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Second-Best Men
Two snowed-in men. 300 cows. And a mangy dog.
Tucked away down a rutted dirt track resides a grumpy dairy farmer who lives his life firmly in the closet.
And secretly, he's desperately lonely.
That farmer is me—Rob Langford. I have more meaningful conversations with my prize bull than people. Except, one snowy night, I stumble across a fancy car wedged into a ditch.
The driver needs my help.
He’s injured. Stranded. The snow lies two feet deep.
And over the next few days, I discover this quiet, thoughtful man doesn’t mind my run-down cottage and my lumpy old sofa. He's even quite tolerant of my smelly arthritic dog.
Strong. Handsome. Self-possessed.
A man who knows what he wants. In bed and out of it. And bizarrely, that thing is me.
But, of course, to be what he needs, I have to step out of the shadows. And into his life.
Tucked away down a rutted dirt track resides a grumpy dairy farmer who lives his life firmly in the closet.
And secretly, he's desperately lonely.
That farmer is me—Rob Langford. I have more meaningful conversations with my prize bull than people. Except, one snowy night, I stumble across a fancy car wedged into a ditch.
The driver needs my help.
He’s injured. Stranded. The snow lies two feet deep.
And over the next few days, I discover this quiet, thoughtful man doesn’t mind my run-down cottage and my lumpy old sofa. He's even quite tolerant of my smelly arthritic dog.
Strong. Handsome. Self-possessed.
A man who knows what he wants. In bed and out of it. And bizarrely, that thing is me.
But, of course, to be what he needs, I have to step out of the shadows. And into his life.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2023
About the author
Fearne Hill
22 books274 followersFearne Hill resides far from the madding crowds in the county of Dorset, deep in the British countryside. She likes it that way.
Her queer romance, Two Tribes, was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards.
Her popular Rossingley series was nominated in nine separate categories of the 2021 Goodreads M/M Romance awards and received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Rainbow Awards.
She can be found on social media and has a newsletter:
https://fearne-hill.mailerpage.io/
Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11724...
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_...
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/FearneHill
On Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fearn...
She also writes very brief and not especially insightful book reviews here on GR...
Her queer romance, Two Tribes, was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards.
Her popular Rossingley series was nominated in nine separate categories of the 2021 Goodreads M/M Romance awards and received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Rainbow Awards.
She can be found on social media and has a newsletter:
https://fearne-hill.mailerpage.io/
Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11724...
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_...
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/FearneHill
On Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fearn...
She also writes very brief and not especially insightful book reviews here on GR...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
November 17, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ Gosh I LOVE Rossingley!
It was bloody hard to decide between 4 and 5 stars because I find it hard to be objective when it comes to this series. Rossingley universe will always feel like home to me because Lucien is and always will be one of the most fascinating MM characters ever and one of my absolute favorites. I haven't read all the books in the series (I'll get to them, eventually) so I don't know how much of an asshole Rob was to Tobby (I mean I know but I CAN still be objective since I haven’t seen it with my own eyes lol) and still I spent the entire time oscillating between disliking him and loving him .
Although most of this author’s books are popular and well done I personally think her best work is when she writes about British countryside. She paints that one perfectly and vividly and in a witty way. I loved Lucien’s book and Freddie’s father’s story the most.
And yes, this one despite being short ish it didn’t feel like insta , it was just wonderful. I loved Rob (when I managed to like him 🤣) , he was funny and he loved his animals dearly. Evan, however was a freaking dream. A bit hard to believe he was the same asshole from Lucien’s book but OMG, he was AMAZING here. I think I was a bit in love with him by the end of the book.
Ahh, that cozy farmhouse, those cold snowy winter nights, the old dog Zeus who looked at Evan like he hung the moon( I found myself suddenly sobbing when he died) and the simple farm life was so well depicted, so perfectly painted that it makes you want to be there even though I’m really not made for the farm life lol.
The humor was spot on like always with this author and Rob was hilarious. His musings about Evan being vegan made me crack up so hard (I’m actually very curious how can a relationship/marriage between a vegan and a hardcore meat eater can function without either of them having to give into the other’s preference.) So yeah, I loved this book, I loved seeing Lucien -I missed him so much- and I love these guys, the writing and the setting. The love story is realistic and wonderful and so so suited for these 2 ex villains.
I’d say you need to read the other books to read this (at least the first one) but I’m actually sure you don’t have to have to (the repetition is deliberate)You can read it as a stand alone and still understand it and love it. I DO recommend reading the first one (Lucien’s book) just for the pleasure of it because it’s AWESOME.
It was bloody hard to decide between 4 and 5 stars because I find it hard to be objective when it comes to this series. Rossingley universe will always feel like home to me because Lucien is and always will be one of the most fascinating MM characters ever and one of my absolute favorites. I haven't read all the books in the series (I'll get to them, eventually) so I don't know how much of an asshole Rob was to Tobby (I mean I know but I CAN still be objective since I haven’t seen it with my own eyes lol) and still I spent the entire time oscillating between disliking him and loving him .
Although most of this author’s books are popular and well done I personally think her best work is when she writes about British countryside. She paints that one perfectly and vividly and in a witty way. I loved Lucien’s book and Freddie’s father’s story the most.
And yes, this one despite being short ish it didn’t feel like insta , it was just wonderful. I loved Rob (when I managed to like him 🤣) , he was funny and he loved his animals dearly. Evan, however was a freaking dream. A bit hard to believe he was the same asshole from Lucien’s book but OMG, he was AMAZING here. I think I was a bit in love with him by the end of the book.
Ahh, that cozy farmhouse, those cold snowy winter nights, the old dog Zeus who looked at Evan like he hung the moon( I found myself suddenly sobbing when he died) and the simple farm life was so well depicted, so perfectly painted that it makes you want to be there even though I’m really not made for the farm life lol.
The humor was spot on like always with this author and Rob was hilarious. His musings about Evan being vegan made me crack up so hard (I’m actually very curious how can a relationship/marriage between a vegan and a hardcore meat eater can function without either of them having to give into the other’s preference.) So yeah, I loved this book, I loved seeing Lucien -I missed him so much- and I love these guys, the writing and the setting. The love story is realistic and wonderful and so so suited for these 2 ex villains.
I’d say you need to read the other books to read this (at least the first one) but I’m actually sure you don’t have to have to (the repetition is deliberate)You can read it as a stand alone and still understand it and love it. I DO recommend reading the first one (Lucien’s book) just for the pleasure of it because it’s AWESOME.
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December 14, 2023
RATING 4.5 STARS
Second Best Men is by Fearne Hill. It is a MM, stand alone holiday book that was so sweet, so heart warming. I loved every single second of it.
Rob Langford is thirty six years old and runs Langford’s Farm, a huge dairy farm. His daily companions are three hundred sweet cows, one very lazy bull, and a very old dog with arthritis and some flatulence issues. Rob has always known he was gay but always kept it hidden. He kept his true self hidden from everyone. The only constant in his life were his cows. He was lonely and dreamed of a life where things could be different. But didn’t see anything changing. Until the night he found a car crashed into a tree in a snow storm when he was on his way home. And the man inside, scared and injured.
