I love historical fiction, further, I was not anticipating this to be an LGBTQ+ book. The story of two Victorian lovers was very well written. The characters were charming and likeable; in an opposites attract type of way. The setting was beautifully described. The weaving of history, mystery, and romance was well done. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was glad to have the opportunity to explore a genre that I'm not entirely familiar with.

Fabulous first book to a new series! Not as spicy as I would have liked but very well written. Look forward to seeing the Doomsday Family again.

I absolutely loved Joss and Gareth’s story.

I think it might be my first LGBTQ+ historical romance and it definitely won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the exploration of class and homophobia. It felt well resolved and I loved how things weren’t glossed over, the issues and problems felt genuine.

Definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc!

This was my first K.J Charles read and I will definitely have to venture into their collection for some more. This was all at once adorable, tense and wholesome and sad.

I loved the characters and the surrounding cast, and the two leads were superb. I would love a play-by-play of the Doomsdays interacting for 300 pages truly.

Gareth and Joss were cute and I did love how they communicated. The pacing felt too slow and suddenly too fast for the plot, but overall I had a grand time.

The Marsh was very much its own character and while confused by some of the imagery because I've never experienced an English Marsh it was an incredible setting.

I know there's a second in this duology so I am intrigued to see if any hanging bits get wrapped up.

Definitely an excellent read for anyone looking for queer historical romance with a side of tax evasion and smuggling.

What a delightful book. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is book one of a duology by KJ Charles and if book two is anything like book one I will be clamoring for more books in this universe!

This was a splendid story. Charles weaves the threads of romance, mystery, history, and social elements into a wonderful, engaging story. The central queer romance is pivotal and so believable and real. The main characters were interesting and unique, the side characters interesting too. I loved the location--the insular world of the Marsh, the interconnected relationships the beauty of the natural world, the realities of the terrain and tenuous nature of the land itself.

The villains felt real and their villainies based on the realities of greed and subterfuge and pettiness.

The main characters, Joss and Gareth, were brilliantly portrayed. Both with painful pasts, faced with difficult family situations, confronted by the class divisions of the time portrayed, the realities of a country at war, and the importance of family--both found and familial.

I think Charles managed to make the Marsh itself a character in this work--with the detailed descriptions of the terrain, the floor and fauna, the remoteness, the determination of the residents to keep their bit of hard fought land, the interconnected relationships of those born and bred on that land. The book felt very grounded in the location, the society of the Marsh, the language and customs, the singularity of that location.

This book is for anyone who loves historical fiction, romance, elements of mystery, found family, well-written characters and a thoughtful plot.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest review.

I was expecting a fluffy M/M Regency romance with a bit of cheek and a side of sex but what I got was a fully expressed love story between two people who are forced to fight for their lives during a mystery with families who love them unconditionally.

3.5 stars

I can tell this is a good book, but it's not a book that works well for me. With the description of being about smugglers, I was expecting more action (actually getting to go along on smuggling runs). Instead, it's a lot of family dynamics (two smuggler families and Gareth's family), which I found to be a bit dull. There is a bit more excitement (and danger) toward the end, but because I was expecting something different, I didn't find the story compelling.

I also prefer a slower burn to a romance, and this one started off the bat with a spicy scene (and had many more throughout, some of which I just skimmed--I'm not big on lots of spicy scenes).

But I can see how this book has a lot of potential going for it and why it would be a fabulous read for many other readers.

I'm glad I'm one of those people that struggles to not finish books even when I'm not totally invested in them. I say this because I wasn't very interested in the story until 60ish percent. I mean, I loved the characters and was even intrigued by the plot, but something fell flat...until it didn't. When the plot picked up at 60ish percent I was all in and totally invested.

It's really well written, but the writing style is different than most mm romances I read.

If you like historical romances, you may enjoy this one.

