Sebastian de Leon is trying to recover from the years he spent under torture from the Puppeteer who used blood magic to control Sabastian’s magic. He still experiences blood terrors. But he’s trying to make amends. He’s making sure that Lord Fine, Wesley, is safe but protecting his house with magic to make him invisible to paranormals. He’s also trying to help his friends, Jade Robbins and Jianwei Zhang solve what are obviously paranormal murders and find the perpetrator before it happens again.

Sadly, it does happen again. And worse than that, Wesley recognizes Sebastian. He does not trust Sebastian and makes all sorts of bad decisions after that 😉 Thankfully Jade and Zhang are able to help Sebastian save the day. The consequences of which include Wesley now being thrust into the world of magic. He takes it surprisingly well. When it’s clear that he and Sebastian are going to have to do something to stop the murderer and throw him off of Wesley’s trail, they set off to Yorkshire to try to figure out how the murderer continues to get away without any witnesses. Wesley uses his position and Jade and Zhang and Sebastian’s magic to help them – but things are worse than they feared. And they are going to need more help to save themselves and the ones they love.

This story pulled me in from the very first page. I was intrigued by Wesley’s prickly personality. And then after meeting Sebastian and Jade and Zhang, I could not wait to see where this went. Wesley is a bit blustery and abrasive and entitled – as would any viscount be I suppose. Sebastian is indeed a dangerous but soft touch – as repeatedly shown by his love and care for animals and even for those whom he cannot avoid incapacitating. But Sebastian is determined to make amends for his past and to keep Wesley safe. If only Wesley wasn’t so stubborn 😉 When Wesley unwittingly puts himself in harm’s way of the very same murdering paranormals, Sebastian nearly loses himself trying to save him. Finally Wesley begins to see that there is more going on here than meets the eye and perhaps he hasn’t been quite right about Sebastian de Leon. I loved how Wesley fights his better nature – complaining about stray cats and Cook’s children 😉 Sebastian is nervous around Wesley not just because of what his magic can do, but also because he is attracted to Wesley and he does not want to make a mistake there. When Wesley confesses his own attraction though, things change 😀 The heart of the story are two men who are learning to care for one another and to accept themselves and maybe forgive themselves for their less than spotless pasts. But they give each other the strength and the support to come out the other sides stronger than before. I adored this story and I really hope that this author isn’t done with this universe. Highly recommended!

Sebastian is an adorable cinnamon roll haunted by a past that wasn't his fault. Wesley, Lord Fine, is a softy that hides his pain behind stoic cynicism. They make a very unlikely pair, but they're pushed together when a dangerous foe from the past reappears and puts their sights on Wesley. Adorably shy and uncertain flirting follows, quickly developing into a very hot and bewitching relationship.
There's also a great mystery, some action, excellent character exploration, and a plot that moves at just the right pace.
I was a little confused by the world it's set in because it's pretty obviously a continuation of a previous series and it feels like I should have probably read that before. However, the characters of Wesley and Sebastian are so adorable together and I quickly got so lost in their story that I don't really mind it. I am going to make time to hunt down the previous books and read them because I'm sure to enjoy them if they're anything like this one.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for the wonderfully magical read!

Proper Scoundrels is the first book in a spinoff mystery/paranormal romance series by Allie Therin. Released 28th Dec 2021 by Harlequin on their Carina Press imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written, spicy, M/M historical paranormal romance set in the 1920s. The setup is admittedly a trifle trope-y: curmudgeonly (but secretly passionate and soft on the inside) "perpetual bachelor" aristocrat meets/pines for handsome dangerous, sad, and complex magic user. Add some really nasty villains and stir well.

This is a spinoff series, and there are loads of world building and background to be read through before the action really gets going. It's roughly 25% into the book before the main characters (Sebastian and Wesley) meet properly. For that reason, a short binge of the original series (Magic in Manhattan) might make this series more enjoyable.

It's a romance, and readers should be aware that there are some explicit scenes in the book. They're well written, but probably NSFW. Readers who enjoy historical romance with M/M characters will find a lot to like here.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is the first of a spin off series from the Magic in Manhattan series. I have still only read the first book in that series, but I immensely enjoyed it and will get around to reading the others, but when I saw this book being published, I knew I also had to read it.

