My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I loved The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen and this books is such a splendid sequel!!

There are so many things to love about this book! The main characters–Luke and Rufus–are such engaging, interesting, complicated and vulnerable characters. It was so satisfying to see a grown up Luke, to see the continuation of his story, who he has become, who he wants to be and how those are sometimes at odds with each other. He is multifaceted and his scars go deeper than the one on his face. Seeing his story slowly unfold, in bits and pieces, and with his ever changing narration, the pace is fast and riveting.

Rufus, the new Earl, is a wonderful character! Grumpy but such a good man. Honest, intensely principled, caring and very observant. He has a complicated history, a temper, a short fuse with incompetence or cruelty when he sees it. But he is a good man, a good caretaker of the estate, and a kind individual who is much smarter than people give him credit for.

I liked Luke and Rufus as characters and love them in their relationship. The way they understand each other, the things they do for each other, the ways they heal parts of themselves being together.

We get glimpses of some familiar characters from TSLOCG but this story can stand on its own--a very enjoyable read.

The story had so many twists and turns, steamy moments. and aching romance. A very worthy sequel to the first book. I would read more about any of these characters.

**Light Spoilers**

Every time I read another KJC title, I think, "No, this one is definitely my favourite.", and A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is no different. I have been waiting for this book since I absorbed Countrymen into my very pores.

The sequel to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, set 13 years later, follows Luke Doomsday and his endeavor to make peace with his past. If you've read Country Gentlemen, you'll have an idea of what that means for Luke.

Sir Gareth and Joss do make an appearance in the absolute best of ways. I had hoped they would have a part in this book, having fallen in love with them in Countrymen, and their role in this book perfectly encapsulates what their relationship to Luke truly is; parental figures that he never really had.

I can't say enough good things about this duology!

My sincerest thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

✨*bites fist* ᵢₜ 𝓌ₐₛ ₚₑᵣ𝒻ₑ𝒸ₜ✨

Listen, I’ve tried for days to wrap my head around everything I loved about this book…but I’ve simply given up. I have the urge to use a lot of adjectives, like so many adjectives. But it was, indeed, perfection, and that’s really the only one you need.

I wondered how K.J. Charles would follow up The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman—another five-star read for me—and I can safely say that I anticipated none of it but quickly (QUICKLY) fell in love with all of it. (Just call me Ricky Bobby because the speed at which I read this has yet to be tracked on any speedometer.)

I can’t really go into much of the plot at risk of spoilers, but that’s okay because all you need to know is that you’ll be thoroughly entertained: The romance romanced even harder than the first book, (re)found family was a main source of comfort (as well as conflict), and the [redacted] mystery successfully bamboozled me right until the big reveal. There was also a distinct gothic vibe that created a really cozy yet unpredictable atmosphere.

The fight/grovel scene actually restored my faith in humanity??? I was kind of dreading the (the emotional stakes were so high yall!!), but I’ll be anticipating it during my reread. It made the romance ten times as intricate and complete as it would’ve been with something less intense. My heart broke for them both, but it hurt! So! GOOD! A breakup scene and its aftermath can REALLY do it for me when it’s done right, and I’m pretty sure K.J. Charles has actually never been wrong.

✨

While A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel *could* be read as a standalone, I think a lot of Luke’s character would be lost if you haven’t read The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman. (He was going through IT at thirteen and it explains…a lot.) Also the marsh. You’d miss so much marsh. I went back to book one, and the Earl of Oxney is referenced as well, so definitely keep tabs on the ~lore as you read or reread.

Overall, I loved everything in the book, but the romance of it actually owns me. I keep writing and deleting the small things they did for each other because I won’t spoil but !!!! Just know I can’t breathe thinking about them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️*/5

*I think it was definitely hotter than book two, as the tension was TRIPLED. The forbidden boss/employee thing worked so well here.


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

I don’t think KJ Charles can write a book I won’t like. I flew through this one—I adored Luke and Rufus (which somehow comes off as a sexy name here). It has the tightly woven plottiness of most of her books, but so much focus on the evolving relationship too. The side characters are perfection and we get cameos by Gareth and Joss from the first book in the series.

I won’t share lengthy quotes from an arc, but KJC has a knack for seemingly simple lines that have a big impact—whether humor or emotion or insightful characterization. I hope to have the chance to use a version of “don’t think I’m not angry because I’m not shouting” in my own life.
I don’t know how to end reviews, but I liked this book a lot and if you like KJC I think you will too. 😂💙

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

**ARC provided by Netgalley with the understanding that an unbiased review would be provided.**

I loved this, it's much longer than most of Charles's books, but there was a lot to cover.

