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Copper Script
Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler of the Metropolitan Police doesn’t count himself a gullible man. When he encounters a graphologist who deduces people’s lives and personalities from their handwriting with impossible accuracy, he needs to find out how the trick is done. Even if that involves spending more time with the intriguing, flirtatious Joel Wildsmith than feels quite safe.
Joel’s not an admirer of the police, but DS Fowler has the most irresistible handwriting he’s ever seen. If the policeman’s tests let him spend time unnerving the handsome copper, why not play along?
But when Joel looks at a powerful man's handwriting and sees a murderer, the policeman and the graphologist are plunged into deadly danger. Their enemy will protect himself at any cost--unless the sparring pair can come together to prove his guilt and save each other.
Joel’s not an admirer of the police, but DS Fowler has the most irresistible handwriting he’s ever seen. If the policeman’s tests let him spend time unnerving the handsome copper, why not play along?
But when Joel looks at a powerful man's handwriting and sees a murderer, the policeman and the graphologist are plunged into deadly danger. Their enemy will protect himself at any cost--unless the sparring pair can come together to prove his guilt and save each other.
255 pages, ebook
First published May 29, 2025
215 people are currently reading
2623 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Charles
65 books11.8k followersKJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
May 30, 2025
I mean full disclosure, I'm so easy for a KJC book that she could slap me across the face, hand me a shopping list and I would still love it and say thank you, but everything about her stories and her writing style just works for me. So (as always) take my thoughts and opinions with a grain of salt given my massive biases.
Set during the 1920's post war England, Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler is just trying to be a good man and a good police officer and do his best whilst surrounded by crime and corruption. Fowler crosses paths with Joel Wildsmith, a veteran with a disability, a smart mouth and a gift for Graphology and Fowler is CONVINCED it must be a ruse and he is determined to find out how Wildsmith runs his con.
I'll be honest, for the first half of this I wasn't entirely sure what the over arching plot was going to be however, I was absolutely fine with that, cause I was enjoying the world and characters enough that I was totally happy just to hang out and vibe.
I have no idea how KJC thinks up the story ideas that she does because I would have never imagined a romantic pairing between a Detective and a man who can read people through their hand writing, but it 100% worked for me.
I really enjoyed Fowler and Wildsmith together, but KJC always has a way of writing such wonderful and rich relationships with delicious longing and complexity, so I'm not surprised I loved them. I was a little surprised that this book didn't have quite the same cast of wonderfully charming side characters that I normally associate with a KJC book (not to say that there aren't any, they're just a little lighter in the ground).
There are some slight low magic elements present but I would hesitate to call it fantasy, cause for all other intents and purposes this is 1920s England, including some fun inspiration from real world characters.
Just another fantastic entry into KJCs catalogue. I would love to spend more time with Fowler and Wildsmith and their future adventures together but I'm equally happy to have experienced what we have with them.
It was absurd. You couldn’t get hot for handwriting. And yet he had, a response deep in the flesh, squeezing his lungs and tightening his groin. He’d sunk into the hand and felt all that discomfort and self-control to the point of pain and those bottled-up longings, and he’d wanted nothing more than to pop the writer’s cork. .
Set during the 1920's post war England, Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler is just trying to be a good man and a good police officer and do his best whilst surrounded by crime and corruption. Fowler crosses paths with Joel Wildsmith, a veteran with a disability, a smart mouth and a gift for Graphology and Fowler is CONVINCED it must be a ruse and he is determined to find out how Wildsmith runs his con.
I'll be honest, for the first half of this I wasn't entirely sure what the over arching plot was going to be however, I was absolutely fine with that, cause I was enjoying the world and characters enough that I was totally happy just to hang out and vibe.
I have no idea how KJC thinks up the story ideas that she does because I would have never imagined a romantic pairing between a Detective and a man who can read people through their hand writing, but it 100% worked for me.
I really enjoyed Fowler and Wildsmith together, but KJC always has a way of writing such wonderful and rich relationships with delicious longing and complexity, so I'm not surprised I loved them. I was a little surprised that this book didn't have quite the same cast of wonderfully charming side characters that I normally associate with a KJC book (not to say that there aren't any, they're just a little lighter in the ground).
There are some slight low magic elements present but I would hesitate to call it fantasy, cause for all other intents and purposes this is 1920s England, including some fun inspiration from real world characters.
Just another fantastic entry into KJCs catalogue. I would love to spend more time with Fowler and Wildsmith and their future adventures together but I'm equally happy to have experienced what we have with them.
It was absurd. You couldn’t get hot for handwriting. And yet he had, a response deep in the flesh, squeezing his lungs and tightening his groin. He’d sunk into the hand and felt all that discomfort and self-control to the point of pain and those bottled-up longings, and he’d wanted nothing more than to pop the writer’s cork. .
August 28, 2025
~4.5~
While graphology has been largely discounted as junk science, K.J. Charles wove it into her book in a very clever way.
For Joel, handwriting is a medium, a vessel that awakens his clairvoyance, his extrasensory perception. Emotions scream at him from the page: love, sorrow, resilience, despair, envy, anger, rage.
Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler, sceptic that he is, doesn't believe for a second that Joel has a gift. He suspects Joel is a scammer and sets out to prove it. What he discovers shakes him to his very core.
Joel has a strong, visceral reaction to a handwriting sample Aaron provides as part of a test to see if Joel is the real deal. Joel immediately senses darkness, pure malice, evil.
And there's the rub because Aaron knows to whom that sample belongs, which opens a giant can of worms that embroils the men in a scandal of corruption and coverup.
I loved the MCs: Joel, with his red hair, smart mouth, sassy attitude, and one hand (the other got left behind in the Great War), and Aaron, all stoic and serious, trying to do the right thing always.
At one point, Joel is sort of turned on by a handwriting sample that he later realizes is Aaron's. He tells Aaron that the writer is repressed, but if he ever let go, he'd "bang like a barn door in the wind." How's that for sexual banter?
As I've said many times before, no one writes dialogue like K.J. Charles. I could have read Aaron and Joel's conversations forever. They discussed, debated, argued, flirted ... it was all so real, so human.
The 1920s London setting lends the story an element of grit and edge. Gangs. Bright Young Things. Homosexuality punishable by a long prison sentence or worse.
Another reminder if you need it: History shouldn't be idealized.
Plot-driven, at once suspenseful and quietly romantic, Copper Script is a brilliant tale of love, loss, deception, and danger.
The ending provides a gossamer of a HEA, and the door is wide open for more.
Also, this may well be the most British thing I've ever read: He hadn't served in a war for people to go around not offering other people tea.
While graphology has been largely discounted as junk science, K.J. Charles wove it into her book in a very clever way.
For Joel, handwriting is a medium, a vessel that awakens his clairvoyance, his extrasensory perception. Emotions scream at him from the page: love, sorrow, resilience, despair, envy, anger, rage.
Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler, sceptic that he is, doesn't believe for a second that Joel has a gift. He suspects Joel is a scammer and sets out to prove it. What he discovers shakes him to his very core.
Joel has a strong, visceral reaction to a handwriting sample Aaron provides as part of a test to see if Joel is the real deal. Joel immediately senses darkness, pure malice, evil.
And there's the rub because Aaron knows to whom that sample belongs, which opens a giant can of worms that embroils the men in a scandal of corruption and coverup.
I loved the MCs: Joel, with his red hair, smart mouth, sassy attitude, and one hand (the other got left behind in the Great War), and Aaron, all stoic and serious, trying to do the right thing always.
At one point, Joel is sort of turned on by a handwriting sample that he later realizes is Aaron's. He tells Aaron that the writer is repressed, but if he ever let go, he'd "bang like a barn door in the wind." How's that for sexual banter?
As I've said many times before, no one writes dialogue like K.J. Charles. I could have read Aaron and Joel's conversations forever. They discussed, debated, argued, flirted ... it was all so real, so human.
"We could put that to the test too, Detective Sergeant. If you wanted."
"What test do you have in mind?"
"I could make an indecent approach and see if you arrest me?"
Aaron's heart was thundering ... He's been afraid and despairing, and now he wasn't alone. And [Joel] was lovely.
"Go on, then," he said
The 1920s London setting lends the story an element of grit and edge. Gangs. Bright Young Things. Homosexuality punishable by a long prison sentence or worse.
Another reminder if you need it: History shouldn't be idealized.
Plot-driven, at once suspenseful and quietly romantic, Copper Script is a brilliant tale of love, loss, deception, and danger.
The ending provides a gossamer of a HEA, and the door is wide open for more.
Also, this may well be the most British thing I've ever read: He hadn't served in a war for people to go around not offering other people tea.
