Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

40 reviews

jjjreads's review against another edition

emotional funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, and Stalking

theatrealpaca's review

adventurous hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A beautiful, thrilling lovestory a with criminal suspense swirl throughout.  The conflict and the stakes of Jos and Gareth's love felt real and rooted the the period. The story was twisty and suspenseful while allowing for a ton of growth from all of the main characters. Plus, it was nice and spicy throughout! The narrator of the audiobook was wonderful and did a tremendous job with all of the accents.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Alcohol, Confinement, Classism, Outing, Homophobia, Cursing, and Sexual content

Moderate: Racism

purrson's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A totally adorable story, and (as an American who’s rarely visited) I loved this new setting in the UK that KJ Charles explores. The foray into local ecology and the period’s expansion of natural sciences gave an interesting context to the setting, which has plenty of atmosphere on its own. The characters were lovable as always—so much so that I couldn’t help reading the teaser chapter of the following book set in the same place, 13 years later. 

While I generally prefer to read queer stories written by openly queer authors, I always make exceptions for Charles (who’s ID I don’t know): She’s so good at research that the historical settings ground and enrich the stories she tells so well I can’t help but love them. The period’s contexts of politics, class, various war times or law changes the characters are shaped by or responding to, in all of these different, sometimes insular communities and locations, she says ‘queer people existed here, queer communities were here, queer people deserved to be happy here, here’s how it maybe/could have looked’. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Medical content, Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder

mild spoilers of subplots:

smuggling, child abuse by a parent that is addressed and resolved by the end

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

An open-door, LGBTQ, Regency romance between a new baronet and the leader of a smuggling operation. High-stakes adventure, high-heat encounters, family support and family betrayal, lovely respectful communication (after requisite miscommunication), marshland entomology, Kentish dialect lessons, thoughtful discussions of the philosophies vs realities of war policies... As always, KJ Charles delivers an emotionally resonate, well-researched, entertaining historical with great diversity rep. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Child abuse

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Classism, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Homophobia, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Body shaming, and Violence

Minor: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Deportation, Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Slavery, and Colonisation

srm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Charles hits it out of the park again. Honestly, my rating it 4.5 instead of 5 simply so I don't get boring and repetitive with all her books. Also, the reader was meh. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Sexual content, Homophobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Minor: Torture, Death of parent, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Alcohol, Classism, and Death

tiffany_sostar's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed this! I found the first chapter a little abrupt, and almost DNF’d it, but I’m so glad I didn’t. The character development was lovely - watching Gareth and Joss both make concerted (and successful) efforts to do better, to be more open, to take each other’s needs into account. So nice to read. I also appreciated the casual mention of trans folks early in the book (there are no openly trans folks among the characters, but a comment from a narrator makes it clear that trans folks exist in this world and the narrator treats it as a casual truth). I also really liked the politics, and how war is discussed. Very enjoyable. 

I did not love the sexual violence directed at women in the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

siad's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: Kidnapping

elliott_roi's review

4.5

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is a sweet and spicy tale full of danger, both physical and emotional. I adored all the characters and their complexities, and the mystery kept me engaged throughout.

I went into this book not knowing anything about it except that it was by KJ Charles and I would recommend doing the same. But for those okay with more details, here is my full review:

This book is best described as a historical romance between a baronet with daddy issues and a smuggler with a heart of gold. I loved how immediately Gareth and Joss were drawn to each other, but still taking their time to figure out how to be truly vulnerable and to lean on one another.

KJ Charles always writes the perfect balance of spice, mystery, and truly heartfelt moments. There is also lovely humour woven throughout the story, which I always appreciate, especially to lighten some of the tougher topics.

Fans of historical fiction, mystery, and queer romance will appreciate this well-crafted story about two men trying to find themselves and each other in a world that is harsh and dangerous. I highly recommend The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen for your next read as you wander the Marsh hunting for beetles (or true love).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Torture, and Outing

Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy

skudiklier's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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

Minor spoilers ahead: 

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

 

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Kidnapping, Outing, Classism, Gun violence, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Child death, and Bullying

erynlasbelin's review

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

Gareth Inglis, unwanted child turned dismissed law clerk, unexpectedly inherits his absent father's title and country estate. Tench House is situated in Romney Marsh, a remote wetland not-so-secretly controlled by smuggling gangs. Much to Gareth's surprise, his local area is under the control of the Doomsday clan, led by none other than his one-time lover.

Joss Doomsday is confident, charming, and eminently reasonable - and on the Marsh, his word is as good as law. But he is eager to avoid Gareth, who once spurned him in a fit of melancholy. At least until Gareth unwittingly puts his sister's freedom at stake. As the dust of this treacherous first encounter settles and the two form an unlikely partnership, peril encroaches on them from all sides.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is an adventurous Regency romance populated by swashbuckling smugglers as well as prickly high society. It is also somewhat of a naturalist's book; Gareth's explorations out on the Marsh taught me a surprising amount about the great diving beetle. There are stolen fortunes, dangerous missions under cover of night, a lady scandalously wearing trousers, and murders to boot. But the real heart of the book lies in healing trauma and finding love (in partners as well as family). Gareth and Joss are shaped by their experiences, by their loved ones, and by their relationship to one another, and the end of the book finds them better situated for happiness than they've ever been before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Outing, Abandonment, Cursing, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, Grief, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence, Rape, Confinement, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Stalking