All posts by Julie

A Threefold Cord

reviews: A Threefold Cord

Rainbow Gold Reviews: 10/10 points of gold from Erryn for the audiobook

Intro and conclusion: I loved this audiobook. I mean, three vibrant young British actors, those sexy British accents, and a ménage? What’s not to love? Except this book is so much more than just a few salacious romps in the sack. … this story was well-written and I enjoyed it. Christopher Preece was the perfect narrator as far as I am concerned, but I’ll be honest and say most foreign voices are sexy to me.

Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews: 4 stars from Mark for the audiobook

Excerpt: I found it fascinating to hear how they talked things out, laid the ground rules based on mutual respect and decided to make a go of it. So I loved the interactions on how this all worked out, it was intriguing and fascinating at the same time. … I was invested in the characters from the beginning and this stayed the whole way through the book. I can definitely recommend this book for any M/M/M virgins, like myself. … This was my first book narrated by Christopher Preece and it’s always a good sign that his narration style is easy on the ears and I was able to concentrate on the story very quickly without having to adjust to the narrators style.

Love Bytes LGBTQ Book Reviews: 3.5 hearts from Lisa for the audiobook

Excerpt: My favorite thing about this story is how supportive of each other the characters were. With the exception of Graeme’s lack of trust in Chris, I loved the way they made sure to let each other know they were loved and wanted. I also loved the way their families supported each other even though Ben’s sister sometimes seems less than enthusiastic in her support of Grae. Overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it anyone who enjoys low angst and M/M/M stories. Christopher Preece is a new-to-me narrator. I enjoyed listening to him narrate the story, his pace was good, his voice was lovely to listen to.

Boy Meets Boy Reviews: 3 hearts from Optimist King’s Wench for the audiobook

Intro and conclusion: What is polite porn, you ask? Three British dudes who are hot for each other, like to shilly shally often and are exceedingly polite to one another whilst doing so. In short, polite porn is ‘A Threefold Cord’. … As far as the narration goes, Preece was energetic and really got into it which will always be a plus for me. … it was an easy listen with a generous amount of sexy times between three men who are hot for each other and aren’t overly dramatic. Recommend to ménage readers, Anglophiles and readers who like angst-free reads.

The Romance Reviews: 5 stars from KindleRomance

Excerpt and conclusion: I found this story fascinating. I love to feel like I’m in the middle of what’s happening in the minds of the characters, and this story did a great job of really pulling me into Grae’s head. … A magnificent and emotional reflection on the complexities of a relationship among three men.

The Novel Approach: 5 stars from Tina

Excerpt and conclusion: Julie Bozza has created a powerful and emotional novel about Grae, Ben and Chris, three men who have in common their love of theatre. Their chemistry as actors when they work together is undeniable. Their lives off stage and screen are not always so harmonious. … Ms. Bozza writes in a way that made their coming together feel very organic. … I don’t mean to imply that it was a smooth ride for our three guys. It felt real, sometimes painfully so. Every issue was faced head-on. … A Threefold Cord was beautiful, moving, and wonderful. I completely enjoyed it. The setting: the pure Britishness of it. The plot which had the theatre almost being a fourth member of the relationship between Ben, Grae and Chris. It is a beautiful and intensely emotional story.

Mrs Condit and Friends Read Books: 5 stars from Feliz

Excerpt: All three main characters are lovingly drawn, essentially ordinary people with mundane flaws that make them all the more human. And yet they’re able to go beyond themselves for love’s sake. They disregard conventions and overcome their own misgivings out of love. It’s beautiful, it’s amazing what people are able to do for love, and the reward makes it all worthwhile. This was the message I took from this story, and it made me close the book with a blissful sigh. Highly, highly recommended.

Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews: 5 stars from Tina

Excerpt: I loved the guys from the start. … Julie is a wonderful storyteller, a gifted writer, she is a genius at weaving magical, deeply moving stories.

Tina also interviewed me, and asked some particularly thoughtful and engaging questions, so I’d love it if you went to check out her review and the interview as well!

Boys in Our Books: 3.5 stars from Jenni

Excerpt: Just when I thought I knew myself: my likes, dislikes, things I will and won’t tolerate in a book. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Julie Bozza walks in with her book about a polyamorous love affair among three actors. … Has Bozza changed my mind about all ménage? Heck no. But if she’s writing about it, I’m reading it … and probably liking it lots.

