Proper Scoundrels

Roaring Twenties Magic #1

by Allie Therin

Don’t miss this spin-off from Allie Therin's acclaimed Magic in Manhattan universe!

Their scandalous pasts have left them wounded and unworthy—and hopelessly perfect together.

London, 1925

Sebastian de Leon is adjusting to life after three years spent enthralled by blood magic. The atrocities he committed under its control still weigh heavily on his conscience, but when he’s asked to investigate a series of mysterious murders, it feels like an opportunity to make amends. Until he realizes the killer’s next likely target is a man who witnessed Sebastian at his worst—the Viscount Fine.

Lord Fine—known as Wesley to his friends, if he had any—is haunted by ghosts of his own after serving as a British army captain during the Great War. Jaded and untrusting, he’s tempted to turn Sebastian in, but there’s something undeniably captivating about the reformed paranormal, and after Sebastian risks his own life to save Wesley’s, they find common ground.

Seeking sanctuary together at Wesley’s country estate in Yorkshire, the unlikely pair begins to unravel a mystery steeped in legend and folklore, the close quarters emboldening them to see past the other’s trauma to the person worth loving beneath. But with growing targets on their backs, they’ll have to move quickly if they want to catch a killer—and discover whether two wounded souls can help each other heal.


Magic in Manhattan
Book 1: Spellbound
Book 2: Starcrossed
Book 3: Wonderstruck

Roaring Twenties Magic
Book 1: Proper Scoundrels
Book 2: Once a Rogue

Liar City
Book 1: Liar City

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Historical Fiction, M M Romance, Paranormal, LGBT

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 28, 2021

About the author

Allie Therin is a bicultural author of award-winning romance and urban fantasy. She also is, or has been, a bookseller, an attorney, a Parks & Rec assistant, a boom operator, and a barista for one (embarrassing) day.

A longtime fan of romance, mystery and speculative fiction, she now strives to bring that same delight to her readers. Allie grew up in a tiny Pacific Northwest town with more bears than people, although the bears sadly would not practice Spanish with her.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

A spin off of the Magic in Manhattan series. This weighted it a bit at first as there’s a detailed magic system and a lot of backstory that has to be conveyed, and we’re a quarter of the way through the book before the MCs meet. When they do, they’re lovely—Wesley the painfully emotionally stunted and magicless English aristo, Sebastian the warm-hearted traumatised mage. The slow burn romance is very sweet and caring, the characters are huge fun, and there’s a couple of excellent villains too.

The English setting is a bit shonky, with Americanisms plus a fair few geographical and cultural bloopers (at one point a character eats a pork pie with gravy, which caused me to make alarming cat hairball noises). Obviously this won’t matter in the slightest to most readers, but as a Brit it kept throwing me out of the story, which I regretted.

[Iz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as magical as the first two times I read this. WESLEY, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH 😭😭



I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Proper Scoundrels" was, simply put, magnificent. I've been a HUGE Allie Therin fan since I first read the first in the "Magic in Manhattan" trilogy last year. I loved her world-building and the magic system, her truly marvelous (main and side) characters and also, her wonderful and compelling story-telling. When I found out she was writing a HEA for both Wesley (if you've read her previous books, you'll remember the rude and offensive viscount that goes around kissing exes and trying to pay off dangerous paranormals) and Sebastian (the handsome kidnapper with a dark and broken past) I was ecstatic. In fact, when I saw this title available for request on Netgalley I literally could not click on the request button fast enough.
I'm so so happy I got to read and review this book in advance because it does not disappoint. At all. In fact, it miiiiight actually be my favourite out of Allie's novels.

The story was absolutely riveting. As soon as I started reading, I couldn't physically disentangle from my Kindle. It's a truly action-packed story, full of twists-and-turns and magic and adventure, and it's also deeply romantic (ssh, don't tell Wesley), brimming with hope that (not-so-bad) scoundrels can achieve their hard-fought redemption and that old hurts and scars can be, slowly but surely, healed.

Wesley and Sebastian are magnificent protagonists. Don't tell Arthur or Rory, but I can confidently say I would DIE for Wesley. Lord Fine is as rude and assholish as the previous times he appeared: he's cranky and convinced he's incapable of love and care; he's rude, offensive and can't keep his snark off for more than five minutes. He's also lonely and brave and open-minded and hilarious, and once he decides to care for that one person he can stand, he's utterly marvelous. I loved him, so so much.
Sebastian was the perfect counterbalance to Wesley: he's scarred and scared, hurt and lonely and convinced he doesn't deserve love nor redemption. He's also so incredibly sweet and caring and will fight to keep everybody safe, even bad-mouthed viscounts that can't seem to steer clear of magic.
Together, they were wonderfully compatible and well-matched and their chemistry was off-the charts. The care they have for one another was lovely to see and so damn sweet I actually nearly cried: two lonely ex-villains finding love might be one of my favourite things ever. I was expecting the book would have fade-to-black sex scenes as the previous books, so you can imagine my utter delight when not only we got on-page sex, we also got HOT on-page sex and an even hotter (and deliciously domineering) Wesley.

We also get to see some very familiar faces (and the love and adoration I have for them is unchanged) and new ones too, all delightful and vividly sketched.
I'm not sure if the author has plans for more books in this universe, but in the meantime I can say I'd sell a kidney to read more of Wesley and Sebastian's adventures together. Although, I'd settle for more books, period.
Brava, Allie Therin

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosy historical fantasy 👏🏼👏🏼 this was so much fun! I loved how Sebastian and Wesley are both mature gentlemen, giving this a different vibe to the first series. I strongly recommend you read the first series - Magic in Manhattan first for this continues on in the timeline and we got so much backstory there for both MC’s, the side characters and the magic system. I feel the writing is more polished in this one, the first series is the authors debut.

It was so lovely seeing these two get together! Very heartwarming, low angst, all the feels. Such an endearing grumpy/sunshine combo. They both get a bit of redemption arc and I’m totally here for it.

