While I absolutely love everything KJ Charles has ever written and everything she has yet to write, I have to say that the Regency-era stories are my most favorite among the sea of five star reads. Needless to say, I was excited about the opportunity of jumping into an all-new queer Regency romance.

Robin and Marianne Loxleigh have come to London with a singular purpose: scam the good people of the ton, and if they play their cards right, walk away with a wealthy bride and groom, setting themselves up for life.

Their plan grinds to a halt when Sir John Hartlebury catches on to the grift. In order to avoid utter ruination, they come to an… agreement of sorts. But surely—anything that happens as a result of this…indecent proposal… is just part of the terms, right? Neither of them is going to do anything silly like catch feelings for each other? Oh, what a lark that would be!

Robin is supposed to be an utter cad, but I couldn’t help becoming instantly enchanted by his carefree demeanor. Yes, he’s a bit of an antihero, but he does have somewhat of a moral compass. I appreciated that his introspective thoughts included his explicit intent to treat whichever young heiress he happened to ensnare with care, and also that he would be careful with her money. It’s quite hard to root for someone who plans to treat kind people with callous disregard, so I’m glad I didn’t have to struggle with this moral quandary of rooting for a baddie.

Sir John is the opposite of a baddie. He’s honorable to a fault, and when he senses an air of malfeasance wafting about Robin, he’s determined to call him out. He cares very much about his sister and niece, and doesn’t want to see either of them hurt by a young man he perceives—correctly, I might add—to be a fortune hunter. Taking all this into consideration, it was most delightful to see this stalwart man come undone.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention Marianne. She might not be a POV character, but she still plays an important role in the narrative. If anything, she has a more vested interest in seeing their scam come to fruition because there are fewer opportunities in the world for women.

I would absolutely recommend The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting. This book was an unexpected surprise between installments of the Will Darling series, and we are all so lucky to receive such a treasure. Writing this review makes me want to read the book again, and I’m sure I’ll be doing so in the very near future—just as I’m sure I’ll be purchasing the audiobook when it’s released.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.