Slippery Creatures

enne📚 reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Slippery Creatures

3 stars

I read this book for #QueerRomanceClub. It's a post-war 1920's queer romance with a bit of a mystery element to it.

This was a fun read, but the relationship between Kim and Will was definitely a little uncomfortable in parts for me, and perhaps not quite my cuppa. I think I was not expecting something so hot and cold and hot and cold with such (understandable)! trust issues. Without the meta-knowledge that this is a trilogy with these two as leads, I as the reader would have trusted Kim even less than I did.

That said, I appreciated the complication of their messy relationship; I feel like the book sold it well both why and what worked (and didn't). Given that these books are from Will's perspective and Kim is the one who keeps secrets and lies, my hope for the future is that we as readers get to …

I read this book for #QueerRomanceClub. It's a post-war 1920's queer romance with a bit of a mystery element to it.

This was a fun read, but the relationship between Kim and Will was definitely a little uncomfortable in parts for me, and perhaps not quite my cuppa. I think I was not expecting something so hot and cold and hot and cold with such (understandable)! trust issues. Without the meta-knowledge that this is a trilogy with these two as leads, I as the reader would have trusted Kim even less than I did.

That said, I appreciated the complication of their messy relationship; I feel like the book sold it well both why and what worked (and didn't). Given that these books are from Will's perspective and Kim is the one who keeps secrets and lies, my hope for the future is that we as readers get to see more into Kim's professional and personal life and understand better the choices he makes.

Lizzard reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Fun and well written

No rating

Post World War I spy romp with gay, non racist characters.

Spaceshipcrewman reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Review of 'Slippery Creatures' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Quick read 1920s London

Just a random suggestion at first. Pretty entertaining for the first book, and I am not sure I will read the sequel.

nex3 reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

None

3 stars

This book certainly has that good gay shit, but I couldn't quite bring myself to get past its politics. While I'm used to a sort of liberal optimism about the motives (if not the actions) of government actors from books of the period, it hits different when it's written in 2020. And going to such great lengths to paint the enemies of the British state—Britain of all countries!—as evil and deluded is particularly uncomfortable in juxtaposition.

Sky reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Reluctant hero meets trickster and they save the world

4 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this story, set between the wars in London. KJ Charles added lots of historical details without overwhelming the story line, and the pacing of the action/mystery was just right for me. (Note to romance readers: while there is a relationship, this isn't really a romance. Ends more with a truce than a HFN.)

This was the first Cornell Collins audio book I've listened to, and his accents and voices were very enjoyable.

WardenRed reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

None

5 stars

“You didn’t tell me the truth.”
“Why should I have? Do you blurt out all your worst acts and features on first acquaintance? I’m quite sure there’s parts of your life you’d rather not reveal to me.”
That was true, and thus intolerably unfair.

Such a fun, emotional book to get lost in! It has it all: secrets, lies, a big scary conspiracy, spy intrigue, and a cozy bookstore. Will really made me feel for him throughout the story, and Kim was an intriguing character in his own right. As I've come to expect from K.J. Charles's books, there were a number of fully realized female side characters, too, who were quite compelling. Phoebe in particular has me totally enamored.

The non-romance part of the plot was full of tension and had me anxiously turning pages. As for the romance part, on one hand, I'm not 100% sold on it; …

“You didn’t tell me the truth.”
“Why should I have? Do you blurt out all your worst acts and features on first acquaintance? I’m quite sure there’s parts of your life you’d rather not reveal to me.”
That was true, and thus intolerably unfair.

Such a fun, emotional book to get lost in! It has it all: secrets, lies, a big scary conspiracy, spy intrigue, and a cozy bookstore. Will really made me feel for him throughout the story, and Kim was an intriguing character in his own right. As I've come to expect from K.J. Charles's books, there were a number of fully realized female side characters, too, who were quite compelling. Phoebe in particular has me totally enamored.
The non-romance part of the plot was full of tension and had me anxiously turning pages. As for the romance part, on one hand, I'm not 100% sold on it; that is to say, I did enjoy following this couple's relationship and want them to have a HEA one day, but I also can't yet see them actually getting there. On the other hand, this is kind of the point, I guess? This book is the first part of a trilogy, with the resolution of the romance arc delayed until the end of book three, so Will and Kim do still have a long way to go. I'm excited to pick up the next book and follow them down the rest of the road.

Minotaur reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Review of 'Slippery Creatures' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Mmm not sure I loved this one, I think it may have been the period. Think I may prefer regency over World war 2 times.

Kathrin Passig reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Review of 'Slippery Creatures' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Es enthält viele gute und lustige Sätze, und ich mag es, dass man in den Sexszenen genau erfährt, wer was mit wem in welcher Reihenfolge macht und nicht nur "... dann trafen sich ihre Münder. Als sie ein paar Stunden später im Schlafzimmer wieder zu sich kamen ..." Drei statt vier Sterne, weil ich das "Männlichkeit ist ein erfahrener Mörder sein und schwielige Hände haben"-Konzept und die sehr häufigen Erwähnungen der deep dark eyes von Lord Secretan schon nach dem ersten Drittel ein bisschen blöd fand.

the_lirazel reviewed Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Review of 'Slippery Creatures' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Well that was enjoyable. This was my first KJ Charles--I've tried a couple of hers before but never made it far into them; they just never clicked with me. But I liked this one. The plot was sufficiently twisty, the characters were well-drawn, and I am always weak for interwar London as a setting. Enjoyable pulp.

Would like to see a spinoff about Phoebe, who I adore and who is clearly a lesbian (I love a lavender marriage!) and who would make a fantastic protagonist. I now wish Charles wrote more f/f instead of mostly m/m.