It’s nice to read something that knows it’s pulp, doesn’t pretend otherwise, revels in it, plays with it.

WWI is over, and Will Darling is trying to find his place in Britain again. Inheriting his uncle’s bookshop is a stroke of luck! (Tons of books are looming over him, but he’s been through worse.)

Then aggressive people come calling, demanding “information” from Will. What information?
“Who the hell came armed to rob a bookshop?”
The War Office is very interested in Will, too, in unpleasant ways. He is not handing anything over to anyone, even if he doesn’t have it, thank you very much. Enter a certain Kim Secretan, providing timely assistance (very timely), a Guinness, and a sympathetic ear. Those dark eyes are very fine too. Will, you are too stubborn and too trusting, yes you are.

The chemistry between Will and Kim is nice. The romance is steamy-steamy-steamy. (I think I like more mystery and less romance in my books, but you can’t always have everything.) But what do you say, now that you’re more than friends?
“Thank God they were British. He took a deep breath. “Cup of tea?”

Oh, what a surprise, there are more layers of intrigue and more layers of betrayal. And the “information” shouldn’t be in anyone’s hands.

The latter part of the book moves fast, with kidnappings, rescues, more double-dealing, quick thinking under pressure and conversations a reader can quote.

“I haven’t lied to you in, oh, a good twelve hours.”
“Amazing. Did it hurt much?”

“Your ability to inflict damage with words as well as knives is noted. Can we agree I behaved appallingly and get to the part where I apologise and remove myself from your presence?”

“I don’t know anyone with whom I’d rather execute an ambush in a muddy field.” Awww, that’s romantic.

The ending is promising :)

P.S. I liked the part where Will was admiring an actor named Harrison Ford. You know, the silent movie actor, born in 1884. The author must have had so much fun with this. ( )

3.5 Historical Hearts! - Team review with Adam!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a historical MM connoisseur but Charles’s Magpies series is one of my favorites, and I’ve been wishy washy over what next to read of this author’s and instead of diving right in, I’ve avoided them all until now.

To say the least, I’m charmed, especially titillated by the idea that the rest of this trilogy is planned to come out this year and features one couple - all of which greatly appealed to my quirky preferences.

As per the blurb, this stars Will Darling, a somewhat hardened young fellow who’s been down on his luck having returned from the war and instead of being embraced, has had a hard go of it. When he falls into a fortuitous inheritance of his uncle’s bookstore, the last thing he’s prepared for is to be embroiled in a treacherous push pull by what seems like the military and a secret society - both hell bent on getting a hold of some very nebulous but sinister knowledge of his uncle’s that may or may not benefit mankind (depending on whose side one is on). Now Will is very practical, and just because someone demands something without due cause or adequate explanation, doesn't mean he’ll automatically comply even if he had a clue as to what everyone was making such a fuss over.

When a stranger becomes friendly and offers his help, Will can’t help but be persuaded to accept the generosity from sophisticated handsome Kim Secretan, who has plenty of his own secrets and a hidden agenda as well.

There’s no doubt Charles can write a tangled tale. Points towards making Will an upstanding character for he’s no slouch. At times, I questioned his belief that all men should play fairly and honorably which often got him into certain sticky situations, but the man is not a pushover, and though he doesn't hold any high opinions for the government, aristocracy, or scary faceless bullies, Will knows what’s good and just and he won’t be forced into anything untoward if he has any say about it!

So yes, Will is played and betrayed, and the story is fast paced with twists and turns providing plenty of mystery, a bit of suspenseful action, and a slow development of the attraction between him and Kim that results in some nice (lite dirty) smexy!

The main conflict is technically resolved, but the overall story arc remains to be further explored. There’s a fragile truce between scrappy Will and idealistic Kim at the end of this first installment, and I’m intrigued by their dynamic and am saving rating stars for what I hope will be an even bigger payoff that’s sure to come in their future adventures (and definitely, the feels) that hopefully await them!

Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review

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I forget how this one ended up on my library wish list, but Natalie's recent raves about it and others in the series compelled me to finally borrow it. I listened to it on audio, and the narrator was very good.

This first in the series introduces Will Darling, a veteran of the Great War, who has inherited a bookshop from his uncle. He is unknowingly in possession of a dangerous secret that various groups, including some anarchists and the War Office, would like to get their hands on. The whole messy business brings Kit Severton into his orbit, a seeming wastrel of an aristocrat, but one who might be able to help. And to whom Will is attracted.

I really enjoyed this historical "thriller"/queer romance. The writing is good, the plotting is well done, and the dialogue often very humorous. I'm looking forward to picking up the next one.

3.5 stars ( )

Excellent, fun romantic suspense! This trilogy is hands down my favorite Charles story yet - the genre elements are perfectly balanced, the characters have sizzling chemistry, and the book does a smart job updating pulpy 1920s suspense tropes for a contemporary audience. The result is my platonic ideal of a feel-good page-turner (where "feel-good" = "spies, anarchists, and snogging").

I've been saving this series as a gift to myself for the new year. =D This book really pulled me in from the start, it has a nice amount of danger and adventure for the romance to grow on, and I liked the whole cast of characters. I think I'll like the following books a bit more now that the main characters have a better understanding of each other. There were some 'growing pains' that were good for the story, but not quite as enjoyable for me. (I'm sure they'll have other conflicts of course, but they'll be coming from a different foundation.) Overall a strong start to the series. ( )