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By Any Means
Not yet published
Expected 8 Sep 26New York City, 1905.
Investigative journalist (and fierce anti-capitalist) Laurie Tulley is no stranger to the sins rich men commit in the name of profit. He’s made a front-page career out of unearthing the injustices of industry.
But when his editor turns his sights onto wealthy glass industrialist Charles "Chary" Wright, Laurie sees neither injustice nor sensationalism. All the openly queer and once-disowned Fifth Avenue businessman seems to have is a dead brother, a bizarre inheritance of a blueberry farm, and a lotta trauma.
Chary has his secrets, however: the big, life-ending kind. When Laurie comes snooping, he’s determined the reporter won’t find them out, no matter how handsome he is.
Then a worker from the glass factory is murdered. Chary himself is brutally attacked. As Laurie uncovers murder after past murder, he realizes there’s a story to be written after all… so long as he can keep a professional distance.
And when Chary finds himself in the arms of the very man meant to be his ruin, he must confront exactly how far he’ll go for love—and just which ghosts he’s willing to bring forth from the past.
For fans of C.S. Poe, KJ Charles, and Cat Sebastian!
Investigative journalist (and fierce anti-capitalist) Laurie Tulley is no stranger to the sins rich men commit in the name of profit. He’s made a front-page career out of unearthing the injustices of industry.
But when his editor turns his sights onto wealthy glass industrialist Charles "Chary" Wright, Laurie sees neither injustice nor sensationalism. All the openly queer and once-disowned Fifth Avenue businessman seems to have is a dead brother, a bizarre inheritance of a blueberry farm, and a lotta trauma.
Chary has his secrets, however: the big, life-ending kind. When Laurie comes snooping, he’s determined the reporter won’t find them out, no matter how handsome he is.
Then a worker from the glass factory is murdered. Chary himself is brutally attacked. As Laurie uncovers murder after past murder, he realizes there’s a story to be written after all… so long as he can keep a professional distance.
And when Chary finds himself in the arms of the very man meant to be his ruin, he must confront exactly how far he’ll go for love—and just which ghosts he’s willing to bring forth from the past.
For fans of C.S. Poe, KJ Charles, and Cat Sebastian!
- GenresRomanceHistorical
340 pages, ebook
Expected publication September 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
4.5
this is my first requested arc from netgalley i've ever gotten and i've actually struck gold i think. i adored this! seeing that this book is also advertised for fans of cat sebastian was what made me want to read it since i loved we could be so good (which is also set in nyc and about journalists) and was craving something even remotely similar.
i was hooked from page one, from the writing, the setting to the immediate tension between the two main characters; i was hoping it would maintain the good impression and it did. i was honestly very impressed with the writing and characterisation most of all, everything came to life beautifully and clearly, like we were carefully placed in the middle of the story but without feeling utterly lost. the choice of also starting off the book with deception and letting the reader figure out what exactly the deception was further along was very fun. one thing i have to say is that i am very grateful to my fellow reviewers who said they also struggled with the book at certain points because it got too confusing. i fully thought that was my bad because i can be a distracted reader sometimes but it is just part of how the writing was sometimes and how abrupt a few conclusions were, i found myself having to reread paragraphs or going back to certain pages in fear i might've missed crucial information which can make for a frustrating experience and is why i'm not giving it the full five star.
having a mystery like this paired up with our main characters was the absolute perfect blend-i loved laurie and chary like they were my own, laurie was so charming and his dialogue is probably my favorite i've read this year. chary felt a bit like a skittish cat sometimes which is exactly my type of character and also very relatable, i loved their interactions and i spent so much of the book having the time of my life with their scenes. the mystery as well was so engaging! my absolute favorite thing and what contributed to me loving this story - and not getting bored as i often do with mysteries - were the twists and turns. none of them felt out of left field or put out here just for the sake of having a twist, i was genuinely shocked reading some passages which made my reading experience a thousand times better. this aspect was done very well and i loved how we got too see so many of laurie's traits and smarts acquired doing his job as a journalist. every scene felt purposeful and geared towards moving the characters forward and understanding them. adored the romance as well, i was so invested and holding my breath constantly. the tension was so present you could've cut through it with a knife and i was there for it. i was a bit nervous for the ending because i thought there might not be enough time to wrap things up but i enjoyed it and felt like it was very satisfying character and story wise, nothing was rushed to quickly conclude the story.
safe to say i loved this and enjoyed my reading experience so much! i love stumbling upon gems like this and i will definitely check out the author's other/future works.
