https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2121877150

*I received an ARC from Netgalley and encouraged to review it. Opinions are, of course, mine alone*

An Unsuitable Heir is the story of private detective Mark Banglewitz (I love that KJ Charles calls it "inquiry agent," which I'm not sure it'd be more period or more British or both) and trapeze artist Pen Starling.

Mark has been hired to locate the heir to the Earl of Moreton, and it's not much of a spoiler to say that Pen, or rather Repentance Godfrey, is it. Pen and his twin sister, Regret (who renames herself Greta), are the fruits of Moreton's secret marriage long ago, and the beginnings of the story are told in the first book of the series, An Unseen Attraction.

Pen and Greta grew up amid religious fanatics and literally joined the circus as teenagers, later establishing themselves in London. Moreton went on to commit bigamy, marrying again but never divorcing Pen and Greta's mother. The first marriage has been discovered, and there's a murderer on the loose, a mystery connected to the tangle created by the bigamy, the inheritance, and who gets to be the next Earl of Moreton.

(Despite being third and last in the series, I'd say this book can be read as a standalone. I read An Unseen Attraction, which is the story of Pen's uncle and a taxidermist, but not No. 2, and had no trouble following the mystery.)

Pen has long hair and occasionally likes to wear makeup and dress differently; he feels constricted in taking a male-only persona. When it's revealed he's the heir, he's not happy at all, knowing that will mean he'd live his life less as he'd like to live and way more like others would expect Pen to. He's not happy about having to conform to societal norms, but he sees that being the new earl would also mean a financial boon that would greatly benefit his sister.

Pen and Mark hit it off pretty quickly but a cloud comes over them as Mark goes against Pen's wishes, introducing Pen to his family as the heir. Mark has to do it, and Pen sort of knows it but views it as betrayal.

It all comes to a head when almost all characters leave London for the family estate and the murderer proceeds to try to kill Pen as well. Pen finds a solution for his earl/not earl dilemma, and that's my only very small, minor quibble with the story -- It all rather works a little too neatly, and everyone that matters to Pen is happy.

The passage where Pen is jolted by the realization he can find a solution is beautiful (please allow for any changes from the ARC to the actual book when it comes out):

"The thought had burst on him like the sun blasting through fog, burning away its wet grey clutch on his soul."

This is particularly nice as the London fog of 1873 is like a character running through all the novels in this series. Ms. Charles also does a mighty fine job firmly anchoring the story in its time and place; history here is most definitely not wallpaper.

4.5 stars!

"An Unsuitable Heir" is the third book in the Sins of the Cities series and it was another good installment. The last book left off after us meeting Pen and his sister who have been in hiding for some time. This book wraps up the overall mystery aspect of the plot arc and it also gives up an unique romance.

Pen is what we would call gender fluid in today's times. He's biologically male but feels that he flows between both male and female in his personality. The author did a lovely job painting him in a complex and thorough manner. She made his character come alive. Pen was sexy and confident and I loved all of his page time.

I wasn't sure about Mark as we started this book. I hadn't got a good feel for him in the prior books. He really came alive here though. He was loyal and honest and a perfect match for Pen.

The two of them were perfect for each other and ever scene they were together showed their chemistry and how they enhanced each other's lives. That to me is exactly what I'm looking for in a romance story.

This was a really lovely ending to one of my favorite series of this year. If you're a fan of this series I think you will really enjoy this. If you have not read the previous books I recommend you do that first. This does not work well as a stand alone.

An excellent end to the series. This brought the trilogy to an exciting head. As this is written to overlap with the other two books in an entwined story covering three (four) couples, there are moments of clarity that you only get when all three books are put together. I prepared for this by listening to the previous two books.
Loved meeting up with the others again, especially Clem and Justin, and meeting Tim in more than passing.
I was worried about how KJ would bring this to a close and still get these guys a HEA, but I needn't have worried. The outcome was perfect for all concerned.
As for the romance in this, I adored the gruff pragmatic Mark, and Pen, yes Pen spoke to my soul.
I'm sad that these books have come to an end but I have all 3 audios and I'll be listening to each and every one of these time and time again.