This book was great ! There's great exposition into the magic system, which is quite complicated, but I love complicated world building. The love interests don't end up meeting until about 25% into the novel but when they do, it's sparks. Wesley is shy and awkward, and also doesn't have any magic; while Sebastian is sweet and loving and magical, but also deeply traumatised. I loved the slow burn romance between them and can't wait to continue reading the series.

Absolute delight! The story is funny, heartwarming, suspenseful, and fun. I LOVE Westley and Sebastian, both separately and especially together. Sebastian truly is a dangerous marshmallow and the banter between these two is *chefs kiss*. Had an absolute blast getting to know these two and following their story.

Note, you should probably read the Magic in Manhattan series first before reading this so that it makes more sense.

I am so sorry I have not had a chance to get to this. I love Allie Therin’s work and will have to catch up before the new one comes out!

Just fantastic! Definitely a contender for my best of 2022 year end list. With the ending of the Magic in Manhattan series, I was thrilled to learn that it wouldn't be the end of seeing this world and the secondary characters within it. Set in 1925, it stars two of those earlier characters, Wesley Fine (an uptight a character as you'll ever meet or so it seems and also the ex-boyfriend of Arthur Kenzie who is the co-star of the original series) and Sebastian de Leon, a paranormal who's recently been released from a blood magic spell during which time he committed crimes against his will. These are two characters I would never have pictured together but it works, and so well! They get caught up in a lingering mystery and murder case that results in them spending time together and having to admit their mutual attraction. In a bit of a departure from the earlier series, this one has pushed the sex scene door ajar so we see a more complete picture of their relationship, to my delight. I would not hesitate to recommend this, and the earlier books, to anyone looking for an escape read of the highest order.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I absolutely loved this one. I adore queer historical romance, add in some fantasy/paranormal elements too and it's an instant add to my tbr! "Proper Scoundrels" had some of my absolute favourite romance tropes, from grumpy vs sunshine to forced proximity. The plot was super fast paced and I loved all the side characters.

My only issue is that I regret not finishing the previous series, I read and really enjoyed the first book "Spellbound" but never got around to picking up the second book. I would recommend doing that before reading this one, even though it is a standalone.

Overall, I can't wait to read more by this author and I'd highly recommend this one to fans of diverse historical romance with fantasy!

4.5 stars

I apparently have a huge need in my life for historical M/M mystery romances. I loved Allie Therin's Magic in Manhattan series, so when I heard she was coming out with a new series as a continuation, I was over the moon. And let me just say, I already cannot get enough of it.

Sebastian de Leon has just gotten his life back. He's been enthralled by blood magic by the big baddie from the last series and now he's finally free. But can't you really even be free from your memories. In an effort to make up for previous misdeeds against Rory and Ace, et al, he takes it on himself to watch over a norm, Lord Fine, who unfortunately witnessed him at one of his lowest points under the blood magic. A series of events have Sebastian and Fine working together. And I'm just going to stop there... just, go read it.

Initially, I really wasn’t sure about both Lord Fine and Sebastian’s redemption arcs because they were both, individually, such buttheads in the previous series, but, yeah... they really worked for me. Both Sebastian and Wesley worked so well together, it really was a beautiful thing. Plus, Allie finally gives us what we were dying for in the Magic in Manhattan series, some utterly delicious and pretty satisfying non-fade-to-black smexy times. I loved every second of it.

We got to catch up with Jade and Zhang from the previous series and I hope we get to see more from the old gang in possible more crossover times?!? IDK but I hope we can catch up w Ace and Rory.

Proper Scoundrels is fairly fast-paced, definitely had moments of suspense, and quite a fun and witty dialogue between most of the characters but mainly Sebastian and Wesley. I loved that from the start we sort of went back in time, into the previous series timeline a bit, and got to see a parallel to that storyline to tie things together and get a greater world sense of this universe Ms. Therin's created.

I loved this book, I am sooo eager to read more, I hope we might get another later this year?!? (But that's just my wishful thinking) Regardless, definitely pick this one up!

