What a spectacular conclusion to the Sins of the Cities trilogy.

KJ Charles’s An Unsuitable Heir follows the third and final couple of the Sins of the Cities trilogy, featuring a non-binary, trapeze artist and a practical enquiry agent with a wicked sense of humor.

Pen’s been on the run with his twin sister, and they’ve made a name for themselves in London as trapeze artists, the Flying Starlings. His life changes when Mark Braglewicz drops a tidbit. Pen is the heir to an earldom. But if it means giving up whom he is and the life he has known, Pen doesn’t want it.

If only he didn’t have a killer on his tail.

I loved that Pen is a gender fluid character. He neither identifies as male nor female, and the world can’t seem to understand that about him. The worst thing would be to pretend to be something he’s not. Enter Mark, an enquiry agent who has the patience to listen and who might just like Pen just as he is. But Mark’s pushing Pen to be the earl, and with a killer on their heels, both of their lives—and their newfound relationship—might be impossible.

Mark is just the sweetest. The things he says in that direct manner…*swoons!*

He sees himself as a “penny plain” with his practical and dogged nature. Pen comes into Mark’s world and Pen has so much color and vibrancy to him—Pen gets to fly—and it draws Mark in. He develops such a great dialogue with Pen. And Pen has such strength of character but vulnerability too. It’s such a precarious balance and it tugs straight at the heart. I was rooting for Pen something fierce.

I loved the journey this series has taken readers on, and it left me feeling so happy and satisfied. Surprises aplenty. I highly recommend this series. Anything by K.J. Charles, in fact. You get some suspense and mystery, dry wit and sparkling humor, and a healthy helping of romance and burning chemistry.

A 5 star series all around!

I recently discovered K.J Charles and I've slowly gotten used to her writing. This book was terrific, you don't see a non binary character in HR everyday. I liked the complexity of Pen's character, I couldn't really connect with Mark, he didn't have much of a personality. The mystery of book one is tied up nicely and everyone gets their HEA.

Can not be read as a standalone.

I received this book courtesy of Netgallery and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I loved the Sins of the Cities trilogy by K.C. Charles. It took one of my favorite eras, Victorian England, and spun two M/M romances out of it. Now, mention that I said two M/M romances. I say that because Pen is nonbinary/identifies as a woman. So I wouldn’t classify An Unsuitable Heir as an M/M romance. Actually, I don’t know what I would label it. If any of you could please let me know what I could label this book. I will amend the review with the correct terminology.

An Unsuitable Heir’s plot was pretty straightforward. Mark is an enquiry agent and is hired by Clem and Nathaniel to find the true heir to his brother’s earldom. Mark’s detective skills track down Repentance (Pen) and Regret (Greta) Starling. Pen and Greta are trapeze artists and are content to stay that way. That is until Mark forces Pen to do what he never wanted to do…become the earl. There is also danger involved. The killer who has haunted An Unseen Attraction and An Unnatural Vice has made himself known.He has Pen in his crosshairs.

An Unnatural Vice was a romance. What Mark and Pen felt for each other came off the pages in waves. Even when Pen was very upset with Mark, you could tell the depth of their feelings. Pen loved Mark for who he was and Mark loved Pen for who he was. It was beautiful to read. The LGBTQIA aspect of the book was very interesting too. Pen is nonbinary and I thought the author did a great job of portraying a nonbinary person in the Victorian Era.

I liked Mark. I felt bad that he felt that his disability would even interfere in his and Pen’s relationship. I also felt awful when he dragged Pen to that meeting against his will. He was doing it for Greta and Pen’s own good. Not that Pen understood. He worked, with Lazarus, to find out who the killer was. His relationship with Pen brought out the best in him.

I felt so bad for Pen. I couldn’t imagine going to sleep and waking up in a body that I didn’t feel at home in. He knew he was a girl but every time he looked in a mirror, he saw a man. It must have been so hard for him. The era he lived in, Victorian, was not known for their understanding of homosexuality. Actually, up until present day, homosexuality was viewed as something unnatural. Pen was terrified of being in public because he knew how he dressed and acted would not be accepted. Which is why he didn’t want to be an earl. He didn’t want all that attention on him. When Mark forced his hand at the earldom, it was his worse fears come true.

Pen and Mark didn’t have real intercourse until the end of the book. But the sexual interactions that they did have were very hot!!

