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Mr Warren's Profession

(Aubrey & Lindsey #1)

Sebastian Nothwell (Goodreads Author)

4.25 · Rating details · 200 ratings · 56 reviews

Lindsey Althorp, the only son of a wealthy baronet, has never worked a day in his life. Aubrey Warren was born in a workhouse and hasn’t stopped working since.

When Lindsey wins a textile mill in a game of cards, he falls at first sight for the assistant clerk, Aubrey. Lindsey is certain that Aubrey is the Achilles to his Patroclus, the David to his Jonathan. Yet Aubrey, un ...more

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ebook, 414 pages

Published June 7th 2017 by Smashwords

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Start your review of Mr Warren's Profession (Aubrey & Lindsey, #1)

Jul 18, 2019 Elena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqia, 4-stars, m-m, series-same-mcs, location-uk, mc-age-20-30, historical

I like historical, but mainly I like historical written by people who lived at the time they wrote about. Since the past few years I’ve read mostly m/m romances, historical isn’t my go-to genre at the moment.
Still, there are a few contemporary m/m authors I trust to deliver a good historical without giving their characters modern speech and mentality and other similar anachronisms, while at the same time giving them a realistic, satisfying happy ending. I don’t want to read about society crushin ...more

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Mar 17, 2019 Kaje Harper rated it really liked it

Shelves: comfort-reread, historical, m-m, favorites

I really enjoyed this historical romance about a young man in Victorian England who worked his way up from the lowest poverty to a respectable clerkship, only to have an infatuated, sweet, clueless nobleman threaten to both topple his life, and infinitely enrich it.

Aubrey Warren is working as a clerk in a textile mill. He's good at the job, very diligent, and used to covering for the other worthless clerk who's there riding on family ties. Aubrey has done wonders, rising from his birth to a wor I really enjoyed this historical romance about a young man in Victorian England who worked his way up from the lowest poverty to a respectable clerkship, only to have an infatuated, sweet, clueless nobleman threaten to both topple his life, and infinitely enrich it.

Aubrey Warren is working as a clerk in a textile mill. He's good at the job, very diligent, and used to covering for the other worthless clerk who's there riding on family ties. Aubrey has done wonders, rising from his birth to a workhouse pauper to this post, and although he's not deeply happy, he's quite content. He's valued by his supervisor, and can afford a small, clean if not comfortable lodging room. His preference for men (and a past in which that sometimes brought him money) are locked carefully away where they can't damage this precious respectability he has eked out at last.

Then wealthy nobleman Lindsey Althorp wins the mill in a card game, and shows up to inspect his winnings. From the moment Lindsey sees Aubrey at his desk, ebony-haired and small and stunningly handsome, he's deeply smitten. In fact, Lindsey's life is changed because suddenly for the first time he's aware of true desire for someone, and that his desire is for a man, and probably always has been. Lindsey's a sweet, honest, simple soul and although he knows that being an invert is a risky thing, to be kept secret and hidden, he hasn't thought about it before, and now in the first heat of first passion, he can't make himself be properly restrained. His desire to see Aubrey and talk to him and spend time with him drives every moment, and he rushes in indiscreetly.

Aubrey definitely knows that spending time with Lindsey is a big risk. He's very well aware of what can happen to men like them, even noblemen. But the sunshine of Lindsey's regard is hard to resist, and Lindsey's wild delight feels cruel to repress. Aubrey finds himself trying to walk a line between rejecting the best thing that has ever happened to him, and walking a path toward disaster.

