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After the Scrum
When a former rugby player reinventing himself meets a man who’s afraid to move on, can love offer a path for them both?
When Caddock Stanford loses his brother and his rugby career, two of the most important parts of his life are gone forever. Now raising his young nephew, he seeks a quieter place away from the paparazzi and all the vices of his old life. Lust and love in the form of an eccentric man weren’t even on his horizon.
Yet.
Francis Keen talks to his dog and his car. In his experience, people are less predictable and safe. His crippling anxiety keeps him anchored to his grandmother’s home. He wonders if he’ll ever find the courage to live—and to love.
Two men, so different, on track for a romantic collision... can they survive the impact?
“Let me start by saying that I loved this story - and all of its quirky, thoughtfully written characters. It's sweet, sexy, poignant - and, overall, one of the most unique M/M romance novels I've read.” ~Passionate Reads
Read the novel that inspired the bestselling series The Sin Bin.
When Caddock Stanford loses his brother and his rugby career, two of the most important parts of his life are gone forever. Now raising his young nephew, he seeks a quieter place away from the paparazzi and all the vices of his old life. Lust and love in the form of an eccentric man weren’t even on his horizon.
Yet.
Francis Keen talks to his dog and his car. In his experience, people are less predictable and safe. His crippling anxiety keeps him anchored to his grandmother’s home. He wonders if he’ll ever find the courage to live—and to love.
Two men, so different, on track for a romantic collision... can they survive the impact?
“Let me start by saying that I loved this story - and all of its quirky, thoughtfully written characters. It's sweet, sexy, poignant - and, overall, one of the most unique M/M romance novels I've read.” ~Passionate Reads
Read the novel that inspired the bestselling series The Sin Bin.
163 pages, Nook
First published April 1, 2016
67 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia Donovan
49 books776 followersDahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
April 10, 2019
What happens when your high flying rugby union career ends?
You buy a pub in Cornwall and fall in love, that's what.
I really enjoyed this romance, it's very British in the main although not as much reference to the oval ball game as I'd expected.
Still, Caddock and Francis were really lovely characters with huge personalities and although things moved fast, I never felt like it was too much.
Cute dog and cute kid helped add to the generally good feeling I has reading this and the smile stayed on my face throughout.
You buy a pub in Cornwall and fall in love, that's what.
I really enjoyed this romance, it's very British in the main although not as much reference to the oval ball game as I'd expected.
Still, Caddock and Francis were really lovely characters with huge personalities and although things moved fast, I never felt like it was too much.
Cute dog and cute kid helped add to the generally good feeling I has reading this and the smile stayed on my face throughout.
April 3, 2016
I just spent a lazy Sunday in Looe with the Brute and the "eccentric British" designer, Francis. Making an appearance was the entire nosey towners who love a good gossip. Add in a spice of Gran and dabble some "Devil" and "Lock" and it was the best way to spend time with fabulous people.
When forced into retirement due to injury, Caddock "The Brute" Stanford had also found himself responsible for his 4 year old nephew Devlin "the Devil". A chance to give Devlin a better life lead the two to the town of Looe, Cornwall and a pub to honor his brother.
Designer Francis Keen was hired to transform the pub. With all his idiosyncrasies, he never imagined that the person he worked for would be the one person to give him the freedom he craved from his crippling anxiety issues.
Two men who should never connect like they did, became what they both were unconsciously seeking....family, a safety net...love.
This is my first Donavon book and if she continues on this path, I will support her and her writing. Simply scrumptious.
When forced into retirement due to injury, Caddock "The Brute" Stanford had also found himself responsible for his 4 year old nephew Devlin "the Devil". A chance to give Devlin a better life lead the two to the town of Looe, Cornwall and a pub to honor his brother.
Designer Francis Keen was hired to transform the pub. With all his idiosyncrasies, he never imagined that the person he worked for would be the one person to give him the freedom he craved from his crippling anxiety issues.
Two men who should never connect like they did, became what they both were unconsciously seeking....family, a safety net...love.
This is my first Donavon book and if she continues on this path, I will support her and her writing. Simply scrumptious.
