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The Doomsday Books #2
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel
Bridgerton goes Gothic in this sweeping Regency romance by celebrated author KJ Charles.
Major Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he's beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan.
The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer--exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.
But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on...and what they're willing to do for love.
"Once again KJ Charles has produced an absolute masterpiece!" --Joanna Shupe, USA Today bestselling author for The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
Major Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he's beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan.
The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer--exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.
But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on...and what they're willing to do for love.
"Once again KJ Charles has produced an absolute masterpiece!" --Joanna Shupe, USA Today bestselling author for The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2023
220 people are currently reading
7855 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Charles
65books11.5kfollowersKJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at .
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at
Please **do not** message me on ŷ as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at
Please **do not** message me on ŷ as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,365 reviews
May 20, 2024
�*bites fist* ᵢₜ 𝓌ₐₛ ₚₑᵣ𝒻ₑ𝒸ₜ✨
Listen, I’ve tried for days to wrap my head around everything I loved about this book…but I’ve simply given up. I have the urge to use a lot of adjectives, like so many adjectives. But it was, indeed, perfection, and that’s really the only one you need.
I wondered how K.J. Charles would follow up The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman—another five-star read for me—and I can safely say that I anticipated none of it but quickly (QUICKLY) fell in love with all of it. (Just call me Ricky Bobby because the speed at which I read this has yet to be tracked on any speedometer.)
I can’t really go into much of the plot at risk of spoilers, but that’s okay because all you need to know is that you’ll be thoroughly entertained: The romance romanced even harder than the first book, (re)found family was a main source of comfort (as well as conflict), and the [redacted] mystery successfully bamboozled me right until the big reveal. There was also a distinct gothic vibe that created a really cozy yet unpredictable atmosphere.
The fight/grovel scene actually restored my faith in humanity??? I was kind of dreading the fight (the emotional stakes were so high yall!!), but I’ll be anticipating it during my reread. It made the romance ten times more intricate and complete than it would’ve been with something less intense. My heart broke for them both, but it hurt! So! GOOD! A breakup scene and its aftermath can REALLY do it for me when it’s done right, and I’m pretty sure K.J. Charles has actually never been wrong.
�
While A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel *could* be read as a standalone, I think a lot of Luke’s character would be lost if you haven’t read The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman. (He was going through IT at thirteen and it explains…a lot.) Also the marsh. You’d miss so much marsh. I went back to book one, and the Earl of Oxney is referenced as well, so definitely keep tabs on the ~lore as you read or reread.
Overall, I loved everything in the book, but the romance of it actually owns me. I keep writing and deleting the small things they did for each other because I won’t spoil but !!!! Just know I can’t breathe thinking about them.
The audiobook was narrated by the same one as The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, and I liked the performance wayyy more here! This book already felt like a movie, but listening via audio made it truly cinematic. Heartbreak feels good in a place like this!! It really does!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶�*/5
*I think it was definitely hotter than book two, as the tension was TRIPLED. The forbidden boss/employee thing worked so well here.
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
Listen, I’ve tried for days to wrap my head around everything I loved about this book…but I’ve simply given up. I have the urge to use a lot of adjectives, like so many adjectives. But it was, indeed, perfection, and that’s really the only one you need.
I wondered how K.J. Charles would follow up The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman—another five-star read for me—and I can safely say that I anticipated none of it but quickly (QUICKLY) fell in love with all of it. (Just call me Ricky Bobby because the speed at which I read this has yet to be tracked on any speedometer.)
I can’t really go into much of the plot at risk of spoilers, but that’s okay because all you need to know is that you’ll be thoroughly entertained: The romance romanced even harder than the first book, (re)found family was a main source of comfort (as well as conflict), and the [redacted] mystery successfully bamboozled me right until the big reveal. There was also a distinct gothic vibe that created a really cozy yet unpredictable atmosphere.
The fight/grovel scene actually restored my faith in humanity??? I was kind of dreading the fight (the emotional stakes were so high yall!!), but I’ll be anticipating it during my reread. It made the romance ten times more intricate and complete than it would’ve been with something less intense. My heart broke for them both, but it hurt! So! GOOD! A breakup scene and its aftermath can REALLY do it for me when it’s done right, and I’m pretty sure K.J. Charles has actually never been wrong.
�
While A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel *could* be read as a standalone, I think a lot of Luke’s character would be lost if you haven’t read The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman. (He was going through IT at thirteen and it explains…a lot.) Also the marsh. You’d miss so much marsh. I went back to book one, and the Earl of Oxney is referenced as well, so definitely keep tabs on the ~lore as you read or reread.
Overall, I loved everything in the book, but the romance of it actually owns me. I keep writing and deleting the small things they did for each other because I won’t spoil but !!!! Just know I can’t breathe thinking about them.
The audiobook was narrated by the same one as The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, and I liked the performance wayyy more here! This book already felt like a movie, but listening via audio made it truly cinematic. Heartbreak feels good in a place like this!! It really does!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶�*/5
*I think it was definitely hotter than book two, as the tension was TRIPLED. The forbidden boss/employee thing worked so well here.
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
September 29, 2023
KJC Backlist Read Part 27
Having abandoned all semblance of backlist read order, decided it was time to take on the newest installment while it was still fresh in everyone's minds. And... oh gosh. I'm just not sure this one worked for me personally. I'll admit that I probably grade KJC's books on a separate scale at this point: having read 27, I need more than one-stars-worth of divergence to differentiate between them. So maybe if I had picked this book up from a new-to-me author, I would have been more enthusiastic? There was certainly still a lot to like here: the writing is gorgeous, the two MCs have phenomenal sexual chemistry, and theplot gets bracingly bonkers there for a while. But despite - or I guess alongside - those positives, I had a number of issues with this book whichdampened my enjoyment overall.
First, it felt extremely padded-out for word count. Something I love about KJC's other work is how ruthlessly tight the plotting is, and how much character development she can pack into a single sentence (3956 years ago, when I started thisbacklist re-read, it was for the purpose of writing a blog post about exactly that second thing. Which I still plan to do.) So it was somewhat of an unpleasant surprise to find myself 30% of the way into this book, still not feeling like I knew the characters very well, having observed very little romantic interaction between them, and having discussed not much else besides an inheritance plot I had trouble investing in.
Second, this book ramps up a PHENOMENAL amount of angst around one of the characters discovering that the other one has been deceiving him. This is a kind of angst I live for, when done well. However I thought it was clumsily executed here on several counts. The deceive-ing character, who has 50% of the POV chapters, goes about a lot of deception without ever thinking concretely about what he's doing, simply in order to surprise the reader with a big reveal. And when that reveal does finally happen... this is going to be a real YMMV thing, but I did not find it a compelling explanation. At all. In fact, there are 3-4 *different* explanations thrown around at various different times for why . I get that a character can be confused about his own motives. But this felt more like the author knew the deception didn't have a sufficiently deep emotional underpinning, and was just throwing any justification at the wall to see if it stuck. And that was super frustrating to me, because the angst *around* the deception was beautifully written. I just didn't buy any of the motivation behind it,so it didn't reach me where my feelingslive.
And finally, after an entire book about why it's bad to lie to your partner . I would be sincerely, non-sarcastically curious to hear if this epilogue landed differently from other people: I am fully willing to have an open mind about it, because I would love to think there's just something I'm not seeing here. Because otherwise, it makes no sense to me. And that's not a feeling I enjoy.
Anyway, mixed bag, I guess. I think I could have gotten past the slow beginning, and the not-for-me epilogue, but ultimately the production of a great deal of angst around a deception I couldn't emotionally invest in make this one fall flat for me.
Favorite line: "He had a scholar's stoop, or possibly a younger son's cringe, but when he stood properly he was several inches over Oxney's height. It transformed his appearance from a surprised owl to a tall surprised owl"
Having abandoned all semblance of backlist read order, decided it was time to take on the newest installment while it was still fresh in everyone's minds. And... oh gosh. I'm just not sure this one worked for me personally. I'll admit that I probably grade KJC's books on a separate scale at this point: having read 27, I need more than one-stars-worth of divergence to differentiate between them. So maybe if I had picked this book up from a new-to-me author, I would have been more enthusiastic? There was certainly still a lot to like here: the writing is gorgeous, the two MCs have phenomenal sexual chemistry, and theplot gets bracingly bonkers there for a while. But despite - or I guess alongside - those positives, I had a number of issues with this book whichdampened my enjoyment overall.
First, it felt extremely padded-out for word count. Something I love about KJC's other work is how ruthlessly tight the plotting is, and how much character development she can pack into a single sentence (3956 years ago, when I started thisbacklist re-read, it was for the purpose of writing a blog post about exactly that second thing. Which I still plan to do.) So it was somewhat of an unpleasant surprise to find myself 30% of the way into this book, still not feeling like I knew the characters very well, having observed very little romantic interaction between them, and having discussed not much else besides an inheritance plot I had trouble investing in.
Second, this book ramps up a PHENOMENAL amount of angst around one of the characters discovering that the other one has been deceiving him. This is a kind of angst I live for, when done well. However I thought it was clumsily executed here on several counts. The deceive-ing character, who has 50% of the POV chapters, goes about a lot of deception without ever thinking concretely about what he's doing, simply in order to surprise the reader with a big reveal. And when that reveal does finally happen... this is going to be a real YMMV thing, but I did not find it a compelling explanation. At all. In fact, there are 3-4 *different* explanations thrown around at various different times for why . I get that a character can be confused about his own motives. But this felt more like the author knew the deception didn't have a sufficiently deep emotional underpinning, and was just throwing any justification at the wall to see if it stuck. And that was super frustrating to me, because the angst *around* the deception was beautifully written. I just didn't buy any of the motivation behind it,so it didn't reach me where my feelingslive.
And finally, after an entire book about why it's bad to lie to your partner . I would be sincerely, non-sarcastically curious to hear if this epilogue landed differently from other people: I am fully willing to have an open mind about it, because I would love to think there's just something I'm not seeing here. Because otherwise, it makes no sense to me. And that's not a feeling I enjoy.
Anyway, mixed bag, I guess. I think I could have gotten past the slow beginning, and the not-for-me epilogue, but ultimately the production of a great deal of angst around a deception I couldn't emotionally invest in make this one fall flat for me.
Favorite line: "He had a scholar's stoop, or possibly a younger son's cringe, but when he stood properly he was several inches over Oxney's height. It transformed his appearance from a surprised owl to a tall surprised owl"
Read
September 20, 2023STOP THIS IS ABOUT BABY LUKE ALL GROWN UP???? Asdfghjkl IM NOT READY
AND WE’LL GET TO SEE GARETH AND JOSS 13 YEARS TOGETHER SORRY FOR SCREAMING BUT I AM FEELING THINGS
I literally just preordered this now gAH
AND WE’LL GET TO SEE GARETH AND JOSS 13 YEARS TOGETHER SORRY FOR SCREAMING BUT I AM FEELING THINGS
I literally just preordered this now gAH
November 6, 2024
I do not know how to feel.. I think I need to relisten when I'm not on a plane freaking out?? Because I didn't vibe this as much as I wanted to??
Was it hotter than book 1? YES, sure was!
Were the mc's enjoyable? Absolutely!!
Was the historical dirty talk good? HOT AF🔥🔥🔥. Even when they said "prick" and "spend" which would have to be in my top 100 words that I wish didn't fucking exist.
The ending? AWESOME.👏👏👏 Such a great gripping ending!