This story was sweet, and sometimes emotional, and the historical context was fun. A lot of historical details appeared that were unfamiliar to me and clearly well researched, (like the Cleveland Street scandal). The writing style appealed to me a lot, and the secondary characters were distinct personalities, including strong female characters. The resolution was perhaps a bit neat, with more acceptance from more characters than one might envision for the time and place. But in all, this was a lovely addition to historical M/M stories, and I immediately picked up the short follow-up novella. ...more

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Jan 02, 2018 Joyfully Jay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sue

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.75 stars

This was such a fun and enjoyable read. Mr. Warren Profession hit all my happy buttons right from the beginning. The historical aspect is very well done and the author does a fantastic job of describing the life of the working class near the turn of the twentieth century. There is never an extensive amount of information dumped on the reader at any one time, but instead the historical aspect of Mr. Warren’s Profession is integrated with an excellent finesse. Ther ...more

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Jun 04, 2020 ~Volha~ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a very interesting historical romance, unlike any other I've read to date. It had all the required elements to make it a wonderful story. The MCs from different society classes, angst and painful past, villain that was so subtly crafted that when revealed made the story so intense, and the resolution that was smart and on par with time period. This is not a steamy romance in a usual sense. It did have intimate scenes but they stemmed from emotional ties that both men developed. But that This was a very interesting historical romance, unlike any other I've read to date. It had all the required elements to make it a wonderful story. The MCs from different society classes, angst and painful past, villain that was so subtly crafted that when revealed made the story so intense, and the resolution that was smart and on par with time period. This is not a steamy romance in a usual sense. It did have intimate scenes but they stemmed from emotional ties that both men developed. But that does not mean they were less s*exy. One has to be quite inventive and write with certain flair to create time period intimate moments because all the modern trappings can not be used.

Despite the class difference and different upbringing both Lindsey and Aubrey find love and devotion in each others arms. Aubrey is the ultimate survivor - from poor workhouse to a mill clerk with a possibility to become an engineer. He is a workaholic for he knows that he has no one to rely on even if he had someone to trust. I understood his hesitation when met with Lindsey pursuit, I absolutely understood they ways he distanced himself as if to protect what little he had. But when he gave in, he was so attentive, gentle and caring with Lindsey. It required great fortitude to survive the pain, at times humiliation and accept helping hand when offered. I admired Aubrey's self reliance but was happy when he loosened up enough to be at peace with things he could not change.

What I liked about this particular story was that it didn't over romanticized the clandestine ways men had to hide their love. If there had to be a fiancee and then a wife then she was kind and was treated with respect. There was no convenient way or simple solution. The hurdles both men had to overcome at times felt insurmountable, but the author managed them adroitly.

Lindsey despite being a pampered naive aristocrat was kind, intelligent and had a heart of gold. He had a bevy of friends and relations that were meddlesome and at times did more harm than good. It took him a while to figure things out and stand up for himself, but stand up for himself he did. I am glad to say that he showed himself steadfast, loyal and brave in the end. At the beginning of the book I didn't think he had it in him.

I am happy to say that the villain surprised me. There were no adventures or chases but such cruel subterfuge, so much pressure on Lindsey and Aubrey's feelings and circumstances that I got tense myself and couldn't put the book down. I felt compelled to know how the author would solve the problem. He held it over their heads till the very end. Well done, that was! I liked the realistic way the author wrote the narrative. I definitely want more of Aubrey and Lindsey, such a likable couple! ...more

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Mar 13, 2018 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, just-so-damn-good, lgbtq-mm, romance, in-the-closet

4.25 stars from me. I really enjoyed the author's writing and most of the characters 😉. It looks as though US authors writing what would, at first glance, appear to be historical novels set in the UK, seem to gaining in popularity....unfortunately, that isn't always a good thing...believe me, some of them are very Mills & Boon and absolutely riddled with errors. This story is not one of those however....

The two MC's, Aubrey and Lindsey, meet in the office where Aubrey works, which happens to be 4.25 stars from me. I really enjoyed the author's writing and most of the characters 😉. It looks as though US authors writing what would, at first glance, appear to be historical novels set in the UK, seem to gaining in popularity....unfortunately, that isn't always a good thing...believe me, some of them are very Mills & Boon and absolutely riddled with errors. This story is not one of those however....

