I am really enjoying the Porthkennack series. My favorite so far has been Joanna Chambers' entry and now, Alex Beecroft's.

This whole series is intriguing and romantic and the setting is a character in and of itself.

Recommended.

3.75 for me. This is a really sweet tale of burgeoning love between a man emotionally damaged by a demanding, dysfunctional family and a candid warmhearted man from a rambling Cornish clan. They find each other in what could have been one of the worst possible circumstances but come to understand and be there for each other in some of the best ways. Throw in some fairly accurate information about modern Paganism used to combat gobbledygook intended to frighten people, smugglers, and a fight against terrible cyber-bullying for flavor and the story has a little something everything. My first romance by this author, but definitely the first of many.

Alex Beecroft is a new to me author, as is this series of books (which are standalone novels by different authors that take place in the same seaside town). I requested this one based on the blurb alone: how on earth was this plot going to be pulled off? Ritualistic sheep killings, massive character anxiety, small town boy….that’s a whole lot to fit into one novel without falling back on or into cliches.

This book was managed beautifully. Believe it or not, the author managed to put even more surprising plot twists than the blurb contains — I don’t want to spoil you — and they all worked so well for me. There’s mystery and suspense and small-town big stories happening here.

It took me a minute to connect with Sam. Perhaps because I do not do being cold and wet and from the get-go Sam seems to be living a rather cold life (as in, he’s super economical with his van and heat situation). All jokes aside, understanding the shape of his anxiety and complex and toxic family relations took a bit.

Ruan, on the other hand, endeared himself to me immediately. It was insta-love for us. He’s sweet and open; in many ways utterly straightforward in his sweetness. I really appreciate stories in which characters have large families that they just fit into seamlessly; support systems that they trust completely so that they form a wonderful backdrop for the story and the character development with ease. There are moments when Ruan is so sure of his world in a particular way that he gets himself into dangerous situations. Watching him have his “oh shit wtf have I done’ moments was rather enjoyable as a reader (I am a terrible human apparently) if only because we got to watch his character development without being told about it.

While we did get to know Sam better throughout, I don’t know that I connected with him 100%, and I’m still not sure why. I did feel that when the story ended, there was so much more of him and his story and development I wanted. Yes, part of this was selfish wishing that the book wouldn’t end. But the other was a feeling of in-completion regarding Sam.

I thought these two had lovely chemistry. Sex happens off page; their chemistry on page is delicious and wonderful. I wouldn’t have minded a touch more heat on page, but it worked really well as was. Readers who want low heat romance — this one is for you. I don’t mind instalove as a rule — I think it can be done to great effect and very believably. I wouldn’t give this one full marks for this, but Beecroft did a good job.

My favourite thing about this book was the prose. I am a staunch believer that over-the-top purple prose is a no-no for writing/craft reasons. Lyrical and lovely prose that is skirting the purple prose territory (or even dipping a toe in): yes. Give it all to me. I am a sucker for beautifully used and deployed language. Beecroft uses lovely craft and writing skill to support this story and the characters, the scenery and the town.

Mild warning: the description of the sheep that are killed is a little graphic. They can be skipped over, in my opinion, for squeamish readers.

'Foxglove Copse' is the 5th book in the 'Porthkennack' series. I haven't read all the books in this series and while I hope to do so at some time I'm really enjoying being able to pick and choose the ones I read without feeling like I've missed anything in the ones that I do chose to read.

This is actually my first time reading a book by this author and I really enjoyed this story. Sam Atkins had the life...the money, the home, the job all the material things that are often taken as signs of success but for Sam the price that he's paid for this has been extracted from his heart and soul and when he finds he can no longer pay that price he runs. Divesting himself of his material gains he begins to live the life of a wanderer and six months into his vagabond life he finds himself on the road to Porthkennack. It's a road that not only leads him to the place he'll ultimately call home but the man who will help him begin to heal.

Whatever flaws this story may have contained were by far outweighed by the heart of this story. 'Foxglove Copse' is more than a love story it's a story about love. I know it seems like semantics but love is probably the most complicated four letter word in any language and while it has can be defined by just a few words there can be a zillion different meanings and in this story we get to see some of those meanings through the eyes of Sam a man whose family has abused him mentally and emotionally leaving him floundering for a place to seek shelter and call home until he meets Ruan.

