The Gallows Tree by R.J. Scott

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This is a more than nice story taking back alive the old fashioned love stories of an handsome and wealthy American man meeting a same young and pretty English rose. Only that, in this case, the English rose is a male specimen.

Cody is arrived in England mostly to distance himself from an abusive lover. The excuse is to follow the restoration work on an old cottage his family owns in Ferrers’ Arms, a small village. Ferrers’ Amrs is exactly like you would imagine it, just a cross, a church, an inn and an old manor. And of course there is an handsome man living in the old manor, of course a bachelor. Actually there are three, but one is a priest and the other is straight, so of the three brothers, only Sebastian is the right match for Cody.

I like that actually nor Cody or Sebastian are the ordinary romance hero. Cody is a troubled young man, but he is not weak; he is running away from a tragic past, but he is trying to cope, and he is willing to fall in love again. He has money, but that is only a way for the author to make it possible for him to be in England without time limit, he has all the time he needs to patch it back his life and preparing the path for a future of love with Sebastian.

Sebastian is handsome and kind, but again, he is not the perfect romance hero. He is from an ancient family, but he is land rich and cash poor. Despite this, he is not at all interested in the fact that Cody has money, he doesn’t even investigate how Cody can afford to be there in England without an apparent job. Sebastian is one year young than Cody, making him 26 years old, and indeed he is behaving exactly like a young man in love; he is not an hero, he is not perfect and he is only 26 years old.

The relationship between Cody and Sebastian is sweet; I would dare to say it’s not passionate, but that is not what Cody needs now. Cody needs sweetness, reassurance, comfortable; I think Cody would be scared by passion, he would run away from passion. Sebastian’s sweet approach is what allows him to get near to Cody, to quietly and kindly open each protective layer Cody put around his heart.

The ghost story is a nice supporting plot to Cody and Sebastian’s love story. It’s a little sad, but with an happily ever after like that of Cody and Sebastian.

https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/glbt-mystery-suspense-action-c-53_59/the-gallows-tree-ebook-p-706

Amazon Kindle: The Gallows Tree
Publisher: Silver Publishing (January 6, 2012)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle