The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by Kj Charles Published by KJC Books on February 19, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 286
Format: eBook
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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?
A review described this as “Heyer but gayer”, which intrigued me. I had read good things about KJ Charles, particularly as a writer of queer Regency romance. I chose the book to start with carefully, recognizing that I have not been in the mood for angst and “Heyer but gayer” seemed like exactly the type of tone I was looking for.
Although not completely angst free, The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting had many Heyer-ish elements including a scheming brother and sister duo, a grouchy older hero, and a bit of intrigue. There was a bit of light humor, but what was most captivating was the enemies to lovers dance between Robin and Hart.
And this book was captivating. I finished it quickly, enjoying the build up and eventual coming together of Robin and Hart while also rooting for Marianne, Alice, and others.
Robin is a handsome ne’er-do-well who has charmed Town with his mild and modest manners, and his sisters great and striking beauty, so that he might take to the gaming tables. He never plays too deep or brags too much of his wins, but as Hart discovers its obvious gambling is his main source of income. As we learn more about Robin, we discover a tragic past wrapped up in a joyful (albeit stressed), loyal, and passionate package who while fortune hunting means to do right by all.
Hart, on the other hand, is a man who had responsibilities thrust upon him at a young age and is taciturn, skeptical, but also deeply loving. He is a soft grouch who doubts his own lovability. He also is drawn to Robin, at first wanting to keep the fortune hunter away from his niece, and then because he cannot help himself.
I don’t want to spoil too much of what follows, but will say that I enjoyed the tension between the two and how they negotiate their past/insecurities in the face of love.
The middle of the book has the most amount of intimate scenes, which makes sense because it helps deepen the trust and bonds between the MCs. And KJ Charles can write a fantastic sex scene. In other words, this is not a book for readers who prefer behind closed doors romance. There is a bit of “play” or very light kink, so I gave it some spicy marks.
I debated whether or not to put a content warning on this book. Sometimes, its such a hard call for me to make as a reader/reviewer because I really only know my own triggers, and generally I try as best as I can to avoid them. I am assuming that some elements of this book may be tough for some readers. Charles has woven, albeit lightly, the very real fear gay men might have had during the era of discovery and prosecution and as a result, loneliness. That may be really tough if you had a similar experience, or you may find it comforting because you know a HEA is coming.
There is also themes of parental abuse and alienation. I often will CW this if coupled with some other things. Here, its present in the character’s backstories, and does play a part in some of the resolution, but again there is a HEA which may offer the reader some comfort.
There is also a fair amount of gaming which is critical to the plot, but again there is an HEA resolution to that as well.
There were adult themes, including gambling, parental abuse, and prostitution but not much violence on the page.
KJ Charles herself calls this book “tropetastic”. I think there were definite conventions of the Regency, but didn’t find this to be too crowded with tropes. The main thrust was really enemies to lovers. There is an element of masquerade here, which is a trope. Fortune hunting is kind of a Regency romance thing, but I don’t necessarily consider it a trope. This is all to say that there are familiar elements to this book for Regency readers, but it didn’t read as one trope after another.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for readers looking for a good mm Regency romance that has elements of enemies to lovers.
