Well - this was not your typical m/m romance. In fact, it does not qualify as a romance under many definitions and there is definitely no sex. It does lay out a meeting and slow growth of attraction that is not realized by the end of the book. In fact, the entire book is a build-up towards . . . -- the next book?
What saves it is a lovely low-key story that outlines the taking on of two apprentices and the meeting of two "like-minded" men during the 1800s of this alternate reality in England.
The plot line is well developed if not high tension. The behaviors, reactions, and thoughts of the characters build a solid view of the world they occupy. The characters are a mix of well-developed and partially developed, but overall they work well. I would hazard a guess that the prime purpose of this first in a series was to build a comprehensive world for the characters to occupy while introducing the key figures.
It may be a reflection of what I needed at the moment, but I found it a relaxing and engaging story that pulled me through with little that caused me to stumble. ( )