Hearts on Fire Reviews: 5 stars from Mandy for the eBook

Excerpt: Julie just has such a unique way of telling her tale. Gentle, slow and patient. Her characters are adults and they act like it, they feel strong emotions but are mature and careful and considerate of the ones they love.

Hearts on Fire Reviews: 3.5 stars from Barb for the audiobook

Introduction: Very British. Very, very British. A UK author in a UK setting with a British narrator with a very proper dialect. If you don’t like all things UK, don’t bother to pick this up. If you do—you’re in for a treat.

Threefold on Goodreads:

  • Dianne gave it 5 stars, and said: Julie Bozza gets into the heart of her characters and puts them on full display – bruised, battered and bound back together by love – like no other. Astounding. Brilliant. Mesmerizing.
  • Pjm12 gave it 5 stars, and said: It all felt very organic. I loved the way Ben and Grae found each other. I loved the way Chris integrated into this couple, and I especially love the use of the stage plays to keep everything moving forward. I actually could rave on about this one. It felt so real, and no issue was dismissed or shoved to one side. They dealt with Grae’s jealousy and Ben’s protective nature and Chris’ vulnerabilities. And Grae’s mum was just a little bit awesome. Will definitely reread this.
  • Kat gave it 5 stars, and said: What I loved most about it was that it felt honest… it’s a book about three people in a relationship, Ben, Grae and Chris. After some minor ups and downs they come together and while I liked the book so far, I loved it then because it didn’t stop with them coming together, there was no HEA and that’s it, on the contrary, there was hard work for the three guys and that was brilliant.
  • Isabel gave it 5 stars, and said: This is my Julie Bozza debut, and what a marvelous experience that was! Her writing is amazing! The story is carefully written, the plot is slowly developed, and we can appreciate every word with calm and understanding! … One of the things that I love more about this kind of books, is to see how the author creates a menage that we can actually think that is doable… you know, something that could actually happen and be real. And the story of Grae, Ben and Chris, is just like that… it looks real!

Readers’ Responses

Shell said: I read A Threefold Cord in one sitting. It is a wonderful story about love, companionship, and acceptance. The slow burn relationship between the three main characters was a joy to read. Grae, Chris, and Ben are well written and fleshed out with fully formed personalities and traits.

Julie writes with a smooth and effortless style and gives just the right amount of detail for your imagination to create the rest. I never see the words within her stories they flow seamlessly.

Her experience in the Romance genre is clear.

A Threefold Cord

excerpt: A Threefold Cord

The first scene of the novel. We meet Grae and his actor-colleagues Ben and Chris while they’re filming a TV show called The Justice of Godbolt.

♦

A Threefold CordBen Clyde was playing the feudal lord Godbolt with quiet gravitas and a nobility that felt astonishingly natural. Graeme was Cassius, Godbolt’s loyal yet restlessly intelligent younger brother. Chris Willoughby was the contrary villager, Jackin.

“He’s woefully miscast,” Grae said one day to Ben, as the two of them waited through yet another change in lighting. They were sitting huddled into their modern-day coats, hands tucked deep into pockets. The medieval hall they were using on location hadn’t been designed with filming in mind, and if it had ever had clever underfloor heating, that had been out of whack for centuries. “He was just too ridiculously handsome to resist.”

“He certainly has charisma,” Ben agreed, giving Grae a warm glance and rueful smile. “The peasants, in this case, are not revolting.”

“He’s here to woo the audience,” Grae continued. “There aren’t many who’ll be swooning over either of us!” Grae watched as Chris effortlessly chatted up the grip, who was really experienced enough a crew member to know better than to sleep with the cast. Surely few would ever resist Chris’s roguishly dark good looks, though. A silence belatedly drew Grae’s attention back to Ben. “Not that you’re not worth swooning over,” Grae offered in a sincere tone.

Under Ben’s calm exterior, there was the merest hint of hurt, though he said with equal honesty, “Oh, I have no illusions.”

“It’s just the role. You don’t get to do your smoulder. I know for a fact that your smoulder would bring anyone to their knees.”