Loved Jade and Zhang getting involved again here and I like that we didn’t see Arthur and Rory (main couple from book 1), it was nice for the limelight to entirely be on Sebastian and Wesley for their series.

The historical English setting felt a little wobbly - I wouldn’t put this in the same category as a historical by KJ Charles or Joanna Chambers, so if you’re passionate about time period accuracy then it may be aggravating to get through. If you’re just along for a fun ride then it’ll probably be fine.

BREAKING NEWS - I enjoyed Joel Leslie’s narration! Normally his voice and my ears are not compatible so I actively avoid his narrated books but I listened to the sample and I liked how he did Wesley’s pompous English voice paired with Sebastian’s accent. It was surprisingly a very enjoyable experience.

The first series is fade to black/low spice, this is not. Its not vividly smutty but definitely more than the first series

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4 Stars***

... to say it in Wesley's -umm, sorry, Lord Fine's- words (not that he would ever say them out loud, mind you) and to keep in line with the idioms I used to "review" the Magic in Manhattan series...:

I got knocked flat on my a** by magic. 😉

I so do have the hots for a grumpy curmudgeon. 😂 My only complaint: it took ages for Wes (okayokayokay, Lord Fine) and Sebastian to meet. I have to admit, tho, the wait was totally worth it. 😊

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Allie's Magic in Manhattan Collection: Spellbound / Starcrossed / Wonderstruck with its 20s setting and a unique system of paranormal abilities and its Film Noir evoking mystery.

But this spin-off? OMG this spin-off is EVERYTHING. I am so in love with Sebastian and Wesley Collins aka Lord Fine.

Both men have been through some serious traumas and are dealing with the fall out. Sebastian was kept for three years as a prisoner through the use of blood magic and forced to use his abilities to harm others, he's suffering with serious PTSD (accurately referred to as Shell Shock here in this world) that he can't even acknowledge.

Wes was an officer during the War and a sharpshooter, he's done things, and ordered his men to do them, that he cannot forget.

On top of that, Wes was dumped by his lover Arthur (see Spellbound) for an antiquarian half his age (Rory you are utterly delightful) and he's only the Viscount Fine because his older brother was killed in the conflict.

He's prickly, rude, entitled, snobbish and oh so very much in need of someone to love.

Thrown together almost by accident, these two former "villains" of the previous series both feel like they can never atone - in Wes' case he really doesn't want to atone for kissing Arthur in front of Rory either 😁 ) but both will find that fate has other ideas in store.

Allie takes the reader to my part of the world - beautiful Yorkshire, York and its imposing Gothic Minster firmly on the horizon - and then leads them into a high-paced, tension-filled ride of an adventure which also brings some old faces along with it.

It was lovely to see Jade and Zhang too, both as committed to each other as they were in the previous books, and we get to catch up with Seb's cousin Isabel and her lover Molly, now both ensconced in Paris for the World's Fair.

The villain is truly villainous, his sidekick is mad as a box of frogs, and I loved how Allie took a mythology which has a very strong Yorkshire connection - that of Dracula - and made it into the basis for a twisted paranormal's very deadly power.

I won't spoiler anything about the actual plot itself, only to say that it had everything I want to read in a romantic suspense, and the relationship element of this book is even stronger than Arthur and Rory's.

It's also more steamy and I was so grateful for that. My one criticism of the previous series had been how the intimacy between Arthur and Rory was never seen on page, other than odd kisses and the beginnings of their amorous encounters, before fading to black.

Here we not only get some of the best UST I've read in a long time, but Wes is also a bit of a secret Dominant (not in a true kink way though, but he has a very powerful personality and a need to "take care" of someone) and Sebastian is all for giving himself over to someone else to make decisions for him.

Wes is an arse, he'll tell you that quite proudly, but his growth and change once he meets Sebastian is a wonderful thing to read. He doesn't change FOR him but BECAUSE of him.

Sebastian is the biggest (and most dangerous) cinnamon bun with a marshmallow soul, he's so desperate to atone for things which were beyond his control that you want to wrap him up in a fluffy blanket and never let the world hurt him any more.

The first time they finally kiss is stunningly effective in the narrative. It's an understandable slow burn but oh my lord, is it worth the wait! There aren't loads of sex scenes, the story doesn't really need it, but when they happen, they're beautifully written.

As you can tell, I absolutely adored this book. Allie has such a grasp on her plots that before you can blink, you've read half the book and it's gone midnight 🤣 I did not want to put this one down from the minute I started reading it and that's the mark of a wonderful writer.

I hope this isn't the end of this wonderful world Allie has created. I would happily while away more hours with this bunch of disparate people time and time again.

#ARC kindly received from the author via Carina Press on NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review

[Rosabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sooo good!!!

It's the first time I read a story from Allie Therin and she knows what's up!!! What an interesting world and take on magic, me obsessed! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

The story was interesting, the mystery was on point, the characters all were beautiful and diverse, (there was even a heterosexual couple, who would have thought that was possible in MM, not me😳🙄).

I loved the magic and the way it works and I loved Sebastián and Wesley, like both of them, more one than other? NO, BOTH OF THEM!!! GOLD! GEM! LIFE. ❤❤❤

I adored them, they were perfect for each other. My heart ached at Sebastián penance and at Wesley loneliness. When they got together they cured each other and I just, couldn't get them together fast enough. I want another book from them, I want to see them again, I loved them *whines*.

Author are you writing the next one? 😢😢😢 So yeah, read this!

[ancientreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with being a truly gifted storyteller is that you get away with so much. I got this out of the library because I'd asked for and gotten an ARC of the sequel without realizing that it was a sequel & I didn't want to go into it clueless. And *heaves sigh* I had much the same experience with it as with the companion Magic in Manhattan series -- namely, I alternated between gulping it down and tearing my hair out, frustrated not even so much by the errors/missteps themselves as by how easily they could have been fixed.

A pub has a Scottish busboy named Calum. Which should be "Callum." And, sure, names have variant forms, but ... maybe don't distract readers with an oddly spelled name for someone mentioned only in passing, with no role in the story?

