Marrying the Guide

Forestville Silver Foxes #related

by Nora Phoenix

I love my job as a wilderness guide, even when an adorable guy sends me splashing into a river.

I messed around with some guys while in college, but I haven’t been attracted to a man since. Until I meet Onno, a sweet Dutch man visiting Forestville.

We’re the same age, and he’s so easy to talk to. Plus, I love his sense of humor.

He would be so easy to fall for…

The problem? He’s going back home to the Netherlands in three weeks.

But not if I can help it.

Marrying the Guide is a standalone short story in the Forestville Silver Foxes series.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Novella, LGBT, Short Stories

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2024

About the author

Would you like the long or the short version of my bio?

The short? You got it.

I write steamy gay romance books and I love it. I also love reading books. Books are everything.

How was that?

A little more detail? Gotcha.

I started writing my first stories when I was a teen…on a freaking typewriter. I still have these, and they’re adorably romantic. And bad, haha. Fear of failing kept me from following my dream to become a romance author, so you can imagine how proud and ecstatic I am that I finally overcame my fears and self doubt and did it. I adore my genre because I love writing and reading about flawed, strong men who are just a tad broken..but find their happy ever after anyway.

My favorite books to read are pretty much all MM/gay romances as long as it has a happy end. Kink is a plus… Aside from that, I also read a lot of nonfiction and not just books on writing. Popular psychology is a favorite topic of mine and so are self help and sociology.

Hobbies? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Just kidding. I love traveling, spending time near the ocean, and hiking. But I love books more.

Come hang out with me in my Facebook Group Nora’s Nook where I share previews, sneak peeks, freebies, fun stuff, and much more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/noras...

Wanna get first dibs on freebies, updates, sales, and more? Sign up for my newsletter (no spamming your inbox full…promise!) here: http://www.noraphoenix.com/newsletter/

You can also stalk me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoraFromBHR
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On Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nora-...

Reviews

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My goodness, what an extremely cheesy short story ... I love it, I grinned stupidly to myself the whole time, then I shed a tear and then I melted away.

Our guide, Howell, stood before me: six feet of muscled yumminess with a smile that could thaw the snow off the distant peaks. Alas, straight yumminess, unless my gaydar was severely malfunctioning, which wasn’t out of the question, as everything else in my life seemed to be on life support as well. 😳🍭😳

Everything happens super fast here and I have the feeling there was hardly any time to get to know Howell and Onno. But somehow it all felt very fitting and I love the dates they spend together. Those are actually things I often miss in a lot of books.

He was cute and sweet and kind, and I loved his dry sense of humor. I wanted to hug him, assure him everything would be okay, and roll him in bubble wrap to keep him safe, but that wasn’t a topic for a first conversation. 🫠🍬🫠

So I'm happy, this was a really satisfying little story.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun one, even though it's a bit instalove, it doesn't feel unbelievable at all.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Nora Phoenix, for the gift of this beautiful story. It takes a lot to make me cry with a short story, but this one did it. I love the Forestville silver foxes stories so it was wonderful to get to visit them again. I listened to this on Bookfunnel and thoroughly enjoyed Michael Dean’s narration.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆

ᔑᑭᏆᑕᗴ: 🔥🔥
しᗩᑌᏀᕼᔑ: 🤣
Ꭲᗴᗩᖇᔑ:😐
ᗰᑕᔑ: Onno, Howell
ᑭᝪᐯ: 1st dual
Ꭲᖇᝪᑭᗴᔑ: Found Family, Hurt Confort


Onno ame a este perosnaje.

[Christina Sturgill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5 🌟
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
Characters: Onno and Howell

[Steve H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of the Forestville Silver Foxes Series and Nora's work in general. At the time of writing, I have read the first four in the series, and I’ve given everyone five-star ratings. When I read the blurb for this novella I was looking forward to reading it, but within the first lines, my heart sank.

To explain. Although I live in England with my husband, my in-laws are all Dutch. I speak some Dutch (I’m not fluent), and since we first met nearly 26 years ago I have visited the Netherlands so many times I have lost count, so obviously I am well converse with Dutch culture. So that means this review has a strong bias.

Although some of the small details of the Netherlands were spot on (but not all, by any means), the Dutch character Onno’s dialogue and thoughts just read like any American man.

Students in the Netherlands learn English from the age of 10 until at least they are 16 years old, and a well educated professional would have studied it until they are 18.