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I am such a fan of Allie Therin’s writing. This book had me hooked from the first page and I could not put it down. Amazing world building. Wonderful characters. So. So. Good.

This book was SO GOOD, I may even like it more than the original series, which I really liked! It's a close tie. I loved both heroes so much because their personalities really shined and were completely different from each other. Both were scoundrels in their own ways. I loved the getting distracted by animals things and that cracked me up throughout. I just really enjoyed the plot and the characters so much.

“You helped me feel like maybe I can finally be me again,” he said. “And if I’m really free to go after the life I want, all I want is you.”

“I’ll certainly never wear your rose-colored glasses . But I will admit there is one tiny place in this godforsaken world that isn’t cold and miserable, and that’s the corner you light up.”

It took me a while to get in the right headspace to read this but this was lovely. Compelling, emotional, witty, steamy, and just so well written. I'll admit I haven't read the originaly trilogy, and seeing them be villains would probably have made me enjoy this even more, but I loved these two nonetheless. And that means you can comfortably read it as a standalone.

Overall the writing was wonderful, the pacing was great, and it held my interest, but where it really shines is the MCs. I loved both of them, they were very complex, and I loved how their dynamic evolved without having them alter their personalities, and I also loved how their relationship developed. I have a soft spot for reformed villains and morally gray, characters, and I loved how nicely this book does the "the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one" trope, considering the sunshine one is well, a sulky scoundrel too.

It was a pretty slow burn, considering they're in such close proximity, but it was a delicious slow burn, with lots of tension and emotion along the way.

In the end, what really got to me, as it always does, is that Wesley and Sebastian felt like fated mates, and it was a wonderful experience seeing them find their way to each other. I definitely recommend this.

*I have received an ARC from Netgalley and Carina Press and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review.*

I really enjoyed Proper Scoundrels. I've liked all of Allie Therin's books, but I think I might have loved the characters in this one more - maybe through the introduction in the Magic in Manhattan series. Delightfully fun read.

Proper Scoundrels is the 5 star spin-off of Allie Therin's Magic in Manhattan series. I was sad for the end of Rory and Arthur's story and was thrilled to no end when it was announced that Therin was continuing her world of magic and romance.

Lord Fine is the prickly aristocrat who meddled into Arthur's life after their relationship ended. Wesley, as he prefers to be called, would need to do a terrible amount of groveling in order to be redeemed in my head. And he delightfully does in the most inconspicuous way. More of his backstory is given to help understand how he became so cynical and snarky, as we are initially introduced to him in the MiM trilogy. I wondered what it would take to thaw his cold demeanor.

The answer is the "dangerous marshmallow" Sebastian. He is also a character from Therin's previous books. He had already redeemed himself (for me) in Wonderstruck, so I was prepared to like his character at face value. More of his backstory is given, as well, and we get insight into the horrors he endured, and continued to suffer from, at the hands of nefarious magic.

Wesley and Sebastian are thrown together to save humanity from more evil in the magical world. The evolution of their relationship from enemies, to reluctant friends, to romantic partners while battling a Dracula-esque enemy kept me riveted. The worldbuilding is excellent, as we've come to expect from Therin. I only hope there is more to come.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.***

Thank you so much, NetGalley, HARLEQUIN - Carina Press and Carina Press, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

After three years enthralled by blood magic, Sebastian de Leon is struggling to adjust to life, thinking of the atrocities he committed, his conscience heavy. When he's asked to investigate a series of mysterious murders, he finds it an opportunity to make amends. Everything is complicated when he discovers that the killer's next likely target is someone who saw Sebastian at his worst, the Viscount Fine.
Lord Fine, Weasley, is struggling with his own ghosts, after serving in the British army and he's tempted to refuse Sebastian's help, but when he saves his life and Weasley finds himself captivated by him, everything changes and they start to work together to solve the murders.