June 1, 2016
This is what I get for picking a book based solely on the word 'scrum' in the title. I thought it was about rugby. I love rugby. It was not about rugby, or anything for that matter. And there was nothing to the characters either. So flat and uninteresting. No character development whatsoever. I don't even know what all their names were. And I don't even care. I didn't like the writing style either. Did time even exsist? How much time has passed. Two weeks? Two months. How much time has even passed in the last sentence I read. And nobody does anything. They talk about doing things. They drive to places to do things. And then the chapter/paragraph/sentence ends and we're onto something else. And don't worry about any "problems" because they resolve themselves without fanfare on the next page.
Possible spoilers ahead. (if you can spoil something with no plot.)
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What I learned from the 116 of 172 pages I did read:
- That men cannot control themselves when they meet someone they like, which must make leaving the house pretty humiliating. (my husband says this is not true. who to believe...)
- It's okay to rub yourself all over your new friend in public, one you barely know because you just met and haven't told the other person anything, because, as a famous rugby player, only one very innocent picture will be taken of you at a two-day fair. (also men spend all day plotting how to have sex with someone, which must make work and shopping and talking to their moms on the phone very difficult. my husband denies this as well.)
- When your friends insult you it's okay to forgive them when they sarcastically apologize after their wife makes them. Especially since you choosing not to drink alcohol is insulting to them. Who cares if it triggers flashbacks to that time you were beaten up by those dudes. And have to have a service dog because of your severe anxiety. Just get over it and drink this alcohol. Which you did a couple of chapters ago with no problem. Which Rugby-dude gave you because it is either not a problem after all, he doesn't care about your feelings or you never talked about it. Which I thought they did after dog-guy had his run-in with drunk-Irish guy.
- Your boyfriend will accidentally stumble over your lost kid, even though you didn't even call him to help with the search.
- England doesn't have liquor licenses. Or building inspectors. And it's super easy and quick to buy a pub, redecorate, hire staff and open it. Have we opened it? I thought he said he had 2 weeks? That must have passed by page 116. Rugby-guy spends zero time working, so maybe someone else deals with those things. Whatever the author was trying to accomplish with this book, I don't think I was supposed to be wondering about that for the last 100 pages.
- Oh, and the 4-year-old goes to school but is able to spend weeks with his grandparents in the span of a sentence. Is it summer? Are we talking about day care? Has that much time really passed?
I've spent too much time thinking about this book. Watching the Giants win while skimming the last 10 pages only helped a little.
Possible spoilers ahead. (if you can spoil something with no plot.)
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What I learned from the 116 of 172 pages I did read:
- That men cannot control themselves when they meet someone they like, which must make leaving the house pretty humiliating. (my husband says this is not true. who to believe...)
- It's okay to rub yourself all over your new friend in public, one you barely know because you just met and haven't told the other person anything, because, as a famous rugby player, only one very innocent picture will be taken of you at a two-day fair. (also men spend all day plotting how to have sex with someone, which must make work and shopping and talking to their moms on the phone very difficult. my husband denies this as well.)
- When your friends insult you it's okay to forgive them when they sarcastically apologize after their wife makes them. Especially since you choosing not to drink alcohol is insulting to them. Who cares if it triggers flashbacks to that time you were beaten up by those dudes. And have to have a service dog because of your severe anxiety. Just get over it and drink this alcohol. Which you did a couple of chapters ago with no problem. Which Rugby-dude gave you because it is either not a problem after all, he doesn't care about your feelings or you never talked about it. Which I thought they did after dog-guy had his run-in with drunk-Irish guy.
- Your boyfriend will accidentally stumble over your lost kid, even though you didn't even call him to help with the search.
- England doesn't have liquor licenses. Or building inspectors. And it's super easy and quick to buy a pub, redecorate, hire staff and open it. Have we opened it? I thought he said he had 2 weeks? That must have passed by page 116. Rugby-guy spends zero time working, so maybe someone else deals with those things. Whatever the author was trying to accomplish with this book, I don't think I was supposed to be wondering about that for the last 100 pages.
- Oh, and the 4-year-old goes to school but is able to spend weeks with his grandparents in the span of a sentence. Is it summer? Are we talking about day care? Has that much time really passed?
I've spent too much time thinking about this book. Watching the Giants win while skimming the last 10 pages only helped a little.
March 12, 2019
First book by this author but it won't be my last. What a delightful love story between two men who may not have met if life circumstances weren't the perfect storm.
