4.5⭐️
Oh how I enjoyed this book! I love Gothic Romance,. I used to steal all my mother's Victoria Holt and Phyllis A Whitney novels and stay up late reading them. Jane Eyre, Jamaica Inn and Rebecca are 3 of my all time favorite novels, so when I read the blurb for this, I knew I had to read it!

This had all the elements of a classic gothic romance: the brooding handsome lord of the manor, the mysterious death of his wife, the children the governess, or in this case, the tutor, is hired to care for, the taciturn and cold servants. A gloomy, haunted estate, ghosts, scary happenings and romance. I loved the twist of a MM tact on this genre. The author did an excellent job of writing a strong and believable character in Graham. He was just the governess in a suit; an Sir Richard was everything you could hope for in a dark and mysterious leading man.

The only thing it was missing is one of those great classic covers!
https://www.pinterest.com/sebastiene/gothic-novel-covers/
( )

Story: 9
First MC: 8
Second MC: 8
Secondary characters: 5
Mystery: 7
Sexual tension: 7
Humor: 4
Hotness: 7
Product placement: 1
Ridiculousness: 4
Annoying: 1
Audio: 10 (7h 30min)
To re-read: 8

a tutor with a fake resume, a closeted father, bratty kids, and some vindictive ghosts. There were some chilly moments, like watching a scary movie. Doors shutting, footsteps behind you, gust of wind..you know what I mean ( )

***Possibly some spoilery things*****




A very interesting m/m version of a mix of Jane Eyre and other Gothic genre books of the period. I liked the pacing and the development of the characters, and the story was incredibly interesting.

Graham Cowrie is a man with a new identity as a tutor, his background forged, and fed on a diet of pulp novels (I'm not sure when exactly the term "pulp novel" was coined)--somewhat similar to the heroine of "Northanger Abbey"--is headed to Allinson Hall, a terrifying looking place with wings built out of period from each other (a perfect monsterish mish-mash and excellent for the enclosure as a character). Unlike "Northanger Abbey," however, this mansion does have some surprises in store.

Sir Richard Allinson, the father of the twins Graham is to tutor, and Graham have an instant attraction to one another, which Richard resists. The twins, Whit and Clive, prove a slippery pair, but Graham gradually wins them over. Their mother, Graham eventually discovers, killed herself, and Clive is the one who discovered her body in the tower, which is why he doesn't speak. But, did Lavinia really kill herself, or are there darker forces at work?

The secondary characters are well-drawn enough to convey their purposes, but I really liked Tom, the amazing artist who Graham takes it in his heart to give time to in the evenings to supply with materials and let him pursue his extraordinary talent.

Richard and Graham's relationship is an interesting one; Richard still suffering from the guilt that he was the one responsible for Lavinia's suicide. Graham may not have originally had the qualifications for being a tutor, but he does have the ability to bring a family together again and help solve the mystery of what is really going on at Allinson Hall.

I highly recommend this novel, especially to lovers of traditional Gothic fiction. ( )