Review: Beautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton

Rating: 5🌈

With Lily Morton I find I have to look at her stories as I would a rare treat. Something I need to remind myself not to binge on, but rather a gift I give to myself a little bit at a time. Mostly when I know I need to laugh during unexpected moments, or lie in bed giggling over scenes that rear vividly back to life, along with their characters to make me feel warm and happy.

Last night it was Endof romping hilariously out of control through a park, to Laurie’s endless amusement (and mine) and everyone else’s dismay.

Just one small scene and I’m instantly transported back into the world of Mags and Laurie and Beautifully Unexpected.

And it made me want to pick up their story and start their journey all over again.

Lily Morton’s books have a way of making me want to do that. It becomes a Sisyphusian task to get by a Morton library!

Key Morton elements include making any location not just a mere setting but a rich aspect of her stories. From well known historical sites that get a new perspective to out of the way pubs and galleries, the way the streets and structures look in a certain light during a season…There’s a love and affection that flows through all the descriptions to the places where the men walk, the stops they make from the bingo hall, to the parks. So that each stop becomes an integral rich part of them and their relationship and story.

In every book, I itch to get a ticket and retrace their steps.

But it’s Mags, Magnus Carlsen, the magnificent Dane himself. And Laurie Gentry who will sneak up on you and slowly send their way into your heart as they do each other’s. The men are deeply layered, believable human beings. You delight in them, even as you find them grumpy or outrageous. So it’s falls in line that as a reader you’re pulled immediately into their lives and growing relationship.

It’s funny, often hilarious, sneaky, so clever, sexy, loving, and heartwarming.

It’s very hard to describe such a strange path these two take towards a relationship and HEA. They are both later in life, neither has looked to have a relationship, each has an extremely rewarding career.

They are totally different. Yet absolutely perfect for each other.

Such a joy and fun , and poignant, because that’s life and this author doesn’t forget that part too.

And when the ending comes, it stays true to who these men are. I loved that too.

Once again, Lily Morton has given us an brilliant opportunity to peer into a unique romance and relationship between two unforgettable men. One that still has me smiling. Or laughing.

As her stories so often do.

It’s why this one is another I’m recommending. So lovely. And honestly, Endof is just as unforgettable as well!

Check it out to find out exactly who that is!

https://www.goodreads.com › showBeautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Sometimes love comes when you least expect or want it.

Magnus Carlsen is determined to grow old disgracefully. At fifty-two, he doesn’t believe in keeping anything. Men, sofas, books—everything gets jettisoned, eventually. He’s divided his life into happy compartments. A successful trial lawyer, he spends his days lecturing jurors, exasperating judges, and striding arrogantly around courtrooms. He fills his nights with a parade of handsome young men who want to make him happy. Why date someone his own age to discuss back pain, retirement-planning, and corns, when he can date men who don’t care to discuss anything at all?

However, when one of these sunny young men shows an inclination for dramatic scenes, Magnus meets his new neighbour. And his whole world implodes.

Laurie Gentry is nearly the same age as Magnus, but that’s where the similarity ends. He’s messy and creative and nosy and mysterious. He’s everything that Magnus has spent a lifetime avoiding. So, why can’t he get Laurie out of his head?

Luckily, Laurie is only in London for the summer. Magnus can uncover Laurie’s mysteries and indulge their annoyingly hot attraction, and Laurie will be gone before complications arise. A few months isn’t long enough to lose his heart. Is it?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a romantic comedy about two footloose older men and how one summer in London brings something quite beautifully unexpected into their lives.

Review: On A Midnight Clear by Lily Morton

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Gleaming, incredibly lifelike and often haunting sculptures seen in museums worldwide, from The Dying Gaul (my favorite) to Apollo to Rodin’ The Kiss, have the ability to mesmerize upon sight. Their creator’s ability to turn stone into something that goes past magnificent art into something haunting, beautiful, and timeless. And unforgettable

These sculptures also inspire other forms of art, from paintings to songs to movies to books. Especially the idea of one of those statues coming to life .

A local favorite is Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer of Fourteen Years . It’s one of those that resonates with so many.