An Unsuitable Heir is the final novel in the Sins of the Cities trilogy, in which the mystery surrounding several murders is resolved, and in which the heir and the inquiry agent who found him got their happy ending. As always, I only have words of praise for KJ Charles's writing style, but still, this is my least favorite book in the series. I truly believed I'd love this book as much as the previous one. "It'll be a great conclusion to the series, I know it!" was what I wrote. Yet, here we are.

Like its two predecessors, An Unsuitable Heir was a combination of romance and mystery. The relationship between Mark and Pen had started during the events in the second book -- it was obvious from the last two scenes from An Unnatural Vice there was already something between them. I couldn't wait to find out what was happening with them in foggy London while Nathaniel and Lazarus were hiding out in the country. The first half of the book is exactly that. Mark's search for the lost heir lead him to Pen. They met, hit it off right away, and very soon realized what they had was something special. However, their bliss was short-lived because Mark could no longer hide who Pen's father had been and what that meant for Pen. I'm having trouble remembering what I thought about the story up until that point. I think I liked it for the most part, but from there on it went downhill for me. It all became about Pen's refusal to take his rightful place as the Earl of Moreton because Pen didn't identify as either man or woman, and being the Earl would mean he'd need to dress the part and cut his long hair. He saw it as the worst fate imaginable, even though his and his sister's careers as trapeze artists were an injury away from being over, which would leave them both homeless and penniless. He didn't want money, he wanted freedom. Sadly, I didn't see an earldom as the unbearable prison Pen did, given the alternatives, and not being able to empathize with a main character is never a good thing.

I wasn't much luckier with Mark. I feel like I could've written more about him after reading books one and two than I can now after I've read the one with him as the main character. All I took away was that he was born with one arm, he was pansexual and was borderline obsessed with Pen's hair. Ah, Pen's hair, Pen's hair, hair, hair, hair. So much about Pen's hair!

The romance was interesting in the beginning, but it wasn't long before I started caring more about how the mystery would unravel. No luck there, either. The resolution felt anticlimactic after all the build-up.

On the bright side, Clem! I adored him. He was like sunshine among so many dark clouds. I wish there were more scenes with him. Lazarus was another character I was glad to see again. I wouldn't call him sunshine, but he was welcome nonetheless. The romance between Greta and a certain someone was a lovely addition to the story. We got two happy endings in one book.

Overall, Sins of the Cities was a mixed bag for me. The first book I liked, the second I really liked, and this one I just found underwhelming. In the end, it was good they all found a way to move forward without anyone feeling imprisoned, but, unfortunately, I was happy to reach the last page and be done with it.

Better than the title suggests, would probably rename. Well written but needs more editing. Enjoyed the concept, loved the bantering. Like most historical romance was a bit unreasonable, and non real but that's why we read them. For a non traditional read it fit appropriately.

Readers who try to dig into this third book in the SINS OF THE CITY series without first having read the earlier two volumes will be left scratching their heads. But for those already familiar with AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION and AN UNNATURAL VICE will be pleased to see the protagonists of those earlier books pop up in this latest one, as well as to have the mystery that arcs through all three books come to a satisfying conclusion.

HEIR focuses on Pen Starling, who ran away as a teen with his twin sister from his mother and the abusive religious group with whom mom had taken up. Pen and Greta (actually named Repentance and Regret) have become circus performers, "The Flying Starlings," trapeze artists extraordinare. Circus performing suits Pen to a t; the unconventional lifestyles of their fellow performers makes Pen's gender-fluidity less remarkable than it would have been if Pen had tried to live a conventional life.

When Pen meets a friendly one-armed fellow in a bar, he's chuffed; Mark doesn't seem at all turned off by his gender-bending combination of masculine body and feminine garb. In fact, he seems entirely attracted to it. But when Mark (who is a detective working to solve the mystery for his friends, the protagonists of book 1 and 2) reveals a secret that Pen would rather have remained hidden to keep Pen and Greta safe, He and Pen become estranged.

