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Wanted #1
Wanted, A Gentleman
By the good offices of Riptide Publishing
KJ Charles’s new Entertainment
WANTED, A GENTLEMAN
Or, Virtue Over-Rated
the grand romance of
Mr. Martin St. Vincent . . . a Merchant with a Mission, also a Problem
Mr. Theodore Swann . . . a humble Scribbler and Advertiser for Love
Act the First:
the offices of the Matrimonial Advertiser, London
where Lonely Hearts may seek one another for the cost of a shilling
Act the Second:
a Pursuit to Gretna Green (or thereabouts)
featuring
a speedy Carriage
sundry rustic Inns
a private Bed-chamber
***
In the course of which are presented
Romance, Revenge, and Redemption
Deceptions, Discoveries, and Desires
the particulars of which are too numerous to impart
KJ Charles’s new Entertainment
WANTED, A GENTLEMAN
Or, Virtue Over-Rated
the grand romance of
Mr. Martin St. Vincent . . . a Merchant with a Mission, also a Problem
Mr. Theodore Swann . . . a humble Scribbler and Advertiser for Love
Act the First:
the offices of the Matrimonial Advertiser, London
where Lonely Hearts may seek one another for the cost of a shilling
Act the Second:
a Pursuit to Gretna Green (or thereabouts)
featuring
a speedy Carriage
sundry rustic Inns
a private Bed-chamber
***
In the course of which are presented
Romance, Revenge, and Redemption
Deceptions, Discoveries, and Desires
the particulars of which are too numerous to impart
134 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2017
70 people are currently reading
1609 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Charles
65 books12.2k followersKJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
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March 24, 2018So...did you know the Georgians had Lonely Hearts ads? Well, they did.
London 1805. Jobbing writer, proprietor of the Matrimonial Advertiser and all-round weasel Theo Swann is just trying to get by when Martin St. Vincent turns up. Martin is a merchant, tasked with putting a stop to a wealthy young heiress's romantic correspondence in the Advertiser. And when she and her swain make a dash for Gretna, Martin drags Theo after him on a breakneck high-speed (fourteen miles an hour!) chase up the country to catch the lovers before it's too late. The question is, as entanglements, deceptions, and revelations come thick and fast, will any of them be the same again?
I had a lot of fun with this book, I hope you enjoy it!
London 1805. Jobbing writer, proprietor of the Matrimonial Advertiser and all-round weasel Theo Swann is just trying to get by when Martin St. Vincent turns up. Martin is a merchant, tasked with putting a stop to a wealthy young heiress's romantic correspondence in the Advertiser. And when she and her swain make a dash for Gretna, Martin drags Theo after him on a breakneck high-speed (fourteen miles an hour!) chase up the country to catch the lovers before it's too late. The question is, as entanglements, deceptions, and revelations come thick and fast, will any of them be the same again?
I had a lot of fun with this book, I hope you enjoy it!
February 9, 2017
*3.5 stars*
I'm obsessed with K.J. Charles, and I think she is an exceptionally talented author. However, this one didn't grab me like her other books.
The book is very adventure-y, and while I sometimes like stories like that, I usually like more character-focused works. I like lots of slow burn and lots of sexual tension, and while we did get some tension in this enemies-to-lovers story, I didn't feel that "snap" of a connection like I crave.
The blurb was great and the characters were well conceived, but it all didn't fully come together. It had moments where I was like, "YESSSS," but I also wanted more the entire time.
I read a few reviews before starting the book, and I saw a lot of hype about a twist about 2/3rds of the way through the story. Anticipating and trying to guess what that twist was distracted me from the story. My best advice to readers is to not think about any twist. It isn't a crazy twist or anything bizarre, but it changed how I felt about the story, for sure. More than anything, it made me feel frustrated because it felt like an inorganic plot device rather that fitting smoothly with the story.
The story shines in the sense of time and place, which this author always does well, but even though I'd say that I liked it, I don't think I'd continue on if this was a series. Maybe with a different author, one who wasn't one of my favorites, I'd be more impressed.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I'm obsessed with K.J. Charles, and I think she is an exceptionally talented author. However, this one didn't grab me like her other books.
The book is very adventure-y, and while I sometimes like stories like that, I usually like more character-focused works. I like lots of slow burn and lots of sexual tension, and while we did get some tension in this enemies-to-lovers story, I didn't feel that "snap" of a connection like I crave.
The blurb was great and the characters were well conceived, but it all didn't fully come together. It had moments where I was like, "YESSSS," but I also wanted more the entire time.
I read a few reviews before starting the book, and I saw a lot of hype about a twist about 2/3rds of the way through the story. Anticipating and trying to guess what that twist was distracted me from the story. My best advice to readers is to not think about any twist. It isn't a crazy twist or anything bizarre, but it changed how I felt about the story, for sure. More than anything, it made me feel frustrated because it felt like an inorganic plot device rather that fitting smoothly with the story.
The story shines in the sense of time and place, which this author always does well, but even though I'd say that I liked it, I don't think I'd continue on if this was a series. Maybe with a different author, one who wasn't one of my favorites, I'd be more impressed.
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
November 11, 2016
~3.5~
I enjoyed this story because it's K.J. Charles, so of course the writing is engaging, the dialogue masterful, and the sense of time and place (in this case London 1805) strong.
Theo makes his living putting together a sort of "city weekly" for those seeking marriage or more. Not all the ads are honest, but Theo doesn't care. He just wants to make money. His true passion is writing fiction, and he does that under the pen name Dorothea Swann.
When Martin barges into Theo's shabby office/living quarters asking questions, he's not immediately taken with the man who has ink stains on his clothing and a sly smile that keeps secrets.
Martin needs help, and Theo is a man for hire. Martin has to pay handsomely, but Theo has IDEAS and a wicked tongue. The tongue is not for sale; Theo gives that away for free.
This isn't a long book, so Martin and Theo spend but a few days together on page chasing a spoiled, stubborn 17-year-old girl who thinks it would be quite an adventure to elope to Scotland with a rake (a not so dashing one).
Martin, who's of African decent, is a free man and while he doesn't feel he owes anything to his former master, his relationship with the man is complicated. And he cares for Miss Jennifer, his former master's daughter, whom he's known since she was but a babe.
In many ways, Theo is more than the sum of his parts. He really sees Martin, is angry on his behalf, and doesn't treat him any differently because of the color of his skin. Martin gets that, appreciates it, and can't help but lust after the man who fucks like a tomcat.
Where the story lost me is with the "twist" around the 65 percent mark. I wasn't expecting it, but then again, the narrative isn't entirely honest. We get both men's POV, yet one of them isn't forthcoming with us.
The last couple chapters read a bit like a penny romance, with the hero, the villain, the maiden in distress, and none of it as it seems. It's supposed to read this way, but I didn't find it entirely appealing and wished for a less dramatic resolution.
The ending is a fairly hopeful HFN, and the last scene gets all the thumbs up.
This is not my favorite K.J. Charles book, but it was still good fun. Rounded up because Theo has a dirty mouth and Martin is only sometimes a gentleman.
I enjoyed this story because it's K.J. Charles, so of course the writing is engaging, the dialogue masterful, and the sense of time and place (in this case London 1805) strong.
Theo makes his living putting together a sort of "city weekly" for those seeking marriage or more. Not all the ads are honest, but Theo doesn't care. He just wants to make money. His true passion is writing fiction, and he does that under the pen name Dorothea Swann.
When Martin barges into Theo's shabby office/living quarters asking questions, he's not immediately taken with the man who has ink stains on his clothing and a sly smile that keeps secrets.
Martin needs help, and Theo is a man for hire. Martin has to pay handsomely, but Theo has IDEAS and a wicked tongue. The tongue is not for sale; Theo gives that away for free.
This isn't a long book, so Martin and Theo spend but a few days together on page chasing a spoiled, stubborn 17-year-old girl who thinks it would be quite an adventure to elope to Scotland with a rake (a not so dashing one).
Martin, who's of African decent, is a free man and while he doesn't feel he owes anything to his former master, his relationship with the man is complicated. And he cares for Miss Jennifer, his former master's daughter, whom he's known since she was but a babe.
In many ways, Theo is more than the sum of his parts. He really sees Martin, is angry on his behalf, and doesn't treat him any differently because of the color of his skin. Martin gets that, appreciates it, and can't help but lust after the man who fucks like a tomcat.
Where the story lost me is with the "twist" around the 65 percent mark. I wasn't expecting it, but then again, the narrative isn't entirely honest. We get both men's POV, yet one of them isn't forthcoming with us.
The last couple chapters read a bit like a penny romance, with the hero, the villain, the maiden in distress, and none of it as it seems. It's supposed to read this way, but I didn't find it entirely appealing and wished for a less dramatic resolution.
The ending is a fairly hopeful HFN, and the last scene gets all the thumbs up.
This is not my favorite K.J. Charles book, but it was still good fun. Rounded up because Theo has a dirty mouth and Martin is only sometimes a gentleman.
February 4, 2017
A tag team review with Chelsea
3.75-4 HEARTS (sliding scale)--
Oh this was fun!
Wanted, A Gentleman is officially my first book of the year and I couldn't have chosen any better to start the new year off! Take one overworked scribbler who is a bit shifty (Theo Swann) and pair Theo with a former slave turned well to do merchant who is straightforward (Martin St. Vincent) and get a surprisingly light, and sexy opposites attract budding romance(?)
It's romantic in a sense though the story starts with a HFN feel, it's a promising start which read like an organic conclusion.
St. Vincent (I've had a great track record with historical St. Vincents) needs help locating a wayward teen who is determined to marry a liar. The girl is the only child of St. Vincent's former masters = complicated city. Theo runs a matrimonial matchmaking advertising business where the lonely and desperate write for potential matches. The two men are thrown together during desperate measures, Martin wants to help a child he grew up with though the ties still uneasy to fathom and Theo wants the money Martin promises him....even though he can't stop his attraction to Martin.
The two start off as strangers, are thrown together in a race to catch up with the eloping pair. And you know what happens during that road trip when mutual passion and chemistry is shared between the pair?
Road side hooking up.
This isn't PWP in the least and the road trip plot and chasing the wayward teen and her crappy swain plays second fiddle to Martin and Theo's page time. Thankfully.
