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ramakn22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Violence, Murder, and Classism
jennp28's review
4.0
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Rape
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love Luke as a secretary, the characterization is so precise that it firmly establishes his adult self in this new story on his own terms. Rufus fits him well, and I like them as a pair. The worldbuilding is consistent with the first book, but it assumes a familiarity with the Marsh and takes for granted that either the reader won't need a great deal of explanations, or is satisfied with the level of information which Rufus acquires.
Graphic: Confinement and Cursing
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Torture, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Murder, and Abandonment
kal517's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, and Grief
so_many_books's review
- 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
4.75
KJ Charles is royalty when it comes to historical queer romances. The way the historical setting is intertwined with modern storytelling makes all her book wonderfully unique.
In The Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel, we get a glimpse into that wonderful storytelling with an exciting mystery, a good portion of angst and loveable characters.
Rufus, a newly inherited earl of Oxney, is out of his depth in his new home and estate. The tenant affairs are neglected, the books are chaotic, the family wants him gone, and the servants don't know who to side with. To put it lightly, it's not looking good.
After spending months in legal battle with his uncle about the inheritance, the last thing he needs is a Doomsday showing up with an unproven story about his mother being briefly married to Rufus's father, an causing the inheritance claims to rise up again.
Luke Doomsday goes to Stone Manor with a purpose, to find a place after his last employment going up in flames. Though he doesn't expect easily winning the position as a secretary while people are looking for the truth about his estranged mother, he loves the position from day one.
The story goes pretty straightforward after the chaotic beginning. Rufus and Luke's friendship grows quickly and deeply during the efforts to get the estate affairs in order. However, apart from the doubts regarding Rufus's earldom, there's one or two more mystery at Stone Manor that could wipe away the happy bliss between them.
There were actual plot elements I didn't expect at all, which resulted in my staying up way past my bedtime to find out what was actually going on.
While the storytelling is always marvellous in KJ's books, the characters are the ones that make you stay. This book also has a loveable and "hateable" set of characters.
Our two MCs are the highlight.
Rufus is the honest, quick tempered soldier, turned earl. His character is this strong pillar. And while he seems rather charismatic and forceful with his words, he is also very good and kind at heart who doesn't want to hurt anyone. Not even his dreadful uncle and cousins who hurt him with words all the time.
Luke is the perfect balance to Rufus. He's also good intentioned at heart, but he's not afraid to cunning and a bit manipulating to reach his goals. He's also a little broken by his past, which leads him to make questionable choices. I think he's the one who developed more in character ut of the two of them.
Their love story is very sweet. They start out as quick friends who just make each other's lives better. But their affection turns into romance and attraction rapidly. There are some spicy scenes in the book, but they are not too much (but spicy hot).
I loved how the tender love between them is depicted as strong and long-lasting. Even through the angst and the hurt and the drama.
The other significant characters are Rufus's family, his uncle, aunt, and three cousins. All of them have a substantial part in the story. His uncle and aunt are adamant about finding a way to get the title and kick Rufus out. They are so appalling that I had the urge to just shake them to their senses. Goo characters to hate.
The cousins are more in the grey area. While they don't trust Rufus, they also have countless issues with their parents, which create delicious family drama. That dram escalates through the book, and I absolutely ate it up.
We also have some loved characters from the first book in the series showing up. Garreth, Joss, and Emily all have their moment with Luke on the Doomsday side. They provide a seemless connection between the books.
Honestly, I could talk a lot about all the wonderful things about this book. When I finished, I was thinking about how to rate it and what would I have changed. But I realized I absolutely loved the story as it was and couldn't really change anything about it. It has romance, a great historical setting, and more than one mystery.
If you like historical romance, then you should definitely pick this one up!
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Physical abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
bel017's review against another edition
What I would have liked is an author's note. Charles has obviously done a mountain of research then hidden it in the story, it would have been nice to know a little more about the historically accurate parts.
Graphic: Confinement and Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
firefly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Physical abuse and Rape
greatestheights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
onthesamepage's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Tropes:
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶
If you haven't read The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen yet, do that first before picking this one up, unless you don't mind being spoiled for the entire plot of the first book. It's not that this can't be read on its own, but one of the main characters has a very significant role in book 1, so the emotional impact will be greater if you've already read that.
I tend to love romances where the characters are going through something. Usually it's trauma from their past that they have to deal with, either alone or with the help and support of their newfound partner, and those moments can really hit for me. And there are so many moments in this book.
“Don’t ask me not to care. Don’t ask me not to act when you’re in pain. You asked me for my protection when we first met and I promised you’d have it. I don’t go back on my word.”
When I read the synopsis, I didn't even realize that this Luke is the same Luke we meet in the first book, all grown up now, which made me feel properly foolish when his scar was described and I had an "OH!" moment. But knowing all these details about how Luke came to be who he is really made seeing his growth something beautiful. I felt so much for him and his pain, and whenever he broke down and looked for support in Rufus my heart just ached. Luke's journey is about healing from trauma, and I loved the way this was handled.
It's also interesting to me that the author didn't do anything with Rufus's involvement in a war, since there was definitely potential for PTSD, but I actually appreciated that it wasn't part of the story.
“You let me sleep here!”
“You fell asleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“Brains,” Luke growled. “It’s brains you lack, not heart.”
Part of what I really liked about Rufus is his energy. He's very straightforward and doesn't have the right mindset for getting what he wants through subtlety. This can make him brusque, and he's quick to anger, but it's usually on someone else's behalf, be it Luke, his tenants, or (some) members of his family. I love this kind of protective streak in protagonists. Some of my favourite moments had to do with him reacting in an unexpectedly enthusiastic way, when we see so much of him being frustrated. I do think Luke stole the show for me, though.
Rufus and Luke don't necessarily have the best banter, but they do have a lot of heartfelt conversations. The conflict in their relationship is internal, and I think it took about the right amount of time to resolve, although I can understand that not everyone will feel this way. Some might consider what happened unforgiveable, but I appreciated that understanding the context made a difference in how the characters dealt with it.
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
lizzietherebel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Rape