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friends2lovers's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
“Everything you said was heart-warming. Human,” he whispered. “Gave me hope.”
“Even the crabs?” Charles said, his voice thick.
“Especially the crabs. To be honest, they were my favourite.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Infertility, and War
jairereads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I enjoyed the disability rep at first (dyslexia, mobility challenges, and facial trauma), but once they start smashing, the disabilities strangely disappear from the relationship dynamic and no longer service the plot.
One example: why did Charles struggle with verbal instructions and working memory at his job, but these verbal communication struggles never appear in the relationship?
Either make the disabilities “matter of fact” or truly integrate them into the character’s lives and relationships. Fall somewhere in the middle, and we risk the disabilities feeling exploited as plot devices.
One example: why did Charles struggle with verbal instructions and working memory at his job, but these verbal communication struggles never appear in the relationship?
Either make the disabilities “matter of fact” or truly integrate them into the character’s lives and relationships. Fall somewhere in the middle, and we risk the disabilities feeling exploited as plot devices.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Infertility, Blood, and War
Minor: Death of parent
unusablebooklore's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
First times - both actual and mental
Hurt comfort donut
Scars of war - PTSD and physical
So unbelievably sweet and packed with feels
Neurodivergent Rep (Dyslexia)
Around 15% I started to get into it.
Not a massive fan of Charles’ background, and the language he uses. At first it’s hard to read him as relatable and not just a rich guy, as the book progresses you realise his depth. As well as the depth of his family. They aren't what they appear at first.
I initially thought it was gradually paced…not slow…just steady like a stroll. But I was wrong…it’s slow…like SLOW slow…
I’ve never wanted such a good book to come to an end.
There are so many emotions and such compassion shown by both characters. They felt like they naturally fit together like two pieces of a puzzle that fit so well they pull each other together.
98% - F you Con Reily I was not planning to sob into my oatmeal this morning 😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
galleytrot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
FIRST READ: Mar 2023
SECOND READ: Jun 2023 (rating unchanged)
FORMAT: Audio
FORMAT: Audio
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In this contemporary romance, Charles is a man who is unashamed of living life to its most enjoyable, driving him to pursue the work he adores and all the pleasure he could possibly want for, despite his brother’s attempts at focusing his drive and passion into projects for their estate. Without formal credentials as a teacher, his resume is packed with temporary positions, and his latest interview at Glynn Harber doesn’t quite take the direction he was hoping. After proving himself in a crisis though, the headmaster has a different offer for him: take an assist role for the teacher as they seek a suitable replacement for her upcoming maternity leave, all-the-while boarding with Hugo, the school’s Padre, and helping him to find happiness again.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 5 / 5⭐
I'm not sure I have anything adequate to say about this book because, to be perfectly honest, I just don't know that I could do it justice.
Charles is a man who unapologetically celebrates life by using the body he was given without any shame or reservation. He is the youngest son of an Earl who has struggled all his life with a form of dyslexia that has hampered his education, his work experience, and confidence in his own abilities. The one thing he's more certain of than anything is this: his calling in life is to work with young children, whose education and and disadvantages should be informed through their senses and through play, not through test scores and performance.
Hugo is a man who has waited for his chance at love, although a war injury has left him recovering in both mind and body. His direction in life and career is uncertain because, as a gay clergyman in the modern day, he understands that the church hasn't put its money where its mouth is in support of men like him within the order, so he hasn't completed his ordainment. Luke, the headmaster, has made space at Glynn Harber for Hugo In the time since his injury, but Hugo is beginning to struggle with taking up that space when someone more permanent ought to hold the position.
A personal confession: romances where a character lacks a sense of belonging and/or feels undesirable (be it due to their appearance, or their circumstance, or whatever else) are the romances that hit me the hardest and leave an impact-crater deep in my chest. When Hugo and Charles find each other, they see the very best pieces of one other when they're down at their very worst, and they build each other up again while highlighting those wonderful things: in Charles, his absolute zeal and his defiant passion for living boldly; in Hugo, his remarkable compassion and ability to truly listen and make someone feel heard.
