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REVIEW: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles
Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting – K.J. Charles
Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces. Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury’s heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn’t impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He’s sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud – and he’ll protect his niece, whatever it takes. Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care – more than either of them thought possible. But Robin’s cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting is the first book of Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune by my all-time favorite, K.J. Charles. I started this book beforehand but finished the sequel, The Duke At Hazard, first because, for some reason, I wasn’t jiving with the story.
I enjoyed The Duke At Hazard so much, and Hart and Robin had a fun cameo that I wanted to give their book another try.
Second time’s the charm!
Still, it was a bit of a slow start but I had a better appreciation of the cleverness of the plot, the layered characterizations, the scandalous family politics, and the surprising rightness of Hart and Robin’s dynamics once they started their arrangement.
Robin and Marianne Loxleigh of Nottinghamshire are in the business of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. The poor being them. They set their sights on Alice Fenwick, a brewery heiress, and the titled gentlemen of the Season, all of whom were impressed by their manners and attractive appearance.
Alice’s uncle is the grumpy Sir John Hartlebury, a known misanthrope who saw through their ruse from the get-go. Hart tries to convince his sister Edwina that her daughter is being wooed by a fortune hunter, but she isn’t convinced and tells Hart to prove his claims.
This is one of the most amusing parts. Doing his damnest, Hart pointed out all the signs that Robin is a charlatan who uses his appearance and charms to gain advantages and titles. Only for Edwina to counterargue, “It’s what people do” in the Marriage Mart.
I loved the irony and how the author made it seem the Loxleighs are really no different from everyone else, except that they have no illustrious lineage, and that everybody is, in a way, a charlatan when it comes to securing an advantageous marriage.
Another fun part is the unexpectedly endearing relationship between Robin and Alice. Our young heiress might be average-looking, but she’s no fool and a math prodigy, too. Also, she has no interest in marriage. Schemes aside, Robin developed a fondness for the lady and had an enthusiastic appreciation of her mathematical skills.
I loved how he encouraged her to pursue her dream to be a mathematician. Might be that he sees potential use of her math theories in the gaming halls. I could imagine Robin rubbing his hands in glee as he raked in the money. But really, this enterprising fortune hunter is actually soft-hearted and wants to help Alice enter a university.
Also, he’s lusting after the uncle with the thunder thighs.
Hart and Robin’s arrangement started after an unfortunate card game (guess who lost). The author did a spectacular job weaving the hurt comfort, the class difference, the importance of consent, the kink exploration, and the blossoming affections in this clandestine arrangement.
The characters are wonderfully nuanced and if you love words of affirmation, this has swoon-worthy declarations to melt the heart!
Robin more or less trampled the power dynamics with his unbridled sensuality, shameless imagination, and sincere admiration for the “unlovable” Hart.
Robin is easy to like but Hart is the underdog I was rooting hard for. Going against his heartless mother to protect his sister and their family legacy and thus practically a social pariah, he is a man with only three known friends.
He is also considered physically unattractive by even his mother. Add to that his lack of conversational skills and social graces, it was hard for Hart to believe anyone would actually like him.
But Robin saw through the gruffness. Hart is fiercely protective of those he loves. He’s an astute business owner, a loyal friend, kind, generous and fair even to desperate fortune hunting rogues.
This wouldn’t be a K.J. Charles book without a twisty-turny climax. The scene is deliciously sharp, cutting with surgical precision, bringing the bad guys down before they even realized their heads were sliced off. Metaphorically that is, since no blood was shed, just dignity and enemy reputations in tatters.
And you got to hand it to narrator Cornell Collins for performing this scene to it’s most dramatic effect.
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting is a story of pretty faces and plain janes, false claims, and genuine treasures. Set against the backdrop of dazzling ballrooms, bustling gaming halls, and secluded private rooms, it is a tale where fortune favors the bold (and desperate) in the game of love, money, and privilege. Swoony and captivating, it’s definitely a winning hand!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Fortunately
Artist: Mokita
Album: FortunatelyP.S.
The books in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune can be read as standalones. Witness another fortune lost and gain during a card game in The Duke At Hazard.
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THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING: Kindle | Audiobook
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MY TOP 10 READS OF 2024
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REVIEW: The Duke At Hazard by K.J. Charles
Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune: The Duke At Hazard – K.J. Charles
Don’t miss the second thrilling Regency romance in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series by KJ Charles…
The Duke of Severn is one of the greatest men in Britain.