Over the next couple of days, a bond is formed but then their time ends abruptly. Until fate steps in once again and puts these two back in each other’s paths. But this time, Rob needs to man up and admit his truths, or this rare gift will once again be gone.
This book is so darn cute. So darn sweet. It’s a holiday novella but the emphasis isn’t really on Christmas. The entire book is told from Rob’s POV. I do prefer a duel POV but it still worked. I adored the way Rob was with the animals on his farm. He and Evan couldn’t have been more different but they just worked.
If you want a fairly quick, heart warming romance that will squeeze your heart in the best of ways, then this is for you. It’s only my second book of Fearne’s but there will definitely be more.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit us at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Second Best Men is by Fearne Hill. It is a MM, stand alone holiday book that was so sweet, so heart warming. I loved every single second of it.
Rob Langford is thirty six years old and runs Langford’s Farm, a huge dairy farm. His daily companions are three hundred sweet cows, one very lazy bull, and a very old dog with arthritis and some flatulence issues. Rob has always known he was gay but always kept it hidden. He kept his true self hidden from everyone. The only constant in his life were his cows. He was lonely and dreamed of a life where things could be different. But didn’t see anything changing. Until the night he found a car crashed into a tree in a snow storm when he was on his way home. And the man inside, scared and injured.
Over the next couple of days, a bond is formed but then their time ends abruptly. Until fate steps in once again and puts these two back in each other’s paths. But this time, Rob needs to man up and admit his truths, or this rare gift will once again be gone.
This book is so darn cute. So darn sweet. It’s a holiday novella but the emphasis isn’t really on Christmas. The entire book is told from Rob’s POV. I do prefer a duel POV but it still worked. I adored the way Rob was with the animals on his farm. He and Evan couldn’t have been more different but they just worked.
If you want a fairly quick, heart warming romance that will squeeze your heart in the best of ways, then this is for you. It’s only my second book of Fearne’s but there will definitely be more.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit us at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
December 17, 2023
~3.5~
What I really liked:
~ The cows and the way Rob calls them his "girls" and picks favorites
~ Watermelons the bull
~ Zeus the poodle
~ The general country/farm setting
~ Redemption for two men who were not likable characters in previous Rossingley books
~ Fantastic dialogue
~ The care and support between Evan and Rob
~ Last chapter + epilogue = very promising HEA
What I liked less:
~ Rob's mega internalized homophobia and his antiquated ideas about how gay men act (particularly bizarre because Rob's landlord is Lucien, who happens to be married to another man)
~ Very rushed relationship development
~ The way the issue of who tops isn't really resolved because Evan tells Rob that Rob secretly likes getting fucked (when Rob protests, Evan just laughs - it honestly made me uncomfortable)
Rounding up since the good outweighed the not-so-good.
What I really liked:
~ The cows and the way Rob calls them his "girls" and picks favorites
~ Watermelons the bull
~ Zeus the poodle
~ The general country/farm setting
~ Redemption for two men who were not likable characters in previous Rossingley books
~ Fantastic dialogue
~ The care and support between Evan and Rob
~ Last chapter + epilogue = very promising HEA
What I liked less:
~ Rob's mega internalized homophobia and his antiquated ideas about how gay men act (particularly bizarre because Rob's landlord is Lucien, who happens to be married to another man)
~ Very rushed relationship development
~ The way the issue of who tops isn't really resolved because Evan tells Rob that Rob secretly likes getting fucked (when Rob protests, Evan just laughs - it honestly made me uncomfortable)
Rounding up since the good outweighed the not-so-good.
November 17, 2023
I loved this book so much 😭
I need more of them PLEASE FEARNE.
That ending scene WAS NOT ENOUGH.
I need more of them PLEASE FEARNE.
That ending scene WAS NOT ENOUGH.
April 10, 2024
LOVED IT!
And what’s not to love? This is Fearne Hill at her best, the Britishness of the story, the kind of humour I love in all her books and set in the Rossingley world, with character cameo’s too, it was the best!
I didn’t like Rob in the former books, he seemed like a closeted, self centred arsehole, but he easily won me over in this story without drama but filled with so much sweetness and joy that I swooned over the entire book. The way he cares for his cows, his dog Zeus and not to forget Watermelons, the bull, was just so endearing, it had me smiling the whole time.
And Evan, well, he’s just one of the sweetest men I ever met in a romance book. I loved him right away, and he was perfect to Rob’s grumpiness and to his insecurity when it came down to romance and love. Because until Evan, love had been something foreign for a man as firmly in the closet as Rob.
And that ending? It certainly left me wanting more!
Highly recommended! (Though it’s set in the Rossingley world, you can read this as a stand alone, but it’s a series I highly recommend as well)
And what’s not to love? This is Fearne Hill at her best, the Britishness of the story, the kind of humour I love in all her books and set in the Rossingley world, with character cameo’s too, it was the best!
I didn’t like Rob in the former books, he seemed like a closeted, self centred arsehole, but he easily won me over in this story without drama but filled with so much sweetness and joy that I swooned over the entire book. The way he cares for his cows, his dog Zeus and not to forget Watermelons, the bull, was just so endearing, it had me smiling the whole time.
And Evan, well, he’s just one of the sweetest men I ever met in a romance book. I loved him right away, and he was perfect to Rob’s grumpiness and to his insecurity when it came down to romance and love. Because until Evan, love had been something foreign for a man as firmly in the closet as Rob.
And that ending? It certainly left me wanting more!
Highly recommended! (Though it’s set in the Rossingley world, you can read this as a stand alone, but it’s a series I highly recommend as well)
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 17, 2023DNF@46%
I don’t think I have read enough to know if it’s just single POV, but it would benefit tremendously if it wasn’t.
Many times the author wrote something in the lines of “we talked about” instead of showing some very important details, which didn’t let me properly connect with the characters at all, but I think this is on me, because these two are minor characters from other books that may have more on their background, and the author didn’t want this to be repetitive. BUT if you want to say this is a standalone, you WILL have to repeat most part to have a logical timeline of affection.
Also, Rob on the closet for so long, it makes no sense at all. There isn’t a good reason shown so far. oh it’s an ingrained habit , yeah sure, but he’s still getting it on with other guys, and when someone he truly likes shows up and spend two days at his house AND says he’s gay, you just decide against coming out? Make it make sense.
I guess it’s just not for me.
I don’t think I have read enough to know if it’s just single POV, but it would benefit tremendously if it wasn’t.
Many times the author wrote something in the lines of “we talked about” instead of showing some very important details, which didn’t let me properly connect with the characters at all, but I think this is on me, because these two are minor characters from other books that may have more on their background, and the author didn’t want this to be repetitive. BUT if you want to say this is a standalone, you WILL have to repeat most part to have a logical timeline of affection.
Also, Rob on the closet for so long, it makes no sense at all. There isn’t a good reason shown so far. oh it’s an ingrained habit , yeah sure, but he’s still getting it on with other guys, and when someone he truly likes shows up and spend two days at his house AND says he’s gay, you just decide against coming out? Make it make sense.
I guess it’s just not for me.
