Books Tagged With when - period - 19th century

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Questioning, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: Captain Marta Ramos, the most notorious pirate in the Duchy of Denver, has her hands full between fascinating murder mysteries, the delectable and devious Delilah Nimowitz, Colonel Geoffrey Douglas (the Duke of Denver’s new head of security), a spot of airship engineering and her usual activities: piracy, banditry and burglary. Not to mention the horror of high society tea parties. In contrast, Simms, her second in command, longs only for a quiet life, filled with tasty sausages and fewer explosions. Or does he? Join Captain Ramos, Simms and their crew as they negotiate the perils of air, land and drawing room in a series of fast-paced adventures in a North America that never was. Murder on the Titania and Other Steam-Powered Adventures includes 4 novellas and a short story about piracy, banditry, burglary, jail-breaking, several brilliant bits of detective work and all manner of otherwise lawless hijinks performed by the valiant Captain Ramos and her crew. Murder on the Titania: Colonel Geoffrey Douglas, the Duke of Denver’s new head of security, is drawn into a high society murder mystery on the Airship Titania. None of the passengers are quite what they seem, including the mysterious young woman who always turns up where she is least expected. The Curious Case of Clementine Nimowitz (and Her Exceedingly Tiny Dog): A simple burglary goes horribly awry when Captain Ramos and Simms stumble across a dead body, a small dog and the deceased’s heirs, the noisome Morris and the rather too interesting Delilah. The Jade Tiger: A mysterious woman enlists Captain Ramos’s aid in getting her revenge on her former employer and Captain Ramos finds herself doing an unintentional good deed. The Ugly Tin Orrery: Captain Ramos and her crew embark on what appears to be a perfectly ordinary train robbery, only to be drawn into the Duke of Denver’s political machinations via a strange metal artifact. Throw in a spot of jail breaking and an encounter with the lovely Delilah, and it’s all in a day’s work for Captain Ramos and Simms. The Flying Turk: The Airship Titania is entering a new era and welcoming its first automaton pilot. Or, perhaps not. Captain Ramos and Simms are back aboard the Titania for a heady mix of murder, robbery, peeved scientists and oblivious peers, with a spot of engineering thrown in.

Word Count: Click here to reveal93000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: December 1889. Silas Hawkins, once a trickster from the slums, is now the public face of the Clearwater Foundation. As London society gathers to celebrate its success, and Prince Albert Victor considers becoming its new patron, life for Archer, Silas and the crew could not be better. But everyone has a past, especially Silas, a man ripe for blackmail. Photographs, demands, a dead photographer and a mystery amid the influenza pandemic of 1889, it falls to James, Silas and Fecker to find the blackmailer before Silas’ sordid past leads to public downfall. But then Silas disappears, and all James has is a burnt letter, a missing railway timetable and a man with two names. He also has Fecker, and together, they must race to solve the riddle and find Silas before he kills either the blackmailer or himself. Negative Exposure is the ninth Clearwater Mystery. The series blends fact with fiction, mystery with adventure, love with lust, and is best read in order.

Word Count: Click here to reveal3400 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Intersex (Click here to hide)

Summary: Drew was born neither boy nor girl, but he was raised as a man, and now he is desperate to enlist in the Great War to prove himself. His lover, who fought in the Transvaal twelve years before, is just as desperate to dissuade him.

Word Count: Click here to reveal52000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Ever since Robert Belton gambled away the money to stake his claim in the Klondike gold fields, he’s been stranded in Seattle working as a prostitute. When an attractive customer needs help hauling provisions to the frozen north, Robert eagerly volunteers. Dr. John Fauth is only searching for one thing, and it isn’t gold. He needs platinum for the prototypes of his revolutionary inventions, and if he doesn’t find it in the Klondike, his university career—and his research—is over. Getting to the Klondike is a grueling, dangerous journey, and just hours after leaving Seattle, John and Robert find themselves in over their heads. John is carrying an invaluable device that his competitors will do anything to get their hands on. And as the cold nights and mutual desire pull John and Robert closer together, they discover that they have much more to lose than gold or platinum. This 52,000 word book was previously published.

