I first heard of KJ Charles a few years ago when a friend convinced me to try The Magpie Lord. Never a history fan, I had avoided getting into historicals in the MM genre when I began reading them. But I have to say that from the moment I first met these richly developed characters, I have been a fan. This story does nothing to move me from that opinion. It’s amazing. In fact, with the most unlikely match of characters, the author has completely captured my attention and earned my undying respect for the talent it takes to make a man who should be positively hateful to one who positively begs for love.

That man is spiritualist Justin Lazarus, the so-called Seer of London. To journalist Nathaniel Roy, he’s nothing but the grand master hoax of London, however. Nathaniel sets about to prove him a sham and write a scathing expose of a fraud who would cheat people of their hard-earned money by pretending to speak to the dead. Unfortunately for Nathaniel, the seer brings a message from Nathaniel’s long-dead lover, turning his world topsy turvy and sidetracking his quest for truth when they first meet.

Despite this one step back, Nathaniel remains persistent in proving Justin’s outright duplicity, but it’s not until their paths cross over the search for a missing heir that things get more complicated and unexpected than either man bargained for. The author involves us in the complex mystery in the world of mid-19th century London as both men have to work together to disprove the inheritance claim brought to the Tallyfer estate by Clem Tallyfer’s uncle. Justin is involved due to a visit by a woman seeking her missing children. But when that involvement results in an escape with his life, he knows the only man he can turn to for help is Nathaniel, who then welcomes him with open arms.

While the two work to solve the mystery, they fall in love—something Nathaniel doesn’t want to admit and something Justin refuses to believe he’s worthy of. This is a nail-biting, fast-paced mystery that brings us a very satisfying conclusion for our unlikely set of lovers and leaves enough mystery to be finalized in the next story to pique interest in continuing the series.

There was nothing about this story to dislike and everything to love. It can be read as a standalone, but readers would definitely benefit from reading An Unseen Attraction first.

3.5 stars

This is the second in a trilogy and suffered a bit from Middle Book Syndrome, where a bit of time was spent on catching new readers up on the plot of the first book and a lot of time was spent setting up the grand finale, and our heroes of this book had not enough plot for themselves (and in fact were shuffled off to the country for a few weeks while book 3 plot happened in London).

As always from KJ Charles, stellar on the atmosphere: the tone, the characters, the structure of the series, the goddamn fog all draw you in to the London of Victorian sensational novels (speaking of, loved the hat tips to Lady Audley's Secret and Wilkie Collins). And I loved, like the first book, that one of the MC's professions revolves around the Victorians being really fucking weird about death.

With a journalist out to expose a spiritualist as a fraud working to relieve the grieving of their money we have a classic antagonists-to-lovers set up, which is always a hard sell for me because I feel like it relies too much on instant sexual attraction. I did find both the characters intriguing individually (even if I forget Nathaniel's name the second I put the book down). Nathaniel Roy, the archbishop's son turned athiest still grieving for the death of his lover six years previously, and Justin Lazarus (yes that's his real name), born in a workhouse, apprenticed to a medium after he caught him picking pockets, determined to never have to ask anyone for help because he knows it always comes with strings attached.

Would recommend (Read the first books first, and maybe wait until closer to the book 3 release so you don't have to wait so long to get to the rest of the damn plot)

An exciting, fast-paced historical mystery thriller wrapped around a m/m romance. The setting, in Victorian London's heavy fog, is vividly atmospheric. The characters are unconventional romance heroes (a grieving, crusading journalist and a brilliant, cunning spiritualist), and the way they slowly bridge the gaps between them is fascinating -- like all KJ Charles characters, they are complex, stubborn, and passionate. This is the second in the trilogy, and though the romance story stands alone, the mystery plot leaves numerous dangling threads for the third book to pick up.

Unsurprisingly, given the author's previous works, this is a really good read. The plot is well developed with two themes drawing together around the protagonists. It also allows for effective character exploration and development. There were times when I was worried that the plot would descend into a self-depreciation round, but at each turn the author returns to the plot without becoming maudlin. Self-doubt is a common theme in this book, as it is in many others of this genre, however it is often overdone and I am pleased that this was not the case here. It is also noticeable that the author provided a sufficiently rich plot that it was possible to develop somewhat the secondary characters which made for a better read.

The relationship between the protagonists is handled well with revelation of character aspects drawn out through plot devices. Sex is used at anticipated points and is handled without the need to overuse it as a dramatic ploy.

The ending is positive but is clearly left open for at least one sequel. This is one book that I would happily recommend

This book is a really great book from K J Charles,it contains suspence more so than
romance.but the latter is there.the main characters felt real and true .
The attention for detail is fantastic.I really looking forward to the last book.

I’m fairly convinced KJ Charles has never written a bad book; that in fact everything she’s written is spectacular. So when I tell you that I’m pretty sure this is her best yet, that should mean something.

