Evolving Man

Starred review from May 13, 2013
Devon and Dee (The Gentleman and the Rogue) fill this expertly written gay Victorian romance with emotional tension. Though Everett Gerard knows that the half-starved boy claiming to be Ipsial Gerard is definitely not his son, the family likeness is undeniable, requiring further investigation at the long-avoided ancestral home. Estate manager Miles Kenway is disgusted by his employer’s refusal to take responsibility for the estate and the boy; after he sends Everett an outraged letter, he expects to lose his job. To Miles’s surprise, Everett keeps him on, and the “dissolute bounder” turns out to be a man haunted by his past. As Miles tries to help Everett overcome his fears, he also develops a fatherly interest in “little hellion” Ipsial. Miles’s unwavering strength provides Everett with the emotional support he never had, and their friendship slowly becomes a romance. When Hubert Gerard, Ipsial’s biological father, threatens to expose Everett as a sodomite and claim custody of the boy, Everett must decide what his relationship with Miles is worth. Well paced with realistic characters, this deep story is a must-read for fans of gay historicals.