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!

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!

A solid end to a solid historical romance series, which I think overall improved as it went along. This installation features a genderqueer trapeze artist and a one-armed Polish immigrant "inquiry agent" (which appears to be period code for a P.I.), and while I'm not an expert I felt the book handled both dysphoria and disability issues well. The three novels in the trilogy are very closely tied together in plot (and in fact overlap a little in events covered) but this is the only one where the protagonists from different books interact much with each other, and I enjoyed that more than I expected, especially Pen's POV of Clem. All in all, a fun, fast read that I would recommend to fans of Cat Sebastian and anyone who likes queer historical romance.

This book is so original, and it is hard to imagine two more different, yet distinct in their own way, heroes. Pen Starling rejects gender labels and lives life on his own terms as a trapeze artist and acrobat. Mark Braglewicz is a one-armed enquiry agent who has identified Pen as the lost heir to an earldom and feels pressured to expose him since people associated with this case have been dying. Wildly appealing characters, both primary and secondary and especially Pen, make this an unforgettable book.

A delightfully enjoyable light historical romance featuring a murder mystery and a gender queer protagonist.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. The story is about twins (brother-sister), who left home at age 14 and make there livelihood working as a trapeze act. Pen is the heir to an Earldom but did not know this. His father, the Earl, was a bigamist who tried to destroy all evidence of his first marriage. Pen, who thinks of himself as female more than male, does not want anything to do with the inheritance because society would not accept him. Pen is a very sensitive individual who can't deal with society and its prejudices. You feel for Pen in that he has had a hard time accepting who he is and just when he has he is made aware of the inheritance. There is a HEA for Pen and for Greta and the book is full of suspense and danger.

I enjoyed The Unsuitable Heir. It's not a stand-alone book at all, but the conclusion of a mystery that started two books ago. I don't recommend that you read this as a stand-alone - the complexity of the story would be greatly diminished. Being the final book, it's the one with all the mysteries solved and happy endings reached. It was a fun read, with all the main characters from the previous books interacting. Charles did a good job keeping the various characters <ahem> in-character. They didn't all bleed into the same redeemed lover type.

This book is different from other ones in the series (or that I've read by KJ Charles) because one main character is gender non-binary (or fluid, not sure which). This was fine and interesting, but not really big feature for me. The book was low angst, unfortunately! I like a lot more angst to my books. The mystery was fun to unravel, with plenty of clever twists to the story. If you enjoyed the previous two books in the series, you'll definitely want to read this one too.

You know, I am convinced that KJ Charles can do no wrong. With book 1, I was uncertain about having a taxidermist romantic hero. Book 2, a spiritualist con man, who is unapologetic about his past, connecting with a lawyer/journalist who has a personal vendetta against spiritualists? Yeah, how is that going to work?

But they both did.

And now, we have a genderfluid hero, born male and heir to an earldom, who changes his identity with his clothes, facepaint, and jewelry, being romanced by a one-armed "private inquiry agent" who has turn him over to his awful family, where he won't be able adapt his gender as necessary.

And again, it works.

Genderfluidity isn't something I can relate to, but I like to think everyone has experienced a time in their life where they just felt off in their own skin. Charles picks up on that feeling and amplifies it for Pen, our reluctant (and unsuitable) earl-to-be. I don't know the details of how Charles identifies (other than, from what I've seen, queer and female), but she has obviously put a lot of work to get these identity issues as right as possible. Cheers to you, author - you done good.

The end of the Sins of the City series kept up the quality of the earlier books. I loved Mark and Pip and Greta. I've never read a book before where I recognized a genderqueer character for being one and Pip was amazing. Pip and Mark just fit each other so well.

As to the mystery, I knew it <spoiler>had to be an inside job,</spoiler> but I hadn't suspected the actual killer until the slip at the very end <spoiler>--being unwell was too obvious!--</spoiler> - though it makes sense when revealed. Well done, that.

As always, K.J. Charles delivers a great read -- a well thought out and researched historical work that is also a heartfelt and sexy romance AND a decent mystery. Most people would be satisfied with one or two of those, but this author goes above and beyond.

The conclusion to the “Sins of the Cities” trilogy was worth the wait. The structure of the trilogy itself is a bit different, with bits of the books overlapping and getting the other side of the story in the next one. It's possible to read each as a standalone, but I wouldn't recommend it because you'd lose a lot of context.

Mark Braglewicz is a private enquiry agent, seeking the lost heir to an Earldom, as someone is very intent on the heir not being found, and is willing to kill to keep the secret. The killer, now referred to as “Fog Man” due to his penchant for using the cover of London's fog to hide his identity, has tried to kill some of Mark's friends, and the only hope to stop him is to find the lost heir.