November 4, 2023
I'd like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
What a wonderful introduction to Fearne Hill's work! I loved the writing style, and I thought the characters were all so endearing. I'm soft for bucolic romances and this one was a sweet and generous beauty. I must have choked up a half a dozen times, with one massive sobfest at the very end there, and honestly anything that moves me is an automatic win! This was great stuff and I'm looking forward to exploring this author's backlist as well as everything else FH releases in the future!
What a wonderful introduction to Fearne Hill's work! I loved the writing style, and I thought the characters were all so endearing. I'm soft for bucolic romances and this one was a sweet and generous beauty. I must have choked up a half a dozen times, with one massive sobfest at the very end there, and honestly anything that moves me is an automatic win! This was great stuff and I'm looking forward to exploring this author's backlist as well as everything else FH releases in the future!
November 6, 2023
4.5 stars
Rossingley! I love this series -- it has become a comfort re-read (book 2 excepted -- sorry, book 2) -- and this charming, low-angst holiday novella is a lovely addition to the Rossingley universe. Really hit the sweet spot.
Here our POV character is Rob Langford, the closeted 30-something farmer who we met in young Toby's book, where Rob was (literally) jerking Toby around: always up for a furtive shag, but icing him in public so as to avoid arousing any suspicions of gaydom. Rob, it ends up (and I can't remember if this was previously established or just ret-conned), is a long-time mate and past friend-with-benefits with book 2 MC Freddie, and we open with them having their annual Christmas drink: a smart move, as we immediately move from nob-Rob of book 4 to Freddie's affectionate, sympathetic feelings towards his old friend, whose closeted lifestyle now seems driven as much by habit and inertia as fear.
Enter MC #2: Evan, Jay's med-school best mate in book 1, who didn't exactly cover himself in glory when Jay dumped his fiancee a week before the wedding and then took up with Lucien. Christmas day snowstorm; minor car accident; Rob to the rescue; and an injured Evan ends up shacking up with Rob for a couple of days until the weather calms and they can sort out a tow. There is, sadly, more than one bed. The two bond, and Evan confides something virtually no else knows: his marriage, already on the rocks due to his obsessive focus on his medical career and his unwillingness to have children, broke down entirely when came out to his (soon-to-be ex) wife.
The snowy interlude is quiet, tentative, and sets the two mens' redemption arcs in motion (both Rob and Evan eventually admit to the other their past shittiness towards Toby and Jay/Lucien, respectively, and express remorse). Romance reasons intervene; and we fast forward a few months to a fateful reunion. At this point, things veer towards the insta: they go from attracted to committed very quickly. But strangely, I'm not mad about it. The groundwork is adequately laid during their (short but intense) time together at the holidays -- and then it's just figuring shit out.
Rob and Evan are both grown-ass men, and I enjoyed how it was emphasized that they are two wholes coming together to form something new as a couple, rather than two fragmentary parts trying to complete each other. While Toby and Noah's story was very much coming-of-age, this is more about two fully formed people navigating new waters -- coming out later in life -- and learning how to be together without sacrificing themselves. It all builds towards a very mellow-yet-satisfying scene bringing together the whole Rossingley gang (minus Marcel and Guillaume) with the new additions to the pride parade.
A laid-back, cozy, heartwarming novella that can easily be read as a standalone -- but why would you want to, when so much Rossingley goodness awaits?
CWs: ROB HAS TO YOINK EVAN'S DISLOCATED SHOULDER BACK INTO PLACE!!!!!! I did the reading equivalent of closing my eyes, covering my ears, and saying "blah blah I can't hear you" for this part.
Pet death (old age), discussed briefly as flashback.
(Honestly very amusing to me how Fearne Hill, an IRL doctor, very conscientiously includes a CW for the pet death and doesn't seem to realize that POPPING A DISLOCATED SHOULDER BACK IN IS STRAIGHT-UP BODY HORROR, MY GOD!!!!!!!)
I got an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
Rossingley! I love this series -- it has become a comfort re-read (book 2 excepted -- sorry, book 2) -- and this charming, low-angst holiday novella is a lovely addition to the Rossingley universe. Really hit the sweet spot.
Here our POV character is Rob Langford, the closeted 30-something farmer who we met in young Toby's book, where Rob was (literally) jerking Toby around: always up for a furtive shag, but icing him in public so as to avoid arousing any suspicions of gaydom. Rob, it ends up (and I can't remember if this was previously established or just ret-conned), is a long-time mate and past friend-with-benefits with book 2 MC Freddie, and we open with them having their annual Christmas drink: a smart move, as we immediately move from nob-Rob of book 4 to Freddie's affectionate, sympathetic feelings towards his old friend, whose closeted lifestyle now seems driven as much by habit and inertia as fear.
Enter MC #2: Evan, Jay's med-school best mate in book 1, who didn't exactly cover himself in glory when Jay dumped his fiancee a week before the wedding and then took up with Lucien. Christmas day snowstorm; minor car accident; Rob to the rescue; and an injured Evan ends up shacking up with Rob for a couple of days until the weather calms and they can sort out a tow. There is, sadly, more than one bed. The two bond, and Evan confides something virtually no else knows: his marriage, already on the rocks due to his obsessive focus on his medical career and his unwillingness to have children, broke down entirely when came out to his (soon-to-be ex) wife.
The snowy interlude is quiet, tentative, and sets the two mens' redemption arcs in motion (both Rob and Evan eventually admit to the other their past shittiness towards Toby and Jay/Lucien, respectively, and express remorse). Romance reasons intervene; and we fast forward a few months to a fateful reunion. At this point, things veer towards the insta: they go from attracted to committed very quickly. But strangely, I'm not mad about it. The groundwork is adequately laid during their (short but intense) time together at the holidays -- and then it's just figuring shit out.
Rob and Evan are both grown-ass men, and I enjoyed how it was emphasized that they are two wholes coming together to form something new as a couple, rather than two fragmentary parts trying to complete each other. While Toby and Noah's story was very much coming-of-age, this is more about two fully formed people navigating new waters -- coming out later in life -- and learning how to be together without sacrificing themselves. It all builds towards a very mellow-yet-satisfying scene bringing together the whole Rossingley gang (minus Marcel and Guillaume) with the new additions to the pride parade.
A laid-back, cozy, heartwarming novella that can easily be read as a standalone -- but why would you want to, when so much Rossingley goodness awaits?
CWs: ROB HAS TO YOINK EVAN'S DISLOCATED SHOULDER BACK INTO PLACE!!!!!! I did the reading equivalent of closing my eyes, covering my ears, and saying "blah blah I can't hear you" for this part.
Pet death (old age), discussed briefly as flashback.
(Honestly very amusing to me how Fearne Hill, an IRL doctor, very conscientiously includes a CW for the pet death and doesn't seem to realize that POPPING A DISLOCATED SHOULDER BACK IN IS STRAIGHT-UP BODY HORROR, MY GOD!!!!!!!)
I got an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 17, 2023DNF. Not feeling it. I think the one trigger put me off as I kept expecting it to happen and can't enjoy it. Can't connect with the characters either. May come back to it later. Or not.