May 29, 2025
It was absurd. You couldn’t get hot for handwriting.
5 stars because I can't justify giving it just 4.
I loved this! 1920s London, a Detective Sergeant and a ginger graphologist with a horrendous moustache and questionable cardigans, emotional outbursts, delicious Indian and Italian food, and lovely snarky banter.
I wasn't sure how KJC was going to get me on board with the horrendous moustache, but like everything, it had a story, and everything was woven into an interesting tale.
I loved their dialogue!
And the disability rep.
Listen, the food was good. Joel really enjoyed it, vocally.
I liked the dismal, how is this possibly going to work out for these two setup. Frank conversations that sometimes went justifiably sideways, human reactions to shit just not going the way it should, even comments that may feel like they are fair and unfair at the same time...I love that type of relatable mess.
A bit of a whirlwind at the end, with danger pushing in from every side, but it was the perfect length book for me. Slow buildup, flirty push and pull in the middle, some family and life background info sharing, and the resolution was a twisty mess that wasn't dragged out, which I thought was perfect for an under 300-page book.
I really enjoyed the research tidbits at the end!
Also love the cover.
The Fuck AI bit, wholeheartedly agree.
Oh, and today I learned that New Release purchases from Kobo US are 6 hours ahead of Amazon US purchases! This gem appeared at 6pm PT (Kobo) vs the usual 12am PT (Amazon) on release day. More reason to shop there.
Full tags to come, but should throw this out there immediately: brief intergluteal and intercrural. (Start with the important stuff, obviously!)
5 stars because I can't justify giving it just 4.
I loved this! 1920s London, a Detective Sergeant and a ginger graphologist with a horrendous moustache and questionable cardigans, emotional outbursts, delicious Indian and Italian food, and lovely snarky banter.
I wasn't sure how KJC was going to get me on board with the horrendous moustache, but like everything, it had a story, and everything was woven into an interesting tale.
I loved their dialogue!
“You could very usefully shed the cardigan,” Aaron observed.
Joel had forgotten he was wearing the ghastly thing. Shit. “Probably for the best, yes. It may have moths.”
“It looks like it has moths.”
“They might have moved out in disgust.” Joel worked his way out of it.
And the disability rep.
“Uh. How do you feel about the prosthetic?”
“If you want it on, keep it on. If you want it off, take it off.”
Listen, the food was good. Joel really enjoyed it, vocally.
“They do delicious puddings here. Would something sweet help?”
“My life is falling apart and you’re recommending pudding.”
I liked the dismal, how is this possibly going to work out for these two setup. Frank conversations that sometimes went justifiably sideways, human reactions to shit just not going the way it should, even comments that may feel like they are fair and unfair at the same time...I love that type of relatable mess.
He should have known it was all going to end in tears; everything did, but he had thought they might have fun on the way.
A bit of a whirlwind at the end, with danger pushing in from every side, but it was the perfect length book for me. Slow buildup, flirty push and pull in the middle, some family and life background info sharing, and the resolution was a twisty mess that wasn't dragged out, which I thought was perfect for an under 300-page book.
I really enjoyed the research tidbits at the end!
Also love the cover.
The Fuck AI bit, wholeheartedly agree.
Any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models. The author will not license AI companies this right. The author has already had more than 25 novels scraped without payment by AI companies. The author would like AI companies to fuck off.
Oh, and today I learned that New Release purchases from Kobo US are 6 hours ahead of Amazon US purchases! This gem appeared at 6pm PT (Kobo) vs the usual 12am PT (Amazon) on release day. More reason to shop there.
Full tags to come, but should throw this out there immediately: brief intergluteal and intercrural. (Start with the important stuff, obviously!)
September 4, 2025
A SURPRISE KJ CHARLES IN TWO MONTHS TIME??? WE DON’T HAVE TO WAIT TIL OCTOBER??? BLESS UP
^ REACTION WARRANTED, BOOK FUCKED
^ REACTION WARRANTED, BOOK FUCKED
May 31, 2025
You know, if you write a draft of a book and your publisher’s like, “that’s not what I asked for, thank you,” maybe there’s something to be said for putting that draft in a drawer for a bit instead of immediately self-publishing it. Just saying!
Here’s the thing…. I don’t think I’ve encountered a fundamental plot element this offensively implausible since CS Pacat solved the Epstein problem (!) in Captive Prince 3. I love you but girl….. pull it together!
The thing is, this is a book that’s totally set in reality except that also, a pseudoscience historically used by law enforcement to try to wrongfully convict people is real and totally works, actually.
What??
It screams “I LOVE this element of the story, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it” but actually that element destroys the entire effectiveness of the story. Kill your darlings is such a cliched phrase but in this case KJC needed to fully murder graphology and she should have really held off on publishing until she had the emotional distance to do that. Or she needed to make this fantasy, and fwiw I think she was just too lazy to do all that. I don’t judge, laziness is a virtue in my eyes, but if that was her approach she needed to do the ultimate lazy move and just Not Publish This For The Time Being.
I really couldn’t take it, especially when it’s all coming from bargain bin Justin Lazarus + a cop who makes Watson look like Sherlock. (I did, however, love the mustache bit. Bring back the mustache!) The characterizations…. Well, cop boy had one - sad sack. Frankly not someone I enjoyed spending time with. BBJL? At one point he thinks about how he has lots of friends…… prove it, KJ!! This guy had red hair and a prosthetic hook and a shitty studio apartment, and he gets horny or emotional when needed. That’s it.
Yeah the thing is, this is clearly a non-final draft, or at least what should have been a non-final draft:
- A disconcertingly large amount of the action takes place totally off-page, while the POV character sits at home wondering what’s happening. Tragic that I would have to experience this in a KJC book of all places. The pacing was also wildly bad: nothing happened and then what should have been like 70% of the plot was summarized via the last 30% of the book.
- There are numerous (!) instances of a character saying/doing something, followed immediately by an explanation of why “it was smart actually, because it was a reference to something that happened in a prior scene, but I didn’t tell you about it then, so I’m telling you now, don’t you think it’s a fun moment now that you know?” Yes, a fun moment for which absolutely no groundwork was laid. Augh!! (I added the “Augh!!” to my notes app note for this review when it happened YET again. Tell me you dashed this off and the editor was only there to catch typos without telling me… except I caught at least one typo.)
- I’m going to mention one plot hole-adjacent thing as an example…….. our intrepid Inspector D. Tective writes to Graphologist (Gag) under a fake name to arrange a consultation. G is able to easily find D, though, because although he used a fake name, he used HIS OWN ADDRESS. Hwhat?? I’m sorry, ACAB and by that I mean This Cop Is Bad at being a cop!
- The writing did not seem as fully rooted in its era as KJC’s work usually is - I could not tell for quite some time whether they were referring to WWI or WWII as the war that just happened because some of the characterizations and dialogue were oddly modern. (And - “Sometimes you just have to do the thing”? Okay then Angela Bassett!)
- Anything where a character’s police job is brought up in a sexual context when they’re the one engaging in force/strength/dominance….. creep city. (I guess your mileage may vary, I was reminded a little of the roleplay scene in Home Ice Advantage which I understand people liked but which made my skin crawl. I’m sorry MCs everywhere, please keep your roleplay and your real life in extremely separate compartments if your real life involves employment in a position of authority!) (Just to be extremely clear, cops can be subs or vanilla ONLY! I would say I don’t make the rules but I am in fact making the rule!)
- I am neither Indian nor free of my left hand, but the rep did not seem as uh nuanced as it has been elsewhere in KJC’s oeuvre.
I will say it’s incredible that KJC’s grandmother read handwriting per her author’s note…. Bc mine did too! I’m actually grateful to that for serving as an early example of how someone’s beliefs can have no basis in reality and yet that will absolutely NOT stop them from forcing those beliefs on everyone around them… in this case by trying to read her grandchildren’s handwriting, failing miserably, and continuing to do it anyway for years. (Nowadays she’s spending most of her time relishing the fact that after decades—and decades—a certain political party is finally meeting her on her level….. just in case you were wondering where pseudoscience like “reading handwriting” leads. And if you run into my grandmother out there, you’re welcome to ask her about her graphology skills or, say, the healing properties of colloidal silver.)
Anyway - I know it’s hard to accept, but, KJ… KJ…. You gotta throw this one out, or just do a total rewrite. I have faith in you! But in the meantime, in honor of Captive Prince 3, I gotta give it one star. 🙂
I read this in ebook form ofc. Nice in theory that the editor was credited but a little bit awkward in reality. The title (coined by Metylda) is a lot of fun, and so is the cover (designed by James Egan of Bookfly Design).
