kj charles – A. L. Lester

Love is a Stranger by John Wiltshire (audio)

Entirely new-to-me series that I have decided I need to carry on with! A couple of special ops-type main characters, one of whom has married into the royal family for reasons that will be spoilers. There’s lots of repressed ‘we are only fucking, we don’t care about each other’ type denial, which I liked a lot although I wanted to shout at them. There’s lots of plot and physical action and travelling round the scenic British countryside whilst they work out what’s going on and what they are to each other. And there’s a lot of acorns planted that are clearly going to grow into future books. Recommend.

Spectred Isle, The Green Men, KJ Charles audio.

Nineteen-twenties angst is my catnip as you will know by now if you read these recs regularly. Everyone is still traumatised by the war and in this case, that includes some of them having tentacles as a side-plot. I love this book–the green man thread resonates really heavily with my slightly new-age gardening-self. I was thrown initially because Saul has a much lighter voice than I expected and sounds younger than I had envisaged. However once I’d got used to him, I really enjoyed the narration. The production is very good, seamless. This is a treat, whether you’re already a KJ Charles fan or new to her books.

Magician by K. L. Noone

Gareth is the prince of a tiny, poor, mountain kingdom that needs magical help. Lorre is a powerful, three hundred year old, very emotionally fucked up magician. Gareth tracks Lorre down and asks him for help. Lorre says yes, largely because he’s bored I think. They fall in love. They sort out everyone’s problems and become grown up, mature human beings. They accidentally create magical sex diamonds. The king, Gareth’s brother, is a stress-baker. Gareth is the ultimate Cinnamon Roll. You should really read this book.

More listening this week! KJ Charles, Jez Morrow and Jude Lucens with three gay romances (one of which is also poly). All brilliant books.

Behind These Doors by Jude Lucens (audio)

I read Behind These Doors when it first came out and loved the complex, realistic description of a poly relationship and all the bumps and dips that need to be ironed out to make them work. The fact that it’s set in 1906 just made it easier for me to pick up!

The POVs are are Aubrey Fanshawe, in a fourteen year old relationship with a married couple and his new lover, Lucien Saxby, a journalist who’s family work in domestic service. He has casual sex with various men amd a steady lover in Ben. Its an interesting exploration of social expectations and mobility as well as a complicated and touching love story. I love poly stories, where the characters find their ways toward each other with painful honesty that requires introspection and self knowledge. The book delivered all this when I read it.

Now I need to confess… since I first read it, Jude has become a mate. So when she offered me a review copy of the audio I was a bit wobbly about it because I feel I can’t put a review up on Amazon or GR for her, only here on the blog. AND THEN, of course, Callum Hale is her narrator. Who also narrates for me. So obviously I’m incredibly biased. Please take this under advisement when reading on!

Yes. I think the narration makes a brilliant book even more brilliant, okay? When I started listening it was a bit weird, because I knew I was listening ‘Callum’s interpretation of….‘ each of the characters. I got stuck a bit for a while because I think I was listening in work mode rather than pleasure mode. When I came back to it though, my brain seemed to have got over that and I could accept the characters for themselves. Callum’s talent shines through and it made it all come to life. So, if audio interpretations of wonderful, historical, complex poly romances are your thing then you should put this on your TBR.

Think of England by K. J. Charles (audio)

Single POV historical spy thriller by the ever reliable KJ Charles. Poor Victorian wounded-hero archetype Archie is just so NICE and I love him. He exists in a perpetual state of bewilderment for almost the entire book, stolidly seeing what needs to be done and doing it. On the backs of such chaps was the British Empire built and eventually, when they realised what a rubbish idea it all was, their hands helped pull it down again. He’s just perfect. Not my type, I have to add…I’m much more attracted to Daniel, the billiard-playing, poetry-writing spy. I’m the Archie in this scenario, just so we’re clear. Unexciting, plodding along, getting the joke about half an hour after everyone else, strangely fixated on someone unsuitable’s buttocks in their tightly cut trousers.

Anyway. That’s enough of that. It’s an Edwardian country-house mystery with added gay romance, set in Northern England. The narration is an exact fit and it added loads to the story. Go for it.

Force of Law by Jez Morrow (audio)

I really like this novella. It was one of the first MM books I read, way back when I first got an ereader. The story is a sweet romance about a lowly mechanic being swept off his feet by a millionaire, with dark touch of distrust at the beginning, and depictions of homophobia and violence. It has a satisfying ending and the characters really jump out from the page.

Having said all that, the audio didn’t work as well for me as the written words. It seems to take me a while to get to grips with a new narrator and it might have been that…I am going to go back and re-listen and see whether I get on better second time round. Recommend the story, though–and there was nothing that I could put my finger on with the narration and say ‘I didn’t like it because…’ it was just that it didn’t quite click for me.

That’s the lot! Happy reading!

Tag: kj charles

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