Theo Brody is a landscaper and bartender who has lived in Maplehurst, New Hampshire, all his life. He doesn't lead a life of extravagance, but he has what he needs. And his business is reaching the point where he might be able to quick tending bar altogether. But things get interesting when Heath Blackwood walks into his bar. The mysterious, salty Brit rubs Theo the wrong way. But once they get to know each other, Theo learns there's a lot more beneath the farmer's gruff exterior.
Heathcliff Blackwood never expected to find himself in some small American town with nothing to do. But death threats against a duke are always taken seriously. (That's right...he's not exactly a farmer...) Though he's stuck in Maplehurst, he finds an opportunity to make the best of it with Theo. Theo represents exactly what Heath wants in a man, though he never really had the opportunity to find it at home. Shedding the noble persona has allowed him to find exactly what he wants and needs.

But Heath will need to go home eventually. And if he even stands a chance of keeping things going with Theo, he still needs to find a way to tell him he's a duke. And Theo needs to figure out if he can manage such a long distance relationship. So they'll just live in the here and now and figure out everything else later...until it all catches up with them unexpectedly.

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Falling in love with a secret duke and having him love you back? Why not? And I understand that sounds completely cliche. But this story is tastefully written and presented--so it comes together in an engaging and interesting way. And it's always something special when a writer can take something that seems like a trope or a cliche and make it appear fresh and new. Definitely an enjoyable read. ( )

The premise of this book had me charmed from the beginning. Theo, a hardworking landscaper struggling to build his business, meets Heath, a gorgeous English farmer, only to discover that the newcomer to Theo’s small town is not what he seems. I loved the open, honest approach Theo has to everything as much as the mystery Heath maintains around who he really is. Of course this can’t go on forever, and when Theo’s world clashes with the reality of Heath’s existence, sparks fly – and they’re not the nice kind.

Theo works hard to build his business. There isn’t a lot of landscaping to do in winter and early spring, so he spends his evenings working in the pub. Theo is exhausted a lot of the time, but he is determined to make something of his life. The snobby Englishman who walks into the pub one night rubs Theo the wrong way at first, but when he gets to know Heath better, since the guy keeps returning to the pub, Theo begins to see he made some assumptions that are not at all correct.

Heath is running from death threats, and his butler/friend has sent him to the middle of nowhere in the US, hoping that he will be safe while the police figure out who is after Heath’s life. Heath is not happy, and it shows. But Theo intrigues him once he realizes there is more to the man than Heath assumed, and the more tie they spend together, the more interested Heath becomes. But he can’t risk telling Theo the truth until it is too late.

The police have found the guilty party, Heath has to return to his paparazzi-beleaguered estate, and while Theo is determined to support him, the reality f having cameras go off in his face and hear people accuse him of being a gold digger may just be too much to deal with. The feelings between them are very real, but Theo and Heath are from very different worlds, and their differences become evident as they try to figure out what to do about their situation.

If you like the idea of watching a duke pretend to be “just a farmer”, if you want to know what it’s like for a landscaper to be pulled into a life that may sound glorious and fun only for him to find it harder to deal with than expected, and if you’re looking for a sweet read with lots of humor, deep feelings, and some great banter between two men who are clearly meant for each other, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I think it is delightful, and it was everything I wanted it to be.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review. ( )