A Fashionable Indulgence
A Society of Gentlemen Novel
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4.5 • 89 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
In the first novel of an explosive new series from K. J. Charles, a young gentleman and his elegant mentor fight for love in a world of wealth, power, and manipulation.
When he learns that he could be the heir to an unexpected fortune, Harry Vane rejects his past as a Radical fighting for government reform and sets about wooing his lovely cousin. But his heart is captured instead by the most beautiful, chic man he’s ever met: the dandy tasked with instructing him in the manners and style of the ton. Harry’s new station demands conformity—and yet the one thing he desires is a taste of the wrong pair of lips.
After witnessing firsthand the horrors of Waterloo, Julius Norreys sought refuge behind the luxurious facade of the upper crust. Now he concerns himself exclusively with the cut of his coat and the quality of his boots. And yet his protégé is so unblemished by cynicism that he inspires the first flare of genuine desire Julius has felt in years. He cannot protect Harry from the worst excesses of society. But together they can withstand the high price of passion.
And look for the enticing Society of Gentlemen series by KJ Charles:
THE RUIN OF GABRIEL ASHLEIGH | A FASHIONABLE INDULGENCE | A SEDITIOUS AFFAIR | A GENTLEMAN’S POSITION
Don’t miss any of the captivating Sins of the Cities novels:
AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION | AN UNNATURAL VICE | AN UNSUITABLE HEIR
Praise for A Fashionable Indulgence
“If one Regency rake isn’t enough for you, check out A Fashionable Indulgence, a rollicking tale from the deft pen of K. J. Charles. I’ll read anything she writes!”—New York Times bestselling author Kate Pearce
“Charles has built a reputation for tight, enthralling plots.”—Publishers Weekly
“I will go out on a limb and say I enjoyed this more than the Magpie story. Gasp! Yes I said it.”—Reviews by Jessie Wave
“The kind of story that you want again and again.”—Love Bytes
“A wonderful start to a new series. Harry and Julius are so likable and incredibly sweet together.”—Joyfully Jay
“A Fashionable Indulgence has more than piqued my interest in all things A Society of Gentlemen has to offer and I am eagerly anticipating future installments. For now, allow me to give this latest 2015 favorite five-plus stars.”—Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Charles (The Magpie Lord) has built a reputation for tight, enthralling plots and explicit homoerotic romance, often with a paranormal edge. This opener to the Society of Gentlemen series, set in late Regency England, is a more discursive project. Harry Vane renounces his parents' Radical politics and poverty but how can he adopt the establishment privilege of his long-estranged paternal family without selling his soul? His Galatea-esque makeover is reluctantly crafted by family friend Julius Norreys, a Waterloo veteran turned dandy. Emotional developments are mostly understated, as the two transition smoothly from mentor/aspirant to friends with benefits to reluctantly admitting that they might, perhaps, care for one another. The conflict lies in the social dilemmas created by Harry's Radical past; he ardently desires wealth, but he refuses to abandon his seditionist friends even after the inflammatory events of the Peterloo Massacre. Side stories, polemics, and crises of conscience are necessary to the project of developing immature Harry into a respected man, and to lay the groundwork for future books. They're also a lot to fit into this short novel, and even fans of history will be left wishing for more romance.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic
Wonderfully engaging read. Well written with all kinds of intrigue and romance. Plus, it has a good ending!
an unusual and unconventional couple who are sure to enchant readers.
In a detail laden opening, the time and the political tumult of 1819 will play a large part in the story, and Charles is careful to give readers sufficient background to set their understanding for the story to proceed smoothly. And then we are off and running!
I couldn’t help but keep making references to Pygmalion (My Fair Lady) with Julius and Harry’s story, although Harry wasn’t quite on the streets selling flowers, his position and lack of connections, title and money made him very much the perfect recipient of the polishing up that Julius could provide.
Harry’s family is impoverished and radicalized, and always had a fascination and desire for more. While his ‘defection’ could have been seen as hypocritical for all he had known, his struggle with his beliefs and the new life and riches he so desperately wants is understandable and easy to understand. He’s not perfect, but he does have a heart and soul, and both are clearly apparent to readers. Julius, on the other hand, is a bit of a tough nut to crack: he’s a snob in every sense of the word, with a single glance he can accurately measure one’s wealth, position and upbringing. But then, it was the time when the smallest missteps in dress or deportment could mark you as coarse, unpolished, or worse; a fraud. So he sets out to polish and school Harry, giving him the gift of his knowledge and insight, as their relationship grows steadily from mentor to friend to lovers. His transformation from aloof and sarcastic man to one who could trust and share his biggest secrets was a wonderful arc and added greatly to the story.
These two grew and developed in a way that felt natural and plausible, all set against the background of political tumult and strife, social upheaval and the tyrannical grip of government and tonne. Readers are more familiar with the ballrooms and machinations of that rather rigidly constrained social group, never truly seeing the lives of those belowstairs or not invited into the drawing rooms. Charles balances the two with this story, giving potential and breath to an unusual and unconventional couple who are sure to enchant readers.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Masterful characterization
(Collective review for the Society of Gentlemen series) A Regency-era erotic m/m romance series, revolving around a close and mutually protective social circle of upper class men who love men. Masterful characterization, great historical setting, and finds the balance between accurate portrayal of the social realities while writing happily-ever-after romances. As usual with this author, the sex scenes simply aren’t my thing but I’m willing to put up with them for the fabulous writing. (Consumed as audio)