The first historical in this series of stand-alone novels, I'm astonished I haven't read A Gathering Storm before now. Y'all, it is so well done! A classic historical novel, with the main source of angst being the social status of our two heroes, I really enjoyed this from start to finish. The basic plot follows Ward (Sir Edward Fitzwilliam), a gentleman and scientist, has moved to the coast in Cornwall in an attempt to recreate the electrical and o-zone atmosphere present when his brother's spirit appeared to him during a squall while on a ship at sea. His fellow scientists scoffed and discredited his experiments, but Ward is determined to prove that life beyond the veil both exists and can be reached. And so, when searching for subjects for his experiments, he meets Nick (Nicholas Hearn), a steward for a neighboring estate and bastard son of a gypsy, it seems to be fate. Too bad Nick doesn't believe in spirits.

The relationship between the two works so well in part because the two characters are marvelously three dimensional. We don't have long with them - the story is of average length at about 300 pages - but what we do have gives us a good view into who they are, what they believe, and what they want in life. They also both have things to teach the other, that they bring to the relationship, that puts them on equal footing, a difficult task when looking at the social status of the two men.

There is a lot going on in the story, but everything moves our couple towards their happy ending, so I was certainly left satisfied!

Unfortunately this story did not work for me. Usually I enjoy the author's writing but I didn't think much really happened in this story. I was waiting for some kind of drama but it didn't show up.

The story starts really well with Edward determined to try using science to contact his dead brother. He then meets Nick who is the illegitimate child of the Roscarrock family and whose mother was gypsy. Edward ropes Nick into assisting his experiment and the two men eventually start a sexual relationship. This is illegal and forbidden but the greatest challenge between the two men is class and privilege, and this threatens to divide the two men and thwart their love for each other.

I can't be too critical because it is well written and I did enjoy the characters. It is just that I thought there would be more drama and so my expectations for the story weren't met.

Copy provided by Riptide Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a Beautiful story which has all the elements of a perfect historical romance.

This is my first book by Joanna Chambers and I will be looking for more! In addition, it is my first story of this world from Riptide and again, love it! This story is one of my favorites types of romance, slow-burn with UST, an amazing plot, and characters that are unique and interesting. You really can't go wrong with this story!

I am not one who usually enjoys historical romance...in-fact, I typically run from it. This story however it drew me in and left me enamoured with this world. Nick and Ward are two characters that I connected with easily. Because of the third-person alternating POV, I sympathized and empathized with both men, I love being able to really get into each characters head. This aspect made their romance, while not scorching hot - a palpable element throughout this book, one that we get both sides - more realistic in my opinion.

This author's writing style and ability was perfect. Even during the slower parts of the story her ability to articulate and build the scene/world carries you through until the next buildup.

I recommend this book, author, and series...and will be reading more of these stories!

4.5 stars

As always, Ms. Chambers' historical work is feels spot on. Her characterization is solid.

But this one doesn't rate as highly for me as her other works because Nick was so bitter and I find bitterness a meanness of spirit and extremely unattractive. I don't blame him for being angry at life and his fate, but there are other ways to deal with it without making yourself a smaller person. I commend the author for creating diverse characters, but, in this instance, it was not the one for me. Your mileage may vary.

Hugely impressive. A stonking great historical mmromance that's written like literary fiction. A scientist who's trying to believe that clairvoyancy and ghosts (particularly the one of his twin brother) exists falls for a "gypsy bastard", all set against the beautiful drawn historic backdrop of 1850's Cornwall. More please.

In the fictional town of Porthkennack on the Cornwall coast, it’s the year 1853. Scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam has built a stately home near a place the locals call the Hole, a place Ward hopes the atmospheric conditions during a storm can be manipulated to mimic those of a storm he experienced while shipboard—a storm where he was visited by the spirit of his twin brother at the moment of George’s death. Ward’s conviction that he will be able to recreate the precise conditions that will allow him to cross the veil and speak with George again has not only informed nearly every aspect of Ward’s life in the year since the otherworldly visitation occurred, but his devotion to proving that it’s possible has cost Ward his once sterling reputation in the scientific community.

