KJ Charles never misses and the Duke at Hazard is no exception. This book has it all: hidden identities, shady pasts, thieves, an elopement, and a ton of 19th-century stagecoach road-trip shenanigans. It's a truly fun, enjoyable book with believable development for all the major characters and some entertaining and well-rounded secondary characters. Though it touches on some darker themes, this is ultimately a lighthearted story about two men falling in love and growing as people through a series of escapades in pursuit of a thief. While I usually prefer the more politics or mystery-focused KJ Charles books, this was a wonderful romance and I've already read it twice in two months.

I enjoyed this a lot but it did not hit quite the same way The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting did. I think also this may have suffered a bit for some diminishing returns, having read all these books so close together. But it's still got all the things I love about a KJC book - lovely, complex, main and supporting characters, a great sense of place, enough plot to keep me guessing on the twists and turns balanced by enough feeling to still be in my wheelhouse - all with everything tied up in a neat little bow (in fact this might have been tied up a little too neatly). And there were some new and different things in this story that worked really well or got me thinking. So overall, a very enjoyable read, just a little lower on the KJC scale for me. I'll definitely be re-reading at some point (in audio most likely.)

The Duke of Hazard by K.J. Charles
Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #2

Wonderful story that kept me reading till 2am just because I wanted that happy ending for Cassian and Daizzel. I had no idea that it was a ways into a series BUT this was a standalone story and a delight to read.

What I liked:
* Cassian: orphaned at six, raised by his uncle, pampered and protected, much to live up to, feels overwhelmed at times, needs space, quick, caring, more than he realizes, has a great adventure, has an epiphany, comes into his “own”, perfect for and with Daizell
* Daizell: disgraced gentleman, down on his luck, silhouette cutter extraordinaire, outgoing, bubbly, abandoned more than once, trust issues, guarded, kind, caring, giving, protective, problem solver, perfect for and with Cassian
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing – drew me in and made me care
* That I could both like and dislike a character at various times and eventually like them indeed when their story was explained
* That it was easy to dislike the main villains
* The growing relationship with open communication and honesty between Cass and Dazz
* The bet and how it impacted more than one character in the story
* The sweetness of the romance and love that developed between the main characters
* The cousins and their part in the story
* The positive potential for the future

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how evil the main bad guy was and some of the things he did…hope he got a thorough drubbing…and perhaps even worse
* Thinking about the era with its rules, expectations, and how easily it was to fall from grace to despair

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

KJ Charles is always a winner for me, and The Duke at Hazard is no exception to that rule! This book is a historical MM romance that is an emotional rollercoaster, with some spice along the way to liven things up. This book follows Cassian, a duke who makes a bet to act as a "normal" person for a month without using most of the privileges of his name and title in order to get back a ring that was stolen from him.

This story is quite heartwarming, with a few different plotlines that end up coming together in a very satisfying way! I ended up loving both main characters, although their romance was a bit slow to warm up for me. The spice scenes were well-written and enjoyable, but did not happen so often that they overwhelmed the book. This is a lovely romp, perfect for those who enjoy regency romance!

A adventurous yet emotional story. What starts as a 'simple' journey to recover a stolen ring soon turns inton much more. It took me awhile to get into the story because the beginning was a bit slow. But it definitely got better in the middle. I enjoyed how Cassians got more confident without losing himself. It was nice to see how his relationship with Daiz developed over the course of the book and how the helped eachother. A overall cute story with a good mix of action, love and of course spice.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Beware of possible spoilers.

This is my first novel by K.J. Charles and, honestly, I think I might try another one. I like the wit of the characters and the story had several moments I enjoyed.

I think the biggest issue I had with the book is that it felt long. Lots of things were happening, but it felt like they weren't always connected, which caused a bumpy flow of the plot. Severn has his own story with a wager and going after a stolen ring, but then there's also an elopement story and then suddenly someone is kidnapped and...Well, it all ties together at the end, but throughout the readthrough, it felt the author had a lot they wanted to include and couldn't decide what to keep and what to get rid of, so they added it all the best they could. Unfortunately, it read very mismatched.

While I did actually like Severn (Cassian) and Daizell together, having Severn ask Daizell for help the first time they meet felt very out of the blue. It felt just as convenient as everything that happened after their fight where Severn just happened to stumble across everything and everyone that lead him right back to Daizell.