But when I think of statues and stories, the one that immediately jumps to mind is that of Pygmalion and Galatea, his stature brought to life. It’s a story that’s been told over and over.

Anyway, Lily Morton returns to this magical idea of wish fulfillment and a creator’s sculpture that has so resonated with one young man throughout his life that it’s the one he’s confided in, run to, and hidden behind all his years.

Barnaby Greenwood is a man in desperate need. At Christmas. He’s about to lose everything that’s ever mattered, to himself, his family, his ancestors, and the village.

He needs a miracle.

In true Morton form, we are given a heart wrenching situation, great characters we can connect with, especially Barnaby. A estate full of sculptures and a dark forest green.

Cosmo is a total delight, complete with canine companion. I love the villagers. The fleeting aspect of the very nature of week and the passing of days… makes for a harrowing tale. We are filled with anxiety as the time passes even as we relish the relationship that builds.

It’s a magical romance, with all sorts of grand and small elements. Plenty to delight over, laugh and sniffle as well.

Pygmalion and Galatea would be pleased.

Merry Christmas! Happy Yule!

Highly recommended! So is this author.

For those interested, I’ve a few pictures of both Degas’ dancer and the iconic Dying Gaul below.

https://www.goodreads.com › showOn a Midnight Clear by Lily Morton – Goodreads

Synopsis:

It can safely be said that Lord Barnaby Greenwood is not having the best of Christmases.

He’s penniless, up to his eyeballs in debt, and about to lose his estate. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that when a local property developer offers a lot of money to buy King’s Wood from him, Barnaby is very tempted. But his father had always impressed on him that the green wood was sacred and must be protected at all costs, so he finds himself saying no.

He knows this will result in the loss of his home, but duty comes before everything. However, that fateful decision leads instead to a magical Christmas for Barnaby, complete with an old god who grants him a favour, and a beautiful statue that comes to life.

Cosmo is perfect for him. He’s funny and kind and completely enraptured with Barnaby, and for the first time in his life, Barnaby falls in love. But how can this lead to anything but heartache, when on the last stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, Cosmo will go back to being a statue and take Barnaby’s heart with him?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a truly magical romantic comedy.

Review: Merry Measure by Lily Morton

Rating: 5🌈⛄️plus!

Right off the bat let me tell you if the rating system went higher, say to 10 or 15 stars, I’d still want to give this book more.

I almost, I say almost, had to stop reading this because I was given strict instructions not to put any undue pressure on one eye atm but I couldn’t help it! I was collapsed sideways in helpless laughter! Roaring even!

I’d stop. Gather myself up. Read on, and then Bam! Arlo has said or flailed or something has happened during a trip to Amsterdam and I’m overcome once more, tears pouring out of my eyes! Tears of uncontrollable laughter!

It stayed that way through the many group outings , the inner doubts and outside stumbling towards a new beginning between two men who have known each other most their lives.

Lily Morton has written, for me at least, a perfect holiday romance. Surrounded by a city as charming as the men themselves and the company they’ve traveled with, Morton has delivered that most elusive of gifts, a Christmas love affair so grounded in the reality of being human hat we never forget these men have their flaws in their layered personalities. But the author elevates her story by folding in the magic of historic Amsterdam at Christmas as Arlo and Jack discover love amidst the canals, museums, and all the other picturesque sights around them. If you haven’t been to Amsterdam, this will make you want to travel there.

But if the setting is magnificent, it’s the people we care greatly about. All the elements are so thoughtfully crafted. The dialogue is outstanding . The characters are so well done I never stopped thinking of them as anything but someone I could have the chance of meeting. How I would dearly love to.

And the storyline is such , including a ending that’s perfection, that I’ve put Merry Measure at the very top of my to be rec’d list.

Sometime in the early hours I woke up giggling madly thinking once more about this couple and story.

Mr. Whiffles indeed!

It’s definitely on my to be re-read list too.

This has become a new favorite comfort and holiday read instantaneously!

I’m sure it will become yours as well.

Make sure you are curled up, put all liquids out of reach… just in case of heavy guffaws! Just saying! And enjoy my absolute favorite of the season!

