Review: Love is for the Living (Albion Rising, #1) by Nicholas Kinsley

The zombies have arrived, and Blaine needs to escape. He'd always thought of his London neighborhood as a place of safety, but then his infected neighbors tried to eat him. Blaine packed a bag and fled through growing numbers of shambling, voracious monsters--people, he had to remind himself, they're people--toward his family in Bristol. He would surely have died without the turn of luck that brought him Commander Andrew Peterson. Together, they face the horrors and adversities of the apocalypse, trying to protect their loved ones, and—if they’re lucky—find love for themselves.

Do you ever find a book that interests you but then, when it comes to reading it, don't really fancy it? I kind of have to be in the right mood for each book i read - I like a ton of genres, but I need to be in the right mood for whatever I'm reading. If I'm fancying fluff, angst ridden is no going to do it etc. well, that happened to me for this book. The request came in and I thought it sounded interesting but when it came to actually reading it I just kept putting it off. I wasn't in the mood.

MORE FOOL ME.

Seriously. The only idiot in this scenario is me because once I actually started reading this book I loved it. I devoured it. I could not read the thing fast enough.

Zombie apocalypse is not my go to reading material of choice, but this was so well written I just fell in love with it. It is very obviously the start of a series, both Blaine and Andrew are introduced with a background so we know of them individually before we knew them as a potential couple. I loved this. They were very much individuals to me, not just part of a couple. Both characters were very different. Their life experiences were different, their attitudes were different. A zombie apocalypse though is all about survival and survival means stepping out of the known comfort zones. It means making hard choices and life being turned completely upside down. It's about impossible decisions and no regrets. And this book included all of these.

While there is a romance in this book - well a need for love at least - it is about more than that; it is about the need to survive and the interactions between very different people. Now, I'm not a Walking Dead watcher, but I very much imagine if you are, you would love this book. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series. I want to know all the things about these characters. I want HEA's... I don't think they're going to be just handed out though, I'm preparing myself mentally for some tough times ahead for these people I've come to love.

I don't want to go to any more in depth with this review, I don't want to spoil the story, in fact part of me just wants to say, bloody brilliant, go and read it! So I will. Read this book if you like a bit of horror in your reading.

A copy of this book was given ion exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Goodreads and Forbidden Fiction

Review: Behind Locked Doors by Nicholas Kinsley

Edward Taylor is a man torn between his honourable façade and his forbidden carnal desires. Outwardly a proper Victorian family man, Edward secretly craves pain and lusts after men. Isaac Sinclair is a struggling writer forced by poverty to supplement his income with less savory pursuits, including discreetly inflicting “professional punishments” upon wealthy gentlemen. When Edward catches Isaac in an act of petty theft, the chance meeting seems to offer an ideal opportunity for both men. Neither man, however, is prepared for the escalation of social and personal risk occasioned by falling in love. 

There is something about historical kink that just works for me. Maybe it's the language of the era. Maybe it's the outfits. I'm not sure but it's a potent cocktail when you combine a Victorian setting, kink and finessed prose that'll have me sitting at that bar for quite some time, long past closing. This era engenders that desperate sort of romance probably due to all the intrinsic repression and standardized morality. Behind Locked Doors is a true romance between Edward and Isaac that remains true to the time period wherein being deviant in any way, shape, form or fashion nearly always resulted in ostracism. 

"It's not only that I want. I want it all. I want to fall asleep and wake up with you. I want to be able to call you mine in public. I want to be able to write about my love for you because I have the words in my head but it is forbidden that I put them to paper."

Edward has married a charismatic, outgoing and feisty French girl whom he loves as a friend. Unfortunately, their marriage has robbed her of vibrancy largely due to the fact that Edward is gay and avoids her for the most part, thereby making intimacy problematic. Edward blames himself for her unhappiness, but society dictates that he maintain the ruse. Still, he has needs that supersede his sexual desires.

Edward is a bit of a masochist, has been since he was a boy in school manufacturing ways to get disciplined. Isaac is a professional dominant and a chance meeting three years ago brought them together, but they do not have a sexual relationship initially. I actually found their relationship quite refreshing. The lack of sex coupled with the repression made for a very romantic love story. Edward has constructed an image of arrogance to keep others at bay and avoid relationships that could reveal his deviance. This facade leaves him isolated and socially awkward, but serves his purposes. Isaac has learned to see the real Edward beneath the veneer. 

Edward's a complex character, one a liked and disliked in nearly equal measures. He is very forthright save for the infidelity which I respected, but I didn't respect his relationship with his 6 year old son. He's somehow gotten it into his head that Peter doesn't like or love him and has given up hope of developing a loving relationship with him. On more than one occasion I found myself muttering, "he's 6, you git! Of course he loves you. You're his father." then rolling my eyes. There was also something about his characterization that didn't sit well with me and perhaps it's just my interpretation, but there was a subtle intimation that Edward is uncomfortable in any sort of commanding role which struck me as a distorted and somewhat disingenuous view of a submissive. 

Isaac's characterization was lovely, though. I thoroughly enjoyed how bubbly and outgoing he was paired with how controlling and quietly commanding he was within the context of a scene; it was like a light switch. He's also very intuitive and relies on his instincts where Edward is concerned which propels their relationship forward from professional to personal.

Their story struck a chord with me, but I'm a sucker for these types of stories as I said initially. I know the cheating will be off-putting for many as will the fact that Behind Locked Doors is non-linear. There are flashbacks that encompass Edward and Marie's meeting as well as the 3 years of Edward's relationship with Isaac. At times I had difficulty keeping track of the time jumps, but not often. By and large, I sank into this world that Kinsley has created. Plus, there were stockings and garters, not traditional MANTIES but I'll take it.

*growls*

Recommend to fans of historical kink with an abundance of romance.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Forbidden Fiction & Goodreads.