Speaking of random: I like the idea of exploring kinks and showing them healthily. In this book, there's communication and trust, and I enjoyed that part of it even if the kink isn't something I would like, myself. That being said, it did feel a little thrown in there? But maybe that's just me.

It probably feels like I'm just listing things I didn't like, but I did actually enjoy the characters and the ending a lot. I think if you like romances with a lot more plot to them and you don't mind some things randomly happening, this is a book you'll get enjoyment of.

This was an adorably cute and fluffy read! I’m not usually one to read this era of books but when I saw the description on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. I loved the hidden identity, the one-bed trope, the wit, the humor. I loved it all! My only regret is that I didn’t read the series in order.

The Duke at Hazard is a fun, fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable historical romance that is, at its heart, a story about growing up, self-discovery and finding that one person who brings out the best in you and helps you to realise your full potential. Being a KJ Charles story there is, of course, plenty of wryly observed social commentary, a dastardly villain who gets his well-deserved comeuppance, a pair of likeable, superbly characterised leads and high-jinks and shenanigans galore.

Vernon Fortesque Cassian George de Vere Crosse, fourth Duke of Severn, has spent his entire life wrapped up in cotton wool. Having inherited his lofty title at the age of six, he was brought up by his uncle Hugo to be fully aware of his responsibilities and his consequence as one of the highest-ranking gentlemen in England. His life is comfortable and he wants for nothing, but he is starting to chafe against the bars of his gilded cage and longs to strike out on his own, to be able throw off the trappings of nobility sometimes and just be… himself, a man and not a duke. Unfortunately however, the one time he does that, it goes horribly wrong. An assignation with a young man who appears to want Severn for himself and not for his title is hugely tempting, and it’s only when he wakes up the next morning to discover that he’s been robbed of absolutely everything, including the Severn Ring, that he realises he was duped.

More than slightly panicked about the loss of such an important family heirloom, Severn comes up with a story about an evening of wine, women and song to account for the loss and insists he will find the ring and ensure its return. His uncle sputters with outrage while his cousin, Leo, is openly sceptical, quite rightly pointing out that as he’s never had to do anything for himself in his entire life, it’s no wonder the effort to look out for himself ended in disaster. “Good Lord, Sev, you’re held up by a scaffolding of service. No wonder you collapse without it.”

Bristling, Severn refutes his cousin’s assertion that he’d be helpless without the “glory of the Duke of Severn” to smooth his way and suggests a wager. He will fend for himself “without all the advantages of Severn” for a month, at the end of which Leo will tender his apology for doubting him; and if he fails, Severn will make a present of his matched greys, animals he bought as foals, trained himself and which are very important to him. It’s possibly the only thing Leo could have asked for that would make him think twice, but Severn needs that time to go out into the world and get the ring back without anyone looking over his shoulder.

So he sets out for Cheltenham, hoping to pick up the trail of his thieving bed partner. After an unpleasant journey on the stage and an equally unpleasant meal and night at an inn, he starts asking around, becoming more despondent as the day wears on when it becomes apparent to him that he’s looking for a needle in a haystack. At his last inn of the day, he meets a young man whose handsome face seems familiar; although the man’s somewhat shabby attire marks him as down-on-his-luck.

Daizell (rhymes with “hazel”) Charnage has lived all his adult life on the very fringes of society thanks to a combination of his own reckless exploits and a notorious family scandal that has ruined him both financially and socially. He’s a professional hanger-on – a kind of nineteenth century couch-surfer – and is well aware that he’s beginning to run out of friends who are prepared to host him in exchange for his good-natured, easy-going ways and entertainment value. He’s surprised when a slight and somewhat nondescript gentleman introduces himself as Mr. Cassian and seems to know who he is – or at least, knows his reputation (maybe not so surprising) – and even moreso when Cassian asks for his help retrieving a stolen item and offers him a large sum of money for doing so. Daizell can’t think of any reason to turn him down.

The story that follows is an entertaining road trip in which nothing goes smoothly, Cassian discovers himself to be far more resourceful than he’d ever thought he could be and Daizell realises it’s time to stop drifting and find some direction and purpose in life. And between dealing with coach accidents, foiling kidnappers and helping runaway heiresses, Cassian and Daizell, two men who are desperately lonely despite often being surrounded by people, find the time to fall deeply in love.

