#the soldier's scoundrel

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

[a-ramblinrose]

JOMP BPC || August 28 || Author's Debut: The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

[geneseedraws]

Oh, how I adore my regency boys... He's some fanart of Oliver Rivington and Jack Turner from the amazing book, The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian 💕💖

I am so in my Historical Era (have I ever left?), but oh man gimme everything gay and 18th-19th century 🤌🤌 Oliver and Jack together forever!! These guys were SO fun to read about, such a great dynamic of a nobleman and a gritty scoundrel 🤭💕 Already want to reread it again... ✨

[pretensesoup]

Queer books, day 22/30

Okay, I wrote this all and then Tumblr ate it, so here we go again. LOL help.

Here we have Oliver Rivington, former army captain lately invalided home. He comes to see Jack Turner when he discovers his sister, Lady Montbray, has paid him 200 GBP. (This is like FOURTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS in today's money, so he is probably right to be concerned, actually.) Jack is a former scallywag turned private eye who tells Oliver to fuck off. While they're bickering, another client arrives--a woman with some missing letters--and Oliver starts in on the "exactly what kind of operation are you running here?"

Fortunately(?), Oliver has literally nothing better to do than to harass Jack and try to dig up dirt on him. This leads to shouting. Angry, stressed makeouts in an alley after an attempted mugging. A road trip that is full of intense longing and the two of them teasing each other sexually. Being detectives together as a love language! It's amazing, honestly. All written with Cat Sebastian's characteristic wit and "eat the rich" attitude, with a defense of women and the power men hold over them on the side. Lovely.

Key quote:

The lady obviously spent her days reading, napping, and eating biscuits. He didn’t know whether to be disgusted or jealous.

To be honest, this one has a bit of a rough landing. It's one romance novel where it felt like despite being in love, Jack and Oliver should maybe not have ended up together. They're well suited, but the class thing is SO MUCH of a thing that it starts to feel weird that they find a way around it. BUT. In the end, I love it too much to really criticize it for wanting to make me happy. 10/10, go read it.

Warnings for graphic sex and some period-typical homophobia, violence, and allusions to violence against women and women being subjugated to their husbands because it's 1817 and, you know, fuck everything. But Lady Montbray eventually gets a nice girlfriend, so it all works out in the end.

[hiidenneiti]

Tällä hetkellä lukemassa LUIN JO — Cat Sebastian: The Soldier's Scoundrel. Avon Impulse, 2016.

Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London's slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be. After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman's life-one that doesn't include sparring with a ne'er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before.

& The Lawrence Browne Affair. Avon Impulse, 2017.

Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that’s what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family’s crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence’s new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down. Georgie Turner has made his life pretending to be anyone but himself. A swindler and con man, he can slip into an identity faster than he can change clothes. But when his long-dead conscience resurrects and a dangerous associate is out for blood, Georgie escapes to the wilds of Cornwall. Pretending to be a secretary should be easy, but he doesn’t expect that the only madness he finds is the one he has for the gorgeous earl.

[bookbaran]

Every time I reread The Turners, a different book is my favorite. This time it was The Soldier's Scoundrel.

[goombas-shoe78]

Predictable Jack Turner. ❤

[aurorawest]

Summer Reading Update (part 1)

Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig - 4.75/5 stars

This was a really well done retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I read another book from the Remixed Classics series, Dear Henry, and while that one was also good, it felt like it adhered too slavishly to The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, so sometimes things seemed to be happening only because they happened in the original. And I haven't actually read the original book, it was just...easy to tell. Teach the Torches to Burn never felt like that, and I loved how it fleshed out so many of the characters from the play.

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian - 5/5 stars

I feel like tumblr sings this one's praises enough that I don't really have to, but—everyone should read this. Everyone should read all of Cat Sebastian's books. I think I liked this one better than We Could Be So Good, but that could just be because I've found myself becoming more and more of a sucker for sports romances.

Unhallowed by Jordan L Hawk - 4.75/5 stars

Sad to say goodbye to the Whyborne and Griffin series, but I already love this spinoff!

