Content warning: child abuse, neglect

Dear KJ Charles,

What a delight this book was! So cleverly and tightly plotted and so very romantic. There were only a couple of things I had questions about – but given that this is billed as “the Doomsdays book 1”, I’m hoping we’ll see Gareth and Joss in future books and those answers will be provided then.

Notwithstanding how much I enjoyed the book, readers should note that there is some explicit child abuse on page involving one of the Doomsday cousins. Also Gareth was neglected as a child by his father and his uncle (but this didn’t extend to physical abuse).

As the book begins, Gareth Inglis is late for an assignation at the Three Ducks in London. He has been meeting “Kent” there for a week for hot sex. Given the sodomy laws in 1810, Gareth is very careful about not giving out his name. He is “London”. Gareth is fair and tall and thin; gangly really. Kent is shorter, muscular and dark – brown-skinned, black hair and dark eyes. A week earlier their eyes had met across a crowded room and then… But Kent is leaving London and Gareth, used to being left and not trusting anyone to come back ever, rejects Kent’s offer to renew their acquaintance when next he’s in London. Gareth is not polite about it and things between the men end badly.

Only days later, Gareth learns of the death of his father and his own inheritance – a baronetcy and all that comes with it, including Tench House in Romney Marsh, Kent, and a half sister he’s never met. After the death of his mother when Gareth was six years old, his father left him with his Uncle Henry. And that was the last Gareth ever saw of his father. His father remarried and had a daughter, Cecelia, but Gareth was not invited into the new family home. Uncle Henry never wanted Gareth and made that plain. While fed, clothed and educated, Gareth was abandoned and unwanted and desperately lonely. Uncle Henry is a lawyer. His own son, Lionel, about the same age as Gareth, is also an attorney. Gareth was training as a clerk (admittedly he wasn’t very good at it) and on the day he last saw Kent, he had been summarily dismissed and ejected by his uncle for reasons unknown.

When Gareth travels to Romney Marsh to take up his inheritance he barely dares hope that he can form a bond with Cecy and that he can find a home. But he wants it. He’s also sad that he never got the chance to know his father or understand him. At Tench House Gareth finds the housekeeper and the late Sir Hugo’s mistress, Catherine, who was his late (second) wife’s sister – Cecy’s aunt. It’s a bit messy and untoward but it gave Catherine a home and meant she could stay to raise Cecy, who is now 17.

Catherine explains Sir Hugo best to Gareth: he didn’t like to be troubled. If a thing was troublesome, he put it aside. After the death of Gareth’s mother, Gareth was a problem to be resolved – trouble to be put aside. After Cecy’s mother died, perhaps Cecy would have suffered the same fate – but Catherine was there so Sir Hugo was not “troubled” overmuch. It is not a satisfactory explanation but then, Sir Hugo was not a nice man.

Romney Marsh is a smuggling area. And the Doomsdays run the smuggling in Romney Marsh. “Ma” Doomsday is in charge of the family and her eldest son, Joss, is the Upright Man in charge of the smuggling runs. Ma is a tough lady. She’s had to be. Just about everyone is scared of her but they also all respect her. Her one area of weakness is her brother, Elijah. Elijah has long believed he should be the head of the family and the Upright Man but he’s just not very good at either. He’s lazy, overly aggressive and a drunkard. Joss prefers a less confrontational modus operandi. Joss knows things are coming to a head there but he’s not looking forward to the argument he’ll have to have with his mother about it. Joss loves his mother dearly but he is fully aware of her ferocity.

“What’s that, girl?” Ma demanded, emerging from the beer cellar. Joss had once seen a pantomime in London where the Demon King had risen through the stage on a trapdoor. The memory returned quite often.

Cecy is walking out with a Preventive Officer and in trying to get into her good graces, Gareth volunteers that he saw a young woman, apparently mid smuggling run, to the authorities. The woman, Sophia Doomsday, Joss’s younger sister, is therefore arrested. Gareth will need to testify. Of course, Joss is “Kent” and there is one sure way to persuade Gareth his memory was perhaps faulty…

Needless to say, their first meeting on the Marsh does not go well. Nor does their second or third. But Joss is determined to put things to rights as much as he can. He developed feelings for Gareth in London and Joss has a keen sense of balance and justice.

When someone threatens Cecy, Gareth goes to Joss – at first to demand answers and then to get help. Someone wants something from Gareth but he doesn’t know what it is. It clearly has something to do with Sir Hugo but exactly what is a mystery. Gareth had no relationship with the man so he has no clue. The people making the threats are being very vague but they are also very determined and vicious. And then Uncle Henry comes sniffing around wanting to look at Sir Hugo’s papers. Could these things be connected?

Gareth discovers that Sir Hugo had a keen interest in naturalism and made a survey of Romney Marsh and its various inhabitants. Gareth, in trying to know his father better, starts to follow in his footsteps and finds he too, is fascinated by the insects and fish and plant life. Joss offers to show Gareth where he can find a great diving beetle and this leads the men to spend time together in enjoyment rather than tension and, over a little time, to renew their romantic relationship.