Here’s the thing…. I don’t think I’ve encountered a fundamental plot element this offensively implausible since CS Pacat solved the Epstein problem (!) in Captive Prince 3. I love you but girl….. pull it together!
The thing is, this is a book that’s totally set in reality except that also, a pseudoscience historically used by law enforcement to try to wrongfully convict people is real and totally works, actually.
What??
It screams “I LOVE this element of the story, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it” but actually that element destroys the entire effectiveness of the story. Kill your darlings is such a cliched phrase but in this case KJC needed to fully murder graphology and she should have really held off on publishing until she had the emotional distance to do that. Or she needed to make this fantasy, and fwiw I think she was just too lazy to do all that. I don’t judge, laziness is a virtue in my eyes, but if that was her approach she needed to do the ultimate lazy move and just Not Publish This For The Time Being.
I really couldn’t take it, especially when it’s all coming from bargain bin Justin Lazarus + a cop who makes Watson look like Sherlock. (I did, however, love the mustache bit. Bring back the mustache!) The characterizations…. Well, cop boy had one - sad sack. Frankly not someone I enjoyed spending time with. BBJL? At one point he thinks about how he has lots of friends…… prove it, KJ!! This guy had red hair and a prosthetic hook and a shitty studio apartment, and he gets horny or emotional when needed. That’s it.
Yeah the thing is, this is clearly a non-final draft, or at least what should have been a non-final draft:
- A disconcertingly large amount of the action takes place totally off-page, while the POV character sits at home wondering what’s happening. Tragic that I would have to experience this in a KJC book of all places. The pacing was also wildly bad: nothing happened and then what should have been like 70% of the plot was summarized via the last 30% of the book.
- There are numerous (!) instances of a character saying/doing something, followed immediately by an explanation of why “it was smart actually, because it was a reference to something that happened in a prior scene, but I didn’t tell you about it then, so I’m telling you now, don’t you think it’s a fun moment now that you know?” Yes, a fun moment for which absolutely no groundwork was laid. Augh!! (I added the “Augh!!” to my notes app note for this review when it happened YET again. Tell me you dashed this off and the editor was only there to catch typos without telling me… except I caught at least one typo.)
- I’m going to mention one plot hole-adjacent thing as an example…….. our intrepid Inspector D. Tective writes to Graphologist (Gag) under a fake name to arrange a consultation. G is able to easily find D, though, because although he used a fake name, he used HIS OWN ADDRESS. Hwhat?? I’m sorry, ACAB and by that I mean This Cop Is Bad at being a cop!
- The writing did not seem as fully rooted in its era as KJC’s work usually is - I could not tell for quite some time whether they were referring to WWI or WWII as the war that just happened because some of the characterizations and dialogue were oddly modern. (And - “Sometimes you just have to do the thing”? Okay then Angela Bassett!)
- Anything where a character’s police job is brought up in a sexual context when they’re the one engaging in force/strength/dominance….. creep city. (I guess your mileage may vary, I was reminded a little of the roleplay scene in Home Ice Advantage which I understand people liked but which made my skin crawl. I’m sorry MCs everywhere, please keep your roleplay and your real life in extremely separate compartments if your real life involves employment in a position of authority!) (Just to be extremely clear, cops can be subs or vanilla ONLY! I would say I don’t make the rules but I am in fact making the rule!)
- I am neither Indian nor free of my left hand, but the rep did not seem as uh nuanced as it has been elsewhere in KJC’s oeuvre.
I will say it’s incredible that KJC’s grandmother read handwriting per her author’s note…. Bc mine did too! I’m actually grateful to that for serving as an early example of how someone’s beliefs can have no basis in reality and yet that will absolutely NOT stop them from forcing those beliefs on everyone around them… in this case by trying to read her grandchildren’s handwriting, failing miserably, and continuing to do it anyway for years. (Nowadays she’s spending most of her time relishing the fact that after decades—and decades—a certain political party is finally meeting her on her level….. just in case you were wondering where pseudoscience like “reading handwriting” leads. And if you run into my grandmother out there, you’re welcome to ask her about her graphology skills or, say, the healing properties of colloidal silver.)
Anyway - I know it’s hard to accept, but, KJ… KJ…. You gotta throw this one out, or just do a total rewrite. I have faith in you! But in the meantime, in honor of Captive Prince 3, I gotta give it one star. 🙂
I read this in ebook form ofc. Nice in theory that the editor was credited but a little bit awkward in reality. The title (coined by Metylda) is a lot of fun, and so is the cover (designed by James Egan of Bookfly Design).
June 5, 2025
4.5 - rabid KJ Charles fan here 🙋🏻♀️ I really adore the dialogue between the characters, there is something so simple about it but so good that it makes me feel giddy reading it. Despite the rather fantastical element to Joel’s graphology this has a very realistic feel with no wild OTT heroics or action plots. It’s kind of low key, low spice but I loved how things came together and Joel and Aaron are really just so lovely together.
This maybe didn’t quite live up to some of the other wonderful work I’ve read by KJ - ultimately I wanted this about 100pages longer, but I loved what’s there and it’s left me feeling happy and satisfied. Such a well written and well edited read.
The author notes in the end are worth reading, I love how well-researched KJ is.
This maybe didn’t quite live up to some of the other wonderful work I’ve read by KJ - ultimately I wanted this about 100pages longer, but I loved what’s there and it’s left me feeling happy and satisfied. Such a well written and well edited read.
The author notes in the end are worth reading, I love how well-researched KJ is.
June 6, 2025
Not me in the discord talking myself down from a strong 4 to a ho-hum 3 😬.
KJC is such a good writer that I was able to overlook most of the flaws of this book as I was reading it. Or if not overlook, excuse. But once I was done and started thinking it over (and unloading all over the discord), the shortcomings became harder to ignore.
The basic question is: why is KJC writing an LEO MC when she is clearly deeply uncomfortable writing an LEO MC? She tries to square this circle by writing an upright man struggling against a corrupted institution. But Aaron is so upright that he ends up being frightfully dull. And it's not like KJC can't write an upright character! Silas and Dominic, take a bow! But we all know that sneaky-with-their-own-principled-moral-code is KJC's sweet spot, and it feels like she's afraid to let sneaky off the leash because that would introduce some kind of grayness into Aaron's character, and (again, my interpretation) she doesn't want to do that because she needs to him to be unimpeachable. And it's not just Aaron: Joel is reminding us over and over again that Aaron's handwriting testifies to his honor and integrity and all-around great guy-iness. Which is nice, I guess, but at a certain point it's just protesting too much.
The other issue is that SOOOOOOOOOO much happens off-page, much of which is connected to the (potentially very interesting!) backstories KJC gives Aaron and Joel. Sleazy absent bio dad! Union firebrand estranged stepfather! Self-imposed celibacy! Family rifts! There is a LOT to draw on here, and there is a halfhearted attempt to create some conflict out of it, but it all just fizzles out and/or happens entirely off-page. Why were these strings not pulled? If the fear was that the narrative couldn't support all these detours, why give them these rich backstories in the first place? And -- most curiously -- why canonically give Joel a good (off-page) mate in the first chapters, then have him literally not interact with anyone other than Aaron for the rest of the book, making him seem much more sad sack than (I suspect) we're meant to believe? KJC so excels at richly drawn side characters; it's bizarre that these two are so isolated, and that the reasons for this isolation are never properly unpicked. It's just so much potential left unfulfilled.
I didn't have a viscerally negative reaction to this like my buddy X (ETA: loving viscerally negative reaction), but I do agree that this one was under-baked and needed at least a few more rounds in the hopper. Especially when KJC has an exquisite 1920s series (Will Darling) and a brilliant spiritualist conman book (Justin Lazarus, my beloved!) right there for the unflattering comparison. I quite liked the graphology -- although it did wander into woo-woo land at a certain point -- but I wish KJC could have reworked the story until she found something for Aaron to do that wasn't being a cop. Because authors can go full ACAB or they can go full Tal Bauer, but trying to split the difference is rarely satisfying. Compare Aaron to Stephen (also law enforcement! But magical law enforcement, very much operating autonomously and, as Lucien notes, acting as judge, jury, and executioner -- leading to more nuanced dilemmas and decisions and the opportunity to be a sneaky little shit), and it's pretty clear where this went off the rails.
3 stars because, look, I read this in a day and mostly enjoyed the ride. But once I took off my THANK GOD THERE'S A NEW KJC!!! glasses, it just didn't stand up the way it should. Not an egregious miss, but a miss all the same.
KJC is such a good writer that I was able to overlook most of the flaws of this book as I was reading it. Or if not overlook, excuse. But once I was done and started thinking it over (and unloading all over the discord), the shortcomings became harder to ignore.