As if that weren’t bad enough, Ward does nothing to endear himself to the locals, either, when he offers payment in exchange for test subjects to help with his experiments. He also requests that they meet a specific criterion which would make them the most ideal of participants, though it does come off as rather callous in the asking. Ward’s own social class sets him apart as well, and he sometimes flaunts this as a matter of course more so than out of a conscious effort to alienate the people he hopes to win over. One of the other things that sets Ward apart—something that Chambers uses as such a unique facet of Ward’s character composition—is a byproduct of a childhood illness. It’s not that this particular trait added to who Ward was as much as I loved that it was something about him which made him seem more vulnerable, less perfect than his staid and starched outward appearance would suggest, and therefore it made him a touch more accessible.

When rumor spreads that Ward’s mesmerism may have been the indirect cause of a man’s death, his well of test subjects dries up, but Ward is nothing if not persistent, which leads to local outcast Nick Hearn, the bastard grandson of Godfrey Roscarrock. By virtue of his mother’s Romany heritage, Nick is a nowhere man; he is a chameleon who adapts depending upon whom he’s with, yet he doesn’t ever quite fit in where he is. And, some of the locals are happy to remind him of that in the bluntest of terms. As Roscarrock’s land steward, Nick has carved out a comfortable, if not full, life for himself in Porthkennack. A life that is, no doubt, a little lonely. When Ward finds Nick at the local pub and learns that Nick might be the perfect test subject, it leads to a tense and rather humiliating scene that sees Nick refusing Ward’s offer under no uncertain terms. Until, that is, Nick feels he has no choice.

Eavesdropping on a compromising conversation, a situation that could expose Nick’s deepest secret, gives Ward the perfect opportunity to coerce Nick’s participation in the experiment, even as Ward himself is committing a lie of omission in his manipulation of the scenario. And this is where it all begins for these two men, on wholly uneven footing, apart from the fact that they are already divided by their social standing. When a man feels his choices have been taken from him, and his truths are being used as a means of assuring his grudging cooperation, it doesn’t make for an easy road to love. But, Joanna Chambers makes it believable and romantic, and I loved the journey she takes these two men on.

As is always the case with a historical romance, setting is everything. The sense of time and place that grounds the reader in Porthkennack in the 19th century is perfection without any attempt at all to give readers a history lesson. The time and storyline melded perfectly, in fact, because of the uptick in the Victorian fascination with the supernatural during a time when scientific progress was also on the rise, and I love how it all tied in with Ward’s efforts to conjoin the physical and the metaphysical realms.

A Gathering Storm is such a great metaphor for Ward and Nick’s relationship as it builds up to its single defining moment. Theirs is an opposites attracts story in which Ward’s privilege and grief and desperation to defy death cause him to make what might have been some unforgiveable blunders were Nick any less capable of forgiving. I loved Nick a lot, actually, and I loved the way he and Ward complemented each other in their differences, and how Nick helped Ward to understand that letting go of George doesn’t mean he must stop loving or remembering him.

I have yet to read a Joanna Chambers book I didn’t find to be beautifully executed, and this one doesn’t break that streak. In fact, this might just be my favorite of all the books that I’ve read by this author so far. Honestly, it had me all-in at the Prologue, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

I really enjoyed this historical romance set in Cornwall. The characters made sense to me, especially in terms of their class differences in the time period. Wade was a bit crazy, but in a good way! They were a good combo and I liked the ending. I wasn't sure about the diary sections that begin most chapters. In the beginning they were interesting, but as the story went on they didn't add much. But that's a minor point. I liked the setting and the use of the cliffs and the sea. I also liked that Porthkennack seemed a much smaller place at this time than in the 21st century stories, which is totally realistic.

After reading and loving the Enlightenment series I was eager to read Joanna Chambers latest M/M historical romance 'A Gathering Storm'. Having now finished this wonderful book, I can safely say that Joanna Chambers is fast becoming one of my favourite historical M/M romance authors!

I love the unusual historical angle Joanna Chambers gave 'A Gathering Storm' through Ward's obsession with communing with the departed. Having briefly studied the Victorian period at school I know this phenomenon with the supernatural and seances was a genuine trend and it was fascinating to read about Ward trying to take a scientific approach to the subject. It his desire to commune with the dead that leads to him relocating to Porthkennack, a small town in Cornwall; it is there that he meets Nick, the steward of the local gentry and the son of a Romany psychic.

