Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Normally, Phil McManus doesnât jump into anything head first. Being careful is what has helped him carve out a comfortable life working as a stockbroker. But when he meets Richard, who was turned out of his home for being gay, Phil immediately lets the man into his home and, eventually, his heart. One year later, he might even be ready to admit he is falling in love. That is until Richard accuses Phil of insider trading at the company they both work for. A lawyer friend manages to prove that Phil himself was not committing fraud, but with an investigation ongoing and his colleagues now wondering if Phil and Richard were more than housemates when Englandâs sodomy laws have only very recently been changed, Phil decides itâs time for a break in the countryside. There, he meets a farmer named Laurie.
Farming is in Laurie Henshawâs blood. It has been ever since Laurieâs parents disowned him for being gay when he was just a boy and Laurie went to live on the very farm he owns now. Heâs now taken over the bookkeeping and has become the fastest sheep shearer. But then, Laurie suffers a stroke that puts him in the hospital for months. Getting back to the farm isnât as much of a relief as heâd hoped, largely because one side of his body has been terribly weakened. As he struggles with basic daily tasks like dressing and bathing himself, Laurie despairs of ever engaging in the real work of the farm. And when he discovers he can no longer make sense of even the bookkeeping end of things, he is just about ready to give up hope. If it werenât for the friendly overtures from Phil, who is renting a property adjacent to the farm, Laurie is sure he would be lost. But can he learn to share the burden of needing help and to trust a found family as much as he would have trusted a blood one?
Taking Stock is a slow-burn get together that takes place in the early 1970s in England. I picked this title for my Past/Future Week challenge read because I was interested in how the gay main characters would be depicted in the not-too-distant past. Lester clearly indicates the year/month for most chapters and the story stretches between May 1971 and October 1972. It’s clear that it is no longer a criminal offense to be in/have same-sex relationships, but itâs still not widely accepted. Phil, for example, is eager to prevent his stockbroker colleagues from learning that he was in a romantic relationship with Richard before Richard betrayed him. Similarly, Laurie is worried the people who have worked on his farm for years (if not decades) would think differently of him if they knew he was gay…and thatâs despite the fact that the previous owners (now deceased) were both male and clearly in a committed relationship. To that end, the main characters are clearly still very aware of the stigma attached to being gay and this is a theme that helps shape this story into an incredibly sweet slow burn.
I liked the organization of the story. Itâs a little atypical because Phil and Laurie are introduced individually and their paths do not cross until each character has had several chapters in their own separate environments. This helped me really establish Phil as the London-based, well-to-do stockbroker who gets brutally betrayed by someone he thought he could trust. Then, I get to repeat the âgetting to know you fo youâ with Laurie as we observe him first suffering from a stroke, then the harrowing prospect of recovering…no small feat for a man who refuses almost all help, but still gets frustrated because he knows he cannot do even small tasks like he could before. Once the two meet, however, we are firmly entrenched in the countryside. Some of Philâs past crops up and he eventually divulges the details about his betrayal to Laurie. But with the bulk of the story being set on Laurieâs farm, I feel like there is a deeper focus on Laurieâs life and how Phil slowly starts to fit into it. In that regard, I felt like I got a much deeper look into Laurie as a character.
Given the period and the on-page prevalence of gay characters, I really enjoyed the various intersections of sexuality and country life in England. While there is no small amount of focus on Laurieâs fears of being outed and thus somehow becoming âlessâ in the eyes of the farm folk, I think there is equal, if more subtle, support from that same group. This is a lovely counterpoint to the references and descriptions to the hate Laurieâs biological family shows him. There is a parallel side story involving a runaway who comes to Laurieâs farm, a girl who suffered much the same rejection from her father and finds a welcome place at Laurieâs farm. I liked the mix between homophobic roots and discovering found family. One of my favorite scenes was when Laurie, under heaps of stress, blurts out that he doesnât think found family is family…and the way the characters handle those feelings. Being a fan of angst, I enjoyed Philâs reaction, but was just a bit disappointed Laurieâs comment didnât drive a bigger, more melodramatic reaction from Phil. Nevertheless, I think it does offer a great scene for hurt/comfort fans.
Overall, Taking Stock is a lovely slow-burn romance that features two compelling main characters. It deals with emotional and social betrayal, as well as betrayal of your own body. If you enjoy stories set in rural England, with slow burns, or that examine what societal LGBTQ gains mean to regular people, I think youâd enjoy this book.
This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for Past/Future Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win one of two great book bundles from Carina Press (you can see the details and full event prize list here)! Commenters will also be entered to win our amazing grand prize sponsored by NineStar Press: a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 50 NineStar Press books! You can get more information on our Challenge Month here (including all the contest rules) and more details on Past/Future Week here.Â
I think this sounds one for me!
Being British, I like books set in the UK and whilst quite young, I was around in the time frame!
Adding this book to my list, great review.
I do enjoy slow burn romances. I haven’t come across many stories that are set in the country side.
I have a couple of this author’s other stories, but I haven’t read them yet. Nice to know when an author is worth my time.
Thank you for the review. I haven’t read anything mm from that timeperiod. This book is definetly going on my tbr-list.
Thanks for the review. This sounds like a nice story.
This sounds like a really good slow burn, characters driven story. Adding to my TBR list.
This does sound intriguing, Camille, so thank you for the review. I have to admire the clever title given how the word stock can be used in a financial sense and also in livestock.
The characters and setting appeal to me!
I must recognise it is the period this story takes place what intrigues me the most. Thank you for the wonderful review, Camille
On initial impression, I thought this wouldn’t be a book for me. But your review has me back tracking on that!
I would say I prefer “historicals” but I don’t actually know where that line of “this is a historical” is for me. I’m interested in reading about this time period.
I tend to enjoy books set in this time period and this one sounds really good. Definitely going on my TBR!
Great review, it really has me wanting to check out this book! I don’t typically read books set in that time period, but this one interests me. I really like the idea of the character building and getting to know them and it just sounds overall very intriguing! I really enjoy the Reading Month challenges as it introduces me to a lot of new books!
I’m not much of a fan of books set in the mid or late-1900s. BUT I adore slow burns, especially ones that are extra sweet as you make this one sound. I’m also not big on angst story lines but every once in a while something just sounds too great to nto dive into. This might be that for me. Adding to read list. Thanks for the review.
I love historicals, also those set in the not-so-distant past. This sounds amazing. I will put it on my wishlist. Thank you for a great review.
I absolutely loved Taking Stock. Wonderful characters, setup and such a sweet romance.