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Lilywhite Boys #0.5
The Rat-Catcher's Daughter
Music-hall singer Miss Christiana is in serious debt, and serious trouble. She owes more than she can pay to a notorious criminal, and now he plans to make an example of her. There's no way out.
But Christiana has an admirer. Stan Kamarzyn has watched her sing for a year and he doesn't want to see her get hurt. Stan's nobody special--just a dodgy bloke from Bethnal Green--but he's got useful friends. Friends who can get a girl out of trouble, for a price. Christiana's not sure what it will cost her...
The two slowly reach an understanding. But Christiana is no criminal, and she can't risk getting mixed up with the law. What will happen when Stan's life as the fence for the notorious Lilywhite Boys brings trouble to his doorstep?
A trans f/m asexual romance novelette (17,000 words), set two years before Any Old Diamonds.
Content warnings: Story opens with misgendering/transphobia and threat of violence.
But Christiana has an admirer. Stan Kamarzyn has watched her sing for a year and he doesn't want to see her get hurt. Stan's nobody special--just a dodgy bloke from Bethnal Green--but he's got useful friends. Friends who can get a girl out of trouble, for a price. Christiana's not sure what it will cost her...
The two slowly reach an understanding. But Christiana is no criminal, and she can't risk getting mixed up with the law. What will happen when Stan's life as the fence for the notorious Lilywhite Boys brings trouble to his doorstep?
A trans f/m asexual romance novelette (17,000 words), set two years before Any Old Diamonds.
Content warnings: Story opens with misgendering/transphobia and threat of violence.
61 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2019
65 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Charles
66 books12.4k followersKJ is moving to Storygraph.
KJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads. I won't read it.
KJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads. I won't read it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
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July 23, 2019A Lilywhite Boys short story, in which we meet Miss Christiana, the music-hall songstress, and Stan Kamarzyn, the Lilywhite Boys' fence. Plus Templeton and Jerry at play, two years before Any Old Diamonds and Gilded Cage. This story was a lot of fun to write and fills in a few of the gaps from the full-length books--hope you enjoy it!
December 16, 2019
*3.5 stars*
Content warnings: transphobia, misgendering, violence
I really liked that K.J. Charles brought trans and ace representation into her historical romance, and I enjoyed this short little novella set in the Lilywhite Boys universe.
Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of Any Old Diamonds, so I was a little hesitant to try this one, but K.J. Charles write so well and incorporates so much diversity into her historical romance that I had to give it a go.
I have to say, I wish the story was a bit longer because it was hard to get a real feel for the romance and romantic chemistry between the two MCs, but I liked what I did read. I thought it was a very nice intro to the series and a effective little story, even if it didn't wow me.
Solid read, well worth the $0.99, for those interested.
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Content warnings: transphobia, misgendering, violence
I really liked that K.J. Charles brought trans and ace representation into her historical romance, and I enjoyed this short little novella set in the Lilywhite Boys universe.
Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of Any Old Diamonds, so I was a little hesitant to try this one, but K.J. Charles write so well and incorporates so much diversity into her historical romance that I had to give it a go.
I have to say, I wish the story was a bit longer because it was hard to get a real feel for the romance and romantic chemistry between the two MCs, but I liked what I did read. I thought it was a very nice intro to the series and a effective little story, even if it didn't wow me.
Solid read, well worth the $0.99, for those interested.
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
January 30, 2025
bit of a palate cleanser - i've been itching for a Gilded Cage reread, but i might just do the entire series now. still can't believe the woman wrote a stan named Stan. what an icon
ORIGINAL JULY '23 REVIEW:
friends, romans, countrymen, guess who finally clawed her way out of her fic-reading daze! i have escaped the alluring halls of ao3 and i deliver onto you...a review!!! *audience cheers with abandon, ladies throw their knickers, men openly weep*
ahem, where was i? this here is a story about a stan named stan (inspired) and the main pop girlie he falls in love with, featuring wonderful guest appearances by our very own lilywhite boys.
i really loved stan - i mean i loved christiana too, but stan is just...such a good egg!! also, what a relatable icon: "He washed, changed his clothes, and had a half-hour lie down and a little cry." aren't we all stan when you think about it??
loved the tender ace romance (made me tear up ngl!! i love seeing good ace rep!), adored the wit. kjc just delights in a nifty turn of phrase doesn't she?! "The moustache humped over his lips like a ferret about to escape." - i mean you can just SEE it, can't you??
"'If will you go around defenestrating people, I don't know what you expect.'
'How dare you cast such aspersions.'
