I have been a fan of KJ Charles for several years, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read her first traditionally published novel.

I was hooked from the very beginning. I suppose you could call this a second chance romance, as Gareth and Joss first meet in London, where they spend a week hooking up. But then Joss has to return to Kent and Gareth, who values his privacy and anonymity—they know each other as London and Kent—declines to share his contact information with Joss.

When the two men meet again, Gareth has inherited his estranged father’s baronetcy on Romney Marsh and Joss is the head of a formidable smuggling clan. Despite their close proximity, the wide chasm between social classes leaves few reasons for why the two men should interact. Yet life in the marsh is different from “outmarsh”, as Gareth quickly learns.

This is also a tale of found family: Gareth was sent to live with his uncle as a boy, and never felt as though he belonged anywhere. At first, he doesn’t know what to make of the Doomsday Clan and their fierce loyalty to each other, but as he experiences the danger the marsh holds, he appreciates that said loyalty extends to his family.

Gareth and Joss have great chemistry, and despite the looming threat and that aforementioned danger, they manage to spend time together, making up for the unfortunate circumstances surrounding their first parting. But even more important than the chemistry is the banter. Those two have some of the best banter and this book had me smiling just as often as biting my nails.

Longtime fans of KJ Charles’ previous books will appreciate that this book contains one of the best setdowns since Maltravers was put in his place. I can’t give any details, but wow, you’re going to love it.

I would absolutely recommend The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. If you’ve never read one of KJ Charles’ novels, this is an excellent place to start. And if you’ve read every single book in Charles’ back catalog, you’re going to love this newest book. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!
I received a digital ARC of this book from Sourcebooks/NetGalley

Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and always expects disappointment. While he fell for a charming stranger, he expects the worst when his lover must return home. Gareth becomes Sir Gareth when his father abruptly dies, forcing a move to Romney Marsh with the family he never met. The Marsh is full of smugglers, including a very familiar man. This turns out to be Joss Doomsday, the head of a smuggling clan. Though their reunion is tense, Joss and Gareth want to be together. Secrets abound, and the two must rely on each other to unravel them.

This is book one of the Doomsday Books series, and I'm eager to see the rest of it. Poor Gareth was abandoned by his father, who simply couldn't be bothered to deal with anyone or anything outside of his creature comforts. His father didn't even update his will, so his daughter isn't provided for. Gareth is kinder than he thinks he is, as he sets up Cecelia and allows her aunt to stay in the house and tries to be a good brother. He wants to do the right thing, including upholding the law when most on the Marsh only have a passing acquaintance with it. This sets Joss and Gareth at odds, and they wouldn't talk again if Cecelia wasn't attacked and Gareth thinks a Doomsday did it.

As the two get closer, there's more to find out about Gareth's family, the people after him, and even the Doomsday family themselves. It sucked me in, because, on top of the Regency time period and class concerns, the family dynamics of both men are straight-up drama. Gareth has to reconfigure his view of his family and the law. Joss also must realize that he can't run everything on his own. They have different areas of expertise and experience and help make each other better men. The final push to the ending is exciting, and the threat against them is decidedly lethal. As a Regency romance novel, we have a happily ever after between our heroes as well as a hint that the money might be a hook for future books. Gareth and Joss are in a good place together, and they really deserve to be.

Amazing. Perfect combination of romance, intrigue, adventure, spicy love scenes, and family drama. I'm not an expert on LGBTQIA+ romance (mostly because I just don't read much romance), but this was delightful. The main characters, the supporting characters, the setting - all written perfectly. I love when I read a book and forget I'm actually reading because it feels like I'm just there. Honestly, I alternated between reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook. It was mostly a seamless transition that probably would have been helped had I started with the audiobook. I started reading the e-book and then loved it so much that I needed to continue the story without interruption, but stupid life meant I had to work, so I immediately requested the audiobook and was thrilled to receive it and not have to call in sick! The narrator didn't sound quite like I imagined in my head initially, but I was so into the story, that I quickly got over that and was sucked right back in. I haven't loved a romance novel this much in YEARS. I cannot wait for the next book! Now I'm trying to decide what to read next by KJ Charles! Highly recommend for any romance fance, especially m/m romance.

