{"id":21120,"date":"2022-11-06T19:05:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T00:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=21120"},"modified":"2025-06-29T08:32:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T12:32:43","slug":"proper-scoundrels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/21120","title":{"rendered":"Proper Scoundrels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proper Scoundrels<\/a><\/em> (2021) Allie Therin<\/a> (Roaring Twenties Magic)<\/p>\n

\"Proper<\/a>Set in England in 1925.<\/p>\n

Me: I really liked this first series that this book is a spin-off of. Obviously I should not read it.<\/p>\n

(Repeat time and again for author after author)<\/p>\n

Sebastian de Leon spent the past three years enthralled, and forced to do terrible things against his will. He is now in London trying to live quietly and make up in some way for the things he was forced to do, in whatever manner he can.<\/p>\n

Maybe he couldn\u2019t ever fully atone for the things he\u2019d done to Arthur Kenzie and Rory Brodigan, but he could at least make sure that Arthur\u2019s aristocratic friend wasn\u2019t in any danger after Arthur and Rory had stayed in the Kensington house in the spring.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then he receives a letter from Jade Robbins.<\/p>\n

June 18, 1925, Meurtre non r\u00e9solu \u00e0 Paris.
\nJuly 29, 1925, Mord ohne Erkl\u00e4rung.
\nSeptember 2, 1925, Body found, police stumped.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wesley, Lord Fine, fought in the war and has his own memories he’d prefer not to have. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re his spitting image, you know.\u201d <\/p>\n

Wesley\u2019s brother had been too, all three of them over six feet tall with the same brown hair and gray eyes. Now only Wesley was left, and he couldn\u2019t set foot in society without people who\u2019d sat out the war in the comfort of their homes wanting him to know how sorry they were for his losses.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So he’s brusque and cranky and generally an arse to everyone.<\/p>\n

Wesley was going to end up with a headache. \u201cNed,\u201d he snapped at his footman. \u201cBring me a cigarette.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t, sir,\u201d said Ned. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to quit.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t nag me,\u201d said Wesley. \u201cDo as I say.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cSir, you specifically told me that if you requested smokes, I was not to acquiesce<\/em>\u2014 those were your words. You said you\u2019d read the latest medical reports, that your American friend, Mr. Kenzie, was sodding right<\/em>\u2014 apologies, sir, but again, your words\u2014 and that you intended to quit for your health. You said you would dock my pay if I ever brought you your cigarettes again.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although Wesley is an arse, there are plenty of hints he is not actually a completely bastard.<\/p>\n

Wesley made sure his staff were better paid, and had better quarters, than most, and in return, not a one of them said anything when he had men stay overnight in the guest room that was very close to his own.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Especially when his staff feel safe to fight back as only they can.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tea is cold.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIs it, my lord?\u201d Ned said, not looking at him. <\/p>\n

\u201cYes it is,\u201d Wesley said, with an edge. \u201cThe tea is cold and the toast is burnt and the fire unbanked and I don\u2019t have my newspaper.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to hear that, my lord. Perhaps we\u2019re all a bit distracted on account of little Elsie being so upset.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When Wesley is intriduced to Sebastian, he recognizes him as on of the men who had kidnapped his friend’s lover while they were all in America.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re handcuffed to my bed at gunpoint and you\u2019re more upset that the English hunt foxes?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Sebastian lied.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sebastian–if it’s not completely obvious, is a total cinnamon roll.<\/p>\n

Although the author doesn’t get everything quite right (such as how dates were written in Europe) she gets all the bonus points for this.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were in the army?\u201d Wesley had learned on the front that the Americans had given Puerto Ricans citizenship and then promptly drafted them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite my hesitance to read this story, I thoroughly enjoyed it and want more.<\/p>\n

Publisher: Carina Press<\/p>\n

Rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Proper Scoundrels (2021) Allie Therin (Roaring Twenties Magic) Set in England in 1925. Me: I really liked this first series that this book is a spin-off of. Obviously I should not read it. (Repeat time and again for author after author) Sebastian de Leon spent the past three years enthralled, and forced to do terrible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,30,292,2,204,33,207,148,26,56,16],"tags":[335,50,546,544,872,212,629],"class_list":["post-21120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-8-10","category-british","category-ebook","category-fantasy","category-good","category-historical","category-mental-health-rep","category-queer","category-romance","category-sexual-content","category-supernatural","tag-allie-therin","tag-boinking","tag-interwar-period","tag-mm","tag-prohibition","tag-ptsd","tag-roaring-20s"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-5uE","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24745,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/24745","url_meta":{"origin":21120,"position":0},"title":"Viscounts & Villainy","author":"Michelle","date":"July 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Viscounts & Villainy (2025) Allie Therin (Roaring Twenties Magic #3) November 1925 Sebastian and Wesley are in New York after the events of the previous book, and Sebastian is trying to learn to live without magic. It's not going well. He's a pacifist who has relied upon his magic to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Viscounts & Villainy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Viscounts-Villainy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Viscounts-Villainy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Viscounts-Villainy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Viscounts-Villainy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Viscounts-Villainy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Viscounts-Villainy.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13963,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/13963","url_meta":{"origin":21120,"position":1},"title":"Wonderstruck","author":"Michelle","date":"February 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Wonderstruck (2021) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan) Set in New York and other locales in 1925 Arthur and Rory are searching for a way to destroy the magical artifact that could be used to enslave non-magical minds, not just because it is evil, but because an evil man is searching\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wonderstruck","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Wonderstruck--638x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12934,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12934","url_meta":{"origin":21120,"position":2},"title":"Starcrossed","author":"Michelle","date":"May 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Starcrossed (2020) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan) Set in New York in 1925. This is set immediately after the events of the first book. Rory and Arthur are in Hyde Park where Rory is helping to authenticate some of Arthur's brother's supposedly antique compasses, and Arthur is visiting his family.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Starcrossed","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Starcrossed.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":26519,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/26519","url_meta":{"origin":21120,"position":3},"title":"Spellbound","author":"Michelle","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Spellbound (2019) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan #1) Set in 1925 in NYC \u201cQuality gin doesn\u2019t run itself from Toronto.\u201d Arthur scoffed. \u201cFifth Avenue deserves rotgut. Half those arseholes call for segregation during the day then have the nerve to slither into Harlem for culture at night. Be nice to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spellbound","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Spellbound-189x300.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":26523,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/26523","url_meta":{"origin":21120,"position":4},"title":"Wonderstruck","author":"Michelle","date":"April 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Wonderstruck (2021) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan #3) Set in New York, London, and Paris in 1925 Three tables had been pushed together in the middle to accommodate a big family, one toddler making an enormous mess as she gleefully ate spaghetti with her bare hands. \u201cWe don\u2019t owe our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wonderstruck","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Wonderstruck--187x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":26516,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/26516","url_meta":{"origin":21120,"position":5},"title":"Starcrossed","author":"Michelle","date":"April 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Starcrossed (2020) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan #2) Set in 1925 in NYC \"I\u2019ve had my every minute scheduled by my family. Clearly this trip was a wonderful decision on my part. I might even have seen Rory for two whole minutes the other day.\u201d \u201cSpeaking of children,\u201d Arthur said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate History"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate History","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/fantasy\/alternate-history"},"img":{"alt_text":"Starcrossed","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Starcrossed-191x300.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21120\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}