But something about book 1, just buried into my heart and soul, and had me feet swinging.. whilst this book, whenever Rufus or Luke were not actively interacting, especially when they were going so deep into family drama that I didn't really care about... I found myself feeling like...
And even on 1.7x speed I couldn't find myself being interested until they were kissing again hahahaha 😂😂
I think this is a me problem though?
I don't do well on planes.. so maybe my heart and my brain weren't in it.
I think I will re-listen in a few months and see how I feel because there was soooooo many elements of this book worth loving to more than a 3 star level!!!
it was still a good 3 star though 🥹🥹🥹
Was it hotter than book 1? YES, sure was!
Were the mc's enjoyable? Absolutely!!
Was the historical dirty talk good? HOT AF🔥🔥🔥. Even when they said "prick" and "spend" which would have to be in my top 100 words that I wish didn't fucking exist.
The ending? AWESOME.👏👏👏 Such a great gripping ending!
But something about book 1, just buried into my heart and soul, and had me feet swinging.. whilst this book, whenever Rufus or Luke were not actively interacting, especially when they were going so deep into family drama that I didn't really care about... I found myself feeling like...
And even on 1.7x speed I couldn't find myself being interested until they were kissing again hahahaha 😂😂
I think this is a me problem though?
I don't do well on planes.. so maybe my heart and my brain weren't in it.
I think I will re-listen in a few months and see how I feel because there was soooooo many elements of this book worth loving to more than a 3 star level!!!
it was still a good 3 star though 🥹🥹🥹
Want to read
September 5, 2023Just finished the first Doomsday Book (and LOVED IT .... ) and I'm so glad that this second book is going to be about Luke!
In the first book, he's a 13-year-old who has been dealt a bad hand with his abusive father, But he is a very smart kid and is just on the cusp of having a much better life - getting an education, gaining an understanding father figure in Gareth, and so I cannot wait to meet the adult Luke!
I had hoped to do a review of the ARC for this book, but GOT TURNED DOWN from the publisher on NetGalley. So my review for this book will be a bit later, rather than sooner!
In the first book, he's a 13-year-old who has been dealt a bad hand with his abusive father, But he is a very smart kid and is just on the cusp of having a much better life - getting an education, gaining an understanding father figure in Gareth, and so I cannot wait to meet the adult Luke!
I had hoped to do a review of the ARC for this book, but GOT TURNED DOWN from the publisher on NetGalley. So my review for this book will be a bit later, rather than sooner!
February 11, 2024
� 3.75 stars �
“I will do whatever you want,� Luke said into his chest. “Just, please, make it be what you want. Because you’re looking after everyone in this house and you ought to have someone thinking of you.�
Set thirteen years after the events of it's predecessor, K J Charles returns to the Doomsday Clan with A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel.
KJC is an impressive writer for me, because her writing is smart - it's witty and charming, all while having her stories take place in a historical setting that never once makes you feel like you're out of place and out of touch of the time. She writes with such sincerity and clarity to the time periods she brings you into. And even when there's rich with intensely volatile family drama that attempts to cut down true heritage and lineage, she still manages to weave a delightfully emotional romance between two complete opposites, the son of a notorious smuggling clan, Luke Doomsday and the Earl of Oxney, Major Rufus d'Aumesty.
It is important to have read the first book, otherwise, you won't really see how deeply affected Luke is from his past actions that play such a critical role in shaping him into the man he is today - despite what his true intentions may be. Luke 'was energetic and huge-hearted and a force of nature', but he still carries the heavy weight of guilt over his family history that he can never seem to shake off. ❤️🩹❤️� Scars that ran deeper than the mark forever serving as a reminder on his face. The ramifications of his previous deeds continue to haunt and trouble him, but underneath all that torturous pain, there is also someone with excellent character - someone who rises to the occasion - someone with a whimsical flair - a teasing lilt to his cheeky diatribes and a fresh bright perspective of things that charms his way into Rufus' heart - no matter how stoically he refuses to feel anything for his employee.
'Entertaining, physically impressive, and yet something of a calamity by all accounts', Rufus is a soldier of yester-year, an unschooled ruffian, but his righteous heart really was so very endearing to see. He is so steadfast in his honor for doing what's right, for trying to fix the errors of his family history, to justify the ends to the means and prove himself worthy of being the head of the family. 😟 It pained me at how he doubted himself at so many intervals in his life, but luckily, Luke was there to remind him that he is worthy of being the head of the family - that his heart is in the right place, despite his own personal limitations that hinder him so. And as it is, with typical KJC grace of bringing two unlikely souls together, their romance was as rich with playful desire and pure with heartfelt affection. 🥹🥹
“Rufus leaned harder, with both hands, working his finger around. Luke thrashed against his grip. “Yes. Fuck. Will you exert your damned rights before I die of waiting?�
“You are blasted insubordinate,� Rufus told him. “I don’t know how to handle this level of shameless insolence.�
Ah, even though the title really plays a pivotal part in the story-line, their chemistry was as fiery as the bed that they lit up with their passion. I loved all the deliberate teasing and wooing Luke did to Rufus, despite Rufus' resolve to stave off his blistering attraction for his excellent secretary. That moment when Luke cornered Rufus into admitting his desire for him, his gentle teases of 'A nobleman’s guide to courting a countess?', and the fierce promises to make him scream, had me 🫠🫠🫠.
I loved all the adorable fancies Rufus blushed at when Luke introduced him to his delectable taste of Gothic romances - all the creative methods he so eagerly wanted to test out on him. A beautiful way in which their relationship progressed and at Rufus' fierce protective nature for the man that had completely enthralled him so. He fell so far and fast for him, that when he felt that sharp sting of betrayal, the pain and heartbreak from both sides really was so perfectly portrayed - cutting through the emotions with all their hurtful words and accusations. 💔💔 But, it was that tentative way in which they found their way back to each other - and this beautiful moment in where you see that trust has been restored - for the difference in how Luke reacts to Rufus' touch to his scar - that after all the sadness and truths of why he really came to Stone Manor came to light was absolutely perfect. 🤌🏻🤌🏻
“Stone Manor was not dripping with valuables for a house so old and long inhabited. The d’Aumestys had apparently not felt a need to point up the glory of their ancient name with anything so sordid as expensive furnishings or valuable art.�
Stone Manor may not have captured the same berth of welcoming touch as if it were a character in the novel like Romney Marsh was able to successfully portray in the previous installment, but it still played a significant role in the story. There were so many memorable depictions of details in which KJC described its Gothic-like outer and inner appearances with such clarity and fondness that it would at times elevate the mood depending on the location of the house the characters were in. 👍🏻 👍🏻 Whether it was the allure of the headposts that Rufus imagined Luke gripping onto, whether it was the soft tears that riddled Luke's cheeks when he saw a beautiful painting that spurned a forgotten memory, whether it was the foreboding darkness of an eluding corridor - the writing made it's presence prevalent at all the moments that mattered. 🥰
And while they didn't play an integral part in this part, I still appreciated all the little nods to Gareth and Joss' part in Luke's life - how much high esteem he held Gareth in, and how much he still carried his inner wounds over the treatment of his family's disregard over his father's violence. It has been nearly thirteen years since the event that inevitably brought them all together, but Gareth still carries that imposing calming presence that makes him such a comforting boon for Luke to lean on and turn to.
“And then his lover, his employer, his seigneur would crash into the room like a gale, and Luke would once again forget all the reasons he shouldn’t be doing this in the pure glory of doing it.�
I had figured out early on what Luke's ulterior motives were, and Rufus' indignant reaction and Luke's reluctant dismissal of admittance to it all was written so very well. Even the most frustrating of situations, if written with a firm hold over the characters, can evoke a sense of empathy in one's heart. And learning about Luke's own misgivings, his reasonings for acting the way he did and everything that took place after - it was done well.
His understanding that 'I’ve spent a deal more time thinking about what I wanted to gain, and resenting what I didn’t have, than noticing what I actually had,' really came full closure. The pacing and the narrative kept me engaged and interested, because events were happening so very simultaneously - each affecting the outcome of the story that you really find yourself immersed into their lives and well-being - as challenging as it was.
“Droit du seigneur, remember? You’re mine, Luke Doomsday, and I’m keeping you. I love you.�
For there is no greater challenge than Rufus' family - I did not like them at all and rightfully so. What saddens me even more is that what they attempted to do, are acts still very much plausible, even in today's world. 😔😔 It's a credit to the writing that KJC wrote such unlikable characters with such infuriating personalities of relatives that you wanted to do absolutely nothing but erase them from the narrative. But, the beauty of it all is that, once again the story spins into an action-clad, tense and emotionally-charged climax, where all the pivotal points come to a close in a most promising and rewarding fashion. 👌🏻👌🏻
While not entirely what I hoped it would be, it was still another lovely addition to my K.J Charles' reading list - a worthwhile sequel to The Doomsday Books. ✨✨
“I will do whatever you want,� Luke said into his chest. “Just, please, make it be what you want. Because you’re looking after everyone in this house and you ought to have someone thinking of you.�
Set thirteen years after the events of it's predecessor, K J Charles returns to the Doomsday Clan with A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel.
KJC is an impressive writer for me, because her writing is smart - it's witty and charming, all while having her stories take place in a historical setting that never once makes you feel like you're out of place and out of touch of the time. She writes with such sincerity and clarity to the time periods she brings you into. And even when there's rich with intensely volatile family drama that attempts to cut down true heritage and lineage, she still manages to weave a delightfully emotional romance between two complete opposites, the son of a notorious smuggling clan, Luke Doomsday and the Earl of Oxney, Major Rufus d'Aumesty.
It is important to have read the first book, otherwise, you won't really see how deeply affected Luke is from his past actions that play such a critical role in shaping him into the man he is today - despite what his true intentions may be. Luke 'was energetic and huge-hearted and a force of nature', but he still carries the heavy weight of guilt over his family history that he can never seem to shake off. ❤️🩹❤️� Scars that ran deeper than the mark forever serving as a reminder on his face. The ramifications of his previous deeds continue to haunt and trouble him, but underneath all that torturous pain, there is also someone with excellent character - someone who rises to the occasion - someone with a whimsical flair - a teasing lilt to his cheeky diatribes and a fresh bright perspective of things that charms his way into Rufus' heart - no matter how stoically he refuses to feel anything for his employee.
'Entertaining, physically impressive, and yet something of a calamity by all accounts', Rufus is a soldier of yester-year, an unschooled ruffian, but his righteous heart really was so very endearing to see. He is so steadfast in his honor for doing what's right, for trying to fix the errors of his family history, to justify the ends to the means and prove himself worthy of being the head of the family. 😟 It pained me at how he doubted himself at so many intervals in his life, but luckily, Luke was there to remind him that he is worthy of being the head of the family - that his heart is in the right place, despite his own personal limitations that hinder him so. And as it is, with typical KJC grace of bringing two unlikely souls together, their romance was as rich with playful desire and pure with heartfelt affection. 🥹🥹
“Rufus leaned harder, with both hands, working his finger around. Luke thrashed against his grip. “Yes. Fuck. Will you exert your damned rights before I die of waiting?�
“You are blasted insubordinate,� Rufus told him. “I don’t know how to handle this level of shameless insolence.�
Ah, even though the title really plays a pivotal part in the story-line, their chemistry was as fiery as the bed that they lit up with their passion. I loved all the deliberate teasing and wooing Luke did to Rufus, despite Rufus' resolve to stave off his blistering attraction for his excellent secretary. That moment when Luke cornered Rufus into admitting his desire for him, his gentle teases of 'A nobleman’s guide to courting a countess?', and the fierce promises to make him scream, had me 🫠🫠🫠.
