Ratings2
Average rating3.5
A surly gentleman and his overworked clerk fake a relationship in this swoonworthy Regency romance from Annabelle Greene. William Hartley’s wealth and social standing often make up for his short temper, but they can’t cure his claustrophobia. He’d lost hope of finding help for it, until meeting Josiah Balfour. In a moment of panic, Josiah’s presence is a balm to his senses, leaving Hartley calm for the first time in months. Josiah Balfour knows his place—and it’s not in the bed of a gentleman. As the administrator for the Society of Beasts, he’s responsible for the club’s well-being. When a threat to the Society emerges from an unexpected quarter, it falls to Josiah to deal with it. But Hartley is willing to help, even if it involves posing as a couple to infiltrate a rival club. Josiah needs Hartley’s prestige to help him save the Society, while Hartley simply needs Josiah. Their relationship might be a sham, but the desire between them is all too real. Stuck in close quarters with everything they love on the line, they discover that everything might just include each other. Society of Beasts Book 1: The Vicar and the Rake Book 2: The Soldier and the Spy Book 3: The Servant and the Gentleman
Featured Series
2 primary booksSociety of Beasts is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2021 with contributions by Annabelle Greene.
Reviews with the most likes.
I've been loving this series and Greene's writing. Each couple featured in this series have very different dynamics and, while they are all interlinked and inhabit the same space, each book feels separate enough that they can be read as a standalone. That can be a pro or con to the reader - there are times that I wish there was more interaction between past characters. In this book we do see the other two remaining Beasts that starred in the last two books but we don't see their companions and, besides the fire from the first novel being a major plot element here, past events are hardly mentioned. I kind of needed a recap to remember what exactly happened in the last books to not be lost in some parts.
The second book in the series remains my favourite, though this might take second place. Frakes is just much more interesting a character than Gabe, Edward, Will, or Josiah - and I missed August who made no appearance here at all.
Overall, a worthwhile series that I definitely recommend for lovers of historical MM romance.