Winter’s Bees (Mechanical Universe: Book 3)

Title:  Winter’s Bees  (Mechanical Universe: Book 3)

Author:  E.E. Ottoman

Publisher:  Less Than Three Press

Length:  99 pages

Rating:  B List

Quad Shot of Love

 

Blurb:  Lord Marcel de la Mont de Anges, the Marquis de Montespan is a brilliant mathematician, member of the mechanical animation movement and all around dandy. He’s been in love with shy, quiet entomologist and youngest member of the royal family, Prince Gilbert André XVI, since they were children. The Emperor’s plans to arrange a marriage between Marcel and Gilbert should have been the answer to all his secret fantasies. But Gilbert is still reeling from a nasty breakup, and he cannot picture the man he regards as a brother becoming his lover. The order to marry has thrown their relationship into disorder, and if they cannot sort out the changes there may not even be a friendship left for them to save…

 

Review:  An emotional story set in a world where same sex marriage is commonplace. When the parents of best friends from childhood arrange their children’s engagement everything changes. 

Is there anyone more amazing than your best friend? And when you fall in love with your best friend it can make for a blissfully happy and stable marriage. Unless they don’t love you back, have never even thought of you as a potential sexual partner and are freaked out at the thought of marrying you. Welcome to Marcel’s world. 

I ached for Marcel. He had loved Gilbert for as long as he could remember and had wanted to marry him since he was twelve years old. Gilbert’s reaction to their engagement and marriage were heartbreaking. The chasm that separated them hurt them both. And the lengths that Marcel was willing to go to in pursuit of Gilbert’s happiness broke his heart all over again. 

It was hard to not smack Gilbert. I know he’s shy and awkward and he’d never considered Marcel as a lover, but he hurt them both so much. I know he’s was still hurting from a very ugly breakup that had left him with some serious self esteem issues. But ouch! It was painful to see them both suffer as their friendship deteriorated. I was so happy when Gilbert finally pulled his head out and realized that Marcel was the best thing that could ever happen to him. 

One of the aspects of this book that I deeply appreciated was that one of the men has some physical issues that were never once commented on in any negative way. There was zero sense of it changing his status, attractiveness or abilities in any way. It was a part of him, the same as having brown hair and a keen intelligence. If anything it became an interesting part of the character’s personal style. 

This is the third book set in the same steampunk universe. I have not had the opportunity to read the other books yet, but this book has made me eager to read more about the people in this world set in another time and place and full of magic and science. 

Reviewed by Nina