K.J. Charles announced a while back that her new Sins of the Cities series of historical romances would feature stories in the mould of Victorian Sensation Fiction:

“… channelling my love for Wilkie Collins, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Dickens in his wilder moods, and the other glorious writers of complicated plots with scandals, secrets and shenanigans up the wazoo.”
To say I was excited at the prospect of something like this coming from one of my favourite writers is a gross understatement; I read a steady diet of books by those authors – and others – throughout my twenties and thirties, so I eagerly snapped up An Unseen Attraction, eager to see how Ms. Charles would employ the conventions and stylistic features of that particular genre of fiction in her story. And she does not disappoint. It’s all here – swirling Pea-Soupers, sinister figures lurking in the dark, a long-buried family secret, manipulative relatives who are not what they seem… and an endearingly innocent protagonist and the stalwart love of his life who support each other through life-threatening events and unpleasant revelations. The main difference, of course, is that those characters are both male, and the author has done a fabulous job in translating the traditional role of the artless heroine who is – unknowingly – under threat from the machinations of an evil relative to a male character who is similarly circumstanced.

That character is Clem Talleyfer, who keeps a quiet, respectable lodging house in Clerkenwell which was, even in mid-Victorian times, an area where multiculturalism flourished. Clem is English, but was born to a white father and Indian mother, and he feels comfortable there, where –

There were Jews, Italians, Indians, Germans, Arabs and Africans and Chinese and more, all going about their own business like everybody else.
He has kept the lodging house for about eight years, and is good at it because he’s a “people person”; he’s a good listener and a kind, compassionate man with a good heart. He’s quiet, reserved and methodical; he doesn’t like crowds or noise and finds it difficult sometimes to organise his thoughts, but he takes pride in his work – although he wishes the drunken Reverend Lugtrout, who lives at the house at the behest of Clem’s brother, who owns the place, would take himself somewhere else.
He has never understood his brother’s stipulation about Lugtrout having to live there, but there isn’t much he can do about it as the man has never shown any inclination to leave. But when he is murdered and left unceremoniously on Clem’s doorstep, things take an abruptly menacing turn, threatening not only Clem’s safety, but that of the man he has come to love, Rowley Green, the taxidermist who rents the shop next door.

Rowley is a small, generally unprepossessing man, who lives a quiet, generally unprepossessing life and likes it that way. But he can’t deny the pull of attraction he feels towards the handsome Clem, with his beautiful eyes, dark skin and oddly charming manner. Clem is similarly smitten with the neat, precise Mr. Green, who is never impatient with him and who is comfortable with silence. Their habit of taking tea together of an evening leads to a genuine friendship and eventually to more in a way that feels natural, unhurried and, quite simply, lovely. The depth of understanding between them is apparent, and even though they both have their faults and sometimes make missteps, they are strong enough and confident enough in themselves and in their love for each other to be able to weather those storms.

The descriptions of London’s East End with its dingy streets and dangerous alleyways, the Pea-Soupers (fogs) and the local watering-holes and shops are all very evocative and put the reader right there on the rain-soaked cobbles next to the gutters running with all sorts of unsavoury muck. The author offers some interesting perspectives on Rowley’s profession; while it may have something of an “ick” factor nowadays, taxidermy was very popular in the Victorian era and the way in which Clem and Rowley’s thoughts about it are so often in sync is another way of showing how perfect they are for one another.

I’m not going to say any more about the plot – which is superbly constructed and in which the author has not only made several nods to nineteenth century sensation novels, but has also somehow given the whole thing an understated quality that makes events all the more plausible. I will say, though, that while the mystery is wrapped up as far as Clem and Rowley are concerned, there is a cliffhanger at the end which is obviously going to be picked up in the next book, so be warned that you might not want to read the last page until the next book comes out in June!

An Unseen Attraction is a terrific book and one I’m more than happy to recommend. K.J. Charles is a superb storyteller and has once again crafted both an intriguing and engrossing story and a tender romance between two well-drawn protagonists whose unique personality traits inform their emotional and sexual relationships. Add to that the way she so thoroughly immerses the reader in the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian London, and the strong cast of secondary characters – some of whom will star in future books – and it’s fair to say that she’s got another winning series on her hands.

If this were my first K.J. Charles book, I'm not sure I would read one again. Luckily it's not!

