Fool's Spring

by Roe Horvat

Eric

Maybe I’ve made a mistake. My cottage, albeit charming, needs nonstop work, the weather’s abysmal, and my last bank account statement simply said, “Bless your heart.” But I don’t regret moving to the Swedish countryside. The job is great, and I’m making friends. Who said Swedes were cold and distant? I only need some cheap firewood to tide me over until the real spring arrives.

Out of nowhere comes rescue—a gorgeous Viking on a tractor. He helps me with firewood and drives me to the hardware store. I shouldn’t be crushing on Björn since he looks as straight as they come. But then the shy hunk of a man turns up on my porch with a bag of cinnamon rolls, blushing…


Björn

Life is uneventful for a gay man in a village of three hundred people, but I like it quiet. I have fifteen thousand hectares of forest to manage, so it’s not like I get bored.

Except now an American from the South bought an old cottage on the edge of my property and he’s shoveling April snow in his sneakers. The good people of Gryta are already betting on when he’ll run back to Stockholm.

Eric is in dire need of help, so here I am, dangling on a ladder, pressure-washing the gutters on his cottage. He’s absolutely charming, gorgeous, and all my wet dreams come true. What if I fall in love and he leaves?


Fool’s Spring is a contemporary gay romance about a South Carolinian teacher moving to the Swedish countryside. Low angst and a slow burn that turns into high heat. Finding home, HEA.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn, Queer

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2024

About the author

Queer fiction author Roe Horvat was born in the former Czechoslovakia. Equipped with a dark sense of sarcasm and a penchant for Czech beer, Roe traveled Europe and finally settled in Sweden. He came out as transgender in 2017 and has been fabulous since. He loves Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, bad action movies, stand-up comedy, pale ale, and daiquiri, with equal passion. When not hiding in the studio doing graphics, he can be found trolling cafés in Gothenburg, writing, and people-watching.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

DID SOMEBODY SAY FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN?!
oh, no one???
Hang on.....

🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤


But first, let's start at the ben-ing-ging.

When I saw... Roe Horvat + small town romance???
I was STRAIGHT UP LIKE:


and I was expecting MAYBE some cute and wholesome??? but expecting that OVERALL the sex would be TOO FREQUENT, TOO DIRTY and TOO OTT for some cute little swedish teacher/lumberjack romance... I was expecting cum-dripping-from-the-pages kind of sticky????? 💦 which would not have been the vibe I was looking for in a small town romance...


I WAS WRONG.
I MUST REPENT FOR MY SINS OF JUDGING TOO SOON.
FORGIVE ME FATHER FOR MY MIND IS A BIN. 🙏🙏🙏



THIS BOOK WAS DOMESTIC AF.
It was so unexpected???
I read two chapters about them going to the swedish equivalent of Bunnings, and the cleaning some gutters and was GNAWING AT MY FUCKING CAGE BARS EVERY SECOND OF IT

This is a NO plot, NO angst, NO brain processing power needed kind of cosy modern romance between a teacher and a lumber jack.
They do domestic shit.
They fall "in like" with eachother super organically, it was wholesome af.

and sure, it could be a little boring at times, as cosy romances sometimes can be because the plot is omitted.
BUT...
PROPER VERSATILE MEN??????? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP.
RAILING A HOT LUMBER JACK??? YES FUCKING PLEASE.
HAPPY DOMESTIC BLISS??? I WANT IT INSIDE ME IMMEDIATELY

SEND ME VERS/FLIP FUCKING RECS AND I WILL KISS YOUR FOREHEAD UNTIL IT FUCKING BLEEDS.

If you need a cosy, no stress romance... This is it.
And realistically...............


🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤
🎤FLIP-FUCKING VERS MEN!🎤


This whole book is a green flag 💚💚💚💚
🐀 Feral rat love to you and to flip-fucking 🐀

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single word of it, for me this book is perfect.
It's like a cozy blanket full of sunshine and daisies.
I'm very happy at the moment.
I read it through KU, but I'm going to buy it immediately because I need it in my life for a long time to come, just to take a peek every now and then.

