Garrett Leigh doesn’t do light and easy. Her romances are gritty, which is often a more realistic look at life and love. That’s definitely the case in ‘House of Cards.’

The setting of the Cornish coast added depth and meshed well with the story - tough, stormy, and dark.

For a large chunk of the book, Calum is hardly holding on. His ex did a number on him, and his confidence is completely shot.

It would be hard not to fall for Calum. All he wanted was a home and someone to call his own.

Brix is a paragon of virtue. He loves his friends and family deeply, and spends his time off rescuing chickens. But Brix also has personal demons that keep him from finding his happily ever after.

When Brix and Calum are reunited, it’s under less-than-perfect circumstances. But if doesn’t take long for the two to fall back into the easy friendship that they once shared.

I think what I liked most about the book was how easily the two just <i>clicked</i>, despite the years and the circumstances.

Brix slowly coaxes Calum back to his former happy self. It takes a long time, but bit by bit Calum re-builds himself. Living with Calum also makes Brix question his life of solitude.

I’d say for the majority of the book, the focus is on Calum’s healing, rather than the romance. It dragged at points, but that healing was necessary for Calum and Brix to come together as whole and happy equals.

Once the two start moving beyond friendship, it’s a slow process. Though Brix and Calum were clearly made for each other, they don’t make falling in love easy.

Both have to let go of misgivings and past hurts. The happy ever after is hard-won, but perfect!

If you’re looking for a slow-burn MM romance with lots of emphasis on healing, give ‘House of Cards’ a try!

I loved the principals, their affair and the angst both men suffer on their way to happily ever after. Ms. Leigh is a wonderful writer and I love the unusual twist she puts on each of her novels. She's particularly adept with difficult subject matter - in this case AIDS and partner abuse - and her sympathetic/empathetic touch is wonderful. This is a sweetly inspiration love story and I loved it.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I love Garrett Leigh’s writing so much! This fourth Porthkennack book brings Cornwall to life and introduces two beautiful, troubled men. Brix and Calum are both tattoo artists; they worked together in London years ago but it is chance that brings a bruised and broken Calum to Brix’s tiny town.

This book should have been depressing. But even while sensitively tackling huge, dark issues, there is a lovely sense of hope in this book that keeps it happy. It is also surprisingly low angst. Calum and Brix are grownups. They communicate. There isn’t any unnecessary drama here, just a slow, sweet second chance romance between two quite damaged men. This is a low heat romance, but the connection between Calum and Brix is wonderful and I loved these two together.

Brix is a quiet, unassuming character and I love the way the author shows us Brix through the way he cares for his family and friends. Brix doesn’t just rescue battery hens, he rescues people. The staff in his tattoo shop are a special sort of family. It is impossible not to love Brix, even though he reveals very little about himself until the end of the story.

When Calum washes up in Porthkennack, Brix gives him a place to work and the opportunity to rebuild his life after an abusive relationship. I loved watching Calum’s confidence grow in this story. He is a gentle man and a talented artist.

It is the details that make this story. Brix’s smuggler family making dodgy deals to rescue battery chickens. Quirky tattoo coverups. The strain on the small Cornish community when the lifeboat sets off on a rescue mission in a storm. Leigh’s Cornwall is full of character and family lore. I absolutely love the coarse warmth of Brix’s family and I loved watching Calum build a new life in Porthkennack.

This is my favourite book in the series so far. I love the sense of place in this story and I loved the whole cast of characters. I can’t recommend this story highly enough.

~4.5 Stars~

Hi, my name is Jules, and I’m a Garrett Leigh book addict. It’s an addiction I’m perfectly fine with, however, so we’re just gonna keep things exactly how they are. I’ll keep reading all of her books and reporting back to you guys about how great they are, and everyone will stay happy. Sound good? OK! So, let’s talk about House of Cards, the latest release in Riptide Publishing’s Porthkennack universe. You guys know I’m not a plot rehasher (it’s a word), and I’ve written so many reviews (ten, I think) for Leigh’s books, both e-book and audio, that I decided to go with a slightly looser structure, and just sort of list the things I loved about this book. So, here we go…

The Setting: Porthkennack is a pretty magical place, and Leigh does a fantastic job of bringing it to life here. I truly feel like I can perfectly picture the cliffs, the Sea Bell, the little street where Brix’s tattoo shop is, and Brix’s cottage, complete with hen run. I absolutely loved the references to the magic of the sea, and this bit, right after Brix tells Calum about his dad dangling him over the cliffs when he was born:

“Always knew there was legend in you somewhere.” Calum winked, then turned to the view—the grey sky, the misty clouds. The crashing waves below, and the miles and miles of moody-blue ocean. It was like nothing else on earth, and Brix wondered if Calum could feel the Cornish magic Brix had been born with. The fabled histories that were still sung out loud by the choir of old-school fishermen who hung around the Sea Bell.
The authenticity of Leigh’s stories, whether it be the place, the people, or the food, always draws me in.

The Guys: Calum will have you in his corner right from the prologue. The COMPLETE DOUCHEBAG—sorry, but that deserved shouty caps—who drove him out of London and to the Cornish coast, basically stripped him of everything, and then blamed him on social media. He’s a real peach. Thankfully, though, Calum escapes Rob’s nasty bullshit, and finds himself in Porthkennack. I loved how we got to know both of the guys over the course of the story, both in the present and through each other’s eyes when they talk about their time together back in Camden. And, it’s clear from the beginning that Brix is a man with some baggage. He also ran away from London, without telling anyone where he was going, and never looked back. I loved Brix so, so much. He has a massive heart, and despite the shady dealings of his family, he doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. Brix was my favorite thing about the book.

The Romance: When Brix finds Calum at the Truro train station, he is a shell of the man Brix knew in London. And, Calum seems to have completely forgotten how strong and capable he is. Luckily, his old best friend, and first male crush, is there to remind him. As with all of Garrett Leigh’s stories, the relationship happens so organically and smoothly. There is never any question that these guys should be together. Both Brix and Calum seem like natural caretakers—which is great, because they both deserve a bit of being taken care of! And, when they find their way together physically, their chemistry is amazing. I loved, loved these two together.

The Story: There is so much here to sink your teeth into. All of the characters are so well-developed and multi-dimensional. Calum’s growth throughout the story is fantastic. Brix’s backstory is gripping. I loved both the audacity and charm of the Lusmoore clan—mainly Brix’s dad, John, and his Aunt Peg. They were quite entertaining. All the scenes and at the tattoo shop were fantastic. I adored the supporting characters there, and I was so taken in by all the talk about dotwork tattooing, which was both Calum and Brix’s specialty, that I had to go look it up. And, finally, probably my favorite part of the story…The chicken rescue operation that Brix has going on. So many great moments in the book were wrapped up in those chickens. Such good stuff.

Definitely go pick this one up. You needn’t have read any of the other books in the Porthkennack series to enjoy this one; it can absolutely be read as a standalone. Another wonderful story to feed my addiction with. And, now I absolutely can’t wait for Garrett Leigh’s next Porthkennack book, Junkyard Heart, due out in December. Kim is one of the colorful characters at the tattoo shop, and this will be his story.

I love the contemporary Porthkennack books, and House of Cards is no exception. Calum and Brix have such chemistry and obvious respect and love for one another. And I loved the chickens!

When Calum finally decides to escape his abusive boyfriend's hold, he does so with only the clothes on his back. After hopping on the first available train, he finds himself on a bench at the train station in Porthkennack. Shortly after arriving he is rescued by Brix, who happens to be an old friend he knew in London. Brix ran from London four years ago after receiving disturbing news. Back home in Porthkennack, he has slowly managed to put his life back together. Brix is shocked to find a very drunk Calum, a close friend from his time spent in London, sitting on a bench at the train station in his small hometown. Brix takes Calum home and helps him sober up. He gives Calum a place to stay and offers him a job freelancing at his tattoo shop. Can these two men recapture the friendship they once shared?

