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Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #1
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting
Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces.
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury's heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn't impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He's sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud - and he'll protect his niece, whatever it takes.
Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care - more than either of them thought possible.
But Robin's cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury's heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn't impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He's sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud - and he'll protect his niece, whatever it takes.
Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care - more than either of them thought possible.
But Robin's cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2021
372 people are currently reading
11455 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Charles
65 books12.1k 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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December 10, 2020You know how you get stuck on a book so you write a completely different book to take your mind off it? No? Happens to me all the time. *eye twitch*
This is a tropetastic romance starring fortune hunter Robin, baronet-turned-brewer Hart, two sisters (one respectable), an underestimated niece, gambling for high stakes, a villainous marquess (hiss!), and a certain amount of UST because I do love my Regency gentlemen UST. IT was great fun to write; I hope you enjoy it!
The gorgeous cover is by Kanaxa.
This is a tropetastic romance starring fortune hunter Robin, baronet-turned-brewer Hart, two sisters (one respectable), an underestimated niece, gambling for high stakes, a villainous marquess (hiss!), and a certain amount of UST because I do love my Regency gentlemen UST. IT was great fun to write; I hope you enjoy it!
The gorgeous cover is by Kanaxa.
January 30, 2021
This book was an utter delight and dragged me right out of a slump. I grinned the whole way through. As always, KJ writes deeply loveable characters whose connections and motivations feel intensely human and believable. If you are an especial fan of KJ’s Any Old Diamonds, or of Kim Secretan in The Will Darling Adventures, this one will be a new favourite for you - it certainly was for me. I don’t know who I loved more - the secretly soft-hearted, fortune-hunting Robin Loxleigh, or the socially awkward, gruff and ferocious Hart, the uncle of Robin’s intended target.
And really, what a fantastic set up. The “I know you are fortune-hunting my niece and I’m going to prove it” element already had me giggling at the edge of my seat, but when Robin bamboozled poor, noble Hart by [ahem, insert spoilers here], I almost dissolved. Add in a truly satisfying ending for literally every character in the book, and you’re left with what is basically a perfect quarantine read. This felt like KJ’s very own sexy and skullduggerous take on the romcom trend, and I loved it.
And really, what a fantastic set up. The “I know you are fortune-hunting my niece and I’m going to prove it” element already had me giggling at the edge of my seat, but when Robin bamboozled poor, noble Hart by [ahem, insert spoilers here], I almost dissolved. Add in a truly satisfying ending for literally every character in the book, and you’re left with what is basically a perfect quarantine read. This felt like KJ’s very own sexy and skullduggerous take on the romcom trend, and I loved it.
June 10, 2022
I just… loved this. 😭
The romance was absolute perfection. You read about certain characters and you want the world for them and Robin and Hart deserved every goodness the world had to offer.
Words of affirmations are my love language and the way these two communicated, I mean really communicated - after they got over their animosity and assumptions - warmed my heart up differently. The acceptance, the understanding, the vulnerability… my emotions could not handle it.
I became thoroughly invested in these characters and their journey.
K.J. Charles did a wonderful job at fleshing them and their world out. The balance between steam and sweetness was just right too.
Such a beautiful story it was. My heart couldn’t stop aching.
The romance was absolute perfection. You read about certain characters and you want the world for them and Robin and Hart deserved every goodness the world had to offer.
Words of affirmations are my love language and the way these two communicated, I mean really communicated - after they got over their animosity and assumptions - warmed my heart up differently. The acceptance, the understanding, the vulnerability… my emotions could not handle it.
I became thoroughly invested in these characters and their journey.
K.J. Charles did a wonderful job at fleshing them and their world out. The balance between steam and sweetness was just right too.
Such a beautiful story it was. My heart couldn’t stop aching.
June 23, 2021
If there’s one thing kj charles is gonna do, it’s write a bomb ass, hilarious, and adorable regency romance.
October 15, 2025
Re-read 10/2025
Loved Hart and Robin so much, again.
And Alice.
------------
Read 02/2025
Glorious, intriguing, and so romantic! I had such a great time with this story.
I loved Hart and Robin. The character development and relationship development were (as always with this author) awesome.
The secondary characters were interesting and had important roles.
I loved Alice a lot.
I had a smile on my face through the second part of the book, when the emotional connection between Hart and Robin slowly got stronger and stronger.
I'll continue the series immediately (how could I not). I read Toby's book already out of order a while back, but I'm happy to reacquaint myself with him and Miles.
Loved Hart and Robin so much, again.
And Alice.
------------
Read 02/2025
Glorious, intriguing, and so romantic! I had such a great time with this story.
I loved Hart and Robin. The character development and relationship development were (as always with this author) awesome.
The secondary characters were interesting and had important roles.
I loved Alice a lot.
I had a smile on my face through the second part of the book, when the emotional connection between Hart and Robin slowly got stronger and stronger.
I'll continue the series immediately (how could I not). I read Toby's book already out of order a while back, but I'm happy to reacquaint myself with him and Miles.
March 3, 2021
4.5 stars! 🥰 *warning, fangirl gushing ahead, LOL* KJ Charles has never let me down. I haven't read one single book of hers that I haven't enjoyed immensely, if not outright loved. This one was no exception, and was utterly delightful.
In her own review, KJC called this "tropetastic" and that's hilariously accurate. It has everything, the aristocracy, evil relatives, fortune hunters, and an unwilling wallflower debutante, all in her marvelously done Regency setting. The characters are fabulous and though maybe tropetastic, not at all one -dimensional, and are brilliantly developed. The attraction, UST and eventual relationship between Hart and Robin was absolutely sizzling, though definitely not without problems. I loved that the bit of angst between them didn't drag out or overwhelm the story, they actually communicated and worked on their issues together. The banter, snark and humor was just as delicious as you could want and there was actually some rather epic verbal ass-kicking that was completely satisfying! 😈
I genuinely loved every single bit of this *if you couldn't already tell* and will continue to throw all my money at KJ Charles for as long as she continues to write. 😍❤
In her own review, KJC called this "tropetastic" and that's hilariously accurate. It has everything, the aristocracy, evil relatives, fortune hunters, and an unwilling wallflower debutante, all in her marvelously done Regency setting. The characters are fabulous and though maybe tropetastic, not at all one -dimensional, and are brilliantly developed. The attraction, UST and eventual relationship between Hart and Robin was absolutely sizzling, though definitely not without problems. I loved that the bit of angst between them didn't drag out or overwhelm the story, they actually communicated and worked on their issues together. The banter, snark and humor was just as delicious as you could want and there was actually some rather epic verbal ass-kicking that was completely satisfying! 😈
I genuinely loved every single bit of this *if you couldn't already tell* and will continue to throw all my money at KJ Charles for as long as she continues to write. 😍❤
March 22, 2022
I'm a bit at a loss here and still scratching my head trying to figure out what went wrong...
I usually love KJ Charles's works, but here it took me half of the book to remotely like the characters and for some of them that never changed. I didn't feel the romance, I was bored to death and only my inner donkey - yes, I can be pretty stubborn - kept me from giving up. Yeah, well, at least the sex was hot. 🤷♀️
I usually love KJ Charles's works, but here it took me half of the book to remotely like the characters and for some of them that never changed. I didn't feel the romance, I was bored to death and only my inner donkey - yes, I can be pretty stubborn - kept me from giving up. Yeah, well, at least the sex was hot. 🤷♀️
February 27, 2021
“Anything you want. Whenever and wherever and especially however. At your pleasure. Starting now.”
"How absolutely typical that the best pair of thighs he’d seen in years should be parcelled up with such a damned inflexible, unaccommodating, sceptical personality."
I loved this book almost as much as Robin loved Hart’s thighs!
It was the perfect escape and filled me with feels. Fun, witty, sexy and romantic. A light-hearted romp but not at all shallow.