I enjoyed reading the slow burn romance between Ward and Nick. It felt realistic given the circumstances of how they met, the different backgrounds they came from and the time period. Despite all this I felt that Ward and Nick were extremely well-matched couple. Nick is a realist, he doesn't expect much from other people and has always felt like he doesn't belong. Despite seeing himself as an outcast he gets on well with people, he's comfortable in his own skin and has a good heart. In contrast Ward is book smart, he went to Oxford, and become passionate about the sciences. Yet he's awkward around people, and struggles to understand the nuances of human conversation. He's direct and to the point. He's also privileged and isn't always aware of how that privilege comes across. Yet again he has a good-heart, his enthusiastic and an eternal optimist.

Joanna Chambers is brilliant at characterisation and it really shone through in this novel. Even the secondary characters felt like real people, with hope and dreams. Ward and Nick's relationship felt organic and real, even if it wasn't all smooth sailing. The only slight area I thought could have been improved was the ending. Without giving to many spoilers, all I'll say is I felt the ending was a little rushed. A lot of loose ends are tied up very quickly and I felt that the emotional revelation for the two heroes suffered as a result.

Overall a truly wonderful novel that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys character driven romances.or/and well research historical romances!

When I realized this was book two in the Porthkennack series, I was worried it was a series that required reading in order. Reading out of order gives me an eye twitch. Turns out it's a “shared universe” with books by different authors set in the same fictional town. It appears most so far are contemporary, with this being the only historical so far.

This was the second book I received from NetGalley, and weirdly enough, I had unknowingly picked two books back-to-back featuring Spiritualism, which was fashionable from the 1840s through the 1920s. The other was “An Unseen Attraction” by KJ Charles. While the latter gives a little peek behind the curtain of mediums and how they conned the grieving out of money, this one has a more personal, yet sort of scientific, view on Spiritualism.

Sir Edward Fitzwilliam was on a ship during an electrical storm when he had a vision of his twin brother, George, who was off fighting in Burma. Turns out his brother had died, and he becomes convinced that something about the storm made it possible for George to reach him from beyond the grave. Being a scientific man, he begins researching and while he does realize that most mediums are frauds, he finds himself convinced there is a possibility that some people may be more sensitive to such things, especially if conditions are right.

After defending a fraud spiritualist, his fellow scientists publicly scorn him, and he retreats to the Cornish seaside town of Porthkennack, where he builds a new home along the shore in hopes of recreating conditions similar to the one he experienced years ago. Such a storm would be rare, so he also continues other research, such as attending séances to see if one of them might be the real deal, and trying to convince wary locals to be subjects in his experiments. His intent is to hypnotize them, to see if they show any signs of being able to contact spirits, but after his first subject dies in a (mostly) unrelated accident, the townsfolk are convinced Sir Edward (aka Ward) used electricity on him and ultimately caused his death.

Nicholas Hearn is land steward for the wealthy Roscarrock family, and is sort of accidentally blackmailed by an increasingly desperate Ward to be a participant in his experiments. Ward thinks he'll make an excellent subject, as the townsfolk make no secret that Nick's mother was Romani and a fortune teller. Nick thinks it's all a bunch of bunk, because his late mother told him she was making stuff up for the locals in order to earn money since his father abandoned her and the family wouldn't acknowledge him openly. He agrees to go along with it because Ward telling anyone he was seen in a compromising position with another man would ruin the life he's managed to carve out as the bastard child of s Roscarrock and a Gypsy woman. Ward doesn't really intend to say a word, but if it makes the difference in Nick working with him, he'll let him think he will.

The two men are from different worlds – aristocratic and working man – yet each is also stuck between two worlds as well. Ward is a scientist, but also desperately wants to believe his brother contacted him from beyond and that he can scientifically recreate the experience, with a part of that being able to prove it to the other scientists who mocked him. He's an aristocrat used to getting his way, though never intentionally cruel about it, but he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the aristocratic set due to his scientific interests and a voice horribly damaged by a childhood bout with diphtheria.

