I really enjoyed this very soft story with a hard edge, and a lot of beetles. Four full stars.

KJ Charles wrote what I found to be a refreshingly original plot in <i>The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen</i> for a Regency romance. The setting, among the marshy fields of Kent during a time of tension with France, was unique, as was the cast, a mixture of smugglers and country gentry. The romantic leads are familiar with each other from some pseudonymous hookups in a London tavern, but the way they discover each other's true identities created delicious friction and I had to know how they would reconcile. Gangly, pale and awkward Gareth was a nice counter to suave, slippery Joss, who is revealed to be descended from American slaves yet has more nobility than most gentry in the county.

The side plots of smuggling logistics, and the reselling of guineas in France to gain banknotes at a discount that could then be used in England, were really interesting, too. It was complete news to me about the currency gimmicks used to fund Napoleon's wars. The heavier conversations focused around these issues were quite relatable; smuggler Joss notes how even amidst recession or trade blockades, the rent is still due. Now, if that doesn't hit semi post-COVID. There was a grim line about sheep being more valuable than the people who live in the marshes, and that the livestock would be shipped out far ahead of any flooding, with no care for the people. Whew. I absolutely loved how much substance was in the story.

Lastly, the bonding via beetle-hunting! The inherent eroticism of splashing through marshes and fumbling through grass and fern to find specific insects! The naturalist forays that help the two bond and develop the romance were really charming to me. "Gone beetle-hunting" is totally a new euphemism.

The thing about K.J. Charles is: I'm going to read her books, and I'm going to love them.

THE SECRET LIVES OF COUNTRY GENTLEMEN, a romping adventure with a baronet and clans of smugglers, was no exception. Charles writes such a stellar story -- this one is particularly engaging, funny, swoony, and tender, and the characters and the conflict had me captivated from the first page. I absolutely loved it.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was my first KJ Charles novel. I didn't know what to expect, and the opening from so abrupt that I initially thought The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen would be porn. But I was wrong. This novel is so much more than an exploration of sexuality. The sex is rather explicit, but I did not find it exploitive. At its heart, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a love story between people from completely different social classes, set in early 19th century England.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen reveals the fictional lives of men engaged in smuggling during the Napoleonic war with England, where the smuggling of gold guineas, while a way to get rich, was actually treason. The characters in The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen are interesting and well-developed, except for Henry and Lionel, who are really cliches. The plot is complex and interesting, with some behavior audacious.

I enjoyed this novel very much and will look for more KJ Charles novels. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you also to NetGalley for suggesting this novel.

Gareth is the son of a Baron. When his mother died, he was sent to his uncle’s home where he was bullied by his cousin and ignored by his uncle. He was also gay and, as London, met a man he called Kent at the Regency equivalent of a gay bar. When his father passed, Gareth went to Romney Marsh to collect his inheritance. There he met Joss, a free trader, and also the man he had known as Kent. To tell a potential reader more would lead to spoilers and isn’t necessary. The many plots are fascinating. They include smuggling, theft, murder, kidnapping and the relationship and growth of the two men. Thanks to Net Galley and Sourceboooks for an ARC for an honest review.

I loved that Joss and Gareth learn to work together as a team and support one another. The personal growth is really endearing. And I learned a lot about Kent!

It started off as an information dump and then transitioned into shoddy English. Just not my cup of tea. I didn't feel particularly connected to or interested in the characters. Stopped at 5%

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for the ARC.

Admittedly, the opening of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was a turnoff for me. I would have been okay with it starting with Gareth and Joss having a parting of ways before reconnecting on the marsh in Kent, but this just feels so awkward and deeply uncomfortable. Thankfully it improves from there, with Gareth quickly in between a rock and a hard place, or more accurately, his former paramour and pleasing his half sister by supporting her current paramour. Why? Because Joss is a smuggler who leads the family business with a chokehold in the area. As Gareth and Joss reconnect, Charles does a great job of showing growth (not that kind, you that have dirty minds!) as individuals. Their romance gives Gareth the courage to start standing up for himself and Joss to step back from all his responsibilities and start paying more attention to the people around him. The secondary story revolves around missing gold guineas, that pulls in the rival smuggling gang and Gareth’s not so beloved relatives. This tends to get a bit dizzying to me; with Joss and fellow smuggling head Nate going back and forth with their crews, trying to keep them in line and hold them accountable. While their relationship isn’t a publicly accepted thing in England in their time, and they are discreet about it, any controversy regarding it is minimal in their community and with their families, which allows the focus to be in a more enjoyable place in relatively lighthearted romance.