KJ Charles said that writing this book was a mental break from writing the final Will Darling book and therefore “tropier and fluffier,” than usual. While I can’t wait for more Will and Kim, I love that this new book was the result of her break from those two rascals.
As usual, KJ brought the snark, banter and sparkling dialogue. Robin and Hart were delightful and made my heart melt. Also as usual, her secondary characters were brilliant and enhanced the story rather than taking away from it. That is something I always love about her books and this was no exception. I had a huge smile on my face while reading this and I hope, if you read it, it makes you smile too!
“Mouthy under cover of darkness, aren’t you?” “You complain about me being courteous, you complain about me being frank. Do you ever stop complaining?”
"How absolutely typical that the best pair of thighs he’d seen in years should be parcelled up with such a damned inflexible, unaccommodating, sceptical personality."
I loved this book almost as much as Robin loved Hart’s thighs!
It was the perfect escape and filled me with feels. Fun, witty, sexy and romantic. A light-hearted romp but not at all shallow.
KJ Charles said that writing this book was a mental break from writing the final Will Darling book and therefore “tropier and fluffier,” than usual. While I can’t wait for more Will and Kim, I love that this new book was the result of her break from those two rascals.
As usual, KJ brought the snark, banter and sparkling dialogue. Robin and Hart were delightful and made my heart melt. Also as usual, her secondary characters were brilliant and enhanced the story rather than taking away from it. That is something I always love about her books and this was no exception. I had a huge smile on my face while reading this and I hope, if you read it, it makes you smile too!
“Mouthy under cover of darkness, aren’t you?” “You complain about me being courteous, you complain about me being frank. Do you ever stop complaining?”
March 31, 2021
I've given this an A at AAR.
KJ Charles revisits Regency England in The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, a frothy, wonderfully trope-y, Heyer-esque romp that, while light-hearted, is underpinned by the author’s customary insight into the workings of the society of the day and a very sharp-eyed look at the importance of security and happiness and what people do to obtain it. At its centre however, is a lovely opposites-attract romance between a lonely, grumpy baronet and a beautiful, sunny-natured young man, who are nonetheless exactly what the other needs.
Newly arrived in London, Robin and Marianne Loxleigh of Nottinghamshire (*snort*) immediately set about making friends in society, their good looks, charm and pleasant, unassuming manner meaning they’re very soon assured of a welcome wherever they go. Like a great number of the other young ladies and gentlemen in town, they’re both looking to make advantageous marriages – but unlike most of them, Robin and Marianne are not well-born; they’re nobodies from nowhere who know how to play the game to get what they want - and they play it very well indeed. Within a short time, Marianne has attracted the interest of a marquess, while Robin has set his sights on Alice Fenwick, a young woman in her first season whose birth – her father was a “provincial brewer” - and unexceptional looks render her beneath the notice of high society. But Robin knows what society doesn’t – that Alice stands to inherit twenty thousand pounds on her marriage, which is more than enough on which to live comfortably. Robin might be a fortune hunter, but he’s no intention of spending all the money and making Alice’s life a misery once she’s married him; he likes her and plans to make her a good husband. In most respects, anyway.
But there’s a rather large fly in the ointment in the form of Alice’s uncle, Sir John Hartlebury. A large, dark, scowling, incredibly suspicious fly with the most splendid pair of thighs Robin has ever seen.
Hart runs the brewery left to his sister Edwina by her first husband, which makes him something of an outsider in society, but he doesn’t care. He’s not popular, good-looking or charming; he’s socially awkward, plain-spoken and irascible, but he cares deeply for Alice and is immediately suspicious of Robin Loxleigh’s interest in her. Alice is clever, funny and kind, but in society, beauty is more highly prized than any of those things, and while Loxleigh has it in abundance Alice does not… so what can he possibly see in her if it’s not her twenty thousand pounds? Hart decides to find out as much as he can about the fellow, and to persuade Edwina – and Alice - that he’s up to no good.
Robin does his best to allay Hart’s suspicions but to no avail, and things come to a head one night at the gaming tables when Hart wins a very large sum of money from Robin that Robin is never going to be able to repay. Or perhaps… he can.
All I’ll say is that Robin finds a most inventive (and mutually satisfying!) solution that allows both men to come to a new understanding of one another – while they’re also falling helplessly in love. Hart discovers Robin is far from the heartless rogue he’d supposed him to be, and Robin learns of the big heart and vulnerability that lurk behind Hart’s gruff exterior. They’re flawed and they make mistakes, but they learn from them and from each other, too. Robin believes he’s not a good person and the only things he has to offer are his looks and charm, but Hart helps him to realise that’s not true and that he has value as a person beyond the superficial. Hart lacks self-esteem and believes himself “ugly”; he doesn’t have much experience with romance and sex, and has pretty much resigned himself to living a solitary life. Worse – and thanks to some truly heartbreaking events in his childhood – he doesn’t believe he deserves love or happiness. Until Robin shows him how wrong he is.
One of the many things I loved about this novel was the fact that Hart was prepared to listen to and learn from those around him. At the beginning of the book, he’s rather unbending, seeing the world in stark black and white, but as the story progresses, he’s brought to realise that not everyone can afford to see the world as he does, that his privilege has given him many more choices than are available to women and those without wealth or connections. I particularly enjoyed the parallels drawn between the Marriage Mart – where young women attempt to find security by marrying well – and Robin’s desire to find a wealthy wife for exactly the same reason, as well as the conversations about choices and morality and the hypocrisy of high society.
The familial relationships in the story are superbly written, too. Robin and Marianne have relied on each other from a young age and trust each other exclusively; their relationship is brilliantly written and rings completely true of two people who know each other inside out and have faced many hardships together. Their acerbic wit and obvious care for each other makes them easy to like and their clear-sightedness about how society operates makes it easy to root for them to succeed in their desire to worm their way in and hoodwink (if not actively steal from!) the nobs. Unlike the rest of society, they have no illusions about what they want or how to obtain it; they’re just more honest about it.
It’s clear that Alice, Edwina and Hart care very much for one another even though they share no blood ties, and I really appreciated the strong affection between Alice and Edwina (no evil stepmothers here!) The main female characters are all three-dimensional and interesting, with agency and ambitions of their own. Alice is delightful; perceptive and quick-witted, she’s good company but her ambition is to study mathematics and she really can’t be doing with all the balls and parties she’s expected to attend. Marianne’s and Edwina’s stories show how perilous marriage can be if women make the wrong choice of partner; Edwina’s second marriage was to a “selfish, greedy swine” who bled her dry, and Marianne, determined to attain wealth and respectability, makes a calculating but risky choice which will bind her to a man for whom she has no affection and much contempt.
The romance between Hart and Robin is a wonderful mix of sweet, steamy and swoony. Relationship conflicts arise organically as a result of situations and personalities and are never contrived or overdone, as Hart struggles to find the right way to keep Robin in his life for good. The scene near the end where Robin stands up for Hart so fiercely made me whoop with joy (in my head!), and the ensuing HEA is charming and very well deserved.
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting seems, at first glance, to be a relatively simple story, but when you start burrowing beneath the surface, is revealed to be richly layered and incredibly satisfying in its complexity. It’s also the sort of book you finish with a heartfelt, happy sigh and lots of warm, fuzzy feelings. It’s clever, it’s fun, it’s witty and it’s gloriously romantic, and I gobbled it up and never wanted it to end. I’m sure you will, too.
KJ Charles revisits Regency England in The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, a frothy, wonderfully trope-y, Heyer-esque romp that, while light-hearted, is underpinned by the author’s customary insight into the workings of the society of the day and a very sharp-eyed look at the importance of security and happiness and what people do to obtain it. At its centre however, is a lovely opposites-attract romance between a lonely, grumpy baronet and a beautiful, sunny-natured young man, who are nonetheless exactly what the other needs.
