Where Love Grows

De: Jay Northcote

Narrado por: Hamish Long

When two broken men look to each other for help, an unexpected romance blooms.

Stephen’s home, deep in the heart of the Welsh valleys, suits his reclusive nature. However, as he recovers from illness, he’s struggling to manage alone. As nature reclaims the land he’s poured his heart into cultivating, he becomes increasingly unhappy. His only outlet is his blog, where he documents the decline of the garden that had been his pride and joy.

He was a high-flyer, living and working in London, until addiction sent him into free fall. Now on the road to recovery, he still wants to make some changes, but he’s unsure where to find the purpose and fulfilment he craves.

A mutual acquaintance suggests Luke visits Stephen to help him out for a while, and a seed of hope is planted. From prickly beginnings, shoots of friendship emerge, blossoming into a deeper connection when they act on their mutual attraction.

This was only ever supposed to be a temporary arrangement, and soon Stephen will be able to manage on his own again. But both men need each other in ways they’re afraid to admit. If their love is going to last for more than one season, they’ll need to find the courage to be honest.

This audiobook is a standalone with a satisfying happy ending.

©2019 Jay Northcote (P)2020 Jay Northcote

Love Blooms in an Unexpected Place

Where Love Grows is one of my favorite books by the amazingly awesome Jay Northcote! I was thrilled to hear that Hamish Long would be narrating the audiobook. His voice really created a wonderful landscape for me to visualize the Welsh valleys and Stephen's home.

Luke and Stephen are two different people who have been broken and hurt by their past and health conditions. Hamish's voice conveys the pain and struggle both men go through as they try to survive each day. Stephen struggles with a painful health condition that makes each day a struggle as he learns to adapt to living with constant pain and trying to forge a new path in life against the beauty of his gardens and the greenery of the Welsh countryside. Luke has to struggle with his addiction and the fast-pace environment of London and his corporate job. When Luke finds himself helping out Stephen through a mutual friend, their chemistry is slow-burning but explodes into something more.

Set against the beauty of nature and the countryside, one can't help but fall in love with the country and the men thanks to Hamish's voice and Jay's words. Stephen and Luke both have their own demons to sort out before they can decide if they should be together. The emotion and pain behind their separation really made me tear up. Well done, Jay and Hamish, for making listeners like me cry and fall in love all over again with Stephen and Luke! Worth more than 5 stars so this should be a must listen for everyone!

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

Another great book by Jay Northcote. I love how different all of his books are.
This one is emotional with both characters having their own struggles and together they find a new way. I loved how even though neither was looking for someone, they not only found each other but they also found a way to work through and with their problems. Stephen is a bit of a downer in the beginning but Luke brings a little sunshine and courage back into his life. Luke showed Stephen that he could still do a lot of things he thought he couldn't any longer. I also really liked the changes in Luke throughout this book, he finds a life he knows will make him happy even if he is alone. Their love story is beautiful as was the road that led them there.

Hamish Long is a great narrator. He really does a great job at keeping the characters separate and has a voice I could listen to any day. I get very excited when I see his name on a new Jay Northcote audiobook.

Exceptional, deeply moving hurt/comfort love story

Story: I think this might very well be the best book Jay Northcote has written so far. There’s just so much emotion in this story. And the writing… it’s simply incredible. Such a pleasure to listen to, especially the almost poetic, evocative descriptions of nature and some of the MC’s internal musings. A book to be savored and enjoyed, never rushed.
Luke and Stephen get off to a rough start, but I very much enjoyed the slow but sure way their friendship developed. Stephen is a tough nut to crack. His heart, health, pride and self-esteem have suffered countless blows. He’s lost so much: his parents, his health, a job he loved, … and he finds it nearly impossible to believe he can have happiness again. He’s super prickly and antagonistic as a result, but so vulnerable underneath his hard exterior. Luke, on the other hand, is very open about how he feels and tries his hardest to form a connection with Stephen. He’s such a sweetheart and has his own cross to bear, unfortunately. Luke and Stephen both tugged on my heartstrings something fierce.
This book has an almost magical “Secret Garden” feel to it, with a prominent role going to Nature, with all its beauty and promise of growth and resilience. The garden slowly blossoming under Luke’s care wonderfully mirrors the progress both Luke and Stephen make as well.

Narration: Hamish Long is the perfect choice for this audiobook. His honeyed voice and wonderful ability to capture every emotion, however small or subtle, make this into a mesmerizing listen. I love the voices he does for both Stephen and Luke, though Stephen’s slight accent is especially enjoyable to listen to.

Another Great Love Story

I’ve been in a reading slump lately and this book pulled me out of it. I couldn’t put the book down the night I started it, I was up til 3am before my eyes closed on their own... I’d only intended a few chapters but read half the book! Stephen and Luke both have tragedies in their past that they are working past and when their friend Will comes up with an idea that might help them both, Luke ends up leaving London for awhile to go help Stephen with his garden and some around the house stuff.

As their friendship grows, so do their feelings for each other but they are both terrified to get in deep and yet, it still works. The growth you see in both characters, along with the secondary characters and the animals really moves the story along and before you know it, you’re in deep with these guys and really rooting for them!

Jay does a fantastic job building relatable characters and stories that hook you from the beginning! I adore these boys!

Also Hamish Long might be my favorite British narrator. His narration brings the story to life in a way you don’t get from just reading the pages. It’s a flawless rendition and the emotion and inflection he pours into the story really helps you connect on a different level.

Painful, but so worth it.

What a lovely story. Two broken men who slowly find their way to one another. Such a beautiful love story. My first by Jay Northcote, and it will not be my last. Hamish Long is a such a talented narrator- real pro. His narration is sublime.