I absolutely loved this story. Some characters just fit and Calum and Brix fall into that column. The chemistry between them was off the charts. The story is a slow burn loaded with scorching hot sexual tension. I loved the natural progression of their relationship from old acquaintances to friends and eventually lovers. The pace felt organic and right. Calum and Brix were amazing and lovable characters. Their backstories were heartbreaking at times, but I loved watching them grow to trust and eventually confide in one another. Along the way they begin to heal as they learn to accept the love that's being offered.

The author's writing was fabulous, it pulled me in and enthralled me and I found I couldn't put the book down. I loved the diverse secondary characters featured throughout the story. Their stories were interesting and added substance to the story without straying too far from Brix and Calum's story.

This book is filled with a bit of everything, sadness, fear, healing, sweetness, friendship, love and even a pet chicken named Bongo! Very enjoyable and highly recommended!

*copy provided by the author/Riptide publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

5 Stars!!!

House of Cards is part of the Porthkennack series and can be read as a standalone.

Calum escapes from his abusive boyfriend after finding him with another man in Cal's own bed. He climbs on the first train out of Paddington with only a bottle with no clue where he'd end up, only to discover that his boyfriend wiped out the funds from their joint account.

The last thing Brix expected to find after a chicken run was his one-time apprentice Cal, who he hasn't seen in over 4 years, especially looking so bereft and dejected. He offers Cal a place to live and a guest spot in his tattoo shop and slowly they rebuild their friendship. However, there are secrets that could threaten their budding relationship.

I loved both Calum and Brix. They were both caring and loving and gentle, even if they had gone through so much already. My heart broke for them in different instances and I was so happy they'd found each other again and both were so willing to help the other overcome what had gone wrong in their lives during the time they weren't together. They complemented each other perfectly and it was a delight to see their relationship move from friends to lovers. It took time, but I loved that it wasn't rushed, it just flowed so naturally. The chemistry between them was unbelievably hot, but more than that, it was their connection that drew me in.

I adored Brix's friends from the shop and his family, they added a lot of depth to the plot and I just loved the little glimpses into their own stories. I hated Rob (Cal's ex) and loved having some closure in that sense.

Overall, House of Cards is without a doubt my favorite story in the series so far! I was truly invested in Cal and Brix's story and the fantastic set of secondary characters (including Brix's menagerie) and couldn't get enough of them. Garrett Leigh's writing was stellar, the book was extremely enjoyable and I loved that while there were some angsty parts, they were balanced out with a great plot. Highly recommendable!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

I hate to be predictable, but I would be remiss if I didn’t start this review by letting you know that Garrett Leigh is an author who always always always hits me in the feels. Her latest book, House of Cards was no exception. There’s just something about a big bad tattoo artist who’s nothing but a teddy bear, and that was pretty much what Brix was. He inexplicably disappeared from Calum’s life four years ago, but fate decided that Calum and Brix weren’t finished with each other. And away we go...

I have to say that while I did enjoy this book, it didn’t feel quite as effortless as previous books. This wasn’t quite the same flow of story I am used to. Having said that, this was still a great read for me. It’s clear from the beginning that Brix is hiding something, and while it wasn’t revealed until closer to the end of the story, it wasn’t hard to figure out. But knowing in advance (and I think we were supposed to guess generally what was going on,) didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story. I love how Brix lived his life with ease. I don’t really know how to describe it except to say that he just went with the flow and didn’t worry too much about what went on around him (except maybe for his family's exploits and whatever it was that was plaguing Calum,) but he was an easygoing character. He was such a good guy, and he loved to pull the people he met into his circle and make life better for them. Calum didn’t have a lot of self confidence when he and Brix connected again, but I feel like Brix, with no urging (again, simply by being,) brought out something in Calum that Calum didn’t know was there. I thought they were wonderful together, both just so patient and kind and really letting the other be. It was clear how much they cared about each other, and I loved cheering for them as a couple. I also loved that they were friends from years ago and always been silently drawn to the other. I understood Brix’s reservations at the end of the story and his anguish was so tangible and devastating. The only thing I would liked to have seen is some kind of showdown with Calum’s ex-boyfriend where Calum was able to showcase the inner strength that had disappeared over the course of his toxic relationship, but I must admit that there’s something to be said for Calum being so over that part of his life that he’s moved on enough to just not care.

