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Behind These Doors
(Radical Proposals #1)
by
Lucien Saxby is a journalist, writing for the society pages. The Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe, second son of an earl, is Society. They have nothing in common, until a casual encounter leads to a crisis.
Aubrey isn’t looking for love. He already has it, in his long-term clandestine relationship with Lord and Lady Hernedale. And Lucien is the last man Aubrey should want. He’s
...moreKindle Edition, 449 pages
Published
June 22nd 2018
by Greenwose Books
(first published June 21st 2018)
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Start your review of Behind These Doors (Radical Proposals #1)

DISCLAIMER: I edited this.
A gently paced romance well grounded in the period setting, featuring a poly setup with a married couple plus one, where the plus one falls for another man as well. The dance that ensues is carefully delineated, and the pleasure is in seeing the complex negotiations of consent and power and intersections of sexuality, gender, and class across the tangled web of more than one three-way relationship. A really solid and unusual queer historical, satisfying for those who l ...more
A gently paced romance well grounded in the period setting, featuring a poly setup with a married couple plus one, where the plus one falls for another man as well. The dance that ensues is carefully delineated, and the pleasure is in seeing the complex negotiations of consent and power and intersections of sexuality, gender, and class across the tangled web of more than one three-way relationship. A really solid and unusual queer historical, satisfying for those who l ...more

5 Splendid Stars
Magnificent.
"Behind These Doors" is a multifaceted, complex, multilayered story which is, at its heart, a deeply tender romance between two men. The primary romance alone is exquisite, but the descriptive historical aspects of Edwardian society, the battle for women’s rights and the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and the inclusion of a polyamorous romance thread all make this an enthralling read.
Lucien Saxby is a working class journalist, writing for the society pages. The Honourable ...more
Magnificent.
"Behind These Doors" is a multifaceted, complex, multilayered story which is, at its heart, a deeply tender romance between two men. The primary romance alone is exquisite, but the descriptive historical aspects of Edwardian society, the battle for women’s rights and the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and the inclusion of a polyamorous romance thread all make this an enthralling read.
Lucien Saxby is a working class journalist, writing for the society pages. The Honourable ...more

This was so good, I don't think I can do it justice. First, it reads very much like an m/m romance in case everything else has you concerned. It is first and foremost the love story of Aubrey and Lucien, and it is lovely.
It jumps straight in to the first encounter of these two men who have full lives separate and apart from each other, but find themselves drawn to each other over and over again. There is no intsa-anything (apart from lust :), so we get to watch a realistically paced romance amid ...more
It jumps straight in to the first encounter of these two men who have full lives separate and apart from each other, but find themselves drawn to each other over and over again. There is no intsa-anything (apart from lust :), so we get to watch a realistically paced romance amid ...more

I really enjoyed this story of a gay journalist from humble origins, and a bisexual, polyamorous nobleman, working to fit a growing loving relationship into the minimal overlap of their lives in turn-of-the-century London.
The Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe has been in love with his best friend Rupert, Lord Hernedale, since they were boys at Eton. Rupert's wife and childhood friend Henrietta loves both of them, and although marrying Rupert was her logical choice to protect all their futures, the cou ...more
The Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe has been in love with his best friend Rupert, Lord Hernedale, since they were boys at Eton. Rupert's wife and childhood friend Henrietta loves both of them, and although marrying Rupert was her logical choice to protect all their futures, the cou ...more

2.5* rounded up because poly + solid research.
Good:
- Everyone is poly! They make it work! \o/
- A character somewhere on the asexual spectrum! (Or that's how I read it; the modern terminology is of course never used.)
- I think this is the first time I've ever read a historical romance novel that had a character carry around a condom. Is that a weird thing to devote a whole bullet point to?
- The historical details are well researched, grounded to a specific time and place without going overboard ...more
Good:
- Everyone is poly! They make it work! \o/
- A character somewhere on the asexual spectrum! (Or that's how I read it; the modern terminology is of course never used.)
- I think this is the first time I've ever read a historical romance novel that had a character carry around a condom. Is that a weird thing to devote a whole bullet point to?
- The historical details are well researched, grounded to a specific time and place without going overboard ...more

