Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this. I’m working through some titles I didn’t get to before their release and grabbed this from the library so I could switch between listening and reading. The narrator did a good job of being easy to listen to at my typical speed.

I love KJ Charles and am still working through her backlog, but knowing I liked the first in this series a lot, I was excited to get to this this month.

The characters were so compelling, especially Luke. He came across as demisexual without using the words, and I was excited to see rep that spoke to my own experiences. The subplot was interesting.

A fun, and sharply humorous follow up to the first book. I really liked the way Rufus and Luke's relationship developed and after the events of book one, it was great to see the kind of loyal, caring person Luke had grown into. Their chemistry was great and I found their romance compelling. The fight and action scenes were as dramatic as book one, but I liked the characters more in this one which meant I ended up enjoying this book more than the first one.

So addictive, and a book I sped through! The sparks flew between the two main characters, and I was obsessed. I'm loving the regency/historical romances coming out featuring LGBTQ2IA characters. This one was perfect. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So this book is compared to Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe and honestly I think that does this book a disservice because this book has all of the same coming of age queer yearning and heartbreak that ari and dante has without any of the transphobia and problematic moments.

In all honesty it's been about a month since I've listened to this book and my memory is awful but I did enjoy this book. I don't quite get what people are saying about it being disappointing. This book is not a romance it is a coming-of-age story. We have a queer Indian main character who discovers and embraces her sexuality throughout the entire book and it gets hurt in the process and hurts other than the process and while there is a romance it is not the focus of the book and it is not present throughout the entire book.

I especially loved the depictions of healing through art and I wish there was more of that. Overall I did really enjoy this one and it's when I would recommend.

Not quite reaching the usual standard, A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is an unexpected miss from the reliable K.J. Charles; while the cozy writing, charming banter and a touch of intrigue are still present, the blandly delivered familial drama and questionable plot choice make this title less enjoyable than her other efforts.

The audiobook is professionally performed by Martyn Swain; K.J. Charles seems to have a 'type', as he sounds very much like Cornell Collins (who narrated quite a few titles of hers).

The premise has me hooked: an earl's inheritance to the title is being disputed by his resentful relatives, and he, out of spite, ends up hiring the potential 'true' heir as his personal secretary. Despite the initial intrigue, the path to uncovering the truth quickly fizzles out by long-winded expositions; the constant 'telling and not showing' makes the convoluted family events between cousins, grandfather, and long-gone ancestors as dry to read as textbook.

On the romance side, by introducing one of its heroes as an habitual liar, the author essentially wrote herself into a corner. While I appreciate the character depth, the third act conflict involves a huge act of deceit brewing since the very beginning, yet the story doesn't allocate enough pages to properly unpack the issue from all parties. The swift forgiveness by the love interest feels unconvincing, leaving the story on a sour note (and the Epilogue even doubles down on this lying behavior, and tries to package it as a thoughtful gesture...)

I did really enjoy the first book in the series, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, so it's a little disappointing this installment is hindered by missteps. While there are still aspects that work (it's still a 3.5 stars, after all), this is no where near being a new fav from the author.

Oh how I loved the first book in this series, and couldn’t wait to read the charming sequel. A NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL was just as cute as the first, returning to Romney Marsh a few years later. Rufus and Luke had great character development and I’m such a fan of this genre now. I thought the audiobook narration was great and I would definitely recommend.

*many thanks to sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape and Netgalley

SO GOOD! I loved this book so much. The main characters are the sweetest, most charming and I loved the character development of Luke from The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. I'm so glad Joss and Gareth make an appearance in this book. A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel does such a good job at continuing the story from the previous book and introducing new characters. The d'Aumesty family is hilarious and Rufus is so sweet. Just like with the first book, Charles creates a world that you inhabit while you're reading. I did think the narrator was a bit hard to understand sometimes, like they were rushing through some of the sentences. Overall, highly enjoyable.

A little slow to start, but once this one found it's footing, I couldn't put it down. This was an impressively developed story and all the pieces came together perfectly. The romance and emotions were very well done as well. This was extra enjoyable since I read the first book in the series, but it's not necessary to understand or enjoy this one.

I really liked book one in this series and book two was equally enjoyable! I always love a Gothic setting. I will say that the book lost me a bit in the epilogue, so I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

✨ Review ✨ A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles; Narrated by Martyn Swain

The Second book in the Doomsday Books series, Luke is now all grown up and we get to see a bit of Gareth and Joss over a decade later (swoon!)

In this one, Luke joins Major Rufus d'Aumesty's household as he's in the process of becoming earl after a long battle to secure his right to the title. Luke serves as his secretary as they deal with unruly family, underserved tenants, and other general chaos.

