Lit Wicks: K.J. Charles

Welcome to Lit Wicks! This is where we pair an author’s backlist or book theme with candles to really immerse yourself in the reading experience. All of the candles featured in these post are from Etsy, which means there is often worldwide shipping and that you’re supporting independent crafters and sellers. The Etsy candle rabbit hole is one I have gone down many times.

This month, we’re pairing candles with the work of K.J. Charles! Charles writes some fantastic romances. Some with magic, some with mystery, but all of them have incredible emotional depth.

If you’re curious about what other authors have received the Lit Wicks treatment, check out our category page. And if you’d like to suggest an author’s backlist for a future Lit Wicks column, please email me!

The Henchmen of Zenda
A | BN | K | AB
The Henchmen of Zenda: Carrie really loved this one and gave it an A.

On the way to the ending there is swashbuckling, double and triple crossing, intrigue, a moat, a castle, smart women, and hot sex. What’s not to like?

The closest thing I could get to a “swashbuckling” candle is something pirate themed, and given the cover, I think that’s a decent substitute.

Candle: The Cheeky Nose–Pirates and Scallywags 9oz. ($14.50)

A light brown candle in a glass jar.

The description notes that this candle has “the rich scent of aged cedar, musty planks and hints of tropical dreams and mystique.” Sounds like a rather perfect fit, don’t you think?

Think of England
A | BN | K | AB
Think of England: Though I’ve never sequestered myself to a lush, English, countryside estate, I don’t think I’d mind too much.

A green, manicured lawn. Secret groves with thick trees and dotted with wildflowers. A hot curmudgeon who lives on the grounds.

As the cover suggest, Think of England is set at a country house that’s rather isolated from the rest of society. And yes, of course there’s a house party.

Candle: Barr and Harbor–Dove Cottage 8oz. ($20)

A white candle in a glass jar with a square, wood wick.

White tea, English rose, and jasmine make this a rather light, floral candle. I’m very interested in this one and think it would make a great candle for spring.

An Unseen Attraction
A | BN | K | AB
 An Unseen Attraction: The description mentions a lodging house and two heroes who talk over “long fireside evenings.” That sounds so cozy.

Then a dead body shows up. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

This one has a lot of catnip with friends to lovers, forced proximity during a long winter, and mysterious circumstances.

Candle: The ABC Market–Fireside 9oz. ($16.50)

A white candle in a glass jar. It's sitting on a tree stump next to a fir tree.

This candle has a wood wick, which I absolutely love. Wood wicks make this little crackling noise, so you’ll really feel like you’re sitting next to a warm fire.

Any Old Diamonds
A | BN | K | AB
 Any Old Diamonds: This is a newer Charles release and a lot of my romance reading friends have been loving this one. This one was also the hardest to pair with a candle, because how to you capture a scent of a diamond?

You don’t, obviously.

But I stumbled across the following candle and I believe it’s a pretty decent match with what I know of the book and its characters. Let me know what you think.

Candle: Diamond in the Rust–Shave and a Haircut ($16)

A white candle in a square jar. It's on a wooden stool next to a lit candlestick and a white porcelain pitcher filled with greenery.

This scent is described as unisex because it blends some masculine notes like musk and amber, and then balances them with more fresh notes, like citrus and sea salt.

A Seditious Affair
A | BN | K | AB
A Seditious Affair: I will always remember this book because of the beautiful Keeper Shelf review we received from a reader. It’s long, but worth the read.

One of the heroes, Silas, bears physical and emotional scars, but is committed to a cause:

Silas Mason has done time. His back is heavily scarred from floggings by the authorities. His knees hurt. He’s feeling his age. But for all that he’s not only a street fighting bravo (he owns a cudgel!) but also an autodidact with a lively, inquiring mind and deep interest in politics, philosophy and literature. Silas has been dedicated non-stop to the fight for the radical cause since he was sixteen using both his fists and pen. And despite imprisonment, torture and defeats Silas still can growl, “We haven’t won yet, but the cause ain’t lost. Never will be.”

Be still my heart.

Candle: Fictional Boutique–Bookish Heartbreak 3.5oz ($8.11)

A red candle in a small jar. It's sitting on a book surrounded my origami paper stars.

A lot of readers are moved by Silas and the depth of his character; I wanted to find a candle that matched that level of sympathy. This candle has hints of gin, rose, and eucalyptus.

The Magpie Lord
A | BN | K | AB
The Magpie Lord: Magic! I love magic!

And so does Carrie. This one earned an A- in a review:

The Magpie Lord has everything I could possibly want from a m/m romance. It has a historical Victorian setting, it involves magic, one of the two heroes is short, skinny, and booksmart, and above all the main characters are presented as real, multi-layered people in a real relationship.

Candle: Wilderness Road Wicks–Practical Magic 12oz. ($18.95)

An off white candle in a tall glass jar in front of a white birch background.

Peep this description: “the scent of magical, mystical adventures with hints of paper and parchment.” This candle was made for this book. It has notes of bergamot, black raspberry, musk, and white rose.

What do you think K.J. Charles fans? Which candle & book pairing was your favorite?

Comments are Closed

  1. HeatherT says:

    I’ll be honest — I’ve never understood the whole “Lit Wicks” thing, but I do love KJ Charles, so I opened this up. I Want All Of The Things Now. Dang.

  2. Alicia says:

    Very good choices!

  3. Zee says:

    These are… not the most accurate descriptions of the books.

    I have to plug Unseen Attraction, because there’s no description that does it justice. It’s not forced proximity and the winter in question is foggy rather than snowy, but the actual summary also doesn’t sell the book like it deserves.

    Unseen Attraction has a murder mystery in it, but it’s about the choice to be kind, and it has some of the most wonderful, hottest, gentlest sex scenes you will ever read. How many books have you read where the autistic MC’s sex life is reasonably affected by his autism, but he’s self-aware, experienced, and gorgeous? Because. You guys. You need to meet Clem. Also, his love interest is a taxidermist, but like, it’s all thematic with the gentleness.

    Just read the book. Multiple of us fans put off reading it because we assumed we wouldn’t like it but it’s just so good. So snuggly. (There is no snuggling with taxidermy, don’t worry.)

  4. chacha1 says:

    I have loved every single thing I’ve read by K.J. Charles. Unfortunately I can’t tolerate scented candles. So I will buy another KJC book instead! Win!

  5. Big K says:

    The only thing I didn’t like about this post is i’ve already read all of Charles’ books. Aaargh! Please don’t stop writing these fantastic books! And Clem’s story is a favorite, so sweet!

  6. cleo says:

    I love KJ Charles!

    I do want to put in a quick CW for Think of England for portrayal of anti-semitism. If you want more info on that, read the comments on the DA review.

  7. denise says:

    Pracitcal magic is the candle I’d want.

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