Series: Sins of the Cities #1
Pages: 247
Publisher: Penguin Loveswept
Publication Date: 27th February 2017
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review: The first novel in the Sins of the Cities series combines a slow burning male/male romance with a heavy dose of mystery and danger, shrouded in the fog of Victorian London.
Clem Talleyfer is the illegitimate son of an earl, and he runs a boarding house owned by his half-brother. He is quiet, unassuming, and gorgeous. He is also intrigued by his new lodger, the neat, and seemingly buttoned-up taxidermist Rowley Green. The relationship between landlord and lodger builds gradually from gentle conversations over tea in the evenings, to a passionate romance that sees both men embracing their desires in a way that is anything but buttoned-up!
Their relationship is both incredibly hot, and entirely adorable. Clem is dyspraxic, which means he can have difficulty in coping with more than one task, and can get flustered at times. Rowley is completely attuned to Clem's needs, and allows him the space to do things in his own way and at his own pace. This allows Clem to flourish in his work, and as a sexual partner.
I really enjoyed Clem's characterisation. It was refreshing to come across a sexually dominant disabled main character, and I liked the way Clem's illegitimacy allowed him one foot in both the middle and the upper classes. His half-Indian heritage also allowed a glimpse into the community of Indians that were in London at this time. These various aspects of Clem's characterisation bring together diverse elements of London society that enrich the texture of the novel as a whole.
The mystery elements of the plot draw Rowley and Clem closer together as a long-hidden secret brings murder quite literally onto their doorstep. Without wanting to give anything away, I will say that the mystery was truly compelling, and I enjoyed the way that it was entwined with the romance so the novel felt complete rather than split into separate storylines.
Overall, a great read, and I look forward to the next in the series!
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