It's a little tricky to review this audiobook when I loved the book but my first reaction to Martyn Swain's narration was an appalled "Holy God, was Cornell Collins not available?' Oof.

Probably the first thing to say is that if you can get past the first ten minutes or so, Swain gets much, much better; for some reason, though, he delivers the opening passages. In a. Stop-and-. Start manner that drove me almost out of my mind. He reverts to it a little at the very end, too, but once he's past that rocky start he's almost uniformly terrific. In particular, I loved his accent work; the most tricky character must be Joss's grandfather, who started life as an enslaved person in Georgia but who's been living on Romney Marsh for decades and whose speech mingles influences.

I said "almost uniformly terrific." Cecilia, Gareth Inglis's sister, is 17, so naturally she lives life in a high key, but Swain does not do a good job of conveying "overwrought adolescent" without making her seem hysterical, misogynistic implications entirely intended. He does fine with Mrs. Inglis and with Sophie Doomsday and Ma Doomsday, all of whom talk more than Cecilia does, so again, you just need to get past a few rocky bits.

So, star rating is mixed here. 5/5 for the book -- characterization, credibility of the romance, sharp plotting; 4/5 for the narration.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.

Absolutely fabulous book with decent narration. K.J. Charles's humor, emotion, and storytelling shine in this cross-class romance filled with secrets, intrigue, and passionate romance. Both Gareth and Joss are complex and compelling characters, and together they're both fun and endearing. Even with their secrets and misunderstandings, they have a highly mature relationship, and when things go wrong, they sit down and talk it out until they can fix the problem or move on. Their journey from lust and liking to deep love feels real and inevitable, and they both grow through the course of the book. The marsh itself is a whole character, lending beautiful flavor to the story, and as a reader I felt just as excited to discover the bugs and other creatures as our heroes do. The perils of smuggling and unknown enemies keep the book moving at a fast clip, and I listened to the entire book in under 24 hours. If you're a fan of Charles's writing, you'll love this one. If you're a new reader, I highly recommend this for anyone who likes queer romance, mystery, adventure, and/or the quirks of life in the English countryside.
The narrator did well with the voice acting and accents, but I did find that the cadence was odd, with some words being spoken very slowly, while others came out fast. I did grow accustomed to it after a time.

This book was utterly beautiful: both a sexy and sweet queer romance and a lovely bit of historical fiction.

The protagonists, Gareth and Joss, meet in an inn with a reputation for providing a place for discreet (and illegal) liaisons between gay men, leading to a hot weeklong affair and a surprisingly intense emotional connection. They don't exchange names, calling each other London and Kent after their respective homes. When Joss must return to Kent, Gareth, afraid to admit the depth of his feeling for Joss, lashes out, and the two part on less than perfect terms.

Shortly thereafter, Gareth learns that his estranged father has died, leaving Gareth his baronetcy and his estate in County Kent. When Gareth arrives at his inherited holdings, he is confronted with a younger half sister who never knew he existed, his father's former housekeeper and mistress, and a local economy dominated by illicit smuggling with France, despite England's ongoing war with Napoleon. And one of those smugglers just happens to be Joss.

Questions emerge regarding the nature of Gareth's father's business and how it relates to the local smuggling enterprise, pushing Gareth and Joss to work together to investigate.

The connection between these two men is so vivid, tender, and romantic. It's impossible not to fall in love with both of them. And the spicy bits were every bit as immersively sexy as I've come to expect from KJ Charles' books.

I also loved the way that KJ Charles made use of the setting, Romney Marsh, and the love both men end up sharing for it. Joss, who grew up on the Marsh, sees a clear divide between the locals and "out-marsh" folks like Gareth who know nothing of their ways. Gareth approaches the marsh as a naturalist first, finding beauty in every newt and beetle as Joss teaches him about life on the Marsh.

If you find a man who will take you around looking for newts just to spend time with you, KEEP HIM.

I listened to the book as an audiobook, and Martyn Swain's performance was excellent. Kentish accents are...a lot, yet he managed to give each character a unique tone and voice, including one character from the southern U.S.

In short, I loved every single thing about this book.

@kjcharlesbooks is one of my favorite authors. Her books always, always bring enough action, heat, and aching sweetness to help me forget the pain of my own dumpster-fire drafts. 😆 The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman is no different. The two main characters, Gareth Inglis and Joss Doomsday, have blazing chemistry right from the start, but their liaison is short-lived. The two are drawn back together after Gareth inherits his father's baronetcy in Romney Marsh, where the Doomsday clan runs a smuggling operation. What follows is a slow-burn intrigue that involves a huge cast of characters, family members, townspeople, marsh and out-marsh alike, all struggling against one another for power, money, and the right to live and love as one pleases. After a thrilling climax, the people of Romney Marsh *all* get the happily ever after they deserve.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen drops today! Congratulations, KJ!

