The Summer House by RJ Scott is a slow, getting to know you sort of  love story with just the right amount of angst, heat, and drama.  I received one copy of this book at no charge from the author in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and this post contains affiliate links.

The Summer House by RJ Scott

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Title:     The Summer House  
Series:       English Hearts #1
Author:    RJ Scott
Publisher:  Love Lane Books Ltd; 1 edition (May 27, 2015)
ASIN:         B00YF8QIH2
Format/Length:   383 KB/193 pages
Genre:        M/M, Contemporary
Heat Rating:      2
Star Rating:    4 

About the Author:  To learn more about the author you can check out her website or follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

Book Blurb:

A rich playboy who lives for the now, and a Veterinarian who is ruled by his past, try to find a future together that allows for love.

Ashby Sterling-Haynes, the youngest son of a titled family, has had a lot of hook ups, but has never found someone worth keeping. When he meets introverted Veterinarian, Connor Lawson, he realizes this could be the man he’s been waiting for.

Connor has a painful past and no room for an entitled rich guy in his future. Ashby is everything that Connor dislikes in a man and is way too sexy to be anything but a disruption to Connor’s peaceful life.

Both men refuse to believe in love for different reasons. Until they meet each other and a future together becomes real.

My Review:

Connor is a veterinarian in a tiny English town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.  It is a very small and close knit community, although Connor isn’t quite sure he is ready to settle there for the long term.  He had a rough past and is struggling to figure out what his future holds.

Ashby Sterling-Haynes (Ash for short) is a rich young man from a very wealthy family.  He is a playboy, used to never taking life too seriously.  When he meets Connor he begins to think that maybe this is the guy who will make him settle down for good.  However, Connor’s past leaves him very wary of rich playboys and these two guys have a lot of hurdles to overcome before they get their happily ever after.

The setting that the author creates in The Summer House is incredibly vivid.  RJ Scott is a writer who can paint a mental picture like few others can.  The breathtaking countryside, the small village, it’s inhabitants and the old buildings just come to life in this book.  You can almost see the green fields and the rough stones of the old church as you read this story.

I didn’t like Connor at first.  I thought he was judging Ash unfairly and had a chip on his shoulder.  However, as you read The Summer House you come to learn more and more of his history and finally understand WHY he hates rich playboys as much as he does.  He tries so hard to stay away from Ash but these two guys are just drawn to one another.

Ash was a playboy but generally a really nice guy.  Yes, he was a love them and leave them sort but no feelings were hurt and he just went on his merry way toward the next adventure.  He has some business dealings that are weighing heavily on him so he is trying hard to balance his work responsibilities with his wooing of Connor.

Let me just say that the secondary characters in The Summer House are amazing.  And the secondary characters that RJ Scott creates are so much more than just background noise in this story!  I just about cried over Mick and Bessie’s story.  Truly amazing details that the author puts into this book!

The Summer House is more about the romance than the sex.  This couple is drawn to one another and there is definite heat there but they are slow to act on it.  When they do, though, it is beautiful and romantic and steamy all rolled into one.

The Summer House by RJ Scott is truly a beautiful love store about overcoming your fears, finding love, and forging a new future.  Definitely a book I recommend for lovers of M/M romance!