Porthkennack was as much a character as any of the people in this book with it's history and legends. I loved the way it was described and the atmosphere. It's made me curious and want to go back and read the previous books in the series. As each book is written by a different author and highlights the region, they can be read as stand-alones with no problem. But, book six will be another Garrett Leigh book featuring one of Brix's friends, and I can't wait to read it!

House of Cards was another solid installment from Garrett Leigh, and as always, I will be anxiously awaiting her next offering!

This is part of a "series" but can be read as a stand-alone.

Once again, Garrett has broken my heart and fixed it all in one go.

Garrett gives great "broken boy". . She's handled many afflictions, mentally and physically, and has done them so, so well. The research behind them all is just incredible. This is probably one of my favorite comfort/healing books yet (aside from Misfits and Roads)

First your heart breaks for Calum. Emotionally beat down and "stuck" with the one guy who's supposed to love him. He ends up drunk, on a train, and with no money or place to go. Luckily for him, he ends up somewhere where his long lost friend, Brix, lives.

Brix is out on a mission to "save some chooks" when he comes across a familiar figure. Seems Brix doesn't just like to save chickens, he also likes to save people. He ends up stopping and bringing Calum home. Calum isn't the only one he's collected though. Seems like he has a whole tattoo shop full of misfits. I think Brix believes that if he can't fix himself, he might as well try for other people. It's his "stamp of goodness" on the world.

I think my favorite part of this story is Bongo and the whole saving of the chickens. Calum grows a bond with Bongo the chicken and it all seems very crucial to this story.

The chickens are a metaphor for Brix.
Just because the chickens are "damaged goods", doesn't mean they're not worth saving and given a new life. Brix's life isn't over, just because of this new way he has to live, and Calum helps to show him that. Just like he has a cuddler chicken, he now has a cuddler Brix. I think the old farmer in the end is also a metaphor for Brix affliction. Calum punches his way through it :)

Another thing I love was the folklore of the sea in this town and how there's healing and magic in it. Not in a paranormal way, but in a faith kind of way. The people a gruff, but endearing and I loved being an emmet in their world ;)

This was an incredible and wonderful story, I give it 4.5 chooks :D

4.5 stars

Calling all fans of slow burn romances, House of Cards is your ticket. This is the fourth book in Riptide’s Porthkennack series, but each book reads as a standalone. I have a soft spot for this author’s books, so I was excited to see she’d be contributing to this series set in a small town on the Cornish coast. Once again, Miss Leigh doesn’t disappoint in delivering a well-written, heartfelt romance between two genuine characters.

House of Cards is as much a story about righting oneself and self-discovery as a romance. Brix and Calum are old friends who lost touch four years ago. Following an emotional break-up with his long-term partner, Calum finds himself on the Cornish coast and unexpectedly reunited with Brix, his former mentor and crush. I found both characters relatable in a number of ways and Brix’s unrelenting desire to help those around him is particularly admirable. I couldn’t help but empathize and root for these two. The pacing throughout the book is more languid, letting feelings build and take hold. The drawn out timeline gives the characters ample time to come to terms with their own demons while lending strength and understanding to one another.

