Advanced Book Review: A Gentleman’s Position, by K.J. Charles

A Gentleman’s Position, by KJ Charles
Series: Society of Gentlemen, Book 3
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: April 5, 2016

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Among his eccentric though strictly principled group of friends, Lord Richard Vane is the confidant on whom everyone depends for advice, moral rectitude, and discreet assistance. Yet when Richard has a problem, he turns to his valet, a fixer of unparalleled genius—and the object of Richard’s deepest desires. If there is one rule a gentleman must follow, it is never to dally with servants. But when David is close enough to touch, the rules of class collide with the basest sort of animal instinct: overpowering lust.

For David Cyprian, burglary and blackmail are as much in a day’s work as bootblacking—anything for the man he’s devoted to. But the one thing he wants for himself is the one thing Richard refuses to give: his heart. With the tension between them growing to be unbearable, David’s seemingly incorruptible master has left him no choice. Putting his finely honed skills of seduction and manipulation to good use, he will convince Richard to forget all about his well-meaning objections and give in to sweet, sinful temptation.

M/M Pairing
Gay Characters
Demisexual Character
Servant/Master
Power/Consent Issues
Historical (Georgian/Regency England)

Another absolutely brilliant novel from one of the best historical writers that I have ever had the pleasure of reading!

The Society of Gentlemen series has been slowly building to this point, where we finally get to see the conclusion of the events started in A Fashionable Indulgence. So AGP brings the suspense by the bucket-full, weaving two plots together: the threat of those trying to uncover and ruin Richard and his friends, and Richard’s evolving relationship with his valet, Cyprian.

“Ah, Cyprian. Deal with this for me.”

When KJ was writing this novel, I remember her talking a lot about the struggle to write such an uneven power dynamic, where one party holds all of the power and the other one has none. And I think she pulled it off flawlessly, writing Richard’s doubts and Cyprian’s desires in such a way that the relationship is not only plausible, but perfect.

“When you say things like that, you make me almost believe–“
“In us?”

It’s hard to talk about Richard and David’s relationship without giving too much away. It’s not an easy pairing, though; the power imbalance may be the biggest issue they have to overcome, but there are definitely other challenges they must face.

The rest of the plot was riveting, and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what would happen next. I was clenching my tablet with white knuckles at times, afraid of what was to come. So much tension!

(Also, a special treat… a few scenes with Silas and Dom from A Seditious Affair! I won’t say much, but let’s just say that Silas is very much himself, and I was pretty much kicking my feet with glee during the scenes with him. Plus, okay, I just really really adore Silas and Dom, alright?)

Romances that have to be worked for are always the most satisfying in the end for me, and this one was definitely worth the wait!

Writing a review for one of KJ’s novels is always a daunting task, because I can never find the words to describe how much I love her writing! Her characters are always genuine, the relationships are always complex and gorgeous. I can’t recommend A Gentleman’s Position and the rest of the Society books enough!

KJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, an out-of-control garden and an increasingly murderous cat.

KJ writes mostly romance, gay and straight, frequently historical, and usually with some fantasy or horror in there. She specialises in editing romance, especially historical and fantasy, and also edits children’s fiction.

Find her on Twitter @kj_charles or on Facebook, join her Facebook group, or get the newsletter here. She is represented by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency, and published by Samhain and Loveswept.

Also check out my FIVE STAR reviews of:
A Fashionable Indulgence (Society of Gentlemen, Book 1)
The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh (Society of Gentlemen, Book 1.5)
A Seditious Affair (Society of Gentlemen, Book 2)

You can buy A Gentleman’s Position from one of the following retailers:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Publisher

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Advertisement