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A Devil's Own Luck #2
Never a Road Without a Turning
A Spin-off of A Devil's Own Luck
When unapologetic rake Phillip “Pip” Stubbs takes a position at Greer cottage, he’s only thinking of a new village to explore, new chits to woo, and hoping for another distraction from the growing restlessness inside him. But when the new master arrives, Pip ends up more unsettled than ever.
Major Astley McNalty is a wealthy retired surgeon, soldier, and world traveler. Despite the injury that has left him lame, the gentleman has everything a common servant like Pip could ever wish for, and yet he spends his nights in drunken brooding and his days in solitary melancholy. He’s a mystery to Pip, so when the major defies convention and asks Pip to read to him at night, Pip gladly accepts for a chance to spend his winter evenings by the library fire and perhaps satisfy his curiosity. Until one night, while thoroughly drunk, the major kisses Pip and changes everything between them.
Fear of discovery, fear of repeating the past, and secrets on both sides threaten their burgeoning connection. They must learn to trust one another if they have any hope of finding a safe path to a future together.
When unapologetic rake Phillip “Pip” Stubbs takes a position at Greer cottage, he’s only thinking of a new village to explore, new chits to woo, and hoping for another distraction from the growing restlessness inside him. But when the new master arrives, Pip ends up more unsettled than ever.
Major Astley McNalty is a wealthy retired surgeon, soldier, and world traveler. Despite the injury that has left him lame, the gentleman has everything a common servant like Pip could ever wish for, and yet he spends his nights in drunken brooding and his days in solitary melancholy. He’s a mystery to Pip, so when the major defies convention and asks Pip to read to him at night, Pip gladly accepts for a chance to spend his winter evenings by the library fire and perhaps satisfy his curiosity. Until one night, while thoroughly drunk, the major kisses Pip and changes everything between them.
Fear of discovery, fear of repeating the past, and secrets on both sides threaten their burgeoning connection. They must learn to trust one another if they have any hope of finding a safe path to a future together.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 6, 2015
While listed as "A Spin-off of A Devil's Own Luck",
Never a Road Without a Turning
can be read as a stand-alone. Fact is that I read Devil back in 2012 and I couldn't remember anything from it, but I could still enjoy this one without any issues.
Phillip “Pip” Stubbs is an unapologetic rake who often gets himself into trouble by dallying with the country men sisters, wives, or daughters. Pip is charming and he knows how to use it to his advantage. Even if it results in the men chasing him out of their villages. Now Pip is getting another position of groom and sometime man-of-all-work for Major Astley McNalty, a retired soldier and surgeon...
The story starts a bit slow -- as the readers are being carried into the story with Pip's as focal narrator (the story uses third person POV). It wasn't until Pip starting to accepts McNalty's requests to read him books by the fire and their attraction grew from there, that I felt very much engaged to the story. But that was good, because I wholeheartedly enjoyed the process.
It was lovely to read about Pip's curiosity and confusion which developed into love towards the haughty brooding major. I did wish that there were scenes from major's perspective because I couldn't help feeling that the love was a bit one-sided. Even if Ash (that is how Pip calls the major) keep convincing Pip about his feeling.
It's quite satisfying historical romance -- and it would be nice if the epilogue ended somewhere down the future so I'd know that these two were making good lives together.
Phillip “Pip” Stubbs is an unapologetic rake who often gets himself into trouble by dallying with the country men sisters, wives, or daughters. Pip is charming and he knows how to use it to his advantage. Even if it results in the men chasing him out of their villages. Now Pip is getting another position of groom and sometime man-of-all-work for Major Astley McNalty, a retired soldier and surgeon...
The story starts a bit slow -- as the readers are being carried into the story with Pip's as focal narrator (the story uses third person POV). It wasn't until Pip starting to accepts McNalty's requests to read him books by the fire and their attraction grew from there, that I felt very much engaged to the story. But that was good, because I wholeheartedly enjoyed the process.
It was lovely to read about Pip's curiosity and confusion which developed into love towards the haughty brooding major. I did wish that there were scenes from major's perspective because I couldn't help feeling that the love was a bit one-sided. Even if Ash (that is how Pip calls the major) keep convincing Pip about his feeling.