Admittedly the Dutch are exposed to a lot of American Television (and also British), but an accountant from Leiden would not talk about Ass (Backside/arse) or someone being six foot tall (one metre eighty), or talk about miles (kilometres), and yummy/yumminess? No, no, no - lekker!

Of course, being a novella, there isn’t the scope to expand the characters, but frankly, as he is written, Onno just comes over as an utter idiot.

He would not have gone on a hike wearing brand-new boots that had not been broken in. His sister-in-law and brother are mentioned in the story; surely they would have warned him that even going on an easy hike, his new boots must be broken in properly first, as would have the salesperson at “REI” have done.

These days, with the all-pervasive Internet, it is easy to look up "colour" for a piece of fiction. I would suspect that Nora has visited Amsterdam and was exposed to some Dutchness - but it is far from typical compared to the rest of the country.

Yes, the Netherlands is mostly flat, but not all of it - try visiting somewhere like Arnhem or Maastricht and you’ll be walking up plenty of hills.

And the Dutch are direct, to outsiders some might say even rude if you are not used to it, at times they are almost "in your face".

Also, the middle-class Dutch tend to be very healthy - the vast majority cycle everywhere in their daily lives - even the last Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, cycled to his office in the Parliament from his home!

The Netherlands is a relatively small country, but it does not exist in isolation. It has an extensive high-speed railway network connecting all the major cities and towns. And they connect to the rest of Western Europe. You can be stepping off a train in Paris at midday having got on it in Amsterdam at 8:30am. They are typically well-travelled people - even The Dutch Royal family go on a skiing holiday every winter to Austria.

And Onno would have been hiking before. Every Sunday, commitments and weather permitting (the Netherlands gets a lot of rain), the Dutch are off out on their bikes or will go for a walk in the abundant woodlands, or in one of the many national parks, such as the Hoge Veleuwe (below).

https://www.holland.com/upload_mm/1/b...

And before anybody complains that I am overly critical, there is a LOT in this story that I liked. The developing love between the two characters is so well written, and the character of Howell is great. The plot idea is excellent, but the short form and the lack of thorough research spoilt it for me.

Also, the proofreader/editor wants a good talking to too - Onno is supposedly from the town Leiden, north of The Hague (Den Haag), near the west coast, so why was he "chatting" about the weather in Amsterdam towards the end of the story?

Oh, and what precisely is “Dutch Bread”? 🤷🏼‍♂️ See below for a "real" Dutch bakery/bread store.

https://c7.alamy.com/comp/2BK31P6/alm...

I think the moral of this story is, to stick to writing about what you know.

P.S. Before anybody suggests "those who can do and those who cannot criticise", I have had journalistic items and short stories published in magazines here in the UK, though not to such a wide audience that Nora can access.

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus )]

DNF @ Epilogue

Ok, so.

I LOVE insta-connection, two souls immediately recognizing each other as their other half and wanting to build and cherish that connection. Something akin to insta-love without the super early love declarations. .  .

I started off enjoying this, their first interaction was cute and Onno came off as a bit of a shy klutz while Howell was kind and easy-going.

I liked their dates but I think that's only because I feel like dates are seriously lacking in my romance books 🤔

I would've enjoyed this a heck of a lot more if the MCs were just two lonely guys who hadn't been with anyone in a while found a spark with each other. But Onno had been in a 15 YEAR marriage, had only been divorced for 4 MONTHS while Howell had been divorced for 5 years. They spent 3 WEEKS together out of Onno's 6 week visit. So let's say that Onno had been divorced for 5 months when Howell PROPOSES to him at the airport and he accepts!

I could've maybe excused it if Onno had been in a marriage where the relationship had been dead for a while and him and his ex-husband had been physically and emotionally distant leading up to the break up but from what we're told it seems like the break up came out of nowhere for Onno. And sure, his ex isn't portrayed nicely with the CONSTANT reminder of how he made Onno give up on being his own person to appeal more to him but it never really went in-depth to give us an idea of how he felt in the marriage for him to stay in it for that long until his ex wanted to break up. 🤷🏻‍♀️

To be fair, it's a short read so I can understand why the characters weren't very...in-depth, just has me back to the main point that Onno didn't need to have this long ass marriage with a partner that constantly made him feel boring and embarrassed that could've just have been from a previous shorter relationship? Or maybe given him more than 4 months before falling in love in 3 weeks enough to get married again?

I dunno, I'm babbling at this point 😭

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐
4/5🎧 (solo)
Linda novella, funciona muy bien como autoconclusiva (no he leido el resto de la serie).
Ambos protagonistas son muy agradables, se sintieron como personas reales, y realmente de la edad que se supone que tienen. La historia fue muy bonita.

