Phillip hadn’t planned on lusting after the vicar. The vicar, of all people. There could hardly be anyone less suitable. [p. 70]
I confess it took me a long time to get into this novel: the set-up (emotionally repressed naval captain returns to England to find cheerful vicar taking care of his wayward offspring) did not grab me. The developing romance between Captain Philip Dacre and the Reverend Ben Sedgwick seemed to move too quickly, and be too uncomplicated despite its bucolic Regency setting, to be wholly credible.
Ben, who's had an 'understanding' since childhood with frail Alice, suddenly realises that he can never be a proper husband to her, because his vague, half-formed preferences have coalesced into clear and present Feelings for the dashing Captain. (To be fair, Alice does get a romance of her own, but it's very much background.) And Philip, who is still mourning not only his wife but also the lieutenant who was his lover -- though of course they never spoke of Feelings -- is immediately, unwillingly charmed by this irreverent Reverend and by Ben's treatment of his unruly children, whom he hardly knows.
The central romance didn't convince or, to be honest, engage me: but I was intrigued by the hints of backstory, Ben's in particular: his upbringing was eccentric, and he's struggled to establish a safe haven for himself. His childhood friend, Martin Easterbrook, is raising rents across the estate, and there is a scandal brewing about the bequest that Martin's father made to his godson, Ben's brother Hartley -- the protagonist of A Gentleman Never Keeps Score, which I found much more interesting -- indeed, I suspect that my enjoyment of that novel is the reason I bought this one.
Note that I completely failed to spot the homage to The Sound of Music. To be fair, the hills were rather less alive, et cetera.
It's not a bad book, just a little more gentle and easy than I prefer my M/M historicals to be. Ben is truly likeable; Philip's emotional repression is delicately explored; Alice is a delight; even the children are fun. But I mostly read this so that I'd be prepared for the third in the series, Two Rogues Make a Right: review coming soon!
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