A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles
The Doomsday Books #2
LGBTQ Historical Romance
September 19, 2023- Sourcebooks

Review by Angela

The follow-up to the delectable The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen features a familiar face from the first book and an Earl that is unsure of his inheritance. Luke Doomsday is all grown up and has come to Stone Manor at the behest of the uncle of Rufus, the Earl of Oxney, who is looking for a way to prove that his nephew isn’t legitimate. But Luke has ulterior motives for being there, and they all have to do with his past and proving himself to his family.

After loving the first book in this series I wondered how this author would follow it up, I was pleasantly surprised that Luke would get his own HEA. His backstory is such a big part of the first book and I enjoyed seeing him as a grown adult who has somewhat moved beyond Romney Marsh, although emotionally he’s still stuck on the events of his childhood. He is paired with Rufus, an earl who by appearances is an earl in name only, and was raised by his step-father and spent much of his young adulthood in the military. He is a totally different kind of nobleman and he makes for a strong, relatable, honorable protagonist. He has no idea what is going on with the estate, which is in extreme disrepair and is doing his damndest to figure it all out.

Enter Luke and his long-lost mother, who his uncle claims was once married to Rufus’s father, which would make Rufus a bastard and unable to inherit. I won’t get too into that, because it’s intgeral to the plot arc, but suffice it to say Rufus’s uncle is a no-good, terrible person and I hated him. Luke has secrets but does agree to help Rufus by working as a secretary with the goal of straightening out all of the disastrous records and getting the estate back on track. That’s when the good stuff begins as Rufus and Luke begin to work together, become allies, and realize they share an undeniable attraction.

I was mildly confused by all the shenanigans in this family’s history, and if I’m being honest the fact that there was a chance that Luke’s mother really was married to Rufus’s father stayed at the back of my mind. I mean I knew there would be a HEA for this couple and I was all in on their relationship, but yes, that thought lingered. While I do think this book could be read as a stand-alone, I would like to mention that Luke’s backstory, as well as the history of the Marsh, are told in the first book and you will get more out of this story by reading The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. Also, it’s fabulous.

The romance between the main characters is well done. Their journey to happily ever after, with all its ups and downs, secrets, and complicated history, is laid out beautifully. I really enjoyed the cameos of Joss and Gareth, and seeing them still going strong so many years later. They’ve made a beautiful found family together. The ending is super dramatic, and kind of unexpected, even though I knew in my heart that something big would be coming to straighten this mess out and finally bring Rufus and Luke together for good.

I remain a K.J. Charles fangirl. I’m hoping for more adventures in this world in the future.

Final grade- B+