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56053974

Synopsis:

Arlo Wright’s introduction to his sexuality came when he saw his older brother’s best friend, Jack Cooper, in his sweaty football kit. Unfortunately, he didn’t have long to enjoy the revelation because he promptly knocked himself out on a table.
Relations between them have never really moved on from that auspicious beginning. Arlo is still clumsy, and Jack is still as handsome and unobtainable as ever.

However, things look like they’re starting to change when Arlo finds himself sharing a room with Jack while on holiday in Amsterdam at Christmas. Will the festive spirit finally move them towards each other, or is Arlo just banging his head against a wall this time?

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a warm romantic comedy set in chilly Amsterdam.

Join Us for the Release Blitz with Excerpt for The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings by Lily Morton

The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings

Lily Morton

Gay Romance/Paranormal Ghost

Release Date: 11.14.19

Blurb

Levi Black is at a crossroads. After suffering a loss and breaking up a long-term relationship, he’s looking for a change. When he receives the news he’s inherited a house in York, he seizes the opportunity to begin a new chapter in his life.

However, when he gets there, he finds a house that has never kept its occupants for very long. Either through death or disinclination, no one stays there, and after a few days of living in the place, Levi can understand why. Strange noises can be heard at all hours of the day and night, and disturbing and scary things begin to happen to him. He never believed in ghosts before, but when events take a sinister turn, he knows he must look for help. He finds it in the unlikely form of the blue-haired leader of a ghost tour.

Blue Billings is edgy, beautiful, and lost. Utterly lost. He conceals so many secrets that some days it’s a miracle he remembers his own name. He knows that he should ignore Levi because he threatens the tenuous grip Blue has on survival. But there’s something about the kind-eyed man that draws Blue to him. Something that demands he stay and fight for him when he would normally run in the opposite direction.

As the two men investigate the shocking truth behind Levi’s house, they also discover a deep connection that defies the short length of time they’ve known each other. But when events escalate and his life is on the line, Levi has to wonder if it was wise to trust the Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings.

https://getbook.at/BlueBillings

TMAABB-Teaser1 2 TMAABB-Teaser2

Excerpt

His audience are raptly hanging onto his every word, but attention is disrupted when a large group approaches. At its lead is a thin man with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He’s handsome, but his expression is discontented and his mouth is sharp. He’s dressed in similar clothes to Blue, and he carries a large wooden box.

The group moves past us, coming to a stop a few yards away. The man places his box on the ground with a rather dramatic precision. My mouth twitches as he climbs on with a great deal of dignity.

“I’ve brought you here,” he says in a ghoulish tone, “to talk about plague and death and a terrible end in solitary confinement locked away in a small house.”

“Excuse me.” Blue’s loud voice cuts straight through the man’s dramatic spiel.

The man stops talking with an impatient sigh. “Can I help you?” he asks.

“I’ll say you can,” Blue says sharply. “This is my pitch for the next ten minutes. That’s the agreement if I keep off the York Devil bit until last thing.”

“Well, Frank changed the route. Sorry if you didn’t get the memo,” Box Boy says in a bored voice.

“You don’t sound sorry,” Blue says calmly. “You sound quite cross.” He pauses. “Or constipated. I never could tell the difference.” He looks him up and down. “Both ways were a build-up of shit.”

The man seems to lose his grasp on his temper. “You don’t own York,” he says loudly.

“Obviously not,” my guide says patiently. “Or I wouldn’t be doing ghost tours.” He clearly remembers his audience and turns back with a charming smile. “I would, of course, still be doing ghost tours for wonderful groups like this even if I owned the city of York, because I live to impart spectral knowledge.” The other man snorts slightly, and Blue smiles at us kindly and winks. “You’ll have to excuse us,” he says. “We used to date. Can I just say there is no correlation at all between box size and penis size?”

I snort out a laugh despite myself and watch as the other man picks up his box and gestures to his group in a bad-tempered way. I watch him go, smiling. The grin drops away as I suddenly become aware that the group is staring at me and our guide is talking to me.

