Review & Excerpt: Finding Harbor (The Long Shadow Series #3) by Duncan Gaye
- Merissa
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Book Details:
Book Title: Finding Harbor
Author: Duncan Gaye
Release Date: November 10, 2025
Tense/POV: Third person/ past tense
Genres: MM Historical Romance, LGBTQ Fiction
Tropes: Friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, small town romance, forced proximity, shared bed
Themes: Love against the odds, found family
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 291 pages
It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
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Part of The Long Shadow Series by Duncan Gaye
Patrick Callahan comes to Cape Breton expecting easy money from a quick and lucrative timber deal. Instead, he only finds humiliation. Swindled out of his inheritance and stranded in a windswept fishing village, he is left with nothing but a single suitcase and a future that has collapsed overnight. At seven and a half feet tall, Angus MacAskill is a gentle giant with his own past. In St. Ann's, he is known for his silent kindness as much as he is for his stoic nature. He offers Patrick a bookkeeping job in his mercantile, and a place by the fire. What begins as simple arrangement blossoms into a profound connection neither man could have ever imagined.
Set within the wild beauty of nineteenth-century Nova Scotia, Finding Harbor is a queer historical romance about survival, finding home, and a love that takes root slowly but with unshakable strength. Perfect for fans of Annie Proulx (Brokeback Mountain), Cat Sebastian (A Gentleman Never Keeps Score) and KJ Charles (An Unseen Attraction).
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Patrick watched, fascinated by the sight. Submerged, Angus looked even more amazing. His chest rose like an island from the water, with rivulets flowing through the valleys of his muscles. His hands, spread wide to aid his floating, could have easily spanned Patrick's entire ribcage. Every proportion spoke of power held in careful check, strength tempered by conscious gentleness.
As Angus had predicted, the water's temperature became pleasant after the initial shock. Patrick swam to the pool's center. His strokes were strong and careful. They reflected his childhood summers in Boston Harbor. He circled Angus once, then twice, like a small craft orbiting a ship.
"Show off," Angus said, righting himself in the water. He moved with surprising speed for his size, catching Patrick around the waist before he could dart away.
Patrick found himself lifted effortlessly, Angus's hands secure around his midsection. "What are you—" he began, but his question transformed into a yelp of surprise as Angus tossed him several feet through the air. He hit the water with a splash, sank briefly, then surfaced, sputtering but laughing.
"Again?" Angus asked, his eyes bright with mischief.
"You're a menace," Patrick said accusingly, but he swam back to Angus, nonetheless, allowing himself to be captured once more.
This time, Angus hoisted him into the air with deliberate care, ensuring Patrick was prepared before launching him skyward. At the pinnacle of his leap, Patrick savored a delightful instant of weightlessness—just a taste of flying. Then, in a beautiful arc, he dove cleanly back into the water. As he emerged, he noticed Angus watching him with bright-eyed admiration.
"Graceful," the giant commented. "Like a kingfisher."
What began as play evolved into a pattern: Angus would throw, Patrick would fly, then dive, then return for more. Each toss sent him higher, Angus's strength precisely controlled to provide thrills without danger. Patrick laughed freely, just like he did as a child. He forgot about being self-conscious. The joy of movement, water, and trust flooded him.
Breathless and excited, Patrick swam to Angus and climbed onto his broad shoulders. He wrapped his arms loosely around the giant's neck. "Onward," he commanded imperiously, pointing toward the small waterfall.
Angus obliged. He swam with powerful strokes that barely seemed affected by Patrick's added weight. They traversed the pool together, Patrick riding high above the water's surface, feeling the play of muscles beneath him as Angus moved. In the tender embrace, skin met skin; Patrick's chest molded to Angus's back. This connection stirred a quieter pleasure, profound and comforting.
At the waterfall, Angus stood tall, water cascading down his body. Patrick, perched confidently on his shoulder, felt like he was soaring among the towering trees. The shift in perspective was exhilarating.
"You see things differently from up here," Angus said in a low voice, one hand reaching up to steady Patrick.
"Is this how you always see the world?" Patrick asked, marveling at the altered perspective.
"More or less," Angus confirmed. "Higher than most, lower than trees."
He helped Patrick slide down from his shoulders. His hands guided Patrick through the water. Soon, they faced each other, bodies close but not touching. Droplets clung to Angus's eyelashes and beard, catching sunlight like tiny prisms. His hands remained at Patrick's waist, neither restraining nor demanding, simply connecting.
Patrick placed his palms against Angus's chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart beneath water-cooled skin. Angus's eyes held his, patient and waiting. He inched closer, their lips poised for connection. When the kiss came, it tasted like fresh water and sunlight; unhurried and adventurous. Unlike their first kiss by the fireside, heavy with longing, this one held a different charm. It was not about urgency, but the playful bliss of certainty. Angus's arms cradled him gently, as water lapped at their shoulders. Wrapped in each other's embrace, they felt whole for a moment, completely secluded in their secret haven.
3 out of 5 (good)
FINDING HARBOR is the third book in The Long Shadow series, and I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the other two.
The first half of the book is fairly fast-paced as Patrick lands on the shores of St. Ann's, a small village in the middle of nowhere, for a deal that was a scam. He doesn't have enough money on him for a return ticket and is unsure of what to do. Angus is the local giant who seems to have everyone's respect. Patrick asks for a job, Angus gives him not only that but a place to live too. They kiss. Everything's tickety-boo.
BUT then comes the second half which, for me, felt a little off in the pacing. It also felt a little repetitive. During this time, I didn't really feel anything significant between the two men, beyond a push/pull situation where nothing seemed resolved.
You see, Patrick goes to The Rusty Anchor, against Angus' advice, and gets into a situation where Angus rescues him. Angus literally carries him out, making a statement to the town. Then they drift apart. Preacher comes to town, making everyone question the morality of Angus and Patrick living together. Sailors come to the store and cause trouble, Angus deals with them, Patrick and Angus drift apart. Mary goes into a three-day labour, Patrick and Angus help, then they drift apart. Angus saves Patrick from runaway horses and carries him home, once again making a statement to the town.
Overall, this is a low steam story that I enjoyed. I'm struggling to say whether or not it's high angst or medium. There are also lots of things left open, so I'm unsure if they're in other books or if this is their story done with. There is no obvious cliffhanger or HEA, but more of a HFN. Considering the time of the story, that isn't really a surprise.
I do think that this story would be better read as part of the series, simply because I am unsure of how much I have missed by not having read the others. I am sure this book will be popular and have no hesitation in recommending it to readers of this author.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
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Duncan Gaye lives in River Forest, Illinois. He believes magic can be found anywhere, even the suburbs. He writes the kind of love stories that sneak up on you—queer, tender, and just a little strange. His books are full of burly big-hearted men, tall tales, impossible odds, and the kind of endings that leave you wanting more.
When not writing, he likes to read, travel and relax with his adorable senior dogs, Spotty and French Fry.
The Long Shadow Series by Duncan Gaye is a thematic anthology series of stand-alone LGBTQ+ novellas and novels that tell love stories shaped by the extraordinary. Blending elements of speculative fiction, magical realism, tall tales, and literary drama, these are stories where intimacy and identity meet epic strength and emotional vulnerability.
From the mythical to the mundane, each book explores larger-than-life characters—strongmen, bodyguards, super soldiers, and other giants. For fans of emotional intensity, queer desire, and stories that stretch the boundaries of realism, this series offers a new kind of legend.
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