The Captain and the Cricketer by Catherine Curzon
3.5 stars
The Captain And The Cricketer is a contemporary MM romance (fiction with an intimate relationship between two men) set in Sussex. Local vet Henry Fitzwalter, and TV star Captain George Standish-Brookes, come face-to-face once more at the village fete. The pair had a disagreement fifteen years ago over a cricket match trophy, which robbed them of their friendship. Now Captain George wants to solve the mystery of the missing cricket cup, whilst using his TV fame to help raise much needed money for repairs to the local village hall.
Still harbouring a grudge, Henry despises George and the fans which surround his every move. His temper is made worse when he receives a letter from a neighbour who is claiming true ownership of Henry’s home. But a beguiling George keeps popping up in Henry’s life. Can Henry put aside his anger and be friends with George once more?
This is book two of the Captivating Captains series of romances and can easily be read alone. I enjoyed the first book with its World War One background. Book two has a historical feel in a more modern era.
The romance is expected and swift as Henry and George bond over a deformed foal. Georgie’s disregard for normality adds humour, especially when he invites the foal into his home. But the trio find a deeper connection when they delve into forgotten family history.
The village of Longley Parva is extremely rural and quaint with all the boxes ticked for an idyllic English hamlet, with: a manor, roses around cottage doors, a thatched roof, a game of cricket and cucumber sandwiches. For me, this clichéd, overly idyllic image suits a bygone era, and I found it a bit at odds with other storyline aspects, like social media and mobile phones.
I think this book would appeal to those who enjoy this romance genre, or readers who love all things they believe are traditionally ‘English’.
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When an uptight countryside vet and a sexy TV star meet on the cricket pitch, they’re both knocked for six!
Henry Fitzwalter is a solid sort of chap. A respectable rural vet and no stranger to tweed, he is the lonely inhabitant of crumbling Longley Parva Manor.
George Standish-Brookes is everyone’s favourite shirtless TV historian. Heroic, handsome and well-travelled, he is coming home to the village where he grew up.
Henry and George’s teenage friendship was shattered by the theft of a cup, the prize in a hard-fought, very British game of cricket. When they resolve their differences thanks to an abandoned foal, it’s only a matter of time before idyllic Longley Parva witnesses one of its wildest romances, between a most unlikely couple of fellows.
Yet with a golf-loving American billionaire and a money-hungry banker threatening this terribly traditional little corner of Sussex, there’s more than love at stake. A comedy of cricket, coupling and criminality, with a splash of scandal!
Rosie Amber 