I was pretty surprised at who the killer was. It was the last person I thought it would be (isn’t that always the case….lol). All the other storylines were wrapped up in a very satisfactory way. I am sad that this series has come to an end. I can’t wait to read more books by K.C. Charles.

4 stars

My Summary of An Unsuitable Heir:

An Unsuitable Heir is a wonderful romance. I loved that the author chose to write about a nonbinary person in Victorian times. It gave a good insight on how hard it was to be a LGBTQIA person in that era. This book is definitely worth the read and I would recommend it!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and some mild violence

I would like to thank K.C. Charles, Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review An Unsuitable Heir

Any opinions stated in this review are mine and I was not compensated in any way for this review

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

This book was just amazing!!!The plot is exciting, suspenseful and the mystery delightfully intriguing until the end in a Who-done-it fashion. Pan and Greta are trapeze artists, twins, making a life for themselves in London and always sticking together. when Pan is approached by a man claiming to be a privet investigator with important information about him he does not want to hear it. The painful past can not be avoided though, and Pan, Greta and Mark must navigate the mystery surrounding their birth and the Fogman, a killer set out to prevent Pan from claiming his alleged birthright as hair to an earldom. All the while Pan, who does not want anything to do with it and be left alone is struggling with gender dysphoria, that can only be elevated by living the life of a circus performer where he can chance his outer appearance to match his shifting internal gender.

I was not expecting it to deal with such modern themes as gender dysphoria and fluid gender identity, cis gender verses trans. And this is the biggest joy I had at reading this book, it managed to enfold in itself the concept of pansexuality and gender dysphoria so well, in a turn of the century setting where these concepts where so far away from human understanding. The characters of Pan and Mark were so delicately built throughout the book, and were as unique as I have ever seen in the MM genre. I was so entranced with them, Pan's ever shifting gender was described in an emotional, realistic, touching and extremely fascinating manner. I loved the he and Mark got together and how Mark excepts Pan in an effortless natural way. His almost reverent endearments and sensitivity to Pans shifting needs and limits regarding his body are a wonder to read. it was that part of the story the drew me in, and I was so happy to see that there was not too much angst in the book like the time period may suggest could happen. The writing is gripping, period appropriate and lovely. I wish there was more of it to read, if I could just have their daily life in an ongoing book to read I would be the happiest woman in the world.

I picked up this book without having read the two previous books, and it wasn't a problem, so this book can definitely be read as a standalone. I loved how unique both Pen and Mark were and that they were imperfectly perfect for one another. Pen's non-binary gender representation was done very well, and I really appreciated how Mark's was portrayed to respect how Pen felt about his own body. The mystery was good, the emotions between the two characters had me hooked, and that cover is just plain gorgeous! Highly recommended!

I’m somewhat cautious when it comes to picking up LGBT fiction sometimes, because the quality often leaves something to be desired. Frankly, sometimes you wonder how some of it is published while some glorious writers stick to fanfiction. Still, I liked the sound of this book – and others by this author have been praised by friends – and I am, in fact, very glad I read it. It doesn’t feel like a book just written to get a pair of hot gay men together: it feels like plot and character come first, and the fact that these particular characters are attracted to each other and fall in love is second. Not secondary, because it is important to the story, but it feels natural.

Also, one of the couple has one hand due to a birth defect, and the other is non-binary, feeling that neither gender entirely suits him. Not that he has a word for it or a pronoun, given the setting, but the exploration of his gender identity is also integral to the story, explaining how he reacts and what he’s willing (and unwilling) to do.

The sex scenes, though not something I’m interested in per se, are tastefully written and avoid being just “insert tab A into slot B” – it’s not mechanical or forced, but feels natural to the story and characters and where they are in their relationship.

I imagine if you’ve read the previous books in the same series, you’ll enjoy the cameo appearances of a couple of other gay couples. For me, I’ve gone ahead and bought those books on the strength of this one, and I’m looking forward to it.

Mark Braglewicz’s inquiry to look for the missing heir of previously deceased Lord Moreton brings him to Pen and Greta Starling from the Flying Starling trapeze act. Mark is fascinated with Pen — the artist with muscular shoulder and long hair is different compared to other men or women that Mark is involved before. But Mark has a job to do, there is a killer on the loose and dead set on killing people from discovering the Earl of Moreton; even if he has to break Pen’s heart to do it.