“Sorry,” I say quickly. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Obviously,” he says. “Because you missed the bit where I said I wasn’t a resident charity.”

“I think I’ve missed something,” I say slowly.

The other members of the group shift slightly, obviously enjoying the entertainment, but not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves in case his laser gaze turns on them.

“You have missed something,” he says. “You’ve missed the part where you pay for the tour.”

“Oh fuck, sorry.” I edge forwards and dig in my pocket for my wallet. “Of course I’ll pay. How much is it?”

“Well, usually it’s six pounds.” I open my wallet, and he stares at me. “But that’s for people who are on time. You, however, are late, so it’s a tenner.”

I’m about to argue with this logic when a big man stirs at the back of the group. “Can we get a move on? It’s fucking freezing.”

“Could you watch your language?” another man says crossly.

“I can. I just might not want to,” the big man says.

My guide sighs and glares at me. “See what you’ve done now? This was a very well-behaved group before you turned up. You’re like a human grenade.”

I open my mouth to refute this unfair observation, but he shakes his head.

“Okay, people,” he calls out to the group. “Let’s be off to our next stop on the ghost tour led by the Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings.”

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Deal Maker (Mixed Messages #2) by Lily Morton and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Jude and Asa are at the top of my favorites right now. And their son, Billy—not every author can create a precocious five-year-old and keep him from being annoying, but between Lily Morton’s writing and Joel Leslie’s delivery of Billy’s adorable voice, I’m sold on Bill as my favorite child of 2019.

This audiobook made the original story even better with Joel Leslie’s vocal interpretation of Asa and Jude and the rest of the cast of characters. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—these people become real to me when I can hear their emotions expressed in their voices. There’s drama, humor, anger, and sadness in this story, and every voice is so distinctive there’s never a doubt about who is speaking, especially Billy—what a great voice he was given!

Asa, an older well-known actor, is a gentle soul who loves his son and is extremely protective of his privacy. His heart was broken by a former model after a four-year relationship. So when Jude shows up needing a place to stay and willing to take a PA job to help Asa out, he’s shocked when he’s despised just because he’s an empty-headed male model.

Jude is normally pretty even keel but he can do revenge with the best of them so he proceeds to show Asa just how airheaded a model can be. The author opens each chapter with a note from Asa, written by Jude, in answer to fan mail. The notes are so witty, snarky, and downright decadently humorous, it’s hard to keep from laughing out loud in public places.

We met Jude in the first book, as he’s Dylan’s BFF. His character is much more fully developed here and he’s simply a wonderful person. Caring and concerned for his parents, whom he helps financially, always ready to help a friend in need, and with a great sense of humor, and a huge love for Billy, but his fear of commitment nearly destroys his chance at happiness.

Of course, the author gets them to their happy place, but Jude’s stubbornness does not make the HEA very easy to achieve. I love the way the author handled the last few chapters to bring them together. And the epilogue? Couldn’t be better!

An outstanding audiobook with a super performance by Joel Leslie. I very highly recommend it.

As for the cover by Natasha Snow, the handsome man on the colorful cover definitely attracts attention.

Audio Sales Links: Amazon | Audible

Audio Details:

Audible Audio, 289 pages
Published September 28th 2019 (first published December 22nd 2017)
Original Title Deal Maker
ASINB07YGTGJWV
Edition Language English
Series Mixed Messages #2

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Best Man (Close Proximity #1) by Lily Morton

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Sometimes, it’s not the story or the characters or the writing style that push a book to the top of my ratings, it’s the author’s ability to make me laugh out loud. Now, add to that ability a cast of very engaging, interesting characters, a few tropes that I love (age gap and fake boyfriend) and a well-written, fast-paced contemporary story set in London and the beautiful English countryside, and I was given a delightful two days of lighthearted cheer.

Zeb Evans grew up quickly when it became evident that the messes his father left behind could only be cleared up by his son. Married seven times, and losing any accumulated wealth nearly the moment he got it, Zeb vowed that he’d never live in chaos again, and to this he’s held true. He’s intelligent, organized, and in control, running his own employment agency with a tight fist. For this reason, when the gregarious, snarky, devil-may-care Jesse Reed applies for a job with Zeb’s agency, everyone is shocked that Zeb immediately hires him.