The charm of this small Swedish place somehow enveloped me from the very beginning and never let go. Yes, I had expected more sexy scenes, but in the end I'm glad it wasn't that. It takes half the book to get to the hot interactions between Eric and Björn, just a heads up for all the smut-loving readers among us. These scenes themselves are super hot in familiar Roe Horvat fashion, albeit of the short variety.

“Lie on your back,” he told me. “Want to see you come.”
He stared with open fire in his gaze, tracking the movement as I took myself into my hand and stroked. He liked looking at me, and wasn’t that the greatest turn-on?
I jerked off while he watched with a hungry expression. 🤤💞🤤

But I didn't mind that the focus of this book is more on that small town feel with curious people, interesting characters and the development of Eric and Björn's relationship. I'm also insanely happy that the secondary characters, though present, weren't as prominent. So I had a lot of really nice scenes between Eric and Björn where I could revel in their cautious steps towards more.

Why was my heart pounding so hard? Eric had the power to make me nervous, like I was seventeen, about to kiss a boy for the first time.
But then I opened the door, and he beamed at me, his pretty face glowing. I kissed him, lingering for a few breaths. God, he was sweet. 🫠😍🫠

I would have liked to read more about them dating and delicious cooking events, but then it might have been too boring for the majority of readers.

“Oh my God. You call this a sandwich?” He took the plate and inhaled. “This looks amazing.”
“It’s dead simple. Tuna, mayo, cheese, green chilis, red onion, mustard, tomato, butter, sourdough bread.”
“You say it’s simple and then list like twenty ingredients.”
He bit into the bread and moaned.
The sound was so blatantly sexual that I had to visualize the dirt in the gutters so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. 🤩

Anyway, I'm glad the book cost me sleep because I've had a few months now where no book has kept me awake at night or haunted my dreams and I thought I had been broken. So thank you Roe for these wonderful hours in Sweden.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

TEN STARS

Fool’s Spring is a stand alone wonderful, sweet, sexy, swoony romance by Roe Horvat. This was the book I didn’t even realize that I needed. I smiled so much and sighed so much. I loved every word of every page.

Eric has moved from the city of Stockholm. He is originally from North Carolina but moved to Stockholm for an adventure that ended up being permanent. But he still wanted something quiet, which is how he ended up using up his savings and buying an old cottage in Gryta, Sweden.



Bjorn Eklund has lived in Gryta all his life, except for his time in college. He loves this tiny community. The only issue is being a gay man in a township of only a few hundred people. Not the best for a dating life. But then he saw the new teacher everyone was talking about. That’s all it took to become completely smitten.

Right along with Bjorn, I became smitten. Eric called Bjorn a Viking Lumberjack. I call him amazing. He was shy. He was so afraid to let Eric know how he felt. We had the pleasure of his inner thoughts, though, and this man continually made me melt with his sweet, swoony thoughts. And when he finally did get the nerve up to let Eric know how he felt, you better hold on tight because he had a lot of time to make up for.

Watching these two fall for each other was everything I ever wanted in a book. Their first date made me so happy. The whole book is angst free. It’s just full of heart squeezing romance and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a fairly quick read. Or maybe it was just me not wanting to put the book down but I read it in no time. If you love melty, swoony, sweet love stories that will make your toes curl and your heart squeeze, then you need this book. I hope it makes you as happy as it did me!

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a while I thought this was going to be a 5 star read.

I loved the small Swedish village setting, extremely likeable MCs, slow burn, food descriptions, and interesting supporting characters, especially Madde (Björn's stepmom who happens to be Eric's boss) and old man Henke with his pup Selma.

The initial awkwardness between the MCs was endearing. I giggled at the oblivious Swedish man stereotypes.

Björn and Eric don't even kiss until about the halfway mark. Hallelujah! I'm so tired of the "meaningless hookup turns into forever" trope.

The sex is passionate and varied, which of course it is because this is Roe Horvat we're talking about.

The story slumped a bit in the last few chapters.

Much is made of one of Eric's colleagues at the school being a grumpy busybody, but nothing ever happens with that.

Eric gets lost in the forest but is found very quickly. I was expecting some excitement, but nope.

