Review: Thief by Ava March

Title: Brook Street:  Thief*
Author: Ava March
Series:  Brook Street #1
Genre:  M/M Erotic Historical Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Format:  E-book
Date/Year:  March 19, 2012
Reviewed by: Andrea

*This book was provided to the reviewer by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Summary from the publisher:

Brook Street Trilogy:
 

Regency London—where polite manners and spotless reputations reign supreme. Yet behind the closed doors of three elegant town houses along Brook Street, passion and lust reign as gentlemen dare to risk scandal by falling in love...

Thief, Book #1
London, 1822

It was only supposed to be one night. One night to determine once and for all if he truly preferred men. But the last thing Lord Benjamin Parker expected to find in a questionable gambling hall in Cheapside is a gorgeous young man who steals his heart.

It was only supposed to be a job. Cavin Fox has done it many times-select a prime mark, distract him with lust, and leave his pockets empty. Yet when Cavin slips away under the cover of darkness, the only part of Benjamin he leaves untouched is his pockets.

With a taste of his fantasies fulfilled, Benjamin wants more than one night with Cavin. But convincing the elusive young man to give them a chance proves difficult. Cavin lives with a band of thieves in the worst area of London, and he knows there's no place for him in a gentleman's life. Yet Benjamin isn't about to let Cavin-and love-continue to slip away from him.

My Musings:

Before I get into my thoughts on this book I have to confess that this is my first male/male romance.  It was a perfect choice for my first book.  In the story Cavin was easing Benjamin into the physical aspects of the relationship.  That was a big help for me because my knowledge of gay sex up until this point was limited.  It was my first time, it was Ben’s first time, and we were learning together. 

I’ll just come right out and say that I loved this book!  Benjamin and Cavin are two guys that never should have met.  Benjamin is a rich, respected member of society.  Cavin is a criminal working and living in the worst area of London.  They are both surprised when a chance sexual encounter reveals a much deeper emotional connection.

This book is so much more than erotica.  It has the erotic aspects you would expect, but it’s really about watching two wonderful men discover a relationship like they have never known or even believed possible.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and the obstacles they had to overcome in order to make it work.  It was also interesting because their happily ever after was so much different from the male/female relationships I’m used to reading.

As I was reading, I kept thinking that the book had a Pretty Woman vibe to it, only I liked this book more than the movie.  I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to try an m/m romance.  I adored everything about it and look forward to the next book in the series.

Ratings:

Overall:  5 stars

Sensuality level:  3.5 (love scenes contain anal sex due to the nature of the romance, but all encounters are sensual and affectionate)

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Other Reviews:

• Reviews by Jessewave (4.5)
• Under the Covers Book Blog (3.5 feathers)
• Goodreads ( 3.93 stars as of 3/20/2012)

 
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