Word Count: Click here to reveal147,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: After Oliver Twist commits murder to protect Jack Dawkins (The Artful Dodger), both flee London’s now dangerous streets. Along the way, Jack becomes gravely ill, and Oliver is forced to gut fish by hand to pay for the doctor’s bills. While Oliver tries to balance his desire for respectability against his growing love for Jack, Jack balks against staying in bed, and wants to pick pockets, and both their tempers flare. But in spite of their personal struggles, and in the face of dire circumstances, they discover the depth of their love for each other. Oliver & Jack: At Lodgings In Lyme is the second book in Christina E. Pilz’s Oliver & Jack series, a gay historical romance. If you like nuanced characters and forbidden love overcoming adversity, then you’ll love this story, so pick up a copy today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal160,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: After a seaside interlude, during which they grew closer and their relationship stronger, Oliver and Jack are arrested and sent to Axminster Workhouse to await trial for the theft of books that they only borrowed. They are put in the less-than-tender care of Workmaster Chalenheim, who controls the quotas they must fill, the amount of food they eat, and the punishments they must endure. Oliver struggles with the shame of being in a place he thought he’d left behind him long ago. Meanwhile, Jack is confronted by a predator, who tests the limits of Jack’s love for Oliver. Together they must find a way to escape the workhouse before they succumb to the harsh conditions or are separated by the hangman’s noose, whichever comes first. In Axminster Workhouse is the third book in Christina E. Pilz’s Oliver & Jack series, a gay historical romance. If you like dark stories about forbidden love in dark places, then you'll love this story, so pick up a copy today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal162,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: In the noisy, crowded streets of London, where shadows hold secrets often too horrible to describe, an orphan and his beloved pickpocket attempt to rebuild their shattered peace. This is the love story of Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger. As Jack recovers from the sexual assault at Chalenheim’s hands, he finds that he is unable to express his love for Oliver with any intimacy. Oliver, meanwhile, rescues Finley from Axminster Workhouse, and returns to London full of love for Jack and the desire to do whatever is necessary to help Jack recover his dignity and his passion. Chalenheim is still on the loose in London, waiting for another chance at Jack and Finley, which soon comes. Though they escape with barely a scratch, Oliver vows to rid the world of the man who would dare lay hands upon his beloved Jack. In London Towne is the sixth and final book in Christina E. Pilz’s Oliver & Jack gay historical romance series. If you enjoy stories about forbidden love battling against the dark forces that threaten to tear them apart, then you’ll enjoy this tale, so pick up a copy today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal150,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: After the cruel rejection from their families, Oliver and Jack brave the dangers they left behind to return to London, where they take up residence at the Three Cripples. The bedsit they share is small and riddled with bed bugs, but what does that matter when there is always cool beer on tap and the diversions of London are spread out before them? While Jack returns to picking pockets, Oliver works in the tavern, and struggles against the endless tide of dirt and the loss of everything he thought he stood for. Amidst their happiness and plans for future contentment, Workmaster Chalenheim kidnaps them, sexually assaults Jack, and leaves them both for dead. Will Oliver and Jack’s love for each other prove stronger than hate? On The Isle of Dogs is the fifth book in Christina E. Pilz’s Oliver & Jack gay historical romance series. If you enjoy stories about forbidden love battling against the dark forces that want to tear them apart, then you’ll enjoy this tale, so pick up a copy today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal131,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: After escaping Axminster Workhouse, Oliver and Jack travel by coach to visit Jack’s family, and then to Chertsey, to visit Oliver’s. But families can be cruel, and the lads’ quest for connection leads to disappointment. Exploring taverns and river bends along the way, Oliver desires a home for both him and Jack; however, for Jack, Oliver is the only home he needs. When the pressures of propriety and ridged social rules threaten to divide them, and even the slightest act of affection between them could get them arrested, can their love endure? Out In The World is the fourth book in Christina E. Pilz’s Oliver & Jack gay historical romance series. If you enjoy stories about Victorian era road trips taken by newly discovered lovers, then you’ll enjoy this tale, so pick up a copy today!

