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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
*4.5*
to catch a fallen leaf is a wonderful second book in the rossingly series. we briefly interact with freddie and reuben in the first book and they are two men who are very deserving of finding a partner to love and adore them.
freddie is a model but going through a rather tricky patch and so comes to stay with his cousin, lucien, at the rossingly estate to regroup. lucien sets him to work in the gardens which turns out to be the best thing for him as he meets reuben and is enchanted with the shy frenchman. reuben is living his second chance working as a gardener at rossingly, moving there from france after a stint in prison. He definitely has not had an easy life but is working hard towards a future that he wants and earns for himself. Freddie is unexpected and with them being so different and from different worlds, he doesn't expect anything for long but a connection develops between them over gardening, cups of tea history revision. It's a slow burner between them as Reuben takes time to build his trust and Freddie wants what Reuben wants. It's sweet between them as they move from friends to more, adding heat to their relationship as they get closer.
There's always someone out to spoil the party though and that comes in the form of Freddie's politician father who's open to using him to his advantage, and then there's Vincent, the ex who just doesn't take a hint. To balance out their negative vibes, there's a lot of goodness from the people of the Rossingly estate. Lucien and Jay are there for both men from the start and Reuben's friends, the other gardeners, are a lot of fun but also very protective of their friend.
I really enjoyed this story, there are a couple of darker moments with characters history but they both deserve each other and make for a great couple. A recommended contemporary romance.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
to catch a fallen leaf is a wonderful second book in the rossingly series. we briefly interact with freddie and reuben in the first book and they are two men who are very deserving of finding a partner to love and adore them.
freddie is a model but going through a rather tricky patch and so comes to stay with his cousin, lucien, at the rossingly estate to regroup. lucien sets him to work in the gardens which turns out to be the best thing for him as he meets reuben and is enchanted with the shy frenchman. reuben is living his second chance working as a gardener at rossingly, moving there from france after a stint in prison. He definitely has not had an easy life but is working hard towards a future that he wants and earns for himself. Freddie is unexpected and with them being so different and from different worlds, he doesn't expect anything for long but a connection develops between them over gardening, cups of tea history revision. It's a slow burner between them as Reuben takes time to build his trust and Freddie wants what Reuben wants. It's sweet between them as they move from friends to more, adding heat to their relationship as they get closer.
There's always someone out to spoil the party though and that comes in the form of Freddie's politician father who's open to using him to his advantage, and then there's Vincent, the ex who just doesn't take a hint. To balance out their negative vibes, there's a lot of goodness from the people of the Rossingly estate. Lucien and Jay are there for both men from the start and Reuben's friends, the other gardeners, are a lot of fun but also very protective of their friend.
I really enjoyed this story, there are a couple of darker moments with characters history but they both deserve each other and make for a great couple. A recommended contemporary romance.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4 stars
Thank you to my superstar secret Santa for this gem.
I enjoyed this one. I loved Reuben and Freddie together. The way their relationship moved from friendship to more was well done. Both had their own pasts and Reuben was forthcoming with his. I did like the way Freddie handled that, as he really didn't care if he was told or not, it didn't change the way he felt about Reuben. I also think Freddie should have been more open about his past, but unfortunately what he saw as unimportant created issues within the relationship.
I liked the camaraderie between the gardening crew. They took in Freddie and although they could tease each other and have fun together but when the chips were down they stuck up for Reuben as one of their own.
I liked the use of emails and letters at the start of each chapter as it gave us an insight into the friendships and family relationships that wouldn't have been seen. Freddie's dad annoyed me throughout the story, he did finally open his eyes and see his son but it was nearly too late.
I'd love to listen to this one on audio and get the full appreciation for Reuben's French accent
On to the next one
Thank you to my superstar secret Santa for this gem.
I enjoyed this one. I loved Reuben and Freddie together. The way their relationship moved from friendship to more was well done. Both had their own pasts and Reuben was forthcoming with his. I did like the way Freddie handled that, as he really didn't care if he was told or not, it didn't change the way he felt about Reuben. I also think Freddie should have been more open about his past, but unfortunately what he saw as unimportant created issues within the relationship.
I liked the camaraderie between the gardening crew. They took in Freddie and although they could tease each other and have fun together but when the chips were down they stuck up for Reuben as one of their own.
I liked the use of emails and letters at the start of each chapter as it gave us an insight into the friendships and family relationships that wouldn't have been seen. Freddie's dad annoyed me throughout the story, he did finally open his eyes and see his son but it was nearly too late.
I'd love to listen to this one on audio and get the full appreciation for Reuben's French accent
On to the next one
lighthearted
slow-paced
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Mostly a lovely story centered around an ex-prisoner gardener who is working hard to get his life together by getting his degree and working hard. Reuben is a wonderful character who is easy to love. Freddie is a spoiled model who needs to change some things about his life and grow up a bit. Their relationship works well and develops naturally though once developed, rushes a bit.
It was lovely to visit with Lucien and Jay again from To hold a Hidden Pearl.
The only thing is it uses the ridiculous big misunderstanding trope (that could be resolved in two seconds) to create drama when it wasn't needed.
It was lovely to visit with Lucien and Jay again from To hold a Hidden Pearl.
The only thing is it uses the ridiculous big misunderstanding trope (that could be resolved in two seconds) to create drama when it wasn't needed.