I enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed the entire Porthkennack series and how the different writers write in it. I really liked that Merrow went back to her characters in this world. The plot of this one is slow paced but I think that added to it. The characters both have to work through things. Mal has to work through his trauma and whether or not he is in a place to be in a relationship. Most of the time romance novels have trauma but the trauma doesn't exactly effect the characters realistically. I found Mal's trauma to be handled in a convincing manner. I would have been annoyed if he's relationship with Jory had gone smoother. I thought the interpersonal drama was actually earned this time around. Most of the time I find any hint of melodrama painful but not for this book. All around a slow build which some readers may find frustrating.

I really like the stand alone books in the Porthkennack series, but I like the ones that have a strand of connection. In the case of One Under, it could certainly be read as a stand alone, but I loved the fact that it trailed back to where the series began with Wake Up Call, also written by J.L. Merrow.

Jory was kind of a black sheep of his family, but in a good way. He wasn't perfect and didn't see himself that way. His family expected a certain level of behavior to fit their status, but Jory never quite fit, despite his brother and sister's best efforts to control not just him, but pretty much every aspect of his life. Because of Jory's family, Mal was torn. He felt a real connection to Jory, but he fought it because of his loyalty to one of his best friends, Dev. Mal has some issues of his own that he's trying to face and spending time with Jory really helps.

I loved spending time in Porthkennack with these two, along with previous characters. Watching them grow and help each other heal in a way that neither one of them expected was an added bonus. One Under was an excellent addition to this series.

This book, while part of the overall Porthkennack series, is basically a continuation of the first one, Wake Up Call, which I also loved. It would probably be best to read that first, because while this one doesn't focus on the characters from the first book, they do make an appearance, and there isn't a whole lot of backstory shared here - it's assumed the reader knows who they are.

This book also had a bit of a darker, more melancholy undertone than the first one, and for good reason.

Mal Thomas has come to Porthkennack to heal from a traumatic experience at work, that isn't fully explained early on. Believe me, though, it's horrid. While I don't have personal experience with this sort of thing, a long-time friend of mine does. He is still, after many years since that incident, struggling with the emotional and psychological aftermath. So once I found out what had happened to Mal, I fully understood where he was coming from.

Jory Roscarrock (yes, the much younger brother of Devan's mother) hasn't had an easy life so far. While he has a doctorate in English Lit from a prestigious university, he also has been living under a dark cloud for some time, partly because of his older siblings, and partly because of a youthful indiscretion that derailed much of his plans.

Mal and Jory meet. There's attraction, when Mal, after getting a bit of bad news from home while at the town's museum, is in need of comforting and Jory, the museum curator, offers, with much social awkwardness, a cup of tea. Then Mal finds out who Jory is, and the romance nearly dies before it has a chance to blossom.

As with all of this author's books, I definitely appreciate the very British writing style, the very British choice of words, and the very British setting. JL Merrow just manages to transport me to whatever place they write about, and I could easily visualize the stark cliffs, the dark tunnels, the grey skies, the imposing house Jory calls home, the pub, the town - everything is described in vivid details, and the reader is transported into this fictional place on the rugged coastal setting.

Both Mal and Jory spend time worrying about the secrets they keep/kept from the other, and both wonder if a relationship between them is even worth pursuing, considering Mal lives in London and Jory cannot leave Porthkennack, for reasons. There is a lot of angst inside, and this isn't a romance that comes easily for either of them. In addition to their personal issues, there's also the issue of Mal being best friends with the aforementioned Devan - who is Jory's nephew, and who's been treated badly by Jory's siblings - which puts additional strain on the budding romance, obviously, as Mal is torn between the attraction to Jory and his loyalty to Dev.

The plot progresses slowly, and it had to, in my opinion, because the roadblocks in their way are, while not insurmountable, definitely considerable, and this book wouldn't have worked as well for me if the author had rushed through their individual insecurities and issues they had to overcome.

I think the lesson here is that if you want something badly enough, you have to find the will to fight for it. You have to forge the path that works for you, because ultimately the only person responsible for your own happiness is you. And if you want it, pursue it.


** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. **

3 Stars

I’ve read and really enjoyed some of the stories in the Porthkennack series, but this one just wasn’t for me, in fact, I had to force myself to keep reading at times. The progression of Jory and Mal’s relationship was too slow, then it was too rushed.