He’s also short, quiet, and unimpressive. And now he’s been robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger. The Duke has to get it back, and he can’t let anyone know how he lost it. So when his cousin bets that he couldn’t survive without his privilege and title, the Duke grasps the opportunity to hunt down his ring-incognito.
Life as an ordinary person is terrifying…until the anonymous Duke meets Daizell Charnage, a disgraced gentleman, and hires him to help. Racing across the country in search of the thief, the Duke and Daizell fall into scrapes, into trouble-and in love.
Daizell has been excluded from polite society, his name tainted by his father’s crimes and his own misbehaviour. Now he dares to dream of a life somewhere out of sight with the quiet gentleman who’s stolen his heart. He doesn’t know that his lover is a hugely rich public figure with half a dozen titles. And when he finds out, it will risk everything they have…
The Duke At Hazard is the second book of Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune and features the first duke in K.J. Charles‘s extensive repertoire of historical MM romances. Though the ubiquitous love interests in historical romance, dukes are actually rare in real life.
The Duke of Severn is second only to the royal family, so it’s quite a venerable and intimidating position. Also, very stifling. So stifling, Severn jumped at a chance to go out into the world incognito for one month without the trappings of his title.
This is after losing his heirloom, the Severn ring, to a thief he hooked up with one night. His cousin Leo made a wager that Severn wouldn’t survive without his servants and privileges, and so, also seeing this as a chance to look for his ring, the duke became the ordinary, nondescript Cassian.
Cassian’s search led him to cross paths with Daizell Charnage, a fellow Etonian who fell from grace after his father’s crimes. Sensing the other man’s street smarts could be useful, Cassian asked for help to search for the thief and his ring in exchange for 50 pounds.
Daizell, being a gentleman with no marketable skills, can’t work. His only skill is creating portraits by cutting paper. It’s a very entertaining skill that earns him a few schillings and an occasional free lodging. The promise of 50 pounds and free meals made it hard for him to say no, so off they went on a wild goose chase.
The first book in the series, The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, was a struggle, so I put it on hold. The Duke at Hazard effortlessly kept me riveted for hours!
I loved how the shift between Cassian and Severn is palpable whenever the duke refers to himself by which name. It underlines his conflict between the two worlds, his wish to become whole, and how Daiz made it so.
Cassian isn’t perfect. He is the first to acknowledge his shortcomings. His lack of imposing stature and average face would have him disappear in a crowd if not for his fine clothes and the posse of servants to announce his presence.
And smartly, he used this natural anonymity to outwit the bad guys in his adventure. Watching Cassian learn about the wider world is fascinating. Fantastic character growth!
I also love Cassian for acknowledging that he was selfish in his treatment of Daizell, though it wasn’t with bad intentions. The duke also has a capacity for forgiveness and resourcefulness, which surprised even himself. One of my favorite parts is how he handled John Martin, a former valet, now a wanted man. I hope Martin’s book is next.
Also, who knew our boy Cas could be hella kinky!
Daizell has fabulous hair, average looks, and a sunshiney personality that made him well-liked, if not for his disgrace. He’s lonely and starving for affection, but you wouldn’t know it because he’s always easygoing. Also a kinky boy.
Daiz went from giving Cassian pointers to admiring Cas’s derring-do to falling hard for the man. Drifting here and there, he finally found a direction and a purpose. My heart went to him when he was so wrecked upon learning Cas’s true identity and how vastly unattainable the duke is.
Cue the most moving, squee-tastic groveling scene!
And it wouldn’t be a K.J. Charles book without dastardly villains, clever twists, and a satisfying comeuppance.
The villain is mostly off-page, but his menace and sinister workings are visibly present. Cassian took it upon himself, as Daiz said, “swinging his duke around” most magnificently to avenge the wrong, save a lady, and restore Daiz’s reputation as a gentleman!
Other reviewers mentioned this is one of the author’s milder books, and I agree. The two MCs were constantly traveling, the plot had more action, from overturning coaches to daring escapes, and the stakes were high. Still, the vibe is gentle. I would even dare say idyllic if not for the bad guys,
There were moments in Cassian and Daizell’s adventure that edged towards lulls. The charms of these two men snapped me back to attention. Seeing the world through their eyes, “a man who was interested in everything made everything interesting.” They are a great addition to the author’s roster of lovable couples.