Over the years, he drives Zeb crazy with his wit and humor and ability to get into—and out of—trouble. So it’s a surprise when Zeb needs a date to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding and he asks Jesse to be his fake boyfriend. From the moment they step into the high-class, posh hotel the engaged couple has rented for a weeklong series of games and festivities to the moment they leave, I laughed and cried and then cried again because I was laughing so hard. Lily Morton’s sense of humor is fantastic. And the sex scenes, though not many, were scorchin’ hot.

Some of the situations were tense as Zeb’s boyfriend, snobby Patrick, really wants Zeb back and Zeb is clueless, of course. And he wants him only on the side, of course. Jesse cares deeply for Zeb, so his tolerance for Patrick and his equally snobby parents gives multiple opportunities of laugh-out-loud moments. Zeb can’t seem to let go of his need to please everyone and to maintain control, nor can he let go of the age difference between he and Jesse and these issues cause the most trouble in the end. The good news is that eventually Zeb realizes that Jesse is his “best man,” but the rollercoaster ride to get there is well-worth taking the time to read this delightful story.

The cover by Natasha Snow features a very handsome man who represents the Zeb in all his gorgeous glory.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 241 pages
Published October 3rd 2019
ASINB07YKNQKHY
Edition Language English
Series Close Proximity #1

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Rule Breaker (Mixed Messages #1) by Lily Morton and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

What a wonderful story! And the audiobook made it even better with the fantastic performance of Joel Leslie, who brought Dylan, Gabe, and the rest of the cast of characters to life. Listening to a book narrated by Joel is like watching the story unfold on the big screen. The voices become real characters. There’s drama, humor, tears (he does crying scenes so well!) and every voice is so distinctive that there’s never a doubt of which MC is speaking.

The story of Gabe and his personal assistant, Dylan, is filled with the angst of falling in love with an unlovable man, but it’s also laced throughout with humor, much of it dry Brit wit and snark. The author opens each chapter with a note or memo from either Dylan to Gabe or Gabe to Dylan, and many provide laugh-out-loud moments and/or embarrassing barks or snorts in public places.

Gabe is smart, sharp, gorgeous, and wants no part of relationships or feelings with anyone whatsoever, even his current boyfriend. In fact, it’s nothing for them to engage in a threesome with a stranger and afterwards both leave Gabe to his own devices. Dylan is sweet, cute, snarky, and can see through the shell Gabe keeps locked tight around his heart. Their banter is a very important part of this audiobook and keeps readers like me constantly smiling.

Throughout much of the story, although they were attracted to one another, they didn’t act on it since it would break Gabe’s no-sex-with-employees rule. And then it happened and they couldn’t get enough of each other. Some of those locations and situations were funny, but then over time, Dylan loses his heart and Gabe refuses to take it.

Be ready with tissues for this one because Dylan’s heart was literally in pieces all over the floor. And the sobbing and anguished dialogue brought to life by Joel were painful to hear. And yet, I hurt for Gabe as well. His backstory, when we learn it, is heartbreaking and it’s no wonder he refused to share his love with anyone.

Of course, our guys get together in the end, helped along by Dylan’s bestie (who gets his own book next). The epilogue was long enough to tie all the loose threads together in a way that leaves readers knowing this couple is solid and well on the way to their HEA.

I highly recommend this 9.5 hour audiobook to all my friends who enjoy Brit humor, hot sex, angst, love, and redemption, and of course, a very well-deserved HEA.

The handsome man on the colorful cover by Natasha Snow definitely attracts attention.

Sales Links: Amazon | Audible

Audio Details:

Audible Audio
Published April 15th 2019 (first published August 17th 2017)
ASINB07QM1RCM7
Edition Language English
Series Mixed Messages #1
setting London, England

Check Out the Release Blitz with excerpt for the Best Man (Close Proximity #1) by Lily Morton

Best Man

Close Proximity

Lily Morton

/M Romance

Release Blitz: 10.03.19

Blurb

Zeb Evans doesn’t do messy.

