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