I loved all the adorable fancies Rufus blushed at when Luke introduced him to his delectable taste of Gothic romances - all the creative methods he so eagerly wanted to test out on him. A beautiful way in which their relationship progressed and at Rufus' fierce protective nature for the man that had completely enthralled him so. He fell so far and fast for him, that when he felt that sharp sting of betrayal, the pain and heartbreak from both sides really was so perfectly portrayed - cutting through the emotions with all their hurtful words and accusations. 💔💔 But, it was that tentative way in which they found their way back to each other - and this beautiful moment in where you see that trust has been restored - for the difference in how Luke reacts to Rufus' touch to his scar - that after all the sadness and truths of why he really came to Stone Manor came to light was absolutely perfect. 🤌🏻🤌🏻
“Stone Manor was not dripping with valuables for a house so old and long inhabited. The d’Aumestys had apparently not felt a need to point up the glory of their ancient name with anything so sordid as expensive furnishings or valuable art.�
Stone Manor may not have captured the same berth of welcoming touch as if it were a character in the novel like Romney Marsh was able to successfully portray in the previous installment, but it still played a significant role in the story. There were so many memorable depictions of details in which KJC described its Gothic-like outer and inner appearances with such clarity and fondness that it would at times elevate the mood depending on the location of the house the characters were in. 👍🏻 👍🏻 Whether it was the allure of the headposts that Rufus imagined Luke gripping onto, whether it was the soft tears that riddled Luke's cheeks when he saw a beautiful painting that spurned a forgotten memory, whether it was the foreboding darkness of an eluding corridor - the writing made it's presence prevalent at all the moments that mattered. 🥰
And while they didn't play an integral part in this part, I still appreciated all the little nods to Gareth and Joss' part in Luke's life - how much high esteem he held Gareth in, and how much he still carried his inner wounds over the treatment of his family's disregard over his father's violence. It has been nearly thirteen years since the event that inevitably brought them all together, but Gareth still carries that imposing calming presence that makes him such a comforting boon for Luke to lean on and turn to.
“And then his lover, his employer, his seigneur would crash into the room like a gale, and Luke would once again forget all the reasons he shouldn’t be doing this in the pure glory of doing it.�
I had figured out early on what Luke's ulterior motives were, and Rufus' indignant reaction and Luke's reluctant dismissal of admittance to it all was written so very well. Even the most frustrating of situations, if written with a firm hold over the characters, can evoke a sense of empathy in one's heart. And learning about Luke's own misgivings, his reasonings for acting the way he did and everything that took place after - it was done well.
His understanding that 'I’ve spent a deal more time thinking about what I wanted to gain, and resenting what I didn’t have, than noticing what I actually had,' really came full closure. The pacing and the narrative kept me engaged and interested, because events were happening so very simultaneously - each affecting the outcome of the story that you really find yourself immersed into their lives and well-being - as challenging as it was.
“Droit du seigneur, remember? You’re mine, Luke Doomsday, and I’m keeping you. I love you.�
For there is no greater challenge than Rufus' family - I did not like them at all and rightfully so. What saddens me even more is that what they attempted to do, are acts still very much plausible, even in today's world. 😔😔 It's a credit to the writing that KJC wrote such unlikable characters with such infuriating personalities of relatives that you wanted to do absolutely nothing but erase them from the narrative. But, the beauty of it all is that, once again the story spins into an action-clad, tense and emotionally-charged climax, where all the pivotal points come to a close in a most promising and rewarding fashion. 👌🏻👌🏻
While not entirely what I hoped it would be, it was still another lovely addition to my K.J Charles' reading list - a worthwhile sequel to The Doomsday Books. ✨✨
September 19, 2023
This is book 2 of the Doomsday duology, picking up 13 years after the end of the absolutely delightful Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. We find ourselves still on the marsh (in the marsh? Marsh-adjacent?), this time dropped into the life of Rufus, the newly investitured Earl of Oxney, an acknowledged but disowned and believed-dead grandson of the late earl, whose inconvenient state of aliveness (Rufus’s, I mean) comes as a nasty shock to his horrible, no good, very bad uncle who had expected to inherit. Thankfully KJ Charles explains this all much more lucidly (albeit at greater length) than I did. The point is that Rufus finds himself in a pickle: in an inconvenient, uncomfortable manor, in a place where he is a stranger, surrounded by an openly hostile family � the aforementioned horrible uncle, Conrad, his equally horrible wife, Matilda, and three cousins who range from anxious to apathetic to openly disdainful � all of whom have lived their lives in a state of utter dependence; undermined by a disloyal staff; and trying to come to grips with an estate and tenants who have been ignored and left to rot over the final years of the previous earl’s aggrieved tenure.
Into this sad state of affairs swoops Luke, who we remember from TSLoCG as an awkward, insecure, but clever teenager who was taken under Gareth’s wing after an incident of shocking violence from his horrible father, Elijah Doomsday. (Horrible blood families being a theme in this book and, indeed, much of KJC’s work.) Luke comes with a fantastical tale of his birth mother (with whom he is estranged) being secretly married to Rufus’s father before the father married Rufus’s mother; which is to say that the marriage between Rufus’s parents is invalid as the father was already married, which is to say that Rufus is illegitimate, which is to say that Conrad is the legitimate heir. Luke has no proof of this marriage, only the deathbed confession of his maternal grandfather. Conrad sees Luke as his ticket to the earldom; Rufus, no dummy, realizes that since his father was still alive when Luke was born, Luke would technically be the heir if there was, in fact, a marriage, even though Luke is indisputably the biological son of horrible Elijah. (Don’t ask me, people. In the immortal words ofMaggie Smith the dowager countess, “If I were to search for logic, I would not look for it among the English upper class.�) Rufus immediately recognizes in Luke both a threat and a potential ally � Luke is vibing unimpressed with Conrad’s high-handed thuggishness � and, as Luke is a highly trained but presently unemployed secretary, Rufus takes him on until they can sort out the mess.
The reason I’m going into rather extensive detail is that, while TSLoCG started with a bang � literally � this book starts with an ask: wading through a chapter of backstory and obscure British inheritance law-based scheming while being battered over the head by the absolute worst character. I've now condensed it down to two paragraphs for you, you're welcome. Once Rufus and Luke are in place, things pick up. Rufus discovers that Luke is as good at reading people and getting them on-side as he is at accounts, organization, and all things secretarial; Luke discovers that, for all his briskness, Rufus is well-intentioned, big-hearted, and a nummy nummy bear. This is something of a slow burn with echoes of Richard and Cyprian in the servant-employer dynamic, especially in terms of Rufus’s reluctance to put his employee in a vulnerable position. But unlike in A Gentleman’s Position, in Nobleman we are aware that Luke has a secret agenda, even if we don’t know what it is (although readers of TSLoCG can probably hazard a guess). Luke’s secret agenda is eventually, painfully revealed; there is a rupture; and then a wary, tentative armistice that eventually turns into a genuine reconciliation. And as we expect from KJC, a cracker of a finale where all ends are tied up and the baddies get a satisfyingly vengeful comeuppance.
Anyone who has any familiarity with my reviews knows I’m an unapologetic KJC stan, so it’s no surprise that I gobbled this up like ice cream on a hot summer day. Great writing, great pacing, great MCs, a lovely romance, wonderful new supporting characters as well as cameos from Gareth, Joss and the gang, and plenty of twists and turns. That said, this didn’t work quite as well as TSLoCG for me. (And while I’m at it: this could probably be read as a standalone � the relevant info from TSLoCG is adequately explained � but it will be much better if you’ve read book 1, plus why deny yourself that gem?)
Nobleman is both so connected to and different from TSLoCG that it's hard to explain why I'm giving it 4 rather than 5 stars without comparing the two. Partly it comes down to tropes: I LOVE SLoCG's “short-lived, ill-fated affair and then the MCs meet again in the most horrifying way possible� trope, both because it gives us insta-connection, insta-bang and essence of second-chance romance, my sweet summer child. Nobleman is more long tease and sneaky, self-sabotaging MC, which, don’t get me wrong, is also good, but it doesn’t hit my sweet spot quite the same. And speaking of self-sabotaging: I found Luke to be pretty frustrating, which on the one hand is entirely the point � Luke finds Luke pretty frustrating, as do Rufus, Gareth, Joss, and cousin Emily! � but on the other hand requires a lot of rehabilitation work after the rupture. The work is necessary � Luke has to learn to articulate what’s driving his sabotaging tendencies, both to himself and those he hurts; Rufus has to figure out if he can ever trust and like Luke again � but there are moments where the narrative here feels more explanatory/ pleading than organic. I think KJC gets us there in the end � I believe in Rufus and Luke’s HEA � but there’s a bit of pulling us along in the immediate aftermath of the rupture that felt a mite heavy-handed. Ideally, I would have loved if the epilogue was the final chapter, and a different epilogue was set a bit further down the road: we leave Rufus and Luke happy together, but still in the immediate aftermath of the whirlwind of events. It would have been nice to check in on them a few months or even years later once things had settled.
The other aspect where, for me, this paled by comparison to TSLoCG is in the setting. While Romney Marsh was an integral part of TSLoCG � Joss’s intimate knowledge of the landscape and its people, Gareth’s close observation of its flora and fauna � here the Marsh is very much tucked away, and the story is centered on and in this old, forbidding, somewhat menacing manor. Atmospheric it most certainly is � positively claustrophobic in the beginning, gradually lightened by Rufus and Luke’s improvements but still chilly in more than temperature � but I missed the teeming intimacy of the Marsh. This had a much more Gothic feel � Luke is an avid reader of Gothic novels � that provides an interesting, intentional contrast to its sister book; I simply preferred the SLoCG version.
But here is my obligatory “just because I spent three paragraphs griping doesn’t mean I didn’t love this� disclaimer. Because this is a cracking read with all the characteristics we’ve come to love and expect from KJ Charles: smart, absorbing, wry and knowing, and sneakily touching. It wasn’t quite up to the level of TSLoCG for me -- although that's more based on personal preference than the book itself -- but even so, it’s a worthy sequel and a wonderful addition to the Doomsday story.
Bonus points for the Band Sinister reference!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.
Into this sad state of affairs swoops Luke, who we remember from TSLoCG as an awkward, insecure, but clever teenager who was taken under Gareth’s wing after an incident of shocking violence from his horrible father, Elijah Doomsday. (Horrible blood families being a theme in this book and, indeed, much of KJC’s work.) Luke comes with a fantastical tale of his birth mother (with whom he is estranged) being secretly married to Rufus’s father before the father married Rufus’s mother; which is to say that the marriage between Rufus’s parents is invalid as the father was already married, which is to say that Rufus is illegitimate, which is to say that Conrad is the legitimate heir. Luke has no proof of this marriage, only the deathbed confession of his maternal grandfather. Conrad sees Luke as his ticket to the earldom; Rufus, no dummy, realizes that since his father was still alive when Luke was born, Luke would technically be the heir if there was, in fact, a marriage, even though Luke is indisputably the biological son of horrible Elijah. (Don’t ask me, people. In the immortal words of
The reason I’m going into rather extensive detail is that, while TSLoCG started with a bang � literally � this book starts with an ask: wading through a chapter of backstory and obscure British inheritance law-based scheming while being battered over the head by the absolute worst character. I've now condensed it down to two paragraphs for you, you're welcome. Once Rufus and Luke are in place, things pick up. Rufus discovers that Luke is as good at reading people and getting them on-side as he is at accounts, organization, and all things secretarial; Luke discovers that, for all his briskness, Rufus is well-intentioned, big-hearted, and a nummy nummy bear. This is something of a slow burn with echoes of Richard and Cyprian in the servant-employer dynamic, especially in terms of Rufus’s reluctance to put his employee in a vulnerable position. But unlike in A Gentleman’s Position, in Nobleman we are aware that Luke has a secret agenda, even if we don’t know what it is (although readers of TSLoCG can probably hazard a guess). Luke’s secret agenda is eventually, painfully revealed; there is a rupture; and then a wary, tentative armistice that eventually turns into a genuine reconciliation. And as we expect from KJC, a cracker of a finale where all ends are tied up and the baddies get a satisfyingly vengeful comeuppance.