Gareth is a bit of a stickler at first and he’s quite horrified at Joss’s occupation. But Joss makes a spirited and persuasive argument for smuggling and Gareth, being a reasonable man, is forced to reconsider his worldview. I must say, Joss’s argument was very persuasive.

Between the unknown threat to Gareth, the unexpected arrival of Uncle Henry and Cousin Lionel, and the machinations of Elijah, things are pretty risky for Joss and Gareth. But Joss is the guy who fixes things and gets things done. He can make arrangements for them to spend time together alone and be safe. He’s sure of it. Gareth is not quite so sanguine.

“You have a lot to lose.”

“But I’ve a fair bit to lose if they hang me for smuggling too. You can’t just not do things acause of the consequences.”

“Consequences are literally the reason not to do things. That’s what they’re for.”

There is some local dialect (?) that is used in the book, some of which is explained (the various meanings for “middling” for instance) but some of which isn’t. I gathered most of it from context clues – I gather “dunnamany” means “a lot”- but I wouldn’t have minded a glossary. The local colour serves to show that the Marsh is its own place. You are either a “marshman” or “outmarsh”. Marshmen don’t have much time for outmarsh folk. The language closes the reader in to the Marsh and that adds to that sense of separation from the rest of the world and the sense that the reader is also a marshman.

And then there are some beautiful descriptions; word pictures that are just perfect, like this:

There was a remarkably pervasive quality to the rain on Romney Marsh, as if the sky had chosen its side in the precarious balance between land and sea.

Or Gareth’s mental description of his changing relationship with Joss.

Joss’s smile. The way they’d kissed. Even that stupid argument, about which Gareth had given himself some serious talkings-to, because of how Joss had listened afterwards. The touch of his hands, the wonder in his eyes, the astonishing sense of familiarity, as though he and Gareth had somehow slipped past one another all their lives and their meeting was long overdue.

It had felt like that with Kent too, and he’d told himself it wasn’t real. Now he’d started wondering if it had been, say, true in outline. As if ‘London and Kent’ had been a pencil drawing, and now it was being filled in with colours.

There is a broad cast of characters – Catherine Inglis is a remarkable woman who comes to be a pseudo mother figure for Gareth. Asa Doomsday, Joss’s grandfather, who was formerly enslaved in Georgia is, for all Ma’s over authority, a power “behind the throne” so to speak.

I enjoyed how the mystery played out and how historical realities were threaded into it. Joss and Gareth are wonderful together, very much like pieces of a puzzle which just fit. Gareth wants to belong and Joss, always the caretaker, needs some taking care of himself. Together they meet each other’s needs and make each other better.

Grade: A-

Regards,
Kaetrin

KJ Charles is back again with a fabulous, chaotic tale with all the sweet romance, sprinkles of smut, passion, and crazy nonsense villains you could possibly desire! I cannot recommend this book enough, if you love regency/Victorian era romances and not reading this and KJ Charles entire library of works what are you even doing? Whatever is next in this series, I simply cannot wait! Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the review arc.

Delightful M/M historical romance, made even better by how believable it is, in light of the Regency era setting.

I absolutely adored this book!

When Joss and Gareth’s ongoing affair above a taproom comes to an end, the two don’t expect to see each other again. They don’t even know one another’s real names after all, but in a turn of events neither sees coming, Gareth (AKA London) goes from being a lowly London clerk to Sir Gareth owner of Tench House in Romney Marsh. And what’s so special about Romney Marsh? Well, that just so happens to be smuggler Joss Doomsday’s (AKA Kent’s) territory.

The circumstances in which they are reunited put them initially at odds—those hurt feelings from what happened in the city don’t help either—but Joss and Gareth do reconnect and ultimately reconcile.

There’s adventure. There’s heat. There’s a mystery to solve.

There’s found family. There’s a sense of finally belonging somewhere and to someone.

And there is a sweet love story woven through it all.

I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.

I received an advance copy of the book from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This fun-filled romance between a country smuggler and a well-to-do baronet had all my attention this week. For readers who enjoyed The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee, I would suggest this as a read-a-like!

I enjoyed this as a low-conflict, fluffy romance where the main characters stepped away from classic tropes and communicated their way through this adventure. The supporting cast was fun and had no issue with speaking their mind about the misadventures going on around them. I would love to have had a few more chapters with the Doomsday women moving the plot forward, but all in all a fun time.

I can't wait for more of the Doomsday to find their way to print because the whole family had me laughing all the way through.

I always enjoy Charles' works and this one was no different. She usually includes two very different characters- one more uptight and high class and one a little more free and working class. These two characters fit the mold but they were unique and I really grew to enjoy them. The mystery/ crime aspect was exciting and the romance was great.

My first read by KJ Charles! I really enjoyed this! This had a thoughtful and sweet romance at the heart of it, but still very much felt like it had a substantial plot to keep the pacing going! I'm a sucker for regency romances, so it's not surprising I enjoyed this! I think I prefer some regency romances more than this one, but I appreciated this for what it was overall! A nice addition to the queer historical romance space and one that I definitely see myself rereading!

