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Lilywhite Boys #3
Masters in This Hall
John Garland was in love: now he's in disgrace. He's jobless, alone, and determined to avenge himself on the thief who ruined his life. All he wants for Christmas is to see Barnaby Littimer in gaol.
Barnaby has secured a job running the extravagant traditional Christmas at a rich man's country house. John intends to thwart whatever he's up to.
But amid the festivity, the halls are decked with unexpected dangers. And John will need to decide if he can trust Barnaby one more time...
Barnaby has secured a job running the extravagant traditional Christmas at a rich man's country house. John intends to thwart whatever he's up to.
But amid the festivity, the halls are decked with unexpected dangers. And John will need to decide if he can trust Barnaby one more time...
119 pages, ebook
First published December 5, 2022
104 people are currently reading
1316 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
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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 2, 2022A standalone Christmas novella (30K) in the Lilywhite Boys world. What can I say, I just felt like it.
February 20, 2023
**** 3.5 stars ****
Another entertaining installment, although it took a while for the series connection to become apparent. But that's when the book finally grabbed me — I'd been so-so about it up until then, which I'm 90% sure was a me-problem, not a problem with the book itself. Nowadays I find it very difficult to get invested, and then stay invested, in a story. And even though KJC is one of my favorite m/m romance authors, novella length is just too short a format for a romance to play out, imo.
Still, one can pick up her stories knowing that the good guys will prevail and the bad guys will get a most satisfying comeuppance, which is an assurance I need sometimes. You know, just to balance out how things actually go in real life.
Another entertaining installment, although it took a while for the series connection to become apparent. But that's when the book finally grabbed me — I'd been so-so about it up until then, which I'm 90% sure was a me-problem, not a problem with the book itself. Nowadays I find it very difficult to get invested, and then stay invested, in a story. And even though KJC is one of my favorite m/m romance authors, novella length is just too short a format for a romance to play out, imo.
Still, one can pick up her stories knowing that the good guys will prevail and the bad guys will get a most satisfying comeuppance, which is an assurance I need sometimes. You know, just to balance out how things actually go in real life.
October 22, 2024
K.J. Charles delivers again with a stand-alone holiday novella, Masters in This Hall.
I've been in a bit of a reading slump, so I dug out this book from the recesses of my Kindle to give it a go, and I'm so happy I did. I was reluctant to read it since I bought it because I didn't love the first book in the Lilywhite Boys series, and I didn't read the second. However, I've been so pleasantly surprised by Masters in This Hall.
Writing and executing a novella and doing it well is one of the hardest tasks in romance. I tend to rate novella more harshly because it's a struggle to develop feelings an a plot in less than 150 pages. but KJ Charles really knows how to write 'em.
We get a genuinely believable holiday romance, a bit of tension and mystery, some sassy and memorable relatives, and a HEA. It's not even Halloween and my holiday reading is already off with a bang.
*~*Follow me on instagram for more reviews, book talk, and deals posts*~*
I've been in a bit of a reading slump, so I dug out this book from the recesses of my Kindle to give it a go, and I'm so happy I did. I was reluctant to read it since I bought it because I didn't love the first book in the Lilywhite Boys series, and I didn't read the second. However, I've been so pleasantly surprised by Masters in This Hall.
Writing and executing a novella and doing it well is one of the hardest tasks in romance. I tend to rate novella more harshly because it's a struggle to develop feelings an a plot in less than 150 pages. but KJ Charles really knows how to write 'em.
We get a genuinely believable holiday romance, a bit of tension and mystery, some sassy and memorable relatives, and a HEA. It's not even Halloween and my holiday reading is already off with a bang.
*~*Follow me on instagram for more reviews, book talk, and deals posts*~*
December 23, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
Here I was feeling all scroogey and stressed and grinchy and grrr, and then KJ Charles casually sends out a Friday afternoon newsletter all "dropping a holiday novella on Monday beebees" and THANK YOU SANTA, I'LL NEVER DOUBT YOU AGAIN!!!!
I am bathed in holiday spirit now. Bathed! Is there anything this woman can't do???
This is typical, and typically delightful, KJC: inordinately clever, excellently paced, with wry, smart, sensitive, quietly competent characters you're either rooting for or gleefully hating from the start. And who doesn't love a house party?
This is set in the Lilywhite Boys world, and I knew from other reviews there was a crossover character. But I still gasped when he turned up because, spoiler alert: I am dumb.
Love that we got to meet harmless idiot Guppy Fanshawe, distinguished ancestor of useful idiot Bubby Fanshawe from The Sugared Game. What's the Christmas equivalent of an easter egg?
A tiny wee novella that is disproportionately satisfying. This was a wonderful surprise and an early Christmas treat that will definitely become a seasonal re-read.
Consider my halls decked!
Here I was feeling all scroogey and stressed and grinchy and grrr, and then KJ Charles casually sends out a Friday afternoon newsletter all "dropping a holiday novella on Monday beebees" and THANK YOU SANTA, I'LL NEVER DOUBT YOU AGAIN!!!!