If you follow my blog, you know I simply love the Society of Gentlemen series (and if you're not following it you know it now). But somehow everything I love about that series is missing here.

The characters are interesting enough on their own at first. I really enjoyed reading about Clem, who is half-indian and somewhat of a black sheep in his family. And at first I liked his friendship with Rowley, but... to me it stayed a friendship. The romance was neither believable nor interesting. It felt rather forced.

But I can still enjoy a book with a lacking romance if the other parts manage to captivate me. They didn't here. The mystery soon became boring and felt way to long.

I've read this book in december and apart from remembering how I struggled through it and how long it took me to finish it, nothing stands out in my memory. That's one of the reasons why it took me so long to write this review. I just don't know what to tell you - aside from 'meh' maybe. Of course I tried to take notes while reading but even that was hard.

If you've never read a K.J. Charles book before, maybe start with another one and then come back to this one.

I loved this book. This is a M/M suspense set in Victorian times. Unlike some of her other historicals, the main characters are not rich or titled, but common people, which was fun and interesting. The main characters are wonderfully developed and extremely likable characters. The suspense aspect was wonderfully written so you were kept guessing as to the villain. It moved at a great pace and I found it hard to put down. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait for the next installment.

An Unseen Attraction is the first book in a trilogy set in Victorian London. It starts a little… mundane. Not quite so bad I’d call it boring, but it certainly isn’t overly exciting. Not even the main characters getting together (quite a bit before I expected them to) wasn’t causing fireworks. And that was okay, actually. Because it was very in character.

I really did love the characters. Clem is half Indian and probably is, what we would call nowadays “on the spectrum”. (In case you’re not familiar with that term, I am talking about a range of neurological disorders that encompasses autism, Asperger’s and some say even ADHD). I liked how this wasn’t just reduced to a few stereotypical symptoms, but that Rowley had to really work to understand him and couldn’t make assumptions. That he came to realize that one person on the spectrum can be similar, yet totally different than another person with the same affliction. Rowley himself is dealing with a lot of past trauma, and that makes for an interesting back and forth between the characters. The arguments between these two are relatable and understandable. Which is actually not that common in Romance, I find.

Once the mayhem starts happening, the pace picks up considerably and the books becomes more fun. It gets a little over the top dramatic at the end, but hey, for a Victorian novel (or a Charles novel) it is actually quite restrained.

One issue I had with the book is that it is a little heavy handed with the inner dialog explaining the characters to the readers. We’re not stupid, and I’d much rather ‘read’ the character from subtler hints rather than having them explain to me (several times) why they are feeling what they are feeling.

Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to the next installment!

In An Unseen Attraction (the first book in her Sins of the City series), K.J. Charles honors Dickens and Robert Browning, with a nod to Arthur Connan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Just as she melds these disparate writers and genres, she adroitly creates a tale as romantic as it is fetidly suspenseful. “It was going to be a foggy winter: the smoke from the factories and firesides formed a thick, stinging haze in the air, and once the cold weather closed in and the mist rolled off the river, the atmosphere would curdle.” The Autumn yellow murk of England’s industrial revolution brings betrayal and murder to a quirky pair, whose personalities could only “fit” one another.

If half-Indian Clem Talleyfer’s wealthy half-brother, Edmund, hadn’t set him up as a Boardinghouse keeper, Clem might have starved. Clem suffers from a cognitive disorder which leaves him disorganized and clumsy. “Clem…finished closing up the house, starting the list from the beginning again to be sure. Better to take a little longer and be sure than to fail in his duties.” The house suits Clem, whose peaceful compassion keeps his artisan lodgers cheery.

Rowley Green, the taxidermist in the shop next door, is a boarder. Despite his violent career, gutting animal corpses, he turns them into flights of fancy, often literally when they are birds, “determined to play my standard against decay.”

Clem is the rare man who appreciates Rowley’s artistry, quoting Browning. “I pluck the rose…and love it more than the tongue can speak-Then the good minute goes.”

Raised with an alcoholic father’s violent rages, Rowley’s survival depended upon passivity in the face of aggression. He longs to turn this pliancy into love. Aware he’s “scrawny, bespectacled, unremarkable…not a charming man,” Rowley sees how handsome, gentle Clem thrives alongside his reserve. Each man “spent his life carefully not looking into an abyss of rage like the pit of hellfire he’d so often been told awaited pagans, because if he ever really looked, he feared he might be angry forever.”