[Danica Midlil · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh, it was fine. Michael Dean can't do a Dutch accent, though. nice try.

[SophiaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet, short insta-love interlude in the Forestville series. Loved the couple, they pulled on my heart strings for sure.
I think I have a greater understanding for such intense feelings happening in that short of a timeframe because I know of at least two couples that met, got together and got engaged within a month. ... still together by the way, more than 10 years later.

That is why the connection between Howell and Onno and them falling in love actually felt natural. The author did a great job making me feel the connection growing between them. It is the little things I think. The MC showing they care (how is your foot), even if the person might not even be aware (slowing the group down to make sure Onno can enjoy his first hike without being embarrassed that he is not that fit or skilled yet; searching out people you know to ask how you are doing). These interactions are so much more impactful than ten talk dirty to me romps in the sheets. The ones we got were so much better that way too, they felt more important and as part of the development of their relationship.

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 4 out of 5]

story of Onno and Howell

This is a holiday romance to more, featuring Onno and Howell, and is a standalone novella but related to the Forestville Silver Foxes series.

This book was all kinds of sweet and heartwarming. I loved how careful Howell treated Onno’s battered heart. Their instant attraction and meet cute was so adorable, and I loved they went on loads of romantic dates and made the most of their time together.

I might need to read the series this novella is related too.

Things to expect in this MM romance are:
Standalone novella
Holiday romance to more
Insta attraction
Wilderness guide x tourist
Divorced MCs
Finding yourself
Cute dates
Calls him sweetheart
Both fall fast
HEA

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onno is visiting Forestville, where his brother Joost and his wife Brianna live. From the Netherlands, he's never been the US before, so he's taking his six weeks vacation as an opportunity to do new things. One day he signs up to go kayaking... and promptly knocks the very good looking (and straight) instructor Howell over.

Howell finds the Dutch visitor intriguing from the beginning, but becomes happier when a couple days after being doused in the river by Onno, they meet again. This time, Onno has signed up for a guided hiking excursion. They bond over the hike, and Howell asks him out. They have a lovely first date (throwing clay) and then they begin dating.

Short, sweet, simple... and forgettable.

Three stars.

[caffeinated.crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of my unread Forestville Silver Foxes novellas 💕 MARRYING THE GUIDE hit me right in the feels. Since it's a novella, it was instalovey, but that's forgiven since Onno & Howell were so damn sweet.

Onno, Joost from the baker's brother, is in the US visiting said brother from the Netherlands. He's making a point to try and do new things. One of those things is kayaking, and that's where he meets the outdoor guide, Howell.

These two were seriously sweet. They had three weeks ✨️before Onno goes back home✨️ to fall for each other. There are all kinds of adorable dates and a steamy scene or two.

My favorite part was the airport scene. That's always a favorite.

I can't recommend this series of novels and novellas enough. I love Forestville!

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howell messed around with some guys while in college, but he hasn’t been attracted to a man since. Until he meets Onno, a sweet Dutch man visiting Forestville. They’re the same age, and he’s so easy to talk to. Plus, Howell loves his sense of humour. He would be so easy to fall for. The problem? He’s going back home to the Netherlands in three weeks. But not if Howell can help it.

This was a sweet little novella based in Forestville but it was a bit instalove and I'm not quite sure that I felt the reason as to why they fell for each other quite as quickly as they did. There wasn't a lot of romance and I wished that there was more. Easy to read and understand. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Malissa Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but Sweet

Howell and Onno meet on a kayaking tour. Onno is having trouble getting in his kayak so Howell shows him. But Onno is not having it. His body decides they are going to tumbling into the river and thats exactly what happens. Him and Howell make a big splash but Howell just thinks Onno is so adorable. They meet again on a 5 mile beginner’s hiking trail and yep you guessed it. Poor Onno had blisters on his feet after the hike. Howell being an EMT checks in with him and from there they find true love. Find out how. This is a short but sweet story by Nora Phoenix. 5 stars ⭐️ 💜

[space_girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute quick story about a guy from the Netherlands visiting his family in Washington where he falls in love with a wilderness guide. He's hopeless at wilderness activities, which I kinda loved rather than him jumping straight in to kayaking and hiking and being an expert. Hal was very sweet and caring and just what Ono needed to help him heal from his divorce. I loved all their activity dates. Of course the instalove was a fast, but it's what I expect from a novella. The only issue was the narrator's dutch accent in the audiobook, it sounded very slavic to me. But I managed to kinda tune it out and it was better when Hal was narrating.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Yes, it was short, but what it lacked in pages it made up in depth of character. Both MCs were so enjoyable and so perfect for each other. I would have loved to be able to have a relationship like theirs but... I guess at least I can read about such a beautiful love story and it makes me happy.