I liked both Jory and Mal, but they also frustrated me to no end. Jory was just existing before Mal came along and although he had a good job and could afford to live on his own, when he came back to town, he moved back into the family home with his brother and sister, who he wasn’t close with and who didn’t approve of him. Throughout most of the story he was spineless when it came to them, and I couldn’t quite figure out why it mattered to him what they thought.

Mal was sweet, but so wishy washy when it came to Jory. I just wanted to shake him and tell him to open his eyes and look at what was right in front of his face. But my heart absolutely broke for him and the tragedy he’d suffered.

I liked the premise of the story, but there was an ongoing storyline with Dev and Kyle, the main characters from this author’s previous story in the series, and I think that while the book can be read as a standalone, I kind of felt like I was missing something by not having read their story, which I own and will eventually rectify.

Mal and Jory had good chemistry, but the progression of their relationship was off. It was extremely slow burn at first, then as soon as they decided to get their heads out of their butts, the relationship got way too serious, way too fast. The author needed to develop their relationship more and the book was definitely long enough that this shouldn’t have been an issue.

While the book wasn’t my favorite, I will say the second half was much better than the first. The first half was, well, frankly, it was boring. *sorry* The second half picked up steam, was much more interesting and flowed a bit better.

All in all, while I didn’t care for book, I’ll give this author’s work another chance.

*copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Complicated family story. When Mal meets Jory he didn't know Jory was the uncle of his best friend Dev, who was not accepted by his mother, Jory's sister.
Jory has to prove he is different and the circumstances are against him.
Complicated and good developed story. Personalities with well defined characters.
The romance wasn't overwhelming but just enough.

The whole story with characteristic Cornish Porthkennack at the background !

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is another angst filled addition to the Porthkennack series. A chance meeting between aristocratic Jory and Mal, a visitor from London, leads to a complicated relationship and even messier relationships between the Roscarrock family and Mal’s friends in Porthkennack.

This is the ninth book in the series, but readers really only need to have read the first book by the same author to understand this one. It’s a more coherent story than the first book, but it is just as tangled and gritty. For me, this is missing both the magical sense of place and the complex character development I’ve loved in other stories in this series. I liked both Jory and Mal. I felt sorry for both of them at times – but I didn’t fall madly in love with either of them.

Once again, we get a whole lot of local legend and lore – including more historical smuggling and the history of the Roscarrock family – and I enjoyed the way this builds on various stories in the series. This isn’t my favourite of the Porthkennack books, but it was an entertaining read.

A few things first ... Having read almost all of the Porthkennack series, I find J.L. Merrow's Porthkennack considerably darker than portrayed by other authors in this series. Merrow's setting is a bleak, gray atmosphere with lots of rain, and more than its share of "Eeyoresque" characters. Also, it took me quite a while to get my footing in One Under. Characters from the first book are referenced here, and honestly, I didn't remember them and there is little information in One Under to flesh out their backstory.

Mal's best mate is Dev (whose story is told in Wake Up Call) and when Mal meets Jory Roscarrock, there is instant attraction, quickly followed by the realization that Jory is Dev's uncle, and a member of the family that basically kicked Dev to the curb. The two men spend considerable time agonizing about their respective secrets and how any relationship between them would never work. (SPOILER: Mal is a tube driver with PTSD and is in Porthannock to recover from a suicide jumping in front of his train; Jory is married to Kirsty and they have a genius 12-year-old named Gawen.) .The pace of the story felt very slow and around 80% through the book, Jory finally asks Mal: “I wish I knew where I stood with you.” This book was very nearly a DNF for me because of the constant tension and second-guessing about each and every word and action and although there are a few sex scenes, it is difficult to sense a strong sexual chemistry between the two.

One Under is just not my cuppa, and my rating is 3 stars, but I fully realize that other readers may enjoy this introspective story.

One Under is the ninth book in the Porthkennack series, which features works by various authors and takes place in a Cornish town steeped in history. While they occasionally loosely linked by characters or local lore, the books all can be read as standalones. This is the second book Miss Merrow has wrote for the series, so there’s a bit more overlap with these characters. However, I have yet to read that book and had no trouble at all jumping right in with the couple featured in One Under.