It was amazing to see Luke all grown up and feeling himself. I loved how he knows his abilities and talents and that he never questions himself about those things. But I also loved that his, very understandable, internal scars were still affecting and driving him.

Rufus is a good man, which is not at all the same as a perfect man. His lack of patience with stupidity and cruelty in others is very relatable. His complete and straightforward honesty is commendable, but a lack of grays makes his life even more difficult.

Luke and Rufus together are delightful. I love that they offer each other the things they need to be their happiest selves.

I really liked seeing Odo and Fulk coming into themselves after Rufus gave them support and purpose. Luke seeing that they weren't awful themselves, but damaged by their parents, who were also damaged by their parents. It was great to see Fulk, in particular, prove that he was more than he seemed. Berengaria (what a name, lol) was always her own woman, and I loved her relationship with Luke's cousin.

The level of intrigue and scheming that is normally present in Charles's books is toned down in this book. It's not as stressful until Luke has his mishap, and even that is a different kind of stressful.

I am looking forward to the audio of this, although I hope a different narrator is used.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC because I am officially obsessed!

For starters, I did not realize this book was part of a series when I requested it, but it did not impact my enjoyment at all! It not necessarily a direct sequel from my understanding, so I was able to fully enjoy it on its own. And I now know I must immediately read the first one, because boy oh boy did I LOVE this book!

I’ll be honest, the first few chapters were a bit disorienting and I had a hard time wrapping my brain around who all the characters were and how all the relatives shook out. I might still be a little confused about who’s who, but I quite frankly don’t care because I know that Luke and Rufus are iconic and I love them forever now. The different sides of their characters that they bring out in each other was so delightful to read and I of course loved their angsty pining. Chef’s kiss!

I had never read anything by this author and I’m not sure why my brain thought “oh this will just be a fun lil romp with some fluff” but hoooooly cow when this got spicy I was BLUSHING. It was, once again, chef’s kiss. Just the right amount of spice to add some excitement to the overall plot.

Truly feel like I’ve been blessed with this arc and I cannot wait to buy my own copy (and get the first one!) because I am definitely going to want to reread and kick my feet giggling at Luke and Rufus. 4.5⭐️ from me!!! Had to take off a half star for a rocky/confusing start but I still adored it and highly recommend!!!!

Wow. I loved this book! One can read this without having read The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen but it's much better if you have read it. Our hero, Rufus, is an honest and upstanding former military officer who inherited an earldom and is trying to do right by everyone. Luke Doomsday is employed as his secretary but he has an agenda of his own. This book has adventure, wit, romance, and some really nasty villains who deserve more than they got. I loved every minute of it. I will recommend this to any reader who loves historical adventure and romance.

It took me a little bit to be hooked on this story but once it got me I didn’t want to put it down.
I very much enjoyed Rufus and Luke’s romantic adventures through mystery solving, fighting off evil family members, and having a lot of sex while doing it!

A Nobleman’a Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is a lovely, fun book. I really liked both Rufus and Luke individually, as well as their relationship together. They felt better together and I think that’s a hallmark of a good couple. I also really loved the changing relationships with family and what that meant to both of them. The characters and the world felt fleshed out.

The only real issue I had with the story was the pacing. This book definitely feels like a relationship first book, with plot second, which isn’t a bad thing, but it can lend itself to some pacing issues. The beginning was a little long and there was a point in the middle where Luke had to explain stuff that happened in the previous book to explain what was important about the current plot and it was a lot of exposition at once.

However, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good historical romance with very well written characters arcs.

I really loved "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen" so was very keen to get the chance to read the sequel!

It had been some time since I'd read "The Secret Lives..." so I couldn't quite place who the main characters were in relation to the first book initially -- this was bothering me enough that I went onto good reads to find the answer (luckily was in someone's review!) but I think this book could benefit from a tiny preface or scene-setting to place us back in this world, in relation to the first book (it doesn't need a lot - I know avid readers of series' also don't want much repetition.

The various family relations imparted in the early chapters also were a little confusing, but it really didn't stop me barreling onward - I enjoyed the two main characters -- their personalities, their relationship. Particularly Rufus' utter disregard for the niceties of the 'upper' class - I like how he goes around swearing at everything! Luke's assured competence and kindness with Rufus' difficulty reading is also lovely.

