Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 
 Rag and Bone is a mix of Regency, fantasy, and mystery, and while some parts were stronger than others, the two heroes and the rapidly developing plot kept me reading for hours longer than I intended. 
 Before I get into what I liked about this story, I want to give you a heads up about its location in a larger world, and in a series. This book is part of the Charm of Magpies world, and I haven't read any of the other books in the series. I'm pretty sure I met some past characters, or maybe future characters, in this book, and their presence didn't detract from the story for me. There is also a prequel novella to this story, A Queer Trade, which I haven't read, and I don't think you need to read it to understand this book. That said, the romance elements might have been more developed or more pronounced in this book if I'd read the prior novella, which details how Ned and Crispin met. 
 The mix of mystery, fantasy, and romance worked really well for me. I read this book in one sitting, which isn't difficult given that it's about 145 pages, but I didn't want to stop reading. I liked that the relationship started in what I would call the late-beginning/early-middle stage, where both men knew and liked one another, but weren't sure how to make a permanent connection work emotionally or logistically. I really liked Crispin's magical talent and would eagerly read a whole series just about graphomancy and how writing can create magic. The dialogue was also intensely layered, because each character was trying to communicate clearly, but they misread one another's motivations, and a lot of the time ended up talking at cross-purposes. Their understanding of each other was hampered by their insecurities, and they couldn't bring themselves to be honest about those feelings until closer to the end of the story. 
 I wish there had been more space for both Ned and Crispin's characters to have been developed and explored; there was just enough backstory for each man to make their actions and decisions logical and credible, but I wanted more, in part because I liked reading about them so much. For a shorter story in a world I haven't read before, I found this book to be rich and enjoyable, with a good balance of emotional complications that seemed logical within that world, and a mystery that had real stakes for both the world and the individual protagonists. 
 - SB Sarah