It's quite satisfying historical romance -- and it would be nice if the epilogue ended somewhere down the future so I'd know that these two were making good lives together.
August 9, 2018
4 stars! Liked this one too.. 😍👍. This was a little bit more angsty than the previous ones in the series. We met "Pip" in the last book, and knew that behind his charming personality and rakish behavior there was hidden trauma, but what it was we find out when he meets Ash, a retired surgeon who has more wounds than the wooden leg. Their story is not without speed bumps and melodrama, but the utter romance of how they slowly become more is just amazing. The epilogue is also very sweet and steamy... highly recommended to fans of historical MMs. 🤩
March 4, 2018
Former street boy Pip lives with a motley, loving, self-selected family on a farm run by two men who cohabit in the manor house. Pip longs for his own life, however, but every time one of the men gets him a job, Pip wrecks his chances by sleeping with every girl he can find, married, engaged, or otherwise. His last chance is to work for a disabled military doctor, also in the country. Pip finds the work hard but enjoyable, since he gets to exercise the absent doctor’s horse and finds a convenient wench to bed at regular intervals. When the major returns, though (I can’t remember if he’s actually a major, but it hardly matters), things change. They discover a mutal love of literature, despite the major’s gloomy outlook on life (understandable when you’ve lost a leg), and one night when Pip helps the drunken major to bed, the major kisses him. A shocked Pip runs away and gets pneumonia because it’s winter, but when he recovers, he really starts to think. And that starts their relationship. It’s complicated because Pip has been repeatedly sexually abused as a child, and that affects what he’s willing to tolerate in bed. The major is mostly accommodating, however—until he’s not. He blows hot and cold, and eventually fires Pip after seeing him with a girl (Pip was ending the relationship with the girl). Of course, that’s not the end of the story.
Meh on this one. There’s nothing wrong with the situation per se, but Pip can be fairly hard to like. Once he’s discovered that the major will have sex with him, he seems to lose all interest in any other part of their relationship, like their love of literature. He just wants to have sex, almost literally dragging the major up to bed every night and stripping his own clothes off. At one point, he pretty much forces the major even before they get upstairs, and that made me pretty uncomfortable. He complains that the man blows hot and cold, but he’s being a jerk himself so he really has no grounds for complaint. The major isn’t completely blameless, though—he does get kind of stuck on his role as the master, whenever they aren’t actively having sex. I suppose that’s appropriate for the times. The author does do a good job of showing the long shadow cast by abuse, but again, not really what I’m looking for in a regency romance.
Meh on this one. There’s nothing wrong with the situation per se, but Pip can be fairly hard to like. Once he’s discovered that the major will have sex with him, he seems to lose all interest in any other part of their relationship, like their love of literature. He just wants to have sex, almost literally dragging the major up to bed every night and stripping his own clothes off. At one point, he pretty much forces the major even before they get upstairs, and that made me pretty uncomfortable. He complains that the man blows hot and cold, but he’s being a jerk himself so he really has no grounds for complaint. The major isn’t completely blameless, though—he does get kind of stuck on his role as the master, whenever they aren’t actively having sex. I suppose that’s appropriate for the times. The author does do a good job of showing the long shadow cast by abuse, but again, not really what I’m looking for in a regency romance.
January 28, 2019
Never Give Up On Love!
An upstairs, downstairs love affair between Pip & Ash. An enjoyable Regency tale. A well written and generally, a good slow burn story. Although, I didn’t feel the connection between the two main characters , strong enough for a ‘forever love match’. Still a good yarn.
An upstairs, downstairs love affair between Pip & Ash. An enjoyable Regency tale. A well written and generally, a good slow burn story. Although, I didn’t feel the connection between the two main characters , strong enough for a ‘forever love match’. Still a good yarn.
January 20, 2022
It was almost good, has a good concept, but the handling of past abuse was pretty ham-handed. The main character was trafficked as a child, but the only way it seemed to matter was that his love interest didn't blame him for it. There was no other healing or reckoning with the issue. If that is how the author is going to deal with such a terrible issue, she just shouldn't have added it at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2016
4.5 stars. I really liked this one. I wish the epilogue was a few months/years later though. How about a little Christmas short story (perhaps set around December 1827 :3), Dear Author? After all, Christmas is coming! :3 I would love to revisit Pip and Ash! Pretty please... :3
October 30, 2020
This book was a lot more solemn and bleak then I thought. Just the general tone felt kinda grey and unhappy.
