TITLE: ⟫ House of Cards
AUTHOR: ⟫ Garrett Leigh
SERIES: ⟫ Porth Ewan Bay #1
RATING: ⟫ 5/5
BLURB: ⟫
What's better than one broody tattoo artist? TWO, that's what. Hurt/comfort, friends-to-lovers, and forced proximity combine in this gorgeous second chance MM romance.
Calum Hardy’s life has unravelled. Reeling from the betrayal of a man he once loved, he boards a train heading south, with no real idea where he’s going except a world away from London.
Brix Lusmoore can hardly believe his eyes when he spots one of his oldest friends outside Truro station. He hasn’t seen Calum since he fled the capital himself four years ago, harbouring a life-changing secret. But despite the years of silence, their old bond remains, warm and true—and layered with simmering heat they’ve never forgotten.
Calum takes refuge with Brix and a job at his Porth Ewan tattoo shop. Bit by bit, he rebuilds his life, but both men carry the ghosts of the past, and it will take more than a rekindled friendship and the magic of the Cornish coast to chase them away.
*Previously published as part of the Porthkennack shared world series, these titles have been significantly reworked and re-edited, with strong links to the Rebel Kings MC universe*
REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my poor aching heart! When I saw that Garrett Leigh had released another story adjacent to the Rebel Kings, it was an instant click. And I thought I knew what to expect – the Rebel Kings stories have obliterated my heart more than once.
But then along came Calum and Brix and I truly knew heartbreak. Calum was such a gentle, beautiful soul that the beginning of this story brought out so much rage in my heart, I swear if Rob had been in front of me, I’d have skinned him alive. But fear not, Brix found Calum and offered him sanctuary.
The relationship between these two was so soft and easy, the trust rebuilding slowly, whilst the love between them was obvious to everyone but them. Brix has bricked himself behind a massive wall ever since his diagnosis, only letting people in so much before he hides again. He’s doing everything right to maintain his health but he’s not really living. Until Calum comes back into his life and he see someone he could want a future with. If only he wasn’t too scared to reach out for it.
Like pretty much every other Garrett Leigh book I’ve ever read, this one grabbed me by the heart and made it very difficult to care about anything else until I’d reached the conclusion. The characters – both new and those familiar to me from the other series – were fully fleshed, amusing, aggravating and people you could well imagine spending an evening with. But front and centre, Calum and Brix were absolutely spot on. I adored these two men and as we meandered our way to their happy end, I was grinning like a lunatic whilst wiping a tear from my eye. I’m seriously pleased that this is a new series and I cannot wait for Kim’s story. An obvious five star story for me.
I received an ARC from GRR.