Newly arrived in London, Robin and Marianne Loxleigh of Nottinghamshire (*snort*) immediately set about making friends in society, their good looks, charm and pleasant, unassuming manner meaning they’re very soon assured of a welcome wherever they go. Like a great number of the other young ladies and gentlemen in town, they’re both looking to make advantageous marriages – but unlike most of them, Robin and Marianne are not well-born; they’re nobodies from nowhere who know how to play the game to get what they want - and they play it very well indeed. Within a short time, Marianne has attracted the interest of a marquess, while Robin has set his sights on Alice Fenwick, a young woman in her first season whose birth – her father was a “provincial brewer” - and unexceptional looks render her beneath the notice of high society. But Robin knows what society doesn’t – that Alice stands to inherit twenty thousand pounds on her marriage, which is more than enough on which to live comfortably. Robin might be a fortune hunter, but he’s no intention of spending all the money and making Alice’s life a misery once she’s married him; he likes her and plans to make her a good husband. In most respects, anyway.
But there’s a rather large fly in the ointment in the form of Alice’s uncle, Sir John Hartlebury. A large, dark, scowling, incredibly suspicious fly with the most splendid pair of thighs Robin has ever seen.
Hart runs the brewery left to his sister Edwina by her first husband, which makes him something of an outsider in society, but he doesn’t care. He’s not popular, good-looking or charming; he’s socially awkward, plain-spoken and irascible, but he cares deeply for Alice and is immediately suspicious of Robin Loxleigh’s interest in her. Alice is clever, funny and kind, but in society, beauty is more highly prized than any of those things, and while Loxleigh has it in abundance Alice does not… so what can he possibly see in her if it’s not her twenty thousand pounds? Hart decides to find out as much as he can about the fellow, and to persuade Edwina – and Alice - that he’s up to no good.
Robin does his best to allay Hart’s suspicions but to no avail, and things come to a head one night at the gaming tables when Hart wins a very large sum of money from Robin that Robin is never going to be able to repay. Or perhaps… he can.
All I’ll say is that Robin finds a most inventive (and mutually satisfying!) solution that allows both men to come to a new understanding of one another – while they’re also falling helplessly in love. Hart discovers Robin is far from the heartless rogue he’d supposed him to be, and Robin learns of the big heart and vulnerability that lurk behind Hart’s gruff exterior. They’re flawed and they make mistakes, but they learn from them and from each other, too. Robin believes he’s not a good person and the only things he has to offer are his looks and charm, but Hart helps him to realise that’s not true and that he has value as a person beyond the superficial. Hart lacks self-esteem and believes himself “ugly”; he doesn’t have much experience with romance and sex, and has pretty much resigned himself to living a solitary life. Worse – and thanks to some truly heartbreaking events in his childhood – he doesn’t believe he deserves love or happiness. Until Robin shows him how wrong he is.
One of the many things I loved about this novel was the fact that Hart was prepared to listen to and learn from those around him. At the beginning of the book, he’s rather unbending, seeing the world in stark black and white, but as the story progresses, he’s brought to realise that not everyone can afford to see the world as he does, that his privilege has given him many more choices than are available to women and those without wealth or connections. I particularly enjoyed the parallels drawn between the Marriage Mart – where young women attempt to find security by marrying well – and Robin’s desire to find a wealthy wife for exactly the same reason, as well as the conversations about choices and morality and the hypocrisy of high society.
The familial relationships in the story are superbly written, too. Robin and Marianne have relied on each other from a young age and trust each other exclusively; their relationship is brilliantly written and rings completely true of two people who know each other inside out and have faced many hardships together. Their acerbic wit and obvious care for each other makes them easy to like and their clear-sightedness about how society operates makes it easy to root for them to succeed in their desire to worm their way in and hoodwink (if not actively steal from!) the nobs. Unlike the rest of society, they have no illusions about what they want or how to obtain it; they’re just more honest about it.
It’s clear that Alice, Edwina and Hart care very much for one another even though they share no blood ties, and I really appreciated the strong affection between Alice and Edwina (no evil stepmothers here!) The main female characters are all three-dimensional and interesting, with agency and ambitions of their own. Alice is delightful; perceptive and quick-witted, she’s good company but her ambition is to study mathematics and she really can’t be doing with all the balls and parties she’s expected to attend. Marianne’s and Edwina’s stories show how perilous marriage can be if women make the wrong choice of partner; Edwina’s second marriage was to a “selfish, greedy swine” who bled her dry, and Marianne, determined to attain wealth and respectability, makes a calculating but risky choice which will bind her to a man for whom she has no affection and much contempt.
The romance between Hart and Robin is a wonderful mix of sweet, steamy and swoony. Relationship conflicts arise organically as a result of situations and personalities and are never contrived or overdone, as Hart struggles to find the right way to keep Robin in his life for good. The scene near the end where Robin stands up for Hart so fiercely made me whoop with joy (in my head!), and the ensuing HEA is charming and very well deserved.
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting seems, at first glance, to be a relatively simple story, but when you start burrowing beneath the surface, is revealed to be richly layered and incredibly satisfying in its complexity. It’s also the sort of book you finish with a heartfelt, happy sigh and lots of warm, fuzzy feelings. It’s clever, it’s fun, it’s witty and it’s gloriously romantic, and I gobbled it up and never wanted it to end. I’m sure you will, too.
March 3, 2021
Clever and well-crafted, as you'd expect from KJ Charles. She's at the top of my short list of auto-buy authors, and I'm rarely disappointed. But those rare disappointments do happen... in this case because I never became emotionally invested in the characters. I'm not sure why. I was perfectly fine with not liking Robin and Hart for the first half of the book, because I trusted that eventually I'd fall for them. But it never happened, and I was left indifferent about their romance.
There are a half-dozen things I can identify as being impressively done. But there's another half-dozen I could point to that bugged (ha!) me or just didn't work for me. Oh well, on to the next one. And thank you to my fellow buddy readers Elena and Rosa, who made reading this more of a pleasure than it would have been if I'd done it alone.
There are a half-dozen things I can identify as being impressively done. But there's another half-dozen I could point to that bugged (ha!) me or just didn't work for me. Oh well, on to the next one. And thank you to my fellow buddy readers Elena and Rosa, who made reading this more of a pleasure than it would have been if I'd done it alone.
April 26, 2024
I feel like this is the sort of book for people who really loved the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice (it’s me) but also enjoy queer stories and just wanna have a good time.
KJC hits again with another low stakes, low angst historical romance that is just such good soul food.
Robin Loxleigh of Nottinghamshire and his sister Marianne (lol) come from a disreputable background and are attempting to use their good looks and charms to maneuver themselves by any means necessary into advantageous marriages to secure their financial future and security. But of course nothing is ever that simple and Robin meets his match in John Hartlebury.
Robin and Hart are so sweet together and Hart’s love language being to provide safe harbor for people he cares for and is secretly a big softie is just so heart warming. I adored Marianne and Alice too, they were such well written and dynamic characters in their own rights.
I loved this. Perfect read when you just need to feel good. I remain a KJC ride or die.
KJC hits again with another low stakes, low angst historical romance that is just such good soul food.
Robin Loxleigh of Nottinghamshire and his sister Marianne (lol) come from a disreputable background and are attempting to use their good looks and charms to maneuver themselves by any means necessary into advantageous marriages to secure their financial future and security. But of course nothing is ever that simple and Robin meets his match in John Hartlebury.
Robin and Hart are so sweet together and Hart’s love language being to provide safe harbor for people he cares for and is secretly a big softie is just so heart warming. I adored Marianne and Alice too, they were such well written and dynamic characters in their own rights.
I loved this. Perfect read when you just need to feel good. I remain a KJC ride or die.
March 2, 2021
M/M is an easy genre for bad writers to hide in. I’ve been reading so much mediocre stuff lately, and mostly I’m okay with that. It’s entertaining enough, I’m here for fun, not looking for Pulitzer prize winners. KJ Charles, though, is a not a mediocre writer. She’s found a niche in historical romance and she exploits the shit out of it, in the best possible way. This book was so good. Really stellar storytelling, with great, nuanced characters and a delightful romance. The writing is sharp and witty and the ending was incredibly satisfying. Highly recommended if you enjoy historical romance. Couldn’t put it down.
