The Sugared Game

The Will Darling Adventures, Book 2

By: KJ Charles

Narrated by: Cornell Collins

It's been two months since Will Darling saw Kim Secretan, and he doesn't expect to see him again. What do a rough and ready soldier-turned-bookseller and a disgraced, shady aristocrat have to do with each other anyway?

But when Will encounters a face from the past in a disreputable nightclub, Kim turns up, as shifty, unreliable, and irresistible as ever. And before Will knows it, he's been dragged back into Kim's shadowy world of secrets, criminal conspiracies, and underhand dealings.

This time, though, things are underhanded even by Kim standards. This time, the danger is too close to home. And if Will and Kim can't find common ground against unseen enemies, they risk losing everything.

Contains mature themes.

©2020 KJ Charles (P)2020 Tantor

This book made this series my favorite KJC series

Book 1 left me with such a mix of feelings that I wasn't sure what to think. I knew the story intrigued me and the writing engrossed me. I knew I cared about Will Darling. But I didn't want to feel sick with secondhand shame and worry again. I didn't want to feel disgusted and hurt by Kim again. But I love KJ Charles, so I eventually jumped in. I'm so glad I did. Book 2 turned the Will Darling series into my favorite KJ Charles series, and that's saying something considering I worship her books. If unsure of book 1 and checking these reviews for clues it'll be worth it, I promise you the pain and frustration endured in book 1 is 100% completely worth it. This book makes the first book a thousand times better. (It was already great, but I mean it makes the pain a thousand times more tolerable.)

The Sugared Game takes us deeper into the world, revealing a lot of the big players orchestrating a lot of the crime and mayhem. We learn a great deal more about Will and Kim as they get closer and join forces. There is still some frustrating manipulation and dishonesty from Kim, but they actually address it by TALKING about it like adults. Practically unheard of! There's no forced miscommunication or dodging the one conversation that would fix everything. These guys hash things out multiple times and eventually work together. Will sticks up for himself full-stop, no wavering for his pretty boyfriend. In fact, Will is a bit too eager to jump into situations and seems a bit pigheaded (in a charming brutish sort of way) at times.

By the end, I ended up so deeply invested in Will and Kim's hopes for each other that I think I'll be more heartbroken if something came between them than they would be. The book ends with huge changes to the status quo, opening the entire world of possibilities. It's like a gaping wound of possibilities, actually. A bit frightening and unclear. I have no idea what to expect for book 3 at all, and I can't wait!

definitely one of the better gay Romance

pretty much just a good spy/mystery novel with gay characters, finally. I can't find anything wrong with this one, the voice work is great as well

Another fantastic instalment

This isn’t just romance. It’s fun pulp, wonderful characterisation and perfectly narrated. The whole package!

Enjoy this Series

The characters, time period, adventure all come together for an enjoyable story. Looking forward to the third installment.

Fabulous sequel

When the sequel is just as nearly satisfying as the first novel in a series, it’s an unmitigated treat - and that is exactly what this was! The audiobook was narrated brilliantly once again by Cornell Collins, and KJ Charles delivered another tightly-plotted game of intrigue with heartbreakingly human characters living out the best and worst of their natures.

KJ Charles has a knack for writing well-rounded characters. Their motivations make sense, and their behaviors are brilliantly in-character. Kim, Will, Maisie and Phoebe are all developed in a way where they feel like real people, and their actions throughout this novel and the first build onto my understanding of who they are. The supporting cast are just as well-grounded in the shorter amounts of time we as readers spend with them.

The plot here felt a little more snarled than in the first novel, in part because there were lots of names to keep track of. That said, there were breadcrumbs along the way that set up the conclusion perfectly, and a few “aha!” moments that I hadn’t worked out on my own.

From the characters and relationship perspective: It’s important too that they (mainly Will and Kim) continue to make the same mistakes even as they’re learning and striving to do better. They have undeniable chemistry, represent for one another a part of their lives they were missing, and they STILL keep hurting one another for one reason or the other.

I am really looking forward to the final part of the trilogy!