Savile Row, not Saville Row.

More than once, Wesley speaks of shell shock among his soldiers who were kept prisoner "behind enemy lines." Well, first of all, where else would they have been kept prisoner? But also (1) prisoners weren't treated especially badly; (2) prisoners were out of combat, which was a lot safer than being in, and (3) LOL at being taken prisoner as a standout cause of shell shock when conditions in the trenches were a freaking horror show, between the mud, the rotting bodies, the rats and lice, and of course the constant threat of hideous death. Wounded men were drowning in shell craters, for goodness' sake.

Wesley tells Sebastian, "You pack a far harder punch than a shot of whiskey, which is all the anesthetic most soldiers got.” Um ... no? Stretcher bearers were supplied with morphia and so were casualty clearing stations and hospitals. Also, rum was the form of alcohol supplied to the troops. (In fact, I'm reading an ARC right now [The Life of a Medical Officer in World War I] that mentions the rum ration.)

And so many off notes in the register of people's speech. "That's not a thing." This wasn't even a usage 50 years ago, much less in the 1920s. Wesley calls Sebastian an "absolute nob." A nob, per Merriam-Webster, is someone in a superior position in life -- a synonym would be "toff." Wesley presumably means "knob," UK slang for "penis." I have no idea when it came into common use, so it could have been WWI slang that Wesley picked up in the British army. Is it a little low-rent for a viscount? KJ Charles probably knows. But Wesley's later "I'd be proper vexed" sets off all my speech-register alarms.

I said that mistakes and off notes like these could have been easily fixed, but I don't know. You need to read a lot of documents (novels, collections of letters) from the relevant period, and/or read a fair amount of history, and/or have a good nose (or a copy editor with a good nose) for what needs checking. And, as I said, Allie Therin mostly gets away with it because she's so damn good at telling a story. If she had been a little more scrupulous in her research, this would've been an easy 4 stars.

[A.E. Bross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not prepared.

Allie Therin has gifted the world with Proper Scoundrels, and we should all be thankful for it. A spin-off of the original Magic in Manhattan trilogy, Proper Scoundrels takes place soon after the events in Wonderstruck.

As far as Wesley (Lord Fine to those who say nasty but usually deserved things about him behind his back) is concerned, nothing has returned to normal because there was nothing amiss in his normal, aside from the nagging feeling that maybe he is a complete scoundrel. After all, in his last relationship he was replaced by a grouchy antiquarian that was practically half his height and none of his refined demeanor. You might be cranky, too. Nevertheless, Therin assures us, through an even hand and great character development, that Lord Fine has his own demons, the type that have a tendency to cling to a person after they've been forced to endure war. He's jaded, insufferable, and only ever attentive to those he feels earn his interest, but there's a depth and vulnerability to Wesley that he WOULD NEVER to admit to (and would be appalled at me even suggesting).

Then we have Sebastian de Leon. Sweet, atoning, wears-his-heart-on-his-sleeve Sebastian who is going through a grieving process that no one could ever know. He mourns not only the loss of control he had during the three years he was forced to endure under the control of blood magic, but each and every life he affected when he compelled to act against others.

What follows is an attempt to find a murderer that involves suspicion (on Wesley's part), complaint (also Wesley), verbal sparring (again, mostly Wes... sensing a pattern), and eventually not only a mutual appreciation for the other, but the reader being able to watch that appreciation grow exponentially. To see two characters, seemingly diametrically opposed, set on their arcs and growing together. I can't say enough positive things about this book. The characters were great, it was awesome to see Zhang and Jade, as well as a few other familiar faces (not all of them good). The plot and pacing are just stellar. The antagonist is awesome, the motivations and emotional depth is fathomless.

I cannot believe I'm saying this, and understand that I am 100% loyal to the Magic in Manhattan series, but Proper Scoundrels takes everything that was good in the original series and makes it better. If I could give this book six stars, I would.

Note: I received a complementary copy of this book via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It came on my feed at the right time when I needed some fun and it provided that.

I did not mind that I had not read the trilogy that this is an offshoot of. I've taken a look and am still on the fence whether I'm going to explore that. But I will explore any sequel to these two, I liked their vibe.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

REREAD IN JULY 2025 - RAISED THE RATING TO 4.5 STARS because I still wanted that ending to be longer and the villains probably be tortered a bit

Yes - I reread this in July 2025 because after I finished the last book, Viscounts & Villainy, I was getting nostalgic, and I wanted to remember how Wesley and Sebastian really first met.

This book was just WONDERFUL - as I retraced the steps of Wesley finding Sebastian, getting charmed by the dangerous marshmallow. Loved all the times Wesley proved that he wasn't easily scared with Sebastian's magic. LOVED the first time Wesley knew that Sebastian's lion show itself only to him. ADORED their time in York, with Wesley giving in to Sebastian's request, like driving the car and going to church to admire the architecture. Arrgh, they were so, SO GOOD for my heart!!

I guess I have to re-read book #2 now as well *laugh*

________

4.25 stars

Well, well, well ... Wesley Collins, the Viscount Fine... apparently, you redeem yourself after being an annoyance towards Rory and Arthur in the previous books, because OMG, LORD FINE, you are DELIGHTFUL!! Wesley is cranky, jaded, rude (but always honest), and a curmudgeon to the very end. But I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

And of course, reading about Wesley falling in love with the handsome Sebastian de Leon, who has a marshmallow heart, makes this book very charming indeed. Sebastian is kind and think only of others, and he doesn't think highly of himself, after the bad things he did for three years!! I mean, come on, Sebastian, you are UNDER BLOOD MAGIC!! You are practically prisoner of war!! But that is Sebastian -- he doesn't think like that. He thinks he deserves if people hate him. Which of course, frustrates Wesley, and entertains me *laugh*.