Word Count: Click here to reveal115000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealAce, Bisexual, Gay, Genderqueer, Lesbian, Non Binary, Transgender (Click here to hide)

Summary: Frontiers have always attracted the Other - where they find that the Other is always already there. These 22 stories explore what happens when queer characters encounter weirdness on the edge of the worlds they know. Authors include: Julie Bozza, J.A. Bryson, Dannye Chase, S.E. Denton, Miguel Flores, Adele Gardner, Roy Gray, KC Grifant, Peter Hackney, Bryn Hammond, Narrelle M Harris, Justin Warren Jackson, Toshiya Kamei, Catherine Lundoff, Bunny McFadden, Angus McIntyre, Atlin Merrick, Eleanor Musgrove, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Lauren Scharhag, Sara L. Uckelman, and Dawn Vogel.

Word Count: Click here to reveal68000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Lord Dixon is known among the wilder members of the ton for two things, his very exclusive brothels specializing in the most exotic of pleasures and his habit of keeping a concubine, a well-paid, full-time prostitute, at his country home for a year at a time. But romance can still be found in his shadow. Jim Smith has just finished two years working for the notorious Lord Dixon as his concubine, a private, full-time prostitute at his country house, but it’s gotten him what he wanted, enough money to leave behind the brothels of London and buy himself a small country cottage where he can grow plants and live quietly with no one knowing about his time at Dixon’s or the years before that working as a prostitute. Sir Lionel Westin has spent his life so far getting his brother and the family business out of one scrape after another while building his own successful tea business, and he’s just learned it was for naught. His father left the entire business to his older brother with no mention of all Lionel’s work. At least he’s enjoying the journey to back to his country estate with the amusing and understanding Mr. Smith, so much so that he invites Mr. Smith to stay with him at Hensley House. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith doesn’t seem to have found the trip as enjoyable as he turns down the invitation. Jim knows he should keep his distance from the handsome, kind Sir Lionel Westin, and he intends to until a storm forces Jim to take Lionel’s offer of a room at Hensley House, and then it seems only natural to offer to warm his bed. But as they spend time together, Jim realizes he’s falling in love with Sir Lionel Westin. He also knows he’ll need to leave before Lionel realizes it. Surely Sir Lionel Westin deserves better than a prostitute and former concubine to the notorious Lord Dixon. And when Jim learns Lord Dixon purchased a country house nearby, he knows it’s only a matter of time before all his secrets come to light. A steamy gay - M/M romance novel set in the Regency period with some BDSM elements. 68,000 words/ approx. 270 pages

Word Count: Click here to reveal338 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Gay (Click here to hide)

Summary: For two years I’ve kept Leon Steadman at a safe distance, ever since the night he turned me down flatter than a pancake with a side order of syrupy disapproval. His loss. The world is full of sexy men. One and done is simply good math and efficient use of my time. Or it would be if I hadn’t been lusting after the irritating, judgemental, gorgeous, mountain of a man, ever since. The less I see of Leon, the better. Bad enough that his tattoo business sits next to Flare, the fashion store I manage, and that he’s friendly with my boss. But now he’s apartment-sitting above the shop, as well. Every time I turn around, Leon is there. In my store. In my space. Messing with my head. Being all nice and charming and acting like maybe he’s not the biggest jerk to walk the earth, after all. Well, I don’t want or need Leon’s apologies, but maybe if I can have him, just once, it might put an end to this ridiculous hunger that sparks every time I lay eyes on him. Yeah, I’ll get back to you on that.