I am bathed in holiday spirit now. Bathed! Is there anything this woman can't do???
This is typical, and typically delightful, KJC: inordinately clever, excellently paced, with wry, smart, sensitive, quietly competent characters you're either rooting for or gleefully hating from the start. And who doesn't love a house party?
This is set in the Lilywhite Boys world, and I knew from other reviews there was a crossover character. But I still gasped when he turned up because, spoiler alert: I am dumb.
Love that we got to meet harmless idiot Guppy Fanshawe, distinguished ancestor of useful idiot Bubby Fanshawe from The Sugared Game. What's the Christmas equivalent of an easter egg?
A tiny wee novella that is disproportionately satisfying. This was a wonderful surprise and an early Christmas treat that will definitely become a seasonal re-read.
Consider my halls decked!
December 7, 2022
I just-shy-of-hate Christmas books. Also, KJC loves to give her MCs period-appropriate facial hair, which I have to edit out in my head because all I can think of when a character has a mustache, or a beard that's more than scruff, is food getting caught in it and eeeewwww, squick.
That having been said, I relied on KJC to write a Christmas book that wasn't goopy (check -- sharp, funny, devoid of religion unless you count the pagan roots) and at this point my skill at editing out facial hair from my mental image of a character is very well honed indeed. One might call it razor sharp. *sorry not sorry*
Masters in This Hall, as KJC made clear in her newsletter announcement, was dashed off, and that does show -- it's not quite as crisp and well developed as what you might call her baseline. But I'm grading KJC against herself when I give this 4 stars: it's really fun, far more than worth the $1.99 bargain price she's put on it.
That having been said, I relied on KJC to write a Christmas book that wasn't goopy (check -- sharp, funny, devoid of religion unless you count the pagan roots) and at this point my skill at editing out facial hair from my mental image of a character is very well honed indeed. One might call it razor sharp. *sorry not sorry*
Masters in This Hall, as KJC made clear in her newsletter announcement, was dashed off, and that does show -- it's not quite as crisp and well developed as what you might call her baseline. But I'm grading KJC against herself when I give this 4 stars: it's really fun, far more than worth the $1.99 bargain price she's put on it.
December 28, 2022
KJC Backlist Read Part 17
How convenient for this book to be released just as I finished Gilded Cage, thus allowing me to seamlessly insert it into my backlist read, right during the holiday season! As I mentioned in my review of The Rat Catcher's Daughter, the many and varied approaches Charles takes to short-format romance are really fascinating. Here we have a falling-in-love and a falling-out as backstory, and regaining trust and rediscovering love (along with house party shenanigans) in the present. That's a lot - almost too much at times - but it's helped along by snappy and assured writing and strong character work. I think the romance-to-plot ratio was just slightly off-kilter for my tastes: I wanted less house party plot and more romance, especially in the first half. But once it picked up, the chemistry between the two MCs was lovely. Also, I fear I might be an Uncle Abel : more than a little socially awkward, extremely unbothered by whether anyone else shares my enthusiasm for arcane holiday tradition.
Favorite line: "He was quite belligerent on the subject of your well-being - in fact, positively threatening as to what might happen if I laid a finger on you. It was like being savaged by an Angora rabbit"
How convenient for this book to be released just as I finished Gilded Cage, thus allowing me to seamlessly insert it into my backlist read, right during the holiday season! As I mentioned in my review of The Rat Catcher's Daughter, the many and varied approaches Charles takes to short-format romance are really fascinating. Here we have a falling-in-love and a falling-out as backstory, and regaining trust and rediscovering love (along with house party shenanigans) in the present. That's a lot - almost too much at times - but it's helped along by snappy and assured writing and strong character work. I think the romance-to-plot ratio was just slightly off-kilter for my tastes: I wanted less house party plot and more romance, especially in the first half. But once it picked up, the chemistry between the two MCs was lovely. Also, I fear I might be an Uncle Abel : more than a little socially awkward, extremely unbothered by whether anyone else shares my enthusiasm for arcane holiday tradition.
Favorite line: "He was quite belligerent on the subject of your well-being - in fact, positively threatening as to what might happen if I laid a finger on you. It was like being savaged by an Angora rabbit"
December 18, 2025
There are 2 new characters in this last installment of the series.
John, a hotel detective, thought he was falling in love with Barnaby. Barnaby was flirting with John for a week but then suddenly seduced him in a linen closet before leaving him to be blamed for a robbery. John lost his job and all job prospects because of it and now he’s out to show everyone who Barnaby really is.
But of course, John doesn’t really understand the whole story, and neither does Barnaby, so now they have to try to work it out together while also being mad, hurt, attracted, and horny. 😏 And also the Lilywhite boys and Susan have to get involved because really these boys don’t know what they’re doing. I mean, Barnaby is a theater performer for crying out loud.
Also there’s a play involving all the house guests including dangerous criminals, singing, a sassy cousin who loves gossip, and it’s CHRISTMAS 🎄
John, a hotel detective, thought he was falling in love with Barnaby. Barnaby was flirting with John for a week but then suddenly seduced him in a linen closet before leaving him to be blamed for a robbery. John lost his job and all job prospects because of it and now he’s out to show everyone who Barnaby really is.
