The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

Starred review from January 23, 2023
Charles (the Will Darling Adventures series) launches the Doomsday Books series with a dark and stunning love story between a smuggler and a newly minted baronet. In the Kentish moors of the early 19th century, smuggling boss Joss Doomsday, head of the formidable Doomsday clan, and Sir Gareth Inglis, whose absent father’s death has lately conferred the baronetcy on him, commence a tumultuous but tender affair while dodging a rival smuggling gang’s hunt for 10,000 guineas owed them by Gareth’s father and navigating a handful of troublesome relatives on both sides. The author’s gift for historical fiction is on clear display, as Romney Marsh, Kent, is vividly evoked with both its scenic landmarks and local fauna (indeed, there are a surprising number of beetles and newts for a romance). Charles does not shy from the darker side of the smuggling business, with beatings and murders featuring heavily in the plot, but the characters grapple with morality in a convincing way through discussions and arguments and fallings-out. The few threads left dangling at the end only whet the appetite for future books. Readers will devour this. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary.

June 1, 2023

When Gareth's father dies, he returns to the home he hasn't seen since his father, the baronet, sent him away after his mother's death. While he has no idea what he will find on the estate, he is surprised to encounter his recent lover, whom he knew only as Kent. Joss Doomsday, the leader of his family's smuggling ring, found pleasure with Gareth while visiting London on business. But after offering to continue their affair during his visits to London and being insultingly rejected, he never expected to see him again. When Joss crosses paths with Gareth in his Kentish town, however, life takes a different turn. Martyn Swain brings Charles's (Subtle Blood) latest to life with an expressive and pleasant voice. His ability to use a variety of accents to portray each character and to capture their wide range of emotions adds additional layers to the performance. Swain's pacing is remarkably unrushed, even when the story calls for more urgent pacing; this mismatch may have some listeners questioning their speed settings. VERDICT Despite some odd pacing choices, Swain's first foray into romance audiobook narration provides listeners with an entertaining auditory experience.--Amanda L. S. Murphy

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