Think of England

Review by Karen, posted at ScuttlebuttReviews

This is not an unbiased review. I love KJ Charles’ writing; how she combines strong plotting, rounded characters, romance, sex with a healthy dose of humour, and playfulness.

My anticipation was so high regarding Think of England; it seemed tailor-made: the Edwardian Era is one of my favorite historical periods, any book with a Jewish MC gets my vote, and I write poetry. When I started reading ‘grown-up’ books that weren’t for school, I read my Nan’s historical romances – mainly Georgette Heyer. As a counterpoint, my Dad thrust a H Rider Haggard compendium at me, and I loved it. The sexism, racism, and total brutishness of these adventures, although out of vogue now, are great fun (yes, yes, when read with a grain of salt).

I read this book in one go, and it hit the mark perfectly.

Archie Curtis, whose Uncle is Sir Henry Curtis from King Solomon’s mines, is on a mission to determine if the ‘accident’ that cost his fingers really was accidental. Arriving for a sojourn in an isolated country house he meets and takes a dislike to Daniel da Silva, a man who is almost a caricature of the effete, foreign campyness.

Archie is a man living in a fog. Two years after his accident he exists, doing all the right things and friends with the right people. His instinctive dislike of Daniel is borne out of class, jingoism, and distinct aversion to someone so obviously homosexual.

At this juncture, it all seems quite clear who is who, but that is how KJ is so clever. While Archie and Daniel are as they appear, they are also so much more. Then, as they begin to relate to each other, we do too.

The other guests’ reactions to Daniel cause Archie to challenge his own preconceptions, not just personally, but poetically. The part of the book where these men start learning each other is terrific, and a tender counterpoint to all the derring action to follow. Daniel is a marvelous creation, and the image I have of him is an Aubrey Beardsley drawing bought to life, with a smattering of Oscar Wilde.

The mystery/suspense element is such fun, and here the homage to the Edwardian adventure stories comes into its own. This book really has it all, evoking comparison to films like the “Lady Vanishes” and “The 39 Steps”, Think of England is absolutely full of stiff upper-lippyness and dastardly deeds.

It looks like Archie and Daniel will be going on to some adventures after this, so I am looking forward to some more ripping fun.

A gripping murder mystery set in 1904 England that revolves around war profiteering and blackmail. Archie Curtis, secretly gay because 1904, lost several fingers to a wartime weapons "accident" that he believes was anything but. At the house where he plans to search for secret files proving his theory, he meets Jewish and obviously queer poet Daniel da Silva. They do not get along, mostly because Archie's a bigot about Daniel's flamboyance and Daniel loves to needle him. Unfortunately for Archie, though, Daniel turns out to be more than he appears, leaving Archie no choice but to work with him.

Which may be the most important thing that ever happened in Archie's life, because Daniel is the first time Archie seems to even understand the concept of connecting emotionally with a male lover instead just seeking physical release. Because 1904, the poor dear. It's lovely to watch, especially when he has to plead his case to Daniel that he really does get it now, and won't Daniel please care for him back?

The suspense works as well as the romance. Charles does an amazing job building that feeling of walking around undercover in creepy enemy territory, nerves taut, cut off from outside help, waiting for something to go wrong. Which it does, and there's plenty of satisfying shooting and threats and people going missing before Good Conquers Evil.

Having written all this, now I think I need to go read it again...

Content warning: A character initiates sex with another character as part of their cover, in a situation where it would be possibly dangerous to refuse.

Drama, intrigue, fantastic characters and a very deft and capable hand with setting left me feeling like I didn’t want to leave this world behind, so I read the story again. There is literally nothing not to like about this story, no place where it fell down, nothing that disappointed. There’s sex, romance, mystery, atmosphere, historical accuracy…read this. You don’t have to love historicals to love this book.

Very captivating book – history, mystery and, of course – love. It was hard to put it down. The house with its mysterious passages... so there was plot, apart from the love story. I miss it in some of the M/M books.