Continue reading excerpt: A Threefold Cord →

Like Leaves to a Tree, M/M romance

Like Leaves to a Tree

Book 2.5 in the Butterfly Hunter Trilogy

Blurb: Dave has made the most perfect plans for his first Valentine’s Day with Nicholas … but of course that’s when Sod’s Law kicks in, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

Genre: male-male romance; contemporary; Valentine’s Day; short story

Word count: 3,500

Originally written for Mark at Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews.

Available in ebook format from:

This free story has also been incorporated in the paperback edition of The Butterfly Hunter Trilogy.

Reader sites:

Published on 14 February 2014.

M/M romance, Of Dreams and Ceremonies

Of Dreams and Ceremonies

Book 2 of the Butterfly Hunter Trilogy

Blurb: It seemed like a great idea at the time… Aussie Dave Taylor has followed Nicholas Goring to England, and the lovers have become engaged. But now Dave has to cope with living in a mansion full of family and servants, making wedding plans, getting his head around visa applications, and wondering why on earth he’d ever want to wear a ‘mourning suit’. He’s not sure if it will prove any easier, but right now Dave would love to just skip ahead to the honeymoon…

Genre: male-male romance; contemporary; wedding; novel

Word count: 45,500

Click here for an excerpt of text, and here for the reviews.

Available in ebook and paperback formats from:

Available in French as “La Ceremonie” from:

Reader sites:

First published by Manifold Press on 1 November 2013. Re-released by LIBRAtiger on 15 September 2018.

Of Dreams and Ceremonies

reviews: Of Dreams and Ceremonies

French edition:

Mon Paradis des Livres: 4/5 from Jessy

Conclusion: Pour ma part, même si mon âme rêveur et romantique a préféré le premier opus, il fut plus que ravi de cette suite certes un peu trop courte mais aux allures féeriques… où Amour, Tendresse, Volupté et Bonheur sont au rendez-vous.

English edition:

Reviews by Jessewave: 4.75 stars from Feliz

Excerpt: I loved how both Nicholas and Dave remained true to themselves while at the same time, they managed to grow toward each other, making a stronger couple in the end. Amazingly done and embedded in a smoothly flowing, at times almost poetic narrative laced with this author’s trademark gentley mocking humor–despite some minor niggles, this was a worthy sequel to a wonderful book and a treat to read.

Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews: 5 stars from Mark

Excerpt: Once again Julie … comes through with a wonderful story.

Boys in Our Books: 4 stars from Ami

Excerpt: I am in love with how Julie Bozza writes …

The Romance Reviews: 3 stars from Kindle Romance

Excerpt: If you enjoyed the first story in this series, then this is a must read …

MM Good Book Reviews: 3 stars from Cat

Excerpt: I think the story is very good. I loved both Nicholas and Dave. The story was one of the most beautiful love stories I have read in a while. I love the descriptions of the places they visit, I felt as if I were there. There is a touch of mystery mixed in that added a bit of excitement to the story. … If you like sweet, sensual, emotional romances, sexy Australians, hot English dignitaries, butterflies, beautiful scenery, and a little very sensual, loving mansex, same-sex weddings and happy for now endings, this is for you.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words: 4 stars from Stella

Excerpt and conclusion: This second installment in the series was another beautiful journey into these young men love story. As it happened with the first one, I was sucked into the reading and enjoyed the lyrical and magical atmosphere that seemed to follow the couple wherever they were. The love they shared was always so delicate and pure it was inevitable for me to cheer on them and hope for a beautiful HEA. They were special together, how each one understood the other, fulfilled the other’s desires, they were simple perfect and so sweet and hot at the same time. I can’t wait to see where the author will bring Dave and Nicholas in the last book.

Of Dreams and Ceremonies on Goodreads

  • Simsala gave it 5 stars and said: I highly recommend Of Dreams and Ceremonies and its prequel to all people who believe love is nothing but a chemical reaction. These books will convince them that that’s not true. … And now let me go back basking in that peaceful, warm, and cozy place that is a Julie Bozza romance.
  • Dianne gave it 5 stars and said: This highly anticipated sequel to Butterfly Hunter blesses the reader with more gorgeous writing as the story of Nicholas and Dave is dazzlingly spun out. These are two of the loveliest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting acquainted with, and in the most glorious of settings as well. Just all around beautiful and gorgeous.
  • Don Bradshaw gave it 4 stars and said: I cannot wait for the third book in this remarkable trilogy.
  • Pjm12 gave it 5 stars, and said: Every bit of this was perfect for me. Each line, every glance, every smile. It just got to me.

