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.

I liked this book, but I'm not sure I totally loved it. I couldn't help but feel like something was missing the whole time. I think I was also comparing it too much to "Something Fabulous" by Alexis Hall and while there are similarities, the writing styles and overarching stories are completely different. But that's also on me and I'm sure others won't see it that way. I didn't dislike this book, but I don't know if I'll keep reading the others in the series. Overall, I think people will enjoy this as it has a bit of everything - romance, family drama, and more.

I thought this was a good read that balanced the plot with the romance well. The romance had a clear purpose in the story without reducing the two male characters to tropes. I also found the descriptions of Kent and how different communities led to different mannerisms interesting.

Another excellent novel by KJ Charles. She's never put out a dud and while this wasn't my favorite, it will appeal to her regular fans as well as be a good entry point to her writing.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebook for this advanced copy.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was such a great book, sweet and FUN!! As always form KJ Charles.

What a great balance of a mystery plot and romance! The characters of Joss and Gareth had incredible depth, I feel like I know them so well. Their complexities were continuously unveiled throughout the book, we were constantly learning new things about them.

Another excellent addition to KJ Charles' canon. Highly recommended for fans of queer historical romance. The pacing is excellent and, as always, the plot is propulsive. KJ Charles never disappoints for fans of m/m romance with a twist of mystery.

An enjoyable MLM historical romance set in the Romney Marsh where a newly minted baronet and the prince of smugglers characters get a second chance at love set amongst a backdrop of mystery and shenanigans. The theme of the book appears to be learning and dealing with vulnerabilities in familial and romantic relationships. The B plot outshone the romance A plot in spots, but overall, this was a fun and heartwarming read.

KJ Charles never disappoints!

This was so much fun to read. I loved getting to know Gareth and Joss and all their baggage. KJ Charles excels at writing multilayered characters and this is so evident here. Watching their relationship grow and evolve was so delightfully and I rooted for them every step of the way. The last scene made me so emotional in how true it was to the book and yet delivering swooniness.

The secondary cast was also great especially Asa, Sophy, Luke, and Catherine. They added so much more to this tale and provided crucial support when needed.

While the stakes here were not quite as high as the spies in the Slippery Creatures trilogy, they were equally very real. I hated that there hung an ever present danger of being outed and loved how all that was resolved.

What more can I say, this book had it all. Humor, found family dynamics, STEAM, a plot... I mean KJ is an auto-read for me for a reason!

Huge thanks to SourceBooks and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is the first KJ Charles book I've read, and it was delightful!

Two different worlds colliding and merging in a remote marshland of Kent, in a spicy, passionate romance entangled with family secrets, intrigue, smuggling and backstabbing!

Thank you NetGalley and for the ARC!

I'm familiar with the earlier work of KJ Charles. I'm a big fan of the "A Charm of Magpies" series. This prolific author has a variety of books for folks to choose from. While it's been a while for me, I saw this one and wanted to read it. The blurb was intriguing and the book lived up to it!

"London" and "Kent" have met in London where they're safe to be who they really are. For stolen moments in a private room, they enter into an affair without knowing who each other is. Their connection is immediate when they lock gazes and Charles does a wonderful job of building the beginnings of these two characters without initially revealing who they are. I was lost in the not-knowing just like the characters and was equally confused and surprised when "London" abruptly ended everything.

Sir Gareth Inglis is a newly anointed Baronette. Upon the death of his father, he inherited the home he'd never had including some characters from his father's life. He moves to Romney Marsh to begin again and finds a challenging path ahead of himself.

Josiah Doomsday is the head of his smuggling family. He and Sir Gareth collide in court when legal matters come between them. Of course, these men have met before. The world of the marsh is very different from the anonymous world of London. The feelings between these two men may still be there, but they are living in a fishbowl... a fishbowl with crime, smuggling, violence and blackmail.

This is a delicious novel with plenty of spice from the chemistry between the main characters. The plot is purposely driven on two fronts... the forbidden romance and the mystery of missing gold and smuggling families. Charles always writes mystery and intrigue with great skill and I found myself thoroughly engaged throughout the story.

I’m a huge fan of this author’s historical MM romances having read over a dozen through the years, so I was excited to get an early copy of this one. Told in third person, this story follows Gareth who was abandoned by his father for a new family after his mother’s death. He’s now inherited the family title and a remote country house where what remains of that family still lives. This marsh country has its own way of life and is flush with smugglers, and one smuggler in particular is familiar to Gareth.

I really enjoyed the complicated family dynamics and reading about Gareth’s journey to understand his past and the choices that were made for him. The family dynamics of the Doomsdays was also fascinating from their complicated relationships to handling skirmishes with the law and relatives who have their own ideas of how their smuggling operations should be run. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Recommended to historical romance lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy provided for an honest review.