The basic question is: why is KJC writing an LEO MC when she is clearly deeply uncomfortable writing an LEO MC? She tries to square this circle by writing an upright man struggling against a corrupted institution. But Aaron is so upright that he ends up being frightfully dull. And it's not like KJC can't write an upright character! Silas and Dominic, take a bow! But we all know that sneaky-with-their-own-principled-moral-code is KJC's sweet spot, and it feels like she's afraid to let sneaky off the leash because that would introduce some kind of grayness into Aaron's character, and (again, my interpretation) she doesn't want to do that because she needs to him to be unimpeachable. And it's not just Aaron: Joel is reminding us over and over again that Aaron's handwriting testifies to his honor and integrity and all-around great guy-iness. Which is nice, I guess, but at a certain point it's just protesting too much.
The other issue is that SOOOOOOOOOO much happens off-page, much of which is connected to the (potentially very interesting!) backstories KJC gives Aaron and Joel. Sleazy absent bio dad! Union firebrand estranged stepfather! Self-imposed celibacy! Family rifts! There is a LOT to draw on here, and there is a halfhearted attempt to create some conflict out of it, but it all just fizzles out and/or happens entirely off-page. Why were these strings not pulled? If the fear was that the narrative couldn't support all these detours, why give them these rich backstories in the first place? And -- most curiously -- why canonically give Joel a good (off-page) mate in the first chapters, then have him literally not interact with anyone other than Aaron for the rest of the book, making him seem much more sad sack than (I suspect) we're meant to believe? KJC so excels at richly drawn side characters; it's bizarre that these two are so isolated, and that the reasons for this isolation are never properly unpicked. It's just so much potential left unfulfilled.
I didn't have a viscerally negative reaction to this like my buddy X (ETA: loving viscerally negative reaction), but I do agree that this one was under-baked and needed at least a few more rounds in the hopper. Especially when KJC has an exquisite 1920s series (Will Darling) and a brilliant spiritualist conman book (Justin Lazarus, my beloved!) right there for the unflattering comparison. I quite liked the graphology -- although it did wander into woo-woo land at a certain point -- but I wish KJC could have reworked the story until she found something for Aaron to do that wasn't being a cop. Because authors can go full ACAB or they can go full Tal Bauer, but trying to split the difference is rarely satisfying. Compare Aaron to Stephen (also law enforcement! But magical law enforcement, very much operating autonomously and, as Lucien notes, acting as judge, jury, and executioner -- leading to more nuanced dilemmas and decisions and the opportunity to be a sneaky little shit), and it's pretty clear where this went off the rails.
3 stars because, look, I read this in a day and mostly enjoyed the ride. But once I took off my THANK GOD THERE'S A NEW KJC!!! glasses, it just didn't stand up the way it should. Not an egregious miss, but a miss all the same.
June 19, 2025
sexual tension, london, black overcoat, cigarettes, whiskey, corruption, secrets, mystery and gays I DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE!
April 15, 2025
Nothing knocks me out of a reading slump like a new KJ Charles novel — I gobbled this gleefully up in one sitting. Joel is an incorrigible gremlin and I absolutely adore him; Aaron is a tall glass of trauma with a steel backbone and an admirable moral compass. Watching the two of them clash and soften and ultimately find solace in each other was an absolute joy and balm in an otherwise grim reality. KJC’s books don’t necessarily make me forget the world at large as I’m reading them, but they do remind me that fear does not trump joy and that spitting in the face of injustice is its own happy ending. Copper Script stands firmly on its own, but I’d be thoroughly delighted if we got more Joel and Aaron in the future.
June 23, 2025
Rating: 4.25
"You are the most aggravating man who has ever walked the earth,” Aaron said with feeling.
“Thank you; I try.”"
Joel's Aaron dilemma because ACAB
This was such a treat! I flew through the book and has a blast reading about Joel and Aaron going from dislike to lovers while trying to uncover police corruption and murder.
I wish there'd been a bit more relationship focus but I feel like that's what I often find myself saying after a KJC book lol, though I still thoroughly enjoy them as was also the case here.
"You are the most aggravating man who has ever walked the earth,” Aaron said with feeling.
“Thank you; I try.”"
Joel's Aaron dilemma because ACAB
This was such a treat! I flew through the book and has a blast reading about Joel and Aaron going from dislike to lovers while trying to uncover police corruption and murder.
I wish there'd been a bit more relationship focus but I feel like that's what I often find myself saying after a KJC book lol, though I still thoroughly enjoy them as was also the case here.
August 30, 2025
I couldn't stop binge reading this it's that good.
The 'touch- starved' trope was used in such a believable way.
Definitely the best m/m historical fiction romance I've read so far.
The 'touch- starved' trope was used in such a believable way.
Definitely the best m/m historical fiction romance I've read so far.
July 23, 2025
There are seven books this year I've marked as favourites. Five of them have been written by KJC, and this is the latest entry.
Let's address the elephant in the room first. This book is about graphology, which is pseudoscience. I, like Aaron at the beginning, am terribly sceptical of it. The entire book demands that I believe in it and I struggled with that. But this is KJC and she's a magician with words, so by the end, I'm 100% sold.
This is in my opinion one of her plot-heaviest (not a real word?) books. And I believe there's a few plot holes that other reviewers have rightly pointed out. However, I rate my books not by how precise they are with their plot resolutions, but by how they make me FEEL. And this book had me levitating.
The characters, the banter, the yearning, the blurting out your feelings because you can't contain them (Joel). The restraining yourself because it's all you've ever known (Aaron).
I highlighted this book like crazy. The dialogue was chef's kiss.
----
KJC does it again! RTC, this one deserves a proper one.
Let's address the elephant in the room first. This book is about graphology, which is pseudoscience. I, like Aaron at the beginning, am terribly sceptical of it. The entire book demands that I believe in it and I struggled with that. But this is KJC and she's a magician with words, so by the end, I'm 100% sold.
This is in my opinion one of her plot-heaviest (not a real word?) books. And I believe there's a few plot holes that other reviewers have rightly pointed out. However, I rate my books not by how precise they are with their plot resolutions, but by how they make me FEEL. And this book had me levitating.
The characters, the banter, the yearning, the blurting out your feelings because you can't contain them (Joel). The restraining yourself because it's all you've ever known (Aaron).
I highlighted this book like crazy. The dialogue was chef's kiss.
It was absurd. You couldn’t get hot for handwriting.
----
KJC does it again! RTC, this one deserves a proper one.
June 3, 2025
This is my official good bye to this author’s books. I really loved her first couple of series but the last couple of years, I just can’t get in to them. I end up not finishing them or just not even buying them. I feel like each one gets worse. I’m not sure what caused me to impulsively buy this one but I’m super annoyed with myself.
It wasn’t terrible but it also wasn’t good. Another reviewer said this was a “bargain bin Justin Lazarus” and they were spot on. We’ve read this before. Just done WAY better the first time.
The MCs were not well fleshed out, the plot was unbelievable and it was insta love. It was uninspiring and unoriginal. I think there comes a time when certain authors build such an excited fan base that they start just churning out whatever. (*cough* Lanyon *cough*) I can’t believe that if this had an unknown author’s name attached, that there would be so many 5 star reviews. 🤷♀️
It wasn’t terrible but it also wasn’t good. Another reviewer said this was a “bargain bin Justin Lazarus” and they were spot on. We’ve read this before. Just done WAY better the first time.
The MCs were not well fleshed out, the plot was unbelievable and it was insta love. It was uninspiring and unoriginal. I think there comes a time when certain authors build such an excited fan base that they start just churning out whatever. (*cough* Lanyon *cough*) I can’t believe that if this had an unknown author’s name attached, that there would be so many 5 star reviews. 🤷♀️
June 8, 2025
Another winner by KJ Charles!
April 19, 2025
I enjoyed the somewhat whimsical premise of this book and the delve into a (clearly fictional) version of graphology that basically is Joel's superpower. I'm glad KJ Charles didn't choose to over-explain how his ability could be realistic and just left it at that. At certain points the couple dynamic was kind of "macho straight man derisive of astrology girl", which was fun because macho straight man gets taken down many pegs and also he's not so macho straight man after all.
I loved this couple and I think they definitely rank among the top five KJ Charles has ever written, with a solid foundation for further explorations into their relationship in the future (please, KJ).
My only complaint is that while the murder plot felt well-built up, the culmination of it started and ended way too quickly in about the last 10% of the book. Parts of the ending felt a little too easy. The resolution of it was also less tricky and hair-raising than many other KJ stories, which was a little surprising, but I didn't mind it so much. I also appreciated the ACAB message (with nuance) and KJ's little research note at the end explaining how some of her characters were real people in history. Super interesting!