But of course, John doesn’t really understand the whole story, and neither does Barnaby, so now they have to try to work it out together while also being mad, hurt, attracted, and horny. 😏 And also the Lilywhite boys and Susan have to get involved because really these boys don’t know what they’re doing. I mean, Barnaby is a theater performer for crying out loud.
Also there’s a play involving all the house guests including dangerous criminals, singing, a sassy cousin who loves gossip, and it’s CHRISTMAS 🎄
December 23, 2022
I've given this a B+ at AAR, 4.5 stars
A surprise Christmas present, K.J. Charles’ Masters in This Hall is a lively tale of mummery and mayhem, of family strife, adultery, blackmail and attempted defenestration – in short, just your regular round of seasonal festivities ;)
Mr. John Garland worked for nine years as a detective at a presigious London hotel, until he was dismissed some months before this story begins, accused of incompetence following the theft of twelve thousand pounds-worth of jewels belonging to the Marquess of Leeford while he was a guest at the hotel. The theft is believed to have been carried out by the mysteious “Captain Algy” – although it’s said to have borne the hallmarks of the infamous – although now retired – Lilywhite Boys, and there is some speculation that perhaps they’ve returned to their lives of crime.
On Christmas Eve 1899, John travels to Codlin Hall in Chesham, the home of his Uncle Abel, a wealthy industrialist. He’s unsure of his welcome, but is there to do Abel a good turn while at the same time revenging himself on the man he blames for his downfall. When John learned that Barbaby Littimer, a theatre designer by trade, has somehow managed to get himself engaged to organise Abel Garland’s Christmas festivities, he knew he had to act. He’s convinced Barnaby had deliberately set out to… er… distract him from his duties at the time of the hotel theft, and believes he must have been in on it. John is determined to foil whatever nefarious plot is underway to rob his uncle.
The Christmas festivities at Codlin Hall will culminate in the wedding of Abel’s daughter, Ivy (yes, she really is called Ivy Garland!) to the Earl of Dombey, so a large party is gathered there, many of whom look down on Abel because he made his millions in trade, and are only too pleased to accept his lavish hospitality while sneering about him behind his back. John’s unexpected arrival on Christmas Eve doesn’t go down too well with Ivy, who is worried about appearances and who John knows doesn’t want him –
“reminding everyone that the soon-to-be Countess of Dombey was not just the daughter of industry, but the cousin of incompetence and penury.”
But even though she tries to insist there’s no room at the inn (!), help comes from an unexpected quarter in the shape of Ivy’s nice-but-dim fiancé, who is only too happy to welcome John to join in the celebrations. In turn, John is only too happy at the thought of putting a spoke in Barnaby’s wheel – and at the look on Barbaby’s face when he first sees John amid the assembled guests. Angry and resentful – not least because he’s still very attracted to the man and can’t forget the happy hours they’d spent together – John refuses to listen to Barnaby’s explanations or to his warnings when he tells John he should leave. Maybe Barnaby looks scared and maybe John’s first instinct is to offer to help him, regardless of what he’s done – but John squashes those feelings under his determation not to be made a fool of again.
As always, K.J. Charles fills her story with lots of fascinating historical detail, sharp social observations and, as it’s Christmas, doesn’t stint on the Dickensian references or the puns. Abel Garland doesn’t go in for Victorian sentiimentality, far perferring to hark back to the medieval and pagan ritual that is the real backbone of so many of our Christmas traditions today, so there’s much to learn about wassail, mummers, carols and the Lord of Misrule as well as some sharp commentary about the social pecking order and the abuse of privilege.
The animosity between John and Barnaby isn’t allowed to go on for too long, fortunately, and after that, they join forces to expose a thief and some very shady dealings while also coming up with a way to keep themselves well out of it, with help from the devious brain of a mostly unnamed but very recognisable character – he of the beautiful baritone voice and the dangerously sardonic eyebrow – known to detectives across England simply as “That Bastard” (and to KJC afficionados as Jerry Crozier.) I always enjoy seeing favourite characrters from the points of view of those who don’t really know them, and the author certainly doesn’t disppoint here; John and Barbaby are suitably wary of this Lilywhite Boy and his reputation, and Jerry is wonderfully grumpy – and terrifying – at being forced out of retirement to deal with “Captain Algy”.
John and Barnaby themselves are very likeable characters, clever, witty and self-deprecating but quietly competent, and their past history is laid out in some very brief flashbacks that set up their romance nicely. There’s a real sense of longing as they both think back wistfully on what could have been, and then a real blossoming of hope when they realise they might have a second chance. They’re sweet and lovely together and their HFN is just right.
Masters in This Hall is the perfect Christmas novella for those of us who prefer our seasonal tales to have a bit of zing and bite. It’s sharp, it’s funny, it’s devoid of religion and sentimentality, and it’s just the ticket for a cold winter’s afternoon. Enjoy!