April 7, 2024
This sweet, warm story of a gay dairy farmer on a leasehold near Rossingley requires a little suspension of disbelief in a dairyman who sings lullabies to all his cows and has the softest of hearts, surviving in the business, given the turnover rates. But I loved the main character, and the fast, sweet awakening to love. There's humor in watching a farmer who can put his arm up the backside of a cow grow faint at the sight of human blood. I appreciated the low-drama (but not low-anxiety) coming out storyline. I really appreciated that a medical ethics issue from the other MC being a surgeon was dealt with properly, not swept aside. This is a comfort read with a grumpy lonely farmer finally finding the man who makes it worth stepping out of the closet, and changing how the rest of the world sees him. This story connects to the Rossingley series, but IMO can read as a stand alone just fine.
Read
November 13, 2023Thank you so much for reading Rob's story!! Just a note that although it is set in the Rossingley world, it is a complete stand-alone featuring two very minor characters from that series.
December 4, 2023
Sweet and sometimes cute, especially Rob and his livestocks/pets. Okay-ish plot though I didn't feel the chemistry much. This was the first book of the author I've read and I probably should've chosen wisely than just picking the first from the search results? I'll give it a try with a different book.
November 27, 2023
Short & sweet story about a closeted dairy farmer meeting a newly-divorced, newly-gay surgeon. Evan crashes his car near Rob’s farm during a snowstorm, so they get trapped & forced proximity for long enough to get attracted to each other. Told in Rob’s first-person POV throughout, we see them quickly connect at such a deep level that they want to come out for each other. Both of them are a bit older, know what they want, and don’t play games, which is refreshing to read. It’s not Insta-love, it’s just being older, wiser & more decisive when you find that person for you.
I loved Rob’s farm & all the little descriptive details that made it clear in your mind. I loved that big burly farmer Rob could also be soft & needy. And it was nice to see characters from the Rossingingly series (also reminding me to go back & read the last 2 books!) I just wished we had heard a little from Evan’s perspective, and I really wanted more! (it’s around 160 pgs)
Check out my reviews and MM content on Instagram, Threads, Facebook, StoryGraph & Bookbub, all under the same name.
I loved Rob’s farm & all the little descriptive details that made it clear in your mind. I loved that big burly farmer Rob could also be soft & needy. And it was nice to see characters from the Rossingingly series (also reminding me to go back & read the last 2 books!) I just wished we had heard a little from Evan’s perspective, and I really wanted more! (it’s around 160 pgs)
Check out my reviews and MM content on Instagram, Threads, Facebook, StoryGraph & Bookbub, all under the same name.
November 8, 2023
4.5 stars
This was a very lovely reading!
This book can be listed as part of the Rossingley series, because it's about Evan, Jay's friend from book 1, and Rob, Toby's former love interest from book 4.
I read only book one and honestly I regret not having kept reading this series because all the characters are amazing and I was glad to see Jay and Lucien again.
Rob is a very closeted farmer and he doesn't know why he's still in the closet: he's well respected in the community, he's got a supportive family, yet he doesn't seem ready to come out.
During a storm, he helps Evan, who had a car accident and brings him to his farm. Evan stays a couple of day then leaves.
During this brief period of time, Rob is fascinated by the man and when fate brings them together again, he asks him out.
From that moment, they're smitten with each other, they touch, hug and kiss like two teenagers dealing with first love.
For Evan, this is his first relationship with a man, for Rob this is his first relationship ever.
I loved how things naturally progressed between them: their sexual connection grows as well and Rob finds himself completely flipped over by Evan's personality and he starts loving what he never appreciate before.
They both didn't behave very well in the past (Evan wasn't nice with Jay and Rob was utterly awful with Toby), but they changed and aknowledge their mistakes. I loved that they were completely honest to one another about their bad pas behaviours.
What prevented me from giving 5 stars:
In the first chapter, when Rob talks with Freddie, it's clear he's still not ready to come out, even if he feels lonely.
Then he meets Evan and when he gets a chance with him three months after their first encounter (they weren't in contact during this time), Rob is ready to date him publicly.
I didn't get why: Rob's decision wasn't made after some time spent with Evan, they literally went only on one single date. It was a little too insta love.
Anyway, I loved the atmosphere of this story, the rural setting, the quiet life, the animals.
The epilogue is beautiful and just perfect for Rob and Evan.
Recommended.
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
This was a very lovely reading!
This book can be listed as part of the Rossingley series, because it's about Evan, Jay's friend from book 1, and Rob, Toby's former love interest from book 4.
I read only book one and honestly I regret not having kept reading this series because all the characters are amazing and I was glad to see Jay and Lucien again.
Rob is a very closeted farmer and he doesn't know why he's still in the closet: he's well respected in the community, he's got a supportive family, yet he doesn't seem ready to come out.
During a storm, he helps Evan, who had a car accident and brings him to his farm. Evan stays a couple of day then leaves.
During this brief period of time, Rob is fascinated by the man and when fate brings them together again, he asks him out.
From that moment, they're smitten with each other, they touch, hug and kiss like two teenagers dealing with first love.
For Evan, this is his first relationship with a man, for Rob this is his first relationship ever.
I loved how things naturally progressed between them: their sexual connection grows as well and Rob finds himself completely flipped over by Evan's personality and he starts loving what he never appreciate before.
They both didn't behave very well in the past (Evan wasn't nice with Jay and Rob was utterly awful with Toby), but they changed and aknowledge their mistakes. I loved that they were completely honest to one another about their bad pas behaviours.
What prevented me from giving 5 stars:
In the first chapter, when Rob talks with Freddie, it's clear he's still not ready to come out, even if he feels lonely.
Then he meets Evan and when he gets a chance with him three months after their first encounter (they weren't in contact during this time), Rob is ready to date him publicly.
I didn't get why: Rob's decision wasn't made after some time spent with Evan, they literally went only on one single date. It was a little too insta love.
Anyway, I loved the atmosphere of this story, the rural setting, the quiet life, the animals.
The epilogue is beautiful and just perfect for Rob and Evan.
Recommended.
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
November 16, 2023
I completely forgot how Gaston-ish Rob was to sweet Toby. Let’s be honest, we didn’t see redeeming qualities in Farmer Rob in To Mend a Broken Wing. I’m pleased to say he does try to make amends with Toby and we didn’t see any of that boorish behavior.
And Evan-Jay’s best friend wasn’t much better in To Hold a Hidden Pearl… he was a jerk friend…but he and Jay maintained their friendship… Evan also has turned a new leaf, but I have to love Lucien for being slow to forget.
Well, I’m here to tell you Rob and Evan meet their match in one another. They are both ready for a relationship… but independent too. 2 wholes but solidly together and very respectful of one another. Evan and Rob were not compatible in every way but they accepted each other differences and all. I loved Evans confidence and his ability to see through Rob at times. Rob refers to himself as a grumpy farmer, but he’s such a softie with his animals. Rob and Evan have chemistry from the start.
No break ups, no drama, just a lovely and sensual romance. Huge nod of honor to the farm, Watermelons, and Zeus.
Every word painted a picture and is just wonderful from front to back. I love the Rossingley world!
And Evan-Jay’s best friend wasn’t much better in To Hold a Hidden Pearl… he was a jerk friend…but he and Jay maintained their friendship… Evan also has turned a new leaf, but I have to love Lucien for being slow to forget.