I love a good regency style M/M story and I found this one delightful. At first, I really wasn't sure I would get into it because the language was out of my comfort zone (foreign not nasty) but as the story progressed, I found myself getting invested in all of the characters (including some of the not quite as nice characters -- waiting for their comeuppance lol). The writing was beautifully descriptive and I found myself wishing I were there seeing the beauty of the country she was describing. I wouldn't really say they were both gentlemen though to be fair. I mean Doomsday is a smuggler and not a titled man. However, when it came down to it, he would protect anyone and everyone he loved, even if it cost him everything. I found myself cheering for the "bad guy" lol. I definitely need to read more books by this author.

This book is not something I would typically read, but I decided to open up and give it a go

I am so not a prude, but found myself looking over my should and blushing at certain spots in the story.

It is definitely a spicy romance story. I did so enjoy the storyline. The setting was expertly done and the story was very entertaining.

Am so glad I gave it a try.

Solid 4 stars. Recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #TheSecretLivesofCountryGentlemen in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by KJ Charles and I really enjoyed so much about it. I really liked the way the relationship between the 2 MCs developed over time. It was believable and sweet. I also liked how she handled the issues they had with their families. It was well thought out and executed. To be honest, I got bored with the smuggling storyline and the explanation of what happened and how they figured it out was a bit confusing but it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book itself. I will be looking forward to reading more books by KJ Charles.

This was my first K.J. Charles book and I definitely see what all they hype is about. The main romance between London and Kent (Gareth and Joss) was the best part of this book - their tender meetings mixed with the class difference drama made for a juicy conflict that had my heart swooning. I loved reading about life on the Marsh and the different personalities. If I had any criticism it would be that I wanted more about the life there and the romance and less of the murder and intrigue.

When Gareth's father dies unexpectedly he not only inherits the baroncy and his father's home and money but also his father's problems. Gareth has to learn fast what it means to be the head of the household on the marsh as well as how best to properly placate a teenage girl. It's a real fish out of water situation made all the more complicated by the Doomsday clan and their various dealings on the marsh.

I'm definitely excited to read more from Charles as well as more from the Doomsdays.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

“It’s a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight” has a long history of truth to it. Joss Doomsday and his clan feel no particular loyalty to king and crown. The Doomsdays do what they must to survive, and they do it on their own terms—even if it means bartering with the enemy. They take care of themselves and their own on Romney Marsh. That the rich also happen to benefit from their smuggling merely keeps the wheels of commerce greased.

Sir Gareth Inglis is outmarsh. He’s a stranger in a strange land in more ways than one. His father’s rejection and years of living in London with an uncle who didn’t want him and a cousin who bullied him have left their mark on him. His father’s recent death and the unexpected inheritance that came with it brings Gareth to the Marsh in search of answers to a number of questions. It’s here that he will learn what it means to be a part of something, somewhere, and to find a place he’s wanted. His true inheritance is priceless.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is transportive historical fiction and quintessential KJ Charles. The sense of time and place are gorgeously illustrated, at times bucolic, idyllic, while at others depicting the dangers and pitfalls of a being an outsider on close-knit turf. This book is dazzling, from the moment Gareth and Joss meet, using aliases, to the moment they part and then are reunited under bitterly divisive circumstances. This is a story about Gareth learning and, more crucially, earning his place as a Marshman. It’s a story about them both learning what it means to lean on and trust someone, and to be leaned on and trusted.

There is a robust cast of characters who give the story a flavor unique to its setting. Every scene is enriched by the people portraying it. Even those who are less than pleasant, sometimes especially them. What’s a good hero’s journey without a few villains along the way, after all? The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a story of daring and courage in the face of fear, including when it means falling in love. Especially when it means falling in love.

For fans of this author, fans of superlative Historical Romance, this book is a must-read.

