The Doomsday’s are back!

Luke and Rufus’s story might be my favorite yet of KJ Charles. I am usually wary of larger time skips but honestly leave it to Charles to make me eat my words. Rufus is blunt and kind, Luke is a mysterious little scoundrel and I was delighted by every second of them. I was worried that the house would feel a bit too full but the entire cast of characters was a riot. The glimpses of Gareth and Joss were icing on the cake. KJ Charles is an instabuy author for me, and Martyn Swain is becoming an insta-listen for narrations.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an arc.

I recommend this one for a cute, funny, fast-paced Regency romance. It was charming and witty, and the narrator knocked it out of the park. Personally, this book likely won't have longevity. that I need for 4-5-star romances, but it was a good time, and I'm sure Regency lovers will eat it up.

Really enjoyed this story! I think it's a good continuation of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. I really liked learning more about Luke and where he ended up after the events of that book. I liked the twists that the story produced and the ending was very sweet.
In terms of the narration, it was good but a bit awkward at some points. There were slight pauses occurring as if they needed to find their place in the book again while reading and that it took them a moment to do so, but it was good regardless.

Consider me thoroughly SEDUCED!!!

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles and
narration from Martyn Swain released today!!

The Doomsday family is back, and this time it’s the younger generation is up to no good and finding love along the way!

There’s a new Earl on the marsh and he has had nothing but trouble after inheriting. His uncle has protested his inheritance in every way possible… to no avail. Even so, his uncle’s family continues to live with him and plague his very existence.

The only relief comes in the form of another usurper of the title, Luke Doomsday. His claim is flimsy, but since he’s already at the manor, he might as well put his secretarial skills to use and assist the current Earl of Oxney.

Oxney finds an ally in Luke, and their liaison only grows from there… and at the moment they finally recognize each other as essential to their happiness, Luke’s secrets are revealed and puts into question their entire relationship.

This is such a sweet story of two lost souls finding each other, and realizing that they can’t exist in the world by themselves. They need people and in specific, each other. I loved watching both Oxney and Luke figure out what is most important to them and shift their priorities to make that a reality.

🎧The narration and voice work by Martyn Swain fit the characters perfectly. The differentiation between characters was seamless, along with the defining who they are through accent work, and the quality of their speech. Narration really added to this book and created a more well rounded story and brought these characters to life.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my audiobook review copy. Opinions are my own.

#ANoblemansGuidetoSeducingaScoundrel #KJCharles

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing A Scoundrel is a captivating addition to The Doomsday Books series. When Rufus unexpectedly becomes the earl, problems abound. The arrival of Luke Doomsday is a gift- a secretary who can help him organize the chaos of his estate. But Luke has an ulterior motive for being at the estate that conflicts with his growing feelings for Rufus. When Luke's secrets are revealed, Rufus and Luke will need to decide what matters most to them.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing A Scoundrel was a very satisfying new story set in the world of the Doomsdays. I loved seeing Luke all grown up! The cameos from book one were great. Rufus and Luke have a very sweet slow-burn romance. I really enjoyed how KJ Charles dealt with the reveal of the secrets that drives the two main characters apart. I think she did the pacing of this reveal expertly, so they had enough time to come to terms with it and resolve things in a realistic manner. The audiobook narrator, Martyn Swain, was excellent and I could listen to him all day.

KJ Charles is firmly an auto-buy author for me and I would highly recommend you check out A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing A Scoundrel. Readers who seek queer characters in historical romances, excellent pacing, and lovable characters will enjoy this book. I hope there are more books in The Doomsday Books series to come!

Thank you so much to KJ Charles, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

Happy pub day to this delight! I was thrilled to learn that the second book in the series would focus on Luke. To see him physically recovered, but very much still grappling with the trauma of his childhood, felt like the perfect progression of the marsh's story. Luke's abuse and rescue was so fresh in my mind, I was grateful to not have to wait through several books to learn his fate.

That said, it's hard not to compare this follow up to Doomsday #1. I didn't find Luke and Rufus' chemistry as strong as Joss and Gareth's. I liked that their love story was a slower burn, but their love didn't feel inevitable to me. I also loved that this plot carried directly from the first book, and provided a very satisfying ending to the ongoing mystery, but I think it also lost some of the urgency in the transition. Overall, these are minor disappointments. Despite finding this to be a more traditional mm romance (v The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, which was a spectacular one), this was still a lovely read that I couldn't put down.

Martyn Swain is quickly becoming one of my favorite audiobook narrators. Thanks to netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc (in return for this honest review).

I absolutely loved thie Gothic historical romance.

This gave me gothic Bridgerton for sure.

The characters were well fleshed out And interesting.

The narrator was quite talented and differentiated between the voices well.

Definitely recommend

Charming leads with a really fun cast of supporting characters, great banter, artful pacing. Had a delightful time.

Absolutely love when a KJ Charles book is some guy going "why can't people around here just be straightforward and reasonable and not cause problems, I'm begging" and then turning around and falling in love with the guy causing like 90% of said problems. Good dynamic 10/10.