Well, I’m here to tell you Rob and Evan meet their match in one another. They are both ready for a relationship… but independent too. 2 wholes but solidly together and very respectful of one another. Evan and Rob were not compatible in every way but they accepted each other differences and all. I loved Evans confidence and his ability to see through Rob at times. Rob refers to himself as a grumpy farmer, but he’s such a softie with his animals. Rob and Evan have chemistry from the start.
No break ups, no drama, just a lovely and sensual romance. Huge nod of honor to the farm, Watermelons, and Zeus.
Every word painted a picture and is just wonderful from front to back. I love the Rossingley world!
November 18, 2023
Another lovely addition to the Rossingley world
Loved:
◇ Rob - imperfect, real, funny, and so endearing in his love for his animals
◇ Evan - confident, bossy, able to see through Rob and being perfect for him
◇ Opposites attract
◇ Relationship development - fast but natural and realistic
◇ Humor
◇ Zeus, the dog and Watermelons, the bull
◇ British countryside setting
Niggles:
Another FH book with the MC (before getting together with the other MC) having a man married to a woman as a fuck body. Mentioned in passing, doesn't add anything to the story. Just thrown out there. The casuality of it, like it's totally OK to cheat if it is with a man, is very off-putting
Loved:
◇ Rob - imperfect, real, funny, and so endearing in his love for his animals
◇ Evan - confident, bossy, able to see through Rob and being perfect for him
◇ Opposites attract
◇ Relationship development - fast but natural and realistic
◇ Humor
◇ Zeus, the dog and Watermelons, the bull
◇ British countryside setting
Niggles:
Another FH book with the MC (before getting together with the other MC) having a man married to a woman as a fuck body. Mentioned in passing, doesn't add anything to the story. Just thrown out there. The casuality of it, like it's totally OK to cheat if it is with a man, is very off-putting
December 21, 2023
I've given this a B+ at AAR, 4.5 stars
I chalked up my first Christmassy read of 2023 with this novella-length seasonal(ish) romance from Fearne Hill. Second Best Men is loosely connected to her Rossingley series because its leads are two of the secondary characters we met in those books, but it would work perfectly well as a standalone as there’s enough information given to fill in any gaps in a new reader’s curiosity.
Thirty-six-year-old dairy farmer Rob Langford lives a busy but lonely life, tending his 300+ herd of ‘girls’, and having more meaningful chats with his prize bull than he has with people. We met him in Toby’s book, To Mend a Broken Wing , where, to be honest, he was a bit of a dickhead, happy to screw around with Toby but giving him the cold shoulder in public to avoid any suspicion that Rob might be gay, too. He’s been so deep in the closet for so long, he’s pretty much forgotten why he was in there in the first place; his old fear of people seeing him differently doesn’t seem so much of an issue any more, but the habit of hiding is so ingrained that he just can’t convince himself to take that final step and come out. He’s also reached the stage where he thinks love has passed him by anyway; what man would want to spend his life on a remote farm with someone whose day begins at 4am and who spends most of his time smelling of cow shit, old dog farts and tractor oil?
It starts snowing as Rob is on his way home after spending Christmas Day with his sister and her family. As he rounds a tricky bend, he sees a car – a pretty posh one, too – has skidded off the road and into a ditch. The car looks like a right-off, but he can see someone inside; Rob gets out of his truck to see what he can do to help. The driver seems to be okay, although Rob isn’t happy that he’s trying to get out of the car – he really should get checked out for head and neck injuries first. The man insists, however, telling Rob that he’s a doctor – a surgeon, actually – and that he’s got a dislocated shoulder and busted ribs, but his neck is fine… and in any case, an ambulance likely won’t reach them for hours, especially as the weather is worsening. Rob can’t disagree with this, and ends up taking the injured man – who introduces himself as Evan – back to the farmhouse.
Evan ends up staying with Rob for a couple of days until the weather eases up and he can sort out his car situation, and the two of them start to get to know each other. (Rob also has to fix Evan’s dislocated shoulder – not a scene for the squeamish, which includes Rob, who promptly passes out afterwards!) Rob shows Evan round the farm, and they end up chatting far later into the night than Rob really should – but he’s having the best time he’s had in ages.
“Twentysomething me would never have guessed that if thirty-six-year-old me could choose, it would be to find someone with whom to spend an evening exactly like this.”
As they talk, they discover they have friends (sort of) in common; Rob’s farm borders the Earl of Rossingley’s estate, so he has a passing acquaintance with Lucien, the eccentric sixteenth earl and his husband Jay, and Evan was Jay’s best friend in medical school. Evan admits to Rob that he wasn’t a good friend to Jay when Jay pulled out of his wedding a week before it was due to take place and then became involved with Lucien (To Hold a Hidden Pearl), and Rob silently muses on his crappy behaviour towards Toby. Evan tells Rob about his divorce, about how his twelve-year marriage, already on the rocks thanks to his putting the demands of his job first and his not wanting to have children, broke down completely when he told his wife he was gay – words he’s never said aloud until now. Yet even though Rob finds Evan incredibly attractive and would love to find out if his interest might be returned, he still can’t bring himself to speak his own truth. And it looks as though he’s destined to regret that forever when, on the third morning, he goes downstairs to find a note from Evan telling him that the breakdown service sent a truck out early that morning and the driver didn’t have time to wait around.
A few months pass, then circumstances contrive to throw Rob and Evan together again when Rob needs some medical treatment and he walks into the office of the “lovely” Mr. Christopher E. Richardson to find himself face-to-face with Evan. After this somewhat unusual and unexpected reunion (and yes, the doctor/patient thing is addressed and resolved), things start moving fairly quickly as Rob and Evan begin to explore their mutual attraction. The sex is great and feels both new and like an extension of the relationship they’d already started to build, and although things do progress quite quickly, I didn’t mind because the romance has been so well set up and the early part of the story when Evan and Rob are snowed in together and getting to know each other is so charming and heartfelt and comfortable. Also, these are two grown men in their late thirties/early forties who have made lives and careers for themselves, not teens or twentysomethings in the flush of first love who are still working out who and what they want to be. I really liked the emphasis on Rob and Evan as two whole, independent individuals coming together to create something new as a couple – Rob doesn’t hold with the term “other half”, with its implication that one person is somehow incomplete until they find a partner – and learning how to be together without sacrificing who they are or what they’ve achieved.
Fearne Hill has obviously done her homework when it comes to the farming side of things, and she imparts that information naturally as part of the story, but be prepared for frequent mentions of farm-y things like cow shit, vomit and various farmyard smells!
Tender, poignant and often hilarious, Second Best Men is a wonderful story of redemption and finding love where you least expect it. Rob and Evan are very real and relatable, and Rob’s wry narrative voice is distinctive and incredibly engaging. Novellas can be difficult to pull off, but this one works superbly and is a lovely – and highly recommended – addition to the Rossingley universe.
This review originally appeared at All About Romance .
I chalked up my first Christmassy read of 2023 with this novella-length seasonal(ish) romance from Fearne Hill. Second Best Men is loosely connected to her Rossingley series because its leads are two of the secondary characters we met in those books, but it would work perfectly well as a standalone as there’s enough information given to fill in any gaps in a new reader’s curiosity.