Sebastian gets under Wesley's heart of stone. Their romance progress in a lovely, tender, but also amusing way. I just LOVE them together so much!! Dare I say it, even more than Arthur and Rory 🤭

I liked that both Wesley and Sebastian get their time to shine during the battle with the villains, especially because Wesley is the only non-human, and Sebastian fears that his magic is disastrous. BUT I wish the final battle lasts a bit longer though - because my bloodthirsty self want the villains to suffer a bit more.




The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous historical fantasy romance with great magical hijinks and a genuinely wonderful romance with a lot of humor and so many moments of true sweetness. I loved it! (PS: It's a spin-off from an earlier series in the same 1920s world, but it stands alone perfectly well. I hadn't read most of the earlier books and it wasn't a problem for me at ALL. So you can go ahead and start here!)

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this an A- at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars rounded up.

Allie Therin’s Magic and Manhattan series concluded earlier this year with Wonderstruck, leaving Rory and Arthur in a good place, disposing of the evil Baron Zeppler and nicely tying up the major plotlines.  Despite a few quibbles, I enjoyed all three books, so I was pleased to learn the author was writing another novel set in the same universe, but featuring different lead characters and a different setting.  In Proper Scoundrels the action switches from New York to London (and Yorkshire), and we catch up with Lord Wesley Fine – Arthur Kenzie’s former lover – and Sebastian de Leon,  a powerful paranormal whose particular abilities made him a valuable asset to the bad guys - both of whom had major parts to play in Wonderstruck.  Although Proper Scoundrels is a standalone novel, I would strongly advise anyone thinking about picking it up to read the Magic in Manhattan series first in order to understand the character backstories and magical systems and world the author has created.

The action picks up shortly after the end of Wonderstruck, where we find Sebastian living in London, where he’s retreated to lick his wounds after spending three years enslaved by the blood magic practiced by Baron Keppler.  He’s weighed down by guilt for the things he was forced to do while under the Baron’s control and is desperate to find ways to atone.  He’s damaged, scared and alone, having deliberately distanced himself from friends and family because he believes himself unworthy of affection, happiness or redemption.

Wesley, Lord Fine, is also back in London and is at something of a loose end. Like Sebastian, he feels like an outsider, his experiences of war putting him forever out of step with those around him.   He’s a self-confessed scoundrel; jaded, cynical, arrogant and often deliberately rude, he despises nearly everyone and everything.  Despite his involvement with the events of Wonderstruck, he has no idea of the existence of magic and the paranormal world - and no inkling that his Kensington home is under magical protection or that Sebastian regularly passes by to make sure that Arthur’s aristocratic friend [isn’t] in any danger owing to his association with Arthur and Rory.

One evening, Sebastian receives a note from Jade Robbins containing a list of the dates of three recent unexplained murders and asking him to meet her.  He grasps the implications immediately - whoever is committing these murders is a paranormal; his conversation with Jade and her partner, Zhang, confirms this and also suggests the perpetrator may be the man responsible for the theft of a number of valuable and dangerous magical artefacts belonging to Sebastian’s family, the Earl of Blanshard.  And among the guests at the last party the earl held at his Yorkshire estate was Wesley, Viscount Fine.  Could he be the paranormal murderer’s next target?

Proper Scoundrels is superbly plotted and perfectly paced, and there’s what I can only describe as an overall air of confidence to the writing and storytelling that wasn’t quite there in the author’s previous work. The romance is given the time to develop and the attraction between Wesley and Sebastian made a lot more sense right off the bat than the romance between Rory and Arthur, who felt so very mis-matched until quite late in their series.  Wesley and Sebastian may be polar opposites, but  their relationship doesn’t suffer from the same feeling of inequality; the push-pull of their attraction, their individual trauma and coping mechanisms, and the amount of growth they go through as characters makes their romance – across one single title – very believable and deeply satisfying.

Wesley and Sebastian are as compelling as individuals as they are as a couple and I liked both of them very much – although it’s Wesley who really stole the show for me.  I loved his sharp and very distinctive narrative voice; he’s under no illusions about himself – unless it’s about his hard-heartedness and inability to love – and his irritation with himself over his attraction to Sebastian is funny and leaps off the page.  He’s every bit the arrogant, rude, snarky, cantankerous arsehole he was in the previous books, but there’s a depth and vulnerability to him that he’d never admit to, and he’s brave, open-minded, witty and generous to those few he truly cares about.  I enjoyed watching him decide that maybe caring for someone – and allowing someone to care for him – might be worth it after all.  Sebastian has been through a lot and is suffering from what we’d recognise as PTSD as a result, but he isn’t prepared to cut himself any slack and blames himself for all the things he did while in thrall to Baron Keppler, even though he had absolutely no choice in the matter.    He’s unfailingly kind and considerate – Jade is spot on when she calls him a “dangerous marshmallow” – and will fight to the death to protect those around him – especially sharp-tongued, non-magical viscounts  – but he’s no pushover.  I just loved watching these two lonely, damaged men slowly growing closer and allowing the other to see things about themselves they allow no-one else to see. Their chemistry is off-the-charts and they light up the pages when they’re together, Wesley’s acerbity the perfect counterpoint to Sebastian’s sweetness.

Having bemoaned the fade-to-black sex scenes in the  Magic in Manhattan  books because I felt the author missed an opportunity to add depth to the romance, I was pleased at the inclusion of on-page scenes of sexual intimacy here.  These moments between Wesley and Sebastian feel absolutely appropriate for the relationship and the characters and definitely add depth to their emotional connection.

While Arthur and Rory are namechecked a few times, they don’t actually appear on the page – which I think was the right decision, as this story belongs entirely to Wesley and Sebastian – I was delighted to see Jade and Zhang again; they’re terrific characters and I enjoyed their interactions with the two leads and seeing them playing important roles in the story.

Proper Scoundrels is my favourite of Ms. Therin’s books so far and I raced through it in a couple of sittings.  The two leads are compelling, well-developed characters who grab the attention right from the start, the mystery plot is well-executed and overall, it feels as though the author has taken all the really good things from the first three books and made them even stronger.  It’s my final DIK of 2021, and I have no hesitation in wholeheartedly recommending it.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this so I could finish this series and honestly I kinda doubted it'd be as good as I remembered it...
And may that be the last time I doubt Allie Therin.