A surprise Christmas present, K.J. Charles’ Masters in This Hall is a lively tale of mummery and mayhem, of family strife, adultery, blackmail and attempted defenestration – in short, just your regular round of seasonal festivities ;)
Mr. John Garland worked for nine years as a detective at a presigious London hotel, until he was dismissed some months before this story begins, accused of incompetence following the theft of twelve thousand pounds-worth of jewels belonging to the Marquess of Leeford while he was a guest at the hotel. The theft is believed to have been carried out by the mysteious “Captain Algy” – although it’s said to have borne the hallmarks of the infamous – although now retired – Lilywhite Boys, and there is some speculation that perhaps they’ve returned to their lives of crime.
On Christmas Eve 1899, John travels to Codlin Hall in Chesham, the home of his Uncle Abel, a wealthy industrialist. He’s unsure of his welcome, but is there to do Abel a good turn while at the same time revenging himself on the man he blames for his downfall. When John learned that Barbaby Littimer, a theatre designer by trade, has somehow managed to get himself engaged to organise Abel Garland’s Christmas festivities, he knew he had to act. He’s convinced Barnaby had deliberately set out to… er… distract him from his duties at the time of the hotel theft, and believes he must have been in on it. John is determined to foil whatever nefarious plot is underway to rob his uncle.
The Christmas festivities at Codlin Hall will culminate in the wedding of Abel’s daughter, Ivy (yes, she really is called Ivy Garland!) to the Earl of Dombey, so a large party is gathered there, many of whom look down on Abel because he made his millions in trade, and are only too pleased to accept his lavish hospitality while sneering about him behind his back. John’s unexpected arrival on Christmas Eve doesn’t go down too well with Ivy, who is worried about appearances and who John knows doesn’t want him –
“reminding everyone that the soon-to-be Countess of Dombey was not just the daughter of industry, but the cousin of incompetence and penury.”
But even though she tries to insist there’s no room at the inn (!), help comes from an unexpected quarter in the shape of Ivy’s nice-but-dim fiancé, who is only too happy to welcome John to join in the celebrations. In turn, John is only too happy at the thought of putting a spoke in Barnaby’s wheel – and at the look on Barbaby’s face when he first sees John amid the assembled guests. Angry and resentful – not least because he’s still very attracted to the man and can’t forget the happy hours they’d spent together – John refuses to listen to Barnaby’s explanations or to his warnings when he tells John he should leave. Maybe Barnaby looks scared and maybe John’s first instinct is to offer to help him, regardless of what he’s done – but John squashes those feelings under his determation not to be made a fool of again.
As always, K.J. Charles fills her story with lots of fascinating historical detail, sharp social observations and, as it’s Christmas, doesn’t stint on the Dickensian references or the puns. Abel Garland doesn’t go in for Victorian sentiimentality, far perferring to hark back to the medieval and pagan ritual that is the real backbone of so many of our Christmas traditions today, so there’s much to learn about wassail, mummers, carols and the Lord of Misrule as well as some sharp commentary about the social pecking order and the abuse of privilege.
The animosity between John and Barnaby isn’t allowed to go on for too long, fortunately, and after that, they join forces to expose a thief and some very shady dealings while also coming up with a way to keep themselves well out of it, with help from the devious brain of a mostly unnamed but very recognisable character – he of the beautiful baritone voice and the dangerously sardonic eyebrow – known to detectives across England simply as “That Bastard” (and to KJC afficionados as Jerry Crozier.) I always enjoy seeing favourite characrters from the points of view of those who don’t really know them, and the author certainly doesn’t disppoint here; John and Barbaby are suitably wary of this Lilywhite Boy and his reputation, and Jerry is wonderfully grumpy – and terrifying – at being forced out of retirement to deal with “Captain Algy”.
John and Barnaby themselves are very likeable characters, clever, witty and self-deprecating but quietly competent, and their past history is laid out in some very brief flashbacks that set up their romance nicely. There’s a real sense of longing as they both think back wistfully on what could have been, and then a real blossoming of hope when they realise they might have a second chance. They’re sweet and lovely together and their HFN is just right.
Masters in This Hall is the perfect Christmas novella for those of us who prefer our seasonal tales to have a bit of zing and bite. It’s sharp, it’s funny, it’s devoid of religion and sentimentality, and it’s just the ticket for a cold winter’s afternoon. Enjoy!
December 9, 2022
"I really don't know why people make such a fuss about the defenestration business: we only did it once."
I love the Lilywhite Boys madly and I would love for KJ Charles to keep writing books set in this universe. Ideally each book involving Jerry having a chance to waltz in and be casually menacing and sardonic while sorting out other people's crime-adjacent messes.
This was delightful. Bizarre medieval Christmas customs paired with an angsty, betrayal-ridden romance and a goodly bit of jewel theft and murder. What's not to love? (Seriously, all Christmas stories need less sap and more jewel theft and murder.) Also, I tip my hat to the author's deftness when it comes to involving characters from previous books; she does it just as much as makes sense for the plot whilst giving you a nice "OH HELLO BELOVED CHARACTER" moment, but it's never forced or annoying.
