REVIEW: His Brother’s Viscount – Stephanie Lake

Genre: Regency, Historical, Romance

LGBTQ+ Category: Gay

Reviewer: Maryann

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About The Book

As a baron’s youngest son, Hector Somerville has no real prospects. He will not inherit, and he’s overshadowed by two perfect brothers. While searching for ways to improve his situation, Hector finds respite in an invitation to a country estate—and has a second chance at rekindling his illicit affair with Viscount Wentworth, captain of HBMS Dragon. The upcoming fortnight could be everything Hector dreamed of since their disastrous parting.

Wentworth has forsaken love, and yet, memories of guilt and heartache resurface. He loved a boyhood friend once, Hector’s older brother William, until the man left him, trampling his heart in the process. Years later, he wonders if he ever fell out of love. Is his heart bound by William, or can he create a life with Hector?

The Review

From a young age, Tyler Wentworth and William and Hector Somerville have been friends. Tyler had frequently protected William and Hector from their abusive father. Hector, the youngest, had declared his special feelings for the older Tyler.

As time went on, both Tyler and William joined the military. Tyler continued in the Navy, and William went on to be a doctor and eventually got married.

As Hector got older, he knew what he wanted, but William continued to harass him. But as much as William tried, he could not prevent Hector from caring for Tyler.

As William and Tyler carry on their battle of manipulation and harassment, what’s really going on does not go unnoticed by Mary, William’s wife, and by Hector himself. Even though Hector is disgusted with both William and Tyler, he puts his heart on the line with Tyler.

When Tyler finally decides to face Hector with the truth, it’s too late, and Hector walks away.

As the younger brother, nothing comes easy for Hector. But it becomes clear to him that he needs to make his own decisions, and make something out of himself, without William or Tyler. As much as it hurts to isolate himself from them and from his family, Hector finds a way to succeed in his own life.

Eventually William and Tyler come to a truce, but they have wasted precious time. Hector has someone else in his life now, and it has caused a very dangerous dilemma.

Lake does a beautiful job immersing us in historic 17th century England, with the flowery language and beautiful settings of that time. She also makes the reader feel the fear of homosexuality in society at that time. There’s an element of danger and suspense on both land and sea, with all the dark feels – selfishness, manipulation, secrets, lies and humiliation. The novel takes a close look at selfishness, as both William and Tyler work unwittingly to destroy the one person that who is important in both of their lives.

The action switches between past and present due to memory loss and a traumatic experience that Tyler Wentworth has to deals with. Because of Tyler’s memory loss, the truce between him and William seemed a little forced, but it really showed how much Tyler struggled with his issue.

Hector was sweet but really shows his strength and intelligence as he assets his independence and proves himself. Although there are many steamy moments between Tyler and Hector, the trauma between them leaves a bad impression of Tyler at times.

Mary, Williams wife, was also an interesting character. As a woman of the 17th century, she is the most modern thinking when it comes to the issue between the three men, and she speaks her mind. I also liked Hector’s friends: Randall Blair, Seventh Viscount of Trorring and Lieutenant David Wedgewood. Their story is “His Second Chance,” the first book of the “Second Chance” series, and reflects the influence they had on Hector.

The “Author’s Note” in “His Brothers Viscount” is important, because Lake shares how Wentworth’s memory loss and trauma came to be an important part of the novel.

“His Brothers Viscount” was a very entertaining read!

The Reviewer

Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California.  Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018.  My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen.  New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.

I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.

My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012.  She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series.  Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book! 

As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.

My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing.  I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.

I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews.  One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group.  Joining her site was such an eye opener.  I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.

But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.