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emilyveryromance's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gatun's review against another edition
5.0
The Sins of the Cities series started with the story of Clem and Rollie, two men who the English society have disdained and yet were more decent than the nobility in the story. The mystery central to the series begins Clem's half-brother, an Earl, pulling Clem into a lethal situation. The next book in the series centers on Nathaniel and Justin as they work to help protect Clem and solve the mystery. The last book in the series centers on the missing heir, Pen. Pen is genderfluid. The discussion of gender between Pen and Mark, who is pan, is very interesting. It helped me to understand what genderfluid means. Whether or not Pen accepts his place as an earl or not, whether he is forced into a traditionally masculine role or continues to be happy with the many facets of himself, and whether or not Pen can forgive Mark or not, are all answered in this story. Matthew Lloyd Davies does a fantastic job narrating the book as he had with the entire series. The variety of accents he handles is amazing. I enjoy listening to the books he narrates.
jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Readers who try to dig into this third book in the SINS OF THE CITY series without first having read the earlier two volumes will be left scratching their heads. But for those already familiar with AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION and AN UNNATURAL VICE will be pleased to see the protagonists of those earlier books pop up in this latest one, as well as to have the mystery that arcs through all three books come to a satisfying conclusion.
HEIR focuses on Pen Starling, who ran away as a teen with his twin sister from his mother and the abusive religious group with whom mom had taken up. Pen and Greta (actually named Repentance and Regret) have become circus performers, "The Flying Starlings," trapeze artists extraordinare. Circus performing suits Pen to a t; the unconventional lifestyles of their fellow performers makes Pen's gender-fluidity less remarkable than it would have been if Pen had tried to live a conventional life.
When Pen meets a friendly one-armed fellow in a bar, he's chuffed; Mark doesn't seem at all turned off by his gender-bending combination of masculine body and feminine garb. In fact, he seems entirely attracted to it. But when Mark (who is a detective working to solve the mystery for his friends, the protagonists of book 1 and 2) reveals a secret that Pen would rather have remained hidden to keep Pen and Greta safe, He and Pen become estranged.
But when murderous plots follow Pen into the countryside where he has gone to meet with the stuffy Victorian aristocrats whom Mark has revealed are his biological family, detective Mark is called in once again to protect Pen and Greta. And Mark and Pen reconcile fairly quickly as the sensational mystery plot finally begins to unravel.
Not my favorite book of the series, as the love story takes a decidedly secondary seat to the mystery/sensation plot. And perhaps because this is the first historical romance I've read that features a character who is non-binary, gender-wise (and because he was matched with a lover who was physically disabled from birth), I couldn't help but feel at times that I was reading a story more about today's identity issues than about those of the Victorian period. Yet despite these reservations, Charles still manages to write a compelling, surprising resolution to her mystery, and to have me rooting for both of her protagonists, even if their coming together ended up feeling overly rushed.
HEIR focuses on Pen Starling, who ran away as a teen with his twin sister from his mother and the abusive religious group with whom mom had taken up. Pen and Greta (actually named Repentance and Regret) have become circus performers, "The Flying Starlings," trapeze artists extraordinare. Circus performing suits Pen to a t; the unconventional lifestyles of their fellow performers makes Pen's gender-fluidity less remarkable than it would have been if Pen had tried to live a conventional life.
When Pen meets a friendly one-armed fellow in a bar, he's chuffed; Mark doesn't seem at all turned off by his gender-bending combination of masculine body and feminine garb. In fact, he seems entirely attracted to it. But when Mark (who is a detective working to solve the mystery for his friends, the protagonists of book 1 and 2) reveals a secret that Pen would rather have remained hidden to keep Pen and Greta safe, He and Pen become estranged.
But when murderous plots follow Pen into the countryside where he has gone to meet with the stuffy Victorian aristocrats whom Mark has revealed are his biological family, detective Mark is called in once again to protect Pen and Greta. And Mark and Pen reconcile fairly quickly as the sensational mystery plot finally begins to unravel.
Not my favorite book of the series, as the love story takes a decidedly secondary seat to the mystery/sensation plot. And perhaps because this is the first historical romance I've read that features a character who is non-binary, gender-wise (and because he was matched with a lover who was physically disabled from birth), I couldn't help but feel at times that I was reading a story more about today's identity issues than about those of the Victorian period. Yet despite these reservations, Charles still manages to write a compelling, surprising resolution to her mystery, and to have me rooting for both of her protagonists, even if their coming together ended up feeling overly rushed.
ajb24's review
5.0
Since this is book 3 of the series, I'll write here that I loved how all the books connected/overlapped!!!! It was SO fun to re-experience a conversation from a different character's perspective
language_loving_amateur's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Transphobia, Gun violence, Blood, Dysphoria, and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent, Deadnaming, and Murder
tshepiso's review
3.5
I'm of two minds about An Unsuitable Heir. At this point I can say with confidence I could never hate a KJ Charles book, her writing is just too charming to ever hate. But I can't deny there was something missing about this final installment in the Sins of the Cities series.
