This was a fantastic read. I enjoyed the fact that the main character was clearly an unreliable witness it made the story seem real and also gripped me to find out what was going to happen. It was also a hard read at time to read about how gay men (and women however this story isn't about women) lived in such a prejudiced time, and how there are still echoes of those prejudice today. When I finished the book I wanted to pick it up and start again!

I think I was expecting a romance, but it really isn't. It's actually based on true events that happened in the early 1800s. I loved the narrative style of the main character, but I think what I loved the most was learning about a time in queer history that I've never really heard about before. It was fascinating and done in a way that I felt I could really empathise with all the characters. Just wonderful stuff and I can't wait to read more from Mr Blackmore.

London 1809. The Reverend John Church, a self-made man rising from the dregs of poverty and abuse is a decidedly unorthodox nonconformist gay clergyman. Handsome and charismatic, his sexual identity and activities put him in constant danger of the vicious retribution of both the state and the mob, who seemed to single out male homosexuals for particular vilification. It brings out the worst hypocritical intolerance within London society and demonstrates with a chilling clarity just how evil supposedly religious and upstanding moral guardians can be to those who do not share their creed. John Church meets a young black man, Ned, and a romantic and sexual obsession begins.
John Church conducts mock weddings within the gay community, between crossdressers and their “admirers” in a so-called molly house in Vere Street, London. But he is very much the unreliable narrator – psychologically damaged by his treatment and experiences as a child. Elements of Blackmore’s narrative are based upon historical events and characters, in particular the scandal surrounding the shock of the uncovering of male homosexual groups and licentious clubs. There seems to be a special congruity with what we see as the blinkered and hateful standards of behaviour from over two centuries ago, with contemporary entrenched attitudes. “People hold fast to their convictions, and there is nothing that can shake them, not even goodness or truth”. The text, written in first person narrative by John Church is a peculiar mixture of early 19th Century argot and conversation, with modern 21st century conventional usage. This is no cosy costume drama for a Sunday evening’s light entertainment, but a dose of unpleasant and intense reality.

Having read two other books by Blackmore, this book has all of his fantastic trademarks- it is bawdy, funny, sexy, and poignant, with historical research running throughout.

The book is concerned with sexuality and how people lived both very much out loud but also deeply privately in times where being caught could mean the complete destruction of your personal life and reputation.

The central love story in this book is a fun and beautiful one, but also fraught with terror, and I found it utterly compelling.

This was a great alternataive read for me. Something I would not normally pick up! Thanks NetGalley for the recommendation.

This was a brilliant and heart breaking book about a period of history I feel ashamed not to know more about. Beautifully told, compelling and full of compassion and insight. Recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc! I appreciate the privilege of reading it and experiencing the world the author has created!

Stunning. Neil Blackmore is a wonderful writer, and always has a focus on gay characters. He's never written anything quite as beautiful as this though - I'll be coming back to this again and again

This narrative is based on actual individuals and events, led by a wholly unreliable narrator named John. His storytelling involves deceit, omissions, and selective memory, yet despite his flaws, there's an endearing quality to him. As he falls in love, the consuming nature of his emotions and the subsequent bad decisions are traced back to his troubled childhood, evoking empathy.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1800s, this historical fiction, grounded in reality, vividly explores the challenges faced by the gay community during that era—cruelty and persecution included. Blackmore delivers an unflinchingly brutal, harsh, and honest portrayal, immersing readers in the harsh realities faced by the characters. The scenes in the Molly house stand out, offering a poignant depiction of the joy experienced by individuals discovering a place where they can truly be themselves, despite the surrounding hostility.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

"Radical Love" by Neil Blackmore presents a neutral literary offering. The narrative explores love and identity in historical settings, demonstrating solid research. The characters are well-drawn, though the pacing may feel uneven. Blackmore's novel provides a competent, if not particularly memorable, contribution to the genre of historical fiction.

