A Gentleman Tutor

I just adore Harper Fox's writing style. She's unparalleled at creating a mood, a scene, an interaction. A Gentleman Tutor was full of great moments, but I wish the plot had been given a bit more room to breathe and grow. From the moment we meet Francis “my friends call me Frank” Harte, we sympathize with him - cold, tired, war-wounded in more than one way, and a good friend to his dissolute childhood pal/comrade-in-arms Cyril. The chance to secure a better job as live-in tutor to the charming, immature Viscount “Scapegrace” Gracie seems like a godsend but Francis soon learns that there is a lot of creepy shit happening within the warmth of his new environment. He finds himself falling for his student (it's okay, Gracie is 20 and there are only 5 years between them) but Gracie has a strong, disturbing relationship with his friend Arthur “Dixie” Dickson, not to mention he is engaged to be married to an heiress, so Francis knows his feelings can't be returned. Gracie shows surprising depths at times, but he still seems in thrall to Dixie, and Francis has nothing to offer except his books and his love. Fox does a great job of providing historical context for the book, at the height of Britain's colonial empire and at the point where Oscar Wilde's trial set fear into the hearts of those who engaged in “the love that dare not speak its name.” Francis helps Gracie question the validity of his country's conquests, and it's delightful to watch Gracie struggle to incorporate Francis' lessons into the Euro-centric worldview he has always held. There are many moments in the book to savor between Francis and Gracie, so it pains me to admit that the love story didn't quite work for me. Within two weeks of starting his new job, Francis has decided he is desperately in love, despite Gracie's complicity in some really awful shit. Gracie comes across as a beautiful naif, blind to horrible things happening under his nose. He grows up quickly but not quite sufficiently for my taste. He does make several grand gestures that show his support and love for Francis, but at the end he still seemed more like a boy than a grown man.I thought the book would have benefited from a few more chapters devoted to Francis and Gracie getting to know each other. I had similar feelings about Fox's most recent release, [b:Escort 45275690 Escort (Three Tales of a Silver Fox) Harper Fox https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555996396l/45275690.SY75.jpg 69984265], but perhaps I am just greedy to savor the author's strong yet delicate style. There are numerous delights in this book's too-few pages, including reflections on [b:Vanity Fair 5797 Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344386439l/5797.SY75.jpg 1057468] and the surprising resolution to Gracie's fiance's story. I absolutely recommend A Gentleman Tutor, just be prepared to finish it wishing it had been longer.