The Summer House: An English Hearts StoryRating: 4.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Connor Lawson is hiding from life in the one place that gave him memories worth keeping – the place where his parents took him on summer vacation many years ago. Working at a veterinarian practice, his social calendar is limited to acting as a plus-one for his best friend Rachel. When Rachel needs a date for the wedding of the season, she drags Connor along. When Connor meets Ashby Sterling-Haynes, Ashby represents everything Connor despises.

Ash is the typical aristocratic playboy. Openly gay, he’s never met someone worth keeping. Forced to stay a month at his family’s country estate in Upper Fordham watching his niece’s cat while she honeymoons, Ashby is determined to bring the introverted veterinarian out of his shell.

As the month wears on, Connor and Ash find themselves going from enemies to friends to lovers. Yet all good things must end, right? It’s just a summer fling, isn’t it? Can Connor and Ash turn their summer fling into a happily ever after?

This is the perfect summer read! Escape to Upper Fordham, in the British countryside, where the aristocracy is still the center of village-life and everyone knows everyone else. As the third son of the noble family, Ash has struggled with his place in the family business. Openly gay, he’s spent his adult life flittering from one man to the next, never staying with anyone long enough to form a relationship. Forced to stand still for a month while watching his niece’s cat, he’s set his sights on Connor, the only man who makes him think about more than one night.

Connor hates everything about Ash, seeing him as a privileged, rich, entitled manwhore. He’s been there, done that, and faced tragic consequences that left him so emotionally scarred he’s avoided any relationships. Yet, since Ash is only there for a month, Connor finds himself considering a summer fling. As the summer wears on, he finds the walls he’s built around himself begin to crumble as he begins to set down roots in Upper Fordham.

Though the sparks are flying from the first pages, Ash and Connor’s relationship is a slow burn. Despite Ash’s manwhore ways and his determination to make Connor his, Ash employs patience and allows Connor to set the pace. Even though they get off to a slow start, these men are throwing off a lot of heat!

The cast of secondary characters helps to bring this story to life. They include Ash’s oldest brother Landon and Connor’s best friend Rachel, who have their own little romance going on; Mick, the old man who owns the house Connor and his family had stayed in that one summer, and his dog Bessie; Richard and Mary, the parents of Ash’s new sister-in-law Chloe, who entice Ash into following his own dreams; and others who help shape the story.

I warn you, this book will have you running the gamut of emotions.  I found myself laughing out loud, giggling, tearing up, and outright bawling at times. I hated to see it end, but console myself that I can revisit the village of Upper Fordham in the next in the series. I highly recommend!

Wendy sig