September 6, 2024
This book is a delightful Regency romp with an enemies-to-lovers theme, rich in historical detail and brimming with sharp dialogue.
I fell in love with Hart & Robin. Robin has a huge heart. He may be a fortune hunter, but he's an honorable one. Hart is short on manners, but his brusqueness hides a weary loneliness.
Hart thinks he's unattractive, but Robin sees beyond Hart's scowling face to Hart's very soul - also his thick thighs and sizeable prick. But mostly his soul.
K.J. Charles writes wonderfully strong female characters. Edwina, Marianne, and Alice are total badasses!
I wouldn't trade them, but they were just a teeny, tiny bit too present in the story, which focused less on romance and more on family, society, and scandal.
Alas, the epilogue was disappointing. It's from Giles' POV and mostly about Giles and Marianne. Hart and Robin were a mere footnote, and I'm not okay with that.
I fell in love with Hart & Robin. Robin has a huge heart. He may be a fortune hunter, but he's an honorable one. Hart is short on manners, but his brusqueness hides a weary loneliness.
Hart thinks he's unattractive, but Robin sees beyond Hart's scowling face to Hart's very soul - also his thick thighs and sizeable prick. But mostly his soul.
K.J. Charles writes wonderfully strong female characters. Edwina, Marianne, and Alice are total badasses!
I wouldn't trade them, but they were just a teeny, tiny bit too present in the story, which focused less on romance and more on family, society, and scandal.
Alas, the epilogue was disappointing. It's from Giles' POV and mostly about Giles and Marianne. Hart and Robin were a mere footnote, and I'm not okay with that.
April 24, 2025
Listen. If you put a charming con man and a grumpy, scowling baronet in a ballroom together and don’t expect sparks to fly, that’s on you. KJ Charles knows exactly what she’s doing here, and it’s - completely unsurprisingly - utterly delightful.
Robin Loxleigh is in London to bag a wealthy wife, and he has absolutely no shame about it. Enter Sir John Hartlebury, who sees right through him - and loathes everything Robin stands for. Until, of course, he doesn’t. Watching these two circle each other with suspicion, attraction, and slowly dawning feelings was utterly delicious and seriously romantic 🥰
The banter is excellent. The chemistry electric. And while Robin is 100% a scoundrel, he’s also clever, loyal, and impossible not to root for. Hart, meanwhile, is the kind of emotionally constipated man you just want to wrap in a blanket and bully into accepting love - which is exactly what Robin did 🫠🫠
Bonus points for:
✨ Two actually great sibling relationships
✨ social commentary that doesn’t whack you over the head
✨ Robin’s unholy obsession with Hart’s thighs
✨ The super fun (and Hot!) exploration of sex and kink
✨ Their pillow talks that had me swooning left and right
Also: Wow, am I glad I switched from audio to ebook. The narrator wasn’t bad per se but he spoke Hart in a way that made him sound like Uncle Vernon from Harry Potter in my head which - let me tell you - is not the way to make a character seem attractive or worth rooting for. I finally called it quits around the half way mark and switched and wow, was that an improvement!
I’m so glad I did, because I probably wouldn’t have given the book the 5 ⭐️stars it definitely deserved otherwise!
Robin Loxleigh is in London to bag a wealthy wife, and he has absolutely no shame about it. Enter Sir John Hartlebury, who sees right through him - and loathes everything Robin stands for. Until, of course, he doesn’t. Watching these two circle each other with suspicion, attraction, and slowly dawning feelings was utterly delicious and seriously romantic 🥰
The banter is excellent. The chemistry electric. And while Robin is 100% a scoundrel, he’s also clever, loyal, and impossible not to root for. Hart, meanwhile, is the kind of emotionally constipated man you just want to wrap in a blanket and bully into accepting love - which is exactly what Robin did 🫠🫠
Bonus points for:
✨ Two actually great sibling relationships
✨ social commentary that doesn’t whack you over the head
✨ Robin’s unholy obsession with Hart’s thighs
✨ The super fun (and Hot!) exploration of sex and kink
✨ Their pillow talks that had me swooning left and right
Also: Wow, am I glad I switched from audio to ebook. The narrator wasn’t bad per se but he spoke Hart in a way that made him sound like Uncle Vernon from Harry Potter in my head which - let me tell you - is not the way to make a character seem attractive or worth rooting for. I finally called it quits around the half way mark and switched and wow, was that an improvement!
I’m so glad I did, because I probably wouldn’t have given the book the 5 ⭐️stars it definitely deserved otherwise!
January 15, 2021
2020 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Last Book Acquired
By the time the Season began, plenty of people would recognise the well-mannered Loxleighs—friendly but not encroaching, up from the country, modest but so charming! They would have dinner invitations. They would find their way into parties. They would slide into the notice of the lower Upper Ten Thousand without anyone quite knowing how they’d got there.
And then the hunt would begin.
This is fun! I like KJC’s angsty romantic suspense, but regency romps are a better fit for my reading mood these days. Tone-wise, it’s closer to BAND SINISTER than the Will Darling Adventures. This appears to be a standalone but I have hopes for Marianne’s story (she’s my favorite character, Robin a close second).
I’m a big fan of the “other sibling/relative trope,” which means that MC1 (Robin) is courting a relative (Alice) of MC2 (Hart). In this case, Hart is Alice’s grumpy baronet step-uncle. Robin and his sister Marianne are lying about their unsavory origins and have come to London for the purpose of fortune-hunting. I was initially concerned that Alice was going to be a major plot conflict, but thankfully this crinkle goes away quickly. Hart is (correctly) suspicious that the Loxleighs are lying about their past and that Robin is only courting Alice for her secret dowry. He’s determined to expose their fraud and is FURIOUS at his attraction toward the card-cheating Robin. The enemies setup ended sooner than I expected — the plot took an abrupt turn before the halfway mark, but the new setup (no spoilers!) really worked for me.
Not gonna lie — watching Robin and Marianne hoodwink society was SO FUCKING SATISFYING. It’s a shame that they’re not totally bankrupt of morals; my internal chorus of “eat the rich” was LOUD. 😂 All joking aside, the discussion of fortune hunting and ethics is fascinating. They’re not doing anything wrong! The Marriage Mart is a, well, mart. Everyone hopes to better their station in society via marriage; if we’re looking at morals, the majority of the aristocracy is contemptible in comparison to Robin and Marianne. I adored how the book tackles issues of financial security, morality, and hypocrisy re: the siblings’ scheme.
It’s hard to talk about what I liked without spoilers (see major plot point halfway through!) but THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING is a perfect Regency romp to curl up to on a chilly winter night. I could not stop smiling for most of this book — this might be my fave KJC since PROPER ENGLISH? Anyway, go preorder it!
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
By the time the Season began, plenty of people would recognise the well-mannered Loxleighs—friendly but not encroaching, up from the country, modest but so charming! They would have dinner invitations. They would find their way into parties. They would slide into the notice of the lower Upper Ten Thousand without anyone quite knowing how they’d got there.
And then the hunt would begin.
This is fun! I like KJC’s angsty romantic suspense, but regency romps are a better fit for my reading mood these days. Tone-wise, it’s closer to BAND SINISTER than the Will Darling Adventures. This appears to be a standalone but I have hopes for Marianne’s story (she’s my favorite character, Robin a close second).
