Courtney Milan’s Turner series follows a trio of brothers who come from a gentry class and thoroughly impacted in different ways by their religiously-mad mother. All grown up they have suffered her mark and hold quite a bit of bagge within themselves and in their relationships with each other. All grown-up, the eldest brother, Ash Turner has procured a fortune and a dukedom to set them for life. But riches cannot prevent the complexities of falling in love, especially with similarly desperate woman, all to remember they are not as alone in the world as they think.

The sophmore book, Unclaimed is number one for me. Sir Mark is the youngest Turner and the most strait-laced of them all going so far to write a Practical Gentlemen’s Guide to Chastity where he calls for men to stop blaming women for their lust and learn a little self-control so as to not untowardly harm the women and their reputations. Trouble is, many miss the point of his book and treat him like a saint. He was trying to emphasize through his book that he’s not a saint, that anyone can make the right choice to self-control. . . alas even his quiet time in the country yields no peace from his fans.

But not everyone admires the esteemed Sir Mark, some want to ruin him and his chances of becoming Poor Men’s Comissioner. That’s what Jessica Farleigh has set out to do. A courtesan by trade, her only hope of getting out of the life and reclaiming her freedom is to lead Sir Mark to ruin. Alas, Sir Mark is not as easily swayed as all the men she’s known before. He’s a good man which makes ruining all the harder task. I thoroughly enjoyed this push-pull between the two as they drive each other to the edge with Sir Mark losing his precious self-control to desire and sometimes to anger. A horrifying thought to him not because he’ll be a hypcorite but it reminds him so much of his mother, a woman of good, compassioned works but also abusive excess.

Jessica for her part thought she’d never feel again but Mark cares for her, for her competitive spirit, for intellect, he tells her “that she can do better” and not lessen herself so he can feel manly pride. A real man doesn’t need that. He wants her but doesn’t claim her. It just all so romantic and emotionally-wrought as Jessica’s own self-esteem can be barely tolerate Mark’s gentleness. not just because of the rigid social class system because she doesn’t believe she deserve it. Also I enjoy how Milan focuses a bit on forgiveness where even the most weasley characters have some sympathy except for one ass, Weston because there are assholes who exist without remorse.

Unveiled: Ash Turner is the charming eldest who holds great survivor’s guilt for leaving his younger brothers behind to his mad mother. While he did make up for it by procuring a fortune and now getting revenge on the snobbish Dalrymple family by revealing the patriarch’s bigamy and getting himself a dukedom, he has a problem with letting go of his revenge.

Know who else wants revenge? Margaret Dalrymple for when Ash revealed her father’s bigamy, he made her a bastard and broke her mother’s heart to early grave. With no prospects, Margaret conspires with her brothers to infiltrate Ash’s household as a maid to find his secrets so they could remove his claim to dukedom.

Problem is, Ash is truly so so so charming. Being formerly poor, he has a capacity to listen and care for those around him. He has instinct to how to flatter and read people including Margaret who doesn’t know what to make of this man who disregards social class and rules, who respects women and cares to not exert his authority but wants her willing affection. I enjoy the conflict between selfishness and family, revenge and settling for happiness. Both of which had more importance to Margaret and Ash’s conflict than Margaret’s secret that she’s trying to ruin Ash.

In fact, Milan surprisingly bypasses that. Yes, it provides some suspense but Ash doesn’t hold it against her as much as one would expect with the real trouble coming from the dukedom debate and how Margaret cannot betray her brothers to marry Ash. Something he understands being a fiercly protective brother as well who holds great emotional sensitivity underneath his charming reserve.

Unraveled: The middle brother, Smite Turner holds himself to the utmost standard and has been nicknamed Lord Justice for his cold and unwavering demenour in court. Also for his surprising concern toward the poor he is judging instead of rubber-stamping convictions as his fellow magistrates do. But all those standards and hiding himself away from crowds and comforts is turned upside down when he sees Miranda Darling. Not because of her beauty but because she has appeared in court before, dressed entirely differently but each time providing a crucial “witness.” He cannot have this actress interfering with the justice system and so chases her down.

Miranda Darling has no choice but to do these favors for The Patron, a hidden underworld boss that protects and meats out justice in the poor districts of Bristol, not if she wants to keep the protection and keep her ward, Robbie off from the robbery circut. Yet Miranda and Smite’s paths cross and completely change their directions with Smite falling for this clever, no fuss woman that makes him consider the whys of his court cases and not just the whens and hows and Smite may be one of the important magistrates in Bristol but his past and his genuine concern from the poor provide just enough danger and caring that her heart belongs to him.

Smite is definately the most difficult to know which only makes him more interesting because his photgraphic memory of his trauma compels to keep sentimentality quotas so his emotions don’t overwhelm him. Or so he doesn’t unravel I should say. While the conflict between whether Miranda will be able to handle being second to Smite’s duty was interesting, it was a bit less compelling to the other charming Turners.

I enjoyed the contrast Milan created with the official justice system of the courts and how they ignore the voices of the poor compared to the underground justice of the Patron who does care for the poor though serves out punishments in underhand and sometimes violent manners. Also it has one of the steamiest scenes in my opinion in the opera that just body-melting.

Unlocked: Technically not about a Turner man, this novella focuses on Lady Margaret’s friend, Lady Elaine who is pretty much a spinster and resigned to the fate. She tries her best to blend into walls and not laugh her distinctive horse bray/pig snort laugh that lets her be the target of the other debutante ladies. Unfortunately she cannot prevent the snickers directed towad her oblivious, science-minded mother. Then Evan Carlton comes back to London. The man who labeled her a sport to make fun of all those years ago. I enjoyed Milan’s distinctive voice given to Carlton as being colored by his experiences in mountaineering and how she managed to create a resonably believable connection between Lady Elaine and Carlton in less than 200 pages. I particularly enjoyed the triumph of Lady Elaine regaining her confidence that was almost more exciting than the romance itself. Plus it continues Milan’s overarching thread regarding forgiveness and people being capable of change.