An Unnatural Vice
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
In the sordid streets of Victorian London, unwanted desire flares between two bitter enemies brought together by a deadly secret.
Crusading journalist Nathaniel Roy is determined to expose spiritualists who exploit the grief of bereaved and vulnerable people. First on his list is the so-called Seer of London, Justin Lazarus. Nathaniel expects him to be a cheap, heartless fraud. He doesn’t expect to meet a man with a sinful smile and the eyes of a fallen angel—or that a shameless swindler will spark his desires for the first time in years.
Justin feels no remorse for the lies he spins during his séances. His gullible clients simply bore him. Hostile, disbelieving, utterly irresistible Nathaniel is a fascinating challenge. And as their battle of wills and wits heats up, Justin finds he can’t stop thinking about the man who’s determined to ruin him.
But Justin and Nathaniel are linked by more than their fast-growing obsession with one another. They are both caught up in an aristocratic family’s secrets, and Justin holds information that could be lethal. As killers, fanatics, and fog close in, Nathaniel is the only man Justin can trust—and, perhaps, the only man he could love.
Don’t miss any of the captivating Sins of the Cities novels:
AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION | AN UNNATURAL VICE | AN UNSUITABLE HEIR
And look for the enticing Society of Gentlemen series by KJ Charles:
THE RUIN OF GABRIEL ASHLEIGH | A FASHIONABLE INDULGENCE | A SEDITIOUS AFFAIR | A GENTLEMAN’S POSITION
Praise for An Unnatural Vice
“Explosive.”—Publishers Weekly
“Animosity and attraction surge in equal measures when Nathaniel Roy, investigative journalist, faces off against Justin Lazarus, the Seer of London. Their opposing vocations and radically different backgrounds create a powerful and fascinating conflict. Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, [K. J.] Charles continues to build tension and add menace by deepening the overarching mystery introduced in the first novel. The series is definitely building to a firecracker conclusion.”—RT Book Reviews
“An Unnatural Vice is a tremendous follow-up to the first book in the Sins of the City trilogy. Fans of the series—and of K. J. Charles—will love the romance between Nathaniel and Justin, and the Taillefer family mystery. . . . An Unnatural Vice is exciting, entertaining, romantic—and wonderful.”—All About Romance
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After the meticulous, empathetic evocation of two quiet men in An Unseen Attraction, Charles piles it on thick in this Regency-era romance, pairing self-absorbed attention-seekers who dominate the room. Unsurprisingly, they clash titanically but can't take their eyes off one another. Nathaniel Roy is an archbishop's son turned atheist and journalist. Justin Lazarus is a workhouse brat who's mastered a 19th-century grifter's dream gig as a medium. Nathaniel begins investigating Justin, not knowing the charlatan's all-too-material connection to a lost-heir drama unfolding in the lives of Nathaniel's friends. The action here depends entirely upon the events of the earlier book. The romance is sexually explosive but Charles never puts in the work to make the protagonists' exchange of revelations or character growth plausible. Like a lovely bit of clockwork, the story's movements are precise and its figures are appealing, but readers can hear the mechanism ticking. Nathaniel and Justin are too abruptly swept into an emotional whirlwind after countless pages of antagonism that make it hard for the reader to like either of them or believe they like each other.
Customer Reviews
Riveting and suspenseful!
An Unnatural Vice is the second book in the Sins of the Cities series. While you probably could read this as a standalone, I highly recommend that you read this series in order. The story for each couple in their book is resolved but the underlying mystery won't be solved until book 3, An Unsuitable Heir.
I had a bit of a struggle with the first book in this series but ended up liking it OK. I also struggled a bit with this one at first but I ended up loving it. The enemies to lovers trope isn't one that I've read a lot but KJ Charles did a superb job with this one.
Nathaniel has been brought up in privilege, never wanting for anything. Justin has had to scrounge for everything and has finally made a name for himself as a "spiritualist" and doesn't feel a bit guilty for taking money from people in return for telling them what they want to hear.
Nathaniel and Justin have an adversarial relationship throughout most of this story and it certainly makes for some interesting dialogue between the characters. When they no longer can fight their attraction to each other they don't try to fool themselves into thinking that it's anything but a good f**k.
This story had lots of action and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of it. Ms. Charles writing is captivating, the dialogue between the characters is witty and crisp with just enough humor thrown in to keep the book from being too somber.
I have no idea who the bad guy is going to be and I can't wait for the last book in this series to wrap things up for me.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
Character flaws a plus
KJ Charles has written sizzling gem. Her dalliances into the underworlds of Spiritualism and odd cults add deliciously to an unfolding mystery and blossoming romance. A delightful read begging for continuation.
And then came love
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. The story of Nathaniel and Justin working together to find the rightful heir to the Earldom turns into a love story between the two men. The book has intrigue, danger and humor. The only problem I have with the book is the fact that is has a cliffhanger. I prefer books that are self-contained. Other than that, it is a good read.