Farlough by Xavier Mayne | Cat's Release day Review, Excerpt & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @XavierMayne

Newly turned thirty, Cameron North is preparing himself to spend his life alone. When he inherits his great-aunt's teashop on the remote island of Farlough, he returns for the first time in more than a dozen years to a place where memories—and demons—flit close to the surface of his mind. There he meets Gwyneth, a sassy barista who becomes his instant best friend—until Cam discovers she’s the wife of his first love, Matthias. She has only the best of intentions when she arranges a reunion between the two men, and it forces them to finally discuss why Cam left the island so long ago.

With his heart broken anew, Cam retreats to his great-aunt’s house—where he learns he is not alone. Someone—or something—has pledged an oath to look out for Cam, and as he investigates the presence, he uncovers wounds that both he and his mysterious guardian sought to escape by coming to Farlough. Now Cam must figure out how to heal them—and himself.

Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon

Cat gives this one 5 Meows...

Farlough is a beautiful sweet romance set in both a modern day setting and in a more historic setting. How can that be? Farlough is an island far off the shore of Aberdeen and only accessible by Ferry. The only modern convenience is enough to power to have lights everything else is done with peat for heat and cooking and manpower. There is no TV, no cell phones or electronics, and you get around by horse or bicycle or walking.

Cam left Farlough behind when he was 17 and never looked back.  He didn't even go to is aunts funeral. Now e is alone in the world and tired of only having hookups, but his heart won't allow anything else. He loses his job right after a shocking announcement that e received all of his Aunt Hilda's estate, her teashop, house and the money to go with it. There was one exception. He had to go there to get it. When e arrived on the day, she said it had to be the day of the equinox he found himself stranded for 28 days before the next ferry would arrive.

He makes friends with a coffee barista to find her happily married to the man tat broke his heart causing him never to return. He finds the house perfectly clean and well stocked and each day this happens. Who is this mystery person that is tending to  Cam and drying the herbs for the tea shop?

I adored this story. I loved everything, the charming setting, te story, how the town was so close, and everyone helped each other.There is a touch of mystery and hidden romance. If you like a good romance that just makes you feel good, this is for you

Excerpt...

Chapter ONE

The Will

“SO WAS your aunt loaded or something?”

“Not really—at least, I don’t think so.”

“Then why the big-deal reading-of-the-will production? It’s like the beginning of a Scooby Doo episode. Like, every Scooby Doo episode ever.”

“Beats me,” Cam replied as he stabbed at his salade niçoise. “I got an e-mail from her lawyer, and he said I needed to come to his office about the will.”

“Maybe she left you a box of priceless treasures—or a painting with eyes that follow you around the room. Or a creepy old mansion with a scowling groundskeeper who would have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids.”

Cam fixed his friend with a withering look. “Ari, I swear, you can turn the most boring stuff into the most crazy stuff.”

“It’s kind of my superpower,” Ari replied modestly and went back to stuffing most of a pastrami sandwich into his mouth.

“I don’t know how you can eat that,” Cam chided.

“Watch and learn, buddy, watch and learn.” Ari laughed maniacally and crammed in another huge bite.

“What I should have said is, I don’t know how you can eat that every other day and still weigh under three hundred pounds.”

Ari shrugged and continued chewing happily. “Metabolism,” he said, after he’d swallowed another tremendous gobbet of pastrami sandwich. “From all the working out, you know.”

“That’s what you’re calling giving blow jobs now? Working out?”

Ari squinted at him mockingly. “First, hell yeah it’s a workout, if you’re doing it right. Second, just because you’re not getting any doesn’t mean you have to be bitter about those of us who are. Third, fuck off.” Ari grinned and took another bite.

Cam rolled his eyes and went back to poking at his salad.

By day I work as a writer for a large tech firm in the US Pacific Northwest. By night I'm the author of the Brandt & Donnelly Capers series, as well as standalone works such as Husband Material and The Accidental Cupid. I like to write about men who've always considered themselves straight falling in love with another man. Oh, and I like readers to laugh, not cry. You can now count me among the refugees from academia. I was a professor at a public university in the American midwest for a decade before returning to the high-tech industry. Tenure was nice, but so is getting a paycheck that actually pays the bills! I miss teaching, which is why you'll find vocabulary in my works that you won't find in most romance novels (crenelated! gantlet! obstreperous!) because if you can expand minds while exciting the senses, why not?

• Xavier Mayne's Home Page: http://xaviermayne.com
• Latest News: http://xaviermayne.com/blog

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