Reviewed by Chris
TITLE: Band Sinister
AUTHOR: K.J. Charles
PUBLISHER: KJC Books
LENGTH: 224 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2018
BLURB:
Sir Philip Rookwood is the disgrace of the county. He’s a rake and an atheist, and the rumours about his hellfire club, the Murder, can only be spoken in whispers. (Orgies. It’s orgies.)
Guy Frisby and his sister Amanda live in rural seclusion after a family scandal. But when Amanda breaks her leg in a riding accident, she’s forced to recuperate at Rookwood Hall, where Sir Philip is hosting the Murder.
Guy rushes to protect her, but the Murder aren’t what he expects. They’re educated, fascinating people, and the notorious Sir Philip turns out to be charming, kind—and dangerously attractive.
In this private space where anything goes, the longings Guy has stifled all his life are impossible to resist…and so is Philip. But all too soon the rural rumour mill threatens both Guy and Amanda. The innocent country gentleman has lost his heart to the bastard baronet—but does he dare lose his reputation too?
REVIEW:
Guy Frisby, along with his sister Amanda, have long been victims to the talk of Society. When their mother ran off with a neighboring gentleman she left more than just a broken marriage in her wake. Amanda’s one Season in London was constantly beset with rumors of impurity and impropriety. And Guy, awash with guilt that he remains helpless to save his sister, struggles to bear the burden of societal scorn for both of them.
When Amanda’s novel is taken up by a publisher, there seems to be a thin ray of hope on the horizon. That is what Guy thinks, at least, until he reads the damn thing. A Gothic romance horror, based thinly on the personas of their infamous neighbors, is hardly the thing that will turn the tides of society back in their favor if it ever came out that Amanda had penned it. Under no circumstances must that happen.
So of course Amanda goes and breaks her leg on the land of the very man who could be the catalyst for their complete ruin. And of course the man, and his rakish and scandalizing friends, must be at home. And of course Amanda must not be moved, on threat of death, from a home just brewing with trouble. And, worst of all…of course Guy must find Sir Philip Rookwood to be the very type of man who could tempt him to hell, damn the scandal.
Yes. Yes, yes, and more yes. This book is just all the fucking yes.
Yes, I loved the characters. Yes, I loved the writing. Yes, I loved the chemistry and the romance. Yes, yes, and yes indeed I would love some more.
This story definitely falls on the lighter side of the K.J. Charles spectrum. It is a very classic-romance story, all queered up and shinned to a fine polish. Fans of the good ol’ historical English romance will no doubt fall deeply in love with this story–much like I did. Philip’s rakish nature is suitably countered by his genuine feelings of affection for his friends, Guy’s stodginess is balanced by his fierce love for his sister, and the nearly alarming chemistry between them is held and fed at turns by the forbidden nature of their romance. The varied cast of secondary characters, though, never let things get too dark, or too boring. Every player in this cast works together to bring to bear a truly lovely and enchanting story.
Not that I was expecting anything less from the talented K.J. Charles, who has shown over the years to be vastly adept at creating just the right tone for each of her stories as needs require.
There was also mixed up in all this a rather great scene where I think the talk of consent not only felt genuine to the time in which this story takes place, but made that scene all the more trouser-dropping. Can’t say that I have come across a historical novel in some time that has pulled off a scene like this and made it look as easy. Consent is king, but here consent is also sexy as fuck.
This story ended up being just about everything I could ask of it. Well crafted and tuned to a fine and glorious point. It feels historically real when it needs it, but also just lets the romance take center stage and entertain the readers from start to finish. Highly recommended?
Yes, indeed, my good readers.
RATING: 
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