Ruan is a man whose family loves him unconditionally. Ruan knows what it's like to have that surety that no matter what he will always be loved...he will always have a shelter from the storms that life may bring his way.

Together Sam and Ruan discover that home is where the heart is and both men realize that they can trust each other to protect their heart. But there's more to this story than just the romance between Sam and Ruan there's a mystery because someone's trying to scare Ruan's Aunt Jennifer and as things escalate Sam and Ruan get drawn into the heart of events whether they want to be or not. People are being stalked, harassed and bullied...people that Ruan cares about, people that Sam is beginning to care about. Somehow events at Aunt Jennifer's farm are connected to things even more sinister and if Sam and Ruan are going to have a future than they need to work together to figure out what's happening and why.

While I love a good mystery and this one was more than a little interesting what enchanted me the most about this story was Sam. For Sam this was about more than falling in love. This was Sam's second chance...his chance to find himself and reclaim the part of him that he believed was gone. His faith and confidence were shaken to the core if not non-existent and while Ruan may have helped him. In the end if was Sam who had to dig down deep and believe in himself again if he wanted a chance at a life with Ruan and the promise of home and family that it offered and Ruan came to realize that in Sam, he had a partner and that together they could shelter each other from life's storms.

Equally as important is the role played by family and community in this story. Ruan's parents are loving and supportive of their children which is a real contrast to Sam's family, whom we only get glimpses of through Sam's conversations with his mother and yes, I am using this term loosely and then there is Sam's sister and I'll just say here yes, I wanted to slap-a-bitch here. Seriously she opened her mouth once in this book and it was one time too many.

In the end yes, the mystery gets solved but it's Sam who made me love this book so much. It's seeing him go from a broken man who ran from his family...from an environment that was robbing him of his heart and soul to a man who found love, who was finding himself again and who was creating a family for himself the kind of family that would love him and believe in him...a family that would always have his back. This was the story that enchanted me.

'Porthkanneck' is quickly becoming one of those places that I enjoy visiting and I'm sure I'll be going back again soon.

Setting an M/M romance around a mystery surrounding ritualistic sheep-killings in the Cornish countryside may sound like a peculiar premise, but I ended up really enjoying this book-- the connection between Sam and Ruan was lovely, and the story was well done.

I really enjoy connected series written by different authors such as the Bluewater Bay series so I was excited to read this one. However this series was too dark for me. The writing was excellent but the subject matter just was not for me.

After trying to read this book no less than three times, I gave up, which is something I very much avoid doing, especially with an ARC.

Props for addressing a difficult issue to write about: anxiety. From my own experience, I felt the descriptions of oncoming panic attack and latent low/high anxiety noise and how it manifests physically was right on.

But the story.

A friend of mine called it incongruous and I can't help but completely agree. The LI indiscriminately showed same signs of anxiety and I couldn't tell if this was in error. The LI's family caused the MC's anxiety to spike and the love connection happened anyway ... which was too much for my generous suspension of disbelief. The plot points made me scratch my head, the characters were one-dimensional, the police, rich-folk, and baddies were set up to be stereotypes of themselves. I simply lost my patience with this one, despite some of the lush phrasing and interesting ideas it had to offer.

Sam Atkin is escaping from his wealthy family and their lucrative business. He could no longer bear the thought of investing people’s money, never knowing what the outcome would be. Investing became terrifying to him and caused him to have a massive anxiety attack. Now, he lives a solitary life on the road, and finds himself in Cornwall, in Foxglove Copse, where he settles in for the time being. When he becomes overwhelmed he still suffers from panic attacks, but his expertise with computers and developing applications help him to keep calm.

After traveling for so long, Sam takes a walk—and finds a mutilated sheep with sigils that would suggest witchcraft. It’s at the scene of the crime that he first meets Ruan Gwynn, which leads to Sam being considered a suspect. When he is cleared of any wrongdoing, he and Ruan find themselves in more than a mystery. The case turns interesting in not only the witchcraft but in the mysterious caves, Sam’s missing laptop, suicides, cyberbullying, and the mysterious Lusmoore family and what they hold over the clans of Foxglove Copse.