Fans of the author know to expect a good amount of angst in Miss Leigh’s books, and this certainly isn’t an exception. However, the emotional turmoil has purpose and is never just an insubstantial plot point. While there are definitely heavier aspects to their story, it never feels insurmountable or like the plot is weighed down by the issues facing Calum and Brix. I really liked seeing these two work through their insecurities, regain self-confidence, and realize they deserve love and happiness. Although I wouldn’t consider this romance particularly laden with heat, the physical and emotional chemistry that builds throughout the book ensures the sexy scenes count. If you’re looking for a romance that isn’t rushed or lacking substance, House of Cards won’t disappoint.

Can I just tell you how happy I am that this author wrote a book that opened the door for pictures of my chickens? I know people are used to dog pics but no one is ever all that interested in pics of my girls. (& you may not be now but......that's not going to stop me). Why chickens you ask? Well, because one of the MC's rescues chickens. (I was in love with him from the first minute he was on page).

So....the book. The book was really good. Both of the main characters are going through some struggles and when they meet up, they desperately need someone to rely on. Calum has left London and an abusive relationship and fate has caused him to cross paths with an old friend, Brix. The two men used to be close but life happened and they haven't seen each other in years. Brix runs a tattoo studio and takes in strays, both human and poultry. Brix is happy for the most part but he's lonely and he has some issues of his own that he keeps a secret. He invites Calum to stay while he gets back on his feet and the two men tentatively renew their friendship.

This had the classic Garrett Leigh feel to it. There's something almost melancholy in the way she writes. You could feel the foggy, cold ambiance of the Cornish seaside. This is a really slow burn story and they're not intimate until 75% or so (maybe even later). It worked really well though as a plot device and their steps from friendship to intimacy felt very realistic.

Over the course of the story the two men find peace in their personal lives and they build a friendship, a love, a business and you guessed it, a chicken rescue. I thought this story was very well done and I enjoyed it a lot. It's one of my favorites from this author.

Although House of Cards is the fourth book in Riptide Publishing's Porthkennack series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Garrett Leigh writes eloquently of the Cornish setting of House of Cards with its bays, inlets and caverns perfectly suited to smugglers and wreckers who lured ships onto the rocks in order to loot their cargos.

While some of Brix's family still continue the Cornish tradition of freeing goods from their former owners, Brix himself rescues poor bald chickens destined for the slaughterhouse, and gathers people like Lee who is trans, Jory, and Kim and Lena with their open relationship and "all that free love and stuff" as Lee says. And when Brix happens upon Calum dejectedly sitting on a bench outside the Truro train station, he at first thinks he's seeing things.

A few years back in London, Brix was Calum's friend / mentor in the tattoo arts, although to Calum Brix was more of a "fuckin' beautiful legend" who brought out Calum's latent bisexuality. There was a sexual energy to their friendship, a certain "rightness" that would have eventually been explored, but Brix abruptly left London and Calum hooked up with his horrid ex Rob and in fleeing Rob's stifling influence, Calum is left homeless as well as jobless.

As always, I marvel at how Garrett Leigh manages to craft stories of grace, acceptance, love, forgiveness and compassion that, in the hands of other authors, might have become an angst-fest of epic proportions. Leigh doesn't really expand on Calum's abusive relationship with Rob but even the hints of what it was like are equal parts sad and terrifying. But as Calum comes out the other side of that dysfunctional relationship, Calum realizes:

"He’d run blindly into Brix’s life with his own bag of bullshit, but the longer he spent with Brix, the more he realised the closest thing to a best friend he’d ever had was drowning under the weight of something Calum couldn’t see. And perhaps he always had been."

What transpires between Brix and Calum is slow and nurturing and perfect because this isn't one of those sex-on-every-surface stories. I think this might be the best book in the Porthkennack series so far, and I'm giving House of Cards a solid 4 stars.

House of Cards was a brilliant story because it had it all: beautiful and atmospheric scenery of Cornish seaside, great and fleshed out characters and real emotions. Even when there was problems, pasts and obstacles to go over, there wasn't any melodramatic reactions. Leigh's writing style is a little bit melancholy which transferred to the story beautifully, and made it seem so real with plenty of emotions. Overall, everything from the fictional seaside town to the characters and plot twists seemed to real that I couldn't help but love it.

