4/5
Emi's Reviews
Here you'll find what I think of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/16859889-dbml-book-review-sex-gunpowder-and-saving-the-day-the-gentlemen-broth
The Gentlemen Brothers, 1
"You’re brothers. When the sun goes down, stay hidden, stay quiet, and never, ever let go of each other."
The Great Wave sent the lower class into dirigibles high above the wealthy landowners. The Gentlemen brothers lived in such an airship with their father until the night men came to steal them.
Joshua is the oldest and is now a respectable detective. He never stopped searching for his brothers. When a call comes in that the Lord that saved him is murdered, Joshua must face his past and the Lord’s son. Valance Peasley Junior was his best friend, but one night of unexpected passion tore their friendship apart.
Now, Joshua must deal with the beloved Lord’s death, Val’s decadent body, and finding out how it all ties into that dreadful night.
Be Warned: m/m sex, menage sex (MMM)
Excerpt:
I grabbed his leg as he was about halfway up. “What a view.”
He glanced back and blushed.
I rushed up behind him and hugged him. It felt good to do that. Even without the raging hard-on about to be worked out. Just holding him was like a drug to my system. Maybe that’s why the last few years had been so bleak. Nothing on my brothers and no Val to ease my thoughts. I slid my arms lower and they bumped against his erection. He was already wet with drops of pre-cum. “Val.” I wrapped my hand around his shaft and stroked him from hairy base to rounded tip. I was having a hard time thinking with each touch. He pushed back against me, the bare curves of his bottom pushing into my trousers. Bloody hell, why did I still have them on? I stroked him again, collected some liquid on my fingers and then brought it to his mouth.
Val opened wide and took my entire finger into his mouth.
“Fuck, I need to be inside you.” I tore at the buttons of my pants as Val bent over. I couldn’t even gasp a word as I tugged and the black buttons shot all over the stairs. I toed my shoes off and heard them thud as they fell down the stairs. Then I pushed him to his knees and spread his cheeks. I spit and shoved one finger into him.
Val gasped.
I moaned. There was no thought going on in my brainbox but shoving inside him and finding pleasure. How did he always make me lose my mind? I grabbed my cock at the base and squeezed. A shudder ran up my spine. “Me bloody pants!” I yelled as my finger got caught and ruined the stroke I was about to give myself.
Val chuckled.
I gave his cheek a good slap before I pushed the pants down my hips. I had to lift each leg and then I let the trousers tumble wherever the hell they wanted. I laid both hands on Val and squeezed each cheek. Every nerve in my body was clued in to the engorged cock between my legs. That was all I could think about. It was like the blood really had rushed there and now I couldn’t function properly. I spit on two fingers and slid them into Val. “I want you so bad.” I pushed them deep and quickly started a brutal rhythm. “You make me cock so bloody hard.” I spit again, using three fingers and eased them into his hole.
“Joshua!” He pushed back.
The stairs helped balance us as I fingered him. I grabbed my dick, removed my fingers, and then pressed my wrinkled tip to his entrance. I gathered all the saliva in my mouth and aimed true. Then I jerked my hips forward and entered Val. Bliss. Nirvana. Heaven. Joy. Words couldn’t describe the feeling of my cock piercing Valence. He cried out below me. I pushed forward, forcing him to take me, making sure he knew the sheer torture he gave me just by being in the same bloody room.
And that’s when Filch came barreling around the corner and got an eyeful of my bare ass. “Oy, you bloody twats!” he shouted.
“Piss off!” I yelled back and grabbed Val’s hips.
He struggled a bit, maybe because he was literally getting caught with a dick up his bottom.
I held tight, pushing my shaft deeper inside him.
“I’m blind. You bloody happy, now!” Filch mumbled.
I ignored him but was glad to hear the sound of his footsteps retreating. I didn’t care if he stood there and watched. I was not stopping this invasion.
Product Reviews
4/5
Night Owl Reviews
A very dystopic world is the background for this first story in a trilogy. Focusing on the oldest of the three Gentlemen brothers Joshua, we have the tragedy that ripped the boys apart described from his point of view. Literally landing on solid ground he is adopted by the landowner and raised in comfort but is always searching for his brothers. His companion in childhood, Val, becomes more as they mature and that is where the story really starts to unfold. The political structure of this dystopian society is complex and riddled with fascinating steampunk details. I found it a delightful read, if only a little distracted by the British slang sentence structure at times. Think “My Fair Lady” before the professor works his magic. Joshua is attracted to men but is in love with Val. He just doesn’t know it yet. When tragedy brings them back together the mystery that has been a driving part of his life starts to unravel with dangerous and deadly consequences. The romance between Val and Joshua comes to fruition but the mystery continues. Until the next book.
