An Unnatural Vice

Sins of the Cities, Book 2

By: KJ Charles

Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

©2017 K.J. Charles (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

K. J. Charles does it again

K.J. Charles is an auto buy for me ever since the Magpie series. That remains the favorite, but I definitely enjoyed the second installment of the Sins of the Cities series. While the first book in the series had a gentleness between the two main characters, in this book there is friction and sparks. Following an enemies to lovers storyline, the cynical psychic Justin rubs the crusading journalist Nathaniel the wrong way. But that doesn't stop them from wanting to rub each in other ways (sorry, easy joke). The initial attraction grows to something more when danger follows them in the fog polluted streets of Victorian London. One of my favorite things about K. J. Charles is that her characters are not without flaws and issues. Justin is, to me, the more interesting as someone who will do whatever he can to keep his precarious social position as his protection from poverty and the streets. Nathaniel struggles to put aside his self righteousness but does so once he sees Justin's reality is less privileged than his own. The sex scenes work well as does the eventual solid partnership they form together. The narrator does his usual great job of giving unique voices to each character. In a nutshell, a fun listen that is well worth a credit. The biggest problem I have is the wait until the final book coming out in October.

Opposites Attract

4.5*

An Unnatural Vice is a great continuation of the Sins of the Cities series. The suspense and mystery had me wanting to take a nice long road trip so I could just sit and listen until the end! I'm loving the way this story is playing out- the who, what, where, when, why, and how, I need answers! Oh what a tangled web Ms. Charles has weaved- one that has me guessing and second guessing myself with each page.
Nathaniel and Justin are such complete opposites. we're talking enemies-to-lovers to the extreme! And I was feeling all the anger and the animosity and I was there for it!
Then there were the moments of reflection from Nathaniel, when he was remembering the times with Tony, and I could just feel his pain and sorrow. So sad. But it was wonderful to see him open himself up to Justin, and accept that there was more life out there for him to live.

I really enjoy the way the overall story arc runs through the 3 books- we get "complete" stories for the main couples, but the mystery itself continues on, with each couple playing their part in moving the story along.
I'm glad I discovered this after all books were out, so I didn't have to wait to know what happens!

Once again another fantastic job by Matthew Lloyd Davis! With his narration I could imagine myself transported to London, feeling the fog closing in around me, feeling the anticipation and anxiousness of the characters.

Middle-book syndrome

I loved the Characters but too much of this felt like a middle book in a series with barely any action happening. In comparison to the other books by Charles I felt like this lacked pacing and plot. I am hoping the conclusion to the series will balance the series out for me.

An unnatural Vice

These books really need to be read in order if you want to understand the mystery because it sounds across all three books. However, each book finishes the love story for each couple.

This book was better than the first but I definitely enjoyed both and will be listening to the next right away.

The author created characters who were worth caring about. I didn't think I would like Justin anymore than Nathaniel, but by the end I wanted him to have the hea he never thought he deserved. I am glad the author didn't try to make the reader believe Justin was an authentic medium and that she described the tricks of the trade.

I saw other reviewers comment on the authors description of the fog but my goodness it made me thankful for my small town life. It was almost like I was lost in it.

Mathew Lloyd Davies did and an absolutely marvelous job telling this story and thankfully he reads this entire series!

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mm historical romance with a bit of mystery on the side.

Good for re-reading

I like this whole trilogy/series quite a bit. It’s inventive and interesting. The community built here is supportive and a good group to read about. Justin and Nathaniel are good foils for each other. The seances are entertaining. It’s a good example of figuring out how/why/when to use one’s skills for good, while acknowledging why one might not. Both N & J have ended up in a different place than their younger selves had expected, which makes them more accepting of each other. I just listened to it again and it remains interesting and entertaining.

Steam: Med-low. There’s somewhat aggressive M/M sexytimes on page. While it’s on the critical path to an HEA, it doesn’t read as the main focus of the adventure.

Worldbuilding: Incorporating a real London Fog, the scenery is as mission critical to the plot as the steam. I enjoyed the setting and only wonder if the swearing seemed more American than British.

Narration: Well done. Easy to keep track of characters.

Wonderful Continuation of the Story

Very heartfelt and very sexy. Can't wait to hear what these characters get up to next.

amazing

love this series. must read for anyone who loves gay romance and mystery. enjoy.

Incredible start Poor follow up

The initial start of the book was fresh and exhilarating with a wonderful level of detail creatively describing the seance. But the transition to interplay between the two romantic leads was awkward and unbelievable. Even the performance of accents between the "aristocrat" and "peasant" as lovers was a miss.

Go for the first set of chapters and drop it.

satisfied listener!

Excellent narrator, writing, story and cadence of narrator! Laughed a lot; interesting wording for intimate scenes.

what an incredible relationship

The two main characters are...wow...seriously out-of-control-wild-in-love with each other, and how fortunate we are, that we get to watch their love-madness unfold. Perfection. I adore KJ Charles, and this book has only further solidified that adoration.

Hairy at times

Entertaining period romp. Intelligent, well crafted MCs showcase their skills in their individual fields, which subsequently overlap in delicious ways, to create a very engaging tale.

This author knows how to bend and shape the English language to best effect, coupled with excellent narration, which serves to enhance the drama and tension.

JOLLY GOOD SHOW

Good story

The concept is interesting and well written. The characters are likeable and the narration is good.

An enjoyable continuation of the series

This was a bit 'middle book-ish', trying to keep the plot going for the third book, although there's a big revelation towards the end that leaves it unclear what is left to be revealed in the third book, as the first two focus so much on uncovering secrets. This one has a bit of a lull about two-thirds of the way through (presumably the third book will fill in more action taking place during that time), and Justin's character is quite hard to like, with his remorselessness about fooling and taking advantage of his clients. But it keeps the story going well for setting up the next book, and the narration is once again very fitting.

Thrilling and masterfully narrated

KJ Charles never disappoints but this might be my favourite series of hers. The backstory running through the first book continues here with a gripping and hot romance going. very addictive.

AMAZING

I love this series so much. there are so many twists and turns! talk about scorching.