The Secretary and the Ghost

Read by Candlelight #1

by Gillian St. Kevern

Pip Leighton is in a fix. His sister’s marriage hinges on him staving off the family’s impending financial ruin by taking the job of secretary to Lord Cross, a reclusive man with a temper befitting his name. Developing a passion for his employer was not on the cards. Neither was getting caught up in the deep mystery surrounding Foxwood Court and its resident ghost, but Pip has never been one to shirk a duty.

As Pip delves deeper into the past, he discovers that his only hope for a future with Cross may depend on a man long dead—a man with a curious resemblance to himself.

Written for lovers of gothic romance and ghost stories, The Ghost and the Secretary is the first in a series of gay romance novellas.


A Gothic Paranormal Romance.

Genres: Historical, Paranormal, Romance, M M Romance, Historical Fiction, Ghosts, Mystery

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2019

Reviews

[Meep]

There's a lot I liked about this; spunky hero, spooky country mansion complete with ghost and enigmatic lord. Pip has some spirit and Kevern can always evoke the setting; but I think despite knowing it was a novella I approached it in frame of mind for a novel which left me wanting a bit more depth, more than was possible with the page count. Wouldn't be fair to rate for that reason.
Lord Cross had too many sudden mood changes for me, even when I could see the reasoning it never fully endeared him to me. I wanted more answers about the ghost and ...just more. I'm greedy lol, this is a short pleasant distraction and I look forward to more in the verse.

Arc received with no obligations.

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found the writing dry and the Lord's hot and cold attitude annoyed the heck out of me. I wish Pip just leaves him for someone who can appreciate better.

[Gillian Kevern]

This was a blast to write! We've been getting stuff out of storage and I discovered my collection of MR James ghost stories, Gothic novels and other treasures, and I couldn't resist re-reading them. The end result was The Secretary and the Ghost.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Quite delightful historical m/m ghost story ... this was exactly what I needed today!

[Nemo ☠️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty fun, but with no real surprises and with characters that needed fleshing out a little bit more. i'm liking the setting and overall vibe though, so i'll read the next book.

[Kathleen]

DNF 46%

Something about the writing felt ever so cumbersome. I kept having to reread sentences. So when I reached the halfway point and there was virtually no world building, and I wasn't interested in a single character, that pretty much told me I needed to move on.

[Funzee Shu · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I must admit that the blurb had caught my full attention when I first read it. And second, I love historical romance and when it combined with ghost story? Hell-yeah I’m SOLD instantly!

The story is captivating right from the very beginning, the pace and the writing also good with interesting two main characters and I really do enjoying the reading. The things that prevent me from giving my full five stars is even though I said I love it, but I must admit that there’s some loop holes here and there and there’s some scenes that I think need more or further explanations and not enough to be squeezed into this short story. In fact, I think this story actually have a huge chance to be develop into a solid full length novel than just as a novella.

The only complaint from me is this story is way too short! And I NEED MORE!!!

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secretary and the Ghost
By Gillian St. Kevern
Published by the author, 2019
Four stars

I haven’t read one of St. Kevern’s period romances before, and I rather liked this one. There is a weird absence of markers to help the reader locate the exact time in English history where this story falls – something I like to do (so this is just my quirk, I guess). No apparent trains, and Pip wears a tie, or calls it a tie anyway, which makes it hard to place. You see how my mind works.

Pip, bringing to mind Dickens’s “Great Expectations,” is left at the isolated country house by his father, who, in Dickensian fashion, is in financial trouble. There, the abrupt and reclusive Lord Cross – who isn’t as old and appalling as Pip expects – takes him on as a secretary to partially pay his father’s debt to his lordship (who, oddly, is only once referred to as “his lordship” and that in a letter).

Oh, then there’s the mysterious portrait that keeps disappearing and the mysterious ghost, who may or may not exist.

And the fact that his lordship seems to have a certain inconsistent attraction to the innocent Pip.

