This book was so much fun and I loved the characters right away even if they both made me angry for different reasons.
The story starts with a bang in every sense of the word and it just kept on giving me everything I like. Misunderstandings that bring problems and heartbreak but also second chances in the middle of something much more dangerous and a lot of mysteries to unfold before it's too late.
A truly engaging story I really really enjoyed!

Loved this! Regency era is one of my favourite eras to read about, and adding a queer love story to it makes it that much better! I also always love a rich boy with Issues, which Gareth absolutely delivered on. This was so fun with a sweet romance. I'm excited for the other books in this series!

This was the sweetest queer romance I have read in awhile. I adore historic romance and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen really hit the spot.
Gareth Inglis has had a rough go lately, he was fired from his job and all but thrown out of his uncle's house. His father just died making him SIR Gareth and he suddenly finds he has a title, land and even a hlf sister he didn't know about. What makes his life just a touch worse, is that he finds his former lover Joss is actually in charge of a smuggling trade right there in the Marsh. If that wasn't enough, Joss and Gareth are finding it difficult to keep their hands off each other...
I really have suggested this novel to so many people, even when I was still in the middle of it. There's humor, real warmth between characters, companionship with family that feels true, and an adorable love that blooms. I was sad that the novel ended, but was delighted to find that there is more coming in 2023. I am eager to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-ARC of this book. I really loved the beginning of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, and thought I was going to easily fly through the entire book and be absorbed into this world. At first the writing and dialogue and plot was very engaging and drew me in, but it lost that energy about halfway through and I found myself fatigued to finish reading. Somewhere along the way it felt repetitive and long and drawn out and I just wanted to get to the end to see how the adventures would resolve. Ultimately, I'd definitely check out more from KJ Charles because I have never much been into regency style works and this changed my mind and caught my interest!

SUMMARY: Abandoned by his father and raised by unfeeling relatives, Gareth Inglis craves love but avoids letting anyone get too close, and a week-long fling with an anonymous gentleman only confirms his fears. But when Gareth inherits his father’s estate in Kent, he soon crosses paths with his former fling—Joss Doomsday, notorious head of a local crime family.

This is a MM historical romance set during the Napoleonic Wars when trade with France was illegal but smugglers continued to traffic contraband goods. I liked the dynamic between the prickly Gareth and the covertly tenderhearted Joss; and the escalating war between local crime families was definitely interesting! You can expect significantly more action/adventure than a typical romance.

HOWEVER, I feel like I didn’t know enough about this time period to become truly immersed in the story, and there was a lot of jargon thrown around that kept pulling me out of the flow.

Overall, it was well-written and could be a fun read for fans of this historical era. I definitely recommend it if you liked The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian.

Thank you to @netgalley @sourcebookscasa and the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

⭐⭐⭐.5

This book was one of the best romances I have read in years! Filled with murder, mystery, and romance galore, this opposites attract tale was captivating from start to finish. I loved the representation with the BIPOC main character, as well as the incredible sense of place the author established- I could picture the characters and their marsh so well! The mystery plot was just as intriguing as the romance, and I can't wait for the next book in this series.

So much fun and so many feelings! I adored Gareth and Joss, an amazing unlikely match. And every single character encountered in the Marsh.

Smugglers, murders, family secrets. The marsh, present like a main character, colouring everyone’s lives. The colourful language.

I have to say that I laughed out loud at this book way more than I thought; the banter was just the best. Gareth has that perfect balance of sarcasm without it being too much and coming across as mean. Think like David from Schitt's Creek; he was that loveable and snarky. I also appreciated that they kept to most of the norms of the regency era while making the story fresh and relatable to people today. And if you are new to books with LGBTQ+ characters, then this is the book for you. I think some people are afraid to read books with LGBTQ_ characters thinking it will something it is not or that they won't relate to the characters, but if you enjoy shows like Modern Family you will enjoy this book. Please give it a try!!!!

