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tshepiso 's review for:
Proper English
by KJ Charles
I absolutely adored Proper English. Its combination of slow-burn sapphic romance and murder mystery is one I've never encountered before but worked surprisingly well.
The story follows Patricia, a perfectly contented soon-to-be spinster and master shooter. After being invited by childhood friend Jimmy Yoxall for a week of game hunting she soon makes a connection with Jimmy's fiance Fenella. But tensions are high in the Yoxall estate. With the betrothed couple barely speaking and an odious brother-in-law making determined to make everyone miserable Pat finds her restful hunting week fraught. So when a body drops Pat finds herself racing to find the killer before Jimmy is implicated. All while falling for Fenella.
K.J. Charles's romantic sensibilities in Proper English are pitch-perfect. Pat and Fen's slow fall for each other was so gratifying to read. Despite taking place over a handful of days I fully bought into their romance because of the care and attention to detail Charles put in. Pat's shift from wariness of the ditsy air Fenella presented to the world to admiration and eventually full-on passion was perfectly articulated. The two had a genuine emotional connection that came to life brilliantly on the page.
I will say I was slightly jarred by the book's shift into a country house murder mystery. But this wasn't at all an unpleasant turn. Charles's masterful romance writing was equally matched by her great knack for building tension suspense and mystery. Though I will admit my general lack of familiarity with the genre may have left me surprised at twists more attuned readers found pedestrian. The mystery plot, which truly kicks into high gear around 60% into the story is so successful because of Charles's great character writing. I was instantly invested in unpacking the tangled web secrets because she laid the most fascinating clues and red herrings.
Some of the most engaging scenes in the book were its tension-fueled and vicious dinner parties that led up to the murder. Here Charles shows off her meticulous ability to craft rich character dynamics. Her side characters were
While I did occasionally get lost in the detective portions of this story overall I had an amazing time with Proper English and I can't wait to dive into KJ Charles' backlist.
The story follows Patricia, a perfectly contented soon-to-be spinster and master shooter. After being invited by childhood friend Jimmy Yoxall for a week of game hunting she soon makes a connection with Jimmy's fiance Fenella. But tensions are high in the Yoxall estate. With the betrothed couple barely speaking and an odious brother-in-law making determined to make everyone miserable Pat finds her restful hunting week fraught. So when a body drops Pat finds herself racing to find the killer before Jimmy is implicated. All while falling for Fenella.
K.J. Charles's romantic sensibilities in Proper English are pitch-perfect. Pat and Fen's slow fall for each other was so gratifying to read. Despite taking place over a handful of days I fully bought into their romance because of the care and attention to detail Charles put in. Pat's shift from wariness of the ditsy air Fenella presented to the world to admiration and eventually full-on passion was perfectly articulated. The two had a genuine emotional connection that came to life brilliantly on the page.
I will say I was slightly jarred by the book's shift into a country house murder mystery. But this wasn't at all an unpleasant turn. Charles's masterful romance writing was equally matched by her great knack for building tension suspense and mystery. Though I will admit my general lack of familiarity with the genre may have left me surprised at twists more attuned readers found pedestrian. The mystery plot, which truly kicks into high gear around 60% into the story is so successful because of Charles's great character writing. I was instantly invested in unpacking the tangled web secrets because she laid the most fascinating clues and red herrings.
Some of the most engaging scenes in the book were its tension-fueled and vicious dinner parties that led up to the murder. Here Charles shows off her meticulous ability to craft rich character dynamics. Her side characters were
While I did occasionally get lost in the detective portions of this story overall I had an amazing time with Proper English and I can't wait to dive into KJ Charles' backlist.