Scan barcode
A review by gillianw
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
5.0
4.5 stars
A solid, entertaining read by an author who rarely fails to deliver a quality book. I was in two minds as to whether I was going to borrow this book from my local library or purchase my own copy, but since I’ve spent the better part of 2023 rereading my favourite KJ Charles’ books, I figured I would splurge and get my own. I’m glad I did as I will definitely be enjoying this again in the future.
As to the story, I really liked Joss and Gareth, and I enjoyed the atmospheric Kent setting with its moors, its local parlance and the colourful characters who make up the village of Dymchurch. Family is the central theme of this novel, whether it’s the pressure to be loyal no matter what, or to break the cycle of apathy and abuse and forge your own path to create your own loving support system. Of course, there’s smugglers, greedy baronets, shifty lawyers and missing money to contend with, and all of that, combined with Joss and Gareth’s developing relationship, makes for a fun read with an edge of your seat finale. Basically, your typically excellent KJ Charles novel.
A solid, entertaining read by an author who rarely fails to deliver a quality book. I was in two minds as to whether I was going to borrow this book from my local library or purchase my own copy, but since I’ve spent the better part of 2023 rereading my favourite KJ Charles’ books, I figured I would splurge and get my own. I’m glad I did as I will definitely be enjoying this again in the future.
As to the story, I really liked Joss and Gareth, and I enjoyed the atmospheric Kent setting with its moors, its local parlance and the colourful characters who make up the village of Dymchurch. Family is the central theme of this novel, whether it’s the pressure to be loyal no matter what, or to break the cycle of apathy and abuse and forge your own path to create your own loving support system. Of course, there’s smugglers, greedy baronets, shifty lawyers and missing money to contend with, and all of that, combined with Joss and Gareth’s developing relationship, makes for a fun read with an edge of your seat finale. Basically, your typically excellent KJ Charles novel.