Readers’ Responses

From Michelle Peart: I really like Nicholas and Dave and after I finished The Butterfly Hunter I actually missed them for a while so it was lovely to catch up with them again. They are both well written and fully fleshed out with well-formed personalities and traits. There doesn’t need to be a dialogue tag or an action beat for me to know whose speaking. Nobody does dialogue like Julie! I also love Nicholas’s quintessentially British family and how they accepted Dave into their fold.

I love some of the descriptions, for example – the books making random rainbows amongst the sea of blue in Nicholas’s bedroom – love it. And I like Nicholas’s blog entries throughout the story.

Of Dreams and Ceremonies include three ceremonies, my favourite been the third ceremony the Corroboree. I just adore Julie’s descriptions of Australia, its people and its customs. You can feel her passion for the subject in every word and verbal illustration. I felt a bit sad that there wasn’t more of the story set in Australia as I feel this is where Julie shines but, the second ceremony, and subsequent yarn, in Cornwall more than made up for it with its myths, magic and legends – love a bit of myth!

A lovely bubbling along romance with two guys I would love to hang out with. I now quite fancy a second honeymoon in the isolated cottage on the cliff edge myself!

It’s bonzer mate!

Of Dreams and Ceremonies

excerpt: Of Dreams and Ceremonies

An excerpt from the novel. It’s Dave’s first full day in England, and not only does he meet the infamous chauffeur, but he and Nicholas have to work out what happens next.

♦

Another Butterfly from Wikimedia Commons“Poor David has had to leave his beloved Land Cruiser behind in Australia – “

“Are you joking? I’m having it shipped out.”

“So, Frank, I thought maybe you’d give him a tour of the cars sometime, and see if there’s something that might distract him from the grief.”

“Of course, Nicholas,” Frank replied. “Tomorrow morning, perhaps, sir?”

“Um, after lunch would be better. If that doesn’t get in the way of your work.”

“Plans already?” Nicholas commented with a slightly quirked smile.

“Plans … jetlag …” Dave gestured vaguely: Who could possibly know?

They agreed that Nicholas would accompany Dave to the garage at around two-thirty the following afternoon. And then Frank added that if there were any motors that Dave took a shine to, there’d be no problem with him using them, working on them, driving them …

“Thanks,” said Dave, quite genuinely. Though as he and Nicholas finally took their leave of Frank and started heading back towards the house, Dave complained, “I can’t believe you want me to cheat on the Cruiser!”

Continue reading excerpt: Of Dreams and Ceremonies →

M/M romance, The Apothecary's Garden

The Apothecary’s Garden

Blurb: Hilary Kent, a Londoner all his working life, retires to Wiltshire after an estranged cousin unexpectedly leaves him an inhabitable tower surrounded by an overgrown physic garden – and that’s when graduate student Tom Laurence suddenly erupts into his life, convincing him that together they can restore the ancient garden to its former glory. Tom’s cheerful friendship is the best thing that’s ever happened to Hilary and he’s perfectly content with that until, to his astonishment and confusion, it seems that Tom’s affection for him is beginning to grow into something more … something he feels he probably shouldn’t allow.

Genre: male-male romance; contemporary; May/December; novel

Word count: 70,500

Click here for an excerpt of text, and here for the reviews.

Awards:

  • Eighth place in the Best Gay Contemporary Romance (William Neale Award) category in the 2013 Rainbow Awards.
  • Nominations in the M/M Romance Group Member’s Choice Awards 2013 on Goodreads, in the following categories:
    • Best Contemporary (genre)
    • Best Friends to Lovers (theme)
  • Nomination in the M/M Romance Group Member’s Choice Awards 2014 on Goodreads, in category Favorite All-Time Romance.

Available in ebook and paperback formats from:

Available in audiobook format, narrated by Mark Steadman, from:

Reader sites:

First published by Manifold Press on 1 May 2013. Re-released by LIBRAtiger on 7 September 2017.

