Review by mounce574 - Love Habit

mounce574 's review for:

Love Habit by TL Clark

4.0

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Love Habit is a Tudor romance about Christian Monks by T. L Clark. The narrative is through the eyes of Paul Uphey as he describes his life in Darenth Priory. Paul agreed to become a part of the priory and was a new novice. Prior Ambrose told Paul he hoped that his quiet and thoughtful nature might help another novice, Luke, to become ready to take his vows.

Novice Master Brother Barnabas was the one teaching Paul and Luke. Paul viewed his teacher as more strict than he thought was necessary. He also found this true through Brother Hector. Brother Faramand and Brother Giles were his favorites since they seemed friendlier and easier to approach with questions. Brother Giles was the infirmary attendant and became Paul's confidant Paul was attracted to Luke but held this feeling secret. He knew that his attraction was frowned upon in public and was uncertain if he could even pursue a relationship. He kept his feelings secret. However, Luke was able to console him over the separation from his family.

Paul wished to see more of Luke. One afternoon, while working in the garden, Brom- a lay person, kissed Paul. Despite pushing away from Brom, Paul was shocked when Luke seemed to be upset about the encounter. Later, Luke confided in Paul that he was also attracted to him.

Giles learned of Paul’s issue and gave Paul a "First aid" wallet with linen and oil in it. He told him to use the linens to pleasure himself and to wash them to prevent being caught. He told Paul that he had been in love with someone named Hugh. Paul kept his confidence. However, time with Luke was difficult to obtain. Paul confided in Brother Giles, and the monk told Paul he might be able to help and to practice patience.. One afternoon, Giles sent Luke and Paul to gather an herb that grew alongside the river. They spent the afternoon together and were able to share their mutual attraction. Despite weeks passing before they could be alone together, the two began to engage in more affection in secret.

Approaching this novel with an open mind, I found that Clark treated the characters with sensitivity and respect the LGBTQ+ community would appreciate. The love between Luke and Paul developed at a slow pace but when they led to the sexual scenes, the emotions were the focus rather than specific acts. Is it possible that monks who vowed a life of chastity may have considered this as acceptable? As a Christian, I do not believe so because I remember the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both were destroyed for the same sex act of homosexuality. However, I cannot fault the book on my own beliefs as it was written to show love as something everyone should be blessed to receive. The maturity Paul exhibited as the days passed was easy to see. I could picture the joy that each of the characters had to keep within themselves during festival celebrations. The unpredictable possibility of being caught increased as more people noticed the closeness of the two novices. I felt the ending of the story was perfect and left no question about Paul’s future. I rate this book four out of five stars because it could alienate some readers. Themes of Christianity combined with accepting homosexuality may hinder potential readers.

Content Warnings