Elle Keaton
Below Grade - Reclaimed Hearts book 2
Below Grade - Reclaimed Hearts book 2
5.0 / 5.0
(2) 2 total reviews
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A serious health scare forces Martin Purdy to rethink his life. He quits his job, sells his house, and buys a set of fixer-upper cabins on the coast. There’s just one teensy problem. Along with the property comes a very angry man.
Nicholas Waugh had his own scare, bad enough that he slunk back to the crappy town he grew up in. With no home to call his own, he finagles a security gig keeping an eye on a set of vacant cabins. The deal comes with a free one-year lease–and he’s not leaving a day sooner. Not even if the new owner gets down on his knees and begs him.
Okay… maybe if he got down on his knees.
Fifteen years of teaching college freshmen and patience is second nature to Martin. But Nick is giving Martin a run for his money. He’s one suggestive chainsaw sculpture away from justifiable homicide. If that wasn't enough, when he's not infuriated with Nick, Martin finds himself fighting an inappropriate and ridiculous attraction to the much younger man
Everyone in Cooper Springs thinks Nick is crying wolf, but creepy stuff is going on around town and he is the only one paying attention. Human remains found in the forest, and a body dumped on the property he’s in charge of, have Nick on high alert.
Meanwhile, all Martin wants to do is get started on the remodel. Instead, he’s fighting with Nick over things that go bump in the night and losing sleep worrying he’s made a disastrously wrong decision.
Failure is not an option.
What will it take for Nick to let his guard down? What will it take for Martin to admit that age is just a number and Nick is more than man enough for him?
Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer.
Below Grade is second in the Reclaimed Hearts series, set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, age gap, only one bed, grumpy-sunshine, small-town romance, with a little murder.
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A grumpy loner hiding from life & an ex-professor looking for a change.
Nick has had some bad luck in his life, and it’s left him wary of people. And that especially goes for his sexy ex-professor that just bought the resort property he lives on. But no matter how much of a prickly exterior he shows the man, Martin doesn’t seem to be scared off.
And when Martin takes him after a storm damages his cabin, there’s no escaping each other. And it gives Martin the time to coax the man out of his shell. Kind of like you would with a feral cat!
What results is a slow-burn romance, going from obnoxious neighbour to sweet lovers. Trust me watching Nick finally drop his walls is worth it all.
This is Elle Keaton, so there’s also a mystery brewing. People are disappearing, and bodies are starting to rack up. Nothing like some murder and mayhem to bring the lovers out! I love the mysterious thread that connects these books.
Below Grade by @elleketon is book 2 in the Reclaimed Hearts series. I seem to be on a “this book is fun/funny” kick cause here I am again totally recommending this story and that is one of the biggest factors for loving this one.
Martin is a 43 year old who recently had a heart attack and decided it was time to use his aunt’s inheritance and advise and go live a life that brings joy and adventure. So, he buys a run down, in need of MANY repairs resort in a sleepy little town. The resort and the idea of what will be brings Martin a lot of joy. His temporary tenant however, does not 😉
Nick has had a rough life. Some out of his control and some due to his ability to jump to the wrong conclusion and dig his heels in. His parents are assholes and when he fails a class at college he packs up his stuff and leaves the country. He comes back to Cooper Springs and negotiates a year lease on a cabin at the resort Martin purchased prior to said purchase. And, now….he is dealing with Martin. A sexy man he is lusting uncontrollably but also hates because he is the one to have failed Nick at the college.
Can you say angst? Nick has it in spades. However, Ms. Keaton presents it in a way that you will roll your eyes at him and tell him to get over himself. I adore Nick. his grumpy demeanor is endearing and hilarious. And, when Martin discovers that also 🔥🥰!
But, we can’t forget the mystery that is laced throughout this series. There is a murder of a townswoman, two missing young ladies, and a small town sheriffs office trying to solve the crimes.
What’s not to love??!!
🍄Small town
🍄Grumpy/sunshine
🍄Murder mystery
🍄Chainsaw art (bad and good)
🍄Bigfoot sightings