Release Day Review ~ Unchained by Ainsley Gray
A Victorian gay romance novella with a HEA
If he takes their life, they can never truly leave.
That's the mantra Noah Wilmington has lived by for years. He picks up whores and deviants from the local taverns, enjoys their company for an evening...and then hides their bodies in the woods.
Edward Yorke has approached the same man in the same public house time and again, never deterred by the cool dismissal he receives. There's something about Noah that calls to him. A shared pain, a shared sadness...
But Noah doesn't trust himself. It's too risky to permit someone too close, and Edward is the one person in the world whose life Noah wants to spare. So, every time Edward has asked to buy him a drink, Noah declines.
Then one night, out of sheer loneliness, that "no" becomes a "yes."
When Edward's night with him sheds light on some of Noah's dark secrets, Noah cannot simply let him walk out the door. But if he doesn't want Edward dead, and he cannot let him leave, only one option really remains...
5 Stars!
So, by now you all know I love historical romances, right? Especially if they're MM since there are so few. Christina Lee, one of the authors I follow, suggested this book on her FB page and once I saw the cover (so elegant in its simplicity) and read the blurb, I was hooked.
Noah is a serial killer, picking up whores and deviants in local pubs and after killing them, disposing of their bodies in the woods near his house. The one person he refuses to kill is one that has been insisting for Noah to share a drink with him. Until one night in which Noah can't find it in himself to keep denying himself.
Edward is lonely. He's been attracted to the dashing stranger he sees at the tavern every once in a while for months, and every time Edward's asked to buy him a drink, the man has refused. When he finally says yes, Edward has no idea that he has gotten himself into.
Noah can't bring himself to kill Edward, as he's done with countless others, but that doesn't mean he can let him leave, either.
I haven't read all that many Gothic romances, three or four maybe, but I'm loving the added horror/mystery element to them. In this case, Noah is a killer and has been one for years. He's a dichotomy. For one part, he's completely unapologetic about what he's done, at least until it might affect how Edward sees him. And for the other, he's so sweet to Edward, even when he kept him chained and locked inside Noah's room. He went out of his way to cook food that Edward would enjoy and to make him comfortable, despite it taking Noah so long to trust Edward. And Edward, well, he was adorable, nice and loving and even when he found it difficult to come to terms with Noah being a killer at first, once he realized he had feelings for Noah, he fully embraced Noah and worked for his trust. They fit together like puzzle pieces, both lonely and longing for something that they never thought they'd have. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they have amazing chemistry together and the sex scenes are passionate and sweet.
Overall, this was a wonderfully written book, intriguing and captivating. I was completely enamored with Noah and Edward and very invested in their HEA, which didn't disappoint. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to me via BookSprout for my reading pleasure. ***
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