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Lie back and think of E England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage. Curtis's search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet show more is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts. As events unfold, Curtis realizes that Daniel has his own secret intentions. And there's something else they share-a mounting sexual tension that leaves Curtis reeling. As the house party's elegant facade cracks to reveal treachery, blackmail and murder, Curtis finds himself needing clever, dark-eyed Daniel as he has never needed a man. show lessTags
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amaranthe Similar, but not identical, main characters and plot. Equally well-written.
Member Reviews
Hee. Heeeheeeheee. Oh my.
So, this is my first foray into the world of m/m romances. I, like a lot of young women, was deep, deep into the fanfiction scene years ago. What I had no idea was that there were actually the man on man equivalent to Harlequin romances, which may or may not be a guilty pleasure of mine. (Hey, they're 69c at Value Village. Also, to the person who made the pulpy romances 69 cents: lol)
Anyways, on to the book.
FHASKHFFHSLJLFHLGSH.
Ahem.
Seriously though, this book was made for me. Uptight ex-military British aristocrat going-as-far-as-wearing-a-green-carnation dark eyed poet? Meow. Both Curtis and da Silva are investigating happenings around Peakholme Manor. The bump into each other in the course of their show more investigations, and decide to work together. Sparks fly, romance ensues, and of course, so does the loving. Expertly written, the characters came alive and one could definitely picture the whole story in their head ;). I thoroughly enjoyed my first venture into the world of m/m romances, and will definitely be back.
One final note: ENORMOUS props to K.J. Charles for using a piece of period speech that I rarely see even in mainstream, "proper" novels: she put the apostrophe in front of 'bus. Seriosuly, that's worth like, 5 stars there, in and of itself.
I came for the sex, but I found a world of well-written romance, drama and action. 5 stars. show less
So, this is my first foray into the world of m/m romances. I, like a lot of young women, was deep, deep into the fanfiction scene years ago. What I had no idea was that there were actually the man on man equivalent to Harlequin romances, which may or may not be a guilty pleasure of mine. (Hey, they're 69c at Value Village. Also, to the person who made the pulpy romances 69 cents: lol)
Anyways, on to the book.
FHASKHFFHSLJLFHLGSH.
Ahem.
Seriously though, this book was made for me. Uptight ex-military British aristocrat going-as-far-as-wearing-a-green-carnation dark eyed poet? Meow. Both Curtis and da Silva are investigating happenings around Peakholme Manor. The bump into each other in the course of their show more investigations, and decide to work together. Sparks fly, romance ensues, and of course, so does the loving. Expertly written, the characters came alive and one could definitely picture the whole story in their head ;). I thoroughly enjoyed my first venture into the world of m/m romances, and will definitely be back.
One final note: ENORMOUS props to K.J. Charles for using a piece of period speech that I rarely see even in mainstream, "proper" novels: she put the apostrophe in front of 'bus. Seriosuly, that's worth like, 5 stars there, in and of itself.
I came for the sex, but I found a world of well-written romance, drama and action. 5 stars. show less
I am utterly charmed by this book. Although I forgot very quickly who all the other house guests were. Which made some parts a bit confusing.
Also this was a bit of a weird read for me. It mentioned a part of my country's history that is not mentioned very often (for good reasons or not. Depends on how you think history should be told). It had absolutely nothing to do with my enjoyment while reading.
But while reading... I was rooting for de Boeren *facepalm*
See here's the thing. I'm Dutch. But I'm also a child of two country's/cultures, the other one being Aruba. Which was a colony (and some say still is, depends on what your definition of colony is) of the Netherlands. While I don't think my Dutch forefathers were slave traders I know show more my Antillian forefathers were slaves. And the Dutch were utter dicks to every land/country they ever colonized (way more than the English in my opinion). So I was a bit torn about my reaction...
The spoiler is about what I remember about this was while in High school. Not very entertaining.Back to the Boeren. This is what I remember hearing about them in high school. Note that while history was my favourite subject, hearing about the VOC and slavetrades were not (avoidance ftw). So my memories are a bit fuzzy and probably utterly wrong.
