The Innocent Auction

By: Victoria Sue

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

London 1810.

Their love was a death sentence.

Deacon, Viscount Carlisle, was aware of the slums and gin-lanes of London. Just as he was aware of the underground traffic that furnished the brothels and bath houses with human innocents. He was also aware that the so-called justice system would hang the accused without much of an attempt at a defense, unless the unfortunate had deep pockets to pay for it.

He just hadn't expected to be directly involved in any of it.

It started with a plea for help and ended with forbidden love, the love between a Viscount and a stable-boy. An impossible love and a guarantee of the hangman's noose.

Will Deacon fight for Tom? Will he risk the death sentence and take that fight from the stately halls of his English mansion to the horrors of Newgate Prison and the slums of London?

Or will he realize that if he doesn't, death will be a welcome end to the loneliness of the sentence he is already living?

©2015 Susan Kellett (P)2017 Susan Kellett

wonderful story

very well written. the story has more than one story line that all flows perfectly making for an interesting listen that you won't want to put down.
The narrator does an excellent job on the voices and is consistent through his reading

Romantic pay-off for doing a good thing

I loved this audiobook from author Victoria Sue with narrator Joel Leslie. Ms. Sue has shown herself to be a versatile writer of M/M romance. Her previous audiobook was a paranormal, shifter foray. The events of this ebook/audiobook start in the gritty dark side of London where innocents, many orphaned, poor, and/or homeless are kidnapped or otherwise forced into a black market where they are auctioned off to satisfy men's darker sexual desires. At a time when sodomy is a crime punishable by disgrace or even death, Deacon goes to one of these auctions in an attempt to save his cousin from an unexpected raid by authorities. When he sees a boy being abused and about to be sold, he steps forward to rescue the boy and then sends him away to his country estate to live. When they meet again later, attraction sparks in spite of the differences in their financial and social standing. However, true love will not be denied. Deacon struggles with his feelings for Tom in light of expectations regarding marriage and producing an heir. There is a kidnap and plenty of angst as the lovers try to figure out their futures, while striving to protect each other from the judgement of society. The resolution is a little too easy, perhaps, but only a miracle or unlikely series of events could bring them together. Overall, I loved it, and this is one book I will listen to again, even through the dark parts which are hard to bear. The love and devotion that shine through are more than worth the sadness.

As always, Mr. Leslie does a fantastic job voicing the characters and evoking the strong emotions portrayed in Ms. Sue's book.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Forbidden Love in Regency times

I’m always hesitant to read gay romances set in the past. I mean, present day couples face enough challenges, but past ones? When being gay was at best banishment to a penal colony or, at worst, death? There are some authors who walk this tightrope brilliantly and I can now add Victoria Sue as one of them. For the entire book she made it clear there would be no happy ending for Tom and Deacon.

And I believed her. Each chapter, each word, brought me closer to what I believed was an inevitable ending that would be tragic. I kept telling myself this was a romance, but I didn’t believe she could pull it off.

When Deacon rescues Tom from The Innocent Auction, he can never have predicted the turn their lives would take. Deacon smuggles Tom from London to the family’s bucolic country estate, and he barely gives the boy another thought until the moment Deacon’s father dies and he inherits the estate. He returns to find a mature Tom and an estate in disrepair. Although he has personal funds, Deacon does not have enough to do all the repairs necessary to bring the estate up to any kind of running order and the entailment ensures he cannot sell the property. Stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place Deacon seeks out the only remedy available to him – marriage to a wealthy young woman.

The attraction between Tom and Deacon is clear, and as much as Deacon recognizes their difference in station, he cannot help how he feels about the young man in his charge. The young man who has reached adulthood, and has grown into a striking man with a big heart. Their coming together is inevitable, their parting likely. Broken heart, anyone?

To layer on the story, Deacon has a friend who is arrested for the very crime he is committing. Man, talk about a brutal storyline. With visits to Newgate and the eventual trial, my heart was in my throat. I wanted things to end well, but I was also keenly aware of the societal expectations as well as the judicial system made that unlikely.


This book seized me from the beginning and held me in its grasps until the end. The ending that I loved. Of course I have to give a shout out to the incomparable Joel Leslie. He always gives a tremendous performance and this one was no exception. His accent always works, but it’s also the nuance he brings to each character that makes his performances so memorable. Needless to say, I suggest everyone listen to this wonderful story.

Very well done

I won't go into a discription of the book as other reviewers have already. But this was very enjoyable and even though has some sad parts but that was the way of life at that period of time. I didn't read the book as I don't have time but listened to the the audio book while working or driving. Joel Leslie is one of my favorite narrators and he was not disappointing in the least.

wonderful!!

wonderful little story.....the narrator is amazing and made me feel i was there actually watching the story unfold...and i loved the chemistry between these two.....very emotional at times...wont dusappoint!!