4.5
this is my first requested arc from netgalley i've ever gotten and i've actually struck gold i think. i adored this! seeing that this book is also advertised for fans of cat sebastian was what made me want to read it since i loved we could be so good (which is also set in nyc and about journalists) and was craving something even remotely similar.
i was hooked from page one, from the writing, the setting to the immediate tension between the two main characters; i was hoping it would maintain the good impression and it did. i was honestly very impressed with the writing and characterisation most of all, everything came to life beautifully and clearly, like we were carefully placed in the middle of the story but without feeling utterly lost. the choice of also starting off the book with deception and letting the reader figure out what exactly the deception was further along was very fun. one thing i have to say is that i am very grateful to my fellow reviewers who said they also struggled with the book at certain points because it got too confusing. i fully thought that was my bad because i can be a distracted reader sometimes but it is just part of how the writing was sometimes and how abrupt a few conclusions were, i found myself having to reread paragraphs or going back to certain pages in fear i might've missed crucial information which can make for a frustrating experience and is why i'm not giving it the full five star.
having a mystery like this paired up with our main characters was the absolute perfect blend-i loved laurie and chary like they were my own, laurie was so charming and his dialogue is probably my favorite i've read this year. chary felt a bit like a skittish cat sometimes which is exactly my type of character and also very relatable, i loved their interactions and i spent so much of the book having the time of my life with their scenes. the mystery as well was so engaging! my absolute favorite thing and what contributed to me loving this story - and not getting bored as i often do with mysteries - were the twists and turns. none of them felt out of left field or put out here just for the sake of having a twist, i was genuinely shocked reading some passages which made my reading experience a thousand times better. this aspect was done very well and i loved how we got too see so many of laurie's traits and smarts acquired doing his job as a journalist. every scene felt purposeful and geared towards moving the characters forward and understanding them. adored the romance as well, i was so invested and holding my breath constantly. the tension was so present you could've cut through it with a knife and i was there for it. i was a bit nervous for the ending because i thought there might not be enough time to wrap things up but i enjoyed it and felt like it was very satisfying character and story wise, nothing was rushed to quickly conclude the story.
safe to say i loved this and enjoyed my reading experience so much! i love stumbling upon gems like this and i will definitely check out the author's other/future works.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Shout out to NetGalley and the author for letting me enjoy this ARC for which I very much enjoyed 🙂↕️.
Rating: Me and a socialist journalist have apparently both been successfully enchanted by a capitalist heir who is far too neurodivergent to be doing capitalism successfully. (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ + stained glass romance, berry farm, and jam jar drama)
Honestly, this book surprised me by how genuinely good it was. I came for the industrial gothic murder mystery vibes and stayed because suddenly I was deeply invested in queer men navigating class politics, family trauma, labor exploitation, murder, identity confusion, and artisanal ✨glass✨. There is a berry farm and jam jars too.
What fascinated me most is that despite centering a wealthy industrialist, the story somehow still manages to preserve its intersectional and anti-capitalist lens without undermining its own values. The narrative never feels interested in absolving systemic harm just because one rich man is personally traumatized, socially awkward, and built like a tragic adorable queer baby.
And Chary himself is SUCH a fascinating character because beneath the “wealthy industrialist” label is essentially a man who desperately wants to disappear into anonymity, make glass, avoid inheriting capitalism AGAIN, and process approximately fourteen layers of inherited psychological devastation in peace.
Meanwhile Laurie is out here trying to investigate labor exploitation for his socialist newspaper and instead finds himself emotionally entangled in whatever the hell is happening inside this rich victorian people telenovela.