First read (2020):
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I fell in love with Therin's writing mere pages into Spellbound, the first book in the Magic In Manhattan series, and four books later, this series already feels like home.

"Proper Scoundrels" picks up where Wonderstruck left off, only this time we're following Lord Fine, Ace's British Nobleman of an Ex, and Sebastian de Leon, who we first met under less than pleasant circumstances.

Therin managed to make two very different characters absolutely made for each other.

I found myself attatched to both of them so deeply for different but no less special reasons.

Wesley's cynic jadedness, and his sharp edges to mask his loneliness and depression.
Sebastian's kindness through all the trauma he's lived through, his feelings of inadequacy and guilt.

This is a book filled with magic but it's humanity in its purest form.
With humor, beautiful prose, and some steam that will make you swoon, this might actually be my favorite Therin.

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I thought I couldn't love this author more, she came and wrote this beauty of a book and won my heart all over again. I went from thinking Lord Fine was, indeed, fine, after wanting to slap him a few times after what he did, to wanting to hug him for hours. He is cranky, he is a delight.
Sebastian, the dangerous marshmallow, really shone in this book. I loved both of their growth, but Sebastian's really got to my soul because he is a cutie and I wanted only the best for him.

No useless misunderstanding, no unnecessary drama. These two very different men found themselves working together to stop an evil magical man and the journey they embarked on showed them just how much they wanted the other to be part of their lives.

As usual, I loved Allie Therin's writing style. I could read her books for eternity and never get bored. I think I will keep smiling while thinking about sweet Sebastian and grumpy Wesley who says he isn't a cuddler but is instead the best cuddler there is!!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for
World War I, class difference
slow burns, so this worked.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up because it was a lot of fun. I do think this one is better if you've read the Magic in Manhattan Collection: Spellbound / Starcrossed / Wonderstruck books. There are familiar characters, and magical worldbuilding and backstory that might be confusing coming into it cold. But the main characters are well-drawn and appealing and it might work. I took off the 0.5 for anachronistic language and Americanisms, especially in the narrative voice, which was occasionally jarring. But then, it's a paranormal, and AU, not true historical, so unless this is a big pet peeve, it shouldn't spoil your enjoyment of this fast-paced, entertaining adventure of a romance.

Sebastian de Leon was forced by blood magic to perpetrate acts of violence in the previous books. Now free of those magical bonds, he's trying to piece back together who he is and to learn to live with what he did. Because he's both a very soft-hearted man and one who's hard on himself, he's not having much luck with that. He's trying to protect Lord Fine, while keeping a distance and still seeing himself as a villain of the piece. And when they first meet, Fine agrees.

Wesley Collins, the Viscount Fine, was an annoying ex to our previous MCs, but here we see the man who has shut himself off from softer feelings, and yet whose every instinct is to be decent and kind. He begins the book having no idea magic exists, which leads him to blunders, but when he does find out, he redeems his past in a very satisfactory way.

Although both men go through a bit of "I'm not good enough for him" I didn't get too frustrated with it, because they had difficult pasts and stressful presents to excuse them. The magical action was fast-paced and yet easy to follow, the romance was slower and had a heart of sweetness, and the ending was satisfying.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this an A- for both narration and content at AudioGals.

Note: Although this is a standalone novel, it is linked to the Magic in Manhattan series; and as there are references to events that occurred in those books, there are likely to be spoilers for the series in this review.

When Allie Therin’s  Magic in Manhattan  series came to an end last year, I was pleased to learn that she would be writing a spin-off novel that would follow two different protagonists who had previously appeared as secondary characters in the main series. Proper Scoundrels is that spin-off, and I have to admit that much as I came to enjoy the series that spawned it, it is – so far – my favourite of the author’s novels. Plus – and this is a BIG plus – this book benefits enormously in audio from having the always excellent Joel Froomkin as narrator; the earlier series was (unfortunately) performed by a relatively inexperienced narrator who didn’t do it justice.

The action in Proper Scoundrels shifts from New York in 1925 to England later the same year, where we catch up with Wesley Collins, Viscount Fine, who is as prickly, cynical and irritable as ever. Even though he had a fairly large role to play in the events of Wonderstruck, Arthur, Rory and the gang were able to keep him in ignorance of the existence of magic – although unbeknownst to him, his Kensington home is now protected by a magical painting by the paranormal artist Isabella de Leon, which prevents other paranormals from properly seeing the house. As an extra precaution, her brother Sebastian – who has hidden himself away in London to lick his wounds after having been magically enslaved by the evil Baron Keppler – wanders past the place every so often, just to keep an eye out and make sure that Lord Fine is in no danger as a result of his connection to Arthur Kenzie and Rory Brodigan.

Sebastian, who is weighed down by guilt over the things he was forced to do while under the control of the baron’s blood magic, has deliberately distanced himself from his friends and family because he believes what he did has put him beyond the pale. So he’s surprised to receive a note from Jade Robins containing a list of dates and locations of three recent unexplained murders, and asking him to meet with her and her partner, Zhang. Sebastian grasps the implication immediately – whoever committed these murders is a paranormal. But that’s not all. Jade and Zhang suspect the murderer may be the same person responsible for the theft of a number of dangerous magical artefacts from the de Leon family, the Earl of Blanshard. And worse – one of the guests at the last party held at Blanshard’s Yorkshire home was Wesley, Viscount Fine. Jade is certain Lord Fine knows nothing of magic, but there’s something more than coincidence at work here; could he be the paranormal murderer’s next target?

