THE DESIRE FOR DEARBORNE by V.B. Kildaire

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press June 2009
GENRE: Male/Male Historical Romance
SETTING: England, 1800s
HERO: Leander Mayfield, 22
HERO: Julien Sutcliffe, 31
GRADE: A

SYNOPSIS: Leander Mayfield is the only surviving son of a poor farmer… or so he believes until the day he learns he is in fact the new Earl of Dearborne. Still recovering from a lingering illness, the sensitive young man travels to Great Britain to claim his estate and embarks upon a bewildering new life.

Julien Sutcliffe, the Earl of Blackstone, is suffering from ennui. He’s tired and bored with all the finery and wealth and wonders about him. Then he meets this refreshingly naive American Earl, newly arrived in England, and suddenly the world comes alive around him again.

Irresistibly drawn to one another, Julien finds himself besotted, and Leander is equally smitten. But just when they think they may have finally found happiness together, Julien and Leander discover that something–or someone–is determined to separate them permanently.

MY THOUGHTS: This was an enjoyable read. It held my interest with no problem. Both lead characters are very likable. Leander seemed so sweet and innocent. Julian is a confident man who lives his life as he chooses. He isn’t worried about what society thinks of him. Julian was instantly attracted to Leander from the start and Leander was intrigued by Julian. I really liked the nine year age difference between them.

I didn’t care much for Leander’s brothers and thought the story could have done without them. There was a villain who did a dirty deed but when it was revealed to the reader who he was, it was no surprise; I’d suspected it was him.

There were four sex scenes and I wasn’t impressed with any of them. They were ordinary and not all that graphic, to my disappointment.

I was satisfied with the ending and would love for there to be a sequel. I would read this author again.

I received this from the publisher in 2012 in exchange for an honest review.