Amazing, and just as enthralling (if not more!) than the first Doomsday book. Rufus is so lovable, in a blustery-angry-but-extremely-kind way, and I like his forwardness. And the demisexual representation?? Omg. Revisiting Luke in this book was such a good choice- he’s a lying liar, but the best one possible. Luke and Rufus’ relationship is filled with respect and love, and their chemistry (overall and also in the bedroom) is *chef’s kiss*. Getting to see Background Gareth And Joss AND the Jonathan thread really tied it together very nicely, I think.

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

Rufus, Earl of Oxney, has dealt with multiple attempts by his uncle to take his title away from him. Now, his uncle is claiming that not only is Rufus illegitimate, but he has proof by way of Lucas Doomsday, a secretary who hails from a notorious family of local smugglers. Rufus hires Lucas to help him search through family archives for proof of his legitimacy, and Lucas agrees, in part because he has his own reasons for being at the estate...

My review:

This is the first book I've read by KJ Charles and I only wish I'd read her works sooner because this was a fabulous read. I adored both of the main characters: Rufus is an ex-soldier, honorable with a bit of a temper. But you can't blame the poor guy; he's trying his best to improve the estate after years of neglect while being constantly challenged by his terrible family. Luke is a secretary who comes from a smuggler clan, so he has a raffish edge to an otherwise (mostly) proper façade. He's a schemer who uses his powers for good when it comes to helping Rufus... and other times not so much.

I loved Rufus and Luke's relationship: it's one that comes from a place of mutual understanding and respect which initially makes them friends and allies, and that actually seems to fuel their physical and sexual attraction. Rufus did read as demisexual to me just based on what he says (thinks) about not seeing the point of having sex with someone you don't care for. And he finds that with Luke fairly early on, even if Luke has to make the first move ("either fuck me or fire me"... he's a brat can you tell).

Both men have a good deal of familial demons, past and present, and the narrative does a great job of having the characters examine them, reconcile where they can, but otherwise creating their own found family they can be happy around. In a way, it's in direct contract to the villains of the story, mostly Rufus's own family, who are miserable with one another, and yet prize their (Norman... you'll see the word "Norman" many times) blood above all.

The mystery aspect (two mysteries, really, and then another mystery no one expected to find the answer to but stumbled across anyway) was mostly tight and well done. I do think the second half became a little too mystery-heavy at the cost of the romance, but it all tied up neatly at the end. At times I wish I'd read The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen just so I knew Luke's background, especially relating to Sir Gareth and Joss Doomsday, but KJ did a pretty good job of filling in those blanks for the reader.

The sex:

Raw. Intimate. Sexy. I can't write this review without including the droit du seigneur aspect, which starts as a joke between Rufus and Luke, but very much ends up as a kink of sort for them in that Luke wants to be taken in the manner of a feudal lord in the olden days sleeping with a vessel's wife first on their wedding night (possessive, a bit rough), which I thought was very hot, and very well done. Luke is a bit of a brat and wants to make Rufus work for it, but Rufus is absolutely willing to rise to the challenge (both Luke and Rufus seem to have a competence kink too). A relentless man, if you will.

Because of how the plot progresses, there's actually a lot more sex scenes in the first half of the book than in the second, but honestly the wait pays off because by the time they're reunited, the emotions are just that much heightened by the fact that they love one another now. I was actually near tears when Luke admits that when he first asked Rufus to "fuck him like he owns him", he really wished that he was his. It was so so romantic.

Overall:

I'd recommend this book to anyone, but specifically readers looking for a romance intertwined with a mystery or adventure, and anyone looking for a queer historical romance. I loved this book so much, and I'm looking forward to reading more KJ Charles.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

A follow-up to the fantastic Doomsday Books series. Sir Gareth Inglis and Joss Doomsday appears here too... Luke is the main character in this book and he falls in love with the Rufus, the new Earl of Oxney. Luke was great in the first book and it's nice to see him all grown up. You can definitely read this book without the first one but it adds layers if you have read it. It's fun and romantic and I totally enjoy it. A great plot with terrific characters. Luke is terrific as a grown up and I enjoy Sir Gareth Inglis too.
Their banter is terrific. Great fun.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

An absolutely 10/10 execution of my favorite dynamic in mm historical romance. I love it when a meticulous, competent bureaucrat with secrets has his plans spoiled by falling in love with an irritatingly charismatic minor lord who insists on enjoying things like *riding* and *sports* and is entirely too loud and disruptive and handsome to be tolerated, and KJ Charles has knocked this one out of the park.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is a fun, delightful historical romance featuring Rufus d’Aumesty, recently and unexpectedly the Earl of Oxney, and Luke Doomsday, whose tenuous claim to the d’Aumesty has been seized upon by Rufus’s horrible uncle in an attempt to oust him. When Rufus proves shockingly reasonable about the whole thing, Luke agrees to act as his secretary while they sort it all out, and inexorably finds himself drawn into Rufus’s orbit, despite having his own, unsavory reasons for being there.