Also, the mystery genuinely hooked me from start to finish. Every time I thought I understood what was happening, the story revealed another layer of family secrets, social performance, trauma, murder conspiracy, or a new plot twist.
There were definitely moments where I had absolutely no clue what was going on because my understanding of era-specific slang is held together by vibes, context clues, and divine intervention, but I persevered by the power of needing know what happens next.
I also cannot speak to the historical accuracy, but as a historical mystery and romance? This absolutely worked for me.
Anyway, this book has the energy of:
“what if a socialist journalist accidentally adopted the world’s saddest capitalist?”
Consumed this in a day. I may genuinely be too emotionally entertained to register flaws at this point 🤌
Rating: Me and a socialist journalist have apparently both been successfully enchanted by a capitalist heir who is far too neurodivergent to be doing capitalism successfully. (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ + stained glass romance, berry farm, and jam jar drama)
Honestly, this book surprised me by how genuinely good it was. I came for the industrial gothic murder mystery vibes and stayed because suddenly I was deeply invested in queer men navigating class politics, family trauma, labor exploitation, murder, identity confusion, and artisanal ✨glass✨. There is a berry farm and jam jars too.
What fascinated me most is that despite centering a wealthy industrialist, the story somehow still manages to preserve its intersectional and anti-capitalist lens without undermining its own values. The narrative never feels interested in absolving systemic harm just because one rich man is personally traumatized, socially awkward, and built like a tragic adorable queer baby.
And Chary himself is SUCH a fascinating character because beneath the “wealthy industrialist” label is essentially a man who desperately wants to disappear into anonymity, make glass, avoid inheriting capitalism AGAIN, and process approximately fourteen layers of inherited psychological devastation in peace.
Meanwhile Laurie is out here trying to investigate labor exploitation for his socialist newspaper and instead finds himself emotionally entangled in whatever the hell is happening inside this rich victorian people telenovela.
Also, the mystery genuinely hooked me from start to finish. Every time I thought I understood what was happening, the story revealed another layer of family secrets, social performance, trauma, murder conspiracy, or a new plot twist.
There were definitely moments where I had absolutely no clue what was going on because my understanding of era-specific slang is held together by vibes, context clues, and divine intervention, but I persevered by the power of needing know what happens next.
I also cannot speak to the historical accuracy, but as a historical mystery and romance? This absolutely worked for me.
Anyway, this book has the energy of:
“what if a socialist journalist accidentally adopted the world’s saddest capitalist?”
Consumed this in a day. I may genuinely be too emotionally entertained to register flaws at this point 🤌
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In a 1905 New York City, you will follow Laurie Tulley, a fierce anti-capitalist and investigative journalist and his latest target, Charles "Chary" Wright, a glass industrialist who has recently inherited a mysterious blueberry farm that will make you and Laurie completely down to do some snooping and unearth some interesting things.
For me, one of the best parts of this book was its ideological backbone. Laurie is an unapologetic socialist, and I absolutely loved the sentiment and framing of the class struggle in this narrative. The anti-capitalist critique didn't feel cheap or an afterthought, it felt central to who these characters are and to where the story was going. If you enjoy historical fiction that actually engages with the labor movements of the era rather than just using them as a aesthetic backdrop, this will certainly scratch that itch.
Now, the book is tagged as a romance so I was expecting it to be a fair part of the plot and while it is there, if fell flat to me. I did find Laurie and Chary cute, but the romantic progression felt like an afterthought, it lacked the slow-burn depth and emotional development to make me really care about the couple and not about... everything else.
Another point that didn't quite make the landing to me was the mystery part. I really, really enjoyed the twists but I feel like it was handed to us so fast that the last 25% was just there, the stakes felt too low for me to enjoy it fully.
Despite that, it is ultimately a good book with a solid commentary on the issues of the time, characters with strong morals that mean something within the story and twists that when revealed just makes you want to know more about the story. It’s a very solid 4⭐ read that I'm glad I picked up.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tides & Troth Books LLC for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For me, one of the best parts of this book was its ideological backbone. Laurie is an unapologetic socialist, and I absolutely loved the sentiment and framing of the class struggle in this narrative. The anti-capitalist critique didn't feel cheap or an afterthought, it felt central to who these characters are and to where the story was going. If you enjoy historical fiction that actually engages with the labor movements of the era rather than just using them as a aesthetic backdrop, this will certainly scratch that itch.