Anyone who has any familiarity with my reviews knows I’m an unapologetic KJC stan, so it’s no surprise that I gobbled this up like ice cream on a hot summer day. Great writing, great pacing, great MCs, a lovely romance, wonderful new supporting characters as well as cameos from Gareth, Joss and the gang, and plenty of twists and turns. That said, this didn’t work quite as well as TSLoCG for me. (And while I’m at it: this could probably be read as a standalone � the relevant info from TSLoCG is adequately explained � but it will be much better if you’ve read book 1, plus why deny yourself that gem?)
Nobleman is both so connected to and different from TSLoCG that it's hard to explain why I'm giving it 4 rather than 5 stars without comparing the two. Partly it comes down to tropes: I LOVE SLoCG's “short-lived, ill-fated affair and then the MCs meet again in the most horrifying way possible� trope, both because it gives us insta-connection, insta-bang and essence of second-chance romance, my sweet summer child. Nobleman is more long tease and sneaky, self-sabotaging MC, which, don’t get me wrong, is also good, but it doesn’t hit my sweet spot quite the same. And speaking of self-sabotaging: I found Luke to be pretty frustrating, which on the one hand is entirely the point � Luke finds Luke pretty frustrating, as do Rufus, Gareth, Joss, and cousin Emily! � but on the other hand requires a lot of rehabilitation work after the rupture. The work is necessary � Luke has to learn to articulate what’s driving his sabotaging tendencies, both to himself and those he hurts; Rufus has to figure out if he can ever trust and like Luke again � but there are moments where the narrative here feels more explanatory/ pleading than organic. I think KJC gets us there in the end � I believe in Rufus and Luke’s HEA � but there’s a bit of pulling us along in the immediate aftermath of the rupture that felt a mite heavy-handed. Ideally, I would have loved if the epilogue was the final chapter, and a different epilogue was set a bit further down the road: we leave Rufus and Luke happy together, but still in the immediate aftermath of the whirlwind of events. It would have been nice to check in on them a few months or even years later once things had settled.
The other aspect where, for me, this paled by comparison to TSLoCG is in the setting. While Romney Marsh was an integral part of TSLoCG � Joss’s intimate knowledge of the landscape and its people, Gareth’s close observation of its flora and fauna � here the Marsh is very much tucked away, and the story is centered on and in this old, forbidding, somewhat menacing manor. Atmospheric it most certainly is � positively claustrophobic in the beginning, gradually lightened by Rufus and Luke’s improvements but still chilly in more than temperature � but I missed the teeming intimacy of the Marsh. This had a much more Gothic feel � Luke is an avid reader of Gothic novels � that provides an interesting, intentional contrast to its sister book; I simply preferred the SLoCG version.
But here is my obligatory “just because I spent three paragraphs griping doesn’t mean I didn’t love this� disclaimer. Because this is a cracking read with all the characteristics we’ve come to love and expect from KJ Charles: smart, absorbing, wry and knowing, and sneakily touching. It wasn’t quite up to the level of TSLoCG for me -- although that's more based on personal preference than the book itself -- but even so, it’s a worthy sequel and a wonderful addition to the Doomsday story.
Bonus points for the Band Sinister reference!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.
April 27, 2024
What a scrumptious little book! It’s like a delicious steamy pie and I want to swallow it whole (pun intended 😏)
The plot was engaging, just complicated enough to keep it interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat.
And for the spice, it went FULL STEAM AHEAD choo choo 🚂🚂 and I kneeled in the middle of the railway saying TAKE ME🧎🏻♀�
But what actually got this girl going was the way they communicated their feelings, their needs and dislikes and the reassurance of consent given. Rufus is THE MAN okay! He is the BLUEPRINT. I will not take any criticism about him. �
Luke and Rufus is as perfect of a pairing as egg on toast. The toast is the burly gruff ex soldier with a big heart and the egg is the hot blonde secretary with a badass scar and a smart mouth. LIKE COMEON????? 🍳🍞 (and I am the butter melting in between them 🧈)
Man I am on a roll with these food analogies. Maybe I should get something to eat?
But seriously I’m on a 5 star streak. Am I just in a good mood or blessed by the book gods?? Doesn’t matter, just keep it coming!!💗💗💗
The plot was engaging, just complicated enough to keep it interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat.
And for the spice, it went FULL STEAM AHEAD choo choo 🚂🚂 and I kneeled in the middle of the railway saying TAKE ME🧎🏻♀�
But what actually got this girl going was the way they communicated their feelings, their needs and dislikes and the reassurance of consent given. Rufus is THE MAN okay! He is the BLUEPRINT. I will not take any criticism about him. �
Luke and Rufus is as perfect of a pairing as egg on toast. The toast is the burly gruff ex soldier with a big heart and the egg is the hot blonde secretary with a badass scar and a smart mouth. LIKE COMEON????? 🍳🍞 (and I am the butter melting in between them 🧈)
Man I am on a roll with these food analogies. Maybe I should get something to eat?
But seriously I’m on a 5 star streak. Am I just in a good mood or blessed by the book gods?? Doesn’t matter, just keep it coming!!💗💗💗
February 29, 2024
*on my knees with my lil grubby hands out* please ma'am can i have some more
September 18, 2023
At a guess, KJC has recently had gothic novels, Northanger Abbey, and "The Cask of Amontillado" poking their heads up out of her subconscious, because Nobleman's Guide has elements of all of these -- as well as a couple of affinities with her own A Thief in the Night and Think of England. Details would be spoilers (except to say that Luke loves those gothic novels!), and anyway I'm not complaining. It's just interesting to see how a writer as good as this revisits certain images or dynamics or preoccupations and how they change in each incarnation.
Luke Doomsday, the viciously abused boy from The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, is all grown up, well educated and earning a good living as a secretary. (Among his past employers is someone familiar from Band Sinister -- hello there!) But the ripple effect on a psyche of being abused and of desperately wanting your abusive parent to love you even a little bit doesn't cut off just because you're now well loved and are wildly competent at your work. So when Luke comes to work for the brand-new Earl of Oxney, Rufus d'Aumesty, it's because he has an agenda -- one that he himself doesn't, perhaps, quite understand -- and his pursuit of it nearly costs him everything. Cue helpless readerly sobbing.
Nobleman's Guide has one hell of a twisty plot and some superlative villains -- they're OTT, gloriously OTT, in that gothic-novel vein -- but the heart of the book is in Luke's story. I don't mean that Rufus is stinted. Hot-tempered, kind, and generous, he has some troubles of his own and we spend equal time in his POV exploring them. But Rufus's problems are for the most part practical rather than emotional ones, or rather the resolution of the practical problems also addresses most of the emotional ones, whereas for Luke the practical problems are incidental: they exist only because of his psychic damage.
It was a pleasure to see Gareth and Joss again, of course. Their scenes with Luke cast a shadow back over Country Gentlemen, because among Luke's many wounds are those inflicted by his family in that his father's violence and emotional cruelty went unnoticed or passed over for so long. With respect to these passages: cue more readerly sobbing.
Country Gentlemen was terrific but Nobleman's Guide is, for my money, even richer. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.
ETA: I also got an audio ARC of this, but since GR won't allow me to review that separately, I'll just c/p my NetGalley feedback here:
Luke Doomsday, the viciously abused boy from The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, is all grown up, well educated and earning a good living as a secretary. (Among his past employers is someone familiar from Band Sinister -- hello there!) But the ripple effect on a psyche of being abused and of desperately wanting your abusive parent to love you even a little bit doesn't cut off just because you're now well loved and are wildly competent at your work. So when Luke comes to work for the brand-new Earl of Oxney, Rufus d'Aumesty, it's because he has an agenda -- one that he himself doesn't, perhaps, quite understand -- and his pursuit of it nearly costs him everything. Cue helpless readerly sobbing.
Nobleman's Guide has one hell of a twisty plot and some superlative villains -- they're OTT, gloriously OTT, in that gothic-novel vein -- but the heart of the book is in Luke's story. I don't mean that Rufus is stinted. Hot-tempered, kind, and generous, he has some troubles of his own and we spend equal time in his POV exploring them. But Rufus's problems are for the most part practical rather than emotional ones, or rather the resolution of the practical problems also addresses most of the emotional ones, whereas for Luke the practical problems are incidental: they exist only because of his psychic damage.
It was a pleasure to see Gareth and Joss again, of course. Their scenes with Luke cast a shadow back over Country Gentlemen, because among Luke's many wounds are those inflicted by his family in that his father's violence and emotional cruelty went unnoticed or passed over for so long. With respect to these passages: cue more readerly sobbing.
Country Gentlemen was terrific but Nobleman's Guide is, for my money, even richer. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.
ETA: I also got an audio ARC of this, but since GR won't allow me to review that separately, I'll just c/p my NetGalley feedback here:
I gave the book a 5-star review, but had my doubts about whether I'd like the audiobook equally well: I'd found Martyn Swain's narration of "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen" less than wholly satisfactory. Especially in the opening passage of "Secret Lives," his reading was heavy with overlong dramatic pauses. Also, his rendering of a teenage girl's voice verged on caricature. Swain is still a bit stop-and-start for my taste, but much less so than in "Secret Lives," and his female voices are good this time -- that might have something to do with all the women being adults. And, as in the first book, his accent work is exemplary, worth the price of admission all by itself. Really well done.
August 28, 2024
~4.5~
Why did I wait so long to read the Doomsday Books? I loved the second book as much as the first. There was no slow beginning. I was hooked from the start.
There is no real mystery here; well, there was, but Luke had put most of the puzzle pieces together before the story even began. What was left was a search (and what a search it was!).
Rufus is a warm hug of a man. Oh, he has a temper all right, but it's all bluster. I actually thought he was a bit of a pushover when it came to his uncle and uncle's wife. I mean, my god, it took attempted murder for Rufus to finally kick them out.
I don't recommend reading this book as a standalone. To understand Luke, you need to understand his childhood, and that's not fully possible without reading book 1 where Luke is just 13 and at the mercy of his abusive father.
Plus, Gareth and Joss do make an appearance in this story (never together though, which irked me).
I won't soon forget these vibrant characters and the melancholy, misty marshes.
There's a rainbow just around the corner.
Why did I wait so long to read the Doomsday Books? I loved the second book as much as the first. There was no slow beginning. I was hooked from the start.
There is no real mystery here; well, there was, but Luke had put most of the puzzle pieces together before the story even began. What was left was a search (and what a search it was!).
