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Secrets Clad in Light edition by Kyra Gregory Romance eBooks

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Secrets Clad in Light edition by Kyra Gregory Romance eBooks

Like many mystery lovers, my introduction to Victorian England was through the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. While Kyra Gregory's novel Secrets Clad in Light doesn't feature any detectives at all, she's captured an underside of London that Holmes and his Baker Street irregulars would find familiar. Add to the general mood a subterranean lair in the sewer tunnels and, later, and abandoned bakery turned into a home, and the vivid descriptions will have you (at least at times) wishing for a hot shower and a change of clothes.

But a sense of place is only part of a story, and in the other parts - character and plot - Gregory does not disappoint. Her lead character, Henry is complex and three-dimensional. You see his love for Seth, his concern for him, his concern that he is forcing a relationship, or not making the right choices. In the mysterious Mary, part healer, part helpmate, we glimpse the way women of this period were still hobbled by the conventions of society. And then there's Seth, Henry's love, who is injured in the first pages of this novel, and remains essentially mute through the end of the book. In other hands, such a character would fade into near-nonexistence, but Gregory uses body language and non-verbal noise to convey his thoughts and feelings, and leaves us with a man who is no less vivid as his speaking associates.

Also of note is Gregory's choice to do a period romance about two men. While the story is, itself, chaste (especially as modern romances go), in the late 19th century, such a relationship was certainly not one that would ever be displayed openly - even if "openly" meant "to other denizens of the sewers." Still, the book puts plot and setting above social commentary. The lovers happen to both be men, but that relationship serves the story without overpowering it.

It struck me, as I was writing interview questions for the author, that the late 19th century, right at the cusp of electricity obliterating gaslight, was really the last time that people in the modern world could live "off the grid." I have to wonder if that knowledge inspired the author at all, but whether or not it did, Secrets Clad in Light is eminently readable, and even has a compelling twist ending.

Goes well with a steaming mug of English tea (Darjeeling perhaps?) and a bowl of stew.


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Secrets Clad in Light edition by Kyra Gregory Romance eBooks Reviews

This is the second novel that I've read from Kyra Gregory and I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint. The story really draws you in and I personally felt such a strong attachment to the main character. You can practically see the story happening in your mind as it all unfolds, from the streets to the houses to the characters appearance and everything in between. The story holds drama, romance, of course secrets, and something that was a bit unexpected was the strong sense of family. Another fantastic novel ^_^
The book starts off with Henry rescuing Seth, his lover, from a collapsing building, but it isn't the injuries sustained in the collapse that worries Henry most. Seth has a large bloody gash across his neck, has he tried to cut his own throat?

Henry is homeless and penniless on the streets of Victorian London, but he has eked out a nest of sorts in the sewers under the city. He takes Seth there, unsure if he is doing the right thing, should he try to save Seth, only for him to be in misery, or should he let him go? Is he being selfish by wanting to keep his lover alive? A young woman comes to their aid, who seems to know a lot about medicine and she helps Henry save his lover. She speaks well and her clothes, although dirty are well-made and Henry wonders what has befallen her that she too is on the streets, but she isn't saying.

The characters in this book are wonderful, Henry is the most fully-realised and you feel his worry over what to do to best help the three of them. 1800s London is vividly brought to life, from the sewers where our trio first start out to the dilapidated bakery they make their home. It's part romance, part drama, part mystery and the writing draws you in so that you become one with the characters and their dilemmas. Although mute due to his injuries for most of the book, Seth is still a very strong character, full of life, despite not being able to speak. If you like books of the hurt/comfort genre, you'll love this. There was a very sweet scene where Henry gave Seth a massage after a bath and he fell asleep.

There were a few wrong words used in some places, such as 'throws of passion' instead of 'throes of passion' and 'peak' instead of 'peek', as in 'he peaked round the door'. But the story was so engrossing that I easily forgave the slips. It's the sort of book you get lost in and want to curl up with on a rainy day. An enjoyable read.

Review copy from author
Like many mystery lovers, my introduction to Victorian England was through the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. While Kyra Gregory's novel Secrets Clad in Light doesn't feature any detectives at all, she's captured an underside of London that Holmes and his Baker Street irregulars would find familiar. Add to the general mood a subterranean lair in the sewer tunnels and, later, and abandoned bakery turned into a home, and the vivid descriptions will have you (at least at times) wishing for a hot shower and a change of clothes.

But a sense of place is only part of a story, and in the other parts - character and plot - Gregory does not disappoint. Her lead character, Henry is complex and three-dimensional. You see his love for Seth, his concern for him, his concern that he is forcing a relationship, or not making the right choices. In the mysterious Mary, part healer, part helpmate, we glimpse the way women of this period were still hobbled by the conventions of society. And then there's Seth, Henry's love, who is injured in the first pages of this novel, and remains essentially mute through the end of the book. In other hands, such a character would fade into near-nonexistence, but Gregory uses body language and non-verbal noise to convey his thoughts and feelings, and leaves us with a man who is no less vivid as his speaking associates.

Also of note is Gregory's choice to do a period romance about two men. While the story is, itself, chaste (especially as modern romances go), in the late 19th century, such a relationship was certainly not one that would ever be displayed openly - even if "openly" meant "to other denizens of the sewers." Still, the book puts plot and setting above social commentary. The lovers happen to both be men, but that relationship serves the story without overpowering it.

It struck me, as I was writing interview questions for the author, that the late 19th century, right at the cusp of electricity obliterating gaslight, was really the last time that people in the modern world could live "off the grid." I have to wonder if that knowledge inspired the author at all, but whether or not it did, Secrets Clad in Light is eminently readable, and even has a compelling twist ending.

Goes well with a steaming mug of English tea (Darjeeling perhaps?) and a bowl of stew.