The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen had lots of details and romance. However, it was just not my cup of tea. I really wanted to like it based on the premise, but I just had the hardest time getting into. I would often forget what I had read as it just wasn't interesting to me. It did not hold my attention unfortunately.

This was my first KJ Charles and it was an absolute delight. Highly recommend to fans of historical romance, especially those that like something a little less concerned with dukes and 'the ton'. The conflicts, both within the main pairing and within the plot, felt realistic and not like conflict for the sake of it and the story resolved in a way that made sense.

I would recommend to others and I will check out more KJ Charles in the future.

I cannot wait for the next book! I loved these characters - I hated when the story ended. I have hopes who could be the focus of the next book - gah, I really am too excited.
The romance, Joss and Gareth, their heated lovemaking - I just cannot recommend enough.
Two men meet at a London bar - become lovers, something of friends, using their towns as names. Unfortanely, Kent needs to return - to Kent, as his business in London as ended. London walks away - refusing to share contact information.
A few months later they meet again - in a small town near Kent. London about to give evidence against Kent's sister - turns out Joss' family business is smuggling. And Gareth is the new baronet.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is an M/M historical romance between Gareth, a titled Londoner, and Joss, the leader of the Doomsday family smuggling clan out in the remote marsh.

Although not particularly unique, I found this to be an enjoyable read in this genre. There is a lot of chemistry between the two men and I found their love story very believable. I also enjoyed several of the other minor characters, such as the Doomsday family members.

I would check out other books by this author for a light read.

Fun, engaging and spicy!! KJ is always a great choice if you are looking for MM historical romances and even when it's not your favorite it's never disappointing. The couple had great chemistry, but the plot has enough going for it (family drama, a crime, vivid setting) that if you're not an avid romance reader there's enough outside of it to feel satisfied with the story.

Thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an early copy of this book.

Gareth and Joss are so adorable as two people who meet and hook up in London, only to find each other again in Kent in VERY different circumstances. KJ Charles writes another book of heart and mayhem, love and hijinks. I loved Gareth as the baronet who just wants to go find some beetles but seems forced to figure out just what was his absent father and cruel uncle were up to and Joss as the powerful smuggler who loves his family, and maybe, just maybe, love the man who was so rude to him at the end of their dalliance. The world of this Kentish marsh felt full and detailed and I love how the stories came together. Just a lovely book.

4 stars

This might be my favorite KJC book now! I enjoyed this a lot and can't wait for the next book. Historical romances aren't normally my thing but this one hit the spot. Joss was my favorite and I loved their family.

I picked this up because I love historical romance and am always looking for queer historicals. However, I did end up DNFing at about 5%. I found this first chapter to be dialogue-heavy and very wordy, which is not my favorite style of writing. I think that the premise sounds interesting, but I was not super invested into getting much further in the plot.

Fantastic reading, I adored this book so much, a story full of romance, mystery, action and intrigue, who wouldn’t want to dive right in and devour this, because I did ! A queer regency romance with smugglers count me in , sexy and full of angst/tension this was a wonderful read and I can’t wait to read more from KJ Charles

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have not read a historical book in ages but this one caught my eye immediately because it is also an MM romance. I was intrigued by the premise of a man of the nobility falling for a smuggler. I was also interested in the history of smuggling during this period of time. I got so much more than I came for with this story. The writing was absolutely phenomenal. I was thrilled that each man had such a distinct voice representing their very disparate backgrounds. I was also pleasantly surprised that it was Joss, the smuggler, who was the character who came from a position of strength in this story. Garreth had such a hard life that he never let beat him down. When he came to the marsh to inherit a title with the unexpected death of his estranged father, he wasn’t the man who had the upper hand.

Gareth and Joss met in London and never thought they would see the other again. When Gareth’s father dies and he journeys to the home, he discovers not only a family he never knew but also Joss. There he discovers too that their tiny community is also the source of so many illegal goods smuggled by locals from France with Joss in the heart of all this activity. As the two begin to reacquaint, they each begin to discover more about themselves and also uncover secrets that may have better stayed buried.

This was a story rich in character, plot, scenery, and history. Both Joss and Gareth have many side characters that support the story and it was so much better for it. I loved the attention to historical accuracy and also the representation of not only queer culture during this time period but also that Joss is biracial. The diversity of characters overall in this entire story and also the complex plot that unfolds really made this a read that was impossible to put down. I now have another author on my TBR whose backlist is demanding my attention and I also can not wait for more in this series.

Actual Review: This book was such a romp and I really enjoyed it! If you're here for a dash of #BeGayDoCrimes shenanigans, some general angst about what happens if the world finds out your secret (and then the world is a better place than sometimes it feels), and a very proper sort of man falling for a bit of a scoundrel (I mean, he is a smuggler) then this book is definitely for you. There was a lull in the middle where the pacing just wasn't quite keeping up with my mood reading impulses, but all in all, this one gets a highly recommend from me! (I went with five stars because I think it's a four and a half but it feels so much better than other books I've rated four stars lately.)

Musings on Secret in the Title: There are lots of secrets in this book and while I always struggle a bit with the whole homosexuality had to be kept a secret thing in historical romance, I'm also like... We're literally still living in a society. I thought we'd moved past that and yet... Anyways!!! Setting that aside, there's also the smuggling. And Gareth's dad's secrets, of course. So, yes, I really appreciate the use of Secret in the title.

