At some point, Georgie had become indispensable, not only to Lawrence’s work but to his life—his heart, damn it” There are solid overtones that bring Beauty and the Beast to mind: Georgie being the softer and gentler, and often more personable of the two, especially when contrasted with Lawrence’s decided discomfort and bad temper that characterize his own interactions. But Georgie is supremely skilled in coaxing and cajoling trust and confidence, even as he reveals little to nothing about himself. Lawrence, mired in the fears that family history will also result in his mental decline, have served to push him further from the public’s eye, finding refuge in his experiments and scientific study. Experiments don’t require conversation, they don’t judge and point fingers while whispering, and more importantly, they don’t require him to be anything other than himself. Of course, there is talk of the Mad Earl: how could they not with his father’s dramatic demise, and the servants who left in droves didn’t understand the difference between science and witchcraft, and everything combines to make a story far more dramatic and intriguing than the truth. I’ll concede that this might not be the moment I’d want brought up if my sanity were called into question.” He settled a palm against Georgie’s hip, satisfied by the way his hand nestled against the smaller man’s body.” Oh, this worked. And it worked in the best way ever. Witnessing Lawrence struggling with his belief that he was doomed to be another crazy man who would rent apart anyone around him and then seeing him come out the other side of his supposed crazy. Well, swoon. Just swoon.

You have a library of hundreds—if not thousands—of books downstairs, and you let them rot.” So it was a book Turner was waving about, brandishing like a weapon. “Do you have any idea what that does to any person of sense? It’s obscene, I tell you.”my favorite moment- Lawrence convincing Georgie to ‘steal’/take his jewels, so he can settle his debts and never need for money:

Cat Sebastian masterfully crafts swoon-worthy characters the reader can't help but fall in love with."--Jordan L. Hawk, author of the Whybourne & Griffin seriesAn epilogue wouldn't have gone amiss, but the ending is nevertheless a believable and romantic HEA. He was petrified by the idea of leaving his study, of meeting new people, or being assaulted by too much noise, or really doing anything that took him out of the cocoon he had created for himself. Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Randor, is convinced he’s mad, and has plenty of reasons to believe it. His father and older brother were infamously insane; he has bouts where his mind’s chaos overwhelms him to the point of paralysis, and he lives as a hermit to try and prevent these moments from occurring. He’s also a man attracted to men, which he sees as part of his affliction. At thirty, he’s resigned to his madness and he no longer bothers to have relationships, care about the passage of time, maintain grooming or fashion standards or ensure the upkeep and preservation of his ancestral estate. His only interests are scientific research and inventions, and his work provides an indirect relief from the loneliness of his self-imposed isolation on his barely-habitable, decaying Cornwall estate.

This book was so beautifully written, the characters were extremely charming and well developed, the story was really smooth with no unneeded drama, and overall such a wonderfully delightful read. Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that's what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family's crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence's new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down.It was as if after a quarter of a century of blithely not giving a damn about anybody, he had accrued a surplus of damns to give.” I was hooked on Georgie and Lawrence's interaction from the start. Despite Lawrence anti-social and brutish attitude that tend to scare off everyone else, Georgie was not the least affected. Being bred and raise in a slump, Georgie had experience all life had to offer and he know how to handle Lawrence's eccentricity. He even find himself fascinated by Lawrence brilliance. Georgie Turner is a conman, a swindler and basically amoral. When his recently grew a conscience and end up being hunted, he decided to take up a rare task to pose as a secretary for the reclusive Earl of Radnor. His job is to report on the earl mental competency, while also trying to steal a silver or two for himself. What he didn't expect is to find himself getting attach to the ruin castle and to the eccentric earl.

Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least that's what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family's crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence's new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down.Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable characters and just the right amount of sexual tension.