I did not read the first two books in the series but I was able to keep up after some background was given. I felt it was too much of an instant connection between the characters. My biggest issue was that too many things were made to be convenient in order to make the story plausible in that time period which seemed like an easy way out.

On the trail of an aristocrat’s secret son, enquiry agent Mark Braglewicz finds his quarry, Pen Starling in a music hall, performing as a trapeze artist with his twin sister Greta. Pen doesn’t want to live as any sort of man, least of all a nobleman. The thought of being wealthy, titled, and always in the public eye is horrifying.
There’s a killer stalking London’s foggy streets who’s killing those involved. Mark decides that Pen & Greta should go to the main seat of the earldom, a house surrounded by a moat where they will be safer.
This is the final part of the trilogy & I received this book from NetGalley, I started to read it but decided I had to read the first two parts first. A well written page turning book. The characterisation is very good & the tempo increases until the Fogman is revealed. I was loathe to put it down & read it in under a day

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

As always, Ms. Charles has created an excellent, well-researched historical romance. She blends her history seamlessly into the story so the reader is never bogged down in the details nor overwhelmed by them. Another perfect story!

I am so glad that this was as good as I hoped. I adore KJ Charles writing, she is one of the strongest historical romance writers out there regardless of romance sub-genre M/M and M/F. She writes engaging, romantic, carefully structured novels that always get me right in the feels.

I loved this simply and truthfully. She handled Pen, this beautiful butterfly of a character that would if alive today would be aware of their use of Pronouns but in this time and period Pen is non-binary but uses HE. She writes him with some much care and consideration it floored me.Mark, sturdy truthful and loyal. He really was a beautiful character. His Pansexuality was so refreshing to the character of Pen. His disability was never for a show but carefully considered. Their love affair was wonderful.Claps KJ Charles Claps for your skill and consideration.

It was lovely to see the ( Sin of the cities) series get a carefully considered conclusion with all the threads being carefully woven into this colourful tapestry. This series grew stronger and stronger with each novel. It was wonderful to see the cast of characters get their conclusions.

Very much enjoyed, Very much a future reread. 4 strong stars.

Pen Starling one half of a trapeze couple, was repentance Godfrey and his sister Was Greta Starling, also Regret Godfrey was the other half. They were very good at the trapeze. Mark Braglewicz is private enquiry agent and only has one arm and he has found the Godfrey's..
This is a mystery and an unusual one but a very good one. I have never read this author before but I would not mind reading another. I thought the author handled the sexuality extremely well, I found nothing offensive about it But there is some sex. The story is well written, it moves smoothly, and is easy to read. The characters are amazing and appear true to life, the dialogue is well written . The plot has some interesting twists and turns and you are kept guessing until the end. I loved the interaction between Pen and Mark, and how they not only respected each other but cared a lot about each other. superb mystery, great cast of characters and a surprise ending.

The mystery isn’t what kept me reading. I wasn’t invested at all. I just like reading KJ Charles historical love stories. There’s always such authenticity to them. They’re gorgeous.

I think I was especially happy with this trilogy because of how diverse the cast was. I loved that Clem was Indian and autistic. I loved that Mark was missing a hand, and that Pen was gender fluid. It made the story feel even more full than a usual KJ Charles series. Not only was the cast entertaining, they were also compassionate and accepting.

What I thought was special about Pen and Mark was their ability to accept each other just the way they are. Mark is a simple man, and he treats Pen exactly as Pen needed to be treated. He even asked first, allowing Pen to guide their relationship. The two of them were definitely the sweetest of the three couples. I also liked that Pen and Mark enjoyed talking with each other just as much as they did getting intimate. There were even moments where they opted to just talk, which was so sweet. I love emotional connections.

If you like accurate historical and romance, K.J. Charles may just be the author for you. I know I’ll be waiting for news of her next series. I’m loving them.

Full review posted on 10/2

I have to admit that I didn't read the first two books. But after finishing this story between Pen and Mark in Victorian times I intend to read the first two books too. The mystery starts with Pen and his sister Greta. Two trapeze artists who ran away from home only to be found by Mark, a private investigator. Told that Pen is the heir of earldom he resists giving up his former life. Besides the love story that starts between Pen and Mark it's a great book to read about life during those days. It is a very entertaining book and I'm glad that I had a chance to review it

3 1/2 Stars I adored Pen and Mark together -- really wanted more of their relationship rather than the mystery plot stuff (not that it wasn't done well!). But even so, I did notice some of the NB/trans rep and disability rep.


I highly suggest looking at an ownvoice review from Xan West (on Goodreads). It really got me to thinking about how things were handled in this book, and why much of it wasn't done in a positive, healthy way.


I will be talking about the book on my next Whatcha Reading? podcast which is now up on TBQ's Book Palace.

An absolutely perfect ending to a series that got better and better as it went along! K.J. Charles did these characters justice!

I'll admit, I was nervous to read this book.

I've read over 30 books with trans and/or genderqueer main characters, but my average rating of these books is almost exactly 3-stars, with a lot of 1 and 2 star ratings thrown in. I've found that it is difficult for many authors, for some reason, to write trans or gender non-binary characters without giving the other characters a cis-hero complex or having everyone else pat themselves on the back for being decent people. I always say that I want to read a romance with a trans/genderqueer character who is interesting, not just a placeholder for a generic person who fits into the required slot.

K.J. Charles really accomplished something with Pen. Pen (I'm going to use "he" because "he" is used throughout the story, though in current times Pen would probably pick a different pronoun) was a full character. He was flawed, dynamic, strong, stubborn, feminine, masculine, and everything in between. Pen was sexy and confident, which is something I always wish for more of in my trans or non-binary characters. I really just adored everything about how Pen was written, and I could picture him so vividly in my mind.

Mark was actually a stronger, more well-developed character than I was expecting. Mark wasn't just interesting because he had one arm, but the one arm aspect added another dimension to him that enhanced the storyline. Mark was a loyal, honest person who was much more than his "plain" appearance. I think he was a perfect match for Pen, and their dynamic was lovely to watch. I actually could have used an additional sex scene or two with them together because I just couldn't get enough of their chemistry!

But what I really, really loved was how Mark's lack of an arm and Pen's gender identity were aspects of the story, but not the whole story. There was a full plot with mystery, fighting, romance, interesting secondary characters (we see all of the characters from previous books) and just a lot of excitement.

I'm not a mystery reader because I hate suspense, but the ending of this book really does bring everything together. I promise, fellow readers, you won't be disappointed. K.J. Charles managed to make everything work without forcing readers to stretch their imagination to make things fit. Oh, and this book shouldn't be read as a stand-alone.

I rarely light up the 5th star, but I was tempted to do it here. It was just a masterful story to cap off a memorable trilogy.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

The last book from the Sins of the cities trilogy!
This time, we get to follow the story of Mark Braglewicz, a private detective and twins Pen and Greta Starling, whose existence was slowly revealed in previous books. (I definitely recommend reading this trilogy in published order, otherwise you will spoil yourself) Lot of people are searching for the twins, including Mark, because they are rightful heirs of the earldom. Problem is, Pen doesnt want to have anything in common with nobility - it would require him to act agains his own identity. I might use "him", but Pen is actually someone we would call nonbinary or genderqueer person in modern times. Pen likes to wear make-up and dresses sometimes and sometimes not, has long hair, etc.
I really liked how Pen was portrayed in this book. I am cis myself, but from what i heard from my not-cis friends, Pen hits the spot and does justice to nonbinary identity.
So why the four stars from me? I really liked the book, but there was one thing which very much dissapointed me. And that was the mystery/detective plot. Lot of the story is about how someone is trying to kill the twins, especially Pen, and this mysterious creepy guy has been hunting out main heroes since the start of book one and appeared in every book. I expected shocking relevations and slow crumbs of hints to whoever the murderer is. When the revelation came, it was... well, ordinary and kinda let down, to be honest. It wasn't bad, per se, but it was certainly the weakest part of the plot. Like open the box of cookies and getting sewing supplies.
But the book is still very much worth reading, for the romance, for the brilliant portrayal of both MCs and for the conclusion of the trilogy.

I really enjoyed this. I really liked Pen, and I liked getting to see a non-binary character in a historical romance. NB isn't a quirky new fad so I really appreciate that. I feel it was handled well, but I'm not NB so take that with a grain of salt. I loved that Mark didn't care, he cared about Pen, that's all that mattered. So I guess he's pan? which is also a cool thing to see. I loved them together. Pen finally found love and acceptance, not with himself - he already had that, but with someone who isn't his sister. Mark wasn't perfect, he does crappy things but we know why he does them and they make sense. He's between a rock and hard place(ha). I love seeing the guys from the previous books. I still heart Clem. Justin is still amazeballs. The over arching mystery is still center stage. I fell for the twists and turns, even started doubting the red herring. But I caught the hint to the ultimate culprit. I'm not crazy about how everything ends up with the earldom. I was wondering if Pen was going to get out of it, but I thought all the talk around Mark's arm was going to lead somewhere else and then it didn't. Still, they're a great couple, you really fall in love with them falling in love. The end of the mystery is satisfying. And it's KJC so you know it's good.

I will have to admit, this was probably my least favorite of the books in the series. As much as I have appreciated that K.J. Charles has given us such a diverse set of characters (Polish immigrant, half Indian/half British bastard, trapeze artist, confidence man/con artist, taxidermist, one-armed protagonist) and that we have a series-long mystery, this particular book felt more about pressing a message and issues than about the story. And although we have a wanted/needed happy ever after (HEA) ending, I found myself annoyed or just bored with the main characters.

Story: Investigator Mark Bragliewicz has found the twins at last. Pen (Repentance) and Greta (Regret) are making a living as trapeze artists called the Flying Starlings and quite happy to live in obscurity in the circus. When Mark chances upon Pen he is smitten but unsure how to deal with the very self obsessed twins and Pen's stubbornness. He wants to save the pair from the murderer who has taken so many lives but the twins are determined to avoid the whole inheritance issue altogether. But soon the choice will be taken out of their hands as yet another person connected to their past turns up tortured and then murdered.

Most of the book is about Pen's reluctance to become a man or woman permanently by assuming the mantle of Earl - he is gender fluid and determined to remain that way. He feels separate from society as a result but Mark, who was born without an arm, can empathize with Pen best at how it feels to be different. Pen refuses over and over to become the next Earl because it means he would have to assume one gender, cut his hair, and no longer be able to switch between dresses and pants. As well, he is quite particular and Mark often has to figure out how to approach Pen - even how Pen chooses to have sex is different depending on if he wishes to be male or female at that time.

Each of the books in this series have had nicely complex characters who are often very particular in all things, sex included. There is nothing ordinary about anything in the book and that's a plus - it is rare to find so much diversity in character design, interaction, dialogue, and plotting. Indeed, much of the stories are about the love interests coming to understand each other's unique personalities and how to deal with them. There are no over idealized heroes to be found here and some remain fairly unlikable to others in the book.

For An Unsuitable Heir, it was about finding a way for pen to still be himself - whichever gender that meant at the moment. Since people were still being murdered and tortured horribly, I became very frustrated with the "I need to be me and can't be Earl if it means I will stifle as one gender'. It made Pen sound overly selfish to allow people to be murdered and tortured so he didn't have to assume a gender completely/for the rest of his life. But Charles also did an excellent job of pointing out why he was so adamant about his stance. All the same, it felt like far too much protestations when your actions mean horrible deaths for others. The book felt like a long message about understanding gender neutral individuals and how difficult it can be to fit into any society's mores.

The book nicely ties off the Earl plot and we have all the previous characters involved to different degrees. The reading is smooth and the book well written. I think my only last quibble is that all the covers were terrible - from the 'suit wearing Clem' of the first book to our main character, Mark, suddenly having two arms on this cover. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

5 stars!

*

An Unsuitable Heir is the perfect and thrilling conclusion the Sins of the Cities series. The mystery is solved between twists, reveals, death, and love. There is action, tension, and lovely character development as the story follows Pen and Mark as they come together to face a killer.

K.J. Charles delivers another wonderful and entertaining novel. The fast pace is engaging and keeps you flipping pages, and all of the characters are a delight! The diversity is also amazing and absolutely refreshing! And in the end, all the pieces come together in a satisfying and rather cute ending.

I love this! I actually love K.J. Charles in general, but this book is just so much fun!!! The story runs parallel with some of the events in An Unnatural Vice, although it does go its own way for the most part. I will say that, despite following a different couple, it is better if you’re familiar with the previous novels. This does not work well as a standalone, so go check out the rest of the series if you haven’t yet.

With that: Pen and Mark are amazing narrators. The book is told in dual POV, so we get to see the story develop from both of their perspectives. They each have very unique voices, and the shifts in POV flow smoothly and are very well done. They come together to reveal the mystery and help us put the pieces of this puzzle together.

And the diversity! This is a queer romance book, and Charles takes that a step forward by giving representation to disabled and genderqueer people. Charles treats both of those subjects respectfully, and that makes this book even better.

I also love the relationship between Pen and Mark. It has its ups and downs, but they communicate and listen to each other. Their relationships is very sweet and realistic, and definitely one of the highlights in the novel. They just get each other and are very supportive, and it’s all around lovely.

An Unsuitable Heir is an excellent end to a great series. It has conflict, mystery, romance, death, and very complicated familial relationships. The historical setting is an interesting background to the stories of wonderful characters, and the developed and adorable romance is the perfect balance to the mystery plot.

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**

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.