This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful Regency romp with all the morality and dialogue of the time. My first KJC book and will definitely read more. Happy that this is a duology and there will be more of the Doomsday smugglers. This story has our protagonists meeting anonymously in London and after some steamy sessions leave each other on bad terms. Yet providence and circumstance reunite reluctant baronet Gareth Inglis and excellent smuggler Joss Doomsday in remote Romney Marsh. Many tropes are used here and all done well from finding belonging and family to forbidden romance and overcoming evil. The story moves quickly and always keeps you engaged. Lots of fun with murder and mayhem . Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the arc.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is the first of a fun historical duology by KJ Charles, and her first with a major publisher. I‘ve read a few of Charles’ works before, and I love how she blends the central queer romance with a lot of excitement and a bit of danger, and this one is no different.
I love the setting here, especially since it’s a real location in Kent. Charles is a British author, and her familiarity with the setting jumped out at me almost immediately, as I was easily drawn into the landscape of Romney Marsh.
This is partially a family story, so the supporting cast is rather large with many family members of the Doomsdsay and Sweetwater families. However, each of them is distinct enough that they’re memorable in their own right.
Gareth and Joss are both compelling leads, and I love how both of them are impacted by their family legacies in different ways. This makes for a fun case of opposites-attract between the misfit aristocrat Gareth and the confident, suave Joss. Each of them is deeply vulnerable beneath their facade, and I love how they were able to overcome their differences and come together on a deeper level.
This is a delightful start to a new series, giving the Regency era as seen in some pf the genre’s standard novels (Heyer, Poldark) a fun, diverse twist. If your enjoy queer historical romance, I recommend checking this out!

I've wanted to read this author forever, and I am pleased that Netgalley has allowed me to do that! This a delight to read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I am excited to read her other books when I get the chance!

This book had a lovely, believable romance with characters that made you root for them. Both Gareth and Joss had their own issues and family drama which came with lovable side characters and dastardly villains. These side characters were interesting, too, and brought their town to life. And the villains were not too evil to be unbelievable but rather were motivated by greed, which many real-life villains are. I enjoyed both characters having to figure out their place with their families and each other and where they stand.

The romance was sweet, with some spicey bits thrown in. I enjoyed that when there was conflict and miscommunication (my least favorite trope in romance), it didn't last long and was concluded satisfactorily. There was also interesting historical context with the Napoleonic wars and smuggling. There was some tension about a forced outing, but luckily both main characters had a support system and love in their corner. It also had a satisfying ending that left me happy.

Overall I loved this book and can't wait for more of this series and to read the author's other books.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles was wonderful Regency romance story.

I thought this was a phenomenal heartwarming romance with a touch of mystery and I absolutely loved it.
Charles outdid himself here with a new M/M historical romance.
It was fresh, fun and full of amazing adventures.
I adored it and can't wait to read more of his work.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. I absolutely loved this book. The characters, the setting, the story, all of it. Just a fantastic book. I was drawn into the story from the first chapter and I just couldn't put it down. I hope that this is just the beginning and that there will more stories of Joss and Gareth and all of the rest. Highly recommend.

4.75 Stars
Loved this book, just the right amount of steamy romance and fun roguish angst topped off with a bit of mystery! The author did such a wonderful job I want to read books about all the Doomsday clan members.

KJ Charles has a wonderful way with words and brought the location of the marsh to life as much as the wonderful cast of characters. Really enjoyed the author's take on queer love in a time it was forbidden and dangerous that was believable. This is probably one of the best opposites attract come whodunit's I've ever read and am looking forward to the sequel(s). Joss and Gareth will probably be one of my favorite literary regency couples forever.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen gives off perfect gay Poldark vibes and I am here for it, this is the first books I've read by the author but most assuredly not the last.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher by giving me an eARC for an honest review.

This book is middling great (probably didn't use the Kentish correctly here - sorry). KJ Charles had delivered another novel with complex characters who manage to find each other in a complex world. There are dunnamany smugglers, secrets, horrible family members, found family and of course a few corpses. And was there for all of it. And the language was the icing on the cake. Great book.

