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Ember Cast
Emrys Morgan is on his way from San Francisco to Los Angeles when the Palisades and Eaton fires break out. By the time his plane lands, the person he was coming to see -- his father, with a Craftsman house in Altadena -- is gone. But Emrys was coming to discuss his imminent relocation to the Craftsman. There’s work to be done, and diving right into it helps him process his grief.
Felix Paulo lives across the street from the Craftsman, and was on hand to help when Rhys Morgan went down. Now he wants to help Emrys. They’d only met once before, but Felix thought there was a vibe. Over the next few days, Felix, his siblings, and Emrys make some big changes in little time. The neighbors grow close so quickly, the vibe must go both ways. Can a giant disaster be the spark for a long-burning flame?
Felix Paulo lives across the street from the Craftsman, and was on hand to help when Rhys Morgan went down. Now he wants to help Emrys. They’d only met once before, but Felix thought there was a vibe. Over the next few days, Felix, his siblings, and Emrys make some big changes in little time. The neighbors grow close so quickly, the vibe must go both ways. Can a giant disaster be the spark for a long-burning flame?
62 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2025
About the author
Alexandra Caluen
77 books3 followersAlexandra Y. Caluen lives in a purple house with her husband, a bottle of Laphroaig, a lot of books, and nine pairs of ballroom shoes. She works in patent law and has enough hair for three people.
Find out more at www.thelastories.com or on Facebook!
Find out more at www.thelastories.com or on Facebook!
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 7, 2026
I keep saying I'm not the right reader for romance and then I come across a book like this which I devour in one go.
The book is a queer romance set against the backdrop of a fire and tragedy. Emrys Morgan is coming to Los Angeles to visit his father, Rhys, who lives alone in a Craftsman house in Altadena. Emrys is recovering from a bad break up and is coming to discuss the possibility of him moving in with his father.
But before his plane lands, the Palisades and Eaton fires break out, and by the time it lands, he receives news that his father is gone. Emrys has to pick up the pieces of his heart and deal with the grief of losing his father.
Fortunately, the neighbour across the street who was with his father in his last moments seem willing to help Emrys move in and set the house to rights. But is it all Felix Paulo is interested in?
This was quite a short read, but it does have some heavy themes. Journeys of grief and healing are different for each person, and each one deals with it differently. For Emrys, it's throwing himself into whatever needs to be done so he doesn't have the space to think of his grief. For all that, the snippets of thoughts he has about his father, the little signs his father was looking forward to him moving in, are all profoundly impactful.
I loved Felix and how his character is handled. He is respectful of Emrys' grief, helpful, and dependable. He doesn't push but lets Emrys take his time with everything he's dealing with.
It also helps that both of them are older characters and the romance has a maturity to it that I really liked.
If you love queer romances with mature characters, you will love this book.
The book is a queer romance set against the backdrop of a fire and tragedy. Emrys Morgan is coming to Los Angeles to visit his father, Rhys, who lives alone in a Craftsman house in Altadena. Emrys is recovering from a bad break up and is coming to discuss the possibility of him moving in with his father.
But before his plane lands, the Palisades and Eaton fires break out, and by the time it lands, he receives news that his father is gone. Emrys has to pick up the pieces of his heart and deal with the grief of losing his father.
Fortunately, the neighbour across the street who was with his father in his last moments seem willing to help Emrys move in and set the house to rights. But is it all Felix Paulo is interested in?
This was quite a short read, but it does have some heavy themes. Journeys of grief and healing are different for each person, and each one deals with it differently. For Emrys, it's throwing himself into whatever needs to be done so he doesn't have the space to think of his grief. For all that, the snippets of thoughts he has about his father, the little signs his father was looking forward to him moving in, are all profoundly impactful.
I loved Felix and how his character is handled. He is respectful of Emrys' grief, helpful, and dependable. He doesn't push but lets Emrys take his time with everything he's dealing with.
It also helps that both of them are older characters and the romance has a maturity to it that I really liked.
If you love queer romances with mature characters, you will love this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review