Brute by Kim Fielding

I nabbed this ebook because of the unusual protagonist, Brute, an ugly guy, an unwanted human being, a slave to his employer pretty much, and also a victim/prisoner of social expectations. And then of course the other character nailed this as interesting enough to tell my friend about and we bought and read it at the same time. Second character: tormented, foolish, already did things before he had the maturity to be wiser, and now he's suffering and is probably a little insane. Where the first character is practically zen in his endurance, this guy is an absolute mess. 'Course he needs saving.

And you might think you know where the story is going now, and maybe you're right. This is a fairy tale of love conquers all, but got to tell you, this fairy tale is a beautiful read. The story has really nice balance throughout. It's thoughtful, but has the scenery and action to keep you solidly in the world of Brute, whose acquaintances feel as real as he does. This is a romance that works. It's a lovely novel, and I highly recommend it. Flawed people fall in love too. Although ... actually, I don't think Brute's flawed.

Would be lovely to read more with this pair of lovers. (Bought at publisher site.)

This book is also available on Amazon, where it seems to have a lower price at the moment.