The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple cover art

The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple

Gay Historical Romance

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The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple

By: K. A. Merikan
Narrated by: James Reily
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About this listen

“How does one start a relationship with another man when it is forbidden?”

“One needs to decide that the other man is worth dying for."

Cornwall, 1785

Sir Evan Penhart. Baronet. Highwayman. Scoundrel.

Julian Reece. Writer. Wastrel. Penniless.

No one forces Julian Reece to marry. Not his father, not his brother. No one.

When he is thrust into a carriage heading for London to meet his future bride, his way out comes in the form of an imposing highwayman, riding a horse as black as night. Julian makes a deal with the criminal, but what he doesn’t expect is that despite the title of baronet, the robber turns out to be no gentleman.

Sir Evan Penhart is pushed into crime out of desperation, but the pact with a pretty, young merchant’s son turns out to have disastrous consequences. Not only is Evan left broke, but worse yet, Julian opens up a Pandora’s box of passions that are dark, needy, and too wild to tame. With no way to lock them back in, rash decisions and greedy desire lead to a tide that wrecks everything in its way.

But Julian might actually like all the sinful, carnal passion unleashed on him. How can he admit this though, even to himself, when a taste of the forbidden fruit could have him end up with a noose around his neck? And with highway robbery being a hanging offense and the local constable on their back, Julian could lose Evan before he can decide anything about the nature of his desires.

Themes: highwayman, abduction, ransom, forbidden love, self-discovery, danger, crime, Cornwal, Britain, England, Georgian

WARNING: Steamy content. Contains violence, distressing scenes, abuse, offensive language, and morally ambiguous protagonists.

©2017 Acerbi & Villani Ltd. (P)2020 Acerbi & Villani Ltd.
Romance Crime England

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All stars
Most relevant
This book kept me in a state of anxiety and I feel the writers did the research for the time. Awesome writing, hot scenes and amazing characters.

Good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing must listen/read

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Enjoyable story with interesting characters. This is a stand alone book with a presumed happy ever after.

Good story

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I wasn't sure this was my cup of tea but I gave it a shot and loved it. definitely a bit more serious than most of my books but really quite good. had no issues with narration

was unsure but loved it

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K.A. Merikan are both brilliant writers and I have loved each and every book they have brought out so far, this being no exception.
I don’t read/listen to many historical books but as it was by these two authors it was a no brainier and it lived up to their usual high standards.
Julian and Evan are really well written written developed characters and the plot was excellent and exciting. I highly recommend it.
James Reily is a new narrator to me and I thought he was perfect for this audiobook, his British accent and timing made it so he didn’t just read the book he took you with him there through the experiences and emotions. Great job! 👏👏👏

A Wonderful Historical Romp!

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I absolutely loved this decadently delicious historical highwayman romance.
The MC's Evan and Julian aren't necessarily the best depictions of humanity, they're both flawed and could even be considered anti-heros.
I really enjoyed the slow-burn and build-up of their relationship.
The initial animosity between them which lead to such great angst and tension.
There was plenty of fast paced action and suspense along with plot twists.
This was a grand, passionate and adventurous tale.
James Riley did an amazing job of richly and vividly depicting the Cornish countryside and bringing these characters to life.

Historical regency drama teeming with emotion

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