Lord Oliver Marsden has a secret. He’s been in love with his childhood friend for years, though Vincent’s never shown an interest in him beyond friendship. Ruggedly handsome, wealthy, and successful, Vincent is everything Oliver is not. And Vincent doesn’t prefer men.
Then Oliver discovers Vincent hires a man during his visits to a London brothel. Desperate to be with Vincent, Oliver orchestrates a deception, switching places with the brothel’s employee. When Oliver arrives at the bedchamber, he’s in for another surprise. Restraints and a leather bullwhip? Apparently Vincent isn’t as conservative as he appears.
Lord Vincent Prescot has a secret of his own. One kept locked away and only indulged once a month. But this month’s appointment is different. The mysterious man is so perfect, so beautiful in his submission, rousing protective instincts Vincent can’t deny. Yet he refuses to believe he might truly prefer men, for it could mean the end of his hopes of earning his father’s respect.
Will betrayal destroy them or will they be bound together by deception?

Bound by Deception – Ava March
September 16, 2008
M/M Historical Romance
ebook, novella
Loose ID
I purchased the book

The summary above does a great job setting up the book, but I want to take it one step farther and say during that night of passion, Vincent drops his cravat pin and as Oliver leaves that night, he takes it with him. Eventually this pin becomes a symbol that Oliver belongs to Vincent, something only the two of them know. However, after Oliver takes it, he decides to wear it the next time he sees Vincent, in the middle of a ball instead of telling Vincent in words that it was actually him at the brothel. The moment Vincent looks up, and realizes he had spent a night with his friend Oliver, instead of some faceless whore, is truly a great scene.

Not only does this book dive into the romance between Oliver and Vincent, but it also deals with Vincent’s struggle to keep his lifestyle completely discreet from society and his family. He is the second son, ignored by his father. Although he is the dominant in the relationship, he has an almost quiet, desperate loneliness about him.

Oliver on the other hand knows what he wants. At first I thought his plan was a little evil, deceiving Vincent with sex. But as Oliver says, Vincent was going to have sex with some faceless whore that night, why not it be Oliver. I love the fact that these two don’t immediately fall in love. Vincent eventually admits his feelings to Oliver, as he thinks:

Mars loved him. He felt it, and that affection felt right. But he wasn’t at all sure he was capable of returning those feelings. Everything was much too new. Maybe with time.

To me, that feeling of uncertainty is so much more real life than admitting you are in love with someone that you just uncovered physical attraction to.

Rating: Four Stars

Lord Vincent Prescot’s life couldn’t be better. His investments were exceeding his expectations, he’d finally accepted that his father would never look on him as a prized son, and his best friend loved him. A thriving bank account, well-respected by his peers, and mind blowing sex with a man who submitted to his every desire — what more could he want?
Lord Oliver Marsden should be more than happy with his life. He’s been in love with Vincent for over a decade and six months ago the impossible happened and they became lovers. But since then, nothing had changed. More specifically, Vincent hadn’t changed. Oliver tried to be patient – it had taken a lot for Vincent to accept the fact he preferred men. But what felt like a tiny distance between them six months ago now felt like an ever-widening chasm. Why couldn’t Vincent stay the night every now and then? Was it too much to ask for Vincent to call him Oliver and not Marsden? He knew Vincent cared for him, but did he love him?
Then Vincent’s father asks him for a favor – to marry his elder brother’s intended, thus freeing his brother to marry a powerful duke’s daughter. If Vincent agrees, he’ll have the respect he’s craved from his father but could lose Oliver. Nor does Oliver make the decision easy. To keep Oliver, he’ll have to do more than deny his father. He’ll have to give Oliver his heart.

Bound to Him – Ava March
April 28, 2009
M/M Historical Romance
e-book, novella
Loose ID
I purchased the book

It is funny, at least to me, what happens in this book. I wrote my thoughts on Bound to Deception before I read Bound to Him and as I said in the above review, I liked that Vincent didn’t come right out and say he loved Oliver. However, in Bound to Him, that becomes the conflict. Six months have passed, and Vincent has not said those three magical words that Oliver so desperately wants to hear. Vincent also starts to take Oliver for granted and Oliver has had enough. With the added pressure from Vincent’s father to get married and start a family, pressure builds from both sides and their relationship starts to crumble.

At the end of the book, the confrontation between the two, plays out wonderfully. Throughout both books, Ava March never slips in portraying their characters. Oliver makes a brash move and leaves Vincent, but you can still feel that desire to submit to him. When Vincent relents, and admits his true feelings to Oliver, you can’t help but to breathe a sigh of relief. He is finally giving himself over, putting down his guard. When Vincent gives himself to Oliver, to do as he pleases, I had a huge grin alongside with Oliver, I couldn’t help myself.

Ava March is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. She not only writes emotionally driven stories where I always feel a connection with both heroes, but the romance scenes are very erotic, very naughty, and very smexy indeed.

Rating: Four Stars

A third book is planned for Oliver and Vincent, tentatively titled, Bound Forever.

Ava March’s website