Rufus is a warm hug of a man. Oh, he has a temper all right, but it's all bluster. I actually thought he was a bit of a pushover when it came to his uncle and uncle's wife. I mean, my god, it took attempted murder for Rufus to finally kick them out.
I don't recommend reading this book as a standalone. To understand Luke, you need to understand his childhood, and that's not fully possible without reading book 1 where Luke is just 13 and at the mercy of his abusive father.
Plus, Gareth and Joss do make an appearance in this story (never together though, which irked me).
I won't soon forget these vibrant characters and the melancholy, misty marshes.
There's a rainbow just around the corner.
November 12, 2024
In the aftermath of a 9-month-long legal battle, Major Rufus D'Aumesty is finally able to legitimately call himself the Earl of Oxney. But before he can even take a good look at the sorry state of his estate, his scorned uncle unearths yet another possible pretender to the title.
For all intents and purposes, Luke Doomsday is the epitome of apologetic surprise pretender, he happily offers his secretarial services in exchange for solving the legal aspects of the succession. And to his credit, Luke's skills vastly exceed Rufus' expectations. Suspiciously so...
Unlike in the prequel (The Secret Life of Country Gentlemen), the unapologetic rake was not the one to steal my heart, leaving instead the righteous ex-soldier to have me all sorts of misty-eyed. In my defence, I don't do well with emotional baggage (either mine, or other people's) and poor Luke has it in abundance. Rufus on the other hand, is just one big cuddly marshmallow, with ample time and space for altruistic endeavours despite his own dyslexic short comings. I don't normally enjoy disabled characters, but I loved the way it was used here to bring out the two protagonist's best sides.
The antagonists felt a bit too cartoonish, what with their Karen-like insistence to ignore all logic in their arguments. Granted, I've recently become hooked on AITA reaction videos where I read/hear about a lot of similar people. So I really don't have any patience for this sort of entitlement.
Score: 3.6/5 stars
I bit duller than The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, but nevertheless an interesting attempt on redeeming the morally grey character trope.
For all intents and purposes, Luke Doomsday is the epitome of apologetic surprise pretender, he happily offers his secretarial services in exchange for solving the legal aspects of the succession. And to his credit, Luke's skills vastly exceed Rufus' expectations. Suspiciously so...
Unlike in the prequel (The Secret Life of Country Gentlemen), the unapologetic rake was not the one to steal my heart, leaving instead the righteous ex-soldier to have me all sorts of misty-eyed. In my defence, I don't do well with emotional baggage (either mine, or other people's) and poor Luke has it in abundance. Rufus on the other hand, is just one big cuddly marshmallow, with ample time and space for altruistic endeavours despite his own dyslexic short comings. I don't normally enjoy disabled characters, but I loved the way it was used here to bring out the two protagonist's best sides.
The antagonists felt a bit too cartoonish, what with their Karen-like insistence to ignore all logic in their arguments. Granted, I've recently become hooked on AITA reaction videos where I read/hear about a lot of similar people. So I really don't have any patience for this sort of entitlement.
Score: 3.6/5 stars
I bit duller than The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, but nevertheless an interesting attempt on redeeming the morally grey character trope.
September 9, 2023
I would like to thank Edelweiss and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
✨Right, yeah so this was brilliant! But that’s pretty much my reaction every single time I read anything by KJ Charles! So this will undoubtedly be more a stan than a review because really, what do I need to say? �
It’s a gorgeous period piece that has some of the most vivid and liveliest characterizations I have read all year, maybe even to date! It’s got a fun plot, and it’s sexy, exhilarating and well crafted. But most importantly, at least for me, there’s nothing pretentious about this book/narrative at all. It’s simply clever and silky and a pure pleasure to read! also I may have started with this one first, just because…me. 🙃
...but I do have the secret lives of country gentlemen , and I plan on reading that as soon as possible, because I’m just not done with this fascinating world of Doomsday scoundrels and Regency gentlemen! 🎩💰
This is yet another gem in an already exemplary body of work, and I am looking forward to raving about the first installment of this duology, and adding both to my list of favourite KJ Charles books (of which there are many) to reread in the future, because I absolutely loved it! 🥰
✨Right, yeah so this was brilliant! But that’s pretty much my reaction every single time I read anything by KJ Charles! So this will undoubtedly be more a stan than a review because really, what do I need to say? �
It’s a gorgeous period piece that has some of the most vivid and liveliest characterizations I have read all year, maybe even to date! It’s got a fun plot, and it’s sexy, exhilarating and well crafted. But most importantly, at least for me, there’s nothing pretentious about this book/narrative at all. It’s simply clever and silky and a pure pleasure to read! also I may have started with this one first, just because…me. 🙃
...but I do have the secret lives of country gentlemen , and I plan on reading that as soon as possible, because I’m just not done with this fascinating world of Doomsday scoundrels and Regency gentlemen! 🎩💰
This is yet another gem in an already exemplary body of work, and I am looking forward to raving about the first installment of this duology, and adding both to my list of favourite KJ Charles books (of which there are many) to reread in the future, because I absolutely loved it! 🥰
September 5, 2023
4.5
This was gorgeous.
KJ Charles is really one of the best authors out there: her writing, the sheer amount of skill she puts into creating well-rounded, complex, wonderfully flawed and lovable characters, her storytelling and the absolutely compelling plots... Nobody does it like her, especially in this kind of genre.
And "A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel" is no exception.
I loved this book to bits, even though it took me quite a few more days than usual to finish it (I blame Good Omens *sobbing noises* and my damned summer reading slump).
I've been so excited about Luke's story since he first appeared in "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen": what he was put through was horrific, and I really could not wait to see how Adult Luke would turn out to be, how he would deal with it all, and how precisely he would get away with an unexpected, inconvenient romance with the new Earl of Oxney (aka Rufus; aka the most delicious and angry grump to ever grump, with the biggest, most kindest heart, and yes, you can say I loved him quite a bit).
Their romance stole my heart; it develops in an unexpected way, much to their dismay, since it's got a bit of a forbidden, employer/employee, class and age gap, vibe going on, and it's also fueled by fierce chemistry and sexual tension, and an understanding of one another, that was both exciting and sexy, and damned moving, and I adored it.
It's also fraught with miscommunication, a fair bit of misleading and secretive scheming and lying; but all of that kept me hooked. The plot was a mixture of romance and mystery, and I adored every single second of it.
As protagonists, Luke and Rufus are both fleshed out in a very vivid, very realistic way; they felt like real people, like flawed and complex men, and their respective character arcs were absolutely gorgeous to witness.
In some ways, they reminded me of Kim and Will (from the Will Darling Adventures, aka my most favourite book series of all time and my favourite of KJ Charles'), with Luke being all secretive, cunning, a tad vulnerable and a scheming, infuriating schemer; and Rufus, being perfectly, and violently, competent and reliable and good and stubborn.
Needless to say, I loved them to bits and their relationship and the dynamic between them was pretty much addictive: sweet and sexy, moving and heartfelt.
So why am I docking half a star? No spoilers, but there were some things (in the epilogue mainly) that gave me pause, and made their romance feel less romance-y. I don't know, in some ways it was new and different and pretty much realistic, in other ways I wish it had been done differently. I don't want to worry people, because Rufus and Luke are definitely (and unambiguously) HEA, but there was a teeny, tiny, unexpected plot twist at the end that kinda made my enjoyment of their HEA less enjoyable.
I might change my mind when I re-read this, but for now that is what I think (re: people who have read this book, tell me your thoughts please).
Anyway, it was a lovely book, and all the side characters (and even the villains!) were absolutely, masterfully created, and I am still thoroughly obsessed and absolutely in awe with how skilled and how much of a genius KJ Charles is, especially at character building and arcs.
I loved seeing Gareth and Joss again, I loved Luke and Rufus, and I loved this book. If you are new to this author, you can literally start anywhere in her backlist because every single book of hers is a masterpiece. I wholly recommend it.
Also, for longtime fans of KJ Charles: there are easter eggs, and I SCREECHED *nod of approval*
TWs/CWs: child abuse (emotional, physical; mentioned), death, murder, rape (of secondary characters, mentioned).
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was gorgeous.
KJ Charles is really one of the best authors out there: her writing, the sheer amount of skill she puts into creating well-rounded, complex, wonderfully flawed and lovable characters, her storytelling and the absolutely compelling plots... Nobody does it like her, especially in this kind of genre.
And "A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel" is no exception.
I loved this book to bits, even though it took me quite a few more days than usual to finish it (I blame Good Omens *sobbing noises* and my damned summer reading slump).
I've been so excited about Luke's story since he first appeared in "The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen": what he was put through was horrific, and I really could not wait to see how Adult Luke would turn out to be, how he would deal with it all, and how precisely he would get away with an unexpected, inconvenient romance with the new Earl of Oxney (aka Rufus; aka the most delicious and angry grump to ever grump, with the biggest, most kindest heart, and yes, you can say I loved him quite a bit).
Their romance stole my heart; it develops in an unexpected way, much to their dismay, since it's got a bit of a forbidden, employer/employee, class and age gap, vibe going on, and it's also fueled by fierce chemistry and sexual tension, and an understanding of one another, that was both exciting and sexy, and damned moving, and I adored it.
It's also fraught with miscommunication, a fair bit of misleading and secretive scheming and lying; but all of that kept me hooked. The plot was a mixture of romance and mystery, and I adored every single second of it.
As protagonists, Luke and Rufus are both fleshed out in a very vivid, very realistic way; they felt like real people, like flawed and complex men, and their respective character arcs were absolutely gorgeous to witness.
In some ways, they reminded me of Kim and Will (from the Will Darling Adventures, aka my most favourite book series of all time and my favourite of KJ Charles'), with Luke being all secretive, cunning, a tad vulnerable and a scheming, infuriating schemer; and Rufus, being perfectly, and violently, competent and reliable and good and stubborn.
Needless to say, I loved them to bits and their relationship and the dynamic between them was pretty much addictive: sweet and sexy, moving and heartfelt.
So why am I docking half a star? No spoilers, but there were some things (in the epilogue mainly) that gave me pause, and made their romance feel less romance-y. I don't know, in some ways it was new and different and pretty much realistic, in other ways I wish it had been done differently. I don't want to worry people, because Rufus and Luke are definitely (and unambiguously) HEA, but there was a teeny, tiny, unexpected plot twist at the end that kinda made my enjoyment of their HEA less enjoyable.
I might change my mind when I re-read this, but for now that is what I think (re: people who have read this book, tell me your thoughts please).
Anyway, it was a lovely book, and all the side characters (and even the villains!) were absolutely, masterfully created, and I am still thoroughly obsessed and absolutely in awe with how skilled and how much of a genius KJ Charles is, especially at character building and arcs.
I loved seeing Gareth and Joss again, I loved Luke and Rufus, and I loved this book. If you are new to this author, you can literally start anywhere in her backlist because every single book of hers is a masterpiece. I wholly recommend it.
Also, for longtime fans of KJ Charles: there are easter eggs, and I SCREECHED *nod of approval*
TWs/CWs: child abuse (emotional, physical; mentioned), death, murder, rape (of secondary characters, mentioned).
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2025
Okay, controversial opinion incoming: I think I liked this even more than the first book?!
From the very first page, this book had me hooked. KJ Charles took one of my favourite tropes - the ultra-competent PA wrangling his grumpy, no-nonsense boss - and set it against a 19th century backdrop of inheritance drama, secret plots, and a literal treasure hunt. And it worked beautifully.
