Gentlemen in Love Regency Box Set
by Ellie Thomas
✨ Guest Post ✨
Thank you so much, lovely Addison, for having me as a guest on your blog today. I’m Ellie, and I write MM Historical Romance novellas. My first box set of previously published Regency stories is now on release, and I’m so excited to chat about that today.
Although I enjoy covering a range of historical periods in my stories, the late 18th and early 19th centuries roughly covering the Regency period is my writing comfort zone. I’m not entirely sure why that’s the case. It could be because I spent my formative years in such places as Cheltenham, Bath and Bristol, which have such gracious examples of Regency architecture. Or perhaps I read far too many romances by Georgette Heyer at an impressionable age!
Somehow, the streets, houses and public buildings of the Regency era come easily to my mind, along with the customs, clothing and manners of the fashionable world. So it’s unsurprising that my first MM Romance novella, A Christmas Cotillion, was set at a seasonal Regency country house party. It’s hard to believe that story has been published for over three years, and lonely Jonathan, my MC, does have a special place in my mind, along with Nick, who persuades him to embrace life and love.
My next story, Shore Leave, set slightly earlier in the latter decades of the 18th century, takes place in Bath during its heyday as a fashionable resort. It was a pleasure to follow Jacob and Sebastian around the Upper and Lower Assembly rooms as they gradually found a romantic understanding with each other.
Then came A Marriage for Three. I was intrigued by the idea of a long-term gay relationship interrupted by a conventional if unconsummated, marriage. The characters of my triumvirate were so vivid, and I loved writing about them. Firstly Anthony, the best friend of Charlotte’s brother, possessing an orderly and unemotional mind, decides that marriage will solve the financial plight of Charlotte’s family. He ignores her attempts, and those of his loyal partner Simon, to warn him that human situations cannot be controlled so simply. The way these three decent people resolve their unique situation was a joy to discover.
We return to a Regency country house party setting for the confrontation between Matthew and Crispin, hostile and long-estranged lovers, who are forced to be polite to each other and even take part in amateur dramatics. I thoroughly enjoyed weaving in lines and themes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream into this one with a touch of magic from Puck to bring my warring couple together, which felt like pure self-indulgence!
The Thrill of the Chase is an Opposites Attract romance set in fashionable Cheltenham, with sweet and unworldly gentleman Adrian initially running a mile from experienced rake Guy’s obvious advances. The connection between these two, with a knock-on push/pull effect, was a delight to imagine.
Similarly, One Summer Night also deals with a pair of opposites, serious Martin and force of nature Will, and how initial assumptions can be entirely mistaken. I thoroughly enjoy including strong female characters in my stories, and Imogen, Will’s childhood best friend, has a pivotal role in clearing up the misunderstanding between my couple.
Blurb
In Regency England, whether about their daily business in London, attending a country house party or visiting a fashionable spa town, an array of gentlemen meet their match and attain a happy ever after.
Some couples find new love, while others rekindle a long-lost spark in this collection of six light-hearted MM Regency romances from Ellie Thomas, containing the following stories:
A Christmas Cotillion: Thirty-year-old Jonathan Cavendish has long given up any thought of romance. He grudgingly accompanies younger cousin Freddy to a Christmas country house party, as Freddy is infatuated with the lovely Belinda.
To his surprise, Jonathan catches the eye of Nick, a local farmer’s son. The initial attraction seems to be mutual, but can Nick break through Jonathan’s defences and teach him to love again?
A Marriage for Three: When Anthony Wallace proposes to Charlotte Grenville, she is shocked. Lottie has always seen him as an older brother, and she is also aware of his romantic devotion to his Anglo-Indian estate manager, Simon Walker. Should she accept this financial arrangement merely to support her ailing family? And will her growing attraction to Simon be a threat to all their happiness?
A Midwinter Night’s Magic: Matthew Lewis is trapped at a Christmas country house party by snowy weather and forced to take part in a reading of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. To make things worse, his lost love Crispin Marley, to whom he has sworn undying hatred, is among the guests. Can some fairy magic from Puck help the estranged couple to make amends for once and all?
The Thrill of the Chase: In 1813, when modest Adrian Lethbridge visits fashionable Cheltenham to help launch his young cousins into society, to his surprise, he catches the roving eye of Captain Guy Ransome. The ex-army officer is everything Adrian yearns to be; devilishly handsome, experienced and confident. So Adrian is in disbelief that the attraction is mutual. But can he summon the courage to act on his desires?
One Summer Night: After a passionate encounter with a stranger in an alleyway one summer night in 1801, Whitehall clerk Martin Dunne is shocked when he encounters the object of his desire at a society function, complete with a powerful father and a pretty bride-to-be. Is his seducer not to be trusted? And have Martin’s dreams of future encounters and possible romance crumbled to nothing?
Shore Leave: Jacob Longley, Naval Lieutenant, is all at sea in the fashionable Bath Spa. As he attempts to steer his younger sister Letty through the social whirl with a close eye on her reputation, his striking looks can’t help but catch the attention of the exquisite Sebastian Fforde. Will either man break through the other’s reserve? And could their mutual attraction blossom into love?
Excerpt
Excerpt from A Christmas Cotillion:
Mr Hammond’s chance came when Jonathan was on the dance floor, already partnered for the next dance. Belinda, for once, was unaccompanied but still standing up, as though eager to join in. Mr Hammond was near her, but unfortunately looking in the other direction.
Jonathan glanced over in helpless frustration, not wanting to abandon his young dance partner in the middle of the floor just as the music was about to start. As he again looked from one to the other, he caught the eye of the handsome farmer’s son. He was serving refreshments amongst those who had taken part in the last set of dances. He followed his direction of Jonathan’s scrutiny clearly with a sharply raised eyebrow.
As if receiving intelligence, he nodded at Jonathan decisively, put down his tray on a side table and eased the few yards through the gaggle of couples approaching the dance floor and tapped Mr Hammond on the shoulder.
Luckily, just then the music started and Jonathan saw his expressive face indicating a social dilemma. He nodded towards Belinda and then pointed to the momentarily abandoned tray as if explaining why he could not partner the young lady for himself. When all had been made clear to Mr Hammond, he received a grateful smile from the young man, as though Mr Hammond was doing the favour. He then turned back to collect the tray and offered the contents to the thirsty crowd.
It was neatly done, with Mr Hammond now obliged by his very good manners to ask the young lady to dance. Mr Hammond braced himself and made his way to Belinda, face flushed with embarrassment as though expecting a rebuff. Instead, he received her hand and a warm smile. Jonathan didn’t realize he was holding his breath until the couple reached the floor, unimpeded.
After a hectic country dance, Jonathan and his puffing partner retired from the fray. He was satisfied to see Mr Hammond and Belinda remain on the floor for the next set of dances, now conversing with apparent ease. As he looked at this with a feeling of pleasure, a glass of sparkling wine was placed in his hand with a murmured, “That was a good notion.”
He looked around in surprise to see the farmer’s son right next to him. Close up, his eyes were very blue indeed and his wide mouth was curved in that increasing familiar smile. Jonathan felt as tongue-tied as Mr Hammond had been previously in Belinda’s presence as he stiffly thanked the young man for his assistance. He seemed unfazed by Jonathan’s constraint.
“Just call me Cupid, or rather Nicholas, or even Nick, if you prefer,” he said with another dazzling grin, before turning gracefully to serve refreshments to the guests behind Jonathan.
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Bio
Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance.
Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas.
Find Ellie on the Web
Thank you so much for having me as your guest again, Addison! ❤️
It’s always a pleasure, Ellie. Thank YOU so much for the lovely guest post! ❤️