But when murderous plots follow Pen into the countryside where he has gone to meet with the stuffy Victorian aristocrats whom Mark has revealed are his biological family, detective Mark is called in once again to protect Pen and Greta. And Mark and Pen reconcile fairly quickly as the sensational mystery plot finally begins to unravel.

Not my favorite book of the series, as the love story takes a decidedly secondary seat to the mystery/sensation plot. And perhaps because this is the first historical romance I've read that features a character who is non-binary, gender-wise (and because he was matched with a lover who was physically disabled from birth), I couldn't help but feel at times that I was reading a story more about today's identity issues than about those of the Victorian period. Yet despite these reservations, Charles still manages to write a compelling, surprising resolution to her mystery, and to have me rooting for both of her protagonists, even if their coming together ended up feeling overly rushed.

I've enjoyed the Sins of the Cities series, and am sorely going to miss it. An Unsuitable Heir is, unfortunately, the last of the series, and we finally get our answers as to who the murderer is and why. And we also get Mark and Pen's story. I say also, because I felt as if their romance, their story took second place to the mystery, which is a shame because I wanted a bit more for them in the romance department. But, the mystery is superb and so well done.

Pen is the Earl of Moreton, if he accepts it, that is. But in order to accept it, he'll have to conform, and that's the last thing Pen wants to do. I like the contrasts Pen presented in his identity. I don't claim to know or understand all that comes with gender fluidity, or whatever it's called now, but I do like that Pen didn't conform to society, rather was just himself. And I love that Mark just loves Pen for Pen, not because he is a man, or a woman, or neither, or both, or something in between, he just loves Pen for being Pen. "I like men, I like women, I like whoever, however they want to be--as long as it's you."

I like that Mark's being one-armed is a thing, but not a big thing, in An Unsuitable Heir. He and Pen accept and love each other for who they are, not because, or in spite of, their differences.

Mark and Pen are a great couple, to be sure, but honestly, Lazarus stole the show toward the end. He may be a sneaky, sly, shady guy, but it was good to see him again, and I just love how he managed to get his vengeance. I admit to not being so fond of him in his own story in An Unnatural Vice, but here in An Unsuitable Heir, he shines, outshines everyone during his brief time. And the fact that he and Mark go into business together? Brilliant!

Still, even though Lazarus outshone Mark and Pen, their story is a great conclusion to this series, and I'm sorry to see Sins of the Cities ending. Kudos to KJ Charles for this exciting, superbly plotted series.

It's no secret that I love this series and quite frankly anything K.J Charles writes. She has this way of writing historical books that make you feel as if you are present in that time period.

The same can be said for this book series. I greatly enjoyed Book 1- An Unseen Attraction , loved Book 2- An Unnatural Vice and enjoyed this immensely as well.

Mark and Pen fit together the way two people who aren't understood by society fit. Mark, because of his physical state (one missing arm from birth) and Pen because he is gender non-binary. You can imagine how two such people would feel in society especially back then where societal rules were much more stringent.

They got each other and their interactions (even after the big disagreement) was a joy to read. It's not often that you get someone who accepts you, warts and all and I was glad they found, accepted and loved each other.

We also Finally found out who the Fogman was. It wasn't anyone I suspected but the person was linked to one of my suspects so I wasn't totally off.

One thing that didn't sit well with me so well was the ending. It felt too tidied up if you ask me.

I get that everyone deserved a HEA and I was happy they did because my people had suffered long enough. The issue I had was the WAY it happened. It definitely threw me for a loop. It was done too tidily. That might be a "just me" problem but it is what it is.

All in all I'd give this series a solid 4/5 Stars because though it wasn't perfect, I certainly enjoyed it every step of the way!! ;)

The final chapter in K.J. Charles’ Sins Of The Cities series is by far my favorite, and that is saying something considering I wasn’t sure this author could ever create someone as lovely as Clem, whom we initially meet in the first novel. In realizing a person such as Pen, however, I feel this author not only presented us with an incredibly rich and internally beautiful character but also gave us a very real and poignant view into the world of a non-binary/gender queer person. Before I go further, please forgive my stumbling over attempting to explain Pen’s views on his sexuality. I will do my best to present this character in the spirit the author wrote, but it will pale in comparison to the beauty of the novel’s actual description itself.