Ruan and Sam make a special connection which grows into a sweet romance. Ruan’s life is the very opposite of Sam’s, with a loving and supportive family that Sam, at times, doesn’t understand. As Sam becomes more familiar with Ruan and his family, he knows this is what he really wants. But, he questions if Ruan wants him to stay around or to move on. Ruan is such a charmer, easy going and humorous at times, which is very different from the shy and nervous Sam.

I haven’t read any of the other novels in the Porthkennack series, but the blurb for this one caught my interest. I didn’t get the feeling that I would have to read any of the previous books, as it holds firm as a standalone. I have to say I enjoyed Alex Beecroft’s writing style in this novel set in the small Cornish seaside town. It’s somewhat mystical, with suspense and danger, magic and a few scenes that are a little gory. Besides a fairly good mystery, the storyline also has some interesting characters and friendships, as well as covering acceptance, family dynamics and love. This may not be to everyone’s liking, but I found this to be a unique and enjoyable read.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
Each new book in this series is a surprise and this one is definitely a delight. When city financier Sam’s conscience gets the better of him, he rejects his worldly goods, buys a van and some tarot cards, and heads to Cornwall only to be arrested for a ritual slaughter on the day he arrives. In Porthkennack, someone has been terrorising Ruan’s niece and her teenage friends. When his aunt’s sheep is slaughtered, he needs to find the culprit – but he can’t quite believe that Sam, a gentle English visitor, is to blame.

All the best bits of this series are present in this newest book. Once again, the intertwined family clans of this small seaside town come to life in full colour. Ruan’s family, the Gwynns, are a close and only slightly eccentric clan. The Lusmoores reappear – accompanied as always by lore, myth, and the fear of locals. Sam and Ruan are both well-developed characters and I loved the changes in Sam’s life as he settled into Porthkennack.

This story is as much a mystery as it is a romance. I really loved Ruan and Sam together and I also really enjoyed their search for the person terrorising Porthkennack. There are some thoroughly exciting scenes (and a couple of very cute dogs) at the end.

The Porthkennack series of standalone M/M romances that take place in atmospheric Cornish seaside is something that I have enjoyed quite a bit. Some I have loved a lot and some not but overall, I really like the Porthkennack series. Foxglove Copse was a story that I'm not sure how to feel about.

The blurb was intriguing and sounded something I'd love. It started all good, with Sam reflecting the professional investment banker life he left behind for much more simpler life in the road. Sam's anxiety was portrayed very well and it was easy to begun to root for him. Ruan, who Sam meets early on, was just a sweetheart who had plenty of love for his family and everyone else. I could see how good Sam and Ruan could be together and how they could help each other. Both were such easy to relate with! However, their romance suffered from a bad case of lack of character development. Too many of their conversations were off page and the sex was all off page - both something that I wouldn't expect from a M/M romance. It slowed down any character development and left the budding relationship distant.

Instead of developing Sam and Ruan as individuals or deepening their relationship, the focus shifted to the mystery and suspense. The mystery was good and the story was suspenseful, and I really liked that aspect, but the story should have been longer to develop all of the aspects of the story properly. Especially since around the half way in the magic talk came out of nowhere and the story started to be an odd mix of contemporary and magic. A world where magic didn't exist but a few characters tried to half-heartedly convince the reader that magic did exist - it was just weird and didn't work for me because I like the books to be either contemporary or fantasy, not an odd mix of both and neither.

I'm not going to give out any spoilers, but I have to mention that I don't agree with the ending at all. The culprit was 'punished' but it wasn't fair for the crimes the culprit committed. It simply wasn't enough. However, despite of these problems I had with the story, I enjoyed it. It was a quick read and I was taken by the story and wanted to know what happens. I really liked how Foxglove Copse explored more of the family clan dynamics in Porthkennack - mainly focusing on Lusmoores and Gwynns. And despite the lack of character development and deepening of the relationship, I still rooted for Sam and Ruan, because they were adorable together and good for each other.

Foxglove Copse was enjoyable story, even if all aspects didn't sit with me. I still liked it, and it added quite a lot for the overall Porthkennack theme and the seaside town history.

What can I say I loved it , loved everything about it include the 2 main characters

Another great addition to the Porthkennack series. Part romance, part mystery, this was a great read!

Porthkennack gets more interesting with each new book.... I'm obviously really enjoying this series, although I still haven't picked up the historical titles. For now I'm sticking with the contemporary offerings and Foxglove Copse is one of my favorites.

Sam was a mess, but a lovable one. He was slightly broken and the farther he stayed away from his family, the better off he was. Ruan was the exact opposite. He was strong and sure of himself and he had love all the love and support from his family he could ask for, and sometimes even more. I loved his family connection almost as much as I loathed Sam's.

There was a lot going on in Foxglove Copse beside the budding romance between Sam and Ruan. A little bit of mystery and danger thrown into the mix, which really kept the pages turning. There was something pretty scary going on in the normally quiet village.

Each book in this series is written by a different author and they can all be read as a stand alone, but there is a thread of connection. That thread's even stronger in Foxglove Copse and I really liked the unexpected connection. I have to admit that those historical books in the Porthkennack series getting more and more tempting. Odds are I'll probably cave eventually. The next book in the series is Count the Shells, an historical offering by Charlie Cochrane.

ARC Review: Foxglove Copse by Alex Beecroft

Sam has been living a nomadic life since having an anxiety induced break down and falling out with his parents. He finds himself in Porthkennack, a small seaside town in Cornwall. He figures he'll squat for a day or two, rest up and try to find a job to get some money for the next leg of his journey. But things don't go according to plan when he finds a mutilated sheep on the property where he's parked.

He didn't do it, but Jennifer, the land owner, needs to make it clear that this isn't something she tolerates. So since he's the only available suspect, she decides she'll file charges against him. Even though she and her nephew, Ruan, don't believe he did it.

Still, Sam has some knowledge that proves useful as Ruan and Jennifer try to figure out what's going on. Plus, Sam's good with computers, so when Ruan finds out there's a cyberbully going after his cousin and her friends, he turns to Sam. As they work to uncover the culprits in both cases, Sam and Ruan grow closer, their relationship developing slowly and sweetly.

Alex Beecroft is a beautiful writer. She has such a way with words, all vivid imagery and depth of feeling. I always love reading her work, and Foxglove Copse was no exception. While it's heavy on the mystery - something I was quite happy about - the romance is sweet and beautiful and does not suffer for not being the focus of the plot. 5/5 stars

This isn't my normal read. I know that. I fully accept that this is a little out of my comfort zone, but I liked the sound of the blurb for this so requested it on NetGalley. I didn't think I would be approved nor did I think I would have read it yet. But as I plan to try and read two or three eProofs this month so I can focus on big, meaty books next month (and get myself ready for La Belle Sauvage), I thought I would hammer this out.

After suffering a huge anxiety attack six months ago, Sam has left his high-powered job, his emotionally-bullying family and has been living in his van. But with his savings running low, Sam is beginning to run out of opinions.

So, when he decides to park up in a copse and goes for a walk, the last thing he expected to find was a murdered sheep. And when he's found next to the body, he has a lot of explaining to do. Especially when it looks like it was a ritual killing.

Ruan, who finds Sam with his aunt, doesn't believe Sam did it. When he first saw Sam, he felt some kind of connection and when he sees how Sam has been living, Ruan decides that he needs to save Sam. But when the killing escalate and it looks the killer could be the same person behind some nasty cyber-bullying, the two need to work fast on stopping him before they can figure out their feelings for each other...

This book is part of a series - the Porthkennack series (which is split into two sections - contemporary or historical) - so while you can read them in order, you can read each novel as standalone as they are written by different authors (it looks like there are four authors involved). And the fact that each book tackles an issue in one form or another, it appealed to me when I requested this as this tackled LGBT characters, a mystery involving someone pretending to practice the occult and having a character sugaring from anxiety - something I'm not well read in nor do I see often tackled in books.

Anyway, reactions to this. I read this within three/four days earlier this month when I was super lazy and very tired (I had several late nights with friends/neighbours/family/etc) so, when I started this, I thought it was going a light, fluffy, LGBT love story with a mystery twist to it. Oh, how wrong I was. And, in a weird way, am kinda ok with that. Up to a point.

