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A review by yourbookishbff
Gilded Cage by KJ Charles
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved every single thing about this book. This is childhood friends to rivals to lovers, with a prickly bisexual female main character and her opal-obsessed childhood best friend and former lover back from the (penal) colonies and wanted for murder. K.J. Charles bridges moments of authentic reflection and moments of absolute absurdity so well, and our jewel-heist-gone-awry creates a compelling (and delightfully stressy) premise. I appreciate the attention to character development here, as both main characters are forced to confront their own insecurities and mistakes, and love witnessing the new and sustainable bond they forge. The character work makes this HEA feel rock-solid. This series is FUN and hot and queer and I just love it. Also - the on-page discussions of pregnancy prevention, miscarriage, and sexual health are so well done.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia