The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
The Doomsday Books, Book 1
Abandoned by his father as a small child, Sir Gareth Inglis has grown up prickly, cold, and well-used to disappointment. Even so, he longs for a connection, falling headfirst into a passionate anonymous affair that’s over almost as quickly as it began. Bitter at the sudden rejection, Gareth has little time to lick his wounds: his father has died, leaving him the family title, a rambling manor on the remote Romney Marsh…and the den of cutthroats and thieves that make its intricate waterways their home.
Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan since he was a boy. His family is his life…which is why when the all-too-familiar new baronet testifies against Joss’s sister for a hanging offense, Joss acts fast, blackmailing Gareth with the secret of their relationship to force him to recant. Their reunion is anything but happy and the path forward everything but smooth, yet after the dust settles, neither can stay away. It’s a long road from there—full of danger and mysteries to be solved—yet somehow, along the way, this well-mannered gentleman may at last find true love with the least likely of scoundrels.
A 2024 Lambda Literary Award nominee for Best Gay Romance • A Library Journal pick for Best Romances of 2023
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Cover art by Jyotirmayee Patra
Design by Sourcebooks
Narrated by Martyn Swain
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References to racism. Previously enslaved minor character. Parental neglect and estrangement. Physical and emotional abuse of a child. Threat of sexual assault. Kidnapping, violence, and murder on page. Societal homophobia and threat of blackmail.
“Charles successfully balances a complicated suspense plot and an emotionally resonant romance. … This novel launches a delightful new Regency romance series from Charles; readers will be eagerly anticipating the next installment.”
“A dark and stunning love story between a smuggler and a newly minted baronet. … Readers will devour this … a surprising number of beetles and newts for a romance.”
“The various financial and internecine quarrels are convincingly rendered and the supporting characters and setting finely textured, but it’s the tenderness and steam that emanate from Gareth and Joss that really give the story its spark. Their relationship is deeply passionate, and they have a lovely way of communicating even when they don’t have the language to articulate their feelings.”
“I loved this book so hard. Action, adventure, mystery, tenderness, and romantic love, this book had it all, and I eagerly devoured every word. This is one of those books that you read in the car while sitting at a light, or while waiting at the pick-up line at the grocery store, literally unable to put it down until you get to the HEA.”
“a pulse-quickening queer Poldark … a high-heat epic”
“This poignant romance is an absolute joy! … And it has been far too long since there was a landed gentry/smuggler romance.”
“a fabulous mix of frenemies-to-lovers romance and mystery boasting a wonderfully evoked setting, lots of interesting historical detail and plenty of the wry humour and sharp observation that I so enjoy about the author’s work.”
“As always, Charles combines masterful prose, thrilling romance, fantastic wit, and gripping stakes. Her characters feel as real and relatable as a bruise. She is, in my opinion, a titan of her genre.”
“The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen has it all: Smuggling! Blackmail! Secret rendezvous! Scoundrels! Sweethearts! Big feelings! KJ Charles is one of the best romance novelists writing today and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is proof. Historical romance at its finest.”
