You know that trope where someone meets a stranger and has a great time with them—maybe they stay up all night talking, or they hit it off at a bar and go home together, or have some grand one-night-only adventure—and then soon after they discover that, that stranger is their new boss, or their friend's younger sibling, or somebodies fiancé?

The Secret Lives starts with a setup like that, and then before you know it this historical romance has evolved into a thoughtful exploration of family, class, what's just versus what's lawful, and the beauty of the natural world. This book has so much wonderful storytelling, perfectly wrapped in a fun packaging of trope-y misunderstandings, smugglers, buried treasure, and fish out of water. All in a beautiful gothic setting!

Over the last year, KJ Charles has become one of my favorite romance authors and this is an excellent addition to her body of work. Highly recommend it and eagerly awaiting the next book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This book was a delight in so many ways. This was my first KJ Charles book, but it will definitely not be my last. Gareth and Joss have a fling in London, but reconnect when Gareth inherits a country estate when his father dies. Joss is the head of a smuggling family, and these two reconnect in the marsh country when Joss blackmails Gareth to save his sister. Adventure, mystery, and romance ensue in this sweet, charming, thoughtful and fun historical romance. This book is a great mix of complex and fun. Its complexity comes from the character’s embracing love and joy as gay characters, as well as Joss being biracial. The fun comes from the mystery, adventure, and great banter and writing. Also the side characters are great and interesting, helping move the plot along to its satisfying conclusion. I love a historical romance with adventure, so I am not sure why I haven’t read KJ Charles, but they will definitely be added to my list of authors to read. Overall, I recommend this book for fans of historical romance, LGBTQ+ love stories, and adventure.

K.J. Charles' prose is tiptop, as usual. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good mystery and excellent historical details. The best part of the book was the community at Romney Marsh and the Doomsday family.

I think readers expecting a riveting romance will be less satisfied.

I just never came around on Sir Gareth. He was a milquetoast and a bit of an idiot, and I never understood what it was about him that so fascinated Joss.

Check triggers**

Read this book if you like: Dual POV third person, LGBTQ representation, opposites attract, one night stand, spicy 🔥

M/m historical romance!? Sign me up. This did not disappoint. The characters are well-developed. The banter is perfect, so is the spice. 🔥 I love that Joss is like a crime boss and Gareth is basically royalty. This was funny, sweet, sexy, and even a little suspenseful. I am so excited for the next book in the duo! I am going to read much more by K.J.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted e-book ❤️

4.5*

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was such a delight to read. But coming from K.J. Charles I wouldn't expect any less! It was mysterious and suspenseful, but also sweet and thoughtful. I think Gareth and Joss might be my favorite KJC couple. Such opposites, but so perfect together.

I really enjoyed this story so much. The intrigue, the passion, the setting all came together to make for one engaging read. KJC always does such a fantastic job of transporting me into the worlds she creates and this one was no different. I felt like I could see Romney Marsh and all it's inhabitants (human and insect) from her descriptions.

I used to think I wanted to be a pirate, but I'm rethinking that now and feel like I might be better suited as a smuggler.

Just over a year ago, I came across a book titled Slippery Creatures and quickly became obsessed with the Will Darling Adventures trilogy, I loved it so much. So when the opportunity to get a copy of this new release from K.J. Charles arose, you can bet I jumped on it! This book had all the same themes that I loved about the Will Darling Adventures but in an entirely new setting, time period, and fresh characters that are so easy to fall in love with. I couldn’t put it down and was sad to see it end.

Gareth Inglis was abandoned by his father when he was very young and was left to live with his uncle in London while his father apparently started a new family elsewhere. He’s struggled his whole life with finding somewhere to fit in. Of late, the only good thing in his life was the weeklong affair he had with a handsome man known only as Kent. But sadly the affair was over almost as quickly as it began when his lover informed him that he needed to return home. Gareth didn’t have much time to dwell on the heartbreak, though, because shortly after that he learned of his father’s passing and that he inherited a title and a large estate in the remote Romney Marsh. The Marsh is a strange place that, as Gareth quickly discovered, didn’t take kindly to “outmarsh” folks such as himself. Shortly after arriving, Gareth got himself mixed up with the local smuggling family led by Joss Doomsday who Gareth is shocked to discover was none other than his lover from back in London. Despite their rocky start, these two found it hard to stay away from one another but it was not an easy road as Gareth found himself wrapped up in a mystery that had danger coming at them from every direction. Joss and Gareth had to fight for their lives and love as they tried to unravel this mystery and find their happily ever after.

