I have been a KJ Charles fan for years now and I have been enjoying the adventures into some spookier historical romance content. I liked a lot about this book and how it was structured. KJ Charles can write and her prior work as an editor can be seen in that her work tends to be well-paced and cleverly composed. I might have rated this a 4 star on a different day in a different mindset, but I'm content to leave it here for now. Happily would recommend it on, but not super emotionally engaging for me personally at this time.

I received an electronic ARC via Gay Romance Reviews.

Vanora Lawless presents a queer historical novel that weaves together mystery and fantasy elements in The Lost Lovelies. Kit left his home in Halifax after tragedy and a breakup with his childhood sweetheart. He has made a name for himself as a journalist covering World War II from the front, reporting both in print and via a radio show. When Kit gets a strange letter from his brother's wife stating that she and Kit's brother may be in trouble, Kit knows he has to return home immediately. Only when Kit makes it back to Halifax, his brother and sister-in-law are missing. And it is just Kit's luck that his former flame, Gus, is now one of the best PIs in the area specializing in missing persons cases. Though the case brings them together, it will take a lot to repair the broken relationship between Kit and Gus despite the feelings that never quite faded.

This was absolutely a fun read. I never quite knew where the story was headed, in part because I never was sure where the magic began or ended in this world. It was the softest of magic systems that really never got an explanation as to functionality, but the story never really suffered for the lack. Some interventions started to feel a little "deus ex machina" given that gap in understanding, particularly toward the end. But the strength of this story was in the characters. Kit and Gus are both compelling and charming in their own right. They complement each other well, though the story relies heavily on their inability to communicate to instill conflict.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this story to people who are interested specifically in the genre blend and the queer romance. I think any reader going in for solely their genre of interest will be disappointed, but fans of the blend itself will be more than happy to enjoy the ride.

I think I may have entered this with the wrong expectations. I was expecting an irreverent sort of gumshoe in the vein of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden or maybe leaning a bit more serious like William Ritter's Jackaby. Skulduggery was somehow neither of those things and it left me in a strange place where I don't know how to feel about the story as a whole. I can see where it was crafted well, but I'm a bit detached as a whole. Unsure if I will continue at this point, but wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

This book is a reminder about all the things I love most about this series. I always prefer the stories within the realms of the doors and this story specifically is in one of my favorite worlds with a majority of my favorite characters. Very happy to have read this one.