Thirty-six-year-old dairy farmer Rob Langford lives a busy but lonely life, tending his 300+ herd of ‘girls’, and having more meaningful chats with his prize bull than he has with people. We met him in Toby’s book, To Mend a Broken Wing , where, to be honest, he was a bit of a dickhead, happy to screw around with Toby but giving him the cold shoulder in public to avoid any suspicion that Rob might be gay, too. He’s been so deep in the closet for so long, he’s pretty much forgotten why he was in there in the first place; his old fear of people seeing him differently doesn’t seem so much of an issue any more, but the habit of hiding is so ingrained that he just can’t convince himself to take that final step and come out. He’s also reached the stage where he thinks love has passed him by anyway; what man would want to spend his life on a remote farm with someone whose day begins at 4am and who spends most of his time smelling of cow shit, old dog farts and tractor oil?
It starts snowing as Rob is on his way home after spending Christmas Day with his sister and her family. As he rounds a tricky bend, he sees a car – a pretty posh one, too – has skidded off the road and into a ditch. The car looks like a right-off, but he can see someone inside; Rob gets out of his truck to see what he can do to help. The driver seems to be okay, although Rob isn’t happy that he’s trying to get out of the car – he really should get checked out for head and neck injuries first. The man insists, however, telling Rob that he’s a doctor – a surgeon, actually – and that he’s got a dislocated shoulder and busted ribs, but his neck is fine… and in any case, an ambulance likely won’t reach them for hours, especially as the weather is worsening. Rob can’t disagree with this, and ends up taking the injured man – who introduces himself as Evan – back to the farmhouse.
Evan ends up staying with Rob for a couple of days until the weather eases up and he can sort out his car situation, and the two of them start to get to know each other. (Rob also has to fix Evan’s dislocated shoulder – not a scene for the squeamish, which includes Rob, who promptly passes out afterwards!) Rob shows Evan round the farm, and they end up chatting far later into the night than Rob really should – but he’s having the best time he’s had in ages.
“Twentysomething me would never have guessed that if thirty-six-year-old me could choose, it would be to find someone with whom to spend an evening exactly like this.”
As they talk, they discover they have friends (sort of) in common; Rob’s farm borders the Earl of Rossingley’s estate, so he has a passing acquaintance with Lucien, the eccentric sixteenth earl and his husband Jay, and Evan was Jay’s best friend in medical school. Evan admits to Rob that he wasn’t a good friend to Jay when Jay pulled out of his wedding a week before it was due to take place and then became involved with Lucien (To Hold a Hidden Pearl), and Rob silently muses on his crappy behaviour towards Toby. Evan tells Rob about his divorce, about how his twelve-year marriage, already on the rocks thanks to his putting the demands of his job first and his not wanting to have children, broke down completely when he told his wife he was gay – words he’s never said aloud until now. Yet even though Rob finds Evan incredibly attractive and would love to find out if his interest might be returned, he still can’t bring himself to speak his own truth. And it looks as though he’s destined to regret that forever when, on the third morning, he goes downstairs to find a note from Evan telling him that the breakdown service sent a truck out early that morning and the driver didn’t have time to wait around.
A few months pass, then circumstances contrive to throw Rob and Evan together again when Rob needs some medical treatment and he walks into the office of the “lovely” Mr. Christopher E. Richardson to find himself face-to-face with Evan. After this somewhat unusual and unexpected reunion (and yes, the doctor/patient thing is addressed and resolved), things start moving fairly quickly as Rob and Evan begin to explore their mutual attraction. The sex is great and feels both new and like an extension of the relationship they’d already started to build, and although things do progress quite quickly, I didn’t mind because the romance has been so well set up and the early part of the story when Evan and Rob are snowed in together and getting to know each other is so charming and heartfelt and comfortable. Also, these are two grown men in their late thirties/early forties who have made lives and careers for themselves, not teens or twentysomethings in the flush of first love who are still working out who and what they want to be. I really liked the emphasis on Rob and Evan as two whole, independent individuals coming together to create something new as a couple – Rob doesn’t hold with the term “other half”, with its implication that one person is somehow incomplete until they find a partner – and learning how to be together without sacrificing who they are or what they’ve achieved.
Fearne Hill has obviously done her homework when it comes to the farming side of things, and she imparts that information naturally as part of the story, but be prepared for frequent mentions of farm-y things like cow shit, vomit and various farmyard smells!
Tender, poignant and often hilarious, Second Best Men is a wonderful story of redemption and finding love where you least expect it. Rob and Evan are very real and relatable, and Rob’s wry narrative voice is distinctive and incredibly engaging. Novellas can be difficult to pull off, but this one works superbly and is a lovely – and highly recommended – addition to the Rossingley universe.
This review originally appeared at All About Romance .
November 19, 2023
You don't need to read any of the books in Fearne Hill's Rossingley series to enjoy Second-Best Men. But I'll bet if you read this one, you're going to want to delve into this series! I'm glad Hill is doing spin-off novels featuring cameo characters from the series, because this was honestly one of my all time favorites.
I can't honestly say I really remember Rob, but he completely redeems himself in Second-Best Men. Plus he completes quite a personal journey, and it's enjoyable to watch him become the "best man" he can be.
Lovely!
an arc of Second-Best Men was provided for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
I can't honestly say I really remember Rob, but he completely redeems himself in Second-Best Men. Plus he completes quite a personal journey, and it's enjoyable to watch him become the "best man" he can be.
Lovely!
an arc of Second-Best Men was provided for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
November 20, 2023
It's a nice book, but it left me wanting. It was too short to deal with a number of topics that need to be tackled.
I really didn't like Rob in Toby's book. At all. His actions were creepy. Here he seemed like another person. Totally likeable, but I couldn't recognize him from the former book.
I don't remember much how I felt about Evan in Jay and Lucien's book, he must have been the annoying friend who made snide remarks about Lucien. Here I liked him at first, though the very determined side of him is not for me at all (he's flexible as long as everything goes according to how he likes it to be... nah, not for me).
To redeem annyoing characters is a feat and can work brilliantly.
Sometimes it's great to have an MC who's annoying of unlikeable as heck and make him/her into someone we grow to love.
Here it didn't quite work for me. Rob felt very different from the creepy bloke in the former book. Also I didn't quite get why he stayed so firmly in the closet: as we do not meet meet any of his circle of friends (mainly his pub friends) it doesn't explain why he was so afraid to come out and live as himself. There certainly are many reasons possible but none were tackled.
Evan is a very dominant character. I didn't get it why Rob so easily relinquished having any say or any control. Yes, he fell hard for this guy, but it seemed strange nevertheless to agree to practices that he didn't like before and that at one point even make his knob shrivel up. Maybe I just overlooked the turning point from queasy to addictive?
I love Fearne Hill as an author and I absolutely adore some of her books (e.g. Cloud White, Dipped in Sunshine). Mostly those titles that took me by surprise because I wouldn't have thought I'd like the MCs/the story. But those that I expected to love somehow often miss the mark for me. Which does not say those titles are bad, no. They just don't work for me the way I'd have loved them to do.
A side quibble: why, oh why are the covers so off the mark???
The guy on the cover is good looking, but doesn't fit the description of neither Rob (blond) nor Evan (dark, broken nose, hairy chest). Sigh.