Pen is neither male nor female and refuses to live a life chained to either sex. Given that this novel is written within a historical context, where a man presenting as a woman is against the law, it becomes even more problematic that Pen must refuse to accept the aristocrat role he has been born into when confronted with the circumstances of his birth. But it is the way in which Pen attempts to describe himself to Mark, the private detective tasked with finding him and his sister, that truly tears at the emotions. The despair Pen feels when trying to help Mark understand that he neither feels like presenting as the man he has been born as nor as a woman all the time, but rather both and yet not. He really wants to know why he must be labeled as either. Why not be able to live a life where the fluidity of not choosing a sex or identifying as a certain one is the norm rather than an abomination?

Pen simply cannot be an Earl, dress as one, be tied to the trappings that come with it or the feelings associated around it when he desires to wear a bit of silk that day or earrings or paint his face or embrace a more feminine aspect. He feels wrong attempting to be just one or the other—male or female—and becomes physically ill when forced into a single role. It is wrong to think of Pen as a modern transgender person, for he is not. He is, simply, Pen, and had the novel not referred to Pen as “he” throughout, I would be stating that it is “their” desire to live as they choose. And Mark seems to be the only person, other than Pen’s sister, who can understand.

If you have been following the series, then you know that Pen and Greta are the long-lost heirs to the deceased Earl of Moreton, and in danger because of it. There is a killer on the loose, and he is determined to keep Pen from becoming the Earl, and has been killing left and right attempting to find the elusive acrobat. Pen and Greta have made their home in the air, in a trapeze act that defies gravity, and the two of them are determined to remain in the shadows and have nothing to do with their accursed relatives. Mark is on the job not only to find Pen and Greta but also to convince Pen to take on his destined role—despite knowing that to do so would kill Pen’s spirit and leave him trapped in a life that is unbearable for him. But two may have already lost their lives to Pen’s secret, and friends are being threatened daily, so Mark has no choice but to bring Pen and Greta to light—even though in doing so it will break the fragile attraction he has for Pen and make it impossible for the two to ever be more than mere acquaintances.

The real beauty of this story was the evolution of the relationship between Mark and Pen and all they go through just to be with each other. Between attempted murder and Pen’s own despair over having to play a role as a gentleman, we watch the rapid yet remarkably genuine pace at which these two men discover each other and how they fit together. To finally find someone who understands how Pen views himself—how fluidly he desires to live his life, and who finally sees beyond the physical trappings to the person beneath, is just breathtaking. Mark gets Pen on a level no one ever has before, and their fight to remain true to that, and to each other, makes this novel just outstanding. Alongside their story is the final discovery of who has been masterminding and committing the gruesome murders in both previous novels. With all the dangling pieces of this series wrapped up, this last installment, An Unsuitable Heir, is by far the best of the lot and one I can highly recommend to you.

One more KJ Charles delivered a very good story, a realistic M/M romance with just enough twists and turns.
"An unsuitable heir" is the last opus of a wonderful trilogy. I have an addiction for historical books, and reading this one was the treat I needed to cope with the struggles of daily life.
The romance shines while advancing the overarching sensation story. You will have to read the first two books to understand what is at stakes in this dark victorian family story. But as a standalone, you could enjoy the romance between the two very believable MCs.

KJ Charles has a way with words. The world she created with this series (as the Unsuitable Heir is series finale) was mesmerising.
Characters are well developed and their relationship is believable. I adored the way KJ Charles navigated through their relationship, how she stressed importance of consent and listening.
Plot in this book was less interesting than in previous one - mostly because events were predictable.
But anyway - very enjoyable book.