I absolutely loved reading this book! It's amazing, wonderfully written and the characterization is fantastic. Sebastian and Weasley are both traumatized, struggling with their own pasts and ghosts and I loved how they slowly start to know one other, trusting, helping and being with each other. The story is captivating, I felt really involved in the plot, legends, folklore and murders and their investigation is truly thrilling.
Their love story is sweet and so hot and I loved how it was intertwined with the mystery and in this urban fantasy setting.

3 stars

This book is a fun read, but certain aspects of the writing are a bit clumsy. That said, if you’re looking for a paranormal thriller/historical romance you might enjoy this.

[What I liked:]

•This is a fun read, lots of magic & lots of adventurous romping around the English countryside, not too heavy on the situations of peril.

•I really enjoyed Ned, Wesley’s impertinent butler. Wish he had more screen time.

•There were a few nice twists at the end, with all the (seeming) breaking of magical rules satisfactorily explained by the end.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Much of the dialogue is cheesy or just doesn’t feel natural. It’s not straight up bad, but it doesn’t flow either.

•None of the characterizations are subtle. Wesley is cynical to the point of parody. Sebastian is overwrought with guilt (for understandable reasons), but those feelings are so at the forefront that the rest of his character doesn’t get much development. The side characters are kinda flat.

•Insta-lust. Too much of it. & lots of awkward flirting.

CW: murder, torture, magical enslavement, homophobia

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I fell in love with Therin`s writing mere pages into Spellbound, the first book in the Magic In Manhattan series, and four books later, this series already feels like home.

`Proper Scoundrels` picks up where Wonderstruck left off, only this time we`re following Lord Fine, Ace`s British Nobleman of an Ex, and Sebastian de Leon, who we first met under less than pleasant circumstances.

Therin managed to make two very different characters absolutely made for each other.

I found myself attatched to both of them so deeply for different but no less special reasons.

Wesley;s cynic jadedness, and his sharp edges to mask his loneliness and depression.
Sebastian's kindness through all the trauma he's lived through, his feelings of inadequacy and guilt.

This is a book filled with magic but it's humanity in its purest form.
With humor, beautiful prose, and some steam that will make you soon, this might actually be my favorite Therin.

This is a spin-off of the author’s Magic in Manhattan series, which I absolutely adored. I was a little worried about this book because it stars two somewhat villains (and afraid I would miss the characters from the previous book, Arthur and Rory) but this book is just as excellent as the previous ones. While it’s not directly connected to the previous series, I don’t think it would work without some knowledge of it (and this review will contain spoilers for that series).

“I’m the worst person most people have met.”
Sebastian smiled, soft and kind of sad. “You are not the worst person I’ve met,” he said, sweet and patient. “And the first time you met me, I was literally kidnapping someone. If you want to be the villain of the two of us, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to try harder.”


After the events of the last book, Sebastian is somewhat at loose ends, recovering from the blood magic that had him under its thrall for years. His family’s entire purpose is to protect the nonmagical from the magical, so one of the things he’s taken on himself is keeping an eye on Lord Fine’s house, one of those nonmagicals who got drawn in and endangered due to being Arthur’s ex. Though it seems like the main villain has been defeated, there are others still on the loose, others who Sebastian was forced to work alongside, who may know of his involvement. With his ex-paramour seemingly happily settled down, Lord Fine (Wesley) is unpleasantly forced to confront the emptiness of his own life. A veteran of the war, he has little time for the empty niceties he’s supposed to participate in because of his title, and even less for the supposed friendship of a man he’s sure tried to kidnap his ex’s lover. But when Sebastian saves his life when he’s targeted by a new paranormal murderer, Wesley eyes are opened to more than just magic – is it possible his first impression of Sebastian was wrong? Forced on the run together, can both men find redemption before the murderer find them?

“Are you serious right now?” said Lord Fine incredulously. “You’re handcuffed to my bed at gunpoint and you’re more upset that the English hunt foxes?”
“No,” Sebastian lied. He held his tongue for a moment, then couldn’t help adding, “But you shouldn’t.”