The story is a definite win, but some parts were better than others.
Where this book excels : The main characters are the read and butter of this story. From the moment they meet to the very last scene, Martin St. Vincent and Theodore Swann grab the reader's attention.Well known Charles is a wordsmith and exceeds with excellent dialogue between her main characters. No different in Wanted. Theo and Martin have great balance of funny, serious, sexual and damaged.
Well matched pair.
Another point where the story excels is the fact that Martin is a conflicted character. The story is light in tone but it by no means diminishes Martin's history. I think it gave a great grasp on being...'other' than what society deems 'the normal'. It was cool to read Charles' take on a merchant Black Briton in the Georgian era. Martin is layered. He's proud of his accomplishments (freed slave now merchant), never mistreated as a slave and grateful for that because it could have been worse. But he is still angry. (Justifiably so) Traveling north of London, the reader gets a taste of the subtle racism Martin endures, learns why he chooses to continue this 'mission' and get to learn all of facets.
All while having Martin find a possible partner. And it wasn't angst riddled.
Out of the pair, Martin wins for me slightly over Theo, though Theo is definitely no slouch in the great character department: witty, quick thinking and just a bit criminal. Both are damaged by their upbringing but aren't bitter at the world.
Where the book was good : The plot was simple and engaging. I've lost track of how many historical romances I've read that used a Gretna Green road trip plot device to throw opposites together. It was nice to read one with a queer main couple. It's a quick read so, there aren't everlasting declarations made (Totally wouldn't work BTW) There was a big twist at 65% that seems a little left field...how? what? who? But overall, it works for the arc.
Where the book could have done better: It's little nitpicks but knowing I've read stellar reads from this author in the past, I know this story could have been more. Maybe a little more exposition on Theo. It's a Martin/Theo book and we get more depth on Martin. Theo is an interesting character. He leads a double (or triple) life. Once the twist is thrown in, Theo loses a little of his sparkle. I think I wouldn't have minded more page time, maybe a little more written at the stage stops on the road. The reasoning of why Martin chose to chase after 'Cressida' is given but maybe a touch more.
Altogether, the story more than gets the job done.
Would I read more of this pairing? Yes...and no. The story ends on the right hopeful note. I wouldn't say no to possible future snippets of their future but the story really drove the main point across.
Martin is living a HEA (as much as can be expected in that time period) being free and being able to help the poor Britons in need.
Theo was a delightful addition. Two lonely hearts entwined for however long they fancy.
Sometimes a budding and hopeful end is all we need.
Recommended for readers familiar with Charles work, readers of historical romance who don't mind different interpretations of a HEA.
3.75-4 HEARTS (sliding scale)--
WANTED, A Gentleman of better character than he knows, who plays the Villain to the manner born. Prompt application to M.St.V. is greatly desired as a Promise remains to be kept.
Oh this was fun!
Wanted, A Gentleman is officially my first book of the year and I couldn't have chosen any better to start the new year off! Take one overworked scribbler who is a bit shifty (Theo Swann) and pair Theo with a former slave turned well to do merchant who is straightforward (Martin St. Vincent) and get a surprisingly light, and sexy opposites attract budding romance(?)
It's romantic in a sense though the story starts with a HFN feel, it's a promising start which read like an organic conclusion.
St. Vincent (I've had a great track record with historical St. Vincents) needs help locating a wayward teen who is determined to marry a liar. The girl is the only child of St. Vincent's former masters = complicated city. Theo runs a matrimonial matchmaking advertising business where the lonely and desperate write for potential matches. The two men are thrown together during desperate measures, Martin wants to help a child he grew up with though the ties still uneasy to fathom and Theo wants the money Martin promises him....even though he can't stop his attraction to Martin.
The two start off as strangers, are thrown together in a race to catch up with the eloping pair. And you know what happens during that road trip when mutual passion and chemistry is shared between the pair?
Road side hooking up.
This isn't PWP in the least and the road trip plot and chasing the wayward teen and her crappy swain plays second fiddle to Martin and Theo's page time. Thankfully.
The story is a definite win, but some parts were better than others.
Where this book excels : The main characters are the read and butter of this story. From the moment they meet to the very last scene, Martin St. Vincent and Theodore Swann grab the reader's attention.Well known Charles is a wordsmith and exceeds with excellent dialogue between her main characters. No different in Wanted. Theo and Martin have great balance of funny, serious, sexual and damaged.
"This has been a delightful interlude, but if you don't fuck me right now, I am going to set fire to your house. Consider yourself warned."
"Well, if you put it that way. How do you like it?"
"In."
"I'm trying to treat you with respect and consideration. The least you could do is stop playing the harlot."
"What makes you think I'm playing?"
Well matched pair.
Another point where the story excels is the fact that Martin is a conflicted character. The story is light in tone but it by no means diminishes Martin's history. I think it gave a great grasp on being...'other' than what society deems 'the normal'. It was cool to read Charles' take on a merchant Black Briton in the Georgian era. Martin is layered. He's proud of his accomplishments (freed slave now merchant), never mistreated as a slave and grateful for that because it could have been worse. But he is still angry. (Justifiably so) Traveling north of London, the reader gets a taste of the subtle racism Martin endures, learns why he chooses to continue this 'mission' and get to learn all of facets.
All while having Martin find a possible partner. And it wasn't angst riddled.
Out of the pair, Martin wins for me slightly over Theo, though Theo is definitely no slouch in the great character department: witty, quick thinking and just a bit criminal. Both are damaged by their upbringing but aren't bitter at the world.
Where the book was good : The plot was simple and engaging. I've lost track of how many historical romances I've read that used a Gretna Green road trip plot device to throw opposites together. It was nice to read one with a queer main couple. It's a quick read so, there aren't everlasting declarations made (Totally wouldn't work BTW) There was a big twist at 65% that seems a little left field...how? what? who? But overall, it works for the arc.
Where the book could have done better: It's little nitpicks but knowing I've read stellar reads from this author in the past, I know this story could have been more. Maybe a little more exposition on Theo. It's a Martin/Theo book and we get more depth on Martin. Theo is an interesting character. He leads a double (or triple) life. Once the twist is thrown in, Theo loses a little of his sparkle. I think I wouldn't have minded more page time, maybe a little more written at the stage stops on the road. The reasoning of why Martin chose to chase after 'Cressida' is given but maybe a touch more.
Altogether, the story more than gets the job done.
Would I read more of this pairing? Yes...and no. The story ends on the right hopeful note. I wouldn't say no to possible future snippets of their future but the story really drove the main point across.
Martin is living a HEA (as much as can be expected in that time period) being free and being able to help the poor Britons in need.
Theo was a delightful addition. Two lonely hearts entwined for however long they fancy.
Sometimes a budding and hopeful end is all we need.
Recommended for readers familiar with Charles work, readers of historical romance who don't mind different interpretations of a HEA.
March 20, 2017
4.5 hearts!
BR with SRAL!!!!
Now wasn’t that just a lot of fun! I love KJ Charles! She’s written some of my favourite books ever, so I was very conscious not to compare this book with her others, but just to read and enjoy it for what it was. Spoiler…. I enjoyed it immensely!
I just get so sucked into Charles’ writing. Her characters and little twists are always gripping and so well done.
Martin, and especially Theo were such interesting characters with so much depth. Martin is a free-man, after being freed as a slave by his Masters, and is now hunting down their wayward daughter as a favour to them. He lives with a lot of anger and resentment, obviously, but also a lot of guilt, and it was really interesting seeing Theo’s reactions to that. Theo was my favourite, life and circumstances have been hard on him and he too is full of a lot of resentment and regret. He is such a weasel though, and I loved that more human, very cheeky side to him.
I loved watching these two get to know each other. The banter was wonderful and it ended up turning into an ‘enemies to lovers’ thing, which was fun! Once again I forgot how incredibly hoooootttttt KJ Charles’ sex scenes can be. I think part of me still assumes the sex won’t be as good because the stories are too interesting. Well I was WRONG! Theo is one wanton minx and Martin is all delicious dominance and I freakin loved it!
If you like historical or KJ Charles’ works, I know you’ll adore this. It may not be up to the standard of a certain tall lord and fiery shaman for a lot of you, but read this as its own book and I guarantee you’ll have fun!
**************************
Got My First ARC From Netgalley And Its This Beauty!! Eeeeeeecccccckkkkkkk
BR with SRAL!!!!
Now wasn’t that just a lot of fun! I love KJ Charles! She’s written some of my favourite books ever, so I was very conscious not to compare this book with her others, but just to read and enjoy it for what it was. Spoiler…. I enjoyed it immensely!
I just get so sucked into Charles’ writing. Her characters and little twists are always gripping and so well done.
Martin, and especially Theo were such interesting characters with so much depth. Martin is a free-man, after being freed as a slave by his Masters, and is now hunting down their wayward daughter as a favour to them. He lives with a lot of anger and resentment, obviously, but also a lot of guilt, and it was really interesting seeing Theo’s reactions to that. Theo was my favourite, life and circumstances have been hard on him and he too is full of a lot of resentment and regret. He is such a weasel though, and I loved that more human, very cheeky side to him.
[Martin] didn’t look while Theo changed into his nightshirt. That was probably because he was a decent man with morals who knew right from wrong.
Theo looked. He watched Martin pull his white shirt over his head, baring his deep chest, a rich glinting brown in the candlelight.
I loved watching these two get to know each other. The banter was wonderful and it ended up turning into an ‘enemies to lovers’ thing, which was fun! Once again I forgot how incredibly hoooootttttt KJ Charles’ sex scenes can be. I think part of me still assumes the sex won’t be as good because the stories are too interesting. Well I was WRONG! Theo is one wanton minx and Martin is all delicious dominance and I freakin loved it!
If you like historical or KJ Charles’ works, I know you’ll adore this. It may not be up to the standard of a certain tall lord and fiery shaman for a lot of you, but read this as its own book and I guarantee you’ll have fun!
**************************
Got My First ARC From Netgalley And Its This Beauty!! Eeeeeeecccccckkkkkkk
August 18, 2022
It's been a while since I've read romance (unless we count my ongoing fanfiction-binge *cough*), and it felt a bit... lukewarm. I'd like to say I'm getting over the genre, but the insane number of slash fics I've been consuming seems to contradict this idea.