The two MC's, Aubrey and Lindsey, meet in the office where Aubrey works, which happens to be situated in the same Manchester mill Lindsey has just won in a card game. I loved both MC's: Aubrey was the poor workhouse boy who'd had to make his own way in the world, doing some things that were deemed to be against the law just to keep himself fed and clothed; Lindsey was the very sheltered son of a member of the aristocracy who appeared to be trying to earn his father's approval for most things it seemed. The story-line includes skulduggery and blackmail, and right up until nearly the end of the story, I thought that the villain of the piece was going to get away with everything....

I have to congratulate the author on this self-pubbed effort, and for doing a shit-ton of research to put the story together - digging up facts about textile mills, workers rights, workhouses, gay brothels, the telegraph boys involved in the Cleveland Street scandal and laws which made gross indecency a crime [the Labouchere Amendment]; bravo for putting all of that together into a very credible story-line. Sadly, he then rather spoils things by letting silly little niggles creep into the story e.g. black walnut furniture in various residences is mentioned all of the time; however, most of the furniture in the UK around that time [1890's] would surely have been mahogany or oak, not black walnut [which I believe is native to the US], and I'm more or less certain that Aubrey couldn't have kept travelling down to London or Wiltshire by train from Manchester...he simply wouldn't have been able to afford it, wages being what they were at that time. A few typos did manage to creep in, and the usage of American words for UK e.g. prybar for crowbar were also a little strange, and had the story been properly edited, one would've expected a competent editor to pick these tiny errors up.

For all that, thanks to Tess for the original review which made me pick this up, and I will be keeping an eye out for this author from now on. ...more

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Jan 11, 2020 Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ rated it liked it

Shelves: part-of-a-series, m-m, 3-stars, historical, lgbtq, set-in-1800s, outside-the-usa, read-in-2020, romance, blue-collar

This had a lot going for it, but it had almost too much going on, though written at a sedate pace.

There were several times I had to stop and put this down for a bit because it was boring me or going off on unexpected tangents. Every time I thought I knew what this book was doing, it would take a sharp left turn and go meandering down another path. That made it hard to get into the flow or stay in the flow once I was in it.

It started off extremely endearing and sweet. Aubrey, lowly senior clerk This had a lot going for it, but it had almost too much going on, though written at a sedate pace.

There were several times I had to stop and put this down for a bit because it was boring me or going off on unexpected tangents. Every time I thought I knew what this book was doing, it would take a sharp left turn and go meandering down another path. That made it hard to get into the flow or stay in the flow once I was in it.

It started off extremely endearing and sweet. Aubrey, lowly senior clerk of Rook Mill, catches the eye of its new owner, Sir Lindsey, who won the mill in a game of chance. Lindsey was almost too innocent and naive at the start, and even after learning why that may be the case, it still felt too unreal that anyone growing up at that time would be that ignorant of social class differences and the consequences of being so transparent with his affections, and it pulled me out of the story a few times. (view spoiler)

There was some interesting commentary on what it was like to grow up poor in Industrial England, and it's not often that historical romance pays much attention to the lower classes, so I did like that. Aubrey's got a bit of a shady past, and he's cautious of getting too involved with Lindsey, so it wasn't too insta-lovey. There was some interesting stuff going on with the mill and the female workers, but that was largely dropped until convenient. Then the story shifts into thriller territory a little bit, and that takes up most of the second half. The execution of that didn't really work for me. I can see what the author was going for, and mostly succeeded at, but given that (view spoiler) Still, I was curious how it would get resolved, so I kept reading and was mostly rewarded.

What I liked was that the ending was more realistic of what you'd expect for this time period, unlike many M/M historical romances. And I really liked Emmeline. I never warmed to Rowena and kind of borderline tolerated her presence in the story.

