REVIEW: Second Glance – The Serrulata Saga – A.E. Bennett

by
Second Glance Book Cover Second Glance
The Serrulata Saga
A.E. Bennett
MM Romance, LGBTQIA+, Erotica Romance, Sci-fi, Fantasy romance
self
5/2/23
Kindle
216
Amazon

Amazon Link: Amazon

A proper gentleman. A stoic soldier. Their passion ignites a defiant love…

Lord Patrick Upshur seemingly hasn’t a care in the world. He’s a younger son of a wealthy lord in the Realm and his only responsibilities include behaving in a manner his father sees fit and possibly getting married someday. No one, not even Patrick’s closest sibling, knows that he’s hiding a painful secret – one that could disgrace him and the Upshur family forever.

Commandant Iseul of the White Riders understands he should concentrate on only three things – commanding his men in the barracks, serving the sovereign, and protecting the Realm. He’s only given in to his deepest desires once and he’s vowed to never do it again.

Both are resigned to their fates as the annual summer Solstice festival arrives.

After a chance encounter in a secluded courtyard in a tavern, it’s love at first sight.

Enamored, the two vow to meet again, despite the edicts of the Realm forbidding any relationship between them.

As their passion blossoms into something deeper, they plot to run away together but are thwarted by tragedy.

Can their love survive in a world that forces them to conceal their feelings?

This steamy romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after is part of The Serrulata Saga but can be read as a standalone.

Review By Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

Amazon Link: Amazon

Patrick Upshur is the son of a lesser Lord who survived the Weakening Fever but was left with legs that no longer worked right. It is the summer solstice which is Patrick’s favorite time of the year where he can wear a mask and where peasants and the gentry mingled together.
With his older brother Silas, Patrick decides to walk out into the garden of the tavern where he finds himself with a White Rider, elite soldiers. They are both what is referred to as backwards, not gay and they give into their desires. When they are done the White Rider, Iseul walks away, but their time together bonds them.
Iseul was given to the White Riders when he was eleven and his life has been about duty and protecting the Realm. He gave into his desires once before Patrick but now Patrick consumes much of his time. Ordered to attend a Ball for the celebration of Lord Upshur’s oldest son’s engagement, Iseul and Patrick find themselves together again and decide to find a way to be together more often.
Patrick is very close to his older brother Silas and wants to reveal to him that he is backward but fear of being hated by him keeps him quiet. He does use Silas as a mean to meeting Iseul by lying about his desire to be with a peasant girl and needs a place to be with her. It works and the love between the two men grows.
Patrick is disabled needing a cane or chair to move around and because of that his father, a tyrannical man belittles him every chance he gets. The times that Patrick and Iseul spend together is beautiful, all they want is to be able to love each other freely but even in today’s time it sometimes proves dangerous.
Iseul and Patrick decide to run away together, everything is planned until the unexpected happens leaving the two men separated and death making a visit to the Upshur home.
There are secrets, lies, verbal abuse by Patrick’s father and surprises. Another book about men wanting to love and rules forbidding it.

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