That being said, the couple in the book has great chemistry. Or rather, the audio narrator has done a great job portraying said chemistry. I appreciated some decent one-liners, including the funny ones.
Now with this book being more of a novella, rather than a full-fledged novel, I was not too keen on some of the plot-twists. While I'm not a big fan of slow-burn progressions, I still expect to have SOME development before having a plot-twist thrown my way. As it was, things felt a bit artificial. As a matter of fact, a whole lot of the book felt a bit over top. Perhaps intentionally so, making it all into a parody?
Score: 3/5 stars
One of my biggest pet-peeves these days, are the in-your-face diverse cast, which appears more as a result of someone going through the diversity questionnaire, rather than a genuine desire to reflect a realistic society. I'm looking at you Netflix book adaptations.
Wanted, A Gentleman however doesn't feel the need to have a 90% non-white cast, and makes the protagonist's plight quite believable, including his problematic friendship with his former slave owner. I just wish the story had been a bit more... fleshed out.
That being said, the couple in the book has great chemistry. Or rather, the audio narrator has done a great job portraying said chemistry. I appreciated some decent one-liners, including the funny ones.
Now with this book being more of a novella, rather than a full-fledged novel, I was not too keen on some of the plot-twists. While I'm not a big fan of slow-burn progressions, I still expect to have SOME development before having a plot-twist thrown my way. As it was, things felt a bit artificial. As a matter of fact, a whole lot of the book felt a bit over top. Perhaps intentionally so, making it all into a parody?
Score: 3/5 stars
One of my biggest pet-peeves these days, are the in-your-face diverse cast, which appears more as a result of someone going through the diversity questionnaire, rather than a genuine desire to reflect a realistic society. I'm looking at you Netflix book adaptations.
Wanted, A Gentleman however doesn't feel the need to have a 90% non-white cast, and makes the protagonist's plight quite believable, including his problematic friendship with his former slave owner. I just wish the story had been a bit more... fleshed out.
February 12, 2017
I do not recommend this book.
There are things I have always found in what I've read of KJ Charles' work, and they are present here: beautiful sentences, deeply compelling writing, hot sex scenes, lovers being careful with each other (the bit about lube was a striking example), beautiful chemistry between the lovers, complex high stakes conflict with no clear easy answer.
That said, I found this book deeply problematic.
I had serious concerns about this story from the start. A main character who is a free Black man in Georgian England who has complex and fraught ties of loyalty and obligation to the White family that enslaved him, and freed him, which are main drivers for some of his core choices in the story. I went into it worried about that. And, I was right to be worried.
The portrayal of Martin's conflicting feelings of loyalty and indebtedness and rage with regards to the family that enslaved him was somewhat complex. That aspect of the story was done in a way that didn't feel glossed over, had a bit of depth to it. But, if you want stories that engage with similar complexities, there are brilliant books by Black authors that go deeper, hold the larger picture better, and explore more of the nuances, like Kindred or Dessa Rose or Beloved. They aren't romances, and I'm honestly not sure this kind of thing can be effectively done and central to a romance plot. If it is possible, it feels to me like something that really needs to be ownvoices. There are Black authors writing romances about enslaved Black characters, and I have higher hopes for those. I have not read any of these yet, but I have heard good things about An Extraordinary Union, Be Not Afraid, and Captured.
I have four main issues with the book, and they are large scale, about how the story was built.
First, this is a story centering a free Black man in Georgian England, who was enslaved for much of his life, and there are no other Black characters in it. Not only that, his actions, his thoughts, and pretty much everything about him is focused on and centers White people. This is a White-centered story, through and through.
My second issue is with the romance arc itself. The lovers get separated because It didn't feel like they earned the happy ending, given what happened. Instead, it felt like the author set it up so that we were supposed to assume that Martin forgives Theodore because he has empathy for his motivations, not because Theodore did much to earn that forgiveness or prove himself. It feels like the story is set up so that the reader is supposed to assume that Martin is drawing from his own experience of enslavement to empathize with Theodore--otherwise, the ending makes no sense. By doing this, this story indirectly equates the enslavement of a Black character with This is extremely problematic. And it sets up a Black main character who was enslaved for much of his life to be doing the lion's share of emotional labor to resolve the conflict caused by the actions of the White main character, which is also problematic.
My third issue with the structure of the story is the choice to make the family that enslaved Martin "kind" and "generous". It feels like the choice was made to create more internal conflict for him, and set up this complex feeling of obligation and indebtedness on his part, and I don't think a novella has the room to hold this kind of choice, and still hold these characters properly accountable for enslaving him. This is the thing that feels the most glossed over and pat, and there to serve the plot, but not properly attended to in the story.
My fourth issue with the structure of the story is one I spotted from the beginning. The only woman in the story is there not as a person but as a tool for the plot, and in particular the threat of violence and sexual assault to her is one of the core things that motivates the lovers actions near the end. I don't mind when heterosexual people are de-centered from a story about queer people (in fact, hurray!), but using the threat of intimate partner violence and sexual assault to a woman character as a plot device is problematic, especially when the character who is threatened with it never gets to really have a voice or depth or complexity.
Trigger warnings
There are things I have always found in what I've read of KJ Charles' work, and they are present here: beautiful sentences, deeply compelling writing, hot sex scenes, lovers being careful with each other (the bit about lube was a striking example), beautiful chemistry between the lovers, complex high stakes conflict with no clear easy answer.
That said, I found this book deeply problematic.
I had serious concerns about this story from the start. A main character who is a free Black man in Georgian England who has complex and fraught ties of loyalty and obligation to the White family that enslaved him, and freed him, which are main drivers for some of his core choices in the story. I went into it worried about that. And, I was right to be worried.
The portrayal of Martin's conflicting feelings of loyalty and indebtedness and rage with regards to the family that enslaved him was somewhat complex. That aspect of the story was done in a way that didn't feel glossed over, had a bit of depth to it. But, if you want stories that engage with similar complexities, there are brilliant books by Black authors that go deeper, hold the larger picture better, and explore more of the nuances, like Kindred or Dessa Rose or Beloved. They aren't romances, and I'm honestly not sure this kind of thing can be effectively done and central to a romance plot. If it is possible, it feels to me like something that really needs to be ownvoices. There are Black authors writing romances about enslaved Black characters, and I have higher hopes for those. I have not read any of these yet, but I have heard good things about An Extraordinary Union, Be Not Afraid, and Captured.
I have four main issues with the book, and they are large scale, about how the story was built.
First, this is a story centering a free Black man in Georgian England, who was enslaved for much of his life, and there are no other Black characters in it. Not only that, his actions, his thoughts, and pretty much everything about him is focused on and centers White people. This is a White-centered story, through and through.
My second issue is with the romance arc itself. The lovers get separated because It didn't feel like they earned the happy ending, given what happened. Instead, it felt like the author set it up so that we were supposed to assume that Martin forgives Theodore because he has empathy for his motivations, not because Theodore did much to earn that forgiveness or prove himself. It feels like the story is set up so that the reader is supposed to assume that Martin is drawing from his own experience of enslavement to empathize with Theodore--otherwise, the ending makes no sense. By doing this, this story indirectly equates the enslavement of a Black character with This is extremely problematic. And it sets up a Black main character who was enslaved for much of his life to be doing the lion's share of emotional labor to resolve the conflict caused by the actions of the White main character, which is also problematic.
My third issue with the structure of the story is the choice to make the family that enslaved Martin "kind" and "generous". It feels like the choice was made to create more internal conflict for him, and set up this complex feeling of obligation and indebtedness on his part, and I don't think a novella has the room to hold this kind of choice, and still hold these characters properly accountable for enslaving him. This is the thing that feels the most glossed over and pat, and there to serve the plot, but not properly attended to in the story.
My fourth issue with the structure of the story is one I spotted from the beginning. The only woman in the story is there not as a person but as a tool for the plot, and in particular the threat of violence and sexual assault to her is one of the core things that motivates the lovers actions near the end. I don't mind when heterosexual people are de-centered from a story about queer people (in fact, hurray!), but using the threat of intimate partner violence and sexual assault to a woman character as a plot device is problematic, especially when the character who is threatened with it never gets to really have a voice or depth or complexity.
Trigger warnings
November 28, 2024
I felt a slump coming on so I decided to reread this novella that I remember enjoying back in like 2018. I really appreciate how this period drama doesn't fetishize the Black man, still portrays Britain's brutal history of slavery without sanitizing it and demonstrates racism without making it gratuitous or traumatising. The scandal that Martin is trying to circumvent is really well done. It felt like an episode out of Downton Abbey. Theo also demonstrates how privilege is a veneer and sometimes people should face the consequences of their stupidity, even at the hands of someone mildly villainous. This is a very heartfelt, enjoyable story and I would love a sequel to Martin and Theo "Dorothea Swann" seeing any future adventures they get involved in.
July 16, 2021
Theo Swann eeks out a small desperate living, publishing a lonely hearts publication (probably the 1805 version of Grindr, Tinder, OKCupid and everything in between). One day Martin, a freed black man and former slave, asks Theo's assistance in learning the identity of an anonymous gentlemen who has been courting the 17-year-old daughter of his former owner via the want-ads.
What follows is a wild race from London to the Scottish border at breakneck speed (not to mention sore arses and aching joints) and along the way, Theo and Martin learn they are both inclined to men:
On the whole, I enjoyed the story (giving it 3.5 stars).
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
What follows is a wild race from London to the Scottish border at breakneck speed (not to mention sore arses and aching joints) and along the way, Theo and Martin learn they are both inclined to men:
"I'm not doing this with spit," Martin said flatly. "Damned if I'm listening to you bitch about your arse all tomorrow as well." [Theo] "Oh, get on, will you? I've done worse." [...] "You are not going to share a bed with me and walk away saying 'I've done worse.' Martin's voice was slightly ragged and his eyes were fixed on Theo's with disturbing intensity. "That is not how I fuck."I was all in on this book, until there was a Big Reveal around 66% that seemingly came out of nowhere (not wanting to spoil the ending here) and while the ending was satisfactory, it sort of felt like a gothic romance.