Clem cherishes how methodical, patient Rowley regards him as an equal. “The way Mr. Green offered help, didn’t ignore; didn’t insist; simply offered, and (he) would go away if he was told no…. Mr. Green never laughed at mistakes, or demanded attention while Clem was going about his business, or stared.”

Clem’s tenure at the lodging house, is predicated on Edmund’s stipulation; lushaholic Reverend Lugtrout must remain a tenant, no matter how disgraceful the Parson’s behavior. Around the time Lugtrout is found dead at their doorstep, Rowley is attacked. Then his shop is targeted for arson. In order to protect their interests, he and Clem are forced to determine whether the attacks are related.

Clem, a loyal and honorable man, finds himself in an untenable position. Does he respect Edmund’s wishes, or protect Rowley, who he has begun to love?

And oh, can these men love. Charles writes the way she characterizes Rowley. “If you’re going to do anything at all, do it with due care and attention.” She constructs focused, innovative sex scenes to suit their temperaments.

K.J. does something I thought impossible, allowing me to adore a slow-paced book. The tempo draws out the suspense. She signals upcoming danger, letting thrills seep in like fog. Readers are left as conflicted as her unique, sweet characters. We require this gradual build-up, to consider what we would do in their circumstances.
Then there’s K.J.’s humor. “Sweetheart, with eyes like that, you can spill my drink whenever you like, Gregory had said on his first evening there, when Clem had bumped the gin from his hand, and ended up sucking Clem off in the back room, which rather proved his point.”

And of course, with K.J., we expect astute commentary. “There are no degrees with life. You are or you’re not, and once it’s gone it doesn’t return.” “Most people think that nobody should make a fuss until it’s their own comfort at stake, at which point they will bring the roof down shrieking about it.”

For a touchingly familiar, yet novel novel, one reminiscent of penny-dreadfuls of the era, sink into An Unseen Attraction, and prepare your chimney to be swept away!

A copy of An Unseen Attraction was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Penguin Random House, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.

K.J. Charles is a wonderful author and I always look forward to her books. This is another new start to a series, again set in historical times, again with a mixed race relationship. Clem runs a boarding house through the 'generosity' of his brother, and becomes close to a lodger who owns a taxidermy shop next door. They don't use the term taxidermy, did that term exist then? He's called a "stuffer". The two bond into friends over evening tea, but it eventually develops into something more. On the other side of the story, an obnoxious lodger is found tortured and murdered on their doorstep, other crimes start happening, and it all comes down to a mystery they need to solve before they both end up dead themselves.

Clem is an absolute doll - Charles created a character who has always been regarded as clumsy or slow because he needs to process things mentally one step at a time. He's endearing, naive, trusting, sweet. She tossed him together with a completely different sort - a patient man who enjoys being alone because he can't stand people or anger after an abusive childhood. They both see the world in each other, despite reservations they hold about themselves. The relationship is sweet, sweet, sweet and you definitely want only good things to happen with these two. There's steamy scenes too, throwing a small nod back to some unconventional wants certain characters have in the bedroom, a bit like Dom from the Society of Gentleman series.

I like how K.J. Charles keeps putting in different types of kinks and turn-offs with different characters for different books - this stops it from getting buddled together to where it feels repetitive or formulaic. I also like seeing different sides of people and how we're all different, not perfect, and that's how it should be in books such as this as well. Also like the Society of Gentleman series, this one also has a local gentlemen's club with a bizarre mix of people who look after each other. Neither of these men are wealthy leaders in society, however, so the comparisons of those two series stops here.

The side plot is both intriguing and irritating. Despite enjoying Clem's personality, I wanted to throttle him a few times for his stubborn naivity. The mystery wasn't super strong on who the villain was, but the point wasn't to make a mystery but showcase a family dilemma they need to overcome for character growth, which is needed for relationship growth. Still I found some of it downright confusing and am not sure I get everything fully. No matter, it didn't take much enjoyment from the story, but wasn't my favorite from the author.

As usual she writes well and her relationships are winners (like how she blends opposites to each other), but this one doesn't have humor like The Magpie Series or Thinking of England, and it doesn't have as much drama conflict of Society of Gentleman. It's not her best book, but it's still an enjoyable book hard to put down and worth reading.

K.J. Charles atmospheric and suspenseful Victorian romance takes us to a seemingly run of the mill area of London where tenants of a rooming house find themselves caught up in a mystery. Clem Talleyfer, a quiet and somewhat socially anxious man is content with his position managing a rooming house owned by his brother. His tenants are a mixed bag of characters, though the worst of the lot is a drunken ex-vicar whom he has to house at the insistence of his brother. The best part of his day is the time he spends in the evening having tea with his lodger, Rowley Green.

Rowley is a taxidermist, with a shop next door to the rooming house where he works on his craft for commissions from interested persons. A meticulous man, he enjoys spending time with Clem, and with a few hints and subtle conversations, they discover a mutual interest in each other. But when the vicar's body ends up dead on Clem's doorstep, things take a decidedly nasty turn. And if that's not enough, someone seems to have developed an unhealthy interest in Rowley's shop too. Clem and Rowley are just discovering how nice it is to have someone to come home to. With a killer on the loose and their personal safety threatened, will their new relationship be snuffed out too quickly?

This is an intense, suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable read! The author clearly knows her way around the Victorian setting and I was quickly immersed in the plot and the lives of the characters, with the notorious London fog adding a chill to the air and the story.

Clem and Rowley have both had their share of difficult upbringings. Clem is the bastard half brother of an Earl, the man who owns the rooming house. They share the same father, but Clem is twenty years younger and the product of a liaison his father had with an East Indian woman. He's lived with the stigma of his mixed race and illegitimate origins his whole life, but has some good friends at the Jack and Knave, a gay social club he frequents. Rowley is a self made man, his mother having died young and his abusive drunken father pushing him out of the house at a young age to move in with an elderly man down the street who taught him the taxidermy trade. With his own shameful history, he's used to keeping to himself and the loneliness that entails.

Clem and Rowley find in each other the yin to each others yang. Clem's need to take things slowly to avoid confusion and stay in control works swimmingly well with Rowley's sexual preferences. They share some steamy scenes together that go from endearingly awkward to passionately intense. They have to keep their relationship a secret except when at the club but it's not dwelled upon and they don't take more than the necessary precautions.

When the murdered body of the vicar shows up on their doorstep, things take a dramatic turn and their relationship becomes a haven of respite from the stress of the crime and the continuing investigation. There is a lot of action, suspense and plenty of drama as the plot unfolds. I had a hard time putting the story down! I really liked the attention to detail in the setting, particularly with regards to Rowley's profession as a taxidermist, and the social outings they attend. Eventually the murder is solved, and Clem and Rowley get a happy for now ending as expected for the time period. With Clem's likable circle of friends and a new family mystery unfolding at the end, I'm definitely going to be continuing this series. If you enjoy murder mysteries with intriguing well rounded characters and a sweet and sexy romance, you'll enjoy this story.

This review has been posted at Straight Shootin' Book Reviews and feedback updated with the link. It will be posted at sale sites during release week, and on goodreads. .

K.J. Charles' newest Victorian romance series, Sins of the Cities, starts off on the right foot with An Unseen Attraction. A slow burn with an encompassing mystery and romance between two unassuming souls can be found in this novel.

"Rowley, there are lots of people who think I'm worth looking at. Not so many who think I'm worth listening to. Not like you."

A spasm of something passed across Rowley's face. "Then there are a lot of fools out there."

Swoon.

The words were, as usual, a joy to read from this author. And the shared moments between 28-year-old Clement Talleyfer - lodging house keeper and 35 year old, Rowley Green, a solitary preserver (taxidermist) made this book special.

Clement, or Clem, is of Indian descent and grew up an outsider for his entire life. Rowley has not had an easy childhood and bears the scars to prove it. The author has a fine hand on writing inclusive characters be it race or QUILTBAG, no one gets left out. And An Unseen Attraction is on par.

But what makes this book even more special was including a character with DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder or Dyspraxia). She wrote the character in such a way that respected the disorder and an affected person's feelings, rather than using his disorder as a characteristic and not following up. (I'm not a fan of books that write characters with intellectual disabilities and can't back it up with thorough research). Based on the obvious research alone put into this tale, it's rated all the hearts.

Clem runs the lodging house and crushes on his lodger of eight months, the small, quiet Mr. Green, who runs a preserve shop next door. Clem's not one to easily discern if Mr. Green would welcome his affections, so quiet friendship is what he relies on to keep in respectable contact within that time period. You know what they say about the quiet ones? Because quiet Mr. Green notices Clem just as much.

Told in dual POV, the two become closer while surround by interesting characters at the lodging house. Their shared attraction obvious. A mystery is literally dropped on the house doorsteps by way of a dead body. The pair bond even more, trying to figure out what is the cause of the violent acts. Both men have damaging pasts, with internal and external scars. Clem is gorgeous (great cover by the way - it's very close to how I picture Clem). But with DCD, most treat him like an imbecile. Rowley, knows he's not as handsome and he tends to downplay himself. Not to the point of annoyance but thankfully Clem sees him as a worthy partner and vice versa.

I loved both main characters. (Can you tell?) Flawed individuals who make each other stronger together and bring out the best in each other without losing a sense of self. They aren't overt characters, rather it's the quietness and the little things that they both do that grabs the attention.

And their compatibility exists both in and out of the bedroom!

"I like to be...undemanding in bed. To, well, have the other person make the decisions. there's something about someone doing what he wants to do with me..."

I-- *clears throat*

Yes, I'm very fine with that.

Edging and submissiveness...oh yes, these two were definitely hot together.

While the two check off so many boxes on my characters-I-enjoy list, the story isn't without minor flaws.

Why not full throttle and dump all the hearts at this book's feet? There are some open ended issues that I would love to be answered. There's an arc that has enough mystery to probably cover the entire series. (That epilogue is everything)

But...something about the 'villain(s) ending'-- something about it s sticking in my craw. Maybe it could be more of a me thing but I wanted justice. I wanted a big never ending battle royal as a climax to the action scenes scattered about the story.

The cowardice irks me. Who is the accomplice? Mastermind? Ah!

But I do think the author kept the main character's personalities at the forefront at all times, so I'll just have to swallow and build a bridge to get over it.

Or read the rest of this series, which I DEFINITELY will be. Because I am all in for "Polish Mark". This author has me pining for themes I tend to shy away from - mysteries and psychics. *shakes head*

The writing is that good.

I don't plan on running through the ignored lists of books with those themes but it seems that if K.J. Charles has written it, I'll make an exception.

The secondary characters are just as intriguing as the main characters. And the story overall, is well written enough, suspenseful enough and romantic enough to check out!

Recommended.

An interesting book.

I first became acquainted with KJ Charles writing through her Society of Gentleman stories and I loved each of those stories. An Unseen Attraction was a quite a bit different from those and is set in the Victorian period. The writing is great but the storyline and characters didn't connect with me quite as much as the SOG books.

Clem Talleyfer is a rather backwards type of fellow who manages a boarding house. Rowley Green is a stuffer (taxidermist) who rents a room and also has his shop in the building next door. They strike up a friendship but it is quite some time before they both realize that they are of the same persuasion (they like men).

Things get rather complicated when one of the lodgers is found murdered in front of the boarding house. Then the stuffer's shop is broken into and set on fire. While the story became rather complicated in places I found it entertaining and I never felt like it was difficult or a chore to read.

Although Clem and Rowley get a HFN (happy for now) the bigger mystery part of the story is not resolved and will continue in the next two books. I would not call this one a cliffhanger because I felt satisfied with how things were left for Clem and Rowley but I would like to know how everything else comes out so I plan to read the next books in this series.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

5 Stars!!!

An Unseen Attraction is book one in K.J. Charles' new series, Sins of the Cities, and while I had great expectations after Society of Gentlemen, Ms. Charles managed to meet them with this very original story.

Clem Talleyfer is a lodge-keeper in London. He likes to have a quiet life and work taking care of his lodgers and is quite happy with it all, especially the nights he spends talking with his friend Rowley Green, who is a preserver who has been living at Talleyfer's for a few months. He only wishes Mr. Green were interested in more than just his friendship.