Thank you to Sourcebookscasablanca and @netgalley for the review copy of The Secret Lives of country gentlemen. Book one in the Doomsday books series.

Set in 1810, mostly on Romney Marsh in Kent. England is at war with France, smuggling is rife.

Things haven't been going so great for Gareth lately his Uncle gave him the sack from his job for no real reason and he has made a mess of his love life but then the father who abandoned him as a child dies suddenly and Gareth inherits his father's title and property in Kent and he meets his half sister for the first time.

The newly minted Sir Gareth discovers a love of natural history and also that his ex runs the local Doomsday family smuggling operation (awkward). Chaos ensues....

Sir Gareth spends his days wandering around the moor looking for insects but the Sweetwater family, rivals of the Doomsdays assume Sir Gareth is up to something criminal out on the moor and get heavy with Gareth and his teenage sister and soon Gareth and the Doomsday's are at odds with the Sweetwater's and much criminal shenanigans occur.

Content warning for child abuse.

According to Goodreads book two will be published in September and focuses on Luke Doomsday who is a 13 year old in the first book, going through a lot of trauma. I am keen to read about him as an adult.

I've read most of K J Charles's books after seeing the author recommended for those who enjoyed A Marvellous light by Freya Marske. All are historical fiction, some with fantasy elements. I also have enjoyed the Widdershins historical fantasy books by Jordan L Hawk who has also written a novella with K J Charles. A lot of both K J Charles and Jordan l Hawk's books are free on Kobo Plus.

The way that I loved this story..

Y’all.

THE WAY THAT I LOVED THIS STORY!!!

I will be yelling about this one for a while. I was completely captivated from page 1 and I had the hardest time setting it down so I could go about life. Oh, my heart. It’s permanently etched with these two!

Let’s start with the writing, it was truly BEAUTIFUL. I’ve never read a K.J. Charles book until this one and I will definitely be rectifying that! I was blown away at the way the author wove longing, pain, love, humor, hurt, contentment, and literally every other emotion into simple but elegant words. I need my physical copy immediately so I can mark it up!

The plot! I was hooked, absolutely ensnared from page 1! Historical fiction is a genre I enjoy, but by no means is it my go-to. So when I say I couldn’t put this book down all of that credit goes to the author! The pacing was perfect, the mystery engaging, the stakes high.. just the way I like them!

And the characters. THE CHARACTERS!!! I absolutely fell head over heels for Gareth and Joss, our sweet London and Kent. Both so beautifully layered, flawed, and earnest in their affections! I adore watching them grow, challenge one another, and settle into the comfort of being one another’s “person”.

I absolutely loved this one! 5⭐️

Read this if you like:
-historical fiction
-a dashing smuggler that has major Poldark vibes
-a cinnamon roll Sir looking for a family and a quite life where he can study nature
-missing gold and threats from every side
-gay love in a time where it was forbidden
-hilarious family shenanigans
-found family trope
-steamy romance 🔥
-drama, love, blushing, near death experiences, lazy days in dappled sunlight, beetles, and promises made in crumbling churches. 💕

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the gifted e-ARC! I can’t wait for this one to be on my shelves!

FUN, SPICY AND ENTERTAINING

While I am not as in love with this book as many other readers, I still found it fun and entertaining. Joss and Gareth were a great couple with good chemistry. The first half of the book was The most entertaining in my opinion, the last half was a bit bogged down and too busy for my taste. But if you love MM historical romance, this will be right up your alley.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Ok, where to start? This story brings a lot of the the trademark flavours of KJ Charles. There is a delightful mystery, a swoony love story, a sparkling cast of surrounding characters and a fully realised historical setting.