While Nick is technically a Roscarrock, he's treated more like a servant than family, but since most if not all of the servants know the truth about him, he can't quite fit in with the either, especially since his grandfather had him well-educated even though he didn't officially acknowledge him and his education was only done after he'd done his work for the day. The local bully takes great delight in taunting him about his Romani heritage, yet he doesn't feel like he would belong with his mother's people either, even though it was her wish for him to go to them when she died.

Their differences lead to some Big Misunderstandings (and some little ones too), but it does eventually resolve itself with both realizing how they're seeing things from different perspectives. This is helped along by alternating POV chapters, so you can see thing from both sides, though it can make you want to knock their head together and tell them to talk to each other.

There was only one instance when something was not resolved to my taste. Ward is going to see a medium in another town, and Nick goes with him. He wants to keep an eye on Ward to make sure he's not taken advantage of, and the trip becoming a chance for sexytimes away from prying eyes is a major bonus. I don't view saying the medium was a fraud as a spoiler, since they all are, but when Nick tries to explain it's all a hoax to Ward, both he and the other attendees are upset with him. Ward and Nick quarrel over it, and everyone wants the “non-believer” kicked out. Not long after Nick leaves, the daughter of one of the attendees who's convinced the medium is talking to her dead husband notices something amiss and exposes the fraud to everyone. While Ward does eventually apologize in the grand scheme of things, he never tells Nick about him being right about the medium, and this niggled at me. It doesn't derail the plot, it's just I kept expecting that revelation to happen and it didn't.

I'm relatively new to Joanna Chambers, with this only being the second book of hers I've read, but I've been hearing about her from several of my friends online, which is why I jumped on this ARC when I saw it available. I will definitely be looking for more.

I've read a few shared universe series previously, though I don't recall one that included both historical and contemporary. I often find them to be hit or miss, sometimes due to the overall storyline or the plot of a specific book, but often it's the different author's voices that don't always mesh well. I'm willing to try more in this series, especially since I see another author I like is contributing a book. I'm curious to see how detailed the connections will be between the books; just the same town, or will we see characters again, even if it's only a reference? Since this one is a historical, will there be some references to Sir Edward Fitzwilliam and the Roscarrock family in the contemporary books, with the opportunity for the author to give the reader a wink and a nudge about Ward and Nick's real relationship?

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Gathering Storm was an intriguing book. Edward Fitzwilliam had an experience that changed him forever – he saw his twin brother moments after he died half a world away. Nicholas Hearn’s life has taught him one thing – that he’s nothing but a gypsy’s bastard and worthless to the men and women around him.

Both men have unresolved issues and they are both looking for something, though they aren’t necessarily willing to admit, even to themselves, what that is.

Each chapter starts with a piece of Ward’s journals, giving us a taste of his past. Usually jumping from 1st person narrative to 3rd person is jarring – Chambers did it perfectly.

The main problem for me was that the book was too slow. The part that bothers me most of all was I’m not even sure why it was so slow. The details were wonderful and I loved the looks into both men’s lives. However, I could only read it in small amounts as if I tried to read it in longer stretches, my mind wandered.

That said, the book picked up steam after their trip to Truro and the latter part sped by. My main fault with the book was the explanations at the end of how the contract made Ward Nick’s tenant. That part was never fully explained and I’m still scratching my head at it. Since Ward owns his land, why is he Nick’s tenant and has to pay him rent?

I liked the book, but it was a slow read. It gave me a taste of Porthkennack and now I’m intrigued enough to want to read another book in the multi-author series.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this but it didn't wow me like it seemed to do to everyone else. I don't really know what was missing for me, I typically love this author's work, but it was just alright. I didn't write my review right away (my bad.....sorry author and publisher) but as I sat down to write this I realized I couldn't remember one thing about this book. Not one. I had to read other people's reviews to jog my memory. The fact that the plot was so unmemorable to me probably says it all.

I think though that this is a case of "It's not you, it's me." Everyone else seemed to love this book. It's probably best you all disregard my review totally and read other people's. They are far more comprehensive.

**ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

It took me so long to finish this book. It started really nice in the beginning, but I'm bored easily.
I read my friends reviews to gain my spirit to read it, but still...Ward and Nick can't made me stay and content to read. I kept put it down, an 0n-off relationship with this book is definitely can blame on me. Skimming some hypnosis (trance) moments, I studied hypnotism but this bored me. I have no idea why.
The ending is quite good for the time being. But maybe me and the author cannot really connected and have low chemistry. At least in this story.
I'm not giving up, I'll probably will read her other book in the future.

*4.5 stars*

Beautiful, swoony, atmospheric, and everything a historical romance should be.

I'm really late on the Joanna Chambers train, but I'm here now! A Gathering Storm was a lovely, lovely story, and it affected me deeply. Everything from the setting to the pacing was spot on.

The story is slow-burn and the plot is interesting. Quirky, even. I think I was interested in the plot just as much as the characters. I loved learning about Nick's backstory and what drove Ward. I found their personal histories to be endlessly fascinating, and though the pacing was slow, I was really driven by the plot to keep reading.

The romance is there and passionate, though I don't think that Nick and Ward are going to go down as an epic couple in my memory. I liked them together (who doesn't love opposites attract!), and I think they had chemistry, but I was more interested in the beautiful writing and the overall feel of the story.

I had a few quibbles about the ending, but I thought that Joanna Chambers really nailed this story. The Porthkennack series is shaping up to be a winner for me.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

It took me almost 3 weeks to finish this book. And I can assure you, it was too long, even for my slow reading speed recently because of my busy schedule.

So, on a scale of a reading pleasure from 1 to 5, it is probably even less than 2 stars, but I’d like to remain fair: this book probably is not THAT bad, but it didn’t work for me at all. Looking back at my everyday's struggle with this novel, and knowing the ending now, I can say, it would be better to DNF it. But here I am and I owe a modest explanation for my low rating for a book that seems to win the hearts of many readers.

I love historical fiction if it can convey a sense of time, the feeling of a past era. I didn’t have this feeling reading A Gathering Storm. The fact that Porthkennack is a fictional small town on the Cornwall coast, could hardly justify the absence of any historical feeling. It could have been set on a fictional planet in an imaginable universe; or even in a vacuum; it would not have played a role. A Gathering Storm is a novel without ANY historical feel. And neither experts from The Collected Writing of Sir Edward Fitzwilliam (I didn't get their purpose here at all) , nor the date of the mid-1850th that appeared in every chapter’s title, nor old-fashioned-sttyled dialogues couldn’t change this fact or my opinion about it.

A wealthy scientist Ward who came to Porthkennack to investigate certain effects in electromagnetism, found after some failures a perfect subject for his dubious scientific experiments - Nick Hearn, an attractive local bastard, whose mother was Romany Gypsy and whose natural grandfather, turned out to be old Godfrey Roscarrock himself, a local landlord with a lot of power.

This unusual constellation and particular circumstances under which Ward and Nick met could offer an exciting love story with a storm of emotions. Unfortunately, the closer these two lovebirds got, the more tedious and monotonous became the story. I didn’t find the main characters authentic or interesting or charming to be care of, their mutual attraction came from nowhere and was difficult for me to buy, and even prolonged sex scenes couldn't convince me.
Actually they did just the opposite, I skimmed most of them.

And the dialogues! Did adult educated people talk this way, even more than 150 years ago?!

I was bored with this book to death.

It was my first book by Joanna Chambers and most likely the last one.

We have different ideas of historical fiction.

4.5 Stars!!!

By now, you all must know that I love historical books, no matter the genre. So, of course, I was going to jump up and snag this one up and I loved it!

Ward (Sir Edward Fitzwilliam) is a scientist, still grieving his twin brother's death and obsessed with finding a way to communicate with him in the afterlife after a strange incident during a sea storm the day George died. To that effect, he's moved to Porthkennack and built a house there and has been trying to recruit some subjects for his experiments with little success, until he meets Nicholas Hearn.

Nick is half-Romany and works as the Roscarrock family's land steward, because of his parentage and the fact that his mother was reported to be a clairvoyant, he's mocked by others in the village and would be just perfect for Ward's trial. Only Nick isn't willing to participate.

When Ward discovers one of Nick's best-kept secrets and implies he could reveal it to others, Nick agrees to help Ward out and from then on, they forge a tentative work relationship, which eventually turns into friendship and more, once they give into their attraction. But, is their fragile relationship stronger than Nick's distrust in wealthy men and Ward's obsession with contacting his brother?