On the whole, I enjoyed the story (giving it 3.5 stars).
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
May 18, 2018
Wanted, a Gentleman
By K.J. Charles
Riptide Publishing, 2017
Five stars
“You’ve the world before you. It’s quite a big place, once you can raise your head and see it.”
Oh, how good it feels to give five stars to a book after having just read two books back-to-back that were so bad I couldn’t even publish the harsh notes I wrote about them. K.J. Charles has saved me again, and indeed she has accomplished this with what I think of as the most difficult of all m/m genres to pull off: Regency Romance.
I’m one of those odd men who adored Georgette Heyer as a youth. I devoured her historical romances, set in the Regency period, when I was a fretful teenager in the 1960s, retreating into romance as a happy place where I could forget my troubles. As an adult I read all of Jane Austen, marveling at the emotional restraint with which she expressed such powerful feelings. This is a period I know.
Ms. Charles is a very gifted writer, and this book proves it. The Regency setting is hardly new to the gay romance world, and yet she has managed to take it and turn it on its head with one twist: Martin St. Vincent, the main character, featured in period dress on the cover, is black. And a former slave.
But Charles doesn’t sensationalize this, not in the least. No embarrassing shadows of “Mandingo” here. She creates a story that is deeply rooted in the social history of its period, but also sends shivers of recognition into the world where we all sit right now, with its strained conversations about topics that we, today, would call white privilege and male privilege. The fact that both Martin and his catalyst in the story, the novelist-cum-marriage-advertiser Theodore Swann, are gay is both central and sidelined in the story. Being gay is what they are, its impact on the plot has only to do with the connection between the two men. That is the unseen romance in the story—the one that only we are allowed to witness.
A very young heiress runs off with a man who has wooed her through Theo’s advertising bulletin. Martin must find her and save her. Theo is the only one who can help him. Seems pretty obvious, and yet…the action gets all mixed up with the plots that Theo fabricates for his successful romances, written under the nom de plume of Dorothea Swann (which in itself has modern echoes in the world of m/m romance). Theo’s emotions are no less complicated than Martin’s, whose skin color and history are a lens through which he can’t help but see the world. Martin and Theo are so at odds with each other, so completely different, that their being thrown into complicity with each other comes off—quite marvelously—like a Dickensian version of a 1930s road trip movie. It is all so carefully thought out, so beautifully pitched to pluck every emotional heartstring in the reader, that it just swept me along, even as my modern rational mind tried to figure out where the author was going to take us.
Now, I am of that small group of gay romance readers who has decided I could do without the sex bits. But I have to credit Charles that, even there, she does a fine job, keeping up the period tone as she writes things that nobody in Regency times ever thought of putting to paper.
My hat is off to K.J. Charles. It is not only as good as I was told it would be, but better.
By K.J. Charles
Riptide Publishing, 2017
Five stars
“You’ve the world before you. It’s quite a big place, once you can raise your head and see it.”
Oh, how good it feels to give five stars to a book after having just read two books back-to-back that were so bad I couldn’t even publish the harsh notes I wrote about them. K.J. Charles has saved me again, and indeed she has accomplished this with what I think of as the most difficult of all m/m genres to pull off: Regency Romance.
I’m one of those odd men who adored Georgette Heyer as a youth. I devoured her historical romances, set in the Regency period, when I was a fretful teenager in the 1960s, retreating into romance as a happy place where I could forget my troubles. As an adult I read all of Jane Austen, marveling at the emotional restraint with which she expressed such powerful feelings. This is a period I know.
Ms. Charles is a very gifted writer, and this book proves it. The Regency setting is hardly new to the gay romance world, and yet she has managed to take it and turn it on its head with one twist: Martin St. Vincent, the main character, featured in period dress on the cover, is black. And a former slave.
But Charles doesn’t sensationalize this, not in the least. No embarrassing shadows of “Mandingo” here. She creates a story that is deeply rooted in the social history of its period, but also sends shivers of recognition into the world where we all sit right now, with its strained conversations about topics that we, today, would call white privilege and male privilege. The fact that both Martin and his catalyst in the story, the novelist-cum-marriage-advertiser Theodore Swann, are gay is both central and sidelined in the story. Being gay is what they are, its impact on the plot has only to do with the connection between the two men. That is the unseen romance in the story—the one that only we are allowed to witness.
A very young heiress runs off with a man who has wooed her through Theo’s advertising bulletin. Martin must find her and save her. Theo is the only one who can help him. Seems pretty obvious, and yet…the action gets all mixed up with the plots that Theo fabricates for his successful romances, written under the nom de plume of Dorothea Swann (which in itself has modern echoes in the world of m/m romance). Theo’s emotions are no less complicated than Martin’s, whose skin color and history are a lens through which he can’t help but see the world. Martin and Theo are so at odds with each other, so completely different, that their being thrown into complicity with each other comes off—quite marvelously—like a Dickensian version of a 1930s road trip movie. It is all so carefully thought out, so beautifully pitched to pluck every emotional heartstring in the reader, that it just swept me along, even as my modern rational mind tried to figure out where the author was going to take us.
Now, I am of that small group of gay romance readers who has decided I could do without the sex bits. But I have to credit Charles that, even there, she does a fine job, keeping up the period tone as she writes things that nobody in Regency times ever thought of putting to paper.
My hat is off to K.J. Charles. It is not only as good as I was told it would be, but better.
December 11, 2016
3.5 stars
First of all, I have to say BRAVO to Riptide Publishing, K.J. Charles, and anyone involved in making the blurb for Wanted, A Gentleman . Seriously, it is definitely one of the most creative blurbs I have ever seen!! I love the sub title, Or, Virtue Over-Rated; which kinds of giving a clue about what the story is all about, really.
The gist of the story is this: Martin St. Vincent ropes the help of Matrimonial Advertiser's scribbler Theodore Swann in order to locate the daughter of Martin's former master who is going to elope with a questionable gentleman. Then we have a rush of carriage pursuing the couple -- and of course Martin and Theo getting attracted towards one another in between.
Since it was a novella length, I thought things happened pretty fast between both men. The relationship wasn't as 'deep' as I preferred it to be. There is a huge twist around 2/3rd of the book that I didn't see coming. While in retrospect, after I finished reading, it sort of fit with the characters, I couldn't help thinking that the twist made the story felt ... well, less romantic for me.
Personally, I thought that the relationship felt like more like a business trade after that. I couldn't help that maybe they getting together was pretty much helped by the pleasure of the flesh rather than attraction of minds and virtues.
But then again, maybe like the blurb says, virtue is over-rated
Charles' writing is as delicious as ever; unfortunately Wanted, A Gentleman is not one of my top favorites from her. Even if it was still a quick entertaining read.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
First of all, I have to say BRAVO to Riptide Publishing, K.J. Charles, and anyone involved in making the blurb for Wanted, A Gentleman . Seriously, it is definitely one of the most creative blurbs I have ever seen!! I love the sub title, Or, Virtue Over-Rated; which kinds of giving a clue about what the story is all about, really.
The gist of the story is this: Martin St. Vincent ropes the help of Matrimonial Advertiser's scribbler Theodore Swann in order to locate the daughter of Martin's former master who is going to elope with a questionable gentleman. Then we have a rush of carriage pursuing the couple -- and of course Martin and Theo getting attracted towards one another in between.
Since it was a novella length, I thought things happened pretty fast between both men. The relationship wasn't as 'deep' as I preferred it to be. There is a huge twist around 2/3rd of the book that I didn't see coming. While in retrospect, after I finished reading, it sort of fit with the characters, I couldn't help thinking that the twist made the story felt ... well, less romantic for me.
Personally, I thought that the relationship felt like more like a business trade after that. I couldn't help that maybe they getting together was pretty much helped by the pleasure of the flesh rather than attraction of minds and virtues.
But then again, maybe like the blurb says, virtue is over-rated
Charles' writing is as delicious as ever; unfortunately Wanted, A Gentleman is not one of my top favorites from her. Even if it was still a quick entertaining read.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
August 26, 2022
Reread-Aug, 2022
Read-July, 2021
4.5 stars
I am surprised that some of my friends never like to reread or do not re-read more often. I on the other hand re-read most of my books and some of them more than once.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For me, reading K J Charles is like someone has written these books after exclusively asking me about my liking and in the form of private publication.😌😌😌 (I love this ludicrous notion!!)
Act-1
We meet Theo Swann who is a full-time matrimonial advertiser and part-time gothic romance scribbler. He writes under the pen name of Mrs Swann. His passion is writing and his other career is only a means to earn money.
Enters Martin with his deep voice and topaz-coloured eyes. He is an educated POC with high morals and prior slave origin. He wants to save a girl from marrying an unscrupulous man. And, Theo is the man for hire. Theo is shady and the distrust between Theo and Martin was apparent and mutual.
Here, we get to see the snarky, too-ready mouth of Theo and Martin's clear disdain for anything and everything Theo does. But, that doesn't stop him from fantasising about Theo being a tomcat in bed.😌😌😌(Hey, Martin's disdain was for Theo's job and character, not his appearance)
Act-2
The adventure started as both of them travelled to Scotland to save the day. And,
We get to see romance, deception, redemption, a second chance and a golden end.💕
It was easy to love Martin, he was a man who was angry with his past but reliable. Whereas, Theo was the weasel who could easily have been a villain in another story. So, we get complicated MCs, a representation of POC, which is quite rare in HR, social commentary about race, prejudice and a lot of steam in just 150 pages.😌😌
•My only objection is that we don't get to read about the ever-present, ever-sleeping cat on Theo's office window.😔😔
Read-July, 2021
4.5 stars
I am surprised that some of my friends never like to reread or do not re-read more often. I on the other hand re-read most of my books and some of them more than once.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For me, reading K J Charles is like someone has written these books after exclusively asking me about my liking and in the form of private publication.😌😌😌 (I love this ludicrous notion!!)
Act-1
We meet Theo Swann who is a full-time matrimonial advertiser and part-time gothic romance scribbler. He writes under the pen name of Mrs Swann. His passion is writing and his other career is only a means to earn money.