Pen Starling doesn’t want to be an earl … he doesn’t want to live as fake and behave as a man just like society dictates it. That is not who Pen is. Being a trapeze artist and lives in the world of performance gives Pen the freedom to be who he is as he chooses to be. But Mark tells him that people are being murdered and he is trapped with decision he doesn’t want to take. Of course, falling for the inquiry agent also brings complication…

We finally get to the final book of K.J. Charles “Sins of the Cities” series. First thing that I need to address: I would like to raise my (imaginary) hat to K.J. Charles for bringing me a genderfluid character in Pen, and his pansexual lover in Mark. I LOVED how Charles wrote these characters; it never felt forced. I loved reading about Pen’s perspectives about his sexual fluidity.

I don’t see why there’s only two choices, as if unless I behave like a man then I must want to be a woman. I’d hate to put on a satin dress every night and have everyone call me she almost as much as you would. Except some nights, now and again, it would be lovely. If I chose.

And Mark adored the hell out of Pen, which was so sweet!!

Aside from the romance, I also enjoyed the answer to all the violence that started with An Unseen Attraction. It was a satisfying conclusion to the mystery — as well as providing the perfect solution to Pen’s status as Earl and his relationship with Mark. The pace of this book seemed to be smoother than the rest. The suspense was added when the killer seemed to follow Pen and Greta as they were hiding at Crowmarsh while the matter of their title is being investigated, and made attempt to kill Pen.

Combined with my liking both Pen and Mark both as individuals and as a couple, all in all An Unsuitable Heir is my favorite book of the trilogy

RATING: 4 out of 5

3.5
So, Pen is non-binary/gender fluid and Mark is pansexual, in a time when such language didn’t exist. I imagine this last fact made the story a difficult one to write, because I found the lengths to which the characters had to go to describe themselves without the words sometimes didactic and difficult to read. But honestly I really quite enjoyed this conclusion to the series (a series that happily contains more representation of varied identities, bodies types and abilities than the collection of several other authors put together).

I enjoyed it, but it was my least favorite of the three. I don’t mean to be dismissive of Pen’s situation, because it was horrible, but I got tired of his panics. Further, I felt he was frequently stressing over being unable to express his more feminine aspects, with the understanding that he’s sometimes perfectly happy being perceived as male. But I don’t once remember him being satisfied in his more observably male appearance. It felt ill-balanced. And obviously I understand that one of those would have been considered normal and not noteworthy, while the other stress-inducing because it would have been considered deviant. But throughout the whole book he never seemed to have a good body day, which readers were meant to understand he did have sometimes and I’d have liked to see.

I cannot express how much I loved the way Pen and his sister refused to be bullied or bow to the aristocracy, however. Loved it. Further, I think we all deserve a Mark in our lives, someone 100% accepting and willing to have the awkward conversations that eventually make us more comfortable. I adored him. We got brief cameos of all the other characters in the series, which I liked. But the first half of the book is almost entirely recap of the first books or seeing scenes we’ve already witnessed from the point of view of new characters. I found this a tad tedious, but the last half was all new and exciting.

I did see the side pairing and eventual solution to who should become Earl coming very early on, but I didn’t figure out the larger mystery of the murdering mastermind. So, I was held in suspense until the very end and liked it. I found it really quite satisfying in the end.

All in all, I ended the book and this series happy and, as always, look forward to more of Charles’ writing.

Great ending to this wonderful trilogy. I really loved the dynamic between Mark and Pen, both fantastic characters!

4.5 stars for this book; 5 stars for the trilogy as a whole. While Pen and Mark weren't my favorite couple in the series (I adored the sweetness of Clem and Rowley's relationship from An Unseen Attraction and who didn't fall madly in love with unrepentant shyster Justin Lazarus from An Unnatural Vice?) I thought KJC did an amazing job having Pen explain what it was like to live in a body and society as a gender queer (non-binary?) individual. My heart just ached for Pen to find peace and acceptance, and every time Mark came through for Pen I wanted to cheer (and the one major time that he didn't, I felt sick to my stomach).

I didn't think KJC would find a way to resolve the missing heir plot AND give Pen a true HEA, but of course she pulled if off, albeit with several red herrings and a sleight of hand. And she must have realized what a gem she had in Justin, because he plays a more prominent role in the resolution than any of the other MCs from the previous books (poor Rowley barely gets a mention).