I’m a big fan of the “other sibling/relative trope,” which means that MC1 (Robin) is courting a relative (Alice) of MC2 (Hart). In this case, Hart is Alice’s grumpy baronet step-uncle. Robin and his sister Marianne are lying about their unsavory origins and have come to London for the purpose of fortune-hunting. I was initially concerned that Alice was going to be a major plot conflict, but thankfully this crinkle goes away quickly. Hart is (correctly) suspicious that the Loxleighs are lying about their past and that Robin is only courting Alice for her secret dowry. He’s determined to expose their fraud and is FURIOUS at his attraction toward the card-cheating Robin. The enemies setup ended sooner than I expected — the plot took an abrupt turn before the halfway mark, but the new setup (no spoilers!) really worked for me.
Not gonna lie — watching Robin and Marianne hoodwink society was SO FUCKING SATISFYING. It’s a shame that they’re not totally bankrupt of morals; my internal chorus of “eat the rich” was LOUD. 😂 All joking aside, the discussion of fortune hunting and ethics is fascinating. They’re not doing anything wrong! The Marriage Mart is a, well, mart. Everyone hopes to better their station in society via marriage; if we’re looking at morals, the majority of the aristocracy is contemptible in comparison to Robin and Marianne. I adored how the book tackles issues of financial security, morality, and hypocrisy re: the siblings’ scheme.
It’s hard to talk about what I liked without spoilers (see major plot point halfway through!) but THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING is a perfect Regency romp to curl up to on a chilly winter night. I could not stop smiling for most of this book — this might be my fave KJC since PROPER ENGLISH? Anyway, go preorder it!
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2025
Re-read July 3, 2025
Rounded up to 5 stars!
~~~~~~~~~~~
4.5 stars
“I love you, Robin Loxleigh. My fortune hunter, and my greatest fortune.”
— m/m historical
— fortune hunter/protective uncle
— enemies-to-lovers
— grumpy/sunshine
— class differences
— opposites attract
— secondary romance
— steamy
Great characters and writing make for a funny, witty, and delightful romance. A fortune hunting duo of a wily, beautiful brother, Robin, and sister, Marianne, set loose among the ton. A bluestocking heiress, Alice, with a passion for mathematics. A protective uncle, Hartlebury, with a ferocious scowl and brusque manner. I loved the utterly shameless scheming and machinations of our fortune hunters. The romance between the amoral, seductive Robin and conscientious, sexually inexperienced Hartlebury is scrumptious. Their emotional vulnerability and connection adds depth to their relationship. The smoldering hot sex will satisfy any smut lover.
“The idea—the very idea—that I might not want you for yourself is an outrage. You’re wonderful. You carry the world on your shoulders, and you’re so scowling and so sensitive, and your thighs are glorious, and I adore you. I don’t deserve you, but I love you, and I want you to love me. And I want all the time I can have, preferably starting here and now while you kiss me a great deal.”
“Then let me tell you what that is. I want to tup you spineless over the next month. I want to fulfill every desire you have, and all the ones you didn’t know about. I want to be your fantasy, your incubus, the perfect fuck that you’ll remember on your deathbed. That’s what I want, and I suggest you let me get on with it.”
“I like forceful, it shows a flattering enthusiasm. Excessive is in the arse of the beholder.”
“In the—“ Hart put a hand over his face. “You are astonishing.”
Rounded up to 5 stars!
~~~~~~~~~~~
4.5 stars
“I love you, Robin Loxleigh. My fortune hunter, and my greatest fortune.”
— m/m historical
— fortune hunter/protective uncle
— enemies-to-lovers
— grumpy/sunshine
— class differences
— opposites attract
— secondary romance
— steamy
Great characters and writing make for a funny, witty, and delightful romance. A fortune hunting duo of a wily, beautiful brother, Robin, and sister, Marianne, set loose among the ton. A bluestocking heiress, Alice, with a passion for mathematics. A protective uncle, Hartlebury, with a ferocious scowl and brusque manner. I loved the utterly shameless scheming and machinations of our fortune hunters. The romance between the amoral, seductive Robin and conscientious, sexually inexperienced Hartlebury is scrumptious. Their emotional vulnerability and connection adds depth to their relationship. The smoldering hot sex will satisfy any smut lover.
“The idea—the very idea—that I might not want you for yourself is an outrage. You’re wonderful. You carry the world on your shoulders, and you’re so scowling and so sensitive, and your thighs are glorious, and I adore you. I don’t deserve you, but I love you, and I want you to love me. And I want all the time I can have, preferably starting here and now while you kiss me a great deal.”
“Then let me tell you what that is. I want to tup you spineless over the next month. I want to fulfill every desire you have, and all the ones you didn’t know about. I want to be your fantasy, your incubus, the perfect fuck that you’ll remember on your deathbed. That’s what I want, and I suggest you let me get on with it.”
“I like forceful, it shows a flattering enthusiasm. Excessive is in the arse of the beholder.”
“In the—“ Hart put a hand over his face. “You are astonishing.”
February 28, 2021
4,5 stars
Absolutely glorious.
Fun, fluff and feels - this is pure ‘old-fashioned’ romance done ‘the KJ Charles way’:
A rogue, a gentleman, a reluctant attraction against better judgement.
Great chemistry, sexual discoveries and adorable sizzle.
Heartache and impossible situations.
Ahhhh. I had the most brilliant time! Robin and Hart are simply delightful.
And: two fabulous ladies as secondary characters.
Alice and Marianne totally rock! I love how KJ Charles always writes such strong females.
Only thing – I would have really liked to find out what Robin and Marianne’s real names are, and whether Giles ever figured Hart’s 'secret’ out.
Highly recommended!
Absolutely glorious.
Fun, fluff and feels - this is pure ‘old-fashioned’ romance done ‘the KJ Charles way’:
A rogue, a gentleman, a reluctant attraction against better judgement.
Great chemistry, sexual discoveries and adorable sizzle.
Heartache and impossible situations.
Ahhhh. I had the most brilliant time! Robin and Hart are simply delightful.
And: two fabulous ladies as secondary characters.
Alice and Marianne totally rock! I love how KJ Charles always writes such strong females.
Only thing – I would have really liked to find out what Robin and Marianne’s real names are, and whether Giles ever figured Hart’s 'secret’ out.
Highly recommended!
February 28, 2021
4.5 stars
Trust K.J. Charles to deliver a lighthearted story with charming characters without making it shallow and forgettable.
Okay, maybe Robin is a little bitobsessed with aware of Hart’s thighs, but you shouldn’t hold it against him, he’s really a sweetheart and he knows how to appreciate the whole package person.
I loved the original premise and the dynamic between the MCs, they were surprisingly well matched, with enough conflict to leave room for some character development and not so much to weight down the story with drama. Add a great cast of female secondary characters and at least one surprise () that I didn’t see coming and loved in spite/because of it, and this was another hit.
Trust K.J. Charles to deliver a lighthearted story with charming characters without making it shallow and forgettable.
Okay, maybe Robin is a little bit
I loved the original premise and the dynamic between the MCs, they were surprisingly well matched, with enough conflict to leave room for some character development and not so much to weight down the story with drama. Add a great cast of female secondary characters and at least one surprise () that I didn’t see coming and loved in spite/because of it, and this was another hit.
April 28, 2021
I really wanted to love this book, considering how much I loved the other books I read by this author. But something about it felt off the whole time, it’s a miracle I finished it.
At first it was too much humour and banter, like it was trying too hard. It felt fake and detached. I think part of it is that there was too much else going on. I didn’t feel anything other than annoyance about Marianne’s love triangle, and I was very frustrated that it was taking time away from Robin and Hart.
I pushed through, but it never clicked. I skimmed through the last chapter and the epilogue.
Go read all the other positive reviews and ignore me. I’ll just be sitting here in the corner of shame.
🤷♀️
At first it was too much humour and banter, like it was trying too hard. It felt fake and detached. I think part of it is that there was too much else going on. I didn’t feel anything other than annoyance about Marianne’s love triangle, and I was very frustrated that it was taking time away from Robin and Hart.
I pushed through, but it never clicked. I skimmed through the last chapter and the epilogue.
Go read all the other positive reviews and ignore me. I’ll just be sitting here in the corner of shame.
