The Tutor

By: Bonnie Dee

Narrated by: Ruri Carter

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Gothic romance with a twist.

Elements of The Sound of Music, The Enchanted Garden, Jane Eyre, and "true" ghost hunting shows make this story feel familiar. Gay love makes it unique.

Seeing an ad for a position at a Yorkshire estate, typesetter Graham Cowrie decides to make an upward career move by passing himself off as a tutor. How hard can it be to teach a few subjects to a pair of nine-year-old boys? But on his arrival at the ancient house, he finds the staff creepy, the twins odd, and the widowed master temporarily absent.

His first meeting with brooding, stern, but oh-so-attractive Sir Richard doesn't go well, but with no other prospects vying for the teaching position, Graham manages to keep it. His mission soon becomes clear: break down the walls of reserve both father and sons have erected, and attempt to bridge the gap between them.

But strange sounds, sights, and experiences keep Graham on edge until he finally admits the Hall is haunted by two entities with very different agendas. Graham works to appease one and combat the other, while protecting the broken family he's grown to care for.

©2015 Bonnie Dee (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

A very average gothic tale in all aspects

A serviceable tale with a narrating performance that might take a couple chapters to get used to (the narrator sounded very mature for the characters, but that impression would soon fade away). Everything is quite middle-of-the-road: the story didn't depart from the typical 'haunted manor' mold, the steamy scenes got the point across but never memorable. Perhaps the biggest letdown is the resolution to the haunting; the final confrontation is rather comical, even though the writing did come across as on purpose and self-aware, it felt detached from the more serious tone that was established up till that point. Still, overall this is not a waste of time, but also not a memorable one.

Wonderful Gothic Romance

Initially I was put off by the narrator, but it wasn’t long before I was drawn into the story to the point where The voice no longer mattered.

I really enjoyed this story and will totally be looking for more from this author. I generally don’t enjoy children in my leisure reading but the twins were an integral part of the story and very well done. I also really enjoyed the ghosts, and hoped for some sort of afterlife HEA for one of them. I would sooo love for the author to write a short about that!

Ahem, at any rate, I almost passed on this when I listened to the sample, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. If this seems like the sort of thing you like, then I think you will love it!

Tutor

This story is surprisingly good. I'm always let down in books that have a lgbtq theme but this one was really good.

The main story is the ghost story, the mystery behind this house and family and the hints that something might be wrong. Its a true gothic ghost story. We have the widower who might be a killer, from beginning we aren't to sure. We don't get to see the whole character until further in the story. Then we have the two children twins, which adds to the spooky factor. One talks then other one doesn't, they witnessed something or know something. Then we have the people who work in the house, very mysterious people who don't seem to care for the new guy.

The tutor is an interesting character because he also has his own secrets. He lied about who he was or his background and happens to be gay. The story adds another level when he starts to experience paranormal phenomenon in the house and the adds another layer when we find out he is attracted to the man of the house.

The build up was amazing, very satisfying. First we have the mystery of the house and second the attraction between the two men. We see them almost connecting, the looks the maybe maybe not and then we get the full on connection. At first its unclear if it's just a one time thing or lust but towards the end it has a happy ending.

The ghost part also comes full circle, we finally know what really happen to the mother and why the boys are the way they are. This darkness around the house is evil and it can take anyone. I also like that it's unclear if it was completely destroyed or is it just contained.

The whole story was great because it had so many things I like, mystery, ghost, gothic house and romance.

Dark, Intriguing, and Sexy!

Loved it! The narrator was a bit too slow for me, so I had to speed him up, but his accents and voices were great. The story was interesting and kept me guessing, and I found myself not wanting to stop reading and even pining for this book during work!

Wholesome and Spicy

This was thoroughly enjoyable, which is rare for me when reading first person books. I look forward to more books from this amazing author!

I totally enjoyed this

Beautiful story, and storyline and the narrator did an awesome job. Something i would totally recommend to a listener. I will definitely look for more books/syories by the author and narrator.

A thoroughly enjoyable Gothic tale

This lovely story reminded me why I fell in love with Gothic romance way back when I was a teenager in high school. Granted that was in a different lifetime, but the Gothic romance is still wonderful. We have the unique twist of the "governess" who has fallen on hard times instead being a tutor who fudged on his resume to get the job. But is didn't seem to matter. There was still the poor neglected children who need a firm, but loving hand. The bitterly unhappy "Master" of the manor who glowers and growls and also needs a firm, but loving hand. Things that go bump in the night. Let us not forget the "ghost" in the tower. All the elements of a old fashion Gothic novel are here, and put together very well. A thoroughly enjoyable Gothic tale that any fan of the genre would enjoy.

Spoilers

The generic: The plot was seamless. The writing had some places that could use a more professional eye (for example, "seized" was used to describe an action that was also "delicate"). The writing surrounding the sex was trying for passionate romance but ended up sounding like someone who's never had sex but who's read a lot of bad romance novels in their time. Overall, I would have given this a better review, except for the below.

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This is a book about gay men wherein the only female character of any relevance is offscreen and a caricature. The other women are supporting caricatures. The dead mother is the most generic dead mother you can imagine - all-consuming love for the two children, and very little other personality of substance. Tragic and meek.

Then you have, in this book about gay men, a dead woman trope, and very graphic descriptions - which become first-hand - of the rape and torture of women. Then we find out the killer is also disparaging of the protagonists' sex life, but is somehow willing to enter Graham's (supposedly) impure body?

I don't know whether "Bonnie" is a pen name, but I expect better from authors, but women authors in particular, when it comes to inclusive casts and the tired track of the off-screen damsel in distress supporting a nearly all-male cast.

fun

I enjoyed this story. the narrator isn't fantastic but isn't awful either. overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to others.

Surprised

I'm fairly new to using audible, at least on a regular basis. I didn't know there were books included with the membership. This one started after another I had finished.
It kept me interested. There's a bit of paranormal and m/m romance, both things that a love to read. The book set in the past (1800s). I haven't read many historical romances, but I was pleasantly surprised and will be reading more in the future.