I love the Lilywhite Boys madly and I would love for KJ Charles to keep writing books set in this universe. Ideally each book involving Jerry having a chance to waltz in and be casually menacing and sardonic while sorting out other people's crime-adjacent messes.
This was delightful. Bizarre medieval Christmas customs paired with an angsty, betrayal-ridden romance and a goodly bit of jewel theft and murder. What's not to love? (Seriously, all Christmas stories need less sap and more jewel theft and murder.) Also, I tip my hat to the author's deftness when it comes to involving characters from previous books; she does it just as much as makes sense for the plot whilst giving you a nice "OH HELLO BELOVED CHARACTER" moment, but it's never forced or annoying.
November 2, 2024
~2.5~
There's a lot of love going around for this book, but I didn't much enjoy it.
Masters in This Hall (splendid title, I'll say that) isn't a standalone (which I didn't realize before diving in). It's part of the Lilywhite Boys series, which I haven't read (and don't want to). The lilywhite boys are mentioned repeatedly, and one even has a cameo role.
The story takes place in 1899, so late Victorian/early Edwardian era, which isn't my favorite historical period (yes, I have a favorite historical period).
This is a busy, busy book: scheming, robbery, adultery, a most dastardly villain, a near murder, and buckets of mulled wine.
John thinks Barnaby betrayed him in the worst way, but really Barnaby saved John's life, which wouldn't have needed saving had Barnaby not been such a damned fool.
The secondary characters take over with random conversations, full of spite and opinions. John's uncle is a sweet man, but I didn't care about his aspirations or his daughter's wedding or the Trents' divorce.
I didn't feel the Christmas spirit or the romance, which was largely the point. I smiled a few times, and of course K.J. Charles' writing style is as witty and effortless as ever. I love most everything she writes, but not this story.
There's a lot of love going around for this book, but I didn't much enjoy it.
Masters in This Hall (splendid title, I'll say that) isn't a standalone (which I didn't realize before diving in). It's part of the Lilywhite Boys series, which I haven't read (and don't want to). The lilywhite boys are mentioned repeatedly, and one even has a cameo role.
The story takes place in 1899, so late Victorian/early Edwardian era, which isn't my favorite historical period (yes, I have a favorite historical period).
This is a busy, busy book: scheming, robbery, adultery, a most dastardly villain, a near murder, and buckets of mulled wine.
John thinks Barnaby betrayed him in the worst way, but really Barnaby saved John's life, which wouldn't have needed saving had Barnaby not been such a damned fool.
The secondary characters take over with random conversations, full of spite and opinions. John's uncle is a sweet man, but I didn't care about his aspirations or his daughter's wedding or the Trents' divorce.
I didn't feel the Christmas spirit or the romance, which was largely the point. I smiled a few times, and of course K.J. Charles' writing style is as witty and effortless as ever. I love most everything she writes, but not this story.
December 21, 2022
This was buckets of fun, but the most impressive thing about it has got to be that KJC named one of the MCs BARNABY and made it work. Even in the sex scenes.
December 10, 2022
A delight, as always! Chrismas fic done right! Fun to see the Lilywhite cameo in a way that felt organic and didn't overpower the story. I enjoyed the characters, the hijinks and social dynamics were wonderfully done, and the whole thing was just a lot of fun! I do wish we'd actually gotten to see the hotel detecting in action, because that sounds like such an interesting job and I wanted to learn more about it!
December 5, 2022
The story starts with John Garland coming to his uncle's house to stop what he assumed will be another robbery, done by his one-time lover, Barnaby Littimer. Barnaby is already involved in a robbery at John's place of work previously, which costed John his job. But things are not true black and white...
A delightful holiday novella from K.J. Charles in the Lilywhite Boys universe. To be honest, the core of the story reminds me a bit of Charles' own Jackdaw (which I LOVED SO MUCH!) what with a betrayed lover as a cost of the other's crime. Still, Charles woven the story nicely (romance, mayhem, and thrill), even bringing familiar face from the previous Lilywhite Boys book into the midst.
Good quick read indeed
A delightful holiday novella from K.J. Charles in the Lilywhite Boys universe. To be honest, the core of the story reminds me a bit of Charles' own Jackdaw (which I LOVED SO MUCH!) what with a betrayed lover as a cost of the other's crime. Still, Charles woven the story nicely (romance, mayhem, and thrill), even bringing familiar face from the previous Lilywhite Boys book into the midst.
Good quick read indeed
December 5, 2022
This was ideal reading for a day in bed with covid. Enjoyable and well-paced.
May 21, 2023
Meh. I don’t like these
guys. Or their crimes. No magic,
no swoon, and no fun.
guys. Or their crimes. No magic,
no swoon, and no fun.
April 7, 2024
Rating: 2.5 stars (rounded down)
I found it hard to rate this one because I didn't really enjoy it but I think much of the fault lies in the story recycling very specific plotlines from two of the author's previous books and the author having handled those plotlines better in those.