I really liked the "queer club" and the way the members adopted Eric, but they all but disappeared in the second half. Olaf and Fredrik were fabulous! I wanted more of them.

The epilogue is set three years in the future, but Björn and Eric's engagement happens off page, which is an utter travesty.

Still a solid 4 stars.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 stars.
Sadly I couldn't connect with the story as I'm used to with books by Roe Horvat.
I love his earlier contemporary books. Vanilla Clouds, A love song for the sad man in the white coat and The Layover are all time favorites. I love a few of his omegaverse books, and a few of his erotica novels.
What all of these books have in common is a flowing, gripping writing style and a deep and strong emotional connection between the MCs.

For me this book was sadly lacking in either regard. There was nothing wrong with it, but it didn't feel as if it was written by Roe Horvat. The MCs were sweet, the storyline was fine, I enjoyed the details about living in a small swedish village, but I wasn't invested in the MCs' lives and felt bored.

The writing was a bit bland with lots of short abrupt sentences, it didn't flow, felt disconnected. Example:
"My beard was growing out again, getting bushy and sticking out in all directions. I knew myself well enough to know I would never have the patience for straighteners and oils and whatnot. I’d trim it again after Midsummer. The floor creaked upstairs as Eric climbed into bed. I hoped he stayed naked. I loved sleeping skin to skin. I brushed my teeth and combed my fingers through my hair. Then I poked out a stray splinter from my palm. The tiny wound didn’t bleed, so I didn’t bother taping it. When I came upstairs..."

It pains me to give this only 3,25 stars. Hopefully I'm an outlier on this one.

[patrícia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my perfect fairytale! It had everything I loved in a book, the aesthetic is my dream come true. They we’re both wow I can’t even find the right words at the moment, but beautiful, perfect,adorable, sexy, hot af, kind, engaging, sweet and so much more. in my mind I’m already packing and moving to Gryta 🫶

This just proves that Roe is such a talented writer, he is the perfect combination of sweet, hot, interesting and he gave us a cottage in a remote Sweden with a hot Viking lumberjack named Björn and a sweet English teacher named Eric, with a talent for cooking, and super important nerdy food information 😍

One more point for this book, is the surprise and freshness of the sex scenes, usual sexiness Roe, but with the roles a little inverted and a needy Björn was everything I needed 🥵🥵🥵

So many side characters that should be so interesting to read abou, I hope Roe can find their happy ending 🥰

I received an eArc from Roe and this is my swooning heartfelt opinion 🫠🥹

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pleasant, rather mellow, no angst. Lovely Swedish countryside setting. I liked all the characters and Eric’s early awkwardness, it was just a little bland in the second half. Full appreciation for the versatility of these men 🙌🏼

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a warm hug while sitting in front of a fireplace in a cozy cottage that smells like cinnamon and coffee.

Well, this was just… lovely.
Here’s the story: Two lovely men meet, are attracted to each other, go on lovely dates, flip fuck in a lovely yet steaming hot way, have a lovely group of friends and family in a lovely Swedish village, have lovely communication and begin a lovely relationship. That’s literally it.
There is no angst, no drama, nothing happens and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!

I smiled the entire time while reading this - so much so that my cheeks actually hurt.
This was exactly what I needed and now I’m craving a visit to the sauna, a warm cinnamon roll and a peaceful walk through the forest.

*sigh*
Just lovely 💕

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 light, fun and steamy stars!! ❤️❤️ Enjoyed this latest book by Roe; which is quite different from their recent books; as in this is not erotica; although still quite steamy; it’s not omegaverse or shifter either. But it’s wonderfully written and has a little slow-burn between the MCs before becoming flaming HOT 🔥. The story is simple and low-angst.. I loved it so much, I finished it in 1 day. 🥰

[Jackbees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who cares about plot when there is this book?? I freaking loved it!! It was sweetly, cosily delicious and about as good as a weekend away somewhere beautiful.

So, Eric needs a change. He buys a semi-dilapidated cottage in a secluded part of Sweden and begins a job as a teacher at the local primary school.