Repentance “Pen” Starling has no idea he's an aristocrat, after his father secretly married his mother, then abandoned her, and was paying off a blackmailer as he went on with his life and married a “proper” match. His mother was left with twins and no support, and ended up in a religious group whose leader feels he must be paid back for his generosity by marrying Pen's sister Regret (now known as Greta) when she's just a teen. They both hate the group, and this is the final push for them to leave, and hope that they can get their mother to leave later.

Using the stage name of Starling, Pen and Greta become the high-wire act The Flying Starlings. Both enjoy the freedom they've finally earned, but for Pen it's an extra type of freedom, as he's what we'd call genderqueer in today's terms. He can be how he likes as part of the act, where he and his sister are a bit androgynous, which adds to their mystery as people try to figure out if they're watching a man or woman for each of them.

Using clues uncovered in the previous books, Mark tracks down Pen, but has to be certain he's the heir. He determines he is, but Pen doesn't want to know anything about why Mark has found him, because he at first assumes it's the people from the religious cult trying to get them back. The two become involved, despite Mark feeling he shouldn't because Pen's an Earl and doesn't know it.

Once Pen finds out he's an heir, he's terrified by what this could do to him. On the plus side, money so he and his sister could retire before their bodies give out and they can't work, on the massive negative side, he'd be forced to live strictly as a male and follow society rules he never learned. Even though Greta seems more practical about wanting to accept the inheritance, she supports Pen when he wants to reject it, because she knows he can't live as one gender.

Mark forces Pen's hand, as shown in the previous book, An Unnatural Vice, by luring him to a meeting with his blood family and various lawyer types. That scene shows up again, but we get the setup and follow-up this time, which includes Pen cutting Mark off after his betrayal. Pen and Greta are greeted with hostility by the other claimant to the Earldom, but find allies in their uncle Clem Talleyfer (featured in the first book, who's not the heir because of his bastard birth, but does have a lot depending on who becomes the Earl) and cousin, Tim.

With the Fog Man still determined to kill for his own agenda and two attempts on Pen's life, he asks Mark for his help. It becomes an all hands on deck situation as all of the characters from the series play their part to stop a killer.

The author handles Pen's genderqueer identity with respect, touching on how he deals with gender dysphoria; often mixing “gendered” items based on how he feels at that particular moment to be at home in his skin. Mark says he's “not picky” about gender, because he's not handsome and was born with only one arm, so he feels he should be happy anyone would take him to bed. Based on how he describes his sexual experiences, I'd say he's pansexual, which is a perfect match for Pen. He doesn't push him to be one or the other, and supports him wherever he happens to fall on the gender spectrum at any given moment.

The mystery resolution about the Fog Man was not quite what I expected, but was still a satisfying conclusion. There were quite a few twists I did not expect near the end, but that's in keeping with the author's intent to write a Victorian sensation novel – “plots, shenanigans, murder, mystery, fog, secrets and scandals.” Despite all that, there's happy endings all around, though I wouldn't mind if the author revisited the series in future works.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent example of queer historical romance and a satisfactory conclusion to the Sins of the Cities series. The relationship depicted was always respectful and never ignored consent in the bedroom. While I can't speak for the representation (a character born with a deformity and a gender-fluid character), the heroes were fully fleshed out and weren't stereotypical. The plot was entertaining and sex scenes hot.

What I appreciated the most were the references to Victorian mystery novels and the atmospheric depiction of London.

A thoroughly satisfying ending to the series. Charles always surprises me with managing to tie everything up into a happy ending by taking the most surprising route to get there. I had my expectations about how this book would go and once again, they were blown out of the water.

I loved Pen and Mark separately as characters and together as a couple, I liked how there was more going on in the plot than the relationship between the two of them but the romance played an important part in the book as well. Pen being nb (not sure whether he would use genderqueer or genderfluid so I'll stick with nonbinary) was done really well and I love how Mark handled it, no assumptions, just straight out asking. There was a line in Pen's POV where he talks about how he could have told Mark he wanted to fly to the moon and it would have been received with the same unflappable practicality and I loved that bit because it showed just how much Pen liked that about him and linked well with what we knew about Mark's character from previous books. I liked how Pen wanting to be who he was, as well as his love of trapeze, was what was standing in his way to accepting being an Earl and all that it entails. Equally, I enjoyed how Greta was the practical one who had been thinking about the future even if her brother hadn't.

The minor nitpick I had was I felt like Mark and Pen said 'I love you' a little too quickly considering how long they had known each other, but I liked the obstacles the two of them had to get past on the way and how they handled what Mark did and why he did it.

I wouldn't be able to say how the representation was handled, in terms of Pen being nb and Mark having one arm, but it felt like it was respectful and the two characters were fully fleshed out, rather than just stereotypes or caricatures.

