In Strange Woods

James has come to nowheresville Brooks, OR., trying to drown tragic loss in booze and distance from home. It's not really a random destination but more to do with an inheritance left by his mother. While stumbling around drunk, he's saved from near death by Hunter, a local contractor, and all around good guy. Hunter has had his share of heartbreak too but he's made a new life for himself. He's loyal, generous, and caring. All the things James needs. James is also a great guy who's been brought low by tragedy. Hunter & James together are scorching but they never lose their individuality which I loved. I really liked this. The setting is atmospheric and the writing evocative. No wheels were reinvented but the author does have a voice that, at least to my ears, distinguishes itself from the crowded field of current MM romance. James and Hunter are both under 30 guys who don't conform to current central casting and that was refreshing. No super alphas, mysterious millionaire Doms, abused boys who've ended up as sex workers etc, they're just recognizable people living in America now. There's a bit of a mystery at the outset which wasn't all that mysterious to me and I don't think it was meant to be. It's fairly obvious. I think this story runs more in the vein of tales that purport to be about one thing on the surface but are really about something else, like M. Night Shyamalan's “Signs” which tells a story about mourning, a test of faith, and reconnecting between a parent & his children under the umbrella of a supernatural tale about aliens on earth. [b:In Strange Woods 54839102 In Strange Woods Claire Cray https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596766085l/54839102.SY75.jpg 85557925] similarly takes a tale of loss, relearning your place in the world, and finding love all couched by questions about a nebulous past, danger in the woods, and a mysterious doppelganger. None of it was quite a mystery to me but I enjoyed the ride. I liked the author's way of not ‘telling' but showing, I liked all the townspeople, how the villains were not the expected bunch, and I very much liked how the MC related to each other. There was no coyness or false pretense. Enthusiastically recommended.I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.MORE ON THE BLOG

Cray has quickly become one of my favourite authors of the genre because of her excellent characterisation, fun plots, and well-written sex scenes. This book definitely has all three.
James, after having all the family he knows murdered mysteriously, goes across country from New York to the Olympic forest to seek out a mysterious plot of land he inherited from his mother. He didn't know previously of her ties to that part of the country and, while still reeling from the murders, tries to go off grid while also looking into her past. It doesn't go smoothly as one would expect but he does encounter a very kind, handsome stranger named Hunter that ends up having a lot more to do with his mother's, and his, past than James could have imagined.
Both James and Hunter are very likeable and even though James is on the edge and grew up rich in New York City, he doesn't come across as snooty or naive. Hunter is more of a good ol' boy that worked his way up from less than nothing after his favourite sister's suicide and then coming out to his Fundamentalist family. You're definitely rooting for both of them from the start.
The only part that disappointed me was that the plot contains nothing paranormal or fantastical which I expected from the official summary that mentioned a Twin Peaks-type vibe. The only thing I thought it had in common with TP was setting. It's very much just a mystery with some triller elements and some of the revelations uncovered aren't really explored enough for them to even matter (like the Native stuff). I also didn't care for Beau that much or how he's written as this very mysterious, otherworldly person that just happens to share a face with James. When they finally meet, they are also a little too flirty though I think Cray meant for it just to show how much of a bond twins have, even when strangers. But he's just a long-lost twin with nothing weird about him besides his personality and a knack for growing illegal weed. A bit more editing wouldn't have gone amiss.
Overall a very fast but satisfying (if you don't think about it too hard) read that takes place in one of my favourite parts of the United States.