A Gentleman of Substance

Disgraced, Michael St. John has been banished to “backwater” Virginia for deeds of unspecified wickedness. He meets Daniel Calhoun at a party, and Daniel immediately dismisses him as a “wastrel” who is pretty much good for nothing but ornamentation. Daniel’s cousin maneuvers him into befriending the lonely Michael, and the tension between the two men starts to mount. They couldn’t be more different - one is a picture-perfect dandy and one is a salt-of-the-earth farmer - but they form a friendship.

A Gentleman of Substance is a gripping and often hilarious look at the pitfalls of being a gay man in the prudish era of Early America. Daniel is in denial about his preferences, and Michael’s interest is piqued enough to take up the challenge. In each other they find more than they expected, poking and snapping at each other all the while.

Julia Talbot pens an incredible, poignant, and humorous work in A Gentleman of Substance. Michael and Daniel risk their social standing, the respect of their peers, and - perhaps the biggest gamble of all - their hearts as this lovely and spicy tale heats up. Jane, a secondary character and relative of Daniel, is ahead of her time and wonderfully peppery, while at the same time supportive. Ms. Talbot scores big with A Gentleman of Substance!

Reviewed by: Michelle