This book is an absolute delight. A historical romance that hits every note beautifully.
The story follows Sir Gareth, whose selfish father abandoned him after the death of Gareth’s mother to remarry and start a new family. However, he neglected to alter his will, and his sudden death leaves Gareth a title, a house in remote Romney Marsh, and a sister he doesn’t know. When Sir Gareth gives testimony in a smuggling case, he finds himself face-to-face with the man with whom he a brief, anonymous affair in London. Fearing blackmail, Gareth retracts his testimony.
Joss Doomsday is used to fighting on two fronts. He runs the family’s smuggling business but is constantly being undermined by other members of the clan. He doesn’t want to threaten Gareth, someone he felt a real connection with, but he’ll do whatever it takes to save his sister from the noose. This, combined with the abrupt end of their affair in London due to Gareth’s insecurities, should spell the end of their acquaintance. But the moors are a dangerous place, and they must learn to trust one another again to solve the mystery that threatens their families.
I loved everything about this book. The setting, the characters, the skullduggery. Both men struggle with thorny family issues, and we get a good sense of how each of them became the men we meet in the beginning. Watching them acknowledge their fears and failings, and work to be what the other needs in a partner was wonderful. Add to that a nice cast of secondary characters and an engaging mystery and you have the perfect historical romance. Highly recommended.

holyshit holyshit holyshit, KJ Charles I've loved you (and your writing style FIRST and foremost) from the first will darling book circa 2020 and ACTUALLY being approved for this arc? Dream come true for real. Thank you netgalley and co<33
anyway, i don't know how to properly review this without going into a 3 page rant about how much i loved joss? AAAAAA (me about any man who has long hair and says mine seething) but seriously amazing. 10/10.over worked and underpaid for real. and gareth gOD can't believe he found the love of his life, because omg nerd (i love him so much) found family remains the superior book trope because???? CECY should also kiss girls challenge.ms Cathy deserves to kiss girlies too. And baby luke, god i hope his face heals nicely, his book is out next???? Can't wait to read it oh my god. I've been reading this for a considerable amount of time but it's kept me company during my first final and? For that I'll always remember it<33

KJ Charles deserves all the accolades in the world. Her work manages to be both smart and steamy, and this book is no exception. Joss Doomsday is the best parts of "Poldark" and gives us an education on smuggling on the marshes, while Gareth Inglis acts as the reader stand-in and is as bewildered by this world as we are. Their romance is always in the foreground while the dangers of the plot are menacingly dancing between the two. Again, Charles just does such a good job. I was wondering how moving to a traditional publisher might affect her work (if edits would be different, etc.) but she is wholeheartedly Charles on the page and I can't wait to read the next book and hope that moving to a traditional publisher brings her tons of new readers and success.

I simply love this new M/M historical romance by KJ Charles! Gareth and Joss are from opposite ends of the social spectrum, and it takes awhile for each to understand how much they really mean to each other. But add in smuggling along with plenty of adventure and their journey becomes one that is well worth taking for the reader. I eagerly await more stories in this world of the Doomsday family.

This is such a fun historical romance. It has the action to help keep the story moving, and the romance to keep it lighthearted. I loved every second of the book.

This book screams KJ Charles from page 1, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Charles has a way of transporting you to a space in time where the acts of homosexuality are growing upon in Britain and yet founds a way to make the story as angsty as it is heartwarming. Joss has not had an easy life, so when Gareth barrels in and makes him question his morals and his views on the life he could lead it throws him completely off guard. Their love story unfolds beautifully, all with the backdrop of a mystery that unfolds painstakingly paced. The stellar cast of side characters also lend to a fantastic KJ Charles novel: the house maiden and Joss’ half sister are stand outs, and Gareth’s mother is a force to be reckoned with. That said, it did feel ver reminiscent of most of Charles previous works. Not to say it wasn’t throughly enjoyable, but it felt almost like a continuation of the Will Darling series at times. Overall, though, a delightful read that every MM historical romance reader will enjoy

I've read and liked a number of KJ Charles books, but I couldn't get into this one. Gareth was too whiny, and I never grew to like him, and Joss was...superficial. I mean, I kept being told how charming and lovely he was--and, to be fair, I guess he was--but I never got past the feeling that he was (as is usual with KJ Charles's stuff) the 'man' in the relationship, with Gareth being the stand-in for the woman.

I'm a harsh grader of books but this one was pretty much perfect. As soon as I got a few chapters in I couldn't put it down! There are many authors who follow in the footsteps of Georgette Heyer (for good or for ill) but I can't think of any who manage to combine Heyer's vividness of setting and language with an awareness of the lives Heyer excluded so successfully as KJ Charles. The Kentish slang here is especially delightful, the romance is swoonworthy, and the dangerous adventures surrounding the smuggling plot had me genuinely on the edge of my seat. If Band Sinister is especially for fans of Venetia and The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting for The Masqueraders, I think lovers of The Toll-Gate and The Unknown Ajax will have an especially good time with The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen — but frankly, I think anyone who enjoys a good historical romance, whether they like Heyer or not, will enjoy this one.

This was my first KJ Charles book and definitely won’t be my last. A perfect balance of action and romance. I loved it!