Great M/M historical romance that is full of action and a fun story to read. Loved the adventures Gareth and Joss that was full of danger, romance and secrets that get unraveled.
A fun read and I look forward to see what Author KJ Charles brings next.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Absolutely adored the characters in this story and enjoyed reading their story!

What I liked:
* Gareth: well educated, has trust and abandonment issues, had a rough childhood, the way he came into his own and found his place, kind, generous, caring, responsible, naturalist, a good man
* Joss: smuggler, good leader, protective, loves his family, willing to learn and grow and did so in the story, protective, caring, strong, responsible, a good man who usually gets what he wants
* The strong bond that develops between Gareth and Joss
* Joss’s way of looking at smuggling and the politics behind why smuggling took place
* Sophia: Joss’s sister, intelligent, strategic thinker, leader, loves her family
* Luke: Joss’s cousin, abused, played an important part in the story
* Catherine: mistress of Gareth’s father, aunt to Gareth’s half-sister Cecilia, really liked her
* The connection between Gareth and Joss
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing style
* That I became invested in the characters and cared what happened
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how ‘family’ is not always there for one another and how that impacted more than one character in the book.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a M/M historical romance set in England's Romney Marsh. The story follows the unlikely romance between Sir Gareth, a newly promoted baronet, and Joss Doomsday, a smuggler. Both have been made heads of their respective families under vastly different circumstances. Gareth is a young man, who to his surprise, has inherited a country estate from his estranged father and responsibility for a heretofore unknown half-sister. On the other hand, Joss is the leader of the local smuggling clan. Joss takes seriously the protection and care of those he identifies as his people.

Gareth and Joss must deal with a dangerous secret plot while at the same time navigating their own burgeoning romance. The author does a fantastic job of exploring the societal pressures and prejudices of the time, including the ever present threat of being outed. The tension in the story is lightened with the witty banter and tenderness between Gareth and Joss.

Overall, "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen" is a wonderful M/M romance novel that explores the themes of love, desire, male vulnerability, and societal expectations in a thoughtful and nuanced way. It is a must-read for fans of the genre and anyone looking for a well-written, engaging story with complex characters. I cannot wait to read the next book in this world.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for this advanced copy to review.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to read this book, but it's only now that I have some time to give you my opinion on it.
This book is a historical romance between a smuggler and a young nobleman who has just inherited a great fortune. They both have a story in common and their reunion brings with it several adventures related to the world of crime.
The two leads are very different from each other, from their origins to their personalities. Sir Garreth has strong abandonment traumas and a very rigid personality, while Joss has other priorities, more related to caring for his family whom he protects despite everything.
I liked the romance, especially because they have a dynamic that I really enjoyed and the stories of the secondary characters have a lot of relevance in the main plot. The combination with this setting greatly enriches the story.
Another interesting thing was Sir Garreth's interest in insects and wildlife, it was a detail of his personality that I quite liked. Also, all the troubles with smugglers bring with them a lot of intrigue and plenty of action scenes.
In short, it is a very complete historical romance book and one that I definitely recommend. There will be a second part coming soon, starring other characters and I definitely want to read it.

✨more like a 3.5/5 star read but i decided to round up to a 4!

✨this book was jam packed full of adventure and fun and steam at times! i’m so glad i picked it up. if bridgerton had LGBT leads and had the amount of action that the three muskateers or robin hood has then you would get this book!

✨aside from the hair twirling-worthy main couple, each lead has their own dynamics with their respective families that really warmed my heart. the sibling dynamics were dynamic-ing and i selfishly wanted more and more even though there was a great deal already in it!

✨the setting and the language used really took the reader to the old british countryside (not that I’ve been, but i can imagine!) and it might have been my favorite part of the book tbh. i’m all about ~vibes~ and this book had them!

✨the only real complaint I have is that there was simply SO much action. like i feel like a lot of it did advance the story, but there was so much going on at time that i got a bit confused about who was beefing with who about what. which, this book also had a TON of characters so i think that might also be something that took me out of the story.

✨overall if you’re a historical fiction/romance girlie, a bridgerton or jane austen lover, you’ll enjoy this book!

✨thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was an absolutely delightful historical romance. The plot was filled with interesting historical concepts, relevant socio-political commentary, and emotional depth. On top of all of that, the author did such a great job of painting a picture of the Kent marshes that their characters are romping around in, and I have never so desperately wished I could be transported to the scene of one of my books.

While the plot was fascinating, I did feel like at times it got a little too big and a little unwieldy with all the characters, and I would have liked a little bit more one on one with the main character, this was still a delightful read and I would easily recommend to other romance readers.