Hugo is a man who has waited for his chance at love, although a war injury has left him recovering in both mind and body. His direction in life and career is uncertain because, as a gay clergyman in the modern day, he understands that the church hasn't put its money where its mouth is in support of men like him within the order, so he hasn't completed his ordainment. Luke, the headmaster, has made space at Glynn Harber for Hugo In the time since his injury, but Hugo is beginning to struggle with taking up that space when someone more permanent ought to hold the position.
A personal confession: romances where a character lacks a sense of belonging and/or feels undesirable (be it due to their appearance, or their circumstance, or whatever else) are the romances that hit me the hardest and leave an impact-crater deep in my chest. When Hugo and Charles find each other, they see the very best pieces of one other when they're down at their very worst, and they build each other up again while highlighting those wonderful things: in Charles, his absolute zeal and his defiant passion for living boldly; in Hugo, his remarkable compassion and ability to truly listen and make someone feel heard.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 5 / 5⭐
From beginning to end, this book is truly wonderful. The characters have such depth and such clear intent and drive. Their dialogue is so well-written and never feels off, which is something I’ve been missing in much of my recent reads. It's extremely refreshing. The story is simple but beautiful; one of growth, of challenging previous experiences, of taking the reins of one’s path in life despite the challenges faced. The chemistry between the characters is strong. The side characters are each given depth of their own. Nobody feels like they are out of place, existing without reason beyond moving the story along.
A note from my second read through: I want to say that this is the first story of Con Riley's that I had read. By this second read, I have read half of the Learning to Love series, all of the His series, and two of the Seattle Stories series, and I have read all of these books without consideration for their written order. If I could do things differently, I would have read all of the His series before any of the Learning to Love series, and would recommend doing so to any potential reader of Charles. This is NOT necessary to do for the enjoyment of Learning to Love, but I was shocked at precisely how interconnected the characters of the two series would be.
A note from my second read through: I want to say that this is the first story of Con Riley's that I had read. By this second read, I have read half of the Learning to Love series, all of the His series, and two of the Seattle Stories series, and I have read all of these books without consideration for their written order. If I could do things differently, I would have read all of the His series before any of the Learning to Love series, and would recommend doing so to any potential reader of Charles. This is NOT necessary to do for the enjoyment of Learning to Love, but I was shocked at precisely how interconnected the characters of the two series would be.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 5 / 5⭐
This book won’t thrill you or leave you in suspense. It also won't pile on the angst. It is far more than a conflict-ridden drama fest. No, this book is a spiritual experience, one that feels absolutely reverent, while the characters come together to battle their doubts and worries. Sometimes that’s just the speed I need to operate on for a while. Give this book a read if you want to feel good about life for a bit. It’s perfectly lovely, and pleasantly humorous.
This book has representation for the gays. One main character experiences a form of severe dyslexia. At least one side-character is non-white, but there is otherwise not much in the way of diversity.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry
lessthelonely's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4.25/5 stars.
Well, I love it when I hit the bullseye and find books that I think: Oh, this one is going to fuck me up, isn't it? and I'm right. That's what happened with this book, which I grabbed from another user from Goodreads that I found out seemed to have very similar tastes to mine, which led me to follow said user and add every single book that's regarded highly to my TBR.
Charles is the first book in the Learning to Love series by Con Riley and it is the absolute epitome of everything I expect from a romance book. I want the meet-cute, I want the pining, I want to look forward to every single interaction and every single kiss and even though this book threw me for a loop with an unusual first kiss - it came out of nowhere -, I kept reading and I'm glad I did.
This is one of those very rare romance books that manages to have no plot at all outside of the romance and you'd think that would be a reason for me to, you know, not like it? I mean, I can be as invested in a plot as I am in a romance, but when you have a book that's so well-executed like this one, I don't even notice the pages passing me by. Truly great stuff.
This book has no palpable characters outside of Charles and Hugo - I'd say that Sol (who I know will be the protagonist of book 2) and Charles are the more developed ones, even if between them both, there were only a few scenes. So the main spotlights here are the main couple, which is great. Because they're delightful.