When someone breaks into the lodge trying to find something and then into Rowley's store, and then one of the lodgers appears dead at the doorstep, Rowley and Clem start getting closer as they get caught up in the mystery of who's trying to harm them and what is it that they are really after, all while trying to reconcile their feelings for each other.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, but one of my favorite parts of reading a historical romance is the writer's ability to transport me back in time and make me feel as if I were there along with the characters. In this case, Ms. Charles transported me to a different side of London, more middle class and showing a very extensive and interesting research in Taxidermy, which was so different from other books I've read.

I loved Clem and Rowley, who were far from perfect and each had their issues to go through. It was lovely seeing their relationship move from tentative friendship into more. It was even better to see them mess up and try to make things better once they realized their mistakes, to see them work together to resolve the mystery they found themselves in the middle of along with their friends.

Regarding the mystery, I can safely say I saw some part of it coming, but I really liked the progression and intrigue and how it all played out. Never mind that I can't wait to read Nathaniel's story next, as it sounds really interesting.

Well-written, engaging, hot and with characters you'll want more of, An Unseen Attraction is definitely a must-read for fans of mystery and historical romance!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement.***

KJ Charles has a new series called Sins of the City that’s inspired by Wilkie Collins’s fiction, and frankly that’s all the information I needed to get excited about An Unseen Attraction. (Actually all I needed was KJ Charles’s name, but this Wilkie Collins thing didn’t hurt.) I received An Unseen Attraction from the publisher for review consideration, via NetGalley.

Clem manages a lodging house where everything is in perfect order, apart from the one tenant Clem’s noble half-brother won’t ever let him evict. When that tenant turns up brutally murdered, Clem’s tidy world is turned upside down — and so is the life of another of his tenants, the sexy taxidermist Rowley Green.

So much Wilkie Collins in this book, y’all. I loved it. Dark secrets to be uncovered, the promise of more scandal to come in subsequent books, it’s all completely up my alley. Better yet, Charles does a wonderful job of showing how Clem and Rowley learn to be ever-better friends and lovers to each other, treading gently around insecurities but setting boundaries where necessary. Clem is on the spectrum and Rowley comes from an abusive home, and they make mistakes with each other. The tension doesn’t arise so much from a Big Misunderstanding as from the clashes that happen around conflicting motives, loyalties, and ways of being a person. Charles is terrific at depicting Clem and Rowley’s attempts to navigate all of this, and it makes their happy ending all the more satisfying.

Basically, if the idea of a story about love, taxidermy, and murder most foul appeals to you, I’d recommend you run straight out and preorder An Unseen Attraction. It comes out on 21 February and is well worth your time.

**Live 2/20**

Even though I’ve only recently discovered her, I love KJ Charles. She does M/M historical romance as it should be, realistically. Homosexuality was a crime back then, with a punishment of imprisonment. They weren’t able to build a normal life together. They were left with sneaking around and hiding. Maybe it sounds weird, but I like that Ms Charles doesn’t bend that reality by pretending that equality was accepted. I prefer historically accurate, even when I vehemently disagree.

In An Unseen Attraction KJ Charles introduces us to Clem, who’s grown up in England but has an Indian mother. In addition to being a racially diverse character, I believe he also had a touch of autism which made interacting with his peers difficult for him. Clem has a crush on Rowley, who was slight in stature, awkward in his own way, and works as a taxidermist. It was a set up unlike any I’ve read before, and I really loved how both of these awkward characters found security with each other.

I also thought there was amazing heat between the characters. This was a really sexy read, with the perfect amount of attraction to make the intimate moments everything they should be. Rowley and Clem were well suited in the bedroom, with Rowley wanting Clem to take control and Clem needing to control and move at his own pace. That dynamic made all of the physical scenes in the story so hot.

I would say I loved about 75% of An Unseen Attraction. My only issue with the story was in how the characters interacted during times of stress. Clem was ruled by a need to not let his family down, despite the fact that they didn’t treat him well, and he often put that ahead of everything. I would have loved to see Rowley stick up for himself more, kind of force Clem into seeing what he truly had to lose. BUT, I recognize that Clem and Rowley were acting in character. I can appreciate that sometimes we just don’t agree with the direction a character goes, but it’s not due to bad writing or the author dropping the ball. I just wouldn’t have handled things as well as Rowley, I guess.