I was not expecting to like Wesley as much as I did. Frankly, Wesley is judgmental, blunt, and cynical. He knows he’s unpleasant, but he’s frankly unconcerned with anyone he considers too weak to handle him. While it was would be easy to write him off as a ginormous jerk and be done with it, Wesley has good reason for being the way he is. His experiences in the war only further hardened his upbringing as a manly British lordling. Like Wesley, Sebastian has every reason for being cold and unpleasant, but instead he’s the sort of person who feeds the stray cats outside his apartment, incredibly dangerous powers aside. Obviously, he’s someone I loved immediately. Sebastian’s frustrated with the fact that he’s still experiencing after effects from the years he spent under blood magic control. He thinks he’s broken beyond all repair, but the least he can do is to try to protect Wesley from a mess that is (partially) his fault. Wesley’s flummoxed by Sebastian’s reaction to him and his, uh, delightful personality. Sebastian’s complete lack of fear of him – of most situations – is intoxicating. Even more intoxicating is that he doesn’t care if others think he’s soft, if he’s weak.

“Wesley was not equipped to experience feelings, this was completely unacceptable.”


And it’s that vulnerability that leads the two men into a relationship that was absolutely joyful for Sebastian and “omg what are feels?” for Wesley. I am absolute trash for two traumatized characters relearning (or in Wesley’s case, learning) vulnerability and love, and this was absolute perfection. There’s a particular line, set in the middle of Sebastian reconsidering his (obvious to everyone but him) PTSD that’s stuck with me: “Maybe grace could be stronger than shame[.]” What an amazingly complicated sentiment distilled into just a few words, and it’s lines like this that make me come back to this author’s books again and again.

“You don’t have magic.”
“I don’t,” Wesley said, “but I have a revolver and a vendetta, so don’t confuse me with someone helpless.”


The world-building is exquisite. The magic system is absolutely fascinating, especially how Sebastian’s magic works on both magical and nonmagical people, plus the continuing astral plane journeys of Zhang. And yes, while Rory and Arthur are hopefully off lazing around Italy, Jade and Zhang play an integral part in the book. Outside of his family, Sebastian’s not used to having anyone who’s willing to help him, so his genuine bewilderment at suddenly having backup was so sweet and heartbreaking. It’s also ridiculously funny (see the above quotes), and added in with the deft balance of romance and adventure, this was a book I found very hard to put down.

“Don’t be cute,” Lord Fine said, then quickly added, “Get cute. Don’t get cute with me, no one is saying anything about you being cute.”


Overall, another stellar book from this author and easily one of my favorite books of last year. If you love paranormal historical romance, complicated characters muddling their way to HEAs, and some excellent world building, I highly recommend this series!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I liked Wesley in the Magic in Manhattan series. He started off not so likeable, but by the end, I realized he wasn’t so bad after all, and I felt for him. So I was glad to see him get his own book and his own chance at love!

This was very sweet. Almost a little too sweet for my taste, in the sense that these two would often say things that were just a little too sappy and eloquent to be believable. But I enjoyed it! It was a lovely (and also sexy) romance between two characters who deserved it. I especially enjoyed the building tension between them before they crossed the line of admitting their attraction.

Both Wesley and Sebastian were easy to love. Yes, even Wesley. He may have been gruff and stone-hearted with previous lovers and a loner and kind of a jerk sometimes, but not really to undeserving people. It was more of a facade, a wall to hide behind and use to push people away, than anything. He treated his staff well, and he apologized when he realized he’d been rude to Sebastian. And Sebastian, well, he was just the sweetest, most compassionate, most kind-hearted person, still struggling with the guilt of what he’d been forced to do while under blood magic control.

This was mostly about the romance, but the non-romance story was good too and added a bit of tension and action. I think it also brought a bit more closure to the overall series.

The magic was fun. The author found a unique way to make a magic-dampening power interesting and fun, even when there was no other magic involved!

Overall, a sweet story about sweet characters that I’m sure fans of the Magic in Manhattan series will enjoy!

London, 1925

Sebastian de Leon spent the last three years under blood magic mind control. During the time he was under the thrall, Sebastian committed numerous atrocities for which he can never forgive himself. It doesn’t matter to Sebastian that he was forced to do these things, he will never stop regretting them or seeing himself as the villain. While it has been months since Sebastian’s mind was set free, he still suffers from haunting nightmares about the experience.