Anyhow. The fact is I don't know very much about that part of my country's history. And still I felt.. not really pride... but amusement (?) about the fact that we they made the English soldiers difficult. Who knew I was a nationalist? About that?
Also what made it weirder was reading about it from English perspective. Because at the end I was rooting for them... MAKE UP YOUR MIND WOMAN! show less
Also this was a bit of a weird read for me. It mentioned a part of my country's history that is not mentioned very often (for good reasons or not. Depends on how you think history should be told). It had absolutely nothing to do with my enjoyment while reading.
But while reading... I was rooting for de Boeren *facepalm*
See here's the thing. I'm Dutch. But I'm also a child of two country's/cultures, the other one being Aruba. Which was a colony (and some say still is, depends on what your definition of colony is) of the Netherlands. While I don't think my Dutch forefathers were slave traders I know show more my Antillian forefathers were slaves. And the Dutch were utter dicks to every land/country they ever colonized (way more than the English in my opinion). So I was a bit torn about my reaction...
The spoiler is about what I remember about this was while in High school. Not very entertaining.
De Boeren were people who settled in South-Africa. They kicked out the natives and/or enslaved them. They had a good thing going for a while but then the government back in the Netherlands made some agreement with England (?). This because England was no longer occupied with another war and they made their presence known on the seas. The Netherlands Golden Age was on the decline and could no longer hold territories in South Africa. But de Boeren who lived there didn't want to go so when the English came they refused to acknowledge their law (I think because they were against slavery, don't really remember but it kinda fit with our country's actions later on). So being the stubborn bastards we they were, they fought back. And lost horribly. Also Apartheid is the only Dutch word the whole world knows. *facepalm again*. Don't know if that one had something to do with de Boeren but it's what I associated with it. So there.
Anyhow. The fact is I don't know very much about that part of my country's history. And still I felt.. not really pride... but amusement (?) about the fact that we they made the English soldiers difficult. Who knew I was a nationalist? About that?
Also what made it weirder was reading about it from English perspective. Because at the end I was rooting for them... MAKE UP YOUR MIND WOMAN! show less
I'm an old crone but still remember when the derogatory language used in this book was... commonplace. It was shocking to encounter it again after so many, many years. As disturbing as it was, it fit with the time and place. I've often been bemused while reading historical novels where the characters have a too modern outlook.
I wouldn't mind visiting these characters again in the future.
I wouldn't mind visiting these characters again in the future.
Two years after a horrific war-time accident had ended Archie Curtis' military career, he finds himself infiltrating Sir Hubert Armstrong's country estate, hoping to somehow stumble on the truth behind the aforementioned... incident. Don't get him wrong, he's got an invitation and all, but the snooping part is definitely not part of the recommended behavioral etiquette.
Lucky for Curtis, the extravagant Daniel daSilva takes pity on his bumbling attempts at stealth and together they manage to find on a wealth of compromising documents. Unfortunately getting said documents into the right hands, proves to be much more perilous than the two could ever imagine. Even forcing our heroes to resort to (semi)public fornication in lieu of a show more diversion.
I've been missing that feeling of a feel-good romance novel, that would nevertheless have me glued to my Kindle. The sort of action-adventure/murder/mystery with a healthy dose of risqué scenes that my first MM stories were made of. I'm happy to say that the action adventure part was done very well.
I especially liked how the identity of the bad guy(s) got revealed rather early in the story, making me excited to see where the stakes would actually lie. The two main characters were also rocking an intriguing mix of appeal and faults, that got me interested to in their relationship. But while I liked the general idea of Curtis and and daSilva together, having the former constantly be described as this huge hulking beast didn't make for a sexy imagery. And his well-meaning gentlemanly naivete didn't help things, either.