This is the third installment of the series. I found this one a bit hard to get into to start, but once it got going, I enjoyed it. Mark has been in all the stories, and he is the focus of this one. He has found the heir, Pen, and falls in love. Their relationship is different than most but it brings out the best in both of them. Pen is sweet and wishes to go unnoticed. He tries to keep up a brave face when doing things he would rather not, but his heart is almost always apparent. The series has a lot of darkness to it but is balanced out by the HEAs of these M/M pairs.

I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

An Unsuitable Heir is a satisfying end to a well written and enjoyable trilogy (The Sins of the City). I enjoyed that this series broke some conventions — while we follow three separate couples, all of whom move in the same social circle, three of whom were friends prior to the beginning of the book — the overarching plot doesn’t travel exactly linearly. That is to say, while the driving force of the mystery moves forward with each book, the timelines of the book overlap in places. This is fantastic because Charles lays the groundwork for each book in the previous skillfully. For example, we didn’t always wonder what was going on in Nathaniel’s life (or realize how relevant it was) in An Unseen Attraction from Clem’s perspective (other than observations). Or, from another angle, we were seeing interactions of other characters in each book through different lenses. Getting to see the stories unfold at similar points on a timeline in different books is the ultimate guilty pleasure — getting to know the “what if” and the “what about”. Reading each book was a delicious indulgence of that moment when you have a favorite side character in a show or movie and daydream about their life; only Charles is the one indulging and gifting us.

That said, I was incredibly curious to know more about Mark. Unlike Nathaniel, it was hard to tell what more there was to his story I really wanted before this book came out. I wanted a lot of Pen’s story, but in an undefinable way — we hardly knew him, so it was a general curiosity. I am glad we got to know them both, and I think Charles did a really thoughtful job with tying their stories (and by this I mean, Pen and Mark’s histories and the stories of their bodies, which are important) together. Mark’s no-nonsense demeanor became much more nuanced while always remaining the same: they were who they were, which served him in seeing Pen, really seeing them, and honoring their truth. Their intimacy and Mark’s respect for Pen’s dysphoria.

That said, I really heartily disagree with the choice Mark made halfway through the novel. REALLY. I felt like that got resolved a little too easily, and that Mark really bent to Nathaniel’s insistence that things just had to be a certain way — which I got because Nathaniel was protecting Justin. But more communication would have really gotten them to a happier resolution much sooner. And by happier, I don’t even mean happily ever after, but one in which Pen didn’t almost get sacrificed at the cost of everyone else solving a mystery and needing an heir.

I did enjoy this book, and I would encourage anyone who enjoys historical romance to check these books out.

Diverse characters, a look at people who fall somewhere on the gender spectrum, and a historical novel combine to give us an interesting read.
Pen is an acrobat who performs in a circus with his twin sister. He’s happy with his life, but when a detective finds him and presents him with evidence that he is actually a wealthy earl, Pen’s first thought is to run and hide. Unfortunately, he and others are the target of a twisted killer and the detective, Mark, decides he must force Pen out of hiding and into a spotlight he never anticipated standing in.
I am not usually a fan of historical novels but this one drew me in with its complicated characters and unusual plot twists.

I freely admit that I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my hands on this third and final instalment of K.J. Charles’ Sins of the Cities trilogy, eager to discover who has been violently disposing of anyone with knowledge of the missing heir to the Moreton earldom and to find out how all the pieces of the puzzle the author has so cleverly devised fit together.

Note: The books in this series could be read as standalones (although I wouldn’t advise it!), but there is an overarching plot that runs through all three, so there are spoilers in this review.

A trail of arson and murder began – literally – on the doorstep of unassuming lodging house keeper, Clem Tallyfer, when the dead, mutilated body of one of his lodgers, the drunken, foul-mouthed Reverend Lugtrout, was dumped on the front steps. An investigation by two of Clem’s friends – journalist Nathaniel Roy and private enquiry agent, Mark Braglewicz – revealed that someone was trying to do away with anyone who knew that the Earl of Morton (Clem’s half-brother) had committed bigamy. He entered into a marriage in his youth with a beautiful young woman of low social standing and soon abandoned her, not knowing she was pregnant. She gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl she named Repentance and Regret – who have since disappeared without trace. These facts have set in train a series of events which have led to blackmail, abduction, arson and murder; someone is killing those with any knowledge of the earl’s first marriage and is trying to find his children – most importantly his legal heir – likely with similarly nefarious intent.