This book has all the grittiness of her Charm of Magpies series and all the class conflict of A Seditious Affair (etc), rolled into one perfect package. We get to revisit characters from An Unseen Attraction while also meeting Justin Lazarus, the Seer of London, a man of infinite talents and insecurities. The plot thread begun in An Unseen Attraction about the Earl of Moreton’s bigamy and its consequences continues here, with more violence and mystery as the heroes and secondary characters frantically seek the missing heir.

The ending is a delight, and I find myself desperately hoping that the next book (as indicated by the “to be continued…”) will be about Mark Braglewicz and the young man he’s in such a twist about as this story ends (no spoilers here).

I always enjoy novels by KJ Charles. this book is no different incorporating the Victorian love of spiritualists, and an intriguing mystery in addition this being an interesting love story. Nathaniel Roy is a reporter, devastated after the death of his lover he devotes himself to his work and friends. Justin Lazarus is a man whose difficult life has led him to a life of a charlatan, he has established himself as "the seer of London," and in his quest for financial stability he has no time for anyone outside of his small circle. The paths of Nathaniel and Justin cross when Nathaniel seeks to write an expose about Justin and finds himself both attracted to him, and yet also repulsed because of Justin's work. Their paths cross again when a client of Justin's request for him to find her missing children crosses with Nathaniel's quest for a missing heir. They find themselves on the run, and they find themselves coming to terms with their growing attraction for each other. Two people from very different worlds have found their way together and had to find a way to make a relationship work in the midst of danger. I'm enjoying this series very much and this is a fantastic addition.

This was an okay book. I really enjoyed the characters, but sadly after a while the plot fell short and got slightly boring for me.

He was a journalist on a quest to uncover charlatans exploiting the grief and pocketbooks of those who have lost loved ones. His number one target is the Seer of London, Justin Lazarus, but Nathaniel Roy had no idea what he would discover when he went undercover.

These two “enemies” would find themselves wrapped up in aristocratic intrigue where no one can be trusted, except each other, but will their growing feelings cloud their judgement? What really goes on behind the London fog?

Set in Victorian London, AN UNNATURAL VICE is a thriller mystery wrapped around an unlikely M/M love affair between two men initially determined to undermine each other. K.J. Charles knows how to keep a tale dark, weighted with rich details and an atmosphere of shrouded mystery. This is not a fast-paced tale, and at times seems to lag along a little, but definitely has that historical feel on the streets of London.

I received an ARC edition from Loveswept in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Sins of the Cities - Book 2
Publisher: Loveswept (June 6, 2017)
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Genre: Historical M/M Romance
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Love how this one connected with and picked up where the last book left off. Well done.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I had wanted to read a KJ Charles book for a while now but somehow didn't get around to do it. This opportunity from netGalley was the last push I needed and now I'm going to binge all (or a good part of) her books. That's how good this was.

An Unnatural Vice is the second book in the Sins of the City series, and as such it continues the main suspense plot from the first book, An Unseen Attraction. Timeline-wise it overlaps slightly with book #1 which helped me go straight back into the storyline.
Charles always manages to create strong and complex characters, and An Unnatural Vice is no exception. Justin Lazarus is an intriguing hero, with some very obvious flaws but with more than enough goodness to cancel those out. I found Nathaniel a little less interesting. He was a journalist and lawyer, but more defined by his grief. I’m glad he learned to embrace love again, and the role Justin played in that. I especially love how Nathanial accepts Justin for who he is, even if he doesn’t agree with what Justin does. I also loved how their romance develops slowly despite the instant attraction.
The writing was spot on, as always, and I enjoyed reading about Victorian spiritualists and how certain tricks were done.
Most of the detecting related to the suspense plot happened off page, and I expect in the next book of the series. I’ll be interested to see how it is resolved, and even more so how Repentance and Mark (at least I assume the book is about them) will find their HEA.

Another great book by K.J. Charles, I really am loving this series. Basically everything I could echo in my review for the first book of the series - the historical setting was really nicely done with such a great sense of place. The London fog sounds unpleasant but that and several other things really gave the book such a good setting. Each character's job as well was so well-researched especially how Justin managed to conduct his seances. So interesting!

What I love about Charles' characters is how well-rounded they are. In all their arguments, you got the sense that Nathanial and Justin both had a point and were both too stubborn to see the other side. They grew and developed as characters as they went on and with the final of their relationship, you could see that they had a good, solid relationship with neither one of them having to compromise overly much.

The plot was essentially a continuation of what happened in the first book so this is not one of those standalone series books. I love how things started to come together at the end and several things came up which used details from earlier in the book and the series and I was so pleased to see everything coming together. I think this plot was tighter than the first book, not so much of it relied on one of the character being stubbornly naive and that was what bumped it up to five stars.

K.J. Charles just keeps getting better and better.