I already loved Luke Doomsday in the last book, and he absolutely did not disappoint here. He’s dangerously competent, endlessly charming, and yet so deeply layered in his emotions. That simmering anger, the way he can’t let the past go, the sharp edges he uses to protect himself but also his infinite desire to belong, to be safe, to be loved - it all made him an incredibly compelling lead.
And then we have the earl Rufus d’Aumesty, who stole my heart immediately with his no-bullshit attitude, quiet care, and the kind of steady, honorable presence that just works so well with a chaotic mastermind like Luke. I simply adored them together!
The writing - again - was impeccable, all characters fleshed out beautifully, the bad guys so deliciously, frustratingly evil, the plot gripping, the swoon factor high (HE CHANGED HIS HANDWRITING FFS 😩) and the playful snark and banter so much fun.
Ugh, what a great book 😭🥹💕
From the very first page, this book had me hooked. KJ Charles took one of my favourite tropes - the ultra-competent PA wrangling his grumpy, no-nonsense boss - and set it against a 19th century backdrop of inheritance drama, secret plots, and a literal treasure hunt. And it worked beautifully.
I already loved Luke Doomsday in the last book, and he absolutely did not disappoint here. He’s dangerously competent, endlessly charming, and yet so deeply layered in his emotions. That simmering anger, the way he can’t let the past go, the sharp edges he uses to protect himself but also his infinite desire to belong, to be safe, to be loved - it all made him an incredibly compelling lead.
And then we have the earl Rufus d’Aumesty, who stole my heart immediately with his no-bullshit attitude, quiet care, and the kind of steady, honorable presence that just works so well with a chaotic mastermind like Luke. I simply adored them together!
The writing - again - was impeccable, all characters fleshed out beautifully, the bad guys so deliciously, frustratingly evil, the plot gripping, the swoon factor high (HE CHANGED HIS HANDWRITING FFS 😩) and the playful snark and banter so much fun.
Ugh, what a great book 😭🥹💕
November 3, 2024
“Yes, but I—gah!� Luke flung his hands up, a frustrated gesture. “I don’t know. I did a stupid, dreadful thing to you because of a lot of knotted-up stuff that doesn’t even make sense.
Sums up writing this book tbh. 2.5 stars
November 3, 2023
Another great addition to the Doomsday books. I have to give Charles credit, because I find the mystery aspects of this series WAY more interesting than the romance aspect, and I feel like very few romance novelists bother which much besides the romance piece, or at least quite so thoroughly. Once again 2 good heroes who feel like real people with nuances and quirks and flaws. And the rest of the d'Aumesty family was also really well fleshed out, making some characters who we saw for 3-4 seconds in the previous book suddenly feel like people we are invested in (either loving or hating).
Should I tag it as mystery? People who have read it, do you think this book deserves a mystery tag? I'm waffling. But the mystery was REALLY good.
Should I tag it as mystery? People who have read it, do you think this book deserves a mystery tag? I'm waffling. But the mystery was REALLY good.
September 5, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
Set several years after the first Doomsday book, this is another gay historical romance following a newly minted Earl who was in the military previously, and a character from the previous book- Luke- who is now a secretary but may have secrets as well.
I seem to be in the minority, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I did the first book in the series, though I was definitely hooked by the end. It could be that I'm more sensitive to serious deception in a relationship and while I do think the author handles the fallout and healing of that deception really well, it's still not my favorite thing in a romance and it took me longer to be really invested in this couple. That said, I did like seeing Luke all grown up and I think this handles the past trauma of both characters really thoughtfully in terms of how it impacts their choices and responses. I also think it's lovely to see how kind Rufus is and how he really doesn't want to hurt anyone unless he has to.
I ADORED book 1 and liked but wasn't in love with this one. You don't technically have to read these in order, but I think you'll be missing context if you don't. I would definitely read more from this author in the future because this was still quite good. The audio narration is done really well too. I received an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Set several years after the first Doomsday book, this is another gay historical romance following a newly minted Earl who was in the military previously, and a character from the previous book- Luke- who is now a secretary but may have secrets as well.
I seem to be in the minority, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I did the first book in the series, though I was definitely hooked by the end. It could be that I'm more sensitive to serious deception in a relationship and while I do think the author handles the fallout and healing of that deception really well, it's still not my favorite thing in a romance and it took me longer to be really invested in this couple. That said, I did like seeing Luke all grown up and I think this handles the past trauma of both characters really thoughtfully in terms of how it impacts their choices and responses. I also think it's lovely to see how kind Rufus is and how he really doesn't want to hurt anyone unless he has to.
I ADORED book 1 and liked but wasn't in love with this one. You don't technically have to read these in order, but I think you'll be missing context if you don't. I would definitely read more from this author in the future because this was still quite good. The audio narration is done really well too. I received an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
April 28, 2025
While A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading first. As the events of that book directly lead to the plot of this one, which is set thirteen years later. They're both five star reads, and I honestly can't decide which one I love more!
May 2, 2024
Absolutely delightful in every way.
I loved this more than book 1, it felt like a real KJ Charles, had all the qualities I love in her books. A perfect balance of plot, romance, dry humour, spice and genuine characters. The beginning is a bit tedious with all the family line explanations but bare with it, the relevant stuff pops again up later. I do think book 1 is necessary to grasp the fullness of Luke’s backstory and the reasons for his character’s choices. I expected to go into this loving Luke and I was unexpectedly blown by away by Rufus. What a man. I never thought I’d be swooning over a badly tempered bear swinging an axe around a fancy manor but here I am. I loved him and his beautiful communication with Luke, his surprisingly tender thoughts and his hilarious way of saying the wrong thing.
Special mentions to changing one’s hand, Berry, Emmy and a brilliant epilogue.
I loved this more than book 1, it felt like a real KJ Charles, had all the qualities I love in her books. A perfect balance of plot, romance, dry humour, spice and genuine characters. The beginning is a bit tedious with all the family line explanations but bare with it, the relevant stuff pops again up later. I do think book 1 is necessary to grasp the fullness of Luke’s backstory and the reasons for his character’s choices. I expected to go into this loving Luke and I was unexpectedly blown by away by Rufus. What a man. I never thought I’d be swooning over a badly tempered bear swinging an axe around a fancy manor but here I am. I loved him and his beautiful communication with Luke, his surprisingly tender thoughts and his hilarious way of saying the wrong thing.
Special mentions to changing one’s hand, Berry, Emmy and a brilliant epilogue.
September 26, 2024
ok i adored this 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 More than anything, I loved our two leads: Rufus, the new Earl of Oxney; and Luke, member of the Doomsday family whom we previously met in book 1. These two were just so, so lovely together. Rufus is gruff and very much no-nonsense and yet also the sweetest, most kindhearted person you could ever imagine. (The novel itself puts it best: "Only somehow Oxney mattered, too, with his bursting energy, and his pugnacious looks that belied a laughing, generous soul.") And Luke is clever and smart and a perfect foil for Rufus. They are both wonderful characters in their own right, and yet when they come together they make such a sweet, lovable pairing. Their romance works not only because they feel like real kindred spirits--they truly feel like friends even before they become anything more--but also because they are able to work through their issues with so much honesty and compassion for each other.
And speaking of Rufus and Luke's issues with each other, I thought this novel was so well-structured. Not only does the conflict feel plausible and grounded, but the novel also makes sure to give the characters the time and space to deal with it: to put it out in the open, to sit with it, to talk it through. All of this is to say, Charles does an excellent job at communicating the stakes of the relationship. You get attached to these two characters and their relationship, and when this conflict upsets that relationship, you realize just how much you'd loved seeing them together, and just how badly you're rooting for them to work through it and find their way back to each other again. Of course, it's a romance, so they do get back together, and it is just as moving and gratifying as you want it to be. Luke's development in particular really got to me: the way he held parts of himself close to his chest, and then the way he chooses to let them go, to be brave enough to be vulnerable to someone else, and then to have that someone be kind to him and accept him and love him. The angst!!!!! It made me cry--which, if a romance ever makes me cry, it's an instant favourite.
Anyway, this was a lovely, lovely read and easily my favourite novel of K.J. Charles's that I've read so far.
And speaking of Rufus and Luke's issues with each other, I thought this novel was so well-structured. Not only does the conflict feel plausible and grounded, but the novel also makes sure to give the characters the time and space to deal with it: to put it out in the open, to sit with it, to talk it through. All of this is to say, Charles does an excellent job at communicating the stakes of the relationship. You get attached to these two characters and their relationship, and when this conflict upsets that relationship, you realize just how much you'd loved seeing them together, and just how badly you're rooting for them to work through it and find their way back to each other again. Of course, it's a romance, so they do get back together, and it is just as moving and gratifying as you want it to be. Luke's development in particular really got to me: the way he held parts of himself close to his chest, and then the way he chooses to let them go, to be brave enough to be vulnerable to someone else, and then to have that someone be kind to him and accept him and love him. The angst!!!!! It made me cry--which, if a romance ever makes me cry, it's an instant favourite.
Anyway, this was a lovely, lovely read and easily my favourite novel of K.J. Charles's that I've read so far.
September 30, 2023
I thought this had some really strong elements, but also some pretty decent chunks that felt more like outline - characters just saying the theme outright, sometimes several times in a row.
There was a lot of exposition about the progress within the relationship in the first half of the book - admittedly there was a lot of ground to cover (from meeting to falling for each other) before most of the major plot points even began - and I felt like it could have been handled more deftly than it was.
I found Rufus to be a bit of a Hart-from-The-Gentle-Art knockoff and looking back I wonder if there were missed opportunities to develop his character along with the relationship early on in the story. Rufus� friends and family (at least, the family that raised him) are exclusively off-page and I think his character development suffers a bit because we only see him as the earl and the love interest. …So I guess not one note, but only really a couple of notes.
I found the major final confrontation to suffer somewhat from overly-righteousness (much as The Gentle Art-etc. did actually). By which I mean - at a certain point I think a scene of people yelling at each other in a room hits its peak effectiveness - and this scene just kept going. I think this kind of straightforward scolding of the baddies also doesn’t totally mesh with the gothic style other parts of this book are aiming for.
I did enjoy the gothic stuff a lot! Loved Jonathan, loved the Mithras stuff, loved the gothic cathedral thing, loved where the gold turned out to be - it was all very fun! But I do have to say if you asked me to name an author who would write a good gothic novel KJC is not the first one that would spring to mind - she tends to like her characters eminently practical and that’s not really the gothic ethos haha.
Yeah I don’t think this book totally gelled! It picked up at 50% (and had some really great stuff in the third quarter or so that I wish had been expanded on!), and then I wasn’t wowed by the very end either. The epilogue was very much in-the-style and although I’m sure KJC couldn’t resist (look, I love a dramatic epilogue too!), as with the book in general I don’t think the epilogue really succeeded at melding the gothic tropes with KJC-romance.
There was a lot of exposition about the progress within the relationship in the first half of the book - admittedly there was a lot of ground to cover (from meeting to falling for each other) before most of the major plot points even began - and I felt like it could have been handled more deftly than it was.
I found Rufus to be a bit of a Hart-from-The-Gentle-Art knockoff and looking back I wonder if there were missed opportunities to develop his character along with the relationship early on in the story. Rufus� friends and family (at least, the family that raised him) are exclusively off-page and I think his character development suffers a bit because we only see him as the earl and the love interest. …So I guess not one note, but only really a couple of notes.