Seeing the other characters from Pen and Mark's POV was great, especially Clem, and as soon as I finished this book, I wanted to go back and reread the whole series again. A really satisfying series and one I would definitely recommend.

"<i>You know, people tell you a lot of things about how the world is or ought to be, but it's mostly bollocks. Bishops and barristers bleat on about the laws of nature, but.. well, fire burns, and if you drop a thing it falls, and after that I reckon everything's up for debate. I'm not going to tell anyone how they should be.</i>"

I did the happiest of happy dances when I got approved on this title. Book two remains, hands-down, my favourite but AN UNSUITABLE HEIR has a very satisfying end for the series, which I think all readers can appreciate as it doesn't always pan out that way, and features an absolutely exquisite portrayal of a gender queer individual. One doesn't have anything to do with the other but having both rolled into one was just the best.

"<i>A lot of people think it's odd.</i>"
"<b>Well, a lot of people are arseholes.</b>"

I'm no stranger to Charles and I'm no stranger to loving her books. <i>Sins of the Cities</i> was a fabulous series in the sense that we're given one main conflict, which we learn over the course of book one, and which the following two books show other angles of that same situation and the fallout of events. Each featuring a new couple while the other characters flit in and out as required.

<i>Lazarus was slippery, dishonest, and not the sort of character you'd think Nathaniel would mix with in a hundred years, but he was also bright as a button and sharp as a tack and, Mark had to admit, looked like a magnificently filthy fuck, so that probably explained Nathaniel's attack of chivalry right there.</i> <-- no real reason for this quote, I'm just so so trash for that ship and honestly I'll take any excuse to think of AN UNNATURAL VICE because that book still haunts me. ahem, back to this one, though..

We've had the autistic bastard of an Earl and an Indian woman paired with his bookish taxidermist neighbour; we've had the grief-stricken journalist match-up with the conniving Seer he's sent to investigate; and now the one-armed enquiry agent finds his person in one half of a trapeze artist duo who dresses like a man and a woman, is neither and yet both, and who is at the heart of all the murder, mystery and mayhem that has run rampant around them all.

<i>People tended either to see the long hair and the way he often dressed and decide he was womanish, or to see the broad shoulders and bulging biceps and conclude he was a fine strong man. They were all wrong, and he was so tired of trying to explain why.</i>

I could probably spend countless words going on about how wonderfully complex, yet not at all, Pen was. How sometimes he fit his body, even if he wanted to put paint on his eyes or wear golden hooped earrings, and other days the sight of his masculine hands and the strength of his jaw made him dizzy with despair that it didn't fit how he felt inside, how he couldn't change the parts he was born with -- and wouldn't want to -- and how making himself up half and half, sometimes more one than the other, was exactly right and exactly him. And how this was both stunning to read about and also heartbreakingly beautiful; heartbreaking because of those times he was confined to a role he didn't always agree with. Heartbreaking because of those who wanted to change who he was, who judged him for every little difference. Everyone but Mark.

"<i>He's only got one arm.</i>"
"<b>I can see why--</b>"
"<i>Don't say it. Don't you dare say it or I'll drop you on the stalls.</i>"
"<b>I can see why you think--</b>"
"<i>Greta, I'm <b>warning </b> you.</i>"
"<b>I can see why you think he's 'armless!</b>"

Mark was such a fascinating character in his own right, too. The plain penny to Pen's colourful tuppence, he was an easygoing and straightforward man who liked everything. Men, women, men who wore dresses, women who wore trousers, he was fluid and malleable in a way that complemented Pen's own changes in feeling or desire. But I loved how he asked Pen what he want, how he felt, how to treat him, how to speak to him, and listened, always listened. Having recently read a book about a character who was gender fluid, and seen only the briefest amount of time touching on that fact and what it meant, these conversations, this dialogue, were so important to see. Because if you won't make it part of the story, why even include it? Reading is for fun, for pleasure, for turning off your brain, but it should also be for tuning <b>in</b>.

<i>Mark had always said he wasn't fussy, and believed that was true. [..] He'd liked everything, which made it fine that he'd loved nothing. And now he'd met unique, irreplaceable, extraordinary Pen, and it turned out Mark was the fussiest man in the world.</i>

As for the story that began in AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION and was brought to a close in book three, it wasn't exactly a wild ride but it was definitely a dark and dangerous one, sprinkled with countless misdeeds, mistreatments, manipulations and murder. And I was definitely thrown for a bit of a loop near the end. Charles fed us something of a red herring and I was totally blindsided by it. I fell, hook line and sinker, and I totally admit to my folly. But that's okay! It was a great end and.. well, the <b>end</b> of it all, the resolution to everything, was just bloody perfection for everyone involved. It was the neatest of bows and I'm just such a happy little duck (snort) about it.