The characters were great, and maybe the best part of the story. Calum's going through a rough patch in his life after a bad breakup with his manipulative ex, and he's lost what to do with his life. He ends up at Truro and meets Brix who was his friends years ago when both of them lived in London. Brix, who just disappeared one day and moved from London back to his hometown, Porthkennack. Brix offers Calum a place to stay and it all starts from there. Calum and Brix were the characters I fell for because of how strong and sweet they were even after the life had kicked them multiple times. There's also Brix's eccentric (and somewhat criminal) family, who were great and funny, and of course the tattoo shop gang. The romance was slow burn but Calum and Brix had almost unbelievable chemistry - which wasn't all about steamy stuff either, because their chemistry made them work well together in every way possible. It was just so brilliant and sweet.

House of Cards is the best story of Porthkennack series this far. Especially after the disappointment of Broke Deep, this was a very pleasant surprise and I fell in love with the story, Calum and Brix, and restored my faith in this series. I highly recommend this one - either as a standalone or as part of the series as either way it's a brilliant story.

House of Cards has a somber air to it. Both characters struggling to rebuild lives that fell apart for them. Brix and Calum knew each other in London years ago. Happenstance brings them back together in Cornwall to a completely different kind of life. A healing kind. I enjoyed seeing them help each other overcome their past and forge a new future.

I would have really liked to see more of the toxic relationship that Calum escaped from. I also desperately wanted to see more of Brix and Jordan's trials. All of the side characters were extremely colorful. I enjoyed them but didn't quite connect with them. The lifestyle in this corner of Cornwall felt very foreign to me so I was never able to picture myself there. Combine that feeling with the unique slang and accents in the story that I barely understood and I felt like an observer the whole time.

But like other Leigh stories, I was still sucked in and invested in the characters. Brix's situation was obvious to me from early on. I found myself hoping these young men would find their way to a HEA. While they do have a solid HFN, I thought it read like the first book in a series. There were many unfinished threads and unanswered questions.

DNF at 40%

It is my own fault. I shouldn't have asked for an ARC, because after my last book by the author I swore to myself not to read anything by Garrett Leigh again. But I fell into the trap of nice reviews and...my own sloppiness.

Reading House of Cards simultaneously with Elena Ferrante's L'amica geniale Series (an audio version) was not a good idea and not to the advantage of this book, but I like to combine audio books and eBooks in different genres with each other. Until now it worked perfectly. But here the difference is simply galactic. Sorry.

I don't like the story, I don't care about the characters, I dislike the writing. I don't like the vulgarity of her language. Too many f*ck words, and THAT can your read in a nice conversation on one single page:

a prize wanker
a cunt
a lecherous prick
wankers
a slut
lucky fucker
an arsehole

It pains. The dialogues are painful to read. The characters are painful to follow. No, not because it is a heartbreaking, it is jut bad. It is just not my kind of book.

But the author is popular among the MM readers, and so it looks like her works make many people happy, unfortunately I'm not among them. I was bored to death.

Garrett Leigh knows how to get to the heart of a character and sketch it quickly so that readers are engaged early in the story and so wrapped up in their lives by the midpoint that it’s hard to put the book down. At least, that’s been my experience, and this book is no different.

One of my favorites of the Porthkennack stories so far, this tells the tale of Porthkennack native Benjamin “Brix” Lusmoore, a talented tattoo artist, son of a long line of smugglers on the Cornish Coast and chicken rescuer. Yes, he’s constantly rescuing laying hens that are past their prime and headed to the slaughterhouse. All his friends and family members have chickens and still he can’t resist each time he hears of a farmer getting ready to sell to a slaughterhouse. He’s just completing a run one day when he sees a lone man slumped on a bench near the bus station—a very familiar man.