This title had so much potential with likable characters, an extensive backstory, and a good plot, but it never really fell in line for me. Although I certainly enjoyed Mal and Jory’s story, the pacing regularly felt off- a bit jumpy and often repetitive enough that I was tempted to skim. Additionally, Mal’s hot and cold routine trampled my nerves as well as Jory’s feelings, leaving me less than enthused about his character as the book progressed. This frustration was compounded with the insta-love bit. Though it wasn’t so blatant to really bother me at first, it felt as though deep feelings came out of thin air rather quickly, which was especially hard to accept given how much back and forth was occurring without a lot of honest communication. Although I did like the idea of Jory and Mal as a couple, there was simply too much time wasted on getting to that point when I’d rather have seen the relationship develop on page and the men sort through their personal and familial issues. I did appreciate that their extraneous issues with Jory’s siblings, Jory’s ex, and Mal’s PTSD weren’t magically mended with a dollop of love, but this book didn’t quite reach the heights I expected when I first started the story. I think fans of this series or author may enjoy One Under, but I can’t say it’s one of my favorites within the Porthkennack series.

I wish I had realized this was a direct follow up to Merrow’s other book in the Porthkennack series, Wake Up Call which I haven’t read yet. It’s not necessary to read it first, but I think I would have appreciated the story more if I had.

In Wake Up Call, one of the main characters, Dev, tries to connect with his birth mother, and this book revolves around Dev’s best friend Mal falling in love with his newly discovered uncle, Jory. Dev’s family didn’t react well when he revealed his identity, so Mal’s not exactly a fan. However, Jory had been kept completely in the dark by his much older siblings and didn’t even know Dev existed until Mal told him. When Mal learns that, he sees Jory in a new light, and as they continue to interact, the two of them start to develop feelings for each other. However, there are also other issues standing in the way of their romance.

The best thing about this book is Mal. He’s a great character, funny and outspoken, and I particularly enjoyed his relationship with Dev’s foster sister, Tasha. Mal is dealing with some serious psychological trauma after a man committed suicide by jumping in front of the subway train Mal was driving for the London Underground (the “one under” of the title). Honestly, that would be enough of an issue to deal with in this book, without the added difficulty of Jory’s relationship with Dev. I think the author overcomplicated the plot by choosing to include both problems, but I had no trouble accepting the way Mal tends to blow hot and cold about Jory given everything going on with him.

Jory was actually something of a problem for me, though, because I didn’t quite find his backstory believable. His family apparently somehow talked him into marrying a woman he got pregnant when he was a teenager, and they’ve stayed married for 12 years? Even though he’s mostly not lived close enough to spend regular time with his son AND he’s gay? I suppose anything’s possible, but it just doesn’t seem very likely to me. It makes Jory seem almost completely spineless, too. That’s at least is something he manages to overcome by the end of the book.

With everything else happening, I didn’t feel like there was enough time for their romance to develop. Mal and Jory got way too serious way too fast while dealing with their issues. That was another strike against the book for me.

So, this book was mostly a “meh”—not totally bad, but not good, either. I think people who can overlook the things that bothered me will enjoy it, though.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5



London Underground worker Mal Thomas is staying in Porthkennack to recover from a traumatic experience. Getting some more bad news from home is the last straw—until big, blond museum curator Jory Roscarrock steps up to offer some comfort.

A doctor of English Literature, Jory should be in a prestigious post at a top university. But a youthful indiscretion has led him to abandon academia to come back to his home town, Porthkennack, and the controlling family he’s never really felt a part of. He’s delighted to find a kindred spirit in the young Londoner.

But Jory’s family hurt Mal’s best friend deeply, and while Jory’s desperate to repair the damage, his own mistakes threaten to keep them apart. Meanwhile Mal’s torn between his feelings for Jory and his duty to his friend—and his fears that a failed relationship could be more than his shattered confidence can take.

The Porthkennack universe is one that I deeply love.  A seaside small town in Cornwall, with a long history of smuggling and sea bourne carnage in its past, it's behind the facade of the pleasant shops, pubs, and yes, even a museum or two, the stories here show that some haven't entirely left that way of life behind.  With each new tale, some historic, most not, the town's people, the culture of the place, the "society', and the dynamics continue to unfold.  Aren't' we lucky!