Wesley, Viscount Fine is… not fine. He’s bored, everything irritates him, he dislikes everyone and, like Sebastian feels like an outsider, his wartime experiences putting him out of step with almost everyone around him. He’s surprised to hear from Jade Robbins, but is pleased to take her to dinner,where she asks him about Lord Blanshard – whom Wesley dislikes intensely – and suggests some of the artefacts he keeps at his Yorkshire home may be stolen property. She asks if Wesley will meet with a friend who knows more – but when Wesley recognises Sebastian as one of the men who kidnapped Rory in New York, he’s immediately on the defensive and storms off after a brief altercation, wanting nothing more to do with him or any more crazy stories. But when, the next night he’s the victim of a paranormal attack, it’s Sebastian who saves him – and it’s impossible to keep Wesley in ignorance any longer.

Proper Scoundrels is tightly plotted and superbly paced and the two leads are engaging and as compelling as individuals as they are as a couple. Best of all, the slow-burn romance is given enough time to breathe and the chemistry between Sebastian and Wesley leaps off the page, right from their first meeting. I liked them both very much, although Wesley’s brand of snark coupled with his very distinctive narrative voice rather stole the show for me. He’s jaded, sarcastic and struggling to find his place in life; he’s very self-aware in some ways and clueless about himself in others, taking care to present himself to the world as a rude, arrogant arsehole who doesn’t give a damn and doesn’t have a heart. Deep down – although he’d never admit it – is a brave, witty, open-minded man capable of great generosity towards those few he genuinely cares about, and I loved listening to him coming around to the idea that maybe letting himself love someone – and allowing them to love him – might just be worth it.

Sebastian is suffering from PTSD as a result of being effectively imprisoned and tortured and forced to do some truly awful things against his will, but even though he knows he had no choice he’s not prepared to cut himself any slack. He’s kind, thoughtful and considerate (Jade terms him a “dangerous marshmallow”) and will fight to the death to protect the non-magical, something his family has done for hundreds of years. Sebastian’s sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to Wesley’s sharp-tongued cantankerousness, and listening to these two lonely, damaged men slowly growing closer and letting one another see and know them as nobody else ever has is an absolute delight.

I may have – in my head, at least – jumped for joy when I learned Joel Froomkin (Leslie) would be narrating Proper Scoundrels. His facility with a wide variety of accents makes him the ideal choice for a story featuring characters from both sides of the Pond, and he switches seamlessly between Wesley’s upper-class English accent, Jade’s and Zhang’s American ones and Sebastian’s Spanish-accented English. Anyone who’s listened to Mr. Froomkin before already knows how good he is; not only when it comes to accents, differentiation and pacing, but in getting to the heart of the characters and what makes them tick. The development of the emotional connection between the leads is skilfully conveyed, their attraction coming across very strongly. His portrayal of Wesley is spot on, all devil-may-care arrogance and posh, perfectly timed snark that is slowly tempered as he begins to fall for Sebastian and a warmer note creeps into his voice. There’s an underlying gentleness and reticence in Sebastian’s manner, and the accent Mr. Froomkin employs for him is appropriate and consistent. I can level only one or two small criticisms; I spotted a handful of mispronunciations (and was surprised at the pronunciation of Brodigan as “Br-OH-digan”) and in places felt that maybe Sebastian’s accent was a little exaggerated.

Proper Scoundrels is a superb listen all round – an engrossing combination of magic, mystery and slow-burn romance all wrapped up in a terrific performance by the perfect narrator for the job.

This review originally appeared at AudioGals .

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored everything about this book.

Wesley, aka Lord Fine, redeemed himself by the end of Wonderstruck, so I was more than ready to read more about him and darling Sebastian, who incidentally, is still struggling with he effects of being under the puppeteer's control for over 3 years.

I was not expecting to fall in love so easily with this pair. Sebastian is very much a dangerous marshmallow, seriously, the man can not be any sweeter or caring, and Wesley, he has worked hard to convince himself his a scoundrel without feelings, when in reality he just wants to love and be loved just like everyone else. The way he is so obsessed with Sebastian and is convinced he must be a Fae prince was ridiculously endearing.

I really liked how this felt like a continuation of the story from the Magic in Manhattan trilogy. Jade and Zhang were marvellous as always, and the unravelling of the mystery of the Vampire paranormal was exciting.

“I do know." Wesley's voice was lower, rougher. "And I know they didn't treat you right, but you're in my arms now.”

[a_n_i_t_a · Rating 3 out of 5]

1920s Britain • paranormal - magic • m/m

First book in this trilogy - a spin off from the Spellbound series.

All in all, it kept with a very similar vibe to the Spellbound books, with the focus on Arthur’s obnoxious unaware ex, Wesley and paranormal Sebastian (both of whom we met in the first series).

Overall, it was good…. But not great … but it may have been my mood (it also may have been the narrator…. 😬) 🤷‍♀️ I just didn’t feel particularly invested in the story line or the characters. And for a while I was confused about Sebastian’s magic but didn’t care enough to go back and work it out. It made sense again to me along the way 😅

I’d definitely recommend if you like a 1920s Viscount vibe and enjoyed the first series 😊

3 ⭐️
Just scraped to a 2 🌶️ in the last chapter 🤭

Also… have to add that my most favourite thing about this book was the title. I mean, Proper Scoundrels… how 😎👌👌 and I was so happy the phrase was used in the book too.

[juli✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

proper scoundrels takes a minute to get going, but once wesley and sebastian meet things pick up exponentially. and can i just say, the way these two complimented each other is, *chef's kiss* 🥹

“well, you’ve made me believe in fairy tales, you arse,” he said, voice unsteady. “because I got a fairy tale when I got you.”

[Santy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

I love me some Allie Therin.

There hasn't been a single book of her's I've not enjoyed so when I saw this spin-off from her "Magic in Manhattan" series, I just HAD to rea'''''''''d it.

Sebastian was a reformed "villian"(albeit an unwilling one) from the aforementioned series and was set on redeeming himself through his actions. He'd been through hell and was suffering the aftermath of his capture and he STILL wanted to help others. A veritable angel, I just wanted to wrap him up and keep him from anything that could harm him.

Wesley (a.k.a Lord Fine) was Arthur's friend/ex and someone we first encountered in less than pleasant ways especially with how he behaved towards Rory. It seems that wasn't one-off behaviour from Lord Fine.