Also, I listened to this on audiobook, so kudos to narrator Martyn Swain for juggling so many distinct voices! And many thanks to @dreamscape_media and @netgalley for the ALC.

#newaudiobooks #newrelease #audiolove #romanceaudiobooks #gayromanceaudiobooks #historicalromance #historicalromanceaudiobooks

**ARC received with thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley**

Updated after listening to the audio ARC.

Although further towards the plotty end of the spectrum that I’d ordinarily seek out, this story holds for repeat readings. It’s always super interesting to reread with ears to get a different vibe depending on the interpretation. There were times when I struggled a bit with my natural impatience and some unexpected pauses and pacing in the audio. I don’t ordinarily speed up but went with 1.25x here. Excellent Kentish accents.

I’ve read some books set in The Fens, even some with a side plot of smuggling, but this was my first smuggler histrom set in the evocatively described Romney Marsh. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is the first instalment in KJ Charles’ duology of Doomsday regency romances in this setting. And my gosh I enjoyed getting to know the newly Baronetted, long unwanted Sir Gareth Inglish and the crown Prince of the Kentish smugglers, Joss Doomsday.

I love how queer histrom author K J Charles structures her stabby, murdery love-stories. Here, we open at a meeting with our protagonists at a London pub, stripped naked from the first pages without knowing anything at all about them besides their assigned names: Kent (Joss) and London (Gareth). Kent is happy to wait with his easy smile and good humour. London is running late, a bit fraught and frantic. From there Charles spins an engaging and highly entertaining story of our lovers to enemies to lovers protagonists and their respective families, whilst they begin to work out who their beloved truly is. Foibles and all. Stripped bare and truly seen *fans self*. Goodness I love me a flawed, principled scoundrel who looks after his own. With fists and knives when needed, with caresses and commands when free to do so.

KJ Charles’ use of language of the period and the dialect typical to the region is just so evocative and to me perfectly sketches a sense of time and a place. If you’re not a language person, fret not: there’s just enough linguistic markers here to lend authenticity but never too much to make anyone trip into a watery dyke. Like bog land, this story is bound to suck the reader in, and move you from an *outmarsh* to a deeper appreciation of the people, the flora and the fauna of this queer and unique landscape. And more than anything root for the main couple who are truly two sides of a gold guinea.

Fancy an afternoon of pond dipping with me? Who knows what we might find.

Pride and Prejudice historical fiction with an M/M twist!

Just from the cover and summary alone I had high hopes for this book. I'm a big fan of queer historical fictions and Secret Lives did not disappoint. The relationship between Gareth and Joss is one to root for as you can't help but want them together and happy. While their differences in lifestyles, familial background and history stack against them and create barriers between them- their feelings for one another are too strong to ignore.

Both characters are so uniquely different and the book does a great job of showing us them learning about one another and how to be with one another. No insta-love or problem free companionship. Its a compelling relationship that feels very real with its trials and tribulations within the time period.

The only reason this book doesnt get 5 stars is that I feel there was no singular plot focus. A lot of things happen in this book and it feels almost like watching episodes of a show, but the end point doesnt become clear until the very end. There was no initial ground work towards a singular ending so while every event properly led in to the next to tell the tale I really had no idea where it was heading until it got there.

I dont have a lot of comparison when it comes to spice rating so I would put this at a 3.5 - decently spicy (no fade to black) but not full on explicit long scenes either. It doesnt feel out of place or unnatural.

Overall this was an excellent read. The audiobook narration was well done and each character had a unique voice that kept it interesting!

Amazing. Lovely m/m romance. Perfect combination of romance, intrigue, adventure, spicy love scenes, and family drama. I'm not an expert on LGBTQIA+ romance (mostly because I just don't read much romance, period), but this was delightful. The main characters, the supporting characters, the setting - all written perfectly. I love when I read a book and forget I'm actually reading because it feels like I'm just there. Honestly, I alternated between reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook. It was mostly a seamless transition that probably would have been helped had I started with the audiobook. I started reading the e-book and then loved it so much that I needed to continue the story without interruption, but stupid life meant I had to work, so I immediately requested the audiobook and was thrilled to receive it and not have to call in sick! The narrator didn't sound quite like I imagined in my head initially, but I was so into the story, that I quickly got over that and was sucked right back in. I haven't loved a romance novel this much in YEARS. I cannot wait for the next book! Now I'm trying to decide what to read next by KJ Charles! Highly recommend for any romance fance, especially m/m romance.