As should surprise absolutely no one, I adored every minute of this book. KJ Charles has such a way with words, and is so deft at creating characters who are either utter scoundrels (with good hearts) or thoroughly honest and good, and then bringing them together to complete each other.

I was expecting a continuation of Gareth's and Joss' story, though I was puzzled as to how she was going to manage that, and was surprised to find a time jump and Luke as one half of the featured couple. I quickly came to love that choice. Rather than putting more obstacles in the way of Gareth's and Joss' happiness, we get snapshots of their continued contentment as Luke and Rufus find theirs.

The mystery of the ten thousand guineas does get wrapped up, but otherwise it's a totally new story, and a very satisfactory one. I love the found family Luke and Rufus are beginning to build with his cousins.

I loved every minute of it and have preordered the audio so I can listen to it again once it comes out. (And probably fairly frequently after that, given my track record with KJ Charles' books.)

I loved how Luke and Rufus together managed to slowly bring Berengaria and Odo and Fulk around to their side and recognize their value as the story progressed. I think they'll all be quite happy together.

Absolutely recommend to anyone who falls for lovable rogues and brutally honest characters with good hearts falling in love despite themselves. It was utterly delightful. I loved it.

The characters are wonderful and complex and the way Luke and Rufus come together and complement each other perfectly while still having plenty of arguments and disagreements feels very real. KJ Charles is a master at characters who are perfect for one another despite appearances. Of course it always takes them a while to come around to the fact.

The audiobook performance was once again excellent. The narrator does a fabulous job bringing the characters and events to life and each character has a distinct and recognizable voice.

This, along with the previous book, are going onto my 'absolute favorite comfort reads' shelf. I know I will listen to them again and again - which, to be fair, is what happens with *all* of KJ Charles' books.

*Thanks to NetGalle, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape Media for providing an early copy for review.

This book was so good I almost don't know what to say? A wonderful follow up to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, this installment is heartfelt and clever and just soft boys and their feelings.
The build up and tension between Luke and Rufus was *chefs kiss* and Rufus is such a kind soul- altogether another beatifully written novel with pacey plot, secrets, and hidden treasure.

Would also highly recommend listening to the audiobooks! The narrator does a fabulous job to bringing these men and this workd to life.

I really enjoyed this second book in the Doomsday series. I think I liked it even more than the first. It was such a fun, fast paced listen and I couldn’t put it down. I am so glad we got Luke’s story. After everything that happened to him in the first book I knew he’d need a happy ending.

I absolutely adored Rufus! He was so kindhearted and genuinely wanted to do good for the others in the household. There were members of his family that were so much fun to hate and others that I really loved. The whole dynamic of everyone in the house was so entertaining. The way Luke and Rufus came together was so fun and I loved their banter. The “mystery” aspect was so much fun as well. I loved that we got to see Gareth and Joss in this book. I think you could rad this as a standalone but it’s so much better if you’ve read The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen first. It’s so fun to see where everyone has ended up so many years down the road.

I really enjoyed the narration for this story. The narrator did a great job with all the voices and I could always tell who was talking/whose POV it was based on the voices.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own

Another fantastic dual POV, forced proximity, workplace, queer M/M historical romance that sees a new heir falling for his recently employed secretary. Full of heart with a steamy romance, family drama and a secret treasure/inheritance.

I enjoyed this one a lot but not quite as much as the first book in this newest series by KJ Charles. Recommended for fans of authors like Alexis Hall and Cat Sebastian. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

A truly fantastic follow up to the first book in this series. All the drama of a regency romance- family inheritance drama, fighting over the family title, sweet and spicy romance, and a bit of murder. Everything you could want from a KJ Charles book. I might have even enjoyed this one more than The Secret Life of Country Gentlemen, just purely because i was enjoying the book before it brought back up the big connecting plot point between the two.

Friends, KJ Charles delivers the gothic goods with A NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL. We’ve got a crumbling ancestral home, a slew of unpleasant relations, a contested inheritance, a Dark Secret, a hidden treasure, and plenty of sneaking around in gloomy halls.

As per form, Charles tempers these gloriously OTT trappings with a strong human element. Her characters manage to forge alliances and reach understandings by behaving like actual people instead of archetypes. They listen, they consider each other’s context, and they come out in some rich and exciting places indeed. I had a fabulous time with them.

Audio-wise, I still find narrator Martyn Swain takes some odd pauses, but he compensates with a great variety of accents and a good sense of the drama of it all. I barely noticed the verbal pacing as I became immersed in the story.

I gave the book a 5-star review, but had my doubts about whether I'd like the audiobook equally well: I'd found Martyn Swain's narration of "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen" less than wholly satisfactory. Especially in the opening passage of "Secret Lives," his reading was heavy with overlong dramatic pauses. Also, his rendering of a teenage girl's voice verged on caricature.

Swain is still a bit stop-and-start for my taste, but much less so than in "Secret Lives," and his female voices are good this time -- that might have something to do with all the women being adults. And, as in the first book, his accent work is exemplary, worth the price of admission all by itself. Really well done.