The Apothecary's Garden

reviews: The Apothecary’s Garden

My age-difference male-male romance, The Apothecary’s Garden, has received some truly lovely attention! Thank you to everyone who’s giving this one a go. ♥

Rainbow Gold Reviews: 10/10 pots of gold from Erryn for the audiobook

Excerpt: I loved this book. Two men falling in love based on more than just physical attraction (although that is there too), is beautiful. This is about a meeting of minds and souls. That there is an unsolved mystery surrounding the garden and a couple who lived several hundred years ago was just lovely. … What can I say about Mark Steadman? One of my favourite British narrators? Absolutely. It’s a wonderful performance. I hope he does many more.

My Reviews and Ramblings: from Elisa

Excerpt: This was quite a beautiful romance, and strange enough, while the pace was slow, for various reason I will explain, the story wasn’t at all boring, and actually it was captivating, like a blanket wrapping you in winter, letting no desire to go out of your nestle. … I liked how respectful the author was of these two men, and how she didn’t deprive them of the sexual nature of their relationship. Tom is 23 years old and it would be unbelievable if he hadn’t desires; sure their love making is different from that of two twenty something fellows, but nevertheless is satisfying for the both of them.

Bachelors and Bombshells Book Reviews: 5 smooches from Runell

Excerpt: I can only hope that ‘once upon a time’ the story between Hilary and Tom actually took place because this slowly formed friendship that then unfolds into love … It’s just a love, that if it existed, made the world a little better of a place. […] This was my first book by Julie Bozza so I can’t compare this work to any of her others, and I don’t want to compare it to any other author’s work because that’s like comparing apples and oranges (cliché, I know, but it’s true). All I know is that if her other work is anything like ‘The Apothecary’s Garden’, I’ll give it a go.

Bittersweet Reviews: 4 stars from Aurora

Excerpt: Trusting Manifold Press to release quality work, I decided to buy this without reading either the blurb or the extract so I had no idea what The Apothecary’s Garden was about and it proved to be a fabulous surprise because I don’t always like Julie Bozza’s releases. I had almost made my mind up that Bozza’s style just wasn’t for me, but I fell in love with last year’s Butterfly Hunter and everything just sort of clicked into place after that. … Bozza’s prose is beautiful and has a dream like quality similar to Butterfly Hunter which may be why I liked it so much. The book literally starts with the words “Once upon a time” which I will admit made my heart sink a little but once the setting is established, the writing becomes more intimate and I was quickly drawn into Hilary’s world. More importantly, Bozza has set her readers a challenge with this book and that is to open their minds to the idea that love can exist for two people who are generations apart and it shouldn’t really matter.

Reviews by Jessewave: 4 stars from Sirius

Excerpt: Julie Bozza is a writer whose writing I love and whose work I also respect very much if for nothing else than for the fact that she tries to write about so many different things in her stories. … I really loved both guys in this book. Hilary was such a sweetheart and it was really a sweet and gentle read overall. Almost nothing happens in this book besides them meeting, restoring a garden together and slowly, so very slowly, moving towards each other. The conflict is about Hilary worrying over him being so much older than Tom. You really have to like slow moving books if you want to enjoy this one, where the two characters are figuring out their relationship and whether they would have one. Tom was an old soul, who was also smart, resilient and so very determined to get what he wants, or should I say whom he wants. But he was also a bit naïve and sometimes too persistent. … I thought that the guys had chemistry together and while I was reading the book, I even managed to almost forget about their age difference … I still highly recommend the book though if you are okay with a huge age difference between the protagonists.

Boys in Our Books: 2.5 stars from Sue

Conclusion: Obviously The Apothecary’s Garden is not meant to be any of the things I was looking for, so the joke is on me – but I was so bored, I wanted to cry. I can see why everyone adores it because it’s lovely and gentle and very sweet, but yeah not for me.

The Novel Approach: 3.5 stars from Lisa Horan

Conclusion: The Apothecary’s Garden is a book I’d recommend unreservedly if you’re looking for a story that leads you quietly along the path to its happy ending. Don’t read it if you’re expecting loads of angst and conflict, don’t read it if you’re expecting erotica, but do read it if you’re looking for an understated and touching romance.