Enters Martin with his deep voice and topaz-coloured eyes. He is an educated POC with high morals and prior slave origin. He wants to save a girl from marrying an unscrupulous man. And, Theo is the man for hire. Theo is shady and the distrust between Theo and Martin was apparent and mutual.
Here, we get to see the snarky, too-ready mouth of Theo and Martin's clear disdain for anything and everything Theo does. But, that doesn't stop him from fantasising about Theo being a tomcat in bed.😌😌😌(Hey, Martin's disdain was for Theo's job and character, not his appearance)
Act-2
The adventure started as both of them travelled to Scotland to save the day. And,
We get to see romance, deception, redemption, a second chance and a golden end.💕
It was easy to love Martin, he was a man who was angry with his past but reliable. Whereas, Theo was the weasel who could easily have been a villain in another story. So, we get complicated MCs, a representation of POC, which is quite rare in HR, social commentary about race, prejudice and a lot of steam in just 150 pages.😌😌
•My only objection is that we don't get to read about the ever-present, ever-sleeping cat on Theo's office window.😔😔
February 7, 2017
This is a light, fun, classic romance that would be a great choice for introducing an M/F historicals reader to the M/M genre. It gives us two great characters, a touch of well-researched historical background, an amusing adventure and a plot that is not too tropey, but which harks back to the classics like Georgette Heyer.
This doesn't have the depth of theme or emotion of, say, A Seditious Affair by this author, but it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The presence of a black main character in a historical lends it a less-common dimension, and some moments of emotion, although this book doesn't dive deeply into that aspect of the society in which it takes place. As always with K.J. Charles, well written and well edited, and a good balance of heat to story.
This doesn't have the depth of theme or emotion of, say, A Seditious Affair by this author, but it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The presence of a black main character in a historical lends it a less-common dimension, and some moments of emotion, although this book doesn't dive deeply into that aspect of the society in which it takes place. As always with K.J. Charles, well written and well edited, and a good balance of heat to story.
September 19, 2023
4.5 stars
42,221 perfect words in the perfect order. Humour, adventure, double-crossing, love, social commentary, pitch-perfect historical detail. The novella at its best. And K.J. Charles at her best.
Read Caz's review for exactly why this is so good.
42,221 perfect words in the perfect order. Humour, adventure, double-crossing, love, social commentary, pitch-perfect historical detail. The novella at its best. And K.J. Charles at her best.
Read Caz's review for exactly why this is so good.
January 13, 2017
4.5 stars
This new novella from the pen of K.J. Charles is a Regency Era road-trip undertaken in order to foil the elopement of an heiress and her unsuitable beau.
The couple has been corresponding secretly by placing messages in the pages of the Matrimonial Advertiser, a news-sheet dedicated to publishing what we would today call Lonely Hearts advertisements, and run by Mr. Theodore Swann, a jobbing writer who owns and runs the paper as well as scribbling romantic novels on the side.
Into his dingy City office one day, bursts Mr. Martin St. Vincent, a well-built, well-dressed and obviously well to-do black man, who is trying to discover the identity of the man who has been corresponding with the seventeen year-old daughter of his former owner. He’s blunt and not in the mood for humour, small-talk or any of Theo’s sales patter – and quickly cuts to the chase by asking Theo to put a price on his assistance.
Before he can discover the man’s identity however, the young lady elopes with her swain, and the family turns to Martin for help. A former slave, his relationship to the Conroys – who, by the standards of the day treated him well – is a difficult one, but he used to play with the young woman when she was a child and read her stories… and it’s for her sake that he agrees to try to find her and bring her home safely.
Realising he’ll need help – and having been reluctantly impressed with Theo’s quick wits and sharp tongue (among other things) – Martin asks Theo to go with him – and after they have agreed on a large fee, Theo agrees.
This is a novella of some 150 pages, but K.J Charles does such a superb job with the characterisation of her two principals and adds such depth to their personalities and stories that I came away from the novella feeing – almost – as though I’d read a full-length novel. There’s a spark of attraction between the two men from the start, and this builds gradually as they travel and get to know each other better, but what is so wonderful is the way the relationship between them grows alongside it. Martin is a former slave, and while he doesn’t feel he owes anything to his former master, he can’t help resenting the fact that he has been very lucky when compared to so many others:
And Theo gets it. He sees Martin as a person, he believes he’s entitled to be angry:
Their conversations are insightful and often humorous, showcasing many of the things I enjoy so much about this author’s work. Her research is impeccable and I always like the way she doesn’t just gloss over the social issues of the day. There were moves towards abolition in England at this time, but there were still many people making money out of slavery; there was serious social inequality and no safety net for those who couldn’t afford even the most basic of life’s necessities; yet all these issues are addressed in a way that is not preachy or dry history lesson. Instead they arise naturally out of the direction taken by the story, the lives of the characters and the situations in which they live.
Both protagonists are attractive, likeable characters, although Theo is probably the more well-developed of the two, with a bit more light and shade to his persona. He’s quick witted, devious and sarcastic; and I really liked that his lady novelist alter-ego, Dorothea Swann, gives Ms. Charles the opportunity to make a few tongue-in-cheek observations about romantic fiction but also allows Theo to save the day.
Wanted, A Gentleman is beautifully written, the dialogue sparkles and Theo and Martin simply charmed me.
My only complaint is that the book ended too quickly.
This new novella from the pen of K.J. Charles is a Regency Era road-trip undertaken in order to foil the elopement of an heiress and her unsuitable beau.
The couple has been corresponding secretly by placing messages in the pages of the Matrimonial Advertiser, a news-sheet dedicated to publishing what we would today call Lonely Hearts advertisements, and run by Mr. Theodore Swann, a jobbing writer who owns and runs the paper as well as scribbling romantic novels on the side.
Into his dingy City office one day, bursts Mr. Martin St. Vincent, a well-built, well-dressed and obviously well to-do black man, who is trying to discover the identity of the man who has been corresponding with the seventeen year-old daughter of his former owner. He’s blunt and not in the mood for humour, small-talk or any of Theo’s sales patter – and quickly cuts to the chase by asking Theo to put a price on his assistance.
Before he can discover the man’s identity however, the young lady elopes with her swain, and the family turns to Martin for help. A former slave, his relationship to the Conroys – who, by the standards of the day treated him well – is a difficult one, but he used to play with the young woman when she was a child and read her stories… and it’s for her sake that he agrees to try to find her and bring her home safely.
Realising he’ll need help – and having been reluctantly impressed with Theo’s quick wits and sharp tongue (among other things) – Martin asks Theo to go with him – and after they have agreed on a large fee, Theo agrees.
This is a novella of some 150 pages, but K.J Charles does such a superb job with the characterisation of her two principals and adds such depth to their personalities and stories that I came away from the novella feeing – almost – as though I’d read a full-length novel. There’s a spark of attraction between the two men from the start, and this builds gradually as they travel and get to know each other better, but what is so wonderful is the way the relationship between them grows alongside it. Martin is a former slave, and while he doesn’t feel he owes anything to his former master, he can’t help resenting the fact that he has been very lucky when compared to so many others:
“I was kept in the household, and freed on such generous terms that I have been able to prosper ever since, and how can I resent that?”
“That sounds to me the kind of generosity that could kill a man.”
“It is. It sticks in my throat like thistles, it chokes me.”
And Theo gets it. He sees Martin as a person, he believes he’s entitled to be angry:
“I, uh, feel strongly about gratitude. Forced gratitude, I mean, the kind piled on your debt as added interest. To be ground underfoot and then told to be thankful the foot was not heavier – I hate it.”
Their conversations are insightful and often humorous, showcasing many of the things I enjoy so much about this author’s work. Her research is impeccable and I always like the way she doesn’t just gloss over the social issues of the day. There were moves towards abolition in England at this time, but there were still many people making money out of slavery; there was serious social inequality and no safety net for those who couldn’t afford even the most basic of life’s necessities; yet all these issues are addressed in a way that is not preachy or dry history lesson. Instead they arise naturally out of the direction taken by the story, the lives of the characters and the situations in which they live.
Both protagonists are attractive, likeable characters, although Theo is probably the more well-developed of the two, with a bit more light and shade to his persona. He’s quick witted, devious and sarcastic; and I really liked that his lady novelist alter-ego, Dorothea Swann, gives Ms. Charles the opportunity to make a few tongue-in-cheek observations about romantic fiction but also allows Theo to save the day.
Wanted, A Gentleman is beautifully written, the dialogue sparkles and Theo and Martin simply charmed me.
My only complaint is that the book ended too quickly.
October 12, 2023
got terribly frustrated by having to DNF three incredibly mid histroms in a single day(!), so naturally the only reasonable course of action was a KJC reread. which was of course heaps of fun, but made me realise she has ruined me for (almost) all other histrom. even a "light" and short KJC really makes you face the terrible frivolity of your run of the mill Julia Quinns (namedropping her not out of any particular enmity, but bcs i devoured her books as a teen. my shade comes from love!).
like, there's nothing wrong with balls and carriages and presentations at court, but you read one(1) KJC book and you realize that your garden variety histrom has absolutely nothing to say about society. and this isn't even about KJC writing queer romance - there are definitely people out there writing straight histrom who are making their books, yanno, actually About Something(TM) - it's that she is actually interested in history not only as a set dressing, and in people as complex individuals and not only as cartboard cutouts with little hearts drawn around them. which you'd think would be the bare minimum of historical romance writing, but you'd think wrong lmao
anyway yes, i love my girl KJC, love the whole concept of early 19th ct lonely hearts ads, love the way she approaches Martin's complicated relationship with his former owners (there's another thing you rarely read about in histroms, fucking *sugar plantations*), love theo being the human embodiment of a weasel. no notes!
like, there's nothing wrong with balls and carriages and presentations at court, but you read one(1) KJC book and you realize that your garden variety histrom has absolutely nothing to say about society. and this isn't even about KJC writing queer romance - there are definitely people out there writing straight histrom who are making their books, yanno, actually About Something(TM) - it's that she is actually interested in history not only as a set dressing, and in people as complex individuals and not only as cartboard cutouts with little hearts drawn around them. which you'd think would be the bare minimum of historical romance writing, but you'd think wrong lmao
anyway yes, i love my girl KJC, love the whole concept of early 19th ct lonely hearts ads, love the way she approaches Martin's complicated relationship with his former owners (there's another thing you rarely read about in histroms, fucking *sugar plantations*), love theo being the human embodiment of a weasel. no notes!