I guess in the end I just wanted more of what I liked and less of what I didn't like. Some tighter editing to get rid of the excess wouldn't have hurt either. ...more

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Jul 15, 2018 WhatAStrangeDuck rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, reviewed, re-read-and-still-great, bullying, lgbtq, blue-collar-mc, good-world-building, social-issues, good-supporting-cast, queer-family

Good historical romance from a new author. I didn't go in with very high expectations but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There are few books that actually have working class characters and present a realistic view of England during the industrial revolution.

I liked the characters (Lindsey is a bit clueless but what a dear) and all in all it was a pretty solidly put together story. A bit of streamlining wouldn't have gone amiss but I still highly recommend it for people who like histori ...more

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Jun 10, 2017 Lou rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-reads, historical-fiction, queer, romance

Mr Warren's Profession is a compelling, beautifully written, and heartfelt romance which features all of your favorite Victorian tropes (romance complicated by class! complex social rituals! repressed emotions!)

Sebastian Nothwell has a way of describing things that immediately conjure vivid images in your mind and a knack for creating complex and complete characters that you can't help but adore.

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Oct 17, 2017 Tess rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-mm-reads, opposites-attract, historical-mm

4.5 stars

If you like Elizabeth Gaskell's Mary Barton and North and South AND if you enjoy m/m romance, I'm pretty sure this will be right up your alley. I really loved this look at 1890s industrial Manchester and the class divide at the time. The romance is very lovely too, although these guys have to go through a lot to get their HEA!

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Dec 28, 2019 Anwen Hayward rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtq

Truly cannot believe I just read a 400 page book called 'Mr Warren's Profession' in one sitting, but there you go. It's 2.40am so it's too late for regrets. This one was fun and had wistful looks across crowded rooms, engineering jargon, and textiles. I don't know what more you could possibly want from a romance novel.

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May 28, 2019 UnusualChild{beppy} rated it it was amazing

Shelves: tears-and-fears, part-of-a-series, opposites-attract, alternating-pov, historical-ye-ole-blighty, other-side-of-the-tracks, guy-love-between-2-guys, filthy-stinkin, 5-star-reads

5 stars

Lindsey is the son of nobility, and wins a mill in a card game with a friend. He goes to check out his mill, and becomes immediately enamoured with one of the two secretaries, Aubrey Warren. Lindsey leaves the mill determined to find out everything there is to know about it, in order to sound knowledgeable when he goes back to the mill. And go back, he does. He visits the mill quite often, in fact, trying to get to know Aubrey. Then he makes a slight pass at Aubrey, and things take off fr 5 stars

Lindsey is the son of nobility, and wins a mill in a card game with a friend. He goes to check out his mill, and becomes immediately enamoured with one of the two secretaries, Aubrey Warren. Lindsey leaves the mill determined to find out everything there is to know about it, in order to sound knowledgeable when he goes back to the mill. And go back, he does. He visits the mill quite often, in fact, trying to get to know Aubrey. Then he makes a slight pass at Aubrey, and things take off from there.
Aubrey was raised in workhouses, and he is doing everything he can to not go back to one. That includes many unsavoury things in the past, and is partly how he got a job at the mill in the first place. When Lindsey makes it clear that he is interested, Aubrey is hesitant, because things could go very badly for him if anyone catches on. He does like Lindsey, though, so he decides to take a chance. They get to know each other well, and things are coming along fine when tragedy strikes. Aubrey and Lindsey have to figure out where they go in the new reality, but they know that they want to go there together.

Lindsey was such a positive character, happy, and believing the best about everyone. He was almost naive, but in the best definition of the word. He just hadn't come in contact with anyone or anything bad, and was very sheltered, by both his family and friends. But he has inner strength, and when he is tested, he definitely stands up, rather than folding.
Aubrey has had a tough life, but there is love and nobility to him. He does what he can to help, even to his detriment. He knows that the world is a cruel, hard place, but he keeps working to better himself, and he doesn't look at everyone through jaded eyes.
The build in relationship between Aubrey and Lindsey felt authentic, and I liked how well they got to know one another. They supported each other through good and bad, and make each other stronger and more willing to fight.
The supporting characters were strong, and if some of them didn't act the way the reader might want them to, or the way Lindsey expected them to, it just made them seem more human. Overall, this was a very pleasant surprise, and I definitely want to read more by this author. ...more

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Jan 10, 2018 Aussie54 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, re-reading, a-2019-read, five-star-reads, re-read

I loved this. "Mr Warren's Profession" has everything I love about reading ... an absorbing plot line, engaging characters, and very good writing.

