Book Title: Boolgarrin
Author: Jude Rule
Publisher: Warru Press
Cover Artist: Leo Fortin
Release Date: November 8, 2025
Tense/POV: third person, past tense, alternating POV
Genres: Contemporary MM Romance
Tropes: Small town romance, fake marriage, marriage-of-convenience romance, second chance
Heat Rating: 3.5 flames
Length: 38 913 words/ 150 pages
It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon UK
He thought he was saving the farm. He never expected to lose his heart.
Blurb
Sometimes you have to fake it before you make it—especially when it comes to marriage.
When a father’s hatred becomes a weapon from beyond the grave, two men must fake a marriage to save a family farm.
Finn has hurt him once. Can Ben survive being married to the man he desires most in the world without his heart being crushed in the process?
Located in the fictional town of Murrilup, Western Australia, Boolgarrin is a tender marriage-of-convenience romance. Amidst small-town prejudice and a vengeful neighbour, two men hope for a second chance at love.
In the distance, Finn spotted Ben dismounting Pegasus. As he realised Ben was unharmed, the tension in Finn’s shoulders eased, and his chest felt lighter. Perhaps Ben had calmed his anger during the ride. He watched as he tied the bridle to a branch and sat at the roots of the tree. Finn shook his head and dismounted beside Ben.
Ben appeared pale, with tear tracks visible on his cheeks. Ben looked at him and asked, “Why are you here?”
“I was worried about you. And Nate needs you back at the house.”
“Nate can wait. I needed to clear my head. He knows I’d never risk him losing the farm. How did you find me?”
“I’ve known you since we were kids,” Finn said, sitting down beside him on the damp grass.
“Careful, you’re going to get your suit muddy.”
Finn laughed. “You’ve just had your whole world turned upside down, and you’re worried about my suit? It’ll wash.”
Ben absentmindedly pulled weeds. “I can’t lose my family, Finn. I can’t be the reason they lose the farm. It would kill Nate to have to walk off it, and it would kill me to watch him.” He finished, voice trembling.
Finn touched his shoulder lightly. “Look at me.”
Ben lifted his gaze, rain dripping from his lashes.
“You’re not going to lose anyone,” Finn said quietly. “You’ll get through this, all of you.”
He brushed rain and tears from his cheeks.
“Can you trust me?” Finn asked. “Please trust me.” He felt the rain spatter his arms, chill against his skin. At last, Ben nodded. Finn smiled, resisting the urge to punch the air or break into a victory dance.
“Why are you doing this?” Ben asked.
Finn chewed his lower lip, thoughtful. Ben’s gaze drifted over him, and Finn felt warmth bloom in his chest. “Maybe,” Finn said, lips quirking, “I just want to do the right thing for once.”
“What do you mean? You don’t owe me anything.”
“That’s not what I mean. Why can’t you believe I’m doing this because I care about you?” He left the thought that he cared too much go unspoken.
Ben squinted up at the darkening sky as the rain intensified and the horses pawed restlessly at the ground. “I still think it’s a stupid idea. Isn’t there another way around the will?”
Finn shook his head. “I’ve been considering this for years, even before you left. I’ve talked to other lawyers, anonymously, of course. You could contest the will, but the safest option is marriage.”
“For one year?”
“Just one.”
“Did Dad really think marrying me off would make me straight? It’s absurd.”
Finn’s jaw tightened. “I always knew he was cruel, but it wasn’t until I drafted the will that I saw just how deep his hatred went. I can still recall the shock I felt at the vitriol your father used about you. It pained me that I couldn’t warn either Nate or you in advance.”
Ben stared at the swirling clouds. “I always knew he hated me, but trying to ruin my brothers’ lives, too? That’s just cruel. Nate and Amelia only know this world, and David’s still in school.”
“We need to get moving before the downpour,” Finn said. He took a breath, then dropped to one knee. “Ben Merrick, will you marry me?”
For a long moment, Ben just stared at him, chest heaving. Then a slow, incredulous smile curved his lips. “Yes.”
Finn grinned. Ben offered his hand and helped Finn to his feet. They barely made it to the stables before the clouds burst open, and rain poured down in sheets.
After tending to the horses, having been drenched in the rain, Ben said that he was going to go and have a shower. As the water cascaded over him, his mind swirled as he went over the last hour since the guests had left. Then he wondered how he was going to manage to be married to Finn for a year, even just in name. Would the marriage certificate really make the difference between keeping the farm and losing it? After his shower, he went to his room and took as long as he could to change into more comfortable clothes.
Returning to the lounge room, Nate said, “I’m glad you agreed to Finn’s proposal.” Ben was surprised that Nate appeared calm, his shoulders and jaw more relaxed than he’d seen them all day. He looked across at Finn and noticed that he had also changed into clean, more casual clothes.
Ben shook his head, “You know I’d never risk you losing the farm.”
The next hour was a flurry of activity before Samantha went home for the day. They quickly decided that the sooner the wedding took place, the better. It would mean that in a year, the land would officially be theirs. They decided to have the wedding at the farm. It was the farm they were saving after all, and Ben didn’t want anything grand. Josie found a celebrant who had a vacancy in five weeks’ time. They organised to meet with the celebrant the next day in Bremer Bay, to fill in the notice of intended marriage.
Nate folded his arms, his brow creased with curiosity. “So what happens after the year? Do you get a quick divorce?”
Ben shrugged, reclining against the sofa’s arm. “Of course. We can’t stay married forever. It wouldn’t be fair to Finn.” He ran a hand over his short-cropped hair, forcing a casual tone, but Finn saw the tension at the corners of his shoulders.
Finn’s stomach twisted into anxious knots. He had twelve months to convince Ben that this marriage might turn real.
Jude Rule is an author from Western Australia. This is his debut novel.
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