The product of a disorganised and chaotic childhood, Zeb likes order and control, and as the boss of his own employment agency he can give that to himself. Life runs along strict lines and he never mixes business with pleasure. Everything in his life lives in neat, alphabetized boxes. Until Jesse.

Jesse Reed is Zeb’s complete opposite. He’s chaos personified. A whirling cyclone of disorder. He’s also charming and funny and a very unwanted distraction.

Which is why it comes as a complete surprise to Zeb to find himself asking Jesse to pose as his boyfriend for a few days in the country at a wedding.

Zeb doesn’t do impulsive, but as the time away progresses, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the merry and irreverent Jesse. But can he bring himself to break the hard-won lessons he’s learnt in life? And even if he can, how could Jesse be attracted to him anyway? He’s so much older than Jesse, not to mention being his boss.

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages and Finding Home series comes a warm and funny romance about one man’s fight for control and another man’s determination to circumvent it.

This is the first book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Universal link

http://getbook.at/Best-Man

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B07YKNQKHY

Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YKNQKHY

Excerpt

He looks at me and sighs wearily. “Do you think you could possibly behave?” he finally says.

I bite my lip. “I don’t think it would be entirely honest of me to promise that,” I say slowly. “Especially if people keep treating you like you’re some sort of desperate stalker. It’s not fair.” I frown. “You’re doing bloody Patrick a favour. They should be thanking you, not treating you like an unexploded bomb from the war that might go off in suburbia and wreck someone’s lavender bush.”

He blinks. “Where the hell did that come from?” He pauses. “And why am I the unexploded relic from the war?”

I smile at him sympathetically. “You have a lot of pent-up aggression,” I inform him.

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Milo (Finding Home #2) by Lily Morton

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Milo and his author, Lily Morton, delivered me right to the door of a very satisfying, feel-good Happy Ever After. No disappointment knocking on my door, for sure.

The prologue tells us Milo’s story in a nutshell. He’s in an abusive relationship, at first emotional, and now physical, which brings out the stutter that he’s worked years to overcome. Feeling unworthy, painfully inadequate, and most definitely awkward, he’s about to be abused yet again by his domineering artist lover when his brother’s best friend Niall shows up to rescue him and literally carry him away to a new life. That new life is at Chi an Mor, the beautiful ancient estate owned by Silas, the sweet man whom we first met in Oz.

Five years later, the story opens to show us Milo has adapted to his new life as an art restoration expert in Silas’s employ and is best friend to Silas’s husband, Oz. Pause for a moment here—Oz and Silas are exactly as I’d hope they’d be at this point in time. Parents of a beautiful 7-month-old girl, Cora is the love of their lives. I was thrilled to have this glimpse of their future because Oz remains one of my all-time favorites. So when the couple has to rush off to London to help Oz’s mom, who better to watch Cora than Milo? Well, add Niall to that because the heat in the mansion has failed and as estate manager, he lives nearby so offers his home to Milo and Cora. Not because Niall has the hots for Milo. Oh, no. Certainly not. {smirks}

The author took the time to make each of these men very real. Their backstory—individually and together—and the interactions with one another were spot-on. Each was different and yet so complementary to one another it’s a wonder there aren’t bookends or salt and pepper shakers in their image. The beauty of this story is in the details that allow us to get to really know each man. Niall’s past relationship with Gideon, Milo’s brother, causes some upset for all three men as it becomes known. But accepting Niall’s maturity and his devotion to Milo is fairly easy in the long run as deeds speak louder than words. The author’s writing style and unique sense of humor carry us forward so quickly I was shocked when I reached the end. I wanted more. I need more, and I certainly hope more will come with Gideon finding his own love at the hand of Lily Morton in the near future.

The scenes involving the group who went on the ski trip were priceless. Milo’s quiet acceptance of the quirky group was taken in stride “when to anyone else this would have had more disaster written over it than getting a ticket on the Titanic.” Witnessing Niall’s realization that he’s no longer interested in hookups and is far past scoffing at those who claim love is wonderful was delightful to behold. “Emotion fills me all of a sudden, like I’ve inhaled happiness helium.” Need I say more? Lily Morton is highly talented and Milo and Niall reap the benefit of that talent.