Caddock moves to a small town to open a pub and raise his 4-year-old nephew, the son of his recently deceased brother for whom he was granted sole custody. In this small town he encounters Francis, an interior designer and antique collector who moved home to take care of his gran. Opposites attract? Yes, and beautifully so.
Between Caddock and his precocious but adorable nephew and Francis and his precocious but adorable sheltie named Sherlock, we are treated to happiness, grief, heartache, and heartwarming moments of family of the heart.
I hated to see this end I enjoyed it so much. And I'm definitely going to move on to more from this author soon. Very, very soon. :D
Caddock moves to a small town to open a pub and raise his 4-year-old nephew, the son of his recently deceased brother for whom he was granted sole custody. In this small town he encounters Francis, an interior designer and antique collector who moved home to take care of his gran. Opposites attract? Yes, and beautifully so.
Between Caddock and his precocious but adorable nephew and Francis and his precocious but adorable sheltie named Sherlock, we are treated to happiness, grief, heartache, and heartwarming moments of family of the heart.
I hated to see this end I enjoyed it so much. And I'm definitely going to move on to more from this author soon. Very, very soon. :D
April 4, 2016
YOU GUYS! There is a sheltie in this!!
(This is my sheltie!)
3.5 stars for me if I could give 1/2 star ratings...not quite enough to bump it up to 4 stars here since we can only give whole stars.
I thought this was a sweet story, but at the same time there was something that just didn't work for me, and I don't really know if I can say specifically what, to be honest. I mean, I definitely thought about to write up this review before I just started typing. I don't know if it was just the overly precocious kid and the nicknames (I guess I'm just not a fan of "cub" unless it's a shifter story haha), or if it's just what I felt was a bit of a lack of heat between the two MCs. And I'm not saying that there has to be explicit sex scenes 8 times in a story, but even with a book with no sex at all, I would still want to feel that heat and that chemistry between the characters, and I don't know if I felt this between Caddock and Francis.
I did love the extreme British-ness of it, and I liked Francis' grandmother and her nosy ways. And of course, I loved Francis' dog! It was great that we got to read about a therapy dog and see him helping Francis. I enjoyed reading about the 2 MCs overcoming their own obstacles - Caddock and his family, and Francis coping with his extreme anxiety and PTSD, and the epilogue was beyond adorable.
I would say to give this book a try, and I would definitely read another story from this author, and look forward to what she has up next.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
(This is my sheltie!)
3.5 stars for me if I could give 1/2 star ratings...not quite enough to bump it up to 4 stars here since we can only give whole stars.
I thought this was a sweet story, but at the same time there was something that just didn't work for me, and I don't really know if I can say specifically what, to be honest. I mean, I definitely thought about to write up this review before I just started typing. I don't know if it was just the overly precocious kid and the nicknames (I guess I'm just not a fan of "cub" unless it's a shifter story haha), or if it's just what I felt was a bit of a lack of heat between the two MCs. And I'm not saying that there has to be explicit sex scenes 8 times in a story, but even with a book with no sex at all, I would still want to feel that heat and that chemistry between the characters, and I don't know if I felt this between Caddock and Francis.
I did love the extreme British-ness of it, and I liked Francis' grandmother and her nosy ways. And of course, I loved Francis' dog! It was great that we got to read about a therapy dog and see him helping Francis. I enjoyed reading about the 2 MCs overcoming their own obstacles - Caddock and his family, and Francis coping with his extreme anxiety and PTSD, and the epilogue was beyond adorable.
I would say to give this book a try, and I would definitely read another story from this author, and look forward to what she has up next.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 30, 2016
This is a super sweet, very British, shortish story about two guys who shouldn’t have fit together but do.
Caddock is an ex professional rugby player who now has sole custody of his little nephew after both his parents have died. He has just lost his ability to play rugby due to an injury and is forced into early retirement.
With the money he’s made he decides to open a pub in a small town on the shore, Looe. There he meets Francis, an interior designer with social anxiety after a brutal attack in London.
The two have an instant connection but dance around things briefly and let the tension mount but they can’t avoid it forever.
Caddock’s nephew is wonderful but ends up causing some troubles as his grandparents don’t think a gay man should be raising him.