This is not a comedy, and yet it had me smirking. St. Kevern seems to intentionally push the absurd melodrama of the situation just for the fun of it. The threat of scandal seems to be taken more seriously than the possibility of a specter with more than ectoplasmic powers. Pip seems both compassionate and simple-minded, both noble and feckless. The whole vibe of the story is strangely clipped and yet, somehow, pulls together in a rather smart denouement. St. Kevern is good with words, although I think she relies too much on tropes, when I suspect she could have packed a real romantic wallop into this book with some more fiddling with details and expansion of the action.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay gothic novel but seemed rushed and incomplete. Would have liked a lot more to it and an inkling as to when it was meant to be set

[Averly Wilke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a tendency to accidentally read the second book in a connected series, so when I learned that this story was the story of Pip and Cross from Blackenwell Hall I was extremely excited and immediately started this book the minute I finished that one. Sad to say I was extremely disappointed on a variety of levels that I found myself constantly opening up the review box to comment as if I was about to live-stream my frustration as they happened. However thanks to the book being short and wanting to give it a fair shake, I did manage to finish it.
Firstly, what threw me off from the get-go is that Pip's characterization doesn't at all match who he is in Blackenwell. Not to say that version is the correct one over this one given that this is the first book, but it was jarring and inconsistent with the kind of nosy, always laughing brother that gets called out by his sister in fun sibling banter. Not sure how many years have passed between the two books so maybe some indication would have smoothed over this difference in character. Pip does have a bit of that witty and forthright manner here as well as an explanation for him being more of a mediator type (as seen in Blackenwell), but this entire crux of his personality and character felt completely smashed down by Cross to the point that you only get to see it with the secondary characters after the few attempts in the beginning with Cross. It does happen in their more lighter moments but those always get smacked down when Cross becomes an utter dickwad that I actually hated him as a character even more than the characters you were introduced to dislike already in the Uncle and the Justice.
Cross was one of the major issues with the story besides the random plots/devices/clues/characters that went to nowhere or were never explained. For a romantic hero, he's anything but. There wasn't just any chemistry with him and Pip here at all romantically, but even as a colleague that he supposedly holds in great esteem in Blackenwell. He might be a secretary to a Lord and all that entails, but he pretty much throughout the entire story doesn't give a care for Pip's feelings at all in any possible way, which is made all the more worse when Pip reads his correspondance and discovers he's kind, considerate and gets to know these folks yet doesn't do the same for him at all. I don't remember him asking much about his family except to widdle out his family troubles and nothing really about Pip himself. Hell Pip even had to wait for the Doctor to 'prescribe' him an hour of freedom outside because she noticed he was pale than his outdoorsy tan! Even through Pip's own admission, Cross bosses him around but it's much more than that, I don't think he ever once saw them as equals or someone worthy of being respected throughout the whole story.
A reoccurring thing that happens over and over is Cross never once listening to what Pip has to say with the extra punch of dismissing as if he was stupid or worse, yelling at him in a completely accusatory way: blowing up and accusing him of conspiracy because he told him the Justice pulled him aside about his evil intentions and the wounded hand that was also pointed out to Cross by the butler, openly dismissing his side of the story about his father who he loves to the point of even bothering to come work for this ingrate, and constantly telling him over and over that his random randy jumps into being grabby and horny was somehow Pip's fault (because he enjoyed it too?) and told him to keep away from him lest he make him do it again.
Somehow Cross managed to make all those supposedly needy and romantic acts kind of appalling despite an explanation (he's been hurt by bigotry and a loss), but really, to accost your secretary out of nowhere and to toss him out because YOU make the mistake and blame him for it made me very angry, even more so when Pip points out he never felt things like this and felt excited to have such feelings, especially since he had to grow up without much overt affection. It really felt like he was just taking advantage of Pip the entire book, nailed in for sure after he tosses him on the bed, the two of them have a grand time and then when Pip wakes up he's nasty, old and kicks him out the door. Like really?! He doesn't ever deem Pip worthy enough as his other staff to ever take him into confidence about things that hurt and involve him directly, says nothing about the act of pure honesty and trust in making sure the deed is given to Cross, or that he does his work well and with the commendations of his peers.
Lastly, the other big flaw of this book is that there was just so much random stuff that was never addressed at all, to the point I felt it was completely added in to either excuse Cross' horrid behavior (such as some cry about a Cross curse he has?) or to give the story that gothic vibe. For example, why the hell was the ghost and this past Lord carbon copies of Pip and Cross? What was the point of the portrait moving around in the first place? Why was the ghost's actions and Cross' dead over also carbon copies of each other (suicide over a missing letter). Also in that vein, why was suicide the final option anyway over moving, going into hiding, escaping England? Finally I never really fully understood Cross' immediate obsession with Pip, which he had from the get-go; it was suggested by Pip because he looks like the ghost (in a joking manner that Cross was in love with it), and then another explanation of an unexplained deep electric thrilling, that I took to mean maybe this might be a reincarnation tale or later with the portrait living out the ancestor's long-lost yearning through them? But then again it was never once explained and kind of forgotten as the author tidied up the whole thing cheaply by having this random look-a-like ghost take care of the danger for them, than either of the main 'heroes'. It was too neat and cheap an end that I felt wholly cheated and it didn't even give a basic anything for how the characters reconciled. Somehow Pip is in bed, Cross is all smiles and they're now together, YAY
(not yay)
Wished I kind of saved the three bucks and took a nap instead