This book has everything - romance, intrigue, representation. I loved seeing Gareth and Joss develop their relationship and learn they could rely on each other. I also really enjoyed the smuggling mystery (I don't want to give anything away, but it was awesome!). I cannot wait for the next book in this series coming out later this year, and will absolutely be reading it as soon as it comes out.

This was absolutely everything that I look for in a historical romance novel. It was sweet, sexy, there was a little danger, a little intrigue. Warm and compassionate, it was just the kind of story I needed, just at the time I needed it. And I love the degree of detail that Charles puts in to building the historical surrounds of the novel. I honestly felt like I was standing right there on the seaside.

This was a great cross between historical romance and cozy mystery - but with plenty of spice and feels.

I love that the drama between Joss and Gareth was kept to a minimum, and they spent most of the story working as a team. While common in romance, it's always frustrating to read a story that's continual conflict between the romantic leads. This was so refreshing in that regard.

Despite not typically being a huge fan of historical romance, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will look for more books from this author.

I have read a couple of other KJ Charles books this year and enjoyed them well enough, but this was absolutely a delight.

The book starts with a week long affair between Sir Gareth and his mystery man, who he knows as Kent, but then Kent has to return to Kent and Sir Gareth finds out that his father has died and left him an estate… in Kent. Romney Marsh to be exact, an area known to be a hotspot for smugglers, one of which just so happens to be Gareth’s “Kent” also known as Joss Doomsday.

The banter between these two was top tier and I loved the way they both had to overcome their own ideas of independence vs dependence to build a healthy relationship. I love the way Charles weaves in commentary on legality vs morality and racism and homophobia, and how she highlights that diversity has always existed. And I loved the twists and turns of the mystery element.

I loved so much about this book and I cannot wait for the sequel! It seems like it will be Luke’s book and several years in the future so we can see old(er) Gareth and Joss!

You can't go wrong with a historical romance by K.J. Charles. She writes such interesting characters and then puts them in what seem to be impossible situations - case in point, Sir Gareth who inherits a remote manor in Romney Marsh, home to some intrepid smugglers, one of whom is a man he previously met and had a mutually enjoyable anonymous affair. Joss Doomsday is the head of a smuggling enterprise and the last person an upstanding citizen should be lusting after and yet, Gareth and Joss can't keep away from each other. Throw in a dead body, some missing gold, possible treason, action and danger with a steamy romance and you've a perfect way to spend a few hours. Excited to see what's coming next!

I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and then I fell in love with this fast paced story that mixes M/M romance, actions, historical fiction and much more.
Highly entertaining, a page turner featuring well plotted characters, humour and an interesting romance.
I hope to read soon other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I love a good historical romance! This one fit the bill y’all. I loved every moment of this one. It had everything needed. Romance, mystery, action, suspense. 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my first book by KJ Charles and it definitely will not be the last. It's billed as a historical M/M romance, but it is so much more.

The action takes place in England in 1810, first, briefly, in London, and then in Kent for most of the story - specifically in area area of Kent called Romney Marsh. It’s a story that involves an extended family of smugglers (actually two extended families of smugglers), a sudden unexpected inheritance and a mystery. The characters were terrific individuals, not stereotypes, from Gareth to Joss to Ma Doomsday to Nate Sweetwater and on and on.

Beyond the wonderful romance between an aristocrat and a smuggler, I learned a ton about an area of Kent, England called the Romney Marsh. You could say that I fell down a rabbit hole, looking up information about it while reading this book!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Martyn Swain. It was a treat to hear all the different English accents over the course of the book. Warning: there are some very graphic steamy encounters, so if you’re listening to the audiobook, I advise using headphones!

I was excited to find out that KJ Charles is planning a second book featuring some of these wonderful Romney Marsh characters!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook - although I was a bit late to both. All opinions are my own.

I know this is a historical m/m romance, and I very much enjoyed that part. Joss and Garett are wonderful main characters, and I loved them together. But I also just really enjoyed the mystery aspects. I found myself reading as much to find out how everything was going to connect together as for the romance. It was a really enjoyable mystery on the Marshes and the romance was icing on a well baked cake.

