To Catch a Fallen Leaf

Rossingley, Book 2

By: Fearne Hill

Narrated by: Richard Stranks

Take one shy French gardener, mix in a naughty aristocrat, add a splash of water, a dash of sunshine, and wait for love to grow.

If only it were that easy.

Reuben Costaud counts his blessings daily. His run-in with crime is firmly behind him. He has a wonderful job gardening on the Rossingley estate, a tiny cottage all to himself, an orphaned cat named Obélix, and a friendly bunch of workmates. The last thing he needs is a tall, blond aristocrat strolling across the manicured lawns towards him.

Falling in love is not part of his plan.

Viscount Aloysius Frederick Lloyd Duchamps-Avery, Freddie to his friends, is in big trouble with everyone, from his father and his modelling agency, to his controlling older boyfriend. Seeking solace and refuge, he escapes to Rossingley and his adored cousin Lucien, the sixteenth earl. To take his mind off his woes, Lucien finds him a job with the estate gardening team.

Mutual attraction blossoms amongst the gardening tools, and Freddie charms his way through Reuben’s defenses. But as spring turns to summer and Freddie’s London life collides with their Rossingley idyll, Reuben’s trust in him is ruptured. Will their love flourish or is it destined for the compost bin?

To Catch a Fallen Leaf is a full-length MM contemporary romance, the second in the Rossingley trilogy.

©2021 Fearne Hill (P)2023 NineStar Press, LLC

So Romantic, I Loved It

I enjoyed this story very much. The setting and all the characters were very engaging, I love gardening, so it was so very good to listen to a story featuring romance blooming around a garden. I love both characters, Reuben, quiet and introspective and Freddie beautiful and larger than life personality, both make such a cute couple. I loved following their relationship development. Narrator did a good job with voices and the story. Overall this was a beautiful listening experience, highly recommend.

a very romantic story

Sweet, shy Reuben and flamboyant model Freddie don’t seem like they have a lot in common at first look but as they spend more and more time together it becomes apparent they do. Freddie’s father is a horrid man and I hated how he made him feel so worthless. I absolutely adored spending more time with Lucien and Jay from book 1 as they support and love Freddie unconditionally while also not allowing him to avoid some hard truths, the complete opposite of his father.

Freddie’s sarcasm is hilarious and I love how Freddie and Reuben banter and tease each other.
The addition of new characters in the way of the fellow estate gardeners was great and I enjoyed the dynamic of the entire group. You don’t need to have read book 1 to enjoy this but I would highly recommend it as it's just as well written and another delight but this author. This is an absolutely beautifully written romance that I never wanted to end.

Richard Stranks as the narrator does an excellent job bringing these men to life and listening to him doing Reuben’s French accent is dreamy.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

Fantastic narrator

5 stars for the narrator because he does a hell of job reading this one. I may just love his voice. He can speak to me in his French accent all day long. I need to look more into his work. Matter fact I just bought book 1 on audio to listen to him more. My only niggle, and this can just be a me thing, is when the narrator changes accents from the MCs speaking voice to their head voice. It throws me off a bit. Other than that he did a fantastic job.

3.75 stars for the story.

Freddie comes from a posh family. His father is home secretary to the prime Minister. His mother passed when he was 12 and it has been him of his father ever since. Well sort of if you count his father shipping him off to boarding school and barely tolerating his presence. So when he gets himself in a bit of trouble he goes to the one person who has always had his back, his cousin Lord Lucien. Lucien sets him up at his home at Rossingly where he is to work and take the time to clean up his act.

Reuben has been working at Rossingly as gardener for awhile. He spent 10 years of his life in prison and Lucien was the one person who offered him a job. He loves his job and the little cottage that comes with it. He works hard and is also working to better himself. He has dreams.

These two meet as Freddie is set to do manual labor on Lucien's land. He helps Reuben and when he finds Reuben is studying to pass the GSCE he offers to help. The two get along really well and although they come from two different worlds they seem to work perfectly together.

I really liked this one. Reuben was so sweet and although he had a rough life he still has a optimistic outlook on life. I enjoyed the romance and was happy they got a HEA.

Also, have I told you how much I love this author? She has become one of my new favorites. Every book I've read of theirs has been enjoyable. I look forward to more.

Adored It!