[The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of those old gothic novels featuring creepy mansions or castles, a ghost or other mysterious creatures, a brooding hero and the ingenue with a bit of spunk. The first book in a series of paranormal gothic M/M romances was a quick, enjoyable read with those very tropes. It was hard to discern exactly what time period this was set and there were few clues. Still, a good read and looking foward to the next book in the series. Oh, loved the sensible woman doctor. Hope she gets her own story.

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I’m not actually sure this book went anywhere... It was so hot/cold that the lack of actually emotion coming from the pages made it feel stiff and lacking.

Although some of the authors books seem to be highly rated so I may continue with series to see where it goes.

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot! I'm not sure about the ending...it seems very rushed and I still have no idea why the ghost was there or what it is about the missing letter. A few other things as well: Cross says it's death to love him, but there's no follow up on this? How and why does he get over his trepidations about love? Still, an enjoyable read. Could benefit from a thorough editing to find and rectify such plot holes and maybe a hundred pages more.

[Tex Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 - Delightful Shorter Gay Gothic Rom

This was a fun gay gothic romance with all the melodrama that implies, along with a secluded lord and manor, a newly employed secretary ripe for the taking, as well as a paranormal presence to round it out.

This was a good, standalone start to the series. For a novella and its genre, Gillian St. Kevern had good depth of character and story. There was a good pace in order to get everything in; and the plot and scheming around Lord Cross and Pip were decent, with neither they nor the butler acting like innocent fools (as in some romances) but dealing with it intelligently. There were a few places that were predictable, but also some unexpected turns. I also enjoyed the specter of the ghost, and its appearing as a warning, as Cross surmised .

Of course, I got to got to know the MCs the most, enough to see they were human with faults; but both likable, as well as the staff and father. I guess by necessity of being a shorter piece, the romance had to move along a bit too unnaturally quickly for the times and situation, And along the same vein, the villains could not be fleshed out enough, just enough to show their true colors and get their due. That's one reason I prefer longer novels, but I'll make an exception for this one.

And of course, in true romance style, everything fell into place in the end very nicely.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of a ghost, a secretary and Cross, the lord of the manor. Pip has to become an unpaid secretary to help save his family from humiliation and being "cut" in society. The ghost looks just like Pip which causes a lot of problems in the beginning. Cross is just like his name. Grumpy, short temper, cutting comments, Pip is left unbalanced in his relationship with Cross. One minute they are kissing, the next Cross is rude and painfully blunt. When trouble comes knocking with Pip's uncle Andrew trying to destroy both Pip's father, Pip and Cross as well as a judge. Danger lurks as Pip's and Cross's relationship becomes more intimate. Death or jail is a punishment for homosexuality. An excellent short ghost story with an HEA that the readers will enjoy. I highly recommend this story.

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous MM homage to those classic Victorian Gothic stories! This tale has all the classic elements of the Gothic, a creepy remote mansion, a forbidding authority figure, a naive but courageous young hero, a hint of melodrama, and an incredibly resonant ghost.