I loved the set up and voice right from the start - it moved me - the unreliability of the narrator, based on historical figure in an event in history that shifted attitudes about homosexuals made its trajectory all the more compelling and real .. it all lead me to look into his real lide biography, and history of that time. Thanks to the author for raising it!! Wonderful .. .

This novel was in high priority in my TBR but I always felt it wasn't the right moment as I felt it was an important book.
I loved this book that brought to a different time when inclusivity was an unknown concept and you could be improsoned if you were gay.
A moment in time when activist where fighting to forbid the slave trade and free the slaves.
It talks about historical facts and it moved me and kept me reading lost in another time and in the story of the characters.
Great storytelling and character development
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed this read but it was slow at times and the way it was written seemed long winded for the point they were making.

I do enjoy Neil Blackmore's writing and this book is no different.

This book is set just pre-regency and into the regency era. It is the story of John Church, a minister who preaches the radical ideas of love and tolerance. It's a fairly short book, so I won't get into too many details, as I would hate to spoil it for anyone. Though, it is based on a real person and the events in the book are historical fact, so if you are aware of this particular person, you will already know the story. I specifically did not read anything about John Church before/while reading this, as I wanted to just know what is happening in this story. But, according to the author, it is quite accurate, in so far as he was able to be.

I will say that there is some excellent critiques that are unfortunately very applicable to today's society, around LGBTQIA+ rights and acceptance. There were also questions about what it means to be radical and who gets to call themselves radical and what actions are considered radical. It's something that I have thought of myself, not necessarily as a radical, but as someone who is very left leaning and active within social justice movements.

I have to say that I absolutely adore how Blackmore writes an unreliable narrator. I love how his narrators break the fourth wall and speak to the reader, confess to the reader, let the reader in on a secret. I don't know that I've really read many other books that do this in quite such a successful way.

This is now the third book I've read by Neil Blackmore and I will definitely be on the lookout for his next novel.

Ugh. I wish this book had come with some kind of content warning. It gets BRUTAL in parts.

Towards the end, I found myself unable to sleep because of how awful some of the scenes are, but then unable to stop reading the book as well.

As a queer person, I've read a lot of books about LGBTQIA+ experiences from the past, but nothing has affected it quite the way this has. To get to the end and realise much of it was based on true stories is mind-boggling - and only 200 years ago.

It really sets the stage for the Oscar Wild trials that took place at the other end of that century. Giving you insight into how extreme the attitudes and actions were at that time.

I highly recommend this book but strongly advise reading it with caution, especially if you're queer, when you are in an ok place to take care of yourself while taking on these stories.

1809 and England is exhausted by war. The French are targeted and so are homosexuals, who are seen as beyond redemption. John Church is a radical preacher who runs a chapel in Southwark and preaches of love and freedom. Popular with the working men as well as the emancipators John makes a good living but hides a secret. He is a 'Molly' and when asks to perform same-sex weddings he gets involved even though he is breaking the law.
I really loved this book which surprised me as I was not a great fan of the previous book by Blackmore that I read! I really liked the fact that this is based on a true story and therefore gives a lot more insight into the underground world at the time. Moreover, Blakemore takes a lot of artistic licence and makes Church an unreliable narrator which heightens the story and allows for twists at the end.

Radical Love is a unique story following queer characters surrounding a Molly house in the 1800s.

In this book, we follow the life and loves of a priest who agrees to host wedding ceremonies for the Molly house workers and attendees, and his romances.

I did enjoy the concept of this book more than the writing in this case and I really love the exploration of the 1800s in queer fiction. It's unique and I haven't read anything that looks at this before now. I also think that something that Blackmore did well was not over explaining the element of race in this book. The priest has an affair with a black man in the novel and whilst race is approached it isn't over explained- we can tell from the language that the character uses and from the narration that in certain scenes he is uncomfortable because he is black but this isn't overdramatised which I think is a good way for a writer who isn't POC to approach this. I felt this was a skilled way to hit and acknowledge but not step on anyone's toes or try to educate out of turn and that was really nice.

