This is a standalone book that takes place in the Charm of Magpies universe, which is basically Victorian England but with magic! I confess that I haven't read the original trilogy that comes before this book in the universe, but I didn't have any trouble following what was happening in this book even lacking that background.
Jackdaw focuses on the romantic relationship between Ben Spenser, a former police constable, and Jonah Pastern, a thief with a secret. At the beginning of the book the two of them are no longer together, and through alternating flashbacks with scenes set in the present the reader discovers why. I loved the structure of the story; it drew out the tension and made it impossible for me to stop reading, and then when we finally got done with the flashbacks and the story focused fully on the present it was both heartbreaking and such a relief.
The first half wouldn't have been so satisfying if they weren't able to rebuild their trust and learn how to function again as a couple and find a place for themselves in the world, and the way they do that in the second half is basically everything I could have wanted. KJ Charles is so good at writing couples whose strengths and weaknesses balance each other out, and Ben and Jonah are no exception to that. They both have to grow and change to be with each other, and the process of how they each do that, both separately and together, is lovely. And a love story between two people on opposite sides of the law who are both just trying to do their best is basically everything I want in a pairing, and this one really delivers. What a great read.
Grade: A
Jackdaw focuses on the romantic relationship between Ben Spenser, a former police constable, and Jonah Pastern, a thief with a secret. At the beginning of the book the two of them are no longer together, and through alternating flashbacks with scenes set in the present the reader discovers why. I loved the structure of the story; it drew out the tension and made it impossible for me to stop reading, and then when we finally got done with the flashbacks and the story focused fully on the present it was both heartbreaking and such a relief.
The first half wouldn't have been so satisfying if they weren't able to rebuild their trust and learn how to function again as a couple and find a place for themselves in the world, and the way they do that in the second half is basically everything I could have wanted. KJ Charles is so good at writing couples whose strengths and weaknesses balance each other out, and Ben and Jonah are no exception to that. They both have to grow and change to be with each other, and the process of how they each do that, both separately and together, is lovely. And a love story between two people on opposite sides of the law who are both just trying to do their best is basically everything I want in a pairing, and this one really delivers. What a great read.
Grade: A
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