The local hot gay swede, Bjorn, zones in on him like a tractor beam but, of course, keeps that shit all bottled up inside.

When Eric meets Bjorn for the first to third times he initiates 90’s rom com heroine mode and falls over at every available opportunity.

Eric:

Finally, they meet again at some sort of social thing and eyes lock, deep connection ensues, it is like there is no one else in the room etc etc. It is so excellent. Suddenly Bjorn realises that there are, in fact other people in the room.

“Oh, hi, Lars. Hi, Theo. I didn’t see you there.” Lol.


This whole book gave me the best feels. Heart clenching, warm buttery joy.


Also, I love pop culture, movie, tv, music references in a book. It makes it more real to me.

“The piano rose and fell, and Meat Loaf’s dramatic voice pleaded with his imaginary lover. The spring sun bathed the rolling hills around us in a golden glow… And I squirmed in my seat next to a boy I liked.”


What an absolute gem of a book.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to describe this book is as follows:

A teacher meets a Viking/lumberjack looking dude, they are neighbours, they casually flirt and become sort of acquaintances.

The Viking looking dude helps the teacher fix his cottage and brings him firewood, they start dating, they are cute and sexy together. There is no miscommunication or third act breakup, they flipfuck and have actual conversations about their feelings and wants, they continue dating. The end.

That’s pretty much it and I ate it up, this is totally Bloom but in Scandinavia and a small village and a cottage instead of a flower shop.

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, but also kind of boring.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

A slow grin spread on my face. The pretty teacher liked me back.

What started off with a wonderfully cozy winter vibe — shy Viking lumberjacks, Swedish villages, cute crushes — sort of fizzled after a while. The snow melted, but so did my interest.
It was cute, it was sweet, it had some sexy moments, but it didn’t really impact me in any way.

There wasn’t much of a story to drive the plot forward, no angst that wasn’t immediately resolved. It’s fluff and smut, which is to say it isn’t a bad book, but not really what I needed, I guess.

He exhaled against my lips and bumped my nose with his. The gesture was so sweet that if I hadn’t already been infatuated with him beyond help, that small nose bump would have tipped me over.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Homophobia
- Family disownment
- Parental death
- Vers MCs
- 69
- Rimming
- Semi-public/outdoor sex
- Frotting
- Coming hands-free
- Flip-fuck

[Vanessa GLP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, a little bit insta crush, a non existing angst , perfect jaja❤️

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super sweet read. Low angst and a sweet fluffy read. Loved the setting and the characters. Not a lot of actual plot but I had such a good time reading it that the lack of plot didn’t bother me at all. Just a fun calming read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cause of Death: Cuteness Overload

Roe, you BRILLIANT ass motherfucker.

Not only is Roe the absolute KING of all things dirty-nasty-delicious-smutty-smut, APPARENTLY, he has another jewel in his crown (that I was not yet aware of) in the form of the CUTEST WRITING I'VE EVER READ!?!

And, yeah, we've all read cute ass books but HERE's where it gets fuckin' wild - not a SINGLE line in this book even encroaches into cringe territory. This is MILES away from cringe. DO YOU KNOW how talented an author has to be to make my heart feel like it's hemorrhaging sparkly pink goo at every page turn WITHOUT including at least one line that makes me flinch from secondhand embarrassment?? THIS CHEESE HAS NO MOLD. THIS FLUFF WILL NOT CLOG YOUR LINT TRAP.

It's cute, it's cozy, it's charming, it's sweet BUT, true to every Roe classic, the SEX IS SEXING. It's not as wild or cum-guzzly as some of his other books but (in my totally unbiased opinion), I think the heat level matches the story PERFECTLY. Wouldn't change a word of it.

This is just one of those books that makes you LOVE love, ya know?

Go read it if you feel like smiling.