4/5
Coffee Time Romance
The sensation of falling haunts Detective Joshua Gentlemen to this day. In his nightmares he is still the boy who was thrown from a dirigible while trying and failing to protect his younger brothers. Very few grow up with the luxuries Valence Peasley enjoys, but all the riches in the world do not compare to the day a boy fell from the sky, and became his best friend. Joshua is thankful every day for Lord Peasley and his son Valence, which is why this new case so incredibly difficult. Becoming a detective was only possible because of Lord Peasley, and now Joshua must find this wonderful man’s killer. The link he finds between Lord Peasley’s death and his lost brothers is terrifying, because it could mean Val is also in serious danger. Just being around Val again brings all of Joshua’s emotions roaring to life, which could get them both killed. This is one of the more interesting steampunk stories I have read yet. The imagery of hundreds of dirigibles coloring the sky and hovering over the small pockets of land that are left, is a unique twist for this genre. Joshua’s character is just as special with his devotion to his job, his brothers, and especially Val. When a series starts out like this, you can only wait expectantly for what comes next.
5/5
The TBR Pile
James. Cox. Wrote. Steampunk. Let that sit with you for a minute. I am so damn excited! His plots are different and his characters are sexy male specimens that should be cloned. Anyway… Joshua lives on a dirigible with his two younger brothers and his father. One night, they’re attacked. His father is killed, his brothers taken and he is pushed off the dirigible. He is saved by Lord Peasley who raises him with his own son Valence. Cue the impending sexiness. But it’s more than sex (even though that is spectacular!) This book has a mystery, fabulous world building, steampunk that doesn’t feel forced. I Love it. As if you can’t tell. There’s action, cool clothes (we have to bring Victorian clothing back!) and so much sexy that you’re guaranteed to blush. And the best part…there are two more books! I have to read about his brothers. Why were they taken? Where? By who? This story is Joshua’s and how he finds one of his brothers, but I’m not saying which. That ending is intense! If you like gay romance read this book, if you like gay romance steampunk put this book at the top of your to be read list!
4/5
Joyfully Jay
Joshua Gentlemen is only a teenager when the dirigible he lives on is attacked, his father killed, his brothers taken, and he’s pushed off the side. He miraculously survives the fall, and is taken in by the lord of the island, Lord Peasley. Joshua is raised right alongside the lord’s son, Valence. Val is Joshua’s best friend and first love. But Joshua walks away in favor of learning the law and becoming a detective. He never stops looking for his brothers, but in the fifteen years since, he’s never found a trace. When Joshua is called home, he’s there because Lord Peasley has been murdered. Joshua is determined to find out who killed his kind-hearted mentor. And when he sees Val again, Joshua’s feelings resurface. Val has always been his best friend, and he was Joshua’s first lover. Ever since that night, things have been awkward between them. But back together again, they quickly hash out their issues and are once again moving toward a relationship, even as Joshua and his partner, Detective Filch, try to find out who murdered Lord Peasley. But as they investigate, they find that the lord was involved in much deeper things and that Peasley had been trying to find out the truth behind Joshua’s brothers’ disappearance. He’s uncovered how deep it goes, and when Joshua and Filch try to talk to the royals, the true depth of the plot is clear. There is an attempt on their lives, and Val barely makes it out alive. In hiding, the three men find a common connection and together they begin a relationship. But they are determined to find out the truth and get revenge. They are a team, and together they go looking. But they find help in a surprising and unexpected source, the plot thickens and truths are revealed. And now Joshua, Val, and Filch need to make some decisions about what they are going to do next. Two things you should know about this book are that it’s set in a fairly well-crafted steampunk world and it’s the first of a series. If you’re on board for that, then I have no problems suggesting you pick this one up. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and though I found myself having a few quibbles, I was also drawn into the world he created and find myself wanting to know what happens next. This story is told through Joshua’s first person POV, and it works really well for the way the story is crafted. I’ll make mention here that I found the beginning, the prologue especially, to be a little choppy and disjointed, but the writing style and the narrative smoothed out fairly quickly and dragged me into the story. Joshua has a sense of justice and determination that I liked seeing. I liked him from the beginning, and I was engrossed in his story. I wanted to watch him reconnect and find love again with Val. I wanted to see him find his brothers. He was an engaging and enigmatic narrator and that went a long way for me. Knowing it was the first of a series, I knew that I wasn’t going to have all my questioned answered right off the bat, and I thought the author did a really good job of walking that fine line of resolving plot points and creating more that would carry though the series. I was actually glad to see Joshua and Val resolve their miscommunications and jump into a relationship fairly early on. These two had known each other for fifteen years, and Cox did a good job about letting us feel their connection. So it didn’t feel like instalove so much as two guys who were finally talking due to the tragedy that befell them. I liked these guys together and thought they had good chemistry. I wasn’t entirely surprised by some of the plot twists that came along, but again, Cox made things believable within his world. I thought the pacing was good, and though I would have liked some more explanation about certain points and a fleshing out of a few scenes that seemed glossed over, for the most part it flowed along just fine and kept me engaged. The book wasn’t without its quibbles though. I liked Filch from the moment he set foot on the page and I really enjoyed the dynamic he had with Joshua. I wasn’t even surprised when he joined Joshua and Val in bed. It was written in a natural way that made sense for the characters and the story. But where I did have a problem was how quickly things got serious between the three men. Joshua and Val were committed, but after one night, Filch was all in too. I needed more. They definitely all had a connection and chemistry, but I needed more to understand why Filch was just as committed. The world building was fairly well done as well, but I wanted more in that aspect as well. Cox did a nice job of giving the reader a sense of the world, and excelled at slipping in backstory and exposition where it needed without it feeling like an info dump. But there’s a certain feel to steampunk that was lacking a little bit here. I needed more than just steam-powered machines and dirigibles and automated bots thrown in. I would have liked to feel more grounded in the world, though this might be a personal preference. What was there was well done, but I wanted a little something more. Overall, it was a nicely done story. I liked the characters and was engaged in the plot. Though the writing was a little uneven in places, on the whole it flowed well. I’m definitely intrigued about seeing where the story goes and how the author is going to tie up the plot points as the series progresses. If you’re looking for a series with an overarching mystery, reunions, sweet love, and steampunk, then I can recommend this one to you.