On the other hand, daSilva's less than savory behavior was a whole lot of fun to explore. And the occasional mention of Pat and Fen made for a surprisingly appealing addition as well.
Score: 3/5 stars
The writing was alright, and the story sufficiently not-cliché, in that I can see myself recommending it to fans, or even to readers willing to explore a new genre. As far as enjoyment value goes, I liked the action-adventure, but the romance wasn't quite up to the level of Charm of Magpies or Band Sinister. show less
Lucky for Curtis, the extravagant Daniel daSilva takes pity on his bumbling attempts at stealth and together they manage to find on a wealth of compromising documents. Unfortunately getting said documents into the right hands, proves to be much more perilous than the two could ever imagine. Even forcing our heroes to resort to (semi)public fornication in lieu of a show more diversion.
I've been missing that feeling of a feel-good romance novel, that would nevertheless have me glued to my Kindle. The sort of action-adventure/murder/mystery with a healthy dose of risqué scenes that my first MM stories were made of. I'm happy to say that the action adventure part was done very well.
I especially liked how the identity of the bad guy(s) got revealed rather early in the story, making me excited to see where the stakes would actually lie. The two main characters were also rocking an intriguing mix of appeal and faults, that got me interested to in their relationship. But while I liked the general idea of Curtis and and daSilva together, having the former constantly be described as this huge hulking beast didn't make for a sexy imagery. And his well-meaning gentlemanly naivete didn't help things, either.
On the other hand, daSilva's less than savory behavior was a whole lot of fun to explore. And the occasional mention of Pat and Fen made for a surprisingly appealing addition as well.
Score: 3/5 stars
The writing was alright, and the story sufficiently not-cliché, in that I can see myself recommending it to fans, or even to readers willing to explore a new genre. As far as enjoyment value goes, I liked the action-adventure, but the romance wasn't quite up to the level of Charm of Magpies or Band Sinister. show less
On my rare recent forays into romance novels, I've developed a particular admiration for K.J. Charles. She writes well, with humour, and her characters are fully rounded people with credible lives and interests beyond their love lives. That said, I prefer some of her books to others. I haven't particularly warmed to her Victorian novels (the Sins of the Cities and Charm of Magpies series), but I did love her Society of Gentleman trilogy. To my surprise, I also found Think of England to be one of her strongest so far. I say 'to my surprise' because (forgive me) I thought the cover looked rather cheap and 'stock-photoed' compared to the covers of her other books, and it didn't immediately appeal to me as strongly. Nor did I expect to show more enjoy a story set at the turn of the 20th century, when my preference is for stories set at least a hundred years earlier. But Charles banished my qualms with a smart, fast-paced story that's equal parts adventure and romance.
It's 1904 and Archie Curtis is a wounded veteran of the Boer War, who finds himself invited to a country house party. His fellow guests are the usual mix of predatory ladies and sporting gentlemen, who have come to enjoy the country air and all the comforts of this very modern house. Electricity, central heating and telephones are only part of the appeal. Curtis himself has come for a slightly different reason. Tormented by the memory of his injuries at Jacobsdal during the war - and the deaths of many of his friends - which were caused by faulty guns sent out from England, he wants to see whether he can find any link to his arms-dealer host. But one night, as Curtis investigates a tantalisingly locked door in his host's study, he's interrupted by the person with whom he least wants to be stuck in a dark room: his fellow guest Daniel da Silva.
Exotic, louche and threateningly decadent, da Silva is exactly the kind of drawling effeminate whom Curtis loathes. But, as they face each other in this dark room, the two men realise that they are both after similar secrets in their host's files. More than that, Curtis realises that the limp-wristed poet is simply a guise, and that the real da Silva is a far more subtle, sharp and dangerous man. As they join forces in the hope of revealing their host's treason, Curtis becomes fascinated by da Silva's resourcefulness - and troubled by his own shifting feelings about the man. I liked the way that Curtis's struggle towards self-knowledge brought greater depth and drama to their interactions, as did da Silva's vulnerability. Yet where this book really pleased me is that the well-written romance isn't the be-all and end-all: it's almost incidental to a much bigger story, full of spies, blackmail, secret agents and derring-do.