My only complaint has to do with the climactic shootout scene at the folly. It struck me as cheesy and something of a copout. A resolution based on wit rather than weaponry would’ve been more appropriate, I believe, because the MCs and their female helpers had previously shown such ingenuity. Not overly detailed (a good thing; excruciating descriptions can be tedious and distracting), yet sketched in so deftly, I could picture every location. Far and away the best part of this story, the characters were distinctive, vibrant, believable, and thoroughly engaging – in other words, fully realized. I suspect most readers were enchanted by Daniel da Silva and fell in love with him. I was, and did. More like 9.5, because there was too much “he bit back” (certain words or reactions) as well as too much lip/mouth twisting and curling. The editor should’ve caught these repetitions and brought them to the author’s attention. In addition, some of the words and phrases struck me as anachronistic, but since I didn’t bother researching them, I can’t say for certain and therefore can’t deduct for their use. This novella is a splendid example of the storyteller’s art, and probably the best book I’ve read in two years of judging for the Rainbow Awards. Its flaws are few and insignificant. I could easily overlook them, because I was riveted to the story from start to finish, relished its period feel, and was delighted by its humor (speaking of which, even the title is perfect!)

This classic story of opposites meeting, clashing and ultimately attracting - amid a dark atmosphere of political intrigue and base greed - has been one of my favorite reads of the year. Archie Curtis, an Englishman with a capital ""E"", is a forthright man of action - who, by his own admission, has very little imagination - and he dislikes Daniel da Silva on sight. And why not? After all, da Silva is his polar opposite: clever, imaginative, sharp-tongued and terribly, terribly effete. Or is he? The process by which these two men come together has been guaranteed to cause me to burn dinner, neglect my chores and keep me up past midnight. The country house setting may be well-worn in the genre, but is used here effectively, as are the old saws (I particularly enjoy huddling together for warmth, myself, in extremis). The evil machinations that resulted in Archie's attendance were believable and well-fleshed out. The secondary characters of Fen and Pat were also wonderfully realized, and I enjoyed seeing how the Armstrong family saga played out. My only complaint, and it is, honestly, a big one, is the fact that da Silva actually admits to people he suspects of murder and blackmail that he has a fear of being underground in the dark. I mean, who would do this?!? I think this is a deficit in the plot, but everything else is so perfect (for this reader) that I only downgraded a point for this.

K.J. Charles is a very talented writer. You are drawn into her books so easily and you can picture everything in your mind like a movie. Great supporting characters. The plot flowed smoothly and had just enough description (of characters, setting, etc.) without overwhelming the reader with the unnecessary details.

“Lie back and think of England.” If you’ve read older English romance novels (think Barbara Cartland), you’re probably familiar with this phrase. It was the sort of thing a good mother told her virginal daughter on the eve of her wedding, as in “forget the awful thing you are called upon to do – just remember that you are doing this for God and Country.”

Archie Curtis, a former solider with a debilitating hand injury due to faulty munitions, arrives at Peakholme, the country estate of Lord and Lady Armstrong, for an extended house party. His ulterior motive, however, is to search for evidence if wealthy industrialist Lord Armstrong could have knowingly sold inferior rifles to the military. But everywhere he clandestinely searches … he finds fellow guest Daniel da Silva there first. Da Silva – a foreigner and a dandy with dark brilliantined hair and dark olive skin – is a poet ….. with mad lockpicking skills and a keen interest in discovering if someone at Peakholme is a blackmailer.

In a wonderfully constructed plot that grabs your interest immediately, the two men work together to uncover secrets and escape detection as spies. Their initial interactions are witty and clever, and absolutely soaked with sexual tension. And when Archie has to “lie back and think of England” in order to save Daniel and himself in an absolutely wonderfully absurd scene, it sparks a passion that is hawt. The pace of the book is flawless – there isn’t a wasted line or scene – and everything culminates with the perfect ending.

If you’re only familiar with KJ Charles from her wonderful “A Charm of Magpies” series, give “Think of England” a try. You’ll find the same stellar writing with a wonderful plot and two fascinating characters in Archie and Daniel. And Fenella Carruth and Pat Merton are a delight! I would love to read more about all these characters.