This book was such a good time. The mystery, intrigue, and danger played out like a movie and kept me flipping the pages. I loved seeing the plot get twister and twistier and then seeing it all unravel as the story reached its climax. Poor Gareth had no idea what he had gotten himself into when he arrived on the Marsh. And then all these scary people start turning up with threats and he’s left trying to figure out what on earth his father was up to and how to protect himself and his newly inherited money and family. Good thing he ended up having Joss Doomsday on his side. The entire Doomsday family was so well written and Joss was an incredibly competent leader. I must have a competency kink or something because the way Joss handled himself as head of this family really worked for me!

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Gareth and Joss! Gareth had spent his entire life feeling like he wasn’t enough and never having anyone in his corner so it meant so much to him to finally have someone like Joss on his side. It gave him a level of security that he had never been able to experience before and I think it helped him find his voice and become more courageous. Meanwhile, Joss who was so used to carrying the weight of his entire extended family on his shoulders was so used to always being strong for everyone and having little time for his own needs. Having someone like Gareth who he could rely on allowed him to let his guard down for a bit and show the vulnerability that he usually had to keep a lid on. Their pairing was so well-balanced. For all the action, adventure, and danger they faced, when it was just the two of them, there were so many scenes that were so tender and romantic - it was really beautiful. Who knew that beetle hunting in a marsh could be so romantic?

I had such a good time reading this story and I was excited to see that we’ll be returning to this world later this year when another Doomsday gets a story. I can’t wait for it!

**ARC provided by Netgalley with the understanding an unbiased review would be written.**

4.5 stars rounded up.

One of the things I love about Charles's books is that the amount of research done comes through so clearly without it being obvious. The sense of place is one of the most important parts of this book and Romney Marsh is definitely brought to life; from the smallest inhabitants to the most dangerous, including the sea, I felt like I was living on the Marsh while reading this book.

Gareth's sense of abandonment and loneliness is so heart wrenching and I can't decide if it makes it worse or better that his father didn't care about anyone, not only Gareth. I did find it hard to understand why Gareth wanted to follow in his father's footsteps since I would distance myself completely from anyone who treated me that way. But I do see how it made him change his view of Romney Marsh, from somewhere harsh and forbidding to beautiful and wonderous. Joss's life exhausts me, so much pressure and no happiness for himself until he meets Gareth. I honestly pretty much hated most of his family, his mother in particular pissed me off endlessly. However, Luke, Sophy, and Grandda were wonderful. Joss and Gareth were very sweet together, which isn't really normally the case with Charles's characters, they are often very fierce in all aspects of their lives, and while Joss was often fierce in other parts of his life he was almost entirely sweet and caring with Gareth. They filled each other's empty spots perfectly and I loved watching Gareth show Joss parts of his deeply loved home that he'd never noticed before.

This does have the usual twisty plot that is always one of the best parts of Charles's books. I can't say I didn't see some of the plot, but other parts were well hidden enough that I didn't expect them. The only thing I missed was the way she normally plays with language, the big scene where everything is going on at once and everyone is talking at cross purposes, and that I'm always left amused and amazed by. But. The fact is that the use of language is more peppered throughout because the accents and word use in the Marsh is so very specific. I also don't want to say that I wasn't on the edge of my seat at many points in this book. The whole scene with Gareth near the end and the parts leading up to that had me holding my breath and my heart racing.

I think this will, like most of Charles's books, be in my reread/listen roster. I not only loved the sense of place, but the love between two people who hadn't had the opportunity for it before they found each other was gorgeous.

With the exception of "Band Sinister", I have shamelessly adored every K.J. Charles book. And this book? Ooh, it's SO good.

After a thought-provoking quote by Adam Smith about smuggling ...

The smuggler; a person who, though no doubt highly blameable for violating the laws of his country, is frequently incapable of violating those of natural justice, and would have been, in every respect, an excellent citizen, had not the laws of his country made that a crime which nature never meant to be so.