Hilary on Goodreads

  • Enny gave it 5 stars and said: For this gem of a book I’ll ignore my resolution not to post reviews here anymore because it deserves all the love it can get. … Things like date of birth becomes completely unimportant when you meet your soul mate. And the author did a wonderful job of showing how they both liked the same things, had the same values and how well they fit together. … both men have a deeply caring nature, putting the other’s need before their own and this is what ultimately convinced me that their relationship might actually work. … Plus the prose in the book is absolutely beautiful. Some sentences absolutely took my breath away which is another reason why this is a 5 star read for me.
  • MandyM gave it 5 stars and said: Wow! This is quite brilliant. The May/December pairing doesn’t usually appeal to me and luckily I didn’t realise that was the theme of this novel because I might have missed out on reading it. … I loved Hilary with his knitted tea cosies, his gentle courtesy and his repressed sexuality. And Tom with his youthful exuberance and idealism. The age difference was explored sweetly and thoughtfully. … But away from the book and its beautiful prose, do I believe that Tom would really have fallen for Hilary? I don’t know. But as a romantic fantasy and a love story it was beyond beautiful.
  • Vio gave it 4.85 stars and said: Yes, I am one of those readers where this theme doesn’t work, usually. … What convinced me to keep reading? The beautiful narrative, the fears about pursing a *forbidden* relationship. The courage and will to change … It never once entered my mind that this was a substitute father relationship, its love, plain and simple. … The author is a gifted writer and a wonderful storyteller, she is a whiz at weaving magical stories. I’m impressed, I fell for it, hook line and sinker. A deeply moving story, Highly recommended.
  • Emma gave it 6 stars (!) and said: Spectacular. Marvellous. Wonderful. The most acutely romantic book I’ve read in years. Cried happy tears all the way through, and bought a Bach album. Best of 2013 for me so far by a mile. I wish I could read it again for the first time all over again.
  • Feliz gave it 5 stars and said: In a word, I loved this book. It can’t hold a candle to my all-time favourite Julie Bozza book, Butterfly Hunter, but it comes close. Everything about it was just so up my alley– the garden, the slow pace, the sheer British-ness of both Hilary and Tom. And yes, even the much-belabored age difference…ok, 40+ years is huge, but considering who these two are, it became almost negligible.

Hilary on Amazon UK and Amazon US:

  • Ulysses Dietz said: If this was the last m/m book I ever read, I would die happy.
  • R Parklane said: Looking forward to many more stories from this exceptional writer in the MM romance genre.

Readers’ Responses

Jenre listed this as her favourite male-male romance book read in 2013 in the Contemporary category, and said: This author is a bit of a find for me this year. I love her intelligent writing and the way she manages to make a very large age gap work effectively as a romance in this book. Both characters were charming and the story has stayed with me long after I finished.

The Apothecary's Garden

excerpt: The Apothecary’s Garden

An excerpt from the novel. Tom begins to explore Hilary’s overgrown physic garden.

♦

Rhododendron nipponicumThere was a stone terrace of sorts just outside the back door, with steps against the wall leading down to the left. Plants that probably should have remained shrubs had grown tall here, right up against the tower’s feet, with gnarly branches looming aggressively towards the doorway, reaching even over Tom’s head. Hilary had only ever ventured out here once before, and had very soon retreated back inside.

Tom, however, seemed undaunted. In fact, he seemed positively cheerful. “Well, this won’t do, will it? I’m glad you said that about being ruthless, because this lot will have to go.”

Hilary managed to say something fervent about his undying gratitude.

“In the meantime, I’m going to see how far I can work my way through from the bottom of the steps,” he announced. “There might be a relatively open area in there.”

“You’ll be careful, won’t you … ?” Though Hilary was at a loss to describe what he feared might happen. Perhaps he was imagining that Tom would get stuck as if in a briar patch, and Hilary wouldn’t be able to follow him in and bring him back out again.

“Of course I’ll be careful,” Tom reassured him with a grin. “I’ll start clearing a path, if it’s any use, but what I’ll definitely do is cut back some of those bushes right up against the paved area there. You should at least be able to see out!”

“Oh!” said Hilary, not knowing what he’d ever done to deserve this. It was true that the kitchen and living area at the back of the tower were rather dark rooms, even though they faced to the south; sometimes he didn’t even bother drawing the curtains in the morning. The idea of getting some more light into his home was wonderful. “Thank you, Tom.”

“Don’t mention it!” Another wink as the young man reached the bottom of the steps – and then with a twist and a wriggle, Tom disappeared into the dark foliage.

Continue reading excerpt: The Apothecary’s Garden →