I always really enjoy KJ Charles, but this exceeded my expectations. I picked this up intending to read just a chapter or two and literally could not put it down until I had finished. The suspense and romance plots work very well together, and were equally entrancing. The side characters were wonderfully crafted, and the setting felt so real I wanted to visit.

I really enjoyed this! There was more mystery/tension than I was expecting, and the climax was a bit scarier than I was ready for, but if anything that just raised the stakes for the book overall. It was really good and I was fully rooting for their relationship.

Minor spoilers ahead: I felt really bad for Luke, and also the end had me forgetting that they couldn't really get married 🥲🥲🥲

I definitely want to read more by this author! Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book. It has heart, is poignant, and gave me all the feels. I really appreciated the way the story incorporates Joss' identity as a biracial Black man, but doesn't make it a hurdle that the romance has to surmount. Gareth's understanding of himself, and his honesty, was really refreshing to read in a Regency romance. And also, it is has been far too long since there was a landed gentry (not an Duke, Marquess, or Earl)/smuggler romance. Absolute joy

KJ Charles has done it again - made me fall in love with an entire new cast of characters! Gareth got to me as the neglected and outcast son who desperately wants to be loved and wanted. Meanwhile Joss is shouldering the weight of his entire family and their smuggling operation, which leaves him little time for finding pleasure or happiness. Together these two strangers find something special in each other... and then lose it. Their entire relationship arc had me reading so fast because it is impeccably written! There's something about how KJ Charles writes conflict that gets me, like I hate to see the characters fight but at the same time it all felt warranted with both sides having legit reasons to be angry. All that to say, for people who enjoy the enemies to lovers trope, this book has it AND some delightful twists. There is so much going on in this book: family drama, class differences, debates over smuggling, fish out of water, scandals, and more. It definitely kept me on my toes and kept me wondering how things would turn out for the characters. I loved the historical setting and the geographical setting. Is it weird that I now want to visit a marsh and watched videos of diving beetles? I was absolutely captivated by this story and can't wait to read more in the series!

Thanks NetGalley!

What an amazing read!

I loved this book and it had everything i was looking for. It pulled me right out of my reading slump. It felt like home.

It has swoon worthy love, adventure, mystery and more, i mean come on what else do you need haha

Such a pretty cover and such an amazing story.

I’m so happy that i was able to read this. And if you are interested as well do not hesitate and read it as soon as it’s out!

My thanks to NetGalley for the arc, especially since this was one of my most anticipated books of the year! And let me just say, right off the bat, it did not disappoint. I knew going in there was going to be some insightful discussion of class dynamics, as this is the third title by KJ Charles I've read, and she has demonstrated in the past that you can write about rich people sympathetically while also calling out their privilege! The romance was lovely, and made sense for the characters--I really appreciated the character growth both Gareth and Joss experience, as it happened naturally and was mutually beneficial. The mystery was engaging instead of an afterthought, and the side characters (while not as prominent) felt like real human beings. Add in some incredibly witty dialogue, fun facts about local flora and fauna, and you've got a wonderful historical romance on your hands.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was basically a little slice of heaven. My enemies to lovers greed was quenched by this lovers to vague dislike to lovers again story, I got my steam wants met - All of which makes for a very happy reader.

Gareth Inglis & Josiah Doomsday are anonymous lovers who have a bit of a bitter break-up thanks mostly to Gareth’s past trauma.Then they unexpectedly meet again when Gareth—now a baronet after the death of his father—moves to his family home & into the life his estranged dad left behind. Unbeknownst to him, his former lover is the leader of a smuggling family within his new community & Gareth has gotten himself involved in a bit of a mess.