I've trusted KJ Charles to deliver sharp, clever reads for a few years now, and good lord she didn't disappoint with An Unnatural Vice. Clem and Rowley's story was fantastic, Nathaniel and Justin's was even better, and I'm left waiting impatiently for the sequel.

I'm just as eager to find out more about the overarching plot as I am the next set of characters. I was constantly guessing and theorising during my read-through (which was ridiculously fun and something I've not done in ages), and while I'm completely in the fog (heh) as to who the Big Bad is, I can't wait to find out.

KJ Charles is an auto-buy for me. I adore this series, and was so happy to get an early copy of this from NetGalley! This story built on the mystery and intrigue from the first, and added in the brilliant Justin Lazarus and his schemes. I really enjoyed this one. The two main characters grated on each other's nerves, but then found peace with each other. I really enjoyed their relationship development, and the character development that went alongside it (Lazarus had to learn to trust, Nathaniel had to stop being so 'self-righteous,' and they both had to accept happiness after years without.)

The only flaw, one that is common in KJ Charles's work, is summed up by a line at the beginning of Chapter 15: "There were no women present." (As adorable as Suky and Emma were, they had about ten lines between them.) The Magpie Lord series introduced two fantastic women before it ended, and I was hoping this series would follow suit once it became more settled in the world. Either way, I'll definitely be reading the next book!

An excellent follow up to the first Sins of the Cities book. I didn't find Justin or Nathaniel as compelling as Clem and Rowley, but I did love the book, and the mystery woven throughout the series continues to be fascinating and twisting. I'm completely invested and ready for the 3rd book...and I must say I'm REALLY looking forward to what the romance in that novel is going to look like.

This book is like a Fast and Furious action movie - from the first kick of the ball, the action on the ground moves so fast that I was left breathless at the end whistle. Whilst craving for more as we are now in the middle of the story and I do want to read the end bit yesterday before tomorrow.

A'la Charles this story has become quite intricate, tangles within tangles. I was indeed happy to have deducted a solution to a particular tangle before the reveal. Felt like a feat.

Over all considering the two parts of the story An Unseen Attraction and this one, I like how Charles is building up the story, the different perspectives being given, the different people, the different romances and sincerely hope that the finale will be as good as these two. The story deserves it.

An arc gently given by publisher/author in return for a review.

I loved this even more than the first in the series. Justin is a wonderful mixture of devious cheat and heart of gold. So often in books the hesitation that holds the characters apart for a while is contrived, but here it's totally realistic and driven by their very natures. I loved all the details of Justin's shenanigans, too. Even the minor characters had clear personalities.

Can't wait for the next in the series, and I think I might be able to guess who the protagonists will be... a little hint at the end there!

I think this is supposed to be a trilogy like Society of Gentlemen was. The first book, An Unseen Attraction, introduced endearing, naïve Clem who found his love interest and also showed his other friends, part of a close group of likeminded individuals (like Society of Gentlemen.) Besides being historical, that's where the similarities seem to end.

While I enjoyed the first of the series, this one was even better. K.J. Charles gave one character a truly horrible, detestable profession and made him a major character and love interest. Without guilt he plays on people's grief and emotions as a spiritual medium. The book showcases his life and his growth and his realizations, as well as opening his heart to possibilities of an actual relationship. On the other hand you have the character Nathaniel, Clem's friend introduced in the first book, who is hurting from a tragic death of the man he loved years before and has made it a mission in his life to end con artists through his journalistic pen. He has a strong moral compass, perhaps a bit too rigid, but after meeting and knowing Justin he starts to see how destitute and desperate the poverty-stricken have it.

The two having professions that didn't complimented each other to that degree was interesting enough, but once you throw in the differences with their class, history, outlook and upbringing, you have even more of the opposites attract mentality. At the core of the story is a continuing mystery from the first book - the man who tortured the grumpy boarder is still around and still searching for evidence to hide a secret. Justin and Nathanial find themselves in genuine danger as they must escape the city for awhile and find each other, but they also have to solve this crime before its the death of both of them.

The third friend in the series, Mark, will probably be the focus of the last story. I have a feeling who his romantic interest will be from the end of this one. That will turn out interesting. I like how the author takes unconventional heroes with tragic pasts (but no angst) or some kind of difference and gives them normal lives. Clem was a little slow-witted, Justin has a checkered history, and Mark is an amputee with a serious and jaded outlook.

As always K.J. Charles writes well with evenly-flowing rhythm and dialogue, and her characters and plots are different enough from each other that they're not formulaic. There's more than unrealistic steam, there's actual heart and realistic bonding with her characters. Besides that, there really is steam when it's needed, it's just made more plausible and enjoyable because the emotional connection has taken place first.

I was happy to take yet another trip to Historical London through the author's talented imagination - thanks to Netgalley for this one in exchange for an honest review.