In the previous book, An Unnatural Vice, we discovered that the twins – who go by Pen and Greta – have been hiding in plain sight for the past decade, earning money and acclaim as the Flying Starlings, the music-hall trapeze act Clem takes Rowley Green (the object of his affections) to see near the beginning of book one, An Unseen Attraction (hah! Clever, Ms. Charles – they’re an ‘attraction’ and are also ‘unseen’ for who they really are ;)). Following Moreton’s death, the killer – whose identity and motivations remain unknown – steps up his attempts to find the twins, which is when Justin Lazarus, medium extraordinaire and self-proclaimed, all-round shifty bastard finds himself in big trouble. Forced to flee his home – and London – in fear for his life, when An Unsuitable Heir opens, Justin and Nathaniel Roy are hiding out at Nathaniel’s house in the country while Mark attempts to contact Pen and Greta and keep them safely hidden until such time as Pen can stake his claim to the title.

Readers of An Unnatural Vice will already know that Pen wants nothing to do with the earldom and will have some idea as to why. Mark quickly discovers this for himself when he manages to meet up with Pen, seemingly by accident at first, and inveigles him into going for a drink. He pretends to be unaware of Pen’s true identity, and is, for want of a better word, gobsmacked by his physicality and presence. Pen is gorgeous, with an athletic build, beautiful long hair and wears gold earrings and face paint – and Mark is captivated. He’s a pretty no-nonsense sort of bloke, and to him, beauty is beauty in whatever shape or form it takes; Pen is beautiful and Pen is… Pen. Mark would dearly love to get to know him better, but has to remind himself that Pen is the subject of an investigation and that Pen, Greta and two of his dearest friends – Clem and Nathaniel (because of Justin) – are in danger until Pen is installed as the Earl of Moreton.

But Pen does not want to live as an earl; in fact he doesn’t want to live as a man – or rather, he doesn’t want to live ‘just’ as a man. Because he isn’t. Nor is he a woman. He’s Pen. He’s a Flying Starling. He’s who he is and some days he wants to wear face paint and chiffon scarves; others he’s content to grow stubble and look in the mirror to see his large, well-muscled form and recognise himself. I can’t claim any expertise whatsoever in this area, but I know K.J. Charles is someone who takes great pains to get things like this right and I trust her judgement. All I can say is that her portrayal of Pen as gender-fluid is extremely well done and the way she writes him as sometimes being completely uncomfortable in his own skin and his reactions to it ring very true and made it easy for someone like me – a middle-aged, heterosexual woman – to understand his thoughts and emotions.

When Mark acts out of a need to keep Pen safe, it causes a deep rift between them; but it soon emerges that getting Pen out of London and down to the family seat at Crowmarsh might not have been the safest thing after all. A couple of ‘accidents’ point to the killer having followed the twins out of London, and while Pen’s uncle and would-be-earl, Desmond Taillefer, and his son try to downplay the threat, Clem sends Mark to the house in the hope that he will be able to get to the bottom of things and keep Pen alive.

I think it’s fair to say that An Unsuitable Heir is weighted firmly towards the mystery, which wasn’t really a problem, as I desperately wanted to know whodunnit and why. Pen’s inner conflict – over what it would mean to live the rest of his life as someone else – is extremely well done, as is his confrontational relationship with Desmond, who regards Pen as pretty much an abomination. Fortunately, Pen’s sister Greta is very much in his corner; she’s fierce and determined, and while she freely admits that she would like to have the settled, comfortable life of the sister of an earl, she understands perfectly what being forced to become something he is not will do to Pen and is prepared to stand by him. But all this – which is extremely insightful and well-written – means that the love-story takes a bit of a back seat and consequently feels less well-developed than those in the earlier books. That said, the pairing works well. Both Mark and Pen are different to the norm; Mark because of his disability (he was born with one arm) and Pen because of his fluid sexuality, so both of them have had to deal with prejudice and suspicion of one form or another for almost all their lives, which helps them to understand and empathise with each other.

