Synopsis

Silas Mason has no illusions about himself. He’s not lovable, or even likable. He’s an overbearing idealist, a Radical bookseller and pamphleteer who lives for revolution . . . and for Wednesday nights. Every week he meets anonymously with the same man, in whom Silas has discovered the ideal meld of intellectual companionship and absolute obedience to his sexual commands. But unbeknownst to Silas, his closest friend is also his greatest enemy, with the power to see him hanged—or spare his life.

A loyal, well-born gentleman official, Dominic Frey is torn apart by his affair with Silas. By the light of day, he cannot fathom the intoxicating lust that drives him to meet with the Radical week after week. In the bedroom, everything else falls away. Their needs match, and they are united by sympathy for each other’s deepest vulnerabilities. But when Silas’s politics earn him a death sentence, desire clashes with duty, and Dominic finds himself doing everything he can to save the man who stole his heart.

Review

I discovered historical mm romance just this year and together with Joanna Chambers, KJ Charles has become one of my favourite authors in the genre. 

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, A Fashionable Indulgence, and I loved this one even more. It's an incredible love story of two people who are in fact each other's arch nemesis. 

On the surface, Silas and Dom have nothing in common, they stand on opposite lines of politics, they come from different walks in life, they held different, opposing even believes. Yet what they have in common is stronger than all this - they fit each other emotionally, sexually, they challenge each other and being together despite everything makes them happy and content. 

It's a long journey for them to be able to come together which seemed almost impossible till the very end. I have to admit I absolutely love how Ms Charles managed to bring them together, it felt realistic, true to the times and the only possible way for them to (a kind of) a couple.

This is a masterfully written story - heavy on the politics, entwining real historical events in the plot in the most perfect way. It's politics that very much define Dom and Silas and it's what divides them but it's also what brings them together. They grow and change and find a balance between politics and doctrines on the one hand and personal lives and deepest personal values, on the other. The intersection of the personal, the political, the social, the intimate and sexual were just brilliantly explored in Dom and Silas' relationship. 

I'm not much of a fan of BDSM romance but I found the dom/sub aspect of the relationship fascinating. It was so important for both of them to feel valued for who they are, especially for Dom who was made to feel disgusting/unworthy of love because of the things he likes in bed. 

This is by far one of my top reads of the year - a complex, compelling historical mm romance. It has a sstrong and intriguing plot, true-to-life, yet star-crossed lovers type of romance, fantastic writing. And we see more of the Richardians which is always a pleasure though this book made me hate Richard so much at one point and I'm still not his biggest fan by the end of it. Cyprian reveals himself as a true puppet master and the final book in the series is bound to be something really special.