Charles is described as your typical playboy (though with a lot more humor than usual) and he sure acts that way in the beginning, but from Chapter 1 you'll be rooting for him and his wishes because the author immediately tells you about what he wants to do and why. The thing is, it didn't feel forced at all - you'd think you'd only get that kind of insight in the middle of the book, but no! And it still worked.
As for Hugo... Oh, God. I didn't know this book was going to be about a priest. OK, almost priest, but for someone who doesn't support Christianity in any way and who identifies as an atheist every single day of his life, I must admit I usually get highly invested in gay romance plots that revolve a little bit around religion or solely on religion. One example of that is Autoboyography by Christina Lauren which had me bawling my eyes out and insanely invested. Don't read that book though, it's a tad disappointing.
This is that kind of heartfelt that doesn't feel forced - you feel for the characters because, by the time something heartbreaking happens, you're already really keen on these characters. This is something that a book that was by an author that was lauded as a Goddess of Angst (Sometimes There's Stars by Suki Fleet) missed entirely. Angst is about internal strife, so if you can't nail down a good and compelling internal conflict, you can't write good angst out of it. That book I just mentioned devised angst from outside forces and plot: bicycle accidents and stuff.
I like being caught up in the feeling of the main characters - I want to hear their reasoning when they're being complimented or when they're thinking about complimenting the person they like. That's what makes a romance so easy to fall in love with, and that's probably why I read this book in three days, which has been my average time for finishing books lately.
Either way, this is a delight of a book. Please read it!
Well, I love it when I hit the bullseye and find books that I think: Oh, this one is going to fuck me up, isn't it? and I'm right. That's what happened with this book, which I grabbed from another user from Goodreads that I found out seemed to have very similar tastes to mine, which led me to follow said user and add every single book that's regarded highly to my TBR.
Charles is the first book in the Learning to Love series by Con Riley and it is the absolute epitome of everything I expect from a romance book. I want the meet-cute, I want the pining, I want to look forward to every single interaction and every single kiss and even though this book threw me for a loop with an unusual first kiss - it came out of nowhere -, I kept reading and I'm glad I did.
This is one of those very rare romance books that manages to have no plot at all outside of the romance and you'd think that would be a reason for me to, you know, not like it? I mean, I can be as invested in a plot as I am in a romance, but when you have a book that's so well-executed like this one, I don't even notice the pages passing me by. Truly great stuff.
This book has no palpable characters outside of Charles and Hugo - I'd say that Sol (who I know will be the protagonist of book 2) and Charles are the more developed ones, even if between them both, there were only a few scenes. So the main spotlights here are the main couple, which is great. Because they're delightful.
Charles is described as your typical playboy (though with a lot more humor than usual) and he sure acts that way in the beginning, but from Chapter 1 you'll be rooting for him and his wishes because the author immediately tells you about what he wants to do and why. The thing is, it didn't feel forced at all - you'd think you'd only get that kind of insight in the middle of the book, but no! And it still worked.
As for Hugo... Oh, God. I didn't know this book was going to be about a priest. OK, almost priest, but for someone who doesn't support Christianity in any way and who identifies as an atheist every single day of his life, I must admit I usually get highly invested in gay romance plots that revolve a little bit around religion or solely on religion. One example of that is Autoboyography by Christina Lauren which had me bawling my eyes out and insanely invested. Don't read that book though, it's a tad disappointing.
This is that kind of heartfelt that doesn't feel forced - you feel for the characters because, by the time something heartbreaking happens, you're already really keen on these characters. This is something that a book that was by an author that was lauded as a Goddess of Angst (Sometimes There's Stars by Suki Fleet) missed entirely. Angst is about internal strife, so if you can't nail down a good and compelling internal conflict, you can't write good angst out of it. That book I just mentioned devised angst from outside forces and plot: bicycle accidents and stuff.
I like being caught up in the feeling of the main characters - I want to hear their reasoning when they're being complimented or when they're thinking about complimenting the person they like. That's what makes a romance so easy to fall in love with, and that's probably why I read this book in three days, which has been my average time for finishing books lately.
Either way, this is a delight of a book. Please read it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Violence, and War
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