Calum has run as fast and as far away as he can from his abusive ex, the man who took his business, his home, his bank account, and his dignity and left him in tatters when Calum discovered him in bed with another man. Of course, it was Calum’s fault for not being a good enough lover. At the breaking point, he purchases a bus ticket and stays on board to the end of the line. At that point, he discovered that his bank accounts were emptied, the phone he tossed away had the only numbers he had for his parents at their vacation property, and he didn’t even have enough change in his pockets to buy more rum after draining the bottle he managed to grab in his quest for obliterating his memories.

All this, and it was just the beginning of this highly engaging story. Calum and Brix worked together in London years ago as tattoo artists. Calum always crushed on Brix, but when Brix suddenly disappeared, he let him go and didn’t pursue why. Instead, he got involved with a lover who spent the last four years heaping mental and emotional abuse on him. Thankfully, Brix sweeps him up, sets him in his van, and whisks him away to his home. And that begins the journey back to emotional health for Calum and back to a relationship based on love and trust for the two men.

This is a wonderful story of hope and redemption. Each man has secrets—Brix’s more deadly than Calum’s—but love can conquer even the most hopeless of outlooks and the two carefully build a new life together with a nice satisfying HEA for readers’ enjoyment.

I highly recommend this story to lovers of MM romance, hurt-comfort, Cornish Coast adventures, and of course, to those who are following this series. Each book is by a different author and is a standalone so you can jump in any time. I highly recommend you start here.

I adored this book. My favorite in the series so far. The characters felt so real, and I do love a bit of angst and struggle! Calum felt very young, and that made it realistic for me that he would be so lost at the beginning. He grew a lot during the story. I also loved all the detail about tattoos. A lot of writers just pay lip service to that, but here you could see the author really knew about it. All in all, a five star read, and I will be looking out for more from this author.

House of Cards was my first foray into the Porthkennack universe and it won’t be my last. The story is about second chances – at love, and most definitely at life. It’s a broody and beautifully atmospheric romance between close friends who are reunited by chance on the Cornish coast.

Calum has hit rock bottom. Beat down and down on his luck, he is taken in by Brix, an old friend and mentor in the tattoo business. Brix, who had returned to his roots in the small village of Porthkennack some years back is living a quiet life far removed from his heydays in London. Watching Brix coax Calum to stay and start afresh at his tattoo studio was a bit like watching Brix tend to his rescue chickens. He was instinctively gentle and patient but knew when a firm hand was needed to help prevent Calum from sliding deeper into his depressive funk. Even as they slowly established a semblance of domesticity and reconnected over shared memories and their love for their craft, it was obvious they were both holding significant pieces of themselves back. It was both lovely and frustrating to see how so in tune they were with each other despite the many secrets between them.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book was its focus on healing. The Hurt/Comfort trope is very far from my jam because it so easily spirals into angst, or worse, the accompanying trauma is overcome in an unrealistic manner. In this story, it should be noted that both heroes suffer from depression – Calum’s being more recent and raw, and Brix’s as something he’d always lived with and now compounded by his illness. Being familiar with the author’s works, it was no surprise to me that she approached these heavy topics with care and a satisfying degree of realism. I really appreciated the way the heroes grew to be a comfort to each other by virtue of their presence and proximity, and the rekindling of old attractions felt very much like a natural progression in their relationship. The romance between the two men ultimately blossoms beautifully and meaningfully, and most importantly not at the expense of their mental or physical health.

I also loved the way the author captured Porthkennack in winter. The cruel winter wind along with the turbulent sea was an ever-present backdrop that very much felt like a character all its own. I also loved how the sea was portrayed as both a balm to one’s soul and a bane to those who didn’t respect its awesome power. The Cornish accents and quirks, the smuggling runs and the local lore, all these things just added to the overall picture and made the sleepy little town come to life in magical ways.

It should be noted that chickens (and Calum) weren’t the only strays in Brix’s life. His studio was filled with intriguing side characters that I really hope to see more of, whether in or out of the Porthkennack universe. If you’ve been meaning to check out this series of standalones, I can vouch for House of Cards as a solid bet.