I did not much care for either MC. Pip is a charismatic, restless young man. He's not a terribly bad person, but he has a lot of vices, sneaking out from his housekeeper constantly, just takes food from the kitchen without asking and flirting and bedding as many women he can. He never seduces someone under false pretenses, but it just did not really make me root for him.
In comparison, Ash is depressed, unhappy and drinks too excess. The problem I had is that they never developed much chemistry.
The book starts out very slowly, with Pip settling into the household before Ash arives. They bond over books and very slowly start to get to know each other for about 40% of the book, when Ash kisses Pip. Pip is shocked at first, but once he gets over it, he's all for it and the next 20% of the book are pretty much spend in bed. Pip evades any kind of none-sexual intimace, by pushing to have sex pretty much as soon as he sees Ash, ignoring any attempts to have a conversation.
Ash seemed to actually like Pip, while Pip just seemed to be in it for the sexual gratification.
But then again, Ash would send Pip away pretty much as soon as they where done fucking and evaded a lot of the questions Pip would pose. Now Pip was the one unhappy and pining, though it often sounded more like wounded pride than deep feelings.
It was very obvious both had some serious issues, but neither was willing to trust the other one enough to talk about it.
Then we have a big misunderstanding and Pip is send away. There's some soul searching on both of their parts and they find back together, relate all their deep, dark secrets and start to plan for a life together.
It just felt weird to me, because there'd just not been enough chemistry and relationship before for this to feel right and natural. Also, the end is just half-baked. They devise some plans on how they can share a life in a way that Pip would be happy with, then they start to make it happen and the book just stop in the middle.
I did not much care for either MC. Pip is a charismatic, restless young man. He's not a terribly bad person, but he has a lot of vices, sneaking out from his housekeeper constantly, just takes food from the kitchen without asking and flirting and bedding as many women he can. He never seduces someone under false pretenses, but it just did not really make me root for him.
In comparison, Ash is depressed, unhappy and drinks too excess. The problem I had is that they never developed much chemistry.
The book starts out very slowly, with Pip settling into the household before Ash arives. They bond over books and very slowly start to get to know each other for about 40% of the book, when Ash kisses Pip. Pip is shocked at first, but once he gets over it, he's all for it and the next 20% of the book are pretty much spend in bed. Pip evades any kind of none-sexual intimace, by pushing to have sex pretty much as soon as he sees Ash, ignoring any attempts to have a conversation.
Ash seemed to actually like Pip, while Pip just seemed to be in it for the sexual gratification.
But then again, Ash would send Pip away pretty much as soon as they where done fucking and evaded a lot of the questions Pip would pose. Now Pip was the one unhappy and pining, though it often sounded more like wounded pride than deep feelings.
It was very obvious both had some serious issues, but neither was willing to trust the other one enough to talk about it.
Then we have a big misunderstanding and Pip is send away. There's some soul searching on both of their parts and they find back together, relate all their deep, dark secrets and start to plan for a life together.
It just felt weird to me, because there'd just not been enough chemistry and relationship before for this to feel right and natural. Also, the end is just half-baked. They devise some plans on how they can share a life in a way that Pip would be happy with, then they start to make it happen and the book just stop in the middle.
April 23, 2021
read as a stand alone, which worked fine. I enjoyed the story and the characters.
March 31, 2016
This review will be identical to that contained within Rowan McAllister's Greatest Hits (Historical) as seen here - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~
WARNING: history of abuse for MC and one instance of accidental attempted assault.
Timeline - 1826
This was my second favourite, coming in a close second to The Devil's Own Luck. We got to revisit William and Stephen in their new happy home, see Maud and Stubbs again, all of which made me very, very happy. Even better was that the rascal Pip, or Phillip, was the MC and he was just as feisty as ever. The story follows a few years on from The Devil's Own Luck.
While reading this one, I made very few notes, as with The Devil's Own Luck, because I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't want to stop for a minute. While not as dangerous and adventurous as the second story, the plot wasn't as simple and flat as the first. This one had moments of fire and punch, but enough repetition of events and hurt feelings that it keeps Never A Road Without Turning a hairbreadth away from the top spot.