Word Count: Click here to reveal105000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: “Risk is the spark that ignites adventure.” Barbary Fleet, 1891   The Larkspur Academy — Where men explore the mysteries of love and learning Chester Cadman has been duped by unscrupulous men, ridiculed in the newspapers, and disowned by his family. Only twenty-two, he is on the verge of starvation when a Clearwater detective makes him an offer he can't refuse: Join the Larkspur Academy and investigate a haunting that has plagued Lord Clearwater’s family for nearly four hundred years. Mystified, but determined, Chester enlists the help of fellow academy man, Frank Andino, and is soon presented with a second mystery: his attraction to the loyal, but bawdy young Greek. Together, they unearth sinister family secrets that could destroy Clearwater’s reputation and the academy, but the truth must be known. Faced with a double dilemma, Chester is forced to confront the past, even if it means Clearwater’s downfall and a broken heart. It’s a risk, but, as Fleet says, ‘Risk is the spark that ignites adventure, and love is the greatest adventure of them all.’ ★★★★★ ‘Seeing Through Shadows’ is the fourth book in The Larkspur Mystery series. A combination of mystery, male love and adventure set in England in 1890 and 1891, the Larkspur Mysteries blend historical fact with fiction. Rescued from destitution, young gay men are invited to Lord Clearwater’s Larkspur Academy. There, they explore their talents as they encounter romance, bromance and a variety of intriguing mysteries. The Larkspur series follows on from the popular Clearwater Mysteries and is set in the same world, but you don’t have to have read the Clearwater series to enjoy this collection of full-length historical novels.

Word Count: Click here to reveal95000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: March 1891. A parliamentary committee arrives at Larkspur Hall to assess Lord Clearwater’s suitability to become an earl. Prince Albert Victor will announce their decision at a society dinner on Archer’s thirty-second birthday. However, the MP with the authority to advance Archer to the title is the same man who caused Edward Hyde never to speak again. When the parliamentarians arrive to inspect the Larkspur Academy, Edward comes face to face with the man he had arrested for making unnatural advances. A man who was never tried for his crime. Silas Hawkins and the academy men band together to ensure Edward sees justice done while protecting Lord Clearwater’s reputation and each other. Using their skills in chemistry, physics and deception, they embark on a game of secrets and subterfuge where the unspoken causes the loudest outcry. “The quiet ones have the loudest voice. Them as say most by speaking in silence.” Fiona Hawkins, 1881 Speaking in Silence is the fifth book in the Larkspur Mysteries series, and touches on themes of victimisation and suicide. Like all books in the series, it is inspired by actual events from the late 1800s. With themes of friendship, bromance, male love and revenge, the story is more of a ‘how dunnit?’ than a ‘who dunnit?’ and like all of Jackson’s mysteries, contains humour, while mixing fact with fiction.

Word Count: Click here to reveal12000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: “The greatest reward often lies at the end of the stoniest path.” Lady Dorothy Marshall, March 1891 When Lord Clearwater inherits a set of enigmatic clues and a compass, it becomes clear he has the means to uncover a momentous secret. He calls upon the men of the Larkspur Academy to help with the hunt, including the latest recruit, the bewildered ex-sailor, Bertie Tucker. The academy men investigate follies, national monuments and ancient churches, using their diverse skills to unlock a series of random messages. The men must work together to find Clearwater’s secret and ‘treasure’, but relationships threaten the status quo. Edward Hyde has turned his affections from Henry and aimed them at Bertie Tucker, opening a rift which must be mended if the hunt is to succeed. And when two of Clearwater’s adversaries conspire to beat him to the secret, what begins as an adventure becomes a game of cat and mouse that leads to a fight for survival. Starting with Secrets is the sixth book in the Larkspur Mysteries series. With themes of friendship, bromance, male love and revenge, the story is the first part of a two-part adventure, and combines historical fact with fiction. As with all of Jackson Marsh’s mysteries, the novel contains humour, love and action, while offering the reader the chance to solve the clues with the cast of disparate, well-drawn characters.

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay (Click here to hide)

Summary: Love knows no boundaries, and in this collection of six short stories, the writing duo known as Ari McKay explore how finding your soulmate doesn't mean you have to be part the same social scene, work in the same field, or even inhabit the same plane of existence! The Whole Kit and Kaboodle — Grey is smitten with seemingly shy librarian Henry, but Henry has a secret that could stand in the way of their happiness. A Hundred Lonely Halloweens — Micah forms an unexpected connection to the ghost haunting the historical home he’s refurbishing. Steam Heat — Coworkers Joss and Trey realize they have far more in common than they thought when they encounter each other at a Steampunk convention. Caribbean Blues — Jon isn’t the type to indulge in vacation flings, but he can’t resist Derrick, a marine biologist who studies dolphins in the Bahamas. Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around — Landon thinks he needs to wear drag to catch the interest of his crush, but when he starts getting lessons from drag queen Raul, he finds himself growing hot for teacher instead. As Fair Art Thou, My Bonny Lad — Shopkeeper Adie has tried to keep his desire for men a secret, but Niall, a newcomer to the colony of North Carolina, tempts him to risk his reputation in the little port town for a chance at love.

