I REALLY enjoyed this one. I LOVED our two MCs Will and Kim and though they have a LONG way to go to establish a real relationship between them, I can't wait to see it truly evolving in the net two installments as this one left us with two guys who might WANT to have something together but it's still quite complicated considering everything that has happened.
Will Darling has returned from war only to realize that there is no job to be found even for a heroe and all his medals have no value but the metal they are made of at a pawn shop (which isn't much..). He was lucky when contacting his only living relative - his uncle - he found himself not long after the new owner of "Darling’s Used & Antiquarian" his uncle's bookstore. Though he loves books he is a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of them and the state of disarray the store is in. He doesn't even know where to start and has no motivation to begin.
But some organization or sorting out is needed when he finds himself smack in the middle of a curious case. There are two companies who are VERY interested in an item his uncle was handed by his friend Professor Edward Draven. Will doesn't know what it is or what it would contain but both parties are pushing all his buttons in order to get their hands on it and so he needs to do his own investigation to find what his uncle was hiding and who he should give it to (or maybe neither).
He is more than happy when Kim Secretan walks into his store and after a drink together he shares a bit of his worries and he is more than happy to accept Kim's offer of help. Will doesn't know Kim but he is the only one he is willing to trust at the moment. He isn't thrilled with the War Office and their representative Captain Charles Ingoldsby who tries to bully him without giving him any explanation to what he is after. It's not that "Libra" - a thug who keeps coming with violent intentions - is a better option but it doesn't change the fact he doesn't like both of them and how they treat him.
Kim might have more secrets than truths. His past reluctance to serve in the way, his identity as a noble (Lord Arthur Secretan - and that's actually less than half of his FULL name) the strange relationship he shares with his fiance Phoebe Stephens-Prince and there is so much more.. Yet Will is so alone he doesn't have anyone else he can turn to, even when everything Kim says feels like a lie. His only other friend in this world - Maisie Jones - has enough on her plate and he also doesn't want to put her in danger.
When Will realizes what his uncle has been hiding he is appalled. It also makes him reluctant to give the information to both parties but in the current situation they have no reason to believe him if he says he destroyed it. Which leads to everything falling apart and Will finding himself in a dire situation with the hope his trust in Kim would not blow up in his face.
As this are Will's adventures he is our sole POV and I can tell you it was a JOY roaming inside his head. His stubbornness and the smart replies he finds in any situation (no matter they get him in trouble). The easy fun relationship he shares with the two women in our story Maisie and Phoebe. But mostly his interaction with Kim. Yeah the whole book is an up and down between them. Attraction, trust and mistrust, frank conversations and a need to share more than they are able (due to the circumstances). They have a wonderful banter and though they are both more than just frustrated with one another it's obvious they're going to be PERFECT together.
CAN'T WAIT for the next one!
 | Rating: ★★★★★ | E-Book Edition | 215 pages | Read on: 19-20 June 2020 |  |  |  |  |
ABOUT THIS SERIES
The Will Darling Adventures by K.J. Charles is an Historical Romance / Romantic Suspense series in three parts, giving us the true HEA only at the very end of the series.
It tells the slow but steady (if trust challenged) love story between Will Darling and Kim Secretan - or in his full title - Arthur Aloysius Kimberley de Brabazon Secretan.
There are many colorful characters all around, attraction that both are unable to resist and more secrets than truth (mostly from Kim..). There's also a hint of someone we've already met in "Think of England" see if you figure it out :)
It tells the slow but steady (if trust challenged) love story between Will Darling and Kim Secretan - or in his full title - Arthur Aloysius Kimberley de Brabazon Secretan.
There are many colorful characters all around, attraction that both are unable to resist and more secrets than truth (mostly from Kim..). There's also a hint of someone we've already met in "Think of England" see if you figure it out :)
I really enjoyed the whole arc of the main villains - Zodiac (an extremist group) - as well as the slow buildup of the relationship. They were both unsure what to make of their connection / friendship / attraction (especially considering their difference in class) or even their mutual interest in making a difference and fighting for justice. It was frustrating at times from both sides but also for me as a reader. I REALLY wanted to get their HEA but it wasn't easy for either of them to admit even to themselves how much they care for one another and what they are willing to do to keep each other.
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Books:
1. Slippery Creatures (Published 13 May 2020) ★★★★★
2. The Sugared Game (Published 26 August 2020) ★★★★★
3. Subtle Blood (Published 23 June 2020) ★★★★★
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