I loved this story when I read it and getting to listen to Freddie's posh British accent and Reuben's delicious French accent made it even better! Freddie and Reuben are so sweet together and it's wonderful getting to see Lucien and Jay from book one too. This is one I was ready to start listening to again the moment I finished it, and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Wonderful characters and narration

I loved Richard Stranks narration of this one. A new voice for me and I'll be sure to look for more. The accents were very well done. Reuben has found what seems to be an idyllic life as a gardener (I'd sure love a cottage on the estate like he has) and he's definitely not looking to be swept off his feet by someone like Freddie. These two are seemingly opposites in every way, from class to past experiences but they are similar where it counts in what they value, how they view life and relationships and this leads to them falling for each other. There are people and things from their past that trow up roadblocks but things get sorted in the end.

British accent for the win!!

So after years of having Fearne’s books on my TBR list, I was finally able to experience her writing style (or at least listen) and I have to admit my stupidity for never making time. Her humorous style was appreciated and fully enjoyed. There's something about audibly hearing British wit that brings me joy 😁

This was my first time hearing this narrator and his performance was definitely commendable. I am very judgemental of their ability to differentiate between the character and the ease of the change, which Richard did an impressive job of. His tone changes between Freddie and Romeo was flawless, but his ability to switch between multiple characters spoke volumes of his ability.

Wonderful audiobook, fabulous romance

This is my first book by Fearne Hill and it definitely won’t be my last! Reuben and Freddie are an unlikely pair, to say the least, but their slow burn is totally worth the wait. The audio version is terrific acted, and each character gets his own voice. Five stars all the way around. I received an advance copy. This is my own opinion.

Such a beautiful story 💙

I loved this book when I read it, and hearing Rueben and Freddie brought to like by Richard Stranks made it even better.
Viscount Aloysius Frederick Lloyd Duchamps-Avery has made some mistakes. After a huge mistake in the US ends up with him arrested and banned from the country, Freddie’s politician father insists that he get himself straight. Enter Freddie’s dear cousin, Dr. Lucien Avery, 16th Earl of Rossingly. Going to the country estate seems like the perfect remedy to Freddie, so he packs his bags and ditches London. He does not expect to be put to work, but he is now the newest member of the gardening crew. He’s immediately stunned by Rueben, a sweet, shy Frenchman with a stunning smile and a love of flowers.
As Rueben and Freddie grow closer, we discover they’ve both had very different but very tough pasts, and their beautiful friendship blooms into something more. When Rueben believes that Fredfie has broken his trust, Freddie must fight to get back the most stunning man he’s ever met.
-Friends to lovers
-Rich f**k boy gone good
-A sweet Frenchman with a dark past
-ROSSINGLY!

Wonderful! Loved It!

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I picked it up in audiobook and I was hooked. Great world building and wonderful characters. Each one was unique from Freddy and Reuben, to Lucian and Jay. Richard Stranks did a fantastic job narrating the different characters. Each one had a different voice and it was easy to tell them apart. As much as I enjoyed the British accents, Reuben's French accent and sweet tone of voice made me all gooey inside. Lucian was one of my favorite characters because of how perceptive and diplomatic and kind he was, and I loved Richard's voice for him. As aggravating as I found Vincent, even hearing his posh tone of voice was amusing, or the hard, commanding tones of Freddie's father. This was such a rich, beautiful world. It ended perfectly. I only regretted not seeing Freddie and Reuben visiting Guillaume in prison.

I definitely need to go back and listen to the first book in this series about Lucian and Jay. The next books are not on audio yet but I hope they will be soon!

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars

Freddie and Reuben are great!

I didn't read the first in this series but had no trouble at all enjoying To Catch a Fallen Leaf! Freddie is taking some time out in the country to lay low after a new scandal and Reuben is a gardener at the estate with a secret. These two hit it off while working in the gardens and Freddie helps Reuben study for his exams. It's a bit of a slow burn but I really liked that these two got to know each other and Reuben really starts to open up to Freddie. The other groundskeepers are a riot and very special. I love the way they support Reuben. Lucien is an amazing cousin to Freddie and a home when he very much needs it. This was a really sweet story with very memorable characters and now I need to go get Lucien's story as well.

Richard Stranks is a new narrator for me but I absolutely love his voice and he did an amazing job! His French with Reuben melted me. You can head the characters' emotions behind the words and it was a fantastic performance. I would most certainly listen to anything he narrates again!