January 24, 2023
My TBR-rescue project unearthed two (TWO!!!) KJC's that I could have sworn I'd read already. Which, on the one hand: hurrah! But, on the other hand, makes me feel strangely sheepish. How can I consider myself a KJC-stan with two unknown unreads on my TBR???*
This is a fun little caper with a bit of heft to it, primarily in the backstories of Martin and Theo. As always with KJC -- beautifully written and impeccably plotted. I didn't quite connect with Martin and Theo the way I normally do with her characters; whether that's because of the compactness of the story, or the speed with which things escalate, or just the caper getting in the way of the connection, it's hard to say. So not her best, for me at least. But where KJC is concerned, "not her best" is still better than 90% of the stuff out there. So.
Delighted to see yet another Fanshawe sighting!
hahahahahahaha!!
Anyway, a lovely surprise and a quick, absorbing read. I wonder what else my TBR holds?
* In addition to the one known unread, namely Gilded Cage, which is biding its time in the vault much like Feximal was before it. I can't have NO unread KJC's, that's bonkers. Hashtag self-care.
This is a fun little caper with a bit of heft to it, primarily in the backstories of Martin and Theo. As always with KJC -- beautifully written and impeccably plotted. I didn't quite connect with Martin and Theo the way I normally do with her characters; whether that's because of the compactness of the story, or the speed with which things escalate, or just the caper getting in the way of the connection, it's hard to say. So not her best, for me at least. But where KJC is concerned, "not her best" is still better than 90% of the stuff out there. So.
Delighted to see yet another Fanshawe sighting!
He was quite clearly a grasping, untrustworthy, venal man who carried out a trade that Martin reacted to with baffled disdain.
He looked as though he'd fuck like a tomcat.
hahahahahahaha!!
Anyway, a lovely surprise and a quick, absorbing read. I wonder what else my TBR holds?
* In addition to the one known unread, namely Gilded Cage, which is biding its time in the vault much like Feximal was before it. I can't have NO unread KJC's, that's bonkers. Hashtag self-care.
October 15, 2018
Another fabulous story by KJC!!!
What a fabulously paced novella!!! This one sprinted straight from the starting gun and never stopped. Along the way it dealt with issues of slavery, freedom, debts, obligations, regrets, prejudice, and trust.
It was ridiculously fun to read and watch two imperfect men work together to stop an unscrupulous cad from marrying an underage girl.
We also get to see that villains can also be heroes.
Highly recommended!!! Sexy times, social commentary, and a rescue mission....what's not to love?
What a fabulously paced novella!!! This one sprinted straight from the starting gun and never stopped. Along the way it dealt with issues of slavery, freedom, debts, obligations, regrets, prejudice, and trust.
It was ridiculously fun to read and watch two imperfect men work together to stop an unscrupulous cad from marrying an underage girl.
We also get to see that villains can also be heroes.
Highly recommended!!! Sexy times, social commentary, and a rescue mission....what's not to love?
May 26, 2024
I've given this a B+ for both narration and content at AudioGals, so that's a solid 4.5 stars
Wanted: A Gentleman is a standalone novella from the pen of K.J. Charles in which two very different men undertake a journey to foil an elopement and, along the way, discover that perhaps they’re not so very different after all. The audiobook clocks in at around four-and-a-half hours, but a thoroughly entertaining four-and-a-half hours it is, packing in plenty of social comment, witty dialogue, engaging characters, steamy love scenes and fascinating facts about the rigours of coach travel in Regency England.
Jobbing writer and part-time scribbler of romantic novels, Theodore Swann is the proprietor of the Matrimonial Advertiser, a weekly newssheet in which, for the price of a shilling, men and women can place advertisements extolling their virtues and setting out their requirements for a life partner. Into his dingy office one day bursts Martin St. Vincent, a tall, handsome and obviously well-to-do black man who makes it immediately clear that he is in no mood for pleasantries and explains that he wants to know the identity of one of his advertisers, a man calling himself “Troilus”. This individual has been corresponding with “Cressida”, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy merchant who is his former owner, and her father wants to put a stop to it. St. Vincent is brusque and to the point, cutting through Theo’s sales patter and asking him to name a price for his assistance.
A bargain is struck and Theo takes St. Vincent to the public house where letters to the Advertiser are sent and from whence he retrieves them, in the hope that maybe someone has recognised “Troilus”, but they draw a blank and go their separate ways. A few days later, however, Theo realises that the latest message to “Cressida” is a coded one, and that the couple is planning an elopement. He races to St. Vincent with the news, but by then, it’s too late and the pair has already run away.
Distraught, the lady’s father – Mr Conroy – turns to Martin for help, asking him to follow the girl and bring her home if he can. Martin is torn. As a former slave, his relationship with the family who, by the standards of the day, treated him fairly well, is a difficult one, equal parts resentment, gratitude and anger. But in the end, he doesn’t want to see any harm come to Jennifer Conroy, whom he’d played with and read stories to and watched grow up, and for her sake, agrees to set off in pursuit of the girl and her swain.
But he knows he won’t get very far alone. It’s tricky enough being a black man in fairly cosmopolitan London, but out in the English countryside, where most people will never have seen someone like him, he recognises that it will be difficult for him to do some of the most basic things he needs to do, like hire decent rooms and horses and elicit information easily from the people he meets. Having quickly come to appreciate – albeit reluctantly – Theodore Swann’s quick wit and sharp tongue (among other things), Martin more or less tells Theo he’s going along for the ride, and, after negotiating an exorbitant fee, Theo agrees.
Wanted: A Gentleman is one of those rare novellas from which one comes away feeling almost as though one has experienced a full-length book. The romance develops over a matter of mere days, but the characters are so well-drawn, and their relationship so well-written that it doesn’t feel rushed or truncated. The attraction that sparks between Martin and Theo at the outset grows steadily as they gradually come to know each other better through the insightful and often humorous conversations they have as they travel. Martin, a former slave, doesn’t quite know how to feel about Conroy given he was treated so well compared to so many others, and is surprised when Theo immediately understands:
“I, uh, feel strongly about gratitude. Forced gratitude, I mean, the kind piled on your debt as added interest. To be ground underfoot and then told to be thankful the foot was not heavier – I hate it.”
It’s incredibly perceptive and later in the story acquires an added poignancy when we discover that Theo, though a white man, is as much under the yoke as Martin ever was, and has good reasons for feeling as he does.
Both characters are engaging and well-drawn, and I particularly liked the way that Theo’s work as an author of gothic romances enables Ms. Charles to make a few tongue-in-cheek observations about the art of romance writing. As is always with case with her books, the historical element of the story is extremely well-researched and incorporated into the story through the lives of her characters and the situations in which they live.
Narrator Greg Patmore is new-to-me, and a quick search at Audible reveals he has recorded just over a dozen titles in various genres. He delivers a strong performance here, especially in his characterisation of Theo who sounds every bit as waspish, funny and naughty as I remember him from when I read the book earlier this year. Martin is described as having “a remarkably deep voice”, and while Mr. Patmore’s isn’t really in the bass range, he manages to convey a suitable degree of depth and resonance fairly well by lowering both pitch and volume a little and moving closer to the microphone to create a difference in timbre that gives the listener the impression his voice is deeper than it really is. His diction is clear, his pacing is good and his character differentiation is effective all-round, but I did find his phrasing to be a little odd at times; he has a way of introducing an element of hesitation to a phrase or sentence that sometimes works perfectly given what the character is saying, and sometimes feels like affectation. It didn’t bother me all that much, but it’s a noticeable tick that happened often enough to have been more than an occasional error.
If I have a criticism it’s that I wish the story had been longer, but otherwise Wanted: A Gentleman is everything one could want in an historical romance. Funny, sexy, poignant and wonderfully observed, it’s a mighty audio treat in miniature form.
Wanted: A Gentleman is a standalone novella from the pen of K.J. Charles in which two very different men undertake a journey to foil an elopement and, along the way, discover that perhaps they’re not so very different after all. The audiobook clocks in at around four-and-a-half hours, but a thoroughly entertaining four-and-a-half hours it is, packing in plenty of social comment, witty dialogue, engaging characters, steamy love scenes and fascinating facts about the rigours of coach travel in Regency England.
Jobbing writer and part-time scribbler of romantic novels, Theodore Swann is the proprietor of the Matrimonial Advertiser, a weekly newssheet in which, for the price of a shilling, men and women can place advertisements extolling their virtues and setting out their requirements for a life partner. Into his dingy office one day bursts Martin St. Vincent, a tall, handsome and obviously well-to-do black man who makes it immediately clear that he is in no mood for pleasantries and explains that he wants to know the identity of one of his advertisers, a man calling himself “Troilus”. This individual has been corresponding with “Cressida”, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy merchant who is his former owner, and her father wants to put a stop to it. St. Vincent is brusque and to the point, cutting through Theo’s sales patter and asking him to name a price for his assistance.
A bargain is struck and Theo takes St. Vincent to the public house where letters to the Advertiser are sent and from whence he retrieves them, in the hope that maybe someone has recognised “Troilus”, but they draw a blank and go their separate ways. A few days later, however, Theo realises that the latest message to “Cressida” is a coded one, and that the couple is planning an elopement. He races to St. Vincent with the news, but by then, it’s too late and the pair has already run away.
Distraught, the lady’s father – Mr Conroy – turns to Martin for help, asking him to follow the girl and bring her home if he can. Martin is torn. As a former slave, his relationship with the family who, by the standards of the day, treated him fairly well, is a difficult one, equal parts resentment, gratitude and anger. But in the end, he doesn’t want to see any harm come to Jennifer Conroy, whom he’d played with and read stories to and watched grow up, and for her sake, agrees to set off in pursuit of the girl and her swain.