[Clara's Book Lab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks like a cinnamon roll is a cinnamon roll. It’s steamy, fluffy and sweet with a good splash of spice (specifically cardamom cos it’s a kanelbullar!), and I gulped it down in just a couple of days, yum! 🤤🥧

What a lovely little dessert for the end of our Book Club’s first round of books! 💕

[BelleLovesRomance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe you’ve heard of those readers who dive into books 'cause they wanna live vicariously through the MCs? Yeah... Hi, I’m one of them. 👋🏻

⭐️ 3/5 — Soft and sweet, until it gave me whiplash and a splash of rage. 😑
🌶 3/5 — Vers kings being cute and horny? Yes please. (At least I got this going for me 😬)

Sooo I’ve been on a glorious streak of 5⭐️ reads lately—like back-to-back bangers. My last four books? All 5 stars. Two even got the elusive 5♾️⭐️. Life was good. But hey, the streak had to end sometime, right? 🙂

This book wasn’t bad per se. It was okay. I enjoyed most of it, tolerated some of it, and side-eyed the rest. But then the ending—or more specifically, the lack of something at the end—left me frustrated and a bit mad, honestly. We’ll get to that in a sec. 😤

😮‍💨 Things I’m Not a Fan of That Exist in This Book 😮‍💨

About halfway through—right after Björn and Eric got together—things started slowly rolling downhill for me. Why? Because it ticked boxes I usually avoid. Like:

⚠️⛔️ Secret relationship
🫠 They sneaked around and kept their relationship hidden.
Did I understand why they did it? Yes. 🙂‍↕️
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely not. 🙂‍↔️

⚠️⛔️ Slice of life
🫠 Yeah… this trope is one of my personal nightmares.
❌ I read romance to escape, not to get dumped with everyday real-life angst and domestic stress.
❌ I avoid too-realistic plots in books, shows, movies, music—you name it.
❌ If I wanted to cry over normal life shit, I’d just look in the mirror while paying bills. 🫩

Now, here comes the not-so-yummy cherry on top:

🏁 The Anti-Climactic Ending That Robbed Me of My Romance Joy 🏁

Look, I’m a romance girl through and through. I live for moments. First eye contact, first kiss, first time, first everything. And one of my biggest pet peeves is when authors rob us of those moments by having them happen off-page. 😠

In this case? The proposal happened OFF-PAGE. Yep. Just tossed in there like it was a casual weather update. 😑

Quote:
“And what about you guys? When are you getting married?”
“Um, actually. I asked Eric a couple of days ago. He said yes, but we haven’t set a date yet.”

That's it. That's the proposal. 😐
Disappointing? Yes.
Anti-climactic? Also yes.
Could it have been saved with just a paragraph or two? Easily.

Like damn, the book had room for literal pages of detail about mushrooms, forestry, timber cycles, vapor barriers, insulation techniques, and how to fix a 300-year-old death-trap cottage… but couldn’t squeeze in a basic “will you marry me” scene? IN A ROMANCE BOOK??? 🙃💢

📝 TLDR: 📝

Give this one a shot if you:
💚 Want a cozy, domestic-feeling romance with heavy slice-of-life vibes.
💚 Are into a hot, blushing, Viking-esque lumberjack MC with a master’s in Forestry.
💚 Love vers flip-fucking kings doing it sweet and spicy.
💚 Don’t mind being hit with a construction how-to manual in the middle of a romance.
❤️‍🩹 Don’t care if the proposal happens off-page in an almost 300-page romance novel. (Yes, I’m repeating it. No, I’m still not over it. 😠)

Would I reread? Nah. 🙅🏻‍♀️
Am I still salty? Very. 😤

💭 Final Thoughts 💭

Anyway, even though this wasn't a glowing, sunshine-and-rainbows kind of review, I still hope it helps those of you who don't share the same dislikes as me to figure out if this somewhat cozy little book might be your next amazing read or not. 🫶🏻

-
Quotes:

