Proper English

I don't think I can really review this book right now in any way that will be helpful to other readers, because I loved it so much. When it comes out in paperback, I'll probably buy a copy just so I can literally draw hearts in the margins.

I was in a major book slump before I started this. For the past few months, I've been rereading all my old favorites, while picking up a lot of new books, then eventually setting them aside. But I couldn't tear myself away from this. It's just what I needed.

Okay, let's see, what's absolutely essential to know? Pat and Fen cuddle while trying to solve a mystery, and it's a good mystery plot. Also, you could read this without reading Think of England. I would call them companion novels rather than two books in a series, but there are a lot of clever parallels between them.

Anyway, if you have any interest in this book, definitely read it, and cherish it, just like these two cherish each other. Well, now I'm metaphorically drawing hearts in the margins of this review.

I read this in about two days - like my placeholder review said, it's Edwardian-era lesbians in a country-house murder mystery, which is several different flavors of my catnip all rolled into one. This isn't five stars only because the plots are really separate and I wish they'd been more intertwined; as it is, this is almost like two books in one, first the romance and then the murder mystery, especially since no one turns up dead until over halfway through the book. I just wish there'd been more slow burn on the romance and maybe a little more mystery to the mystery - though I really liked Pat, Fen, and Bill teaming up to solve it, it was all wrapped up pretty quickly. All that aside, though, this was such a fun book to read and I've thoroughly enjoyed my little three-book detour into KJ Charles. I'll definitely be reading more from her in the future!

3.5