[Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.]

Lord Duncan Aldham lives somewhat of a charmed life. His mother is concerned that he might be conscripted into the war and is thus aiming to marry him off to a less than desirable woman, but he's not having it. His head does turn, however, when he meets William Fossett, the new stable hand, and he quickly falls for his new employee. But while Duncan may have some leeway to avoid conscription due to his social standing, William is not nearly as fortunate. And while William is a self-described pacifist, that may not be enough to keep him safe from the war and home long enough to see if a relationship with Duncan might be in the cards.

This was an enjoyable read for me. The characters are fun, and there are definitely some amusing moments. There's also obviously some very serious moments that demonstrate depth of the characters and even some unexpected twists as well. Duncan and William are an interesting pair, coming from different worlds, but having far more in common than they first expected.

The only thing that kind of stuck with me was that I feel they fell--especially Duncan--way, way too quickly. It didn't really detract from the overall story, but it was a curiosity that was there for most of my reading. ( )

I received a copy of this book from the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review

Duncan is a Lord who prefers not to follow all the rules. He thinks likes to get to know some of his staff, even though it isn't really proper. There is a big war going on and anyone who is not married or holding a significant job or title must enlist in the war. His mother tells him he needs to get married to a dreadful girl, and Duncan is none too happy about it.

He goes to the stables for his daily ride and comes across a new staff member who is VERY attractive. Very quickly, Duncan and Will get to know each other and go for daily rides on the horses. Will is not married and is just a "commoner" so it is expected he will go to war. Will does not believe in war, and Duncan does not believe he can live without Will or that Will could live with himself if he went to war. Duncan works to try to find a workaround of the required enlistment.

The guys appear to get together quickly in the book, but I think it is because much of the relationship development happened off page. They used the "love" word quickly, but they were doing trips together for quite a few weeks before they ever acknowledged their feelings, and those trips were alluded to, not seen. They were cute together, when they were allowed to be together. Being set in the past, having a relationship with another man would be something that could lead to hanging, and is something they have to hide.

While things end with a relatively happy ending, I would've liked to see just a little bit more to convince me that there was an HEA and to see how they managed to continue in their relationship. Overall, however, I enjoyed the story of these guys. ( )