I found this to be a little slow moving at first, but found it much more engaging as an audiobook. Overall, I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the first in this series -- it just felt a little tedious in the logistics of running a household sometimes in lieu of plot.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75)
Genre: m/m historical romance
Setting: Romney Marsh, UK
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2023

Thanks to Dreamscape Media, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I loved this almost as much as the first book, due to its fun and flirty nature, yet ability to continually keep me on the edge of my seat. I like books where I feel fully immersed and like I’m sitting down to chat with old friends - not reading about strange characters, and this book was exactly that!

A swoony drawing room/blue collar LGBTQ historical romance with a mystery included!

Rufus is an unassuming, recently made earl, and Luke comes from a hardscrabble mafia-esque family with a dislike for toffs. Initially on opposite sides, the two come together to thwart Rufus' uncle and make swoon faces at one another. Loved the characters, the romance, the plot, all of it!

Excellent audio narration.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, bad boys, steamy 🔥

First of all, I am so happy this was about Luke. I received this as an audiobook. It was so well done. This was steamy, interesting, and I loved the characters. I could not stop listening. I didn't love part of the ending. I still highly recommend it!

4 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel” By K.J. Charles

📕 Edition: Audiobook

A delightful addition to the series that left me thoroughly entertained 😍. The unexpected romance between Major Rufus and the enigmatic Luke Doomsday is a rollercoaster of emotions and intrigue.

Charles weaves a captivating tale of conflicting loyalties and hidden motives, set against the backdrop of a remote Norman manor and the world of smuggling. Rufus and Luke's evolving relationship, from reluctant allies to passionate lovers, is beautifully portrayed, and their chemistry is 🔥.

The characters are vividly crafted, and the family secrets on both sides add an extra layer of complexity to the plot. I couldn't help but root for this unlikely couple as they navigated treacherous waters together.

Charles's writing is sharp and engaging.

Thank you @NetGalley , @KJcharlesbooks , @dreamscape_media for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A nobleman’s guide to seducing a scoundrel is second in a very interesting mm historical romance novel.. The story although could be read as a standalone , as the second in series build on the first story. The hero’s find their way to each other in a very repressed time. The narrator really added to the depth of the story.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is the second book in K.J. Charles' The Doomsday Books. You'll need to read this series in order.

Witty banter, clever characters, and a scorching romance. And, as always with K.J. Charles, the plot twists just keep coming!

Very fun.

I listened to the audio version of A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel which is beautifully performed by Martyn Swain.

This was a new to me author and I have to say I am now hooked on KJ Charles. I received this as an audio book ARC and let me tell you —Steamy and Intrigue in one. The narrator they used for this story was absolutely perfect in every way. THe right tone, emotion and voice to give this book life. I was so impressed. I loved the story and the amazing characters. Luke and Rufus have some great backstory that really gets this story in motion. Together they decide how to handle love and life. It is great with a new gothic theme I wasn’t expecting in a historical romance. Now I want more. I have to read the rest of this series and hope there is more to come. You will love this adventure. Im glad i was able to enjoy this as an audio book and you will love it too.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel is the second book in the Doomsday books. Rufus d'Aumesty has come to Norman manor as the unexpected new earl, but will he be able to keep his position when everyone in the household is contesting it, including Luke Doomsday of the smuggling Doomsday clan? What ensues is an enemies to lovers romance between boss and secretary that will make your heart soar - and speed up!

Much like all of KJ Charles other books, there is such great banter held within these pages! This story is full of witty characters, sexy scenes, some BIG romances and a twisting plot that keeps you saying, "Just one more chapter." There is so much emotion, drama and adventure.

The only reason that you may not like this book is if you can't handle a lot of spice. Because this is so spicy! I loved it! The audio particularly made me blush several times in the best of ways. That said, do not listen to this in the car if you are uncomfortable with the word "prick" being blasted from your speakers.

Overall, I adored this book and love this series. It is so creative and fun, while still having such a great plot with highly charged emotions. I can't wait to continue this series and anything else this author writes.

A good narrator, and overall an okay listen. But there were definitely points were it just dragged for me and my attention flagged. Ok, not great.

The second book in The Doomsdays Books series is out, and I’m thrilled to report that it turned out fantastic!

Like a number of other listeners, I had a few issues with Martyn Swain’s narration in book 1, and I truly appreciated that he seemed to have taken the listener feedback to heart. The narration of book 2 flows really nicely, and his wonderful voice shines here!

As for the story, we are quite a few years after the events of book 1, and the little boy Luke is grown up now. Frankly, he’s a bit of a dirtbag, though, and gets himself involved in drama surrounding the new Earl of Oxney’s right to his title.

But there’s also a growing attraction between Luke and the Earl, Rufus, which only further complicates Luke’s schemes.

This is a truly fun and entertaining audiobook that also works as a stand-alone.