On the whole, I liked it, but wanted a little more of the marsh as the setting, and perhaps a little more with the Doomsday family -- It's perhaps not quite as good as the first book but still a really enjoyable read and worthy sequel that I would recommend!

KJ Charles is a rare author who not only makes me enjoy the romance plot but also the history plot! Loved this.

I liked this so much more than the first one! I loved that there was a time jump and the book focused on Luke! So good!

I love KJ Charles's characters so even though this had a slightly slower start and what felt like less dramatic stakes at certain points, I was very deeply invested!

This is an excellent follow up to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. Thirteen years have passed and Luke Doomsday, the bright but abused teen from the last book, has returned to Romney Marsh after several years of working as a secretary. He shows up at Stone Manor with information that could call into question the legitimacy of the estate’s heir, Major Rufus d'Aumesty, the new Earl of Oxney. Rufus, who never expected to meet his father’s family, much less to become the master of a vast estate, is feeling very much out of his depth and attacked from multiple angles. Blunt, staunchly honorable and honest to a fault, Rufus desperately needs someone on his side. When Luke offers his secretarial services, Rufus has no recourse but to accept. As they work together to put the estate to rights, they develop a mutual physical attraction. Their connection deepens as Rufus falls for Luke’s amazing mind and spirit, while Luke finds himself helpless drawn to Rufus’ kindness and strength. But Luke is hiding more than one secret from his right-is-right, wrong-is-wrong lover and when they come to light it threatens to destroy their bond. Now Luke must decide what he is willing to let go to keep the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

I adored this book. The characters and their serious dysfunctions made this an engaging read. Rufus slowly being crushed by his sense of responsibility. Self-sabotaging Luke who must work through the traumas of his childhood. The cousins each trying to make sense of their new realities. Even the truly awful aunt and uncle were well drawn. The various plots and schemes to steal Rufus’ inheritance, the family mystery and Luke’s own skullduggery kept me turning pages. Not to mention the steamy romance between to very different men. I highly recommend this title.

This book was supremely enjoyable. After reading the first book in this series (duology?) I wasn't sure what to expect form this one since my reaction to the first book was pretty lukewarm. However, this book was so sweet and I enjoyed it so much more than the first book. I found the heroes to be great characters to follow and while some of the story was a bit wacky, it was good. I'll admit that Luke's secret was not exactly what I was thinking of when it got built-up so much, but I think it was all resolved relatively well. The biggest frustration of this book that brought it from 5 stars down to 4.5 is that Mr. and Mrs. Conrad were completely horrible people. Rufus knew this about them yet he continued to do nothing until it pretty much got to the point where it would've been downright stupid for him to keep them around. Rufus was portrayed as this bleeding heart and while he was a kindhearted person, the fact that he didn't handle the situation with the Conrad's sooner felt out of character because it felt like he was being weak rather than compassionate. That's my biggest complaint with this book. Otherwise, I found to be very enjoyable and I highly recommend it.

An absolutely wonderful follow-up to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, we return 13 years later to the Marsh to follow the newly coroneted Earl of Oxney as he faces his family's attempts to wrest the title away from him, including a challenge to his legitimacy from Luke Doomsday, who ends up entwining into his life more than he could have imagined.

There's clearly a secret Luke is keeping for his real reasons to be at Stone Manor - he doesn't want the title, he doesn't want to help Conrad, Rufus' uncle (and who would, he and his wife Matilda are some of the most vile characters convinced of their own supremacy and twisted righteousness that they made my skin crawl), and while his place as Rufus' secretary feels right to both of them, they couldn't have known that at the start - and its reveal is somewhat slow, another sinister lurking shadow in the shades of Stone Manor that as a reader you're mostly just waiting to come out to the open so Rufus and Luke can move forward.

On the other hand, Rufus and Luke's relationship is a perfect opposite side of the coin to Gareth and Joss': both are about finding a place to belong and accept love and all of the internal obstacles that the characters face before they can allow themselves that peace. Rufus is so straightforward but has been bounced around from place to place, caught up in others' schemes, and Luke has been torn his whole life between wanting to be loved and closing himself off before he can be hurt. Both of them twist themselves into such pretzels trying to get a sense of what the other is thinking, only to come to the completely wrong conclusion (in a way that is thankfully not frustrating or feels contrived, since one of my least favorite tropes is miscommunication). Add to this a crumbling Gothic manor, showing your love in actions that seem small (Luke's handwriting!), and uhhhh a lot of past murder, and I all but couldn't put it down.