Gareth's estranged father dies suddenly, making him a baronet. The timing was good for him- his uncle recently fired him and his anonymous, secret lover left London. Soon after arriving at the country estate entailed to the baronet, he finds evidence of smugglers. Right before he is about to testify, in walks Kent, his former lover. He soon finds out his lover's name is Joss Doomsday, and his family, are the local smugglers. Joss and Gareth get to know each other, all while dodging death threats against Gareth.

While I enjoyed this, there was just something that prevented me from being obsessed. I am not sure what- it felt off at times. I am entirely sure this is totally me. It just makes it hard to review.

The chemistry between Joss and Gareth was mostly absent, in my opinion, but they were very sweet and caring for each other.

I will say that I loved the fact that a few people knew the truth about Joss and Gareth and accepted them. As this book is set in the early nineteenth century, this would be unheard of.

The audiobook is narrated by Martyn Swain. I have no complaints. I listened at 1.5.

This book was so adorable, I will die for my sweet guys Gareth and Joss. I loved all of the discussions that were had - especially the reality check that living 'on the marsh' brought Gareth. The characters actually talked about their feelings with each other! Thank you so much for not having an entire story built around miscommunication! I really liked the characters and the setting and I kinda wish I could hunt newts with Gareth. There were some nice steamy bits and a really fun mystery woven through as well. I thought the pacing was on point and the story kept pulling you in till the finish. The narrator was great and managed to juggle all of the accents going around. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m just gonna say it as it is. I have a KJ Charles Problem™.

The problem isn’t so much a problem as it’s me actively choosing to read her books and be absolutely dazzled by them all the time. You know how you have a comfort author whose books you return to any time you’re not feeling any of your other option? Yeah. That.

If you’ve ever read a KJ Charles book before you know what you’re getting with this: loveable characters, squee-worthy romance and a good bit of regency dramatics, complete with absolute delightful filth. I loved the mains, but a special mention goes out to the absolute menagerie of side-characters, who were all (except for the villains, of course, off with their heads) actually useful and necessary to the story, and not just there to move the romance along. The absolute scream I scrome when I learned that the next book in the series features Luke?? Y’all.

The narrator brought a bit of extra life into characters with the various accents and the like, but I wasn’t fond of some of the voice acting (actively sighing before a bit of dialogue that was sighed, etc) that was peppered in. The pacing was sometimes off, and I was definitely not able to listen at x2 speed like I usually do - sometimes even x1.75 meant I’d miss bits of dialogue because it was suddenly actively shouted at breakneck speed. A bit unfortunate.

Rating is for the writing/story/book. Narration gets a 2.5.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audio Arc of this book!

This was the first K.L. Charles book that I have read and I feel like I have been living under a rock! I will be going back and reading through her entire back stock now. This was amazing!

Not only was this romance sweet and spicey but it was exciting through the entire book. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what was happening and how they were going to get out of everything.

I received the audio arc and for me the pacing of the voice (not the story) was a little off but after getting into it a bit I got used to it. The narrators voice and accents were BEAUTIFUL also so that was a treat for the ears.

I loved this book and can’t wait to not only read more on the series but more from this author! So good!

Sir Gareth enjoys life in London, especially his rendezvous with the mysterious Kent, but when his father dies, he must travel to Romney Marsh and take up his father’s estate and responsibility. A run-in with local smugglers leads to Gareth learning that his Kent is Joss Doomsday, the notorious smuggling gang leader. The upright Gareth and criminal are at odds but the pair miss each other deeply. When Gareth’s uncle shows up and begins asking questions about smuggled gold, the only person Gareth can turn to is Joss.

I really liked both Gareth and Joss. I love a good opposites attract and this was exactly that. I really liked that while they were at different stations in society by London standards, their positions in society were reversed once they were on the Marsh. I was very happy for Gareth when he finally earned his spot as a Marshman. I loved every moment that the pair were on page together, especially when they were doing nothing more than looking for insects. The whole book just made me wander around the British countryside enjoying the landscape.

