Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

13 reviews

purplepenning's review against another edition

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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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karenreadsbooks's review

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3.5

I can tell this is a good book, but it's not a book that works well for me. With the description of being about smugglers, I was expecting more action (actually getting to go along on smuggling runs). Instead, it's a lot of family dynamics (two smuggler families and Gareth's family), which I found to be a bit dull. There is a bit more excitement (and danger) toward the end, but because I was expecting something different, I didn't find the story compelling.

I also prefer a slower burn to a romance, and this one started off the bat with a spicy scene (and had many more throughout, some of which I just skimmed--I'm not big on lots of spicy scenes).

But I can see how this book has a lot of potential going for it and why it would be a fabulous read for many other readers.
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erynlasbelin's review

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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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