I fell in love Luke and Rufus at once, and watching them determinedly work on fixing all the things that former generations of d’Aumestys left broken was a sheer delight.

(As a sidebar, while there *is* a ruined manor house with a number of secrets, a doddering pagan uncle in an attic, and some serious generational trauma, I wouldn’t say that A Nobleman’s Guide ever really gets into gothic territory.)

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles is everything I want in a historical romance. Rufus d’Aumesty is unexpectedly the new Earl of Oxney. Sounds promising right? Unfortunately, Rufus has found himself in a home beset with vipers. Everything and everyone in the household is against him. The latest blow? A potential challenge to the line of succession in the form of Luke Doomsday, a member of the notorious smuggling clan. However, Rufus finds Luke to be clever, alarmingly competent, and an unexpected ally. This story is beset with twists and turns. It is simultaneously a compelling romance and also an interesting mystery with interesting twists and turns. The romance contains one of my favorite main character pairings: one affable, kind-hearted (albeit) quick to blustery anger character and a scheming, guarded character who just wants to belong. We absolutely recommend this one!

Rufus d'Aumesty is the new Earl of Oxney, much to the consternation of his uncle Conrad who, unaware of his older brother's son, thought the earldom was his. But another possible claimant steps forward, Luke Doomsday, scion of the local smuggler family, whose mother may or may not have been married to Rufus' father first. Either way, Conrad won't be the new earl. Rufus tries to hide the fact that he is dyslexic, the estate papers are a mess, the tenants have been neglected for years, and the old earl seemed to have hated his whole family. Rufus needs help to get the estate organized, and Luke happens to be a professional secretary. As Rufus and Luke begin to turn the estate around, it becomes nearly impossible for them to ignore their mutual attraction.

Fun historical LGBTQ romance, set 13 years after the author's previous historical romance featuring Sir Gareth Inglis and Joss Doomsday. Luke appeared as a child in that book, and the reader gets to revisit Sir Gareth and Joss in this one. Ideal for taking on vacation or reading on a beach somewhere.

A fantastic followup in the Doomsday Books series. Luke Doomsday, a secretary from a line of smugglers, is hired to help Rufus, who has unexpectedly inherited an earldom, prove his legitimacy and organize his estate. Charles does a fantastic job of peopling these books with intriguing, funny, and complicated supporting characters, and especially excels in writing villains who get their due. The romance is balanced very well with the plot around running the estate and Rufus navigating tricky family dynamics. If you have read the first book, you will suspect why Luke is especially interested in this job, and that subplot works very well with the major conflict.

I really enjoyed the journey both characters went on—Rufus is a fairly straightforward person, and his arc is largely about gaining confidence and exercising his natural kindness and talent for leadership. Whereas Luke, who has a much more complex family history and personal demons to navigate, follows a less linear path. It is a testament to the writing that these arcs feel balanced and complementary despite being so different.

Author KJ Charles follows up her bestselling novel The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen with another fun and steamy tale of romance and adventure in Regency England, sure to please fans of Cat Sebastian or Alexis Hall.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book. I loved it more than the first Doomsday book, though it had quite a different feel to it, imo.

I’ve had time to sit with this book, and I’m still not sure how to properly review it? I don’t entirely know what to say.

It takes place 13 years after The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, and I was thrilled to see some cameos from some of the characters in that book. This one is about Luke, or Goldie, and as far as KJC books goes, it had a rather slow burn quality to it, though not in terms of the romantic relationship, but in terms of the action/adventure aspect of it. I’m used to her books just kind of dumping you right into the action pretty quickly, but that wasn’t the case with this one. And while it was very different, I really liked it.

Also, Luke reads gothic novels?!? *swoon*

I sort of feel like I can’t say much else about the book without giving more away, so I think I will just leave it here.