As always, the Victorian atmosphere is described to perfection, and although the London fog has lifted, we have the incredibly Gothic Crowmarsh castle, moat and all, and plenty of opportunities for creepy occurrences to take place within its twisted corridors.

Hats off to KJC for crafting a memorable trilogy that featured MCs not usually seen in historical romance - people with different abilities, genders, ethnicities, sexualities and (cough*Justin*cough) morals. Although the series is over, I'd be happy to see the ongoing adventures of Braglewicz & Lazarus, intrepid Private Enquiry Agents. They could solve interesting cases while meeting with all of their loved ones at the Jack and Knave pub to strategize. Until that unlikely wish is fulfilled, I'm off for a series re-read.

ARC of the book gratefully received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Its so hard to choose of this trilogy which is my favorite book I love them all so much. Each of them has a place in my heart. I truly loved how Pen's genderfluid identity was handled and the amount of time and care that went into presenting how Pen thought. I loved Pen as character and his emotions were so vivid. I loved how Marc cared so much for him and how their relationship developed. Also how Marc's missing arm was handled was simply spectacular. overarching murder mystery was also fantastic and I thought that in the end that all the threads were pulled together and nothing was left hanging. Having listened to the other two on audio I am greatly looking forward to this one when it comes out! KJ Charles is simply an amazing with how she is able to craft such beautiful stories using ordinary but amazing people which is why I love her romances so much.

I received The Unsuitable Heir by KJ Charles from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One of the most important aspects of this novel is the portrayal of Pen Starling, a nonbinary character. It’s not often that you come across an author who can make a character feel as real as KJ Charles did with Pen. There were scenes where Pen explained exactly the thoughts swirling around, how some days his mind is more masculine and others its more feminine.

The language KJ Charles uses throughout the novel immerses the reader in the time period. All the descriptions, character reactions enhanced that feeling. It was easy to get lost in the world that was presented. I wanted more. I was very glad to have had a chance to read this early.
Would I recommend this to friends? I already have. I recommended it when I was about 30% into the novel.

This was an excellent conclusion to the Sins of the Cities trilogy, with wonderfully written romantic conflict and the Great Reveal of the person who has been behind all of the murders. I also really loved the exploration of what it was like to be nonbinary in a time when the concept was completely unknown in the Western world, and KJ Charles managed it admirably without being anachronistic.

I'd definitely recommend this trilogy for fans of historical fiction and/or mystery!

Mark Braglewicz, I am officially in love with you!

I knew this part would be my favorite of the series. There is soo much to it.
Great dialogues with so much psychology. Intense, angry,thought - provoking, maddening.
I was angry, worried, relieved and I loved it.

* Full review to come close to publication date *

Let me tell you, when I’m in the mood for it, there is literally nothing better than K.J. Charles. Not only does Ms Charles straight up own my ass, but I genuinely think she’s something special in M/M romance.

I’d happily recommend anything written by Charles, having read, like, basically every book she’s published. I was sent <i>An Unsuitable Heir</i> by NetGalley after having the first book of <i>Sins of the Cities</i> sitting on my ereader for months, so! Here’s my honest review of this book and the series at large as a great fan.

THE <i>SINS OF THE CITIES</i> TRILOGY FOLLOWS A SINGLE MYSTERY, BUT EXAMINES ITS UNFOLDING THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT POVS.

Each POV examines the mystery from a different angle, and also brings its own inner world to the mystery, including some fascinating characters and pretty excellent romances. The mystery drives the story throughout each book, rather than the romances being the story. But the pagetime is split pretty equally between both elements, neither being an afterthought to the other. <i>An Unsuitable Heir</i> provides all the answers to both threads of mystery, so basically I am beyond thrilled to have been able to read and review this ARC copy ♥

I liked the first book, <i>An Unseen Attraction</i> fine – it took a while to grab me, the initial murder mystery plot was slow to unfold and the romance between Clem Talleyfer, a landlord and Rowley Green, a taxidermist, was nice enough! The leads were likable and sweet, but I didn’t feel <i>invested</i>… until I got to the other mystery of the series that’s revealed at the end. The next two books – I devoured. An <i>Unnatural Vice</i> was an absolutely fantastic build-up of the mystery, almost solving it completely by the end, and had a stellar romance – between Nathaniel Roy a grieving journalist having to work together with Justin Lazarus, the cunning Seer he’s trying to expose – honestly my favourite out of the three.

