Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin is the new standalone spin-off to the Magic in Manhattan series. Sebastian de Leon is trying to make up for the wrongs he caused while under blood magic’s control and believes solving strange paranormal murders in London may help. Thrown into the path of his investigation is Lord Wesley Fine, a jaded viscount who appears to be next on the murderer’s list. Wesley lacks interest in high society and snaps at anyone who tries to force him into that world. Wesley finds himself drawn to Sebastian and as the investigation leads them on the run from London society and magical malice they learn they may need to rely on each other for their unique strengths.

Lord Wesley Fine was hysterical. I loved his sardonic attitude towards his stature in society and his regular bouts of denial when it comes to his attachment to Sebastian. He struggles to be seen as weak by Sebastian and the other paranormals he finds himself involved with even though so much of it is just in his head. His jokes dulled his sharp edges and his running internal dialogue had me falling for him. The last straw that won me over was that underlying need to care for Sebastian while he struggles and the acknowledgment that he may say the wrong things but tries to do what’s right.

Sebastian de Leon feels as though he has to make up for the mistakes he made while under the persuasion of blood magic. He doesn’t feel he deserves the affection of his friends, Jade and Zhang, or his cousin, Isabel. He also can’t imagine why a high society man like Wesley would be interested in him especially once his history is laid out before him in detail, both magically and romantically. When he finally lets down the wall to Wesley, watching them compliment each other's shortcomings was perfect.

I usually check carefully that an arc I’m reading is not either directly part of another series or a spin-off but managed to miss that when requesting this book. I was slightly confused when I started being like am I supposed to know these characters but Therin’s writing managed to catch me up quickly and had me falling down a rabbit hole of needing to know what happened next. I look forward to going back and reading the Magic in Manhattan series.

First, I recommend reading the "Magic in Manhattan" trilogy, because it's amazing but also to understand the world building of this book and all the references.

Second, I loved this book. Allie Therin is so talented. And this books are so entertaining full of charismatic characters (even the grumpy ones) and a magical universe that I adore.

This time we have Arthur, as the grumpy character who hates everything. And Sebastian as the handsome and charming cinnamon roll that comes to melt Arthur's heart. In the background a magical mission with a lot of action.

Will I read everything Allie puts out in the future? YES

I was not prepared.

Allie Therin has gifted the world with Proper Scoundrels, and we should all be thankful for it. A spin-off of the original Magic in Manhattan trilogy, Proper Scoundrels takes place soon after the events in Wonderstruck.

As far as Wesley (Lord Fine to those who say nasty but usually deserved things about him behind his back) is concerned, nothing has returned to normal because there was nothing amiss in his normal, aside from the nagging feeling that maybe he is a complete scoundrel. After all, in his last relationship he was replaced by a grouchy antiquarian that was practically half his height and none of his refined demeanor. You might be cranky, too. Nevertheless, Therin assures us, through an even hand and great character development, that Lord Fine has his own demons, the type that have a tendency to cling to a person after they've been forced to endure war. He's jaded, insufferable, and only ever attentive to those he feels earn his interest, but there's a depth and vulnerability to Wesley that he WOULD NEVER to admit to (and would be appalled at me even suggesting).

Then we have Sebastian de Leon. Sweet, atoning, wears-his-heart-on-his-sleeve Sebastian who is going through a grieving process that no one could ever know. He mourns not only the loss of control he had during the three years he was forced to endure under the control of blood magic, but each and every life he affected when he compelled to act against others.

What follows is an attempt to find a murderer that involves suspicion (on Wesley's part), complaint (also Wesley), verbal sparring (again, mostly Wes... sensing a pattern), and eventually not only a mutual appreciation for the other, but the reader being able to watch that appreciation grow exponentially. To see two characters, seemingly diametrically opposed, set on their arcs and growing together. I can't say enough positive things about this book. The characters were great, it was awesome to see Zhang and Jade, as well as a few other familiar faces (not all of them good). The plot and pacing are just stellar. The antagonist is awesome, the motivations and emotional depth is fathomless.

I cannot believe I'm saying this, and understand that I am 100% loyal to the Magic in Manhattan series, but Proper Scoundrels takes everything that was good in the original series and makes it better. If I could give this book six stars, I would.

Allie Therin delivers another smash hit with Proper Scoundrels. Soft, sad boy, and self-proclaimed dangerous paranormal, Sebastian volunteers to protect cantankerous, secretly sweet, Wesley whose own past has left scars. A thrilling mystery and a beautiful love story are woven into a wonderful, magical world in this world-class spinoff.

Sequel/spinoff to the Magic in Manhattan series. I did enjoy it, and was glad to see the sharp-tongued, sharp-witted, grumpy Lord Fine get his own HFN, but in some ways there wasn't enough suspense/conflict for the romance. It read like fanfiction, a little too self-aware or fan-service-y, more amateur-feeling than the original trilogy. What I'd really like is for the original trilogy to be made available in print. I'd strongly prefer to start readers off on Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan, #1).

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the author. This has not impacted my review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Proper Scoundrels is a sequel or spin-off of Allie Therin’s magnificent Magic in Manhattan series, starring two of its minor ‘antagonists’, Sebastian and Wesley, Lord Fine. (Would we call Wes an antagonist? Rory certainly would, even if he has forgiven him.) I’d definitely recommend starting with that one before reading this.

Picking up where Wonderstruck left off, with Wesley oblivious to magic and the danger he might be in, and Sebastian skulking about London feeding all the stray cats he can find, the action rapidly ramps up, with Jade and Zhang (I was so delighted to see them) on the hunt of a murderer and a trail of bodies that seem to be connected to a magic from Sebastian’s family history. When Wesley finds himself in even greater danger, he and Sebastian are forced into hiding and the sparks of interest between them rapidly heat up.

When you take a pair of secondary characters from a previous series and place them at the centre of their own story, there’s always a risk that the magic won’t carry over, that the audience will miss the characters they fell in love with and not enjoy the book as much because of it.

That didn’t happen here. Not in the slightest. I adored Sebastian and Wesley. I’d already grown fond of them in Magic in Manhattan, but this only made me love them more.

Sebastian was entirely delightful. He’s so soft and hopeful and deserves all hugs and love in the world. I wanted nothing but good for him after all he’s been through. I loved that for all he was suffering, he still had time to care for everyone and everything else.

He’s the perfect contrast to the not-so-delightful Wesley, who is cynical and jaded and struggles to see anything good about anything or anyone. They might not sound like the perfect match, but they are. I adore characters who’ve had to overcome difficult pasts, and both Sebastian and Wesley are perfect examples – they’ve reacted to what has happened to them in very different ways and let it shape them, but there’s still room for them to grow.

I’m also going to flail a little over the fact I got to read a historical romance not set in the South of England. True, that it’s the wrong side of the Pennines for me, but having a northern setting was such a delight. (And Lord Fine, using ‘duck’ as a pet name, clearly picked up from the servants, was such a pleasant surprise.)

The plot perfectly mingles fantasy and romance, with both plots developing alongside one another at just the right pace. I’m not going to comment too much on that here, because I don’t want to give anything away. The mystery plot is delightfully fast-moving, a perfect contrast to the delicious slow burn romance, both of which culminate in the most perfect way.

In summary, I loved this start to finish. It further positions Allie Therin as an auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to find out what’s next in this world.