In 1934, life in Brookburn, Indiana, is quiet, simple, and peaceful, but young dreamer Levi Beckerman yearns for more. When the carnival shows up for the Fourth of July, he’s entranced by its many temptations. None is more seductive than the charismatic barker, Sebastian Gustineau.<br><br>Seb’s been a part of the carnival for almost a decade. Once, it provided him the escape he needed from a life he thought he didn’t want, but now, he craves things it can never offer. Flitting from dusty town to dusty town, he loses himself in pretty dalliances. Levi seems like the perfect distraction, until a single conversation convinces him that preserving Levi’s innocence and way of life is more important than his momentary satisfaction.<br><br>However, his plan to discourage Levi goes horribly wrong. When Levi’s family is threatened, Levi fights to protect them, doing what he can to hide the secrets he’s sheltered his entire life. The only person he trusts is Seb. He just isn’t sure if the growing bond between them is enough to save them all.

A Simple Charm

Levi’s hand paused. “You mean, freedom from me? Or freedom from the world?”


The words don’t be sillypoised on his tongue, but Levi wasn’t nearly savvy enough to know how ridiculous his question really was. “From the world,” Seb replied. “From needing to be someone else’s idea of what a good citizen is. I like being my own man.”


“But you’re not.” Levi spoke slowly, like he was carefully choosing his words. “You’re Bertie’s.”


“Which is all the time, not just when you have an audience. Look at how he made you come after me.”


“He’s my boss. That’s what bosses do.”


“So does it matter if it’s Bertie or someone else? At least in California, you’d be able to leave work behind. Your time away will be yours, really yours. Isn’t that more freedom than you have now?”


Chapter 54