<i>An Unsuitable Heir</i> was probably the best novel out of the trilogy, though, and a great conclusion to the series. It starts a little earlier than where An Unnatural Vice ended, when Mark Braglewicz, a one-armed enquiry agent discovers the twins he set out to find in the previous book. He finds Pen and Greta Starling, a trapeze artist duo who want nothing to do with their heritage, and a surprising romance with Pen – but, the murderer from the previous books is still killing anyone who would bring their inheritance to light. Mark reveals their heritage to keep them safe, betraying the twins and threatening his blossoming relationship… nor stopping the murders, either.

IT TIED UP ALL THE LOOSE ENDS OF THE TRILOGY IN A REALLY SATISFYING WAY

The solution to the two conflicts – Pen’s rejection of his inheritance, and the great bloody murderer out to get everyone – were resolved fantastically, and emotionally satisfying as well, since nearly every protagonist became affected by the mayhem they caused, their lives and characters being challenged by this threat and growing in the face of adversity. I could fully believe the identity of the murderer when the big reveal came, and almost fell for a few sneaky, clever red herrings Charles tried to place around.

And I was so happy with the way the problems with Pen and Greta’s heritage was resolved – it was so central to their character arcs and the romance plot, the emotional crux of the story, and the ending was true to their characters <i>and</i> managed to satisfy everyone involved. Particularly for Pen and Mark, who I really became invested in, and Pen’s gender identity and wellbeing. I was so, so happy Charles never let him compromise on any of that, in his romance or his inheritance, it was so important to see imo. Not only that, but our old leads, Nathaniel, Justin and Clem all had parts to play in this plot (not Rowley so much – I think he got one line of dialogue? lol), important to their arcs in the previous books, and had really satisfying endings as well making this novel a really satisfying end to the entire series. Have I said ‘satisfying’ enough? Because it was really bloody satisfying.

Also, it was a pretty great historical read, too. Not as deeply immersive as some historical fiction tomes, but you can tell Charles does her research – Victorian London comes alive in such short books, each one only about 250 pages. She shows a variety of people who existed in the time, from the working class to the gentry to the richer upper class to the truly Dickensian folk. Have I ever seen a (historically accurate) taxidermist in a novel? Definitely not. It’s something different to the usual fare of historical fiction.

ONE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT K.J. CHARLES IS THE DIVERSITY IN HER ROMANCE NOVELS.

Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever come across an author in the M/M genre who includes as much sexual, ethnic and gender diversity in her romances and even in the wider stories themselves as Charles does – which is even more fantastic to see considering she writes historical romances, and most people seem to think black people were invented in the 1960s when it comes to fiction. While writing so much of it, her characters are all so subversive to the norms of historical fiction.

This series features plenty. Clem is half-Indian and, to me, appeared to be on the autism spectrum (I don’t see a lot of reviewers mention this but in my experience his character rang true to that?). Pen uses male pronouns but identifies as something akin to non-binary, without having the modern vocabulary for any label in the Victorian era, and Mark was born with one arm, and a Polish immigrant as well. There’s a variety of sexualities too, with most of the leads being gay, but Justin’s bisexuality and Mark’s pansexuality is explored as well – without putting down their attraction to women/non-men to validate their attraction to men.

And Charles actually does <i>things</i> with this diversity. It’s not just empty, well meaning set dressing in this new era of 'write diverse books!' and it doesn’t feel exploitative. There’s some nuance and complexity whenever she looks at the ethnic, sexual, socio-economic aspects that she places in her novels, challenging the eras in history she portrays rather than glorifying them. She thoroughly explores what these mean to her characters, too – even the story of Justin and Nathaniel, two cis white, able-bodied males, explores the dynamics of class, wealth and freedom of the Victorian era. They’re still primarily romance novels, but, oh my god, they also try to do something else, too! It truly goes a long way, in my opinion.