Thank you KJ Charles for the ARC, I really enjoyed it! (Baby's first ARC review!!)
I loved this couple and I think they definitely rank among the top five KJ Charles has ever written, with a solid foundation for further explorations into their relationship in the future (please, KJ).
My only complaint is that while the murder plot felt well-built up, the culmination of it started and ended way too quickly in about the last 10% of the book. Parts of the ending felt a little too easy. The resolution of it was also less tricky and hair-raising than many other KJ stories, which was a little surprising, but I didn't mind it so much. I also appreciated the ACAB message (with nuance) and KJ's little research note at the end explaining how some of her characters were real people in history. Super interesting!
Thank you KJ Charles for the ARC, I really enjoyed it! (Baby's first ARC review!!)
July 19, 2025
yeah, so, it's a shame that this is...bad? not good, as they say? frankly I could just link X's review and call it a day, but let me at least TRY to do as I ask the kids to do when I get to them and they're like "well X just said what I wanted to say so I agree with them" okay well can you please explain in your own words as well. thank you.
1. I screamed when I got to the author's notes and read "joel's graphology is of course fantastical." kj. is this or is this not fantasy. does joel or does joel not have magical powers. make up your MIND. because he obviously does, but the text is EXTREMELY shruggy-'yeah well sometimes it's just like that' about it. KJ. KJ!!!!!!!
2. this book has so many issues that it doesn't even make sense to get into it about the cop thing. SO. TAKE THAT FOR WHAT IT IS.
3. it kills me that we never meet the mustache-bet friend. even though we all obviously know that joel doesn't have friends. jesus christ.
4. based on points two and three and in keeping with my summer-reality-tv-binge-watching I did imagine these two as ollie and dan from s1 of I kissed a boy (ollie is not a cop but god does he ever look like tom of finland's dream of one by way of the village people). who is who? well, that part was interchangeable, so I'll leave it up to you
5. the union thing???? simply vanishes?????????
6. disappointing that I usually turn to kjc for some beautiful historical linguistics and yet in this one there are multiple idioms that are decades too early. by my count, there are at least three to four of these: why are you consistently using post-wwii slang in a book set shortly after wwi????? and kj, jesus christ, the 'bang like a barn door in the wind' line was NOT so impressive that you had to use it THREE SEPARATE TIMES. god!!!! I have contact embarrassment!!!!!!!!
7. I can also typically rely on kjc to sell me on her leads' connection, but I'm just not buying the pacing here, sorry. I guess if you've been, uh, corseted/corked for years you might just fall hard and fast for the first guy who manages to simultaneously See and ~~unlace~~ you, but sheesh, I'm just not bought in on the end-of-book l-wording, and that's a shame. but also, on the note of uncorking, frankly I don't think the champagne-bottle-explosion we were promised delivers!!!!!!!
really, the graphology is the foundational flaw here—the besetting sin, if u will, as kj charles does often—and the problem is that it is the foundation to the whole damn thing, which just means that, god, this really doesn't work out. this needed like another year or two of major editing, if not an entire rewrite. and, you know what, sometimes the best thing to do is just to scrap it!!!!! "sometimes"—TO USE KJ'S OWN WORDS, I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY TO SAY—"you just have to do the thing." I'm mortified. we'll try again next time, shall we?
1. I screamed when I got to the author's notes and read "joel's graphology is of course fantastical." kj. is this or is this not fantasy. does joel or does joel not have magical powers. make up your MIND. because he obviously does, but the text is EXTREMELY shruggy-'yeah well sometimes it's just like that' about it. KJ. KJ!!!!!!!
2. this book has so many issues that it doesn't even make sense to get into it about the cop thing. SO. TAKE THAT FOR WHAT IT IS.
3. it kills me that we never meet the mustache-bet friend. even though we all obviously know that joel doesn't have friends. jesus christ.
4. based on points two and three and in keeping with my summer-reality-tv-binge-watching I did imagine these two as ollie and dan from s1 of I kissed a boy (ollie is not a cop but god does he ever look like tom of finland's dream of one by way of the village people). who is who? well, that part was interchangeable, so I'll leave it up to you
5. the union thing???? simply vanishes?????????
6. disappointing that I usually turn to kjc for some beautiful historical linguistics and yet in this one there are multiple idioms that are decades too early. by my count, there are at least three to four of these: why are you consistently using post-wwii slang in a book set shortly after wwi????? and kj, jesus christ, the 'bang like a barn door in the wind' line was NOT so impressive that you had to use it THREE SEPARATE TIMES. god!!!! I have contact embarrassment!!!!!!!!
7. I can also typically rely on kjc to sell me on her leads' connection, but I'm just not buying the pacing here, sorry. I guess if you've been, uh, corseted/corked for years you might just fall hard and fast for the first guy who manages to simultaneously See and ~~unlace~~ you, but sheesh, I'm just not bought in on the end-of-book l-wording, and that's a shame. but also, on the note of uncorking, frankly I don't think the champagne-bottle-explosion we were promised delivers!!!!!!!
really, the graphology is the foundational flaw here—the besetting sin, if u will, as kj charles does often—and the problem is that it is the foundation to the whole damn thing, which just means that, god, this really doesn't work out. this needed like another year or two of major editing, if not an entire rewrite. and, you know what, sometimes the best thing to do is just to scrap it!!!!! "sometimes"—TO USE KJ'S OWN WORDS, I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY TO SAY—"you just have to do the thing." I'm mortified. we'll try again next time, shall we?
June 14, 2025
While I might not have exhausted KJ Charles' library, I daresay this might be my favorite one. That's largely in part to Mr. Joel Wildsmith with this copper hair and wild attitude, but even his charming self doesn’t account for all the great things in this book. This was fantastic. I'll take ten more.
June 21, 2025
This book has a math problem. The first 75% of it is unremarkable but fine.
The final 25% of the book was 5% romance, 5% man with a gun, and 90% people sitting at tables talking about things they already had done or were about to do.
sigh
The final 25% of the book was 5% romance, 5% man with a gun, and 90% people sitting at tables talking about things they already had done or were about to do.
sigh
June 3, 2025
I thought this was delightful! It felt a little less... polished than some of her other works? Like, super fun, but something about it didn't feel as fully developed as I'm used to from this author. Not sure how to describe it exactly, and like I said, I still really enjoyed it, but it wasn't a five star read for me. Compared to most of the MM I've read lately, this was a welcome breath of fresh air.
May 31, 2025
2.5 stars – rounded up because it’s my own fault for not DNFing.
I thought a surprise KJC would be a better KJC, but sadly, I was wrong. I knew the romance wasn’t working for me when the flirtation felt more cringy than cute, and the bland mystery wasn’t helping either.
Of all the KJC books I’ve read in the past two years, I actually found Death in the Spires, which is supposed to be a mystery *not a romance*, to have a better romantic plot than her actual romance books. The main couples in her trad-published books always seem like a good match on paper, but in practice, they just lack that spark. I’m not sure if that’s because my taste in romance has changed, or if it’s something in KJC’s writing style.
I thought a surprise KJC would be a better KJC, but sadly, I was wrong. I knew the romance wasn’t working for me when the flirtation felt more cringy than cute, and the bland mystery wasn’t helping either.
Of all the KJC books I’ve read in the past two years, I actually found Death in the Spires, which is supposed to be a mystery *not a romance*, to have a better romantic plot than her actual romance books. The main couples in her trad-published books always seem like a good match on paper, but in practice, they just lack that spark. I’m not sure if that’s because my taste in romance has changed, or if it’s something in KJC’s writing style.
June 25, 2025
B+ / 4.5 stars
Now her books are being traditionally published, we’re having to wait a bit longer for new titles from KJ Charles owing to the longer lead-times usually required by the industry. Last year saw two new releases, the brilliant Death in the Spires in February followed by The Duke at Hazard , in July, but her next release, All of Us Murderers , isn’t due until this coming October. Yes, her books are well worth waiting for, but still… over a year without a new book from KJC? Oof! But then, a few months ago, she announced she’d be self-publishing a new book, and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief! Copper Script, set in London in 1924, expertly combines a warm and tender romance between a very unlikely couple, with a tense mystery, lots of wry humour and a superbly realised historical setting.
The last thing Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler wants to do is listen to his pompous arse of a cousin Paul ranting about the fact that his well-heeled fiancée has just dumped him because of what some charlatan said about Paul’s poor character after reading his handwriting. And Aaron wants even less wants to do as Paul is insisting he do and go and put the frighteners on the man. But, undeniably intrigued by some of the things his cousin has said, Aaron reluctantly agrees to go and have an unofficial word with Mr. Wildsmith to see if he is, as Paul suggests, engaging in fraudulent practices.
