Tag Team Review: Subtle Blood (The Will Darling Adventures #3) by K.J. Charles

Will Darling is all right. His business is doing well, and so is his illicit relationship with Kim Secretan--disgraced aristocrat, ex-spy, amateur book-dealer. It’s starting to feel like he’s got his life under control.

And then a brutal murder in a gentleman’s club plunges them back into the shadow world of crime, deception, and the power of privilege. Worse, it brings them up against Kim’s noble, hostile family, and his upper-class life where Will can never belong.

With old and new enemies against them, and secrets on every side, Will and Kim have to fight for each other harder than ever—or be torn apart for good.







Averaged!

Adam - 4 Hearts

And so it ends! On a really good note too.

Will and Kim have settled into a happy routine. A bit dull perhaps, but that’s just fine after everything the two have been through.

Of course, that doesn’t last too long at all. Their past adventures and Kim’s abominable family pull both men right back into the midst of another crime.

KJ Charles really knows how to write murder and mystery. From the start, the twists and turns kept me hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading everything unfold, and then finally understanding how all the pieces fit together. Plus, Maisie and Phoebe return with all of the fanfare and attention they deserve!

What made the plot even more entertaining - it was closely linked to learning more about Kim.

Kim has either been an enigma or an asshat since book 1. He’s worked hard to shed that asshat-ness, but his past has still been murky.

Well, Kim is a mystery no more! Turns out he’s the product of his family. It really did put things into perspective, and explained how Kit came to be the man he is. Especially so for Will.

I loved how Will absorbed it all and became the rock that Kim needed. They’ve had their ups and downs, but in book 3 the two men just get each other and do what needs to be done to keep each other whole.

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Don’t get me wrong, they are far from sunshine and roses - Will and Kim are still snarky, combative, and seem to find joy in poking at each other. But it’s all done with love, and makes their quiet vulnerable moments all the more sweet.

Book 3’s ending is absolutely perfect for Kim and Will. And perhaps leaves room for a short follow-up? *hint hint, please*

This series (and Kim, Will, Maisie, and Phoebe) really grew on me. It’s got romance and mystery in spades. Recommended!

R *A Reader Obsessed* - 4.5 Hearts

Whoo! Talk about a page turner!!

Last we saw Will and Kim, they had taken those few tentative steps toward a fragile commitment towards each other, and now they’re slowly getting into their groove. All that seemingly domestic bliss however, is rudely interrupted when Kim’s awful arsehole of a brother is accused of murder.

Things quickly unravel into a complicated messy need to see Kim’s brother exonerated, and Will and Kim do what they do best in trying to find a way out of the shit show they find themselves embroiled in. What they uncover is perhaps a not so shocking realization. Their common enemy, Zodiac, is trying to regain their feet after they were disbanded in The Sugared Game, and Will and Kim have landed smack dab in the middle of it, mucking about and causing their trademark meddlesome trouble.

For me, this series continues to get better and better as it successfully brings a great supporting cast, a complicated mystery full of twists and turns, all the while brandishing gentlemanly propriety amidst some not so gentlemanly situations. What this also brings is some seriously romantic and well earned swoon! Both Will and Kim have taken a deep dive into what their hearts truly desire and once that realization is made, they'll do anything to see it come to fruition. And how!

Admittedly, I wondered how Charles would close this trilogy, both in the overall series arc and with the love progression. Don’t fear dear readers, for she didn’t fail us. Historicals aren’t a top trope that I readily delve into, but Charles makes a strong argument for them as I blatantly call for more of her paranormal stories!! To say the least, I’m not easily impressed, but I’m waving the white flag in concession as this pulls out all the stops!

A copy provided for an honest review.



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