Charles's strength is in her period accuracy, and here too the language, the slang and the details all seemed to be spot on. I laughed out loud when I realised that Curtis's explorer uncle was actually Sir Henry Curtis from H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines", a playful link into the tradition of swashbuckling Boy's Own adventure that Charles taps into here. I do hope she writes more about these two characters, because I rather like them - and do note that she offers a free 'add-on' chapter ("Song for a Viking") on her website. show less
It's 1904 and Archie Curtis is a wounded veteran of the Boer War, who finds himself invited to a country house party. His fellow guests are the usual mix of predatory ladies and sporting gentlemen, who have come to enjoy the country air and all the comforts of this very modern house. Electricity, central heating and telephones are only part of the appeal. Curtis himself has come for a slightly different reason. Tormented by the memory of his injuries at Jacobsdal during the war - and the deaths of many of his friends - which were caused by faulty guns sent out from England, he wants to see whether he can find any link to his arms-dealer host. But one night, as Curtis investigates a tantalisingly locked door in his host's study, he's interrupted by the person with whom he least wants to be stuck in a dark room: his fellow guest Daniel da Silva.
Exotic, louche and threateningly decadent, da Silva is exactly the kind of drawling effeminate whom Curtis loathes. But, as they face each other in this dark room, the two men realise that they are both after similar secrets in their host's files. More than that, Curtis realises that the limp-wristed poet is simply a guise, and that the real da Silva is a far more subtle, sharp and dangerous man. As they join forces in the hope of revealing their host's treason, Curtis becomes fascinated by da Silva's resourcefulness - and troubled by his own shifting feelings about the man. I liked the way that Curtis's struggle towards self-knowledge brought greater depth and drama to their interactions, as did da Silva's vulnerability. Yet where this book really pleased me is that the well-written romance isn't the be-all and end-all: it's almost incidental to a much bigger story, full of spies, blackmail, secret agents and derring-do.
Charles's strength is in her period accuracy, and here too the language, the slang and the details all seemed to be spot on. I laughed out loud when I realised that Curtis's explorer uncle was actually Sir Henry Curtis from H. Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines", a playful link into the tradition of swashbuckling Boy's Own adventure that Charles taps into here. I do hope she writes more about these two characters, because I rather like them - and do note that she offers a free 'add-on' chapter ("Song for a Viking") on her website. show less
I'm starting to think that post-war mm romances are my favourite. The angst that comes from being a returning soldier, adding illegal desires and a battle-tired country, makes for some compelling reading. K.J. Charles does that very well.
Crippled at the tail-end of the Boer Wars in Africa, not from battle but from faulty (sabotaged) ammunitions shipped from his own country, that also killed his best friend and lover, Archie has a vendetta. He attends a stay-over house party in the middle of the country to try to find out who's responsible. There he meets a very effeminate foreigner named de Silva who both repulses and intrigues him. He finds out that de Silva is on a mission not dissimilar to his and they form a shaky alliance, but show more Archie starts to see there's a lot more to de Silva than his initial impressions.
There's a good mystery with lots of intrigue, and both characters are likeable and well-written. The conclusion was shocking in the best way and it has a HEA. A definite recommend. show less
Crippled at the tail-end of the Boer Wars in Africa, not from battle but from faulty (sabotaged) ammunitions shipped from his own country, that also killed his best friend and lover, Archie has a vendetta. He attends a stay-over house party in the middle of the country to try to find out who's responsible. There he meets a very effeminate foreigner named de Silva who both repulses and intrigues him. He finds out that de Silva is on a mission not dissimilar to his and they form a shaky alliance, but show more Archie starts to see there's a lot more to de Silva than his initial impressions.