The Duke at Hazard is definitely one of KJ Charles’ gentler books, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a great deal of fun to be had, whether it’s a chuckle at the rather hapless Cassian realising that his clothes don’t miraculously fold themselves away or at the way he and Daizell work together to bring down the bad guys. I imagine writing a super-wealthy and privileged character and making him sympathetic can be difficult (and in KJ Charles’ books, the aristos are usually the villains!), but she does a great job here of showing Cassian as a complex individual, someone whose privilege is something of a double-edged sword. He may have been protected from the world’s hardships and been brought up by family who love him, but he’s nonetheless isolated by his position (nobody has called him by any name other than his title since he was six) and is struggling to carve an identity beyond his title and obligations. Cassian is short, slight and not especially preposessing; his title is lofty, but he isn’t, and it’s easy to understand why he’s begun to feel so suffocated by it and longs to get away from it and all its trappings. His character growth in the story is spectacular, as he discovers a resourcefulness he never knew he had and learns how to wield his ducal power and influence to make things better for others – and for himself in the long run.

Daizell’s story is heartbreaking. For seven years he’s lived as an outcast after his parents caused a massive scandal, fled the country, and left him behind with nothing. The rumours and gossip that continue to dog him have ensured he ‘knows his place’, and life has done such a good job of beating him down that regaining his footing in society as a gentleman seems impossible. Their romance is sweet and lovely and utterly charming as the pair fall into an easy friendship with a simmering undercurrent of attraction that blossoms into more as the days and weeks pass, each giving the other something they’ve badly needed. Daizell sees Cassian as a man, not a title and clearly likes him for himself, while Cassian’s company, friendship, and his unwavering confidence in Daizell and his ability to come up with plans and schemes at last have Daizell realising that it’s time to stop letting life happen to him and face up to the fact that if he doesn’t bring some sort of order to it, then nobody else will.

It’s easy to see the crisis moment coming a mile off, but the important – and illuminating – thing is how the characters respond to it, and KJ Charles is a master at making her characters work for their eventual forgiveness and HEA. We know and understand Cassian’s reasons for not telling Daizell who he really is, but that doesn’t make it any less devastating when Daizell discovers that the man he’s fallen in love with has been lying by omission the whole time they’ve been together, and his hurt and sense of betrayal are palpable.

The sub-plot, wherein Daizell, Cassian, and some familiar faces team up to expose the villain of the piece is tense and brilliant, and I loved watching Cassian working out how to balance the two sides of him – the man and the duke – to create the best version of himself. The Duke at Hazard is another wonderfully engaging read from KJ Charles and earns a strong recommendation.

Note: While The Duke at Hazard is billed as book two in the Gentleman of Uncertain Fortune series, it’s essentially a standalone, so you don’t need to have read The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting to be able to understand and enjoy it.

KJ Charles is pretty much an auto-read author for me and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the Duke getting his month out & about without anyone knowing who he was and his emerging strength & personality as he resumes the role later in the book. The relationship with Daizell also develops at a lovely pace & they are great together.

The pace got a little too over-expositiony near the end - like, I get what we're going to try to do to Vier, we don't need to go over it 23 times in great detail exactly what each character's situation is & what the repercussions are.

Also loved the way Sev/Cassian had a really kind and forgiving personality (except for those who deserved his revenge!) and brought Martin onboard, despite their initially getting off on the wrong foot!

Another lovely read from KJ Charles. I'd happily read another installment or 2 in this series, with these characters & their growing band of friends.

I am a tried-and-true fan of KJ Charles' work, and anxiously awaited the arrival of her first Duke book! And, as usual, the book and author did not disappoint. The Duke at Hazard is full of Charles' usual witty banter, exquisite historical accuracy, and heist shenanigans. I will say the reading experience dragged a bit through the first half as we rallied through plot set-up and meeting our full cast, but the last third whipped by so fast I was left gasping and wondering just how she managed to tie everything together so neatly (and with such satisfaction). Perfect read for those who want to hear a Duke grovel, and then swing his duke around to get back at those who would abuse their privilege.

This book absolutely stands up as one of the best historical queer romances written this year. It may not be my favorite KJ Charles, but then again I’m a superfan so there’s tough competition. This one is lovely, though: I’ve already read it twice and am looking forward to another re-read.

It starts out at a fairly stately pace, kind of like the journey of the main characters itself. But of course, the action ratchets up and the feelings do, too.

I adore these two characters, and Charles as always gives us a real look at three dimensional characters. She gave us a honest look at the hurt that was caused by the secret-identity plot, without wallowing in characters’ pain.