In One Under by JL Merrow, the angst driven characters are Mal Thomas and Dr. Jory Roscarrock, each with elements in their past their are trying to recover from and move past.  For Mal, his are far more recent.  A man committed suicide in front of the underground train he was driving and it's left him traumatized, unable even to get into a car.    For Jory, it's his family and their past.  From a father who committed suicide, a mother's death, to older siblings who seem to hate him and relationships that don't work out, his issues too seem buried in his past.

I love these men, especially Mal.  What a wounded soul he is.  And Jory too, a solid, intellectual giant who is so clueless at times you wish you could shake him.  I thought the characterizations were terrific.  Mal as the traumatized train driver suffering from PTSD was easily a sympathetic figure.  His "dithering about" his relationship with Jory over it's impact on his best friend honestly irritated most of the time.  You wished the communication was far better between these two men.  However, taken into consideration the mental and emotional state of Mal, I kept coming back to the idea that anyone who was suffering from PTSD as bad as he was and in the shaky emotional frame of mind, wasn't going to be making the most rational of decisions.  So yes, perhaps, Merrow was (whether I liked it or not) right on target here too.

Same goes for Jory, his relationship with his frankly appalling older siblings and his willingness to remain static in parts of his life.  Odd but again  given his weird background, perhaps not.  It takes these two men coming together to get them moving forward again in both of their lives,  first separately and then finally as a couple.



Cover by: Garrett Leigh.  The covers by Garrett Leigh are amazing.  From the composition to the color tone, she captures the heart of the characters and the location.  Love it.

What a wonderful story!

I haven't read most of the Porthkennack stories but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this one at all. I can clearly see there are characters from earlier novels, but they add to the story and didn't make me feel like I was missing anything. I'm sure if you've read previous books you'd enjoy it all the more.

This was a great 'insta-love' story which was really well done (JL Merrow always does this genre really nicely). There was enough damage and drama to make it interesting without being angsty and the romance part was sweet and hot.

If you're looking for a nice, easy romance with interesting characters and some creative local lore then One Under is going to fit the bill perfectly.

Being back to this charming fictional Cornish seaside town was just what I needed, and One Under certainly didn't disappoint me. This time the Porthkennack town sweeps up Mal, who's London underground worker and recovering from a traumatic event and who we met in the first book ever set in Porthkennack, and Jory, who left the academia and university in Edinburgh to move back to his hometown to help his son to deal with school bullies. I liked Mal a lot in Wake Up Call, and I did complain back then that he wasn't introduced early enough. I'm ready to take back my words, because now Mal got his own story, and we got more Dev and Kyle from the previous story!

However, Jory became my favourite character because he was so sincere. Jory's not perfect in no means, but he means well, doesn't judge and he's just so genuine. Especially compared to his siblings, Bran and Bea, who live up to the name Roscarrock and the reputation the family has of not being the nicest people around. Jory is the black sheep of the family in that sense, and I loved to see how he learnt to stand up for himself and do what he wanted and not what his brother expected him to do. It was great that there was so much of Jory and Mal's story; family ties, finding themselves, recovery, and yes, that sweet romance they had going on. I rooted for Jory and Mal to get their happy ending, because they both deserved it.

JL Merrow is the master of authentic regional accents - whether it's south London or Cornish, it's done so well that the whole story feels better because of it. It fits the characters and really makes the stories shine more (and you can't possible forget it's set in England!) Merrow's writing feels always so authentic that I just love it.

One Under has addicting plot and characters, and I couldn't help but to devour the story. The story is charming and authentic. I do recommend checking the series out and while the books are standalone, I do recommend reading Wake Up Call before One Under - just so you can get the everything out of the story and meet Dev, Kyle and Mal before the events of One Under. And because both stories are good!

3.5 Stars

A Londoner and tube driver with PTSD bumped into a shy hulking Cornishman in J.L. Merrow’s One Under. We first glimpsed both in her earlier installment to the Porthkennack universe, Wake Up Call. I didn’t particularly like the Roscarrock then, I am ...intrigued, I gues, by them here (I wouldn’t be surprised if either or both siblings end up with their own book as clearly they had stories to tell).

One Under delved into the Roscarrock family story in dual POVs. Jory, the Roscarrock in the spotlight, is an affable bloke. Despite the misgivings he had, like submitted to family’s demand in his youth that practically altered his life or the slightly weird naiveté he still harbored at such an age, I really root for his happiness.