Wesley was cantankerous, rude and prone to fits of fancy when things did not go his way. Simply put, he was unpleasant.

Fortunately for him he came into contact with Sebastian who managed to make Wesley turn a corner not by force but by being his gentle, sweet self. Lord Fine stood no chance against all of that even when he tried to be his usual grumpy self.

I absolutely enjoyed the writing. The pacing was perfect for the story and the characters even more so(especially the baddies who frightened and intrigued me in equal parts).

I enjoyed myself so much that I wasn't even ready for the story to end when it did. We got an Epilogue and I wanted a SECOND one. It was so good.

Definitely recommended. You won't regret it.

**eARC Provided by Publisher in Exchange for An Honest and Unbiased Review **

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*

I liked Wesley in the Magic in Manhattan series. He started off not so likeable, but by the end, I realized he wasn’t so bad after all, and I felt for him. So I was glad to see him get his own book and his own chance at love!

This was very sweet. Almost a little too sweet for my taste, in the sense that these two would often say things that were just a little too sappy and eloquent to be believable. But I enjoyed it! It was a lovely (and also sexy) romance between two characters who deserved it. I especially enjoyed the building tension between them before they crossed the line of admitting their attraction.

Both Wesley and Sebastian were easy to love. Yes, even Wesley. He may have been gruff and stone-hearted with previous lovers and a loner and kind of a jerk sometimes, but not really to undeserving people. It was more of a facade, a wall to hide behind and use to push people away, than anything. He treated his staff well, and he apologized when he realized he’d been rude to Sebastian. And Sebastian, well, he was just the sweetest, most compassionate, most kind-hearted person, still struggling with the guilt of what he’d been forced to do while under blood magic control.

This was mostly about the romance, but the non-romance story was good too and added a bit of tension and action. I think it also brought a bit more closure to the overall series.

The magic was fun. The author found a unique way to make a magic-dampening power interesting and fun, even when there was no other magic involved!

Overall, a sweet story about sweet characters that I’m sure fans of the Magic in Manhattan series will enjoy!

*Though this is a standalone story about some of the side characters, it is a spin-off from the Magic in Manhattan series, and you may be lost in regards to the world, magic, and backstory of the characters if you haven’t read that yet.*

*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2021 // Format: Ebook via TTS*

Recommended For:
Fans of Allie Therin's Magic in Manhattan series. Anyone who likes sweet m/m romance, paranormal abilities, and gruff characters finding the person who softens their heart.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Hart_D (ajibooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both of these main characters were introduced in the Magic in Manhattan series. Everything you need to know about this book is in this book, but I'm glad to have read the other series first. Jade and Zhang are important here, which I liked, and there are intriguing new characters too, including Sebastian's artist cousin Isabel.

Unlike the previous trilogy, this book has a few explicit sex scenes. I thought the scenes were very good as well as relevant to the plot. It's not sex, but I especially loved the scene of Wesley deciding that he doesn't want to be cruel to Sebastian. That really moved me.

This story handles some serious topics with sensitivity, and the pacing is very good. In reality, I'm sure I'd find someone like Wesley impossible to tolerate, but I do believe in this romance. They are both exactly what the other needs and I was cheering for their happiness. There's quite a lot of genuinely funny humor in this book, too; I really liked Wesley's rebellious servants.

So, I absolutely loved this, and I'm very excited to find out what Allie Therin does next.

[Hemmel M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

First read:
After a long hour with numerous characters I could not tell apart, I wondered if reading the first series was a necessity. The first 25% is an information dump about happenings in the past. After all those details I immediately forgot, the two main characters meet. There are a few sweet scenes with them, but this is not a romance novel.

The narration was not always up to JF's standard. He can do great but lately I find him more often uninspired. Especially the first quarter of the novel he was stuck in a rut, giving each sentence the same tone and infliction.

Second read:
I lowered my rating to one star. I quit at 75% of listening to a story I did not remember a single thing about.
I will add to my complaints: this is a dialogue driven novel. The characters are boring, the plot is non-existing, the romance is absent. What we have here , is two people talking. About magic I don't care about, about occurrences in the past I did not read before, and about their attraction to each other.

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t miss this standalone spin-off in Allie Therin's acclaimed Magic in Manhattan universe!

Their scandalous pasts have left them wounded and unworthy—and hopelessly perfect together.

London, 1925

Sebastian de Leon is adjusting to life after three years spent enthralled by blood magic. The atrocities he committed under its control still weigh heavily on his conscience, but when he’s asked to investigate a series of mysterious murders, it feels like an opportunity to make amends. Until he realizes the killer’s next likely target is a man who witnessed Sebastian at his worst—the Viscount Fine.

Lord Fine—known as Wesley to his friends, if he had any—is haunted by ghosts of his own after serving as a British army captain during the Great War. Jaded and untrusting, he’s tempted to turn Sebastian in, but there’s something undeniably captivating about the reformed paranormal, and after Sebastian risks his own life to save Wesley’s, they find common ground.

Seeking sanctuary together at Wesley’s country estate in Yorkshire, the unlikely pair begins to unravel a mystery steeped in legend and folklore, the close quarters emboldening them to see past the other’s trauma to the person worth loving beneath. But with growing targets on their backs, they’ll have to move quickly if they want to catch a killer—and discover whether two wounded souls can help each other heal.


Review:

This is a spinoff from "Magic in Manhattan" series. Two secondary characters from those series - Wesley and Sebastian find love together . I was not sure if I wanted to give this book a try since the last book of "Magic in Manhattan" was not my favorite book in the series, but decided that I was curious enough to see if author can redeem Sebastian and was very happy to see that she managed it quite easily without rewriting anything. I hate when the villain is redeemed by rewriting all the bad things they did in the past books.

I think two things helped me to buy his redemption easily. It was made quite clear in the previous books that Sebastian did what he did in the previous books under blood magic. Granted we did not know the details of how it worked and we were not in Sebastian's head , but I did not doubt that he was forced to do things.