One of the things I enjoyed was the inclusion of medieval Christmas traditions. I always love having characters in historicals discuss/experience things that they themselves view as old-fashioned because it's a cool, ironic twist. I knew nothing about how Christmas was celebrated prior to the 1800s so it was cool to learn about the different songs, games, foods and other traditions that have been completely forgotten about. Another thing I liked was the chemistry between the MCs. The author did a fantastic job establishing the instant chemistry between the MCs and how much they still cared about each other. John's feelings of betrayal were realistic and so was his anger at Barnaby. I was really looking forward to lots of pining as Barnaby works hard to make up for his past wrongs. Unfortunately, that process was way too rushed for my liking. I also appreciated that the author included a wonderful hurt/comfort scene and both MCs demonstrate how much they care about each other by stepping in multiple times when the other is in peril or being insulted.
The whole dynamic between the MCs was recycled from the author's second chance romance Jackdaw. One MC is a LEO who lost his job when he unknowingly fell in love with a thief and was betrayed by the thief when the LEO was blamed for the thief's actions. The LEO ends up without a job and having had his reputation ruined, leaving him nowhere to turn and badly wanting revenge. Unfortunately, the execution of this plotline was done much better in Jackdaw. In there, the former LEO MC went to prison as a result of the entire mess and when he gets out, he truly has nobody and nothing. In Masters In This Hall, John did lose his job as a hotel detective but it was due to assumed incompetence (and because the hotel was embarrassed and needed a scapegoat). While John couldn't have easily found work elsewhere as a detective, he would have had a much easier time finding employment and starting over than somebody with a serious criminal record. In addition, what the author doesn't mention in the summary is that the rich man who John assumes Barnaby wants to rob is John's uncle. While the family isn't thrilled to see John, they get over it very quickly and allow him to stay for Christmas and they pretty much treat him normally. The whole thing made John's situation not feel nearly as dire as the Jackdaw MC's did so I wasn't as invested in John's struggles.
In addition, I liked that the Jackdaw thief MC was actually a career criminal because that made his redemption arc really interesting. In Masters, we find out that .
The story also recycled plotlines from Think Of England. In both stories, the MC was betrayed in the past and he invites himself to a big house party in the English countryside because he's sure that the person who betrayed him will be present. Sidenote: it was also a bit of a letdown that the second MC in both books were very similar (flamboyant and fiercely intelligent men who prefer to use their brains rather than brawn). In Think Of England, the mystery was intriguing because neither MCs knew the identity of the villain and they spent the book trying to figure it out. But in Masters, Barnaby's explanations of what really happened prior to John getting fired result in all of us (MCs and readers) knowing who the villain is and why he did what he did. Again - it felt rushed and lowered my investment in the story. The only thing of interest left (since the MCs had made up by that point) was finding out how the MCs get the villain to reveal himself to others and thus, face consequences for his actions. Unfortunately, I felt the sequence of events that lead to the final showdown were rushed and the big climax felt OTT. During the climax, .
Overall, I felt this one was too rushed and not as impactful as it could have been. I recommend reading Jackdaw and Think Of England instead, since you'll be getting the same plotlines but done much better.
I found it hard to rate this one because I didn't really enjoy it but I think much of the fault lies in the story recycling very specific plotlines from two of the author's previous books and the author having handled those plotlines better in those.
One of the things I enjoyed was the inclusion of medieval Christmas traditions. I always love having characters in historicals discuss/experience things that they themselves view as old-fashioned because it's a cool, ironic twist. I knew nothing about how Christmas was celebrated prior to the 1800s so it was cool to learn about the different songs, games, foods and other traditions that have been completely forgotten about. Another thing I liked was the chemistry between the MCs. The author did a fantastic job establishing the instant chemistry between the MCs and how much they still cared about each other. John's feelings of betrayal were realistic and so was his anger at Barnaby. I was really looking forward to lots of pining as Barnaby works hard to make up for his past wrongs. Unfortunately, that process was way too rushed for my liking. I also appreciated that the author included a wonderful hurt/comfort scene and both MCs demonstrate how much they care about each other by stepping in multiple times when the other is in peril or being insulted.
The whole dynamic between the MCs was recycled from the author's second chance romance Jackdaw. One MC is a LEO who lost his job when he unknowingly fell in love with a thief and was betrayed by the thief when the LEO was blamed for the thief's actions. The LEO ends up without a job and having had his reputation ruined, leaving him nowhere to turn and badly wanting revenge. Unfortunately, the execution of this plotline was done much better in Jackdaw. In there, the former LEO MC went to prison as a result of the entire mess and when he gets out, he truly has nobody and nothing. In Masters In This Hall, John did lose his job as a hotel detective but it was due to assumed incompetence (and because the hotel was embarrassed and needed a scapegoat). While John couldn't have easily found work elsewhere as a detective, he would have had a much easier time finding employment and starting over than somebody with a serious criminal record. In addition, what the author doesn't mention in the summary is that the rich man who John assumes Barnaby wants to rob is John's uncle. While the family isn't thrilled to see John, they get over it very quickly and allow him to stay for Christmas and they pretty much treat him normally. The whole thing made John's situation not feel nearly as dire as the Jackdaw MC's did so I wasn't as invested in John's struggles.