Eventually, everything works out quite nicely and we get a very, very heart warming HEA.
**
This is a new to me author, but I will absolutely be looking for more in the future. The smexy times are fairly low steam, but the emotion is very sweet and the dialog witty.
I enjoyed the ending the best – so sweet! – and highly recommend this.
4.5 of 5 stars
Caddock is an ex professional rugby player who now has sole custody of his little nephew after both his parents have died. He has just lost his ability to play rugby due to an injury and is forced into early retirement.
With the money he’s made he decides to open a pub in a small town on the shore, Looe. There he meets Francis, an interior designer with social anxiety after a brutal attack in London.
The two have an instant connection but dance around things briefly and let the tension mount but they can’t avoid it forever.
Caddock’s nephew is wonderful but ends up causing some troubles as his grandparents don’t think a gay man should be raising him.
Eventually, everything works out quite nicely and we get a very, very heart warming HEA.
**
This is a new to me author, but I will absolutely be looking for more in the future. The smexy times are fairly low steam, but the emotion is very sweet and the dialog witty.
I enjoyed the ending the best – so sweet! – and highly recommend this.
4.5 of 5 stars
May 3, 2016
This is contemporary romance of what we do when family needs you more than anything. Caddock life was fly high with his career as a rugby player. In one night Caddock life has change his career is over, he has more important thing to do. After losing his brother he has his 4-year nephew to take care of and to raise. When Caddock decides to open a pub, he meets Francis. Francis has things that has happen in his pats that is holding him back from his feelings. The chemistry between the two you can feel. Twist and turns they take on their journey to discover themselves and want they truly want love and family. Recommend this book
How would you describe the plot of this book? some twist
Which of these words best describes the mood? Suspenseful
How would you describe the pace? steady
How would you describe the characters? developed
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
How would you describe the plot of this book? some twist
Which of these words best describes the mood? Suspenseful
How would you describe the pace? steady
How would you describe the characters? developed
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
July 23, 2017
When I first started this I was totally in love with it. I thought it was going to be my next 5 star read. I was laughing, crying, and I was happy. Then something happened and it all went downhill.
I think it all went to shit around the antique fair. So much was skipped over and then the rest of the book was the same way. I wanted those details at family dinners, talks they had, what happened when they went places. Don't just tell me about them, SHOW me!
Also, Caddock opened up that bar super fast. How did he even know how to do it? Did he have someone help him? He never was at work, so he had to have help, right?
Caddock and his being a tea-teetotaler didn't last long. First with the brandy nightcap and then champagne later and giving Francis a glass? Weird.
I did love me some Francis though. He was funny with Sherlock, Watson, and Dr. Evil. ;)
I think it all went to shit around the antique fair. So much was skipped over and then the rest of the book was the same way. I wanted those details at family dinners, talks they had, what happened when they went places. Don't just tell me about them, SHOW me!
Also, Caddock opened up that bar super fast. How did he even know how to do it? Did he have someone help him? He never was at work, so he had to have help, right?
Caddock and his being a tea-teetotaler didn't last long. First with the brandy nightcap and then champagne later and giving Francis a glass? Weird.
I did love me some Francis though. He was funny with Sherlock, Watson, and Dr. Evil. ;)
October 12, 2016
I've really enjoyed reading this book.It was such a sweet read with some hot and sexy moments.
Caddock,retired rugby player,and Francis,stylish interior designer,can't be more different from each other but it takes one look to spark their chemistry and sexual attraction.They soon understand they have to fight against prejudices and old fears in order to become stronger as a person and as a couple/family.
This was the first time I've read something written by this author but it won't be the last because her characters and the places were very well depicted,they seem so real I wanted to be their friend and visit Looe (Cornwall) to discover its Pub and Backery.
Copy kindly provided by the Publisher/Author.
November 19, 2018
This is an absolute must read for any Dahlia Donovan fan. She knocked it right out of the park with wit, romance and humor.
April 24, 2016
I had the ENORMOUS honour to beta read this book, as it grew, and I loved being part of it. I also purchased a completed copy.
Caddock was retired from his beloved rugby after an injury that could, if it happened again, cripple him for life. He relocates to Looe, in Cornwall with his newly inherited 4 year old nephew, Devlin. Caddock hires a local designer to help with the refurb of the pub he buys and gets so much more than he bargained for when Francis crosses his path! Along with his dog, Sherlock, Francis makes quite an impression on Caddock. Can these two really be suited, yet so very different?
