This is the gay Downtown Abbey story I needed.
Title: The Valet
Series: N/A
Author: Mel Gough
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: November 26, 2020
Heat Level: 3/5
Pairing: M/M
Length: 146 pages
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Tags: service, custom, tradition, butler, old England, historical, gay
Content Warnings: N/A
Blurb:
England, 1910 – Ted has a good situation as first footman at Montague Hall, the splendid Gloucestershire manor of the 6th Earl of Carran. But he has just made a mistake so serious it could cost him his position, and even land him in prison if the authorities found out.
As valet to the 9th Duke of Argyll, Richard’s London life is glamorous. But when he has his heart broken, he longs to get as far away from the city as possible. The pace at Montague Hall might be sedate, but its tranquillity is like a salve to his shattered soul. And unforeseen diversions are to be found even here. Like handsome, despondent first footmen.
The last thing Ted needs is a new temptation. But his Lordship’s new valet isn’t just gorgeous. Richard is also brave and kind – and he wants to make Ted happy, something Ted never dreamt would come to pass.
Trusting again is hard, and in a world that reviles their love happiness is hard-won. Can they hope to carve out a contented life against all odds?
My Review:
Did you ever watch Downtown Abbey? Honestly, it would have been another TV Series I would have skipped if it hadn’t been for my husband raving about it, and the odd scene I’d catch with Maggie Smith portraying Violet Crawley – sharp of tongue, she was. And hilarious.
So I started watching the show. I’m usually not one for historical recreations…and yet I find myself fascinated by them. Correction: The good ones tend to draw me in.
You know the old saying, “When I was your age…”. I got that a lot from my Grandparents who were born in the early 1900’s. (Yeah, I’m that old). If you listened to their stories, they were fascinating, and yet, I was so removed from their reality it was hard to empathize with them, or even picture their worlds. I mean, look around you. Internet, cell phones, electric cars, and space exploration are common occurrences, and all are developments that have occurred over the last 30+ years. Can you imagine what life is going to be like in another 30?
And so if your interest level is more inclined to things that are futuristic – or for me – supernatural – then often stories of a historical bent aren’t a big magnet. Yet every now and then something comes along and grabs you, whisks you through that time travel portal, and plants you firmly back in the past surrounded by elaborate grand manors, scratchy woolen clothes, horse drawn carriages, and serving staff.
Things were hella different back then. Let’s face it – Victorian attitudes were deeply entrenched in society where being ‘different’ was shunned. More than that, actually. If you didn’t conform to the expectations of your station in life, and the norms of society, you brought shame down upon your entire household, and were the source of gossip for miles around.
This is the world of The Valet, and Gough has masterfully created the right touch of atmosphere, moral high-ground, societal norms, and class structure on par with Downtown Abbey.
If you watched the show, every gay I know was at once horrified by the Thomas Barrow character, and yet, somehow, we were all saddened by his situation (and secretly rooted for him). A gay man, in a time when dalliances with others of the same sex were not only frowned upon, it was criminal. You were considered to be mentally unwell.
Those of us who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s had glimpses of what turn of the century life was like for those of us in the LGBTQ+ family. Stonewall and the Gay Rights Movement was still new, and society at large wasn’t overly accepting – but certainly far more than back at the turn of the century.
In The Valet we are taken back in time, immersed in the hard ways of life, and through the drudgery of daily tasks, and disappointment in a hopeless existence, yearning for a happy ending, we are slowly treated to tidbits of joy, friendship, acceptance of differences, and an eventual love affair. Okay, okay, so the relationship is still kept under wraps, but, it is a happy ending.
And in the end, that’s what we’re all after with any kind of romance, right?
Get out your dinner jackets, look forward to a spot of tea, and set out on an afternoon hunt. Reliving our past is the best way to remind ourselves that life wasn’t always easy, or fair – and yet, there is something satisfying, if not exhilarating in keeping up with traditions, completing a hard day’s work, and a gentle brush of your lover’s hand while passing them in the hallway, coupled with a knowing smile that’s steeped in loyalty and love.
More, please, Ms. Gough. More.
My Rating:
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Meet the Author:
Mel Gough loves writing about love – but with a twist. Her novel, A Leap of Faith, was shortlisted for the First Novel Prize and longlisted for the Bridport Award, before being swept up by Red Dog Press Publishing. Mel knows that her book baby could not have found a better home.
Born in Germany, diving into alternative book universes has been Mel’s siren call since she was little. Reading was always her most beloved pastime, and being able to read her favourite authors in the original spurred her on to become fluent in English as quickly as possible. After an MA in Anthropology, field work in the middle of nowhere seemed like one adventure too far, so Mel settled in London, which, to misquote Doctor Johnson, she will never tire of.
Mel loves to bend genres – her romances are gritty and dark, and sometimes there’s a dead body. She’s been told that her prose is beautiful yet disturbingly real. She’s curious about bygone times, and hopes to speculate about the future in one of her next books.
J.P. Jackson 