🤷♀️
August 13, 2025
I loved this so much. This is the third K.J. Charles book I'm reading and I've enjoyed all 3, that's amazing in my book.
I absolutely fell in love with both Hart and Robin and I lost myself in their story. I already wish I could read it again for the first time.
I am docking a star off because while the first half of this was perfect, the second half was a bit...immoderate with the speeches on morality. I believe it should have been a show not tell situation and it would have been more impactful to have the characters tell the story. I could hear too much of the author's voice rather than the characters, if that makes sense.
It was an amazing read regardless and I don't know how I'll get over them!!!
I absolutely fell in love with both Hart and Robin and I lost myself in their story. I already wish I could read it again for the first time.
I am docking a star off because while the first half of this was perfect, the second half was a bit...immoderate with the speeches on morality. I believe it should have been a show not tell situation and it would have been more impactful to have the characters tell the story. I could hear too much of the author's voice rather than the characters, if that makes sense.
It was an amazing read regardless and I don't know how I'll get over them!!!
February 18, 2025
“This isn’t a speech, it’s a statement. A simple declarative statement. I love you. You thought you were renting me for a month and you have me for life. Buyer beware.”
This was such a lovely book! Ever since reading Toby's novella A Thief in the Night , I knew I wanted to pick this up, and it did not disappoint. While this is mainly Robin’s story, I have to say I absolutely adored Marianne. I’m usually not too invested in side characters, but her personality was amazing, I spent the whole book wishing she were my friend.
As for Toby and Hart’s journey, I’ll admit I was uncertain at first. Their animosity was so intense, and, to be fair, completely justified, that I couldn’t imagine how they would ever get their HEA, let alone end up together.
Once the scheme was set in motion and their gentlemen’s arrangement began, I was both intrigued and nervous about how it would develop into something real. Would they be able to move past it and build something meaningful? Spoiler alert, they did and it was wonderful.
I especially loved the way Hart was so utterly devoted to sunny, bright Robin, and how Robin, in turn, was in complete awe of Hart, his strength, his presence, and, yes, his thighs! Their dynamic was such a joy to read, full of warmth, tension, and growing affection.
Robin’s friendship with Alice was a delightful surprise, and when her family finally supported her chosen career, I cheered for her.
Needless to say, the story was captivating, and I found myself deeply invested in the lives of all these fictional characters. A truly wonderful read!
This was such a lovely book! Ever since reading Toby's novella A Thief in the Night , I knew I wanted to pick this up, and it did not disappoint. While this is mainly Robin’s story, I have to say I absolutely adored Marianne. I’m usually not too invested in side characters, but her personality was amazing, I spent the whole book wishing she were my friend.
As for Toby and Hart’s journey, I’ll admit I was uncertain at first. Their animosity was so intense, and, to be fair, completely justified, that I couldn’t imagine how they would ever get their HEA, let alone end up together.
Once the scheme was set in motion and their gentlemen’s arrangement began, I was both intrigued and nervous about how it would develop into something real. Would they be able to move past it and build something meaningful? Spoiler alert, they did and it was wonderful.
I especially loved the way Hart was so utterly devoted to sunny, bright Robin, and how Robin, in turn, was in complete awe of Hart, his strength, his presence, and, yes, his thighs! Their dynamic was such a joy to read, full of warmth, tension, and growing affection.
Robin’s friendship with Alice was a delightful surprise, and when her family finally supported her chosen career, I cheered for her.
Needless to say, the story was captivating, and I found myself deeply invested in the lives of all these fictional characters. A truly wonderful read!
August 30, 2024
Re-read 30/08/2024: Audiobook this time. Loved this just as much the second time 'round. Cornell Collins does a great job narrating!
Decided to give this a reread after finishing (and loving) The Duke at Hazard recently.
Decided to give this a reread after finishing (and loving) The Duke at Hazard recently.
July 30, 2024
this book, which I have somehow read 5 times in less than 3 years, is responsible for giving me a two-handed shove over the edge into full mouth-frothing obsession with regency romances and I owe it my life
July 21, 2021
4 stars ⭐️ This is the second book I've read of KJC, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story. I should say, historical romances were never for me before I read KJ C’s books.
Robin and his sister Marianne were fortune hunters. They were poor. Their childhood wasn't the one anyone should experience in the first place. They came to London and they both have a bigger fish to fry. Determined to make everything better and smooth, Robin went for Alice whom uncle was Sir John Hartlebury, and had a great deal of money.
The suspicion that Hart had against Robin was immersed. Hart didn't trust Robin from the start. He felt like something was really off with the two siblings who had come to London out of nowhere.
But things kept getting heated up with Robin when Hart accused that Robin was a fortune hunter, and he only kept his eye on Alice’s wealth. But finally, everything was starting to get better after a proposition which they both agreed to maintain for a month.
I loved Robin. He was fun, witty, and had a great heart. He was attracted to Hart from the start but he didn't know that Hart was gay too. But the attraction remained in his heart.
Hart never expected the person he loathed was the one who would get under his skin and eventually love him unconditionally. He felt like Robin was too handsome for him. Because he wasn't the person people love to date. He always wore a scowl and never better for conversations. But Robin loved Hart and his thighs and his summer blue eyes.
..it felt like all his happiness was tied up in a thick-thighed man who hid his fears and his hopes and his heart behind a scowl.”
“I love you, Robin Loxleigh. My fortune hunter, and my greatest fortune.”
Highly recommended! <3
Robin and his sister Marianne were fortune hunters. They were poor. Their childhood wasn't the one anyone should experience in the first place. They came to London and they both have a bigger fish to fry. Determined to make everything better and smooth, Robin went for Alice whom uncle was Sir John Hartlebury, and had a great deal of money.
The suspicion that Hart had against Robin was immersed. Hart didn't trust Robin from the start. He felt like something was really off with the two siblings who had come to London out of nowhere.
But things kept getting heated up with Robin when Hart accused that Robin was a fortune hunter, and he only kept his eye on Alice’s wealth. But finally, everything was starting to get better after a proposition which they both agreed to maintain for a month.
I loved Robin. He was fun, witty, and had a great heart. He was attracted to Hart from the start but he didn't know that Hart was gay too. But the attraction remained in his heart.
Hart never expected the person he loathed was the one who would get under his skin and eventually love him unconditionally. He felt like Robin was too handsome for him. Because he wasn't the person people love to date. He always wore a scowl and never better for conversations. But Robin loved Hart and his thighs and his summer blue eyes.
..it felt like all his happiness was tied up in a thick-thighed man who hid his fears and his hopes and his heart behind a scowl.”
“I love you, Robin Loxleigh. My fortune hunter, and my greatest fortune.”
Highly recommended! <3
July 27, 2025
Was he truly the only man who noticed Hart’s kindness, and passion, and thighs?
5 magnificent, glorious, thick stars.
“What? I am not panting for anyone, especially him.”
“Please. You’re a fool for legs like that.”
Full RTC, incoming thigh quotes and an intercrural complaint.
5 magnificent, glorious, thick stars.
“What? I am not panting for anyone, especially him.”
“Please. You’re a fool for legs like that.”
Full RTC, incoming thigh quotes and an intercrural complaint.
November 11, 2021
Well... This was my first KJ Charles book... Yeah I know I'm VERY LATE to the party.
I will endeavor to mend this mishap!
Q&A:
Q: So how was your first experience with KJ?
A: Let's just say that I loved this book as much as Robin loved Hart's thighs.... So... ALOT!
Q: Hart's....thighs?
A: Oh yes! Robin is obsessed with them. It's amazing!
Q: If you say so... Ok tell me more. What else did you like? Besides the thighs.
A: Ohhhh SO MUCH! First, I loved how Hart was not classically handsome, or pretty or chiseled. He was a normal man who had more than his looks going for him. he was protective of his family and friends and loyal to a fault.