I used this line in another review, but THAT book has been knocked off its perch!
There comes along, once in a while, a book that gives you the warm and fuzzies for days, days I tell ya! THIS is such a book!
I loved this book, as I was beta reading it, and I love the finished product just as much!
Its such a lovely tale! Its delicious, sweet, sexy, funny, painful, sad and everything inbetween! Its about falling in love when you least expect it, with WHO you least expect. About families, and people changing, when they see the damage they can do. Its about recovery from a traumatic event, and dealing with the after effects. About a dog who looks after his master, and all those around him. Sherlock might be allergic to sheep, but he can herd people all the day long!
The differences between Caddock and Francis is long, and extreme, but it just goes to show, opposites really do attract. But they are so very right for each other, from the beginning.
Add Sherlock, and Devlin, and you get some funny moments along with the painful ones, some down right hilarious ones with the dangerous ones. Its just brilliant!
Its not overly explicit, but that's not what this book is about, its about the LOVE between these two men, and the dog and the child. THAT'S what this book is about. LOVE.
I could gush all day, I really could, but I won't.
READ.THE.DAMN.BOOK
5 egg custard and peanut butter biscuit stars
**same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Kobo**
Caddock was retired from his beloved rugby after an injury that could, if it happened again, cripple him for life. He relocates to Looe, in Cornwall with his newly inherited 4 year old nephew, Devlin. Caddock hires a local designer to help with the refurb of the pub he buys and gets so much more than he bargained for when Francis crosses his path! Along with his dog, Sherlock, Francis makes quite an impression on Caddock. Can these two really be suited, yet so very different?
I used this line in another review, but THAT book has been knocked off its perch!
There comes along, once in a while, a book that gives you the warm and fuzzies for days, days I tell ya! THIS is such a book!
I loved this book, as I was beta reading it, and I love the finished product just as much!
Its such a lovely tale! Its delicious, sweet, sexy, funny, painful, sad and everything inbetween! Its about falling in love when you least expect it, with WHO you least expect. About families, and people changing, when they see the damage they can do. Its about recovery from a traumatic event, and dealing with the after effects. About a dog who looks after his master, and all those around him. Sherlock might be allergic to sheep, but he can herd people all the day long!
The differences between Caddock and Francis is long, and extreme, but it just goes to show, opposites really do attract. But they are so very right for each other, from the beginning.
Add Sherlock, and Devlin, and you get some funny moments along with the painful ones, some down right hilarious ones with the dangerous ones. Its just brilliant!
Its not overly explicit, but that's not what this book is about, its about the LOVE between these two men, and the dog and the child. THAT'S what this book is about. LOVE.
I could gush all day, I really could, but I won't.
READ.THE.DAMN.BOOK
5 egg custard and peanut butter biscuit stars
**same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Kobo**
April 2, 2016
After the Scrum was my first M/M romance and I felt it was so beautifully written. Normally it takes me a week or two to find time to read a book, I read this one in less than a day because I wanted, no I needed to know how it ended. Instantly I fell in love with both Caddock and Francis and the way their story unfolded was heartwrenchingly wonderful. I have to say that the star of the book is definitely the little Devil, Devlin. He is a sweetheart and it's easy to see why Caddock loves him so! I want him to come spend time with me and I'll give him all the bickies he wants just to listen to him talk! The struggles and fears these two men go through just to be with someone they love is inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. I absolutely adored this book and look forward to more from this author!
August 12, 2016
3.5 Stars ~ Caddock “The Brute” Stanford has been forced to retire from professional rugby because of injury. On top of that, he’s lost his brother and inherited his young nephew, Devlin. He’s ill-prepared for either one. He’s absolutely determined to raise his nephew as his brother wished, but he doesn’t think his current living situation is ideal. So, he decides to buy a pub in a small village and run the business while raising the boy. It’ll be a slower pace and a better environment for him and also will get him away from any temptations, he thinks.
He buys the pub pretty much sight unseen, and he knows it needs some work. Through his business manager, he ends up connecting to a local interior designer named Francis. Caddock mistakenly assumes that Francis is a woman. When he realizes how wrong he is, he is not at all sorry.