Masterfully written- Joss and Gareth's relationship develop in a very believable way, and is definitely not insta-love. Action-packed with moments of quietness in between that really bring out their tenderness and love for each other, and the supporting characters were realistic and dimensional. I loved how nuanced Joss' family was written to be, with all the conflict and loyalty that comes with any true family. Also, beetles!
Very much looking forward to the second instalment of the series.

I love this book, it's a wonderful, sweet romance with the best parts of a historical and a queer love story. I love both protagonists, and there are so many wonderful supporting characters. I love the story taking place on the marsh, and the world they create there together. Joss and Gareth are such a fun pair, and I look forward to reading more in this vein from Charles.

I rated the audio book 3 starts because I wasn't a fan of the narrator, but overall the story was a good historical romance that I did enjoy.

This was quite an interesting read. I loved the world-building and the characters were well fleshed-out but overall, there was something missing for me. I never quite really started to root for Joss and Gareth. Still, as far as regency romances go, I really loved this queer take on it!

Sir Gareth Inglis was abandoned as a young child and grew up in his uncle's home. He was bullied by his uncle and cousin, so grew up unhappy, cold, and well-used to disappointment. He meets a gentlemen he calls Kent and they have a passionate week together before Kent has to leave London and Gareth is once again disappointed. When his father suddenly dies, he is now the Baron and inherits all his father's property and fortune on the emote, gloomy, Romney Marsh. When he arrives he finds out that the marsh is home to smugglers and thieves. The gentleman he has feelings for turns out to be Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan.

I do not read much LGBTQ stories, but I was interested in the Regency angle, as well as the smugglers and family issues. I really enjoyed this story, but I did skim any of the open door romance, as I do in any books. Gareth was a character that I felt really bad for. He was raised in an unloving environment, then finds out that he has a half-sister and that his father was not always an honest man. He is threatened and almost killed because of his father's actions and his cousin's jealousy. He tries to do the right thing, but doesn't have the money to do so. Joss has been running the "family business" since he was young, but his uncle has a hard time answering to someone younger. He causes a lot of problems and I give Joss credit for the way he tries to handle it. He is a diplomat to a degree, a fair man and one who loves his family and does what he needs to keep them safe and the business running. I wanted him to be happy and to be able to do something for himself. The story was fast moving, with a lot of adventure, thievery, family connections and problems, greed, backstabbing and danger, this story is part romance, part adventure that has some suspense and rivalry. A good start to this series. Martyn Swain narrated this book and did a wonderful job. As it is told from the POV of Joss and Gareth, he does a great job giving them voice. I recommend the audiobook as it was an enjoyable listen.

DNF @ 23%. This is one of the worst audio narrations I have ever experienced. The narrator had absolutely no inflection to his voice and spoke so slowly and stiltedly that increasing the playback speed did not even help.

That’s something I could have gotten past if the story was intriguing enough but alas, it was not. Then when explicit sexual assault was brought up I was done.

Very sad turn of events because smugglers are such an interesting concept!!

I enjoyed this quite a lot and i'm very much looking forward to the next in the series. I may read the other books by the author as well

This took me a minute to get into but once I did I loved it. It had a wide range of plot and didn't feel stilted or formulaic. I loved both the characters once I understood more about their backstory. Overall a fast, fun read that I'm sure I'll go back and read again at some time.

Equally romantic and action-packed - just how I like my romances. KJ Charles has made me fall in love yet again.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Greendaze rated a book liked it
4 months ago
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (The Doomsday...
by K.J. Charles (Goodreads Author)
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I love KJC and have read almost her entire back catalogue, but I'm sorry to say I did not love this book. The individual MCs were developed meticulously but I had trouble getting invested in their relationship when they only had a week together before their "break-up". This by itself would not be a big deal, except that when they started spending more time together again (chasing beetles, ugh), their previous week together took on greater significance even though it was literally a week of hook-ups and they didn't know each other's real identities. So by the time the climax rolled around, I didn't believe in their relationship or the obstacles they faced.

Related to that, the entire plotline with Luke felt extraneous? I understand it was supposed to give Joss his own conflict that didn't involve saving Gareth, but even as Joss worried about his family's reaction to his homosexuality, I didn't believe for a moment that there would be real consequences because his family is so close-knit and Joss himself so key to the Doomsday smuggling operations.

I'll stick around for the sequel because I'm curious to see where this story goes, but IMO this is not KJC's best.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was an absolute delight! A queer historical with great characters and lots of thriller elements - perfect for those of us who aren't quite in the mood for romantic suspense but still crave the plotting and stakes of the subgenre.

This is a charming book that had me smiling. It’s emotional and the couple is when you wrote for throughout the book but all in all, it’s just such a pleasant experience to read this book.

I was going through a regency romance phase when I first requested this. However, I am no longer interested so I won’t be providing a proper review.