It Takes Two to Tumble: Seducing the Sedgwicks

Cat Sebastian

Dec 2017 · Seducing the Sedgwicks Book 1 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

"Sebastian proves she is a new force to be reckoned with in historical romances.”--Booklist

Some of Ben Sedgwick’s favorite things:

• Helping his poor parishioners
• Baby animals
• Shamelessly flirting with the handsome Captain Phillip Dacre

 

After an unconventional upbringing, Ben is perfectly content with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of strife or turmoil. When he’s asked to look after an absent naval captain’s three wild children, he reluctantly agrees, but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in ways that make him doubt everything.

 

Some of Phillip Dacre’s favorite things:

• His ship
• People doing precisely as they're told
• Touching the irresistible vicar at every opportunity

 

Phillip can’t wait to leave England’s shores and be back on his ship, away from the grief that haunts him. But his children have driven off a succession of governesses and tutors and he must set things right. The unexpected presence of the cheerful, adorable vicar sets his world on its head and now he can’t seem to live without Ben’s winning smiles or devastating kisses.

 

In the midst of runaway children, a plot to blackmail Ben’s family, and torturous nights of pleasure, Ben and Phillip must decide if a safe life is worth losing the one thing that makes them come alive.  

Ratings and reviews

Intriguing journey into an era when romantic love was legally restricted to "one man and one woman". So, what happens when two men fall in love? This nicely written novel explores a variety of relationships with with and understanding.

A character-driven story brings Ben, a vicar who completely enjoys his solid and stable life after a childhood full of upheaval. Fairly even tempered, he’s progressing along the path that convention would suggest: ministering to his flock, a betrothal to an appropriate woman and a solidity that allows those around him to feel safe, heard and cared for. When the Dacre children are entrusted to his care after their mother’s death as they await the return of their father, a ship’s captain, much of the quiet and deliberate life that Ben has established is pushed to the side. The children are wild and unfortunately remind Ben of his own libertine upbringing – one that he has spent years trying to ignore and suppress. Phillip has been at sea for the past while, during which time he learned of his wife’s death. He’s had a hard few years – aware of his own predilections and desire for men, one that won’t fly (and is illegal) on land, and the grief he feels from the death of his lieutenant (and lover) that cannot be expressed have him edgy. Add to that a low-level of anger and frustration with the worries about his children, the restraint and constriction of society and hiding just who he is fully, and the instant sparks that fly between he and the very betrothed vicar, Ben – and you’ve got a storyline full of tension. Ah how I loved the two – Ben’s quiet manner that didn’t shirk away from Phillip’s anger and temper tantrums. Their shared frustrations with the worries for and about Philip’s children and their behavior, and the (for Ben) heretofore unexplored feelings and attraction to this man he’d never met with secrets and grief hiding in his eyes. In command of his ship at sea, Phillip is confident and in control – land makes him uneasy and he struggles to hide his feelings of inadequacy and his desire for Ben – all of which often make him as prickly as a hedgehog. Keeping in mind that society’s censure and scandal could result from anyone discovering this attraction – not to mention the legal ramifications – the risks, for Phillip to want more from Ben, with Ben, are astronomical. But, one night – and plenty of soul searching, sharing and fears – not to mention a touch of danger for the children and a threat to Ben’s family all come to make this an enjoyable and engaging read. Full of tangible emotions, a romance that feels both plausible and possible even with a neatly (perhaps too much so) sewn up storyline, the intrigue for further titles, including some more from Ben and Phillip are solidly set in this title. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

A lovely book. Cute, fun, and sweet, with a full suite of lovable characters. I read it all in one go. Bonus points for writing realistic children, and relatable adult-child interactions, many authors who try to write about parents with children get it wrong, but Cat Sebastian succeeds admirably.

About the author

Cat Sebastian writes queer historical romances. Cat’s books include We Could Be So Good and the Turner series, and have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. Before writing, Cat was a lawyer and a teacher and did a variety of other jobs she liked much less than she enjoys writing happy endings for queer people. She was born in New Jersey and lived in New York and Arizona before settling down in a swampy part of the South. When she isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, having one-sided conversations with her dog, or doing the crossword puzzle.