My one quibble is just /how/ awful Conrad and Matilda were, how willingly Pauncefoot went along with them, and Rufus' continued patience with them, it just set my teeth on edge. There are also a lot of beats that feel similar to Richard and Cyprian, from Society of Gentlemen, with an ultra-competent right hand fixer and a broad, powerful lord afraid of overstepping his authority who relies on him. Thankfully this lessens towards the end as we peel back more of both Rufus and Luke, but the first half I kept having to forcefully pull myself back. I did re-read the series back in February, which may have had an impact, but it's something that hasn't happened with Charles' characters before for me, so it surprised me. Speaking of re-reads though, there's a fun reference to Lord Corvin among other cameo references, so of course now I have to go re-read many things to map out which verse these are set in!

What fun!!! I really loved the previous novel in this series, and the sequel did not disappoint. I loved how one of the main characters was on the morally gray side (not something you often see in romance!) and the other was right and true -- it made for a really interesting and compelling dynamic and conflict. While I definitely liked the first book best, this one was so much fun to read. I super hope there will be more in this series to come, because it is probably my favourite from the author thus far!!

What a horrible family Rufus has to contend with when he inherits the title of Earl of Oxney in remote Romney Marsh. He also has to contend with those who cast doubt on his legitimacy to have this title at all.

Luke Doomsday becomes another possible contender to the Earldom and also becomes an indispensable secretary to Rufus.

Attraction follows.

Luke is desperate to escape the specter of his horrific father and what he did to him. He also needs access to the estate to search for something, something he is sure will prove he is worthy. But to gain what he is hoping to find, he may lose something even more precious.

It’s Gothic, mysterious, intriguing, and romantic.

It might take a minute to sort out the players who could/should inherit, and the odd d’Aumesty family, but after that, the story flows.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 2 of the Doomsday duology, picking up 13 years after the end of the absolutely delightful Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. We find ourselves still on the marsh (in the marsh? Marsh-adjacent?), this time dropped into the life of Rufus, the newly investitured Earl of Oxney, an acknowledged but disowned and believed-dead grandson of the late earl, whose inconvenient state of aliveness (Rufus’s, I mean) comes as a horrific shock to his horrible, no good, very bad uncle who had expected to inherit. Thankfully KJ Charles explains this all much more lucidly (albeit at greater length) than I did. The point is that Rufus finds himself in a pickle: in an inconvenient, uncomfortable manor, in a place where he is a stranger, surrounded by an openly hostile family – the aforementioned horrible uncle, Conrad, his equally horrible wife, Matilda, and three cousins who range from anxious to apathetic to openly disdainful – all of whom have lived their lives in a state of utter dependence; undermined by a disloyal staff; and trying to come to grips with an estate and tenants who have been ignored and left to rot over the final years of the previous earl’s aggrieved tenure.

Into this sad state of affairs swoops Luke, who we remember from TSLoCG as an awkward, insecure, but clever teenager who was taken under Gareth’s wing after an incident of shocking violence from his horrible father, Elijah Doomsday. (Horrible blood families being a theme in this book and, indeed, much of KJC’s work.) Luke comes with a fantastical tale of his birth mother (with whom he is estranged) being secretly married to Rufus’s father before the father married Rufus’s mother; which is to say that the marriage between Rufus’s parents is invalid as the father was already married, which is to say that Rufus is illegitimate, which is to say that Conrad is the legitimate heir. Luke has no proof of this marriage, only the deathbed confession of his maternal grandfather. Conrad sees Luke as his ticket to the earldom; Rufus, no dummy, realizes that since his father was still alive when Luke was born, Luke would technically be the heir if there was, in fact, a marriage, even though Luke is indisputably the biological son of horrible Elijah. (Don’t ask me, people. In the immortal words of Maggie Smith, “If I were to search for logic, I would not look for it among the English upper class.”) Rufus immediately recognizes in Luke both a threat and a potential ally – Luke is vibing unimpressed with Conrad’s high-handed thuggishness – and, as Luke is a highly trained but presently unemployed secretary, Rufus him on until they can sort out the mess.