And the language!! She’s got such a turn of phrase, and I especially appreciated this book’s use of contrasting meanings: gratified but not grateful, faultless to a fault, nondescript description.

This book won’t be everyone’s favorite Charles (but of course, none of them are EVERYONE’s favorite), but it’s a great story with heartwarming characters, and I loved it.

Got an arc from the publisher, my opinions are my own.

This is my 17th read by this author. Obviously, she’s a favorite! It is the second book in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series and follows Cassian and Daizell in third person. It can be read as a standalone though I heartily recommend The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting as well as the short A Thief in the Night.

Cassian is a duke, and while he’s been raised with the privileges of aristocracy, he’s quiet and unexpectedly naïve, sweet and unassuming, primarily due to the protectiveness of his family. He was constantly comparing himself to paragons and finding himself lacking, which I found odd in someone of his station. It took me a while to get comfortable with his character given He was the Duke. When his cousin makes a bet with him that he can’t go a month without the benefits of servants, title or social connections, he sets off to travel the countryside secretly looking for the signet ring he lost during an embarrassing evening after a liaison absconded with everything including his clothes leaving him stranded at the inn, literally.

I enjoyed Cassian’s adventures with stagecoach disasters and eloping couples evading searching relatives. Along the way he meets Daizell, a former student at the same boarding school though a few years older. I was immensely curious about Daizell and his history. He’s described as being excluded from polite society due to his father’s criminal behavior and his subsequent actions. His history and heart are slowly revealed after Cassian hires him to assist in his search for his missing heirloom and of course, he doesn’t reveal himself to be a duke, which makes for a traditional romance reveal later. And there’s also a one bed trope to love here as well.

While I took longer to warm up to Cassian and Daizell’s romance than I did to Robin and Hart in the first book, they still made me enjoy all the feels for them as a couple by the end.

Recommended to historical romance lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

I don't think KJ Charles likes dukes very much. Which is completely understandable, but then you really shouldn't write about a duke ... Much of the first part of the book was spent going "Severn is really really useless ... mind you there are specific circumstances, that explain why he is so useless (probably even more useless than other dukes), but still he is really useless" and that didn't particularly endear him as a romantic hero. So, I really had to fight my way through the first half. Eventually it did pick up. And nobody writes "Rich asshole gets their comeuppance" scenes as satisfying as Charles, so I really enjoyed the second half. B ut on the whole this book just didn't work for me.

After an unfortunate tryst the Duke woke up without his heirloom ring. It has been stolen. Now begins an enjoyable and romantic road trip in which the Duke must get back his ring without telling anybody that he has lost it.

I can recommend this well written book for all of those who like royalty and for fans of Bridgerton. Pleasurable Regency romance.

Before I get to the proper review, I wanted to note that this book can absolutely be read as a standalone. Personally I haven't read The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, and I did not find that it impacted my enjoyment at all.

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Delightful! If you are a fan of KJ Charles' work then you already know to expect rich characters and a clever plot with just enough drama to keep things moving, but not so much to incite eye rolling. The Duke at Hazard did not disappoint.

I devoured this book. I couldn't put it down and found myself distracted from tasks with want to pick up the book again. There's just something so satisfyingly comfortable about Charles' writing and it's hard not to feel like the characters are old friends by the end.

A 5/5 from me and I look forward to reading the first book.

"Vernon Fortescue Cassian George de Vere Crosse, the fourth Duke of Severn, the Earl of Harmsford, Baron Crosse of Wotton, and Baron Vere walked into an inn. They were all the same man." But without his titles, Cassian is nondescript and quiet and all too aware that his own family thinks he has "no more knowledge of the world than a baby, and no more force of character either, and it is no surprise that you cannot manage without a retinue."

When a one-night stand in an inn results in Severn's ducal signet ring being stolen, Cass has to retrieve it and quickly. Enter Daizell Charnage, Eton's golden boy when Cassian and he attended, a "glowing, laughing young trickster" with charm and charisma to spare. He's been cast out of proper society, due to his parent's actions, "but he'd blackened his own reputation as thoroughly [...] in a slow steady slide out of the Polite World and into disreputability that he couldn't seem to stop."

When they meet on the road, Cass hires Daizell to find his ring, and due to a scourge of One Bed Only nights at the inns along the way, they have time to explore a relationship that is so incrediby sweet at its core, until Daizell learns exactly who Cass is. But never fear, we get a glorious comeuppance and a well-deserved HEA.