I’m not sure about Mal. I liked him in Wake Up Call, but he really tried my patience with his hot and cold attitude toward Jory here. It really looked like Mal was toying with Jory’s affection on excuse he wasn’t sure of Jory’s feeling. I guess I should’ve acquitted Mal due to the PTSD and stuff, and initially I did. Repeating it again and again finally bored me. In fact, I agree with his sentiment that he drew an unflattering picture of a bisexual man. It’s a slippery slope that further lower my opinion of him. Although a certain secondary character didn’t help matter with her behavior. At least other supporting characters more than made up my irritation over this particular person with their antics and joviality.

My grumbling aside, One Under delivered a genuine and believable tale despite the circumstances between the two MCs. With a bunch of issues Mal and Jory had, I like that the story didn’t try to take a shortcut and try to solve them all in one. The agree to disagree and loving the family as they were - quirks and all - an acquiescence that had me empathize with them (well, Jory mostly). The way everything turned for them, I just loved how Mal and Jory made the best of the situation. And, as I mentioned earlier, I’m really keen for a follow up story starring Jory’s siblings and hope I wouldn’t have to wait long for it.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A new author to me, but I've read other books in the Porthkennack series. I loved the uniqueness of these two characters and what they're going through. Life is messy and things almost never turn out how you expect them to. Sometimes you find yourself just reliving the same patterns, like Jory and his siblings, because it's not as scary as actually changing.

"Big Misunderstandings" and failure to talk to each other are the main tropes used, but they're done well enough that the motivations make sense. Overall, a great story that definitely makes me want to look up other books by this author.

I have come to accept the fact that J.L. Merrow uses a lot of Big Misunderstandings to keep her MCs apart. It’s not my favorite trope, but at least she uses it more sparingly in One Under than in her first Porthkennack book, Wake Up Call, and it makes for a much more enjoyable M/M romance.

Faithful Porthkennack readers will recognize Jory and Mal, who both made brief appearances in Wake Up Call. Jory is a smart, sweet, giant of a man who doesn’t fit in with his rich, snooty siblings. Mal is cheeky, irrepressible, loyal – and traumatized by a work-related tragedy. Both aren’t sure that their stay in Porthkennack will be permanent, and although they’re attracted to each other they are reluctant to admit it for numerous reasons. So there’s a lot of stopping and starting, along with those dreaded Big Misunderstandings. This can get frustrating, but the upside is that the two spend a lot of time together as friends (who can’t admit they want more) so you can really feel them getting to know each other as they secretly fall in love.

Merrow is so very British and so very funny. Here’s a description when Jory and Mal visit an older woman who helps them after a car incident: “At Helen’s direction, they sat down on a surprisingly modern sofa. This was probably just as well, as what Jory at first took to be a fluffy, if slightly tatty black cushion on one of the armchairs turned out, on closer inspection, to be a cat. At any rate, that was his best guess, given that he could see it breathing.” Gotta love that dry British sense of humor!

Many of the book’s lighter moments come from the interplay among the characters. Tasha (foster sister to Dev from Wake Up Call) is now staying in Porthkennack, and she and Mal have a great time ragging on each other with equal parts exasperation and affection. (Also, those who have been complaining that this series lacks queer diversity, there’s the possibility of a romance between Tasha and another Porthkennack local, Ceri, if Merrow or someone else wants to follow up on it). The laconic pub owner Jago, gets in a few good wisecracks himself, but the star of the show is definitely Mal (not short for Malcolm, thank you), who despite having extremely bad judgement at certain points is so charming and lively that once he and Jory finally get together, all is forgiven.

I’m a big fan of Merrow when she’s on her game, and One Under is one of her better recent efforts.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.

One Under is already the ninth book in the Porthkennack-series and the second by the author in the series. The book is loosely connected to the author’s first book in the series, but can be read as a standalone. The story follows Dev’s best friend Mal who’s come to Porthkennack to recover from a traumatic experience. In that regard, this book has a morbid title.

