Barb, A Zany Old Lady Throwback Thursday Review: The Summer House (English Hearts #1) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

English 1 the summer house jpgThe last thing veterinarian Connor Lawson needs in his life is a sexy, rich playboy like Ashby Sterling-Haynes. Connor once had a relationship with a wealthy playboy, and once was enough. In fact, not even his best friend knows the dark secret and emotional pain Connor carries from that encounter, but it is still affecting his life, and if he has any hope for a future with a man, he has to find a way to deal with it.

Ashby Sterling-Haynes is the youngest son in a wealthy, titled family. Currently the chief of the accounting department at the corporation’s headquarters in London, he’s staying at the country estate while his brother Ben, who manages the estate, is on his honeymoon. A mild flirtation with the vet leads to so much more, and a summer in which Ash thought he’d be bored, turns into a journey of self-discovery when he apprentices with a local carpenter to indulge his creative side and his itch to work with wood. Once only a dream, he discovers that his “hobby” may indeed turn out to be his career, at the same time he discovers that his flirtation with Connor is leading to a rich and fulfilling friendship and a deep and abiding love.

There are both struggles and poignant moments as Connor and Ash interact in the community. And there’s both humor and heartache as Connor works through his past fears, and Ash discovers what love is all about and realizes that he’s not only willing to fight for Connor, he’s eagerly looking forward to it.

I loved this couple. I haven’t loved another couple so much since I first met Jack Campbell and Riley Hayes in The Heart of Texas. Their chemistry was spot-on, and both their individual personalities and their behavior as a couple were genuine and exciting. The secondary characters, especially Landon and Rachel and Mick were all vital to the story and complemented the whole.

I highly recommend this one to those who love their M/M romance with a nice mixture of humor, angst, hurt/comfort, and sexy times all rolled into one very enjoyable package.

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Cover design by Meredith Russell depicts two young men with an English estate in the background. The men look exactly the way I would picture Connor and Ashby after having read the story, so IMHO, it’s perfect.

Sales Links:  RJ Scott  –  All Romance (ARe) Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

A standalone, English Hearts story

ebook
Published May 29th 2015 by Love Lane Books Limited (first published May 27th 2015)
urlhttp://www.rjscott.co.uk
seriesEnglish Hearts #1