Now, the book is tagged as a romance so I was expecting it to be a fair part of the plot and while it is there, if fell flat to me. I did find Laurie and Chary cute, but the romantic progression felt like an afterthought, it lacked the slow-burn depth and emotional development to make me really care about the couple and not about... everything else.
Another point that didn't quite make the landing to me was the mystery part. I really, really enjoyed the twists but I feel like it was handed to us so fast that the last 25% was just there, the stakes felt too low for me to enjoy it fully.
Despite that, it is ultimately a good book with a solid commentary on the issues of the time, characters with strong morals that mean something within the story and twists that when revealed just makes you want to know more about the story. It’s a very solid 4⭐ read that I'm glad I picked up.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tides & Troth Books LLC for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of an advance copy from NetGalley. No incentive was provided in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is a fun read, a bit of a difficult read, but so fun. Be prepared; there are period references and turns of phrase. I like to think my vocabulary is decent, but I had to reach for the dictionary several times!
The historical context is well grounded and the characters are engaging. Some of the exposition can get a little preachy but is interesting nonetheless. There are a number of moments where I stopped to remind myself to be grateful for the progress we have made in so many areas, even if it's still incomplete. Protection of racial minorities, women's right to vote, police brutality, political corruption, homophobia, working conditions, and a right to a childhood are all areas starkly highlighted throughout the story.
There is one story aspect that did get on my nerves, and to avoid spoilers I'll just Shakespeare himself would have been left asking who's who and to whom am I speaking?
The mystery element is engaging, laced with humour, particularly when Laurie has to throw out a theory due to new context - welcome to the reader's experience!
There is a spice level to the story, but weighted toward the latter half and only explicitly referenced a couple times.
Overall, not a holiday read, but well worth the effort.
This is a fun read, a bit of a difficult read, but so fun. Be prepared; there are period references and turns of phrase. I like to think my vocabulary is decent, but I had to reach for the dictionary several times!
The historical context is well grounded and the characters are engaging. Some of the exposition can get a little preachy but is interesting nonetheless. There are a number of moments where I stopped to remind myself to be grateful for the progress we have made in so many areas, even if it's still incomplete. Protection of racial minorities, women's right to vote, police brutality, political corruption, homophobia, working conditions, and a right to a childhood are all areas starkly highlighted throughout the story.
There is one story aspect that did get on my nerves, and to avoid spoilers I'll just Shakespeare himself would have been left asking who's who and to whom am I speaking?
The mystery element is engaging, laced with humour, particularly when Laurie has to throw out a theory due to new context - welcome to the reader's experience!
There is a spice level to the story, but weighted toward the latter half and only explicitly referenced a couple times.
Overall, not a holiday read, but well worth the effort.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a copy of By Any Means via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I happily give By Any Means 5 stars for a fantastic mystery, endearing and deep characters, and historical insight into queer history, all of which together kept my attention (and resulted in me finishing this book at about 5am).
The romance and interconnectedness of all the characters was really well done. I felt like everyone had their own consistent motivations but also connections to a shared community that played out in interesting ways within the plot. The mystery itself unfolded well and I could see where foreshadowing had been laid earlier once we got into the crux of it all. And I'm not always one for historical romance, but this one was highly accessible, felt relevant and informed, and it was just a genuine pleasure to be taken on a tour of the time by the author.
Pacing and writing were solid, I never felt lost in the world or the story, and I appreciate a story that leaves a reading asking a few questions, but mostly in a way that makes the world feel bigger than what was just in the book.
An excellent read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a well-done historical queer mystery and romance.
I happily give By Any Means 5 stars for a fantastic mystery, endearing and deep characters, and historical insight into queer history, all of which together kept my attention (and resulted in me finishing this book at about 5am).