Joel Wildsmith lost a hand in the war, and, like so many of the other injured and disabled soldiers who made it through and returned home, has very few opportunities for employment open to him. He’s just about scraping a living as a grapholgist, analysing handwriting – for a fee – for people who want to know more about, say, a prospective employee or partner, and it so happened that Miss Barbara Wilson was one of those people. Joel doesn’t purport to be anything he’s not and he doesn’t claim to have any supernatural abilities, not like all those fake mediums and spiritualists who are taking advantage of the bereaved and grieving by pretending to be able to communicate with their lost loved ones. He doesn’t really know how or why he can do what he can do, he’s just very, very good at being able to form a judgment of character and motivations by studying a writer’s hand.
Aaron decides to pay the graphologist a visit anonymously and writes – by typed letter – to arrange an appointment. ‘Mr. Thurloe’ takes three samples of handwriting with him, determined to expose this so-called “Scientific Graphologist” as a fraud – but ends the session more confused then ever by Wildsmith’s uncanny ability to get such an accurate impression of the characters of the writers. It simply isn’t possible – the man must be running some kind of clever con and Aaron just can’t see it yet. Worse, there’s something about Joel Wildsmith, his odd mix of cockiness, aggression and vulnerablity, that has wormed its way under Aaron’s skin, drawing him in a way he can never allow and needs to shut down fast. He decides that maybe if he can just work out how Joel is doing what he’s doing, then maybe he’ll be able to get the blasted man out of his head. With the help of a former colleague, he comes up with an idea for a kind of blind test; he’ll present Joel with handwriting samples from suspects in an unsolved case and some from people completely unrelated, get him to write down his impressions and who he thinks is guilty, lock his answers away and only read them once the culprit is identified. That way there’s no possibility of Joel’s or anyone else’s views influencing his opinions. It’s a good plan, if he can find the right case – but it’ll have to wait because Aaron has been assigned to a new investigation, the possible murder of a private detective whose body has been fished out of the canal.
When that enquiry seems to hit nothing but road blocks, Aaron can turn his attention back to Joel and the experiment he hopes will prove – or disprove – Joel’s veracity once and for all. Of the eight written texts he gives Joel, Aaron knows the identity of three of the writers, and as before, the accuracy of Joel’s descsriptions of their personalities is truly uncanny. But their real problems begin when Joel’s interpretation of the character of the writer of one particular piece – which is actually unconnected to the chosen case – reinforces some suspicions Aaron has had for quite a while, and his determination to reveal the truth about this person are lands him – and Joel - in seriously hot water, putting his career at risk and their lives on the line.
Right from the start, Copper Script is engaging, funny, clever, and impossible to put down. As with all KJ Charles’ historicals, the setting and background are wonderfully detailed and superbly written - the London of the 1920s, with its criminal gangs and a police force that is sometimes not much better, the city-wide locations and its melting pot of different cultures is expertly and vividly depicted, and the narrative is full of the interesting, insightful, and sometimes damning societal observations that are characteristic of the author’s work.
The chemistry between Aaron and Joel fizzes right from their first meeting, and I liked them both individually and as a couple. Joel is a prickly, practical and self-confessed “stroppy bitch” who is doing his best to keep his head above water and works hard to earn money to improve his situation. His ability to provide such detailed character analysis based on handwriting is, perhaps, just bordering on the implausible, but it keeps to the right side of the line and his insights provide some thoughtful commentary on wider human nature as well as being relevant to the plot. Aaron is clearsighted, idealistic, and sensitive with a backbone of steel, although of late he’s begun to feel he’s fighting a losing battle against the internal corruption in the Met, and he’s exhausted. He’s reserved and very tightly controlled, ruthlessly supressing his emotional life and his attraction to men – until he meets Joel and something just… clicks, no matter how much he wishes it hadn’t. Their initial antagonism – the sceptic and the suspected con-man – sniping and pushing each other’s buttons is truly compelling, and watching them slowly move from that to a tentative truce and then to trust and genuinely caring for and finding solace in each other is an absolute joy.
The reason this one gets a B+ instead of an A grade is down to the resolution of the mystery plot. Half of the story is build up and scene and character-setting, taking the time to explore Joel’s ability and his and Aaron’s attraction to one another - which is all wonderful - and when the murder plotline kicks up a gear at the beginning of the second half, the tension is ramped up and up absolutely brilliantly. But after all that nail-biting build-up, the resolution feels rushed. Don’t get me wrong; it’s solid and well-executed – everything that happens is seeded throughout the rest of the story and nothing comes out of the blue - but some of it happens off page and all of it happens in about the final ten percent of the book.
Even so, Copper Script is a fabulous read; clever, funny, warm, and tender, with a high-stakes plotline, a well-researched historical background and two wonderfully engaging and charismatic leads, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Now her books are being traditionally published, we’re having to wait a bit longer for new titles from KJ Charles owing to the longer lead-times usually required by the industry. Last year saw two new releases, the brilliant Death in the Spires in February followed by The Duke at Hazard , in July, but her next release, All of Us Murderers , isn’t due until this coming October. Yes, her books are well worth waiting for, but still… over a year without a new book from KJC? Oof! But then, a few months ago, she announced she’d be self-publishing a new book, and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief! Copper Script, set in London in 1924, expertly combines a warm and tender romance between a very unlikely couple, with a tense mystery, lots of wry humour and a superbly realised historical setting.
The last thing Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler wants to do is listen to his pompous arse of a cousin Paul ranting about the fact that his well-heeled fiancée has just dumped him because of what some charlatan said about Paul’s poor character after reading his handwriting. And Aaron wants even less wants to do as Paul is insisting he do and go and put the frighteners on the man. But, undeniably intrigued by some of the things his cousin has said, Aaron reluctantly agrees to go and have an unofficial word with Mr. Wildsmith to see if he is, as Paul suggests, engaging in fraudulent practices.
Joel Wildsmith lost a hand in the war, and, like so many of the other injured and disabled soldiers who made it through and returned home, has very few opportunities for employment open to him. He’s just about scraping a living as a grapholgist, analysing handwriting – for a fee – for people who want to know more about, say, a prospective employee or partner, and it so happened that Miss Barbara Wilson was one of those people. Joel doesn’t purport to be anything he’s not and he doesn’t claim to have any supernatural abilities, not like all those fake mediums and spiritualists who are taking advantage of the bereaved and grieving by pretending to be able to communicate with their lost loved ones. He doesn’t really know how or why he can do what he can do, he’s just very, very good at being able to form a judgment of character and motivations by studying a writer’s hand.
Aaron decides to pay the graphologist a visit anonymously and writes – by typed letter – to arrange an appointment. ‘Mr. Thurloe’ takes three samples of handwriting with him, determined to expose this so-called “Scientific Graphologist” as a fraud – but ends the session more confused then ever by Wildsmith’s uncanny ability to get such an accurate impression of the characters of the writers. It simply isn’t possible – the man must be running some kind of clever con and Aaron just can’t see it yet. Worse, there’s something about Joel Wildsmith, his odd mix of cockiness, aggression and vulnerablity, that has wormed its way under Aaron’s skin, drawing him in a way he can never allow and needs to shut down fast. He decides that maybe if he can just work out how Joel is doing what he’s doing, then maybe he’ll be able to get the blasted man out of his head. With the help of a former colleague, he comes up with an idea for a kind of blind test; he’ll present Joel with handwriting samples from suspects in an unsolved case and some from people completely unrelated, get him to write down his impressions and who he thinks is guilty, lock his answers away and only read them once the culprit is identified. That way there’s no possibility of Joel’s or anyone else’s views influencing his opinions. It’s a good plan, if he can find the right case – but it’ll have to wait because Aaron has been assigned to a new investigation, the possible murder of a private detective whose body has been fished out of the canal.
When that enquiry seems to hit nothing but road blocks, Aaron can turn his attention back to Joel and the experiment he hopes will prove – or disprove – Joel’s veracity once and for all. Of the eight written texts he gives Joel, Aaron knows the identity of three of the writers, and as before, the accuracy of Joel’s descsriptions of their personalities is truly uncanny. But their real problems begin when Joel’s interpretation of the character of the writer of one particular piece – which is actually unconnected to the chosen case – reinforces some suspicions Aaron has had for quite a while, and his determination to reveal the truth about this person are lands him – and Joel - in seriously hot water, putting his career at risk and their lives on the line.
