Returning Home (The Call of Home #2) by Alexa Milne
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M/M, Contemporary, Romance
You can never escape from yourself.
When Darach McNaughton returns to his home town, the one thing he isn’t looking for is love. But when he meets the mysterious Brice Drummond, his investigative instinct isn’t the only thing aroused.
After a gang beats Brice Drummond, leaves him for dead, and needing to use a wheelchair, he ends up in a witness protection program. His only company is a beautiful cat aptly named Princess. He creates beautiful pieces of art, but allows no one into his life—until a handsome policeman appears out of nowhere.
On a snowy night, Darach McNaughton returns a crying cat to its owner and is immediately curious about the beautiful man with the tattoos. Bit by bit, Darach uncovers the shocking truth about Brice’s history. Can he get past what he discovers? Can Brice let someone into his life? Or will the past catch up with them both and tear their fledgling love apart?
3 out of 5 (good)
Returning Home is the second book in the Call of Home series, but can definitely be read as a standalone.
Darach has just moved back home, after a case gone bad at work, and his boyfriend cheating on him yet again. Upon arriving there, he rescues a cat that is wandering around the village and manages to return her to her owner, who immediately intrigues him. Brice is a reclusive artist who seems to prefer his own company, but something about him tweaks Darach's police radar and he wants to know more.
I enjoyed the story involving Brice and Darach, although it does have a huge case of insta-love, which I don't particularly like. However, it did take time for their relationship to build, which made up for that part. Brice has a particularly nasty past that he shares with Darach, and they both need to find a way to deal with it.
The story was building nicely to a dramatic ending when I fell into a massive editing hole. Chapter 16 is duplicated twice and chapter 17 is missing altogether. Unfortunately, it is chapter 17 where the climax and (I presume) dramatic rescue occurs. This most definitely jolted my enjoyment of the story, although I understand that this is an ARC copy, so hopefully this issue will be resolved for future readers.
Up until that point, it was well-written with no editing or grammatical errors to distract the eye. If you are looking for a M/M Contemporary Romance with a hint of mystery, then I can recommend this series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Originally from South Wales, Alexa has lived for over thirty years in the North West of England. Now retired, after a long career in teaching, she devotes her time to her obsessions. Alexa began writing when her favourite character was killed in her favourite show. After producing a lot of fanfiction she ventured into original writing. She is currently owned by a mad cat and spends her time writing about the men in her head, watching her favourite television programmes and usually crying over her favourite football team.