Sir Gareth Inglis has recently inherited a Title from his father and has moved from London to Dymchurch (a small town in Romney Marsh) to take up his inheritance. Having met the head of the local Free Trader family, Joss Doomsday, previously (oooo! Secret drama!) Gareth attempt to find a way to settle into his new life, while navigating the distinct culture of the Marsh. Also apparently his father was mixed up in something… because people keep visiting Gareth to ask…. Questions.

So this story plays delightfully with power and geography. Sir Gareth should hold the power as landed gentry, but The Doomsday’s are the people who supply the goods to the area, so they hold the power. Joss should hold the power as head of the family, but his Ma is an absolute force to be reckoned with so he has to negotiate with her. Gareth is the head of his household, but seeks connection about his half sister, Cecilia, and so desperately wants to connect with and support and provide for her. Just love the layers of complexity in all of these relationships.

Sometimes with a mystery/romance you end up with mostly one or mostly the other, but as has been proved time and time again, KJ Charles is a master of getting the balance just right.

Delightful story, fun mystery, left me swoony and happy!!

I LOVED this book so much! It took me a minute to get into it at first because of the odd language, but once I became attached to the characters, which didn't take too long, I was completely hooked. The language of the marsh used by the country folk actually became quite endearing, and by the end, it was one of my favorite things about the book.

I was expecting a cute historical romance, but I didn't anticipate how action-packed the plot would be. It was the perfect blend of romance, mystery, murder, and mayhem. 🏴‍☠️ Despite all the goings on regarding the smuggling shenanigans, the romance never felt like it got lost in the shuffle and actually complemented the mystery really well. I never knew what would happen next and didn't want to stop turning the pages until I was certain all my favorites would be safe.

Every single character in this book oozed personality. Some of them had an awful personality, but they all felt like real people with understandable motivations. I would probably read a book dedicated to each of the supporting characters, to be honest, and I'm happy to see we will be getting another book following a grown up Luke later this year. He was a bit of a brat, but I adored him and really felt like this was only the beginning of his story. So, I'm very excited for the impending follow-up! In general, the family dynamic of the Doomsday clan was a treat to read, even when they were super dysfunctional (AKA most of the time). I did have a hard time keeping track of how they were all related, though, and found myself getting distracted trying to figure it out. In the end, I just gave up and enjoyed the ride. 🤷‍♂️ (EDIT: I feel dumb. I went back and re-read the part of the book that explains how they're all related. It makes perfect sense. I forgot that two Doomsday cousins married, which explains all of the things that didn't make sense to me before.)

As for the main characters, Gareth and Joss, I loved them both. They had a tumultuous relationship to say the least, but they were perfect for each other. Both of them had difficulty opening up and relying on others but for very different reasons. Gareth had abandonment issues and tried to avoid needing to rely on others after being burned time and time again by his horrible family. Joss, on the other hand, took on everyone's problems and believed he had to solve everything himself. This baggage led to misunderstandings and many bumps in the road to happily ever after. They had magnetic chemistry, though, and couldn't stay apart for long. I loved seeing how navigating their differences in the relationship helped each man grow into a more well-rounded person. Gareth learned to be more assertive, and both he and Joss slowly began to lean on each other for support. They had some incredibly steamy moments together, as well, and I absolutely loved seeing Gareth's growing assertiveness play out in the bedroom. 😳 Although, Joss' dominant moments were super hot to read too.

The story explored interesting and timely themes related to queerness, class differences, and the ethics of law. Both of the main characters dealt with living in the closet and routinely being blackmailed because of their relationship. The story illustrated the stress involved with living while hiding such an integral part of oneself, but it also showed how support can come from places we least expect it. The baronet versus country folk dynamic was weaved throughout the entire story, and the argument over whether it is right to go against the law to better serve one's family and community was compellingly presented.

All in all, I loved almost every single thing about this book and am now awaiting the sequel. If you enjoy your gay romance with a side of mystery and roguish adventure, I think you'll probably love this one too. Therefore, I rate this book 4.75 out of 5 stars.