Indie Advent Day 20: Slippery Creatures: The Will Darling Adventures by K.J. Charles

GET THIS WONDERFUL ADVENTURE HERE:

KJ Charles writes LGBTQ period fiction in many different genres: fantasy, regency romance, and romantic adventure. This definitely falls into the latter category, so it isn’t quite like the rest of the books in my indie advent series, but The Will Darling Adventures are absolutely wonderful. I would be remiss in not including any of KJ Charles’s books because the writing is sublime and the stories are just *chef’s kiss*.

Will Darling, back fresh from the trenches of WWI, has taken over his deceased Uncle William’s book shop when threatening strangers come calling, intent on getting sensitive information out of the wrong Mr. William Darling. Into his shop strides the handsome, aristocratic Kim Secretan, and Will finds himself hopelessly entangled in physical desire, matters of national security, and a mystery of information hidden somewhere in the dusty, crowded volumes of his overflowing bookshop. Will’s quiet new life after the horrors of the battlefield may be forfeit if he can’t find the clandestine secrets the War Office wants–and a nasty revolutionary group is prepared to kill for.

Oh, so GOOD. I like Will and Kim together. It’s a messy affair that surprises them both with its intensity, but none more so than Will. Being gay in the 1920’s is still punishable by law and things must be navigated with complete discretion when one’s lover is in the society pages. The secondary characters of Kim’s understanding fiancee, Phoebe, and Will’s best gal pal Maisie, are so wonderful we see a lot more of them in the next books. Like anything of KJ Charles’s that I’ve read, it’s highly recommended.