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“You call yourself a gentleman,” Silas said, very deliberately. “Breaking the law here, bending it there, making damn sure other people obey it, but it’s not for you and your sort, is it, Mr. Frey? You act as you will. It’s other people who have to face the laws and the gaols and the gallows. Other people who belong on their knees.”

I was honestly on the fence about continuing this series at all. I tend to very much enjoy K.J. Charles's historical for the way she pokes at the ugly parts of that "beautiful high society," but in this series, those ugly parts are so specifically showcased through the protagonists I'm supposed to root for that I just can't vibe with it. But I liked the political plot in the first book, and also I really, really loved Silas there—he was the one character who made my day whenever appeared on the page. So I picked up A Seditious Affair after all, for the sole reason that he's one of the MCs here.

I'm glad I chose to do so, because if the political plot in the first book was enjoyable, then here it was simply spectacular. So many chapters had me on the edge of my seat, and I was also super engrossed in the way the romance and the politics intertwined. The two storylines were constructed so well, constantly enriching each other and pushing the individual character arcs forward. 

Silas didn't disappoint me at all, and Dom kind of grew on me compared to the previous book as I got to know him better. Their dynamic was really intriguing. I'm not a big fan of how kink was handled here, to be honest, but it definitely worked for these characters, and I enjoyed seeing their emotional connection grow in the spaces between established mutual attraction, the reveal of their identities, and their super conflicting convictions and beliefs. 

As for the rest of the cast, I guess most of them irritated me a lot less this time around, not least because the most irritating aspects of their personalities and ways of life were explicitly discussed here. The only one who never stopped bugging me not even for a second, despite the personal growth he underwent over the course of the story, is Richard, so I'm probably not going to finish the series—the third installment is his book, and I'm not wishing much personal happiness on him, so I can't imagine getting invested in a romance with him at the center. Still, I'd like to note that while I dislike a lot of the characters here, I do still like how they're written/crafted. They're definitely fleshed out and recognizable and their actions and reactions consistently make sense in the context of their fictional lives. I just don't vibe with them, I guess.

I think I'm entitled to worry about you. If only because there's nobody else to do that. And also because I'm in a derelict house miles from anywhere with someone who isn't in a good form of mind at all. The only thing lacking to make this any more alarming is a thunderstorm.

I really love the way K.J. Charles writes novellas. Yes, I always end up kind of wanting more, because what do you mean the story is over, I want to keep hanging out with these characters! But I never feel like anything is missing because the story is short. The plot always hits all the right beats at all the right times, the character arcs are fully realized, the relationship unfolds logically, and the endings never feel rushed. All of this is definitely true for this Audible Original. I loved the story of these two lost, lonely men who were supposed to be just moments in each other's life getting brought together by chance and becoming closer during a treasure hunt in a derelict hoarder house.

I also very much enjoyed the narration, especially for Toby's chapters. And the characters themselves! They really made me feel for them. Though now that I think of it, I'm not sure how Toby survived for seven years until meeting Miles. I mean, yeah, he's inventive, has great people skills, and isn't the worst thief ever, but underneath it all (and like, not far underneath it all? skin-deep?) he's such an open, loving person, so willing to empathize with others and to put himself aside for the sake of someone he cares about. I have no idea how he retained all those qualities living on the edge of the gutter for years and never gotten taken advantage of, but I love him for it.

The one small thing that didn't leave me fully satisfied is probably on me: I find it more difficult to process audiobooks than regular books, and I was also listening to this one right before sleep while feeling unwell. So it's possible I missed something! But I'm not sure what made those high-stakes parts of the plot in the later chapters necessary? I mean, I see how they were necessary from the character development point of view, allowing both Toby and Miles (especially Miles) to kind of reinforce the changes they've gone through. But from the plot point of view, I'm not sure it felt very natural. Or maybe it's just that I really liked all the parts about treasure hunting in the derelict house and wished for more of that!