'It means chucking them out of windows. They don't teach you anything at Eton, do they? Just wanking and giving orders.'" - i love jerry and temp your honour!!! amoral criminals for the win!! also you are so right jerry my lad, drag the aristos
anyway yes, a wonderful time was had, i am simply vibrating with the urge to read temp and susan's story. 4.5 stars rounded up!
ORIGINAL JULY '23 REVIEW:
friends, romans, countrymen, guess who finally clawed her way out of her fic-reading daze! i have escaped the alluring halls of ao3 and i deliver onto you...a review!!! *audience cheers with abandon, ladies throw their knickers, men openly weep*
ahem, where was i? this here is a story about a stan named stan (inspired) and the main pop girlie he falls in love with, featuring wonderful guest appearances by our very own lilywhite boys.
i really loved stan - i mean i loved christiana too, but stan is just...such a good egg!! also, what a relatable icon: "He washed, changed his clothes, and had a half-hour lie down and a little cry." aren't we all stan when you think about it??
loved the tender ace romance (made me tear up ngl!! i love seeing good ace rep!), adored the wit. kjc just delights in a nifty turn of phrase doesn't she?! "The moustache humped over his lips like a ferret about to escape." - i mean you can just SEE it, can't you??
"'If will you go around defenestrating people, I don't know what you expect.'
'How dare you cast such aspersions.'
'It means chucking them out of windows. They don't teach you anything at Eton, do they? Just wanking and giving orders.'" - i love jerry and temp your honour!!! amoral criminals for the win!! also you are so right jerry my lad, drag the aristos
anyway yes, a wonderful time was had, i am simply vibrating with the urge to read temp and susan's story. 4.5 stars rounded up!
December 18, 2025
Sweet little novella that I should have read before books 1 & 2 of the series but oh well. Asexual rep.
March 25, 2023
3.5 stars
An author I had never heard of and a series that I thought might be right up my alley. So I started with the .05 prequel to the 3 book series. Knowing that my library does not carry the books and I would have to buy them from Amazon, having been written in London by an English author they have not made their way across the lake yet! Not that they will be expensive - all 3 books, plus the prequel, come to under $10.
What I learned from the prequel is that a lot of the introductory work for the series was done here. At 61 pages it was a good intro for what to expect and we are told that some of the 'gaps' are filled in within the prequel.
We meet Miss Christiana, the music-hall songstress, and Stan Kamarzyn, the clock maker. Neither are what you see at face value. Miss Christiana is trans, and Stan is a fence for the Lilywhite Boys. It is London 1893. There is an indication that Miss Christiana may be a person of color, while Stan is a very quiet and shy white Polish man.
The first book of the series is Any Old Diamonds. The whole series, including the prequel, is rated over 4 stars in Goodreads.
An author I had never heard of and a series that I thought might be right up my alley. So I started with the .05 prequel to the 3 book series. Knowing that my library does not carry the books and I would have to buy them from Amazon, having been written in London by an English author they have not made their way across the lake yet! Not that they will be expensive - all 3 books, plus the prequel, come to under $10.
What I learned from the prequel is that a lot of the introductory work for the series was done here. At 61 pages it was a good intro for what to expect and we are told that some of the 'gaps' are filled in within the prequel.
We meet Miss Christiana, the music-hall songstress, and Stan Kamarzyn, the clock maker. Neither are what you see at face value. Miss Christiana is trans, and Stan is a fence for the Lilywhite Boys. It is London 1893. There is an indication that Miss Christiana may be a person of color, while Stan is a very quiet and shy white Polish man.
The first book of the series is Any Old Diamonds. The whole series, including the prequel, is rated over 4 stars in Goodreads.
March 30, 2020
Funny, sweet and lovely.
February 19, 2025
Reread- Who cares if its a short story....this was lovely and I am giving it a solid 4.
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I am giving it a 3-star only because it's a novella otherwise the characters and the story definitely deserve 5 stars. The MC, Miss Christiana is trans, asexual and the love interest is Polish. The romance was super sweet. And, I also loved the movie-style entry scene of Lily White boys.
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I am giving it a 3-star only because it's a novella otherwise the characters and the story definitely deserve 5 stars. The MC, Miss Christiana is trans, asexual and the love interest is Polish. The romance was super sweet. And, I also loved the movie-style entry scene of Lily White boys.
October 8, 2019
This is an interesting novella set in the Lilywhite Boys series, with two engaging main characters. Both Stan, with his shy diffidence, and Christiana in all her complexity and vulnerable determination, caught my attention right away. Their romance is sweet and tentative, a case of somehow against all odds finding your match. The Lilywhite Boys are here in their roughest incarnation, justice and crime in one double package. The historical context is limited but realistic. And yay for a book with trans and ace characters in it.