I always enjoy K.J. Charles books, but I confess that her writing style is a reading level or two above what I normal read which means that her books take longer for me to get through. I found the audiobook to be very helpful at keeping me engaged and the story moving along without my brain getting bogged down by the more difficult writing. I enjoyed Martyn Swain’s voices and the audiobook kept me entertained while doing puzzles on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and the NetGalley for the ARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book and was lucky to receive both the ebook and audiobook ARCs to review. I really loved the romance between Gareth & Joss, or London & Kent, as they fondly call each other from their first encounter. The mystery and crime family aspect is also very good and I love the historically accurate language KJC uses to tell the story.

However, I was not a fan of the narrator. I think the timber of his voice is good and he does the Kentish accents well, but the pacing and cadence to his reading creates a sporadic flow to the narration. There seems to be too many pauses within a sentence and I found it distracting, although it did get a little better towards the end. I may be more critical since I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but I found myself missing Cornell Collins who reads the Will Darling series and is simply perfect.

I'm going to have to reread this one as a physical book because the narration in the novel was just not for me. There were frequent pauses between words for no explainable reasons, and it was unbearable, even at 2x speed. KJ Charles does know how to write a great story though!

✨ Review ✨ The The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles; Narrated by Martyn Swain

I loved everything about this book -- I literally could not get enough. Sir Gareth retreats to the countryside to figure out what to do with his recently dead dad's manor, a parent he'd been estranged from for most of his life. There he finds Joss Doomsday, leader of a local smuggler clan, and a previous sexual connection from the city. The two crash into each other's lives in the countryside as Joss provides protection to Gareth who's been facing mysterious threats; and Gareth comes to new understandings of what it means to live in a rural location like Romney Marsh.

As the two come to know each other better, a sweet romance builds, as we watch them negotiate issues of trust, abandonment, difficult families, and more. I love that this mixed romance, mystery, history, and more in what proved to be a fairly complex but engaging plotline.

The smuggler twist brought this pirate vibes, and like all KJC books it brings the steam. Unlike Slippery Creatures, this book felt lighter, not as mired in "dark" dealings, though there is still that sort of swashbuckling every-present danger.

I liked the audio, but found the speed hard to get right. At a comfortable listening pace (1.75x), the narrator still had long pauses in between sentences/clauses that made it feel a little clunky, but I was mostly able to lose myself in it.

Highly recommend this one if m/m historical romances & adventurous mysteries are your style!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m historical romance (early 1800s)
Location: rural UK (Romney Marsh, Southeast near water crossings to France)
Reminds me of:
Pub Date: March 7, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ cross-class historical romances
⭕️ British countryside + nature adventures
⭕️ swaggering smugglers

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

This is an entertaining MM historical romance with a suspense element. It's an interesting and engaging read. Thank you for the opportunity to listen this.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is set in England in 1810 and follows Gareth who's very recently inherited the title of baronet and everything that comes with it including money and a house in Kent; and Joss, a smuggler in charge of his family's illicit operation based in Romney Marsh in Kent.

The book has mystery, romance, mistaken identities, smuggling, and secret dating, with class differences and period typical homophobia also playing major parts in the plot.

"I would like to be just for you."

I really liked this book, Gareth and Joss were wonderful, and there was a good balance between romance and mystery. I did find the first few chapters rather confusing but once the book really got going it was great.

I received an audio ARC from Netgalley and this was the first time I found myself thrown by an accent in an audiobook. It didn't help that Joss used a lot of Kentish phrases he needed to explain to Gareth, so while I really enjoyed the book, I'm not sure I'd recommend the audio version of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this Audiobook for an honest review.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen tells the story of two very different men a Baron and a smuggler who are drawn to each first by lust then a deeper connection.

Strangers at first keeping names a secret and knowing each other only by the places they call home London & Kent These two men find themselves no longer in a secret tryst but that there separate lives are now very much publicly intertwined.

Throw in some grumpy money hungry relatives, a rival smuggling ring and some missing gold and you have yourself quite an adventure.

The relationship between Kent and London develops so well and side characters are given some depth. It was also nice to have a plot that steps away from the London Ton.

The accents in the audiobook did get a bit difficult to understand (Kentish drawl) but once I got used to it, it made for a fun little MM regency romance.

I absolutely loved this. My only issue with it is sometimes it was hard to tell whose pov I was listening to. Other than that, it was fantastic and I need the next book asap.

Audiobook of KJ Charles The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. I enjoyed the digital ARC of this book and the audio is just as splendid. The narration is excellent, the characterization of the MCs really comes through with this narrator, the story just as engaging and interesting as in print.

Highly recommended.

my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/audiobook publisher for this audio version.