Robin, the fortune hunter, was a delight. He had such a good heart, taking care of his sister and doing everything he could to make her life better. He was utterly fascinated with Hart, the attraction instant and unavoidable.
Q: Well this sounds wholesome! How do they get together?
A: It's a historical, so being together is illegal. However, Robin suddenly found himself under Hart's thumb due to...reasons. And so they come to an "Understanding". Needless to say, Robin becomes a high paid sex worker to pay off a debt to Hart. and Hart is very happy with that.
Q: Huh... Well that's one way to pay off a debt... What happens next?
A: Right? Very beneficial imo. Next, they both fuck like rabbits and catch "feelings".
Q: Ouuuu FEELINGS! So how's the angst-o-meter?
A: Lowish angst. Whatever quarrels arise are dealt with quickly!
Q: That's a relief. What about the steam-o-meter?
A: Steamy! That first scene... Hooo boy!
Q: Ok... I know this is historical and they can't really be together, but they do get an HEA right?
A: Oh yeah.. don't worry. They get their HEA very well.
Honorable mentions: The fact that Robin's sister and Alice (Hunt's niece) are both kickass female characters!
the narration by Cornell Collins was SUPERB!
I will endeavor to mend this mishap!
Q&A:
Q: So how was your first experience with KJ?
A: Let's just say that I loved this book as much as Robin loved Hart's thighs.... So... ALOT!
Q: Hart's....thighs?
A: Oh yes! Robin is obsessed with them. It's amazing!
Q: If you say so... Ok tell me more. What else did you like? Besides the thighs.
A: Ohhhh SO MUCH! First, I loved how Hart was not classically handsome, or pretty or chiseled. He was a normal man who had more than his looks going for him. he was protective of his family and friends and loyal to a fault.
Robin, the fortune hunter, was a delight. He had such a good heart, taking care of his sister and doing everything he could to make her life better. He was utterly fascinated with Hart, the attraction instant and unavoidable.
Q: Well this sounds wholesome! How do they get together?
A: It's a historical, so being together is illegal. However, Robin suddenly found himself under Hart's thumb due to...reasons. And so they come to an "Understanding". Needless to say, Robin becomes a high paid sex worker to pay off a debt to Hart. and Hart is very happy with that.
Q: Huh... Well that's one way to pay off a debt... What happens next?
A: Right? Very beneficial imo. Next, they both fuck like rabbits and catch "feelings".
Q: Ouuuu FEELINGS! So how's the angst-o-meter?
A: Lowish angst. Whatever quarrels arise are dealt with quickly!
Q: That's a relief. What about the steam-o-meter?
A: Steamy! That first scene... Hooo boy!
Q: Ok... I know this is historical and they can't really be together, but they do get an HEA right?
A: Oh yeah.. don't worry. They get their HEA very well.
Honorable mentions: The fact that Robin's sister and Alice (Hunt's niece) are both kickass female characters!
the narration by Cornell Collins was SUPERB!
September 15, 2021
Me: Can we declare KJ Charles a national treasure? A world treasure?
Camille: Without hesitation.
Me: She never fails. If you read a truly crappy book, go back to KJ Charles to restore your faith in literary humanity. If you read a truly magnificent book and think nothing can top it, go back to KJ Charles because she is consistently dependable to hit your reset button.
Camille: Without hesitation.
Me: She never fails. If you read a truly crappy book, go back to KJ Charles to restore your faith in literary humanity. If you read a truly magnificent book and think nothing can top it, go back to KJ Charles because she is consistently dependable to hit your reset button.
January 12, 2025
“This isn’t a speech, it’s a statement. A simple declarative statement. I love you. You thought you were renting me for a month and you have me for life. Buyer beware.”
4.5 ⭐
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting was something I had been looking forward to and have had on my tbr for some time. I recently have been on a Bridgeton watching kick, going back and rewatching the season for the 100th time and I thought why not sprinkle in a MM historical romance set during the same era. I have only read once other K.J. Charles book which was The Magpie Lord which is a fantasy book set in this same time period. I think this author writes mostly MM historical romances and they do fantastic job. This is the second book on Fortune Hunting that Ive read and I gotta say, the premise always hits. I mean, get the bag guys. Fuck the rich and find you a man or lady and get rich off these losers for real. Anyways, I think Robin and John are quiet cute together, and they for sure have a great sexual chemistry. I think the entire book was an entertaining read/listen and I enjoyed being dropped into the middle of the Season and seeing all the things Robin and his sister had to do to try to blend in. I will say it is a fast romance, when the actual romance doesnt start until about half way through the book. And the romance isnt really swoon worthy but mostly just a sexual experience between the two men. Which I dont fault given the time. I dont expect long drawn out romances and romantical gestures between two men during a time when they could be killed for being homosexual. And given that people come out for the Season to reangle themselves a husband, I dont find that falling in love with someone with just sex and chatting , nothing too deep and personal, to be that far fetched given the circumstances and the time. I just hope that at the end of the day John and Robin live their best lives the best they can, and I am happy to see their HEA and wish I could see even more from them because towards the very end of the book we do start to see more of a romantical side to them both. I think the journey from romancing a woman, to falling for her uncle when trying to bag the gold was a fun and entertaining and sometimes funny adventure that is very worth reading or listening to.
November 6, 2023
KJC Backlist Read Part 28
(Keeping my original review from last year, because after this month's re-read I stand by all of it!)
-----
This was a re-read, selected because I was looking for a book that nails the ending, and friends- this book nails the ending like no other. We've got some A-grade fist-pumping jaw-dropping catharsis right here. There's also a perfect balance of external and internal conflict, a terrifically swoony love story, and a shrewd eye on the "Marriage Mart" from a queer romance perspective.
The setup is honestly a bit complicated? Though it all makes perfect sense in the reading of it. Robin and his sister Marianne have arrived in London from nobody-knows-where, with very little money but abundant good looks, ready to fortune-hunt their way to financial security. Marianne sets her sights on Lord Tachbrook, a very unpleasant, very wealthy man.
The biggest thing that jumped out in the early parts of the book is how absolutely unsparing it is in its critique of the Marriage Mart, to an extent I've rarely read elsewhere. In m/f regency romances of the ballrooms-and-dukes variety (which, to be clear, I do love) you might get a bit of fond exasperation at "meddling mamas" and the difficulty of snaring a duke when you're just a wilting wallflower. But it's rare to see romances out there questioning the entire edifice of the Marriage Mart- not when it provides the social structure that will ultimately bring the wallflower heroine and her Very Expensive Duke together. By discussing the Marriage Mart via a secondary character without narrative entitlement to an HEA, The Gentle Art is free to expose society marriages for what they are: a transaction. Here are just a few of the ways Marianne and other female characters talk about the common regency trope of a beautiful young woman marrying a wealthy man:
If nothing else, this book is SUCH a bracing take on the role of wealth in regency marriage.
Of course, as readers, our attentions are turned away from the ballroom and its sordid transactions, to the budding attraction between the two MCs Robin and Hart. The two men are opposites in every way. Hart is surly, overprotective, scowly, socially awkward and textually described as ugly (three cheers for that). Robin is a smooth-talking charmer, socially polished, financially destitute, conventionally attractive. Robin has set his fortune-hunting sights on Hart's step-sister and Hart... Hart is not having it. He doesn't trust Robin at all, and is dead set on exposing him as a fortune hunter and a cheat at cards- an effort that results in Robin accidentally losing 4,000 pounds he doesn't have to Hart at a card table.
How to deal with this debt? Essentially, Robin proposes an exchange : to recoup the 4,000 pound debt he owes, Robin will spend the next month fulfilling Hart's every sexual desire. Sex, for a thousand a week.