He buys the pub pretty much sight unseen, and he knows it needs some work. Through his business manager, he ends up connecting to a local interior designer named Francis. Caddock mistakenly assumes that Francis is a woman. When he realizes how wrong he is, he is not at all sorry.
June 2, 2016
I really couldn't get into this book. I find it hard to tell what i dislike but it was just to much and to little at the same time, to much telling (got a headache reading) and to little of a story.
This just wasn't for me.
This just wasn't for me.
July 19, 2017
One of the most obnoxious, rambling, confused, all-over-the-place books I've read!
I was honestly thinking of EVERYTHING else under the sun while reading this book ... anything to escape it. UGH, just NO!!
I was honestly thinking of EVERYTHING else under the sun while reading this book ... anything to escape it. UGH, just NO!!
April 11, 2016
I'm a rudby fan and i really enjoy the humour in it. Dont hesitate read it, all the ingrédients for a good book are in it.Thanks Dahlia.
April 29, 2020
I thought this was a really sweet book. It's a nice, easy read- no drama between the main characters, no angst, just a bit of trouble with a parent, but even that wasn't too bad. I'd say the romance was a bit of insta, if not love then definitely lust. But I think it was more than lust for both Caddock and Francis, although they didn't rush things in the love department until they did get to know each other better.
Francis suffered from PTSD, which I thought was handled really well. It definitely played a part in showing who he was as a person, but it didn't define him. I liked that we got to see Sherlock in his job as a support dog- we weren't just told he was one, he actually did the work.
Caddock was a really good man. After suffering his own tragedy, he moves to a small town to start a new life for his nephew and himself. He was wonderful with both his nephew Devlin, and with Francis. I love the little Devil, he was such a precious little guy!
I don't know what else to say! This was just a feel good story that put a smile on my face.
Francis suffered from PTSD, which I thought was handled really well. It definitely played a part in showing who he was as a person, but it didn't define him. I liked that we got to see Sherlock in his job as a support dog- we weren't just told he was one, he actually did the work.
Caddock was a really good man. After suffering his own tragedy, he moves to a small town to start a new life for his nephew and himself. He was wonderful with both his nephew Devlin, and with Francis. I love the little Devil, he was such a precious little guy!
I don't know what else to say! This was just a feel good story that put a smile on my face.
March 9, 2019
Soul satisfying romance
I’m simply devouring these lovely novels about former rugby players and the men they fall in love with. They just flow along, building relationships gently but inexorably. Francis and Caddock appear quite opposite in temperament and physical characteristics but fit into each other’s empty spaces perfectly. Francis has some trauma in his past, so one of the stars of the story is his therapy dog, Sherlock. I have a soft spot for stories set in England and Britain, so the close-knit villagers and their nosy helpfulness was delightful. Caddock and Francis add surprising spice and heat with a mild D/s kink in the bedroom. The pacing for the plot is nearly pitch-perfect, I just thought the jump to the epilogue a bit rushed. These stories will be high in my list of comfort reads!
I’m simply devouring these lovely novels about former rugby players and the men they fall in love with. They just flow along, building relationships gently but inexorably. Francis and Caddock appear quite opposite in temperament and physical characteristics but fit into each other’s empty spaces perfectly. Francis has some trauma in his past, so one of the stars of the story is his therapy dog, Sherlock. I have a soft spot for stories set in England and Britain, so the close-knit villagers and their nosy helpfulness was delightful. Caddock and Francis add surprising spice and heat with a mild D/s kink in the bedroom. The pacing for the plot is nearly pitch-perfect, I just thought the jump to the epilogue a bit rushed. These stories will be high in my list of comfort reads!