I really have enjoyed the narration for this series - new to me narrator who has a unique voice! Also liked this book significantly more than the first in the series, even though there's an unfortunate lack of marsh in this one. More marshes!

If you enjoyed the plot shenanigans in book 1, I think this one will be beloved. I really didn't care about that element of the story, and this dragged on in the last quarter of the story. There's this big question mark on what Luke is hiding (as stated in the blurb), that takes a long time to come out, and it fell flat for me. The plotline of this series is a 2/5 star for me. HOWEVER, the romance in this one made up for it.

'Say my name' Rufus really grew on me. I appreciated his bluntness and how he was unafraid of conflict or making people uncomfortable with the truth. I liked that he communicated throughout the book, and I too was frustrated with Luke's secrecy, just as much as Rufus was! Luke had a great arc of being this mysterious bratty secretary to vulnerable human that is a little fucked up and flawed, and while his actions annoyed me, I could sympathize with him.

This does have a power imbalance of boss and secretary, but there is a lot of groundwork laid out to show that both leads have a say, which I appreciated. I also just need to rant about my dislike for 'stand' and 'prick' used over and over again for dick/cock/penis/etc, lol.

Overall, narration is a 5/5 enjoyable time. Plot is a 2/5 maaybe. Romance is a 4/5. Just going to leave it at a 3 star - overall had a good time, not my favorite.

The sequel to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was delightfully rich with emotions, complex with family history, and full of heart. I loved Rufus d'Aumesty as the Earl of Oxney and really wanted all the best for him, including his meddling and intensely competent secretary Luke Doomsday. I loved how their friendship and trust grew over the first half of the book before the tension finally broke and Luke pushed Rufus into taking the action he so desperately wanted. I even enjoyed all of the side characters, whether it be an annoying cousin or an unhelpful house servant. Most of all I am glad that everyone gets what they deserve in the end!

I think my reading would have been even more enhanced if I had read the first book right before the second book instead of the large gap I had. But if course knowing this, I will just have to read them back to back on my next re-read of the duo!

Ever since absolutely falling in love with the Will Darling trilogy, KJ Charles has become one of my go to authors for historical romance.
The yearning, the sarcastic characters, the steam…it’s all top tier and so I fell in love with this series too.
I listend to the first book at the beginning of this year and I’m so glad we were blessed with the sequel so quickly!
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Major Rufus d’Aumasty has unexpectedly become the unlikely Earl of Oxney, after his absent father died. Now he’s got his uncle fighting for the title on one side and a strange secretary on the other, who’s arguing that his mother has been married to the Earl. Not only could that mean Luke is the rightful heir, but said secretary is also related to the notorious Doomsday smuggling clan and would make an even more strange Earl than a Major and son of a drapers daughter.
I love how Rufus and Luke bonded so quickly, building a team against Rufus’ horrible family. They made the best opposites attract office romance couple. It was a real slow burn and I was swooning so hard. The way they both were utterly entranced by the other, yearning in secret. They deserved each other, especially Luke with the way he’s been treated before.
I loved how Rufus slowly got to know his family and built unexpected friendships.
The plot took an unexpected and gripping turn when ulterior motives came to light and I couldn’t put it down!
Added to my favourites of 2023!

I really love the Doomsday books.

This story focuses on Luke as an adult. He comes to Stone Manor at Mr. Conrad's request to contest Rufus's claim, but soon becomes an ally and Rufus's secretary. As they spend time together sorting out all of the issues with the estate, a friendship, and something more, grows. However, Luke is keeping a secret about why he really came to Stone Manor.

I really loved the characters in this story. Rufus is practical, honest, and kind with a bit of a loose temper. He is so easy to root for. Luke is quiet but confident, and bitter about his past. I obviously already loved him because of the first book, and I really enjoyed getting to know him as an adult. And the whole Conrad family are a riot. Also, if you were looking for more Gareth and Joss, they do make some brief appearances.

The romance and spice are also great in this book. I admit I was a little more caught up in Gareth and Joss, but only slightly. I was still very invested in Rufus and Luke's relationship. I just hate lying, so I struggled with Luke for a while.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. It is the same narrator as the first book, and they did a fantastic job. I listened at 1.15x speed.

Read this if you want:
• M/M romance
• Forbidden romance (employee/boss)
• Hilarious family drama
• A bit of mystery

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and KJ Charles for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles
Narrator Martyn Swain
Book 2 in the Doomsday series
Loved it! I did not notice that this was the second book in a series but it did not really hinder my enjoyment, although it is probably best to read book one first because there were some references to previous events. I plan to remedy that mistake on my part asap.
I have read KJ Charles before and love her M/M romance novels. With this one she had me at Perkin Warbeck. I am a big fan of a hot historical romance with a bit of mystery and a gothic twist at the end.
I loved the use of the phrase “guinea gold hair,” which comes straight from Georgette Heyer and a comparison to that author is high praise from me because I adore her work and have read many of her books over and over. Also, Luke calling Rufus seigneur is another GH reference.
I hope there is a book three with a F/F romance as another reader suggested.
The narrator is excellent but listen with earbuds because parts of this book are too spicy for being overheard.