But let's start with the positives. Pen and Mark were as charming as any KJ Charles couple. I appreciated Charles' exploration of disability and especially gender identity through their love story. Charles detailed exploration of non-binary identity and the complexities of gender fluidity through Pen was much appreciated. Seeing someone find an affirming community and express the truest version of themself proudly is always heartwarming to see. And I think the framework of a romance is especially meaningful avenue for this story because we get to see Pen find someone who affirms their gender unconditionally.
My big problem with this story was that Pen and Mark's romance felt secondary to the mystery plot. Our two leads spend significant chunks of the novel in completely different locations and much of our page time was dedicated to either unravelling the tangled web of this inheritance plot or exploring Pen's relationship to the prospect of becoming an earl.
Foregrounding the mystery plot in this book only really served to highlight the weaknesses of its construction. To be fair these weaknesses, like an excessive convolution and being generally unsuspenseful, were present in previous installments. But because those novels were primarily romances I wasn't really bothered by their meh mysteries. An Unsuitable heir in contrast heavily leans on its mystery so its anti-climactic resolution left me cold.
Honestly I don't want to rag on An Unsuitable Heir too much. It honestly had some lovely moments. Pen and Mark were cute. And outside of some minor plot holes that irked me(If all the evidence that Edmund married Emmaline and had a son with her were destroyed wouldn't Edmund's son with his second wife regain his inheritance as the earl rather than Tim) . But outside of that I had fun.
But let's start with the positives. Pen and Mark were as charming as any KJ Charles couple. I appreciated Charles' exploration of disability and especially gender identity through their love story. Charles detailed exploration of non-binary identity and the complexities of gender fluidity through Pen was much appreciated. Seeing someone find an affirming community and express the truest version of themself proudly is always heartwarming to see. And I think the framework of a romance is especially meaningful avenue for this story because we get to see Pen find someone who affirms their gender unconditionally.
My big problem with this story was that Pen and Mark's romance felt secondary to the mystery plot. Our two leads spend significant chunks of the novel in completely different locations and much of our page time was dedicated to either unravelling the tangled web of this inheritance plot or exploring Pen's relationship to the prospect of becoming an earl.
Foregrounding the mystery plot in this book only really served to highlight the weaknesses of its construction. To be fair these weaknesses, like an excessive convolution and being generally unsuspenseful, were present in previous installments. But because those novels were primarily romances I wasn't really bothered by their meh mysteries. An Unsuitable heir in contrast heavily leans on its mystery so its anti-climactic resolution left me cold.
Honestly I don't want to rag on An Unsuitable Heir too much. It honestly had some lovely moments. Pen and Mark were cute. And outside of some minor plot holes that irked me
sarahsupastar's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
annakak's review against another edition
4.0
My only question after finishing this book is who the hell is that guy on the cover, because he's neither Fabio nor missing an arm.
wannabekingpin's review against another edition
5.0
All reviews in one place: NightMode Reading
A murderer continues to lurk in London’s toxic fog. Their goal is pretty clear to Mark, who is fully involved in the investigation of Clem’s brother’s death, marriages, and living heirs. The killer is surely after the next in line, and if Mark wasn’t motivated enough by what’s at stake already – Clem’s livelihood, for instance, then the deal was sealed by the heirs themselves. Twins. A male and a female in the most loose sense one can put genders into. Pen being the one murderer would want, with his beautiful long hair, well trained body of a trapeze artist, Mark’s dream, in other words.
Pen has absolutely no wish to be no damned heir. To be one would mean to be part of the gents society: cut your hair, wear a suit, contain yourself in a single shape and form forever now. Behave. His love for Mark is too strong to just toss it all away for a case of gold anyway. But then, if he does choose his freedom and Mark over the earldom, he will betray his sister. Sister, who wishes to stop being a trapeze artists, who wishes a calm and peaceful life, a home, a husband, on whom she already has an eye set.
The book was so very great. And while I’m aware someone gender fluid might not be defined by he/him pronouns, for most of the time Pen did refer to himself in such a manner, so I’ll just hope he wouldn’t mind if he read my review. For this was a fine end to a great series, with people getting what they deserved left and right! 5 out of 5, of course.
A murderer continues to lurk in London’s toxic fog. Their goal is pretty clear to Mark, who is fully involved in the investigation of Clem’s brother’s death, marriages, and living heirs. The killer is surely after the next in line, and if Mark wasn’t motivated enough by what’s at stake already – Clem’s livelihood, for instance, then the deal was sealed by the heirs themselves. Twins. A male and a female in the most loose sense one can put genders into. Pen being the one murderer would want, with his beautiful long hair, well trained body of a trapeze artist, Mark’s dream, in other words.
Pen has absolutely no wish to be no damned heir. To be one would mean to be part of the gents society: cut your hair, wear a suit, contain yourself in a single shape and form forever now. Behave. His love for Mark is too strong to just toss it all away for a case of gold anyway. But then, if he does choose his freedom and Mark over the earldom, he will betray his sister. Sister, who wishes to stop being a trapeze artists, who wishes a calm and peaceful life, a home, a husband, on whom she already has an eye set.
The book was so very great. And while I’m aware someone gender fluid might not be defined by he/him pronouns, for most of the time Pen did refer to himself in such a manner, so I’ll just hope he wouldn’t mind if he read my review. For this was a fine end to a great series, with people getting what they deserved left and right! 5 out of 5, of course.