Until the End of Time

By: Nicky James

Narrated by: J. T. Ruddle

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Being a gay man in 1827 is not only frowned upon in England, but punishable by death. Magistrate Simon Stockley would know. He’s convicted men in his courtroom and sentenced them himself. Every time, it leaves a vile taste in his mouth because Simon is no different than the men whose lives he claims. 

Overcompensating for his secret and fearing discovery, Simon walks the straight and narrow with everything he does. Being overly cautious with life is second nature to him. The consequences of being discovered are among his worst fears. Sadly, this is his life, and he accepts it.

Until one cold day in October when James Hansen is led into his courtroom. Blinded by the fire in James’s eyes and the energy seething from his core, Simon’s entire life is thrown upside down. One cursory glance at the criminal, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Problem.

James’ crimes are severe, and his punishment is death. However, there is something about him that Simon can’t put his finger on. Despite all sensibility, Simon can’t let him go. Maybe, some things are worth the risk. Maybe, rules are meant to be broken.

Secrets are wonderful...until someone finds out the truth.

©2016, 2017 Nicky James (P)2021 Nicky James

A sweet historical romance

I absolutely loved listening to James and Simon story.

This was a sweet opposites attract MM historical romance.

The world building was engaging, realistic and descriptive.

The characters were likeable the well fleshed out.

The narrator performed an amazing audio delivery and narration.

Definitely recommend

Uplifting love story

I loved the story, the characters and the setting. I wish there was a sequel! Great book for the car.

MM Historical Romance

At first, I felt this could not stand the time it would take to finish the book, but that changed once the feelings started to choke me up. It is difficult to comprehend the laws and punishments that were dulled out historically, and I am just grateful it is not that way anymore. Once Simon met James, he was immediately enamored and could not shake the feeling James was his world, and he needed to save him from the life he had just sentenced him to. So, Simon embarked on his own crime spree to make this happen. Once he had James, James of course was not happy, but soon they became companions then friends then lovers. Their love did stand the course time. I did feel a bit cheated at the end, as it was very quick, and I wanted more time with their HEA. Lillian was such a wonderful character and then on the flip side, Simon's uncle was the worst. I really enjoyed the narration by T. J. Ruddle and thought it was done very well. I would definitely recommend this book.

Stunning

Everything about this audiobook is perfect. I am a huge Nicky James fan, and this is not her normal fare. It’s subtle, beautiful and the love story is completely overwhelming. Not a lot of heat, but it really isn’t necessary. Do yourself a favor and listen to a story about two mismatched men who struggle and claw to find one another. Historical fiction highly recommended. Narration is top-of-the-line, excellent.

Lovely

This was my first historical MM romance and I absolutely loved James and Simon’s story. When I heard this was coming out in audio, I knew this was a story I needed to relive. J.T. Ruddle was a new to me narrator and I have to say he really did a phenomenal job with his telling of James a s Simon’s love. When I read it, I was so riveted to their story and I didn’t want to put it down. In audio, I found myself savoring it and listening to it a little each day. It was so wonderfully emotional, and my heart ached for both men navigating being gay in a time when it was punishable by death. The love these two men shared was so poignant. I was definitely moved to tears at one point, more so with the narration that when I read on my own. It was such a wonderful love story with characters whose love stood the test of time. I know that these two men will stick with me for a long time to come.

Beautifully done

I’m always hesitant to tackle historical gay romances. I mean, as this book so plainly lays out – the punishment was, if you were lucky, to be put on a ship to be a slave in the colonies and, if you were unlucky, death.

Simon is a magistrate who is due to join the judiciary. As a judge, he’ll be sentencing criminals – including men caught for buggery. Yet he knows that could just as easily be him. He’s gay. And although he has what he believes are secure ways to satisfy those urges, he has no safe way to express them.

Until he meets James. James whom he must sentence to death. James who makes his chest tighten. James who is the embodiment of everything he’s ever wanted in a man.

So how to proceed?

This is where the very talented Nicky James spins a beautiful tale of love, lies, and finding a way to live your true and authentic self. I had my doubts. But I knew she’d find a way to give me a happy ending.

I loved the book, and even managed to get through the tough places in one piece. This is a Nicky James – so there had to have at least a little angst.

Finally, I’ll address the narration. J.T. Ruddle was a gem to listen to and I’ll definitely pick up more books performed by him. Even if you’re afraid of angst, I recommend this book. I’m so glad I listened to it.

Such a sad, yet beautiful story!

⭐️AUDIO REVIEW ⭐️Such a sad, yet beautiful story. If you go along with it, and really try to imagine how those times where, it is very realistic, I think. The story is set in the south of England in the early 1800’s. If you have watched the show “ Harlots”, I believe the setting is quite like that.

My review is 4 and a half stars, as I would have liked some more glimpses of Simon and James after they reconnect. A very recommendable audiobook❤️

Bring Tissues

I felt it was a slow start but the story built quickly and by the end I was bawling. What an incredible story. I loved the storyline, the narrator, the whole thing. I do wish we would have had a little of James POV, but still a great read.

Loved it.

This was my first historical read and I absolutely loved it. I loved how the story was told. It was interesting to see how things worked, how they talked. This was a new to me narrator and he did an amazing job. I highly recommend this book.

Perfection

This book is simply amazing. People need to give historical romance more of a chance as this book has it all. As usual this book is beautifully written but I don’t expect anything less from Nicky. The research she had to have put into the book clearly shines through.