Historical romances are one of my favourite genres, and I found the time period, with its clothing and societal mannerisms, captivating. (After Googling, I learned what a Wardian case is.) The Manchester cotton milling held my attention, with Sebastian Nothwell’s writing style providing a good visual reading experience. The story unrolled like a film ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Rachel marked it as to-read

Shelves: m-m-historical-romance, own-to-read

12/27/18 Currently 25% off at Smashwords ($2.99):https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... ...more

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May 07, 2019 Leta Blake added it

Did enjoy and do recommend. :)

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May 09, 2019 W. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, standalone, historical-romance, fun-sweet-laughing-out-loud-momen, historical-fiction, sweet, book-didn-t-want-to-end, read-it-on-my-kindle, slow-burn, m-m-romance

Offer me something I cannot find in myself.

Once in a while, you read a story that captivates your attention and imagination from the very start.

One of those books that pesky little things 😏 as eating, working or answering questions from your kids and husband 😲😉 is a chore because it means , you have to stop reading and do stuff.

That book is Mr. Warren's Profession (Aubrey & Lindsey Book 1); a well researched and crafted historical MM romance story .

Sebastian Northwell wrote an original, fascina ...more

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Aug 09, 2017 Mercutio rated it it was amazing

An absolutely delightful read- steeped in a very lively, sensually real sense of place and time. Clearly thoroughly and lovingly researched; has the vibrancy a period-romance ought to have.

The dialogue feels natural, the characters all fascinating in their own ways, the plot is both tense and sweet, and dangit, it's just a fine book.

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Jun 02, 2020 Tex Reader rated it really liked it

Shelves: aa-not-own-fr

3.5 - Nice Contrasts of Class, Street-Wise vs. Naive, Being Gay in 1891
[Thanks to the author and Goodreads' MMRG Don't Buy My Love program for a free copy in exchange for an honest review]

This was a good period romance - kudos for the cast of characters and how the time, classes and industry was portrayed, and the romance in that day ... but that was offset a bit by it being "too romantic"? - things were just too unnecessarily and conveniently unrealistic.

Overall, Sebastian Nothwell's style flo 3.5 - Nice Contrasts of Class, Street-Wise vs. Naive, Being Gay in 1891
[Thanks to the author and Goodreads' MMRG Don't Buy My Love program for a free copy in exchange for an honest review]

This was a good period romance - kudos for the cast of characters and how the time, classes and industry was portrayed, and the romance in that day ... but that was offset a bit by it being "too romantic"? - things were just too unnecessarily and conveniently unrealistic.

Overall, Sebastian Nothwell's style flowed nicely, had a decent, if uneven, pace, and expertly depicted the times. One of the reasons I like historicals is to learn more about the period. I'm familiar with but not an expert on this period, so I put myself in the author's hands trusting that their depictions and details are accurate. Nothwell fulfilled that trust. The culture, industry and technology were described in a way that I felt I was living it. A usual trope in this historical setting was class difference, and again, Nothwell really brought out the contrasts and tension of this between the two MCs.

And a nod to another aspect of the historical setting. Nothwell made clear how one had to deal with being gay in a repressive society. I wondered at why 1891 Maybe it's related to how homophobia reached a zenith at that time - I appreciated the mention the Labouchere Amendment (1885) and what it meant in terms of the subsequent Cleveland Street scandal (which built up to the Oscar Wilde trial 4 years after this that cast a long shadow).

