Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Bright Horizon
SERIES: Pine Cove
AUTHOR: H.J. Welch
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 11 hours and 6 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2020
BLURB:
Ben Turner is besotted with the handsome older man who’s always in his bakery. They have nothing in common…until one day Ben discovers he’s an overnight millionaire, and his customer could become his protector. But they hardly know each other. He’d be crazy to accept his help, right?
Lawyer Elias Solomon knows his crush on the beautiful young baker is ridiculous, but when he suspects Ben is being taken advantage of, he can’t help but step in. Elias’s upcoming fortieth birthday has made him adventurous, but he never imagined he’d accompany Ben all the way to England.
Ben has never even heard of Great Aunt Nancy, his corrupt and bitter English family, their enormous home and orchard grounds, or the business they run from it. All of which he now apparently owns. It’s up to Ben to save the estate with Elias’s help, but does he want the responsibility? All he really wants is to fall into Elias’s bed and never leave, and soon the chemistry is too much to ignore. Elias can’t see how they’ll make it work when they’re from different generations. But when old rivalries take a dangerous turn, he soon realizes he’ll do anything to keep Ben safe from harm…and in his arms.
Book Four of Pine Cove. Bright Horizon is a steamy, standalone MM romance novel with a guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhanger.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the fourth book in this series and does contain spoilers for books 1, 2 and 3, but it can be read as a stand alone.
Ben Turner is a baker. He loves his job and his boss. He has a sort of flirtatious thing going with an older guy who comes into the bakery. But then he discovers he’s the heir to an estate that’s worth millions. Turns out that his crush, Elias, is a lawyer and he volunteers to help Ben when he’s being bullied by the family that he didn’t know existed. When he receives the information that he’s been named the heir, he’s also told that he’s not welcome to come claim this inheritance and that the “family” would be contesting the will.
Elias is pretty satisfied in his job, his health and his life. He enjoys his flirtation with Ben at the bakery, but he’s coming up on his 40th birthday and so many of the things he thought he’d have done by that time are still waiting to be accomplished. He seizes on the opportunity to help Ben and clear a bucket item list of going to England – a place he always swore he’d visit but hadn’t yet. He’s had struggles in the past and he’d like to get past them and enjoy his life. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity if he can convince Ben to let him help. He’s a bit concerned about their age gap, but he really likes Ben and it doesn’t have to be more than friendship and support anyway.
Ben agrees to let Elias help him, but he also has concerned. Is he taking advantage of Elias? What could Elias see in someone as unworldly and unsophisticated as he is? He isn’t educated and he’s way over his head with this family. When they get to England and then arrive at the manor house, the staff is happy to see them and makes them feel welcome, but the family is definitely not happy that Ben has arrived to claim his rightful place. There are so many of them and really most are hostile to him from the get-go. There are a few of younger generation who seem to be no unfriendly at least, but no one is really backing him in this horse race. Elias is dismayed at how much this reception affects Ben and his confidence. He’s also concerned that the family are attempting to manipulate Ben and undermine him at every turn – which of course they are!
While Ben and Elias are sharing a cottage at the estate, they grow closer. Ben is buoyed by Elias confidence in him when they are alone, but he still struggles with the behavior of the family. Elias is charmed by Ben and his accepting and sunny disposition. He is comfortable enough with Ben that he shares his past and Ben not only doesn’t judge him, but shows deep empathy for what he’s been through. They also can’t keep their hands off each other when the heat between them flares. While Elias is reluctant – for a number of reasons – Ben is not having any of it. They can keep things more casual if Elias is comfortable that way, but Ben isn’t about to give up what he wants from Elias.
Of course the family does their best to isolate Ben and continue their machinations to keep him from taking his rightful place. But there are a few of the younger generation who want to help Ben and make sure that he gets what he has rightfully been left for him. Elias is a steadfast presence and helps Ben understand that he can choose his own destiny. Even the staff is supportive of him which boosts his confidence as well. In the end, help comes in a lot of forms to give Ben the ability to fight for himself.
This is a really good story. I loved seeing the growth of Ben from young naive guy to confident man during the course of the story. I loved seeing Elias grow from guarded man to a person who is willing to go for what he wants. The family of course were a nightmare and I loved the voices that Nick Russo used for each of the stuffy family members. The younger generation was fabulous! There are lots of cameos from previous books which I also really liked. Highly recommended and I hope we get more from this author/narrator due.
RATING: 
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