The Oak and the Ash

Lovely, character-driven historical M/M romance between a surgeon and a nobleman's valet. The early 19th century setting is not mere window dressing; it figures significantly in the plot, from George's inability to understand why Noah remains in a position where he is always at his lord's back and call, to the threat of treasonous accusations that shadows George's newspaper article writing and participation at a local reading society. The story is mostly comprised of small moments - George reading aloud to Noah, Noah and housemaid Verity struggling to write a scientific paper on meteorology - until Chekhov's gun(-shot wound) goes off in the third act, putting Noah and George's fledgling relationship (and possibly George's life) in danger. I read The Oak and the Ash slowly, not because I was bored but because I wanted to linger over Trent's carefully chosen words, especially the contrast between the MCs' careful, respectful dialogue prior to admitting their mutual attraction and the passionate declarations once the floodgates have been opened. Recommended for fans of [a:Tamara Allen 2765359 Tamara Allen https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Sally Malcolm 87308 Sally Malcolm https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1425308508p2/87308.jpg]'s historical queer romances.