When I open one of this author’s books, I know I’m in for a treat. I highly recommend this story and the one before because this can be read as a standalone but it’s so much better after reading Oz. Reading it alone would be like having an ice cream sundae without the sprinkles and cherry on top.

The cover by Natasha Snow features a close-up of a handsome young man, long hair blowing in the breeze. Done in a purple tone, the cover grabbed my attention immediately.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 280 pages
Published February 15th 2019
ASINB07NN13TCW
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Finding Home #2
Characters Niall Fawcett, Milo Ramsay

Release Blitz for Milo (A Finding Home Novel) by Lily Morton (excerpt)

MILO

A FINDING HOME NOVEL

LILY MORTON

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.15.19

COVER DESIGN: Natasha Snow Designs

BLURB

Once upon a time a brave knight rescued a young man. Unfortunately, he then spent the next few years bossing the young man around and treating him like a child.

Milo has been burying himself at Chi an Mor, hiding from the wreckage of his once promising career and running from a bad relationship that destroyed what little confidence he had. Niall, his big brother’s best friend, has been there for him that entire time. An arrogant and funny man, Niall couldn’t be any more different from the shy and occasionally stuttering Milo, which has never stopped Milo from crushing wildly on the man who saved him.

However, just as Milo makes the decision to move on from his hopeless crush, he and Niall are thrown into close contact, and for the first time ever Niall seems to be returning his interest. But it can never work. How can it when Milo always needs rescuing?

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to write his own happily ever after.

This is the second book in the Finding Home series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Content warning: There are descriptions of domestic abuse in this book.

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2SwBnPz

AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2ImhlCy

Milo Teaser 1

Milo Teaser 2

EXCERPT

“Bloody hell, is that a relation of my husband or a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case?”

I laugh and Cora startles slightly. I shush her and kiss the tiny fingers she holds up to my face. Moving next to him, I stare down at the picture. “He is a bit grim, isn’t he?”

“Grim? Caligula was grim. This is a new and previously undiscovered level of malevolence.” He cocks his head to one side. “Is it my imagination or do his eyes follow you when you move?”

I shake my head. “My remit isn’t to judge. Instead, I reveal what has been previously hidden.”

“While I’m sure that sounds romantic in your head, let’s be realistic. You’ve actually just wiped dirt off a grumpy old git’s face.”

I laugh. “I’m so glad my time at art college wasn’t wasted.”

He looks searchingly at me and opens his mouth but then closes it again. I stare at him. “Oh my God, what were you going to say? It must be bad if it’s made Oz Gallagher shut up.”

He laughs, and I look affectionately at him. I know he’s going to tell me the truth. Oz doesn’t ever shy away from that. He’s my best friend in the world and it comes as a shock to realise that I’ve only known him for a couple of years. He came here to Chi an Mor in all his wisecracking, sassy glory and proceeded to turn everyone’s lives upside down. Footloose and fancy-free, he only intended to stay for a few months and ease the old house into opening to the general public. The best-laid plans always go wrong – or right – and now he’s settled with his husband Silas, the current earl, and they have a beautiful seven-month-old daughter.

He clears his throat and looks at me, and I straighten from kissing Cora’s forehead. “What?”

“I just think that you’re actually a bit wasted here, Milo.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re so bloody talented. People from all over the country are starting to come here to consult with you, and rather than enjoying it you’re stuck in a small, cold room wearing ugly gloves and hunched over a hideous painting. It’s like something from a Dickens novel.”

He pauses for breath and I try to relax my instinctive defensive shield. I don’t need it with him.

He rubs my arm affectionately. “You’re so clever and talented and no one sees it here apart from us, and you need more than that. You should be living it up and going to exotic parties. Mixing with artists and the bohemian crowd.”

I swallow hard at the thought of the people that used to surround Thomas. “I don’t think I’m cut out for a bohemian crowd. They sound quite noisy and tiring,” I manage to say.

“Well, maybe look for a sub-branch. The whispering bohemians or something.”

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

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