I enjoyed this book tremendously. The author does a great job of interweaving local dialect and customs as well as societal mores, especially related to homosexuality. The love story plays out in a charming way which any reader will be able to relate to. The story is engaging and moves very quickly as the main characters do their best to navigate the complications of family responsibilities and relationships at all levels of English society with an overlay of geographical loyalties. The characters were very well developed and I had no trouble quickly becoming invested in their challenges, their joys, and their fears as well as in the kindnesses they displayed. I would highly recommend this.

This absolutely worked for me and some of my favorite things. Found family, finding out where one belongs, and a high stakes mystery that had me biting my nails and yelling at the characters to “hurry up!”

KJ Charles has a wonderful way of writing places that really makes the locations of the book feel real and Romney Marsh stood out to me as perhaps the best example of this. From the beetles to the misty air I was fully immersed in the marshland.

The characters leapt off the page with their complexity and their vulnerability. Joss Doomsday (And the entire doomsday crew really) was a vibrant character of action and seeing him contrasted with the reserved and a more desaturated Gareth Inglis was really rewarding. The way they worked through what they needed from each other and how their lives fit together was wonderful (we love a couple that communicates!).
Also, this is a KJ Charles novel so there is a spot of murder and ass kicking going on as well - the villains in this one made my blood boil so I enjoyed these bits very much.

Absolutely wonderful book, for the best vibes I recommend it for a springtime read.

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

I’ve read some books set in The Fens, even some with a minor 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.

I was thrilled to see this book offered up as a NetGalley ARC. It will be published in March. I have enjoyed every KJ Charles book I've read - and I've read a lot of them! They are generally historical romances. The history is well researched and a seamless part of the story. The romance might be a slow burn, but eventually burns hot. The books also have a lot of funny scenes. Heart and humor, oh yes, please.

This book had a lot of dark and serious undertones, but still a rollicking good read. I can't wait for more Doomsday novels!

This was my first KJ Charles novel, and I'm interesting in reading more. "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen" caught my attention initially by the cover/title, but after reading the synopsis I knew I had to read it. I've only recently started reading romance, none of which being a historical romance. I finally understand the appeal.

I thought Gareth and Joss were both wonderful protagonists. They worked well together and founded their relationship on communication, which isn't an easy thing to do given the time period. Their ability to overcome their differences and differences in opinion was admirable. I am sometimes put off by shifting perspectives, but it was welcomed in this book. The side characters were never given the direct spotlight, but they were all fleshed out and fit into the story perfectly.

I appreciated that this wasn't a romance where the characters are having sex seemingly every chapter. I also appreciated the discussion about class dynamics and the gray area that is the difference between "right" and "wrong".

I could see this making the transition to screen very well, and I would gladly pay for a ticket.

A big thank you to KJ Charles, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen comes out March 7, 2023!

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a delighful LGBTQ historical romance featuring found family, adventure, smugglers and a many mentions of beatles. After being abandoned by his father when he was younger, Gareth is anything but happy about inheriting his fathers baronetcy. Which involves moving to Rimney Marsh a place full of smugglers who are not very welcoming to outmarsh people and meeting a family he does not know. Really the only good part is that he gets to move away from the uncle that raised him but never loved him. After a couple of months lving on the marsh Gareth steps on the smuggler gangs toes when he decides to testify against a women smuggler who happens to be the sister of a man who Gareth had fallen for in London. Joss has been the leader of the smuggling gang for years, he will do anything to protect his people including acting fast and harshly to stop Gareth from testifying against his sister. Even when the dusts settles after their reunion, will they be able to overcome the struggles that keep being thrown up against them.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it did have a slow beginning for me but once you get into the thick of it the story is fast paced and packed full of adventure and romance. I think one of my favorite parts was watching both main characters develop and grow. Watching Gareth grow a back bone was amazing, especially because his growth had so much to do with defending people who he starts to care for. Watching him find a family after how lonely his childhood turned out was really heartwarming. Joss, I feel like settled into his leadership role and including dealing with unpleasant family members. The only thing I would have loved in addition would have been an epilouge, but even without it I feel like they both got the happy endeing they both fought so hard for. If you are looking for an action packed book that has so much warmth and connection in it The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is the book for you.

I wanted to love this book, and I adored the plot and many of the characters. I did not like Sir Gareth and I stopped reading 30% of the way. I didn’t enjoy how he responded or spoke to Joss. Gareth liked to blame others for his troubles, and I just couldn’t find any interest in his story.

I have loved a lot of KJ Charles’ books and I will continue to pick up a KJ Charles book regardless. Always witty repartee and original stories. The main character just didn’t do it for me in this one.

