A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel

Starred review from June 19, 2023
Charles’s swashbuckling second Doomsday Books romance (after The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen) enthralls as it transports readers back to the moors of 19th-century Kent. Set 13 years after the previous installment, the story focuses on Luke Doomsday, who was introduced as the intelligent but unhappy child of a notorious family of smugglers and has now grown up to be a talented and successful secretary, recently hired by Rufus d’Aumesty, the new Earl of Oxney, who needs help navigating the harsh world of the marsh on which his estate resides—and who wants to be more than just Luke’s employer. With the Doomsday clan on hand, there’s plenty of family drama, scheming, and secrecy to complicate the lovers’ path forward. Charles’s historical accuracy extends all the way to the colloquial names of the day for penis (“his stand” is a common one) and she excels at delivering both steamy sex scenes and fascinating discussions of honesty and morality. How, for example, does one decide whether to tell a loved one a secret that will surely break their heart? Charles tackles this and more in a beautifully executed sequel that will live up to fans’ expectations. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary.

Starred review from July 28, 2023

Charles continues her series about the Doomsday family of smugglers with a steamy Regency romance embedded with a twisty mystery. This story picks up 13 years after the first book in the series, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, and catches up with a grown-up Luke Doomsday, part of a family of marsh smugglers. Luke has gone legit and becomes secretary to Rufus d'Aumesty, the new and unexpected Earl of Oxney, as Rufus fends off his uncle's attempts to steal the title. Luke and Rufus fall in love as they work together, but Luke is hiding secrets that could unravel the romance they've started to build. This sequel can stand alone, but Luke's journey and eventual happily-ever-after is all the sweeter after the first series installment's glimpse into his teen years. The evocative setting--most of the book takes place in an ancient manor on the edge of a marsh--creates the perfect mood for this intensely readable, gothic-tinged tale. VERDICT Charles proves she belongs in the top tier of historical romance authors with her latest engaging, fulfilling love story. A must-read for romance fans.--Jenny Kobiela-Mondor

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