So in this book we do get to be in Sebastian's head ( third person limited POV switches between him and Wesley) and we see how much he regrets and upset over what he did and how much he wants to help and protect people whom he hurt in the past ( and those he did not hurt in the past). I finished the book thinking of Sebastian as a sweetheart, no less .

Wesley had sharp tongue before and he has sharp tongue now, he is very blunt and always says what he thinks and he is loyal and kind, no matter how grumpy he can be . I thought he and Sebastian had a great chemistry together once they dispersed with all the apologies :)

“No, Sebastian. You don’t owe me penance for anything that happened under blood magic, and you don’t get to say lovely things to me over chips and then expect me to tolerate this slander.” Lord Fine wrapped his hand fully around Sebastian’s wrist, over the tattoo. “This is not your fault. You suffered a terrible torture, and you need to give yourself time.” Sebastian bit his lip. “But I should be past this already. I literally have the magic to weaken other paranormals’ magic. I should be able to break this magic’s hold on me.” “Wouldn’t it be nice if our minds always behaved exactly how we wanted them to?” Lord Fine said dryly. Sebastian huffed. He rolled his eyes, but that had put a small, grudging smile on his lips.”

Their romance had the touches of hurt/ comfort for me and I have not read hurt/comfort for quite some time. I like it to a certain degree but I don't like when it is over the top and over done. I thought the author did it just right ( for this reader). Sebastian does not need to be saved all the time, he is certainly no damsel in distress , but there are times he needs help and a shoulder to lean on and because of what he went through it made sense to me. And Sebastian was a shoulder to lean on for Wesley too! Wesley had past relationship issues too and Sebastian I thought was the right partner for him.

There was a murder investigation they both were involved in, but I thought it was more a suspense than mystery and it worked for me too. I was kind of glad that relics felt less important in this story than in the original series, since at the end of the original series the relics did not really work for me . The author did not forget about those things, but I thought that way more significance was placed on the investigating murders , although magic was definitely present in this book too.

Grade: 4-4.5 stars

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.75 stars

Proper Scoundrels is a delightful spin-off of Allie Therin’s incredible Magic in Manhattan series. It takes place some months after the events of the original trilogy and focuses on Sebastian and Wesley. We met both characters in the main series, with Wesley being Arthur’s ex and Sebastian one of the paranormals under the Puppeteer’s control. While series side characters Jade and Zhang play a big role in this book, Rory and Arthur do not appear here. Although the blurb describes this as a standalone, and it is in the sense that is not part of the main trilogy, I really think you need to be familiar with the Magic in Manhattan books to fully enjoy this one. There are so many callbacks to the trilogy, both in terms of past events, as well as the characters, I don’t think new readers are going to have an easy time following along with a lot of the details without it. I also think that while the backstory is explained, you need to have experienced the blood magic and the menace of the Puppeteer’s control to really understand what Sebastian went through and the residual guilt he faces.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[peach · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to say why I didn't enjoy this book more, because so many of the right pieces were there but the execution just didn't land for me. I really liked the characters in theory, but sometimes their actions and dialogue felt more like leaning on tropes and archetypes than thoroughly developed characters. There were still lots of good character moments though, and I liked them and their romance.

The mystery(?) plot wasn't that interesting to me, and the ending dragged a bit with an overly long villain monologue and an imbalance of dialogue vs action. But I liked the historical-but-with-magic setting a lot and it was fun to see a book in this universe set in Europe. It's worth noting that although this isn't listed as part of the Magic in Manhattan series, I think it would be best to read that series before this book as there is a lot of worldbuilding and backstory that, although explained in this book, might be confusing for a new reader and I'm not sure I'd say that this fully works as a standalone.

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

07/01/2025 reread


After diving into Magic in Manhattan, I was really looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint. Both Sebastian and Wesley appeared as sort of villains in previous books, so I was very glad that they got paired together. What a fantastic journey it was to start liking Wesley, the eternal grump, and Sebastian, a man riddled with guilt and responsibilities, and see them let go in each others arms.

The magic and the subsequent mystery involving other relics was interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was happy to see Jade and Jianwei as a couple more as well. The author added more spice here with some explicit scenes which was a bonus. I liked Sebastian's and Wesley's depth of feelings and how their relationship progressed. The times Wesley put his foot in his mouth... hilarious and oddly endearing. I hope that the author decides to continue the story for these two, for I found myself charmed more than I expected.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my new favorite! Magic, feels, sexy times, and thrilling adventure!!! I absolutely loved it to tears. Broody, uppity lord + tragic hero of need of hugs = 😍😍. Also Allie Therin finally took the intimate scenes up a notch! 🔥🔥🔥
Great standalone, but Magic in Manhattan series is still pretty awesome so I definitely recommend reading that. Sebastián de León is now free after 3 years of magical enslavement under which he committed terrible acts against his will. His current mission is watch over and protect Lord Fine (Wesley). Unfortunately the snipey and jaded lordling witnessed him kidnap a person previously and unaware of Sebastián's enslavement is convinced he is the most vile of villains. But as a particular dark magic caster sets his eyes on Wesley he slowly sees what an abused little marshmallow the man is. And when Sebastián's life is on the line Wesley is determined to save the marshmallow rather he feels worthy of saving or not!

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie Therin kills it again with this spin-off of the Magic in Manhattan series - which I loved. Here we get to know Lord Fine, the misanthropic viscount who tried to rain on Arthur and Rory's parade in the trilogy. We also get to meet the real Sebastian De Leon, who we initially met as a bad guy. I am OBSESSED with Sebastian - he was the definition of a cinnamon roll and I couldn't get enough of him. Lord Fine was an asshole basically the whole way through, but him being soft for Seb was amazing. It's a grumpy/sunshine pairing of the highest caliber. The magic was cool, the ending satisfying, and it was a bit more explicit than Magic in Manhattan - in which everything happened off-page. Really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see what Therin does next.