Now, it looks like this is an on going series, which seems to be Ms Charles style. I know that I’m not going to get my way, but I’d really love it if all the books were about Clem and Rowley. I feel like their story isn’t over. They have a lot more to discover about themselves and I’m not ready for a couple switch.

Reading the synopsis on the back of book two, I have no doubt that it will quickly change my mind.

I really enjoyed this book! It was the first book in a trilogy that, given this beginning, is sure to be an exciting one!

Clem was not your average lodging-house keeper and Rowley not your average lodger & Preserver. These two struck up a friendship which led to mutual attraction and finally intimate relations. To say Clem couldn't take a hint would be an understatement. But this had less to do with him being obtuse and more to do with who he was as a person. He was often misunderstood by many people but Rowley always got him and that made their relationship that more genuine feeling. There wasn't a lot of steam in this book but if you've read any K.J.Charles, you'd know not to expect such. This didn't take anything from the story whatsoever in my opinion.

Aside the relationship angle of the book was the broader murder/mystery/intrigue aspect. It was properly done with not even a clue as to what was going on or the why of it till late in the book. I don't want to spoil the book with any hints but I thoroughly enjoyed it and it helped that the writing was great to boot.

The book ended with a HFN and also a bit abruptly if you ask me. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger because Clem and Rowley's story was essentially done but the wider story arc of the intrigue wasn't wrapped up.

With the book ending in " To be continued... " , I know that it would definitely continue in An Unnatural Vice which I will be picking up as soon as it becomes available . :)

Well. I'm a bit on the fence on this book. I liked story with unique character and the MCs in this first installment of K.J. Charles's new Sins of the Cities series is certainly that.

Lodging house keeper Clem Talleyfer was a bastard son of nobility with an Indian nanny in Victorian era England; that alone was a major flaw for Clem, even when he was acknowledged by the family. But Clem also had condition that making it hard for him to do things simultaneously. Another flaw in society's eyes. So of course I was set to like Clem!

The subject of his fascination was Rowley Green, a small and quiet taxidermist who set-up shop next door; and he's also one of Clem's lodger. They eased from friendship to more in an artlessly sweet way.

However - as much as I like Clem and Rowley's budding romance - I'm not particularly impressed with their intelligence here. I'm not saying they were stupid; but they practically had no instinct or sense of danger when faced with dire situation. Especially Clem. My God, he was way too gullible and trusting, inconsiderate and unbending when he should've. What's supposed to be an easy puzzle became prolong harried state of affairs!

One last thing: I was also not amused with the way this book ended. So it paved the way for the upcoming character and their story. But really?? That really was not my favourite way of a story to conclude, part of a series or not.


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

I never in a million years thought I'd say this about one of this author's books but this was just ok. It wasn't bad, her writing was spot on as usual, but I just couldn't get into the story or either of the MC's.

Clem runs a boarding house that is owned by his older brother and he likes his job fairly well except for the rowdy, drunk lodger who he has to keep as a term of his employment. The man is horrible and is constantly disrupting the peace of their home. Clem is much more charmed by another lodger, Rowley, who also owns the taxidermy shop next door. When the drunken lodger is killed the men are thrown into a murder mystery.

Everything about the book was just "ok" for me. They mystery was ok but didn't really grab me into it. I think the biggest issue for me was I was not drawn into the MC's. They were both awkward and socially inept. So much so that I found them boring and I wasn't that interested in them or their romance. (If I want awkward romance all I need to do is look at my own dating life). It's not something I have any interest in reading about.

There's a good chance this is a case of "It's not you, it's me" but for whatever the reason this was just meh for me.

**ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Charles moves from the aristocracy of the Regency period to the middling sorts of the Victorian in the first book of this new series, <i>Sins of the Cities</i>. Our protagonists are two unlikely heroes: Clem Talleyfer, the biracial bastard son of an aristocrat, who runs a rooming house in London; and Rowley Green, one of Clem's rooming house tenants, who works as a "preserver," or taxidermist. The opening of the book is fairly slow, establishing the characters of these two quiet introverts and their gradual inching from friendship (Mr. Green and Mr. Talleyfer taking tea occasionally together of an evening) to a riskier sexual liaison. The mood shifts from romance to suspense after another of the rooming house's boarders, one Clem's brother the earl insisted he house despite the man's drunken behavior, turns up murdered on the house's doorstep.