May 3, 2016
VIRGINIA REVIEW
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This is contemporary romance of what we do when family needs you more than anything. Caddock life was fly high with his career as a rugby player. In one night Caddock life has change his career is over, he has more important thing to do. After losing his brother he has his 4-year nephew to take care of and to raise. When Caddock decides to open a pub, he meets Francis. Francis has things that has happen in his pats that is holding him back from his feelings. The chemistry between the two you can feel. Twist and turns they take on their journey to discover themselves and want they truly want love and family. Recommend this book
How would you describe the plot of this book? some twist
Which of these words best describes the mood? Suspenseful
How would you describe the pace? steady
How would you describe the characters? developed
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
********
This is contemporary romance of what we do when family needs you more than anything. Caddock life was fly high with his career as a rugby player. In one night Caddock life has change his career is over, he has more important thing to do. After losing his brother he has his 4-year nephew to take care of and to raise. When Caddock decides to open a pub, he meets Francis. Francis has things that has happen in his pats that is holding him back from his feelings. The chemistry between the two you can feel. Twist and turns they take on their journey to discover themselves and want they truly want love and family. Recommend this book
How would you describe the plot of this book? some twist
Which of these words best describes the mood? Suspenseful
How would you describe the pace? steady
How would you describe the characters? developed
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
June 4, 2016
The blurb sounded interesting, the read was easy but it didn't really grab me. Stuff happened and was dealt with over a few pages. In the end I found it rather boring.
Looks like this author so far has written M/F; I should have been warned by that, this wasn't the first time I had problems with an author's first try writing M/M.
Looks like this author so far has written M/F; I should have been warned by that, this wasn't the first time I had problems with an author's first try writing M/M.
June 8, 2018
Everything about this was charming and adorable. A really lovely and mostly low-angst romance set against a small, quirky English village.
I'm happily moving on to The Wanderer, which is the series that was inspired by this book.
I'm happily moving on to The Wanderer, which is the series that was inspired by this book.
April 20, 2016
A very funny and such sweet book about 2 men who are totally opposites fall for one another. Devlin is absolutely adorable and totally makes the story worthwhile. The humor that Caddock and Francis share is what makes this story so well rounded. It truly is an ideal relationship. Loved the story.
April 25, 2016
This is a cute sweet read. Reading about Caddock and his cute little nephew Devlin had me smiling like crazy. Add in Francis and his dog and I was one happy reader. Such a great book. Will definitely read more by this author.
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
April 27, 2016
Whilst I did really enjoy this book I found it confusing sometimes as the book is set in the UK and both MC where English that some of the dialogue was American.
Would definitely read more from this author though.
Would definitely read more from this author though.
April 29, 2016
Fun to read
This was a very sweet story, and it was also funny. For me the best thing about it was there was no angst, just a lovely story about two decent men who met and fell in love, and an adorable boy and special dog who added to making a nice family.
This was a very sweet story, and it was also funny. For me the best thing about it was there was no angst, just a lovely story about two decent men who met and fell in love, and an adorable boy and special dog who added to making a nice family.
May 31, 2016
I absolutely loved this wonderful gay male romance. Each half of the couple complements the other. Add in a cute kid and dog, plus the Cornish coast, and you have a winning combination.
I didn't love the two predictable crises that occurred, but they were important to the story.
I didn't love the two predictable crises that occurred, but they were important to the story.
September 11, 2016
***This book is one of many I read while on vacation in the US. While travelling I was neither willing nor able to do the reviews of the books I read. For personal reasons it took me a while to get to it. ***
May 27, 2016
I really liked it! I could read more. A nice feel good story with a good HEA!
Happy reading = )
Happy reading = )
May 30, 2016
3.5 stars.
This book is seriously cute. I really enjoyed it.
This book is seriously cute. I really enjoyed it.
April 16, 2017
I liked the premise of the story - retired rugby player moving to run a pub, meeting guy etc etc. Thought there was lots of scope here.
I enjoyed Francis and his quirks and his talking to himself and to Sherlock. I could understand why he ran home after London.
Caddock was a bit more difficult to like, he seemed to ride straight over anyone he had just met. He did grow on me a bit though. Devlin was cute despite his hard start in life.
I just felt it was a bit disjointed at times and there were some logic leaps that I would have liked to explore.
Overall I liked it and I shall probably get The Wanderer as it seems to follow on.
I enjoyed Francis and his quirks and his talking to himself and to Sherlock. I could understand why he ran home after London.
Caddock was a bit more difficult to like, he seemed to ride straight over anyone he had just met. He did grow on me a bit though. Devlin was cute despite his hard start in life.
I just felt it was a bit disjointed at times and there were some logic leaps that I would have liked to explore.
Overall I liked it and I shall probably get The Wanderer as it seems to follow on.
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