I liked the 2 MCs and enjoyed the secondaries. The two men were shown as human, with strengths and weaknesses, and with backgrounds that seemed realistic and created quite a contrast. And the romance was sweet with a fairly cautious build, followed by some good sex scenes. But that is where some of my issues start. I understand the street-wise vs. naive trope, but Lindsey was SO naive for someone at his age and with his upper-class experiences.

I could see that characters' motivations might be plausible, but there were exceptions. Even at the start, Lindsey's immediate pursuit of Aubrey, in hindsight, seemed out of character with what I found out later about how he had approached such matters up until then (view spoiler). And later, even with the prodding from another, the continued revenge leading up to a major incident seemed excessive when it appeared revenge had already been had. Which it so happens, conveniently introduced a nice twist in the story that increased the tension.

Add to that the bit too convenience of money - especially with how nice it is to have a bottomless well of wealth, where money can be used to solve all your literary problems, such as (view spoiler).

As an aside, I could see how some liken this to Dickens, with the class differences, but he was mid-1800s. So more to 1891, I also saw a bit of Oscar Wilde, like The Importance of Being Earnest, with its critique of society, the importance of appearance, the insensibilities, different identities and improbable circumstances.

Two authors from the 1800s that I have loved to read, so why wouldn't I at least enjoy a taste of their flavors from this author. ...more

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Jun 07, 2020 Vera Leigh rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m-historical-romance

I received a copy of this book to review from the M/M Romance Goodreads group’s Don’t Buy My Love Program. What follows is my honest review:

While reading Mr.Warrens Profession, one word kept coming to mind: refreshing.

I found the main characters, Lindsey and Aubrey refreshing as well as lovable. Lindsay, the lord with all the money and social prestige, is naive and sexually inexperienced. He also gets pushed around a lot in the beginning by his father and others. Through his relationship with A I received a copy of this book to review from the M/M Romance Goodreads group’s Don’t Buy My Love Program. What follows is my honest review:

While reading Mr.Warrens Profession, one word kept coming to mind: refreshing.

I found the main characters, Lindsey and Aubrey refreshing as well as lovable. Lindsay, the lord with all the money and social prestige, is naive and sexually inexperienced. He also gets pushed around a lot in the beginning by his father and others. Through his relationship with Aubrey, he learns to wise up and grow a backbone.

When you meet Aubrey, you would think he’s never known pleasure in his life, that he works himself to the bone for very little and hopes for very little. But there’s much more to Aubrey than you’re led to believe. And he’s also more experienced in the bedroom than your average clerk 😉 Through his relationship with Lindsey, he learns to accept the good things in life and hope for the future.

The book is set in late 19th century Manchester, right in the heart of the industrial revolution. Although there are some slow parts in the novel, with long passages about 19th-century technology, there are more than enough page-turning scenes to make up for it. The focus on technology and engineering is also integral to the plot. The 19th century isn’t just window dressing. You get the impression that the industrial revolution is an important part of who these characters are. It informs their entire world view.

The depiction of the class difference between Lindsey and Aubrey was refreshing. The book takes place during a time where homosexuality was illegal in England (Think about what happened to Oscar Wilde). And because of their class difference, it looks highly suspicious for them to be together, which draws a lot of unwanted attention. This is the book’s main conflict and it’s fascinating to see the trials Lindsey, Aubrey and the other LGBTQ characters in the book have to go through to be able to find love and happiness in a hostile society.

I also liked how the novel isn’t set up as ‘lower class character gets whisked away to upper-class utopia’. though there is some of that. It’s equally about Lindsay learning and sympathizing with the tribulations of the working class. In the end, Lindsay and several other upper-class characters get interested in the technological innovation going on around them. They use their power to better the lives of the people they’re responsible for. They realize that they can’t just sit around in their estates if they want to fully participate in life.