Right from the start, Copper Script is engaging, funny, clever, and impossible to put down. As with all KJ Charles’ historicals, the setting and background are wonderfully detailed and superbly written - the London of the 1920s, with its criminal gangs and a police force that is sometimes not much better, the city-wide locations and its melting pot of different cultures is expertly and vividly depicted, and the narrative is full of the interesting, insightful, and sometimes damning societal observations that are characteristic of the author’s work.
The chemistry between Aaron and Joel fizzes right from their first meeting, and I liked them both individually and as a couple. Joel is a prickly, practical and self-confessed “stroppy bitch” who is doing his best to keep his head above water and works hard to earn money to improve his situation. His ability to provide such detailed character analysis based on handwriting is, perhaps, just bordering on the implausible, but it keeps to the right side of the line and his insights provide some thoughtful commentary on wider human nature as well as being relevant to the plot. Aaron is clearsighted, idealistic, and sensitive with a backbone of steel, although of late he’s begun to feel he’s fighting a losing battle against the internal corruption in the Met, and he’s exhausted. He’s reserved and very tightly controlled, ruthlessly supressing his emotional life and his attraction to men – until he meets Joel and something just… clicks, no matter how much he wishes it hadn’t. Their initial antagonism – the sceptic and the suspected con-man – sniping and pushing each other’s buttons is truly compelling, and watching them slowly move from that to a tentative truce and then to trust and genuinely caring for and finding solace in each other is an absolute joy.
The reason this one gets a B+ instead of an A grade is down to the resolution of the mystery plot. Half of the story is build up and scene and character-setting, taking the time to explore Joel’s ability and his and Aaron’s attraction to one another - which is all wonderful - and when the murder plotline kicks up a gear at the beginning of the second half, the tension is ramped up and up absolutely brilliantly. But after all that nail-biting build-up, the resolution feels rushed. Don’t get me wrong; it’s solid and well-executed – everything that happens is seeded throughout the rest of the story and nothing comes out of the blue - but some of it happens off page and all of it happens in about the final ten percent of the book.
Even so, Copper Script is a fabulous read; clever, funny, warm, and tender, with a high-stakes plotline, a well-researched historical background and two wonderfully engaging and charismatic leads, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
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July 1, 2025Blindingly charming with the most amputated hand puns you’ll see in a book this year, I’d wager. Please write more Aaron and Joel books.
August 29, 2025
For all intents and purposes, this was a solid book - with solid writing, a solid plot, and a solid romance. It just never did anything super special. I was never shocked, or worried, or even super emotional.
My favorite thing about this was the premise, though - I really liked the idea of a scarily accurate graphologist - and I really liked how Joel's talent was portrayed and explained. I would have honestly loved to have seen more of his talents in action.
Overall, this was good, but not particularly memorable.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!
My favorite thing about this was the premise, though - I really liked the idea of a scarily accurate graphologist - and I really liked how Joel's talent was portrayed and explained. I would have honestly loved to have seen more of his talents in action.
Overall, this was good, but not particularly memorable.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!
June 2, 2025
This is firmly the “3.5 stars, very solidly entertaining, I had a good time” sort of 3-star rating; basically, I liked it, it just didn’t hit my buttons quite the same way her books usually do. The setting and historical backdrop were great, with solid research as usual, and the murdery shenanigans and social justice elements were satisfying as ever.
It fell down a little for me in terms of characters and romance. I liked Joel a lot, but Aaron felt a bit tall, dark and blandsome to me, more of a type than a fully realised character. Same with the romance: sure, there’s a spark, but I never really got swept up in their relationship or even necessarily felt that this was a forever thing. Sadly, the smut did nothing for me either.
There’s also a bit of a hurried or underdeveloped quality to it all – several major discoveries or confrontations happen off-page, we never see hide nor hair of all these friends Joel supposedly has, and Helen did not nearly get as much page time or involvement as I wanted her to have.
Then there’s the graphology thing, which to me sits on the wrong side of magical/fantasy for a book that’s otherwise fully grounded in reality. It’s clearly established by everyone involved as not being based on reading actual handwriting quirks, but some kind of inexplicable, more-than-borderline psychic talent. I don’t get on at the best of times with sprinkles of the fantastical in reality-based books, and I struggled with it a fair amount here. I did eventually decide to just roll with it but it felt a bit off.
That said, it was a fun book, competently written as ever. Some of my favourite things involved the random shoutout to whom I presume to be Archie (older chap, Boer war injury, volunteering with the medics in WW1), and a bizarrely random intersection with my current fandom obsession in the mention of the “German doctor” who’s invented a functional hand prosthesis (chap's name was Ferdinand Sauerbruch, do look up his mad prosthetics skills, but also look up Charité at War, kthx).
It fell down a little for me in terms of characters and romance. I liked Joel a lot, but Aaron felt a bit tall, dark and blandsome to me, more of a type than a fully realised character. Same with the romance: sure, there’s a spark, but I never really got swept up in their relationship or even necessarily felt that this was a forever thing. Sadly, the smut did nothing for me either.
There’s also a bit of a hurried or underdeveloped quality to it all – several major discoveries or confrontations happen off-page, we never see hide nor hair of all these friends Joel supposedly has, and Helen did not nearly get as much page time or involvement as I wanted her to have.
Then there’s the graphology thing, which to me sits on the wrong side of magical/fantasy for a book that’s otherwise fully grounded in reality. It’s clearly established by everyone involved as not being based on reading actual handwriting quirks, but some kind of inexplicable, more-than-borderline psychic talent. I don’t get on at the best of times with sprinkles of the fantastical in reality-based books, and I struggled with it a fair amount here. I did eventually decide to just roll with it but it felt a bit off.
That said, it was a fun book, competently written as ever. Some of my favourite things involved the random shoutout to whom I presume to be Archie (older chap, Boer war injury, volunteering with the medics in WW1), and a bizarrely random intersection with my current fandom obsession in the mention of the “German doctor” who’s invented a functional hand prosthesis (chap's name was Ferdinand Sauerbruch, do look up his mad prosthetics skills, but also look up Charité at War, kthx).
May 29, 2025
Well friends, she’s done it again. KJ Charles is a literary wizard and Copper Script is another absolute banging 5* read!
DS Aaron Fowler works for the Met in the Criminal Investigation Division. When his awful cousin comes to complain to him about a graphologist, someone who can tell about a person’s personality and traits using their handwriting, who has ruined his upcoming marriage he feels he has to step in. After all, a dangerous charlatan pretending to know people’s secrets from their handwriting alone must be dangerous…
Joel Wildsmith has had terrible luck. Kicked out of his family, arrested for being queer in a police sting operation and losing his hand in the war, he’s scraping a living using his graphology skills. People’s lives jump off the page at him and he’s more than happy to utilise his talents for a small fee. But when the lovely yet irate DS Fowler turns up on his doorstep demanding to know what tricks he is using, Joel is understandably put out. That is until Aaron agrees to help him with the threats from his own cousin and to investigate the officer from the sting operation.
Slowly the two of them learn to trust each other; but when Aaron is dragged into a murder case that has the police on edge, and Joel finds himself as the focus of a London Gang, the pair have to work together to try and escape the noose that is slowly closing around them.
I loved that a lot of this book was actually based on real-life people. One of my favourites was Helen Challice, who was based on the first female police officer at the Met. I loved the culinary trips that then men took through London (because why skip dinner when you’re being pursued by monsters, amirite?!) and the discourse around accountability in the police. This book was twisty and had me on edge the whole time but of course, KJC always gives us the swooniest HEA 😻
Read Copper Script for:
✨ 1920’s London mystery romance
✨ Police officer x graphologist
✨ Police corruption and gang warfare
✨ Amazing female side character
✨ Physical disability (hand lost in war)
✨ Discourse re.historical queer persecution
✨ Culinary trips around London
✨ Sassy x Stoic
✨ Your honour, I love them both SO MUCH
DS Aaron Fowler works for the Met in the Criminal Investigation Division. When his awful cousin comes to complain to him about a graphologist, someone who can tell about a person’s personality and traits using their handwriting, who has ruined his upcoming marriage he feels he has to step in. After all, a dangerous charlatan pretending to know people’s secrets from their handwriting alone must be dangerous…
Joel Wildsmith has had terrible luck. Kicked out of his family, arrested for being queer in a police sting operation and losing his hand in the war, he’s scraping a living using his graphology skills. People’s lives jump off the page at him and he’s more than happy to utilise his talents for a small fee. But when the lovely yet irate DS Fowler turns up on his doorstep demanding to know what tricks he is using, Joel is understandably put out. That is until Aaron agrees to help him with the threats from his own cousin and to investigate the officer from the sting operation.
Slowly the two of them learn to trust each other; but when Aaron is dragged into a murder case that has the police on edge, and Joel finds himself as the focus of a London Gang, the pair have to work together to try and escape the noose that is slowly closing around them.