“I’m Björn. I didn’t say hi before.”
The beard, the shoulders, the height. It figured his name would literally mean bear.
I let my fingers be crushed by his paw.
-
The tractor rumbled past, and the noise died out as Björn drove off into the forest, probably to hunt wolves and moose with his bare hands.
-
My friend Lizzy and I had developed a guide for dating Nordic men when I lived in Stockholm. Lesson number three: Scandinavians are useless at flirting. Whenever flirting occurred, it was safest to assume it was unintentional. If you flirted back, they got terrified or confused or both. Unless they were drunk.
-
Lesson number five: For physical contact, approach like you would a wild deer. Quiet, assessing, very slow.
-
Number one lesson in wooing a Scandinavian man: Patience.
-
”He looks at me longingly but never flirts. He always runs away before anything can happen. After we’d gone shopping, he dropped me off like a hot potato. He’s terrified of me.”
-
“It’s dead simple. Tuna, mayo, cheese, green chilis, red onion, mustard, tomato, butter, sourdough bread.”
“You say it’s simple and then list like twenty ingredients.”
-
“Great dick is often attached to a big sack of shit. That’s why you fuck them, not date them.”
-
Björn paused and looked back toward my cottage. He probably couldn’t see me in the window, so I didn’t wave. He was already too far away for me to discern his expression.
Abruptly, he turned around and began jogging down the incline along the forest, gathering speed. He jumped up with his fist in the air before he disappeared behind a cluster of trees.
The swell of happiness in my chest was so powerful it felt dangerous.
-
“Don’t come. I want to suck you too.”
“Sixty-nine?”
“Fuck yes. Upstairs, bed, naked.”
-
“I’ll fuck you until you’re close again, and then you’ll fuck me. I’m still wet with your cum in me.”
-
“I’m in love with you, Eric. Does it make me a fool to want to give you everything, fix everything, so you’re happy here with me? So you stay?”
"I'm in love with you too."
-

⚠️ Detailed spoiler below ⛔️

RC and MCs:
🪵👨‍🏫 MM, flip vers
🪵👨‍🏫 Björn Eklund (age wasn't specified) and Eric 32yo
🪵👨‍🏫 Björn: Swedish lumberjack, has an undergraduate degree from Canada and a master's degree in Forestry Ecology and Sustainable Management
🪵👨‍🏫 Eric: A South Carolinian teacher who moved to the Swedish countryside
🪵👨‍🏫 Björn: Vers, dimples, hazel eyes, light brown hair with sandy streaks (golden brown highlights), short thick light brown beard, broad shoulders, lean long legs, 6ft4/193cm
🪵👨‍🏫 Eric: Vers, green eyes, small upturned nose, plush feminine lips, 5ft9/175cm, slim

Genre and tropes:
🪵👨‍🏫 MM contemporary romance
🪵👨‍🏫 Small town romance
🪵👨‍🏫 Slow-burn
🪵👨‍🏫 Neighbors-to-lovers
🪵👨‍🏫 Small community dynamics
🪵👨‍🏫 Domestic life focus
🪵👨‍🏫 Slice of life
🪵👨‍🏫 Size difference
🪵👨‍🏫 Pet names: -

Safety info:
🪵👨‍🏫 Angst: Medium
🪵👨‍🏫 OW/OM drama: A SC (Lars) used to hit on Björn, but nothing ever happened.
🪵👨‍🏫 Cheating/sharing: No
🪵👨‍🏫 Third act breakup: No
🪵👨‍🏫 Ending: HEA
🪵👨‍🏫 Epilogue: Yes, 3 years later
🪵👨‍🏫 POV: Dual, 1st person
🪵👨‍🏫 Series structure: Standalone

Spice and kinks:
Blowjob, handjob, 69, bareback, rimming, flip fucking, outdoor sex (in the forest with no audience), finger fucking, frotting, coming hands-free

CW/TW:
Homophobia, disownment by family, death of a parent, a homophobic and abusive father, financial difficulties, secret relationship

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I... the problem??

I've been complaining for awhile that Roe Horvat's books have been just sex, sex, and more sex lately, and I've been wanting a slow-burn romance. But then I get one and I'm grumpy??

Good grief...

I think Fool's Spring is a nice book, a fine book, but I was confused as to why it took these men forever to get to the inevitable. There is a lot of slow-burn action and small town living, but very little else happens in the story. There is no drama (like, zero), and not much else to hold a reader's attention. I didn't even quite understand why it took so long for Björn to make a move (I know, clueless Swedish man), but there was really not enough plot for my tastes. I think I like it when Roe gives us ANGST in a contemporary romance. I'm not much of a masochist, but maybe I am with his romance??

