Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Eighteen years ago, Christopher Redding was a kept man. Lover to Henry Asquith, Duke of Avesbury, he spent his days ensconced in the home provided for him by Henry, waiting - longing - for his lover to appear. He loved Henry and wished he could tell him how he felt. It was a battle to constantly - sternly - remind himself he was simply a whore and that a man like Henry couldn't possibly love him.

Eighteen years ago, Henry fell in love. After spotting Christopher dressed in a skimpy/sheer toga in a discreet club, his beautiful body on display, he had to have him. He contracted for Christopher that night and promptly set him up in a house he could visit at his leisure. But guilt and iron-clad self-control kept him from visiting Christopher any more than twice a week. He waited - longed - for his nights with Christopher, and struggled to deny his growing affection and love for him.

Eighteen years ago, Henry's wife - his best friend - discovered a lump in her breast. Greeting Henry in tears the morning after one of his visits with Christopher (whom she knew he visited), she reminded him of her mother's own death after finding a lump and pleaded with him to take her and their three children away to the country to live out her last months. Henry hoped to visit Christopher before leaving, but allowed his wife to convince him they must leave immediately. He left it to his man of business to convey a letter and money to Christopher in his stead.

When Restored opens Kit Redding owns his own discreet mens club. Exclusive, elegant, and private, the club offers men who like men a place of their own. Much like his club, Kit - who no longer goes by the name Christopher - is still beautiful, elegant and refined - but he no longer pays for or is paid for his service. With help, he was able to flee the abusive patron he was forced to service after Henry abandoned him and their contract; afterwords he became the paid lover of a much older man. Kit found a quasi-happiness with his older patron, and when the man died, he left Kit with enough money for Kit to stop working as a whore and open his own club. He's happy with the life he created, and has finally moved on from Henry and thoughts of romantic love. Ahem.

After the death of his wife Henry remained in the country to raise his children. Now grown, he finds himself lonely for their time and attention, and once again fixated on what-ifs and curiosity about Christopher and the life he's led. He never spoke to him or heard from him after their last night together - and never sought information about him, but he hasn't forgotten him. Christopher never responded to his final letter and Henry resigned himself to regret over not ever telling Christopher he loved him. In London, visiting his pregnant daughter, he inadvertently discovers that Christopher is also in town - and that the end of their affair didn't happen the way he imagined.

Restored details what happens once Henry realizes how deeply he wronged Kit, and sets about trying to make things right. He recognizes, almost immediately, that he still loves Kit - and how angry Kit remains over the end of their relationship. They start off as adversaries and Kit is unwilling to forgive or forget the past with Henry. He's bitter, angry and hurt that someone he loved so deeply cast him aside - but once the truth of their past is revealed, he struggles to hold on to his anger. Even when Henry agrees to become his kept man and "see how it feels," he's unable and unwilling to go through with it. His love for Henry, which he tries to ignore, won't let him.

As Chambers meticulously crafts her second chance romance, she also cleverly binds it to the big theme of the story - service, and what it means when it's freely given vs when it's forced upon someone. As the story unfolds, she reinforces it in every iteration of Henry and Kit's relationship, and in the relationship each man has with the other people in their lives. Who's serving who - and why - is a constantly moving target and Chambers masterfully challenges her readers and principal characters idea of just who's in service to whom - and why. It's brilliantly done.

As usual, Chambers does a lovely job with the characterization of her principal characters. Henry spent his life trying and failing to repress his love for another man, and deeply loved his wife, too - despite their mutual lack of sexual attraction to each other. He spent years "serving" his family. He loves them, but in Restored he's ready to find his own happiness - separate and independent of them. He wants Kit - Christopher - and will do whatever he can to make his former lover happy! Kit spent his life servicing men for money. Now he has a life that makes him happy - he makes the money, he calls the shots, he decides who will be his lover and when. He has no wish assuage Henry's guilt or pretend the relationship didn't damage him. And yet. The inexorable pull both men feel towards each other eventually forces them to reexamine their feelings and admit they remained unchanged.

Restored is steamy and romantic, and the tension and attraction between Henry and Kit is superbly rendered. So why isn't this a five star read? Well, there are a few other parallel plot lines happening in the periphery involving Henry's son and Kit's bookkeeper. I found them distracting. I like the inclusion of the secondary characters in framing who these men are TODAY, but I really only wanted more of their relationship.

Restored is an excellent addition to the growing Enlightenment story world. Smart, sexy, romantic and with just the right amount of angst, I recommend Restored to new and old Chambers fans. It's a winner.