Release Review: Featherbed: Annabeth Albert
Featherbed
Annabeth Albert
Release Date: March 15, 2021
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Vino & Veritas: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/vino-and-veritas/
When a bookworm on borrowed time meets a younger, free-spirited chicken farmer, sparks and feathers fly…
Harrison Phillip Fletcher, III isn’t supposed to be here. Not in Burlington, Vermont, not running Vino & Veritas, a quaint inclusive bookstore and wine bar, and definitely not still alive, at forty-two. Also not supposed to be here? An unexpected delivery of chickens.
Finn Barnes knows chickens. The burly organic farmer knows all about rare breed poultry, but dealing with a hot, older bookseller is an entirely different matter. City slicker types like Harrison never end up staying in Vermont for the long-term.
They should steer clear of each other. But the flare of attraction is mutual. And somehow amid book discussions and farm tours, they discover plenty in common. Now they’re stealing kisses in Finn’s barn, sneaking out like teens, and burning up the sheets.
What starts as a fling brings very real feelings for two lonely souls, but a future together seems as unlikely as chickens in a bookstore. Feathers may be flying, but learning to trust takes time neither may have. Can they take a leap of faith together before it’s too late?
Featherbed is a stand-alone novel in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North. This opposites-attract, age-gap romance features a low-angst, fluffy—and feathery—romp as a fish out of water discovers the home he never thought he’d find.
This is a sweet novella set in the True North world of Sarina Bowen. I always enjoy heading back to Vermont with these small-town romances and Annabeth Albert's take on this is no exception.
Harrison Fletcher and his mother, Audrey are new transplants from New York and they are opening a new LGBT+ bookstore called Vino and Veritas. Harrison is a mature, well-dressed, buttoned-up, anxious, pessimistic lawyer. He thinks he is a bad bet on the relationship front and has deep seated worries that impair his hope for future happiness.
One look at hot, farmer Finn Barnes has him tongue-tied and awkward. Finn is big, burly, younger, easygoing, well-liked, optimistic, and confident. He likes teasing and unraveling Harrison. But he has a bad history with city guys that cannot deal with farm life.
But these two just spark and speak to each other on another level. Awkward turns to easy and passionate. But they both have fears and insecurities about the possibility of more than a fling. They have up their guards and share a need for self-protection while also looking out for the other. Finn had always been so focused on the farm and all of his obligations that he was not sure he would ever find someone who could live with that. And Harrison had some personal issues that definitely needed to be addressed, but Finn inspired him to try to loosen up, live in the now, and also trust in the future.
But when feelings get involved and they have to trust and face their fears, will their differences become too much to meld into a shared future or are they doomed to be a seasonal fling?
This is a sweet, sexy, fluffy, heartfelt, M/M, opposites-attract, small-town romance about trust, acceptance, living in the moment, and hoping for the best future. It does have some more serious threads running through it, but it did not drag the book down for me. I loved both of these guys and how they both contrasted and complemented each other in so many ways. I loved their relationships with their families. I am interested more now in some of the other True North stories especially Tanner, Rainn, and Finn's sister, Rachel.
“What’s next?” Harrison was so serious that I wasn’t sure whether he meant us or the shelf project, but I couldn’t resist messing with him a little.
“Screwing,” I deadpanned.
Predictably, Harrison made a sputtering noise. “Pardon?”
“With a drill, Harry.” I held up the trusty cordless I’d retrieved. “With a drill.”
“No one calls me Harry.” His mouth pursed. I wanted to kiss it. Perversely, the more uptight he got, the more I wanted to unravel him.
“Not even your mom?” I found the correct drill bit for the project and slotted it in.
“Ha.” Harrison had locked his gaze on my hands in a way that made me both self-conscious and more than a little turned-on. “I call her Mom only because she dislikes the formality of Mother.”
“Whereas you love the formality. I get it. Harry.” I put deliberate emphasis on the nickname, so that I could categorize all the different shades of pink and purple he was turning. Besides, it was a good distraction from how his shrewd eyes made me feel.
“I said—”
“You’re fun to harass.” I grinned at him, which earned me an eye roll in return.
“I try. Now give me something to do.”
“Okay, okay. Back to work. You can help by measuring to mark each of the screw holes.”
“Why do construction terms always sound so suggestive?”
“Because you have a dirty mind, Harry.” I gave him an exaggerated leer.
“You better stop that.” He didn’t sound particularly convincing.
“Stop teasing or stop looking at you?” Laughing, I waggled the drill in his direction. “I’ll remind you that I’m the one holding power tools.”
“So you are.” Harrison kept holding my gaze, eyes soft and expectant behind his glasses, tongue darting out to lick at his lips. In that moment, he was infinitely appealing and nothing at all like Astin.
Maybe I’d been mistaken in thinking he was a branch of the same tree of rich dudes who had no issues taking what they wanted. Like him, Astin had favored designer clothing, pricey-looking watches, and the same luxury brand car, and had also dropped clues about inheritances. But unlike Astin, there was a certain humility to Harrison, and he didn’t try to tell me how to do my job.
Oh, Harrison was still a city slicker, and probably not sticking around, but he wasn’t an entitled asshole either. He wanted to kiss me. That want was all over his face, but so was his restraint. As with the woodworking, he’d let me lead. He’d wait for me to make my move and didn’t have a ready arsenal of slick lines. His uncertainty was perhaps the most charming thing about him.
And so, still meeting his eyes, I set the drill back down on the workbench. “No power tools now. You still want to shut me up?”
I stepped closer, in case he had any doubt as to my intent. He smelled good. Expensive, like someone had married delicate herbs and leather scents in an aftershave that probably cost more than a year’s supply of my soap.
“Yeah. I think I do.” His cultured voice had gone husky, but still contained that vulnerability I found so damn intoxicating.
“Show me.” Touching the sleeve of his waffle-knit sweater, I turned him toward me. There. I’d made my move. The next was his.
Annabeth Albert
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Mr. Right Now joins her many other critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series and stand-alone titles. To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and particularly loves uncovering unique main characters.
In her personal life, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.
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