About the only complain I have is a minor one, which is that the rambling older gentleman felt like he knew more maybe… but it never got followed up on?

Tiny dangling thread and still not worth denoting at all. Enjoyable mystery historical m/m romance. Do recommend.

Heat Factor: We open with sex, then get a whole lotta feelings, and then some more sex toward the end.
Character Chemistry: Both the antagonism and the support hit perfectly.
Plot: Gareth inherits a barony, a house, and a whole lot of trouble with smugglers when his father dies. Luckily, Joss is only too happy to help him out.
Overall: An enjoyable read.

I saw this book promoed elsewhere as “Poldark, but make it gay.” Obviously, that was a one-click. However, since I never actually read any of the Poldark books and the only bit I actually remember about the recent-ish BBC series is the scene where Ross Poldark scythes a meadow, I cannot comment on how closely The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman captures the vibes of Poldark more broadly.

There is, I regret to inform you, no shirtless yardwork. But I guess Gareth and Joss do run around in meadows overlooking the sea. And sometimes remove clothing outside.

Anyways.

Gareth is living a sad and lonely life in London—except for this really great guy who he’s been having anonymous sex with—when his father (who Gareth hasn’t seen since he was a small child) kicks the bucket. Gareth inherits everything and moves to Romney Marsh in Kent. This is a sparsely populated region in southeastern England which means: smugglers. Lots and lots of smugglers. Anyways, Gareth spends lots of time wandering around the marsh looking at insects and happens upon some of these smugglers during one of his rambles. Being the law-abiding citizen he is, he gives a description to the taxman, which results in a young woman being arrested…until he recants his testimony when that really great anonymous sex partner shows up at the courthouse and offers some, uh, persuasion to forget what he saw.

And that’s brings us to Chapter 3.

So the first thing to note about this book is that there’s a lot of plot. There are a lot of characters and a lot of stuff happening. It was also waaaayyyyy more suspense-y than I was expecting. Like, there’s a full-blown mystery here, with various suspicious characters threatening Gareth and his half-sister. The mystery builds slowly—at first, I thought this was an incidental side plot, but the mystery and the resolution of the suspense plot eventually becomes central to the story. This did mean that I wasn’t sure exactly where we were going with the story for the first few chapters, but the seemingly disparate threads do start to come together once things get moving. So Gareth’s and Joss’s family dramas and their relationship with one another and the smuggling shenanigans and the mystery of what Gareth’s terrible dad was up to eventually weave together into one larger story, where if you pull one thread, all of the other pieces move too.

The second thing to know is that while Charles clearly knows her way around Romney Marsh and its history—I loved the density of the local details—this doesn’t read as a purely “accurate” book of historical fiction. The characters are very careful with each other about consent and emotions in ways that some readers might find anachronistic, though I thought that Charles struck a good balance of having the characters make the point without it being overpowering. (Also, what is “historical accuracy” really? Historical fiction reveals more about the moment in which it was written than about the realities of the historical past. Like science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction allows authors to explore contemporary themes in a different setting to highlight these themes in a new way. Anyways.)

As for the romance, Gareth and Joss are facing some truly insurmountable-seeming problems, starting with the fact that Joss blackmails Gareth to protect his sister. Plus there’s the whole “we’re queer in Regency England” thing AND the whole “we are from different classes” thing. But the way that Charles has these two guys work through their problems satisfies the strictures of the time, the characters’ needs and desires, and my own desire as a reader for a happy ending.

I’ll tell you right now that I cried at the end because it was so lovely.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Steamy romance, wonderful dialects, a proper mystery, and a great dive into the historical, political, and cultural complexities of the period. A slow start builds into a compelling story and characters you care about.

I liked the romance, though the plot did not hook me as much as I had hoped. I LOVED the beginning of the book and I loved the chemistry between Joss and Gareth, but so much about the Cecelia (or whatever her name is) storyline was just annoying and a bit of a pain to get through. I kept zoning out.