Daniel da Silva is so hot! Willowy, slender, feminine-looking, as well as brave, brilliant, kind, witty, and fascinating. The poetry he writes really shows how intriguing he is too. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the character development of da Silva, with his backstory, poetry, his interactions with Curtis, and other things. Archie Curtis is a great guy, but he seems less interesting compared to Daniel da Silva.

The prose was pleasant to read and there was definitely enough setting description to make the story feel more textured and vibrant, without ever slowing down the pace too much. I'm not sure the men back then would use all of the more modern-sounding slang I saw in the book, however, but they didn't bother me that much. As well, I only found one or two errors (one of which was an extra comma), so that was good.

An interesting note is that though the blurb warns us of hot sex scenes in this novel, the sex is actually quite mild compared to the ones in typical romances (including gay ones) nowadays; but I guess they would look steamy to readers who are new to this genre.

In addition, I loved the relationship between Daniel da Silva and Curtis. They are pretty funny and cute. Daniel is absolutely adorable! It was very sweet when Daniel told Curtis about his past. No spoilers, but I loved the ending too!

"This is the most peculiar house party of my experience," as one of the characters says--and therein lies all the fun. An Edwardian country house party throws together Boer war veteran Archie Curtis and effete poet Daniel da Silva, who find they have unlikely common ground in that they both suspect their hosts are up to nefarious illegal deeds. Then of course Archie and Daniel, despite their differences, find themselves tempted into some also-illegal-at-the-time activities with one another, making things appealingly complicated. Despite the frequent mortal peril and the fairly high body count, this was a deeply charming book, written smoothly and romantically. I love these guys. Especially da Silva with his many snippy one-liners. A delight!

I adored this historical M/M mystery/thriller romance.

Captain Archie Curtis is a survivor of a horrific injury while serving in the British army--not even in battle. While inspecting a shipment of weapons, Archie and his platoon were maimed and fatally wounded when their rifles exploded in their hands. Archie lost three fingers and has a limp from a misfired round that caught him in the knee. He dwells in misery, feeling half-a-man due to his loss of fingers, livelihood, and companions.

Acting on a tip, from the faulty gunmaker no less, Archie accepts the invitation of an old family friend Sir Hubert Armstrong, for a two week stay at his remote country house. Sir Hubert is an industrialist, and his lavish home is a marvel of electric feats. It seems that Sir Hubert has been accussed of tampering with the very weapons which destroyed Archie's compatriots. The house company is interesting, but Capt. Curtis is rather annoyed with Daniel da Silva, a flamboyantly effeminate "poet" who is not only Portuguese, he's a Jew.

The other male guests take thinly veiled jabs at Daniel, but Archie's most frustrated that da Silva's always underfoot when he's investigating Sir Hubert's private files. They men strike up a tenuous partnership when it seems that they are both seeking Sir Hubert's dark secrets.

Meanwhile, they're captured in a compromising position--one in which they could be prosecuted--or fall under Sir Hubert's more dark enterprise: blackmail.

Daniel is quite comfortable with his 'invert' sexuality, but Archie hasn't ever considered himself gay. Still, Archie can't deny the strange attraction he's beginning to experience for the wily da Silva.

There's a whole lotta intrigue in this book. And a quietly developing tender romance. The stakes are death if da Silva and Archie are caught by Sir Hubert, and I'll just say, the book ends with quite a few deaths. Super high tension, mostly on the intrigue-side, however.

I loved the fervor Archie had in pursuit of da Silva, and protecting him from the very dangerous tenants of Sir Hubert's abode. There was such biting humor, and such valiant gallantry. I swooned. The end was really, just, all I hoped it would be.

Gorgeously, perfectly done. I adored it... even if the book really isn't my genre.

K.J. Charles is changing the face of M/M, I'm telling you. She keeps coming up with this brilliant, well written stuff that elevates the whole genre. Think of England is another exceptional book and I loved it almost as much as her The Magpie Lord series.