Right up front I want to tell you that this is not my usual read - it's a full-on romance novel.

People have strong reactions to the romance genre - they either love romance books or they hate them. And I get that. The last romance novel I attempted to read was about a million years ago. In my teens one of my sisters left a romance novel, based in Australia's Outback, laying around the house. I was intrigued enough by the setting to give it a try. I was a rabid reader of American Westerns at the time and wondered how a book set in the Australian Outback would compare. But I didn't get far in the book - hated it in fact - and found that all that "bodice ripping" stuff was NOT for me.

These days, while I hope my reading is varied, it tends toward nonfiction, with an emphasis on history and science. I do have to admit though that in my later years I've become a sucker for love stories - particularly gay love stories. Just not so much in my reading. The profusion of gay love stories on television and in movies over the last several years has been great to see. "Love, Simon" and "Heartstopper" and stories like them have caught my attention on the screen. Even though I loved the screen versions and knew many were based on books I never bothered to go back and read them. I did read Bloom last year - my first graphic novel and a YA gay romance - and I thought enough of it to give it four stars.

A lot of the people who follow me on Bookstagram are big readers of gay romance, and I've seen KJ Charles' novels popping up quite a bit on Insta and the other socials. It was through those posts that I became interested in Charles' "Will Darling Adventure" series and thought that at some point I should give them a try. They are action-adventure stories while also being gay romances.

So, when a KJ Charles title showed up on NetGalley I decided to give it a try. It's not part of the Will Darling series but is the first of a new series - the Doomsday Books. It's has turned out to be a good introduction to KJ Charles.

This is not Young Adult reading, as are many of the popular gay romances I hear about online. This is a book that's meant for adults, and as such you should know that it has some adult content. By which I mean there are "sex scenes", and fairly explicit ones at that. But the bulk of the book is an adventure story. A young Londoner learns to fit into the life of an outwardly quiet country town when his father, who he hasn't seen since he was a young boy, unexpectedly passes away. Suddenly the young Londoner is a baronet.

The book starts with one of those sex scenes, leaving me to wonder what I'd gotten myself into! This scene turns out to be the abrupt ending of an brief affair as Gareth, the soon to be baronet, breaks things off with the paramour he knows only as "Kent". The book then moves into a slowly evolving story as Gareth moves into his country estate. He soon comes to understand that the quiet country around him is actually home to an active smuggling operation, and soon he comes up against the head of the local smuggling dynasty, none other than his paramour Kent whose real name is Joss (short for Josiah).

The adventure, and the romance, pick up steam about halfway through the book and I found myself racing through several plot twists to get to the end. I literally couldn't put the book down.

The book has its share of tropes - Gareth plays the "damsel in distress" role a couple of times in the book - though he's quick to push back at the assumptions of his "rescuer". It's 1810 when the book starts. England is at war with France, and gay men are firmly in the closet in England (though not in France). The fact that our heroes are living as closeted gay men, and then as a gay couple, is an important point of the plot, and there are appropriately low key "coming out" scenes.

I found The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen to be well written and greatly entertaining. I know now why I keep seeing KJ Charles' name on the bookish socials.

RATING: Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌠

NOTE: I read an advanced review copy of the book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca. The book will be available to the public this Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

Queer, spicy and fun as hell.

A queer, historical fiction about a baronet and a smuggler falling in love.

This book had everything I want from my historical romance. Forbidden love, smugglers and high society. The stakes of the MM romance made for great tension in the story. The supporting characters were well written and I can’t wait to follow some of their stories.

In any other context I think the antagonists in this novel would seem over the top but they work in the historical context.

This book balanced action with moments of calm and tenderness. Watching the love bloom between Gareth and Joss was sweet as well as steamy.

There is many examples of both positive and toxic masculinity throughout the book and it does both well. Showing that you can allow someone to be in your corner and no be weak because of it.