But he knows he won’t get very far alone. It’s tricky enough being a black man in fairly cosmopolitan London, but out in the English countryside, where most people will never have seen someone like him, he recognises that it will be difficult for him to do some of the most basic things he needs to do, like hire decent rooms and horses and elicit information easily from the people he meets. Having quickly come to appreciate – albeit reluctantly – Theodore Swann’s quick wit and sharp tongue (among other things), Martin more or less tells Theo he’s going along for the ride, and, after negotiating an exorbitant fee, Theo agrees.
Wanted: A Gentleman is one of those rare novellas from which one comes away feeling almost as though one has experienced a full-length book. The romance develops over a matter of mere days, but the characters are so well-drawn, and their relationship so well-written that it doesn’t feel rushed or truncated. The attraction that sparks between Martin and Theo at the outset grows steadily as they gradually come to know each other better through the insightful and often humorous conversations they have as they travel. Martin, a former slave, doesn’t quite know how to feel about Conroy given he was treated so well compared to so many others, and is surprised when Theo immediately understands:
“I, uh, feel strongly about gratitude. Forced gratitude, I mean, the kind piled on your debt as added interest. To be ground underfoot and then told to be thankful the foot was not heavier – I hate it.”
It’s incredibly perceptive and later in the story acquires an added poignancy when we discover that Theo, though a white man, is as much under the yoke as Martin ever was, and has good reasons for feeling as he does.
Both characters are engaging and well-drawn, and I particularly liked the way that Theo’s work as an author of gothic romances enables Ms. Charles to make a few tongue-in-cheek observations about the art of romance writing. As is always with case with her books, the historical element of the story is extremely well-researched and incorporated into the story through the lives of her characters and the situations in which they live.
Narrator Greg Patmore is new-to-me, and a quick search at Audible reveals he has recorded just over a dozen titles in various genres. He delivers a strong performance here, especially in his characterisation of Theo who sounds every bit as waspish, funny and naughty as I remember him from when I read the book earlier this year. Martin is described as having “a remarkably deep voice”, and while Mr. Patmore’s isn’t really in the bass range, he manages to convey a suitable degree of depth and resonance fairly well by lowering both pitch and volume a little and moving closer to the microphone to create a difference in timbre that gives the listener the impression his voice is deeper than it really is. His diction is clear, his pacing is good and his character differentiation is effective all-round, but I did find his phrasing to be a little odd at times; he has a way of introducing an element of hesitation to a phrase or sentence that sometimes works perfectly given what the character is saying, and sometimes feels like affectation. It didn’t bother me all that much, but it’s a noticeable tick that happened often enough to have been more than an occasional error.
If I have a criticism it’s that I wish the story had been longer, but otherwise Wanted: A Gentleman is everything one could want in an historical romance. Funny, sexy, poignant and wonderfully observed, it’s a mighty audio treat in miniature form.
August 25, 2022
This was probably the most tropey K. J. Charles book I’ve read to date — there’s matrimonial ads, eloping heiresses, chaise chases, foiled plots, and more — but I gobbled it up in one sitting and I consider it a day well spent. 😌
June 19, 2017
"Martin," he said. "This has been a delightful interlude, but if you don't fuck me right now, I am going to set fire to your house."
February 7, 2017
Favorite Quote: “You don’t give an inch, do you?”
“I just took at least eight,” Theo pointed out.
I really need to go back and read KJ Charles’s backlist – as I’ve only read a couple by her and what I have read I’ve really enjoyed. In this book she gives us a more serious stoic hero paired with a wily, cocky hero – and the pairing really worked for me.
Theo makes a living by collecting advertisements to run in the paper for those people looking for a wife, husband or just love in general. For example:
Wanted, a Gentleman. A lively and engaging Lady who finds herself in Distressing Circumstances due to her too liberal Heart seeks a Gentleman whose Kindness will be well rewarded by all the Happiness and Beauty, Congeniality, and Youth may confer.
It’s all anonymous, many times these people leaving the ads at the local tavern for Theo to pick up. Sometimes Theo gets ads that he probably shouldn’t run – let’s say a slyly worded ad for a man seeking a man – but since Theo does enjoy men…and money, he runs them, feigning ignorance if anyone comes around with a complaint. Theo is thin and always has ink stains on himself. He is a little on the weasly side and is scrappy.
Martin is a former slave whose owners freed him when he turned eighteen and he has remained friends with the family since then. He is now an investor, respected by his fellow businessmen. He was loved growing up, working in their house and befriending their daughter. He knew he had it good as a slave, since this family also owns sugar cane fields and the slaves that work those are not treated well at all. He also knows, that yes he was treated well – but still owned. Still not free the first eighteen years of his life. This is a great conflict within him – how he can still be friends with the people who enslaved him.
“I was always well treated,” Martin said again. “I could so easily not have been. I know how my life might have played out. There was a time, during the revolution in France, when Mr. Conroy’s business went through difficulties, and it seemed he might find it necessary to sell me—”
“Sweet King Jesus.”
“But he didn’t. Instead I was kept in the household, and freed on such generous terms that I have been able to prosper ever since, and how can I resent that?”
“That sounds to me the kind of generosity that could kill a man.”
Martin let his head thud back against the leather rest. “It is. It sticks in my throat like thistles, it chokes me.” His hand was at his throat, he realised, that old habitual gesture. He let it drop and repeated, quietly, “It chokes me.”
[…]
“Do you know how much the Conroys gave me as a gift? A hundred pounds. That was Mr. Conroy’s estimate of what I would fetch at the auction block.”
“Christ Jesus fuck,” Swann said. “Fuck them both and their brat. Let’s leave her to her sluttery and go home.”
This family has realized their daughter has run off with an unknown man – most likely heading to Gretna Green to get married without their permission. Martin learns that Jenny and her anonymous lover, were communicating with each other by posting advertisements in the paper – which leads Martin to Theo, demanding information as to who this anonymous lover is. Theo has no idea, but after reading through their printed correspondence, he realizes they write in code and they are for sure headed to Scotland to get married.
Martin offers to pay Theo to come with him, to find Jenny and bring her back to her family. Theo agrees and off they go. Along the way, their attraction to each other comes out and naughty things happen in a carriage.
Initially I wasn’t sure how this pair would go together, as Martin seems so much more mature than Theo – I didn’t see how Theo could take a romantic relationship seriously, but after a while these two definitely fit together. Theo is able to listen to Martin, and understand his personal fears and thoughts and give a nice, steady shoulder. Theo is the first to come to Martin’s defense if someone looks at Martin for only the color of his skin. Theo knows how to put a smile on Martin’s face, which made me smile.
Theo also writes romance books under a female name, books that Martin reads too. This whole scenario made me smile, as Martin loves Theo’s villains but he thinks he definitely needs work on some of the other characters. The way Theo plots his villainous books plays into how the try to find Jenny – which is cute.
Did I mention there is sex in a carriage too?
“What are you doing?” Martin demanded, although it was quite evident what he was doing. “Theo, for God’s sake!”
Theo nudged his legs apart and settled between them, hands sliding up Martin’s thighs. “Enlivening the journey?”
“On this road?” Martin demanded, as the chaise bumped. “If we go over a pothole you’ll bite it off!”
“Give me a little credit.”
Grade: B
“I just took at least eight,” Theo pointed out.
I really need to go back and read KJ Charles’s backlist – as I’ve only read a couple by her and what I have read I’ve really enjoyed. In this book she gives us a more serious stoic hero paired with a wily, cocky hero – and the pairing really worked for me.
Theo makes a living by collecting advertisements to run in the paper for those people looking for a wife, husband or just love in general. For example:
Wanted, a Gentleman. A lively and engaging Lady who finds herself in Distressing Circumstances due to her too liberal Heart seeks a Gentleman whose Kindness will be well rewarded by all the Happiness and Beauty, Congeniality, and Youth may confer.
It’s all anonymous, many times these people leaving the ads at the local tavern for Theo to pick up. Sometimes Theo gets ads that he probably shouldn’t run – let’s say a slyly worded ad for a man seeking a man – but since Theo does enjoy men…and money, he runs them, feigning ignorance if anyone comes around with a complaint. Theo is thin and always has ink stains on himself. He is a little on the weasly side and is scrappy.
Martin is a former slave whose owners freed him when he turned eighteen and he has remained friends with the family since then. He is now an investor, respected by his fellow businessmen. He was loved growing up, working in their house and befriending their daughter. He knew he had it good as a slave, since this family also owns sugar cane fields and the slaves that work those are not treated well at all. He also knows, that yes he was treated well – but still owned. Still not free the first eighteen years of his life. This is a great conflict within him – how he can still be friends with the people who enslaved him.
“I was always well treated,” Martin said again. “I could so easily not have been. I know how my life might have played out. There was a time, during the revolution in France, when Mr. Conroy’s business went through difficulties, and it seemed he might find it necessary to sell me—”
“Sweet King Jesus.”
“But he didn’t. Instead I was kept in the household, and freed on such generous terms that I have been able to prosper ever since, and how can I resent that?”
“That sounds to me the kind of generosity that could kill a man.”
Martin let his head thud back against the leather rest. “It is. It sticks in my throat like thistles, it chokes me.” His hand was at his throat, he realised, that old habitual gesture. He let it drop and repeated, quietly, “It chokes me.”
[…]
“Do you know how much the Conroys gave me as a gift? A hundred pounds. That was Mr. Conroy’s estimate of what I would fetch at the auction block.”
“Christ Jesus fuck,” Swann said. “Fuck them both and their brat. Let’s leave her to her sluttery and go home.”
This family has realized their daughter has run off with an unknown man – most likely heading to Gretna Green to get married without their permission. Martin learns that Jenny and her anonymous lover, were communicating with each other by posting advertisements in the paper – which leads Martin to Theo, demanding information as to who this anonymous lover is. Theo has no idea, but after reading through their printed correspondence, he realizes they write in code and they are for sure headed to Scotland to get married.
Martin offers to pay Theo to come with him, to find Jenny and bring her back to her family. Theo agrees and off they go. Along the way, their attraction to each other comes out and naughty things happen in a carriage.
Initially I wasn’t sure how this pair would go together, as Martin seems so much more mature than Theo – I didn’t see how Theo could take a romantic relationship seriously, but after a while these two definitely fit together. Theo is able to listen to Martin, and understand his personal fears and thoughts and give a nice, steady shoulder. Theo is the first to come to Martin’s defense if someone looks at Martin for only the color of his skin. Theo knows how to put a smile on Martin’s face, which made me smile.