These books explore what this means for the characters, and what it does for these characters in <i>this</i> plot. <i>An Unsuitable Heir</i>‘s unfolding plot practically hinges on how the main character relates his gender identity to his class and his society. The exploration of Pen’s experience of his gender identity is something I rarely see done in fiction, let alone done so thoroughly. Not only did it matter to the plot, it was also the emotional crux of the novel – it was so important to Pen’s character and development, and his romance with Mark. The most emotional, heartbreaking, lovely moments came with the understanding Pen found in Mark. I also noticed some very subtle elements of xenophobia directed at Mark, the constant careless mangling of his surname English characters – something that can truly beat you down, make you feel something less than.

She also very refreshingly unapologetically writes about kink. Unlike half the romance writers I come across, who write kinky sex but still somehow manage to deny that’s actually what they’re talking about, Charles lays it all out here that ‘yep, this character is submissive’ and nothing in the book is ashamed of this. On another note, Charles gets what’s hot about erotica – it’s not the set dressing, or the prose used (although it helps when it’s not absurd), it’s the psychology of sex – which comes across in all her novels.

I like that Charles writes interconnected stories of queer men through <i>actually</i> portraying these communities and tight friendship circles of queer people seeking companionship and understanding. You know, opposed to the ‘everyone is actually gay!’ kind of thing that happens in MM. This is especially significant when writing historical fiction – I just love, love the depiction of our community thriving throughout history, the best and worst of the realities they faced.

Honestly, I don't think you could find more fantastic novels in M/M, Charles goes above and beyond. 5/5 for the series as a whole.

I loved this! What a great finish to the trilogy. Pen is gorgeous and I was so glad things went the way they did for him at the end. The mystery has a satisfying end that I didn't guess, although TBH I wasn't trying, I was so caught up in the romance I didn't really care who dunnit. Lovely and I'll look out for more from the author.

Intriguing premise, the threat of the twins' discovery keeps the readers turning the pages however it felt that the characters were a bit caricatured. Pen, the protagonist, didn't come across as very intelligent and Greta barely had any character development at all; she was a blank slate. I can see this filling the gap in historical LGBTQ literature but I would hesitate to recommend it to avid fans of this genre.

"An Unsuitable Heir" is a thoroughly enjoyable historical romance with interesting characters, an engaging plot that had me hooked from the beginning and a love story that turned out to be different from what I usually read but which I didn't like any less because of that - I probably liked it even more than I would have a more "conventional" pairing (I'm not too fond of that word but can't think of a better one right now.)

I don't often read historical m/m romance - I find the covers a bit too cheesy to feel trustworthy, so I was especially glad for this chance to safely check out one example, and I absolutely loved it. While clearly lighter writing and reading than Sarah Waters' books (and being a different genre), since it is queer writing set in Victorian England I found myself struck by the difficulty of being queer during that time - whether queer means gay, lesbian, bisexual transgender, genderfluid or whatever. And I like historical novels who make me think about things like that. And what I like even more are books as fun and interesting to read as this one.

It's been a while since I've come across a book I can simply recommend wholeheartedly. There was literally nothing I didn't like, and once I have finished writing this review I will check out the earlier volumes of this series. It's possible to read this without any previous knowledge, but impossible not to want to read more after this.

I love the novels of KJ Charles, from Magpie Lords to Green Men. I’ve read everything but the last book released and Last Stop Tokyo. The author knows her history, and her writing style is crisp and clear.

This third novel is the conclusion to the ensemble series, the characters passing the spotlight on as their involvement in the over-reaching story, a murder mystery that evolves into the frantic search for a missing heir.

The first novel, An Unseen Attraction, involves Clem and Rowley, who are friends whose passion for each other remains locked under their skin as they share tea and conversation in Clem’s quiet boarding house. Until a murdered lodger is dumped on the doorstep…Not only is this a gay romance, but Clem is half East Indian (long story) and has an invisible disability, which always made him a target of his bullying family. Rowley, too, enjoys a quiet life as a taxidermist—his own history reveals another reason why these two have such a lovely affinity between them. A slow burn romance.

The second novel, An Unnatural Vice, is completely opposite, pitting Justin, the Seer of London, and Nathaniel, an investigative journalist, against each other. Enemies to lovers, opposites attract—I think KJ really shines the more complicated the sexual and emotional tangles are (re: “Wednesday to Wednesday”). Justin and Nathaniel have picked up the next thread of the murder and the search for the missing heir.