Soul of Ash by HL Moore - 3.75/5 stars

Crow's Fate by Kim Fielding - 3.75/5 stars

The Sleeping Soldier by Aster Glenn Gray - 5/5 stars

I sound like a broken record re: Aster Glenn Gray, but please read her books. If you like Cat Sebastian's mid-century romances (like You Should Be So Lucky!) you like Aster Glenn Gray. This one is ostensibly a Sleeping Beauty retelling, but one where the sleeper actually sleeps for 100 years. In this case, it's a Union soldier who is put in an enchanted sleep in 1865 and wakes up in 1965 and oh my god, it's so good. It examines racism, it examines toxic masculinity, it examines homophobia, and how same-sex platonic affection became taboo. I'm pretty sure this woman has never written a bad book, but this may be her best.

Alec by Kaje Harper - 3.75/5 stars

Artemis by Andy Weir - 3.75/5 stars

Oak King Holly King by Sebastian Nothwell - 4.75/5 stars

I loved this one! There are so many books about Faerie and they can be pretty hit or miss for me, but this one struck just the right balance of otherworldly, inhuman creatures and characters I could root for. Shrike and Wren were lovely.

Imperfect Illusions by Vanora Lawless - DNF at pg 56

Orchestrated Love by AJ Buchanan - DNF at pg 1

Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby - 4.25/5 stars

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern - 5/5 stars (reread)

The Only Light Left Burning by Erik J Brown - 5/5 stars

Excellent sequel about what happens after you make it to the last bastion of civilization after the apocalypse.

Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai - DNF at pg 12

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles - 5/5 stars

Oh man. This may have displaced the Will Darling Adventures as my favorite KJ Charles book. Wonderful MCs, A+ side character arcs, and villains you really loved to hate. I rambled on a lot about this book to my wife after I finished it.

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender - DNF at pg 156

His Lordship's Secret by Samantha SoRelle - 3.75/5 stars

Us, Et Cetera by Kit Vincent - 5/5 stars

Cinderella retelling with androids but Christ on a bike was this a painful read. Really, really well done. Highly recommended.

Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer - 5/5 stars

My 5 star rating diverges pretty sharply from the average Storygraph rating for this book, and I'm not sure why, other than maybe people thinks it's PrObLeMaTic. It was definitely not a super happy book, though it ends on a good note (that's a pun btw!). I thought it was a great book about a period that isn't often written about (1890s Paris) with a fascinating protagonist (who was a real person).

Dark Heir by CS Pacat - 5/5 stars

It's a CS Pacat book; it's the sequel to Dark Rise; obvs I loved it. I don't understand why this series is shelved under YA except that Pacat's publisher thinks more people will buy them. This series is the gay Lord of the Rings you always wanted and somehow is an even slower burn than Captive Prince.

Of Knights and Books and Falling in Love by Rita A Rubin - DNF at pg 50

Cover Story by Valerie Gomez - DNF at pg 176

Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace - 4/5 stars

[thegreatyin]

the doomed scientist, looking up from his newspaper: where the hell have you been. it's been three days. i hoped you were dead (permanent)

the bandaged scoundrel, walking into their home covered in fluke blood, voice cracking from terror: gett,in,g ric,h

[bebisexual]

i love bisexual men

[stinastar]

SOFTIE 💗

“oh, I only want to sleep with him” // “we will live together forever and I will rejoice in spoiling him” 😂💗

[rottengurlz]

I decided to start the alien romance but I’m also going to be starting a dowry of blood by s.t. gibson so I can get the best of both worlds alien freaks and bi vampires <3

[a-ramblinrose]

“The lady obviously spent her days reading, napping, and eating biscuits. He didn’t know whether to be disgusted or jealous.”

― Cat Sebastian, The Soldier's Scoundrel

[nesmamomen]

ISRAELI SOLDIERS RAPE GIRLS IN GAZA‼️

Don't ignore my words, I don't want to be assaulted either. I am Farah from Gaza, I have lived my life under difficult circumstances. Every day brought with it new anxiety, especially after I heard stories of soldiers raping girls. Fear became a part of my life, and I began to feel that I might be the next target.

I decided that I could not remain idly by. I created a fundraising campaign on social media, where I shared my story and fears with the world. My goal was to raise enough money to escape Gaza and find safety.