When Sebastian’s friends, Jade and Zhang, tell him about a series of murders that appear to be perpetrated by a magical practitioner, the three realize they must do whatever they can to stop it. They also realize the killer’s next likely target is Wesley, Viscount Fine, a war veteran and mostly grumpy and jaded man who has no idea that the magical world exists. Sebastian and the others are determined to protect Wesley, but getting him to trust them is not easy without revealing their magic — particularly as Wesley once encountered Sebastian while he was under mind control and so believes him to be dangerous.

It takes some time for Wesley to trust Sebastian, but once he learns the truth about what happened to him, Wesley is sympathetic and understanding. Yet even as he knows the truth about magic and Sebastian’s past, they are still facing a killer who is ruthless in his quest for power. While Sebastian just wants to keep Wesley safe, Wesley is determined to help in whatever way he can. Now, Sebastian and Wesley, along with Jade and Zhang, must stop a supernatural killer before he is able to gather enough power to destroy anyone in his path.

Proper Scoundrels is a delightful spin-off of Allie Therin’s incredible Magic in Manhattan series. It takes place some months after the events of the original trilogy and focuses on Sebastian and Wesley. We met both characters in the main series, with Wesley being Arthur’s ex and Sebastian one of the paranormals under the Puppeteer’s control. While series side characters Jade and Zhang play a big role in this book, Rory and Arthur do not appear here. Although the blurb describes this as a standalone, and it is in the sense that is not part of the main trilogy, I really think you need to be familiar with the Magic in Manhattan books to fully enjoy this one. There are so many callbacks to the trilogy, both in terms of past events, as well as the characters, I don’t think new readers are going to have an easy time following along with a lot of the details without it. I also think that while the backstory is explained, you need to have experienced the blood magic and the menace of the Puppeteer’s control to really understand what Sebastian went through and the residual guilt he faces.

I really loved the Magic in Manhattan series and was thrilled Therin brought so much of that same flavor to these books. I think series fans are going to love this story and be easily swept back into this world once again. There are some clear callbacks to past events, particularly with regard to Sebastian’s mind control, as well as the larger world building and characters. But we get a new mystery with its own excitement and drama here and I found it very engaging. We know there is a killer who is essentially sucking the life essence out of his victims. We also know who it is fairly early on, but catching him is a whole other story. There are also some interesting connections here to Sebastian’s past and family history, as well as to some of Wesley’s experiences, so the mystery ties nicely to both men. It was fun to bring in Wesley to this world as someone totally unfamiliar with the existence of magic and see it all through his eyes. While the mystery and suspense side of this one isn’t as encompassing as the main series books, that is to be expected given this is a single volume. But it still connects nicely with the larger world building and is an exciting and fun adventure.

For me, the real star of the show here is Wesley and Sebastian and their relationship. I truly just adored them together and this is completely my kind of couple. Therin does a wonderful job with the character development and really letting us get to know these men with a lot of depth. Sebastian is essentially too good for this world as a man who has been through hell and still retained such an inherent kindness. He should be bitter and jaded, but all he wants is to help and care for people and is willing to sacrifice himself to protect others. Wesley, on the other hand, is gruff and jaded and pretty much hates everyone. He has been through war and has lost his patience for social niceties. Yet he is charmed completely by Sebastian and soft for him almost right away. This is a total case of the grumpy one is soft for the sunshiney one and I am all here for it. There is also a fun sense of humor here, as Wesley likes Sebastian almost despite himself and you can feel him sort of rolling his eyes at himself for being so charmed. I also loved that Wesley has this moment of self awareness as he realizes that he has always seen himself as so tough and brave and sort of above needing to be friendly or care about what people think. But he realizes that hating everyone and everything is easy. Being someone like Sebastian, who has been through hell and back and still retained that utter goodness, is what is difficult. It gives Wesley a new perspective and opens him up to not only Sebastian’s love, but the friendship and connection with others as well.

As I said, I loved this one so much and found Sebastian and Wesley completely endearing together. I so enjoyed that Therin brought us back into this world and gave us some closure for two side characters, as well as another magical adventure.