... we meet the MCs at the Three Ducks a week into a passionate connection after seeing each other across a crowded molly house room (isn't that how the song does?) But when Kent (an alias because of his Kentish heritage) tells London that he is going back home, with promises to return on a regular basis, London nastily shuts him down.

But never fear, Kent and London meet again on Romney Marsh, located in Kent and with its proximity to the English Channel, a hotbed of smugglers since the 1600's. London's (Gareth) father unexpectedly dies, making him a baronet, Sir Gareth Inglis, master of Tench House. And eventually, Sir Gareth encounters Kent again - who possibly has the greatest name ever - Josiah Doomsday, the crown prince of the Dymchurch Doomsdays, a family of smugglers .... er, Free Traders, with a rich history in the Marsh.

What ensues is an absolutely engrossing story of the life on the Marsh, how the Doomsday family takes care of those in need, how the ethics of smuggling are muddled at best, and how Josh and Gareth get past their minor problems ("Because you're a smuggler and I'm a baronet, You're Josh Doomsday and I'm outmarsh. I informed against your sister and you blackmailed me in public!) and become everything to each other.

It's equal parts wildly romantic and terrifying, as various nefarious characters start attacking Gareth and his family, claiming they are owed something - something unnamed but they clearly believe Gareth knows what. The suspense ratchets up, the family intrigue continues, and everything resolves in a helluva dramatic ending, and I would gladly read another few hundred pages about Josh and Gareth.

So, I was overjoyed to learn that the second book in this series, A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is in the works. 5 stars and I simply cannot wait to read more about Romney Marsh and its families and characters!

I’m so upset with myself for taking so long to read the ARC I was provided (Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca!), mainly because I am absolutely in love with The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen.

I adored the story of Joss Doomsday & Gareth Inglis on the remote Romney Marsh! Sir Gareth is not only learning what it means to run an estate, but also must provide for his previously unknown family, all while living in an area swarming with a prominent smuggling clan. A clan that just happens to be led by his previous lover, Joss Doomsday. Despite the two being from extremely different backgrounds they experience parallels in their journey, like being thrust to the head of the family quite suddenly and navigating who they can be vs what they assume they should be. They both just want someone who is theirs and their’s alone. Most importantly, they communicate with one another!!!!

I do wish we could have had just a little bit more of the romance plotline. I felt like it was overshadowed at times by the smuggling drama/mystery. And they had such a sweet and lovely romance budding despite the fact it was set against all sorts of deceit and violence.

This was my first KJ Charles and certainly not my last (I’ve already got the next book on pre-order!), and I loved how Charles is able to intertwine the social and political issues of the time (some even ringing true today!) into the story and posed brilliant questions for not only the characters to ponder over but us as the readers too!

-M/M Historical Romance
-Opposites Attract
-Forbidden Romance: Gentleman & his Rogue!
-Found Family
-Mafia-esque..ish (Squint your eyes, you’ll see it!!!)
-”Touch him and you die.”

London & Kent, Gareth & Joss, whatever you decide to call them, are perfection together. They each inspire each to think and to challenge what’s been put in front of them and just want to be on the same side. Their own. They are two sides of a coin and I will forever cherish it.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own

Included as a top pick in bimonthly March New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Charles strikes again! I enjoyed this so much. An easy, quick and fun read that filled my hollow heart.

I was so glad to learn a few months back, about this upcoming new release by an author I steadily grew to adore. And imagine my surprise and utter delight when I was approved for as an advanced reader (via NetGalley)! Thank you to the publisher.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen has just the right amount of angst, romance, family drama, mystery and action, all beautifully wrapped up in KJ Charles captivating writing style.

If you’re looking for heartfelt adventure about a mistreated cinnamon roll who learns to stand up for himself and those he loves, and a smuggler with a tough image but a marshmallow heart- both learning to share with each other the burdens of life while strolling the Marsh looking for beetles - look no further.
Highly recommend for fans of the genre.

Since every KJ Charles novel merits 5 stars in my book, how can I upgrade “The Secret Lives of Gentlemen” as one of her best? Precarious situations and tense intrigue are perfectly balanced with naivete, loyalty, and love.

When Gareth shockingly inherits the barony from the father who abandoned him to a resentful, unloving uncle, Gareth also undertakes an estate, a fortune, and a love of the marshland from his disavowing dad. He also falls heir to mysterious and increasing danger for himself and his two charges, a half-sister and his father’s ex-mistress.