The idea of the romance was intriguing, the love interest, Ash, was interesting and kept my focus, always making me curious about him. With a disability, there was an added dynamic, as was supplied by Pip's own horrific history.
Overall, nothing to dislike and everything I want to love all wrapped up in one bundle of a story that kept me engaged from beginning to end.
~
FAVOURITE QUOTE
“He needed to remind himself of all the ways in which they were equal, how they fit together, that beneath the fine words and clothes, they were both made of flesh and bone with desires and hopes and vulnerabilities.”
~
~
WARNING: history of abuse for MC and one instance of accidental attempted assault.
Timeline - 1826
This was my second favourite, coming in a close second to The Devil's Own Luck. We got to revisit William and Stephen in their new happy home, see Maud and Stubbs again, all of which made me very, very happy. Even better was that the rascal Pip, or Phillip, was the MC and he was just as feisty as ever. The story follows a few years on from The Devil's Own Luck.
While reading this one, I made very few notes, as with The Devil's Own Luck, because I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't want to stop for a minute. While not as dangerous and adventurous as the second story, the plot wasn't as simple and flat as the first. This one had moments of fire and punch, but enough repetition of events and hurt feelings that it keeps Never A Road Without Turning a hairbreadth away from the top spot.
The idea of the romance was intriguing, the love interest, Ash, was interesting and kept my focus, always making me curious about him. With a disability, there was an added dynamic, as was supplied by Pip's own horrific history.
Overall, nothing to dislike and everything I want to love all wrapped up in one bundle of a story that kept me engaged from beginning to end.
~
FAVOURITE QUOTE
“He needed to remind himself of all the ways in which they were equal, how they fit together, that beneath the fine words and clothes, they were both made of flesh and bone with desires and hopes and vulnerabilities.”
~
March 5, 2015
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance****
4.25 Stars Never a Road Without a Turning was a sweet story about finding your future and accepting your lot in life. These seem like different concepts – either you accept who and what you are and deal with it, or you make your future what you want, but sometimes you need to first do one before you can do the other.
Pip came from nothing and although has the means to better his life, doesn’t really feel he should go above his station and is more comfortable as a farm hand than a bookkeeper or secretary. Major McNalty is back from the war injured and although he has means, does not use his station to gain anything. He seems to want a quiet life.
Though very different, these two men find common ground and forge a connection in an era where their kind are not well looked upon.
I liked Pip and his carefree attitude and I also liked that Ash looked beyond Pip’s surface to his heart. The story was well told and I found the characters multidimensional and interesting. The time period is well represented and the issue of male romance was handled well, in my opinion.
I haven’t read Devil’s Own Luck, the story from which this is a spin off, but I am intrigued by Mr Carey & Mr Carruther’s characters and will look in to that book as well.
4.25 Stars Never a Road Without a Turning was a sweet story about finding your future and accepting your lot in life. These seem like different concepts – either you accept who and what you are and deal with it, or you make your future what you want, but sometimes you need to first do one before you can do the other.
Pip came from nothing and although has the means to better his life, doesn’t really feel he should go above his station and is more comfortable as a farm hand than a bookkeeper or secretary. Major McNalty is back from the war injured and although he has means, does not use his station to gain anything. He seems to want a quiet life.
Though very different, these two men find common ground and forge a connection in an era where their kind are not well looked upon.
I liked Pip and his carefree attitude and I also liked that Ash looked beyond Pip’s surface to his heart. The story was well told and I found the characters multidimensional and interesting. The time period is well represented and the issue of male romance was handled well, in my opinion.
I haven’t read Devil’s Own Luck, the story from which this is a spin off, but I am intrigued by Mr Carey & Mr Carruther’s characters and will look in to that book as well.
September 6, 2014
3.5 stars. An engaging read, where Pip's characterisation seemed to be the focal point. The romance was a bit one-sided in my opinion, as the Major's feelings did not come across in a convincing manner.
April 10, 2016
Read this when I couldn't sleep last night. I kept expecting Maud and Stubbs to move with Pip and Ash in the end
January 14, 2017
4.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews