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Scandinavian Comfort #1
Little Harbour
This is a story about life and death, because there was never anyone else for Jens. He had been with Sofie almost all his life, from the day they met at school when they were fifteen, until the day she took her final breath against his chest. She was always everything to him. As he was to her. He never doubted that. Not for a minute.
This is an adventure of hope, where Axel Kleve keeps himself too busy to even stop and think. Work, sleep, eat, repeat. He loves his job as a Midwife at Oslo’s University Hospital, He’s good at lecturing and training, and now he has somehow been pushed into running “Ask Axel”, a midwifery blog on PNN.no, the parenting-site everyone in Norway trusts.
This is a tale of second chances. Jens, he doesn't let himself think of Axel. He doesn't think of Axel at
all. And Axel needs to stop longing for that one crush he’s never been able to leave behind. It’s just plain ridiculous. He should have got over Jens Sommerfeldt years ago.
A M/M novel full of love and family life, featuring a hord of feral children, a stolen pram, a Midwifery blog and an ill advised stint on TV. Oh yes, and a man who had lost hope and another who never gave it up.
This is an adventure of hope, where Axel Kleve keeps himself too busy to even stop and think. Work, sleep, eat, repeat. He loves his job as a Midwife at Oslo’s University Hospital, He’s good at lecturing and training, and now he has somehow been pushed into running “Ask Axel”, a midwifery blog on PNN.no, the parenting-site everyone in Norway trusts.
This is a tale of second chances. Jens, he doesn't let himself think of Axel. He doesn't think of Axel at
all. And Axel needs to stop longing for that one crush he’s never been able to leave behind. It’s just plain ridiculous. He should have got over Jens Sommerfeldt years ago.
A M/M novel full of love and family life, featuring a hord of feral children, a stolen pram, a Midwifery blog and an ill advised stint on TV. Oh yes, and a man who had lost hope and another who never gave it up.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2018
111 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Soames
36 books229 followersAuthor of Contemporary M/M romance with all the feels. This is where flawed men discover happy endings, in truly European fairy tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 22, 2019
~2.5~
I'm disappointed in myself. I wanted to love this story. I NEEDED to love this story. Norway is one of my favorite places on earth. I love the land, the culture, and the beautiful people.
I am always ecstatic when a story is set somewhere other than the U.S. The setting in Little Harbour gets a solid five stars.
I also like that the book didn't include a bunch of unnecessary drama and angst, and that Jens' kids acted like kids. The 6-year-old especially was really funny. He gets up in the morning, sees a stranger in his kitchen, and then demands that Axel make him Nutella on toast.
What I didn't like is how quickly the guys fell into a relationship. I wanted more tension around Jens' sexuality. Jens proclaims that he's gay the second he sees Axel after they spend almost two decades apart.
I don't understand how a gay man can happily stay married to a woman and have four children with her. I have friends who got married and had children because of societal/religious pressure, but they were never happy and always knew they were living a lie.
I guess there are hints that Axel has some interest in women, but it felt to me like he was straight for his wife. Something about this just rubbed me the wrong way.
This story was just so very long, much, MUCH too long. There were so many random details thrown in.
The men get together by 15%, and then it's just Axel fitting into Jens' family. Even the epilogue felt cumbersome. I love HEAs, but the last chapter went on and on.
Finally, I really dislike the present-tense POV. I almost stopped reading in chapter 1 because that narrative style is so frantic and feels too much like stream of consciousness. That's not the author's fault. It's just my preference.
Overall, while this was a sweet story with a wonderful setting, it didn't keep my interest. Honestly, I was bored to tears and skimmed quite a bit to finish.
I'm disappointed in myself. I wanted to love this story. I NEEDED to love this story. Norway is one of my favorite places on earth. I love the land, the culture, and the beautiful people.
I am always ecstatic when a story is set somewhere other than the U.S. The setting in Little Harbour gets a solid five stars.
I also like that the book didn't include a bunch of unnecessary drama and angst, and that Jens' kids acted like kids. The 6-year-old especially was really funny. He gets up in the morning, sees a stranger in his kitchen, and then demands that Axel make him Nutella on toast.
What I didn't like is how quickly the guys fell into a relationship. I wanted more tension around Jens' sexuality. Jens proclaims that he's gay the second he sees Axel after they spend almost two decades apart.
I don't understand how a gay man can happily stay married to a woman and have four children with her. I have friends who got married and had children because of societal/religious pressure, but they were never happy and always knew they were living a lie.
I guess there are hints that Axel has some interest in women, but it felt to me like he was straight for his wife. Something about this just rubbed me the wrong way.
This story was just so very long, much, MUCH too long. There were so many random details thrown in.
The men get together by 15%, and then it's just Axel fitting into Jens' family. Even the epilogue felt cumbersome. I love HEAs, but the last chapter went on and on.
Finally, I really dislike the present-tense POV. I almost stopped reading in chapter 1 because that narrative style is so frantic and feels too much like stream of consciousness. That's not the author's fault. It's just my preference.
Overall, while this was a sweet story with a wonderful setting, it didn't keep my interest. Honestly, I was bored to tears and skimmed quite a bit to finish.
December 16, 2018
3.5 Stars!
I liked the book. My main issue was that it was very long for the story that was being told. Some scenes were lackluster and could have easily been edited out without being missed. I skimmed some of this and skipped the bonus scenes because I just needed it to be done.
I actually enjoyed that there was no angst in sight. I liked the relationship that Axel developed with Morten. The children actually kept this book afloat for me. They were all very entertaining.
Axel was an enjoyable character but I found it hard to like Jens. I understand loss and grief. Still going through it myself. The problem was that he came off as a bit immature.
This book has a lot of steam, tender moments, love, acceptance, and a whole lot of mush. So much mush. I'm so not the person for all that mush. It was too much for my taste. I guess I'm just too jaded. But the true romantics at heart will really love this story.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I liked the book. My main issue was that it was very long for the story that was being told. Some scenes were lackluster and could have easily been edited out without being missed. I skimmed some of this and skipped the bonus scenes because I just needed it to be done.
I actually enjoyed that there was no angst in sight. I liked the relationship that Axel developed with Morten. The children actually kept this book afloat for me. They were all very entertaining.
Axel was an enjoyable character but I found it hard to like Jens. I understand loss and grief. Still going through it myself. The problem was that he came off as a bit immature.
This book has a lot of steam, tender moments, love, acceptance, and a whole lot of mush. So much mush. I'm so not the person for all that mush. It was too much for my taste. I guess I'm just too jaded. But the true romantics at heart will really love this story.
Happy reading dolls! xx
January 9, 2019
*** This review was published 0n my blog.
I saw this book mentioned on Facebook. I’d never heard of the author, but based on the blurb and enthusiastic recommendations, I decided to try it. I’m happy to give it my rave review as well!
The romance is set in Oslo and it’s between a professor of poetry, Axel, who lost his wife a year ago and is struggling to get through every day with this four children, and a male midwife/nurse, Jens, who is single. When Axel runs across a photo of Jens on a blog post, he realizes it’s a guy he knew in college. They’d been the closest of best friends until a kiss caused awkwardness between them. The widower, Axel, decides he must reconnect with his old friend. It turns out Jens has been in love with Axel all these years. And Axel very quickly has to convince Jens he’s not going to mess with his head again, that he wants to try for a real relationship
There’s a lot to enjoy in this story. I loved the Scandinavian setting. I loved that Axel and Jens are basically soul mates who met when the time was not right, and later find each other again. Axel and his children are sort of a mess after the death of his wife, so there’s a hurt/comfort element of the story too as Jens comes in and has to tread carefully, and yet he ultimately brings so much healing to this family. And I loved the family aspect of it, all four kids. The author doesn’t shy away for including the kids in the story, often and loudly, and very messily too. I can’t recall reading a m-m romance before that had so much family time in it. It felt very realistic, and I really liked that. To me, there was still plenty of romance to balance out the family scenes.
This appears to be Sophia Soames’ first book, and I hope to read more from her in the future.
I saw this book mentioned on Facebook. I’d never heard of the author, but based on the blurb and enthusiastic recommendations, I decided to try it. I’m happy to give it my rave review as well!
The romance is set in Oslo and it’s between a professor of poetry, Axel, who lost his wife a year ago and is struggling to get through every day with this four children, and a male midwife/nurse, Jens, who is single. When Axel runs across a photo of Jens on a blog post, he realizes it’s a guy he knew in college. They’d been the closest of best friends until a kiss caused awkwardness between them. The widower, Axel, decides he must reconnect with his old friend. It turns out Jens has been in love with Axel all these years. And Axel very quickly has to convince Jens he’s not going to mess with his head again, that he wants to try for a real relationship
There’s a lot to enjoy in this story. I loved the Scandinavian setting. I loved that Axel and Jens are basically soul mates who met when the time was not right, and later find each other again. Axel and his children are sort of a mess after the death of his wife, so there’s a hurt/comfort element of the story too as Jens comes in and has to tread carefully, and yet he ultimately brings so much healing to this family. And I loved the family aspect of it, all four kids. The author doesn’t shy away for including the kids in the story, often and loudly, and very messily too. I can’t recall reading a m-m romance before that had so much family time in it. It felt very realistic, and I really liked that. To me, there was still plenty of romance to balance out the family scenes.
This appears to be Sophia Soames’ first book, and I hope to read more from her in the future.
May 19, 2020
This is a long, sweet, warm second-chances story in which nothing much happens, except real life. There are kids aged two to sixteen, a grieving father, a childhood crush, and a new love that blooms fast and hard and wonderfully. Jens, a university professor, lost his wife a year ago, and he has been barely keeping it under control enough to keep his four children fed and safe. He's grumpy and hurting and lost. The flat is a mess, getting the kids out the door stretches him to near breaking. He's neglected his work, and failed to even see that his toddler needs bigger shoes.
In a moment of desperation, he texts "Where can I buy good children's shoes" to an online answer blog. But accidentally, he sends it to the newly-minted midwifery blog of Axel Kleve. Once, twenty years ago, Jens and Axel were best friends, and an unacknowledged bit more. And Axel, though he's dated other men, never quite forgot Jens. So his message is an unlooked-for second chance.
The two get together, and that connection they had years ago is still there. Through all the changes, they still feel like best friends. For Jens, it's a ray of light into the darkness that's been dragging him under. For Axel, it's time with the boy he loved when the world was new. And for the 4 kids, it's change and upheaval, a happier but forgetful father, a new man messing with their routines, and slowly, a new life. The kids feel mostly realistic with joys and flaws, though a bit more anger and acting out might have been expected.
This whole story could've been more angsty or darker. The men could've doubted each other more, especially with the kids in the mix. Instead the growing love between them is a sweet and solid thing, even when they're not quite sure it's real. Throw in an interfering but excellent grandmother, a trending media storm, and all the needs and disasters of living with children. You end up with a warm, comfortable, funny and loving journey. A great comfort read.
There are two extra stories after the end, the first light and funny, the second bittersweet (with a content warning - to be skipped by HEA purists.)