This book wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still an easy read. I found that the cover and title didn't deliver on what the book is actually about –– everything about it looks cutesy and romantic, when it's really more complicated than that. It involves gangs and smuggling most predominantly, and the romance felt like it took a back seat to that. I was also confused about the setting and descriptions, but this might have just been my own preconceived notions going in.. Since it's set in England, I was expecting something like Pride and Prejudice, but instead the descriptions and lingo and the names of the characters made me feel like I was reading an American western. So, I felt a bit deceived, because that's not really the vibe I was hoping for.

What an enjoyable m/m historical romance, action-packed but also full of moments of tranquility and tenderness!

I loved everything about it, the MCs and their romantic relationship, their families (great and awful at times), the supporting cast who was fully drawn and interesting. I often complain about KJ Charles' villains being almost cartoonish but here they read as more complex to me and I really like it.

I really liked both Gareth and Joss and the way we gradually learn more about them as they themselves figure out stuff about themselves. The circumstances have made them heads of their families and though their positions in life are vastly different (Gareth inherited a baronetcy, Joss runs an extended family of smugglers), they both find themselves questioning a lot about their assumptions about who they are/can be. Families, even amazing ones, can be a burden sometimes, the struggle between bearing the responsibility for others and the desire to do/want something for yourself. It was an interesting exploration, a journey for both MCs and I as a reader took it with them. We see different aspects of male vulnerability, the blurring of the lines between having someone in your corner and being fully dependent on them (or seen by them and others as incompetent, weak).

There is an ever present threat of outing the MCs. The use of the knowledge of their relationship for extortion and threats made me scared for them and angry at all their ill-wishers. No forced outing, no homophobia that went unchallenged. I was happy to see Joss and Gareth finding support from unexpected corners (though ones that make perfect sense).

The ending was really lovely – no easy HEA but a literal promise of always being there for each other.

As with most of KJ stories we get class struggles, the common man taking care of his people vs the entitled rich who one care about themselves. Gareth’s father – the cruelty of his indifference and care about himself only. The story gives us a poignant criticism on social evils without overshadowing the romance.

And I am already looking for the nest book in the series!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy courtesy of NetGalley. This book is a adult historical romance. The story is action-packed and has interesting mysterious elements. There is period typical homophobia but it doesn't feel like a huge hindrance to the relationship between the characters and the story.

KJ Charles can be hit-or-miss but this one was definitely a hit for me! I loved the romance and the setting and would happily read more tales of the smuggling Doomsday clan. I'm also happy that KJ Charles is being published by a traditional print publisher these days as it makes it easier to order her books for our collection, and my thanks to Sourcebooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

That KJ Charles is now published by Sourcebooks gives me so so much joy and as usual, so did KJ Charles' actual work. I just loved the writing, the storytelling, the characters. Forever more an Autobus author <<3

Another stunner from the ever consistent K J Charles.

A cross-class love story filled with smugglers, complex family dynamics, and romantic beetle viewing dates.

I was invested in the whole cast, not just our two MCs. Highly recommend!

This book was roughly twice as long as it needed to be, but KJC books always have more plot than they need. I really liked Gareth and Joss, and the story was gripping until about the 50% mark, when it got a little repetitive and slow. I did finish it in two days, though, so really I'm nitpicking. It was fun and fluffy even if you can't quite keep up with everyone's many relatives and their dramas.

This wasn't my favorite KJ book but it was a really good read. I liked both characters and I think the Doomsday clan is really fun. I would have liked more of their initial week together to see them fall for each other initially but I guess that might have slowed down pacing. 4.5 rounded up.

I recently read The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles and I absolutely loved it! KJ Charles has crafted an engaging and suspenseful story that is full of twists and turns. The characters are believable and relatable, and the plot is romantic!

Sir Gareth is a nobleman in name only. His father left him in the care of his uncle at age six and the existence he lived with him and his cousin left much to be desired. So when his father dies and Gareth inherits everything, he is incredibly surprised. The kicker - the estate is in Romney Marsh, far away from his life in London. Joss Doomsday has lived in Romney Marsh all his life and heads his family's smuggling ring. When Gareth moves to the Marsh and catches Joss’ sister smuggling, Joss will do whatever it takes to make sure his sister doesn’t hang. The two men clash initially, but as the danger on the Marsh grows, they realize that not only can they rely on each other, but there might be something more than just physical attraction.

Such a fun romp! I loved how Gareth finally was able to come out of his shell and how Joss helped him along. Characters were lovely and it was definitely a heart warming read.

This was thoroughly enjoyable! The romance was lovely, but so were all the surrounding situations & scenery. Sir Gareth getting dumped into a wholly new location and trying to figure things out in his slightly awkward but totally honorable way was delightful, and this mixed with Joss & his smuggling gang trying to also figure out what was going on, a hint of mystery and interesting history, a bit of danger and a great cast of secondary characters, and did I mention the sweet romance? (I think Charles does this spanning-class-difference relationship very well, I found it similar to/just as enjoyable as that in the "Will Darling Adventures" series.) It's a refreshing read when the main characters in a romance communicate well, and arguments about legitimate problems, but then also continue to talk sensibly about these as they go on. The marsh landscape and Gareth's rambling about looking for various bugs and newts also added to the sense of place and landscape. I did think in the epilogue they might stumble upon the gold and/or the map of bugs and insects might actually reveal a coded key.... but I'll hold out hope... maybe this will become a series!