Welcome to Litsy!

Just two books for the #URC2023 during May, both KJ Charles books. I was hoping to also finish A Seditious Affair, but didn't manage it before the end of the month. I made the mistake of looking at reviews for An Unsuitable Heir before reading it, and good gods the amount of latent transphobia from people who think they are “allies“. I felt like punching people. KJC handled Pen and Mark wonderfully, and I appreciate the “modern“ approach here.

So I'm the type of reader that obsesses over one genre, fixates over one type of storyline, & generally doesn't move on until the mood passes. I don't know if it's a comfort thing, a sign of my mental health, or what have you. What I DO know is that I'm currently addicted to gay regency era romance. This is the last in the series, I'm more than half done, & I'm DEVASTATED by that. I thought I loved Cat Sebastian, but she's been knocked down a peg

This one STRESSED ME THE HELL OUT. I spent the whole thing terrified for Pen, a genderqueer trapeze artist under intense pressure to become a typically masculine earl. I desperately wanted him to get to keep himself, and while I trusted K.J. Charles to end things in the right place I wasn't sure how she was gonna pull it off without screwing over the characters from the first two books. It's a great exercise in tension, and a damned good story.

I don't eat beef hash often because things go poorly for me when I have too much fat, but my supper plans fell through so I made an exception tonight.

I read a big chunk of AN UNSUITABLE HEIR while I ate. It's wonderful so far, but I'm SUPER worried about Pen's hair. It sounds beautiful, and it's important to him, and I've read far too many books with Distressing Haircutting Incidents to feel like it's safe from establishment types.

3 gay romances in Victorian London linked by a murder mystery story arc involving all the elements of Victorian melodrama. The second was the best romance (the first she needed to fade to black for the sex scenes, the third was overly preachy), but the overarching historical mystery and melodrama were the best elements.

Never heard it called that before 😀😀

#lunchandabook

Set in 1873. Murder, intrigue, secret heirs. #Romantsy between a private enquiry agent & a gender fluid trapeze artist. Fabulously written. 💙💙💙💙💙

I'm pleasantly surprised by the way KJ Charles writes. I'm so glad I picked this book up!

For my next non-Hobbit read I'm starting an ARC of K.J. Charles next book. I've been really looking forward to Mark and Pen's book. ☺️ #currentlyreading #romantsy