Word Count: Click here to reveal77000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealLesbian, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Adrenaline addicted veteran, Vivian Chastain, confronts the man who has been following her for days, only to find he has a message of dire consequence for her. Spurred into action by his news, she barrels head on into a tumultuous and violent series of events. Stoic and stubborn, Vivian lands in the hospital, fighting for her life. During Vivian’s lengthy recovery, her partner is released from jail and the two reconnect, stoking up the flames of their toxic union all while Vivian dives into a blossoming relationship with a new love interest who offers fulfillment and love, if only Vivian can figure out how to allow it all in. Still on the mend, she learns that the coast is not clear as former threats return and continue to endanger her. While she cannot rest easy; friends, her work crew, and customers at the night club where she tends bar provide her with much needed fun, comradery, and support. Vivian wrestles with her temper, her penchant for physical violence, and her overwhelming emotional baggage. Struggles from within and without threaten her existence, and in the moment when death is just a breath away, Vivian’s brother shows up and changes everything.

Word Count: Click here to reveal114,000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealGay, Straight (Click here to hide)

Summary: Sing a song of sixpence A stage full of fright One two-faced blackbird Won't last the night   When a phantom presence lures Hieronymus Bash into a deadly game, threatening to kill one of the players at his beloved Gaiety Theater each day until famed actor Horace Beastly returns to the stage, London's premier consulting detective is on the case. The trouble? Horace Beastly is Hiero's alter ego and the true object of this murderous obsession. When the current star of the show is struck down, Hiero has to risk everything by stealing back the spotlight. After a golden summer together, DI Tim Stoker would do everything in his power to protect the man he loves. But a specter from his own past proves an unexpected, and perhaps fatal, distraction. Scheming prima donnas, grudge-fuelled critics, and an axe-wielding theater ghost are all out for blood. Will Hiero and Tim unmask this menace before the final curtain call, or are they past the point of no return?

Word Count: Information not available

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: Months have passed since Mystere left England in search of Joyeuse, leaving Douglas and Margaret behind, safe in behind ancient shields in a manor house in Sussex. Then Douglas is called away for an emergency, and disappears without a trace. A letter arrives, assuring Margaret that Douglas will be safe. A letter from Caedda, one embedded with spells meant to kill. Fearing for her husband, Margaret risks her own life and that of her child in a desperate attempt to summon Mystere, setting into motion a journey that will take them from Sussex to Aachen to the mountains of Austria, and to the long-hidden sword, Joyeuse. With all four swords once more in the world, the secrets they’ve been hiding will finally be revealed.

Word Count: Click here to reveal50000 (Click here to hide)

Character Identities: Click here to revealBisexual, Lesbian, Pansexual, Polyamorous (Click here to hide)

Summary: In 1860, four brothers on a mission from God tunneled beneath the surface in Nevada territory, looking to find the next Comstock Lode. Legend has it they went down into the Earth as honorable Christian men but returned as something more sinister, their good intentions abandoned. There they became possessed and altered by an evil force, and their hold on the residents of what was known then as Lake’s Crossing allowed them to gain unfathomable wealth and power. Youngest brother Jonah ran from that evil and has been in exile under an alias for nearly 70 years. He spends his existence as Jimmy Manwaring, playing piano nightly to the rough-and-tumble saloon crowd in Fort Bragg, California, with the final words of his beloved deceased wife constantly on his mind. “When hope comes, you must protect them.” An act of violence thrusts barmaid Hope Johnson, her unborn twins, and her lover, Bonnie, into his world, and he swears to protect them, but not even one with the power of Sight could predict the series of events that threaten their safety. Will Jonah receive the absolution he seeks, or will his new family suffer for the sins of the Bane brothers?