Is it a GFY? No, I wouldn't say so. This book is sort of like a coming of age or sexual awakening, only the person waking up is way past adolescence. Curtis was glorious in his discovery of his same-sex tendencies. Deliciously hot. I was also obsessed with Daniel, who was flawlessly written.

It was strange for me seeing a character openly mocked for being Jewish. I'm so spoiled living where I live, both geographically and in this period of history. I've never encountered outright antisemitism. I'll admit, reading some of the insults against Daniel stung a little. It just made me admire him eons more. He had the triple whammy of being Jewish, Portuguese, and obviously gay in a time where none of those things were tolerated. I was in awe of his strength, resilience, and his ability to adapt. I could read books and books about Daniel.

Though this book was nearly perfect in many respects, it still, at it's core, isn't the type of book that I can easily give 5 stars to. I simply don't enjoy mysteries and suspense that much. Too much danger makes me impossibly anxious and sweaty, and no one likes a sweaty Heather! This book gave me the cold sweats, and I found myself rushing it a bit because I had too much anxiety about what was to happen next.

Oddly enough, I can tolerate suspense and danger in my paranormal book much easier. I think in those types of reads, I KNOW the hero is going to pull some magic out of his arse and get the bad guys. But with real people? Real situations, like in this book? Yeah, I'm not strong enough.

So, yes, this book was amazing. Yes, all of the reviews are correct. And, YES, I'm happy that sweat-fest is over.

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- I liked the writing very much. The descriptions are sharp, conveying a wealth of meaning in very few words. For example: “Mr. Grayling looked a rather silly sort of chap, expensively dressed but lacking polish, and with a hint of double chin.”
- The mystery plotline isn’t terribly complex, but it has multiple facets. I found it quite entertaining.
- Situations in which sex occurs under duress rarely work for me. It is utterly believable here, not to mention amusing. In fact, I found the sex scenes rather hot in spite of Curtis’s discomfort with them and the halting way in which he participates.
- There are several secondary characters I liked. They’re interesting and well-formed.

CONS:
- This is a story in which I would have liked to see some scenes from Daniel’s point of view as well as Curtis’s. “Enemies to lovers” works better, in my opinion, if you see both characters softening toward each other rather than just one.
- Curtis’s homophobic comments (which are numerous, at least at the start of the story) bothered me. I realize that they’re realistic for the time period and the character--well-to-do, former military, brought up in the most proper of ways--but they still bothered me.
- I have a pet peeve about characters “hissing” words that don’t contain the letter “s” in them, and it happens a fair number of times in this story.

Overall comments: I love stories in which the characters get up to all sorts of vile, depraved activities in private, yet demonstrate perfectly genteel mannerisms in public. The contrast lends the entire story an amusing tone, and the author here is quite obviously in on the joke, as well as extending an invitation to her readers to join in on the fun.

This is delightful and full of wonderful character development. I wasn't sure I was going to like Curtis at the beginning. Boy, was I wrong. He's great and so is Daniel.

It's a house party. Things were better for me after the "throw names at my face" part. I'm not sure I ever quite sorted out the non-essential guests or even some of the household staff, but that's how it goes. Too many names, not enough head space.

I hope/believe this is the start of a series about Curtis and Daniel, and I look forward to seeing this relationship evolve.

*This review was first posted on Goodreads.

Startlingly good m/m romance in early 20th century England in a mystery house party setting. These sorts of books tend to nail either the romance or the suspense, so it's amazing to read one that perfectly balances both. You will NOT be able to put it down, so don't buy it until you have a free afternoon or evening. I tore through it in 3 hours!

Loved the opposites - attract theme. Our heroes nicely drawn with enough angst to be interesting and not so much to be too damaged for a happy ending. Fast paced, great suspense and villains who are dreadful and not romanticised. I love this book.

Excellently written, set in England in early 1900s. Has some of everything: sex, love, patriotism, duty, racial politics, tight plot, heroes with brains & brawn & snappy dialogue - just a lot of fun.