I loved that a lot of this book was actually based on real-life people. One of my favourites was Helen Challice, who was based on the first female police officer at the Met. I loved the culinary trips that then men took through London (because why skip dinner when you’re being pursued by monsters, amirite?!) and the discourse around accountability in the police. This book was twisty and had me on edge the whole time but of course, KJC always gives us the swooniest HEA 😻
Read Copper Script for:
✨ 1920’s London mystery romance
✨ Police officer x graphologist
✨ Police corruption and gang warfare
✨ Amazing female side character
✨ Physical disability (hand lost in war)
✨ Discourse re.historical queer persecution
✨ Culinary trips around London
✨ Sassy x Stoic
✨ Your honour, I love them both SO MUCH
August 8, 2025
Wow! KJ Charles was my introduction to m/m fiction, so I already had high hopes for this, and it still managed to blow me away. It has been a while since I read anything by them, but this reminded me exactly why I love their writing so much.
The premise is so unique. Graphology is not something I ever thought would be interesting, but it completely pulled me in and worked so well with the story.
If I had to nitpick, I would say I wanted the crime and murder plot to play a bigger role. That might just be me expecting too much since, like many of my reads this year, this is a romance first and foremost. The ending wrapped up quickly, and there was one moment from a character who had been described as self-centered and emotionally detached that felt out of place, but it did not take away from my overall enjoyment.
All in all, I loved this. Another win for KJ Charles and an easy 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
July 2, 2025
A really original book with several interesting themes. The graphology angle was great, as was the graphologist. The other MC, the cop, was also interesting. Especially is qualms about his vision of the police when confronted with reality. The dilemma felt real. The mystery took a while to get going and ended rather abruptly (everything was resolved but a bit too nicely?). The connection between the MC was also good and the relationship progression well paced. A winner 🏆
August 19, 2025
4,3⭐️
I greatly enjoyed this book.
The relationship development felt a little bit choppy, but otherwise? Pretty awesome.
The story is witty, engaging and interesting.
Both characters were pretty well developed and I loved their interactions.
And the little facts about history and what in the story was real. I LOVED those.
I greatly enjoyed this book.
The relationship development felt a little bit choppy, but otherwise? Pretty awesome.
The story is witty, engaging and interesting.
Both characters were pretty well developed and I loved their interactions.
And the little facts about history and what in the story was real. I LOVED those.
April 16, 2025
The 1920s. London. Bright young things are partying, gangs are committing crimes, and everyone is doing their best to put their best foot forward and get over the war. We meet our romantic lead, “darkly handsome” Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler as he investigates his nightmare posho cousin’s broken engagement, on the word of “bizarrely talented” graphologist Joel Wildsmith.
While Aaron is a stoic but sensitive and idealistic giant, Joel is a self-confessed “stroppy bitch” who lost a limb in the war and is trying to move along and improve his lot, working practically with the amazing skills he has to get as much money as possible. Really, who can blame him? He’s introduced with a hideous moustache but don’t worry, that soon is shaved off.
While the start of this story appears to be a sceptic and suspected hoaxer rubbing each other up the wrong way, before they rub into each other in an entirely different way; the suspense kicks in with a vengeance. Lots of plates spin in the background which begin to unlock into a widespread conspiracy where our heroes don’t know who to trust or turn to.
A tense page turner with a dazzlingly romantic ending, and one of the best couple dynamics I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a while, KJ Charles shows again why she is the master of this genre.
I loved the dynamics between Aaron and Joel here- Joel very obviously finds Aaron attractive from the get go, and while Aaron doesn’t give anything away we the reader get to be in his head and explore the tremendous depth to his feelings and concerns. If I had to compare it to another relationship, I might go with Sterek of the 2010s show Teen Wolf, where there’s a smaller chatterbox who is far more practical and also worried, and a muscled dark stoic who nevertheless has a lot of thoughts and cares though doesn’t often share them. There are a few romantic confessions that really highlight their strengths as characters and how right they are for each other- they are a pair that make each other both better and happier! (And the sex scenes? oooooooohhhhoooooo. You will be delighted.)
There remain a lot of nuanced conversations that feel realistic to the characters- how would a gay policeman feel in the 1920s? What about a woman policeman? What about the realities of post-war living for veterans with limb differences? How would other gay people interact with the police in this world, especially if they were of different classes? How do people look at life after going through service on the battlefield, and how does that changed based on which battlefield they served on?
Furthermore, the world building remains excellent. The characters backgrounds, the discussions of London and London geography, and the mixing pot of city living were all poured in lovingly to this book making it seem incredibly real. I’ve read a fair few historical romances recently where the history is just set dressing, but this is not just a costume. It informs the actions that are taken and makes for a dynamic plot.
How do I feel about the book? It’s an easy 5 star, and a favourite KJC of all time for me. There were so many spinning plates to mysteries, reveals that drove the plot forward, but simultaneously Aaron and Joel fall together and fall in love, with their story reaching a believable HEA.
( UNPOLISHED Initial thoughts only:
- this was one of the most enjoyable romance dynamics I’ve read in ages
- the driving actions behind the romance were exciting and created palpable tension, though the ending perhaps felt a lot more “romance” than action
- the character’s backstories, motivations, and realisations felt both complex and earnt which can be a difficult balance but really told this as a complex narrative
- ACAB always and forever BUT these there is nuance when you’re putting the police into a story and as mentioned above, this was great!
- absolute banger 100/10 best birthday present to read an arc of this thank you KJ fan discord and random generator for this opportunity!)
While Aaron is a stoic but sensitive and idealistic giant, Joel is a self-confessed “stroppy bitch” who lost a limb in the war and is trying to move along and improve his lot, working practically with the amazing skills he has to get as much money as possible. Really, who can blame him? He’s introduced with a hideous moustache but don’t worry, that soon is shaved off.
While the start of this story appears to be a sceptic and suspected hoaxer rubbing each other up the wrong way, before they rub into each other in an entirely different way; the suspense kicks in with a vengeance. Lots of plates spin in the background which begin to unlock into a widespread conspiracy where our heroes don’t know who to trust or turn to.
A tense page turner with a dazzlingly romantic ending, and one of the best couple dynamics I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a while, KJ Charles shows again why she is the master of this genre.
I loved the dynamics between Aaron and Joel here- Joel very obviously finds Aaron attractive from the get go, and while Aaron doesn’t give anything away we the reader get to be in his head and explore the tremendous depth to his feelings and concerns. If I had to compare it to another relationship, I might go with Sterek of the 2010s show Teen Wolf, where there’s a smaller chatterbox who is far more practical and also worried, and a muscled dark stoic who nevertheless has a lot of thoughts and cares though doesn’t often share them. There are a few romantic confessions that really highlight their strengths as characters and how right they are for each other- they are a pair that make each other both better and happier! (And the sex scenes? oooooooohhhhoooooo. You will be delighted.)
There remain a lot of nuanced conversations that feel realistic to the characters- how would a gay policeman feel in the 1920s? What about a woman policeman? What about the realities of post-war living for veterans with limb differences? How would other gay people interact with the police in this world, especially if they were of different classes? How do people look at life after going through service on the battlefield, and how does that changed based on which battlefield they served on?
Furthermore, the world building remains excellent. The characters backgrounds, the discussions of London and London geography, and the mixing pot of city living were all poured in lovingly to this book making it seem incredibly real. I’ve read a fair few historical romances recently where the history is just set dressing, but this is not just a costume. It informs the actions that are taken and makes for a dynamic plot.
How do I feel about the book? It’s an easy 5 star, and a favourite KJC of all time for me. There were so many spinning plates to mysteries, reveals that drove the plot forward, but simultaneously Aaron and Joel fall together and fall in love, with their story reaching a believable HEA.
( UNPOLISHED Initial thoughts only:
- this was one of the most enjoyable romance dynamics I’ve read in ages
- the driving actions behind the romance were exciting and created palpable tension, though the ending perhaps felt a lot more “romance” than action
- the character’s backstories, motivations, and realisations felt both complex and earnt which can be a difficult balance but really told this as a complex narrative
- ACAB always and forever BUT these there is nuance when you’re putting the police into a story and as mentioned above, this was great!
- absolute banger 100/10 best birthday present to read an arc of this thank you KJ fan discord and random generator for this opportunity!)
July 7, 2025
I had my doubts about this one because one of the main characters is a police officer but kjc did her thing!! I enjoyed this a lot. I liked Aaron but I LOVED Joel. His snark, his sarcasm, coupled with how freely he allowed himself to feel and express his emotions...ugh he was everything. I also loved how well his disability and PTSD were handled. This was a fantastic read.
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