Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Oz
SERIES: Finding Home
AUTHOR: Lily Morton
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 6 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2020
BLURB:
What happens when temporary becomes forever?
Oz Gallagher does not do relationships well. Bored and jobless after another disastrous hook up, he decides to leave London for a temporary job in the wilds of Cornwall. Surely managing a stately home on a country estate will be easier than navigating the detritus of his relationships at home. Six months there will alleviate a bit of his wanderlust and then he can come back to London as footloose and fancy free as the day he left it.
However, when he gets there, he finds a house in danger of crumbling to the ground and a man who is completely unlike anyone he’s ever met. An earl belonging to a family whose roots go back hundreds of years, Silas is the living embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Two things that Oz has never wanted. He’s also warm and funny and he draws Oz to him like a magnet.
Oz banks on the fact that they’re from two very different worlds to stop himself falling for Silas. But what will he do when he realizes that these differences are actually part of the pull to one another? Will falling in love be enough to make him stop moving at last and realize that he’s finally home?
From best-selling author Lily Morton comes a romantic comedy about two very different men and one very dilapidated house.
This is the first book in the Finding Home series but it can be listened to as a standalone.
REVIEW:
Oz doesn’t do relationships – as evidenced by his latest disastrous crash and burn. Since he’s managed to lose his job and lodgings in this latest debacle, he applies, on a whim, for a House Manager job for a rural estate in Cornwall which would provide both. It also gets him away from the scene of the crime, so to speak, in London. His interview is comedy gold, so when he actually is presented with the job, he can scarcely believe it. But he sets out to do his best in what amounts to a bit of a fish out of water scenario. His introduction to country living and his meeting with the Earl is wonderful rom-com fodder that keeps everyone laughing.
Silas is an Earl who has inherited an estate in financial ruin as well as near physical ruin. His desire to open the house to tourists will hopefully bring in the needed capital to keep the place running. But his last “house manager” was also his lover and turned out to be a disaster at both! So the project is way behind schedule and Oz has his work cut out for him to get things back on track and ready for the opening of the grounds. Silas is also a very busy veterinarian who works all hours of the day and night. Oz sees how he is burning the candle at both ends and does what he can to try to make things easier for Silas. Silas is also a soft touch with the staff, and Oz sets about to right what is happening with that situation as well. Silas is very surprised at how Oz takes on all the various responsibilities of the job and then some, but moreover, he’s impressed.
Of course there is the little problem of Oz and Silas being wildly attracted to each other. However, given their separate histories, they are very reluctant to move anything forward in the personal realm. But you know that has to change 😉 Neither one is terribly good at holding anything back, and so they embark upon a relationship, albeit cautiously. Some of their outings are sweet and romantic and some end up being hilarious and unexpected. But as the opening of the house draws closer, they wonder if they will be able to let go of this thing between them when Oz returns to his old life in London and Silas is back to his busy life in Cornwall. Oz worries that Silas will be taken advantage of again and that he will work himself into an early grave with no one there to care for him. Silas worries that the country life is too boring and quiet for Oz who has lived in London for so long. Despite interference and undermining from some quarters, Oz continues his fierce defense of Silas who returns the favor.
What a fabulous start to this new series! Oz has just been sacked and lost his home at the beginning of this story. True to form, the opening scene in this one has us cringing and laughing in equal measure – there are sooo many funny moments during this send-off. He is a typically snarky Lily Morton protagonist 🙂 and I loved him from the beginning. Oz is such a fabulous character in every way. He’s got moxie and he has a wide open heart. His wonderfully sharp tongue sets just the right mood for this story. We get to revisit characters from Morton’s Mixed Messages series as well and it’s always fun to visit with Henry and Ivo 😉 We’ve met Silas in Henry and Ivo’s book, so we know him a bit, but here we truly get a fix on him and why he’s so motivated to do what he does. His protective nature comes to the fore – not just in his professional life, but in his personal one as well. This mindset is exuded in his interactions with Oz, Henry, the staff at his home, and even his business partners. Oz is fierce in his execution of this duties as house manager, but never more so than when he’s protecting Silas from taking on too much and trying to shelter everyone else from some hard truths. He is also hilarious – another Lily Morton trademark. Joel Leslie and Lily Morton are a perfect combination 🙂 Here Joel once again gets to show off his flair for accents. I absolutely loved this audio and can’t wait to get my hands on Milo next 😉
RATING: 
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