Honestly I found the end a bit silly, but I appreciate that it was written that way on purpose. Very enjoyable fast read. ( )

Another brilliant romance from KJ Charles with endearing but fascinatingly imperfect lead characters, villains you love to hate, and brilliant dialogue. ( )

The first book in this duology,The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, was a 2.5-3 star read for me; this one is more in the 3-3.5 range, so an improvement, but not a wholly satisfying one. The first half or so of the book was by far the stronger, with some good chemistry between the leads, Rufus and Luke, before it all got a bit stagey and lent into some Gothic/romance tropes that aren't, I think, where K.J. Charles' strengths lie as a writer. It was a quick read, so I flew through the book until the epilogue, which felt a bit like being Wile E. Coyote running into one of those canyon walls painted to look like a tunnel. Why would you have one of the extremely emphasised themes of the book be honesty between partners and then completely undercut that in the epilogue? Luke basically intends to lie to Rufus for the rest of his life (or at least, their relationship) about something? A choice!

(Also I think the prose got noticeably weaker in the second part. There were the cringey pet-names ("my apocalypse"; "my Doomsday, the end of my world") and the sexy times including talk like the bit about having "my balls, spine, and heart in the palm of your hand" or whatever it was took me out—and not in a good way. ( )

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles
The Doomsday Books #2

Flat open moorland in 1823 could be a desolate lonely place for some but for others it is a place of intrigue and danger, dysfunctional families and family feuding, messes to clear up, and fertile soil for the growth of potential happily ever after romances for more than one. Great story that kept me awake till almost two this morning – had to finish before I slept last night!

What I liked:
* Rufus: retired major, newly minted earl, in the midst of trying to restore his estate, dealing with evil relatives, in need of someone to assist and perhaps befriend him, caring, kind, short tempered, loud, and lovely, perfect for and with Rufus
* Luke: educated, experienced secretary, loves to create order and be helpful, from a smuggling family, had a difficult childhood, carries baggage and scars from the past, has secrets, a bit of a schemer, perfect for and with Rufus
* The slow burn but then steamy relationship that develops between Rufus and Luke and being able to see the two men as a happy couple
* The way more than one character impacts another in a positive way
* Getting to see and catch up with some of the characters in the previous book
* The setting, plot, pacing, and writing
* That I was drawn in and cared about the outcome
* Being able to hate the bad guys – and be happy when they were dealt with
* Hoping that there will be another book in this series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about inheritance and how ruthless some people can be when trying to achieve their goals

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Aha! I was about to put this audiobook aside until hearing the name, Doomsday, it clicked that this is the next in a series that began with the charmer, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen.

In the first novel, Luke Doomsday was a sharp witted boy left with a severe facial scar by his father.