Mal is moping a bit, because he doesn’t know what to do with himself. That is, until he meets Jory in a local museum. Their first meeting is both cute and awkward. Cute and awkward pretty much describes Mal and Jory for a lot of the book. Their story and the romance between these men - who are very different from each other - is a slow burn. They move slowly together, both for different reasons, but there is an undeniable attraction between the two that is hard to ignore. I very much liked how their story was written. The fact that Mal is recovering from a traumatic experience and is lacking a bit in self-confidence, was subtle but there. Jory is moving his life around and moving back to Porthkennack full time. He’s trying to find his place again in the town and with his family.

I thought the story was well written. It’s a bit slow at times, but that fit in with the slow burn romance. The story is instilled with the usual JL Merrow-traits: ordinary characters that are not as ordinary as you may think. the dialect and slang and the utter Britishness of it all.

The setting of the story is perfect. With every story you read, you know a little more about the town and its history and the characters in it. Even after reading this installment, I feel there is a lot more to Porthkennack.

My only real complain about One Under is a slowness of the story. the focus is mostly on Jory and Mal getting together, but because that moved slowly, I felt the story moved a little slow. Reading it, I felt like there there should have been more elements to infuse the story with a little action. The trauma Mal suffered is moved to the background and even there is conflict with Jory and his family, there is no real resolve. This is fine, because not every conflict can be solved, but there could have been a little bit more of it in the story.

Overall, I liked One Under a lot. The characters, the setting and the romance. I’m curious to see if there will be more stories by this author in the Porthkennack-verse.

Can be read and enjoyed without reading any of the others in the Porthkennack series, but you should read them anyway. Mall is there temporarily recovering from an engine accident on the underground. Jory has moved back home to help care for his daughter. Mail has to overcome his horrors and Jory must accept his life and family. Historical secrets add interesting back story.

This book shows you what love can conquer. The hurt and anger can be overcome, and I think the author did an awesome job portraying that.

I love these books set in the Cornish town of Porthkennack. I enjoyed reading about the meeting of Mal, who is getting away from a traumatic experience at his job in London, and Jory, a relative of the local bigshots, who is also escaping his previous career.

There's a lot of J. L. Merrow's trademark humor and British slang especially from cockney Mal. Jory's much higher education standard (and I guess his background too) shows in his more grammatical dialogue. Characters and places reappear for anyone familiar with other books in the series,

The main problem these two have to overcome is due to something that happened in the very first book in the series, Wake Up Call, also by J. L. Merrow, and I recommend reading that one first to appreciate how strong the pressures are on Mal. I think if you read this book "cold" you might find Mal's behavior hard to understand and the will-they-won't-they rather contrived. But when you understand, it's really not.

One Under (Porthkennack #9) by J.L. Merrow

The Drama Llama chewed this story up and spat it back out. I tried, I really tried very hard to like this story, but I felt no connection to or interest in the characters at all. In fact, I really thought Mal was a bit of a shit and could not fathom what Jory saw in him.

Perhaps I am being unfair because I have never read a Porthkennack book, and seeing as how this one was #9 in the series, maybe I should have, but I was under the impression that each book was a stand-alone that simply took place in the same world/setting as the others. I’m still not sure if I was right or wrong about that, but early on Mal spouts out so many names without giving a reference or explaining anything about the character that belonged to said name, and I found myself completely at a loss as to who they were, what their significance was, and why I should care about them.

It took far too long to find out what the drama/trauma was that made each character so messed up, and when I did eventually find out, I didn’t find either event to be worthy of such melodramatic disaster. Both Mal and Jory needed to be reminded that they were grown men, not a couple of immature teenage boys. Jory is 32 years old for crying out loud and still lets his brother run his life. He skulks around his home, trying to hide his climbing gear, his occasional drink, and his preference for men. I wanted to scream at him: Put your big boy panties on, grow the hell up, move out of your family home, date whoever the hell you want, and go back to your real job. P.S. Your siblings are absolutely dreadful, and you'd be well shod of them.

And then there was Mal. Uck, I did not care for him at all. I understand that he is traumatized by the terrible event at work, but he’s moping around a pub, leading Jory on and then tossing him aside whenever it’s inconvenient, and basically being a total prat. He makes a mountain out of the Dev/Jory mole hill when what he really needed was to pull his head out of his ass and go to counseling.

Okay, so in the end, they did grow on me ever so slightly because they finally got their acts together, but at that point it was just too late. My apologies to J.L. Merrow, whose work I usually love (The Plumber’s Mate Mysteries, anybody?), but I just found One Under to be a real struggle to invest in.