Narration: Tell me why this narrator sounds like the man who played Hagrid in the movies based on the series by she who shall not be named. But I wound up really enjoying the narration style and this narrator does do different voices for the various characters, which is super necessary for my brain so I was very grateful. I think Martyn Swain was really great though so I am glad to have read a book from him!

2.5 stars

I spent most of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen trying to convince myself I was enjoying it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of parts that feel disjointed and don’t come together well in the end.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is sold as a Regency romance, but it’s missing any elements that would place you in that setting. You can’t just call someone a baronet and drop all pretence of status and manners. There’s no witty banter or societal ladders to climb. There’s intermingling of all classes with barely a second thought, and Joss moves very freely through a society that should be much more difficult for him, even in a small town. I had to keep reminding myself of the time period because Charles most certainly did not. Maybe I was expecting too much Austen or even Klassen, but something was missing from the writing to really place you in this highly regulated society before breaking all the rules. I’m not saying you can’t write smutty Regency fiction; I’m just saying you have to follow at least some of the rules before you break them. (view spoiler)

It’s pretty rare to finish a romance novel and feel cynical about the love story, but I kept thinking how unlikely Joss and Gareth would last as a couple without all of the excitement. Instalove plus adrenaline is fun, but they basically speak different languages, and the only thing holding them together is physical attraction. And I guess convenience since they now live near each other? Not exactly heartwarming pieces of a puzzle coming together.

Omg first scene is a seggs scene! Then we find out how they meet!
Two fellows meet in London and like eachother but then break it off. Only to end up in the country at odds with a whole lot of illegal activities happening.
Sir Gareth's estranged father passed away and left everything to him in his will. And his father's new family is livid.
Meanwhile Joss Doomsday (awesome name I don't care what Gareth says) is smuggling on the coast which is what his family and found family deal in.
I love a good LGBTQ regency! And this one is pretty open door if you like or dislike that. These two have very big personalities and Joss is very strong and confident. He's definitely taking care and protecting his guy. But everything has to stay a secret. Really enjoyed this one! Love a good mystery with adventure and throw in some smuggling. Also, some light entomology.

Thank you sourcebookscasa for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was a super fun queer historical romance. The relationship between Gareth and Joss really grew, changed, and developed throughout the story. Some of the beats were a little off, but the overall arc worked quite well. I liked the setting of the marshlands, with the complexity of the people and their deep connections. I liked the bits of intrigue, which helped keep the plot moving without overwhelming the romance.

I adored this gay historical romance. I loved how well Gareth and Joss balanced each other out and brought out the best in each other. There were a lot of supporting characters and it was a little hard to keep everyone straight, but they added to the richness of the world. The Marsh felt like its own character and Gareth’s efforts to explore and catalogue its ecology was endearing, along with how eager Joss was to show him his home. I’ll admit, the mystery and smuggling subplots lost me a little, but overall I loved this book. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

This was my first KJ Charles book. I don’t read a lot of historical books so this took me a little to get into it, but once I did I loved it! There was romance and mystery and whodunnit and ecology. I was rooting for Joss and Gareth the whole time. “Hearts alive” is a phrase I didn’t know I needed to hear.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book, all opinions are my own.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman was not what I expected. And yet, I enjoyed it.

I didn't expect the murder, the suspense, the "where is the gold". I honestly went into this book for the romance, and it didn't disappoint.

Joss and Gareth slowly falling in love with each other, but consistently being able to communicate and also have disagreements and more, was just so good.

The characters were very fleshed out as well even the side characters that might be mentioned once or twice.

I recommend to read this one.

If you enjoyed KJ Charles Will Darling trilogy you will definitely enjoy this one too!
We have Sir Gareth, who is a nobleman, used to being alone because his family is The Worst! Being abandoned at his unloving uncles house as a child he’s not known a lot of love and affection in his life.
Meeting a dark, tall and handsome stranger in a tavern who looks at him like he wants to eat him alive seems to be one of the best things that ever happened to him…until he leaves him too.
But they will meet again, in the most surprising and shocking way possible.

I loved Gareth. He’s a baby girl who needs to be protected at all costs. He’s a little socially awkward and shy and I loved how Joss challenged him, took him seriously and tried to make him happy however he could.
I love me a good enemies to lovers, opposites attract romance and even better if it’s historical fic.
They were really cute together and I loved the character development.

For me the plot was a little too thin and too obvious to be honest. It was a rather short book, but it felt very long.
That’s why it’s only 4 stars for me.
I also wished there was a single loveable female character in this who didn’t depend on any man. I know KJ Charles can do better than this.

This book was WILD 😂.

This book has it all, romance, adventure, mystery, lots of secrets. The biggest secret never actually being revealed which was a little disappointing after reading the whole book 😂.

Joss and Gareth are super cute. Their relationship takes up most of the story until like 70% in and then we start with the dramaaaa! Like there’s some intense scenes woven in early on, and pieces of the larger storyline, but the ending is really where all the action is.

Overall, I thought this was a fun read. A bit spicier than I’d expected 😂. The ending surprised me, cause *spoiler* we never know where the money went and I wanted to know! 💰

I will say, I switched back and forth between ebook and audiobook for this one and I was not a fan of the narrator. Definitely stick to the ebook/physical book if you can.

TLDR: Oh, what a lovely romance! I devoured this in two days.

You really can't ask for more in a romance: the two main characters are fully fleshed out individuals with their own wants and desires; the storyline is super poignant; and the sex scenes are super hot. I was also pleased that 1) Charles doesn't hedge on the difficulties of being gay in Regency England during wartime and 2) the book is mostly set someplace other than London. This book is a lot of fun. Recommended!