5/5
great fun, highly recommended
I love steampunk and I love James Cox, especially when reading this so sexy, funny and interesting storyline on the night of the Eurovision Song Contest. Guess what got my vote and what got nul points? This is the opening book of his new The Gentlemen Brothers Series and he did well. He set the foundations for future stories very nicely and I'm sure that a few niggling questions that I have, will be answered in the coming books. It was hot! It was sexy! It was littered with wonderful sarcasm spilling from Joshua lips and I could physically eat Val up, he was adorable. As I've said, I liked the plot and it worked really well, especially the Joshua, Val and Flitch senerio, in true Cox style, the bonding was almost immediate which is so characteristic to this author's books. I loved it and want more!
5/5
More, please!!!
OMG! I love steampunk and I love James Cox' books, and now THIS! The first book in this series is really intriguing, thrilling, humorous (Joshuas sarcasm is awesome!) and more than steamy and sexy. The characters are just lovely and adorable, especially Joshua being a tough smarta$$ and Val, oh cute Val, who couldn't resist? The story just has it all, I couldn't put it down till I finished it to the last page. I really can recommend this book and I can't wait to read what comes next!!
4/5
Love Bytes
What an incredibly bizarre yet intriguing start to a series. A lot of this story I was definitely scratching my head. This is an historical, alternate universe, m/m/m, steampunk, and possibly paranormal? So, needless to say there’s a lot going on. Which isn’t bad there’s just a lot to take in. I liked how this author told the story. I liked that he kept it short I really think if it was longer and more drawn out this would have been way too hard to keep up with. I liked how it was a “satisfying” cliffhanger. There’s obviously unanswered questions but he left it at a point where you aren’t going to bang your head against the wall until book 2 comes out. I appreciate that. Joshua Gentlemen escaped capture at a young age but lost his father and had to watch his younger brothers get abducted. Vowing to find his brothers no matter what it takes he accepts the offer of care given by the man who found him and his son, Val. Things develop between Val and Josh that they can’t control, but Josh’s ultimate goal has always been to find his brothers. Years pass and they are pushed together once again. The passion is not dead between them but they have another mystery that needs to be uncovered. These two are incredibly passionate. A third party enters the scene and that was unexpected but hot as hell. There’s lots of mystery, intrigue and fantasy/adventure in this story. There were some cheesy parts but I just sort of went with it because I figured the outcome was worth it. There were also some confusing parts but this story was interesting enough to keep me coming back. Pretty good…looking forward to book 2…
5/5
Loved it
My 1st Steampunk book and I absolutely LOVED it! But then, it's James Cox and I'm not surprised. Although I like some paranormal books, I was never much into fantasy/sci-fi books. That was until I started reading James' Outlaw MC of Mars series last year. I got hooked instantly on his vivid imagination, memorable characters, fun & suspenseful plots and of course, hot sex! James Cox is a master at world building and an absolute brilliant writer! This is just the beginning of another excellent James Cox series! I can not wait for this story to continue. I need more Joshua, Val and Filch. And to get to know Logan and the Hinders better and finally meet the last missing brother, Alex. Highly recommend!!
5/5
A Fantastic Journey!
This was my first introduction to Steampunk and I loved it! Victorian era the 1800's with Dirigibles that fly powered by steam, steam carriages, steampunk slang, a King, Queen, Lords and ladies and citizens. Three young brothers being raised on a Dirigible with their dad who repairs other dirigibles as they pull along side. Disaster strikes as their father is killed and the two younger brothers are abducted and Joshua is flung off the dirigible and lands in the water. He is rescued by Lord Peasley who helps him recover and lets him live with him and his son Valence. Lord Peasley helps him search for his lost brothers. 15 years later they are still missing and Joshua is now a detective.He gets a call that Lord Peasley has been murdered. Joshua and Valence had an encounter years earlier and seeing him again has brought those feelings up once again. Together they set out to find who killed Lord Peasley and several discoveries are made. Their relationship heats up and now they are on the run with the help of another detective and a mystery man. This book has suspense, twists and turns, hot sex and a threesome! I am looking forward to the next book to see how this unravels! A fantastic journey!
