Reviews tagging 'Murder'

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles

36 reviews

amyteurhour's review against another edition

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3.75

Content warning: death of parent, toxic relationship (family), classism, sexual coercion, abandonment, rape, confinement,
murder


The pacing felt better than Book 1 with the ratio of fact paced scenes to slower paced scenes to steamy scenes a bit more evenly distributed. 
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yourbookishbff's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was the perfect follow-up to Gareth and Joss's story in The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. I hadn't realized just how much we needed a happily ever after for Luke, but reading this felt like bringing a small bit of justice to him, even so many years later. I loved the role reversal here - our Doomsday is the submissive, "golden-haired" academic and our earl is described as brutish and crass (as well as honest and kind). They are wonderful foils to each other. Where Luke can code-switch between his Kentish country upbringing and his aristocratic clerking with ease, Rufus repeatedly begs people to speak plainly with him, having no ability to sort out insinuation or subtext. Where Rufus is direct, at times painfully so, he's honorable, and Luke realizes through their relationship that he has grown comfortable with deception to a degree that he can no longer justify. Both characters learn from one another in realistic ways, and it makes their happily-ever-after feel secure and just right. I also thoroughly enjoyed the return of our mystery from book one, some on-page appearances of both Gareth and Joss, and a cast of comedic side characters. Loved this.
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mabellene's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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hex_meghead's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

One of Charles' weakest storylines. The main antagonists were flat, mustache-twirling cartoon villains and the "dramatic" climax of
Luke getting trapped in the coffin
felt very forced. 
The writing and main characters were still very enjoyable but this is the first book by the author I was rolling my eyes at during multiple parts of the story.
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evbyrd's review

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4.5

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frenchpants's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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quinnyquinnquinn's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought the first book in this series was good, but this one was excellent. The chemistry between the main characters was stellar, it provides a great conclusion to the money plot of the first book, and I am personally a sucker for the "betrayed the crew and feels real bad about it" trope. I also felt like Charles gives enough reason for why Rufus decides to take Luke back and gives Luke a pretty justifiable reason for being so emotionally messed up. I felt the pacing was stellar, I loved the integration of gothic horror tropes, the idea of giving forgiveness as a gift to yourself--all of it is great. 

I did think the very ending reveal was a bit unnecessary, but it didn't really dampen my enjoyment of the book as a whole. 
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onefineelephant's review

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emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

9/10. This book was deliciously steamy, romantic, and intriguing. There were a million twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I love that the main leads became true friends before becoming lovers. Also, the plot was so rich and interesting outside of the romance. I actually read this one before the first book in the series so I do plan on rereading this when I can read the books in order. 
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elliott_the_clementine's review

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emotional hopeful 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

4.25

A highly enjoyable romp. 
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