Property and Propriety - Alex Brianson

Tom Bennet, clever and cynical, is in Paris as part of his university studies. On a night out in the Marais, the city's gay quarter, he meets Guy Darcy de Nantes, and the two become a couple despite their differences in class, politics, and nationality. But as Tom's year abroad comes to an end, Guy drops him to ensure he will inherit his family seat in Brittany, Penn Bir-menez. Broken-hearted, Tom returns to Bristol, where he starts rebuilding his life alongside his best friend Charlie Lucas and his brother, Nick. On a visit to London, theology student Nick meets and falls for film-maker Ed Bingley, who is good friends with Guy. Will either of the Bennet brothers get their man? And what of Nick's handsome good-time guy friend Jack Wickham?

Full of arch humour, Property and Propriety is a deeply satisfying exploration of how 21st century queer love lives and relationships deal with the issues of class, marriage, self-esteem, and hypocrisy addressed by Jane Austen in her beloved novel Pride and Prejudice.