I liked Ward very much, I felt for him, so focused on his work so he wouldn't have to grieve his twin brother. He made mistakes, but he wasn't callous or arrogant, it was just his upbringing and his personality coming into play. And I loved Nick, but that doesn't mean that I didn't think he messed up as well, like with Gabe when they met in Truro. I think he needed that sense of belonging to someone, even more than Ward did. His relationship with Godfrey and Isabella was kind of heartbreaking, too. I felt so bad for him and how Godfrey behaved with him, despite their connection to the land, but I guess that's the way things were done back then.

The chemistry between Ward and Nick was electrifying and I just adore that while they both had experience in certain areas in the bedroom, they could teach new things to each other.

All in all, definitely a must-read! I adored seeing Ward's interest in science growing the older he got through his journal entries, that was a clever way of giving us more background information as to what made him tick. The cover is absolutely delicious and that coupled with the blurb, it being a Joanna Chambers' book and a historical romance, well, that enhanced the experience for me.

Joanna Chambers did a fantastic job with the writing, the language, the descriptions, the way everyone acted and behaved from the MCs to every other single character that appeared in the book, it all combined to transport me back to 1853. Highly recommendable!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Nick and Ward don’t get off on the right foot. They’re complete opposites, and clash often.

But as they spend time together, they slowly begin realizing that their preconceived notions of the other weren’t true. They bond over their shared grief for their deceased family members and their less-than-perfect childhoods.

The two are also well-matched intellectually. Ward may be the scientist, and Nick’s education may not have been as extensive, but they find it difficult to be bored in each other’s company.

And underneath that gradual emotional connection, there’s a simmering sexual tension. This isn’t a particularly steamy book, but when the two finally give in, they’re passionate and intense.

‘A Gathering Storm’ manages to include some social commentary, which is what I’d expect from Joanna Chambers. The author explores class disparity between a titled aristocrat and someone who has to work for a living.

Nick’s view of the world is shaped by who he is - born out of wedlock to a Romani mother, and always aware that he doesn’t belong in Ward’s world. It takes a while for Ward to really understand where Nick’s coming from, but by the end he makes quite a lot of progress.

The ending was a perfect happy ever after. Sometimes the endings for an MM historical romance aren’t entirely believable, but Ward and Nick find a way to be together that’s entirely plausible.

Overall, ‘A Gathering Storm’ hits the perfect balance between well-rounded characters, a slow but sweet romance, some angst, and a brilliant HEA. If you’re looking for an MM historical read, I’d highly recommend this book!

Joanna Chambers’ A Gathering Storm is the sole historical entry in the Porthkennack series of queer romances written by five different award-winning, best-selling British LGBTQ+ romance authors. All the books – the others are by Charlie Cochrane, J.L. Merrow, Alex Beecroft and Garrett Leigh – can be read in any order and are standalone titles; the link is the setting of Porthkennack, a charming Cornish seaside town with a long and sometimes sinister history.

The story opens as Sir Edward Fitzwilliam Is travelling from Dublin to Anglesey on the night of a fierce, electrical storm. The storm is at its height when Edward – Ward – experiences a strange phenomenon; he hears his twin brother, George, assuring him that all will be well at what Ward later realises must have been the moment of his brother’s death. From that moment on, Ward becomes consumed by the idea of recreating the conditions that allowed the communication and devotes himself to the task, even though the wider scientific community – of which he had been a respected member – disapproves of his efforts to contact the departed and denounces him.

Following his disastrous public defence of a sham medium in opposition to some of his highly respected colleagues, Ward retreats to the small seaside town of Porthkennack in Cornwall, where he purchases a plot of land close to a place known locally as ‘the Hole’, an eighty-foot-high cavern that stretches from cliff-top to seabed. Stories of the supernatural cling to the place, but Ward’s interest is of a more scientific nature; he believes that the conditions experienced in that location during a storm will help him in his quest to recreate those he experienced on the night his brother communicated with him ‘from beyond the veil’.