December 30, 2022
маленьке оповідання як завершальний штрих до цієї серії (хоча хронологічно воно найперше). хочеться відмітити момент, де головна героя поляка з наміром образити називають Russy - і він на це ображається, бо хто б ні?! цікаво, що авторка таке чуствує
September 26, 2019
Thoroughly heart-warming in the best way, and the trans/ace rep was wonderful. There was just something so simple and lovely about Stan and Christiana slowly discovering that they were actually on a page about "sticking bits in other bits" (lol, accurate) and the way that being truly seen and appreciated for who they were made them blossom, for lack of a better word.
In less mushy news, I loved meeting Jerry and Templeton again, and this novelette has been the perfect hors d'oeuvre for Gilded Cage, which I've been looking forward to so much. I cannot wait for the glorious fury of Susan!
In less mushy news, I loved meeting Jerry and Templeton again, and this novelette has been the perfect hors d'oeuvre for Gilded Cage, which I've been looking forward to so much. I cannot wait for the glorious fury of Susan!
October 24, 2019
3.5 stars
An trans/asexual romance from KJ Charles. YAY! It's a short story (less than 20k) so things go quite fast. It has transphobia in the beginning; a little reminder for those who might be more sensitive.
I thought the relationship were sweet, especially when Christina and Stan both realized that neither one of them didn't care about the sexual part of relationship *grin*.
When Stan said "But I don’t need to, you know, stick bits in other bits to prove that", it resonated with me so much as an asexual, I had to smile widely.
An trans/asexual romance from KJ Charles. YAY! It's a short story (less than 20k) so things go quite fast. It has transphobia in the beginning; a little reminder for those who might be more sensitive.
I thought the relationship were sweet, especially when Christina and Stan both realized that neither one of them didn't care about the sexual part of relationship *grin*.
When Stan said "But I don’t need to, you know, stick bits in other bits to prove that", it resonated with me so much as an asexual, I had to smile widely.
January 20, 2020
This was a sweet little novella. I adored it and it's my favourite 100% ace romance that I've read. One MC is a charming transwoman and the other is a down-to-earth Polish immigrant. I would have loved this to be a wee bit longer, because Christiana and Stan are so lovely together. It's KJ Charles, so there's plenty of tender moments combined with lots of action, delightful violence, and beating up the bad guys. There's transphobia early on, but not to worry, our plucky MCs win the day and fall in love. Yay!
October 23, 2019
My heart is so warm from this ace/ace love story <3 <3
June 9, 2020
Short and sweet, with a little suspense thrown in. I had the biggest smile on my face when they shared their first kiss! Miss Christiana and Stan were just so cute together!
February 23, 2022
”I’m Christiana, really. That’s who I am. I dress like this when I need to, if it’s safer, like tonight. Or, rather, like I thought tonight would be, not how it is. But if you want to get it right in your head, I’m always Christiana.”
“Underneath, even when you’re dressed this way? Got it.”
The brown eyes on his were a wonder, coffee spiked with molten gold. “Do you know something? I like you, Stan.” “
“I like you too,” Stan said, and sat smiling at her, amazed at his own daring.
This was so sweet and I wanted more. Also my first asexual romance!
“Underneath, even when you’re dressed this way? Got it.”
The brown eyes on his were a wonder, coffee spiked with molten gold. “Do you know something? I like you, Stan.” “
“I like you too,” Stan said, and sat smiling at her, amazed at his own daring.
This was so sweet and I wanted more. Also my first asexual romance!
May 30, 2021
I sure do love the world of the Lilywhite Boys. It was fun to come back to this prequel and get all the good Jerry and Templeton content. But of course the best part was watching Christiana and Stan navigate a relationship. Stan was so careful about making sure she never felt obligated to him. He’d had a crush on her for months, from the first time he ever saw her on stage. Because they’re both asexual, the relationship follows different beats but it ends in a definite HEA nonetheless. They were so great together. If I have one wish, it would be that it hadn’t started off with transphobia from the villain.
Character notes: Christiana is a trans asexual singer. She is described as having tawny skin but it’s not clear if she’s a POC. Stan is a white asexual Polish repair shop owner and fencer of stolen goods. This is set in 1893 London.