I must admit I had to adjust my expectations from KJ Charles' often razor sharp characters (see Lucien Vaudrey from the Magpie Lord series) to these two gentle characters but it was such a wonderful read. 5 stars.

A masterclass in balancing plot tension with the comfort and coziness of romance: I was on the edge of my seat yet perfectly sure that everything would work out. The Duke at Hazard is a delightful novel that I will return to again and again… I’m also very much hoping we get a spin off for one of the secondary characters!

Cassian, The Duke of Severn whilst one of the greatest men in Britain, he's also short, quiet, and unimpressive. Then he's robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger. He has to get it back, and he can't let anyone know how he lost it. So when his cousin bets that he couldn't survive without his privilege and title, Cassian grasps the opportunity to hunt down his ring-incognito. Life as an ordinary person is terrifying...until he meets Daizell Charnage, a disgraced gentleman, and hires him to help.
Whilst this is the second book in the series it’s easily read as a standalone. I thoroughly enjoyed Cassian & Daizell’s road trip to find the ring & I loved their slow burn romance, which certainly got hotter once the one bed trope was thrown into the mix. A very well written book with strong characters, it was well paced & I loved the humour. I also loved the hapless Cassian & the scrapes he got into. The chemistry between Cassian & Daizell just gets hotter & hotter.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

This book really made me feel that I want to read more historical romance.

Following up the great book The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting this book comes with a similar idea of a couple from different stations, but takes a whole different take on it. No fortune hunting in this book, rather the opposite. Someone of high station is pretending not to be. This switch around was a lot of fun and gave the book a whole different vibe. Instead of everything happening in high society, now a lot was in public coaches and common inns. I absolutely enjoyed this and made for a book that felt quite a bit more cozy. There was simple fun and simple joys everywhere.

The main character Severn is a fun guy, albeit a little bit unaware of what's happening around him. He makes for a great character to follow, because he's just as new to the outer world as we are as readers. He tries his best, but usually fails. He was easy to relate to because of this and that really enhanced the book. He is also simply very kind and willing to help out, even if that severely complicates things for him. He's a genuine person that just wants best for everyone, and it made me instantly like him. The start of the book with him being robbed on his first foray out with a random hookup was a little bit funny, although I also felt sorry for the bloke. It gave the book a lighthearted start that set the tone for the rest of this fun book.

Daizell is a lovely guy as well. He is quite cynical, having lost so much in his life, so he isn't that positive of a guy anymore. This quite contrasts with Severn which balances out the vibes of the story really well. Daizell ends up agreeing to help Severn even though he isn't all that positive about it. He sees it as an opportunity to get a lot of money, as Severn seems to be promising a lot, but doesn't actually feel like helping much. This slowly starts changing over the story though. The more time the two men spend together, the more they start liking each other. Liking each other... and then loving each other.

The love these two have for each other the further the book comes is so absolutely wholesome. I really ate up every hug these two had, every caress they gave each other, every kiss they daringly gave. They were adorable and I couldn't get enough of it. Even more their intimate moments together were really sweet, but also totally hot. I greatly enjoyed them and felt all warm and happy about it.

To conclude this was a fun and lighthearted story about two men of different stations falling in love and traveling around the countryside.

I really liked this story!
In the beginning I was quite confused whether this was a book 2 of a series (it kind of is but it has new characters) because I had such a strong sense of Deja Vu when the Duke describes being robbed in an inn after a nig t with a stranger. Drove me wild because I was on a plane without wifi for 5 hours and couldn't check. Turns out I di remember that plot from another KJ Charles book but after it developed in a very different direction. Because this thief does not show up at the Duke's home but has stolen a ring that holds a lot of sentimental value, the Duke needs an excuse to go out and try and find the thief without anyone knowing he lost the ring in the first place. So he makes a betlwith his cousin and has to live like a person without his title and use public transport and accomodations for a month.
On his way he meets an old school acquaintance who is now disgraced and does not remember the duke, so the perfect person to help him on his search without violating the terms of the bet. What ensues is a wild goose chase through England with not much more to go on than the colour of the thief's coat and lots of adventure on the way..... and of course with all that close proximity and adventure, feelings develop. But the Duke is still anonymous and there is not only the issue of MM relationships being illegal, but also the different social standing and reputation and duties to consider.
4.5 *