Debra E's Never-Ending TBR

This is a classic story of forbidden love. Not only two men falling in love, but a duke falling for a prostitute in early 1800's London.

Almost a year after having been betrayed by a lover, Max visits a brothel where he meets Tristan. After a few visits, Max finds Tristan with an abusive client and rushes in to save the day. Tristan had been working to pay off a debt. Max works out a deal with the brothel owner and is soon taking Tristan home under an arrangement where Tristan will spend his nights with Max for as long as the two enjoy it, with no emotional attachment.

The two main characters were both well written. Max is extremely wealthy, but is lonely and sad, running his dukedom on his own. He struggles with guilt and feelings of betrayal. Tristan is smart and optimistic, he is straightforward and yearns for some independence. As Tristan tries to draw Max out of the bubble he has created for himself, the two form a friendship by day and by night, Tristan is more than happy to indulge Max's kinks. The drama and conflict arise when Tristan realizes he has fallen in love with Max and that due to the class differences, the relationship will never work.

There is really nothing new to the story, but the characters and the good pacing of the story kept me reading. The majority of the story is the two men spending time together and I could really feel the relationship building between the two of them. The chemistry between the characters was very good and the love scenes well written with light BDSM. Overall an enjoyable read.

A copy of the book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.