The Most Delicious Yearning! The Swoon is Real!
Third Degree Yearn
Bartholomew series (Book 3)
Historical Romance, Victorian Historical Romance
Independently Published
June 27th, 2023
ebook, paperback
362
When I was just a girl, I gave my heart to the housekeeper’s son. He took it with him when he left and I never got it back.
I’ve loved Julian Moore for as long as I can remember. But my plans for a future were stolen before we ever got the chance.
Playmates at four. Constant companions at nine. And the undisputed love of my young life by sixteen. We were best friends through it all. But when Julian got sent away, my stubborn heart never got the message. Over time and distance, I wrote hundreds of letters and spilled all my deepest secrets. But the boy I’d once loved left me far behind. My letters went unanswered, and I never got over the pain.
Seven years later, Julian is back with a few secrets of his own.
When a surprise encounter forces my former friend back into my life, I realize just how much has changed since we’ve been apart. And how my feelings haven’t. We’re not sixteen anymore, and for the first time, Julian sees me as something more than a friend. Yet he can't envision a future for a proper lady and the housekeeper’s son.
There’s a fine line between the past and the present. These old wounds are hard to ignore, and I find myself desperate to avoid being left behind again. Julian may not see himself the way I do, but I must decide if the boy I yearned for all those years ago can be the man I’ll love forever.
Will our future be the love story we write ourselves or will destiny stand in our way again?
Book #3 in the Bartholomew series follows the steamy second-chance romance between two former best friends. Third Degree Yearn is a full-length historical romance filled with charm and wit, swoony correspondence, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
“Perhaps we’re both these complicated creatures who find ourselves enjoying contrary opposing forces. Or perhaps we simply love a different side of the same coin.”
I’m going to need your attention. Do I have it? Excellent. Do not sleep on Laney Hatcher. An author of soon to be five historical romances, Laney Hatcher is the author that makes each of her stories feel like we are all peering through the looking glass into the lives of her characters. Third Degree Yearn is the third book in her Bartholomew series and it sparkles just perfectly on its own.
Youngest Bartholomew sibling, Genevieve and her childhood friend Julian Moore have the most delicious kind of relationship. Laney Hatcher did not tell lies when she entitled this book with “yearn”. Yearning is what Gen and Julian do best. After a decade apart, when Julian and Genevieve get thrust back together, it’s not just sparks that fly but emotions run hot and tempers flare. Once the mystery was solved as to why their friendship fizzled out over the years, is when this story truly hits the high notes.
“I kissed you because it felt necessary. Like I couldn’t go one more moment without knowing what your smile tasted like.”
Julian is my new redheaded boyfriend. His adoration and dedication to Genevieve is unparalleled and comes second only to his pride (unfortunately). But our sweet man, Julian quickly gets over it when Gen opens up to him and slowly begins to trust him once again. In London on business for the season, Julian is determined to be the businessman that can stand up to society standards for Genevieve especially since he wasn’t born into any great circumstances.
It’s on this notion that I think Third Degree Yearn truly sings. The idea of found family, and rising above one’s station not only the merit of hardwork but also because the family we make will move mountains in order to see loved ones thrive. Julian’s reabsorption into the Bartholomew family melee is akin to a literary hug. Not only him, but the presence of other characters such as a beguiling stable boy, and a charming orange cat also make Third Degree Yearn utterly bingeable.
“Some things end up right where they belong. No sense in fighting it.”
Genevieve’s character is strong, she’s keen, and she stands up for what she needs. I adored getting to know her better, and the fact that she’s been hiding a truly wonderful secret much like her older sisters was so fun! I especially liked the snippets of intrigue into the last Bartholomew sibling: Silas. Trust me, if you like epistolary moments in books, some truly epic pining, a grovel that is unforgettable, and charming characters then I guarantee that you will love Third Degree Yearn! Due out next week on June 27th, Third Degree Yearn is the friends to lovers historical romance that you absolutely need to read this summer! Congrats on a wonderful new release, Laney!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