In addition, I liked that the Jackdaw thief MC was actually a career criminal because that made his redemption arc really interesting. In Masters, we find out that .
The story also recycled plotlines from Think Of England. In both stories, the MC was betrayed in the past and he invites himself to a big house party in the English countryside because he's sure that the person who betrayed him will be present. Sidenote: it was also a bit of a letdown that the second MC in both books were very similar (flamboyant and fiercely intelligent men who prefer to use their brains rather than brawn). In Think Of England, the mystery was intriguing because neither MCs knew the identity of the villain and they spent the book trying to figure it out. But in Masters, Barnaby's explanations of what really happened prior to John getting fired result in all of us (MCs and readers) knowing who the villain is and why he did what he did. Again - it felt rushed and lowered my investment in the story. The only thing of interest left (since the MCs had made up by that point) was finding out how the MCs get the villain to reveal himself to others and thus, face consequences for his actions. Unfortunately, I felt the sequence of events that lead to the final showdown were rushed and the big climax felt OTT. During the climax, .
Overall, I felt this one was too rushed and not as impactful as it could have been. I recommend reading Jackdaw and Think Of England instead, since you'll be getting the same plotlines but done much better.
December 20, 2022
What a joy it is to return to this series. There's the usual wonderfully drawn MCs, an intriguing plot with unforeseen twists and MCs from earlier titles making unexpected but welcome appearances. All painted with an 'ye olde christmas' pallet too! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
December 10, 2022
2022 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Novella
Love me a winter house party.
Love me a winter house party.
December 13, 2022
4.5 stars
A winter holidays novella set at the end of the 19th century amidst a lush British Christmas extravaganza. Murder, mystery, family, treachery, and in the end… love. Delightful!
A winter holidays novella set at the end of the 19th century amidst a lush British Christmas extravaganza. Murder, mystery, family, treachery, and in the end… love. Delightful!
January 15, 2023
KJ Charles doing her version of a Christmas romance, of course it was great.
December 29, 2022
ну хоч одна різдвяна історія за грудень!
December 26, 2022
God today hath poor folk raised and cast a-down the proud!
This was so much fun! Festive and entertaining with just the right amount of action. A hotel detective is trying to revenge himself upon the jewel thief who ruined his career, makes his plans to do so at his uncle's Christmas festivities, and then has to confront the fact that he mightn't have the whole story. It turns into a really great second-chance romance that I liked a lot. I love reading about historical Christmases, the traditions and songs and activities that used to take place. And a historical house party is one of my favourite settings for any sort of book. K.J. Charles incorporates them into her romances so well. I really loved the usage of all the songs, and the highlight of it all was the appearance of a certain character. Not gonna lie, he sorta stole the show; I love him so much and I was cracking up at his every other line, so much so that I was afraid that John and Barnaby weren't getting enough of the spotlight. But by the end of it, I became really endeared with their romance. They're so sweet! This is just over 100 pages, and these days I don't have much faith that novellas that short can make me feel anything, but this was wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyable little read.
“I like who you are, not the better person you might be in theory. We’re not going to start again; we’re going to carry on from here, you and me.”
January 12, 2023
Lovely Christmas special.
As always with any KJ Charles’ work, the story was smart, tender, funny, the evil doers get what they deserve and the good ones (even with their share of naughtiness to them) their much awaited HEA.
The Lilywhite Boys series is one of my favorites of her.
Loved the mentions and cameos, the small revelations of what’s going on with past MCs of this world.
Jerry and his beloved! I think I’ll read their story again soon ❤️
As always with any KJ Charles’ work, the story was smart, tender, funny, the evil doers get what they deserve and the good ones (even with their share of naughtiness to them) their much awaited HEA.
The Lilywhite Boys series is one of my favorites of her.
Loved the mentions and cameos, the small revelations of what’s going on with past MCs of this world.
Jerry and his beloved! I think I’ll read their story again soon ❤️
December 17, 2022
KJ Charles is always, always a winner for me.
I really don't know how she does it, but even with her shorter books, like this Christmas-with-a-twist novella, she manages to weave unforgettable stories with an even more unforgettable cast of characters.
"Masters in This Hall" is irreverent and fun, with none of the usual sweetness of Christmas romance novels, even though it still felt rather festive: the atmosphere and the vibes were truly on point, gloomy and eerie and secretive, in line with the mystery that's at the centre of this novella.
I managed to love John and Barnaby regardless of the short length of this novella; especially John, because I do love me a competent, angry and slightly ruthless protagonist. Barnaby was a bit of more of mystery, but I still loved him.
But, and here's the reason I won't be giving this novella more than four stars, I felt like they resembled Kim and Will, from KJ Charles' "The Will Darling Adventures", a biiiiit too much. Their dynamic is pretty similar, with the whole I-betrayed-you-but-for-a-good-reason and with Barnaby being a bit Kimmish (both with his secretive behaviour and his way with words). And yes, obviously there wasn't enough page time for them to stand out a bit more clearly.