Equally shocking, Gareth must depend on Joss, his neighborhood smugglers’ boss, a man who Gareth almost unwittingly betrays. Only short months earlier, Joss and Gareth had been beautifully matched anonymous lovers in London – oops! Now their differences in outlook and their bad start at real life set them at odds … until mutual peril requires them to unite.

As always, Ms. Charles accomplishes a seamlessly complicated tale, adeptly integrating her many talents. She pens life-like caricatures of those who populate her stories in brief brushstrokes of language. Through Gareth’s eyes, she notes the smallest nuances of nature and conveys the harsh, but breathtaking backdrops and abundant beauty. This environment parallels Joss and Gareth, who are nuanced characters, each flawed in ways that challenge, temper and motivate one another.

“The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen,” which opens The Doomsday Book series, is one of Ms. Charles most suspenseful novels. Who threatens Gareth, and his half-sister – for what? Did his father and/or uncle engage in illicit activities? And will problems within Joss’ family bring down their smuggling operation? Could this further endanger Gareth? As the men struggle to find footing from unknown foes, they must grow to survive. Will their affection hamper or help their safety?

In other words, Ms. Charles manages to juggle all the balls of her intricate story while enriching each element and furthering our understanding of location, people, circumstances, and human interactions. While Ms. Charles ties loose ends into a lovely finale, my ultimate mystery is this. How does she manages such majesty with ease, charm, humor and gentle wisdom – making it all seem effortless?

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a fun, wild ride that contains so much of what I love about Regency romance. There’s chemistry between two people who believe they can’t be together because of their different places in society. There’s intrigue and mystery – to an almost insane degree in this case, in the form of smuggling. There’s a big, crazy family that will inevitably star in a whole series of fun, wild novels. And the only difference, the thing that makes this book break your heart sometimes, is that the two leads are men living in a time when loving who they love is illegal.

I loved Joss from his first moment on page. He’s flirty and charming and fiercely protective of his family and the life they’ve built on Romney Marsh. Gareth takes some time to open up to the other characters, and as a result, it takes some time to love him just as much. His journey from Outmarsh (outsider) to Marshman (one of us!) is totally worth the patience. And by the end of the book, you’re going to love them individually, love the men they’ve become, and want them to find their happy ending so badly you’ll be willing to fight society for its prejudices right alongside them.

Aside from the central relationship (which is both very steamy and sweetly romantic in turns), there’s so much going on that at times it feels like too much. Romney Marsh is as much a character as the people in it, and Charles writes about it beautifully, bringing it to life. And with so many supporting characters, there felt like a ton of diverging storylines. Until they came together in a massive tangle at the end. It can definitely still feel like a bit much, but all the threads do weave together in a way that makes a lot of sense and delivers a dramatic payoff.

All in all, I’m very excited to read about more of the Doomsday family, and I’ll be following their series.

While I enjoyed this book, it wasn't as enjoyable as I had thought it would be. Joss and Gareth were an interesting couple but I find it hard to believe they would have so easily associated with one another given the differences in their class standings. Too much happened in the second half of the book - it felt rushed and disorganized. While I realize I'm in the minority opinion, I don't think I'll be rushing to get the next book in this series.

**ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

A delightful and fun read/historical romance! I loved the relationship between Joss/Gareth. I was put off by the depth of callousness of Gareth towards (spoiler: Lionel's death), but otherwise loved the book!!

K.J. Charles has delivered a delicious tale of adventure, passion, and danger that swept me away from the very first page. Stolen moments with a mystery man quickly change to Barony responsibilities deep in the countryside where Gareth feels even more like an outsider. Or outmarsh as the case may be.

Gareth and Joss were absolutely delightful! It goes without saying, the yearning and passion was delicious, but I truly loved the banter and deep conversations the couple had. Working past the knee-jerk defensive comments to speak plainly about smuggling, the harsh realities of war for the Marsh, and personal histories. Angst-levels were relatively mild for Gareth and Joss's tale. There is the typical threat of forced-outing and homophobic remarks but K.J. Charles didn't leave those moments unchallenged.

