Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Charles

SERIES:  Learning to Love, Book 1

AUTHOR:  Con Riley

NARRATOR:  Cornell Collins

PUBLISHER:  Tantor Audio

LENGTH:  9 hours and 45 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  January 17, 2023

BLURB:

Opposites attract in this low-angst gay romance filled with British snark and humor.

Life should be a breeze for a playboy like Charles Heppel. As the third son of an earl, he lives for the moment, partying and playing. Settling down isn’t for him. Not when London is full of beautiful men who he hasn’t one-and-done yet.

To escape his family’s nagging, Charles applies for a temp job that matches his playful skill set. A role in a Cornish classroom could be his until the summer, if Charles meets two conditions: he must move in with the headmaster’s best friend, and teach him to be happy.

Living with Hugo should be awkward. Charles is a free spirit, but Hugo’s a man of faith, with morals. A man who almost took holy orders before disaster changed his direction. Only far from being a chore, Charles finds that making Hugo happy soon becomes his passion.

Together, they share physical and emotional first times. Ones that change Charles, touching his soul. He wants Hugo for longer than they have left, but learning to love with his heart, not just his body, will take a leap of faith from Charles—in himself as well as Hugo.

Contains mature themes.

REVIEW:

Charles is a marriage of Con Riley’s beautiful writing with an unexpectedly poignant, slow-burn, it-sounds-like-taboo-but-it’s-not-taboo romance, and wow, does it work. I read Charles, Riley’s first book in the Learning to Love series, when it was released in 2021 and adored it.  Riley’s sharp, thoughtful, vivid prose is spectacularly showcased in her moving story of two men trying to find their path in life and, unexpectedly, learning to love along the way. Hugo is a religious man on the path to ordination who, with Charles’ guidance, learns how to love through physical expression.  Charles is an unapologetic playboy who’s as anti-relationship as they come. With Hugo’s help, Charles learns how to love through emotional connection and acceptance of who he is, flaws and all.  

You’d think Charles and Hugo have zero in common, but behold – they coax each other to meet in the middle in a world of meaning and joy, living life to its fullest while contributing impactfully to those around them.  Riley doesn’t write “simple”, and this story is far from that.  It tackles serious subjects like war, trauma, and loss for adults and children.  It isn’t a story of a man falling for a priest, flirting with the concept of forbidden romance.  Instead, Charles and Hugo have a complex and fascinating dynamic that is magnetic and addictive.

I could write tomes about Riley’s talent and exquisitely crafted stories, with Charles standing as an exemplar of what she can do as an author and storyteller.  But what requires showcasing is the breathtaking narration of Riley’s go-to narrator, Cornell Collins. 

Charles is a complex, nuanced story requiring a deeply connected, emotional vocal performance. Collins is the perfect choice. If you’ve listened to Riley’s For Him audiobooks, you know from whence I speak. His performance of Charles is, as usual, an expressive and intuitive vocal performance.  His diction has a cut-glass precision that he inflects and modulates to capture Charles and Hugo’s emotions.  Particularly notable is his sense of timing and pacing.  He generally takes his time, but knows when to mix it up.  For example, he speeds up, almost running words together when Charles is anxious or excited.  He drops his voice to a bass pitch, applies emphasis, and elongates words when Hugo tries to get Charles’ attention or make a point. He doesn’t give the side characters short shrift either.  Luke bears a seriousness fitting of his demeanor, and we hear it in his voice.  Tor receives a wispy, childlike voice that vibrates with tension and shrinks in fear, which Collins conveys through modulation of tone and dynamics.  Perhaps the only flaw, if you can even call it that, is in his female voices, like Ruth.  He doesn’t achieve a distinctly higher pitch, so her voice borders on masculine.  That said, it is always clear when she’s speaking, and Collins consistently differentiates between all of the various characters.

I’m absolutely in love with Collins’ varied characterization of Charles. At times, Charles is flighty or has a “twink” attitude, yet he is also thoughtful and can be serious, even heartbroken at times in his self-deprecation. Collins is excellent at conveying devastation and frustration by giving the lines a tight, gravelly timbre.  As for Collins’ deep, resonant, whisky voice for Hugo – le sigh. It’s smoky and husky, conveying strength and conviction befitting Hugo’s character.  It wraps around you like a bear hug, its gruffness belying the tender vulnerability and enormous heart beneath the surface.

I just loved everything about Collins’ performance of Charles.  It’s almost ten hours of mesmerizing vocal performance, and I hung on every word. Collins can capture all of the nuances of Riley’s story, from humor and happiness to seriousness, sadness, and despair.  It’s pretty remarkable and should be consumed like the delicacy that it is. 

I’m grateful to Riley and Collins for the gift of Charles Heppel, one of the most engaging and endearing characters I’ve met, and the emotional, enchanting, exquisite auditory bliss of Charles the audiobook.  I cannot wait for the beauty that will no doubt result from Collins bringing to life the remaining books in this lovely series.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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