A thoroughly delightful new historical romance from KJ Charles!

When his estranged father dies, Gareth Inglis's life suddenly changes. Inheriting a title and an estate in Kent on the Romney Marsh, the new Sir Gareth is settling into his new title, household, and the community when he unexpectedly reunites with Joss Doomsday - the leader of the Doomsday smuggling clan and with whom Gareth had a brief but intense affair in London. Their reunion is bumpy and they are immediately tangled up in an increasingly suspenseful plot of smuggling, conspiracy, and murder. The book is action packed, but there are lovely, quieter moments between Joss and Gareth as they learn about each other, attempt (and sometimes fail) to trust and be vulnerable with each other. I’ve come to expect swoony, talky, consent positive romantic MCs in Charles’s books and this book did not disappoint. This is not a spoiler, but an example is something Joss initiates with Gareth that at first appears to be a sexy command that definitely curls both their toes. Later in the book, the original intent is revealed and it doesn’t embarrass either of them, but heightens and intensifies their mutual attraction and love for each other. SO. GOOD.

Charles's talent for writing historical fiction is so strong and her depictions of the Kentish countryside with marshes and coastline is marvellous - like a main character in the book. And speaking of other characters, there are quite a few secondary characters, but they are all distinctly written I could easily keep track of the various members of the Doomsday and Sweetwater clans.

I devoured this book and I cannot wait for the next book in the series, with a plea for more on page time with Sophy and Luke Doomsday. And I haven't even written about dung beetles, marshes, and entomology!

Sometimes I’ll get a book that I know I’m going to like a lot and I’m reluctant to read it because then it will have been read. I got my e-arc quite some time ago and was resistant to reading it for weeks. And then I finally opened it yesterday and read with brief breaks for sleep and food. I knew I would love it, I’m so glad I finally read it, and now I’m jealous of everyone who gets to read it for the first time.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen open in London with two lovers meeting for a tryst. They know each other as London and Kent. When Kent announces he has to go home, London reacts badly. They part, never expecting to see each other again.

London is Gareth Inglis. Shortly after the incident at the bar, he finds out his neglectful father has died. He has inherited a baronet title, a house on Romney Marsh (in Kent), money, and a sister who didn’t know he existed. He discovers that his father was even more selfish than he knew, but also that they share a fascination with the plants and insects of the marsh.

The plot really gets rolling when Sir Gareth discovers that his former lover is Joss Doomsday, the head of a smuggling family/gang. After a very unpromising start, the two build a lovely relationship. The work through misunderstandings and the class division between them. The threat of exposure is real, but they also find that there are people in their lives who accept them. There is drama and high stakes aplenty with disgruntled family members, treason, and greed.

I found myself looking up maps and images of Romney Marsh and the beetles Gareth found so fascinating. I started dreaming about I definitely want this one on my physical shelf because the cover is gorgeous.

CW: homophobia, misogyny, assault, murder, physical abuse by parent to child, emotional abuse and neglect by parent, attempted murder of child, torture, threat of rape, threat of hanging, death of parents and family in past.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I really enjoyed this one! I'm normally not a fan of noble/commoner relationships, but Gareth didn't feel like an uppity royal, so it didn't bother me. I found him to be adorable, and Joss was an excellent contrast to him. And I loved the smuggling plot! Having a smuggler as an MC was refreshing, and I loved getting the differing views of upper-class and lower-class men. It was nice to see characters talk through their issues and not just argue and ghost each other. I'd recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this very soft story with a hard edge, and a lot of beetles. Four full stars.

KJ Charles wrote what I found to be a refreshingly original plot in <i>The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen</i> for a Regency romance. The setting, among the marshy fields of Kent during a time of tension with France, was unique, as was the cast, a mixture of smugglers and country gentry. The romantic leads are familiar with each other from some pseudonymous hookups in a London tavern, but the way they discover each other's true identities created delicious friction and I had to know how they would reconcile. Gangly, pale and awkward Gareth was a nice counter to suave, slippery Joss, who is revealed to be descended from American slaves yet has more nobility than most gentry in the county.

The side plots of smuggling logistics, and the reselling of guineas in France to gain banknotes at a discount that could then be used in England, were really interesting, too. It was complete news to me about the currency gimmicks used to fund Napoleon's wars. The heavier conversations focused around these issues were quite relatable; smuggler Joss notes how even amidst recession or trade blockades, the rent is still due. Now, if that doesn't hit semi post-COVID. There was a grim line about sheep being more valuable than the people who live in the marshes, and that the livestock would be shipped out far ahead of any flooding, with no care for the people. Whew. I absolutely loved how much substance was in the story.