Gareth's growth was the strongest. His history coupled with his desire to learn more about his absent father morphing into a hobby that fascinates him and eventually turns into the best euphemism: "Gone beetle hunting." Joss had his own bit of growth that was just as important. While he makes his living with smuggling, he is struggling with his loyalty and duty to family and balancing it with his own life, love, and happiness. The Doomsdays were a vibrant clan; characters to love and loathe all mixed together.

Side note: I was intrigued by the specifics of smuggling and how it related to Napoleon.

I'm looking forward to the next Doomsday novel! It will be hard to top my love for Gareth and Joss but I am optimistic. In the meantime, I can feel a backlist binge session coming on. Apologies to my TBR and adult responsibilities!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for my digital review copy!

Sir Gareth Inglis is not a happy camper. He is on the outs with his boyfriend. He lost his job. He does not know what he will do with his life when he receives a message that his father has died. With his father's death he inherits the title of baronet and a house in the country that is occupied by his father's mistress/housekeeper and his half-sister. Gareth hasn't had an easy life, but he wants to try to get to know his family. The locals view this outsider wandering all over the place as a bit strange as well as suspicious. Gareth also discovers the boyfriend he broke up with in London is a local in his new neighborhood. This is a wonderful mystery that contains smuggling (aka Free Trade), diving beetles, stolen guineas, bad parents, and bad men searching for money and power.

The threats are A+ entertaining.

"Romance with a body count" is right on track. There are several confirmed fatalities and a few that remain missing.

If you are wondering if you should read this, the answer is yes. Do not hesitate. It is wonderful.

5 Stars

“The touch of his hands, the wonder in his eyes, the astonishing sense of familiarity, as though he and Gareth had somehow slipped past one another all their lives and their meeting was long overdue.”

If the story of a random hook up that leads to something ✨mOrE✨ but not before all manner of sin & chaos takes place sounds appealing to you, you’re going to want to pick up The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles.

This was a fun romance with some pretty serious stakes that made for great suspense and an intriguing mystery. Our setting, Romney Marsh reads like it’s own character and if you have a single naturalist bone in your body, you’ll feel your own thrill for Gareth’s beetle and newt discoveries and Joss’ love and appreciation for the only place he’s ever called home.

If you asked me what Charles’ signature was {aside from her steamy scenes} I would say it’s her jump-right-off-the-page side characters {in this case keep an eye out for Catherine, Sophy & Ma}

Some of the smuggler jargon and logistics was lost on me, but if you have a particular interest in this niche aspect of history, you will eat it up.

Special thanks to @sourcebookscasa & @netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman is available today!

This was a wonderful read, Full of heartwarming moments, suspenseful events, and scoundrels. Gareth's feeling of loneliness is strong and full of heartache, entering a role, wanting a realm of quietness and ground only to inherit a world of mystery and criminals. Joss was a surprising man. Full of loyalty and a wish to just sit and breathe but full of responsibilities. This opposites attract, beautifully written novel of two men who want to be together is a warm hug in a marshy land. I've gushed about this one to coworkers who cannot wait for this to come out.

When Sir Gareth Inglis arrives in Kent to take over the family title and rambling estate from the father who abandoned him as a child, the very last person he expects to encounter on the marshes is his former lover. He is even more startled to realize that his former anonymous paramour is the leader of a notorious local smuggling gang, Joss Doomsday. Their reunion is a rocky one, as might be expected given their fight when parting ways some weeks earlier…and the fact that Joss has just blackmailed Gareth.. But there are larger forces at play and before long Gareth and Joss are dragged into a dangerous mystery and back towards each other.

I adored Joss and Gareth and the world of the Romney Marsh that KJ Charles brings to life in this extremely well crafted, fun, sweet, and surprisingly thrilling romance/mystery. Gareth and Joss are such different characters but I never doubted their suitability for each other in an opposites attract kind of way, in part because of how incredible the communication between the two of them unfolds across the book. Truly whatever the opposite of the miscommunication trope is, it’s this. Apart from the carefully plotted mystery (which could have stood to be a little more clearly wrapped up, a minor quibble), this was also just so well written. I felt like I was falling in love with the marsh alongside Gareth, and the romantic and action sequences were punctuated by well timed comedy that always kept things moving forward. This was my first KJ Charles but absolutely will not be my last!