The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (The Doomsday Books, 1)

Gothic scandal meets Bridgerton intrigue in this swashbuckling Regency romance from celebrated author KJ Charles.

Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels--until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn't know.

The Marsh is another world, a strange, empty place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers. And one of them is dangerously familiar...

Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan since he was a boy. When the new baronet--his old lover--agrees to testify against Joss's sister, Joss acts fast to stop him. Their reunion is anything but happy, yet after the dust settles, neither can stay away. Soon, all Joss and Gareth want is the chance to be together. But the bleak, bare Marsh holds deadly secrets. And when Gareth finds himself threatened from every side, the gentleman and the smuggler must trust one another not just with their hearts, but with their lives.

Readers Rave about KJ Charles:

"KJ Charles is one of the best romance novelists writing today. Historical romance at its finest." --Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author

"Once again KJ Charles has produced an absolute masterpiece!" --Joanna Shupe, USA Today bestselling author

"A romantic, swashbuckling tale from start to finish."--Manda Collins, Bestselling Author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

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Published Mar 7, 2023

352 pages

Average rating: 8.5

18 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

blewballoon
Nov 21, 2024
10/10 stars
This was a fantastic M/M Historical Romance. I loved these two main characters, I loved their chemistry, I loved how they were both gentle, loving souls who tried their best with all the circumstances and hardships that came their way. They regretted and apologized for their mistakes, they communicated, and they listened to each other. My favorite thing in a romance is healthy communication, and it's a good sign when an author can come up with other ways to create drama and tension despite the characters working well together. While the romance is fantastic, there is also a great cast of supporting characters and a really interesting setting. I listened to this on audiobook at 1.4 speed and I liked the narration.

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