A pleasant read, but nothing more for me.

*~*Follow me on instagram for more reviews, book talk, and deals posts*~*

[Nelly S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

I liked it and I had high hopes for it, but this didn’t quite work for me. The relationship between Eric and Bjorn was sweet, but a bit boring. Although it’s a short book it felt like it dragged at times. And for once Roe Horvat’s sex scenes didn’t do much for me either this time.

[Renée · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the same level of feelz I remember from Horvat writing contemporary, but it was still a pleasant reading experience.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is very good, as always from this author, but the story itself was kind of boring. Nothing much happens. No real conflict. YMMV.

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was stupidly excited about this one. Roe Horvat writes extremely erotic scenes while still managing to keep it tender and sweet. So, this being low-angst it’s like it could’ve been tailor made for me.

Unfortunately I was bored throughout a lot of this and it just didn’t really feel like it flowed nicely. It could’ve been the time skips with not much happening in between or having some scenes being told instead of shown, like when they were hiding in the bushes from an annoying town resident . . . Maybe more dates ?

There was a lot of focus on the queer club at the beginning but no scenes of them attending a get together after they started dating, so no reactions to them finding out they were dating either, tho it was obvious that the friends knew they were into each other. Aside from one of the guys (Lars) apologizing for cock blocking Björn there wasn’t really any reaction to it.

There was a third act ‘conflict’ with Eric being stubbornly independent, he doesn’t completely open up to Björn about why he’s so upset about the repairs required for his house and brushes off Björn’s offer to help because he ‘ needs to do it himself ‘ Björn is hurt but gives him space to cool off.

Eric ends up going for a run and getting lost, thankfully running into his neighbor because he’s apparently been running for over 5 hours in only a thin shirt and track shorts, he was exhausted and shivering with a dead phone so his neighbor called Björn to pick him up. It woke Eric up, he realized he was a little harsh with Björn the day before and apologized, opened up a little about how hard it is for him to accept help, they came up with a plan and we’re good to go. I’m not going to lie, I was hoping for a little danger, of Eric being lost for longer than he was and being a little more haggard by the time Björn got to him, ya’know leading to some ‘ I was so worried I would’ve lost you!’ type stuff, the worry is there but everything is very low key and just …fine.

The ILYs were cute. The doggo was cute. I did like Björn’s relationship with his stepmom. There was a lot of detailed descriptions of the problems with the house, the cooking stuff that I hoped it would’ve also kept the same detailed scenes for important relationship milestones.. The epilogue is 3 years out, they’re at a get together with the queer club, and Lars talks about his ten month old relationship, apparently it’s big news because he’s always been into hooking up, not relationships so the friends are surprised but when they tease him about being monogamous he says: “Morten and I are in love, yes. We hook up with other people but only together. His kinks are right up my alley. He likes it when he can decide whose dick goes up my hole, and I like being his good boy. So we have a lot of fun fucking around.” Which I can only assume is a set up for an upcoming book. The conversation prompted Lars to ask him Björn and Eric are getting married and SURPRISE they’re already engaged, “I asked Eric a couple of days ago. He said yes, but we haven’t set a date yet.” I’m sorry?!? All I get is a brief mention of a proposal that didn’t even happen on page?!? When did they even move in together ?

I liked the characters. I liked that they were dating and it wasn’t the typical no strings sex/FWB that leads to a relationship anyway.

Technically this is a DNF for me since I stopped reading after finding out the proposal happened off page, at 91%, I skipped ahead and saw that there’s an “erotic bonus” at 92% but I didn’t bother reading that.

[melancholy_reader [hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to live like this forever. Work by Eric's side every day, eat a simple meal, make love, and sleep with him naked in my arms, my body sore and my head muddled by love. I wouldn't need anything else.