Pip was so likeable and his dilemma so well drawn that I followed the story avidly, hoping that despite confusing circumstances and sneeringly malicious baddies, all would come right for him and Lord Cross. I've already downloaded the next one-off story in the series as I'm hooked!

[Bookbeard · Rating 2 out of 5]

storyline: **
main characters: *
side characters: *
world building: **
editing: **
1.5

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit meh.
Not much ghost story, not much chemistry between MCs, tidy HEA ending.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea this is getting me started in a nice long line of Gothic paranormal romances. Yay for mysterious ghosts with curious resemblances to one's new secretary!

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setup but fell through

I found this a good period piece to start, with a very gothic middle and the right balance of mystery and fear, but it all sort of fell apart at the end.

There is a bit of Beauty and the Beast to this- Pip is essentially being indentured to Lord Cross to pay off the family debt to him. But it is only for a few weeks and Lord Cross is no beast. It also involves no kidnapping or capture, the agreement simply called to old tale to mind at first. Pip is determined to work well to help his family and Lord Cross indeed puts him to work. The two have a spark between them, but the time does not allow for any romance between men, and the place also seems to be conspired against. There is a build up as villains make themselves known, a mystery of paintings occurs, and a tragic past is revealed. But then suddenly the ending comes about with a swift dispatchment of the villains (not even by the main characters) and the matter of the times and the tragedy of the past no longer being of consequence to the two being together. It was such an abrupt jump that it simply felt that some large part of the story was left out.

There was a good gothic setup here and the potential for more, so this could be a fascinating series and bears more reading to see.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ordinary same-sex Regency romance. The only magical element was a helpful ghost.
A man basically sells his son to repay a debt incurred by his brother, but the son and employer are instantly attracted to each other. A couple villains try to spoil things. It ends with a HEA.
Typos: several missing and extra words, everyday (ordinary) and heartbeat written as two words, peeked spelled peaked, effects used for affects, principal for principle, loathe (verb) used for loath (adjective), God not capitalized.

[Annezo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Pip was an engaging character and while Lord Cross was a bit hot-and-cold, it wasn't quite enough to throw me out of the story. I would say that there was a novel of idea in this novella. A bit more fleshing out of the characters and the story would have been awesome.

Still. A fun read.

[Lena Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” ~ Denis Waitley

In order to help his father repay an enormous debt his father owes due to the mismanagement of his estate by his brother, Pip Leighton goes to work for the ill-tempered Lord Cross, a distant relative. Pip isn’t looking forward to it, but it’s imperative that his family keep up appearances in society until Pip’s sister’s future is secured by marriage and this is the only contribution he can make to ensure that that happens.

Lord Cross is not the easiest person to work for. Besides being a slave-driver, he’s unpredictable and hard to please. Pip doesn’t understand the tension between them, but tries his best to be a good employee and not to cross his employer. It’s a dismal place to live. The other staff are barely civil, leaving Pip lonely and isolated. Cross certainly does nothing to lighten the mood; he barely speaks to Pip except to give him tasks or to criticize him. There are times when Pip can hardly hold on any longer, but then he thinks what it would mean to his sister’s future if he left, and it gives him pause.

Pip is still trying to figure out his employer when Cross does something that totally floors him; he kisses Pip with such fervor that it almost literally sweeps him off his feet. Then, just as suddenly, the moment is over, with an admonition from Cross to never mention it again. Cross’s hot and cold behavior toward him almost drives Pip crazy. He never knows what to expect from Cross. Try as he may, not to let it hurt him, it always does. Eventually the butler and Pip become friends, but even so, there is a lot he doesn’t know about the manor and the people there. Finally, Pip discovers that one reason the others are so distant is that, apparently, Pip is the spitting image of Cross’s past lover, who killed himself, and now is a ghost that has been seen several times, roaming the house and the grounds.