The twists and turns of the plot make for an exciting finale, and I didn’t see the identity of the bad guy coming until shortly before the reveal. As in the all the best sensation novels, all ends well, and we leave our heroes – all of them – safe happy and looking forward to the future.

I love the way K.J. Charles has incorporated the elements of Victorian popular fiction into her plotlines; the writing is sublime and the characters are three-dimensional people with lives of their own whom I imagine laughing over a pint or two and bantering with Phyllis at the Jack and Knave long after I’ve finished reading their stories. Even though my final rating for An Unnatural Heir is a little lower than my grades for the other two books (principally because of the slightly underdeveloped romance) I am nonetheless recommending it and the entire Sins of the Cities trilogy very strongly.

An Unsuitable Heir concludes the “Sins of the Cities” trilogy with a vivid and compelling story that it’s easily my favorite entry in the series! The intrigues and subterfuges going on put Mark and Pen in an off-center situation; sort of damn-if-you-do-damn-if-you-don’t choices.

Part of what engrossed me here are the presentation of characters. Pen is a gender-fluid individual that - if not for his physique - might cause (more) trouble for him. It takes special person to accept him as he is and for years, his twin sister has been the only one for him. Until Mark, who doesn’t see his one-armed state as a handicapped. Such strong characters this story has!

As well-known of K.J. Charles’ works, the liaison between Mark and Pen is explicitly passionate yet sweet in the way they responding to one another. Pen’s fluidity is expressed beautifully (which personally also give me clearer understanding on the definition) and the ease with which this pair work around what they have (three hands instead of four) is just wonderful. The alternate POVs between them allow readers into their mind and what they feel for one another. On top of that, the respect this pair shows, such as making sure of the other’s consent before submitting to their want and need, makes their relationship that more special.

But theirs is not the only enjoyable characters to find in this book. Pen’s twin and other recurring characters also give added flesh to the story. Considering all hands on deck to solve the conundrum (as in murders) that plaguing this series since “An Unseen Attraction”, the Jack and Knave gang play significant role in unraveling it. The icing of the cake is the twist for the conclusion of the story. In a way, I kinda expect it though I love how the author did it.

Parts of the timeline in this book coincides with those in An Unnatural Vice; one of the reason I dread a certain scene that set a bit of bump between the MCs. Privately, I rather wish there’s some sort of groveling or talking-it-through scenes before the couple get back together. But - as I mentioned earlier, this being my favorite book of the trilogy - altogether this is a brilliantly woven tale that gives everybody involves their desired HEA.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very fitting end to the trilogy. It interweaves the most complex characters with beautiful writing and a historical setting.

In this final episode the story focuses on the Starling twins, Repentance and Regret otherwise known as Pen and Greta but could they be the abandoned children of the deceased Lord Edmund Moreton?

Mark Braglewicz is the inquiry agent who is determined to track down the twins. He needs to determine whether or not Pen is the heir to Lord Moreton because this means he would be the rightful Earl of Moreton. When Mark finds Pen he realises that he has found and lost something that could be precious to him. He feels a deep attraction for Pen which seems to be mutual but if Pen is the new Earl there may be no chance for them to explore these feelings which seem to have emerged between the two of them.

Pen is petrified of what this will mean for his life because he lives between two genders both male and female and sometimes he wrestles with living as a man. Although he has a man's body he sometimes feels that he should be a woman and so he prefers to live in such a way that accommodates both and he needs the freedom to be able to express this. If he becomes Earl he will lose this freedom and become someone he truly isn't.

Mark is entranced by Pen but he finds that he is torn between his principles because Pen may be the Earl of Moreton and Mark has to disclose this in order to protect his friends because someone is hunting them down and people have been murdered.

When Mark takes Pen and Greta to the Moreton family he does so with a very heavy heart, realising that he may never see Pen again and that Pen resents him for what he sees as a betrayal but the worst is yet to come. As Pen and Greta stay with resentful new relatives there is danger afoot and attempts are made in Pen's life. Mark is called in to help protect the twins because the murderer from the fog is still on the loose and Pen is his next target.