"<i>I feel right with you, Mark. And I know it's right, because I spend quite a lot of my life feeling wrong and I can tell the difference.</i>"

I'm sad to see the end of this series but also pretty damn satisfied all around. While we focused on Mark and Pen, because of all the loose ends needing to be.. well, tied up, we get a goodly few group interactions of all characters together. Nathaniel and Justin are, of course, definitely my favourite of the couples and so every scene with them, specifically Justin, was a delight but I'll confess that Clem kind of won me over in this one, too. He was my least favourite part of book one but he was much easier to bear (and, as a result, dearer to my heart) as he helped Pen navigate some of the world he was unexpectedly thrust into.

"<i>I don't think anyone except Greta has ever seen me before. They all see what they want.</i>"
"<b><i>I</i> want. I'm not a philanthropist, mate. I want you all the time.</b>"
"<i>But you want <b>me</b>. Not me as a man or a woman, or me without the difficult parts. Just me.</i>"

Mark's practicality and, I guess you could say, easygoing nature didn't always give him an overabundance of personality but he was the perfect steadying balance to Pen and his general awe and delight in the other man was so sweet and so wonderful to see.

<i>Pen was all air and fire, born to laugh, and to fly.</i>

I honestly don't know what more I can say about this book, or this series, or this author. Except that I constantly find myself with <b>so much</b> to say every time I turn the final page on one of her books, and.. well. I think that's telling. But if you want me to spell it out, here it is : this is a writer I will never tire of and will always recommend.

4.25 "did you just drink to the fall of the British Empire?" / "I was brought up in bad ways" stars

Book Review


Impressions

An understanding of the communication of emotions comes easy in this taste-filled read.

As with previous readings of this author I’m yet again enamored of the descriptive language that makes me part of the world of a London in the 1800’s. This monochrome moral view of ethics and odd predications reminds that our world has not advanced but an inch, made so painfully clear in K.J. Charles writings. I’ve become an unapologetic fan.

The author allows this reader to slip so effortlessly into the period. It’s the coming to know and the growing appreciation of people with odd predilections that makes this a delightfully and wonderful journey. They become preferred to the normal.

There’s twist and turns that center on the mounting love and slow surging heat between two unlikely lovers. Weaving together the ambiance that brings all this together in a wondrous telling is where this author shines best, in my opinion.

This read is just as wonderful as its precursor. Another treatise about the wondrous eccentricities and outward expressions of the gilded gifted.

Hanging Sword Alley and Justin Lazarus and Nathaniel Roy was the opener to a close that is spectacular. This is the sequel to An Unnatural Vice.

Awakening

“Oh, I know. You look at people and you see a boring clerk, just another man in a suit. Or you see someone with one arm, and the one arm is all you see. Or even” – he indicated himself – “you see a man. And it looks like it’s real because it’s what we see, but there’s so much wonder on the inside. As if you had a plain packing crate and it was filled with silks and Persian rugs and things that would spill out and make everything beautiful, if only you took the trouble to open it. Do you see what I mean?” – Pen to Mark, An Unsuitable Heir

Story/Plot/Conflict
Poor Emmeline Godfrey appears in the parlor of clever “Mystic Martha” better known as London Seer Justin Lazarus. She’s looking for her runaway twins. Fast forward, almost a decade later and they are the Flying Starlings, gifted aerialist that seduce hearts while freeing the spirit. But here’s where the story takes an ugly twist.

There’s murder, intrigue and ugly torture afoot and it all centers around the lovely male known as Pen (Repentant) Godfrey Starling, he is the lost heir.

With “womanish” good looks and a penchant to ignore the sexual norms dictated by society, he is the outlandish with a kind heart and free soul. Pen and his sister Greta resist the moral dictates of their world to carve out their own ways. Unknown to the twins their independence outside of societal norms carries a price that’s paid by others. Death and greed haunts their every step.

My Main Characterizations

The Flying Starlings
Lord Moreton Earl Repentance Taillefer (Repentance Godfrey, Pen Starling) his happiness became defined by the trapeze and the love of a one armed detective. Their mutual passion was at first sight and lasting with a love that seemed created just for them.

Regret Taillefer (Godfrey, Greta Starling) as her twin brother Pen’s aerial partner in the Flying Starlings she understands his true heart and loves her brother completely. She’d do anything for….Pen.

Mark Braglewicz is the clever rustic one-armed detective that falls in love with Repentant (Pen) Godfrey, the missing heir. Mark becomes part of Pen’s soul and his deepening love. Their passion and shared heat is unapologetic. They learn almost too late how to fight to keep it safe and forever.

Critiques
Put simply…this is good stuff and a good read. Thank you K.J. Charles