But in order to prove that communication with the spirit world is possible, Ward also needs subjects willing to take part in his experiments, preferably people who have recently suffered a bereavement. He asks his solicitor if he can help him find such people, but even though Ward offers to pay well, the locals are naturally sceptical; and once rumours begin circulating about his using mesmerism and electric shocks (he doesn’t) not even the promise of payment can induce anyone to sign up.

On a visit to a local tavern in hopes of drumming up some interest, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward at the neighbouring Roscarrock estate. Nick is half Romany and, while it’s never publicly acknowledged, is the illegitimate grandson of his employer, old Godfrey Roscarrock. Nick’s gypsy mother is widely believed to have been clairvoyant, and when Ward learns of this, he is convinced that Nick is the very man to assist him with his experiments – but Nick isn’t interested, or at least, he isn’t interested in what Ward is trying to do, although he is fascinated by the man himself.

But circumstances have a way of changing unexpectedly, and not long after their initial meeting, Nick is manoeuvred into striking a bargain with Ward and agreeing to help with his experiments until the end of the summer. Over the ensuing weeks, the men fall into an unlikely friendship at the same time as the undercurrent of attraction that has been evident since their first meeting continues to bubble and simmer until it reaches a fever pitch they can no longer ignore or resist.

The romance between these two polar opposites – one fair, wealthy and privileged and the other a dark, reserved outsider – is incredibly well done and really quite beautiful. The sexual tension and the strength of the emotional connection the men share just leap off the page, and I really appreciated the way Ms. Chambers is able to put their romantic relationship on an equal footing in spite of their difference in social standing. Ward has never been in love, but is sexually experienced while Nick had a lover, but the opportunities to thoroughly explore the physical side of that relationship were few. But while Ward is rather deliciously naughty, the one thing he doesn’t have experience of is kissing – and the scene in which Nick shows Ward just how gloriously intimate a kiss can be is wonderfully tender and passionate.

They are very well-drawn, three-dimensional characters, both of them fervent about their beliefs and both stubborn to a fault. Ward was born into an aristocratic family and, while not an uncaring person, doesn’t realise the degree to which his privileged position distances him from other, ‘ordinary’ people. Nick, on the other hand, is neither fish nor fowl; his position as a land steward raises him above the farmers and working men of the village, yet even though he is the grandson of the one of the most powerful men in the area, Nick’s illegitimacy and his Romish blood mean that he is not gentry either. Ms. Chambers does a terrific job in exploring these differences, showing Ward and Nick recognising the need to make adjustments to their way of thinking and acting if they are to make a future together. Nick’s situation as being ‘between classes’ makes him particularly easy to empathise with; he feels he doesn’t really belong anywhere, and that sense of isolation is often compounded by his own, somewhat introverted nature. Ward, on the other hand, comes across as a bit of a snob at first, although it soon becomes clear that his sometimes dismissive attitude is as much to do with his absorption in his work and an inability to read social cues as it is to do with his upbringing.

There is a small, but strongly characterised secondary cast, and the uneasy relationship between Godfrey Roscarrock and Nick is particularly well done. Nick resents the older man; even though he has given him a good position, Nick sometimes wonders if he wouldn’t have been better off if he’d been left as he was, a gypsy bastard left to run with his mother’s folk – yet it’s obvious that Roscarrock has some degree of affection for his unacknowledged grandson, and sees in him a man like himself, a man whose love of the land is deeply entrenched.

I should probably point out here that in spite of Ward’s obsession with communicating with the dead, this book is primarily an historical romance and the paranormal aspect of the story is a background detail. It’s an important, very well researched and quite fascinating background detail, but that’s nonetheless what it is, so anyone coming to the book expecting a strong paranormal element may be disappointed.

A Gathering Storm is a wonderful love story, and at the same time, a subtly nuanced exploration of the nature of obsession and grief. I’ve gone back and forth over a final grade for the book because while I enjoyed it very much, the final chapter is somewhat rushed, and there are a couple of pacing issues in the middle. Ultimately, however, neither of those things would deter me from re-reading it, which means it belongs on my keeper shelf.

Grade: A-

A Gathering Storm was very authentically feeling story set in fictional Porthkennack seaside town in Cornwall. It's second book set in there (first being Wake Up Call) but can be read as a standalone without confusions.