This is a very enjoyable finale to the 'Sins of the Cities' trilogy. It brings all the characters from the earlier books together again and solves the murders. I really enjoyed the way that tension built up over the story and the way the story ends ended with drama. Most of all I really enjoyed the characters, especially Pen and Greta. Even though they were not wealthy or powerful they had somehow managed to rise above their adverse circumstances and develop a life for themselves. It was also interesting to see how Pen struggled with the issue that he might be an Earl and how that would have changed his life, forcing him to be someone he didn't want to be.

I also enjoyed the romance between Mark and Pen and their attraction for each other. The characters from the previous two books make appearances and this helps bring the entire series to a good end. I appreciated the way that everything fit together so well.

As is usual the author has created a very rich set of characters along with a very interesting story which has historical integrity. It is well researched and really well written. The drama of the story is excellent with runaway children, cheating nobles, murder, forbidden love and the fogs of London. It all makes for a perfect historical series which certainly held my attention and my interest.

This book was generously given to me by Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a suspenseful and engrossing storyline. It's a brilliant end to the series. The characters are unique and interesting and the story is gripping, entertaining and romantic. Greta is a strong and tough girl. She is a fun character. Pen is an intriguing character who is hard not to like. He is definitely his own person and knows who and what he wants to be. Mark is a great guy, just a little gung ho sometimes. Pen and Mark make an captivating couple, both know what they want, each a little shy about admitting their feelings. The drama and intrigue keep you guessing about who did it and why, and all the romance warms your heart. What happened at the end was not what I expected, but very cool. This whole series is unique and interesting and I highly recommend adding it to your TBR list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my voluntary and honest opinion of it.

The perfect finale to a masterpiece trilogy!
5 stars

KJ Charles proves that she is an extremely talented writer by making this final installment in the "Sins of the Cities" trilogy as superbly high quality as the previous two books. I could not put down this book. There was never a dull moment. By the end of the first page, I was thoroughly ensnared by the captivating personalities, and then the romance and exciting plot developments kept me enthralled. I absolutely love KJ Charles' writing style so much that she is now in my top 5 favorite authors. The dialogue is so natural. The thoughts and sentences flow so well. The sensory descriptions are done so well that I can envision and smell everything. The interactions between the characters are top notch. Now I feel the need to read the author's entire backlist so that I don't miss out on any other awesome books! The writing style has the intelligence and Victorian sensibilities of Courtney Milan, the vibrant multifaceted characters of Lisa Kleypas, and the compelling plot developments like those of Kresley Cole.

This book should be primarily classified as romantic suspense. It can secondarily be classified as historical Victorian romance, male/male romance, and mystery/thriller. It can even be called sports romance because a trapeze artist/acrobat/gymnast (Pen Starling) falls in love with a private investigator (Mark). This trilogy has so many layers! FYI, you must read the three books in order because of the over-arching mystery.

I love how two unique, likable men fall in love amidst a chaotic, extremely dangerous situation. Pen is a man whose mental gender identity is fluid; it changes from day to day, and he likes to express himself by dressing and putting on makeup that is somewhat feminine. He is attracted to men, but he has not yet found a gay man who fully understands or accepts him until he meets Mark. Pen has his twin sister Greta, but he is still lonely. Mark is a private detective who meets Pen because it is his job to find the missing heir to an earldom. Mark is bisexual. He thinks that there is absolutely nothing special about himself. However, Mark is extraordinary in how he completely accepts and appreciates people how they really are. Mark and Pen have a really interesting interpersonal conflict, but they are really sweet together. Their love scenes were intimate and rather mild, similar to the love scenes in Book 1.

I highly recommend this trilogy to all fans of romantic suspense and/or Victorian romance. These books are so fantastically high quality, multilayered, and entertaining!

I received a free advanced reading copy via Netgalley, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

Not my cup of tea once I realized the direction of this book. DNF..