CW: misgendering and deadnaming by villain, abduction, physical violence, murder in self-defense (by secondary character), FMC is estranged from her family (father through her out when he caught her dressed in her sister’s clothes), MMC was previously in prison for stealing, alcohol, ableist language
Character notes: Christiana is a trans asexual singer. She is described as having tawny skin but it’s not clear if she’s a POC. Stan is a white asexual Polish repair shop owner and fencer of stolen goods. This is set in 1893 London.
CW: misgendering and deadnaming by villain, abduction, physical violence, murder in self-defense (by secondary character), FMC is estranged from her family (father through her out when he caught her dressed in her sister’s clothes), MMC was previously in prison for stealing, alcohol, ableist language
June 1, 2021
After reading Any Old Diamonds, I learned of this brief prequel to the series which gives us a bit more insight into the Lilywhite Boys, Jerry and Templeton, and shows how they work together like a well-oiled machine, complete with brass knuckles, weapons and a take-no-prisoners attitude.
This gentle love story between Stan (Jerry and Templeton's fence) and his dancehall crush, Miss Christina, is sweet and I like the way the author frames this asexual / trans relationship. The author also gives us a truly terrifying rescue scene and a vile character that we will see in the other books in the series. 3.5 stars.
This gentle love story between Stan (Jerry and Templeton's fence) and his dancehall crush, Miss Christina, is sweet and I like the way the author frames this asexual / trans relationship. The author also gives us a truly terrifying rescue scene and a vile character that we will see in the other books in the series. 3.5 stars.
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September 25, 2019I... don't know how to rate this. Overall I think I liked it? Even if it did feel a little incoherent at times. And it definitely made me want to read the shit out of Templeton's book. But the issues I had with the trans rep - something I'm probably not in a position to talk about but I'm still bothered by nonetheless - cast the biggest shadow, and that's what's going to stay with me.
March 29, 2020
Short and enjoyable. I liked to met Stan and Miss Christiana.
October 26, 2021
"Донька щуролова" — це чи то маленька повістина, чи то велике оповідання, яке є приквелом у цій серії про викрадачів коштовностей, натомість для мене воно стало дуже гарним і оптимістичним завершенням серії. В книжках-довгограях ми ближче знайомимося з власне викрадачами — Джеррі і Темпом (між іншим, вони тут наче стихія, такі крутецькі) — ця ж книжка про третього в їхній команді, Стена, який збуває накрадене ними, і його романтичний інтерес — чарівну солодкоголосу Крістіану.
Стен, який оригінально Станіслав Камарзін (постійно хочеться прочитати Кармазін, або навіть Каразін, як той дядько, ім'я якого носить Харківський університет) виходець зі Східної Польщі, і він став на злочинний шлях радше з потреби, ніж з власної волі, бо ж великій родині треба фінансово допомагати. Крістіана — трансгендерна жінка, яка співає в м'юзик-голі. Разом вони — неймовірно мила парочка асексуалів (але не аромантиків), які за лічені сторінки встигають врятувати одне одного з лабет справжнього бандюка і переконати мене у тому, що вони створені одне для одного.
З цією книжечкою я дочитала останню з на сьогодні виданих серій К.Дж. Чарлз, і мені трохи сумно від цього. Лишилося всього кілька стенделонів, припасених на чорний день, тож сподіваюсь, що їй найближчим часом писатиметься швидко. )
Стен, який оригінально Станіслав Камарзін (постійно хочеться прочитати Кармазін, або навіть Каразін, як той дядько, ім'я якого носить Харківський університет) виходець зі Східної Польщі, і він став на злочинний шлях радше з потреби, ніж з власної волі, бо ж великій родині треба фінансово допомагати. Крістіана — трансгендерна жінка, яка співає в м'юзик-голі. Разом вони — неймовірно мила парочка асексуалів (але не аромантиків), які за лічені сторінки встигають врятувати одне одного з лабет справжнього бандюка і переконати мене у тому, що вони створені одне для одного.
З цією книжечкою я дочитала останню з на сьогодні виданих серій К.Дж. Чарлз, і мені трохи сумно від цього. Лишилося всього кілька стенделонів, припасених на чорний день, тож сподіваюсь, що їй найближчим часом писатиметься швидко. )
January 21, 2026
Though there wasn’t a whole lot of plot or story to this novella, the characters were lovely and I was really happy to see both the trans rep and the ace rep ❤️ Both identities are very close to my heart, being ace myself and given my favorite and most loved person is trans, it’s wonderful to read characters that resonate with my own experience.
3.5 stars for the story as a whole.
4 stars for my level of enjoyment.
3.5 stars for the story as a whole.
4 stars for my level of enjoyment.