Lastly, the bonding via beetle-hunting! The inherent eroticism of splashing through marshes and fumbling through grass and fern to find specific insects! The naturalist forays that help the two bond and develop the romance were really charming to me. "Gone beetle-hunting" is totally a new euphemism.

The thing about K.J. Charles is: I'm going to read her books, and I'm going to love them.

THE SECRET LIVES OF COUNTRY GENTLEMEN, a romping adventure with a baronet and clans of smugglers, was no exception. Charles writes such a stellar story -- this one is particularly engaging, funny, swoony, and tender, and the characters and the conflict had me captivated from the first page. I absolutely loved it.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was my first KJ Charles novel. I didn't know what to expect, and the opening from so abrupt that I initially thought The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen would be porn. But I was wrong. This novel is so much more than an exploration of sexuality. The sex is rather explicit, but I did not find it exploitive. At its heart, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a love story between people from completely different social classes, set in early 19th century England.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen reveals the fictional lives of men engaged in smuggling during the Napoleonic war with England, where the smuggling of gold guineas, while a way to get rich, was actually treason. The characters in The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen are interesting and well-developed, except for Henry and Lionel, who are really cliches. The plot is complex and interesting, with some behavior audacious.

I enjoyed this novel very much and will look for more KJ Charles novels. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you also to NetGalley for suggesting this novel.

Gareth is the son of a Baron. When his mother died, he was sent to his uncle’s home where he was bullied by his cousin and ignored by his uncle. He was also gay and, as London, met a man he called Kent at the Regency equivalent of a gay bar. When his father passed, Gareth went to Romney Marsh to collect his inheritance. There he met Joss, a free trader, and also the man he had known as Kent. To tell a potential reader more would lead to spoilers and isn’t necessary. The many plots are fascinating. They include smuggling, theft, murder, kidnapping and the relationship and growth of the two men. Thanks to Net Galley and Sourceboooks for an ARC for an honest review.

I loved that Joss and Gareth learn to work together as a team and support one another. The personal growth is really endearing. And I learned a lot about Kent!

It started off as an information dump and then transitioned into shoddy English. Just not my cup of tea. I didn't feel particularly connected to or interested in the characters. Stopped at 5%

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for the ARC.

Admittedly, the opening of The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen was a turnoff for me. I would have been okay with it starting with Gareth and Joss having a parting of ways before reconnecting on the marsh in Kent, but this just feels so awkward and deeply uncomfortable. Thankfully it improves from there, with Gareth quickly in between a rock and a hard place, or more accurately, his former paramour and pleasing his half sister by supporting her current paramour. Why? Because Joss is a smuggler who leads the family business with a chokehold in the area. As Gareth and Joss reconnect, Charles does a great job of showing growth (not that kind, you that have dirty minds!) as individuals. Their romance gives Gareth the courage to start standing up for himself and Joss to step back from all his responsibilities and start paying more attention to the people around him. The secondary story revolves around missing gold guineas, that pulls in the rival smuggling gang and Gareth’s not so beloved relatives. This tends to get a bit dizzying to me; with Joss and fellow smuggling head Nate going back and forth with their crews, trying to keep them in line and hold them accountable. While their relationship isn’t a publicly accepted thing in England in their time, and they are discreet about it, any controversy regarding it is minimal in their community and with their families, which allows the focus to be in a more enjoyable place in relatively lighthearted romance.

I always really enjoy KJ Charles, but this exceeded my expectations. I picked this up intending to read just a chapter or two and literally could not put it down until I had finished. The suspense and romance plots work very well together, and were equally entrancing. The side characters were wonderfully crafted, and the setting felt so real I wanted to visit.

I really enjoyed this! There was more mystery/tension than I was expecting, and the climax was a bit scarier than I was ready for, but if anything that just raised the stakes for the book overall. It was really good and I was fully rooting for their relationship.

Minor spoilers ahead: I felt really bad for Luke, and also the end had me forgetting that they couldn't really get married 🥲🥲🥲

I definitely want to read more by this author! Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book. It has heart, is poignant, and gave me all the feels. I really appreciated the way the story incorporates Joss' identity as a biracial Black man, but doesn't make it a hurdle that the romance has to surmount. Gareth's understanding of himself, and his honesty, was really refreshing to read in a Regency romance. And also, it is has been far too long since there was a landed gentry (not an Duke, Marquess, or Earl)/smuggler romance. Absolute joy