So why not 5 stars? First because there is a lot of sex content. It's well done, and especially at first, when Jens was new to gay sex and Axel was new to Jens, it felt important. I didn't start skimming it till about 70% in, but in the end it was more than I feel the story needed. (And occasionally over the top - you don't leave a toddler unsupervised in a hotel room, especially with the sound muffled, even for the length of a quickie. The degree to which these guys prioritized sex was cute but occasionally too much.)
Second, for a pet peeve of mine. One of the things that bugs me, in second chances romance of any stripe, is the need authors feel to make the new relationship better than the old one. For some reason, the grieving partner finds his new love just a bit better, hotter, more wonderful, than the person whose loss devastated him. The fact is, you can love two people equally. You can give your whole heart to someone, even if you gave it to someone else first.
It bugged me that Sofie, Jens' wife, was relegated to second best (especially in her little note.) That she was often vitally important only as the mother of the wonderful children, a gift to the new even-happier couple. It wasn't blatant - Jens loved her and often praised her. She is shown as a loving and vivid character. The children adored and miss her, and she doesn't disappear out of the narrative. But it didn't need to be done at all. The men could have loved just as fiercely even if Jens choosing Sofie the first time around hadn't been second best, but equal best.
Setting those issues aside, though, I really enjoyed this read. I love slice-of-life. I really like seeing a couple day to day and not just skipping from drama to drama. Jens is funny and warm and articulate and loving and wonderfully bumbling sometimes. Axel is smart and fierce and kind and adores kids - a good man in every sense. In uncertain times, a few hours spent with a marvelous, loving family was just what I needed. Sometime I will definitely read more from this author.
In a moment of desperation, he texts "Where can I buy good children's shoes" to an online answer blog. But accidentally, he sends it to the newly-minted midwifery blog of Axel Kleve. Once, twenty years ago, Jens and Axel were best friends, and an unacknowledged bit more. And Axel, though he's dated other men, never quite forgot Jens. So his message is an unlooked-for second chance.
The two get together, and that connection they had years ago is still there. Through all the changes, they still feel like best friends. For Jens, it's a ray of light into the darkness that's been dragging him under. For Axel, it's time with the boy he loved when the world was new. And for the 4 kids, it's change and upheaval, a happier but forgetful father, a new man messing with their routines, and slowly, a new life. The kids feel mostly realistic with joys and flaws, though a bit more anger and acting out might have been expected.
This whole story could've been more angsty or darker. The men could've doubted each other more, especially with the kids in the mix. Instead the growing love between them is a sweet and solid thing, even when they're not quite sure it's real. Throw in an interfering but excellent grandmother, a trending media storm, and all the needs and disasters of living with children. You end up with a warm, comfortable, funny and loving journey. A great comfort read.
There are two extra stories after the end, the first light and funny, the second bittersweet (with a content warning - to be skipped by HEA purists.)
So why not 5 stars? First because there is a lot of sex content. It's well done, and especially at first, when Jens was new to gay sex and Axel was new to Jens, it felt important. I didn't start skimming it till about 70% in, but in the end it was more than I feel the story needed. (And occasionally over the top - you don't leave a toddler unsupervised in a hotel room, especially with the sound muffled, even for the length of a quickie. The degree to which these guys prioritized sex was cute but occasionally too much.)
Second, for a pet peeve of mine. One of the things that bugs me, in second chances romance of any stripe, is the need authors feel to make the new relationship better than the old one. For some reason, the grieving partner finds his new love just a bit better, hotter, more wonderful, than the person whose loss devastated him. The fact is, you can love two people equally. You can give your whole heart to someone, even if you gave it to someone else first.
It bugged me that Sofie, Jens' wife, was relegated to second best (especially in her little note.) That she was often vitally important only as the mother of the wonderful children, a gift to the new even-happier couple. It wasn't blatant - Jens loved her and often praised her. She is shown as a loving and vivid character. The children adored and miss her, and she doesn't disappear out of the narrative. But it didn't need to be done at all. The men could have loved just as fiercely even if Jens choosing Sofie the first time around hadn't been second best, but equal best.
Setting those issues aside, though, I really enjoyed this read. I love slice-of-life. I really like seeing a couple day to day and not just skipping from drama to drama. Jens is funny and warm and articulate and loving and wonderfully bumbling sometimes. Axel is smart and fierce and kind and adores kids - a good man in every sense. In uncertain times, a few hours spent with a marvelous, loving family was just what I needed. Sometime I will definitely read more from this author.
May 16, 2021
I honestly cannot believe this is a debut novel. This is so gorgeously written.
The premise is SO different than most romantic stories.
In this book you really get to know the characters. I felt I knew them deep down into their bones. That’s rare and beautiful.
Axel and Jens have an epic love story and this you feel throughout the book.
The epilogue killed me dead as well.
Read this wonderful story about love and friendship.
This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2018!
The premise is SO different than most romantic stories.
In this book you really get to know the characters. I felt I knew them deep down into their bones. That’s rare and beautiful.
Axel and Jens have an epic love story and this you feel throughout the book.
The epilogue killed me dead as well.
Read this wonderful story about love and friendship.
This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2018!
December 3, 2018
Nice story. Second chance love (not my favorite trope) with kids and no real angst (unless you read the bonus material and then the waterworks are unavoidable).
It was both well told and edited. Lots of sexy times with dirty talk and tender moments. Sadly, I didn't really likes Jens that much and I really didn't like the way the the married relationship was defined and written as settling and being happy enough. I loved the honesty of the book with how life is when raising kids. I was irritated to no end on how many times these guys told each other they loved each other. Boy, did things move fast.
This was a really, really long book. I stuck with it and it was worth it.
It was both well told and edited. Lots of sexy times with dirty talk and tender moments. Sadly, I didn't really likes Jens that much and I really didn't like the way the the married relationship was defined and written as settling and being happy enough. I loved the honesty of the book with how life is when raising kids. I was irritated to no end on how many times these guys told each other they loved each other. Boy, did things move fast.
This was a really, really long book. I stuck with it and it was worth it.
January 3, 2019
I’m crying!!
The final bonus scene slayed me so bad that I’m just sitting here sobbing my heart out! Omg! 😭
This was beautiful love story. At times it scared me how co-dependent the two of them are. But then I remind myself it’s a story about love. And that it’s perfectly alright.
The sentence structures were simple and short. But it doesn’t take away the beauty of the love story. I love that we’re being swept up into a story that’s all consuming in the way that we’re literally living the lives of these characters. They’re not perfect. In fact, they’re most decidedly imperfect with very obvious flaws. But their love for each other was so beautiful.
It was also lovely to watch as the children learned to navigate around Axle being around all the time. Watching him do something special with each child was truly heartwarming.
It was a little bit crazy, a lot of chaos, a whole heap of love you’s and hate you’s. But it shows life at its best. That it isn’t perfect, that people can be difficult and the love of your life is also the most exasperating person in your life. It was a beautiful story. Haven’t cried for a fictional story in a long time.
2019, you’ve been good to me so far. Happy New Year!
The final bonus scene slayed me so bad that I’m just sitting here sobbing my heart out! Omg! 😭
This was beautiful love story. At times it scared me how co-dependent the two of them are. But then I remind myself it’s a story about love. And that it’s perfectly alright.
The sentence structures were simple and short. But it doesn’t take away the beauty of the love story. I love that we’re being swept up into a story that’s all consuming in the way that we’re literally living the lives of these characters. They’re not perfect. In fact, they’re most decidedly imperfect with very obvious flaws. But their love for each other was so beautiful.
It was also lovely to watch as the children learned to navigate around Axle being around all the time. Watching him do something special with each child was truly heartwarming.
It was a little bit crazy, a lot of chaos, a whole heap of love you’s and hate you’s. But it shows life at its best. That it isn’t perfect, that people can be difficult and the love of your life is also the most exasperating person in your life. It was a beautiful story. Haven’t cried for a fictional story in a long time.
2019, you’ve been good to me so far. Happy New Year!
January 1, 2019
This book is uneven but even so its grand and great.
This romance is more of a feeling than a real plot and the plot it has is pretty indulgent and meandering. And whoa is this book long and it feels it at times. We get very little conflict or angst and yet a pile of complex and engaging emotions that carry us along.
So, what is the feeling of this book? A hot springs in the middle of a snowy forest. Something like that overwhelming and foggy and refreshing.
So. Jens and Axel and the childern.
Jens is a professor of Literature and he is soaked in grief. He has four childern raging from 16/17 to 2. All of them are more together than he is and yet his very loving.
He meets up with his other love Axel. A friend he had with blurred lines while he and Sophie dated but when Axel found out about Sophie, the relationship ended. The book falls apart a little here in that both Sophie (from the grave) and Axel don't really make Jens reckon with himself and his actions around either of them. They were young and Jens seems to be one of those super charismatic people that are easily forgiven.
Of course, I like Axel the best. A midwife. A leaper in and follower of his heart. He is kind and funny and honest. He gets to be a bit of celeb in this mess because of a column he has on a popular parenting website.
The whole thing is set in Olso. We get blog postings, texts, silly dirty talk, emotionially real sex, paternal exhaustion, poetry, a cast of friends and all the life stage drama, crazy loving parents. The kids are so well drawn. The relationship between every minor to major character matters and pulls you in.
We get a pile of family and couple time. Its lush and messy. I liked it a great deal though there are tons of ways to pick it apart and it could be much more finely wrought but its grand. Can't wait for another in the series.
Wish the writer had a website!
This romance is more of a feeling than a real plot and the plot it has is pretty indulgent and meandering. And whoa is this book long and it feels it at times. We get very little conflict or angst and yet a pile of complex and engaging emotions that carry us along.
So, what is the feeling of this book? A hot springs in the middle of a snowy forest. Something like that overwhelming and foggy and refreshing.
So. Jens and Axel and the childern.
Jens is a professor of Literature and he is soaked in grief. He has four childern raging from 16/17 to 2. All of them are more together than he is and yet his very loving.
He meets up with his other love Axel. A friend he had with blurred lines while he and Sophie dated but when Axel found out about Sophie, the relationship ended. The book falls apart a little here in that both Sophie (from the grave) and Axel don't really make Jens reckon with himself and his actions around either of them. They were young and Jens seems to be one of those super charismatic people that are easily forgiven.
Of course, I like Axel the best. A midwife. A leaper in and follower of his heart. He is kind and funny and honest. He gets to be a bit of celeb in this mess because of a column he has on a popular parenting website.
The whole thing is set in Olso. We get blog postings, texts, silly dirty talk, emotionially real sex, paternal exhaustion, poetry, a cast of friends and all the life stage drama, crazy loving parents. The kids are so well drawn. The relationship between every minor to major character matters and pulls you in.
We get a pile of family and couple time. Its lush and messy. I liked it a great deal though there are tons of ways to pick it apart and it could be much more finely wrought but its grand. Can't wait for another in the series.
Wish the writer had a website!
August 23, 2021
Candy floss. Rainbows. Ice cream. Unicorns. Insert any other sugary, cute word here and you’ll have the saccharine gist of this book. It reads like too much sweetness to the point that you know you feel sick but you kinda want one more bite.
Because yes, this is a very sweet story. It is a love story with proper grown ups and families and kids. It’s a love story that starts the other way around; the angst comes right at the beginning, the HEA just a bit after and from then on it’s just life about two men who found each other a bit later in life and they want to spend all of it together.