I found the major final confrontation to suffer somewhat from overly-righteousness (much as The Gentle Art-etc. did actually). By which I mean - at a certain point I think a scene of people yelling at each other in a room hits its peak effectiveness - and this scene just kept going. I think this kind of straightforward scolding of the baddies also doesn’t totally mesh with the gothic style other parts of this book are aiming for.
I did enjoy the gothic stuff a lot! Loved Jonathan, loved the Mithras stuff, loved the gothic cathedral thing, loved where the gold turned out to be - it was all very fun! But I do have to say if you asked me to name an author who would write a good gothic novel KJC is not the first one that would spring to mind - she tends to like her characters eminently practical and that’s not really the gothic ethos haha.
Yeah I don’t think this book totally gelled! It picked up at 50% (and had some really great stuff in the third quarter or so that I wish had been expanded on!), and then I wasn’t wowed by the very end either. The epilogue was very much in-the-style and although I’m sure KJC couldn’t resist (look, I love a dramatic epilogue too!), as with the book in general I don’t think the epilogue really succeeded at melding the gothic tropes with KJC-romance.
September 12, 2024
Don't ask me about it, I just know I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. I loved them sm🥲
October 19, 2023
I've given this an A at AAR.
Anyone who’s been reading my reviews for any length of time will already know I’m a massive fan of KJ Charles� work, and for some time, have regarded her as the best author of historical romance writing today. Not only does she imbue her stories with a real sense of time and place, she creates wonderfully complex characters who, while flawed, are easy to root for, fascinating and intricate plots which unfold at just the right pace, and infuses the whole thing with humour, warmth, insight and intelligence. I am quite often left in awe whenever I finish reading one of her books, and she chalks up yet another winner with A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel, the second book in her Doomsday Books duology. It’s clever and funny, the romance is heartfelt and beautifully developed, there are villains you can love to hate � and I couldn’t put it down.
We return to Romney Marsh around thirteen years after the events of and are thrown into the middle of an acrimonious family dispute between Rufus d’Aumesty, formerly Major d’Aumesty and now, nineteenth Earl of Oxney, and his uncle, who believes himself to be the rightful holder of the title and estate. The previous earl � Rufus� grandfather � was a vindictive old bastard, who let the land go to wrack and ruin during his last, lengthy illness, and who had allowed his youngest son, Conrad, to believe he was his heir. But the appearance of Rufus � previously thought to have died in battle, and the earl’s grandson by his middle son, Raymond � has put Conrad’s nose out of joint, and he accused Rufus of being illegitimate (he isn’t) of being switched at birth (he wasn’t) and being an imposter who stole a dead man’s identity on the battlefield (he didn’t), leading to a seven-month-long invesigation by the Privileges Committee � which has found Rufus to be the rightful Earl. Despite the committee’s findings, however, Conrad is still determined to oust Rufus and take the title for himself. His latest angle is to insist that Rufus� father was already married when he wed Rufus� mother � a suggestion apparently made to Conrad by the son of Raymond’s supposed first wife. Furious � Rufus doesn’t really want to be the sodding earl, and certainly doesn’t want to live in the middle of such hostility � he sends for the son to try to find out what the hell is going on.
Hearing the name ‘Doomsday� immediately gives Rufus a mental image of someone shady and shabby and sinister, so he’s surprised when the young man standing in front of him proves to be none of those things; he’s smartly dressed and rather attractive � despite the four-inch, jagged scar running down the left side of his face. Luke Doomsday � whom we first met as a scared, mistreated boy of thirteen � explains that his mother left him with the Doomsdays when he was a baby and named his father as Elijah Doomsday before she left the Marsh for good. But when Luke spoke to his ailing grandfather a few years back, he rambled about a secret marriage that took place some thirty years earlier � the marriage of Luke’s mother to the Earl of Oxney’s son. There is no proof, but in order to shut Conrad down once and for all, Rufus employs Luke to track down his mother to find out the truth so he can put this behind him and get on with his new life.
Luke was brought up by Sir Gareth Inglis (TSLoCG), who sent him to school and actedin loco parentisafter his horrible father died. Now in his twenties, Luke has made a career as a confidential secretary (and has a slew of good references, including one from a certain Lord Corvin!) and, seeing that Rufus is struggling to make sense of the ledgers and account books after years of mismanagement, suggests to Rufus that what he needs, while he gets to grips with everything, is an excellent secretary, someone who is good at putting things in order and keeping them there. Rufus happily � and gratefully � offers Luke the position, and together they begin to set things to rights, sorting out the finances and arranging to have vital work done on the sorely neglected estate.
The romantic relationship between these two seemingly mismatched characters is incredibly well done. They have terrific chemistry, and I liked them very much, both as individuals and as a couple, and their romance works because they really are the ying to each other’s yang. Their relationship is built on friendship, mutual respect and affection, and their interactions are light-hearted with a hint of subtle teasing (on Luke’s part) that just about toe the line of a master/servant relationship but don’t cross it. (Until they do, of course ;)) For Rufus, accustomed to being obeyed in the army, and now dealing with a bunch of people he doesn’t know but are (mostly) disposed to hate him, Luke’s cheery competence, intelligent conversation and support is like a breath of fresh air that makes him realise just how much he’s needed someone to be on his side.
Luke is a charmer who is as good at reading people as he is at organising whatever needs to be organised. He arrives at Stone Manor with a specific agenda � which isn’t revealed straight away (readers of the previous book will probably work it out, however) � and with no expectation of actually liking the new Earl and wanting to help him deal with the mess he has inherited. But he comes to like Rufus a lot � the man wants to do right by his dependents, he’s generous, big-hearted and has a compassionate nature beneath his outward gruffness and hot temper � and Luke hadn’t banked on being so attracted to him. Which is a bad thing because it will mean that when Rufus does find out the real reason Luke set out to make himself indispensable, Luke is going to have to live with the consequence of Rufus� hurt and disappointment.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I can’tnottalk about the way the author handles the fallout after Luke’s true purpose is revealed, because the eventual reconciliation is so brilliantly orchestrated. There is good grovel, but there is also character growth and acceptance of some painful truths as Luke finally learns to articulate what has driven him to do what he’s done and to accept that perhaps it’s time to let it go, while at the same time admitting what his tendency to self-sabotage has done to himself as well as those he has hurt. Rufus is deeply wounded by Luke’s betrayal; that he’s in love with Luke is not in question, but he has to work out if he can trust � and like � him ever again. It’s tough to read because these two are so obviously in love and so right for each other, but wonderful also, for the compassion and honesty they show each other as they work through it all and come out the other side.
While the story is set in the same locality � Romney Marsh in Kent � as the previous book, the location is less prominent here, as most of the action takes place within the walls of the old, forbidding Stone Manor, giving the whole thing a very Gothic-y feel. Which is very fitting given Luke’s love of Gothic novels (especially the naughty ones!).
It wouldn’t be a KJ Charles book without a villain(s) to boo and hiss at, and I’m pleased to say that they get a very satisfying comeuppance as part of an absolutely cracking finale sequence that had me on the edge of my seat.
A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrelis, simply, a superb read all around, and I’m sure that, if you’re already a fan of the author’s, you won’t need any further encouragement from me to want to rush out and pick it up. If you haven’t read her before, you can’t go wrong with anything in her backlist, but if you’re intrigued by this title, I’d suggest readingThe Secret Lives of Country Gentlemanfirst, just to get up to speed with the backstory.
Easily one of the best books of 2023, this is yet another KJ Charles novel to find a place on my keeper shelf. I’m pretty sure it’ll end up on yours, too.
This review originally appeared at
Anyone who’s been reading my reviews for any length of time will already know I’m a massive fan of KJ Charles� work, and for some time, have regarded her as the best author of historical romance writing today. Not only does she imbue her stories with a real sense of time and place, she creates wonderfully complex characters who, while flawed, are easy to root for, fascinating and intricate plots which unfold at just the right pace, and infuses the whole thing with humour, warmth, insight and intelligence. I am quite often left in awe whenever I finish reading one of her books, and she chalks up yet another winner with A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel, the second book in her Doomsday Books duology. It’s clever and funny, the romance is heartfelt and beautifully developed, there are villains you can love to hate � and I couldn’t put it down.
We return to Romney Marsh around thirteen years after the events of and are thrown into the middle of an acrimonious family dispute between Rufus d’Aumesty, formerly Major d’Aumesty and now, nineteenth Earl of Oxney, and his uncle, who believes himself to be the rightful holder of the title and estate. The previous earl � Rufus� grandfather � was a vindictive old bastard, who let the land go to wrack and ruin during his last, lengthy illness, and who had allowed his youngest son, Conrad, to believe he was his heir. But the appearance of Rufus � previously thought to have died in battle, and the earl’s grandson by his middle son, Raymond � has put Conrad’s nose out of joint, and he accused Rufus of being illegitimate (he isn’t) of being switched at birth (he wasn’t) and being an imposter who stole a dead man’s identity on the battlefield (he didn’t), leading to a seven-month-long invesigation by the Privileges Committee � which has found Rufus to be the rightful Earl. Despite the committee’s findings, however, Conrad is still determined to oust Rufus and take the title for himself. His latest angle is to insist that Rufus� father was already married when he wed Rufus� mother � a suggestion apparently made to Conrad by the son of Raymond’s supposed first wife. Furious � Rufus doesn’t really want to be the sodding earl, and certainly doesn’t want to live in the middle of such hostility � he sends for the son to try to find out what the hell is going on.
Hearing the name ‘Doomsday� immediately gives Rufus a mental image of someone shady and shabby and sinister, so he’s surprised when the young man standing in front of him proves to be none of those things; he’s smartly dressed and rather attractive � despite the four-inch, jagged scar running down the left side of his face. Luke Doomsday � whom we first met as a scared, mistreated boy of thirteen � explains that his mother left him with the Doomsdays when he was a baby and named his father as Elijah Doomsday before she left the Marsh for good. But when Luke spoke to his ailing grandfather a few years back, he rambled about a secret marriage that took place some thirty years earlier � the marriage of Luke’s mother to the Earl of Oxney’s son. There is no proof, but in order to shut Conrad down once and for all, Rufus employs Luke to track down his mother to find out the truth so he can put this behind him and get on with his new life.
Luke was brought up by Sir Gareth Inglis (TSLoCG), who sent him to school and actedin loco parentisafter his horrible father died. Now in his twenties, Luke has made a career as a confidential secretary (and has a slew of good references, including one from a certain Lord Corvin!) and, seeing that Rufus is struggling to make sense of the ledgers and account books after years of mismanagement, suggests to Rufus that what he needs, while he gets to grips with everything, is an excellent secretary, someone who is good at putting things in order and keeping them there. Rufus happily � and gratefully � offers Luke the position, and together they begin to set things to rights, sorting out the finances and arranging to have vital work done on the sorely neglected estate.
The romantic relationship between these two seemingly mismatched characters is incredibly well done. They have terrific chemistry, and I liked them very much, both as individuals and as a couple, and their romance works because they really are the ying to each other’s yang. Their relationship is built on friendship, mutual respect and affection, and their interactions are light-hearted with a hint of subtle teasing (on Luke’s part) that just about toe the line of a master/servant relationship but don’t cross it. (Until they do, of course ;)) For Rufus, accustomed to being obeyed in the army, and now dealing with a bunch of people he doesn’t know but are (mostly) disposed to hate him, Luke’s cheery competence, intelligent conversation and support is like a breath of fresh air that makes him realise just how much he’s needed someone to be on his side.