I felt that some of the characters could have been a bit more fleshed out as I didn't feel as bad when the Molly house is closed and when we find out why. I think this element could have been explored a bit more to really get it to hit home.

Personally, I didn't like the main character much and overall I rate this a three star, but I definitely applaud the author for choosing an interesting piece of history to develop.

Radical Love by Neil Blackmore is a beautifully crafted queer historical novel that transports readers to Victorian London with its vivid and immersive storytelling. The story follows a diverse cast of characters as they navigate the complex web of societal expectations and forbidden desires. Blackmore's writing is richly detailed, capturing the essence of the era while infusing it with a refreshing queer perspective. The exploration of love, identity, and rebellion against social norms is both poignant and empowering. Radical Love is a triumph, seamlessly blending historical accuracy with compelling storytelling to create a mesmerizing and important narrative of love and resistance.

Brutal painful honesty permeates this novel in a direct and uninterrupted manner. There is joy and love thrown into direct contrast with suffering that depicts an truthful image that is a key positive to this narrative. John Church and the people of Vere Street's lives are handled with careful consideration without shying away from their realities. In this, Neil Blackmore has developed a narrative which fills you with intrigue, anger, and, at times, hope. His choice to write in first person gives the narrative back to John Church who, while at times an unreliable narrator, is the focal point for the events with which the painful honesty of the time can shine through.

This book was quite hard to read at times and whilst I don’t think it’s perfect, I do wholeheartedly recommend picking it up. We follow the first person POV of a so-called (he was given this name) John Church who is the reverend of a church in 1800s Southwark, south of the city of London, where he preaches tolerance and the inevitable revolution of humanity’s innate love despite the plethora of hatred surrounding him. This ‘radical’ view of society, politics and religion is one part of the book but it’s primarily about the queer experience of the time with John frequenting ‘Molly houses’ and performing weddings there with a whole host of fabulous characters who expressed their campy queerness with such beautiful honesty. There’s also a love that brews with a younger man Ned who left his life of slavery in Yorkshire on the path to discovering what life has in store for him and via his character we get another view of being queer and black during the timeframe. There is more to the story including Church’s tumultuous past, but as a whole I feel it’s exploration of queerness in the nineteenth century and character studies are what Blackmore does best - I’ve yet to read any of his prior historical novels but am certainly intrigued after finishing this one.

There are some plot points and things characters do or say that weren’t really to my liking BUT (and it’s a big one) the story of John Church and the Vere Street Scandal was a true one with only a small amount of characters being invented so can I really blame Blackmore for this? Not necessarily. I think his extrapolation of Church, the others and the story was done well and was an entertaining, if heartbreaking, read. I also loved his writing style with a vividness and graphic element at times that truly shows the brutality of the time - there are many TW topics with homophobia, hate crime and violence being most prevalent alongside others. As someone that doesn’t like smut scenes, I found these parts rather tastefully done which I appreciated - the language and crudeness from some of the ‘girls’ (drag queens/trans women/gender non-confirming people in the ‘Molly house’) was a little much but they were having fun, finally being their true selves in a space and time that never allowed for it so I can’t blame them, if anything this debauchery and outward campiness was something I thoroughly enjoyed. And finally, I found the way Church ‘broke the fourth wall’ in some essence was really fascinating, he talks to the reader as he’s telling us the story and unfurls truths (or lack there of) and speaks very candidly. This lends to Church being a rather unreliable narrator with us not always being able to trust what he’s saying and doing, and again I loved this finding it a very entertaining reading experience.

Heartbreaking and brutally honest, I would really recommend this book. I wouldn’t say it’s a new favourite but overall was really great. It’s certainly a difficult read at times but very insightful to the queer experience of people in the 1800s.