For the Love of Luke by David. C. Dawson
4.5 stars
The books begins with Rupert coming home to find his bedroom ceiling collapsed and water dripping through. He races upstairs to find his sexy neighbour, Luke, has slipped in his bathroom and knocked himself out. Lying naked on the floor, with the water overflowing, Rupert is mostly concerned wth making sure the man isn't dead.
Parallel to that, we read about another young man who has committed suicide by hanging, in rather mysterious circumstances.
Rupert is a BBC journalist. Luke is an artist. Rupert is as English as they come; son of Lord and Lady Pendley-Evans, with a back story of thrilling journalistic adventures and an abundance of romantic and sexy conquests. Luke is a mysterious American suffering with a curious bout of amnesia. He can remember nothing from before six months ago.
The story is about how Rupert and Luke fall in love amid an investigation into the suicides, and Luke's elusive past. It takes place in London and is delightfully, quintessentially English in style. I loved it being from London myself and familiar with the many references to places and events around the capital. The combination of sexy romance and crime thriller worked well for me, keeping me engaged and happily horny! I read this book over two days, eager to get to the bottom of the mystery and also to see if Rupert and Luke get to have their HEA.
Back in the day, I used to avidly read Jilly Cooper's novels, and for some reason, David C Dawson's style reminds me a little bit of those times. It made me nostalgic. Overall, the mix of action and romance finds the perfect balance in this story, and I really enjoyed it. The characters were brilliant and David's vivd descriptions made it easy to imagine them and their surroundings. This was a compelling, interesting and satisfying read.