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A review by javalenciaph
A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles
5.0
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.
Oh. Wow. It's been a couple of hours or so since I finished reading A Seditious Affair, the second novel in author K.J. Charles's insanely sigh-inducing Society of Gentlemen series and I'm still stuck at "Oh wow." How do you put into apt enough words how breathtaking a book could possibly be, because if anything, this is one of those praiseworthy novels that deserves more than my oft-read "I LOVED this book!" accolade. Suffice it to say that my expectations were astronomically high going into this second in a series, what with the superb storytelling employed by K.J. Charles in both The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh and A Fashionable Indulgence, and those expectations were not just met but obliterated to bits. The necessary but suspenseful secrecy, the constant battle of wills, and being torn between the call of duty and the whispers of their hearts made for an exhilarating read that made it absolutely impossible to put my tablet down for any period of time. This book was simply that good and yes, I'll say: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. A good portion of the story overlaps with the events in A Fashionable Indulgence, so I suggest you read that before heading into this next one. I sincerely believe it'll be more than worth the time you put into it.
I lost count of the number of times I found myself smiling at a subtly sweet exchange or gesture exchanged by the main characters, Dominic Frey, a Tory working at the Home Office, and Silas Mason, a Spencean radical and underground seditionist. I know there have been many a story showcasing how opposites attract, but Dominic and Silas's was set at a time that their respective callings--Dom's to the law of the land and Silas's to much-needed reform--had them on extreme ends of an unbelievably precarious predicament they tried best to ignore. The fact that there was an anti-sodomy law back then simply added to what was already a tense situation. There's an air of desperation that lingered almost throughout the book, and expecting it to dissipate without a struggle or additional conflict would have been unrealistic on my part, so I embraced the anxiety it brought about because then it shows how invested I was in Dom and Silas together and apart. But the best thing about this book was how it made me want to learn more about that time and what Silas was fighting for and how much of a risk Dom was taking being with someone like Silas.
Goodness. This review has taken me longer than I would have thought to write. After all, it shouldn't be overly difficult to express how much I enjoyed the book, right? The thing is, I've always found it more of a challenge to write what I think is a worthwhile review for a book that's captured my heart, awakened my soul, and inspired my mind. This is a case of a good enough review not being enough and even as I try to wrap things up, I don't think I've reached my goal. I'm not looking for compliments because I'm always my worst critic, but my hope is that my words have sufficed in putting forward my thoughts and feelings, so that, at the very least, you have an inkling as to how wondrous this book is. I'm already having a hard enough time whittling down my list of 2015 Favorites, and while A Fashionable Indulgence had a secure spot on the standalones list, I'm now left with no other choice but to rethink because there's no way A Seditious Affair isn't a part of it. I'm not recommending you read the book or the series; I'm insisting (cough, demanding, cough) you do, and the sooner the better. This gets Five-plus stars, tenfold. ♥
Note: This ARC was provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.
Oh. Wow. It's been a couple of hours or so since I finished reading A Seditious Affair, the second novel in author K.J. Charles's insanely sigh-inducing Society of Gentlemen series and I'm still stuck at "Oh wow." How do you put into apt enough words how breathtaking a book could possibly be, because if anything, this is one of those praiseworthy novels that deserves more than my oft-read "I LOVED this book!" accolade. Suffice it to say that my expectations were astronomically high going into this second in a series, what with the superb storytelling employed by K.J. Charles in both The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh and A Fashionable Indulgence, and those expectations were not just met but obliterated to bits. The necessary but suspenseful secrecy, the constant battle of wills, and being torn between the call of duty and the whispers of their hearts made for an exhilarating read that made it absolutely impossible to put my tablet down for any period of time. This book was simply that good and yes, I'll say: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. A good portion of the story overlaps with the events in A Fashionable Indulgence, so I suggest you read that before heading into this next one. I sincerely believe it'll be more than worth the time you put into it.
I lost count of the number of times I found myself smiling at a subtly sweet exchange or gesture exchanged by the main characters, Dominic Frey, a Tory working at the Home Office, and Silas Mason, a Spencean radical and underground seditionist. I know there have been many a story showcasing how opposites attract, but Dominic and Silas's was set at a time that their respective callings--Dom's to the law of the land and Silas's to much-needed reform--had them on extreme ends of an unbelievably precarious predicament they tried best to ignore. The fact that there was an anti-sodomy law back then simply added to what was already a tense situation. There's an air of desperation that lingered almost throughout the book, and expecting it to dissipate without a struggle or additional conflict would have been unrealistic on my part, so I embraced the anxiety it brought about because then it shows how invested I was in Dom and Silas together and apart. But the best thing about this book was how it made me want to learn more about that time and what Silas was fighting for and how much of a risk Dom was taking being with someone like Silas.
Goodness. This review has taken me longer than I would have thought to write. After all, it shouldn't be overly difficult to express how much I enjoyed the book, right? The thing is, I've always found it more of a challenge to write what I think is a worthwhile review for a book that's captured my heart, awakened my soul, and inspired my mind. This is a case of a good enough review not being enough and even as I try to wrap things up, I don't think I've reached my goal. I'm not looking for compliments because I'm always my worst critic, but my hope is that my words have sufficed in putting forward my thoughts and feelings, so that, at the very least, you have an inkling as to how wondrous this book is. I'm already having a hard enough time whittling down my list of 2015 Favorites, and while A Fashionable Indulgence had a secure spot on the standalones list, I'm now left with no other choice but to rethink because there's no way A Seditious Affair isn't a part of it. I'm not recommending you read the book or the series; I'm insisting (cough, demanding, cough) you do, and the sooner the better. This gets Five-plus stars, tenfold. ♥