There's laughter, tears, a bisexual awakening, a mandatory departure of a foreign visitor, and more. That scene at the airport when Onno was leaving was...bittersweet and yet absolutely perfect. One of my all-time favorite scenes, it really hit me in the feels.

I need more of these guys. I guess a re-read is in my future.

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So adorable and super fast love for these guys! The only thing that made me laugh a bit was how Onno thought with a dutch accent, because I always think that when you have inner thoughts you either do the in your mother tongue or you don't have an accent. Like I'm currently thinking in English and it's flawless but if I talk I'll have an italian accent. Just a personal thought, probably a choice of the narrator. He was still amazing so it's not really a complaint but something that made me smile.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was much better than the other novella. I connected with both characters right away despite not having known either of them from the other books. Idk, this one just hit different than the other one. This was such a wholesome story of second chances and finding your inner self. There was no insta-lust, just a gradual build up of feelings and passion. Although the ending seemed a bit abrupt, I still thought it was sweet and a perfect ending to this story.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely gentle and cozy romance with very little angst, just as we always get from this talented author. A holiday romances can can be sweet but there is always that awful time limit.
Onno is just the sweetest man, his low self esteem, thanks to his miserable ex, is heart breaking at times. Howell, on the other hand, is big, burly, and a confident woodsman type, of sorts ( be still my heart). A really touching tale.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet,quick read

This is a meet cute, insta attraction novella. A wilderness guide and Dutch tourist. It’s a sweet bi awakening story about a man looking to re-discover himself and his confidence after a divorce that had him unsure of himself and the wilderness guide who discovers he’s not as straight as he thought.

The story is cute and sweet and this is a quick read in the Forestville universe.

[Lindsey Middlemiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet romance

Marrying the Guide is a really sweet, short story of unexpected love.

Although it is a Forestville story and a few familiar names were there, the MC is not a part of the ongoing storyline, and it definitely could be read as a standalone.

The setting is wonderful and made me miss summer days on cold Washington rivers. As a former Washington resident, little things like an "easy hike" being tough to an outsider were so real!

In this, you'll find:
✨️MM contemporary romance
✨️Bisexual American wilderness guide
✨️Visiting Dutch Accountant, recovering from an emotionally abusive marriage
✨️Falling in the river meet-cute
✨️Long distance relationship
✨️Self-confidence issues
✨️First times
✨️Rural western Washington state setting
✨️A HEA

[Sjoukje · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a cute and fun read but just too short for my taste. I had to read it because I read anything that Nora Phoenix writes (in the real world), but I wish she made her novella’s into full length books. Asking someone to marry you after 3 weeks minutes before he boards a plane? Not fun. Other than that: great read 😊 very sweet, great banter and lovely mc’s

[She Who Shall Remain Nameless · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet

This short (60 minutes) novella takes place in the Forestville Silver Foxes universe, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I felt it was a fitting read for me this morning as I’m going kayaking a little bit later. Hopefully, I won’t end up in the water though like they did lol.

[Likes2Explore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this short romance narrated by Michael Dean.
It is fluffy, sweet and full of humor.
I look forward to the rest of the series!

Michael Dean's voice is easy on the ears and I enjoyed how he brought the emotions to life. It was easy to distinguish between the different characters.

[InsatiableSuccubooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a perfectly sweet novella with all the feels

This was so sweet it made my teeth hurt. I loved it! The author packed in so much healing, fun and a little heat to make this a perfect quick love story read.

[Nijntje Pluis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but the ending was quite ridiculous. I get that it’s a short story, so you have to pack it all in 80 pages, but maybe let them try long distance first, or something? Especially with a freshly divorced main character, this felt unbelievably rushed.

[Golden Child · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howell & Onno

Oh, how I love Forestville. Sweet romance with an HEA. Finding yourself is so much better when you find someone that helps out the pieces back together. Perfectly swooney novella.

[Ethel Nesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tripping into love is AMAZING FUN!

During his visit to his brother and his wife, Onno meets Howell, his guide for a kayaking trip on the river. Enjoy how Howell and Onno handle new activities, the frustration of time limits, and the joys of kissing and steamy moments!!!