I just adored how sweet the relationship between Gareth & Joss is. They both want & need certain things from each other & it’s lovely how they make their relationship into a refuge—or maybe just embrace it as one. There are some lovely speeches & a symbolic gesture with pieces of grass *weeping* & it was all what I wanted.

There’s plenty of family drama & thrills in this one too & Charles captures this life & these characters so vividly. Can’t wait to return for more books—this was a good one!

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

In so many ways KJ Charles is the only one who could blend beetles, smugglers, and trampling around marshes with a romantic story and get it perfect. Gareth and Joss are so wonderful together. You can't help but root for these two from the very beginning of the book. The relationship between these two continues to grow and strengthen as the book continues and that ending sets up a sweet HEA.

I'm a long-time KJ Charles fan and enjoyed this outing very much. It's nice to leave London and great estates for a Regency, the smugglers' world of Romney Marsh was delightfully fleshed out, and of course the romance was great. I don't think the mystery/thriller element was quite as successful as in her Will Darling books, but I will certainly be recommending this one wholeheartedly. Is the next one about Sophy?

I was thrilled to get an advance review copy of KJ Charles’s latest historical romance.
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I loved it and read it in a day, which will surprise no one. Smuggling and entomology on nineteenth-century Romney Marsh, honestly do you need to know more?
Except perhaps that Josiah Doomsday is the best name invented since Dickens was churning ‘em out.

I have read and enjoyed a few KJ Charles books, but this is far and away my favorite. It had many of the same elements I enjoyed in her other books, such as intrigue, tension, and suspense, in addition to weightier topics such as class, race, and sexual orientation. The book also made me think a great deal about ethics and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

However, the romance was what really set this book apart for me. Garett and Joss are wonderful characters, both very flawed, but incredibly likable. I loved that instead of learning “the lesson” in the end, as is so common in most books, both characters did their best to learn and grow throughout the story. It made it feel much more real and satisfying. Additionally, the secondary characters were also delightful. Well, except for the bad guys of course.

I loved this story and these characters and I am so excited about the next book in the series! I can’t wait to read it!

Absolutely delicious! The plot revolves around smugglers and family. The two main characters are poles apart on the issue of smuggling but find they have a lot in common when it comes to family problems. The absolutely sweetest romance blooms, withers, then has the potential to bloom again. I loved all the local dialect from the Marshmen. So expressive!

I know I’m excited about a book when I start — and finish — it in less than a day after it comes my way via NetGalley. It also probably helps that I’m currently procrastinating packing for a move across the country, and reading books is a perfect distraction.

This book was absolutely delightful. It has smugglers and murder and beetle hunting and butterflies and crazy families, and, of course, romance. It’s action-packed, but the story itself is tender and sweet. And it’s in a fun setting: the Kent marsh, a tight-knit community that protects its own but not those who are considered “outmarsh,” which is what Sir Gareth Inglis is when he unexpectedly inherits a baronet and finds himself moving to Romney Marsh to take care of his family house and the half-sister he didn’t know he had. Of course, it wouldn’t be a crazy romp of a book if he didn’t run into Joss Doomsday, the head of the local smuggling family, who happens to be the man Gareth just ended a short but significant affair with.

I loved how KJ Charles depicted Gareth and Joss’ relationship; they’re obviously adorable together, but they’re also just good together. They work to understand each other and to be there for each other and to grow with each other. They listen to each other, and THEY COMMUNICATE! Hallelujah! And together, they work to learn about themselves and to establish some control in their family lives. Charles does a wonderful job with depicting the time period, too. It acts as a strong backbone to the story without it being too dense. The struggles of two men being together at the time is present, but there’s never any shame involved, and the occasional marsh dialect adds a nice touch.

Toward the end of the book, I found the villains to be a tad cartoonish, and it felt a bit like all the action came at the expense of emotional impact in the later chapters. The mystery wasn’t the most clever one I’ve ever come across, but it was still quite enjoyable as I joined the characters on their wild excursions.

Reading this is totally worth being way behind on my packing.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for proving me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.