May 31, 2018
Lotta
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
lgbtq,
poly,
bisexual,
politics,
class-society,
ace-spec,
histrom,
favourites-in-2018,
arc,
edwardian
Review the second, December 2018: This book is so lovely. I adore the language and emotions and the characters. I cried a little at the last scene with Cath and Lucien. Glad I decided to read again <3
Review the first, May 2018: Slight back story: I've been in a bit of a book slump lately, and have spent more time on audiobooks than on my kindle, partly because of time restraints and family obligations (like, I'm obligated to spend time with my family instead of on reading). Anyway, I started thi ...more
Review the first, May 2018: Slight back story: I've been in a bit of a book slump lately, and have spent more time on audiobooks than on my kindle, partly because of time restraints and family obligations (like, I'm obligated to spend time with my family instead of on reading). Anyway, I started thi ...more

This book was chosen to satisfy the ReadHarder prompt for "An historical romance by an AOC". Often smuttier than a chimney sweep just before his weekly bath, it proved to be well-researched. The writing is of a higher caliber than I was expecting, which is always a nice discovery, and the best of it is applied to descriptions of setting, atmosphere, and period costume and etiquette. The romantic dialogue and lovers' banter was less convincing; rather repetitive and somewhat stilted.
Despite promi ...more
Despite promi ...more

Jun 20, 2020
Sam (AMNReader)
rated it
liked it
Recommended to Sam (AMNReader) by:
Wollstonecrafthomegirl
I'll tell you plain: I read this because of Wollstonecrafthomegirl's review I have kindle unlimited for a week or so more, so I wanted to get this read in before it was up.
The whole time I was reading this, I didn't know how I felt. I got Audrey's emotional sensitivity. I got why you would love Lucien. I got Rupert and Henrietta. All of whom, it seems, are central romantic characters-this isn't to take away that there are several, several other characters. But something about it was so sad. And ...more
The whole time I was reading this, I didn't know how I felt. I got Audrey's emotional sensitivity. I got why you would love Lucien. I got Rupert and Henrietta. All of whom, it seems, are central romantic characters-this isn't to take away that there are several, several other characters. But something about it was so sad. And ...more

This is worth reading. Saying that upfront again: this is worth reading. As historical romances go this is pretty damned impeccable on writing style, descriptions and sense of time and place. Lucens has got the chops for this game. As I said, this is worth reading.
So, why am I so focused on that central message (worth! reading!) right at the start?
Probably because my own feelings about this at the end of the book are, despite the fact that it is plainly a Good Book, muddled. Frankly, if some of ...more
So, why am I so focused on that central message (worth! reading!) right at the start?
Probably because my own feelings about this at the end of the book are, despite the fact that it is plainly a Good Book, muddled. Frankly, if some of ...more

Gorgeous, lovely, wonderful polyamorous romance set in 1906 London. The main love story is between Aubrey Fanshawe, second son of an earl, and Lucien Saxby, working-class journalist. If you're a fan of historical romance that engages with feminism, class and power differences, political struggles, etc. (think K.J. Charles and Courtney Milan) then you should give this a try. I loved watching these two guys - and various other characters - work so hard to love each other, make mistakes, hurt peopl
...more

I should start this off by saying I beta read this novel. That being said, Lucens has written a thought-provoking first book. The themes of upper-class vs lower-class have been explored in countless novels, but the juxtaposition of it here in both politics, with the discussions built around Women’s Suffrage and who benefits vs who suffers the initial cost, and personal relationships elevate it from what might have been a simple Upstairs/Downstairs story (even if Saxby is not actually a valet).
A ...more
A ...more

This is a wonderfully quiet book that still manages to pack so much into the story, plus it's got great representation. At its heart it's a story about people finding their way to each other, just living life, and doing their utmost to be the best versions of themselves. But there's so much more happening here, from the women's suffragette movement to the changing roles of society and the ruling classes, down to the minutia of how even as you try your hardest you can still hurt those you love. S
...more

This is such a hard book to review because I could write for hours about my quibbles with it and not be done, but I just don't have the energy. So here's as brief a review as i can. Spoilers will happen
* Our main couple, Lucien and Aubrey are... okay. They're okay. They keep arguing in circles and I'm not even that sure why they fall in love, but they're perfectly fine. I was more into them before the Thing happened (and don't worry, we'll get to the Thing) but the Thing completely sucked out al ...more
* Our main couple, Lucien and Aubrey are... okay. They're okay. They keep arguing in circles and I'm not even that sure why they fall in love, but they're perfectly fine. I was more into them before the Thing happened (and don't worry, we'll get to the Thing) but the Thing completely sucked out al ...more

