to ignore his overwhelming attraction to his dangerously charming and seductive new husband.

As weeks pass, Tom and Mal find there’s often a fine line between love and desperation, passion and pride—and what exists between them is infinitely more complicated than their simple marriage of convenience was ever meant to be. Can they set aside their painful pasts and misconceptions to take a chance on the love match they never expected to find?

This is an M/M romance set in an alternate-universe Regency. It contains the ideal number of carriages, duels, and redeemed villains, but beware of pagan goddesses who like to micromanage. It is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Tom’s previous dastardly deeds can be found in The Replacement Husband.

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Review: 

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Well. Took me a little while to get to The Reluctant Husband – I went via The Replacement Husband, natural choice reading book one first, then I went and skipped this one (book #2) and went straight to book #3, Yuletide Treasure. They can be read as standalones if you so choose but the symbolism of me avoiding The Reluctant Husband was clear. Oh, ye of little faith, Kazza.
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Eliot Grayson made me fall for someone I wasn’t sure I could. Poor Owen was left heartbroken initially until Tom’s brother stepped in in The Replacement Husband, and I was crotchety at Tom Drake. But he redeems himself here. I fell for Tom, with his heart in knots and eventually on his sleeve, no one believing in him, including himself, how could I not? Malcolm Leighton needed to be set straight and learn to think before saying the things he did to Tom – I wanted to bop you Mal. Honestly, I have things like GAH!!!! and oh no you didn’t!!!! in my notes, but you pulled your shit together and I’m glad Tom found his way and his happiness.

The Goddess-Blessed series is endearing, sexy, addictive alt-historical reading where two men can marry and have a happily ever after – after some emotional acrobatics, of course.

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