The love and sex scenes were sweet and enjoyable to read about. An important part of both MC’s development is learning how to accept love and affection. For Aubrey, he had been used so much by others in the past that he has trouble trusting Lindsey at first. Lindsey was sheltered in his youth. His desires were actively suppressed by his father and friends for fear of the damage it might do to his position in society. So, for Lindsey too, being with Aubrey is about charting love and desire with another person.

The love scenes are sweet and the sex scenes are hot. Always a plus.

I would give this book 4.5 stars if I could. Aside from a few slow passages in the beginning, it’s exciting, romantic, and constantly reveals unexpected turns. If you’re into mm historicals, Mr. Warren’s Profession is a must. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
...more

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Jan 24, 2020 JD Crittendon rated it really liked it

Overcoming Obstacles for Love!

This is an historical tale of “like” at first sight by naïve, sheltered Sir Lindsey & office clerk Aubrey. The story incorporates betrayal, abuse, blackmail, attempted murder, death, an explosion along with the usual romance and sexy times. What’s not to love! I enjoyed the storytelling, the MCs are well developed, the co-characters enhancement the tale and the protagonist was evil (a love to hate personality).
I’m a fan of Mr Sebastian Nothwell books and recommend a ...more

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Jun 07, 2020 Reflection rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, m-m, romance, read-to-review, angst, awful-cover, kudos, read-in-2020

**A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review via the MM Romance Group ‘Don’t Buy My Love’ program.**

Truth be told, I love this book so much, I dived into the sequel urgently, allowing myslef no time to leave a review for this one until now!

I couldn't bear to be parted from Aubrey and Lindsey quite so soon. Having been sated I'm back to tell you that you really should read this book, if you love:
...romance... this is for you.
...well written and researche ...more

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Jul 02, 2018 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: 21st-century, historical, romance

The great thing about queer 19th century romance is that the authors do not need to come up with increasingly convoluted reasons to keep the lovers apart. Rather than resorting to awful relatives, one or the other of the two lovers being stupendous jerks, or handing someone the proverbial idiot ball, the plot conflict is obvious. They’re queer and it’s the 19th century.
This often improves the story as it lets you tell the narrative of two people in love learning to work together against a commo ...more

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Jul 09, 2019 Jane Harper rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Terrible cover, great book.

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Sep 04, 2019 R E rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An intense, beautiful, riveting story steeped in historical detail, action, and astute characterization

Truth be told - DON'T judge this book by its cover! While the cover art has its charms, this is a serious work of historical fiction with a thoroughly realized and carefully considered plot, powerfully drawn characters, intense action and a convincing setting that spans Victorian era politics, arts, technology, medicine, morality and manners. I admit to not expecting much more than a light read An intense, beautiful, riveting story steeped in historical detail, action, and astute characterization

Truth be told - DON'T judge this book by its cover! While the cover art has its charms, this is a serious work of historical fiction with a thoroughly realized and carefully considered plot, powerfully drawn characters, intense action and a convincing setting that spans Victorian era politics, arts, technology, medicine, morality and manners. I admit to not expecting much more than a light read from the book's blurb - but what I experienced was a deeply moving work that's left me eagerly looking forward to the sequel (which I've just downloaded). More than anything, this is a fun, albeit dramatic and at times sexy, read

Having said this much, I'm hesitant to divulge many more details than found in the book's online description because it's a tightly woven novel. There's foul play and foolishness, humor and delight, and a sweet and beautiful love that deals realistically with the chasms of class, exploitation and psychological trauma that drive people away from each other. This book is well worth anyone's time who is interested in historical fiction, historical romance, or just a beautifully written novel.* As I read, I highlighted a ridiculous number of passages, either because of the pacing, the depiction of emotion, or the subtle but telling use of metaphor.

Finally - I rather like the cover art and understand why it's used, but I add the disclaimer at the beginning of this review because I can imagine (perhaps in error) that some potential readers might interpret the style as frivolous, too old-school, as indicating that the book is a parody or even conservative. Having taught (and still teaching) university art and design as one of my fields for many years, I've come to understand the wide varieties of ways people read visual codes. In any event, I find the artwork charming and hope as many readers as possible find the joys that are waiting to be found in this novel.

* Not to be too technical, but by beautifully written, in this case, I mean that the writing is detailed and evocative while also clear and concise; it's neither prosaic nor pedantic, and has an overall rhythm that propels the story forward. This rhythm varies within any given scene to reflect the specific character of the emotions in play. The writer doesn't give us formulaic impressions of passion, excitement, turmoil or pity, but the way these emotions play out in terms of a character's individuality and the exigencies of the moment. It consistently conveys mood, personality, and local color in a way that is engaging and gives a strong sense of "being there." ...more

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Jan 02, 2018 J rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance

A good historical, upper class vs. bottom class MM novel set at the turn of the 19th century when being gay was still illegal but they didn't hang you for it (just prison -- I guess that's a step forward).

Lindsey is a wealthy upper class citizen who owns the local cotton mill (and employs lots of lower class people) and Aubrey is a clerk at the mill who is the lowest of the lowest class. Lindsey and Aubrey find they have similar proclivities in life and this story follows their lives as they try ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Shweta rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mm-romance, giveaways-free-reads-arcs-dbml, good-prose, first-love, great-world-building, historical-victorian, status-gap

**A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review via the MM Romance Group ‘Don’t Buy My Love’ program.**

A wonderful start to an unique historical tale.
'Mr Warren's profession' is a well written Victorian romance, set in Britain of the 1890s.

Though the storyline revolves around the forbidden romance between the heir of a Baron- 'Sir Lindsey' and a commons clerk - 'Aubrey Warren' he is captivated by, the author highlights a lot of elements in Victorian London ...more

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Aug 24, 2017 Misty rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtq-mm, victorian, 2017-publ

** 4.5 Stars **

I love long historical novels where the plot is as important as the romance and where the few sex scenes serve the plot, Mr Warren's Profession is one of those. The two protagonists, Aubrey and Lindsey are perfectly set in the time of the story, they are poles apart which is a trope I absolutely love. The Victorian era is brilliantly shown and all the characters are well developed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I highly recommend it!

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Feb 26, 2019 Gisselle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt, historical-fiction, romance

Charming story. 4.5 but I loved Aubrey too much to round down. I really enjoyed seeing how he navigated his relationship with Lindsey and given his background, his choices and apprehensions made sense. As you can probably tell, he was my favorite! I personally didn’t get the same understanding about Lindsey and his choices, but that is a small quibble. The background characters shine—anyone would love to have a sister like Rowena, Emmeline gaining confidence was sooo well done, and Miss Brewster ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Finnegan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical, heart-wrenching, royalty-and-nobility, sweet-romance, angst-galore, unforgetable, couldn-t-stop-reading, best-of-british, best-of-2020

Beautiful story about aristocratic Lindsey and dirt poor but proud Aubrey during a time when being gay was a crime. The love between those two transcend a lot of obstacles, but is the more sweeter for it. Recommended. One of the best books I have read in a while.

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Nov 09, 2019 サヘリー rated it it was amazing

superb.

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Jun 04, 2020 Ser rated it really liked it

A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review via the MM Romance Group ‘Don’t Buy My Love’ program.

I heartily enjoyed this book. The mill setting is a fascinating one and I really liked Aubrey, particularly his determination and competence. I liked the supporting characters as well.

The thing I struggled with most was Lindsey's vast naivety and obliviousness. He certainly gets better over the course of the book, but I did feel like there was some piece of th ...more

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The Backlot Gay B...: Mr. Warren's Profession, by Sebastian Nothwell	1	6	Sep 30, 2019 07:10PM
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About Sebastian Nothwell

Sebastian Nothwell

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Sebastian Nothwell writes same-sex romance. When he is not writing, he is counting down the minutes until he is permitted to return to writing. He is absolutely not a ghost and definitely did not die in 1895.