Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting
AUTHOR: K.J. Charles
PUBLISHER: KJC Books
LENGTH: 244 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2021
BLURB:
Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces.
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury’s heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn’t impressed by good looks, or fooled by false charm. He’s sure Robin is a liar—a fortune hunter, a card sharp, and a heartless, greedy fraud—and he’ll protect his niece, whatever it takes.
Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care—more than either of them thought possible.
But Robin’s cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
REVIEW:
The lovely Marianne Loxleigh and her brother Robin have arrived in London at the beginning of the social season. Their goal? Secure marriages for each of them that will provide social standing and financial security. To date, their lives have been anything but stable and this is their big chance. Marianne’s incomparable beauty is her ticket and she’s set her eyes on a boorish Marquess – but he’s got a title and a fortune. He’s also got an obnoxious family 🙂
Robin has his sights set on the shy young niece of Lord John Hartlebury’s niece. She may not be the most lovely, but she does have a marriage portion that will set Robin up for life. Truthfully Robin does not have a real interest in any woman. But Alice is a sweet and smart young lady and he does hold her in high regard. He would never abuse her and would make a kind husband. But her uncle Hart is sure he’s a fortune hunter and is bound to make sure he protects her niece from such a con man.
But in the course of keeping Robin away from Alice, Hart comes to a rather unusual agreement. And what ensues is a very different sort of bargain than Robin had envisioned, but he’s actually pretty happy with the deal he has struck with Hart. Hart is skeptical at first and continues to question Robin’s motives and honesty, but in reality, neither of them have probably been as honest with anyone else in their entire lives. As their time together proceeds, they each share a lot about their pasts and it is obvious that they have become the men they are both because of and in spite of their pasts. But their dalliance has become much more than a timebound affair and both would like a continuance, but struggle with finding a way. And there are more than a few missteps. It’s clear though that both men will do anything for their loved ones to keep them safe and now that may also extend to each other 😉
It took me a while to get into this one. Necessarily, there is quite a lot of setup to the point where our lovers get together. But once things got going, it was fabulous. As usual, there is delicious dialogue and fun with KJ Charles characters – not just our MCs, but some really wonderful female characters that stood up for themselves despite the social mores of the times 🙂 Our two protagonists create an interesting dynamic/relationship. Both are at their core decent men. Neither have been dealt a particularly great hand in life, but they’ve both gotten on with it, did what needed to be done and survived.
Poor Hart has never thought he was worth more than his ability to save his family’s home and lands and his sister’s business. He is a fierce protector of both his sister and his niece – hence his intense scrutiny of Robin. Robin for his part has been willing to do whatever necessary to make sure his sister has safety and security in this life – which up to now has been fleeting and just out of reach. While I’d like to think much has changed since the timeframe of this book, still women (and some men) have to trade their physical beauty in order to secure their future 🙁 Thankfully that’s much less common, and many more women have agency and can take advantage of all their attributes to their own ends rather than be the possession of an in the control of a husband or protector.
Truly this is a rather delightful tale of two men who find something completely unexpected. The evolution of their relationship and their understanding of each other are believably written. I adored the period language and the banter between them is at times quite humorous. Both Robin and especially Hart figure out that their assumptions and perceptions have been somewhat erroneous. And they learn to appreciate their difference and their characters. Their blossoming love is a treat to enjoy, despite Hart’s apprehension and Robin’s belief that he’s not good enough. If you like historical romance with strongly written characters, you don’t want to miss this one. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
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