One of the main characters is Sir Edward Fitzwilliam, shortened as Ward, who is aristocratic gentleman and a scientist. He moves to Porthkennack after his reputation suffers in London, and he's set to do scientific research at the small seaside town. Ward's very likable character even though he is flawed; he can be a bit wrap up to his privilege and while he doesn't mean anything bad, he often comes off as inconsiderable. He also has a harsh voice because of childhood sickness of diphtheria, and other characters described him at times as handsome gentlemen with a voice of the devil. The other main character is Nicholas Hearn, or Nick, who's somewhere between landed gentry and commoner, not really belonging to either because he's a bastard son of wealthy landed gentry man, and he's employed by his grandfather as a steward of the estate. Nick's quite quiet and a man of few words because he doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere in Porthkennack even if he loves to be there. Nick's quite lovable character too, although his biggest flaw is that he's a bit wrap up to his own sense of not belonging to see people around him how they are.

What I really loved about the A Gathering Storm was the likable characters, the authentic feeling of the setting, how the dialogue and mannerism matched the historical setting/time, and overall the historical setting as 19th century small seaside town and the aspects of science and scientific discoveries that Ward's background and work brought to the story. The romance between Ward and Nick was slow burn with tension which was very nice, and overall the exploration of their relationship was such a good read. The story also explored deeper aspects of grief, or more than that, what actions deep grief can cause. The only slightly negative thing was that the ending was a bit abrupt - but that might just be me, because I would have enjoyed reading about Ward and Nick a little bit more!

I recommend this if you enjoy authentic historical settings and slow burn romances.

Love and grief and loneliness and isolation, there can be no better setting for a stormy romance of this ilk than the cliffs of North Cornwall. These two characters are windswept and handsome and emotionally distant, much like the craggy, ocean-gnawed cliffs, with the potential for great passion beneath their slightly aloof exteriors. I was thoroughly swept away by it all and enjoyed it a lot.

Both Nick and Ward are outsiders – Nick because of his Romany mother and his bastard status, Ward because of his rough voice (a leftover from a childhood illness) and his wealth and title. Both are successful in their own right, but neither are content. Nick has never felt like he belongs anywhere and has a massive chip on his shoulder regarding social status (with reason), while Ward is largely oblivious to such things, but his recent obsession with mediums and the spirit world have definitely harmed his previously enviable standing in the scientific community. They have a lot in common, but a few rather important differences, which leads to friction and passion and lots and lots of tension between them.

I liked them both. Ward is not a people person, but his focus on and passion for the things that interest him make him rather endearing. His grief for his brother is teased out mostly through journal entries, but underlies everything he does. He’s a man who clearly feels deeply, even if he doesn’t always acknowledge it, and his fascination for electricity neatly feeds into his new interests.

Nick is more grounded than Ward. He’s highly observant and constantly assesses everyone around him. He sees things that most people miss, which doesn’t help with his sceptical views on pretty much everything. Yet, at the same time, he can be a little oversensitive and slightly oblivious when it comes to the people who really matter to him – Ward and his grandfather. He’s a man who has been hurt before, both as a child and as an adult, and his desire not to get hurt again sometimes leads to some pigheaded behaviour and a stubborn insistence that he doesn’t belong, when it’s clear that he obviously does.

I will admit, much as I enjoyed this – especially the slow build up to friendship between the men before anything more serious happens – and appreciated both the period scientific detail and ambiguous ghostly goings on, I wasn’t entirely convinced it was love between them, especially Ward. He is definitely attracted to Nick, but it’s hard to tell how well he really gets to know him between his obsession with the supernatural, his grief for his brother and his other scientific goals. Likewise, the way Nick feels about their different social status made it hard for me to believe he could ever overcome his bitterness, regardless of how things stand at the end. I did, however, like how certain things were resolved and definitely think a good balance was achieved, even if I wasn’t convinced about how long-lasting it might be. And then there’s Master Snowflake, who was quite simply wonderful.

So on the whole, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters were nuanced and interesting – including the wider secondary cast – the setting was gorgeous and the romance was tempestuous enough to fill the pages. If you like your M/M romance with a hint of history, a glorious backdrop and a couple of outcast characters finding solace in each other, then give this a go.