Thank you Netgalley and Casablanca for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sir Gareth enjoys life in London, especially his rendezvous with the mysterious Kent, but when his father dies, he must travel to Romney Marsh and take up his father’s estate and responsibility. A run-in with local smugglers leads to Gareth learning that his Kent is Joss Doomsday, the notorious smuggling gang leader. The upright Gareth and criminal are at odds but the pair miss each other deeply. When Gareth’s uncle shows up and begins asking questions about smuggled gold, the only person Gareth can turn to is Joss.

I really liked both Gareth and Joss. I love a good opposites attract and this was exactly that. I really liked that while they were at different stations in society by London standards, their positions in society were reversed once they were on the Marsh. I was very happy for Gareth when he finally earned his spot as a Marshman. I loved every moment that the pair were on page together, especially when they were doing nothing more than looking for insects. The whole book just made me wander around the British countryside enjoying the landscape.

I always enjoy K.J. Charles books, but I confess that her writing style is a reading level or two above what I normal read which means that her books take longer for me to get through. I found the audiobook to be very helpful at keeping me engaged and the story moving along without my brain getting bogged down by the more difficult writing. I enjoyed Martyn Swain’s voices and the audiobook kept me entertained while doing puzzles on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and the NetGalley for the ARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

In The Secret Live of Country Gentleman, KJ Charles manages to fill a small country marsh town with romance, secrecy, danger, and murder. And I loved every minute of it.

The initial setup of the story hooked me from the beginning. Gareth and Joss meet in London and are immediately captivated by each other. But a set of nasty circumstances set them at odds when they meet again on Romney Marsh.

I did feel that the story was a bit slow to start, but once things got going I was fully invested. Both Gareth and Joss had motivations and characteristics that felt justified and well-developed. Their romance was lovely and I was routing for them the entire time. I found many of the side characters to be interesting as well. The way that Gareth warms to his newly discovered sister and her aunt is heartfelt and I loved seeing their little family unit.

So! The plot! Some things I anticipated, and others I very much did not. I found the plot to be well-developed and all of the twists made sense to me. I also found this book to be a good balance of happy feelings and tense feelings .

Overall, this was an entertaining and romantic story that I very much enjoyed and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series!

After an affair with an anonymous lover ends poorly, a heartbroken Giles Inglis learns of the death of his father. With nothing for him in London, the lonely Giles travels to his new home in Romney Marsh to take up the baronetcy. His new home comes with family members he’s never met and digging through his father’s papers piques his interest in the local habitat. But his new life isn’t all family bonding and beetles for Giles. Romney Marsh’s chief industry is smuggling and the Doomsday family rules. When Giles agrees to give testimony against a captured smuggler, he’s thrown for a loop when he’s thwarted by Joss Doomsday…the lover he can’t get over. The sparks between them are still there, but there’s more at stake now. For Romney Marsh is full of secrets that can get the two men killed.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a truly wonderful romance. I adored Giles and Joss from the start and I loved watching the two, one unsure, the other charming, fall in love.

Joss is the head of the Doomsday clan and though he loves his family, the infighting is tearing at him. He’s got pressure on all sides, so many people relying on him, and nothing is left for himself. Nothing except Giles, that is. Giles is lonely and awkward, feeling unwanted and just trying to find his place in the world when he comes across smugglers. Giles broke my heart but I loved seeing him grow, to find joy and a life that made him happy. On the outside, Joss and Giles couldn’t be more different. Joss is the head of a smuggling clan surrounded by family and Giles is a budding naturalist whose been so lonely for most of his life. The two fit like lock and key and I loved watching them lean on each other, be there for one another. It isn’t always easy for them and there are a lot of bumps in the road, but KJ Charles made every up and down worth it for a supremely satisfying happily ever after.

Danger lurks in the background of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, threatening our heroes. Charles twines mystery, threats, family drama, and more through the story. I won’t spoil what happens because the fun of the book is learning what the heroes must face, but everything winds together perfectly. Charles perfectly blends the action with the quieter, character-driven moments. The result is a wonderfully entertaining story I hated to put down and one I cannot wait to revisit. I loved this story from beginning to end and I’m very much looking forward to the next Doomsday book.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a M/M historical romance between
stuffy Sir Gareth who just inherited his father’s title and sexy smuggler Joss Doomsday.