Aww! This is the first book I've read by Roe Horvat.
I wanted something sweet and fluffy, and Fool’s Spring made my cheeks hurt from smiling and my heart melting so thank you Roe Horvat, you did well. 🥰

These two are the most lovable characters in the entire world, I mean, I’m swooning!
Björn is the most wonderful man on this earth. Thoughtful, romantic af, and — cherry on top — with a filthy mouth 🫦 this guy just turned his trauma into an endless love dispenser. I love you Björn, impossible not to.
Eric's witty thoughts during his pov made me giggle! So kind, passionate and brave. It is impossible not to root for this couple 🫠💓 the Swedish setting? Soo interesting and well described! Flip fuck? A weeeelcome surprise 😏🔥

[Rannveig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This contemporary romance from Roe is a love song to the Swedish countryside. What you read in this book is the way the Swedish and Scandinavian culture is. It’s also very realistic when it comes to how to date a Scandinavian man. To sum it up with a quote from the book:
“I thought of Lizzy and her number one lesson in wooing a Scandinavian man: Patience.”

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so mellow and gentle and sweet and yet so hot. Beautifully written, it has a dash of fish out of water and a bit of rescue what with Eric grappling with adjusting to the Swedish Spring (almost) and Björn coming to his aid. It has loads of sweet moments, a touch of found family and It’s a lovely slow burn allowing us to get to know the characters and then incinerating heat and an HEA that was so heartwarming.

I loved how Björn and Eric are reticent around each other for a bit before cautiously approaching each other. It’s a beautiful story of finding home and each other and I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend checking it out if you like:

* Slow burn
* Low Angst
* Found Family
* Secret Relationship
* Sauna Shenanigans
* American Teacher and Swedish Lumberjack
* Small town

[RJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've yet to read a Roe Horvat book I didn't enjoy - and Fool's Spring is no exception. This low angst book is incredibly sweet and, in signature Roe fashion, high heat - once it's gets going.

Roe continues to impress me. His writing just keeps getting better and better, and even though I love his Omegaverse stories, his contemporary stories are topnotch as well.

In Fool's Spring, Eric and Bjorn are simply adorable. Seeing two men be smitten with one another and experiencing that crush blossom into a friendship and love is swoon-worthy. This book is sugar sweet and I loved every single page.

[Em’sBookNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I needed it to be. Such a cute small town romance, no angst, just cuteness. This also made me realise how few genuinely vers characters I come across, I really liked that element. I now want to go live in a small Swedish village. I will never not love a hot gay lumberjack 🌲 💚

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM Swedish Lumberjack

It seems ages since Roe Horvat launched a new book and this one is quite different from what I expected. All the more enjoyable to get a nice surprise life ‘Fool’s Spring’. Set in the forests of Gryta, Sweden, Eric, an American has come to the tiny hamlet to teach in the village school. Totally unprepared for weather conditions in this part of the world in April, he turns up on his first day in a business suit and smart black leather boots. This was a highly amusing sight to Bjorn, a Forester or as Eric thought when he saw him first, a Lumberjack. Especially when he slips and slides on his a** right in front of him.

With only 300 inhabitants in the village news spreads like butter on hot toast and everyone knows about Eric’s arrival. He’s kept busy trying to repair the cottage he bought with money from his grandfather’s Will but he needs help, which he can’t afford. When Bjorn steps up to help they both feel the attraction between them.

When Eric. It’s the community centre, the hub of all. I’ll be activity he’s welcomed by a particular group, the Gryta Gay. lub which consists of 4 members, 2 are married partners, 1 is trans and then there is Lars, who’s just desperate. This group of guys are hilarious in their banter and I was laughing out loud at their behaviour.

There are a few other important side characters, Henke and his dog, Selma, Madde, the Head Master and Inga, the village gossip spreader and nosey Parker.

With Eric and Bjorn spending more time together and trying to keep it under wraps, they have to sneak about in the woods between their homes for visits, jt the town soon knows all about them.

Eric seems a bit skittish and a bit of a bossy verse and very independent, Bjorn is a huge bearded bear, ready to bite e help to whoever needs it, both opposite to their physical appearance, but when things start going askew at Eric’s cottage it looks as if he may not be able to stay in Gryta. Unless he allows Bjorn to give the help that Eric needs.

I loved the small village setting and the community spirit of Gryta, a place I’d love to visit. Bjorn is a dream boyfriend and so deserves a happy ever after.