There's a good mystery with lots of intrigue, and both characters are likeable and well-written. The conclusion was shocking in the best way and it has a HEA. A definite recommend. show less
We all know there are tragedies in life. One of the tragedies is this author has only written a couple of books. I shouldn't have waited so long to read it - it's another new favorite from her. I've already had to re-read several scenes...
One thing K.J. Charles rocks at is creating the best characters that both compliment and contrast with each other. She did the same job but with different flavors in the Magpie series. Here she again mixes classes - Curtis is a gentlemen soldier, retired from war due to injury, and Daniel is on the poorer rung of society. But where Steven hid his inclinations in the Magpie series, Daniel exaggerates the things that make other men detest and belittle him. It's not because he has such confidence he show more considers himself above such trivialities, but because of a mask to hide the sensitivity beneath.
But not only does Daniel rock with sensitivity - and dirty language, humor, wit, sarcasm - but Curtis is also a sweetheart who touched me heart and spirit in different layers. They both rock, trust me, they really do.
So you mesh these two men in a M/M romance that has an actual good story. Oooh-la-la, my mental brain cushions are as stimulated by the mystery, the tension, as it is by the possibilities of romance. Of course while there are erotic scenes - and wowzers are they intense, intense, and MORE intense - the story itself is a great one that doesn't even need them. I'd be sad without them - but it's not needed because the story is strong enough on its own and then some.
The villains are heartless with realistic motive and we get a twist of Shakespearian justice. There are nail grinding scenes mixed with comedy that befalls the beloved pair. There's horror and fight and charm all mixed in the same bag.
Be still my heart. I went to the book's page on Goodreads to see if there is word of a sequel. The author said she's working on one, but who knows when that will come out? Until then I shall salivate over the possibility. Simply love this author's books. Now when I think of England, I'll undoubtedly think of this book too. show less
One thing K.J. Charles rocks at is creating the best characters that both compliment and contrast with each other. She did the same job but with different flavors in the Magpie series. Here she again mixes classes - Curtis is a gentlemen soldier, retired from war due to injury, and Daniel is on the poorer rung of society. But where Steven hid his inclinations in the Magpie series, Daniel exaggerates the things that make other men detest and belittle him. It's not because he has such confidence he show more considers himself above such trivialities, but because of a mask to hide the sensitivity beneath.
But not only does Daniel rock with sensitivity - and dirty language, humor, wit, sarcasm - but Curtis is also a sweetheart who touched me heart and spirit in different layers. They both rock, trust me, they really do.
So you mesh these two men in a M/M romance that has an actual good story. Oooh-la-la, my mental brain cushions are as stimulated by the mystery, the tension, as it is by the possibilities of romance. Of course while there are erotic scenes - and wowzers are they intense, intense, and MORE intense - the story itself is a great one that doesn't even need them. I'd be sad without them - but it's not needed because the story is strong enough on its own and then some.
The villains are heartless with realistic motive and we get a twist of Shakespearian justice. There are nail grinding scenes mixed with comedy that befalls the beloved pair. There's horror and fight and charm all mixed in the same bag.
Be still my heart. I went to the book's page on Goodreads to see if there is word of a sequel. The author said she's working on one, but who knows when that will come out? Until then I shall salivate over the possibility. Simply love this author's books. Now when I think of England, I'll undoubtedly think of this book too. show less
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Author Information
71+ Works 11,130 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
Has the (non-series) prequel
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2014-07-01
- People/Characters
- Archie Curtis; Daniel da Silva; Patricia "Pat" Morton; Fenella "Fen" Carruth; Sir Henry Curtis (99 | minor character)
- Important places
- England, UK
- Important events
- 1904
- Dedication
- For Natalie, who is brilliant.
- First words
- The train up from London took hours, a weary ride for a man who was too tense to sleep and too busy with his thoughts to read.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)“Watch and learn.”
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.92
- Canonical LCC
- PR6103.H3754
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 359
- Popularity
- 87,799
- Reviews
- 31
- Rating
- (4.12)
- Languages
- English, French, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 6
