-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: At The Border Of Destiny by C. Quince (Excerpt)
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: To Save A Scoundrel’s Soul by Fearne Hill (Excerpt)
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Duke’s Runaway Omega by Autumn Montague (Excerpt)
-
COVER REVEAL: In Love and War: The First Lotus Knights by Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus
-
BOOK TOUR: We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore
-
REVIEW: How to Fake It in Society by K.J. Charles
How to Fake It in Society – K.J. Charles
It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.
At least, that’s what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists’ paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London . . . including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.
Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it’s the perfect chance for him to exploit London’s newest golden purse – until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies . . .
How To Fake It In Society is another brilliant historical romance from my all-time favorite MM author, K.J. Charles.
Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte, befriends Titus Pilcrow, a newly rich colourman who inherited his fortune in the most unusual way, through a deathbed marriage to a wealthy old woman, with strict instructions not to share the money with her greedy relatives.
Unsure how to navigate high society, Titus turns to Nico, who sees him as a ticket out of his own debts. But instead of fleecing his mark, Nico finds himself falling in love.
I loved Titus! He’s kind-hearted, generous, awkward, and naive about aristocratic life yet sharp, resourceful, and passionately devoted to his craft. Bullies try to dim his light, but with Nico’s support he learns to live on his own terms.
He started his friendship with Nico with open eyes, aware that the comte might just be after his money. Knowing that, he still invited him to live in his house. Their friendship is my favorite part of the story. Titus and Nico enjoyed each other’s company and that joy leapt off the page!
One of the most charming touches is Titus entertaining the comte with trivia about colors, such as a certain shade of green is made of arsenic or a yellow named after a queen’s unwashed clothes. It made him want to burn his green jacket, still Nico was utterly smittened. Couldn’t blame him, Titus’s enthusiasm is contagious.
These details, along with K.J. Charles’s immersive historical texture, make the novel sparkle. I especially love that her romances spotlight not just dukes but working-class characters with fascinating period-specific jobs, here a paint maker, other books a pornographer (Unfit to Print), taxidermist (An Unseen Attraction), a handwriting analysis expert (Copper Script), even a waste man (Rag and Bone).
Though Nico intended to exploit Titus, he ends up giving him everything he needs, confidence, colorful clothes, and unwavering support. His delight in making Titus happy is balm to the soul. Their romance is ridiculously endearing, and the cover perfectly captures their sweet hand-holding moments. And they really love holding hands!
The supporting cast was equally wonderful. Mr. Thorpe the loyal butler, Mrs . Thorpe the housekeeper and their daughter Alma the maid make a cozy found family for Titus who’s estranged from his brothers. Eve a.k.a. Poirot the valet is Nico’s cousin and a dashing lover for Alma.
The big reveal hit Titus and Nico hard. The author deftly unraveled the secrets and emotional fallout, throwing in some menacing bad guys who were caricatures, and the most hilarious villain takedown scene to give us a spectacular resolution worthy of Marie Antoinette!
How To Fake It In Society is a story about bringing out the best in people by seeing the good in them. Overall, wrong thoughts, right words, right actions and a romance that’s pure joy!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Give You The World
Artist: Yello feat. Malia
Album: Toy
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of How To Fake It In Society. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
HOW TO FAKE IT IN SOCIETY: Amazon UK | Audiobook
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Standard Tuning by Andi Tozier (Excerpt)
-
REVIEW: Stolen Magic by Ava Marie Salinger
The Mage and His Brute: Stolen Magic – Ava Marie Salinger
Magic defines who they are. But what happens when that power can be stolen?
In a Victorian London where magical privilege divides society, Duke Evander Ravenwood and Viggo Stonewall have forged more than just an alliance—they’ve fallen in love. But their happiness is short-lived when a new threat emerges from the shadows of London’s magical society.
A renowned professor from the Royal Institute for the Arcane has vanished, leaving behind whispers of forbidden magic and mysterious experiments. As Evander begins to investigate, complications arise with the arrival of his enigmatic former lover from Paris. An expert called in to help, Leon Beaulieu brings old emotions and new secrets to light and soon becomes a source of jealousy for Viggo.
Meanwhile, troubling rumours reach the Nightshade network: thralls linked to noble families are disappearing across London. Determined to track down the perpetrator, Viggo and his friends are drawn into a perilous hunt for an elusive adversary working from the shadows.
Realising their cases are intertwined, Evander and Viggo join forces to unravel the mysteries behind the professor’s disappearance and the missing thralls. But their search soon plunges them into a web of conspiracies rooted in decades-old betrayals and ambition—where nothing, and no one, is quite as it seems.
As allies become adversaries and the true mastermind closes in, Evander and Viggo will need their wits—and their trust in each other—if they’re to survive the darkness gathering around them.
Stolen Magic is a spellbinding tale of magic, mystery, and romance that will captivate readers from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of historical fantasy and LGBT romance, this second instalment in The Mage and His Brute series promises an unforgettable journey through a London where love and magic intertwine in the most unexpected ways.
Stolen Magic is the second book of the historical fantasy series The Mage and His Brute by Ava Marie Salinger. It picks up where Arcane Entanglement left off, with dark mages exploiting magicless thralls for nefarious reasons.
Scotland Yard’s Special Arcane Investigator Duke Evander Ravenwood and his team are tasked with finding missing professors from the Royal Institute for the Arcane. Meanwhile, his lover Viggo Stonewall and Nightshade investigate the disappearance of thralls, only to discover the two cases are connected.
I’m glad the main case isn’t a murder mystery, which is a nice change from the usual police procedural. Viggo and Evander initially pursue separate leads until the overlap becomes clear.
Just to spice things up, Evander’s ex and fellow Special Arcane Investigator, Comte Leon Beaulieu, enters the scene to assist, as one of the missing professors was from France. This got Viggo’s hackles up.
Viggo and Evander were refreshingly drama-free despite Leon’s efforts to rekindle old flames. Amid frantic investigations, it’s super sweet how they always make time to be together at the end of their busy day. They’re total relationship goals!
The only sour note is Jasper, Evander’s manservant, who is creepily invested in his master’s sex life. His salacious comments quickly turned from gag to grating
The atrocities done to the downtrodden thralls were even more horrific in this installment. They were used as experimental human conduits to transfer magic, which led to agonizing deaths.
While the villains and twists are somewhat predictable and the fight scenes less intense than in book one, the case itself is compelling. And Evander unleashing his archmage powers to their fullest was glorious!
The unexpected teamwork between Viggo and Leon was a fun bonus. They might actually become friends if they keep this up.
Stolen Magic continues the fight for justice against overprivileged mages. Though lighter on surprises and action, overall, it still delivers heart, thrills, and magic.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Conduit
Artist: The Spill Canvas
Album: ConduitP.S.
The Mage and His Brute is best read in order.
Watch a kungfu-fighting archmage and a trainstopping brute get twisted up in each other in Arcane Entanglement
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Stolen Magic. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
STOLEN MAGIC: Amazon UK | Audiobook
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
BLOG TOUR: Her Runaway Lady by B.J. Sikes (Excerpt)
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: A Hellish Thing by A.E. Lister (Excerpt)
