Genre: Historical Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: MM Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
It’s 1972. Fifteen years earlier, teenage Laurie Henshaw came to live at Webber’s Farm with his elderly uncle and settled in to the farming life. Now thirty-two, Laurie has a stroke in the middle of working on the farm. As he recovers, he has to come to terms with the fact that some of his new limitations are permanent and he’s never going to be as active as he used to be. Will he be able to accept the helping hands his friends extend to him?
With twenty successful years in the city behind him, Phil McManus is hiding in the country after his boyfriend set him up to take the fall for an insider trading deal at his London stockbroking firm. There’s not enough evidence to prosecute anyone, but not enough to clear him, either. He can’t bear the idea of continuing his old stagnating life in the city or going back to his job now everyone knows he’s gay.
Thrown together in a small country village, can Phil and Laurie forge a new life that suits the two of them and the makeshift family who gathers round them? Or are they too tied up in their own shortcomings to recognise what they have?
The Review
A.L. Lester once again had me mesmerized from the very first chapter. I absolutely enjoyed “Taking Stock”. The storyline and characters just have a certain magic and their love of the land makes it feel very much a part of the “Lost In Time” series.
Phil McManus just broke up with a cheating, gold-digging boyfriend and his job as a stockbroker takes a dive. Luckily for Phil, he has two good friends in Percy Wright and Adrian Framlingham. In desperate need of a lawyer, Phil convinces Adrian tp take his case. With nothing left in London for Phil, he leaves and rents Caster’s Cottage in a small village miles away.
Laurie Henshaw lives at Webber’s Farm, which has been in existence for over two hundred years. His Uncle Matty and long time partner Rob Curland both lived on the farm until their passing. Laurie, as a troubled teen, was taken in by his Uncle Matty, and the farm was entrusted to him. Laurie is now struggling with the fate that has befallen him. He’s dealing with so many mixed emotions and is overwhelmed with not being able to do the things he could do before.
When Laurie decides to finally venture out, he overdoes it. Luckily for Laurie, he’s rescued by Phil when they meet at the post office. Phil offers him a ride in his TVR Vixen, and Laurie could not refuse that invitation. As Phil and Laurie start to spend time together, they find comfort, understanding and new ways of making life worth living.
As much as I love the “Lost In Time” series, “Taking Stock” turned out to be one of the best short stories I’ve read so far from A.L. Lester. Lester captures a magical feeling that seems to draw everyone to Webber’s Farm. I loved Laurie’s reminiscing about his Uncle Matty and Rob. It left me with the feeling like they were still at the farm.
Lester brings some wonderful characters to this amazing, feel good story, starting with Phil McManus and Laurie Henshaw. Laurie and Phil are just made for each other and bring the readers a perfect romance.
This is also a story of family that you make along the way. I thought Lester perfectly captured Laurie’s feelings. Sometimes in life we all feel like we are a burden to others around us. We feel like we are on the outside because we can no longer do what we used to, whether it comes from getting older, disability, illness or injury.
A.L. Lester brings back some long time characters from the “Lost In Time” series: Sally, Jimmy, and Tommy, and some new ones too, Cat and Paul Rider. Percy and Aidan left me curious and I hope there will be a story for them still to come.
If anyone is curious about Matty and Rob and Webber’s Farm, it all starts with “The Gate” and their story continued with “Inheritance of Shadows” from the “Lost In Time” series. As for “Taking Stock”, I highly recommend this one – a heartwarming, romantic, love story all on its own.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