These men are of a small group of friends who often meet at tavern that caters to men like them, a safe refuge where they can be themselves, and where they share this story.

In the third novel, Mark, a private inquiry agent, is on the trail of the missing heir, who is also related to Clem. The existence in the heir has Clem’s aristocratic family in an uproar, and has put Clem and his friends in danger. Pen and his sister are completely happy working as acrobats. Pen is nonbinary and the inner workings of his heart and identity are fascinating as they are revealed to both himself and to Mark through the days of a thick London fog and working out the tangles of the mystery.

Seriously satisfying resolutions to the romances and the murder mystery. Top-notch writing and plotting and research. Charles always leaves me hungry for more, in a good way.

a million stars!
(I will post the review on release day on my blog)

Those of us who’ve read the series to date had some idea of who one of the MCs would be for this one since the search was on for the lost Earl of Moreton as the previous book was winding down. The twins, Repentance (Pen) and Regret (Greta) Godfrey, are located by private enquiry agent Mark Braglewicz, a friend of Nathaniel Roy (An Unnatural Vice). Pen will become the Earl of Moreton as soon as his birthright is proven. But Pen doesn’t want that. At all. Just the freedom to be true to the person within, and if some days, that means there’s more of the feminine version of Repentance, so be it.

Knowing this story was coming when the last one closed, I couldn’t see how it could possibly be interesting for longer than a short story or novella. The twins are found. The proof is there. Voila. End of story. But what I didn’t realize—until almost the very end of this book—was how beautifully Pen’s story would be told, how complex Pen’s situation was, and how creative and simple a solution would be able to be found to satisfy all parties. But the journey to get to that simple solution is highly complex, dangerous, well-written, intriguing, sweet, and romantic.

Pen is not just the son of the late earl—Pen’s a trapeze artist, a twin, a loyal and loving sibling, and an intriguing and complex combination of all of the best qualities of both a male and a female—in short, Pen is nonbinary. Pen enjoys wearing makeup and allowing their long, wavy hair to flow freely. But Pen also enjoys the frilly and lacy clothing Pen and Greta choose to wear for their performances as The Starlings, aerial acrobats—trapeeze artists. If Pen were born in contemporary times, it’s highly likely they’d be transgender, or at least there would be a choice. The author beautifully handled the descriptions of how Pen feels inside, what Pen’s willing to do sexually with Mark Braglewicz, and how Pen desires to be treated at any given time. One can only imagine how very difficult it must have been for Pen to have been born to a male body in a time when to be unmatched outside to inside was unheard of—except, I’m sure, to those for whom it happened. That Mark loved Pen enough to love the whole person, both male and female, and cherish the uniqueness that is all Pen, came through loud and clear. Very few authors may have been able to make that happen. Kudos to KJ Charles for her sensitivity.

The man pen cares about, Mark Braglewicz, was born with one arm but has never let that stop him. He refuses to consider himself an incapable—he’s damn well fully capable and makes sure he’s treated that way. He’s the private enquiry agent hired by Nathaniel Roy to locate the missing Godfrey twins, and locate them he does. They are performing under the name The Starlings and when Mark first meets Pen, he loses his heart completely. But Mark has a duty to perform, and that duty is to bring Pen forward as the next Duke of Moreton, even though Pen wants no part of it, nor does Pen want a former arrest—a time when caught wearing women’s clothing—to be brought to anyone’s attention. But Mark’s friend Nathaniel and his “friend,” Justin Lazarus, have both been threatened. Even sweet, lovable Clem (An Unseen Attraction) is in danger of losing his livelihood and the man he loves was robbed, so the only way to save them all is if Mark assures that Pen is established as the rightful heir.

Needless to say, this drives a wedge between the two and though it seems insurmountable, time has a way of dulling the sharp edge of pain. When the culprit evidently tries to kill Pen in the manor house, it’s evident that no one is out of danger and the only one who might be able to help Pen is Mark. Can the two surmount the obstacles against them? It’s not only Pen’s life in danger, it’s also a chance for the couple to be able to stay together beyond the resolution of the title. And Pen still prefers his life as a trapeze artist to any possible life as nobility. But how can Pen and Greta possibly deny their heritage with the insurmountable proof presented to prove it? I love the solution the author creatively brought to this dilemma, and I did not guess it for one single moment. Fantastic mystery with a fantastic resolution!