This book will be available to read and review via the MMRG Don't Buy My Love program from 5/2/2019, request it here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19802721-don-t-buy-my-love-coming-soon-5-2-...

----------------------
As if I was dropped in the 18th-century, the environment, the local slang, the aristocrats with their frilly clothes and arcane traditions, the whole setting reminded me of the Poldark era in England.

Winter was unfortunate enough to end up betrayed, penniless, homeless, only with his clothes on his back in a small town where he knew no one, and no way of getting home, unless he acquires some copper to pay for the carriage ride. He gets a job at an apple orchard, where he meets Adam, the farmer's son. Together they cook up a plan to get Winter home, and seek justice for the betrayal. On their journey, they experience strange things, thanks to a shiny little gem that has far more power they ever encountered.

This story was a sweet and slow-building romance between a noble boy and a farmer. They came from two different worlds, yet they understood each other from the very beginning as if they were destined to meet.

I had a hard time in general with this book, and I'm not sure the exact reason, but I was bored and stopped several times. It might have been the slow-moving plot, or that every time they entered a new setting or met new people, the description was very detailed, and I mean very. Also the history of this created world is very rich, and they always seemed to find someone who started telling tales from the past. Or it could have been that the protagonist, Winter (single, first person pov), was not interesting enough to me, I think his character was a little flat. The world-building was good, the other characters well rounded, and I love the slang, so that wasn't the problem either.

Once the magical stuff came into play, it was more exciting, but it was a long time coming. And if you haven't guessed yet, the story is not finished, this was just part one. Next up will be the Dark Harvest, which means, if I'm understanding it right, that we'll go back in time, with a different main character. But I hope eventually we go back to Winter and Adam coz I feel like their story is far from finished.

This book is just the very beginning of what I think will be a very long journey.
3.5 stars, rounded down for now. Hopefully the sequel (or prequel apparently?) will be more exciting. ( )

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review via the MMRG Don’t Buy My Love Program.

If you're a fan of fantasy, I highly recommend Apple Boy!

This is quite an adventure, full of magic, political intrigue, and personal growth. I found the start a little slow: the boys meet out on the apple farm during picking week, with the farmer father ominously hovering. Both boys are in a rather desperate situation and need to travel to other family members, but soon become part of major political machinations. In many ways the first 25% of the book, on the farm, feels like a prologue. As soon as the boys leave the farm, the adventure truly explodes, and the world is intricate and fascinating.

The magic here is fascinating. With no source of training, our heroes really bumble their way through; even by the end of the book, the boys only have the basics of the rules. Nothing like learning by trial and error!

I cannot WAIT to read the next book in the series! Who is trustworthy? What really happened in the past? I'm also still curious what happens on the farm after they leave on their journey. So many questions! ( )

It’s a beautiful story. And it’s more than a romance. There’s adventure, danger, magic, and forbidden stuff all over the place. Winter & Adam make a great team and this story is just the beginning of it.

I loved Winter’s internal monologue, starting us off with him lost in the countryside, penniless, and desperate to make it to any large city where he would be able to contact his prominent family. Alas, he must first figure out how to get his next meal. And that’s how he meets Adam, the son of an apple farmer. Even though same-gender couples are forbidden in this backwoods country, there’s an unmistakable attraction between these two young men.

While the Romance Genre isn’t my cup of tea, I still wanted Adam and Winter to fall into each other’s arms. They end up traveling to Winter’s home city, where same-gender couples aren’t frowned upon. However, there’s other stuff that is frowned upon, like magic. And Winter and Adam have stumbled upon something totally unexpected, something that could be very dangerous. Exciting!

I enjoyed the beginning more than the second half of the book because Winter was off his footing. In the 2nd half, he has the bulk of the power – he comes from a powerful family, their in his city where Adam is lost on customs, etc., and then Winter ends up being the One. Sure, Adam gives him an assist, but Winter is the main guy when it comes to the conundrum of magic. So I hope the series sees these two more balanced in the future.

The love scenes were nicely done, capturing that sense of exploring the forbidden and new. Winter uses words like prick and plums to describe things… but then also uses the word ‘taint’ which seemed out of place. Isn’t there a better word for it? Just my musing, but I did giggle a little each time Winter said ‘taint’ because it was a little out of character.

Over all, it’s an enjoyable tale even for one such as me who generally doesn’t delve into romance stories. It’s slow paced and great on character development. I also really like what’s going on with the magic, even tho this story leaves us with many questions on that front. Looking forward to Book 2. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Gary Furlong – he’s the reason I listened to this book even tho romance isn’t my cup of tea. I knew the narration would be great (and Furlong didn’t disappoint) and the story held potential. Furlong gives each character a unique voice and I like his various regional accents. His female voices are believable & his pacing perfect. There were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Isobel Starling. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. ( )