I really didn't like Rob in Toby's book. At all. His actions were creepy. Here he seemed like another person. Totally likeable, but I couldn't recognize him from the former book.
I don't remember much how I felt about Evan in Jay and Lucien's book, he must have been the annoying friend who made snide remarks about Lucien. Here I liked him at first, though the very determined side of him is not for me at all (he's flexible as long as everything goes according to how he likes it to be... nah, not for me).
To redeem annyoing characters is a feat and can work brilliantly.
Sometimes it's great to have an MC who's annoying of unlikeable as heck and make him/her into someone we grow to love.
Here it didn't quite work for me. Rob felt very different from the creepy bloke in the former book. Also I didn't quite get why he stayed so firmly in the closet: as we do not meet meet any of his circle of friends (mainly his pub friends) it doesn't explain why he was so afraid to come out and live as himself. There certainly are many reasons possible but none were tackled.
Evan is a very dominant character. I didn't get it why Rob so easily relinquished having any say or any control. Yes, he fell hard for this guy, but it seemed strange nevertheless to agree to practices that he didn't like before and that at one point even make his knob shrivel up. Maybe I just overlooked the turning point from queasy to addictive?
I love Fearne Hill as an author and I absolutely adore some of her books (e.g. Cloud White, Dipped in Sunshine). Mostly those titles that took me by surprise because I wouldn't have thought I'd like the MCs/the story. But those that I expected to love somehow often miss the mark for me. Which does not say those titles are bad, no. They just don't work for me the way I'd have loved them to do.
A side quibble: why, oh why are the covers so off the mark???
The guy on the cover is good looking, but doesn't fit the description of neither Rob (blond) nor Evan (dark, broken nose, hairy chest). Sigh.
January 26, 2024
This one's more of a novella than a book, set in the Rossingley series world but with its own storyline.
As usual with this author, it was well written with colourful language and picturesque setting. The story itself was quite simple, two men meet by chance and get snowed it together for two nights, during which attraction develops and mutual interest triggers future relationship.
There's no drama here, no conflict, even the fact that one of the MCs is in the closet gets resolved without any misunderstandings. It's really just this insta-lovely, strawberries and sex on a picnic in the English countryside, fluffy short story. A comfort read but nothing more.
As usual with this author, it was well written with colourful language and picturesque setting. The story itself was quite simple, two men meet by chance and get snowed it together for two nights, during which attraction develops and mutual interest triggers future relationship.
There's no drama here, no conflict, even the fact that one of the MCs is in the closet gets resolved without any misunderstandings. It's really just this insta-lovely, strawberries and sex on a picnic in the English countryside, fluffy short story. A comfort read but nothing more.
December 5, 2023
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Second-Best Men is set in the world of Fearne Hill’s Rossingley series and is written as a standalone. Evan was introduced in the first book in that series, To Hold a Hidden Pearl, as Jay’s friend. That book is the only one I have read in the series and, while Evan and Rob’s romance does stand alone, I was still glad I had prior knowledge of Jay and Lucien. I was a little thrown, though, that this is set 12 years after Jay and Lucien’s book and this story didn’t capture me quite like Jay and Lucien did.
Their story offers a quieter, everyday kind of love. Rob and Evan both have different jobs that demand a lot of their time and, while they make each other a priority, they also respect the other’s priorities. While their relationship didn’t capture my attention as much as I would have liked, it was fun being back in the Rossingley world and would also be fun for readers of that series.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Second-Best Men is set in the world of Fearne Hill’s Rossingley series and is written as a standalone. Evan was introduced in the first book in that series, To Hold a Hidden Pearl, as Jay’s friend. That book is the only one I have read in the series and, while Evan and Rob’s romance does stand alone, I was still glad I had prior knowledge of Jay and Lucien. I was a little thrown, though, that this is set 12 years after Jay and Lucien’s book and this story didn’t capture me quite like Jay and Lucien did.
Their story offers a quieter, everyday kind of love. Rob and Evan both have different jobs that demand a lot of their time and, while they make each other a priority, they also respect the other’s priorities. While their relationship didn’t capture my attention as much as I would have liked, it was fun being back in the Rossingley world and would also be fun for readers of that series.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
November 11, 2023
An absolutely incredible and sweet love story. Fearne Hill is one of my favourite authors for a reason - she flawlessly combines cheeky narration with deep emotion to leave you completely hooked to what is happening to her characters on their quest for an HEA. She seemingly effortlessly pulls out their inner unacknowledged desires and manifests them in the life offered to them if they are authentic and brave enough to grasp it. These characters are in no way perfect but are perfectly deserving of their joy in being with each other as a series of coincidences in this story align to bring them together. I snort laughed and shed a few tears along the way as I was absolutely unable to put down this book.
Expect:
* Gallant rescue
* Closeted MC
* Forced proximity
* Small town
* Witty Banter
* Opposites attract
* Secret softie
* Watermelons and Zeus and a menagerie of adorable animals
Expect:
* Gallant rescue
* Closeted MC
* Forced proximity
* Small town
* Witty Banter
* Opposites attract
* Secret softie
* Watermelons and Zeus and a menagerie of adorable animals
November 24, 2023
I wrote a whole review and GR just crashed as I was submitting. 😭😭 to summarize: book is above average but it felt rushed. If you like other works by this author you might enjoy this one. Couple of cameos from Rossingley series.
November 15, 2023
Release Day: November 16.
This book surprised me and for the first time I read this author, I liked her way of telling us the stories of these characters, and friends I tell you that I am happy with so little, because this book being short almost everything happens quickly but I liked it. Rob and Evan were a big surprise, Rob is the grumpy farmer but with a huge heart, he has been closeted practically forever but he knows that if he comes out everyone will support him, his family, the town, but he just stays that way. Evan, on the other hand, is a recently divorced (from a woman) doctor who has discovered that in order to be happy, he has to be completely true to himself.
The story of these two starts when Evan has an accident during a snow storm near Rob's farm and he helps him, we see the dynamic of the two from the beginning and we already see that they have a great connection, some time later Evan leaves and they meet again and I really liked that they didn't give me a tug of war, that they talked like the adults they are and their relationship grew from there.
It was a good read and the main characters in all of this were the farm animals because they are the ones that were there for Rob when he felt alone and for me this man has the biggest heart in the whole town.
Thanks to the author and Chaotic Creatives for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!
---
Este libro me sorprendió y para ser la primera vez que leo a la autora me gusto su forma de contarnos la historias de estos personajes, y gente les digo que yo soy feliz con tan poco, porque este libro al ser corto casi todo pasa rápido, pero me gusto. Rob y Evan fueron una gran sorpresa, Rob siendo el granjero gruñón pero con un corazón enorme, el esta encerrado en el closet prácticamente desde siempre, pero el sabe que si sale todos lo apoyara, su familia, el pueblo, pero simplemente se mantiene así, Evan por otro lado es un Doctor recién divorciado (de una mujer) que descubrió que para ser feliz tiene que ser completamente fiel a si mismo.
La historia de estos dos empieza ya que Evan tiene un accidente durante una tormenta de nieve cerca de la granja de Rob y el lo ayuda, vemos la dinámica de los dos desde un principio y ya vemos que tienen una gran conexión, pasa un tiempo después de que Evan se va y se vuelven a reencontrar y me gusto mucho que no me dieran un tira y afloja, que hablaron como adultos que son y su relación creció de allí.