Theo also writes romance books under a female name, books that Martin reads too. This whole scenario made me smile, as Martin loves Theo’s villains but he thinks he definitely needs work on some of the other characters. The way Theo plots his villainous books plays into how the try to find Jenny – which is cute.
Did I mention there is sex in a carriage too?
“What are you doing?” Martin demanded, although it was quite evident what he was doing. “Theo, for God’s sake!”
Theo nudged his legs apart and settled between them, hands sliding up Martin’s thighs. “Enlivening the journey?”
“On this road?” Martin demanded, as the chaise bumped. “If we go over a pothole you’ll bite it off!”
“Give me a little credit.”
Grade: B
March 23, 2018
Well, y'all, this is an enjoyable, quick read of an historical.
I've read a fair amount of historical stories in my time, with most of them falling on the heavy side with the details of life, constantly setting the scene. I love that, it's one of my favorite things about an historical, being lost in all that... history.
This story isn't like that, and I didn't know I'd need this kinda thing in my life until reading it. Having spent time with Martin and Theo. Having gotten to know them, and how well they know themselves and what they want. Having watched them so thoroughly enjoy each other. Their chemistry and levels of desire, of compatibility, are deliciously high. We've got two very intelligent, resourceful people who've had to figure out how to survive some rough stuff, the kinds of things that leave deep scars, and they're working together. Tis a good match, this'n.
Charles' writing is, as usual, top notch. The banter, the honesty and humor. The story is a good one, just with a few spots that feel a bit underdeveloped, not quite fleshed out. She faces the truths of the times, early 1800's, including slavery, what occurs during and after on an individual level.
Yup, I recommend. :)
I've read a fair amount of historical stories in my time, with most of them falling on the heavy side with the details of life, constantly setting the scene. I love that, it's one of my favorite things about an historical, being lost in all that... history.
This story isn't like that, and I didn't know I'd need this kinda thing in my life until reading it. Having spent time with Martin and Theo. Having gotten to know them, and how well they know themselves and what they want. Having watched them so thoroughly enjoy each other. Their chemistry and levels of desire, of compatibility, are deliciously high. We've got two very intelligent, resourceful people who've had to figure out how to survive some rough stuff, the kinds of things that leave deep scars, and they're working together. Tis a good match, this'n.
Charles' writing is, as usual, top notch. The banter, the honesty and humor. The story is a good one, just with a few spots that feel a bit underdeveloped, not quite fleshed out. She faces the truths of the times, early 1800's, including slavery, what occurs during and after on an individual level.
Yup, I recommend. :)
January 9, 2017
Another highly entertaining romp with great characters and some very amusing background details (lonely hearts ads! gothic romance writing! oh my). The more I read in this genre, the more I come to appreciate KJ Charles's writing - so many historical romances end up formulaic and somewhat forgettable, but hers never do. Part of it's the characters, who are always well fleshed out and memorable (and I love that she does interracial pairings in historicals); part of it is the generous dose of humour mixed in with genuine emotion. And her writing's always dependably good. My only complaint is that they're always too short!
May 9, 2017
So, obviously, KJC is a genius. This little book adds to an already exceptionally strong catalogue of books. Her writing is that brilliant balance of clever-funny-historically accurate-sexy-dialogue-exposition-plot. It's pretty remarkable to hit the right notes so consistently.
This book has a variety of interesting history behind it: C19th lonely hearts adverts, travel and, perhaps most crucially, what it was to be a black man in England in the early C19th and, more than that a freed slave. There's lots more than that going on as well (not least, KJC's arch observations through her characters about the travails of writing romance), woven into this silvery web of a book. But the research on those three topics alone astonished me and, yet, didn't, because KJC builds it into the book with such a light touch that it just washes over you. And in a novella too. This did not feel like a novella. It's novel length in its ideas and its execution.
That's even more remarkable given that these are not topics covered by romance writers on a regular basis (and with which, therefore, romance readers already have a familiarity and thus require no explanation). We're all reading about Almack's vouchers and Whites. But journeys from London to the provinces take a paragraph and seem to pass in the greatest of comfort. Everyone is white and the spectre of slavery is usually tucked far away (if it's mentioned at all), as if it only happened to the Americans. Good on KJC for tackling some of these hitherto undiscussed topics and doing so without losing the 'romance' bit of romance writing.
The characters are so well drawn. Martin, the former slave, angry and grateful and mixed up with his feelings for the family that once owned him and then 'generously' freed him. Then there's Theo, scraping through life, owned by his family in a different way, tied to them by a debt he can never hope to repay. At first they seem very different, and then slowly they start to fit together. I'm simplifying a complex piece of writing in this review; it's really something.
I suppose all that praise leads to the inevitable question: why not five stars?
It just isn't. I really, really liked this. And I can find so much good to say about it. Intellectually, it's five stars. But it didn't make me fizz. It lacks that certain indefinable something to get five stars. Solid 4.5 though.
This book has a variety of interesting history behind it: C19th lonely hearts adverts, travel and, perhaps most crucially, what it was to be a black man in England in the early C19th and, more than that a freed slave. There's lots more than that going on as well (not least, KJC's arch observations through her characters about the travails of writing romance), woven into this silvery web of a book. But the research on those three topics alone astonished me and, yet, didn't, because KJC builds it into the book with such a light touch that it just washes over you. And in a novella too. This did not feel like a novella. It's novel length in its ideas and its execution.
That's even more remarkable given that these are not topics covered by romance writers on a regular basis (and with which, therefore, romance readers already have a familiarity and thus require no explanation). We're all reading about Almack's vouchers and Whites. But journeys from London to the provinces take a paragraph and seem to pass in the greatest of comfort. Everyone is white and the spectre of slavery is usually tucked far away (if it's mentioned at all), as if it only happened to the Americans. Good on KJC for tackling some of these hitherto undiscussed topics and doing so without losing the 'romance' bit of romance writing.
The characters are so well drawn. Martin, the former slave, angry and grateful and mixed up with his feelings for the family that once owned him and then 'generously' freed him. Then there's Theo, scraping through life, owned by his family in a different way, tied to them by a debt he can never hope to repay. At first they seem very different, and then slowly they start to fit together. I'm simplifying a complex piece of writing in this review; it's really something.
I suppose all that praise leads to the inevitable question: why not five stars?
It just isn't. I really, really liked this. And I can find so much good to say about it. Intellectually, it's five stars. But it didn't make me fizz. It lacks that certain indefinable something to get five stars. Solid 4.5 though.
January 12, 2017
Such a good skeleton of a story. Great premise, great idea for the characters, new themes to explore, new ideas. A fun read.
But skeletons do not a 5 star story make. I do not know if the particular form Charles was evoking required the style, format and length. What I do know is that I needed flesh - as in words :P Words that gave me more of the characters themselves so that when the twists and turns of the story came along I was there along for the ride not looking curiously from above.
A quick read with Maya
Fits into slot 14. A book involving travel. of my reading challenge. I think a carriage chase up the length of England qualifies.
April 13, 2017
MMRG Ultimate Challenge February 1, 2017 - January 31, 2017, April Bonus, Twister, Left hand Green, Book Length, 100-199 pages.
Why oh Why can't authors who write MF historical romance emulate KJ Charles?
Too, too good.
KJCs HR writing is maginficent due to outstanding period detail. Sadly, I'm rarely getting the kind of period detail I can expect in KJCs MM HR in a MF HR.
Sigh
Why oh Why can't authors who write MF historical romance emulate KJ Charles?
Too, too good.
KJCs HR writing is maginficent due to outstanding period detail. Sadly, I'm rarely getting the kind of period detail I can expect in KJCs MM HR in a MF HR.
Sigh
July 21, 2018
KJC never fails to hit the spot, to fill the little tiny cracks in my heart. To give me the warm fuzzies. And she doesn't go about it in an easy way ever.
This novella was delightful, sufficiently complex, etc etc.
This novella was delightful, sufficiently complex, etc etc.
Read
December 17, 2023Reread, December 2023 as part of a challenge to read all of KJC’s back catalogue and, if anything, I objected more the second time around. This story is such a bad idea from start to finish and, no matter the chemistry between the MMCs (which is great!), I can’t get past the racial issues. I mean, the HEA is made possible by the intervention of a plantation owner and slaver.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I never encountered a KJ Charles book I didn’t wholeheartedly adore until today. While Wanted has all the hallmarks of her work - brilliant writing, delicious intimacy, with care and consent - it is also deeply problematic in its treatment of Martin, a freed Black man. This is true at a micro level, in the way he is objectified on the page, and at a macro level, in the way the plot requires him to perform. I was really shocked to read it, and highly recommend Xan’s review for a deeper exploration of the issues.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I never encountered a KJ Charles book I didn’t wholeheartedly adore until today. While Wanted has all the hallmarks of her work - brilliant writing, delicious intimacy, with care and consent - it is also deeply problematic in its treatment of Martin, a freed Black man. This is true at a micro level, in the way he is objectified on the page, and at a macro level, in the way the plot requires him to perform. I was really shocked to read it, and highly recommend Xan’s review for a deeper exploration of the issues.
March 12, 2023
I love how KJ Charles weaves her stories and makes a seemingly impossible happy ending happen for the characters. I also like how her characters are imperfect, and some have some serious flaws - case in point, Mr. Theodore Swann, a writer who runs a lonely hearts gazette and is willing to do just about anything for money (for reasons). When his gazette turns out to be responsible for a budding romance between a 17 year old young woman and the rogue who wants her to run away with him and marry her (to ensure he gets his hand on her fortune), Theo meets Martin St. Vincent, a Black businessman who used to be a slave in the young woman's household. Martin wants to head off the marriage as a way to end his complicated relationship with his former owner's, though he also has a soft spot for the young woman whom he helped care for as she grew up. With the couple heading off into the wilds, Theo and Martin give chase, hoping to catch them in time to save the young woman's reputation. Along they way, they discover a mutual attraction and indulge in a sexy affair. It's fast paced, interesting, with twists and turns and surprises, and trademark Charles steamy heat. Always a good choice to pick up a romance by this author.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
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