But yeah, this was a really minor complaint, because all in all, I really loved this novella.
The mystery plot was well-done and addictive and clever, and the side characters incredibly vivid: Ivy and Abel were fantastic, there's a suitably horrible villain and also, a TON of delightful easter-eggs and a surprise appearance from a certain ex jewel thief with expressive eyebrows. Needless to say, he was my favourite thing.
I really don't know how she does it, but even with her shorter books, like this Christmas-with-a-twist novella, she manages to weave unforgettable stories with an even more unforgettable cast of characters.
"Masters in This Hall" is irreverent and fun, with none of the usual sweetness of Christmas romance novels, even though it still felt rather festive: the atmosphere and the vibes were truly on point, gloomy and eerie and secretive, in line with the mystery that's at the centre of this novella.
I managed to love John and Barnaby regardless of the short length of this novella; especially John, because I do love me a competent, angry and slightly ruthless protagonist. Barnaby was a bit of more of mystery, but I still loved him.
But, and here's the reason I won't be giving this novella more than four stars, I felt like they resembled Kim and Will, from KJ Charles' "The Will Darling Adventures", a biiiiit too much. Their dynamic is pretty similar, with the whole I-betrayed-you-but-for-a-good-reason and with Barnaby being a bit Kimmish (both with his secretive behaviour and his way with words). And yes, obviously there wasn't enough page time for them to stand out a bit more clearly.
But yeah, this was a really minor complaint, because all in all, I really loved this novella.
The mystery plot was well-done and addictive and clever, and the side characters incredibly vivid: Ivy and Abel were fantastic, there's a suitably horrible villain and also, a TON of delightful easter-eggs and a surprise appearance from a certain ex jewel thief with expressive eyebrows. Needless to say, he was my favourite thing.
May 6, 2023
my man [redacted] showing up as a cameo and completely stealing(heh) the show...no surprise there. but if she hadn't wanted that to happen, KJC shouldn't have written him to be so iconic in the first place!!
also not to go all Cait on yall (I know I am no match for that level of linguistic curiosity!) but "cognoscenti of crime"??? as a person with 11 years of school-room Italian and nothing to show for it but the ability to cry to Italian power ballads and stan every Italian Eurovision entry under the sun (Marco Mengoni ftw!!!), I nearly choked when I read that line on THE SECOND FUCKING PAGE. Ms Charles really made the *checks calendar* Maytide gay with this one.
EDIT bcs I just read the short freebie on KJC's website about Susan and James' wedding (!!!) and it also featured the protagonists of this book and followed up on a joke that made me cackle out loud while reading Masters in This Hall! go read it folks it's iconique
also not to go all Cait on yall (I know I am no match for that level of linguistic curiosity!) but "cognoscenti of crime"??? as a person with 11 years of school-room Italian and nothing to show for it but the ability to cry to Italian power ballads and stan every Italian Eurovision entry under the sun (Marco Mengoni ftw!!!), I nearly choked when I read that line on THE SECOND FUCKING PAGE. Ms Charles really made the *checks calendar* Maytide gay with this one.
EDIT bcs I just read the short freebie on KJC's website about Susan and James' wedding (!!!) and it also featured the protagonists of this book and followed up on a joke that made me cackle out loud while reading Masters in This Hall! go read it folks it's iconique
December 13, 2022
3.5 ✨ I finished it within an hour though forgot to update on GR. ☺️ No doubt I enjoyed it but mostly loved that KJ included the medivial Christmasy traditions because I knew nothing about them....
December 11, 2023
So much fun. A real Christmas romp.
November 21, 2024
I feel like labeling this as "Lilywhite Boys #3" decreased my enjoyment. It's like some 70s/80s TV movie STARING: big name celebrity who's actually only in the thing for 5 minutes. Only in those it was usually like the first 5 minutes and here you spend half the story too distracted trying to figure out how the hell this is connected to the Lilywhite Boys to pay attention to the poor fuckers the book's actually about. Had I started this thinking it was a standalone, the references and guest appearance would have gone over as a delightful Easter egg.
That issue aside, I did quite like it. Hotel detective is a criminally underutilized profession in crime fiction, somebody should do something about that.
That issue aside, I did quite like it. Hotel detective is a criminally underutilized profession in crime fiction, somebody should do something about that.
December 23, 2022
A surprise K.J. Charles addendum to the universe of the Lilywhite Boys?! Yes, please! Bought and read the day of, because that’s what you do when a certain pair of sardonic eyebrows is going to be the guest of honor. I’ve been out of sync on the holiday reading this year, but this was the perfect Yuletide treat.
(And by that I mean, bodies were dropped and jewels were thefted and snark was snarked and it was all just irreverent enough to be devastatingly tender.)
(And by that I mean, bodies were dropped and jewels were thefted and snark was snarked and it was all just irreverent enough to be devastatingly tender.)
December 13, 2022
2.5... Maybe like a 2.7 but we respect KJ Charles in this house so we round up
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