It was a fast, addictive read. I would sit and whizz through, surprised at how involved I got and wondering if I should investigate the rest of the series (the only title within this series that caught my eye at the moment is House of Cards, though I will keep eyes peeled for upcoming titles). It was much darker than I was expecting and, as someone who does like to read a good crime novel, this appealed to me.

Like I said, I am not well read or well-informed on how the subject of Sam's anxiety and his panic attacks was handled. So, I'm not going to go too in-depth with that. If someone knows more information and has read this, could you let me know your thoughts and opinions.

Like I said earlier, I was kinda on board with the fact that this book was darker than I expected. But up to a point. There were issues I do have with Foxglove Copse. I wasn't a fan of the instalove between Ruan and Sam. It was just too fast for my taste. Plus, Sam does suffer for anxiety, so I did find it a little hard to believe that Sam would fall for Ruan as quickly as he did.

I suppose this lends itself into the pacing. I get why the pacing was a little faster than expected, but for some reason, it felt off. The off-ness felt the same with some of issues raised - the cyber-bullying, ritual killing and a the possible suicide that could be linked to the cyber-bullying. To me, these are quite dark issues, but with the writing's tone, it didn't sit right with me. Plus, the climax felt like an anticlimax. It felt too easy. I can't put my finger on why, but I'm not a fan of how these issues were tackled.

It felt like, even though this is written for a more grown-up audience, this was written for a New Adult audience. And, if it was, it feels a bit disrespectful to the subject matter and to the reader.

Maybe I am being a bit harsh. I did whizz through the book and I might return to this series and try another author and this probably is a good airport/beach read, but along the way, it misses the mark on certain subject matters.

Sam and Ruan
They meet under a somewhat bloody circumstances. They like each other.
Sam, suffering anxieties attacks and having a big one in front of Ruan, knows things about tarot and witchcrafts. He finds in Ruan a friend and even more.
Sam living in a van, alone without income, is getting thinner and thinner and Ruan wants to feed him with food and love.
There are things happening in the village that can't face the daylight....
Online young ones get bullied....sheeps are found dead, witchcraft is also playing a role. With help from Sam they all try to get rid of them/it whatever whoever it is.

A good written story with many aspects in it. Friendship, love, tattoos, magic, angst, a bit of mafia family business, some times it's just down to earth and some between fantasy and magic.
It was a busy 'hassle' and Sam and his anxiety attacks were for me the moments to hold on to all of it, he was it who kept this story real and tangible, I could breathe with him...

Endearing personalities in a very lovable environment. No steam at all for the ones who want to know. Some sweet kisses is all you get but for me it was more than enough, for me it was all about acceptance, family not by blood, friendship and love.

4.5 Stars

Sam ran away from a high-paying, highly stressful job and his family, after suffering a major anxiety attack. He sold almost everything he owned, bought a custom-equipped van and gave away most of his money. Now, six months later, he's nearly broke and afraid he might have to go back to his parents. He finds himself in Porthkennack, taking a walk to calm his anxiety, when he stumbles upon a sheep slaughtered in what looks like a satanic ritual and the land's owner and her nephew, Ruan, seem to think he might be involved.

Ruan doesn't want to believe Sam is capable of doing something like this, and not only because he's instantly attracted to him. Sam just doesn't seem the type, so seeing as Sam has to remain in Porthkennack while the police investigate the matter, Ruan asks for Sam's help as a tech wizard to do a little investigation for his niece and friends, who are being bullied online.

I loved Sam, my heart broke for him when I saw how bad his anxiety attacks could be and how badly his family treated him. Even when he ran away from his work and living with them, he couldn't quite break that link with them. I adored Ruan, too. He was supportive and sweet and a bit reckless. I loved that he was willing to go against tradition to help Sam. I adored the two of them together. They seemed to complement each other quite nicely from the start, working together to solve Ruan's niece's problem. While there's no on page sex, I could feel the connection, attraction and love growing between them.

I am not a fan of gory/horror elements in my books, and this one had some very vivid descriptions, so if you're like me, just be warned that they're not pretty at all. *shudders*

Anyway, even with the gore, Foxglove Copse was enthralling and engaging, with several storylines that kept my interest throughout the book and that were resolved very interestingly (if not fully satisfyingly). Very recommendable!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley by Riptide Publishing for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***