Fue una buena lectura y los personajes principales de todo esto fueron los animales de la granja porque son los que estaban allí para Rob cuando se sentía solo, y para mi ese hombre tiene el corazón mas enorme de todo ese pueblo.
This book surprised me and for the first time I read this author, I liked her way of telling us the stories of these characters, and friends I tell you that I am happy with so little, because this book being short almost everything happens quickly but I liked it. Rob and Evan were a big surprise, Rob is the grumpy farmer but with a huge heart, he has been closeted practically forever but he knows that if he comes out everyone will support him, his family, the town, but he just stays that way. Evan, on the other hand, is a recently divorced (from a woman) doctor who has discovered that in order to be happy, he has to be completely true to himself.
The story of these two starts when Evan has an accident during a snow storm near Rob's farm and he helps him, we see the dynamic of the two from the beginning and we already see that they have a great connection, some time later Evan leaves and they meet again and I really liked that they didn't give me a tug of war, that they talked like the adults they are and their relationship grew from there.
It was a good read and the main characters in all of this were the farm animals because they are the ones that were there for Rob when he felt alone and for me this man has the biggest heart in the whole town.
Thanks to the author and Chaotic Creatives for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!
---
Este libro me sorprendió y para ser la primera vez que leo a la autora me gusto su forma de contarnos la historias de estos personajes, y gente les digo que yo soy feliz con tan poco, porque este libro al ser corto casi todo pasa rápido, pero me gusto. Rob y Evan fueron una gran sorpresa, Rob siendo el granjero gruñón pero con un corazón enorme, el esta encerrado en el closet prácticamente desde siempre, pero el sabe que si sale todos lo apoyara, su familia, el pueblo, pero simplemente se mantiene así, Evan por otro lado es un Doctor recién divorciado (de una mujer) que descubrió que para ser feliz tiene que ser completamente fiel a si mismo.
La historia de estos dos empieza ya que Evan tiene un accidente durante una tormenta de nieve cerca de la granja de Rob y el lo ayuda, vemos la dinámica de los dos desde un principio y ya vemos que tienen una gran conexión, pasa un tiempo después de que Evan se va y se vuelven a reencontrar y me gusto mucho que no me dieran un tira y afloja, que hablaron como adultos que son y su relación creció de allí.
Fue una buena lectura y los personajes principales de todo esto fueron los animales de la granja porque son los que estaban allí para Rob cuando se sentía solo, y para mi ese hombre tiene el corazón mas enorme de todo ese pueblo.
April 17, 2024
What a treat it was to reread this story. I first read it last fall, not realizing until after starting it that it was clearly connected to a series I’d never read or heard of. That fact didn’t negatively impact my enjoyment of the story though. Not at all. The incredible writing, charming setting, and very likable characters carried the story beautifully and I easily made do when the MCs conversed or interacted with this other gang of folks I knew nothing about.
Cut to this spring, when I fell ass over tea kettle for the Rossingley series, a collection of four books centered around a beautiful country estate in Southern England. Each book tells the tale of romance between various sweet and beautiful men connected to Rossingley and delivers a heartfelt HEA. After the final book, I was ready to pen an email to the author to beg for a story about Rob--Toby and Noah’s semi-arch nemesis. Imagine my surprise when I realized that not only had the author already written that book, but that I had already read it 😵💫 It was definitely a moment. I recalled very much enjoying Second Best Men and, of course, I had to give it another read. And as much as I enjoyed it the first time around, it was infinitely more meaningful now that I knew all those other characters and loved them so dearly. And that I knew Rob, and Evan too, who features briefly in book one. The title made a lot more sense as well.
A wonderfully serendipitous experience. My original four-star rating has now effortlessly and joyously been bumped to five ❤️
Original review:
New-to-me author. Loved her writing. The sly and subtle humor. Her ability to drop you in a setting and make you feel so there. Man, I loved that farm. All those darling animals. It was so cozy and peaceful. I was frustrated and confused by Rob's reluctance to step out of the closet, given that virtually his entire friend group was made of queer folk but I sure enjoyed his coming out. Fantastic smexy times and equally fantastic emotional, snuggly times. Was expecting more of the forced proximity promised in the blurb but no big. Lovely story.
Cut to this spring, when I fell ass over tea kettle for the Rossingley series, a collection of four books centered around a beautiful country estate in Southern England. Each book tells the tale of romance between various sweet and beautiful men connected to Rossingley and delivers a heartfelt HEA. After the final book, I was ready to pen an email to the author to beg for a story about Rob--Toby and Noah’s semi-arch nemesis. Imagine my surprise when I realized that not only had the author already written that book, but that I had already read it 😵💫 It was definitely a moment. I recalled very much enjoying Second Best Men and, of course, I had to give it another read. And as much as I enjoyed it the first time around, it was infinitely more meaningful now that I knew all those other characters and loved them so dearly. And that I knew Rob, and Evan too, who features briefly in book one. The title made a lot more sense as well.
A wonderfully serendipitous experience. My original four-star rating has now effortlessly and joyously been bumped to five ❤️
Original review:
New-to-me author. Loved her writing. The sly and subtle humor. Her ability to drop you in a setting and make you feel so there. Man, I loved that farm. All those darling animals. It was so cozy and peaceful. I was frustrated and confused by Rob's reluctance to step out of the closet, given that virtually his entire friend group was made of queer folk but I sure enjoyed his coming out. Fantastic smexy times and equally fantastic emotional, snuggly times. Was expecting more of the forced proximity promised in the blurb but no big. Lovely story.
November 17, 2023
ARC Review~ 3.5⭐️ rounded up
I’ll start off by saying that while this can be read as a standalone it is related to an established series and would probably be better enjoyed if I’d read that first.
This was cute and fun - I love the big closeted farmer discovering his inner bottom with the help of the newly out doctor. I wanted more overall though and the writing style/language felt fitting for a more historical romance than a contemporary one. If you like Fearne’s writing style this is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
I’ll start off by saying that while this can be read as a standalone it is related to an established series and would probably be better enjoyed if I’d read that first.
This was cute and fun - I love the big closeted farmer discovering his inner bottom with the help of the newly out doctor. I wanted more overall though and the writing style/language felt fitting for a more historical romance than a contemporary one. If you like Fearne’s writing style this is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
November 19, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ love the Rossingley series and was looking forward to Rob’s story, since he’s such a feature of Toby’s, and not in a good light. I wanted to know more.
But lovely, funny, and well written, this one was low on narrative tension.
But lovely, funny, and well written, this one was low on narrative tension.
November 24, 2023
Low conflict, easy to read book. Just a niggle about the bottoming thing. Evan seemed to brush away Rob's concerns and remarks so casually. It seemed off-putting. As Rob said to Evan, "You are flexible as long as everything goes your way" is a bit off putting, to say the least.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 23, 2023Got to a silly, unbelievable part (call to dr.'s office) and gave up.
November 16, 2023
Sweet Story
I enjoyed reading this sweet story. It was very interesting and entertaining to read.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I enjoyed reading this sweet story. It was very interesting and entertaining to read.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
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