A Gentleman's Gentleman de T. J. Alexander
The notoriously eccentric Lord Christopher Eden is a “man of unusual make” and even more unusual habits: he prefers to live as far from the prying eyes and ears of the ton as possible, and would rather have the comfortable company of his childhood cook and his aged butler, Plinkton, than the swarm of servants befitting a man of his station.
But Christopher's pleasant, if occasionally lonely life is upended when he receives word from his lawyers that, according to his late father’s will, he must find a wife by the end of the Season if he intends to keep his family's fortune and the Eden's End estate. Christopher cannot imagine a worse fate: as he isn't attracted to women, his chances of making a wife happy are slim. Furthermore, if his quest to marry has any hope of succeeding, he must move to London posthaste and acquire some more suitable staff. Enter James Harding, Christopher's new, distractingly handsome valet…
I've never been keen on the Regency period, and Bridgerton was so obnoxiously everywhere for months on end that I lost the last shreds of interest I did have. So I have to admit that, on paper, this novel didn't have much to appeal to me. Except, it's the first time I've come across a romance with a trans main character (and, apart from Une autobiographie transsexuelle (avec des vampires) (litt. A transsexual autobiography (with vampires)) which I read a few years ago, I think this is the only book with a trans main character that's passed through my hands), so I was curious.
And I'm so glad I gave it a go.
I really liked the author's style, which managed to strike just the right tone to fit the historical genre. The characters are very well written, and the slow-burn romance gives them time to develop and get to know each other. There's some of the « banter » that I love, a fair amount of dry humour, but iabove all it's very tender.
And it's refreshing to finally read something other than a straight love story. LGBT people have always existed, and it's important to acknowledge that. Whether it's by writing serious, well-documented essays, or via a cute love story.
It's very sweet, well written, and the perfect read for an afternoon in the park, sitting under a tree, with a cold lemonade.