With the support of my friends and family, I was able to raise some donations, but it is not enough yet, as I have to pay a coordination to exit Gaza of $5,000 just to escape my beloved country because I fear that I will be assaulted by those scoundrels.

€6,207/€10,000

Please imagine that you are in my situation, please help me escape. Every dollar will be used to save me and build my future

UN report proves my words click here

My campaign has been verified

@\el-shab-hussein

@fancysmudges @brokenbackmountain @aleciosun @serica-e @fluoresensitive @khizuo @lesbiandardevil @transmutationisms @schoolhater @timogsilangan @appsa @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @theropoda @tamarrud @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @camgirlpanopticon @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @sygol @junglejim4322 @heritageposts @chososhairbuns @palistani @dlxxv-vetted-donations @illuminated-runas @imjustheretotrytohelp

[ozzgin]

PLEASE MAKE MORE PLATONIC YANDERES 😡😡😡😡😡😤🙏🙏😢🎁🥺😡🎁🙏🙏❄️😠😡😥😥🤭‼️

Anon, you can literally request any existing OC as a platonic yandere. You're talking to someone asexual, believe me when I say that there's no difficulty imagining all of them as platonically affectionate towards you.

Yakuza Boss could see you as his kid, similar to Daitou, and make sure you're always safe and cared for. No one messes with you when your "dad" is a gangster.

Clumsy!Yandere is tremendously jealous and wants to be your one and only best friend. He's the kind of guy who would ruin your relationships - not because he wants to date you - but because he needs to be your first priority no matter what.

Yandere Soldier could think of you as his little sibling who needs to be protected at all costs. The world is a miserable place, and you don't deserve to feel its sting. He'll shield you from all vice and corruption.

Zzy keeps trying to get you laid, but will complain the moment your relationship with another human becomes serious. Wait, wait, wait. Slow down. What happened to your gossip-filled nights? Go ahead and procreate if you must, but the remaining free time should be spent with him!

Yandere Senpai somehow considers you his underling, trying to teach you secret techniques and protecting you from scoundrels. It's you and him against the world. Listen, you can't leave his side. If the world ever crumbles into an apocalyptic scenario, he needs to know he can count on you: his right hand.

[hiidenneiti]

Noista kahdesta kirjasta (The Soldier's Scoundrel & The Lawrence Browne Affair):

Oikein menevää m/m-romanssia. Molemmat kirjat sijoittuvat 1800-luvun alun Britanniaan, mutta historiallinen kehys on melko löyhä. Enemmänkin kyse on siitä, että pukudraama tarjoaa mielenkiintoiset puitteet kahden miehen väliselle rakkaustarinalle. Ja miksipä ei! Nautitaan siitä että kaikilla on kravatti.

Kyseessä on kaksi ensimmäistä trilogian osaa. Vaikka molemmissa kirjoissa esiintyy samoja hahmoja, ovat päähenkilöt eri ja juonet itsenäisiä. The Lawrence Browne Affairin voisi ihan hyvin lukea ennen The Soldier's Scoundrelia jne.

Juonesta puheen ollen: molempien kirjojen rakenne on sama, keskiössä on jonkinlainen pienimuotoinen mysteeri (kuten perhesalaisuus), jonka henkilöhahmot "joutuvat" ratkomaan yhdessä. Vaikka tarinassa on jännitettä ja pientä toimintaakin, on tunnelma kuitenkin pääasiassa aika lempeä ja keskittyy pääparin tunteiden kehittymiseen. Nämä eivät ole rakkausromaanien joukossa mitään melodramaattisimpia teoksia.

Joitakin synkkiä piirteitä henkilöhahmojen maailmassa on (mm. parisuhdeväkivaltaa), mutta ne ovat olemassa yleensä "kuvan ulkopuolella" kuten muistoissa tai hahmojen epäsuorasti kuvailemina.

Eniten pidin The Soldier's Scoundrelista. Oliver ja Jack ovat ihana pari luokkaeroineen kaikkineen. Tarinan loppukiri oli ehkä vähän vaivaannuttava, mutta söpö epilogi korvasi sen. Rumasta kannesta johtuen yksi tähti pois!