KJ Charles is another author that I will absolutely read anything by. She could write a nonfiction book about a subject I am not at all interested in and I would be all over it.
Thanks to the author as well as Bramble via NetGalley for the review copy!
It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.
At least, that’s what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists’ paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London…including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.
Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it’s the perfect chance for him to exploit London’s newest golden purse–until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies…
This is the story of Titus Pilcrow, a shopkeeper and a paint maker who finds himself very suddenly married to a dying woman who really wants to disinherit her awful nephew. When she passes, he is suddenly the holder of a huge fortune and is the target of not only the awful nephew, but also just about every other scammer in all of London.
Enter Nicholas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte. Nico owes some very bad people a lot of money and he had actually had plans to marry the dying wealthy woman, except that she went and died while he was out of town… and left her fortune to a random man that Nico finds himself falling in love with and refuses to take money from. All kinds of shenanigans ensue between these two.
I liked this one, though not as much as some of her other works. I liked Titus and seeing him get more and more comfortable with his new life was actually kind of amazing, because he uses his money to do things like learn to paint, go to galleries and the like instead of being that gentleman who ends up broke from drink and gambling in a very short amount of time.
Nico and his relationship was really adorable, considering that Nico’s intention was to scam him out of the money that Nico needed to pay back the gangster/moneylender he owed. He just couldn’t really do it though, and that left me in a position where I both wanted him to just tell the truth because Titus would just give him the money, and not wanting him to because Titus would be very mad at him (but would still just give him the money).
A very adorable romance that I enjoyed all in one sitting. I’d give this one a 4/5 stars. I can’t wait to see what is next from KJ Charles!
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