March 31, 2021
Fun and sweet and I loved the ace and trans rep. I just wish it was a bit longer so the romance was more developed.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
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September 26, 2019Romances at this length (not quite at novella word count) are difficult to review, because if I like the romance, I really do want more of it.
And I liked the romance here a lot. When the two asexual characters are able to articulate to each other that identity, their mutual joy at their recognition was genuinely a heart-leaping moment, and they continued being able to develop and define their romance as they wished, as they dreamed. It was lovely.
At times, though, this felt like too much Templeton. Thief that he was, he stole every scene he was in, and that took away from the romance focus I really wanted. I know, I'm super impatient for Gilded Cage, too, because Susan Lazarus is in line to become my most favorite K.J. Charles character (position currently held by Justin Lazarus), and I know this story is meant to be just a short story, but I could have happily had more of Christiana's background and life, too.
And I liked the romance here a lot. When the two asexual characters are able to articulate to each other that identity, their mutual joy at their recognition was genuinely a heart-leaping moment, and they continued being able to develop and define their romance as they wished, as they dreamed. It was lovely.
At times, though, this felt like too much Templeton. Thief that he was, he stole every scene he was in, and that took away from the romance focus I really wanted. I know, I'm super impatient for Gilded Cage, too, because Susan Lazarus is in line to become my most favorite K.J. Charles character (position currently held by Justin Lazarus), and I know this story is meant to be just a short story, but I could have happily had more of Christiana's background and life, too.
September 26, 2021
I’ll start by saying I love all that KJ Charles writes and now have very high standards as all the recent books I have read have been hers. This book was written excellently as always but it just wasn’t a personal favourite of mine. I often don’t love the shortness of a Novella and personally just didn’t find myself connecting with the MC’s although I’ll note that I think it’s great that KJ Charles includes trans/asexual characters in her stories. I did love the intro to the Lilywhite Boys and couldn’t get enough of Jerry and Templeton’s parts of the story as I’m a sucker for a bad boy duo with witty banter. Also loved the mention of Pen and how this is a connected world which I felt familiar in. Overall it’s a great read to get the back story and introduction to many of the characters in the LillyWhite boys stories which I enjoyed wholeheartedly.
May 25, 2022
A cog jumping in the brain, a thing going wrong. It didn’t make any sense to stare at a stranger and think, ‘Yes, oh yes.’
3.5 stars. Short stories rarely do much for me these days, especially if it's about completely new-to-me characters. But I still really liked this, despite the shortness. A really sweet historical ace love story between a cabaret singer and a fence. There's a lot of ugliness surrounding Stan and Christiana, but they themselves are so lovely to read about. And I'm VERY glad I read this series in publishing order rather than chronological order. The Lilywhite Boys make appearances here, and I loved them soooo much, more so because I already knew them.
A great, quick, diverting read.
Content warnings:
April 27, 2020
Between four and five stars. I really loved this romance! I wanted many more pages of these two being adorable, kind, and loving together, but I am a serious devotee of fluff. The story also has a plot, involving violence and crime.
It takes place before the events of Any Old Diamonds and could be read on its own, so it works as a teaser for that book series. My criticism is that Jerry and Templeton got slightly too much page time, in a romance about other characters. But I did really enjoy reading this, and they're all great characters.
It takes place before the events of Any Old Diamonds and could be read on its own, so it works as a teaser for that book series. My criticism is that Jerry and Templeton got slightly too much page time, in a romance about other characters. But I did really enjoy reading this, and they're all great characters.
October 29, 2019
At this point, I'll read anything K.J. Charles writes and love it, but I love it when one of her stories surprises me. I absolutely adored the pairing of Stan and Christiana, it was so sweet to see both find happiness and acceptance against all hopes. Really, my only complaint is that it was too short.
Oh and pretty please, can we have more asexual romances? Just saying.
Oh and pretty please, can we have more asexual romances? Just saying.
October 1, 2019
3,5 stars
Lovely trans f / m romance with asexual MCs. I loved the moments of sweetness and tenderness between the MCs but could have done without the transphobia in the initial scene. It know it's a novellete but I still felt the "I love yous" were a bit rushed.
Lovely trans f / m romance with asexual MCs. I loved the moments of sweetness and tenderness between the MCs but could have done without the transphobia in the initial scene. It know it's a novellete but I still felt the "I love yous" were a bit rushed.
July 9, 2021
I'm bad bad at reviewing novellas-this one was just enough, but it won't escape the novella curse, still only going to be 3.45897.
February 1, 2025
An absolute delight. A music hall artist and a shy quiet man, the sweetest dates and kisses, and a crazy bunch of criminals. My only complaint? It was just too short!
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