Smoke Screen

 Title and Link: Smoke Screen
Author: Stevie Woods
Publisher URL: Torquere Books
Genre: Historical M/M
Length: short story (28 pages)
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

THE BLURB

Julian has a secret. He’s infatuated with his best friend, Richard, and always has been. The trouble is that Richard is married to the toast of London society, a belle of the ball that Julian knows he can’t compete with.

Just about the time Julian decides it’s hopeless to dream about Richard, though, he finds out that the happy couple might not be so perfect for each other. Richard and his lady wife have some secrets of their own, secrets that might just destroy all of them. Can Julian convince Richard that the web of deception, smoke and mirrors might just work in their favor?

THE REVIEW

Sir Julian Marshall had been best friends with Sir Richard Douglas for years. They did just about everything together including going away on holidays, therefore it was the biggest shock to Julian when his friend decided to go on holiday without him the previous year and returned 3 months later with a wife. It was obvious that Katerina was not in love with her rich husband, as she appeared to be only interested in opportunities to display her latest gown and jewellry to London society; when that bored her she made advances to her husband’s friends and associates, and even Julian was not safe from her clutches.

Julian was at a loss to understand Richard’s marriage but since this was a private matter he could not ask him the reasons why, but he was in love with Richard and had been for some time and could only suffer his unrequited love in silence. Then something changed one night and Julian realized that Richard might have similar feelings toward him. Richard, who was also in love with his friend, could not contain his love and confessed that he had only married his wife because he could not bear to be around Julian without betraying himself. Although they now knew each other’s feelings the problem of them being together remained, since London society of 1801 would not approve if they were found in a compromising situation, and they could be jailed, or worse. Then a solution to their dilemma was presented from an unexpected source.

This well written story was quite enjoyable and both characters were three dimensional. I can’t attest to the historical accuracy of the period, but I thought that the world building seemed authentic. The pacing moved the story along and Stevie Woods did a very good job on the prose and dialogue. Although Smoke Screen was not a laugh a minute, the dialogue was funny at times in a restrained British upper class fashion and it’s always amusing when ambitious mothers try to put their daughters forward when they smell a good catch.

 If you’re looking for a short historical romance with two likable protagonists who are obviously in love with each other, and can’t wait to get between the sheets once they know the lay of the land, Smoke Screen should be on your list of books to buy. Definitely recommended.