A Fashionable Indulgence by K.J. CharlesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Harry Vane was the son of two radicals, he spent his childhood on the run and abroad because of their anti-government stance. After their deaths he returned to London and took up work with Silas in his bookshop, whilst also helping him to secretly print radical tracts and newsletters in the basement.
Then after getting drunk and indiscreet in a pub with a stranger one night, Harry is astonished to be visited by a aristocrat to be told he is the long-lost grandson of an illustrious member of the Vane family and potentially heir to a fortune. The aristocrat, his cousin Richard, has been ordered by Harry's grandfather to make him presentable for society and Richard can think of no-one better than his friend Julius Norreys. Julius may have a cutting wit and be a dandy but he knows everything that is needed to turn Harry from a guttersnipe into a gentleman.
Harry feels torn, whilst he hated being dragged from pillar to post by his parents, and being rich feels like a much easier life, he can't help but feel grateful to Silas for taking him in and looking after him all those years. He may not be the same sort of radical as his parents but that doesn't mean he supports the suppression of the masses either. Added to which, he feels altogether too friendly to Julius but feels there would be no way an aristocrat like him would ever be involved with another man.
Set against the backdrop of the Peterloo massacre and the calls for reform of the rotten boroughs (how vividly I recall those names from history lessons at school and how remote I felt at the time). Harry is torn between a life of privilege and standing up for his principles.
Hate the covers for this series but this was an enjoyable read which really brought home the struggles of the time for fair representation and LGBTQIA+ rights.
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