And look, that's ... not an easy premise to contend with. The power dynamics are beyond complicated. But I think there's a lot going on here that does make it work. For starters, Hart and Robin don't shy away from the potential problems of the arrangement they've stumbled into. They talk about it, they're awkward about it, they both speak plainly anyway. Importantly, it's Robin's idea and he initiates it- he verbalizes enthusiastic affirmative consent for every encounter (the sex, it is SO talky). But most of all... their encounters happen against a backdrop where we've just exposed the entire institution of marriage as a socially-sanctioned exchange of wealth for beauty. And what is Hart and Robin's arrangement if not an exchange of wealth for beauty?
Essentially, the book deconstructs the Marriage Mart, strips it right down to its barest social functions and pressures, and reconstructs it for Robin and Hart to grapple with, on the very specific terms of their relationship. It felt, to me, like a queer take on the regency where the queerness isn't just about who is having sex with whom, but rather about an effort to re-understand fundamental social dynamics from within a queer romance framework.
Of course, this is a romance, and just like in any romance, Robin and Hart move beyond their own setup premise to fall in love. Fully, equally, convincingly. There's obviously a book and a half's worth of external conflict going on, but part of what I loved here is that the romantic arc is deeply internal. Robin and Hart's ultimate conflict isn't about money or bets or transactions or fortunes to hunt: it's about both of them realizing that the other one needs to hear that he is loved exactly as he is, regardless of his finances (in Robin’s case) or lack of a beautiful face (in Hart’s). But the ways they both want to hear that message, and the ways they know how to express it, are as different as their personalities. It's an exercise in love-as-communication that is all the more poignant for the sheer piles of plot happening around it.
And the ending. I don't think I can talk about it without spoiling it, not to mention that I'm running out of coherent words here, so I’ll be brief and just say that the big catharsis moment of the ending is only tangentially related to the romance, and yet it's SO SATISFYING MY GOD. It shows how deeply Hart and Robin are enmeshed in the love they feel for friends and family, and how much justice and equity are fundamental to the universe of this book, and it's just GLORIOUS TAKE MY WORD FOR IT READ THIS BOOK AAAAAAAAA.
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Favorite Quote: She could start a fight in an empty room, and she regards a belt as a handy indication of what to hit below.
(Keeping my original review from last year, because after this month's re-read I stand by all of it!)
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This was a re-read, selected because I was looking for a book that nails the ending, and friends- this book nails the ending like no other. We've got some A-grade fist-pumping jaw-dropping catharsis right here. There's also a perfect balance of external and internal conflict, a terrifically swoony love story, and a shrewd eye on the "Marriage Mart" from a queer romance perspective.
The setup is honestly a bit complicated? Though it all makes perfect sense in the reading of it. Robin and his sister Marianne have arrived in London from nobody-knows-where, with very little money but abundant good looks, ready to fortune-hunt their way to financial security. Marianne sets her sights on Lord Tachbrook, a very unpleasant, very wealthy man.
The biggest thing that jumped out in the early parts of the book is how absolutely unsparing it is in its critique of the Marriage Mart, to an extent I've rarely read elsewhere. In m/f regency romances of the ballrooms-and-dukes variety (which, to be clear, I do love) you might get a bit of fond exasperation at "meddling mamas" and the difficulty of snaring a duke when you're just a wilting wallflower. But it's rare to see romances out there questioning the entire edifice of the Marriage Mart- not when it provides the social structure that will ultimately bring the wallflower heroine and her Very Expensive Duke together. By discussing the Marriage Mart via a secondary character without narrative entitlement to an HEA, The Gentle Art is free to expose society marriages for what they are: a transaction. Here are just a few of the ways Marianne and other female characters talk about the common regency trope of a beautiful young woman marrying a wealthy man:
"That is the entire purpose of the Marriage Mart, to exchange wealth for beauty!"
"You'll have to listen to him if you marry him
If I marry him, I'll be paid to listen to him"
If nothing else, this book is SUCH a bracing take on the role of wealth in regency marriage.
Of course, as readers, our attentions are turned away from the ballroom and its sordid transactions, to the budding attraction between the two MCs Robin and Hart. The two men are opposites in every way. Hart is surly, overprotective, scowly, socially awkward and textually described as ugly (three cheers for that). Robin is a smooth-talking charmer, socially polished, financially destitute, conventionally attractive. Robin has set his fortune-hunting sights on Hart's step-sister and Hart... Hart is not having it. He doesn't trust Robin at all, and is dead set on exposing him as a fortune hunter and a cheat at cards- an effort that results in Robin accidentally losing 4,000 pounds he doesn't have to Hart at a card table.
How to deal with this debt? Essentially, Robin proposes an exchange : to recoup the 4,000 pound debt he owes, Robin will spend the next month fulfilling Hart's every sexual desire. Sex, for a thousand a week.
And look, that's ... not an easy premise to contend with. The power dynamics are beyond complicated. But I think there's a lot going on here that does make it work. For starters, Hart and Robin don't shy away from the potential problems of the arrangement they've stumbled into. They talk about it, they're awkward about it, they both speak plainly anyway. Importantly, it's Robin's idea and he initiates it- he verbalizes enthusiastic affirmative consent for every encounter (the sex, it is SO talky). But most of all... their encounters happen against a backdrop where we've just exposed the entire institution of marriage as a socially-sanctioned exchange of wealth for beauty. And what is Hart and Robin's arrangement if not an exchange of wealth for beauty?
Essentially, the book deconstructs the Marriage Mart, strips it right down to its barest social functions and pressures, and reconstructs it for Robin and Hart to grapple with, on the very specific terms of their relationship. It felt, to me, like a queer take on the regency where the queerness isn't just about who is having sex with whom, but rather about an effort to re-understand fundamental social dynamics from within a queer romance framework.
Of course, this is a romance, and just like in any romance, Robin and Hart move beyond their own setup premise to fall in love. Fully, equally, convincingly. There's obviously a book and a half's worth of external conflict going on, but part of what I loved here is that the romantic arc is deeply internal. Robin and Hart's ultimate conflict isn't about money or bets or transactions or fortunes to hunt: it's about both of them realizing that the other one needs to hear that he is loved exactly as he is, regardless of his finances (in Robin’s case) or lack of a beautiful face (in Hart’s). But the ways they both want to hear that message, and the ways they know how to express it, are as different as their personalities. It's an exercise in love-as-communication that is all the more poignant for the sheer piles of plot happening around it.
And the ending. I don't think I can talk about it without spoiling it, not to mention that I'm running out of coherent words here, so I’ll be brief and just say that the big catharsis moment of the ending is only tangentially related to the romance, and yet it's SO SATISFYING MY GOD. It shows how deeply Hart and Robin are enmeshed in the love they feel for friends and family, and how much justice and equity are fundamental to the universe of this book, and it's just GLORIOUS TAKE MY WORD FOR IT READ THIS BOOK AAAAAAAAA.
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Favorite Quote: She could start a fight in an empty room, and she regards a belt as a handy indication of what to hit below.
July 10, 2021
Freaking HELL! 4.5 Stars!
I couldn’t stop listening to this!😱
What a roller coaster of feels & plot 😍
Push-pull
Opposites attract
Class gap
One pretty, one not
A fortune hunter & a fortune protector
A monetary arrangement where anything goes 🔥😱
Just when I thought things would resolve themselves, everything got turned upside down & I entered into conflict anew with my AMAZING MC’s!
The side characters were just as lovely and engaging as my two main men.
My favorite parts were the injustices to women that tha KJC highlighted through the side characters and the mini-plots—FABULOUS!
HIGHLY recommended!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I couldn’t stop listening to this!😱
What a roller coaster of feels & plot 😍
Push-pull
Opposites attract
Class gap
One pretty, one not
A fortune hunter & a fortune protector
A monetary arrangement where anything goes 🔥😱
Just when I thought things would resolve themselves, everything got turned upside down & I entered into conflict anew with my AMAZING MC’s!
The side characters were just as lovely and engaging as my two main men.
My favorite parts were the injustices to women that tha KJC highlighted through the side characters and the mini-plots—FABULOUS!
HIGHLY recommended!!! ❤️❤️❤️
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