The Duke at Hazard is the compelling journey of two men who transformed their lives from mere existence to vibrant living. With a fabulous blend of action, entertainment, and swoon-worthy moments, this cross-country adventure is a captivating and unforgettable romp!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Act of Faith
Artist: Presence
Album: InsideP.S.
The Duke At Hazard can be read as standalone.
With a name like Daizell, you had to be made of sunshine.
Would you believe the duke’s first name is Vernon? No, just no. Happily, the duke chose Cassian among his many names.
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THE DUKE AT HAZARD: Audiobook
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REVIEW: Death In The Spires by K.J. Charles
Death In The Spires – K.J. Charles
The newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered.
1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.
Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?
As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby’s killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?
Some secrets are better left buried…
From the bestselling, acclaimed author of The Magpie Lord and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes a chilling historical mystery with a sting in the tail. You won’t be able to put this gripping story down!
Death In the Spires is foremost a murder mystery. While there are some queer romantic elements, it is one man’s quest to solve the decade-old murder of his friend, an incident that destroyed his life.
The story is set in Oxford at the turn of the century and in Jeremy Kite’s POV. Jeremy, a mathematics major, is there on a scholarship. He’s painfully conscious of his club foot and provincial accent, especially when surrounded by sons of lords and maharajahs.
On his first day, he was adopted into a group that became known as the Feynsham set.
Toby Feynsham – a marquis’s son and fearless leader of the group. He has the audacity of someone who doesn’t worry about the consequences.
Nicky Rook – Toby’s best friend since childhood. Nicky is blunt and sarcastic. He’s also known to be in love with Toby. Later became Jem’s lover.
Hugo Morley-Adam – a rich man’s son and a celebrated athlete. He and Nicky were fencing rivals. Hugo is a likable fellow and has political ambitions
Ella – Toby’s twin sister and the more cerebral of the two. A statuesque woman, Ella is a chemistry major. She and Aaron started dating later on
Pru – Ella’s friend and a mathematics major. Pru is petite, more introverted and, like Jem, came from a working class background
Aaron – an African man majoring in medicine. Aaron is also into athletics and frequently runs with Hugo. They also discovered he cannot act when the group auditioned for a Shakespearean play.The group made waves around the campus and even starred in Cymbeline, a hit among the students. At their peak, the Feynsham set was glorious. Then Toby was found dead, everyone was suspect.
Ten years later, Jem received a letter accusing him of the murder, so he decided to investigate.
I love Jem! He’s smol, he’s tired, he’s jobless and almost broke, and his leg hurts, but our boy’s not leaving any stones unturned. He’s a man who wants to start living his life and he can only do that if he puts spectres of the past to rest once and for all.
The plot alternates between flashbacks to university days and the present day. Jem was forced to swallow bitter truths, reopen old wounds, and reveal secret crimes during his investigation.
The complicated relationships of different personalities, their spectacularly vitriolic fallout, and their begrudging reunion interweave with the author’s go-to themes of class difference, excesses of privilege, the importance of consent, and the right to bodily autonomy.
Jem also reunites with Nicky. The romance here is very HFN. I didn’t like it but we were warned this is not romance-centric.
I love the dark academia vibe! K.J. Charles always has a way of making her settings immersive. Gaslit streets, pea soup fog, imposing ancient buildings, and shadowy figures stalking Jem popped up like movie scenes in my mind.
The mystery was twisty-turny, suspenseful, and very effectively made me thoroughly invested in finding the truth. I thought I had a handle on it, knowing the author’s style, but she still pulled off some unexpected reveals.
And, of course, the writing. Apart from the nuanced characters and plot twists, the author’s sharp wit, humor, and overall word wizardry make reading a breeze while also being a masterclass in writing.
Overall, Death In The Spires is a vision of youth through rose-colored glasses and jaundiced eyes. Brilliantly written, wonderfully atmospheric and as gripping and addictive as promised!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Shake It Out
Artist: Florence + The Machine
Album: Ceremonials
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DEATH IN THE SPIRES: Kindle I Audiobook
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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (September – December 2022)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 4rd quarter of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
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One Line Reviews Of Some Books I Read This Year (April – June 2022)
This is a round up of the books I read on the 2st quarter of this year that I’m too lazy to do a full review.
