Product Description

Jay Wharton and Devon Brooks meet and fall in love in merry ole England. Only everything isn't so merry. Jay is the Duke of Wharton, and his mother doesn't care for his relationship with Devon. The Duchess' schemes drive Devon from England back to the United States. Unwilling to let Devon go, Jay follows him to the States and proposes to him. Devon agrees to marry him, and they are wed in a beautiful ceremony in Canada. What should be the start of a new life together slowly begins to take on a nightmarish quality. Is the love they have for each other strong enough to withstand the trials?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #215774 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Customer Reviews

Regency Romance with a Twist 4.5 stars
I have a guilty little secret - I read Barbara Cartland. There's just something about a British noble (be he Duke, Earl, Marquis, or whatnot) winning his true love that tickles me. Such stories are surely the inspiration for this wonderful gay romance from Black and Carmichael. Jay is the Duke of Wharton. Much to his mother's consternation, he refuses to choose a duchess and beget heirs. Devon's mother is British, but he was raised in the U.S. by his father. While visiting England, his mother drags him to endless boring social gatherings to "network." When he meets Jay, sparks fly between them and quickly develop into deeper feelings. But the pressure of dating a media darling finally chases Dev back to the US - but Jay won't let him get away.

Happily, the authors take care to actually develop a relationship between Dev and Jay. They date, spend time together and talk. And, in an unusual but delightful move, Dev is a virgin who intends to wait for a committed relationship before having sex. Bravo! This also adds angst to the story as Jay and Dev both struggle with their lust. When they do finally consummate their love, the poignant scene made my heart flutter. However, this simple romance takes a surprising turn when the two men marry and move to Kansas. Dev's family has a dark secret. The family house they've moved into may just be possessed by a malevolent spirit that wants Dev. A lovely romance blossoms into an interesting mystery with a lot of action and a clever plot. The authors' trademark hot sex is abundant, but the story is more than just window drssing for it. Though the novel has a nice conlusion, the problem of Jay's family doesn't fade away and the ending promises more from these two men in another novel or two. Highly recommended!

The Duke's Husband by Mychael Black & Shayne Carmichael
Like an old classic novel, Dev and Jay are young and beautiful and their love is written on the stars, but the world is against them... and not because Jay is a Duke and rich and Dev is from the middel class and only of average wealth, and not becuase Jay is almost thirty and Dev is only nineteen, and not because Jay is a little snob and Dev dislike all the glamour... but becuase Jay and Dev are both men. So the only thing they have in common is also the one that could be tear them apart!

Jay's mother wants that her son marries a good and rich girl and gives her nephews and nieces. But Jay has eyes only for Dev, from the first moment he spots him in his house. And when you are rich and young everything is possible. So Jay, when Dev leaves after some week of young and perfect love, follows him to America and asks him to marry. They fly in Canada and get married. But the old family house of Dev they choose as home is haunted and someone doesn't want for them to stay together...

A very interesting story, born as a romantic comedy and ended like a suspence thriller. For my romantic side in everything, I have liked more the romantic comedy part: the young american who wants to stay "virgin" till he will meet the man of his life... and the debauched duke who agrees to only have some heavy petting for the privilege to be with him... it's like an old movie with rock hudson and doris day (and the choice of rock hudson is not a random pick...)

An unusual book in the Phaze catalouge who lately seems to have some very interesting authors among them.

Romance or Ghost Story?
I loved the first half to two-thirds of this book. The romance between the two main characters was stunning and charming and rather realistic (for a romance book), so I enjoyed it. Then the two guys got married in Canada (OK, so far) and moved into the ancestral home of one of them in Kansas. That's when it disappointed me. It became focused too much on a paranormal story (a ghost) instead of continuing the heretofore delightful romance between the two main characters. It even introduced a third character, James, the Duke's valet (etc.), who threw in a stunning (and totally believable) kink in the story of the romance. His story line could have really raised some engaging conflict between all the main characters and made it really interesting, but the paranormal piece of the plotline kept that from happening. I enjoyed the characters and the early part of the plotline; wish the last half of the book had been as much fun as the first half. If you like the authors, you'll find much to enjoy about this one, even if I thought it a bit flawed. To me, four stars, maybe three and a half, not the five stars from the other reviewers.