The evil-doer is fairly obvious, but Charles manages to keep the tension high in spite of it. Romances set in racially mixed Victorian London are pretty rare, as are historicals that feature middle class heroes who are neurodiverse. Intriguingly, the author does not include a note explaining what type of neurodiversity Clem has, wanting readers to take him as he is without needing to label him. As is usual with Charles' historicals, both characters are portrayed with depth, insight, and kindness. They may not be the most exciting pair Charles has ever written, but they are certainly one of the more endearing.

A strong historical gay romance/mystery, with a convincing Dickensian feel. Looking forward to the next in the series!

I have read books by this author and thoroughly enjoyed them, this one was okay, but not a series I feel I will continue with. The story has a very unique cast of characters, one of the characters runs a boarding house, while the other is a taxidermist. Together they make one interesting couple.

A flaw I find with many historical romance novels was not in this story. That flaw is insufficient character and relationship development. I feel that K.J.Charles did a wonderful job with the relationship development while also providing very enticing intimate scenes.

Despite being a decent novel, I'm not feeling the setting that this story takes place in. I much prefer reading high society regency stories over working class Victorian stories.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy both MM relationships and historical romances.

Half-Indian Clem Talleyfer is far removed from aristocratic MCs who strode through K.J. Charles' previous books, such as Lucien Vaudry from The Magpie Lord or Richard Vane from A Gentleman's Position. He is kind but easily overwhelmed by stimuli, slightly clumsy, and unable to keep track of more than one thing at a time. He serves as lodging-house keeper for a small north London boarding house and has been nurturing a crush on his lodger Rowley Green for the past eight months. For his part, Rowley is also growing increasingly fond of his landlord, but his own diminutive stature, his unusual occupation of preserver (the Victorian equivalent of a taxidermist) and his dubious origins keep him from making a move. Until he finally does find the courage to reach out, and things start to look promising. But then the dead body of Clem's most boorish lodger turns up, and everything is suddenly at risk - their relationship, their occupations and maybe even their lives.

An Unseen Attraction features one of my favorite tropes: two misfits/damaged souls who slowly overcome their insecurity and shyness to find more strength together than apart. Clem may be neuro-atypical (today he'd probably be on the spectrum) but he is surprisingly literate, creative, and loyal to a fault. For his part, Rowley sees both himself and his job as unattractive and off-putting, so he can't imagine that a handsome guy like Clem would want him. Neither have any experience with real relationships, so they are prone to skittishness and misunderstandings, but you never doubt that these two oddballs belong together.

Charles pours on the Victorian atmosphere, making good use of the London fog, but her trademark humor is apparent too, highlighted by a stuffed badger dressed up like a Greek god and a malevolent, ugly cat with the perfect moniker. Clem's two friends from the Jack and Knave gentleman's club will be the MCs in the second and third books of this series, and already I can't wait for the next installment, which promises an extreme enemies to lovers plot. The murderer of Clem's lodger is caught, but there are several loose ends including a missing heir that will carry through this promising series. K.J. Charles is not only one of the top M/M historical authors, she's also one of today's top M/M authors overall as well.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an objective review.

AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION
K.J. Charles
4.5 stars HOT


K.J Charles’s new Victorian era romance series, Sins of the Cities is off to to a strong start with this intensely suspenseful and romantic novel. In An Unseen Attraction, Charles continues to explore themes of belonging, recognition and community as she did in her Regency era set Society of Gentlemen series. Charles’s writing is witty and captivating, while her worldbuilding is meticulous as she brings to life a richly diverse London from dusty taxidermist shops to riotous acrobat shows.


SUMMARY:
Rowley Green feels more at home at Talleyfer’s Boarding house than he has anywhere else. He looks forward quiet evenings sharing tea with Clem, admiring his green eyes and working up the courage to admit an interest beyond friendship. Clem Talleyfer, the gentle and hardworking Anglo-Indian boarding house-manager looks forward to his evenings with Rowley just as much, but dreading disagreeable interruptions from the loutish, Rev. Lugtrout, whose presence he must tolerate or risk his employment. Although small in stature and standing Rowley Green becomes Clem’s champion when Lugtrout is found dead on the boarding house’s doorstep and the mystery behind his death threatens them both. (Loveswept, FEB., pp., $4.99)

Ana Coqui