Luke is a charmer who is as good at reading people as he is at organising whatever needs to be organised. He arrives at Stone Manor with a specific agenda � which isn’t revealed straight away (readers of the previous book will probably work it out, however) � and with no expectation of actually liking the new Earl and wanting to help him deal with the mess he has inherited. But he comes to like Rufus a lot � the man wants to do right by his dependents, he’s generous, big-hearted and has a compassionate nature beneath his outward gruffness and hot temper � and Luke hadn’t banked on being so attracted to him. Which is a bad thing because it will mean that when Rufus does find out the real reason Luke set out to make himself indispensable, Luke is going to have to live with the consequence of Rufus� hurt and disappointment.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I can’tnottalk about the way the author handles the fallout after Luke’s true purpose is revealed, because the eventual reconciliation is so brilliantly orchestrated. There is good grovel, but there is also character growth and acceptance of some painful truths as Luke finally learns to articulate what has driven him to do what he’s done and to accept that perhaps it’s time to let it go, while at the same time admitting what his tendency to self-sabotage has done to himself as well as those he has hurt. Rufus is deeply wounded by Luke’s betrayal; that he’s in love with Luke is not in question, but he has to work out if he can trust � and like � him ever again. It’s tough to read because these two are so obviously in love and so right for each other, but wonderful also, for the compassion and honesty they show each other as they work through it all and come out the other side.
While the story is set in the same locality � Romney Marsh in Kent � as the previous book, the location is less prominent here, as most of the action takes place within the walls of the old, forbidding Stone Manor, giving the whole thing a very Gothic-y feel. Which is very fitting given Luke’s love of Gothic novels (especially the naughty ones!).
It wouldn’t be a KJ Charles book without a villain(s) to boo and hiss at, and I’m pleased to say that they get a very satisfying comeuppance as part of an absolutely cracking finale sequence that had me on the edge of my seat.
A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrelis, simply, a superb read all around, and I’m sure that, if you’re already a fan of the author’s, you won’t need any further encouragement from me to want to rush out and pick it up. If you haven’t read her before, you can’t go wrong with anything in her backlist, but if you’re intrigued by this title, I’d suggest readingThe Secret Lives of Country Gentlemanfirst, just to get up to speed with the backstory.
Easily one of the best books of 2023, this is yet another KJ Charles novel to find a place on my keeper shelf. I’m pretty sure it’ll end up on yours, too.
This review originally appeared at
November 26, 2024
2.5 stars, subject to drop if I really get annoyed enough while writing this review. It's already dropped since talking it over with my BR buddies, so that's not out of the realm of possibility. 😂 (And I got annoyed. 2 stars it is.)
This was going so well. Seriously. I was really liking this one, even if Luke was holding a lot back (and I understood his reasons why, or most of them, given the events of the last book and little things that were dropped here and there in this one before it was explicitly stated in the book). He clearly really liked Rufus and that was genuine. Whatever he was holding back, it'd all get resolved by the end, because that's how Romance works. And it was. Until it wasn't.
This was easily a 3-star, possibly even 3.5 star read, up until the last three pages. Seriously, what was that epilogue? Why? How? Huh?
I just don't understand what KJC was thinking by
About the only good thing in this was Rufus and seeing him slowly come into his own and gain the admiration of his staff and even some of his family members by simply being himself. He's at least got some people around him he can trust fully. *cough*cough* I also liked how his dyslexia was handled for the time period.
The resolution for the
Oh, and there was way too much sex, which already bores me, but in an audio when you can't skim to see if anything relevant happens between all the gasping and bad sex talk, it makes it even more tasking to get through them. I did eventually just start skipping ahead though. I couldn't take it after awhile. 😂
The narrator didn't annoy me as much this time around. He still uses a stilted cadence at times, but it either wasn't as often as in the first book or I managed to get used to it.
This was going so well. Seriously. I was really liking this one, even if Luke was holding a lot back (and I understood his reasons why, or most of them, given the events of the last book and little things that were dropped here and there in this one before it was explicitly stated in the book). He clearly really liked Rufus and that was genuine. Whatever he was holding back, it'd all get resolved by the end, because that's how Romance works. And it was. Until it wasn't.
This was easily a 3-star, possibly even 3.5 star read, up until the last three pages. Seriously, what was that epilogue? Why? How? Huh?
I just don't understand what KJC was thinking by
About the only good thing in this was Rufus and seeing him slowly come into his own and gain the admiration of his staff and even some of his family members by simply being himself. He's at least got some people around him he can trust fully. *cough*cough* I also liked how his dyslexia was handled for the time period.
The resolution for the
Oh, and there was way too much sex, which already bores me, but in an audio when you can't skim to see if anything relevant happens between all the gasping and bad sex talk, it makes it even more tasking to get through them. I did eventually just start skipping ahead though. I couldn't take it after awhile. 😂
The narrator didn't annoy me as much this time around. He still uses a stilted cadence at times, but it either wasn't as often as in the first book or I managed to get used to it.
October 1, 2023
I didn't read this one right away as I was wanting to save it in my back pocket for when I really needed a good MM romance read, but considering I've had to DNF the last ~7 MM romances I've read, I figured it was time...
And, thankfully, this was just as delightful as I've come to expect from this author! I do wish I'd read the first book in this series more recently, just to have the events slightly more fresh, particularly because this takes place over a decade later. There were some events where I wasn't sure if they'd happened in the intervening years, or I didn't quite remember them from book 1. But it was a very minor thing overall which could easily have been solved with a timely reread.
As always, great characterizations, wonderful writing, incredible wit, and some lovely emotional nuance. The villains in this one did feel a smidge more complex than in book 1, but still quite OTT villainous in a way that I'm sure is intentional in keeping with the genre effects KJC is going for, but which I personally tend to find a little boring. I enjoyed the climactic reveal and its aftermath, filled with all the delicious angst, though I thought the reveal of Luke's motivations was a bit... underwhelming. Which, again, that was part of the point, and showing how childhood trauma can affect people, etc, but it was hard to really get why he was so insistent on following through on a plan that he was fully aware would derail his newfound happiness for something that didn't feel nearly as high stakes as I was expecting.
STILL, I did quite enjoy this one, and I'm very curious to see if there will be any other books in this series. It feels more complete than the end of book one did, but you never know!
And, thankfully, this was just as delightful as I've come to expect from this author! I do wish I'd read the first book in this series more recently, just to have the events slightly more fresh, particularly because this takes place over a decade later. There were some events where I wasn't sure if they'd happened in the intervening years, or I didn't quite remember them from book 1. But it was a very minor thing overall which could easily have been solved with a timely reread.
As always, great characterizations, wonderful writing, incredible wit, and some lovely emotional nuance. The villains in this one did feel a smidge more complex than in book 1, but still quite OTT villainous in a way that I'm sure is intentional in keeping with the genre effects KJC is going for, but which I personally tend to find a little boring. I enjoyed the climactic reveal and its aftermath, filled with all the delicious angst, though I thought the reveal of Luke's motivations was a bit... underwhelming. Which, again, that was part of the point, and showing how childhood trauma can affect people, etc, but it was hard to really get why he was so insistent on following through on a plan that he was fully aware would derail his newfound happiness for something that didn't feel nearly as high stakes as I was expecting.
STILL, I did quite enjoy this one, and I'm very curious to see if there will be any other books in this series. It feels more complete than the end of book one did, but you never know!
April 16, 2025
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen review
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel" is the second book in the series, and it's set 13 years after the first one. Just like in the first book, we meet a character who unexpectedly finds themselves in the world of nobility. This time, it's someone who becomes the Earl of Oxney, in charge of a remote Norman manor located on the outskirts of the infamous Romney Marsh. But we also have Luke (Goldie) now all grown up.
Right from the beginning, I could tell that when you combine the Doomsday family and newfound nobility, it's bound to lead to a lot of excitement and enjoyment!
Apart from the fantastic romance, the story is really well-written. Luke and Rufus, the two main characters, are very well-developed, and their conversations with each other and others are just perfect. I also enjoyed the supporting characters as well; they were thoughtfully crafted and exhibited a range of intelligence, with some being rather foolish while others displayed sensible qualities.
The back-and-forth banter between Luke, who's sassy, and Rophus, who's honest and straightforward, is one of the best things about this historical romance. Luke has changed a lot since the first book. He's now educated, thanks to Sir Gareth, but he still has some of the cunning from his Doomsday family background.
Overall this was a lot better than
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel" is the second book in the series, and it's set 13 years after the first one. Just like in the first book, we meet a character who unexpectedly finds themselves in the world of nobility. This time, it's someone who becomes the Earl of Oxney, in charge of a remote Norman manor located on the outskirts of the infamous Romney Marsh. But we also have Luke (Goldie) now all grown up.
Right from the beginning, I could tell that when you combine the Doomsday family and newfound nobility, it's bound to lead to a lot of excitement and enjoyment!
Apart from the fantastic romance, the story is really well-written. Luke and Rufus, the two main characters, are very well-developed, and their conversations with each other and others are just perfect. I also enjoyed the supporting characters as well; they were thoughtfully crafted and exhibited a range of intelligence, with some being rather foolish while others displayed sensible qualities.
The back-and-forth banter between Luke, who's sassy, and Rophus, who's honest and straightforward, is one of the best things about this historical romance. Luke has changed a lot since the first book. He's now educated, thanks to Sir Gareth, but he still has some of the cunning from his Doomsday family background.
Overall this was a lot better than
September 21, 2023
ALMOST FELT LIKE TWO BOOKS IN ONE
Now, don't get me wrong, I liked this book. It had some really good points (mainly the smut). But it did kind of feel like two books smooshed together.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Smut: Very nice smut, hot!
Rufus and Luke: I really loved how Rufus and Luke explored a friendship before they jumped into bed together. It felt believable and relatable.
Characters: Aside from Rufus and Luke, I also loved some of the other side characters - and loved to hate others. Berengaria was a fast favourite of mine, while I really grew to like Odo as he himself grew.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
2-in-1: As I stated earlier, this kind of felt like two books combined into one. It was as if the plot and the direction changed around the halfway point. The first half focused mostly on Rufus and his issues with the estate, while the second half was more about Luke and the missing money. It was a kind of strange shift.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Now, don't get me wrong, I liked this book. It had some really good points (mainly the smut). But it did kind of feel like two books smooshed together.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Smut: Very nice smut, hot!
Rufus and Luke: I really loved how Rufus and Luke explored a friendship before they jumped into bed together. It felt believable and relatable.
Characters: Aside from Rufus and Luke, I also loved some of the other side characters - and loved to hate others. Berengaria was a fast favourite of mine, while I really grew to like Odo as he himself grew.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
2-in-1: As I stated earlier, this kind of felt like two books combined into one. It was as if the plot and the direction changed around the halfway point. The first half focused mostly on Rufus and his issues with the estate, while the second half was more about Luke and the missing money. It was a kind of strange shift.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Follow me for more book loving content!
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January 29, 2024
It took me a while to get into the book, by that i mean i couldn't get a read on Luck's character in the first few chapters, but once i got his POV there was no turning back.
I loved the dynamic between the two MCs, the friendship and the chemistry were phenomenal but i especially loved Rufus's character - his honesty, honor and even his short temper such a nice contrast with Lucs skewing quiet ways.
I had a great time reading this.
I loved the dynamic between the two MCs, the friendship and the chemistry were phenomenal but i especially loved Rufus's character - his honesty, honor and even his short temper such a nice contrast with Lucs skewing quiet ways.
I had a great time reading this.
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