I was, perhaps, too excited about this book coming out. So excited because the blurb sounded so good! And then I dove in, and . . . I didn't like it the way I wanted to.
First off, this is a polyamorous novel, but not the kind that I'm really into. Instead of everyone being involved with each other, we have branching off groups and subgroups. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's not my cup of tea. We also kind of have primary and secondary partners, although everyone in the book insists we d ...more
First off, this is a polyamorous novel, but not the kind that I'm really into. Instead of everyone being involved with each other, we have branching off groups and subgroups. There's nothing wrong with this, but it's not my cup of tea. We also kind of have primary and secondary partners, although everyone in the book insists we d ...more

I haven't read many polyamorous romances but I quite enjoyed this one. It's a tender, emotional romance exploring a number of conflicts (along class lines, along making a polyam relationship work). There are lots and lots of historical details, which sometimes felt overwhelming. The romance unfolded at the background of the the Suffragette movement and the fight for the rights of women. This is a very character focused story about a bunch of people who are so very different from each other but w
...more

Oct 21, 2018
Amy Cousins
added it
I finished Jude Lucens's Behind These Doors late last night (and read the tie-in short story today!) and I'm still thinking about it. This is a lovely book, deeply thoughtful about queer found families, all the many kinds of love, communicating across class and other barriers--where we can't even see how we're misreading situations and other people because we don't understand how our own ingrained assumptions skew our perspective--politics and women's rights, compassion and service. I also wish
...more

Love cross the social divide brings a host of problems but more so when the MCs are Uranians (men who love men) living in the pre-Titanic, pre-Downton, pre-WW1 era - the necessary oppressive subterfuge required for survival is clearly evident throughout the read. To further compound our MCs woes, Lucien is drawn into a longstanding existing 'throuple' dynamic between Aubrey and his childhood/youthful friends Rupert and Henrietta.
The complications that ensue from adding a fourth piece into an ca ...more
The complications that ensue from adding a fourth piece into an ca ...more

Jul 25, 2018
Rafa Brewster
added it
DNF at 70%. I thoroughly enjoyed it up to about halfway through but then the slow pace and repetitious nature of the book caught up with me in a major way. Things that were unique to that era at first impressed me as being well-researched, but then started to grate on me because they kept being repeated in unnecessary detail. I think the slow pace also allowed me too much time to question certain things about the two MCs behaviors. Even when certain things came to light, I couldn't look past the
...more

Jul 12, 2018
Joyfully Jay
added it
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
With this story, I have managed to randomly bump into a book that ticked all the boxes I wanted ticked in a story about polyamory. It’s worth noting that Aubrey, Rupert, and Henrietta’s relationship is on display from page one and Lucens does a delightful job of detailing the dynamic of these three long-time lovers both in public and in private. The new relationship Aubrey finds himself developing with Lucien is then something new and separate from the one he enj ...more
4.75 stars
With this story, I have managed to randomly bump into a book that ticked all the boxes I wanted ticked in a story about polyamory. It’s worth noting that Aubrey, Rupert, and Henrietta’s relationship is on display from page one and Lucens does a delightful job of detailing the dynamic of these three long-time lovers both in public and in private. The new relationship Aubrey finds himself developing with Lucien is then something new and separate from the one he enj ...more

Wow I was a bit nervous about the polyamory aspect, but honestly I couldn't have read this book at a better time. Although it's fiction, I think it truly gave me a new perspective on relationships, and I was pretty much rooting for everyone here. I don't think I was very sold on the Lucien/Ben aspect though. Maybe because they didn't interact as much? (Don't know if they did in the prequel)
...more

Free at Amazon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B... :-)
...more

