By Aeris
Title: A Fashionable Indulgence (Society of Gentlemen Book 1) by K.J. Charles
Published on: August 11, 2015
Summary (from Goodreads):
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.
🔍 How I Discovered It
I recently reacquainted myself with audiobooks. At first, I limited myself to only nonfiction reads. After two books, I began wondering if I should try fiction audiobooks again. Tried it once or twice before, but they never really caught my interest. While I was wondering what novel to try next, I discovered that some of KJ Charles’s books were included in my Audible plan. With no other books to listen to, I figured that I should make use of my subscription and choose something that I’ve read previously, knowing full well that it’s just going to fill my free time. Something that I’ll listen to while letting my mind wander.
But you don’t let your mind wander when reading a K.J. Charles book. Never.
💭 Thoughts
Sure for the first couple of chapters, I might have let my attention slip by. However, when the plot started to pick up, I was hooked as if I was reading the book for the first time. The characters, both main and side characters, were a compelling read.
While the focus of the story was Harry stumbling to a fortune and traversing the world of the gentlemen, it was Julius who reeled me in. The dandy was snippy, snarky, and sarcastic, someone you wouldn’t want to cross or you’ll be flayed alive. What was satisfying was his character arc, the way he progressed from a cold-hearted person, indifferent to the world he lived in to someone sweet and caring.
Meanwhile, the stories for the succeeding books were foreshadowed here but nothing so big that it took the spotlight from the main characters.
A great performance from the narrator, Matthew Lloyd Davies, too. Though I admit, the first time I got to one of the sex scenes, I was surprised. When I first read it in the ebook version, the scene was frantic but also a bit mellow. But then when I heard of it, I thought they were fighting. That’s just probably me not used to audiobooks yet.
🥰 Who Would Like It?
Fans of KJ Charles. Or of historical romances. Or of 1820 England.
📚 Related Books
A Fashionable Indulgence is the first book of the Society of Gentlemen Series. There are 2 other books, a novella, and 2 other coda in the series.
Main books: