Kim holds a lot close, partly because of his job, but also out of a desire to both protect Will and to bear the burden of responsibility upon himself. I enjoy the way we are in Will’s POV, which keeps us slightly off balance as readers, as Will himself doesn’t always know what is going on. The ending is super high octane and quite thrilling. But wow, once things start rolling, this book is full of twists and turns and lots of excitement. This story takes a bit longer to get going than the first, and early on it seems like the stakes aren’t quite as high. The story picks up a couple of months after the end of Slippery Creatures and familiarity with that book is important for fully understanding the relationship, as well the part of the larger story arc that starts in the first book. Charles’ wonderful Will Darling Adventures trilogy and we are once again taken on a thrilling ride. The Sugared Game is the second book in K.J. Now, Will and Kim have to do all they can to not only stop the bad guys, but to protect those they care about most from harm. But as the case heats up, things suddenly hit close to home. Yet Will finds himself continually drawn to Kim, particularly as he lets his guard down and lets Will see the real him. But still, it hurts when he knows Kim is not being forthright about everything that is going on. Will knows better than to fully trust Kim, as he has come to expect the man’s lies and evasiveness. The deeper Will and Kim get into the case, the twistier things become. But Will can’t deny the fierce attraction he feels for Kim, nor that his blood thrums with the excitement of getting involved in some action again. Part of Will wants nothing to do with Kim after he disappeared from Will’s life without a word. As it turns out, Will stumbled into the middle of one of Kim’s cases without even realizing it, and now Kim needs his help. But Will never expects that their night out will suddenly bring Kim back into his life. The nightclub they go to turns out to be quite shady, with obviously illegal activity happening and an owner and manager who are definitely up to no good. But Will is moving forward, and that includes taking his friend Maisie out dancing, now that his uncle’s estate is settled and Will is in a more comfortable financial situation. Will knew nothing could really come out of his relationship with the wealthy lord, but it is still disappointing that Kim disappeared without a word after he and Will shared some time together. It’s been two months since Will Darling last saw Kim Secretan.

The Sugared Game by K.J. Charles