The Soldier's Scoundrel

The Soldier's Scoundrel (The Turners #1)
By  Cat Sebastian

ISBN: 9780062642486
308 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

A scoundrel who lives in the shadows

Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London’s slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be. 

A soldier untarnished by vice

After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman’s life—one that doesn’t include sparring with a ne’er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before. Soon his yearning for the unapologetic criminal is only matched by Jack’s pleasure in watching his genteel polish crumble every time they’re together. 

Two men meant only for each other

My Thoughts:

The Soldier's Scoundrel is the first book of the set now referred to as The Turners, but it was the second book in the series that I read. I expected something a little more timid than it was and was surprised, but not disappointed. The genre of M/M romance novels is still a new thing to me, and it has been quite a while since I have read any romance novels at all, so I somewhat forgot that they can sometimes be... detailed. This didn't put me off of reading it, but it meant I had to be more careful about WHERE I was reading it.

The story is a touching tale of redemption, but not in the way you expect. Jack Turner, the more roguish character, holds the moral high ground throughout most of the book, quite adequately schooling Oliver, the proper gentleman / former soldier who needs a good reality check. This is a fun change from the typical "let me, the wealthy hero, rescue you from depravity" notion that male written romance novels tend to circle around. 

The romance element isn't forced, but develops quite naturally. But once they hit that point, they don't waste any time enjoying what each other has to offer. There are several scenes of varying degrees of intimacy. At the same time, they deal with very human relationship issues - like how Oliver is struggling to feel like a complete person after his injury - and how, due to his past, Jack has some mental hang-ups of his own to work through. In a very real way, they help each other to heal.

The best thing about this book is that the story doesn't just revolve around the relationship. There is a solid secondary plotline where they are working to solve a mystery, and it is just as captivating as the romance plot, if not more so. As someone who loves mystery stories, I was completely invested in finding out the solution to the case. I have read a lot of romance novels in the past, and while most have secondary plotlines to drive the story, The Soldier's Scoundrel has to be one of the most detailed and interesting ones I have read to date.

Overall, I thought The Soldier's Scoundrel was an excellent read. I was originally only planning to read the first book in the set that I had happened across at the library, but after going back and reading this one as well, I was motivated to finish the four book series.

Parent's Guide:

100% not for the kids! This book is adult in nature, with graphic sexual situations. Absolutely 18+