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LAST YEAR I WAS READING…(February 10, 2021)
This meme was created by Reading Marie. It’s a great meme because it’s nice and easy to do.
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MY TOP 10 READS OF 2020
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PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE (August 5, 2020)
Found this tag on Chelle’s Book Ramblings . It’s simple and fun. I thought I would put my own spin on it and make it a weekly thing.
Original Rules
- Find a book published 10+ years ago.
- Find a book that will be published THIS year.
- Find a book that will be published NEXT year.
Some slight revision of the rules:
- Find a book published 10+ years ago
- Find a book that will be published THIS month.
- Find a book that will be published NEXT month.
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REVIEW: Any Old Diamonds by K.J. Charles
Lilywhite Boys: Any Old Diamonds – K.J. Charles
Lord Alexander Pyne-ffoulkes is the younger son of the Duke of Ilvar, with a bitter grudge against his wealthy father. The Duke intends to give his Duchess a priceless diamond parure on their wedding anniversary—so Alec hires a pair of jewel thieves to steal it.
The Duke’s remote castle is a difficult target, and Alec needs a way to get the thieves in. Soldier-turned-criminal Jerry Crozier has the answer: he’ll pose as a Society gentleman and become Alec’s new best friend.
But Jerry is a dangerous man: controlling, remote, and devastating. He effortlessly teases out the lonely young nobleman’s most secret desires, and soon he’s got Alec in his bed—and the palm of his hand.
Or maybe not. Because as the plot thickens, betrayals, secrets, new loves, and old evils come to light. Now the jewel thief and the aristocrat must keep up the pretence, find their way through a maze of privilege and deceit, and confront the truth of what’s between them…all without getting caught.
This is the story of the wicked thief who taught a lord to lie and how the lord undone him with his truths.
Jerry Crozier was all that was advertised and more. Controlling, remote and devastating. He is unapologetic about what or who he is. The man was as compelling as the sweet whisperings of Lucifer. Alec stood no chance of resisting.
Lord Alexander ‘Alec’ Pyne-ffoulkes has the kind of innocence that begs to be ruined. And he was very much willing to be so. His submission belies an inner strength capable of tapping into his baser nature and going against everything he loves just to get revenge. All without losing said innocence at all.
Alec gave Jerry complete control to do whatever he pleases. Jerry is a man who LOVES control. In all fairness, the whole thing was beautifully done. I’m just not a fan of BDSM so the plaything aspect wasn’t something I go for in romance stories.
It started as physical. As the story progressed, we see subtle hints of finer feelings. This was my favorite parts. The gestures were so simple, a tighter grip or a change of breath, and so casually mentioned you’d missed it if you don’t pay attention.
The story focused more on the relationship between the two main characters. The progression was flawless. Jerry taught Alec how to play the long game. All throughout, we see the master thief in control until… he wasn’t. Because Alec SAW him.
I see hints of Gabriel ‘Ash’ Ashleigh (Society of Gentlemen) in Alec. Especially in how his naivety could be so effective in making him the best kind of liar. The kind who tells the truth. This particular characteristic was masterfully put to good use all throughout the book.
The heist plotline, while secondary, was still top notch in its execution. We meet another Lilywhite Boy, Templeton Lane and private detective, Susan Lazarus. Suzy, who we first meet as a child in Sins of the City, is all grown up and ready to kick some ass. She and Temp has some pretty interesting history going on. They have their own book.
The family drama was as sordid as to be expected. According to the author, this was based on a real life couple. And since the author does not write one-dimensional characters, she even made the stepmother and Alec’s father vile yet sympathetic enough to make Alec think twice about his revenge.
The big twist! I totally didn’t see it coming. The author really outdid herself with how this particular scene was written. It was a tricky thing making us see a character from another’s perspective while still writing in the first character’s POV. The result? I was as flabbergasted by the whole thing as Jerry and Temp.
Any Old Diamonds is one of K.J. Charles best written books. The character portraits were some of the best I’ve come across with. It’s very twisty and unpredictable. And so very clever!
P.S.
The Lilywhite Boys takes place 20 years after Sins of the Cities. It is not necessary to read the earlier series to enjoy this but why miss out on meeting the deliciously devious Justin Lazarus and his friends? Sins of the Cities review here.
K.J. Charles books here.Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: The Long Game
Artist: Johnathan Rice
Album: The Long Game