Historical romances are my favorite genre and I love a good ghost story, but I wasn’t able to connect that well with Pip, who was too passive for me. I know he was in a difficult situation, but he seemed too accepting. What I got to know about Cross, I didn’t like. It was difficult for me to understand why Pip felt the way he did about him, but I guess there’s no accounting for taste in matters of the heart. The villains, Uncle Arthur and Justice, were quite nefarious. The ghost story part of the tale was an interesting twist, but quite vague. I wasn’t exactly sure whether he was friend or foe, but in the end, he was quite helpful, although in a very strange way. In any case, Cross and Pip worked it out. Thanks, Gillian, for giving Pip and Cross their happy ending.

[Fátima Perochena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puntuación: 4.5 estrellas de 5

Por lo general, yo no soy de leer novelas de romance histórico, pero este título despertó mi interés por ser de narrativa gótica con elementos paranormales. Además, es la primera vez que leo a Gillian St. Kevern, por lo que no sabía qué esperar.

La historia gira alrededor de Phillip “Pip” Leighton, un joven que se pone al servicio del solitario y arisco Lord Thomas Cross en un intento de ayudar a su familia a mitigar la inevitable ruina financiera. Para ello, debe mudarse a la mansión de Lord Cross en Foxwood Court, por cuyos pasillos se dice deambula un fantasma.

En general, me parece que esta novela tiene un buen ritmo de lectura sin sacrificar la ambientación, que me pareció muy bien lograda. Además, me gustó mucho la forma en que la autora sabe dar a entender los sentimientos de los protagonistas respetando a la vez las formas y el vocabulario propios de la época, evitando así instancias de vulgaridad en el lenguaje que de otro modo me hubieran sacado de la lectura.

También me gustó mucho su atención al detalle. Supo dar a conocer lo suficiente como para dejarme satisfecha con las explicaciones, dejando a la vez ciertas cosas implícitas o a la imaginación del lector. No sentí que fuese necesario contar absolutamente todo.

Con respecto a los personajes, me gustó mucho ver las cosas desde el punto de vista de Pip. Me pareció un excelente protagonista, de carácter y voluntad firmes, sin dejar de ser cortés y considerado con los demás. Definitivamente, la autora supo sacar lo mejor del personaje. Cross, por otro lado, es todo lo contrario a Pip: arisco, malhumorado y con ligeros aires de macho alfa que no llegan a ser irritantes, sino que esconden un claro conflicto interno que le daba un aire bastante misterioso. En este sentido, pienso que hubiera sido interesante ver ciertos detalles de la trama a través de sus ojos. Me gustó como interés romántico, pero no logré conectar con él como personaje a diferencia de Pip, principalmente debido a que el carácter de Pip es más parecido al mío.

Por otro lado, algo de notar es que la intervención del fantasma podría haber tenido un poco más de protagonismo, como sugiere el título de la novela. Los encuentros fueron contados y más bien tibios, a pesar de ser definitivamente importante para la trama. Esto no quitó mucho a mi experiencia de lectura (le costó 0.5 estrellas a mi puntuación), pero puedo entender que a otros les pueda molestar este detalle.

En resumen, disfruté mucho leyendo esta novela, y planeo seguir leyendo más de esta autora en el futuro.

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved the gothic side when it comes to paranormal romance, especially this time of year so when I came across The Secretary and the Ghost I jumped on it. I was not disappointed. Yes it's a novella and perhaps it could have been better had it been a full-length novel but sometimes extra pages don't make a story better. I always love the finer points of backstory or more in-depth details here and there but in my experience with gothic tales it often is the little gaps or less info that make the paranormal side more spooky, more creepy, more "what is around the corner?" so I loved that this was a novella.

As for the story itself, well I won't say much as every little bit might give too much away. I will say that the main characters, Pip and Lord Cross are not always the most likable(especially Cross) and I wanted to whack them upside the head more than once😉. The more you get to know them the more I began to understand and appreciate the way they are, I still wanted to bang their heads together at times but I also wanted to wrap them in bubblewrap and a giant Mama Bear hug too. It was these warring emotions they created in me that kept me on the edge of my seat. Throw in a lookalike ghost, a thieving uncle, and you have a very memorable tale that is absolutely perfect for any Halloween library but don't let that pesky ghost keep you from enjoying it whenever because it's a lovely gem for any time of year.