I just loved this one. It was spicy and heartwarming with a strong plot and lots of action and intrigue. There is even a bit of a murder mystery and word of hidden gold.

I loved how kind and supportive Gareth and Joss were to each other, despite the challenges of being a gay couple from very different social classes in a time period where both of these made their relationship so taboo. Their love story was just so sweet.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of historical romance who want a balance between steam and plot and anyone who loves queer romance. I am very much looking forward to the next installment in The Doomsday series!

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

A Regency romance mixed with an adventure/mystery is a combination I did not know I was missing in my reading life. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles takes the reader to the marshes of Great Britain where two unlikely men reunite to discover one man's father's secrets and find themselves fighting for their lives and their love. Amidst the rough terrains and brutal enemies their sweet romance is heartwarming. Looks like I have another author with a large back list to investigate.

✨ Review ✨ The The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles; Narrated by Martyn Swain

I loved everything about this book -- I literally could not get enough. Sir Gareth retreats to the countryside to figure out what to do with his recently dead dad's manor, a parent he'd been estranged from for most of his life. There he finds Joss Doomsday, leader of a local smuggler clan, and a previous sexual connection from the city. The two crash into each other's lives in the countryside as Joss provides protection to Gareth who's been facing mysterious threats; and Gareth comes to new understandings of what it means to live in a rural location like Romney Marsh.

As the two come to know each other better, a sweet romance builds, as we watch them negotiate issues of trust, abandonment, difficult families, and more. I love that this mixed romance, mystery, history, and more in what proved to be a fairly complex but engaging plotline.

The smuggler twist brought this pirate vibes, and like all KJC books it brings the steam. Unlike Slippery Creatures, this book felt lighter, not as mired in "dark" dealings, though there is still that sort of swashbuckling every-present danger.

I liked the audio, but found the speed hard to get right. At a comfortable listening pace (1.75x), the narrator still had long pauses in between sentences/clauses that made it feel a little clunky, but I was mostly able to lose myself in it.

Highly recommend this one if m/m historical romances & adventurous mysteries are your style!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m historical romance (early 1800s)
Location: rural UK (Romney Marsh, Southeast near water crossings to France)
Reminds me of:
Pub Date: March 7, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ cross-class historical romances
⭕️ British countryside + nature adventures
⭕️ swaggering smugglers

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Gareth Inglis has never known the love of a family, and has always felt left behind. So when the stranger he is falling in love with has to leave, he feels he is just being abandoned again.

Until his father dies, he inherits a title and a house on the Marsh, and finds his stranger again, one Joss Doomsday, a smuggler. Joss and Gareth don’t ever want to be apart again, but they must contend with their different societal positions, societies views, and family ties-along with an unknown threat to Gareth that could turn deadly.

Joss and Gareth are absolutely a couple to root for, and this makes the readers really invested in their lives and the drama surrounding them. Plus the threat lends an air of mystery to the story that I really enjoyed. I would recommend this book.

This is an entertaining MM historical romance with a suspense element. It's an interesting and engaging read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

I expected this to just be a simple romance, some fluff about two guys set in the Victorian era. So I was pleasantly surprised to encounter greed, murder, scandal, smuggling, and so much more. This was fun and intriguing. I felt the beginning was a little hard to get into, but about 25% of the way in, it really picked up. I look forward to the second book.

It has been an age since I read a KJ Charles story, and I really enjoyed diving into the lives of Romney March.

A classic opposites attract - one worked for a solicitor, one breaks the law on the regular. One has no relationship with family, one lives and would die for family.

One is a rogue, one is a gentleman.

And yet they fit, and I enjoyed as they found their way even with all the outside pressures on their relationship.

I like that KJ Charles writes to the time period, but does not get bogged down in flowery prose. I could imagine myself in the tavern, listening to them all chat.

I am looking forward to more in the Doomsday series.