Scan barcode
rosska22's review against another edition
5.0
I REALLY liked this book. I got REAL STRESSED about things about 3/4ths of the way through. I was captivated.
(I really vibed with Rupert, and seeing yourself in characters is the greatest way to ensure a book sticks with you forever, so, I was really pleased with this one.)
(I really vibed with Rupert, and seeing yourself in characters is the greatest way to ensure a book sticks with you forever, so, I was really pleased with this one.)
radikaliseradgroda's review against another edition
3.0
Started out as a 5 star read, but it slowed down and I got a bit irritated with the characters. Still, it's good enough and I'll always go for a bit of queer historical fiction.
northie's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
You know something's good when you resent any time spent away. Refuse to distracted by anything else in your tbr heap. 'Behind these doors' is such a novel.
Queering the past doesn't just mean 'the nobs' (as Lucien might say). Why assume the rest of society kept on the sexual straight and narrow? Or indeed, that their stories don't deserve to be told. Lucien is a working man - not poor by any means - but dependent on what he earns. Around him, we experience both 'the nobs' and those for whom daily life is a continuous struggle.
Lucien's milieu is a deliciously portrayed snapshot of Edwardian London. Habits and conventions from the previous century mingle with the fight for women's suffrage, the birth of modern queer consciousness, and the first Labour MPs. There's a distinct sense of that upper class gilded existence which was largely blown out of the water with World War 1.
And of course, there's the romance, Complex and multi-faceted, it is also tender, loving, and dangerous. And a fantastic read. Jude Lucens' writing is perfect, drawing you in and making you care, while also capturing that sometimes languid Edwardian sensibility.
Callum Hale is also largely perfect, giving 'the nobs' their upper class nasal drawls. Lucien is more direct, though he and his accent straddle various social strata.
Queering the past doesn't just mean 'the nobs' (as Lucien might say). Why assume the rest of society kept on the sexual straight and narrow? Or indeed, that their stories don't deserve to be told. Lucien is a working man - not poor by any means - but dependent on what he earns. Around him, we experience both 'the nobs' and those for whom daily life is a continuous struggle.
Lucien's milieu is a deliciously portrayed snapshot of Edwardian London. Habits and conventions from the previous century mingle with the fight for women's suffrage, the birth of modern queer consciousness, and the first Labour MPs. There's a distinct sense of that upper class gilded existence which was largely blown out of the water with World War 1.
And of course, there's the romance, Complex and multi-faceted, it is also tender, loving, and dangerous. And a fantastic read. Jude Lucens' writing is perfect, drawing you in and making you care, while also capturing that sometimes languid Edwardian sensibility.
Callum Hale is also largely perfect, giving 'the nobs' their upper class nasal drawls. Lucien is more direct, though he and his accent straddle various social strata.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
5.0
Possibly over generous rating? But it's my habit to rate with my heart, and how I feel at the end of a book, and I can't think of anything I would change about this one. I loved it so so so so so dearly. I've never read a book that deals with polyamory like this one, and at this point I don't feel like I need to read another one ever. This was so so lovely. I FELT the love blooming between Ambrose and Lucien, and the book was so perfectly balanced that I didn't feel like it neglected any of the other relationships either.
Aw, jeez, I'm thinking about certain passages and how tender they were, all the heartfelt conversations, all the wrist-kissing... I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Aw, jeez, I'm thinking about certain passages and how tender they were, all the heartfelt conversations, all the wrist-kissing... I LOVED THIS BOOK.
tellingetienne's review
4.0
Behind These Doors was a lovely romance. It was slow, but slow in a way that really let you dig into the romance and relationships between everyone. Slow in a beautiful soft way that just felt right. Behind These Doors is entirely character driven and a beautiful picture of what poly romance can look like when it's done well.
jfreud's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So so so good! This book really takes seriously the emotional complexities of being queer in the Edwardian era. The way the characters navigate class divides and learn from each other and work really hard to be open and loving and understanding....ugh I love it.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
A polyamorous historical set in early 1900s London, with more complicated upper-class/lower-class drama than you can shake a stick at. Aubrey is already in a fulfilling but necessarily secret relationship with his old school friend and his wife, but when he meets Lucien, a journalist, he’s immediately intrigued. It takes a lot to negotiate how the various relationships will work, especially because the society of the time so strictly dictates what is and is not acceptable, but Aubrey is a big-hearted, sweet, and kind person, and he’s willing to listen when Lucien confronts him about the ways privilege has made him blind.
scrow1022's review against another edition
5.0
Glorious. Painful, in seeing their fears, in seeing how they act ungenerously from those fears (mainly Audrey + Rupert). Very interesting discussion of class, and thought about the nature of social coercion.
lindzmace's review
4.0
Basically I loved how much time the two main characters spent cuddling. Despite all of the obstacles in their way, it felt like falling in love for them was easy and they didn't fight it or each other, just everything trying to stop them being together. Also, Aubrey spent so much time crying and wanting to be held and that was so deeply relatable to me. It felt a little choppy at the beginning but after the first chapter or so it really started to flow and that's when I really got into it. I enjoyed this book quite a lot!
katieanne4's review
When I opened this book on Kindle I was surprised that it said I was a third of the way through. It was a couple of years ago but as I started reading I had a vague recollection of it. I got closer to halfway but I'm not going to make it. It's one of those where I kind of wish I could read a detailed synopsis just so I can know what happens without finishing it. Basically, it's preachy. About polyamory and class stuff. The sick baby, I can't handle. The weird dynamic with William, I can't handle. Tbh I find it really difficult when poly books get into people's feelings and negotiations. It's... not hot. So overall maybe it's not the book it's me. I want to want to read these poly romances but so far they almost universally leave me cold. (Even my girl Sierra Simone, it's never QUITE what I want it to be)