A Fashionable Indulgence

This is such an enjoyable, intriguing tale about a long-lost Cousin Harry Vane and irascible, fabulous Julius Norreys. KJ Charles paints a historical world with vivid colors, well-defined characters, and involved plots. This tale has everything to keep the reader interested: a transformation, social unrest, criminal activities, romantic liaisons, and sexy bits. I was immersed in this world. I felt I knew the characters personally. A great read.

Charles does a good job mixing a weighty political and class issue from 1819 England with a delightful romance and the travails of a dysfunctional aristocratic family. As usual the men are front and center, the women also shine as strong, smart, and capable, and cooperation conquers all.

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.