Booklog 37/2021: K.J. Charles: Subtle Blood – Will Darling #3

[jacey]

At the end of The Sugared Game (Will Darling #2) Phoebe broke off her engagement to Kim Secretan and went off to Paris to launch the very talented Maisie as a fashion designer. Three months later and Kim, no longer working for the shady government agency, is helping Will out in the bookshop. Things are quiet… until Kim's annoying, bad-tempered older brother, Chingford, commits murder at his exclusive London club… or does he? It looks like a cut and dried case, but Kim wants to find out the truth, not because he believes his ass of a brother is actually innocent, but because if he hangs, it leaves Kim heir to the title and estate and that is not a life he wants. He's never been able to please his overbearing father, the Marquess, and can't bear the thought of being bullied by the world's worst parent. Kim has made some bad decisions in his life, in particular refusing military service in the war. He is now living with the death of his younger brother who volunteered in his place. Can he overcome his past? Can Will and Kim have a future? The m/m sex is still explicit, but finally they are talking about feelings. This seems to be a trilogy, and, indeed it wraps up very well, but there could be more adventures. I, for one, would like to see another book in the series.