K. J. Charles turns up the heat in her new Society of Gentlemen novel, as two lovers face off in a sensual duel that challenges their deepest beliefs. Silas Mason has no illusions about himself. He’s not lovable, or even likable. He’s an overbearing idealist, a Radical bookseller and pamphleteer who lives for revolution . . . and for Wednesday nights. Every week he meets anonymously with the same … anonymously with the same man, in whom Silas has discovered the ideal meld of intellectual companionship and absolute obedience to his sexual commands. But unbeknownst to Silas, his closest friend is also his greatest enemy, with the power to see him hanged—or spare his life.
A loyal, well-born gentleman official, Dominic Frey is torn apart by his affair with Silas. By the light of day, he cannot fathom the intoxicating lust that drives him to meet with the Radical week after week. In the bedroom, everything else falls away. Their needs match, and they are united by sympathy for each other’s deepest vulnerabilities. But when Silas’s politics earn him a death sentence, desire clashes with duty, and Dominic finds himself doing everything he can to save the man who stole his heart.
And look for the enticing Society of Gentlemen series by KJ Charles:
THE RUIN OF GABRIEL ASHLEIGH | A FASHIONABLE INDULGENCE | A SEDITIOUS AFFAIR | A GENTLEMAN’S POSITION
Don’t miss any of the captivating Sins of the Cities novels:
AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION | AN UNNATURAL VICE | AN UNSUITABLE HEIR
Praise for A Seditious Affair
“This book is so good I read it in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. K. J. Charles has long been one of my favorite authors, and this book doesn’t disappoint. A Seditious Affair is a beautiful love story interwoven with the realism of the political unrest of the time—another winner from K. J. Charles!”—USA Today bestselling author Carole Mortimer
“Without doubt, A Seditious Affair is one of the best books I’ve read this year.”—All About Romance
“I still haven’t gotten over how much I loved this book. I so look forward to reading the next novel in K. J. Charles’s Society of Gentlemen series.”—Unquietly Me
“Gah! It’s always the books I love the most that leave me flailing and tongue tied. . . . A Seditious Affair is not a fluffy read but it is a story you can really sink your teeth into. It’s complex, sensual, raw and gosh darn it—super romantic. It’s one of my favorite reads of [the year].”—For What It’s Worth
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My favorite KJ Charles book! Our two heroes have discovered that they share very specific sexual (and emotional) needs, and they meet every Wednesday evening to work them out. Anonymously. Which sets up an amazing conflict because one (Dominic) works in the Tory government investigating seditious publications and the other (Silas) publishes those pamphlets. This is one of those romances that makes you wonder how the heroes will ever be able to be together in a real way. You’ll doubt it HARD. But that only makes the HEA sweeter. Highly recommend! (CW for Dom/sub dynamic)
I love this entire series, but this book in particular is a re-read favourite. Excellently researched as always by KJ Charles, this romance pushes my buttons with a dom/sub aspect in the bedroom and two MCs from very different worlds.
It’s been a long time since a romance novel made me weep, but this one did. I can’t begin to explain everything at the moment. I’ll have to come back to it.
****Sorry, I was busy crying and wiping my nose.****
First, I have never read a MM romance. This was my first and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I didn’t like it, I loved it.
Second, I thought the sex would not be anything I would be into and let me say, I was so wrong. It was super hot. And the romance…oh, the romance.
Nothing in the world tops the two main characters being furious with the other after discovering the other’s identity, wanting desperately to see the other, and feeling so insecure about the other. Then there is their first kiss, which came after a year of the two of them having sex. It was an explosion and I won’t say I didn’t tear up. I did. In fact, this book made me well up with tears more times than I can count. The sacrifices they made for each other and the honesty between them was so much more…
It was so much more than any of the whiny heroines, indignant virgins and brooding alpha males that I’ve been inundated with recently. There was no “big misunderstanding,” no one was crying they didn’t ever want to marry, there was no fighting over plot devices that made me want to slap someone. Instead, two people were vulnerable to the other, but with complete trust. They could be killed for loving each other, and yet they take the chance. It was refreshing to find a couple that loved each other without judgement and wanted nothing more than for the other person to be happy to the point that they would sacrifice their own happiness.
I don’t want to give everything away, so I’ll shut up. I will say that my heart broke just a bit as I read this book. I’m scared I won’t find its like again.
I can’t adequately express how much I love this book. As a queer man with very strong political opinions who appreciates well written D/s relationships, I knew I was probably going to enjoy this book. And boy, did I. There’s no filler in the whole novel—it’s engaging from cover to cover. Even on rereads, I never skipped a single page. A lot of novels that try to have both a romance plot and a strong external plot end up muddled and leave the impression they should’ve just picked one and stuck with it. But just picking one wasn’t really going to do two politically engaged characters like Silas and Dominic justice, and thankfully, the way the historical events and fictional romance entwine is absolutely brilliant.
As other reviews have noted, it’s not a light, cheery read. It was a dark, polarized period in history, and both Silas and Dominic intentionally put themselves right in the middle of things. But the story doesn’t get lost in that and puts the focus on how their bond both tests and sustains the two of them. They even get their historically and character-appropriate HEA—one that’s expanded upon in the next book, A Gentleman’s Position, and the series’ free coda, A Private Miscellany. The ending could have seemed contrived in the hands of a less skilled writer, but it ends up feeling both earned and poignant. It even naturally builds in a nice link to A Gentleman’s Position (which is also excellent).
Even if you don’t normally like politics or BDSM in your historical romance, you still may want to give this one a shot. At its heart, this is a book about two caring, thoughtful men who respect and treasure one another not just in spite of but because of their differences. Their love does not come easy, but good things rarely do.
Loved just how interconnected this is with the last book, although I do think it dragged on just a little longer than necessary.
Of all the books in this series, A Seditious Affair is my favourite. It’s not just because I personally like both main characters a lot, but also that the setting comes across the most strongly here. It’s clearly been very well researched (and for historical fiction, that’s really important to me), and it’s precisely because of the setting that this particular relationship feels incredibly emotionally rewarding.
Audible Review:
Overall 5*
Performance 5*
Story 5*
Completely unexpected how much I loved this story!
I loved this story!
It was really uncomfortable to listen to at times, as I’m not the biggest fan of D/s, but it was done so well in this book.
Silas kind of crept into my heart and wouldn’t let go. He’s rough and gruff and so not your typical hero. But he’s such a wonderful character!
He and Dominic are the epitome of the odd couple- 2 people you would never, ever expect to work, yet they are the puzzle piece the other was missing.
This story was really compelling, as Silas and Dominic’s relationship is so complicated! How could these two men ever have the happily ever after that they so deserve? KJ Charles did a wonderful job of giving us a wholly statisfying and believable resolution to a love story that really shouldn’t have stood a chance.
Matthew Lloyd Davies narration was outstanding. He really seems to live and breath these characters. He’s not just reading the book, he’s giving us a one-man performance, and I am here for it!
*Borrowed through the Romance Package.
This is probably my favorite of Charles’s books, and that’s saying something, because I’ve yet to come across one I disliked. The characters are complex and engaging, the situation is incredibly complicated emotionally, and the resolution is immensely satisfying. Romances often try to pretend politics don’t exist, and I can’t remember reading another book where the two mc’s had radically differing views of the current government, but Charles dares. It’s never preachy, though; It’s more about the inevitable power struggle between two men trying fervently to do the right thing–but in very different ways. This power struggle quickly becomes outrageously compelling (and intensely hot!). One of very few romances where I was legitimately worried about how the heck Charles was going to produce a happy ending.