Admission: I beta-read this as it was being written and was one of several who begged the author to publish it. However, I paid for my copy of the final book.
For me, it’s the combination of all factors. Friendships and romances I can believe in, rich writing (if you love phrasing and wordplay, you’ll love this) and trustworthy historical details. It’s a lush novel you can dive into, feel embraced by and learn new things from.
For me it was also a relief from too many historical romances in which ...more
For me, it’s the combination of all factors. Friendships and romances I can believe in, rich writing (if you love phrasing and wordplay, you’ll love this) and trustworthy historical details. It’s a lush novel you can dive into, feel embraced by and learn new things from.
For me it was also a relief from too many historical romances in which ...more

Beware : this is a slow pacing novel.
But oh my, it was soooo enjoyable, with all the things I love in historicals : a thouroughly researched historical background having its full part in the plot, complex and three-dimensional characters, so very likable but fitting with their time period, a nice and polished writing.
4,5 stars for this good an solid HR.
But oh my, it was soooo enjoyable, with all the things I love in historicals : a thouroughly researched historical background having its full part in the plot, complex and three-dimensional characters, so very likable but fitting with their time period, a nice and polished writing.
4,5 stars for this good an solid HR.

This will probably disappoint you if you're looking for something with a strong narrative impetus -- there was no clear tension or overarching plot structure dragging me through, so I kept comfortably putting it down and leaving it for a while before picking it up again -- but it happened to be exactly what I needed this week: a quiet, domestic, introspective, thoroughly romantic story about people having difficult conversations and falling in love. And the suffragette movement! And class tensio
...more

A polyamorous historical set in early 1900s London, with more complicated upper-class/lower-class drama than you can shake a stick at. Aubrey is already in a fulfilling but necessarily secret relationship with his old school friend and his wife, but when he meets Lucien, a journalist, he’s immediately intrigued. It takes a lot to negotiate how the various relationships will work, especially because the society of the time so strictly dictates what is and is not acceptable, but Aubrey is a big-he
...more

A quite exquisite poly romance centred on the burgeoning relationship between the Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe and a Daily Mail society journalist called Lucien Saxby. Set in 1906 it beautifully captures the established decadence of the early years of the 20th century, the last hurrah of Empire, but with a feminist and socialist eye that skewers the privilege of men like Aubrey. Raised on the edges of upper class society, as the son of a valet and the nursery companion of a lord, Lucien has all th
...more

What Flaws We See In Others, We Harbors Ourselves!
The loves, likes and an antagonist are featured in the Lucien & Aubrey historical Edwardian romantic story. What well written tale with a historical look at class system, suffrage and morals of 1900s England.
There is so much to love, the well developed MCs, even the minor characters are well written. I enjoyed the intellectual debated regarding the have and the nots. The suffrage portions are well researched and the unusual relationships are exp ...more
The loves, likes and an antagonist are featured in the Lucien & Aubrey historical Edwardian romantic story. What well written tale with a historical look at class system, suffrage and morals of 1900s England.
There is so much to love, the well developed MCs, even the minor characters are well written. I enjoyed the intellectual debated regarding the have and the nots. The suffrage portions are well researched and the unusual relationships are exp ...more

I loved this. The historical ambiance, with all the interesting social and political background, and a very enjoyable, though not easy romance between flawed, but sympathetic characters... What I especially enjoyed about this story was showing how a poly relationship could realistically work, even in those times - although it clearly requires a lot of communication. There were misunderstandings, but those were resolved by people actually talking to each other - one of my biggest pet peeves! I'm
...more

This was really lovely to sink my teeth into. I'm not always in the mood to read about relationship negotiation, but when it's good it's real good. I love poly negotiations especially, so this was wonderful.
I also felt like this book did a good job navigating the line of showing how dangerous a gay relationship was at the time with giving me the happy ending I want.
I'll definitely check out more from this author. ...more
I also felt like this book did a good job navigating the line of showing how dangerous a gay relationship was at the time with giving me the happy ending I want.
I'll definitely check out more from this author. ...more
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Jude writes historical romances about marginalised people affiliating and building family in the face of restrictive, often punitive, social norms. Her debut novel, Behind These Doors, is a 2019 Lambda Literary Awards finalist (Category: Bisexual Fiction).
For several years, she was a 1st Century Roman and Early Medieval re-enactor. Her primary focus was combat and target archery, and her secondary ...more
For several years, she was a 1st Century Roman and Early Medieval re-enactor. Her primary focus was combat and target archery, and her secondary ...more
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