God James and Simon story is so heartbreaking and beautiful. It’s is story that I both read and listened to the audio is done to perfection. The narrator could not have been any better.

A l'eau c'est l'heure

"Victorian" melodrama, made ridiculous by such grating and jarring language heaped with Americanized terminology ie Fall (autumn), garbage, American style dates and times, et al which all detract from a good premise with admirable, well defined MCs: Simon and James. Set in Hastings, England (where this author thinks nothing grows till April????, never mind the riot of colour from bluebells, primroses, daffodils, apple and cherry blossoms).

Simon who steals James, never for one moment thinks to give him a new name or a disguise, or to relocate to another house to shack up.

I applaud the good effort of this author to pen such a drama to completion, but just a couple of hours of researching or even reading English authors in this genre for clues, could've ensured a quality offering. (For those who would enjoy a quality offering, in period genre, check out Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles).

The name Reginald Perrin for the bad bobby in this story, was a poor choice as it's the same name of a ridiculous iconic character in a BBC series from the 1970s (The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin), who had a horrible boss whose catch phrase was "I didn't get where I am today by....".

Dylan is another iconic character from a BBC series for Children from the 1970s, The Magic Roundabout. He was a hip drugged up rabbit lol.

The perfect narration, by Mr Ruddle (who I suspect is Gary Furlong) is the compensation for all the errors and nonsense. It is voiced with such skill, enchanting tone, passion and perfect inflection to ensure the result is well worth the listen. VERY ENTERTAINING

A fantastic tale of forbidden love

I don't know how I missed this book when it first came out, but I'm so happy I had the experience of listening to Simon and James's romance. J.T. Ruddle's narration transported me back in time, and coupled with Nicky James's excellent writing I felt like I was actually a part of Simon's world. 

I can't imagine what life was like for Simon and James--the fear and secrecy they had to live with every day just to be true to themselves must have been a difficult burden. That Simon was willing to go so far to save a stranger from his criminal sentence was incredibly romantic and set the stage for an intriguing storyline. Because Simon didn't disclose his motives to James, the beginning of their story felt more like an enemies-to-lovers romance than a love-at-first-sight tale. I had a lot of fun listening to their banter and spats, and as time passed and their relationship grew from master/servant to true companions, I was even more delighted. Listening to the two of them fall in love was the most decadent treat, and I ate every minute of it up and basked in the happiness they radiated. I honestly don't know how these two made it so long without being caught because their love for each other shone through in even the simplest action. I knew that James's escape couldn't stay a secret forever, but it was easy to get lost in the simple, happy life they shared together in the manor. 

When things started to fall apart, at first I didn't believe it--I'm way too much of a romantic to believe that the worst parts of humanity could prevail over true love. Between Lillian's unexpected support and Simon's quick thinking, I remained hopeful all the way until the end that things would somehow work out alright. When Simon and James had to make the difficult decision to part ways they broke my heart into a million pieces, and I shed many tears over the suffering they went through before they were free to be together again. What gave me hope during the lowest points was the promise they made to each other. "Until the End of Time" isn't just the title of this book, it's a testament to the strength of Simon and James's love, a physical representation of the bond they built together. In some ways, the forbidden nature of their romance made the journey even more worth it, because I know that both men considered the consequences of being together and actively chose that path anyway.

**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions. 

A delightful rollercoaster of emotion!

I absolutely loved this book! The story took me on a journey that made me hold my breath with anticipation, and brought tears to my eyes.

J.T Ruddle's performance was outstanding! He made the experience of listening an absolute joy. He captured the heat and emotion of the storey wonderfully. Having listened to countless books, he is easily one of my favourite narrators.

A wonderful experience all around!

The most beautiful love story of all time

The most beautiful love story of all time.

I'm not a fan of historical romances, but somehow Nicky can write anything and I'd love it.

I loved reading this book and now with the audio it was a whole different experience. I loved listening to James and Simon's story, the voices were so great for both of them and the narrator did a really good job bringing this story to life.

Who doesn't love a love story which can last forever, no matter the time and place. A love story in a time when it was forbidden to love someone in the same gender as you. A love story which could easily be a tragedy.

I have only one word for this book: perfection. This story is so beautiful that it will stay with me forever, until the end of time.

A book that left me speechless

Story: I do not read or listen to a lot of historical romance stories, but this being a Nicky James book had me curious enough to give it a try. What a brilliant decision it was! The story had me absolutely riveted! The emotions, the characters and the setting were spot on! To top it off, the language was brilliantly authentic, building an amazingly complex and wholesome tale of love in times it could be deadly dangerous. The story left me speechless!
Narration: The narrator was amazingly well selected! The voice, the inflection and all the emotions the performance carried forward made this audio a beautiful travel in time.

amazing

so good... so well written.. the narrator did an amazing job with everything in this... i loved it

Heartbreaking

I follow Nicky James. Her stories are always so emotional and true to life. This made me feel like she had insight to the time period. Since being gay was not legal in England until the late nineteen sixties that sets this as probably mild for what really happened. This story broke my heart most of the way through. Living in fear or prison does not make a happy story. I think this author has the ability to take characters of such different class and make them interact naturally. The story flow moved right along. The characters felt totally real to me. The narration by J.T. Ruddle really brings life to these characters. I think this is one of her earliest stories and I’d love to read one from that time period she would write now.

emotional and beautiful performance

listening to j t ruddle bring Simon James and their journey to life was beautifully perfect

I felt every single emotion and feels in this story the tears and the heartwarming moments I loved it

nicky james words the characters and the narration was such a wonderful combination