The romance and interconnectedness of all the characters was really well done. I felt like everyone had their own consistent motivations but also connections to a shared community that played out in interesting ways within the plot. The mystery itself unfolded well and I could see where foreshadowing had been laid earlier once we got into the crux of it all. And I'm not always one for historical romance, but this one was highly accessible, felt relevant and informed, and it was just a genuine pleasure to be taken on a tour of the time by the author.
Pacing and writing were solid, I never felt lost in the world or the story, and I appreciate a story that leaves a reading asking a few questions, but mostly in a way that makes the world feel bigger than what was just in the book.
An excellent read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a well-done historical queer mystery and romance.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
So this was quite a nice surprise ! I couldn't resist requesting this ARC when I saw it was an historical queer mystery romance set in 1905 NYC. I really enjoyed the historical setting, especially the details about the glass works factories and the social issues addressed such as child labour and racial discrimination.
The mystery plot is compelling and kept me guessing - it's not very difficult to see who the main villain is, but the details and a few twists I hadn't seen coming really kept me engaged until the end.
And I loved the characters - Laurie is a socialist investigative journalist who doesn't shy from writing difficult stories and I liked his self-assurance and commitment to his ideals, but since I have a weakness for the nerdy and unassuming ones with a heart of gold, it was Chary who I ended up loving the most. Their banter and chemistry is also quite good and I enjoyed how their romance developed. There are also some interesting secondary characters who I was sorry we didn't have time to know better (I'm hoping there will be a second book with August's story sometime in the future).
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy !
The mystery plot is compelling and kept me guessing - it's not very difficult to see who the main villain is, but the details and a few twists I hadn't seen coming really kept me engaged until the end.
And I loved the characters - Laurie is a socialist investigative journalist who doesn't shy from writing difficult stories and I liked his self-assurance and commitment to his ideals, but since I have a weakness for the nerdy and unassuming ones with a heart of gold, it was Chary who I ended up loving the most. Their banter and chemistry is also quite good and I enjoyed how their romance developed. There are also some interesting secondary characters who I was sorry we didn't have time to know better (I'm hoping there will be a second book with August's story sometime in the future).
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy !
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am always on the lookout for historical romance that doesn’t take place in regency England so I was very happy to come across a book set in 1905 industrial New York. This had great characters, a sweet romance, a plot so intense I sped through it in a day, and very impressive attention to historical detail. However, this is not a book that babies you and the historical accuracy extends to the writing style so if you’re not familiar with the setting and the time period (as I am not) then it can get a little hard to follow. Despite finishing the book I feel as though I could only explain about 80% of what was going on, particularly in the latter half, but overall I enjoyed it.
(Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review)
(Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I got so absorbed in reading this book at work that I almost forgot to clock out. It's good, solidly enjoyable, some great mystery elements, and compelling characters At the same time, I do think it needed a bit more editing and polish. I was confused at times at what was going on, but I'm willing to admit some of that might be simply not being familiar with the time period the Caro is writing in. I am really looking forward to seeing how Caro evolves as an author, and plan on buying Caro's previous novel right after I finish writing this review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Tides and Troth Books for the eARC!
Following Lawrence Tulley, an anti-capitalist investigative journalist and Charles Wright, an heir to a glass factory, By Any Means is full of mystery, action and tender yet hot romance.
Although the writing was hard the follow sometime - especially the slang and the whole who's who between the brothers - I just had to know what happened next. I had a great time. Laurie and Chary made for great protagonists and their relationship I feel was sweet and realistic. Tjo was a great antagonist to hate. I would highly recommend it, especially to fans of Cat Sebastian!
Following Lawrence Tulley, an anti-capitalist investigative journalist and Charles Wright, an heir to a glass factory, By Any Means is full of mystery, action and tender yet hot romance.
Although the writing was hard the follow sometime - especially the slang and the whole who's who between the brothers - I just had to know what happened next. I had a great time. Laurie and Chary made for great protagonists and their relationship I feel was sweet and realistic. Tjo was a great antagonist to hate. I would highly recommend it, especially to fans of Cat Sebastian!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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