It’s the last week of Pride Month, and I want to talk about my LGBT reads. I’ve been reading a few LGBT historical romance books. These days, I read about one book per week. (I used to read one in 2-3 days before I became a writer.) So far, I’ve finished three, and I hope to finish my current read soon.
Before I start, if you’re interested in reading a bit more about LGBTQ life in Georgian Britain, check out my five facts post.
A little-known Fact
The nearest large town to where I live is Huddersfield. On 4th July 1981, Huddersfield was the first place outside London to hold a Pride parade.
The Gemini Club opened in Huddersfield in 1976 and was popular with gay and bisexual men.
“…in its 1970s heyday, it was arguably the biggest, brashest and best gay club in the whole of the north of England.”
Stevan Alcock, author of My Blood Relatives, in The Huddersfield Examiner
Regardless, it was a target of a lot of homophobic sentiment. As a show of solidarity, in 1981 the organisers of London Pride moved it to Huddersfield, and it became the UK’s first national Pride parade.
Huddersfield continues to host a Pride festival every year in June.
My LGBT Reads
I like to read a selection of historical, contemporary, sci-fi and fantasy romances, but this month I’ve stuck to LGBT historical romance.
First up was The Sinners Club by Kate Pearce. I’ve read some of her books before, so I knew they were high on the heat scale, but I would probably describe them as closer to erotica. The relationship in this book is supposed to focus on Mary and Jack, but Mary’s other lover, Simon, has more chemistry with Jack. There’s plenty of M/M and M/M/F action, but those scenes, while scorching and steamy, lacked the emotional butterflies I like to experience when reading romance.
After that, I moved on to the sapphic romance, The Captain’s Choice by Wren Taylor. Mona stows away on a pirate ship to escape an unwanted marriage, and she falls in love with the ship’s captain, Elinor. This felt much more romantic, and there was lots of longing and angst, plus a great tropical waterfall love scene.
Next was Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall. Readers rave about his contemporary books, and this historical did not disappoint. Valentine enjoys the respect and quiet life being a duke allows. Until his reluctant fiancé, Belle, runs away, and her twin brother, Bonny, insists they chase her down. Valentine’s world is turned upside down as they chase Belle, and he falls in love with Bonny. The banter in this is hilarious, even if the plot sometimes verges on farcical, but it’s truly a lovely romance story combining emotion, longing and self-discovery.
I’m currently reading Hugo and the Maiden by S.M. LaViolette. This is book three in The Seducers series. Hugo is a male prostitute who admits he will get down and dirty with anyone. However, when he’s shipwrecked on a Scottish island, he finds himself drawn to the prim and proper vicar’s daughter, Martha. I’m only about 25% as I write this. I didn’t like Hugo in the other two books, but he’s currently showing promise as he fights his attraction to the innocent Martha.
I think my favourite book of the month was Something Fabulous. The characters, apart from Belle, were so easy to love. The banter and slow-burn romance between Bonny and Valentine was, as the title suggests, fabulous.
What’s your favourite LGBT read? It doesn’t have to be historical. Let me know in the comments.
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