I'm not completely new to Gillian St Kevern's work but my readings are limited to just a few but I can safely and honestly say that The Secretary and the Ghost makes me want to read more in this gothic Read by Candlelight series, her overall backlist, and any future tales.

[Alexis Nalley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put my sister to the task of finding me a good ghost story to read for one of my reading challenges and once I heard the words ‘gothic paranormal romance’ I was in.

Pip takes the position as Lord Cross’ secretary to help push off his family’s reputation being ruined and get his sister a good marriage. Shortly after starting his position Pip and Cross realize they have become attracted to each other. The problem is Cross doesn’t want to cause Pip any problems. And then there’s the ghost that haunts the house and looks just like Pip.

Overall this was a pretty good little book. I really liked Pip and admired his dedication to his family. The ghost aspect was interesting and I liked the little explanation at the end of the book. Cross is exactly the type of romance hero I love and I wished we had gotten to see some of his POV.
My problem with novellas is that I always want more 😂 I would have loved a bit more exploration into Cross and Pip’s romance as well as the ghost’s haunting. But given the page count I understand why that deeper look wasn’t there. I recommend this if you’re looking for a fun, quick read

[Kirstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a ghost story with heart. Oh, man did I enjoy this.

Pip's father is in tremendous debt to Lord Cross and, in repayment, offers Pip's services as his new secretary until he can get out from under his bills and get Pip's sister married. As Pip gets more and more acquainted with Cross and his staff, he hears and sees the ghost of Joseph Leighton, who seems to have a particular purpose in haunting the manor.

Set in the Victorian era, the writing was phenomenal. I am so awestruck at Gillian St. Kevern's ability to create this world of mystery and passion in a time where bedclothes are worn and female doctors are laughed upon.

Pip was everything. He was smart, unflappable, unassuming and charming. And his smile that he threw upon Cross that sent his heart alight? Gah. So sweet!

Written in perfect prose, this story captured my heart, made me believe in ghosts and the ability of love to pierce even the most crotchety of souls. It was an honor to read.

*Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

[Emmy-Lou James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not from the LGBTQ community, nor do I normally read this genre, but when I picked up this series I couldn't put it down.

Gillian St Kevern has a unique voice that could be from the nineteenth century, and her gothic paranormal Read by Candlelight series has a truly authentic feel.

From the moment Pip arrived at Lord Cross's abode, the tension between the two was palpable, and the rocky road to their happy ending full of emotional highs and lows.

I was so happy when they reached that happy ending, but in the same way I wanted the story to continue and to learn more about the ghost of Joseph Leighton.

I'm now binge-reading the rest of the series for the second time, just because I can, and because I love the way Gillian brings her characters to life.

I can thoroughly recommend to anyone looking for a new series. The Read by Candlelight series are a worthy investment.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. stars. A good start to the book as Pip gets to work organizing all the paperwork from the previous secretary. A week's probation comes to a halt with a sealed kiss that Pip wasn’t expecting in the least from receiving the hot and cold behavior from his boss. Shocking Pip and shortly after he finds an old painting which starts the mystery of. The book is set in a early time period in England's country and brilliantly written with Pip's as the main character.
Told in 3rd person which its not my favorite view. A mystery of Joseph the ghost causing a ruckus for the home of the Lord and for anyone who sees him about. Danger, intrigue, family secrets, love and more ending with a HEA.

Pip's father was in debt to Lord Cross and had a plan to run by Lord to pay it off with his sons help. Pip aka Phillip was to work as Lord’s new secretary.

[Shymsal · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the fact the leads seriously worried about the terrible, historically accurate, possibility they might hang simply for being who they were, I never really connected with the characters. Pip, our lead, was more passive and accepting most of the time than I liked -- though his ability for clear, adult thinking was appreciated, I wished for a bit more fire in his spine. Cross, on the other hand had the fire, but lacked reasonable ability to treat Pip well. Though I must say the lovely, if possibly dangerous, note he left in Pip's bed mollified me slightly.

On the whole, this was worth the read for fans of this genre. I daresay some will like it better than I.