The reason I’m going into this in somewhat tedious detail is that, while TSLoCG started with a bang – literally – this book starts with a big ask: wading through a chapter of obscure British inheritance law-based scheming while being battered over the head by the absolute worst character. Once Rufus and Luke are in place, things pick up. Rufus discovers that Luke is as good at reading people and getting them on-side as he is at accounts, organization, and all things secretarial; Luke discovers that, for all his briskness, Rufus is well-intentioned, big-hearted, and a nummy nummy bear. This is something of a slow burn with echoes of Richard and Cyprian in the servant-employer dynamic, especially in terms of Rufus’s reluctance to put his employee in a vulnerable position. But unlike in A Gentleman’s Position, in Nobleman we are aware that Luke has a secret agenda, even if we don’t know what it is (although readers of TSLoCG can probably hazard a guess). Luke’s secret agenda is eventually, painfully revealed; there is a rupture; and then a wary, tentative armistice that eventually turns into a genuine reconciliation. And as we expect from KJC, a cracker of a finale where all ends are tied up and the baddies get a satisfyingly vengeful comeuppance.

Anyone who has any familiarity with my reviews knows I’m an unapologetic KJC stan, so it’s no surprise that I gobbled this up like ice cream on a hot summer day. Great writing, great pacing, great MCs, a lovely romance, wonderful new supporting characters as well as cameos from Gareth, Joss and the gang, and plenty of twists and turns. That said, this didn’t work quite as well as TSLoCG for me. (And while I’m at it: this could probably be read as a standalone – the relevant info from TSLoCG is adequately explained – but it will be much better if you’ve read book 1, plus why deny yourself that gem?)

It's hard to articulate why this ends up a 4-star rather than 5-star read for me without comparing it to TSLoCG. Partly it comes down to tropes: I LOVE SLoCG’s “short-lived, ill-fated affair and then the MCs meet again in the most horrifying way possible” trope, both because it gives us insta-connection, insta-bang and essence of second-chance romance, my sweet summer child. Nobleman is more slow-burn and sneaky self-sabotaging MC, which, don’t get me wrong, is also good, but it doesn’t hit my sweet spot quite the same. And speaking of self-sabotaging: I found Luke to be pretty frustrating, which on the one hand is entirely the point – Luke finds Luke pretty frustrating, as do Rufus, Gareth, Joss, and cousin Emily! – but on the other hand requires a lot of rehabilitation work after the rupture. The work is necessary – Luke has to learn to articulate to himself and others what’s driving his sabotaging tendencies; Rufus has to figure out if he can ever trust and like Luke again – but there are moments where the narrative here feels more explanatory/ pleading than organic. I think KJC gets us there in the end – I believe in Rufus and Luke’s HEA – but there’s a bit of pulling us along in the immediate aftermath of the rupture that felt a bit heavy-handed. Ideally, I would have loved if the epilogue was the final chapter, and a different epilogue was set a bit further down the road: we leave Rufus and Luke happy together, but still in the immediate wake of the whirlwind of events. It would have been nice to check in on them a few months or even years later once things had settled.

The other aspect where, for me, this paled by comparison to TSLoCG is in the setting. While Romney Marsh was an integral part of TSLoCG – Joss’s intimate knowledge of the landscape and its people, Gareth’s close observation of its flora and fauna – here the Marsh is very much tucked away, and the story is centered on and in this old, forbidding, somewhat menacing manor. Atmospheric it most certainly is – positively claustrophobic in the beginning, gradually lightened by Rufus and Luke’s improvements but still chilly in more than temperature – but I missed the teeming intimacy of the Marsh. This had a much more Gothic feel – Luke is an avid reader of Gothic novels – that provides an interesting contrast to its sister book; I simply preferred the SLoCG version.

But here is my obligatory “just because I spent three paragraphs griping doesn’t mean I didn’t love this” disclaimer. Because this is a cracking read with all the characteristics we’ve come to love and expect from KJ Charles: smart, absorbing, wry and knowing, and sneakily touching. It wasn’t quite up to the level of TSLoCG, but it’s a worthy sequel and a wonderful addition to the Doomsday story.

Bonus points for the Band Sinister reference!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Oh my gosh, I loved this book so much I have no words to describe it. I loved Luke's character in the previous book, and was very excited to get more of him in this book (you don't need to read the previous book to follow along with one, but I highly recommend reading it because it is also fantastic). KJ Charles has a way of making her characters so real, and this made me fall in love with Luke and Rufus. I can't recommend this book enough!