If it weren’t for the kids, I think this would have been a less enjoyful read. They are so beautifully and wonderfully portrayed and the relationship with their fathers is just so moving and touching to read. Besides the fact they don’t bat an eyelid when their dad brings home another man and just accept it - that’s Scandinavian upbringing for you. Their personalities carry a lot of emotion and anger and humour and fun, they had me laughing out loud more than once. They do what kids are supposed to do and that’s very endearing to read.
The grown ups also do what they’re supposed to do; going crazy trying to get four kids ready for school in the morning, stealing moments and kisses behind closed doors, talking dirty and having silent sex in the shower with the kids sleeping… They are fathers but they are also partners and lovers and friends and their need to go from one ‘mode’ to the other I found was very convincing. They’re not afraid to get sappy and emotional and they do that. Like, a lot.
Which is what I think will make a lot of cynical readers roll their eyes. The constant affirmation of love and contentment amidst situations of pure chaos that drive families the world over crazy; baby spills breakfast on the floor? “I’m so lucky to have this family”. Teenage kids shouting at each other? “My partner is acting stern but I know he loves it. And I love him for it”. I understand it’s all part of family life - and also, er, fiction - it just became a bit too much after a while.
So, if you like your love stories as sweet as a strawberry sundae, then this is for you. Sugar-related jokes aside, it’s highly emotional due to highly emotional MCs - I did well up more than once -, it portrays family life in a different way that might not be 100% true to life but is 100% a joy to read and it’s got the four most adorable kids ever. It might also make you google Stavanger and once you do you’ll want to spend Christmas there but maybe that’s just me.
Because yes, this is a very sweet story. It is a love story with proper grown ups and families and kids. It’s a love story that starts the other way around; the angst comes right at the beginning, the HEA just a bit after and from then on it’s just life about two men who found each other a bit later in life and they want to spend all of it together.
If it weren’t for the kids, I think this would have been a less enjoyful read. They are so beautifully and wonderfully portrayed and the relationship with their fathers is just so moving and touching to read. Besides the fact they don’t bat an eyelid when their dad brings home another man and just accept it - that’s Scandinavian upbringing for you. Their personalities carry a lot of emotion and anger and humour and fun, they had me laughing out loud more than once. They do what kids are supposed to do and that’s very endearing to read.
The grown ups also do what they’re supposed to do; going crazy trying to get four kids ready for school in the morning, stealing moments and kisses behind closed doors, talking dirty and having silent sex in the shower with the kids sleeping… They are fathers but they are also partners and lovers and friends and their need to go from one ‘mode’ to the other I found was very convincing. They’re not afraid to get sappy and emotional and they do that. Like, a lot.
Which is what I think will make a lot of cynical readers roll their eyes. The constant affirmation of love and contentment amidst situations of pure chaos that drive families the world over crazy; baby spills breakfast on the floor? “I’m so lucky to have this family”. Teenage kids shouting at each other? “My partner is acting stern but I know he loves it. And I love him for it”. I understand it’s all part of family life - and also, er, fiction - it just became a bit too much after a while.
So, if you like your love stories as sweet as a strawberry sundae, then this is for you. Sugar-related jokes aside, it’s highly emotional due to highly emotional MCs - I did well up more than once -, it portrays family life in a different way that might not be 100% true to life but is 100% a joy to read and it’s got the four most adorable kids ever. It might also make you google Stavanger and once you do you’ll want to spend Christmas there but maybe that’s just me.
December 1, 2018
This was perfect.
A beautiful story of high school sweethearts who get a second chance at love.
*ARC received by LesCourt services
A beautiful story of high school sweethearts who get a second chance at love.
*ARC received by LesCourt services
Want to read
May 1, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/1/2019)! 🎁
July 29, 2019
This has been done before ... cute meet for ex-high school boyfriends (one of whom is now a struggling single dad). Cute kids, inevitable tensions between children and step-parent, completely hopeless at juggling kids and work biological dad, a terrified new boyfriend who's capably skilled and competent with handling kid/teenager issues, public dismay and disbelief with the (no-longer straight sexy single dad), nosy colleagues, snarky friends, over-the-top parents, gossip journalism ... does this all sound all too familiar??
Yes of course - but then again, no. The Scandinavian setting (Oslo) was a refreshing change (for me). The Nordic names actually stuck in my head just because they are not Trent, Kayla, Abby or Shayne. The strictly linear plotline did not meander nor falter in pace. I was charmed! I kept wanting to see what would happen next. I laughed aloud at the crazy situations these two guys keep getting themselves in. This is my first introduction to Ms Soames and I look forward to reading what else she has in publication. 4.5 stars... almost made it onto my Favorites bookshelf.
A word of warning.
Yes of course - but then again, no. The Scandinavian setting (Oslo) was a refreshing change (for me). The Nordic names actually stuck in my head just because they are not Trent, Kayla, Abby or Shayne. The strictly linear plotline did not meander nor falter in pace. I was charmed! I kept wanting to see what would happen next. I laughed aloud at the crazy situations these two guys keep getting themselves in. This is my first introduction to Ms Soames and I look forward to reading what else she has in publication. 4.5 stars... almost made it onto my Favorites bookshelf.
A word of warning.
January 11, 2019
This was a wonderful book and a story so full of love and joy, I had a great time reading it.
What I liked was the setting in Norway, which was a different angle to my regular gay romance novels.
The main characters, Axel - a midwife and Jens, a professor for Norwegian literature, and widower with 4 kids, are adorable, their love for each other made me laugh and cry and Jens`children are much more than the usual pale sidekicks you get in a "normal" romance.
I also loved the development of their relationship that felt genuine, without unnecessary drama, but with enough action to keep the story going.
My only complaint is, that the story was really long and even if I did not really get bored, it could have been a little shorter for my liking, I put it aside a few times, picking it up again after a few days.
So, even if the love of this couple was extra sweet, the whole book was grounded and felt real.
Everyday life of a couple with 4 kids, chaotic, funny and with lots of love.
4 stars and recommended.
What I liked was the setting in Norway, which was a different angle to my regular gay romance novels.
The main characters, Axel - a midwife and Jens, a professor for Norwegian literature, and widower with 4 kids, are adorable, their love for each other made me laugh and cry and Jens`children are much more than the usual pale sidekicks you get in a "normal" romance.
I also loved the development of their relationship that felt genuine, without unnecessary drama, but with enough action to keep the story going.
My only complaint is, that the story was really long and even if I did not really get bored, it could have been a little shorter for my liking, I put it aside a few times, picking it up again after a few days.
So, even if the love of this couple was extra sweet, the whole book was grounded and felt real.
Everyday life of a couple with 4 kids, chaotic, funny and with lots of love.
4 stars and recommended.
December 11, 2018
This is a very long book, but I think it's worth it. A well written second chance love, with the struggling with starting again. A touching subject, especially because I love children.
I think I will recommend this to everyone who need a cozy no angst read.
And Sophia Soames is a new to me author, it said something, that I liked this book when I usually skeptical about a new founding author,
Recommended.
I think I will recommend this to everyone who need a cozy no angst read.
And Sophia Soames is a new to me author, it said something, that I liked this book when I usually skeptical about a new founding author,
Recommended.
December 11, 2018
Absolutely my favorite book of the year
A beautiful tale of love and loss. Of finding the love of your life a second time. A simple tale of everyday life, love and laughter. Jens and Axel were so very well written, the love and joy touched my very soul. This kind of love, the soul mate kind, I’ve seen only in two other books - at least as believable as this one. I can truly see them being reborn for each other, time after time. Plot bunny? I loved the big, loud family and the fact that the book was family centered the entire story. The absolute best part of the story is the ending. Beautiful and poignant, I cried buckets. Some from sorrow, but a lot in happiness believing that a love like this can exist. The author has me captivated from the writing style, to the group chats, to the mattress slide. But the cushion. Oh the cushion broke my heart and rebuilt it all in one. What a brilliant idea. I read this book. Then read the ending again. Then read from the middle on to the end. Then I read the first chapter when I decided I had better write this down before I get lost in Axel and Jens. Again. It’s that awesome.
A beautiful tale of love and loss. Of finding the love of your life a second time. A simple tale of everyday life, love and laughter. Jens and Axel were so very well written, the love and joy touched my very soul. This kind of love, the soul mate kind, I’ve seen only in two other books - at least as believable as this one. I can truly see them being reborn for each other, time after time. Plot bunny? I loved the big, loud family and the fact that the book was family centered the entire story. The absolute best part of the story is the ending. Beautiful and poignant, I cried buckets. Some from sorrow, but a lot in happiness believing that a love like this can exist. The author has me captivated from the writing style, to the group chats, to the mattress slide. But the cushion. Oh the cushion broke my heart and rebuilt it all in one. What a brilliant idea. I read this book. Then read the ending again. Then read from the middle on to the end. Then I read the first chapter when I decided I had better write this down before I get lost in Axel and Jens. Again. It’s that awesome.
January 9, 2019
4.5 stars
This was a hard one for me to read and rate. For the first quarter of the story, I absolutely loved it. Every word. There was so much greatness here...
Jens lost his wife a year ago. He's now the single parent of 4 children with a full time job as a professor and lecturer at the local college. His life has fallen apart, his kids have fallen apart, he's got no idea what he's doing.
Axel is a mid-wife and has started a blog online. When he gets an email intended for someone else, he notices that it's from Jens, the best friend he fell in love with and then lost 20 years ago. And he's been in love with him since. He takes a chance to meet him again and see if he can finally let him go.
This was a story about second chances and was written so poetically. I really was amazed at the writing in this. I fell in love within the first 15 minutes and was so invested in both Jens and Axel, but also the children. Each one was so dynamically engaging in the story and I literally felt like part of the family. I honestly can't say enough about the writing in this. It was just beautiful.
My only hesitation in giving this a full five stars was the length. The story was angst free. There were no issues or crossroads. It was blending Axel's life with a family of five and how to cope with work and friends and family and feelings. Once I got 2/3 of the way through, I was ready for the end. Yes, the writing was still stellar. Yes, everyone was still engaging and funny and the stories were epic, but it was so much without direction, I suppose.
It was all heart and I would have honestly given this 5 stars just for the writing and the story line alone. So many words of love and the dialogue just flowed seamlessly. I really loved so many exchanges.
"You looked like you needed a hug." Axel whispers in his ear.
"I did." Jens whispers back. "I needed you, and now everything is okay."
I totally recommend this author as I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the prose, and I know I'll be thinking of the Sommerfeldt family for a very long time.
*Arc copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/ *
This was a hard one for me to read and rate. For the first quarter of the story, I absolutely loved it. Every word. There was so much greatness here...
Jens lost his wife a year ago. He's now the single parent of 4 children with a full time job as a professor and lecturer at the local college. His life has fallen apart, his kids have fallen apart, he's got no idea what he's doing.
Axel is a mid-wife and has started a blog online. When he gets an email intended for someone else, he notices that it's from Jens, the best friend he fell in love with and then lost 20 years ago. And he's been in love with him since. He takes a chance to meet him again and see if he can finally let him go.
This was a story about second chances and was written so poetically. I really was amazed at the writing in this. I fell in love within the first 15 minutes and was so invested in both Jens and Axel, but also the children. Each one was so dynamically engaging in the story and I literally felt like part of the family. I honestly can't say enough about the writing in this. It was just beautiful.
My only hesitation in giving this a full five stars was the length. The story was angst free. There were no issues or crossroads. It was blending Axel's life with a family of five and how to cope with work and friends and family and feelings. Once I got 2/3 of the way through, I was ready for the end. Yes, the writing was still stellar. Yes, everyone was still engaging and funny and the stories were epic, but it was so much without direction, I suppose.
It was all heart and I would have honestly given this 5 stars just for the writing and the story line alone. So many words of love and the dialogue just flowed seamlessly. I really loved so many exchanges.
"You looked like you needed a hug." Axel whispers in his ear.
"I did." Jens whispers back. "I needed you, and now everything is okay."
I totally recommend this author as I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the prose, and I know I'll be thinking of the Sommerfeldt family for a very long time.
*Arc copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/ *
Read
March 30, 2020DNF
It's a sweet story. But I couldn't get into the writing style.
It's a sweet story. But I couldn't get into the writing style.
December 8, 2018
Simple story.
Simple, gorgeous words.
Big, BIG, BIGGER THAN BIG feelings.
The love between Jens and Axel is simply put 'all-encompassing'. The connection between them as teenagers is instant. And after their time apart, the connection is still instant. It's all believable, tangible and something you can almost see. It's real.
This book is about unending love within a family. How a new force of love saves a man and his children from slipping completely into the cracks and darkness of their grief. Axel is Jens greatest love. And them together, it's magnetic, them being together brings everything else together. And it's so real, this family, just like all families have their ups and downs, the chaos, the joy, the laughter. Considering the obstacles Jen, Axel and the kids face, this story is also surprisingly low-angst. It's just magical and unique while at the same time being just beautifully normal.
Shout-out to secondary characters who just made this story even better. They enhanced this story, just like all those extra people's in our own lives.
Heartachingly gorgeous story, mixed in with laugh out loud moments, love, and lots of cuddles. It's astounding how a simple story of family makes you yearn to hug your own. Can't wait to see what this author gives us next.
(Sophia, not sure I can forgive you for that bonus-bonus scene #feelings)
Simple, gorgeous words.
Big, BIG, BIGGER THAN BIG feelings.
The love between Jens and Axel is simply put 'all-encompassing'. The connection between them as teenagers is instant. And after their time apart, the connection is still instant. It's all believable, tangible and something you can almost see. It's real.
This book is about unending love within a family. How a new force of love saves a man and his children from slipping completely into the cracks and darkness of their grief. Axel is Jens greatest love. And them together, it's magnetic, them being together brings everything else together. And it's so real, this family, just like all families have their ups and downs, the chaos, the joy, the laughter. Considering the obstacles Jen, Axel and the kids face, this story is also surprisingly low-angst. It's just magical and unique while at the same time being just beautifully normal.
Shout-out to secondary characters who just made this story even better. They enhanced this story, just like all those extra people's in our own lives.
Heartachingly gorgeous story, mixed in with laugh out loud moments, love, and lots of cuddles. It's astounding how a simple story of family makes you yearn to hug your own. Can't wait to see what this author gives us next.
(Sophia, not sure I can forgive you for that bonus-bonus scene #feelings)
May 1, 2019
#SpoilerWarrior
I laughed so hard through this book. I related. I loved. I kept waiting for that cliché moment in the book, towards the end, when everything goes poorly and the main characters have to struggle to find their way back to one another. That part of the books always annoys the ever loving flipcakes out of me. I wasn’t annoyed in this book, because that moment never came. What did come was so much worse, so much more beautiful. I loved every minute. Even if I read the epilogue while sobbing into my pillow.
I laughed so hard through this book. I related. I loved. I kept waiting for that cliché moment in the book, towards the end, when everything goes poorly and the main characters have to struggle to find their way back to one another. That part of the books always annoys the ever loving flipcakes out of me. I wasn’t annoyed in this book, because that moment never came. What did come was so much worse, so much more beautiful. I loved every minute. Even if I read the epilogue while sobbing into my pillow.
January 23, 2019
This is a hard one to rate for me - started off really well and it was a lovely story about real life, it just went on a bit too long and got a bit too gushy - every other verbal interaction was either ‘I love you’, ‘I fucking love you’ or ‘I love you so much’. The kids were brilliant and the epilogue blew all other epilogues out of the park - but yeah - just too long.
January 22, 2019
I don’t know if I can put a review together yet. This book is easily at 10 or 20 star read and there’s so much to say about it. It ended and I was on a true book high. There was no epilogue because it wasn’t necessary – did I say it it ended perfectly yet? Because it did.
BUT THEN. The author (and I will read everything she ever writes) well, she added a short. Probably believing and rightly so that readers would want to know how everyone’s lives progressed.
There was a warning about what was coming but by that time I could not NOT read it. I was so invested and so in love with every single character, in addition to the MC’s. But oooomgggg. I did not want to go to their deathbeds.
It could not have been more perfectly done and will probably be so appreciated by readers who loved this book as much as I did.
But I’m thinking they will be more mature than I am about it. And able to breathe in the full circle of life. And not come crashing down from the incredible book high like a big baby.
I was ready to re-read it immediately until I came to the short at the end. Beautifully done but sad and depressing after having known the MC’s since they met. Theirs is a rich, beautifully drawn love story.
She did an amazing job. I say that despite being down because of the short at the end.
BUT THEN. The author (and I will read everything she ever writes) well, she added a short. Probably believing and rightly so that readers would want to know how everyone’s lives progressed.
There was a warning about what was coming but by that time I could not NOT read it. I was so invested and so in love with every single character, in addition to the MC’s. But oooomgggg. I did not want to go to their deathbeds.
It could not have been more perfectly done and will probably be so appreciated by readers who loved this book as much as I did.
But I’m thinking they will be more mature than I am about it. And able to breathe in the full circle of life. And not come crashing down from the incredible book high like a big baby.
I was ready to re-read it immediately until I came to the short at the end. Beautifully done but sad and depressing after having known the MC’s since they met. Theirs is a rich, beautifully drawn love story.
She did an amazing job. I say that despite being down because of the short at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2018
I absolutely loved Little Harbour! It was a fantastic story with a great pace. I loved visiting Norway in this story, it’s definitely a country I would like to go to, even more after this book. I just fell in love with Jens and Axel, they were both such nice men who were very different from each other and found their way back years later. I loved that it was so honest and nothing missed and it was not always flattering to either man. There was definitely sorrow at the beginning, but the way their romance developed was so beautiful. All four kids were endearing without being overly cute or annoying. There was a lot of humour in the story as well as being pretty frank between the adults and the kids.
I can’t believe it’s her first book, and I can’t wait to read more. And I’m super happy this is a series. I’ll be keeping my eye out for number two. I will admit that I found the tense a little awkward at first, but after a few chapters I got into the rhythm and it became unnoticeable. To be honest, I can’t even figure out all the parts of the tense it was written in, just not what I’m used to, but nothing wrong with reading a different style. It might have even made it more interesting.
I most definitely recommend this book.
I can’t believe it’s her first book, and I can’t wait to read more. And I’m super happy this is a series. I’ll be keeping my eye out for number two. I will admit that I found the tense a little awkward at first, but after a few chapters I got into the rhythm and it became unnoticeable. To be honest, I can’t even figure out all the parts of the tense it was written in, just not what I’m used to, but nothing wrong with reading a different style. It might have even made it more interesting.
I most definitely recommend this book.
December 1, 2018
This is 1 long ass book, there is absolutely no angst. It is just the telling of the life of Jens and Axel as they get a second chance at love after 20 years apart, loss of a spouse and struggling to adapt to being a single parent.
Does all that take away from the book, NOPE, it's like reading a journal of these men which makes you connect more with them and the story. You WILL need tissues, and don't think just with the epilogue that it is over, Sophia graces us with a bonus scene of 3 years later and then 40 years later.
We even get to connect with the children which honestly makes me want more of Marthe in her own story with Henrik.
Does all that take away from the book, NOPE, it's like reading a journal of these men which makes you connect more with them and the story. You WILL need tissues, and don't think just with the epilogue that it is over, Sophia graces us with a bonus scene of 3 years later and then 40 years later.
We even get to connect with the children which honestly makes me want more of Marthe in her own story with Henrik.
December 7, 2018
This book! Oh my God, this book!!! This WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL story of love & family! I genuinely loved the living shit out of Axel and Jens! And that final scene? So much love! #Read this book! I highly #recommended it 👬💙
March 4, 2020
Too many pages!!!!!
Una historia de 4* muy agradable para pasar un buen rato donde no hay traumas y todos son guapos y buenos. Justo lo que necesitaba.
Pero demasiadas páginas que no van a ningún sitio, demasiadas escenas de sexo (acabé saltándomelas) y demasiados "I love you", la frase acaba perdiendo todo el significado de tan repetitiva que resulta, esto le resta una estrella.
Una historia de 4* muy agradable para pasar un buen rato donde no hay traumas y todos son guapos y buenos. Justo lo que necesitaba.
Pero demasiadas páginas que no van a ningún sitio, demasiadas escenas de sexo (acabé saltándomelas) y demasiados "I love you", la frase acaba perdiendo todo el significado de tan repetitiva que resulta, esto le resta una estrella.
February 24, 2021
RTC -- after I wipe my eyes and collect myself a bit.
December 18, 2018
Little Harbour by Sophia Soames is a beautiful book. It brought out so many emotions in me and it has cemented itself as a definite reread, which for me is a rarity. I was laughing, "awww"-ing, and at times tearing up. It covers the pain of loss and the struggle of going on and the conflicting feelings of moving on. It is a second chance love story that does not belittle the first love Jens had. Axel and Jens are an amazing couple... I love the interactions between the two and between each of them and the adorable kids. I love the journey Axel takes on becoming a stepfather kind of figure, and admits that what he thought he knew about parenting was all wrong and he is rewriting what he thought he knew. I did not want to put this book down and ended up reading it all in one night, instead doing things like sleep... because who needs sleep when you have Little Harbour?!? Oh and the
I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
dnf
November 9, 2019DNF 11%
It wasn’t that it was bad, it just wasn’t just the story arc I like. It wasn’t boy meets boy, they are attracted to one another, then their relationship depends, then the I Love Yous and HEA.
This story was...we reunite after 20 years, and I’ve always loved you, now how are we going to make this relationship work now?
Might be a cute story, but not for me.
It wasn’t that it was bad, it just wasn’t just the story arc I like. It wasn’t boy meets boy, they are attracted to one another, then their relationship depends, then the I Love Yous and HEA.
This story was...we reunite after 20 years, and I’ve always loved you, now how are we going to make this relationship work now?
Might be a cute story, but not for me.
June 7, 2019
Delightful book, both story and writing. Thoroughly enjoyed reading all, even bonus which other reviewers panned.
Recommend to all even with a bit much in sexual erotica-was not necessary.
Recommend to all even with a bit much in sexual erotica-was not necessary.
Read
May 25, 2021DNF...
Time of Death... 20%
Time of Death... 20%
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